#BETTER FAR TO LIVE AND DIE UNDER THE BRAVE BLACK FLAG I FLY

[kanamesengoku]

one piece.... pirates of penzance au.... anybody....

[kaiasky]

the sad lesson of crowdstrike though is, as always, that crime doesn't pay and it's much more economical to simply convince executives that they need to suck you off good and hard through your jorts, in exchange for the honor, privilege, and good economic value of letting you steal their data and pwn their computers. in order to make some dashboards you can reference in PowerPoint presentations.

[hotasfahrenheit]

for i am a pirate king

oh, better far to live and die under the brave black flag i fly than play a sanctimonious part with a pirate head and a pirate heart away to the cheating world go you where pirates all are well-to-do but i'll be true to the song i sing and live and die a Pirate King

[jack & joker 01.05]

[mekachu04]

11. Meeting

Kidd - 17 | Killer - 21 | Heat - 22 | Wire - 23

Tags specifically for this chapter:

Violence / Death

Aftermath of Victoria's murder

Songfic

Kidd will be the Pirate King

Kidd gets his name - Captain

Kidd meets Victoria Punk

Read at A03 (on the 11th!) linked above or here below cut

Drabbles from Pocket Jack's KiKi-tober Prompt list

Kidd sat on the throne of blood, opulence and wealth around him, the other three bosses before him.

The whole island was at his fingertips - everything Kutsukku had to offer his for the taking. The thick plush carpets and heavy tapestries on the walls. Glistening hardwood and marble floors. Paintings framed in gold.

His whole life - he couldn't fathom such affluence. The trash cans of this new world he had conquered held more wealth than his name once did.

This is what killed Victoria. The hand that stuck her down might have belonged to the corpse he's left smeared across the floor downstairs - but this place is what killed her in the end. The drive to take every penny from the island, just to decorate rooms like this.

He could live the rest of his life in luxury here. Haunted by Victoria but never wanting another day in his life. Only...

"Do what you want." he said finally, pushing himself up out of the plush chair. "I'm taking my cut and I'm out of here."

Bosses Heat & Wire just nodded; this was a temporary alliance at best. They'd had their own reasons for joining, but Victoria had never been one of them. If there was a way to end this amicably, then all the better.

Killer however...

"Out of here?"

They used to be friends. Hell, Killer was the closest to a parent Kidd had. The last couple of years had pushed them apart but once...

Once they'd crawled around the Heaps together - playing pretend. Imagined the trash yard as any place but here. Of the ocean and the blue blue horizon and of adventure and escape.

Of Roger and his treasures.

Oh, better far to live and die

Of that stupid little ditty that he'd heard as a child. Little him clinging to the words of drunken fools filling his head with fantastic nonsense.

Under the brave black flag I fly,

"Yeah... Out of here..." He looked at the wealth around the room. "Certainly enough here for a ship of my own."

Than play a sanctimonious part,

"A ship?" Boss Wire asked; he and Heat both looking at him curiously.

With a pirate head and a pirate heart

It wasn't like being a pirate was a step down from a crime boss. He'd still be his own man, but without this awful island holding him down.

Away to the cheating world go you,

"Yeah... Buy a ship. Sail out of here. Never look back" he grinned, a little manic, looking a the other three as the idea took hold for the first time with any real roots. It's a child fantasy. But now...

Where pirates all are well to do,

"Come with me. Fuck this place. We'll take what we want; burn this place down and just go."

But I'll be true to the song I sing,

"That's a big ask, kid boss. What are we gonna do with a boat? Fish?"

And live and die -

"I'm gonna be the Pirate King."

Killer face was unreadable as ever, hidden behind bangs and a blood splattered cloth mask. But Kidd knew he was staring him down. Judging his resolve.

It was a child's declaration. Shouted back in the days when Victoria didn't hate them yet and Killer still curled around him in the dark to chase away both chills and the things that went bump in the night.

If Wire or Heat thought to mock him, the intensity of the look between Kidd and Killer held their tongues.

Finally Killer looked away, "You don't know shit about sailing."

"I'll learn. I'll find people who do, get 'em to teach me."

"You hate being told what to do. Who'd you actually bother to listen to long enough to learn?"

"You."

Killer looked up sharply at that, this time his hair fell in a way to pierce Kidd with a ice blue glare.

"Boss Killer - you sail?" Heat asked softly.

"That was a long time ago. I was a child." He never looked away from Kidd, voice chipped and cold.

"Yet you had such a stick in your ass about it when we played pretend." Kidd goaded, "Used to hit me when I called the imaginary ropes the wrong thing."

"I have a few men who've sailed," Wire offered as a way to ease the tension building in the room, "Self included. Small boats only, but I do know a little."

"So Killer & Wire sail with me." Kidd looked at the last man standing, "You wanna stay here and be King Boss, or come with us, Heat?"

Wire raised a delicate eyebrow at Kidd's assumption he was gong along with him just like that, but... "You coming with us Heat?" he teased his long-time rival.

Heat scowled, "And what, the kid Boss will be Pirate King? What does that make the rest of us?"

"Free." Killer murmured solemnly.

Wire, Heat & Kidd looked at him sharply.

Kidd nodded slowly.

Yeah.

Free.

***

She's not a home yet, but Kidd feels like it's the closest he's ever had to just a place. Home was the people - places can be taken from you too easily. He'd learned that very early in life. And recently, he learned people could be taken away too, at any time with even less warning. But he'd not going to let that happen again. This will be Home - and he could afford to have one built just for him. But She called...

"I want Her." was all he said.

"Okay Captain," was all Wire & Heat said. Killer nodded in approval.

In turn, Kidd had turned to look at the trio - stunned by the name. Heat just smirked back, Wire shrugged, and Killer walked right on past him to flag down one of the ship masters.

[readyforthegarden]

Also thinking about how his instagram caption for this photo is "Oh, better far to live and die under the brave black flag I fly", which is from The Pirates of Penzance which is an opera. I wonder if he has seen it performed and went because pirates, or maybe even because Josh didn't want to go to it alone.

You can’t remind me, a former theatre and performing arts major, about this and not expect me to be okay.

I feel like with his willingness to join in on theatrics and stuff he is more of a secret theatre nerd. I think he likes shows like that and I think he enjoys the performance aspect of it and likes watching them. And you bet your ass if there’s pirates he’s THERE

[jonathanmorse]

O better far

to live and die under the brave black flag I fly

[carolinawrenn]

6, 7 & 14 for the music ask game? 🎵

Thank you for the ask! 6. A song that makes you think of a family member "Blueberry Hill" by Fats Domino. It was my dad's favorite song.

7. A song you know every word to "The Pirate King" from Gilbert and Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance" "Better far to live and die under the brave black flag I fly/than play a sanctimonious part with a pirate head and a pirate heart...." I could go on and would with very little provocation.

14. A song you love to sing along to

Oh gosh. There are so many. I can't NOT sing along to "Romance Addict" by Grace Petrie, though.

[jakes-black-gibson]

“oh, better far to live and die under the brave black flag i fly”

[sirjacobthomaskiszka]

“Oh, better far to live and die

Under the brave black flag I fly

Than play a sanctimonious part

With a pirate head and a pirate heart

Away to the cheating world go you

Where pirates all are well-to-do

But I'll be true to the song I sing

And live and die a Pirate King”

[octinary]

TWFF Challenge #46 Authors Revealed!

As a group, we got all 11 right! Go us!

@pherryt was correctly identified as the author of Caught in the Net by 60% of people who guessed!

@frenchkey was correctly identified as the author of The Curtains are Fucking Blue by 40% of people who guessed!

@feedingmyinsomnia was correctly identified as the author of escape from this life's masquerade by 100% of people who guessed!

@inexplicifics was correctly identified as the author of Fishing for Dreams by 83% of people who guessed!

@xianvar was correctly identified as the author of Footprints in Sand by 20% of people who guessed!

aleatory_fox was correctly identified as the author of How Far We've Come by 67% of people who guessed!

dawnoftheagez was correctly identified as the author of A Mer in our Nets by 50% of people who guessed!

@major-trouble was correctly identified as the author of The mother of what is and the son of what might be by 50% of people who guessed!

@peaktotheocean was correctly identified as the author of nest of nets by 40% of people who guessed!

@lambden was correctly identified as the author of oh, better far to live and die under the brave black flag I fly than play a sanctimonious part by 20% of people who guessed!

@kittsfics was correctly identified as the author of An Unexpected Catch by 67% of people who guessed!

If you want to participate in the next one, feel free to join the Discord!

[utilitycaster]

More good NPC archetypes

1. I robbed you...and you liked it ;)

2. I am an eldritch abomination and I don’t understand why you want to be friends because let’s be real when I look at you I see a pretty tasty meal.

3. My family has served yours for generations, and I am so proud of you for becoming a hero. I am however still going to absolutely roast you when needed.

4. I am exactly what you’d expect if you knocked on the door of a dark isolated hut in the wilderness, which is how you found me, and it’s weird that you’re surprised by that.

5. Just a good old-fashioned himbo wearing (pick one: plate armor, the garb of a remote tribe).

6. I work in the government and I’m so inherently untrustworthy that I’m gaslighting you into thinking I’m not gaslighting you. Make a wisdom save. No reason.

7. ANOTHER adventuring party to trash my tavern? Can’t I just have one good day?

8. OH BETTER FAR TO LIVE AND DIE UNDER THE BRAVE BLACK FLAG I FLY THAN PLAY A SANCTIMONIOUS PART WITH A PIRATE HEAD AND A PIRATE HEART

9. haha I’m definitely not a demigod or a powerful archfey...unless?

10. Unnecessarily snobby elf with RP accent

[myotherhealthyobsessions]

Oh, better far to live and die Under the brave black flag I fly, Than play a sanctimonious part, With a pirate head and a pirate heart.

Kevin Kline as Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance (1983) 1/11

[motherofcats666]

“Oh, better far to live and die under the brave black flag I fly than play a sanctimonious part with a pirate head and a pirate heart!”

(--”Oh Better Far to Live and Die”, Pirates of Penzance)

[bootstraping]

⎈ OPEN. ⎈

    ❛ Oh, better far to live and die under the brave black flag I fly than play a sanctimonious part with a pirate head and a pirate heart. ❜

[familiarbooksohio]

What better way to celebrate #talklikeapirateday than to sing The Pirates of Penzance? “Oh, better far to live and die Under the brave black flag I fly, 🏴‍☠️ Than play a sanctimonious part, With a pirate head and a pirate heart. Away to the cheating world go you, Where pirates all are well-to-do; But I’ll be true to the song I sing, And live and die a Pirate King. For I am a Pirate King.” . Sail down to the store today, me hearties! Take in all our sea-faring books and enjoy sea shanties in the background! Who knows what treasures you’ll find?! . . . #bookstagram #books #booksbooksbooks #pirates #yar #aye #indie #indiebookstore #reading #ohio #ohiogram #springfieldohio #smalltown #smallbusiness #shopsmall #local #localbusiness #shoplocal (at Familiar Books) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2mHANujnfS/?igshid=12ioqcoad1t0s

[funny1723]

Oh, better far to live and die Under the brave black flag I fly, Than play a sanctimonious part, With a pirate head and a pirate heart. Away to the cheating world go you, Where pirates all are well-to-do; But I’ll be true to the song I sing, And live and die a Pirate King.