#Im so honored to have been mentioned here
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YES!! Yes to all of this. In my fic they are definitely on this journey together, as they should be. Emerie plays a huge part in this story, as does Illyriaâs political system.
Healing from trauma is not a linear process, neither is social change. Perfection does not exist, and all we can do is our best.
I'm vibrating at the potential of how much growth and arc Cassian could have had if he lost access to his wings and became disabled and cut off from flying like the rest of the male Illyrian population
finding self worth in himself instead of through his wings or his power or his rank or status. Cassian finding himself and maybe hobbies and interests outside of Fighting and Fucking
the world view changes so much through a lense of disability. the POTENTIAL omg
#Im so honored to have been mentioned here#nessian#Nesta archeron#Cassian#Nesta X Cassian#Nessriel#TTBW#acotar#acosf#emerie#emerie of Illyria#Illyria
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THIS IS THE FUTURE WE COULD HAVE HAD PEOPLE
Narrator render provided by Canon, for once
#qna time#polls#tournament#to clarify this is a bit which is why im not giving it fandom tags lol#but ppl have been going nuts in the askbox for these pairs so here have an honorable mentions poll#also love how everyone else is in the bg just watching
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Okay so basically the United States MINT of all people is going to be working with DC to make a line of coins! These coins sadly won't be in circulation (the things I would do to live in a world where I could get Batman coins from the supermarket) as they're collectors coins, but will be releasing over the course of the next 3 years, 2025-2027.
Designs haven't been released yet (the same is true for all 2025 designs) but we know there will be 9 coins in total (3 each year) with the first year featuring (of course!!!) Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
Although we know the first three heroes to be featured, the remaining six have yet to be decided, and it turns out the Mint is putting out a survey on their site to gauge which of a group of culturally significant heroes people want to see most! (link to the form is mentioned in the article above)
The considered group includes: Supergirl, the Flash, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Captain Marvel, John Stewart GL, Aquaman, Hawkman, Jamie Reyes BB, Robin (Damian?), Cyborg, and Batgirl, of which 6 will be selected.
As someone who does a bit of coin collecting myself (mainly circulation coins like the quarters sets, but I also have a couple proof and collectors coins) I think this is a really cool and interesting idea that showcases the history of the comics medium and these characters and their influence on American culture. Really excited to wait and see what the designs look like for the coins already announced!
#ABSOLUTELY INSANE TO ME#sorry just. only thing that could make this crazier is if these were circulating. i would fucking die actually lmao#i mean you could buy something with one of these legally but like youre an idiot if you do that so likeeee#someone showing up with the solid gold superman collector coin and its only legally worth a dollar lmao#not that someone would do this but future generations/archeologists finding a coin in some ruins and it just has like. batman on it#amazing to me#also just the transition from us currency having all fake people (lady liberty some random native american guy etc.) and then going to real#people and presidents then expanding that to honor people that they believe should be honored (think the harriet tubman coin set right now)#and representing beauty and innovation and culture through representation of the states#only through that lens to swing back around and have fake people on the coins again in the form of the freaking dc trinity. insane to me#no one ever gets me when im nerding out over coins its okay. at least its not postage stamps (i actually do have some special postage stamps#its like 1 sheet though it was for the 2017 eclipse and the image changes from totality to the moon with the heat of your finger theyre so#cool okay) anyways i like dont really know that much abt coins lol i originally saw a post abt this on reddit đ lol and had to check this#was real which is insane. anyways my dad got my all my coin stuff ive got a proof set from the year i was born albums to hold the 50 states#and national parks (america the beautiful but its 90% natl park designs lets be honest here) quarter collections as i find them irl#(dont have an album for us women yet sadly but do have some of the coins) as well as a few dimes and other circulation albums i havent used#much. and then i have a few collectibles like the hubble telescope $1 coin the 50th anniversary apollo 11 one and the 2021 anniversary peace#dollar. though like not the gold ones or anything like that lol but yeah. i talk abt coins every once and a while with friends and i know#things but then my dad is in the car and its like nevermind lol.#also put a ? after damian's name bc theres a chance it could be dick and they just used the wrong picture. because some of the character#bios had names but his didnt and seemed very dick grayson (acrobatics mention âbatman's partnerâ etc) but not so specfic exclude either one#and the pick was damian. but then the ollie pick was goateeless for some reason so who knows#culturally dick is more important but dami is current so idk#dc comics#blah#ive really been learning so much today. first all in announcement and subsequent leaks and now this. what a ride#also love how im anticipating and know future comics things lol. when did that happen haha. ive really transitioned from only reading back#issues and never knowing current events to following a lot of releases lol and somehow finding out about the freaking coin collection...#crazy how that happens#cant scroll up at that first image without losing it a bit still actually. what a world we live in. anyways take your bets who is gonna be
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sending you an oc ask in return >:3c how about......pick any 3 ocs (whether they're your faves, the ones on your mind lately, or the most developed) and tell me a song that you think describes them well!!
OOOH hell yea, I love this >:3
Listen the thing about my music choices is that I only listen to So Few songs but! Still got some fun ones >:3 (plus my most recent drawing of them)
1. Providence Heir - We Will Commit Wolf Murders by Of Montreal
Somethin about the vibes. I've been wanting to do a piece of her with the caption "Will you meet the common end to your odd shape mission?" Recently because what a good line and honestly the whole paralytic stalks album makes me think about my angels and developing her!
2. Stella Commence- Fushigi-Chan by Alice Schach and the Magical Orchestra
I've been listening to a lot of Alice Schach recently but the mix of sorta whimsical fairytale music with the bite murder kill vibes reminds me of her <3 dont worry shes completely normal and not silly insane đđ§Ąđ
3. Lyre Luminary- Hand Me My Shovel, I'm Going In! and Outliars and Hippocrates- a fun fact about apples both by Will Wood
I wasn't making it through a list without at least one Will Wood song tbh, I'm Very influenced by it and could probably make a whole list of characters I got just from his music! But I was bringing SELF-iSH yesterday so they're on my mind! Hand me my Shovel inspired their backstory with achieving godhood through destroying a cathedral and Outliars and Hippocrates is more of their vibe in the current era
Thank you SO SO SO much for asking :0000 đđđđđđđđ
#FOR REAL THO this list could be so long#some parts of my life i take more inspiration from music than visual stuff#honorable mention Ava with Suburbia Overture my 50s pinup vampire whos head of her HOA#my ocs#my art#HONESTLY tho i have been thinking about starting an art blog since im starting to post more and more here#but most people are here for the memes so uh#lmk if yall would be interested in that đđđ
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My Top 10 K-Pop Songs of 2022
If you're curious about my top 10 non-k-pop songs of 2022 check them out here!!!
RUN2U By Stayc
Forever 1 By Girl's Generation
After Like By Ive
Heart Burn By Sunmi
Chiquita By Rocket Punch
Antifragile By Le Sserafim
Attention By NewJeans
Copycat By Apink Chobom
Eye To Eye By Limelight
Higher By Fifty Fifty
English Release Honorable Mention: Pom Pom By Rocking Doll
I'm tagging: @shyirefly @backtodaydreams @beomieotter @thatadorkablegirl @hinataek @prettywordsyouleft @aigoo-exo @arzehh @orbityyxy also anyone else who sees this im also tagging you! and of course none of you have to do this but it would be nice if you did!!!
#my post#the honorable mention i didnt know if i should just put it on the other list#since it is in english but its by a kpop group#but thinking about it being fully honest i dont think it could compete with the songs on that list imo#but i still really liked the song and wanted to mention it#i hesitate to put really new songs on this list like i thought about adding Limbo by Nature but didnt for that reason#but Higher by Fifty Fifty also came out around the same time#but i have high expectations for this group and i feel like its a song ill like for a long time#oh i didnt explain but thats why i hesitate to put new songs on here#like some songs have all year to go from faves to songs i dont listen too#so i like to remember ones that i loved through a good part of the year#but with songs that are new i have less time with it to see where it ends up#but again i have high hopes that i will like this song for a long time#and plus to be a new song im so obsessed with i feel compelled to put it on here is pretty good on its own#but it is still in the last spot#Eye to Eye is also pretty new but same as Higher im just really into the songs and think ill like it long term#the top song was so easy to pick tho#its been one of my favorites all year and it came out way at the start so pretty impressive but i wouldnt expect less from stayc#i just realized their isnt a single boy group lmao trust me its not on poupous#but i think got7 was the only boy group (and male soloist) i even considered for this list they just didnt make the cut#tho if im honest im struggling to think of any other boy groups ive really listened to this year (like new songs)#also not to be a fake fan but im sorry their is no loona song ill blame it on the current loona boycott#but in reality i think i just liked all these songs more then anything loona released this year#like for sure if i got to 20 songs of the year theyd make it but not with just ten
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an open fly walking
i didnt like this one but i thought id finally air it out since its been sat in my folders for months now
TG: hey karkat
CG: YEAH?
===
TG: you ever noticed you like
TG: walk weird
CG: WOW, OKAY.
CG: HAVE *YOU* EVER NOTICED THAT I DON'T GIVE A SHIT?
TG: pff
===
TG: no listen because i got my ears scoping that shit im like a scouter for dude activity
TG: ok maybe me mentioning it to you is gonna fuck up your ecosystem or something but
TG: you have the heaviest feet of the century man
CG: I DO???
TG: just thrust them straight down into the ground like youre trying to homebrew a san andreas fault
TG: viciously tamping on tectonic plates hoping for top score on the richter scale
TG: waging war against solid particles and the basic flow of gravity
TG: i could ID those footfalls out of a million i mean it
CG: SERIOUSLY?
===
TG: i mean theres nothing wrong with it but
TG: yeah
CG: I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU'RE FUCKING WITH ME RIGHT NOW.
TG: im not fucking with you striders honor
TG: when have i ever lied to anybody about anything
CG: NOT UNPACKING THAT QUESTION WITH YOU TODAY.
CG: BUT SHIT, HOLD ON. LET ME SEE.
TG: yeah take the umbrella go over there and just walk to me
CG: ON IT.
===
===
TG: see you just kinda slam em straight down dude
CG: THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY RIOTOUS FUCKING JOKE OF A LIFE.
TG: dont your feet ache
===
CG: MOOT POINT. THIS MIGHT SOUND INSANE BUT I'VE ACTUALLY HAD MY STRUT PODS FOR A WHILE. ANY KIND OF PAIN THIS WOULD'VE BEEN CAUSING WOULD BE TOTALLY FILTERED OUT OF MY SPONGE BY NOW AS BACKGROUND NOISE.
TG: damn i didnt think that through
TG: my shades
CG: ALRIGHT, GET BACK UNDER THE SHITTING UMBRELLA AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME.
TG: look ive fucked myself over here too i dont have shit to clean these with
TG: ugh
===
TG: guess its karma
CG: HOLY FUCK. HOW DID I NEVER NOTICE THIS BEFORE?
TG: i dunno but im gonna assume having a dad thats a literal crab monster is probably a contributing factor
TG: im guessing thats not a great role model for this kinda thing
TG: just conjecture i mean
CG: YOUR ENVY IS OVERWHELMINGLY OBVIOUS DAVE. AS A DISCLAIMER, HE WOULD'VE ABSOLUTELY KICKED YOUR ASS.
TG: yeah probably
CG: THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL THERE IS TO SAY ON THE MATTER.
===
TG: but see bro had me stringent on feather feets
TG: i bet i could slip across a bike horn warehouse with nary a fucking toot
CG: HAHA. ASSUMING YOU DON'T MAKE A TOTAL ASS OF YOURSELF, AS PER USUAL.
CG: IF YOU WEREN'T CONSTANTLY RUNNING YOUR GASH ABOUT EVERYTHING AND BEING AN INIMITABLE CLOWN I SERIOUSLY THINK YOU COULD BE ON PAR WITH YOUR CUSTODIAN.
CG: THAT IS A MONUMENTAL "IF".
TG: well look at it this way
TG: im basically doing you all a favor by being a dumbass
TG: never gonna get caught off guard by the bozo patrol
CG: WOW. GOOD POINT.
===
TG: also screw this can i use your shirt
TG: this stupid hoodie is just smudging my lenses up
TG: i cant see dick
CG: UH
CG: SURE, I GUESS.
TG: cool
===
TG: so yeah i could be prowling around like a goddamn verbal assassin sniping convos left and right
TG: but no ive got the decency to go bunp in the night
CG: YEAH.
CG: IT'S DEFINITELY COMPOUNDED BY THE CONSTANT INANE RAMBLINGS.
CG: BUT
CG: IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY RELAXING, Y'KNOW? IT HAS ITS OWN RHYTHM.
TG: see yeah i sound it off and
===
TG: wait really?
CG: YEAH
CG: I DON'T KNOW
CG: FUCK. HOW DO I EXPLAIN THIS WITHOUT WANTING TO CRAM MY FROND DOWN MY PROTEIN CHUTE.
===
CG: IT'S LIKE
CG: A SALVE FOR MY AGGRAVATION SPONGE.
CG: YOUR VOICE IS THE HUMAN EQUIVALENT OF ASPIRIN.
TG: uh damn karkat hold your hoofbeasts i was talking about the rhythm thing
CG: ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT. I'M TAKING US BOTH THE FUCK OUT RIGHT NOW. YOU HAVE REACHED THE BAD END OF THIS CONVERSATION.
TG: you think thatd be heroic or just
CG: IF I WAS STILL GHOSTING AROUND THE RUINS OF SGRUB'S ARCANE FRIGGIN GAME SYSTEMS, THE COMPLETE LACK OF SHIT AFOOT NOWADAYS WOULD BORE ME TO DEATH.
CG: LIKE. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME OUR THERMAL HULL LEVELLED UP, DAVE?
TG: hah
===
TG: but uh
TG: i mean we had aspirin on earth
CG: NO, NUMBNUBS.
CG: I'M SAYING YOU ARE MY ASPIRIN.
TG: oh
CG: YEAH, TAKE THAT TO THE BANK AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR 20-KARAT ASS.
===
TG: heh
TG: well get this
TG: i will literally talk at you forever for free
TG: you got lifetime priority seating for the davealogues
TG: never gotta go to the drugstore again you can just get doped up on my dulcet tones for the rest of time
TG: take that and some of this
TG: im packin punches
CG: OW, FUCK! NO! MY MIGRAINES!
CG: SWEEPS OF VEINCLOTTING AND NERVEFRAYING DOWN THE FUCKING GAPER. BECAUSE OF YOU.
CG: YOU ASSHOLE, THIS IS THE WORST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME.
CG: AND YOU'RE LAUGHING.
TG: chuckle up it only gets worse from here
===
CG: BE HONEST WITH ME. DID FONDLING MY SHIRT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET EVEN DO ANYTHING?
TG: barely but yknow sometimes you just gotta deal the cards youre given
TG: ill just be astigmatic for a while its cool
CG: PFF⌠OKAY MAN.
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đđŠđ°đśđľđ°đśđľ summary: where he has an interest in a certain pop singer, and he doesn't try to hide it. note: believe me or not iâve been listening hip hop since Im like 15 y/o, soooo why not do an M&Mâs fic?? Let me know if u want part 2! xoxo
The lyrics of Mr Eminem's new song being mostly about you? That was something you definitely didn't expect.
I get so weak on my knees
Lose all control
Damn, her silhouette
So hot
Fuck beinâ a gentleman
I'm going to fuck her instead
The red carpet at the Grammys has always been a dream for you, you had already won a couple of awards, today... you were excited to be the presenter of one of them.
Best Rap Album.
To say you were excited is an understatement.
You've loved this genre of music since you were a teenager, Tupac, Fifty, Snoop...to name the most classics.
The camera flashes were the only thing you saw, accompanied by many voices that stunned your ears just by hearing your name.
"Y/N! over here!" A reporter called you, without hesitation, you approached.
"Hey how are you?" you asked with a big smile.
"Incredible! How are you? I imagine you're very excited for tonight" he smiles.
"Don't even mention it! I can't wait to call the winner on stage!"
"Do you think Eminem is nominated? He's been on everyone's mouth lately with his latest song..."
Here we go.
"Yeah... well, I'm sure he'll be nominated, I mean, he's fucking Eminem, it would be like a sin if he wasn't, right?" You laughed a little awkwardly.
"What do you think about his last song, about his comments towards you? 50% of people are upset calling Eminem a degenerate..." you didn't let him finish speaking.
"Well...I really like him, I mean, I've always been his fan and it's an honor to be named in one of his songs. Plus I also think that...we all know how he's like, if you don't like his way to be, to think, to speak, the lyrics of his songs, just don't listen to it and that's it, problem solved, I donât see the point in hating so much on something you can just...ignore" you laugh looking at the camera "Just take things more lightly, not everything is fighting and bad intentions."
You finished your conversation with said reporter and simply headed to your designated seat.
On the other hand, a certain blonde boy was also being attacked with questions regarding his controversial lyrics.
"She's here? Shit, I want to see her," the blonde rapper said, showing a small, very small, smile, turning his head around with the intention of catching some sign of the hot pop singer, you.
"Yes! In fact she will be the one to present the award for best rap album!"
"No shit! Damn man she's here" Em turned around and said to his best friend, Proof.
In a few minutes everyone finished settling into their seats and you both were surprised when you looked at each other, just a few seats away.
You were five seats to the right and three to the back, so you caught him every time he turned his head back a little to look and smile at you.
Until, soon...your moment had arrived, you got up from your seat to head backstage.
By the way, when you walked past the rapper, he didn't try to hide the fact that he couldn't take his eyes off you for even a second.
"And the Grammy goes to..." you created some tension "EMINEN!" You blurted out the name more excited than you should have.
The rapper's reaction might not have been very expressive normally, but he couldn't contain his smile when he knew who would be the one giving to him his award. The rapper and his friends got on stage and it was inevitable that you felt nervous as you watched him walk towards you, with a playful look, as if he knew what he generated in you.
"Congratulations," you whispered when he was close enough to you, taking the grammy as you felt the soft brush of his fingers against yours, he did it on purpose.
You didn't expect him to give you a hug.
"That's all I get?" He whispered back to you, keeping your faces close and your noses touching, his hands on your waist pulling you closer to him as if he didn't want to move away from you.
A great bustle from the public was heard, and it took them both out of the small cloud in which they were.
This was definitely going to stir the waters.
You both walked away, while you greeted and congratulated the rest of his friends (Proof winking at you in the process).
"Wow, shit, this is crazy, thank you so much to everyone who made the production of this album possible, Dr Dre, who always had my back, I will be forever grateful...and my god, damn, thanks to whoever the fuck is that put this beauty in that dress..." he turned to look at you and winked "Y/N Y/L/N ladies and gentlemen, the source of my inspiration for Heat Seeker"
Obviously, you blushed.
The entire audience was applauding, probably already starting to gossip among themselves about the little show between you and Eminem.
Like a gentleman he offered you his hand as he watched you walk down the steps of the stage with great caution. "Thank you," you whispered. âAny timeâ he smiles at you.
´Til the end of the awards you continued to connect glances from time to time, you also noticed how his friends bothered him every time he turned his head to look at you.
"Hey, Y/N! wait!" listen to yourself behind your back. "Hey," you looked at him softly, "whats up?" He shook his head quickly. "I just wanted toâŚI mean, normally I wouldn't give a shit, but, I wanted to make sure that the song didn't offend you, it wasn't to upset youâŚ" You interrupted his attempt to apologies "Don't worry, I understand it was just the song, I didn't take it personally, actually, I loved it" you laughed. "You did? I'm glad you're not like the rest and laugh instead of being offended." His attempt to hide his smile failed completely.
It just slips away from him.
Just with you.
A few seconds of silence took over the situation, though it wasn't uncomfortable, your eyes connected and you didn't seem to realize that you had been staring at each other. "Uhm, I was about to go to my hotel," you pointed behind you, "I was gonna change for the afterparty."
"Can I go with you?" He asked you, but before you processed the fact that he wanted to go with you to your hotel, he interrupted your thoughts "I mean, just so then we can go to the party together, if you want" he scratched the back of his neck.
You didn't even need to think about it "Yeah, I would like that" you smiled.
The two of you walked together towards your limo, captured by several cameras, so neither of you doubted that tomorrow you would wake up to a bunch of articles about how Eminem and Y/N left the Grammy's together. But none of you care about it.
#eminem x reader#marshall mathers x reader#eminem fluff#marshall mathers fluff#eminem imagine#marshall mathers imagine#eminem fanfiction#marshall mathers fanfiction#fluff#shay's requests
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Just found you and read all your Alastor fics. Love them! My request is jealous fucking with breeding. But the jealousy comes on because of Lucifer. Luci comes to visit the hotel and causally makes a sweet comment to reader but as soon as he notices that it pisses off Al, Lucifer just goes all in offer to buy readers soul and free her just to piss off Al until reader and Charlie have to break them up before they fight. Then comes in the breeding, so everyone knows your his as if him owning your soul wasnât enough
Oh I appreciate it so much! I hope you enjoy it around these parts and I am happy you enjoy my writing!
Warnings: fem!reader, jealous!Alastor, flirting, Lucifer riling up Alastor, rough sex, breeding kink, pregnancy mentioned
The hotel was in an uproar over the King of Hell's impending visit.
Charlie was a nervous wreck and you were doing everything to make sure that the hotel was somewhat presentable and that everyone was well behaved.
âNow just be your charming self and make sure to help promote the purpose of the hotel for Charlieâ you said fixing Alastorâs bow tie. He smiled down at you, waving his hand dismissively âOh donât worry my dear Ill be the perfect host. Thereâs nothing to worry aboutâ
Lucifer Morningstar, the King of HellâŚwas not what you had expected.
You could see where Charlie got her flare from.
He was looking around the lobby, taking in the interior and the residents. You didnât miss the way his face scrunched up a bit.
âAnd here are our lovely hotel managers dadâ Charlie said, turning towards you and Alastor.
You smiled, giving him a slight curtesy âIts a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty, I hope that you enjoy your time here at the hotelâÂ
Lucifer dawned a sultry smile, grabbing your hand and bringing it to his lips. Kissing it.
âThe pleasure is all mineâ
Alastor growled, stepping between the two of you. He gave a tense smile âPleased to meet you sirâ he slapped your hand out of his and took it to shake. Lucifer blinked, a slight frown on his face âand you would be?â A snort escaped the red demonÂ
âAlastor! Im the host of the hotel. Maybe youâve heard of my radio broadcast?â Lucifer deadpanned ânah never was one to consume mediaâ he shrugged.
He slipped by to your side, looping an arm around you âNow Iâm sure you wouldnât mind giving me a tour hmmm? Show me all of the more intimate partsâ he chortled, as you nervously turned to Alastor.
Alastor's smile was tense and his eye was twitching slightly.
Irritated and annoyed.
Lucifer seemed to pick up on that.
He eyed the lanky demon, before cooing at you âoh donât tell me you need the bellhopâs permission? â
oh no. The lights flickered.
You cleared your throat âI would be honored your grace,but Alastor knows the hotel better than I. He can show you aroundâ you offered, making the King groan.
Charlie chirped in âYes yes. Alastor has been a great help. Well shall we?â
The tour went without any mishap. Alastor had you tucked away into his side as Charlie gave a run through of what she was trying to achieve.
Charlie suggested dinner before her dad left, to give him a little convincing to help.
You bustled about the kitchen, setting everyoneâs meal down and making your way to sit by Alastor.
A hand grabbed your wrist, you stiffened as Lucifer gave you a charming smile âwhy not sit by me. Charlie has told of some of the improvements you think would work for the hotelâ
You heard a static buzz as you took a seat by him.
You listened quietly as Charlie went on and on about her plans.
Lucifer had been not so subtly subtly flirting with you the entire dinner.
âWell I will think about it Charlie. I do believe your dream is possibleâ She smiled happily. he turned his eyes to you
âEspecially with such lovely helpâ you blushed.
He seemed more interested in you.
âsooo whatâs your deal with that guyâ he was referring to Alastor
you tilted your head in question, he clarified his intention
âI mean he own your soul or something? A pretty little thing like you shouldnât be tied to the likes of him. how about I nullify whatever deal you made and you take you under my wing insteadâ
You looked at him shocked.
The sound of glass breaking sounded and Alastor shook his hand of the liquid once in the glass
He chuckled darkly âWell I am afraid it is late, wouldnât you agree dearest?â His eyes narrowed on the man as he stood, coming around to stand behind you.
His eyes were black and glowing red as he practically sneered at the King.
Lucifer was unfazed by the intimidation tactic.
âhaha what I strike a nerve? Youâve got this amazing beauty on a leash and for what? Im sure shell do much better being tied to youâÂ
Before Alastor could lunge at the man, you stood up and pressed yourself against him as you heard Charlie grab her dad to pull him away.Â
Your hands reached for his face, turning his enraged eyes to you.
You shook your head at him slightly. You know when someone wa just trying to ruffle his feathers.
âI am feeling quite tired from todayâs activities why donât we turn in for the night yes?â You pleaded with him, softly pushing him back towards to door.
Large hands gripped your waist as his turned his eyes back towards Lucifer, he hissed lowly before whisking you out of the kitchen and to your shared bedroom.
âââââââââââââââââââââââââââ
The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room.
You whined at a harsh thrust that jolted your body against the silky sheets.
The room was buzzing with static as Alastor fucked into you.
Green chains hung heavy around your collar as Alastor pulled on them to pull you into his thrusts.
He was pissed.
His usual composed and controlled demeanor slipping the moment he slammed the door.
He had taken you against the door roughly, too pent up to let you get a single word out.
He had thrown you onto the bed after, a dark aura surrounding him as his antlers grew with the angry emotions swirling inside him.
âAh! Ha! A-Alastor!â You moaned as another orgasm racked through you.
He twisted your chains around his arm as he used them as leverage to drill his dick into you.
âWho do he think he is?â He growled, pushing your head into the mattressÂ
âThinking he can just take you from meâŚME?! You are mineâ
You let out a cry as he ruined your walls, balls slapping against your cunt.
âYou wouldnât leave my side would you sweetheartâ he hissed down at you, turning your head so you could see him.
âWho would want you after I ruin you hmm? You would be nothing but sloppy seconds.â He regraded you, angry at the very thought of you thinking you could terminate your deal with him.
Your deal with Alastor was nothing too extreme. Your complete devotion to him for his protection.
While he might not admit it, Alastor had grown accustomed to you being by his side, able to help him see reason and take on tasks he found too mundane.
You were like his wife in a sense.Â
Soft and caring, always doing whatever he asked of you.
You never complained, happily fulfilling your duties to a tee.
And some goofy, short king thinks you would leave your benefactor?
Had he not given you anything you ever wanted?
You were the most free soul he had, that was a privilege.
Your cunt squelched as he pulled out, the tip kissing your outer lips as he stilled in his rough fucking.
You panted, clammy sweat sticking to your body as he tugged at your chains.
You were on your back, thighs spread around his waist.
A hand wrapped around your throat, Alastor leaning down to press a surprise soft kiss to your forehead
âYou wouldnât dare leave me would you babyâ he cocked his head at you.
You shook your head quickly, hoping that he had blew off enough steam to finally be reasonable.
But Alastorâs jealousy was ugly.
He wouldnât be done with you until there was nothing you thought about but him.
He should be what plagues your thoughts.
You should crave him by the time he was done.
He slotted back inside you, making you gasp as he returned to his fast pace.
âLeave me for that sorry excuse of a king? Ha! You wouldnât. No not my pretty girl. Youre my good girl arenât you?â
You mewled as you watch him transform.
âI-Im your good girl Ah! Pl-please!â Your eyes clenched closed in pleasure.
âYoure mine. You understand that? I own you. Your every thought. Every feeling. Your body, mind, and soul are mine. You gave them to me oh so happy. I can do whatever I please with you. Ruin you and dump you off into the street like a common whore if I wishedâ
You whimpered at his words.
âBut thats not enough is it? Hmmm? Noooo. Youre not mineâ he purred.
you pouted, ready to reassure him that you were, in fact, his.
He lifted one of your legs to your chest, angling his hips down
âIll make sure every disrespectful wretch knows you are mine. Fir it seems my constant presence isnât enoughâ
Your cunt fluttered.
How else wouldâŚ.
His dick hit that sweet spot deep inside you
âOh! Ah!â His hand on your neck tightened as a sharp smile appeared on his face
âSo maybe putting a claim to you will do the trickâ
Your mouth shaped into an âOâ as he fucked you roughly, hips grinding down as if to make you mold to his very shape.
Sinners couldnât reproduce.
Right?
that was your last coherent thought as he slammed his hips into yours over and over til he sighed, his dick twitching as he filled you with his cum.
You whined as he gave soft thrusts to keep his cum inside you, purring as it spilled around him, pooling around your ass.
You whined when he pulled out, hearing a soft âpopâ as you clenched around nothing.
A hand settled on your lower belly, now full of his cum, Alastor grinned wicked âLetâs see how much the pipsqueak will want you now my dearâ he chuckled.
âââââââââââââââââââââââââââ
âIts nice to see you again sirâ you said welcoming the King of Hell inside the hotel.
He smiled and once he got a good look at you, it fell.
âCharlie will be down in a second do you need anything?â You asked sweetly, hand resting on your swollen belly.
He stuttered out a response in surprise âO-oh w-why thank you. I take it youâve been wellâ
Alastor manifested behind you, grinning at the short monarch, his arm roping around your waist, hand settling on the side of your stomach âAh yes! Weâve been busy. Im sure you can tellâ
Alastor- 2
Lucifer- 0
#hazbin hotel#hazbin alastor#alastor#alastor the radio demon#alastor x reader#hazbin hotel fanfiction#jyoongim#alastor x y/n#alastor smut#alastor hazbin hotel
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remembering the most memorable mc's (with canon appearences) from the otomes i played
all of them are phone games btw. and looong rambling about the games after the cut!
Mystic messenger has been in my radar since i was in elementary school but i played it for the first time after the spanish traslation came out (2017 i think?) Seven shaped my type in such a specific way that im not really sure why loved him so much (it was the whole "he loves you in every route" stuff). I like a lot the default mc, most of the fandom did and that was enough to won me over
Rosa is top tier protagonist tbh, Tears of Themis has really good story and characters (as far i played, not a lot but i enjoyed it) The reason i'm not that much of a fan is bc the game is expensive asf and not very free to play friendly. You're either lucky or have a big wallet with the gacha
i miss my wife man(Marius)
Ephemeral has to be one of the best free to play otomes i've played tbh (if my memories aren't tricking me, it's been years) Good artwork, good storyline, good characters and as far i remember you can unlock one chapter of the character route per day (mabye two days, idk) and the mc's background has an important role in every route (she's a zombie! she's pretty now but eventually will fall apart, aaaaand her story gets expanded in one of the routes!) ((shes also adorable)) There's also a sequel, if you wanted more of the boys! never finished it but i'd recommend it
Honorable mentions! Huellitas MĂĄgicas is a great game! has a really good cast with well fleshed arcs for all the characters, even the scondary ones! The game shines more for the development of *all* the characters rather than just the protagonist/ml. The main theme is overcoming insecurities! Each love interest has a different way of helping our (very insecure) protagonist and helping different characters with their own struggles :DD
10/10 i recommend this game if you want something cute and can be finished in a few hours, if i remember right. It also has a sequel! with like- 12 new love interests, also never finished it bc i didnt found a guide that worked for me but Ăąek
A3! is my canon event as a gacha player. Discovered the english/global server, tried it and got bored, left it for a few months, tried it again and fell in love, noticed the game was going to shut down bc low sales -HAHA :(-. This is not a otome btw, this is here bc Izumi has to be one of my favorite protagonists in gacha games ever
last but not least! Obey me! Shall we date? oh dear, what have they done to you :(. The original had intense powercreep to force you to pull cards -multiple times bc that makes them stronger- and even now, the company showed a lot of favoritism to some characters, leaving others to dust bc they don't make the same money. Not to say, they released a new game with the same cast and new main story (ignoring all what happend before). And let me say: THEY LITERALLY WANTED TO KILL THE ORIGINAL GAME.
Nightbringer might be a decent game but i don't trust the devs anymore, i still remember what happend with Asmo's birthday right after the release, and honestly i don't want to sit there watching how they disrespect my favorite characters again and again and again. Loved the characters hated the devs. 5/10 you can play it if you want but i don't recommend spending money on it, it's not worth it, just search #obey me here in tumblr and enjoy the amazing fanworks that i can assure you have a lot more love than the game itself
i miss my wife man (mammon and levi)
#got sting by the nostalgia mosquito#thinking about it i kinda want to play huellitas magicas again#mystic messenger#mysme#tears of themis#rosa tears of themis#ephemeral#its that the right tag?#huellitas magicas#a3#a3! act! addict! actors!#izumi tachibana#obey me#obey me shall we date#otome game#tot
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â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§Ë â double gold - gr63
the most undescreet mercedes fan makes her way to the olympics for team usa. people very quickly learn why she's very unhinged about her love for all things mercedes.
george russell x usa gymnast!reader / fc: suni lee
warnings/notes: reader is mentioned to have had kidney disease in the past/going through dialysis (shout out suni lee my WIFE) everytime i write a george win he either dnfs or disqualifies. i should stop. i also made this SO FAST. ignore any formatting mistakes.
liked by lilymhe, teamusa, alexalbon and others...
uruser: represented my team (USA) and my team (merc) and then promptly fell asleep on the bus bc my awe of being here is too much for my little brain :(
tagged: mercedesamg, teamusa, and two others...
lilymhe: literally boarding my flighttt !!! im so so proud see u soon !
⤡ uruser: pls tell me you stole alex's hoodie for me...
⤡ lilymhe: he'll never know
⤡ alexalbon: these are PUBLIC comments.
user1: every once and a while i forget lily is not only dating an f1 driver, but her cousin is literally an OLYMPIC FUCKING GYMNAST?
alexalbon: SO PROUD WE WILL SEE U AFTER THE GP!!
logansargeant: i love knowing one of the powerhouses the us sends to the olympics
⤡ uruser: aweeee love u too logannn <3 (US PRIDE THIS WEEKEND BITCH U BETTER NOT FINISH LAST)
⤡ logansargeant: yes ma'am i will make u proud
user2: good luck !!
user3: MAKING THE USA PROUD ONE NAP AT A TIME
mercedesamg: we love our biggest supporter <3
⤡ uruser: i love YOU mercedes
georgerussell: best of luck yn :)!!
⤡ uruser: thanks georgie :D!
⤡ alexalbon: hello?? what is this??
⤡ lilymhe: eyeing you russell
⤡ georgerussell: literally what have i done wrong
⤡ landonorris: nah you cant flirt with his future in laws
⤡ georgerussell: if saying good luck is flirting, i have news for everyone.
liked by logansargeant, simonebiles, teamusa, and others...
uruser: talked about it in an interview, but i struggled with my blood pressure all day. i've been lightheaded, swollen, and exhausted, but i did it. we fought through it, and ur girl is moving to finals!!
tagged: gk, teamusa
georgerussell: incredible work today !
⤡ landonorris: rooting for the enemy i see
⤡ uruser: thank you george <3
teamusa: that's our girl!!
user: so proud of u as a fellow kidney disease survivor <3
user1: girl had a bp of 140 and still beat like everyone. my fucking queen.
alexalbon: ez work queen get back to training
uruser: yessir
lilymhe: get ur meds and take it easy!! love uuu see u for dinner <3
landonorris: u make it look easy
uruser: trust. its so hard.
simonebiles: i dont know how you do it. ur so amazing.
⤡ uruser: coming from the goat herself ?!!!!
liked by uruser, susiewolff, alexalbon, and others...
georgerussell: left it all out on the track today. absolutely honored to do this a second time so soon.
tagged: mercedesamg, f1, barcelonagp
uruser: YAAAA GEORGIEEE!!! congrats!!!
⤡ georgerussell: thank u :)
user: GEORGE W!!!!
lewishamilton: amazing as always george. first half of the season crushed.
⤡ georgerussell: it's only up from here mate
simonebiles: the tears @ uruser shed for this win...
⤡ jordanchiles: we will finally get peace and quiet on weekends
⤡ uruser: shut up get a hobby both of you
alexalbon: incredible drive as always george
landonorris: ur so mean for not letting me pass :(
oscarpiastri: best fight of the season so far. looking forward to more.
⤡ georgerussell: hope to see you on that top step again mate
uruser: lets go george lets go george
⤡ georgerussell: my personal cheerleader <3
⤡ alexalbon: delete that heart or so help me god
liked by georgerussell, teamusa, simonebiles, and others...
uruser: this 'lazy' athlete skipped her dialysis today to win A FUCKING GOLD MEDAL!!!! YAAAAAA!!!! so so so proud of my girls for the team effort put together for this all around win. you are the greatest. (yes lily and alex, i am doing dialysis now.)
tagged: simonebiles, teamusa, jordanchile and others...
georgerussell: congratulations but please do your dialysis before alex finds out
⤡ uruser: its alright love, im all hooked up and dilating or whatever. thanks for the support as always russell <3
⤡ georgerussell: wow, no georgie?
⤡ uruser: gonna pout over it, honey?
⤡ user: is this not flirting?
alexalbon: YN. I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD.
user: SHE SKIPPED HER DIALYSIS FOR FLOOR??
⤡ user1: and they wouldn't move the schedule around her LIFE SAVING MEDICAL APPOINTMENT?
⤡ user2: no wonder the teamusa physicians grabbed her so quickly after the medal ceremony :(
alexalbon: DIALYSIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. IM GOING TO HIT WHOEVER SAID YOU COULDN'T DO IT.
⤡ uruser: IM DOING MY DIALYSIS RIGHT NOW WHY ARE YOU MORE STRESSED THAN LILY??
⤡ alexalbon: because YOU'RE A BABY
⤡ uruser: YOU ARE NOT THAT MUCH OLDER THAN ME FUCKER
lilymhe: alex is pacing but GREAT JOB BABYYYY YAAAYAYAYA SO PROUD OF UUU
user3: fire whoever had her SKIP MEDICAL TREATMENT.
liked by snoopdogg, usagymnastics, georgerussell, and more...
uruser: bronzed. sharing that podium with rebecca and simone is such an honor. up and up we go!! <3
tagged: simonebiles, teamusa, rebeccaandrade and more..
georgerussell: very deserved, as always
⤡ uruser: i swear ur obsessed w me (its ok just dont tell alex)
⤡ alexalbon: i'm starting to think none of you understand the concept of public comments
user: WELL DESERVED!!!
rebeccaandrade: vocĂŞ foi incrĂvel!
⤡ uruser: obrigado! você tambÊm! (i hope thats right!)
⤡ user: YN LEARNING PORTUGUESE TO SPEAK WITH REBECCA HAS MY WHOOOLLLEEE HEARTTTT
landonorris: shiny !
logansargeant: AMERICAAA!!!!
⤡ uruser: RAAAHHH
liked by georgerussell, rebeccaandrade, lewishamilton, and others...
uruser: GOLD in beam. and y'all know how much beam and i fight. there are no amount of words to express the joy im feeling. wow. thanks to my lovely brit @ georgerussell for the support for his girlie across the pond <3
tagged: georgerussell, parisolympics, teamusa, and others...
alexalbon: i am so.
alexalbon: what the fuck?
⤡ user: LMAOOO
lilymhe: YAY!!! MY BABY DID ITTT!!! I UGLY SOBBEDDD AHAHA LOVE YOU SO MUCH BABES DINNER ON ME TNNN!!!
user1: george!!!!!! GEOOORRRGEEE!!
alexalbon: GEORGE???
⤡ uruser: was me liking mercedes a weird amount not enough of a hint for you?
georgerussell: so proud of you sunshine <3
⤡ uruser: love u georgie
⤡ landonorris: gross get a room (jk. very proud george got a girl just as talented as himself)
⤡ georgerussell: wow a rare lando compliment. i will cherish it for years to come.
⤡ landonorris: fuck you im never complimenting you again
lewishamilton: congratulations!! hope to see you in the paddocks soon in some merc gear this time
⤡ mercedesamg: oh we can handle that
⤡ williamsracing: you can pry yn from our cold dead hands
⤡ mercedesamg: babes. im gonna hold your hand when i say this williams, you've lost in the public eye after ur stunt with logan. we win yn in the divorce.
⤡ uruser: YEAH IM ON LOGANS SIDE DAMNIT!!! AMERICANS STICK TOGETHER!!
⤡ logansargeant: true patriot right here
georgerussell: still in AWE of my gf being a TWO TIME OLYMPIC AA GOLD MEDALIST
⤡ uruser: my boyfriend is a FORMULA ONE DRIVER. how fucking cool is that!???
⤡ georgerussell: cool enough for you to go to dinner with me?
⤡ uruser: always
⤡ lilymhe: they grow up so fast
alexalbon: GEORGE WILLIAM RUSSELL?
tag list for all works (open!)
@d3kstar (i hope ur tag works this time lovely!)
#f1 fanfic#f1 x reader#f1 smau#formula one fanfiction#formula one fic#f1 fanfiction#formula one smau#formula 1 smau#george russell smau#george russell x you#george russell x reader#gr63 fanfic#gr63 x reader#nicole wrote this
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i kinda wanna write a short crack-ish time travel au where 12 year old jason swaps places with 22 year old jason bcs it'd be so fkn funny everyone would be so concerned. bcs like jaybin was not the angry kid fandom seems to think????? he was so sweet?? he listened, he was happy-go-lucky and wanted to help, found wonder in everything (robin gave him magic) and he was just so full of life and hope
so im just imagining:
titans: so hows it going with robin? you havent really talked about him or complained about his goody-two shoes sunshine-ness for a while. you good?
dick: well, uh. you see.
titans: also, who's the body-guard?
jason:
dick: so uh. this is.. future? robin..?
jason, 6'4 built like an idustrial fridge and a heavy aura of ''i can and will break your neck if you look at me the wrong way'' and voice gravelly from either the scar tissue or smoking or both: sup
titans:
titans: (just. stares. uncomprehending)
More under the cut V
just got like a funny picture in my head of like. a time travel AU where jason either swaps places with his younger self or somth idk but they're like sitting quietly eating breakfast and it's all fun and good but then a magical poof ensues and bam. adult jason is sitting there and jason is very confused bcs like yeah he was in fact sitting and about to eat but that had been at the nest with tim across him and maybe dick or damian snoring away on the couch in the next room.
meanwhile, dick and bruce and alf are all.. very confused bcs 1) baby jay just vanished. not only is the kid gone but in his place is a man who sorta looks like jay. (i headcanon jay as trans, this was before he came out.. tho i do have aus where he doesnt get to come out to anyone but tim, who makes a secret grave in his honor and doesn't out him.)
and bruce is like.
b: caroline...? is that you?
jay: (blinks) hm. congratulations, it's a boy. (jazzhands).
2. this man looks like he's seen the worst things humanity can offer, not to mention the very extensive scarring *covering every visible inch of his body* and the creepy either white eyes or green eyes.
and now he's sititng with just bruce and a very young looking dick and all of them just stare at each other and all jay can say is "fuckin' hell. seriously?" and groans bcs he did not want to deal with bruce. at all.
3. this man is not as surprised to be there as he should be.
jasons really not pleased with the situation but it is what it is and he's like just call constantine or zatanna or whatever. meanwhile everyone else is too busy staring at the fact jason, tiny jay, is taller than freakin' bruce and built like an industrial fridge (that isnt from lowes). none of them know how to feel about this
just like.
"you're.. awfully calm about this."
"eh, i've seen weirder." it is unsaid but jay is thinking of discowing.
n the three of them just has no idea how to treat this adult jason. this jason who seems.. familiar but so, so very different. obviously something must've happened bcs the guy looks like he's been in a freaking zombie apocalypse. and jays just like i cant wait to be home i hate this place, and makes the most unnerving comments here and there that just makes the others more confused. like.
"you can sleep in your old..? room. we will need to look for a change of clothes, though."
"ill use a guest room, i'm not setting a foot in that shrine."
"as you can see by this footage it's possible-"
"oh, that's not who killed him. look there, that's a falcone mark. this wasn't random but premediated."
"hm why are you even bothering with this case? listen - that's the sound of a skull being crushed, not the sound of an arm breaking, duh."
and they just get more confused and concerned
jason is a giant man made of muscle and rage and everyone is left reeling cause something happened to him, but he wont say what, and everyone keeps trying to guess and he doesnt clarify anything and obs no one is thinking "he died, got revived, turned into a zombie, pumped through HRT rage edition, becamea crime lord, was killed by his dad who chose to save his murderer, thrown into arkham by his older brother, broken out by his younger brother/boyfriend, made his own team of outlaws and put himself back together, only then starting to reconcile with some of the bats"
when they finally figure out how to get him back, someone, maybe baby timmers guesses "you were turned into a zombie" as a joke and jay finger guns him and says "yep" and then back jumps into the portal to get him back to his own time
meanwhile baby jason has the time of his life
not only is he apparently tall, *but* dick likes him?? he's apparently done a lot of good for crime alley??? he has a brother? boyfriend? both?? who looks up to him and is both very familiar yet he doesnt recognise him at all, and a younger brother who also looks up to him and is very protective and reminds him of like a small cat?????
dicks like we gotta get so many pictures of you!!! and jays like super confused but also like ok???
he can obviously tell that somethings up that theyre not telling him. but honestly the fact that it's like a decade into the future and he has so many people who loves him??? he decides its a problem for future him.
everyone is just very happy bruce is away on a mission in space.
#idk#au#au idea#batman au#batman#dc#jason todd#dick grayson#damian wayne#bruce wayne#tim drake#batfam#implied jaytim#background? jaytim#tagging it just in case so people who's blocked the tag dont hafta see it#jaytim#jaybin#robin#nightwing
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Never Shall We Die (1)
ÂŤÂŤ Nothing is too outlandish when itâs a life of liberty on the line. Â
PAIRING: kwon soonyoung x reader
PLAYLIST: right here!
pirate lingo glossary (pls refer!)
SYNOPSIS: Deadliest pirate on the high seas or a damn fool? The stupid King and his men have snatched Hoshi's precious pirate ship with their too clean, too soft hands; grounds to question his own vices. Except, when he and his crew land in the quarters of a navy ship, revenge on their roster, they stumble across a princess in its gallows. Hoshi wonders if he's just struck gold, or if you'd become the final tread to his downfall.
GENRES: pirate!au, enemies to lovers, slowburn, angst, fluff, smut [minor dni], some pirates of the carribean vibes but ? idk
WORD COUNT [full fic]: 48.1k
Part 1: 17.07k | Part 2: 15.2k | Part 3 [final]: 15.8k
@highvern's out of context comment box: new fear unlocked: hoshi with explosives, victorian ankle moment, HATE HIM (need him carnally), hoshi covered in soapy water would distract me enough, strip for me pirate mingyu [hes litrally taking off his jacket], your honor hes a bitch, freaks!, mingyu crushes hoshi's head like a grape, WONWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, massive dick, the way i literally gasped like an old scandalized woman
masterlist
WARNINGS: slowburn, plot heavy, happy ending bc no angsty endings in this household, being taken hostage, knives, bombs, and guns, mentions of blood, mentions of SA (does not happen and it is not explicitly mentioned), alcohol, mentions of death (patricide), hoshi is â¨selectively moralâ¨but kind of moral nonetheless, side character death, [pls lmk if im missing something its alot] smut tagin following parts
[AN]: thank you so much to @highvern for betaing for me and helping out with the plot so much, this fic would not exist if it weren't for her!!!! and thank you reader!!! for clicking on this and reading it, this one's been about 7 months in the works and I would love to hear what your thoughts are when you're done, plsplspls leave a rb or a reply with your brainrot lol <3 happy reading
HOSHIâS BOOT IS STUCK in the ground.Â
No, thatâs a branch.Â
Or is it a plank?Â
He doesnât try to find out as he yanks his foot out of whatever stopped him from moving. A tree root, he finds as he kicks the remnants of jungle rubbish from the surface of the shrouded root. He kicks it to satisfy himself.Â
His crew resides on the beach; where he can see them attempt to build a fire before sundown, the mound of discombobulated twigs making up most of the sad pile of wood. Hoshi trudges up to it and drops another handful of puny branches into the mix.Â
Exhaling loudly as Mingyu calls for him, he falls to his bottom and sits cross legged on the sand. Mingyu trudges up next to him to inspect his pile, sighing when he realised this was all he had to work with. He picks up two hefty looking stones and begins to strike them together, putting his faith in the primitive fire.Â
Hoshi stares into the horizon, watching the died down waves drift onto the shore, moving closer by the minute.Â
Hoshi thinks, which he canât say is something that he does very often. Perhaps thatâs why he was sat on this nature-overrun island as a shipless captain of his shipless crew. He chews on his tongue as he thinks of his Tigress, his beloved hunk of wood and metal; the beloved hunk of wood and metal that he could not see on the shoreline, because she was taken by the royal navy.Â
He wonders if Tigress would ever forgive him for letting that happen to her, for letting those clean, soft handed soldiers rip her away from his grasp.Â
Hoshi needs to start thinking more often.
Mingyu is frantic over the small flame that erupts in the middle of his leaves, dropping his rocks to blow into the fire, encouraging it to grow.Â
âCaptain, itâs done! We can rustle up those fish we caught, have supper sorted.âÂ
âHm.â
The bustle of the entire crew lasts until night has fallen and theyâve gotten food in their stomachs. Hoshi hasnât moved from his spot for hours, something the others noticed very quickly, but decided not to mention for fear of waking something dangerous. They understood he was suffering from a broken heart.Â
It isnât until the first of the crew had begun to doze off that Hoshi speaks. Chan is propped up against a tree while Seungkwan laughs at the dangerously low coconut that hangs above his head. Mingyu readjusts his trousers after a full meal. Minghao stretches onto the sand, feet facing the water.Â
His voice isnât loud, nor is it commanding, nor does it have his usual edge of jestâin fact, it sounds nothing like Hoshi at all.Â
Or does it?
âWho wants to steal a ship?â
YOU'RE AWOKEN BY THE sound of yelling. Which is never a good sign in any case, but especially not when itâs pitch black outside and youâre on a ship in the middle of the ocean.
The grogginess is quick to fade as you try to understand whatâs going on outside your quarters. Your room isnât a mess, all the trinkets and royal seals remaining in their places on the walls and shelves. Nor is the ship lurching or moving in odd angles to indicate an unexpected spat from the skies. A quick peek outside the window shows you clear, calm water amidst the mostly dark expanse of ocean.Â
There is only one other answer in your head that would cause this much commotionâespecially on a boat where the admiral resides (and a princess).Â
Slipping out of the covers, your feet hit the cool hardwood floors of your quarters, a small shiver going through your spine from the cold, with nothing to cover you but your thin nightgown. Youâre in the middle of tying your robe to see what the ruckus was about outside when a particularly loud thud hits outside of your door. You immediately freeze.Â
Staring at the doorknob, you attempt to move backwards in the space, heart beating faster as you watch the knob move slightly. The back of your knees hit the bedside table with a thud, the sound has you gasp out loud. Whoever it was outside your door jiggles the knob harder, the force exerted having you scan the room for something you could use as a weapon.Â
Spotting the letter opener on your desk, you lurch across the room to grab it, holding it in front of you as you back away from the door. The knob continues to bang against the wood as you refuse to take eyes off of it. Thereâs sounds of men outside, loud and rambunctious, momentarily halting the grievances.Â
Until the knob moves again, slower this time, a light click that could be heard as it unlocks itself, opening into the low light of your quarters.Â
You recognise the frazzled looking soldier at your door.Â
âLieutenant,â you voice in recognition. âWhatâs going on?â
He eyes the letter opener that you hold defiantly in front of you from across the room, and it has you retracting your force slightly.Â
âPirates, your Highness,â he breathes out. âWe must get you to lower deckââ
âWhere is the Admiral? The Captain?â you ask as you take a couple steps forward.Â
âTheyâre handling the situation, your HighââÂ
An arm has come up behind the soldier that pulls him into a headlock, a swift pull to have him dragged away from your vision. You wouldâve gasped if your voice hadnât been caught in your throat, refusing to make itself known as fear brews in the pit of your stomach. Your hold on your makeshift weapon is tighter than ever before, yet you doubt how itâs going to help you as the culprit finally steps over something to appear in your doorframe.Â
His clothes are in a disarray; slashed, torn and covered in grime. Thereâs a deadly looking machete in one hand, the blood that coats it has you eyeing the trail that drips onto his hand and on the floor. His forearms are perched up on the doorframe as he inspects you, tongue to cheek as he stares.Â
Threatened as you feel, there was less hunger in his gaze as you had expected, more like he was trying to figure out who you were. He eyes your tiny letter opener you hold like a knife and lets out a little exhale you think might be a laugh. It has you gripping the handle impossibly tighter. The man moves his face into the hallway, to where you know the staircase to the main deck is.Â
âHoshi!â he yells loudly. âHowâs this for bait?âÂ
Your back is pressed inexplicably against the wall, wanting to sink into the wooden boards as you attempt to gain your bearings amongst the nauseous bouts of mortification that surge through you. Your only exit is blocked.
No. You have one more option.Â
The sound of more men bounding down the hall has you praying there were more soldiers here, but the calm regard the man has for the approaching people has your heart sink to the depths of this very ocean itself.Â
More faces peer into the room, men with the same haphazard, grimey clothing complete with equally sinister weapons in their grasps. One of the men breaks out into the biggest grin as he lays his eyes on you. You nearly throw up.Â
For the first time in your life, you wish youâd listened to your father.Â
âJun, you savvy motherfucker,â the grinning man explodes, slapping the man who found you on the back.Â
Another voice speaks from behind him, âShips cleared, captain.âÂ
âPerfect. Bring a spring upon âer. Get as far away from those cleans as you can, let them fend for themselves in a tiny boat for once.âÂ
Captain. The grinning, stupid looking one is their captain.Â
He regards the rest of his crew as he finally steps through the threshold, waving them away as he enters your quarters.
It was taking everything out of you to not buckle your knees as you stood, every step he takes is turning your strength into dust. He keeps his eyes on you, eyes on your sorry excuse of a weapon. He registers the mix of fear and determination in your eyes.Â
He stops a few feet away from you, looking directly at you past the makeshift knife you hold.Â
He says nothing as he drops the knife in his own hand to the ground with a loud clang. He removes a pistol, a couple more knives, a grenade and a sword. Weapons drop to the floor one after the other, emerging from all over his body and clothes. All in a pile on the wooden floors. He puts his hands in the air.
âNo weapons on me. I merely wish to talk.âÂ
The look on his face is not ordinary, some strange combination of mock innocence and jest. You donât answer him.
He continues, âYou can keep your⌠scalpel⌠if you so wish.âÂ
âWhat did you do to the soldiers?â you finally rasp out.
âTheyâre not dead, if that's what youâre asking.â
âYet?â you ask with a slight tremble to your voice.Â
âTheyâve been shoved into a boat with a map and a compass to fend for themselves. Iâm not entirely ruthless,â he adds with raised brows and a hint of a smile. âAdmiral, were they calling him? You must be his wife.â
âW-what?â
âOh, guess not. Daughter? Captainâs wife, Captainâs daughter?â
Your previously stagnant brain is now running a derby with all the thoughts galloping across your mind. He doesnât know who you are. Yet, anyway.
Heâs scanning the room now, nodding at the trinkets and trophies scattered across the place. âCanât imagine giving a lieutenantâs anybody quarters like this.â He circles back on you, eyes sharp. âWho are you, darling?â
You donât think you have anything that should give you away, but the way he starts pacing the room has your anxiety going through the wooden roof.
He has his back turned to you. Youâre not sure if heâs confident or careless considering you could drive your weapon into his back and make a run for it. But then what? By the looks of it thereâs an entire crew of pirates pacing the deck. Perhaps the soldiers havenât gotten that far; they know youâre still on board, they know itâs their heads on a pike if they leave you here.Â
Heâs reached your desk during your thinking, inspecting your stationary, picking at the bejewelled quills and paper weights as he mutters nonsense to himself.Â
âOh!â he announces, a little too enthusiastic. âWhatâs this?âÂ
He brandishes the loose leaf of paper, and you recognise the print on the back immediately. It was a letter from your father, the King.
âHow on Earth did you read this, the writing is illegible.â He flips the paper over, double taking when he sees the royal seal on the back. He looks into the letter closer now.Â
You wait with baited breath.Â
âThe kingdom needs their princessâŚyour fatherâŚah.âÂ
Should you plunge the knife into him anyway? You almost do it, but stop when he begins to turn around to face you again. His eyebrows are raised, a slight hint of exasperation on his face when he begins to laugh a loud, loud cackle.Â
Itâs mortifying, especially when you donât understand what on earth was so funny to elicit a reaction like that. The man is downright hysterical. He wipes a lone tear from the corner of his eye as he drops the letter back onto the desk.
âW-whatâs so funny?â you try to sound brave.
âIt seems, miss princess, that weâve gotten more than we bargained for,â he says, looking straight at you as he sobers up. âYouâre the Kingâs daughter, now, are you? What are the odds the first ship I hop onto with a royal seal slapped on it, held the crown jewel of the kingdom in its gallows.âÂ
And then he starts walking, towards you, for that matter. Imperative because you know for sure that this is how it all ends.Â
You know you still have your one last option, the option that is now pressed against your back as you shimmy to it with miniscule movements. The window is cool on your hand that rests on the glass, you know the lamp will be enough to break it, enough for you to push through and fall into the abyss of the dark, dark sea. He knows who you are now, and youâd rather drown than die at the hands of a pirateâor go through whatever it was thatâs curling the minds of all the men on this ship.Â
He takes another step forward, hands on his hips. âHeâs not going to like this, is he? His dear daughter in the hands of the Kingdomâs favourite degenerate captain.âÂ
What?
He then adds in a whisper to himself mostly, âOr least favourite with all the wanted posters off the churches and brothels.âÂ
Hoshi. Hoshi. Hoshi.Â
The man who had found you had called him Hoshi. Hoshi the pirate. Hoshi the pirate thatâs been giving the Kingdom and its court absolute hell for as long as you can remember.Â
The man that you are now trapped alone with on a ship is the most feared pirate the Kingdom has ever seen.Â
You donât doubt your face has gone grey, feeling your breathing turn near erratic. âOh God.â
He smiles wryly as the life is sucked out of your very soul.Â
This was bad. Very bad.
âNow, fear not, you will soon be returned to daddy dearest,â he places a mildly dramatic hand over his heart. âPirateâs honour.â
He paces back to pluck the letter off the table, pocketing it. âAll you need to do is relax and tell me a few things so we can part ways as soonââ
âNo.â The word blurts out of your mouth before you can stop it, horrified at the thought of giving information to any pirate, let alone this one.Â
âNo?â Hoshi looks genuinely shocked, his eyes wide, eyebrows raised. He laughs a little incredulously, âOh, I see, canât tell all the delicate details to a scary olâ pirate.â
He smiles a little bit, âWorry not, miss princess, we shall only need a few minor details. Just enough to have your father sprinting to get you out of here. We all win.â
He stares at you almost expectantly, and you wonder if you look as confused as you feel.Â
âWell, Iâll be bidding you goodnight now, Iâm sure weâve interrupted your beauty sleep enough. Rest assured we wonât be bothering you for the rest of the morning.â
Hoshi begins to make his way to the door, picking up his pile of weapons off the floor before wrenching the door open. Heâs calm as ever, but your mind is in a disarray.
A ransom, but whatever for? Gold couldâve been retrieved by raiding any ship, and it sounded like heâd chosen to hop on a ship belonging to the navy. Come to think of it, as much of a nuisance this man has proved himself, you donât remember a case where heâs directly meddled with the Kingdom. All of this canât just be for gold.Â
Steeling yourself, you bet your odds against your voice and asked him, âWhat do you want from my father?âÂ
You watch as he halts in his tracks, halfway through the door as he finally looks over his shoulder. The look on his face has you wanting to break open the window immediately and let the water flood in, once and for all as you take these bastards down with you.Â
âYour father has something of mine. And I intend to take it back,â he says, before finally slamming the door shut. You hear a shuffle and a thud, and you do not doubt that heâs locked you in.Â
Your knees give out almost immediately, dropping to the ground as you breathe in quick, shallow breaths. Trying to look past the dizziness, you try not to think about the last thing heâd said before he left, moreso the look on his face as he did.Â
The first rays of morning sun are beginning to shine through the windows, casting the beginnings of a glow in your quarters. You think of the supposed assurance he had given you, that they wouldnât hurt you, that they intended to return you.Â
The thought leads to a faraway memory, yet one thatâs tucked itself into a front corner of your mind, you can almost hear your father's voice as he says it; never trust a pirate.
You remain on the floor, and you remain wide awake.Â
THE SUN IS HIGH in the sky by the time you put your limbs to work.Â
The first hours after the pirate locked you in your quarters were spent trying to reign yourself to earth. You canât be entirely sure your soul has come back to your body, but whatever little of it that has landed is whispering some very dangerous things.Â
The lamp remains, the ornate jewels glinting almost enticingly in the afternoon light. The flame inside it has long died, but you itch to give it another purpose. You donât note the trembling of your hand as you reach for it, pushing yourself to your feet as you get a feel for the heavy hunk of glass and metal in your hands.Â
If there was a level of regard before, it disappears when you set eyes on the bright window and the creases of crystal blue water. With all your strength, you donât think twice when the lamp makes hard contact, a loud thud erupting as a result, but no damage when you pull away.Â
You go again, harder this time, and only vaguely register the glass of the lamp that shatters into your hands. Gripping the metal bit tighter, you swing for the third time, pulling back for the strongest blow yet.Â
A hand wraps around your elbow and youâre yanked backwards, landing on the floor. Thereâs a kick at your hand thatâs flown into the air, the one that holds the bludgeoned lamp. It goes flying across the room as you retract your hand into yourself.Â
You donât register a thing as youâre suddenly being pulled back up to your feet. Face to face with the pirate captain, your soul finally clicking back into place.Â
âDidnât think I scared you this bad.â Heâs made a joke, but all you can see is his face thatâs a mask of rage.
The initial instinct is to move away, pulling your elbow out of his grasp in an attempt to flee. You fail as he tightens his grip to a painful degree, hauling you towards the ajar door of the quarters.Â
Itâs only then that you realise that thereâs more people in the room.You note another big, burly man next to the window you just assaulted, inspecting it with another shorter man. You donât get to note more as youâre pulled into the narrow hallway, begging the saints he doesnât take the turn towards the lower decks. Instead you find he leads you upstairs to where the main deck is.Â
Walk the plank? Did navy ships have planks to walk on? Not that youâd mind too much, you were trying to drown yourself and this ship in any case. But then thereâs a settle of dread in the pit of your stomach, realising death may be the most merciful thing this man could give you.Â
The pirate captain pushes you against a mast, one of his other minions rushing in with coils of rope on his shoulder. The sun beats down on the deck, not a gust of reprieve from the wind.Â
âKeep the ropes tight, sheâs got less wit than Iâd thought,â the pirate captain says with a grunt, huffing as he lets go of you. He takes a few steps away, hands at his hips, the image of vexation.Â
The person who ties the cords around your hands whispers slowly, âStop moving.â
But you canât, not when the panic is near the lip, not when all the possibilities are flashing gore filled images into your vision. It's scary to blink.Â
âWhy wonât you let me die?â you ask to the back thatâs turned.
He turns around, not even bothering hiding the exasperation that paints his face, mouth opening furiously before closing again. âWhy wonâtâBecause you were trying to take us all with you!â
âKill me!â you all but scream. âThey wonât know till youâve gotten what you want, Iâd rather be dead than let you try whateverâs brewing in all your sick heads!âÂ
Heâs silent for a moment, noting your defiant gaze, your pull against the ropes, the heaving of your chest. Taking a few steps forward, Hoshi seems to be attempting to bring the boil in his blood to a low simmer, âListen, princess. Weâre pirates alright, but me and my crew, we keep to ourselves. If your daddy the king hadnât decided to meddle and steal my fucking ship, you wouldâve been home in your pretty palace, asleep in your bed of gold by now.âÂ
The pirate captainâs face is closer than youâd ever be comfortable with, seething in a way that has you pressing further into the mast. âWe may be degenerates but we keep our own morals, as twisted as your people heed them to be.âÂ
When he finally pulls away, you take a breath and thank the air that simply exists, eyes downcast as you attempt to look braver than you feel.Â
âIâm not pushing you overboard. Iâve duped your people once, theyâll be more prepared next time. We need you alive while youâre in our hands.âÂ
âHow are you going to summon a ransom? You sent away your only messengers,â you ask, a sad attempt at a mock, but also because you wanted to know what his plan was.Â
âYour useless Admiralâs taken up that job.â
âBy lifeboat? Youâve left them all for dead, how do you expect this genius plan to work?âÂ
âThey couldâve swam to shore if it came to it, we were close enough.â
âHow are you so sure?â you spit.
âDo I need to gag you too?â he gives you one last irritated look before stalking off towards the lower deck. Youâre left alone in the cooling afternoon heat, the sound of the sea keeping your ears company along with your own slowing breaths.Â
Everything he said has a good enough chance to be a complete and utter lie. Never trust a pirate. No weapon to cut yourself out of your impossibly tight binds, nothing to protect you or give you reassurance besides a pirateâs wordâthe worst pirateâs word.Â
Your battered thinking leads you straight through the setting of the sun, the orange glow of the sky shrouding the ship in the dreamiest backdrop while you live what you can only sum as a nightmare. Perhaps not, for you doubt your mind could ever conjure up a terror like this.Â
This was life, the most terrifying nightmare of all.Â
Having managed to wiggle your tied hands downwards, you had seated yourself with your head against the wood of the mast, staring into the translucent skies. So much freedom that taunts you in its illusion of proximity, yet so far still.Â
Thereâs murmurs below deck, the only semblance of life youâve heard in the past few hours after the stupid pirate captain stormed off. It seems to be on the stairs, a heated argument.Â
âObviously this wasnât part of the plan, the chances were supposed to be zero to absolutely none. We landed with that scumbagâs successor, thatâs just our piss luck and nothing more.âÂ
âYou wanted a woman for bait, this should work the same.â
âHao, I wanted a woman for bait to trigger a lukewarm reaction, this princess could either doom us all or make our job a fat punch easier, and Iâm not betting on the latter.â
Thereâs a pause.Â
âIf only sheâd cut it with the random hysterics and creepy-staring-at-the-sky we could actually get something useful out of her.âÂ
âPray that window holds up or any chance of a miracle is gone to the wind.â
Itâs like youâve woken up with the way the stupid idea begins to form in your head. You think of your father, the kind of man he is, the kind of ruler he is. All the âifâs are guiding you to a conclusion. One that gives you a fighting chance, one that may go beyond this massive navy ship and clear into the rest of your lifeâif you make it that far anyway.Â
Your father and his men would come, give this unhinged pirate what he desires so dearly, you know that for sure. But you also know it wouldnât be for you, but for the crown thatâs destined to fall upon your cursed head.Â
If itâs his ship that he wantsâŚ
The next time you see one of the pirate captainâs goons on the deck, you ask for an audience.Â
âDID YOUR STUPID FATHER drop you on your head as a baby?âÂ
Hoshi stands before you under the light of the midnight moon, an incredulous expression on his face. You try to keep the scowl off your own but it proves difficult when his voice pierces your skull.Â
You ignore him from your position on the floor, âI know my father, and I know he loathes you enough to finally want you and your incompetent crew gone for good.â
He scratches his chin, âCanât be that incompetent if he hates us so much.â
âI can help you.â
âYou were ready to die than to be on the same ship as us a few hours ago. Whatâs changed?â
âPerspective,â you shrug in an attempt to remain nonchalant.Â
âAre you gonna go back to wailing in the morning then?âÂ
God, this was going to be the hardest thing youâve ever had to do.Â
âYou want your ship back and you were hoping for someone less important to exchange it for. But youâre stuck with me and you know itâs not going to end well for you. You need my help.âÂ
âWhy so merciful, miss princess? Are you not on your fatherâs side?âÂ
You gulp as discreetly as possible.
âI want something in exchange.â
He raises his eyebrows, staring at you to continue.Â
âI want you to kill my father.â
If his eyebrows were raised before, theyâve broken for the skies now. He leans his head back, eyes closing for a moment before reopening, reigning back to you before asking very gracefully, âWhat?âÂ
âI want you to kill my father.â
âNo, I got that bit,â he snaps. âYour father as in, the King?â
âYes, as youâve pointed out far more times than anyone ever has.â You canât help but roll your eyes despite the weight of the situation and the hammering in your chest.Â
He stares at you in an expression you canât quite read, and it unsettles you deeply. For a moment, you wonder if youâve gravely miscalculated, watching as he moves around the mast youâre tied to. Out of the corner of your eye you see the metal glint of a dagger, and you nearly short circuit.Â
Is he about to cut your hands off?
You feel a distinct tug at your wrists, the sound of slicing, and the voice in your head asking why it didnât hurt.Â
Suddenly your hands are free, intact and free as you achingly bring them in front of you, wincing audibly at the pain of moving them after so long.Â
âYou can jump into the water if youâd like, I wonât stop you.â He walks back over, sitting cross legged opposite you, at eye level.Â
âWhat?â
âYouâve clearly gone mad, Iâll find another way to get my ship back.â
âIâm being serious.â
âOf course, and I utterly enjoy having a kingdomâs worth of blood on my hands. Shall I take the entirety of the court down while weâre at it? Carry out a fucking waltz with Jack Ketch?â
âWhy are you acting like youâre above murder? Another part of your strange moral code?âÂ
âNo, no, not above it at all. But I like my head and rather not have it guillotined. They might skim over the death of some too-nosy soldier but I doubt theyâd leave me be after I put a bullet between the Kingâs eyes.â
âIâll protect you.â
He looks at you for a moment, âQuite reassuring.âÂ
You sit up straighter, licking your lips as you prepare yourself. âMy father isnât a good man.â
The pirate captain snorts, âOh, Iâm well aware.â
You try not to stare too hard at the still unsheathed dagger that he digs into the floorboards, knifing out splinters in disregard.Â
âMy father doesnât want me home, he wants the crown home. He wants me to be a carbon copy of himself, he wants to be in control long after heâs gone.â You try not to grind your teeth too hard but itâs difficult when your fatherâs face burns behind your eyelids. âI want control over the throne, full control.â
âAnd your conclusion is to eliminate him.â
âI donât have another choice.â
âThen what? Youâll pardon me and my crew after we get our hands dirty for you?â he asks, eyes wide in mock hope.Â
âYes. You can do whatever it is that you sail about doing and no one will be of bother. I might ask you for sparing favours. For a wage of course. But other than that, you can live as lawlessly as you wish.â
âYouâre asking me to become your personal lackey?â
âHaving a queenâs favour is no small feat I hope youâre aware. Besides, it's a leap better than the hoops youâve been jumping through during my fatherâs reign.âÂ
You realised his face had been shrouded by the dark between your negotiating and the clouds that had veiled the moon. Every moment that was supposed to strengthen your understanding of the man that sat across from you only brought you more confusion.Â
âYou want your ship and freedom of land and sea,â you continue when itâs silent for a beat too long. âI only ask for a small favour in return.â
âIâd argue the miniscule nature of what youâre asking from me,â he scoffs.
âNothing is too outlandish when itâs a life of liberty on the line.âÂ
There crawls in the silence once again, the same one that seems to grab you by the throat for every moment that ticks past undisturbed.Â
âWeâll have to see to that,â he says, huffing as he gets back on his boot clad feet. You follow him with your eyes as he walks towards the creaky stairs that lead to the lower deck, utterly confused.Â
âWhere are you going?â you ask, bewildered at his strange behaviour.Â
Turning around, just as he had a mere day ago in your quarters and you feel yourself suppressing a shudder. âI have a crew to consult.â
So he was considering it.Â
âBut youâre the captain.â
âAnd?âÂ
THE SKY IS A lighter sheen of blue, leaning towards the premature hours of the morning. Heâd left you untied, and as you gaze into the duned waters in the minimal light, the urge to jump in and create a ripple that goes beyond just the water is less tempting than youâd thought. The prospect of having a dead father, and a dead king, was enough to snap you out of your hysteria despite it being a plot of your own devising.Â
Youâve been alone for a while, little indication that there was other life on this ship at all with the lack of human activity. There wasnât much that you knew of sailing or ship handling, but leaving the deck unmanned for this long gave you the vague impression that you were on a vessel with poor practising pirates. If theyâd thought youâd be equipped to handle any hiccups, theyâd either find out the hard way, or whenever it was that you could find the wit to bring it up to the pirate captain and his strangely attached crew.Â
Something that sounds distinctly like boots are thudding gradually up to the main deck, the unmistakable blond of the pirate captain himself coming into view. You arenât quite sure what it is, but the low thuds are sending your heart racing, panic overcoming your senses for a brief moment before you recalibrate. Itâs only then that you realise itâs been more than 24 hours since the ship was hijacked. Somehow, you could have believed it was a lifetime.Â
Heâs disturbingly nonchalant, hand at the sheathed hilt of the dagger at his hip, a casual glance around at the empty abyss of ocean and sky. When he reaches the far end of the deck, right above the prow, he stops.Â
âAre you going to push me off the rails?â you ask, half genuine, half trying to fill the silence as you face one another.Â
âNo.â He said it plainly, the single word reply leaving you even more uncomfortable.Â
âHave you thought about what I saidâŚwith your crew?â you ask, hand coming up to grab the railing for support.Â
âI did.âÂ
âDo I sense an objection?â you ask, swallowing the lump in your throat
âNot exactly,â he says. âWe want to hear your master plan for this heist before we agree to anything.âÂ
Heâs asking for a plan, a plan that you do not have.
You arenât sure how he figured it out, perhaps it was the slight darting of your eyes as you thought of a response, but he seemed to read you like a book. He snorts loudly, âYou donât have a clue, do you?â
âYouâve done this before, youâd know better.â
âAnd if I led you astray?â
You look at him, this time right into his dark eyes, âThen you lead me astray.âÂ
âYour contentment with death is wildly unsettling.â Thereâs a ghost of a sneer at his lip.Â
âIâd rather be lounging in the bottom of the ocean than live with a prospective future with my father.âÂ
âSo Iâve heard.â
Thereâs a huff that leaves you as you steel your voice. âIâm not trying to set you up if thatâs what youâre afraid of.â
âI doubt youâd have that capability,â he says as he leans his forearms over the railing. You briefly consider pushing him over but think better of it.Â
As much as you wanted to be a sneaky link, you simply didnât have that trait. You blame all the dependency your fatherâs fostered into you, ensuring that you couldnât rule without his influence.Â
âAre you willing to brew a plan or not? I need to time my dip in the ocean accordingly,â you say, sounding almost disgruntled.
He lets out a big sigh, âFollow me.â
Heâs made himself familiar with the ship, you soon realise, as he leads you right downstairs to the lower deck towards the war room. When he opens the door, the room is lit with lamps, casting a golden glow on the reddish interior, warmer than the rest of the ship.Â
âStay here, and donât do anything stupid,â he tells you as he shuts the door behind him, leaving you alone in the cabin.Â
You only exhale in response as you turn away from the door, towards the large table in the centre. Itâs slightly cluttered, studying the scrawled notes as you realise theyâre all from the Admiral, his directions and plans of course littered across the table. Turning towards the map on the walls, you lift a finger to trace the lifted ridges of snow capped mountains, trailing towards the dipped shallows of the blue water.Â
It was an exact replica of the tactile map in the war room back home, and youâre suddenly hit with a pang of nostalgia. Not that youâd been away from home for too long, but the end result of what you're about to do, regardless of the outcome, would change your life forever.Â
You feel yourself breathing in the lingering scent of mildew, a strange comfort in the warm quarters.
Thereâs a creak at the door, and you quickly retract to find the pirate captain back at the door, walking in with a trail of men behind him. You recognise them by their faces, watching as they all take their places in the edges of the room. They look relaxed. You note the pirate captain taking his place behind the main drawing table.Â
âYour throne, miss princess.â He gestures exaggeratedly towards the lone cushioned chair across from him. Youâre hyper aware of all the eyes that are trailed on you, and you feel almost embarrassed to take the only seat.Â
It only lasts for a moment. You walk up to the chair with what you hope exuded confidence and take your place across from the pirate captain. His men circle the edge of the room, and you count five other men.Â
He sighs, âI think introductions are in order.â
âMingyu, Minghao,â he points to the two men that had inspected your window right after you tried breaking it open.Â
âJun,â he gestures to the one who had found you in your quarters the night it all went wrong.Â
âSeungkwan and Chan,â you recognize the latter as the one whoâd tied you to the mast at his captainâs command.Â
âTheyâll be helping kill your dear father.âÂ
Itâs silent for a moment as you attempt to moisten your mouth. Youâre reminded you havenât eaten or drank for hours, not since one of them had come up with a tray of whatever they could find for you from the reserves.Â
âI know I may not be the most admissible person to trust, or vice versaââ You hear someone snort but choose to ignore it. âBut Iâm willing to make myself useful to you if it means you would help me too.â
âWould it not be easier to lock him up instead?â someone asks, and you turn to find Seungkwan asking the question from next to the tactile map.Â
âHe has too many people indebted to him, too many that are too loyal for their own good. I cannot truly rule for as long as heâs alive and well.â
âAnd how do you expect his loyal court mongers to let you bid favour to the people who killed their king?â the pirate captain asks with a raised brow.Â
âWhich is why it needs to look like an accident.âÂ
âHow do you reckon we go about that?â
âWhat message have you given the Admiral?â
âYou donât answer a question with another questionââ
âWe need to be transparent with each other if either of us wants to make it out relatively unscathed.â
He doesnât look too happy but he answers anyway, âMy ship and five hundred thousand for all our trouble. Two months from now at the Green Islands up north.â
The Green Islands were anything but green, the glaciers being near uninhabitable owed to the ruthless weather. It was smart enough, itâd be near impossible to bring as much violent power that far north, no matter how influential anyone is. Â
âIs five hundred thousand all Iâm worth?â you feel the beginnings of a sneer rise up your mouth. You arenât sure what prompted it but you donât want to fight it either.Â
âDidnât know I was bartering for a fucking princessâ case, did I?â he snaps. âNow tell us how you want us to commit the undetected homicide of a King.â
âWe need to blow up his ship.â To your surprise (and maybe even a little horror), the pirate captain breaks into a slight grin. Neither do you miss other bits of his crew releasing a bit of a snicker.Â
Thereâs a flare of defiance within you, âDo you have any better ideas then?âÂ
âNo, no. Go on,â he says with his head hung. Youâre surprised he has the character to shield his smile.Â
âHe doesnât frequent the seas but Iâm almost sure heâd be present at the exchange.â
âAlmost?â he questions.
You hesitate. The combined chance of needing the crown home and seeing to the downfall of his enemies would be enough warmth to send him to the greenlands himself. You were confident, but your father could also be unpredictable.
âHeâll be there. Iâm sure of it.âÂ
The pirate captain lifts his head, locking eyes with you. You try not to look as weak as you felt, as unsure as you felt, pooling all the remaining confidence into your face.Â
He swallows before looking away, addressing one of the crew members. âHow big are we talking?â
Jun looks up like heâs only just begun to pay attention, fumbling over the revolver in his hands as it thuds to the ground like a theatrical mistake, âWhat?â
His captain sighs before replying, âExplosion. How big does it need to be to blow up a naval ship with a King on it?â
The man brings a hand up to the back of his head, scratching his nape. âIf itâs anything like this one, weâre gonna need a lot of ammo.âÂ
âJust enough to sink it,â you speak before you could decide not to. âEven better if they donât realise itâs happening.â
He thinks for a moment. âWe could plant it in the bilge somehow.â
âBut how do we get on that ship? When theyâre giving us a tour of the lower decks?â The man you recall as Seungkwan scoffs.Â
âThrow a grenade on board somehow?â you hear one of them suggest.Â
âReal subtle, Chan,â you hear another mock.Â
The war room is in shambles before you know it, loud voices talking over threats to slit throats and to shove people overboard. The room is humid and it feels as though the light from the oil lamps are fading. You close your eyes amidst the utter chaos, rubbing the heel of your palm on your temple in an attempt to soothe the throbbing vein.Â
âEnough!â The pirate captain has spoken and you have the urge to ask what took him so long.Â
Tranquility once again and you almost thank the man. Before anyone can say another word, nausea begins to build in your stomach.Â
It takes you a minute to realise the room was spinning and that you werenât completely losing your mind. The ship begins to rock harder as the seconds tick by, everybody in the room seemingly still as they perceive the change.
âBatten down the hatches,â the pirate captain says to no one in particular.
Chan is the only one who moves to the door to leave before heâs interrupted.Â
âAll of you. Those clouds werenât looking too nice up there, weâve got a storm on our hands.â
By everyone he surely did not mean you, because as the room rushes out and you hear the thuds of boots clamouring up to the main deck, youâre left alone with the captain. Yet again.
Itâs becoming increasingly difficult to keep steady, and you wonder how heâs able to remain balanced while on his feet. It isnât long before your chair begins to slide as well, the legs croning as they slip on the hardwood. You spring up on instinct, hands coming to the bolted down drawing table to stabilise yourself.Â
The pirate captain seems unphased, moving the curtains on the far end to try to get a glimpse at where the water breaks. He steps like he knows exactly where the evermoving floor would be, barely glancing below to gauge his footing.Â
âShouldnât you be up there?â Thereâs effort in your voice, your grip on the table as hard as ever as the ship banks to a hard left. He barely grabs the wall in support.Â
âHuh? They can figure it out themselves, theyâre big boys,â he grunts.
âYour big boys were at each otherâs throats a moment ago,â you grunt back, stumbling at a particularly forceful lurch.Â
âIf you werenât so ill prepared they wouldnât need to use their brains, thatâs always dangerous,â he shoots back. Heâs on the other end of the room, pushing the unbolted cabinet back in its placeÂ
âI gave you a job and it's up to you to see it done, Iâm notâahâ Iâm not supposed to be planning at all!âÂ
âAre you?â Heâs turned to look at you know, mouth hitched in a snarl as his forehead reflects a light sheen. âBecause trying to murder aââ
âTrying to murder a King isnât a normal task,â you finish for him in a hiss. âYes, as youâve reiterated a million times.â
âGreat, so you know!â Sarcasm is a deadly look on him, you realise as he walks over from the cabinet to where you were in the middle of the room. The waves have given in, the rocking becoming significantly slower. âNow do you mind telling us about a plan that actually has better odds?â
Your white knuckles have relented, the hands that gripped the table coming loose as you stare back at the pirate in defiance. âI should just hand you over.â
âItâs sweet you think youâre in charge here,â the grit in his voice is evident. âThis isnât your turf anymore, miss princess.â
âYou donât trust me, and you donât give me reason to trust youâugh.â
The waves seemed to have decided she hadnât had enough just yet, this particular lurch sending you hurtling backwards into the wall, back hitting the hardwood as the stable pirate himself loses his footing. You could almost believe youâd landed sideways with the gravity thatâs lost its way beneath your feet.Â
The chair you were once sitting on is hurtling towards you with a vengeance, gaining momentum as you simply watch it approach like a wooden bullet. A boot clad foot kicks it to the other end and you realise the pirate captainâs gotten hold of his bearings before you have.Â
âWhat happened to being transparent with one another?â he huffs, breathless and wide eyed as he attempts to pull himself to his feet.Â
Thereâs another lurch that sends you both skidding towards the table, just short of grabbing on before youâre hurtled into the cabinet that had moved again, and now slams back into the wall with the weight of the sea and two humans with a bang!
âFine. You give me your ammo to blow up the bilge, let me on the ship with my dear father and one of you scoops in and saves me before I drown with him,â you yell over the sounds of clanging and banging of everything on this cursed ship, and the whooshing and thunders of the skies, winds and water. âAnd if I riddled the chances of you letting me drown with my father? Where does that leave me?â
âOn the bottom of the seabed,â he deadpans. âBut that also leaves me without my freedom.â
You find the opportunity to look at him for a moment, and heâs looking at you too. He looks away towards the door, already making moves to walk out and join his crew above deck. The conversation was over, and it was evident in your lack of reply.
Mother nature, however, sends another one in as a surprise and you're both sent flying to the other end of the ship, yet again.Â
Thereâs a cushion to your blow this time as you find yourself landing right into the pirate captainâs chest, hand above his heart in your instinct to save yourself any more bruises. Between your bickering and the staggering of the ship, his shirt had flown open nearly down to his navel.Â
Your eyes barely register the nasty scar across his left pec, instead moving upwards to lock eyes with him. Itâs insanity, how you instinctively dart your eyes towards his half open mouth.Â
âIf you wanted me that bad, miss princess, you couldâve just asked.â
Whatever airborne drug thatâd been willy nillying in your noggin seems to spin into a rage as his words register a moment too late. Clenched jaw and a vice grip on his shirt, you spit back.Â
âI donât ask for things. They come to me.â
Thereâs a crash above you and you realise the oil lamp that was suspended above has shattered, raining glass over your forms.Â
Expect you donât feel it, because heâs ducked over you and suspended his arms in the air to catch the crystalline.Â
Before you can decide whether it was instinct or not, you hear a yell at the door.
âCaptain! One of theâoh.âÂ
A barely balancing Mingyu, is staring into the now dimly lit war room, his captain and their supposed prisoner pressed against one another in a dark corner of the room.Â
Your instinct forces you to take a slow step backwards.Â
âGet back up,â he snarls, already pushing past you to stalk towards the door. He actually makes it this time, shoving Mingyu into the hall towards the stairs.Â
Not as much as a glance back before he slams the door shut, leaving you in the tattered war room alone, shards of glass at your feet.
THE STORM SEEMS TO have done its damage as it calmed itself for the rest of the morning and well into the day.Â
One of them had come down and escorted you to your quarters, Chan telling you that you could keep it while the rest of them adjusted in the other cots and quarters aboard. Changing out of your ragged, days old clothes felt luxurious, the familiar scent of your quarters putting your tense shoulders at ease; or at least a semblance of such.Â
Neither you nor the captain have attempted to speak to each other after the incident in the war room. Having berated yourself for letting your guard down enough, you chalked it up to the lack of food and sleep and put the matter to rest in some deeply buried chest in your head.Â
For now you board up the door of your cabin (because you havenât completely lost it), and burrow under the covers for some much needed shut eye.Â
You arenât sure how long the universe lets you rest, because unless youâve slept all the way to the Green Islands the banging on the door seems incessant enough to warrant an arrest of its own. The sleep is slow to leave, and itâs hard enough to push an entire drawer against a door, the bleariness paired with whoever the fuck was outside the door isnât making it easier to push it away from the entrance either.Â
By the time youâve wrenched the door open, youâre thoroughly annoyed, and met with a very alarmed Seungkwan.Â
âOh thank goodness, I was about to try opening it,â he says, looking genuinely relieved. âI thought you mightâveâŚ.anyway.â
âYou werenât trying to break in before?â you ask.
He only thrusts a tray of rations and water towards you, âCaptain said to give this to you.â
Accepting the tray, you try to balance it in one hand with furrowed brows, âOh.â
âUm. Thatâs it, sorry for waking you up.â He makes a move like heâs about to turn around and leave but falters. âIfâŚif you need anything a bunch of us are on the main deck.â
And then heâs gone.Â
You take it as your cue to shut the door, kicking one of the heftier pieces of furniture against it before moving back inside.Â
When you peer up your tiny window, itâs late afternoon and the beginnings of orange on the surface tell you the sun is beginning to set. You decide it was a good enough amount of sleep. Setting the tray down on the smaller than usual desk, you find that these pirates do not have a knack for subtlety. Many of your letters and papers are haphazardly stacked and shoved into one corner of the table, very obviously sifted through.Â
Not that you care too much, there was nothing awfully important that you wouldn't have told them yourself. Ripping off a piece of bread from the tray, you take pleasure in chewing as loudly and as open mouthed as you wished, plucking the parchment at the top of the pile to study.Â
Itâs another one signed by your father, not a question of your wellbeing in sight as he scrawls ink on paper all the incorrect things you did in the Southernerâs banquet last month. If anything, you were glad the stupid Admiral was away from your presence, his incessant habit of reporting your every breath and turn to your father was becoming too much to handle.Â
This was one of his tamer letters, less insults attached to his criticisms but a pain to read anyway. You donât brush away the crumbs that fall onto the parchment.Â
There is not a diplomatic bone in your body. Perhaps move on from drinks and dessert and into more important territories besides the Dukeâs son. Our kingdom needs a ruler thatâs strong, not one that forgets where she is after a sip of brandy!
If you squint hard enough, it almost reads as a parent scolding a child for a spill, like regardless of what you did, he might just love you the same.Â
You wonder how good of a mood he was in when he wrote this.Â
Sifting through the rest of the papers you take a mental note of every reason heâs given you to believe that youâd be a hopeless ruler, a few years ago you even questioned why he kept you around before realising his contradicting intentions. As you read, letter by letter, you think of reasons you know are going to make you a better ruler, better than him and better than his stupid court of old men.
These pirates are a blessing, you think, and you arenât about to let this chance from the universe drown in these waters.
HOSHI ISN'T IN TROUBLE. No, he isnât. On his butt on the sleek floorboards of the ship, his own golden dagger glinting in the sunlight as it's held in a threatening hold, except it isnât in his hands.Â
Itâs pointed right into his jugular vein, held by some grimy sailor who considers himself something akin to a pirate. Perhaps the stench this sorry excuse of a crew carries around may be their idea of a criteria, but as Hoshi remains inches away from death, all he can think about is the atrocious fingers around his dagger, and all the scrubbing heâs going to be doing after this is all over.Â
Mingyu had warned him, told him to take down the flag of the navy from the mast, the royal seal in the smack middle of the ginormous thing. He brushed it off. He wasnât quite sure if he was tipsy, hungry or just plain exhausted when he made that decision, because heâd forgotten just how stupid some of these simpleton sailors could get.Â
They were taken by surprise, their only weapons mops and buckets of soapy water as they were ambushed by some overlooked wherry that had suddenly thrown hooks over their railing and climbed up like uninvited sewer rats.Â
In the initial confusion, interrupted mid-chorus of some pretty siren and her pirate prince, the first few intruders had simply crumpled over onto the slippery deck, a few slipping overboard completely from the suds and water on the wood. His crew, and Hoshi himself, could only stand and watch as the newcomers sabotaged themselves for a few incredulous moments before they gained their bearings.Â
Chan and Seungkwan swang their mops right into the necks of a couple, sending them into the ocean without waiting for a splash.Â
Hoshi slips out his dagger with practised ease, swinging the butt of the hilt over the head of another ambushing intruder, right on the head as he crumpled to the floor with a loud thud. He kicks him over for an indication of where he came from. No ink that shows an alliance, no brooch or jewels with a crest.Â
New guys, ones that were clearly still learning the ropes.Â
Hoshiâs crew had better senses than required for him to yell out orders, and it only took a few more disgruntled minutes to disable the remaining extra men aboard.Â
âWhere the fuck did these guys come from?â he asks no one in particular, mostly just annoyed that they were disturbed.Â
Minghao, whoâs peeking over the railing replies, âItâs a tiny thing. They either lost their actual boat or didnât have one at all.â
He vaguely registers him making a jerking arm movement over the exterior before he hears a wail and a splash. âDisgusting.â Minghao holds his hands away from his body like he didnât want it anymore.Â
Hoshiâs mistake was keeping his guard down, because before anyone could warn him, the dagger that he held loosely against his hip had slipped out his palm. The next thing he knows, his neck is in some grimy sleeveâs grip, and the point of his dagger is lodged into his own throat. He holds his breath, afraid he might pass out completely from the stench alone.Â
âNot a move.â He sounds like a boy more than anything, but his grip indicates a harsher life. âEverybody into that fishing boat. Iâll throw this one in when youâre done.âÂ
He sounds unstable, but that only makes him more dangerous. Hoshi canât try to wiggle his way out of this one, one wrong move and itâs the end. His crew canât do anything as they stand with broken mops and empty buckets as their weapons.Â
It was stupid of him to even allow himself to be cornered like this, not when heâs weaselled his way out of more dangerous situations with more ease than this.Â
His crew looks at him, and he can only close his eyes in encouragement. He watches as Jun steps over one of the defeated bodies to reach the hooks thatâve lodged into the railing. His movements are slow, and he can tell he notices the unhinged nature of this boy that he doubts is barely over 17.Â
Chan follows, then Seungkwan as Jun double checks the integrity of the ropes. Heâs stalling.Â
âHurry!â It was supposed to come out as a threat, but it sounded more like a plea from the boy.Â
And then Jun stops completely, his eyes trained on Hoshi. His eyes are wide, his grip on the rope so tight he can see the whites of his knuckles from the other side of the ship.Â
No, he wasnât looking at him, he was looking behind him. Before he can register, thereâs a loud bang of a gunshot, and Hoshi feels the body of his captor slump against his back, his dagger dropping to the ground with an ominous clang. He falls with him, turning over to push the dead weight of the body off of him.Â
Thereâs smoke in the air when Hoshi looks back and it takes him a moment to realise who just basically saved his life.Â
You stand in your nightgown, shawl over your shoulders, and a revolver, Junâs revolver, clenched tightly in both hands. It remains frozen in the air, hovering as he takes in your face. Eyes wide, mouth open slightly, the colour drained from your face.Â
Hoshi scrambles to get up as the rest of the crew swarm both him and you. He grabs his dagger before anything else, looking back to see a bullet lodged in the back of his captorâs skull, blood pooling the deck.Â
He looks back at you shoving the revolver back into Junâs hands eagerly, like you didnât want to feel the warmth of the metal any more than you wanted to make that shot.Â
He looks back at the cooling body, and then back at you, an undeniable warmth overcoming his chest.Â
You just saved his life.
âAre you alright?â he hears Chan ask you. You nod slowly, and then quickly.Â
âWhere did you find this?â Jun asks.Â
âUh, in one of the quarters. Downstairs. I went down because I thought itâd be safer, you were handling it and I didnât want to get in the way. But thenâŚall your weapons were there.âÂ
Your voice sounds airy, like you were in a daze. Hoshi comes to the stark realisation that this may have been your first time with a weapon, and then even more horrifying, your first kill.Â
âIâm sorry, I just thought it was getting out of hand andââÂ
âItâs alright,â Seungkwan says. He watches as you let him lead you back down the stairs below decks.Â
It was like the shock turned you into a different person, complacent, less defiant. Seungkwan clearly had more of an emotional range, because it certainly took Hoshi too long to realise you might be on the edge of panic.Â
Hoshi doesnât say a word as you disappear, the smell of gunpowder from the singular shot wafting through the deck. He doesnât realise heâs staring into space until Mingyu interrupts.Â
âShould weââ
âThrow them overboard,â Hoshi says, voice flat.Â
âBut, this one seems like heâll come around. We could question him and drop him off wherever nextââ
âHeâs a shit seaman, if even a pirate, heâs got what came for him. Throw. Him. Overboard.â Hoshi is out of breath, yet grits the words out through clenched teeth. âAll of them.â
Hoshi slips his dagger back into its sheath at his hip. All he can think about is your blown pupils and you in your nightgown. All he can think about is how they were almost bested by a child. All he can think about is how you had to make that final shot to save his ass, that he couldnât do it himself.Â
Mingyu senses his mood and asks no more questions, simply pushing the remaining bodies out into the water. He vaguely registers Minghao sending the men a prayer into the sea. Mingyuâs already trying to get the stupid naval flag off the mast, stripping off his jacket and disposing of it at the base to start climbing.Â
Chan pushes a clean rag into his chest, and he looks down to receive it and notes a tinge of blood at his collar. Right, he was bleeding.Â
They go back to cleaning, except itâs a lot more silent.Â
Jun walks back up to help, but this time he has both of his clean, black revolvers strapped at his hip.
THERE WERE FEWER PEOPLE in the war room this time around, the captain sits beside Mingyu, Jun and Minghao as they attempt to sketch out a crude rendition of your discussion. The pirate captain does nothing but use his dagger to pick under his nails, barely speaking as he listens in on the conversation.Â
Not that you cared, you and the rest of his crew seemed to get along better than you did with the captain anyway. Saving the manâs life seemed to hold no weight to him, not that you expected it but a âthank youâ would have sufficed.Â
âKeep the grenade til the last minute if it makes you feel better, so youâll know Iâm not trying to sink the wrong ship,â you sigh as you clarify. Minghao doesnât reply as he scribbles the details. Jun rolls his eyes at his meticulous nature.Â
âWe need to port in the next couple days if Iâm gonna finish this grenade in time,â he says, looking at his captain pointedly.Â
âWe can stop at Port Ash,â Hoshi says.Â
Port Ash was no manâs land, which also meant it was every manâs land.Â
Being mostly occupied by pirates and other thieves and criminals it was considered dangerous territory for anyone who didnât speak in lies, deceit and fists. This crew would fit right in, but you worry for yourself.Â
âThatâs not gonna be till a week and a half,â Mingyu interjects.Â
Jun frowns as he looks at Mingyu and then back at his captain, âI canât wait that long.â
âWeâll pick up what we can at Hasry when we stop for rations,â Hoshi replies.Â
âButââ
âDeal with it. Thereâs nothing we can do about it.â
Jun looks like he wants to say something, and Mingyu has the good sense to interject again to ask more questions about the plan.Â
âHow much manpower do you think the kingâll have?â he asks.
You sigh, crossing your arms as you lean back in your chair. âI have no idea. Could be five, could be fifty.â
âNot even an inkling?â
âConsidering how he wants the lot of you gone, itâs probably on the larger side. ButâŚâ you pause.Â
âBut?â
âHeâs smart. Always seemingly one step ahead. I wouldnât be surprised if he catches us blind.âÂ
âI know enough about that,â Hoshi snorts. Thereâs a glint in his eye that suggests something, but you donât press.
âI was wonderingâŚwe should probably change course even if it takes us longer. My father might interceptââ
âDid that. Didnât take the obvious alternative route either,â Mingyu replies, and you note that he looks proud of himself. âWe can take our time too, the ransom note suggested we took the way past Scarsfield.â
âWe should be careful of other boats anyway,â you say, gulping down a lump in your throat before continuing. âThose other sailors couldâve been my fatherâs men too, for all we know.â
âThey were on a smaller boat too,â Hoshi adds, he looks like heâs making connections in his brain. âWhatâre the odds they were dropped farther back into a smaller boat?â
Thereâs a pause as you absorb what heâs implying. âAre you saying theyâre on our tail?â
âI wouldnât doubt it,â he says, exhaling heavily through his nose. âHeâs done it before. It was a sorry attempt then and it was a sorry attempt now.â
âHow did you shake him off last time?â
The panic in your chest is barely there, but as you register the possibility, you find yourself breathing increasingly heavy.Â
âCircling farther out before going the opposite way so we wouldnât cross paths.â He shakes his head. âBut we canât do that now, not when we canât afford detouring. The port stops are as late as Iâm willing to go.â
âWhat if we skip Hasry? Itâs our more obvious stop, weâll just stop at Ash later,â Minghao suggests.Â
âWeâll starve, weâve got no food,â Hoshi gruffs.
âPortwater?âÂ
âToo far.â
Itâs silent yet again as everyone racks their brains. You feel very useless all of a sudden, you didnât know the names of harbours or ports this far out.
âWeâll just port at Hasry and be extra careful, thereâs nothing we can do.â Hoshi sighs at his own ultimatum.Â
He gets up and walks around the table to the door, âIâll update the others.â
You glance as he walks past you, his figure leaving a gust of wind in your face. He smelled nice, which was saying something considering the state some pirates are known to be in. As he brushes past, your gaze is met with the other side of the war room, an empty oil lamp bracket on the wall.Â
The memory of the storm floods your mind, and suddenly your cheeks are burning. Snapping your head back, you're thankful theyâre all absorbed in the papers and plans on the table, oblivious to the memory thatâs flashed before your eyes. Mingyu was the one who saw you in your compromising position, and you didnât know him well enough to decide whether heâd do something as dumb as dish out his captainâs âaffairsâ.Â
You file out the room with them. They donât escort you to your rooms, make sure you stay in one place, restrict your wandering anymore. Perhaps theyâd realised you werenât actively attempting to sink the ship anymore, or that if you jumped off the edge it didnât matter to them that much, but you appreciated the space anyway.Â
Briefly catching Seungkwan filling Mingyu in on the past couple hours theyâd been below deck, you turn over to catch his eye. He waves, and you wave back. You donât realise what you did till it already happened, noting the smile on his face as he did it. You choose to move past it and find the captain.Â
There was something you wanted from him.Â
Thereâs no trace of him on the main deck, eyes scanning the area to no avail. A movement from above catches your peripheral attention, eyes squinting as you crane your neck up to look. Hoshi has leaned his back against the railing of the crowâs nest, arms crossed, visible hand occupied with a brass telescope that glints in the sunlight.Â
He isnât using it though, merely gazing at the horizon with furrowed brows. As though he could see better without the device in his hand. In the few minutes that youâre looking at him, you notice the muraled, multicoloured shirt that blows with the wind, a kaleidoscope of beiges, greens and reds. The crop of his blonde hair blends in with the clear blue-white sky.Â
Briefly wondering how heâs managing the impossible heat, a hand coming over your own eyes as a visor, you simply look back down. Seungkwan is next to you. You arenât quite sure how he got there, but he stands next to you, hands on his hips, a pleasant expression on his face.Â
âIs there anything you want when we dock? Weâre trying to make a list,â he says. Somehow, the prospect of pirates making lists boggled you a little. It was a little jarring, not quite sure why he asked a captive anyway.
But then again, were you a captive anymore?
âI donât think so, no,â you reply and then juggle whether you should push it with another measly formality. âThank you for asking.â
âThat was your first kill, wasnât it?â
âWhat?â You knew what he was talking about, but you werenât expecting him to bring it up in the moment when heâs asking you about restocking supplies. And especially not with a smile on his face.Â
âThat day, when you used Junâs revolver to shoot the lad.âÂ
A kid. He was a child.Â
âIâŚyeah Iâd never done it before.â
âWhat made you do it?â he asks, remaining as nonchalant as ever.Â
âIâI donât know, it looked like there wasnât another option,â you say, not quite sure of yourself either.Â
Why did you shoot him? Youâd never laid hands on a gun before, your father forced you into the category of archery and crossbows, not that you were very good at them either but it was also because you simply wanted to spite your father by being plain bad. It worked, because it only took a year and a half and an arrow straight into his study window to retire from the sport entirely.
Even then, your targets had been apples, barrels and tree trunks. Never a person.Â
Youâd heard of what people tended to do in pressuring situations, and with the way the aftermath unfolded, it didnât seem like you made the wrong decision to pick up that revolver anyway.Â
But the feeling lingers, the same one that you saw as you gazed into the back of the boy that held the captain of this ship hostage. It felt wrong. Like watching the pirate captain cornered was a picture you couldnât quite make sense of in your head.Â
So you pulled the trigger.Â
âIn any case, weâre glad you made that decision. We all owe you for it.â
You donât know what to say to that, so you gulp, inhale and press your lips in a line. âThatâs a lot for a pirate to say.â
âI know.â
BY THE TIME YOU manage to corner Hoshi itâs already the next day, and youâre only a couple hours away from docking at Hasry.Â
Itâs an anxious ordeal, the crowâs nest constantly occupied by someone trying to catch sight of a possible tail. There was no sign, yet anyway.Â
âI want to learn to use a knife.â
He was piling coiled ropes when youâd said it, pushing the heap to the side, sweating through his clothes. There was a flash of confusion on his face as he registered you.Â
âWhy? So you can slit all our throats in our sleep?â he grumbles as he pushes a barrel against the railing. Heâs too aggressive, and the force has the splashback soaking his clothes in freshwater, tsk-ing audibly.Â
You ignore the way his previously loose shirt now sticks to him, ignore the way the droplets land on your boots when he shakes his sleeve.Â
âWeâve discussed what we might be up against, I donât want to be useless when the time comes.â
âSeemed pretty alright with that revolver.â
âAnyone can shoot a gun,â you say, getting the sudden urge to fidget with the front of your shirt. You try to make your voice sound as declarative as possible. âI want to learn to fight. With a knife, with a sword, with my hands if I have to.âÂ
He doesnât say anything as you look down, fiddling with the tassels on your shirt. Your excuse was the sun and the way it was beating down on the deck this afternoon, getting tired of squinting to simply look straight. When the silence prolongs you look up to push further, juggling with bringing up the fact that you saved his life and that, as Seungkwan very graciously told you, he owes you.Â
The sound your throat makes is unhuman, because when you look up the captain's soaked shirt is now off his back.Â
The skin is near white from the glare of the sun, remnants of glazed water thatâs somehow made its way to his back as well. The dip in his shoulder blade reflected a dark marking, one that you couldnât make out.Â
He wrings it as you can only watch, mouth gaping like a fish. Hanging it over one of the suspended ropes to dry, he mutters as he walks to the lower decks.Â
âFine,â he says nonchalantly. âWeâll get you a knife at Hasry.â
Hasry. Right.Â
The port is quiet, at least as quiet as a port can be. Thereâs not much to see but fishermen both returning and leaving for another week's worth of fish supply. Minghao manages to pay and convince the harbourmaster that they were merchants on their way back to the Kingdom, stopping for supplies. The naval make of the ship helped, and then the crew pulled lines and ropes secured from masts in ways you couldnât quite decipher.Â
You assumed you would stay on board, yet when Chan knocked and brought you some roughspun clothes from the town, you were informed youâd be joining them.Â
Hoshi deemed it safer, keeping the rest of the crew on board while he, along with you and Seungkwan, ventured into the village to get what was needed and leave before the sun fully set. If they really were being followed, the ship was going to be the first thing they seized.Â
Pulling the grey shawl further up your head, you attempt to look as blended as you could, Chan pressing down your shoulders to force you into a slouch.Â
âStop walking like you're important,â he had said.Â
âIâm a princess,â you snapped back, but he wasnât listening, only jabbing at you to keep the haughtiness out of your tone before it caught somebodyâs attention.Â
The town was a quaint little place, something out of what you were read from storybooks, reminiscent of the paintings that youâd run past on the walls of the palace. The streets cleaner than youâd expected, the faint scent of baked goods in the air mixed with, onion soup, was it? In any case you were glad you were past the fish market, the yelling and the stench nearly sending you to the pavement, gagging.Â
When Hoshi returns, you and Chan are looking at a jewellery stall thatâs selling necklaces, bracelets and anklets that look like rosaries; colours of deep ocean blue and sunset pinks, beautifully vibrant against their grey canvas backdrop.Â
You can only observe from afar, instructed to not interact with anyone while he was gone. Hoshi was gone to get food supplies, but returned empty handed. Systems were in place, that the crates would be on their way to the âbig naval shipâ at the docks for the rest of the crew to receive.
âThey said there was a blacksmith up this alleyâ Hoshi says, eyes also trained on the uncharacteristically colourful jewellery stall, but he does nothing to move towards it. âWe can get your knife there.â
âKnife?â Chan asks, confused.Â
âMiss princess wants to learn to fightââ
âDonât!â Chan hisses, eyeing the men in black uniform that patrol the market from the shadows.Â
âItâs fine, theyâre too far,â Hoshi says. âLetâs get this over with.â
You do find a blacksmith, an older man with a greying beard and bloodshot eyes that presents Hoshi and Chan with an array of knives and daggers. Either they were able to give an excuse, or he gave no mind to the third woman that trailed behind, the blacksmith continued to deal with the two men as they haggle over prices.Â
Thereâs another seller a ways away, and sheâs laid out her goods on the floor on what looks like old drapes. Itâs a woman, not much older than you were, unravelling a long string of leather cord. She cuts it, strings a charm through and seals the frayed end with a candle flame that burns at her side.Â
The curtain sheâs laid her accessories on is patterned with bright colours, and you realise you canât make out any of it from where you stand.Â
Glancing behind you, the men are still occupied with their bartering, seemingly forgetting of your presence. Taking a step back, you pretend to skim through the neighbouring stalls, glancing breezily at woven baskets, layers of folded fabric and towers of painted ceramic cups.Â
You stop before the laid out array of more necklaces and earrings, scanning the ground. The vendor looks up and gives you a big, crooked toothed smile, urging you to come forward, to take a look at what she has to offer.Â
Something does catch your eye, and you immediately crouch down to see it better. Picking up the necklace from the charm, you let the gold and red rest on your fingers as you study the make.Â
âThat oneâs new,â the woman says. âPractical too.â
The small brass letter opener thatâs looped through the cord looks like it could do its job just fine despite its miniscule size.Â
âItâs quite popular among the busy merchants,â the vendor speaks in a rough tone, almost like she had a perpetual sore throat. âEasier to use this instead of looking for those bulky ones in their neverending drawers andâand in their cabinets.â
She lets out a laugh, âQuite pretty too.â
You stare at it for a moment, âHow much?â
âTen coin.â
You sigh, setting the necklace back down onto the cloth. Standing straight, you turn to walk away before she yells again.Â
âIâll do seven!âÂ
You consider whether you should speak, but you also doubt youâd be recognized just by the sound of your voice.
"I donât have coin,â you rasp.Â
âHow about that pretty thing on your finger then?â she asks.Â
The ring on your middle finger is a simple band of silver, a coming of age present from your fatherâs court a few years ago. You stare at the band, worth boatloads more than what this woman in an alley was offering you.
But you find yourself moments later, middle finger empty, and pocket lined with the long leather necklace with the miniature letter opener charm.Â
By the time you return to the blacksmithâs shop front, Chan is handing the man his coin as Hoshi holds an object sheathed in fabric. They turn around just soon enough to make it seem like you never left.Â
âWhy are you standing so far away?â Chan asks. âCome closer.â
You listen, moving closer to the both of them as they get ready to make the trek back to the docks where the ship waits.Â
âThe crates have probably been loaded too,â Hoshi says, his hands suddenly empty. You assume heâs pocketed the knife somewhere. âLetâs hurry and leave beforeââ
âPrincess?â
It was your mistake that you turned around to acknowledge the title, something you realise as soon as you register the man that spoke to you.Â
Henley was a stout man, dressed even now in the finest suit of a berry colour, hair white as a ghost. There was no reason for a merchant so rich he had ties with the royal family to be wandering in a harbour market, but he also had every reason to be here.Â
If it was the recognition in your eyes, or the fact that they were just being smart, you feel one of the pirates wrap their fingers around your upper arm and pull you to walk away from the alley.Â
âPrincess!â Henley yells and you cringe at his volume. People are looking now, and you briefly wonder why you arenât running yet.Â
Your heart is pounding against your chest so hard itâs deafening any other sound in your ears, you still donât know which one has a hold of you, but you let them guide you into a speed walk as you exit the narrow alleys of the main market.Â
The shawl above your head is pushed further down, shielding your face in a shadow. Thereâs nothing in your mind other than Clarence Henley and his rich suit, his gold pocket watch, his trimmed, white hair. His face that you only ever saw within palace walls, always accompanied by your father.Â
Thereâs a good chance youâre shaking, because you can feel your body rejecting it with the pain in your palms that you can only consider to be your own nails pressing into your hand.Â
The stench of the fish market helps, bringing you back from your daze as you finally register the ground beneath your feet. Itâs only a few more minutes till you reach the docks and youâre suddenly being pushed up the ramp that leads to the main deck of the ship.
Itâs immediate comfort, the familiar brown of the floorboards, the scent of saltwater and warping sounds of the sails. Youâre led to your quarters, where you finally let the makeshift hood and cape fall.Â
âAre you alright?âÂ
Snapping your head up, youâre met with Seungkwan and his concerned gaze.Â
âOh, erm.â Your voice soundsâŚnot like your own.Â
âItâs okay, breathe.â It helps, because it really did feel like youâd forgotten to breathe.Â
âWeâre leaving in just a few, everythingâs been loaded. Nobody followed you on board, donât worry.â
Right. You were on the ship, you were in your quarters with some of the most feared pirates on the seas.Â
The way Seungkwan is easing you through your gulps of water suggests legends in the mix, but you appreciate it regardless.Â
When youâve come round, feeling more like yourself, the ship has already left Hasry Harbour, sailing into the deeper waters of the ocean.Â
âCaptain said they couldnât run because it just wouldâve been more suspicious,â Seungkwan informs you as you nod. âDid youâŚdid you recognise him? The man at the market.âÂ
The thoughts come flooding back, the colour of his suit, the jarring nature of a man of such wealth standing in a rundown port market.Â
âHeâs a merchant, one of the wealthiest. A friend of my fatherâs. If he even has any friends.âÂ
You pause as you think about the near blackout youâd had, the way the panic more than boiled over, taking over your senses and your rationality.Â
âI thinkâŚâ you trail off. âI think I just felt like it was the end. I finally had an opportunity to get rid of that tyrant and seeing something that was from home, feltâŚit felt like I was going to end up right back where I started.â
Seungkwan doesnât say a word as you digest your own words, accepting your own fear that had rendered you useless in the time it probably mattered most.Â
âDo you feel better now?â
âA little,â you answer.Â
âMaybe a weapon can help.â
At the door stands Hoshi, a stern expression on his face as he looks directly at you on the bed. In his hands, the same fabric covered knife he acquired at the market.Â
You know that you asked for this, but the jolt in your stomach still makes itself known.Â
âHeâs right,â Seungkwan says, lifting from his chair. âBlades have a way of calming you in any case.â
You note the glinting hilt of Seungkwanâs sword sheathed at his hip, remember Hoshiâs own daggers that he seems to be emotionally attached to.Â
Lifting your head back to Hoshi, you ask, âCan we start now?â
He smirks.Â
ALL NIGHT, THE STUPID pirate captain had you taking swings at the air.Â
âYour opponentâs baked a fruit cake by the time you were done with that swing,â he comments, continuously unhelpful. âSwing faster.â
Itâs nighttime, nothing but a few oil lamps on the floor of the deck keeping you and Hoshi in the light. Your shoulder burns, your forearms are liquid, and your non-existent opponent remains forever stronger than you.Â
âIâm done,â you huff, thoroughly spent. Crumbling to the floor, you bring your non-dominant hand up to your aching shoulder in an attempt to massage it.Â
Itâs been a while, the moon high up in the sky when you finally decide to quit it for the night. He lets you go without a fight, and you doubt youâd have the energy to if he decided to do it anyway.Â
The following day, heâs tweaked his regiment a little, and you find that youâre finally swinging at something tangible; him.Â
He leaves himself open, an invitation to strike wherever you want. You feign for his shoulder, but he sees you coming from a mile away, already deflecting your flattened blade that comes for his thigh.
âDonât look where you want to strike, youâre giving yourself away.â
Furrowing your brows, you dislodge your knife from his own and back away again. Heâs immediately cocking a brow, telling you to come at him again. You go for his middle, slashing your knife in an arc as he simply deflects.Â
âCome on, find a pace,â he grunts.Â
Coming down with your knife again, he blocks you but this time with his forearm, pushing you back by the wrists. It was a battle of strength, as he forces your wrists down. He was stronger than you, and there was no way you could push away, so you dispel your own force. He stumbles from the sudden forward force, and you pull away to take a swing from above.Â
He recovers faster than you thought he would, already coming up when youâre ready to swing. He raises a hand to deflect, half a moment too late as your blade slashes across the heel of his hand.Â
Thereâs a brief splash of red against the blue backdrop of the sky, and you gasp on instinct, immediately moving away.Â
Thereâs an apology ready on your lips, mouth gaping as you watch him inspect the wound. You donât get to say anything because he beats you to it.Â
âDeep enough,â he comments, like he was inspecting a painting. âKeep this up and you might actually be good by the end of the week.â
Oh.Â
âAlright,â he says again, moving back into position.
âAre you gonna wrap that?â you ask, referring to the bloody hand.Â
âItâs fine, Iâve fought with worse,â he says.Â
You blink as you reluctantly get back into position, bracing yourself as you continue to look at his hand dripping blood onto the deck.Â
âYouâre getting the hang of pacing, but you need to start considering your blade as an extension of yourselfâJESUS!â
Youâve swung at him faster than you ever have, putting everything into that single tug of your knife. He wasnât expecting it, still talking over your glances at his palm. He had his guard down, and you took the chance. He ducks on instinct, but it couldâve been another scar for him to remember if youâd made it.Â
You stumble as he circles you to the other end, flattening his blade on your back.
âNice try,â he says. âReally nice try. But you never turn your back to your opponent.â
âI lost my footing,â you defend, but even you knew that wasnât an excuse.Â
âAnd I just stabbed you in the back. And now Iâll have to present your corpse to your father and hope heâll accept it and give me my ship. We all lose.âÂ
The pressure of the blade leaves your back and you're suddenly left looking stupid despite doing something somewhat right.Â
âYouâd just swindle another poor sailor off his boat and move on,â you say. âYouâre a slippery thing.â
He has a smile on his face that borders a smirk yet is innocently mischievous enough. Itâs a strange sight, bloody hand, relaxed face. Thereâs a clean-ish rag on a nearby closed barrel that he uses to wipe the excess blood off his hands.Â
âI keep going because I live without regret.â
You can only roll your eyes as a scoff leaves your mouth before you can stop it. You simply turn around, settling to the floor, going back to massaging your still aching shoulder. That last blow only made it worse.
âI donât regret things, miss princess. Ask me why.â
You remain silent.Â
âCome on,â he urges, that silly smile remaining on his face. Heâs washing the wound now with freshwater from the barrel.
Sighing, you ask him, âWhy?â
âBecause I donât ever do things Iâd regret.â
âThat insinuates you think before you act.â
âRight-O,â he declares, wrapping another torn cloth on his cleaned wound.
âFunny,â you answer. âBecause I dont think Iâve ever seen any hint of light behind your eyes.â
He turns around to you, sheathing his dagger at his hip, a dangerous look in his eye.
âYouâve looked into my eyes?âÂ
The clench in your jaw must have been visible, or the look of disgust on your face mightâve been apparent just the same, because the pirate captain simply laughs out loud before retreating towards the stairs to go below deck.Â
âIâll send Jun up, practise with him.â
You wanted to send your knife, point first, hurtling into his retreating form.Â
Never turn your back to your opponent, my ass.Â
But you donât, mostly because heâd probably manage to deflect that too. So you resort to sitting cross legged on the deck, staring at your dagger while waiting for Jun to meet you upstairs.Â
Hoshi said he picked the knife based on a number of things youâd already forgotten, something about carbon steel and having a good grip. Itâs quite pretty, youâll have to admit. Itâs plain silver, but the reflection it makes in the sun makes it difficult to look away. Youâd gotten used to the handle and how it fit in your palm, Hoshi assured you that the more you used it, the more the hilt would mould into your grip.Â
Jun stomps onto the deck, revolver-less and instead equipped with an array of knives that he deposits on the deck.Â
âShouldâve picked a plain old gun,â he grumbles as he holds one of the longer blades in his hand. âJobâs done and you donât need to get within ten feet.â
âDonât have to reload a knife, do I?â you comment, taking the first swing.Â
Jun may have an affinity for guns and explosives, but his handling with a knife was still nothing below an expert level. He pushes your arm off before spending you into a ballroom spin, flatting his blade at your collarbone.Â
That couldâve been your throat.
âNo, but by now I couldâve shot you, thrown you overboard, and been on my way to a nap,â he says in your ear, before releasing you as you get back into position again.Â
That couldâve been your throat.
THE FOLLOWING WEEK PASSES with your days and nights muddled into a strange mixture of swinging knives and taking breaks slumped against the deck of the ship, unmoving.Â
Itâs a particularly hot day, the giant glowing orb beating down on the deck with no mercy. Not that it stops you, because the sun remains unwavering, high in the sky, and you remain unwavering in your wide legged stances as you lunge for Chan again.Â
Chanâs entire being glistens in the afternoon light, the beads of sweat that he wipes off his forehead only seem to reappear every couple minutes. His clothes cling to him like a second skin, taking long breaths through his teeth amidst the difficult, humid air.Â
You donât doubt you look the same, one hand in your hair suggesting you just took a bath in your own sweat. But Chan seems accustomed to the heat, and while you werenât, you couldnât deny your growing comfortability with it all.Â
Itâd been a while since your meal, hence your sluggish movements were slowly turning increasingly sharp, having cornered Chan multiple times in the duration. Youâre determined to not be the one to call for a time out, so you find yourself pushing beyond what youâve been doing for the past week or so.Â
Thereâs a particular punch of heat at your sides, and you can feel yourself slowing.Â
One deep breath, a slow exhale.
Itâs all clangs and reflections of knives, tiny droplets of blood as evidence of both of your tiny, unintentional nicks and cuts. Youâre succeeding, pushing the man further and further back.Â
âYouâre getting sloppy, aim for the blade not my tendons,â Chan seethes through his teeth.Â
âIâm trying,â you grunt through the effort.Â
Youâre set back for a couple minutes before you go back to pushing. Your lungs burn, your entire side is numb from exertion, but you give more than your body is made for, and you succeedâkind of.Â
Chan back is against the railing of the deck before he realises it, and perhaps it was momentum, or sheer exhaustion, because one minute youâve got eyes on Chanâs hands and his blade, and the next heâs gone. Thereâs a loud splash, and you suddenly realise what youâve done.Â
You just pushed Chan overboard.Â
You scream before you can help it, dropping your knife with a loud, resonating clang. Pushing against the rails, you peer down to find a giant ripple on the surface of the ocean, whipping your head around to the stairs leading below deck to find Mingyu and Hoshi bounding upstairs.Â
âWhat? Whereâs Chan, he was supposed to be with you,â Hoshi asks, whipping his head around the deck.Â
Your wide eyed, horrified response from near the edge tells them all they need to know.Â
By the time Chanâs pulled himself on board, soaked and dripping like a wet poodle, youâve sat yourself the furthest away from the railing to prevent any more trouble. He drops onto the floor, creating a human sized puddle.Â
With the way the two men had merely sighed and threw the ladder over the exterior of the ship, you concluded that this must happen enough for them to be beyond the point of concern. It only adds to it when you see Mingyu nudge Chanâs unmoving but heaving body with the toe of his boot, giggling at his expense.Â
You make your way over, crouching beside Chan sheepishly.Â
âSorry about that, got carried away.â
Heâs sitting up now, quickly pulling himself back to his feet and you spring back from your crouched position.Â
âItâs fine, happens.â He has a small smile on his face as he says it and you conclude that he may find the situation laughable as well.Â
âNow, Chan,â Hoshi says, not letting Chan move into the deck any further from the railing. âWhatâs the first thing you learn about brawling on a ship?âÂ
Chan looks slightly embarrassed as he answers, âBe aware of your surroundingâARGH.â
Hoshi pushed him into the water.Â
You jump as you run back to the rails, watching as Chanâs head re-emerges at the surface after his second dip in the ocean.Â
Just as youâre about to say something to Hoshi, heâs stuck his head over the railings as well, yelling at Chan in some singsong voice.Â
âOne time was a mistake, twice is a problem!â
To your left, only adding to your horror, is Mingyu doubled over in his fit of laughter, heaving as he giggled uncontrollably. Heâs also holding onto the railings for dear life, but clearly, for reasons completely different from yours.Â
The situation resolves itself as both you and Chan learn a few lessons of practicality. Deciding youâve done enough damage to your body, you announce that youâd be retiring for the day.Â
âThank goodness, I was about to confiscate that stupid knife, Iâve been hearing clanging in my sleep,â Mingyu mumbles as he pulls the rope ladder back up to the deck.Â
In any case, you have the urge to take a dip in the ocean yourself, feeling increasingly uncomfortable in your drying sweat.Â
Grabbing a clean washcloth, you fill a bucket of freshwater from one of the barrels on deck and lug it into your quarters. The soaked washcloth does wonders for your overheated body, feeling enormously better after a change of clothes.Â
Your scalp, however, remains itchy and burning, so you decide to go back up to the main deck, hoping to manoeuvre a hair wash situation without needing to mop the floors of your quarters.Â
Refilling the bucket of freshwater, you set it down before scanning the empty deck for another spare bucket. You try not to scoff at the unwavering determination of the pirate crew to keep the deck unoccupied for such long increments, that last altercation teaching them absolutely nothing. You wonder how theyâve managed to survive for so long like this.Â
Shaking the thought, you use the spare bucket as a way to deposit your waste water as you pour cups of clean water over your aching scalp. The feeling does wonders for you, letting the water wash away weeks worth of grime, sweat and stress.Â
Youâre almost back home in your quarters when the whiff of your hair salts hits your nose, the ones youâd packed for yourself, closing your eyes for a moment as you rub them into your scalp. You don't expect the clench that seizes your chest, but you falter when it happens anyway.
Itâs nostalgic, and you hate it.Â
It smells like the palace, like the incense your ladies in waiting always burned, the stench of citrus having made its way into your bones from the years of exposure to the scent. Itâs too much as you blink back tears, owing them to the suds that have made their way into your eyes.Â
The sting helps bring you back, opening your eyes to an orange glow and the waft of seasalt hitting your nose. Youâre more aggressive when you dunk your cup into the bucket this time, too aggressive as you feel the half full bucket tip over and spill water all over the deck as you cause yet another accident.Â
Cursing loudly, you try to blink away the suds from your eyes, soap still in your hair as you try to figure out how to get another bucket of water without ruining your fresh change of clothes, mentally kicking yourself at not thinking this through.
âYou realise we have to make do with that freshwater till we make it to Ash?âÂ
Wet hair still in your hands, you attempt to peer up at the voice, only to find Hoshi standing above you, arms crossed over his chest with a funny expression on his face. Huffing, you grumble out in response, âCan you just get me a fresh bucket?â
âHm, I donât know, can I?â He removes his gaze and begins to pretend looking over at the horizon and the setting sun.Â
Chiding yourself for even bothering to ask, you reach for the tipped bucket yourself, deciding youâd figure it out yourself if this dumb pirate was choosing to be of no help. But before you could latch your fingers on the handle, the bucketâs snatched away.Â
At first you think heâs being funny, taking the bucket away to watch you struggle even further. âYouââ
Except you watch him as he dunks the bucket back into the barrel of freshwater, lugging it back to where you could reach. âTry not to paint the deck with it this time, Iâve already mopped twice.â
The thank you freezes on your tongue, and for some reason you canât say it to him. So you make a scene of splashing into the bucket with vigour, sending spills over the rim and taking mild satisfaction in hearing him sigh at the sight of more mopping.Â
Heâs already gotten hold of the worn mop by the time youâre done as you remerge with clean hair, wringing your own mop of hair to deposit the excess water. Straightening out your back, you take hold of the spare cloth you brought along with you, patting your hair with it.Â
The sun remains in its mission to cast its golden glow, but only illuminates Hoshiâs grumbling form as he mops up all the water youâve spilled.Â
âYou know, I should really be making youââ He halts as he makes eye contact with you, your hands still occupied with patting your hair dry, flicking the wet strands. You have a rebuttal already prepared, waiting for him to finish his jab.Â
âMake me what? you grind.Â
You canât make out the look on his face, somewhere between constipated and on the edge of a yelp, he keeps staring at you. You note a slight trickle of water making its way down your neck and chest, bleeding into your shirt as yet another water stain.Â
âNothing,â he says, to your surprise.Â
And with that uneventful climax, you trudge back down to your quarters, a strange brewing in your chest.
[AN]: congrats you made it to the end of part 1!!!!! reblog ur thots and opinions or send me an ask, id love to hear the turmoil in ur minds lol
#svthub#hoshi fluff#hoshi smut#hoshi angst#hoshi fic#hoshi imagines#hoshi x reader#hoshi#soonyoung smut#soonyoung fluff#soonyoung scenarios#soonyoung imagines#soonyoung x reader#seventeen#soonyoung#seventeen flluff#seventeen smut#seventeen angst#seventeen fic recs#svt#svt smut#svt fluff#svt imagines#svt scenarios#svt x reader#em.writes
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DRAW THIS IN YOUR STYLE CHALLENGE!
SCROLL DOWN TO KNOW THE RULES AND PRIZES
PLEASE REBLOG AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO EVERYONE CAN SEE THIS!
This is the moment I've been dying for its finally here!!!
++++++++++Rules++++++++++
1. Use whatever pose and color pallette you like, as long as it is recognizable.
2. Human version, comic, animation, Killer with other characters are accepted, please keep the outfit so I can recognize them.
3. Please leave a hashtag #zucchiyeni100 and tag me @zucchiyeni so i can see your work!
4. DO NOT TRACE/COPY/STEAL FROM OTHER ARTISTS
5. Submissions after the deadline will not be accepted.
DEADLINE 7.00AM 1ST SEPTEMBER (GMT+7)
++++++++++PRIZES+++++++++
1st place: 1 halfbody fullcolor
2nd place: 1 chest-up fullcolor
3rd place: 1 bust-up fullcolor OR 1 chest-up flatcolor
Honorable mentions(2 slots): 1 chest-up clean sketch
(All will apply simple background)
-------------side note--------------
1. Feel free to use the design however you like, with credit, ofcourse.
2. After the event ends you can still participate, fun is priorityâ¨
3. This is kind of an IDOL AU sooo be creative on that⨠actually, use whatever headcannon you want!
4. And dont forget, have fun!
---------------------------------------------------
The winners will be announce ~2 weeks after the deadline. After the result is set, i'll DM the winners and we will discuss more later on
If you need samples, please check out my page. My style is inconsistent so you have to tell me the specific artstyle you want by sending me my art.
Here's the lineart version for a clearer look
And lastly,
HAPPY 100 FOLLOWERS TO ME!!! đĽš
(i just having a small hope @/itsxroxannex can see this im wild today)
Side acc @zucchichat
#dtiys challenge#dtiys#zucchiyeni100#fanart#undertale#undertale au#ut#sans#art#utmv#undertale fanart#killer sans#killertale#something new#undertale fandom#sans au#this took me way too long to do
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HIHIHIHI GUYS!!! IM CELEBRATING 1K FOLLOWERS ON BOTH INSTAGRAM AND TUMBLR WITH MY FIRST DTIYS!!!! âźď¸đđşâ¨
GUYS This is the first time I've EVER reached 1k and frankly im floored with gratitude. Im so thankful for each and every one of you, those who've been here since the beginningđ, those from the Insane MVđ, and those who have just joined recently đ- the fact that you vibe with my silly TV man art makes me THE happiest human on the whole planet, and i hope you'll all join in the festivities and we can draw some good old Radiostatic together!!!!đşđť
â¨RULES FOR ENTERING!!â¨
1. You must be following me to enterâźď¸Tag your post with #malumsDTIYS âźď¸(feel free to tag me in the post and to dm it to me, i want to make sure i see everyones entries!)
2. The pose/layout of the piece should remain the same, but variations in expressions and mannerisms are encouraged!
3. Any medium is allowed but color is a must
4. The color palette should remain relatively similar, (ie. Pink background, characters should be outlined in a bright color) but slight variations are fine
5. Redesigns of characters are allowed đđ¤
6. Background is required but can be simplified or expanded upon to your taste
7. ABSOLUTELY NO TRACING OR AIâźď¸
8. Winners will be decided on âźď¸ MAY 5TH 2024 âźď¸
AGAIN, TAG #malumsDTIYS
đđ PRIZES FOR WINNERS!!! đđ
1ST PLACE- Fully inked, colored and shaded piece of up to two characters in my style, FULL detailed backgroundÂ
2ND PLACE- Fully inked, colored and shaded piece of up to two characters in my style, simple backgroundÂ
3RD PLACE- Inked, colored and simply shaded piece of one character in my style, simple backgroundÂ
HONORABLE MENTIONS (2+ WILL BE CHOSEN)- Inked bust drawing of one character in my style, no colors or shading
* I want to acknowledge that in the HH universe Alastor is canonically aroace- this pose is simply meant for fun and is not intended to be representative of his in universe actions đ *
(A special thanks to @chrizzisdead for inspiring this piece by being the ballastor to my cox in that roblox screenshot đđ¤â¨)
#malumsDTIYS#hazbin art#hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel fanart#vox#hazbin vox#alastor#hazbin alastor#i fell for the fucking tv#my art#radiostatic
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Argenti relationship headcanons;
âââââŚâŕźťŕźşââŚââââ
â° Characters: Argenti x reader.
â° Words: ~1k.
â° SFW ; gn!reader, no mentions of pronouns. fluff.
Warnings: might be slightly sug/gestive here and there. i tried but he's too hot :pensive: written with jp voice in mind
A/N: I'm honestly so surprised there's so little Argenti content that IM OFFENDED. i need MORE OF HIM BEING CUTE AND LOVING ME. i cant pull him now but i next time he wont escape me
âââââŚâŕźťŕźşââŚââââ
Argenti:
He absolutely wakes up looking like a princess. Sun rays illuminating his face so beautifully, his chest slowly rising up and down (and his um, chest muscles being also blessed by the sun rays if you get me), his lips parted ever so slightly, hair sprawled out, but still looking untouched by the nights sleep.
His long eyelashes flutter open, and his emerald eyes scan the room drowsily; once the knight sets his eyes on you, he smiles to himself and turns to his side to face you.
He admires you sleeping, for... quite some time. Even if your hair is not perfect at all, or there's a drool running down your face - he's mesmerized. and I truly mean it, he's trying to calm down the butterflies in his stomach. Argenti can't help but cup your cheek and caress it gently with his thumb; his sleepy smile growing even wider when he feels you stir in your sleep.
even though it's never in his intentions to awaken you (he actually kinda wishes you kept sleeping so he could still admire you lol), he takes advantage of that and begins to place warm and slow kisses on your face to wake you up. his hair shields you from the harsh sunlight, faintly tickling you here and there.
hear me out, it surely looks nice from your angle, but his back muscles..
depending on your mood, these kisses may trail somewhere else. i mean.. can you imagine him between your thighs. because i can and it's not making me feel well.
"my brightest rose, good morning. seeing your magnificent eyes once again fills me with happiness and energy for the upcoming day." wipes off your drool sexily
he sleeps SHIRTLESS (you told him you were cold. he pretended to believe it).
random dances across all the planets at (seemingly) random times. he doesn't care whether you can dance or not, but he'll be honored to teach you if you wish. argenti would absolutely get you to dance whenever you feel down just to make you laugh; wrong moves don't matter - it'd probably hurt you more if you stepped on his armor...
listen. he doesn't care if it's cringe, but he will hold a rose between his teeth and dance with you, if that's what makes you laugh.
has probably thought once or twice if you're the truest manifestation of Idrila. He's never been so mesmerized by someone's beauty, so... maybe? ... *rubs hands and smirks*
does NOT give a single sheet if he's in public or not - but he always, ALWAYS kisses you like it's your last kiss. They're so passionate, intimate, and sensual, that it makes people flustered at the sight of you. He pulls you close by your waist, swiftly switching his hands to cup your cheeks; the knight puts his forehead against yours and whispers a few silly words before finally connecting your lips together. The kiss, although as simple as it could be, leaves you hungry for more - it takes a while for him to finally part, but just enough to refill the air in your lungs.
now, it wouldn't be as awkward to other people if it took you a few minutes, but argenti TAKES HIS TIME. he has to kiss you (or makeout at this point lol) until your lips are swollen from his kisses. then he moves on to his duties like nothing happened.
he truly wants you to hold him by his waist when you two kiss, or at least have your hands on his chest. he'll put them on the desired place by himself if you don't do it. what a dork.
touch is just so, so important to him. he has a hard time getting rejected, no matter if it's a hug or kiss, it makes him feel unwanted. he won't show it outside much, but he might be less... dramatic and excited than usual.
he SO SHOWS OFF FOR YOU it's almost reckless sometimes. "My lady, fear not, as I am here to protect your beauty until my very end!" Argenti kisses your knuckles before parting to defeat the enemy with ease.
Calculated how to fall just enough to dramatically appear on his knees and put his hand on his heart before you, "Beloved, the evil has been obliterated with the power of love my heart stores for your beautiful soul!"
He KNOWS his cheesy lines either make you cringe (with love), laugh or you're just an adorable soul who genuinely likes lines like these, he RAMPS them up like crazy.
just throwing it out there so we're clear: to argenti, consent is a must, regardless of the activity. no consent, he's moving on. thinks consent is se/xy. HE'S THE EMBODIMENT OF CONSENT.
his hair probably smells really nice. a faint smell of strawberry, perhaps..
the beauty knight usually wants you to stay out of battles, but holy sheet if he sees you kick someone's ass so good, he's impressed and proud. probably needs a bathroom break also..
"oh, how much do i wish that was me instead..." - argenti probably
actually wouldn't mind to have friendly spares with you from time to time - it's a good opportunity for both to test your skills. or maybe give argenti an opportunity to straddle you... that's also an option.
remembers every date that's important for you. in return, he doesn't really care about his, but might tear up when you show up with a gift.
he'd actually love to help you dress up! nothing sexual involved, just pure intimacy of helping his beloved. his moves are precise, careful not to harm you in any way with his armor; he relishes in the feeling of your skin being so tender compared to his.
#BARK BARK GRRRR WOOF#honkai star rail#honkai star rail x reader#hsr x reader#hsr argenti#argenti#argenti x reader#.headcanon#sorry for the long break again </3
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Vivzepops fetishization of queer men and the lack of Sapphic content in HH and HB
I found it a bit dissapointing that Charlie and Vaggie had very little interactions that could be read as romantic or sexual, especially since they are the supposedly the main couple of Hazbin Hotel and have been together the longest out of most of the couples in HH and HB.
Of course having more casual representation is also fine but the most memorable thing about their relationship was the quickly resolved argument they had when Charlie found out about Vaggies past. I've seen different opinions about how they were handled as a pair.
I understand when someone says that they enjoyed a more relaxed couple with subtle, realistic interactions, interactions that are often overlooked just because both characters are female.
But I can also agree, that they were really not a stand-out couple (wich is weird since Charlie is the main Character) and that it was a bit dissapointing to not see a lot of content for them.
Now the main issue I found with this is that in Vivzepops stories there is a definitive lack of sapphic content. It sometimes seems like women are sexless unless they are with a man. But two men can be sexual and openly affectionate (romantically too). At first I didn't really understand why I felt weird about Chaggie as a couple, so I looked at all the implied/canon ships in Helluva and Hazbin (including past relationships).
Implied/canon couples between a man and a woman:
-Millie and Moxxie
-Blitzø and Verosika
-Stolas and Stella
-Millie and Chaz
-Beelzebub and Vortex
-Sir Pentious and Cherry Bomb
-Adam and Lute
-Lucifer and Lilith
Implied/canon couples between two men:
-Stolas and Blitzø
-Asmodeus and Fizzarolli
-Moxxie and Chaz
-Angel Dust and Husk
-Vox and Valentino
Implied/canon couples between two women:
-Charlie and Vaggie
Now please tell me if I missed any, but these were the ones I could think of.
Honorable mentions include Loona & Vortex, Blitzø & Striker, Blitzø & Chaz and Blitzø & Fizzarolli. But I didn't put these on there because they're either one-sided or don't have enough romantic content.
Now it's very easy to see the difference between representation for queer men in comparison to queer women in these shows. The only relevant (im not counting Background characters) Sapphic relationship there is, is Chaggie. And it's completely underrepresented when compared to the content the man x woman or man x man ships get (not to mention the total absence of gender-queer characters).
One of Millie's and Moxxie's jokes is that they're so in love, that they're almost always cuddling, holding hands, talking sweet or just straight up making out with eachother (I'll talk about Millie a bit later). Sir Pentious had multiple scenes dedicated to him trying to confess to Cherry Bomb or just crushing on her in general.
Stolas' and Blitzø's relationship has become one of the main topics of Helluva Boss and they get a Backstory and explicit aswell as dramatic scenes for them as a couple. The same goes for Asmodeus and Fizzarolli (except that their love isn't as important). Angel Dust and Husk get a song and part of an episode for their relationship to develop.
Here i'd also have to mention that by the list I made Vivzepop's fetish for queer men is very prevalent. Most of the couples between men and women are either past relationships or they get very little attention to them. The only ships that often get special focus, development or explicitly romantic/sexual focus are ships with two men (no matter if their dynamics are even good, healthy etc.).
Now for Millie there are different ways you could talk about her situation with relationships. In general I think that everyone can agree that Millie lacks Character and is a good representation for the neglect of the female characters. Most of her moments revolve around Moxxie in a way and she hasn't had precise characterization so far.
Millie's relationship with Moxxie is sweet and simple and is generally one of the better things about Helluva Boss (if you ignore Millies lack of personality wich really pulls the couple down for me). Now the Episode "Exes and Oohs" shows the mutual Ex of Millie and Moxxie. Chaz dated both of them and as we see in the episode affected both of them very negatively. At the start we literally see Millie freak out and destroy a bunch of stuff, just because she saw Chaz on the street.
Yet Millie's relationship with him is never explored further. All we know is that she dislikes him and that he's a giant asshole. Whereas Moxxie get's a whole Backstory and episode plot about him and Chaz. No focus is given to Millie at all even though Chaz is the ex of BOTH of them.
Another thing that I wanna point out is Millie's possible Bisexuality. Now im not so sure for this point because I couldn't find genuine confirmation on wether Millie is actually confirmed to be Bisexual or if it's just a headcannon. So take this with a grain of salt BUT if Millie is Bisexual then she perfectly shows how little Vivzepop cares about Sapphic representation. What does Moxxie get to confirm him as Bisexual? An ex of the same gender (also multiple explicit flashbacks with him), a whole discussion about his queer identity and a scene where he literally says that he's Bisexual. Moxxie is pretty good Bisexual representation in that regard.
What does Millie get? Nothing. Again I don't know if she's genuinely also Bisexual or if it's ever been confirmed but it'd also be pretty weird if Vivzepop apparently cares so much about queer representation and then doesn't confirm any female characters as actually queer.
I think a lot of people have talked about her blatant fetishization of queer men and I think that that's also mainly why I feel weird by the lack of attention on Vaggie and Charlie as a couple.
I sorta wish I could enjoy a more toned-down and realistic couple in these shows, but when I see that a ship like Vox and Alastor (wich isn't canon nor would it even happen since Alastor is Aroace) is talked about more than the actual main character's relationship I just don't like it.
There's so much more you could say about poor queer representation by Vivzepop (like the fact that she's fine with people ignoring Alastors Aroace identity, and the stereotypes etc) I mainly wanted to talk about the neglect of her female cast in terms of sexuality.
#hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel charlie#hazbin hotel critical#hazbin hotel criticism#hazbin hotel critique#helluva boss#vivzepop critical#vivziepop#helluva boss critique#helluva boss millie#helluva boss critical
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