#captdowling

[edwardboyne]

❛ between us there must be no lies. ❜

there isn’t any, Edward told him earlier, which was a lie in on itself.

his contradictory nature makes itself know here; he knows all of me, inside and out—there isn’t anything in this world I wouldn’t tell him; and yet he still keeps parts of his doings obscured and in fear of what—? Disappointing him? Edward knows the captain, he’s sure that if the man were to be disappointed with him about anything, it would be about the purser keeping the secret from him for this long, not about his actions. Still, the longer Edward’s been keeping the trade to himself, the harder it was for him to explain it. 

perhaps some things deserve to always stay hidden. 

i’m a thief. i love you. 

it’s a late night when he finally feels brave enough for one of those truths; they had a few drinks to help them sleep but it’s only the captain who’s managed to give into slumber; Edward sits there at the edge of his berth, eyes trained on Malachy’s face, peaceful for once; the captain turns in his sleep, back to Edward and it finally untangles the purser’s tongue.

“you know how the officers always complain about their wages? that they remain so low?” it’s always the rich ones; the men sitting on their family fortune, the ones who got their position not with their own hard work but a word, a recommendation, whispered into the right ear, “even though the Admiralty has been paying well. Too well.”

“i think they figured me out. That I ask for more money than the ship needs—but it fixed the roof of an almshouse last spring. And it bought clothes for the children at Saint Philomena’s last winter. A better use of the money than a promotion for a man who doesn’t need it.” Names come to mind, names who belong to those who remain comfortable back in London and who’ll be desperate to claim some kind of involvement in what they are doing here. 

it’s easy to admit all of this when the captain’s asleep, unable to actually hear him. It gives Edward a sense of relief and accomplishment, no matter how false. 

“i’ve done this for years and it’s finally catching up to me.” Run away on the Promethean, he had to, so the rumors die down. “I don’t know what it’s going to be like when we return.”

he turns to look at the captain’s sleeping form; he has to stop himself from reaching out to touch him, though he wants to—for his own comfort, for his own sanity. 

“i like to imagine you’d be willing to help me, if you knew. But I don’t know how to tell you, other than this.” 

a hand rests on the captain’s shoulder after all, gentle, almost afraid.

“it shouldn’t be this hard. Not with you.”

[aveaugvstus]

name a few of their favourite pieces of popular culture.

the majority of his humour is just nonsensical garbage from extinct vines with the occasional sprinkling of tiktok and twitter memes. he has the general tastes of your typical fratboi himbo millennial. he’s a casual gamer so overwatch, PUBG, resident evil, the last of us, batman: arkham city. a huge comic book nerd though he doesn’t talk about it as often, with his favourite characters being bruce wayne, diana prince and matt murdock. his favourite genre is post-apocalyptic or thriller — bong-joon ho enthusiast, black mirror, mad max: fury road, stephen king books, philip k. dick, kafka, aldous huxley, akira, christopher nolan, jordan peele. 

his favourite movie growing up was the lion king and when he’s in a bad mood he’ll do disney and pixar movie marathons. gets into heated arguments about the fast and the furious being the best movie franchise of all time. cried watching moonlight for the first time.

[sergeantfcx]

⭐️ (JACK AND TRISTAN)

⭐️  MAL + JACK

after malachy said he wasn’t that great of a shot, jack offered to give him shooting lessons on the down-low. every so often jack will also crack a joke with him about it--something like “need someone to help you sight that pistol, captain?” or “better let the boatswain handle that rigging sir, wouldn’t want to tax your eyes.” 

⭐️  MAL + TRISTAN

does tristan begin to casually mention how much he respects @edwardboyne to malachy in conversation, whenever he possibly can? maybe so. but he didn’t get the chance to tell his captain everything he wanted to, and he doesn’t want to see anyone else suffer his fate, go through the pain he now has to live with the rest of his life. does he believe that it will save either of them, in the end? no, but he does believe the promethean’s captain and purser have a right to be happy, for however long they have. 

[paintedsins]

❛ i am selfish. i am cruel. ❜

“if you were selfish, then you would have taken what you wanted long ago. that is not the case now, is it, my dear captain  —  are you afraid of your own gluttony when it comes to me?” 

deathless prompts

[intrepidim]

show us what their last ‘sent’ text message is from five different text convos.

                                     ( modern au ) ::: accepting.

[ [  P.M.  /  pantea mazarandani. ] ]

I am good for noon for that cabinet meeting. [ SECRET NUMBER ] Fuck, babe, you’re going to kill me on this fucking plane. Are you going to keep the shoes on?

[ [ DON’T PICK UP  /  edward boyne. ] ]

Yes we have the funds no we will not send them over until the press conference because of something called Optics. Look it up.

[ [ KID #1  /  cyrus harper. ] ]

Should’ve come through, check your venmo.

[ [ KID#2  /  timoti whetu roimata ngati ati awa. ] ]

Please no more sea creature gifs this is a public phone. too old for this shit.

[ [ unknown  /  vera hamilton. ]]

You do realize my building complex has CCTV, right? It’s a penthouse, Jaya. Bring the watches back.

[fatherfoxhound]

❝ where do you want to be taken? ❞

A MOMENT DURING CARNIVALE

Laurents wears the guise of an avian, crowned in tawny feathers-- a half mask reminiscent of a horned owl obscuring his face, a ruddy blush beneath the sockets and black, razor beak sheathing the nose. The earthy hues, blanched whites, and burnt umbers of the mask are echoed in the mismatched fabrics of his outfit’s articles. A palette to pull it all together. Until now, he’s helped provide those dancing this wing of the Carnivale with a soundtrack courtesy of his fiddle; but eventually he envies the dancers for the lightness of their feet. Finds he’d like to take flight just as well. It’s off to the side, having left the music making to the others and resting at the hastily set up seating, that Dowling finds him -- whether Laurents recognizes the captain beneath the obscuration of his outfit, he doesn’t let on for moment. Instead, he offers a hand ( an acceptance of what he’s taken as an invitation to the floor ), cracks a grin, and playfully blasphemes. “To hell and back.” He goads. In other words, I want a whirlwind, not a waltz.

[devotedrowning]

??,►,↕

?? - strange/vague text

[[ mal achey ]] hey, so, what’s the english name of the round ball of spikes and how poisonous are they in the uk?

► - not meant for you

[[ mal achey  ]]  aroha koe papa, bye! (love you dad, bye!)

↕ - scared/worried text

[[ mal achey  ]] if you went out to the shipwreck without a buddy i will cry at you and that is something you’ll have to deal with please pick up your phone! you can’t go diving on your own, especially not at that distance and we were gonna go together but the boat’s already gone why.

[thcmagpie]

❝ i know who you are. what you are. ❞

Rowan’s dizzy, the bow of Orion and splay of Andromeda found in the room’s obsidian left untouched by lunar beans; is it the words themselves, or the mouth they trickle from that has constellations scorching his periphery? Can Malachy see their effect, how they thread to form a noose to the thick of a throat, how they leave raven features a blanch to rival Aurora?

He stills, pupils dilated to obsidian and rimmed juniper, the serpentine twist of ire between ribs is familiar, and it is then Rowan grins, as perhaps it reminds him so much of home. Features tilt, and the twist of his mouth is wolfish; can they feel it, how heaven shudders at the primal visage of two men more shadow than bone? “I beg you, Malachy, amuse me.” Digits split and bloodied thread to the neck of a bottle, crystalline brought to the crescent of his mouth, a moan nearly detaches from the ridges of a trachea at how the flames soothe, “I must admit, I am certain I have heard it all—“ a pause, “as foolish as he is arrogant, so unlike his brother, a true disappointment.” A brow lifts, meeting the man’s gaze, “tell me, and for you, I will do my best to feign surprise.”

[sweetsunflora]

❝ your will to live is strong. ❞

Her eyes meet his with curious tilt to her head and disbelief gnawing at the corners of her mind. What was the captain speaking of? She doesn’t recall seeing any such strength in her, not here and not on the island. All she remembers is struggle. The struggle to simply keep up with her fellows. The struggle to not succumb to self-harming despair, even when new and terrible pains made themselves known to her. Horrible pains like the cruel twisting of stomach that was the beginning of starvation running its cold hand over her feeble body.

But if such events were so horrendous, why was she still alive? Why would she suffer to experience another day?

For love? For hope? For any good moral cause? No. For spite. For that deep burning anger hidden in the deepest recesses of her being.

If asked, she would say she didn’t know. Or that maybe she got lucky. But in her heart of hearts, she knows that she stayed alive for this: the chance to tell her grandfather that he could take his legacy and shove it up his self-centered, insidious, pompous, ass. 

“ Hm, I suppose it is. I guess I’ve never thought of it like that. I just knew that I couldn’t die yet. Not when I have so much left to do. “

[edwardboyne]

❛ don’t leave me. no rules but that rule. don’t leave me. ❜

the time is late and it’s one of the nights when Edward has run out of options to aid his lack of sleep; hours of tossing and turning in his berth only made him feel more restless so for once he decides to head to the great cabin, see if the captain’s being plagued by the same thing—sometimes it feels like both of them haven’t had a single night of good rest ever since they set sail. 

in the end, he isn’t surprised to see Malachy still up, bent over a book by a dying light. Though it’s well into the night, they settle into comfortable talk, dancing around all the uncomfortable truths that they’re being dealt with. Sleep is supposed to be a way to shelter oneself from all the terrors of what the days bring them and the fact that it refuses to come feels like some sort of odd, but very fitting metaphor. 

only the night time feels appropriate for confessions like this and only the night time is suitable enough for the answer that comes. “Never,” the word feels heavy and light at the same time and it leaves the purser’s lips without a thought. “You know that. It’s you and me,” Edward looks up at the captain and then immediately drops his gaze, afraid that he’ll say something else he’ll regret come morning. He speaks up again anyway, even dares to look his friend in the eye, without looking away this time. 

“you and me, always.”

[aveaugvstus]

♣☼ for both pantea and mal!

♣ for a drunk text

kim k wishes   /   PANTEA.

TO.  PANTEA  :    SOS TO.  PANTEA  :    ENERGRGNCY SOS TO.  PANTEA  :    m trapped in this borigngn ol white people partyg an its startbgn to look like a jordan peele movie TO.  PANTEA  :    u kno the one TO.  PANTEA  :    GET SMT HN TO.  PANTEA  :    GET O TU

☼ for a morning text

TO.  PANTEA  :    is it considered tacky to be hitting hard liquors before noon? TO.  PANTEA  :    what is the point of a brunch cocktail TO.  PANTEA  :    does anyone know? who invented that we should find out TO.  PANTEA  :    must’ve thought they were real smart but if they were so smart they would’ve invented brunch Shots

♣ for a drunk text

david attenborough blue planet vc   /  MALACHY.

TO.  MALACHY  :    mr malaxchy TO.  MALACHY  :    dont u think its kidna sad how like  TO.  MALACHY  :    ariel LOST her vice AND her pri nce and then she turnes into wategr TO.  MALACHY  :    like i n the orningal book TO.  MALACHY  :    i just thi nk thats so sad TO.  MALACHY  :    i mean sure TO.  MALACHY  :    prnce eric coudl get it TO.  MALACHY  :    but cmon girl get it toghether THERES LITRALLY  OTHER FISGHH IN THE SEA THATS WHERE U LIVE

☼ for a morning text

TO.  MALACHY  :    wow im so sorry about last night TO.  MALACHY  :    but hey speaking of TO.  MALACHY  :    DO we know that mermaids aren’t real? TO.  MALACHY  :    like, hmmm its never been /dis/proven right?

[sergeantfcx]

⭐️ (jack, for pantea!!)

⭐️ JACK + @oflovers ( PANTEA )

pantea got jack liquored up well and good one night, in an effort to distract him from memories of whatever he saw at carnivale, and he proceeded to spill his guts regarding a CRUSH he MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE on @arcticdoctor. she now uses that information for torture purposes only, including but not limited to--”you know, the doctor was looking quite fetching with his sleeves rolled up when i walked past the sickbay today” or “you know darling, if you don’t speak up someone else might snatch the man from your very grasp.” he pretends that he hates it, but he also likes having a friend to talk to with honesty. 

[dawndusted]

❛ you are my treasure, my pale gold, the heart of my heart. ❜ (pantea!!)

“i am more grease-smudged than gold-touched on most days, and nothing more than copper next to your diamond. but if i am welcome in your heart then you can find a home in mine whenever you have the time to visit. i will have a meal waiting for you, no matter the day.” 

deathless prompts 

[intrepidim]

☺ ☼ ?? ► ↕ (from pantea welp)

☺ for a loving/affectionate text

[[  p.m   /  pantea mazarandani. ]]  I would say date night, but you and I both know we’re better than that. Accompany me to The Cinnamon club for a business meet up? You are the best smokescreen in this whole damn town.

[[  p.m   /  pantea mazarandani. ]] And before you ask if I’m showing you off: I am.

?? for a strange/vague text

[[  p.m   /  pantea mazarandani. ]] Baby girl. How do often do you have men (and women, God, a lad hopes) bail on you by saying they got shot?

[[  p.m   /  pantea mazarandani. ]] And mean it, too.

[[  p.m   /  pantea mazarandani. ]] Don’t I just keep things novel and fun?

☼ for a morning text

[[  p.m   /  pantea mazarandani. ]]  Had to do a quick run to HQ, someone’s dead body tumbled out of the closet like it’s a Tony’s night awards.

[[  p.m   /  pantea mazarandani. ]]  Feel free to stay, doorman knows you’re there.

[[  p.m   /  pantea mazarandani. ]]  [ drafted ]  Please stay? Should be back in a wink. I like mornings here with you.

► for a text not meant for you

[[  p.m   /  pantea mazarandani. ]] What a daft cow. You can spend a fortune on her and you’ll still end up with bugger all.

[[  p.m   /  pantea mazarandani. ]]  [ public number ] Christ. Pantea. PANTEA. Unblock my number, it was about a lobbyist. Pantea, the message genuinely referred to a lobbyist and I’ll show you the bloody conversation. Unblock the number so we can talk properly.

[[  p.m   /  pantea mazarandani. ]]  Outside your flat. Come. The. Fuck. Down. 

↕ for a scared/worried text

[[  p.m   /  pantea mazarandani. ]] So, Montgomery is going around dishing it out about some marriage plans? In the fucking GQ? God, the tosser.

[[  p.m   /  pantea mazarandani. ]] What I would love to know is what that means for your sweet arse. Did he pop the ring? Because if you two are going the full monty, I should be out shopping for wedding porcelain rather than what I’m doing. At the moment, catching a transatlantic flight just to fuck you raw in a Camden flat, which, alright, endearing enough.

[[  p.m   /  pantea mazarandani. ]] Are your initials actually P.M since you’re taking his name, I imagine? I need to let the good folks know what to write on the tea service.

[resurgentisjaya]

"You can be whatever you need to be now."

whatever, he says — and you know that he does not see. it is not the same as whoever: that is a luxury the harsh reality of this mad world affords few, and even more seldom, to those who deserve it. you wonder if you do not, in the first place. have you not committed enough atrocities? have you not earned the moniker of beast? is the blood that drips from serrated teeth unveiled by an open maw not your own before another’s?

with acrid gaiety, that same maw bares teeth. you are nothing more than a slaughterhouse. “i always have been,” you purr.

[hattiechllds]

✧ (for both mal and pantea!!)

mal

I would kill you. ✧ I would physically hurt you. ✧ I would attack you unprovoked. ✧ I would manipulate you. ✧ I dislike you. ✧ You annoy me. ✧ You scare me. ✧ You intimidate me. ✧ I hope I intimidate you. ✧ I pity you. ✧ You disgust me. ✧ I hate you. ✧ I’m indifferent toward you. ✧ I’d like to get to know you better. ✧   I’d like to spend more time with you. ✧ I’d like to be friends with you. ✧  I’m unsure what to think of you. ✧ I’m unsure how I feel about you. ✧ You are my friend. ✧ You are my best friend. ✧ You are my mentor. ✧ I look up to you. ✧ I respect you. ✧ You are my hero. ✧ You inspire me. ✧ You are my enemy. ✧ You make me happy. ✧ I want to protect you. ✧ I would fight by your side. ✧ I consider you an equal. ✧ I think you are beneath me. ✧ I think you are above me. ✧ I would lie for you. ✧ I would lie to you. ✧ I would sleep with you. ✧ I would sleep by your side. ✧ I would hug you. ✧ I would kiss you. ✧ You are family to me. ✧ I would die for you. ✧ I would kill for you. ✧ I would trust you with my life. ✧ I would trust you with my most precious belonging. ✧ I would trust you with a secret. ✧ I would trust you with my biggest / darkest secret. ✧ I love you (platonically). ✧ I love you (romantically).

pantea

I would kill you. ✧ I would physically hurt you. ✧ I would attack you unprovoked. ✧ I would manipulate you. ✧ I dislike you. ✧ You annoy me. ✧ You scare me. ✧ You intimidate me. ✧ I hope I intimidate you. ✧ I pity you. ✧ You disgust me. ✧ I hate you. ✧ I’m indifferent toward you. ✧ I’d like to get to know you better. ✧   I’d like to spend more time with you. ✧ I’d like to be friends with you. ✧  I’m unsure what to think of you. ✧ I’m unsure how I feel about you. ✧ You are my friend. ✧ You are my best friend. ✧ You are my mentor. ✧ I look up to you. ✧ I respect you. ✧ You are my hero. ✧ You inspire me. ✧ You are my enemy. ✧ You make me happy. ✧ I want to protect you. ✧ I would fight by your side. ✧ I consider you an equal. ✧ I think you are beneath me. ✧ I think you are above me. ✧ I would lie for you. ✧ I would lie to you. ✧ I would sleep with you. ✧ I would sleep by your side. ✧ I would hug you. ✧ I would kiss you. ✧ You are family to me. ✧ I would die for you. ✧ I would kill for you. ✧ I would trust you with my life. ✧ I would trust you with my most precious belonging. ✧ I would trust you with a secret. ✧ I would trust you with my biggest / darkest secret. ✧ I love you (platonically). ✧ I love you (romantically).