#royal pirates moon

[jaejoongs-nipple-piercing]

No Spotify! HOW COULD YOU CHANGE THEIR NAME?!?😭

@emeraldbabygirl

[kaidabakugou]

PAIRING: MERMAN! KATSUKI BAKUGOU X F! READER

WARNINGS: reader is a bit elizabeth swan-esque, monsterfucking, oral sex, hint of temperature play, tongue fucking, spit, blood kink, overstimulation, squirt, cum eating, nipple play, multiple orgasms, finger sucking, throat fucking w/ tongue, brief descriptions of drowning, hint of guided masterbation, fingering, knotting, breeding, marking, size kink, claiming, biting

WORD COUNT: 10.2K

A/N: this is my submission for See No Evil, Speak No Evil Collab by @vampyrsm, this fic has been in my wips for months so i’m super happy to finally be able to share it with you guys after so long and just in time before the end of mermay. hope you enjoy it and tysm for reading! ♡

Escaping the royal navy’s ship on a rowboat and wandering aimlessly through sea until you could find land, was not the ideal evening you had planned. Wanting nothing more than to be within the comfort of your chambers, enjoying a good book while snug under some warm blankets. But as the first and only daughter of the governor, your life always revolved around expectations as a demure lady. Envisioned to marry a respectable man, equally well-born or superior to your rank to forge strategic political alliances and social connections for your father. 

Which is how you found yourself en route to the Royal City to marry a commodore who was a respected royal navy officer. You had no interest in being wed for politics, you much preferred to marry out of love, but your father was insistent that you accepted the commodore’s proposal. That was until the ship was ambushed and raided by pirates, the commotion working in your favor as you took the opportunity to slither away unnoticed. 

Your clothes were wet from jumping into the water in a hurry, out of fear of being spotted, and they felt uncomfortably tight against your skin. Already starting to feel tired from rowing, but pushing through the ache in your muscles, not wanting to risk someone catching up to you. Beginning to lose hope of finding anything that could help you in this darkness, with just the light from the moon illuminating your path, only to sail over waters that seem to shine when you pass through them, bioluminescent waters that glow blue when agitated.

Stories of deadly creatures living in these waters were commonly told by sailors after they returned from long journeys across the deep sea, but no one ever truly believed that such things could exist. 

You stop rowing to lean over the edge and touch the water. The fish and small crabs swimming around you make the water shine, brightening enough to allow you to see better around you. Taking this as an opportunity to remove your wet clothes, as you lay them down behind you to dry and recline over the side of the boat, resting your head on your forearm while you dip your hand into the water, the glow emitting from your movements illuminating your features. You wouldn’t be able to spot any land in this darkness so staying afloat where you at least have some light is your best option. Exhaustion catching up to you as you feel yourself drifting to sleep, before you felt the waves shift under you, making the boat sway a little harder.

You whipped your head quickly from side to side but didn’t notice anything unusual. Staying on the lookout for a few moments before settling back down to your previous spot, maybe you were just imagining things. But it wasn’t long before you felt the same jerk of the boat, a splash resonating right afterwards making you sit up again and peek over the other side. There was a large patch of blue sparkles in the water, a long trail leading towards your boat and disappearing just under it, indicating something big had just passed through. Nerves started to creep up your spine, you had nothing to defend yourself with if a large fish decided to attack and you couldn’t use your paddles, you needed those to row into land and not risk being stuck at sea. 

Trying your best to stay still, you waited to see if whatever it was that altered the water would appear again. Wrapping your arms around yourself as your eyes darted all around. You were naked and defenseless, thankful that at least the water was still warm, expelling the heat it absorbed from the intense sun during the day. 

Your eyes drifted over to your side again, distracted by the small fish jumping up and down the water to catch some small prey flying above it, causing the water to glow more and more with each jump. But you failed to notice the large figure stalking towards you from a few feet away, only becoming aware once it reached the front of the boat when you felt it rock gently under you, as if it was being held by something.

You were frozen on your spot, whatever is in these waters with you is hidden behind the bow of the boat. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you force your body to slowly approach the front edge, hands gripping the wood as you peek over the ledge. 

A spark of color is the first thing that catches your eyes, pastel orange scales that turn iridescent under the moonlight coating a long luminous tail. Black fins at the end and protruding from its sides that sparkled a deep shade of green when they caught the light each time they rose from the water. Its center is composed of highly developed and toned muscles similar to that of a human’s physique that made your breath hitch in your throat. Trailing your eyes up to its face, you're met with intense vermilion irises staring back at you. It had the features of a human male except for the patches of scales on his skin that matched the ones on his tail. His wet blonde hair glossy under the moonshine as it draped over his forehead. Small gills adorned the side of his neck while spiky fins expelled from behind his ears, the orange on them a little darker than the one on his tail.

Distracted with the appearance of the creature before you, shocked with what you were seeing, you were startled when he slowly rose from the water to come face to face with you. Curious eyes trailing over your features as his head tilts to the side, wandering down your figure and stopping on your legs, focusing on them for a few moments before his eyes shoot back up to your face. 

Placing his hands on the edge of the boat near yours, you let your eyes drop to them. Scales covered the skin on the back of his hands and trailed up his forearms, disappearing just before his elbows. Strange webbing stretched between his fingers that looked almost transparent. And claws, long and sharp enough to rip through flesh. When you tear your eyes away from his hands, lifting your head up to look back at him, a small gasp leaves your lips as you notice how much closer he is to your face. He was beautiful, smooth soft tanned skin that glimmered under the moonlight, his fins twitching with every rise and fall from your chest, complementing his chiseled jawline. Rosy plump lips that make you lick yours subconsciously, the action not going unnoticed by him as he stares down at your lips, shiny and slick.

Mimicking your actions, his tongue darts out of his mouth to lick his lips, the wet muscle long and pale. Allowing you to catch a glimpse of his sharp teeth, the sight making your chest rise harder as you take in a deep breath, his fins twitching at the sound again. You capture his eyes again, deep pools of red throwing you in a haze as you get lost in the intensity from them, only the loud sound of his wide tail splashing against the water pulling you from your hypnosis as you take a quick peek at the long limb, finding the iridescent scales dancing under the moonshine with every movement of his tail captivating. 

The stories you've read about the man-eating monsters that supposedly lived in these waters never mentioned that such mesmerizing creatures could also be roaming in them. They told tales of hideous things that would stalk and toy with their prey, rumored to have magical powers that allowed them to control the weather to sink ships into the depths of the ocean and eat their unfortunate passengers. But you found it hard to believe that the beauty before you could spawn such chaos. A beauty so alluring that you had to retain from reaching out to touch him, feeling your hands twitch with the desire to do so, but your mind still held a hint of fear towards the mysterious soul.

Too caught in your own head, you jolted when the creature hoisted himself up into the front of the boat, his tail hanging off of the ledge, still splashing it in the water creating more and more blue sparkles around you. Making you crawl backwards into your original spot at the center of the boat, your chest heaving as fear started to sink into your skin once again, unsure of what the creature's intentions were. 

Your legs were sprawled open in front of him, when you noticed his eyes trailing down your body and settling on your exposed sex. He licked his lips again, this time at the sight of you presenting yourself to him. The action makes you jump as you quickly close your legs and bring them near to your chest, realizing your mistake. A dissatisfied grunt resonating from deep in his chest at your reaction as he gets closer to you, webbed hands reaching for your leg as he drags his fingers softly across your skin. Stroking up and down your calf before firmly wrapping around your ankle, repeating the action on your other leg before prying them open for him. 

Suddenly pulling you towards him so your cunt is right in front of his face, the abruptness making you yelp as you stare deep into his eyes, his tail swinging behind him while he stares back at you. Caressing your legs again before he rips his eyes away from yours and settles them down on your cunt. Darting his long tongue out to take a scrutinizing lick through your folds. A soft gasp leaving you both as your eyes meet again, the fins on the side of his face twitching rapidly at the taste of you before his tongue starts licking your cunt more eagerly. Soft mewls burst from your chest, the feeling of his wet, icy cold tongue darting feverishly through your folds foreign to you as it sends shivers across your body.

You've never been intimate with anyone, being taught that you needed to save your purity for marriage. The only intimacy you've experienced is the rare times you would allow yourself to succumb to your sinful thoughts and bury your digits deep inside your own warmth, letting your fantasies drift you into bliss within the privacy of your chambers late at night. You had always expected that your first time would've been one of law and order with a man fitting for your standings and one pleasing for your father. One to be witnessed by a priest to ensure your communion was pure and true at the night of your wedding. But all those thoughts were now drifting away by the currents of the sea and replaced by the creature between your legs. 

His tongue was driving you insane, thick globs of saliva dripping from his mouth and onto your already sloppy pussy. Grunts and mewls vibrating in his throat as he flicks it up and down your parted folds, webbed hands wrapping around your plump thighs as his claws dig lightly into your smooth skin, not hard enough to break through it but firm enough to leave red lines and pointed indents in their wake. 

He circled his tongue on your entrance before pushing the tip into your slick pussy. The intrusion rips a moan from you while your walls clench around the wet muscle. His eyes dart towards your face as he slows down his movements, slowly bullying his way against your pulsing walls as he stares at you, scraping his nails on your skin to soothe your nerves while he curls his tongue back and forth until it's fully settled inside you. Making you feel so full that you almost couldn't breathe, your mind clouded with pleasure as you allow this man… this creature to have its way with you.

He stays buried in you, blown out eyes looking back at your glossy ones before he begins to pump his tongue in and out of you. Starting slow and gradually increasing his speed as he brings his open mouth down to latch around your cunt and suck on your folds. Your moans echoing throughout the quiet sea for the waves to swallow as you feel a pressure build deep inside your lower abdomen, pressure similar to the one you've felt with yourself but far more intense than you could have imagined. 

Your body was shaking and a thin layer of sweat was coating your skin as heat courses through your body. Your orgasm hitting you so hard that you barely had time to register what was happening as your vision got blurry. Legs twitching as the creature between them continued his assault on your cunt, tongue lapping up your release while he continued pumping it against your silken walls. Sharp nails digging a little harder against your skin when he grips your thighs to prevent you from closing them around him, feeling the skin tear under them as blood begins to trail down along the webs of his digits whilst he continues sucking on your folds. 

Your moans turning hoarse from the overstimulation, as you feel the pressure build up again but this one was slightly different from the last. You felt… funny in a way, you couldn't really describe it since you've never felt this way before. Darting your hand towards his webbed one as you wrapped it around his, his fingers opening up for you to hold onto as your blood now transferred to your palms as well.

“Wait, I-I feel…I feel-…” you could barely finish your sentence when you felt the knot inside you burst, a stream of clear liquid gushing from your cunt and pouring down his throat as he greedily drank up your fluids, splashing from the sides of his mouth making his wet skin glisten under the moonlight. 

Your breathing was erratic, goosebumps erupting from your skin as chills ran across your body, your skin glowing with sweat and your nipples were pebbled. He slowly pulled his tongue from your warm walls, running it through the length of your pussy before licking his lips, cleaning your release from his face as he closed his eyes, savoring the taste of you on his tongue. Slowly opening them again, finding yours already staring back at him with pure bliss adorning your face while soft pants left your lips, a small cloud of air forming with every exhale as it drifts into the wind. 

You watched as he lowered himself down to your cunt again and nuzzled his nose against your clit, taking a deep inhale to breathe in your sinful smell. Closing his eyes again as if to memorize your scent before giving it a quick lick and slowly crawling his way up towards you. Nose running up the skin on your abdomen, gently breathing you in again before lapping up the thin layer of sweat from your skin. Dragging his tongue all the way up through the valley of your breast and leaning back to stare at your chest.

Erect nipples catching his attention as he brings his clawed fingers down to flick on one of them. Causing you to capture your lower lip between your teeth as you continue to watch his every move, his eyes shifting from one nipple to the other before pinching a peak between his digits. Coaxing a moan to erupt from your throat when he pulls and twists the sensitive bud, his eyes shifting towards your face momentarily before repeating the action on your neglected nipple, your back arching against his touch while more moans rip from you. You've played with your nipples before when you pleasured yourself, but the feeling of someone else touching you in such erotic ways was making your clit pulse again and your thighs to clench. 

Your eyes were glossy again from all the attention you were receiving, your mind completely clouded with lust as this creature continued pleasing you, his curious hands roaming every part of your body as he continued exploring every inch of you. Lowering his tongue down onto your nipples as he flicked it against the swollen bud, webbed hand grabbing your breast, pulling it towards his mouth as he wraps his lips around it. Sucking hard on your skin while he slowly moved his head back and forth before releasing your tit with a wet pop, threads of spit connecting his drooling mouth with your soaked breast while lustful eyes stared back into yours.

Giving your nipple a quick final lick before switching towards the other. Already swollen and a little bruised from his fingers as he darted his tongue out to lick up and down right on the center of it at a tantalizing pace while he stares up at you. The tears clouding your vision spilling down your temples as his hot tongue lapped at your chest, the contrast in temperature from his initially freezing tongue feels so good against your skin, making your pussy clench around nothing as you feel yourself getting closer to another orgasm just from the stimulation on your chest. 

Unable to resist the pulsing on your clit as you bring your fingers down onto the nub and start rubbing fast circles on it. The action not going unnoticed by the scaled man as he wraps his lips around your nipple, continuing to flick his tongue faster inside of his mouth as you arch your back, pushing further into him. The knot in your stomach bursting as soon as it builds, throwing your head back as breathy moans escape your lips while your arousal drips into the wooden floor of the small boat. You run your fingers through your messy pussy to collect your fluids, bringing your digits up to your mouth as you suck on your fingers, tasting yourself while you stare down at the creature still sucking on your nipple. Dipping your fingers back down to collect more before lifting them up to your lips again, the fins on his head flicking rapidly all of a sudden as he removes his tongue from your breast, a wet slurp echoing in the wind as he brings his face closer to yours.

His eyes staring at your fingers stuffed inside your mouth as a webbed hand wraps around yours to pull your fingers out of your mouth and into his. Eagerly sucking the mixture of cum and spit from your digits, a whine vibrating from his throat followed by a soft purring, similar to that of a cat as his eyes open and close softly, his brows rising in the center as another whine rips from his throat, muffled by your fingers in his warm mouth.

Pulling your fingers out of his mouth, he leads your hand back down onto your cunt, collecting your release again before presenting your hand towards your lips once more. Quickly parting them as you run your tongue against the underside of your digits, licking from where your fingers meet your palm all the way up towards the tips and repeating the action. His eyes never leave yours as he brings his face closer to you, his tongue meeting yours when he licks the top of your fingers, mirroring your actions as he licks from your knuckles and up towards the tips. His tongue rubbing against yours in between your digits as your hot breaths mix with each other and drift into the cold air. 

The feeling of cold claws barely digging into the back of your neck is the only warning you get before he pulls you towards him, pressing his lips against yours. His tongue dragging across your bottom lip before he pushes it past them and down your throat, lips stretching wider and wider as he thrusts the large wet muscle in and out of your throat. Thick webs of saliva spilling from the sides of your mouth as it dribbles down on your chest. The feeling of having your mouth so full making your eyes roll as fresh tears gloss over them while the sinful squelch resonating from deep inside your throat causes the muscles in your thighs to tense, wanting to rub your thighs together to relieve the ache building on your clit again, but unable to do so from the creature hovering his waist between your legs.

The lack of air is intoxicating, feeling the pressure build in your head as your  hands reach up to hold onto his muscular shoulder while your nails dig into the scaled skin, leaving crescent moons in their wake. A muzzled high pitched whine vibrating from your chest, begging him to give you a moment to breathe, to which he complies as he starts to retract his tongue from you. Frantically breathing air back into your lungs while he leans down to lick the drool on your chest, not giving you much time to recuperate as he lifts his head back up, nails digging into your nape again as he pulls you closer. 

“Wait!..”, you scream while pressing a hand on his chest, big red eyes staring expectantly back into yours as his fins flickers back and forth rapidly, noticing how his gills open and close softly on the side of his neck. 

“I need a minute Mr…”, you said in a breathy sigh as you trail off, unsure of what to call the creature staring back at you. 

“Bakugou.” Your eyes widened, your breath stuck in your chest again and your parted lips stilling, unsure if you heard correctly or if your ears were deceiving you.

An almost inaudible ‘what?’ leaving your lips as you stare at him, confusion written all over your features. 

“Bakugou”, he repeats. This time you hear it clearly, his raspy voice sinking deep into your ears as your eyes flutter. 

“You-you can speak?”, he responds with a nod as you feel his claws draw ovals on your nape, tangling with your damped hairs as you both continue to stare at each other, taking this opportunity to catch your breath while you try to calm your thoughts that are going wild with this new revelation. 

All the tales you've been told before about the creatures that lived in waters like these never mentioned anything about them being able to speak the common tongue, curiosity overtaking the better of you, wanting to know more about him and what his intentions with you really were. 

“What um- what are you?”, you ask after taking one last big breath to settle down, noticing how his eyes continued to shift down to your exposed chest with each inhale before meeting yours again.

“A merman”, he answers back briefly as he starts to untangle his claws from your nape and run them softly down the side of your neck to hook them under the thin chain of your necklace before settling on the small pendant in the center. Looking down to where his clawed fingers are holding the golden coin remembering when you first received it many years ago, back when you didn't have so many obligations and was still allowed to explore the town without limitations. 

You would visit the docks when fishermen would return from big expeditions and watch as they unloaded their ships with all kinds of things they found in their journeys, remembering how you would sneak into Mr. Aizawa’s ship to get a first look of the different animals he would import back from other lands to expand his market, until he found you one day whilst you were distracted looking at the remains of what looked like a shark, although you've never seen one before that time, you had read about them.

“You lost, little one?”, Aizawa startles you as he circles around you to cover the carcass with an old cotton sheet.

“My apologies sir, I- I just wanted to see the animals, please don’t tell my father”, you begged him as you fisted your dress with your head down.

He stared down at you for a moment before patting your head, messing up the pristine hairstyle your mother had done for you that morning, after all you were the daughter of his highest paying customer, so it was in his best interest to avoid any conflict.

“Relax…”, he breathes out whilst crouching down to your level, “... I won't tell if you don't”, he whispers while shooting you a wink, making you smile back at him as you offer him a nod in agreement. Your eyes drift behind him as they fixate back to where you were staring at the carcass, asking Mr. Aizawa what it was as your curiosity gets the better of you. 

“You don't want to know'', he says as he stands up straight, extending his hand towards the other cages below deck to shift your interests elsewhere. 

“Is it a shark?”, you ask while walking along with him, looking over your shoulder towards where its tail is still peeking out from under the cover, long purple-ish scales catching your attention before Mr. Aizawa’s hand obstructs your vision.

“Something like that”, is all he says before he encourages you forward towards the small cage with small round furry animals he calls rabbits, successfully shifting your curiosity elsewhere as you crouch down to pet the small creatures.

Later walking you out onto the docks to send you off back home safely, the sun shining against the rows of different golden chains and beaded jewelry around his neck catching your eye as he notices you staring at them. 

“You like ‘em”, he asks while crouching down to your level again. 

You nod at him while pointing at one with a skull on it and foreign figures around it, “what does this one mean?”

He looks down at the one you're pointing at before reaching up to untangle it from the others as he presents it to you, “this one is a gold medallion”.

“What is it used for?”, you asked while tracing your fingers along the designs, feeling the shape of each indentation before tracing the skull at the center. 

“Mm not sure, found it on one of my expeditions south of the Caribbean Sea… you like it?”, he asks as you meet his dark eyes, shifting your gaze towards his black strands of hair trapped inside beads of different colors and sizes matching the ones around his neck and wrists, looking down at the medallion again before nodding as you glance back up at him.

“Here…”, he breathes out while reaching up to place it over your head and secure it around your neck, “... you take care of it for me, yeah?”

“Really?!”, you ask excitedly as you run your fingers along the skull again.

“Mhm, but be careful with it, okay?, golden medallions are made of ancient aztec gold that is quite important and are very seeked out by pirates”, he warns while pointing a black nailed finger at you to which you quickly glance at before eagerly nodding again. 

“Very well, now go on before your father comes looking for you”, he says as he waves you off, quickly thanking him before saying your goodbyes as you hurriedly make your way back to the manor whilst hiding the necklace under the ruffles of the neckline of your dress. 

Aizawa watches you from a distance as he takes in a deep inhale, relieved he got rid of that little problem for the time being until destiny decides to unite you both again.

Those were simpler times you supposed, although never in a million years would you have thought to find yourself in the situation you were in right now, with a merman laying across your stowaway boat, his tail so long that is hanging off of the edge with some decent amount of length still hidden under the bioluminescent waves whilst he traced his clawed digits along your medallion, his other webbed hand caressing your sides as his eyes roamed along your body, feasting on your exposed skin. 

Feeling his mouth begin to salivate at the sight of your pert nipples as he begins to lower himself to your chest before he feels your sides tremble under his grasp making him stop as he looks up at you, noticing how your jaw is now shut tight. Tilting his head from side to side as he studies you whilst you stare back at him, your hand lightly touching the scales on his shoulder feeling their texture change depending on the direction you caress them. His fins flicked occasionally, but not as rapidly as before as if he was waiting for something. 

Another shiver ran down your sides making him tighten his grip on your hip, but his eyes never deviated from your face. You weren't sure of what he was waiting on, but you simply thought that maybe he was allowing you to catch the breath you asked for as you continued to run your fingers against his scales since he didn't show any signs of discomfort towards your touch.

He watches you as you turn your head to the side when the splashing sound of another fish capturing its prey gets your attention, his eyes darting towards your chest when you take a deep breath when you turn towards him again, finally getting what he was waiting for when he hears the sound of your teeth gently tapping against each other as you exhale, his fins twitching at a fast pace as he gets closer to you whilst his claws drop the golden medallion to tangle with the hairs at your nape again, cradling your face in his webbed hand.

“You’re cold”, he worriedly states while studying your face as you stare at him shocked, his words catching you off guard before you can actually register them, only nodding back at him as you feel another chill run down your skin. Noticing the action as you feel him gently grip your side before trailing his hand towards your elbow and down your hand, holding it in his as he pauses to glance down at it, caressing the back of your hand gently with his clawed thumb as his head slowly tilts to the side, enthralled with the smoothness of your skin compared the rough scaled texture he’s used to seeing. His eyes meet yours again as his other hand untangles from your nape and trails down your arm, now holding both hands in his whilst his digits continue to caress the back of them. 

“Get in the water with me”, he says while slowly pulling you back with him. 

“I cant”, you repelled.

“Why not?”, he asks as you watch his lips slightly turn into a pout while his fins seem to lower before flipping back up slowly making you press your lips together to hold back a smile, reminding you of a small puppy.

“I can't leave the boat and risk it drifting away”, you explain as he stares at you, hands still grasped together as you feel his thumbs stop caressing the back of your hands, causing you to look down at them briefly before meeting his gaze again. Vermillion irises studying yours before glancing around the inside of the boat, noticing the ruffled fabric of your clothes peeking behind you and fixating on your legs again. Watching how they slightly clench with each shiver before trailing up your abdomen to settle on your chest, his mouth flooding again at the sight, already feeling his tongue ache and his lips twitch to be wrapped around your nipples again. 

He didn't understand why the boat was so important to you since to him you wouldn't have a need to use it again, not after you've presented yourself to him and in his territory nonetheless, but he thought that if he was going to prove to you that he was a worthy mate, then he needed to cherish the same things that were important to you. 

Giving your hands a final squeeze before backing away into the water, he submerged himself as you quickly leaned over the edge of the boat to see where he was going, confused at the sudden change. Only catching a glimpse of his tail disappearing under the boat before you feel it move, going at a much quicker speed than the one you had when paddling by yourself, making you clutch onto the edge.

The cold breeze felt painful against your skin, making you curl into yourself as you wonder where he could be taking you, only able to see the few feet ahead of you illuminated by the moon and the splashing against the boat that activates the blue hues of the water. Closing your eyes when the force of his swimming became too much for your eyes to bear. Only opening them when the harshness of the wind no longer nipped at your skin and your ears filled with what sounded like tides rocking against the shore. To which you were correct, as you neared a small island a few feet away that seemed to be deserted from the lack of illumination, where only the shadows of the large palm trees along the coast were visible against the dark mass of fauna behind them. 

Bakugou pushed you as close to the shore as he could without risking getting stuck in the sand before waiting for you as he watched while you pulled your boat into land and secured it before entering the water with him, blue hues forming with each of your steps. Webbed hands immediately reaching for you as they trailed down your sides and onto your thighs, guiding them to wrap around his scaled waist. Gently caressing your skin as he swims around the coast towards the large rocks in the distance while staring at you when your hands reach up to touch his fins. The delicate skin felt soft against your fingertips in contrast to the scales on his body, the faint sound of low purring returning the more you massaged them as the sound blended in with the soothing crash of the waves against the sand.

“Do you trust me?”, he asked when you reached where the rocks began to disappear below the water. 

After a brief pause, you nodded in response. Even though you were still uncertain if you could truly trust him, given the circumstances he hadn't shown any deceitful signs to make him unworthy of your trust. 

He smiled softly at your approval before running his claws up your shoulder and cradling the side of your face in his webbed hand. A wet thumb caressing your temple as he gently pulled you closer whilst leaning in to meet you halfway in a kiss. In contrast to his previous ones, searing and hungry, this one was completely different. Delicate but devout as if he was trying to achieve something with it, feeling a low vibration rush through your body the longer your lips intertwined with his before pulling away with a small whine, already missing the feel of his lips against yours. 

“Now you're ready.”

“Ready for wh-”, you were cut short by him suddenly diving into the water at a great speed while holding you tightly against him. Eyes widening in terror causing panic to surge through your body as you try your best to hold in your breath while squirming in search of a release to swim back up to the surface. But to no avail, Bakugou keeps taking you both deeper and deeper along the wall of rocks before entering a small cave hidden behind some algae. Beginning to feel lightheaded from the lack of oxygen as your body forces you to take in a gulp of air that causes you to panic further when you breathe in the salty water. But to your surprise the water feels like it disappears as soon as it enters your lungs and is replaced with air. The realization makes you stop your thrashing as the panic is now overtaken by confusion. Your mind ran wild with all sorts of questions until your eyes met Bakugou’s, a grin adorning his features as it became clear to you what was happening. The kiss must've been dosed with some of the power that his kind possessed and that's why it felt like your skin was vibrating when it happened.

As the nerves in your body began to die down, you took the opportunity to look around your surroundings, only to feel your breath get stuck in your throat again at the sight. The cave was blooming with life as all sorts of underwater life swan around you. Coral reefs scattered all around the area with a vibrancy of colors and a variety of formations that you couldn't begin to wrap your head around. Orange and yellow tubes standing out from between the algaes as the reef shifted to blue and violet corals that took a more circular shape as different plants danced around them. Fish of all sizes swam along the reef as they didn't seem to pay you much mind, too distracted with finding smaller prey hidden between the long algae. 

Bakugou smiled as he watched you take in your surroundings in awe, glad that the hard work that he had put into his home throughout the years for this exact moment that he'd get to bring his mate home had been worth it. Leading you towards a trail that seemed to be lit up by underwater crystals that shined a beautiful celeste color towards another cave entrance. Guiding you through the abundance of crystals and corals before reaching a clearing further in where the water pooled and you could breathe above the surface again. The cave felt oddly warm despite being hidden under the ocean and the crystals expanded all the way up to the ceiling, illuminating the entire area with long descending vines that possessed flowers that also shined bright, their reflection dancing against the water. The floor was decorated with soft moss and rare flowers you've never seen before that expelled a rich aroma you could smell even from far away.

Bakugou swam to the edge of the mossy floor before hoisting himself up onto the ledge with you in his arms. Sliding further into the clearing until his tail was completely out of the water as he settled down with his head against a pillowy sponge, shifting his body to lay you down next to him. Taking a moment to peer down at you while you sneaked a glance at his tale, now able to see it in all its glory as your eyes fixate on it. The iridescent pale orange turning a darker shade that matched the fins on the sides of his face now that it was out of the water and the humid air of the cave was flowing through his scales. Feeling his chest swell up with pride the more you observed his tail as he started to slowly flick it up and down for the light from the crystals to glide across to show you more of its beauty.

Only getting pulled away from your fixation when you felt cold claws hook along the underside of the chain of your necklace before picking on the medallion again. The golden coin catching the merman’s attention again as he drags his thumb against the foreign markings around the edge of it. 

“Where did you get this?”, he asked as he forced his eyes away from the dark eyes of the golden skull at its center to look at yours, noticing the small red lines forming on the whites of them from the salt water as he listened while you explained the story of how the medallion came into your possession. 

“Sounds to me like that old man only gave it to you because he already had his fill from it and wouldn't be needing the medallion for a while”, he argued as you watched a scowl form on his face when he peered down at the necklace again. 

“What do you mean by that?”, you asked as curiosity builds up inside of you again. To you, this medallion was just money pirates chased in order to fill their pockets with riches that didn't belong to them and waste it all on cheap ale and pay for a stay at a brothel to use women as they pleased after a long cold journey through sea. But Bakugou’s tone indicated there was something more to it than that.

“This medallion belonged to my people many moon cycles ago… it was originally used to lure merfolk to its host signifying that our mate was near”, you listened intently as he continued explaining the story behind the medallion, watching as his throat bulged and his brows frown deeper the more he talked as if he was holding back on his emotions. 

“But after pirates found out of this, they've been stealing them and using them to capture merfolk to force them to use our magic and exploit it for their own greedy desires, which is how I sensed you near my territory earlier and went to make sure those disgusting bastards were not browsing it freely”

It all made sense now as to how he found you so easily when you were in the middle of nowhere, the medallion had given your location away to him and he set out in pursuit of the intruders sailing through his waters, but must've been confused when he found you. Looking the total opposite from all the pirates he had encountered, for they were brash and smelly when you were sweet and had an aroma unlike any other that he'd ever had the fortune of smelling. Which is why instead of casting the raging tempest he had originally planned for whatever misfortunate soul had stepped into his territory, he decided to investigate you further as he was immediately enamored with your rare beauty. Something ironic for the merman, for it was usually supposed to be the other way around. But nonetheless, he was glad he didn't end your journey, because for the first time in all his lonely springs he was hopeful that fate had taken its rightful course and put you on his path, destined to meet after watching so many of his kind lose their lives on false hope and getting captured, never to be seen again. Hopeful that he had finally found his mate.

And with the way you were looking at him, he couldn't help but to believe it. Your eyes expressed warmth and love, when others had expressed disgust and mischief. This wasn't Bakugou's first close encounter with humans, he had been captured by pirates before and has the scars to prove it where their awful nets had burned his skin. But his powers were no match for those bastards, strong enough to challenge Triton, the god of the sea, if he so pleased. But war was never in his interests, for the merman only desired to find his mate and spend the rest of his days with them in the beautiful and majestic home he has worked so hard to build over the years.

Webbed fingers ran up against your arm before cradling your face in his palm, claws massaging your scalp before gently pulling you into a kiss, this one much more tender than the one on the boat as you felt yourself melt against him. Trailing your fingers against the patches of scales on his strong arm until settling on his shoulder just below his gills. A soft purring returned to his chest when he felt you deepen the kiss as you found yourself craving more of him and the same passion and overwhelming pleasure he gave you on the boat. 

Longing to feel the same bliss you experienced before, as you finally understood what all the maidens meant when you would stumble upon them talking about their intimate encounters with their partners and you couldn't help but to overhear, thinking it would help to prepare you for when your time came. And the more Bakugou delved into your mouth with his tongue, the more your body reacted to him as you felt your arousal begin to drip against your inner thighs. Although you couldn't stop but wonder how this would work with the differences of your bodies.

“Bakugou?”, you whisper as your hand slides from his shoulder down to rest against his chest while pulling back to meet his eyes. “How exactly do we um-...?”

The merman hummed before leaning in to pull you into another kiss. “Don't worry, I'll guide you.” 

Taking your hand on his chest in his webbed one as he guides it down his abdomen over smooth tangerine scales to settle just below his waist. His hand slightly pressing down on yours as your palm rubbed against the scales, feeling the change in texture when the scales shift under your touch. The rumbling emitting from his chest encouraged you as your hand began to move on its own without the merman’s guidance, causing his head to tilt back with a low groan the more you explored the slight dip beneath his scales. Watching how they slowly moved against your hand until a slit formed on his tail, running your fingertips along the edges as slick began to gather along the opening.

Your eyes flickering towards Bakugou’s face, head thrown back and eyes tightly shut making you bite your lip when you venture your fingers further whilst watching his reaction as you run them along the center of his slit, gathering some of his arousal before slowly inserting two fingers inside. Wet warmth immediately engulfed your digits the more you push them in as your thighs twitch from the breathless moans that escapes the merman’s mouth. 

Slowly pulling your fingers out to the first knuckle before pressing them back in as you started to thrust them in and out of the slick hole. Your arousal now pooling beneath you as your cunt clenched around nothing with every soft gasp and whine he made with each of your movements. A whine escaping your own lips when the merman leaned down against your ear and ran his tongue along it, occasionally sucking on your lobe as the slight scrape from his sharp teeth against your skin left you gasping softly as well. Turning your face towards him as your lips immediately linked, sloppily kissing each other as his tongue tasted every part of your mouth before slowly sinking down your throat as drool began to slip past your lips and drip down your chins, making your eyes roll behind your closed lids at the filthy act. 

Pulling the salty muscle out after wallowing in the feel of your throat tightening around him with each gag. Loving the sight of you panting before him as he runs his tongue across your spit-covered collarbones while you catch your breath, never stopping the thrusting in his slit as you begin to feel something hard rub against your digits. The slick becoming more viscous as wet sounds mixed in with your cries and gasps.

Curiosity creeps at you as you scoot down, laying kisses along his muscular chest and abdomen before settling in front of his slit. Pressing quick pecs around it as you feel the merman tremble against your touch, webbed hands reaching for you as they caress the side of your face. Slowly pulling your fingers out as you scissor them to examine the thick slick coating them as sticky strands form between your digits. Bringing them towards you as you give an experimental swipe of your tongue, lashes fluttering at the salty taste before popping them inside your mouth to suck them clean. 

Bakugou’s watchful eyes never leaving yours as his breath hitches in his throat when you lower yourself and give his slit one broad stroke with your tongue. A much louder purring emitting from his chest with each swipe before a yelp bursts from him when you dipped your tongue inside his slit. Slick gushing from it as you tried your best to swallow it all down eagerly while your fingers massaged along the scales around the entrance. 

Stimulating the area until you felt something hard poke the tip of your tongue as you lean back to press your fingers around the slit, feeling how the scales continued to shift again while you watched as something began to emerge from it whilst the merman thrashed under your touch, hearing how the fins at the end of his tail rapidly flapped against the mossy floor and the ones behind his ears flickered.

The merman's cock was an intense shade of red, long and thick with a smooth tapered tip and small ridges along the sides leading towards a pulsing knot just at the base of it. The small hole on the pointed tip leaking a white liquid equally as viscous as the one gathered around his slit, that dripped down on the sparse scales matching those on his body that adorned the bottom of his shaft as it twitched in front of you. Making you lick your lips as you feel yourself salivating at the sight. 

Ignoring how Bakugou opened his mouth to speak but the words trailed off into a moan when you lunged forward to run your tongue along the scales beneath his cock as you shifted your head from side to side to lick around his length, tongue getting caught on each of his ridges. The feel of them causing a shiver to run down your spine as you wondered how they would feel moving inside you before wrapping your lips around the tip, flicking your tongue against it as you lap up his thick release directly from the source. Taking his length in your mouth the best you could, cock too wide to fit completely inside as you wrap your fist around the rest and start pumping it slowly.  

Your other hand nestled between your wet thighs in an attempt to relieve the overwhelming tension on your cunt but to no avail, you needed more - craved more. And Bakugou could tell, desperate for more as well as his knot felt hotter than ever, aching to be buried inside you.

The claws that were gently cradling your face, now dangerously gripping your nape as they urge you forward. Lifting your head from his cock with a wet slurp while strands of slick stretch from your lips to his tip as they cling to your chest when you move further to straddle him. Legs stretching wide from his ample tail as his claws travel down your body until reaching your waist to grope the fat on your hips. 

Guiding you to sit against his throbbing cock as he urges you back and forth to grind your slick pussy against him. The feeling of his scales and ridges rubbing against your cunt makes you shiver while his tip leaks more and more with each motion. Lustful eyes staring down at how your lips part around his thick shaft, his tip nudging your sensitive clit smearing thick arousal against it as it mixes with yours causing wet noises to fill your ears the more you grind on him, gradually picking up the pace until you feel your thighs shake with the need to release, the hard knot at the base of his cock growing bigger as it stretches your lips further, the thought of it inside of you being the final push you needed as you gush all over his cock.

Your warm fluids against the merman’s scales drive him insane as they seep into his slit, the knowledge of you marking him with your essence turns him feral, urging him on with the desperate need to bury his cock inside of you and claim you the way you did him. The way only a mate can.

And he does. Flipping you both over as he rests his strong scaled arms on either side of your head, caging you beneath him while pressing his large cock against your cunt, grinding on you like before with more vigor. His cock leaves a trail of arousal along your abdomen with each yerk of his tail as it starts to pool in your belly button and trail down your mound as the wet noises resume. Your legs parting wider to accommodate his size when your abdomen twists with pleasure, craving to be plugged full of him as your eyes water with how good his ridged cock feels against your needy pussy. 

“Bakugou - ahh - please, put it in”, you whimper as your hands reach for him. 

“Thought you'd never ask”, he rasps, warm breath hitting your skin as he leans down to capture your lips. Dragging his tip down your folds to your entrance, teasing it before pressing forward, slowly entering while your tight walls clench around him. The stretch makes you whimper into the kiss as his tongue ventures inside your mouth, tasting every inch of you as it travels further in, swallowing your cries.

His length gradually pushes into you until his knot is pressed against you, your cunt not quite ready to take its size yet as he slowly starts to pull out, the feel of his scales shifting inside sends shivers up your spine, making you moan around his tongue, tears spilling from your eyes from the overwhelming pleasure. His hips stop when only his tapered tip remains inside you before thrusting back in, this time a little quicker than before as the slick from your bodies makes it easier for him to slip right in. 

Drool drips from his mouth to yours as it dribbles past your lips and down your cheeks. The purring from his chest now mixing with his whimpers while the tips of his fins vibrate from the new sensations. Your pussy unlike anything he's ever felt before, tight and hot - so incredibly hot he feels he mind burst from just being inside of you, so used to the cold touch of the sea to aid him during mating season when all he had were his webbed fists. Gummy walls gripping his cock with each thrust as he increases his pace while clawed fingers guide your legs to return to his scaled waist as you wrap them around him.

Pulling his tongue out of your mouth to allow you to catch your breath as the sound of your cries fills the space. Leaning back to watch how your pussy swallows him, his length glistening with your cream as it rings above his knot, so wet and willing for him as he slows down his thrust to press his knot against you, both of you watching as your cunt starts to take it past the top, the stretch feeling so impossibly good and it's not even half way in. Slowly working your cunt around it as he salivates at the sight of your pretty pussy sucking him in - so tender and needy - gripping him tighter every time he pulls back as if begging to be kept nice and full, and who is he to deny you of such needs.

The feel of you is way too good, he might be addicted. The thought of keeping you plugged with his cock and fill you with load after load of his thick cum while his scales soak in your fluids ignites the carnal desire to finally make you his mate as he thrusts the remaining inches of his knot inside. Reveling in the hot, pulsating heaven that engulfs him whole as he groans at the feel of his scales getting soaked by a deliciously warm liquid. Watching as a stream of clear liquid gushes on him from your pussy while you arch up into him, flushed skin and glossy eyes staring up at him as a melody of whimpers flows past your panting lips and he thinks he's never seen a sight more beautiful. 

Pearly spikes flashing at you between his spit-stained lips as he smiles down at you, clawed hands traveling up your body, cupping your tits as they pinch and pull of your nipples causing you to release a whine before cradling your head by your neck, cold thumbs caressing your temples while sharp nails tangle with the damp hair at your nape. Leaning down to pull you into a kiss, slow and succulent, causing you to melt further into him as your stomach jumps with emotions. Hissing when those sharp canines nick at your bottom lip as the metallic taste of your blood fills your mouth. The merman takes a deep inhale when he gets a taste of it as well, eyes rolling behind closed lids as he swipes his tongue against the cut before parting from your lips. Watching as his eyes remain close, savoring your taste as his throat bulges, swallowing down the river of saliva that pools in his mouth.

A hint of fear pricking beneath your skin when he opens his eyes again, darkened irises staring back into yours, like a predator about to devour his prey - carnal and hungry - and you fear he'll swallow you whole, but a part of you might crave exactly that as you feel the pulsing on your clit grow needier. Your pussy clenching around his thick knot gives you away causing a devilish grin to spread across his features again as he slowly pulls his knot out of you before pushing it back in, molding you to his size as he starts to thrust in and out of you with ease the more your pussy sucks him in. 

Setting a steady pace while his arms travel towards your hands, capturing them in his to pin them above your head before leaning down to swipe his tongue on your bottom lip again. The wet muscle exploring down your chin to the center of your throat, his teeth dangerously ghosting above your skin causing goosebumps to burst on your skin at the threat. Feeling how the cold tip of his nose caresses the area before trailing to the side of your neck, lingering on the juncture of your shoulder as he takes a deep inhale against your skin followed by a deep thrust that keeps him buried inside you all the way to the base of cock before resuming his pace when he moves up to your ear. Sucking on your earlobe as you feel the tip of his tongue flick against it inside his mouth before pulling back and settling back down the juncture where your neck meets your shoulder.

The purring in his chest shifting into what could almost sound like hungry growling as the need to make you completely his overtakes him. The teeth that sink into your neck pull a scream from your throat as he plunges his cock forward, creamy ropes of cum spilling inside of you, filling you up with a hot load that pulls another orgasm out of you as your pussy clings to the knot pulsing against your gummy walls while you gush all over his scales. The flow of blood traveling into his mouth sends him into bliss as it urges him to spill more of his seed into you, certain to breed you with his litter from the copious amount that is now dribbling down your rear and pooling beneath you to be absorbed by the mossy floor. 

By the time his knot stops pulsing, you're both left a sweaty and panting mess. His fangs retreating from your neck as blood drips from the puncture to which he dives back in to swipe his tongue against it to clean it before meeting your gaze again. Noticing how his eyes have returned to the love-filled ones that first brought you here while his hands release yours to gently brush the stray hairs clinging to your damp forehead before leaning down to capture your lips again in an even gentler kiss, the taste of your blood still lingering in his mouth while he shifts his weight so that you could lay on top of him, while you wait for the knot inside of you to swell down. 

Soft touches and loving gazes as he tends to you, making sure your comfortable and taken care off as he wiggles his tail to sink against the moss, creating a bed for the both of you to rest makes you realize how thinking back on it, it was an insult to compare this to that of the maiden's encounters, for those were thoughtless with the purpose of creating more heirs to their husbands family names and earn them more obliging political images, but this was filled with love and attention that only a true lover could provide.

And although you weren't certain where your future would lie alongside the merman, you felt oddly at peace after so many years of chasing after dreams or expectations that could never fulfill your needs quite like he can as you settle against his chest, gentle claws rubbing circles against your back as the soft purring from his chest lures you to sleep. 

“Rest, my mate”, you hear the faint whisper of his voice against your hair as you smile to yourself, making the mental note to thank Captain Aizawa for the medallion regardless of his intentions if destiny ever were to set him back on your path.

[eightmakesonebraincell]

ateez as pirates who fall for you (hyung line)

read maknae line here

genre: pirate!ateez x gn!reader (fem!reader for hongjoong), fluff, angst, crack, and as always - a brainrot of every pirate trope to exist

length: 10.4k

c/w: heavy and mature themes - mdni, explicit language (swearing, insults), death, violence, blood & injuries, weapons, illegal acts (piracy, ransoming, verbal abuse, abduction), alcohol, pet names

a/n: maknae line will come yes but who knows when 🤷‍♀️ work has been really testing my dopamine vibes this year 😔👎 thank you @sorryimananti-romantic for keeping a detailed hitlist for me ♡

hongjoong

pov: you're a royal princess rescued by him

“captain, are you sure we can’t toss her overboard?”

jongho and hongjoong watch as wooyoung’s face falls after you pointedly ignore his attempts to make conversation once again

for someone who is technically their guest aboard the arriba, it seems as though you are hellbent on being as difficult as you can be

“unfortunately, we can’t,” hongjoong grouches to the younger, “not unless we want to exchange our payment for a hefty bounty on our own heads”

when jongho sighs, the captain squeezes his shoulder in comfort and adds on, “trust me, i’ve thought about it too”

hongjoong and his crew are privateers - pirates in theory, but technically excused so long as they have their letter of marque to state that they are authorised to attack other vessels

rescuing a royal princess was never explicitly part of the contract, although he thinks that not rescuing you would have pretty much been equivalent to a blatant show of insubordination

you had been taken ransom by one of the merchant ships the arriba had been plundering

needless to say, they had been close to tossing you overboard too; your kingdom had never paid for your ransom

the lack of response from your parents wasn’t anything you weren’t expecting but it’s a sore spot nonetheless

so it’s certainly hard for you to play friendly when you’re quite literally shucked off from stranger to stranger faster than a hot potato

san tugs wooyoung closer towards him and gently says to you, “he’s just trying to be nice - we all are”

the movement doesn’t go unnoticed by you

“i don’t need your pity,” you answer, the only sentence you have spoken today

you’ve lived two decades of your life pretending you don’t see the pitying gazes of your maids and butlers

you certainly don’t need pity from these people - pirates no less

“it’s not-” wooyoung starts to say

but the captain steps in before he can defend himself

“if this is how you’re always acting, i’m starting to see why your kingdom never paid for your ransom”

had hongjoong been less preoccupied by your words, he would have realised that your tone is candid, as if it is only natural for the people around you to pity you

but he’s clouded with his mindset as captain, unable to stand by idly while his own crew put up with your attitude, and so the words come out anyway - shards of shrapnel that bury themselves into your heart

there is only a fleeting second when your eyes dilate with hurt

you conceal it immediately, replacing it with a steely gaze, yet the image has already seared itself into hongjoong’s mind

“maybe you should throw me overboard, then,” you counter, “i’m sure my family will thank you for it”

and even if you have completely neutralised your expression, no one misses the wounded tone of your voice before you disappear down into the lower deck

mingi lets out a low whistle after the resounding slam of the hatch closing

“you fucked up, captain”

hongjoong doesn’t need anyone to spell it out for him

the heavy feeling in his stomach is telling enough

it isn’t until the moon has long since risen that you emerge through the hatch again

you had bypassed the sleeping quarters to the hold, wedging yourself between barrels of grain until you were sure no one would find you

not that they would have tried to anyway - seonghwa had told them all to give you some space

you had run your finger up and down the sides of the barrels repetitively for hours on end, mind simultaneously void and filled with thoughts

the walls you had built around yourself kept you safe, but it had started to become awfully lonely after a while

when it had become a little too suffocating in the hold and you guessed that most of the crew was asleep, you had softly padded back up the stairs and across the main deck

you now sit on the foredeck where the endless expanse of the sea stretches out in front of you, closing your eyes and letting the swaying of the ship lull you into tranquillity

tonight, the moon winks down fondly upon the waters

hongjoong watches you from the quarterdeck

he’s seen you sit at the front of the ship on many nights when you should really have been asleep

he wonders if you’ve always looked so small and fragile with your knees drawn up to your chest, or whether it’s because the flash of hurt in your eyes and voice is still fresh in his mind

“go, captain,” yunho murmurs from where he’s at the helm, “it’s a quiet night”

hongjoong startles at having been caught gazing, clearing his throat and dragging his eyes away

“why should i, if she’s just going to ignore me?” he scoffs

but he knows he’s just being petty at this point and his chest churns in agreement

“maybe,” yunho hums softly in response. “did seonghwa ever give up on you, though?”

it’s rhetorical - hongjoong knows the answer better than anyone

the captain doesn’t say anything but after several beats of silence, he sighs and makes a move to the foredeck where you are

yunho smiles to himself

you and hongjoong may be more similar than his captain realises

your shoulders stiffen when the sound of hongjoong’s footsteps approaches

you’re not sure what to expect and you don’t exactly want to find out and risk getting hurt

but having spent all day swimming alone in your thoughts, you do want to show that you feel apologetic because admittedly, you were being an ass too

getting up to walk away when he’s taken the first step certainly won’t help your case

you hold your breath in awkward silence as he settles down beside you, leaving a respectable distance between your hunched figures

only now is hongjoong realising that he hasn’t actually thought about or decided on what he wants to say to you

but he can feel the confusion rolling off of you in waves, so he grits his teeth and says fuck it

“i won’t apologise for defending my crew, but i’m sorry for how i did it and for what i said”

he hopes you know he is sincere when he continues, “we all have our prickly edges. i can’t fault you for yours”

compassion is a foreign concept to you and so you’re a little stumped for words

hongjoong isn’t sure whether your silence is a good or bad thing, but you have yet to stand up and walk away from the conversation

“there’s only about a week left until we reach port and we’ll leave after you make it back to your kingdom and we receive our payment. i’m not asking for you to be friendly, but let’s at least be civil with each other until then,” he says

you want to nod, agree, anything

and yet you can’t seem to make your head move or the words to come out of your mouth

rome was not built in a day. but neither did its walls fall in a day

hongjoong doesn’t push for an answer when instead, you ask, “how many people have you actually tossed overboard before?”

he resists the urge to laugh at your question, suddenly endeared by the fact that you’re still bothered by his very empty threat

“none, but my offer still stands. you’re welcome to be my first,” he deadpans

you let out a snort and although you quickly turn your head away, hongjoong sees the hint of amusement in your eyes

no further words are exchanged between the two of you and you do not acknowledge him when he eventually stands to rejoin yunho at the helm

but it’s a start

and as with any relationship, be it friend, foe, or lover, there is always that

a beginning.

hongjoong isn’t really expecting much to change immediately so he doesn’t pay you much mind when you walk into the mess hall the following morning

you hesitate at the entrance when you see most of the crew are already present, the conversation you had with hongjoong last night replaying at the forefront of your mind

you chew on the inside of your mouth

wooyoung stops mid-conversation at the scrape of a plate on the table, looking up to find you sliding into the seat beside him with a tight-lipped smile

to your surprise, he greets you with enthusiasm and immediately drags you into the conversation

hongjoong watches as you slowly warm up and add one or two comments of your own in between bites of your hardtack

and when he catches your gaze after staring for too long, he gives you a smile to convey his appreciation; to acknowledge your efforts

you return it with a small smile of your own and unbeknownst to you, it stays on your face for the rest of the day

slowly, there become more and more reasons that elicit a smile out of you

you still sit out on the foredeck when everyone else has gone to sleep, but on most nights, hongjoong will join you even if just for a while

the two of you are content to sit side by side with nothing but the steady pulse of the ocean and intermittent creaks of the ship’s hull to break the silence of the night

tonight though, you find curiosity burning through you

“what’s it like?” you ask

“being a pirate?” he clarifies

you shrug vaguely, unsure yourself either, “being a pirate. being at sea. sailing with your crew”

he takes a moment to gather his thoughts - not because he doesn’t know what to say, but because there is too much he wants to say

when hongjoong answers, his voice rumbles softly from within his chest, tender and heartfelt

“there’s a sense of freedom that you can’t obtain when you’re bound to land and society. sailing the waters, the only limits are those of the open seas and of your own compass… the sunrises, the storms, the moonlight - it all becomes part of your home”

hongjoong leans back to rest on the palms of his hands, tilting his gaze up towards the twinkling sky

he reflects, “you experience brotherhood and gain a family that is worth multitudes more than the treasures you can accumulate, even if you were to live as a pirate for several lifetimes”

you’re enraptured by his words, like poetry that swirls off the pages of a book and drifts into your very soul

“i may be the captain of this crew, but they make me who i am. without them, i am nothing”

his words wash over you and unearth vivid memories

“that’s what the queen always says to me,” you reveal

a small smile starts to grace hongjoong’s face, but it falls just as quickly when he hears your next words

“that without her - without her title - i am nothing”

it’s funny, how the same phrase can hold such different meanings; can evoke such different emotions

you don’t elaborate any further, but hongjoong doesn’t think he needs you to in order for him to understand

he just wishes he had more time to show you that your mother is wrong

he can’t though

tomorrow they reach port and you will return to your rightful place in the palace

“tell me more about your crew,” you attempt to change the topic, “how did you all find each other?”

so hongjoong tells you

he talks for hours and hours and you listen all the while with a heavy heart, clinging onto his every word

on your final night, you two stay like that until the stars disappear and the horizon becomes streaked with the pale hues of sunrise

after the ship docks mere hours later, only hongjoong accompanies you to your kingdom after goodbyes are exchanged

wooyoung doesn’t take it well, and you find yourself holding back tears of your own as you are let through the palace doors with the captain by your side

but you blink them away when you approach the throne room because vulnerability is not an emotion you are willing to display

“y/n”

the queen addresses you curtly when you enter, and hongjoong wonders for a split second whether he has brought you back to the wrong kingdom

he knows your mother does not treat you fondly, but it’s still staggering to see it before his very own eyes

the monarch glances distastefully over him before her eyes flicker back to you

“i did not expect your return,” she states

your eyes remain impassive as you merely answer, “neither am i delighted to be back”

hongjoong recognises this look

he’s seen it when you first boarded his ship; he’s seen it when your hackles were raised

he’s seen it in himself, when he had been a teenager filled with nothing but growing resentment, before he had met seonghwa

your mother sneers, “then you should have made yourself useful and stayed with the pirates. as a whore or a dog, whatever it took.”

hongjoong has understood you since learning of your demons, but right now, he is you

he sees fifteen-year-old kim hongjoong, standing before a couple who are his parents only by title

he sees fifteen-year-old kim hongjoong, who doesn’t know what he has done that deems him undeserving of love

he sees fifteen-year-old kim hongjoong, all alone with no one to take his hand

“or really, you should have died on the ship”

hongjoong is close enough to you to hear the small hitch in your breath at your mother’s final jab

he may not have had someone to save his younger self, but he can do that now

he can be the person he so desperately needed years ago

and so he does just that.

hongjoong grabs your hand and drags you out of the palace

no one stops the two of you from leaving and he is unsure whether his heart hurts for you or sings with relief

you can only stutter in shock as you try to keep up, “hongjoong, what about your payment?”

his determined steps do not slow down, even as he looks back at you with a sure smile, “i told you before. some things are worth more than money”

the comforting squeeze of his hand conveys that you are worth more than any amount of money

the form of the arriba grows bigger in the distance and you think you can see the movement of excitement on deck when the crew spots your figures

hongjoong has slowed down his steps, but he has yet to let go of your hand

“and you deserve to know that. welcome to the crew, y/n”

to a family and love that you never had

you think you like the sound of that

“thank you, captain”

seonghwa

pov: you're a royal navy officer in disguise

you lay awake in your hammock, listening to the soft snores of the crew members around you

sleep doesn’t come easy to you anymore

particularly tonight

you contemplate whether it’s worth the risk to simply not show up

you know what the consequences are if they capture you - a slow and painful death - but you’re unsure whether you want to put ateez on the line too

your ship is currently docked for the night, having made a port stop at alcarres following one of the crew’s wishes to retire the pirate lifestyle and settle in the small town

their last night with ateez had been celebrated with sloshing rum and rowdy jigs, something you had found strange

there’s none of that in the royal navy

when one leaves, it is shameful and through one of three options only; old age, crippling injury, or…death

you had asked seonghwa, the quartermaster, why he and the captain were so accepting when crew members left as they wished

he had simply smiled and answered, “better a small but loyal crew than a large and unpredictable crew”

his words are like a sharp stone in your shoe as you finally slip out of your hammock and make your way off the ship

as ordered, you head to the tavern addressed

you salute the person in front of you and ease into your seat with a formality only when he disregards you

“admiral jang”

“you’re late,” the royal navy officer raises an eyebrow

“sorry, sir. i had to make sure everyone was asleep”

it’s not exactly the truth, but no one needs to know that you had spent an hour in your hammock questioning your morality

he ignores your excuse, jesting as he asks of your captain, “has the pirate king found the chart’s whereabouts yet?”

the charts

centuries ago, a crew of experienced sailors had travelled the six great seas and created the original navigational charts

the charts had become scattered and lost over time, but its value only increased exponentially as more and more sailors became victims to the sea trying to map its waters to the same detail and accuracy as the original charts

of the six originals, only the whereabouts of five are known, with most of them within the possession of the royal navy

it’s rumoured that hongjoong - the pirate king - has his hands on two of them and is currently tracking down the lost chart of the aurorian sea

the only sea that has yet to be chartered after its original map due to its dangerous and unpredictable sailing conditions

you know that your next words can hold an inexplicable amount of possibilities

“not yet. the last lead didn’t get him anywhere. turned out the last of the ahn clan had passed a decade ago”

his lips flatten at the lack of worthwhile information

“where’s the captain headed to next, then?” he probes

for a split second, the thought of lying crosses your mind

you can’t provide a different location - it would be much too obvious and would raise immediate suspicions

but you could give him a different time frame

after all, it’s not uncommon for navigational routes to be one to two weeks off should the waters be unpredictable enough

you find the truth spilling out of you anyway once you’re looking into his stone-cold eyes

“vlasgar. in about three weeks’ time”

for a moment, time stands still as your heart pounds and you attempt to slow your breathing, the officer staring back at you calculatingly

then he finally hums in satisfaction

you think that he is going to dismiss you, but as you make a move to leave, he leans back in his seat

the split second of hesitation was enough

“remember where your loyalty lies, y/n”

the air feels cold with the underlying threat

seonghwa’s words flit through your mind

better a small but loyal crew than a large and unpredictable crew

you swallow, “of course, admiral”

and then you’re dismissed with a nod

the unsettling feeling follows you all the way back to the ship and every miniscule creak of the floorboards underneath you seems to be amplified in the silence

you let out a short gasp of surprise when you’re about to climb back into your hammock, only to see seonghwa blinking blearily at you

“couldn’t sleep ‘gain?” he mumbles

you choke out a response, “yeah”

“i’ll make you tea b’fore you sleep ‘morrow,” his words slur with sleepiness

“okay,” you whisper

but you know it won’t make a difference

after all, there’s no remedy for guilt

it continues to fester the next day, as you linger outside the captain’s quarters

you can’t remember why you had come down to the lower deck, but it doesn’t matter now, not with seonghwa and the captain discussing what you think is related to the aurorian chart

“do you think he’s still in vlasgar?”

“min taesoo? it’s hard to say. but i’m sure he’ll have acquaintances still on the island who may have an idea of where he’s gone”

min taesoo

your brain tries to carefully file the name away, knowing that it’s what admiral jang would want to know, but at the same time, your heart tries to pretend it doesn’t know what you have heard so that you can forget about it

you find yourself scratching the name onto a scrap of paper anyway

unbeknownst to you, at the almost-imperceivable sound of your footsteps walking away, the two men behind the doors share a look

the crew sets sail again in the afternoon towards the next destination - vlasgar - and the scrap of paper in your pocket weighs you down so heavily that you feel off-kilter as you absentmindedly follow jongho up into the rigging to unfurl the sails

you’re near the top of the ropes when a sudden wave lurches the boat to starboard

it’s only a small push, really, but with your mind elsewhere, it catches you off guard and you miss your next step

the feeling of your hand dislodging from the sudden drag of your body weight brings you back to the present with a yell of surprise

(whether it’s your own or jongho’s, you can’t remember)

your sailing experience takes over and you try to swing your body back towards the safety of the rigging

you barely manage to grasp the ropes again but your hands slip down with your weight until they hit the next knot, the hot rush of friction threatening your grip

with adrenaline rushing through your body, you shakily climb back down, where there are several pairs of hands waiting to help you down the rest of the rigging

seonghwa’s hands do not leave you even after your feet are planted on the deck again

dread and shame heat the back of your neck and curl around onto your cheeks, knowing that a mistake like the one you had just made - accidental or not - would lead to a punishment like confinement in the lower deck back in the royal navy

except, when an apology starts to form on your lips, seonghwa bursts out in dismay

“y/n, your hands!”

you let out an unintelligible noise as seonghwa gently turns your palms over and you realise that the ropes have grazed some of the skin off

“it’s fine,” you want to say

but you’re silenced when he leads you to the small sick bay on the orlop deck

even if there is no surgeon on board, there is a small chest fastened to the wall that is home to their few and valuable medical supplies

you sit as he fusses over you with alcohol and strips of cloth

although he does a good job of wrapping your hands, your insides start to bleed with how intensely guilt eats away at you, like a maggot deep inside the core of a festering apple

that night as you shuffle towards your hammock to sleep, you flinch when you find seonghwa already sitting in his

he’s fighting the heaviness in his eyes as he carefully cradles something

upon seeing you, he wordlessly hands it to you with a sleepy smile before he finally sags into his own hammock with a content sigh

you look down and the warmth of it seems to burn through the padded dressing that the man before you has tenderly wrapped around your palms

the sensation travels upwards to burn your heart too

because in your hands is a cup of warm chamomile tea

and yet, despite the emptied cup, you find yourself unable to fall asleep

but in the darkness of the sky, with no witnesses other than the waves and sea foam themselves, a small piece of crumpled paper gets tossed overboard that night

the closer their ship approaches vlasgar, the more distant seonghwa notices you become

he worries

seonghwa thinks he worries for the reasons that he should be

he is the quartermaster; entrusted to protect the crew as the captain’s right-hand man

if that means ensuring no one will compromise the rest of his crew, even if it’s you, then so be it

that’s what he justifies to himself as he walks through the cobbled streets of vlasgar, slinking through the shadows as he follows your figure from a safe distance

(in reality, seonghwa worries for the reasons that he is not quite ready to admit yet)

he follows you into the dim bar of a tavern and carefully situates himself where he can watch over you without being discovered

he orders a mug of common ale as you approach someone

the man is dressed in civilian attire, but seonghwa can tell straight away from his demeanour and expression that he is not as ordinary as he appears

it’s confirmed when he hears you say, “admiral jang”

and then he sees it

the small but striking lapel pin on the breast of the man’s coat - the royal navy’s insignia

seonghwa feels for the sash that’s hidden underneath his own jacket and his fingertips meet the cool metal of the pistol tied inside

“you better have updates for me, y/n. what’s the pirate king’s purpose here in vlasgar?”

seonghwa knows he only has about five seconds to make a decision - one that could jeopardise the crew, or one that could jeopardise you

but you surprise yourself and the both of them when you answer steadfastly, “i don’t know, sir”

despite the din of drunker patrons in the tavern, it seems to fall deathly silent

“am i hearing wrong, officer?” the admiral questions with a disbelieving scoff

to your credit, your voice does not waver when you state again, “no, sir. i believe the captain and quartermaster are lying low. they have not revealed anything to me nor the rest of the crew”

seonghwa suddenly understands why you have distanced yourself

the admiral’s jaw tics

“is that so.”

you do not respond, only focusing on the spot between his raised eyebrows as he leans forward across the table

“where does your loyalty lie, y/n?”

neither the admiral nor seonghwa need to hear your answer to know the truth

a small crew may be outnumbered, but they have strength in loyalty and devotion

there’s a glint of movement from underneath the table as the admiral inches something out from his belt

seonghwa makes his decision

you flinch, eyes wide as there’s a deafening gunshot and the table beside you splinters and scatters the tankards of alcohol onto the floor

instantaneously, chaos erupts

there are drunken yells of fright and weapons clumsily brandished, tables upturned and chairs hurled across the room

it only takes one other misfired shot for the tavern to descend into hellfire as customers who were previously drinking together now turn on one another

nobody notices the two pirates dashing out, not even admiral jang, who is busy wrangling two inebriated men off his arms

your composure dissolves the moment you are dragged into an alleyway several streets away and you look up in shock to discover-

“seonghwa?! why are you here?”

“i could say the same about you,” he counters, hardly out of breath

you’re stunned by the fact that he seems completely unfazed by the mess that he has just dragged you out of

something clicks

“was that you? did you know all along?”

seonghwa smiles, “let’s just say you’re not as subtle as you think you are when you sneak around. plus, it’s uncommon for sailors to have the experience that you do without having had some sort of training”

you curse under your breath and wince, “does hongjoong know too?”

the quartermaster nods and you fear the answer to your next question

“then why has he not…why have you not…”

“killed you yet?” seonghwa chuckles. “i’m sure you’ve realised by now how skewed the royal navy’s beliefs are”

you’re quiet

the royal navy has always been cult-like in preaching the ruthlessness and barbarism of pirates, drilling into the officers the belief that pirates are the scum of the sea

but everything that you’ve known has been proven false since you’ve joined ateez; ironically, the pirates are more humane than the royal navy themself

their crew stand at attention whenever hongjoong or seonghwa walk onto the deck - not out of cultivated fear but genuine respect

when jongho is sore and tired from handling the riggings on a particularly rough and windy day, the others will offer to cover for his chores instead of flogging him into submission

and when mingi is divvying up the shares of the provisions and loot, the others will slip an extra bar of soap for seonghwa, the shiniest ring for mingi, or the largest bottle of rum for yunho, because they want to make each other happy

“hongjoong is the pirate king, yes, but a king should not take the lives of others for his own power. a true king uses his power to change the lives of others for the better…like yours…and like mine”

you frown with a jerk of your head

“what do you mean?”

you can’t see seonghwa as a broken man whatsoever

he gives you a weak smile, “i, too, used to be part of the royal navy”

your jaw drops

everything clicks into place - how he had figured out you weren’t just a common sailor and why he hadn’t confronted you about it

the shame and guilt come rushing back over you in a storm that is much too familiar by now

“i’m so sorry, all i’ve done is betray your trust-”

“but that’s what second chances are for, no?” seonghwa cuts you off, playfully flicking your forehead as he reminds you, “and i’m pretty sure you’ve chosen me over the royal navy”

your cheeks grow hot

“not you. the crew,” you mutter

he laughs and it’s a wonderful sound

“come on, it’s late,” seonghwa beckons. “let’s get some sleep”

when he sees that you’re still rooted to the spot, unsure whether you are deserving to go back, he decides for you and moves behind you to gently nudge you forward by the shoulders

you let him guide you

his hands are warm, you note, even through the linen of your shirt

his hands are also pretty, you observe, when he tries to fluff your hammock once you two have crept your way back to the berth

seonghwa helps you up into the hammock and you watch as he climbs into his

his hands are also teeming with love, you realise, when he wordlessly extends his arm nearest to you in a silent invitation

if you both reach out, you can just entwine your hands together from your respective hammocks

the burns on your palms have healed nicely and without the need for them to be wrapped, you can feel every expanse of his hand covering yours

he doesn’t retract his hand and neither do you, even though it’s not the most comfortable position and you both lose feeling of your arms soon after

but you lay in your hammock, drifting to the soft snores of the crew members around you and the soft tug of seonghwa’s fingers in yours

sleep comes easy to you

particularly tonight

as it will for the rest of your life

yunho

pov: you're the crew's navigator

you know it’s going to happen even before it actually does

you can feel it in the air and from the way the baby hairs around your hairline start to frizz

but you never say anything because you wouldn’t trade it for the moment when the first raindrop hits the back of yunho’s neck and he abandons his duty at the helm to drag you out onto the upper deck

(hongjoong only sighs in defeat before he stations himself at the helm instead)

you don’t like the rain

not like yunho does

you are already looking up from the map spread out in the captain’s quarters, a knowing smile on your face just from the sound of his bounding footsteps alerting you of his presence, when yunho appears with the beckon of rain

you pretend to let yourself be dragged to your feet along to his urges of come on!

but then you dash forward towards the hatch with yunho chasing after your bright laughter

in the short span of time that it has taken him to fetch you, the sprinkle of rain has steadily grown and the weathered planks of the deck are already a dark grey

you feel the coldness of the raindrops hitting the crown of your head and the spreading chill as your clothes start to become damp

but that’s not what makes you feel alive

yunho catches up to you easily and then he is snaking his arms around your waist to lift you up into the air

you barely have time to squeal and steady yourself on his broad shoulders before he is spinning the two of you around, the world blurring away as the spotlight shines on him and he is all that you can see

the deck is your stage and the sea is your audience

rain with yunho is twirling hugs, tiptoed kisses and tinkling laughter. it’s soaked shirts and rosy cheeks and the only thing that matters in the moment

you don’t like the rain, but it’s easy to like the rain when it’s with him

(hongjoong lets the two of you be - so obviously and hopelessly enamoured by each other - because when one sees people in love, one cannot help but watch and smile)

the rain eventually peters out and you and yunho must return to your respective duties, but not until you two have changed out of your drenched clothes and sneaked in a few more kisses

a few hours later, you hear the racket above the deck as a ship pulls up beside the arriba and ropes are thrown across from both sides to lash the vessels close together

hongjoong comes down to join you in his quarters, but he’s not alone

behind him is the captain of the silver light, dae jihoo, and his quartermaster, with seonghwa entering last

you note that this crew doesn’t have a navigator of their own

but you suppose that’s one of the reasons why their captain had implored an alliance for this particular raid

the crew of the silver light are wanting to target the prosperity triangle - an area between three large ports that is frequently trafficked by wealthy vessels transporting valuable goods

it’s a raid that would prove difficult for a smaller pirate crew like your own and the silver light, and especially if they have no navigator

but it’s not uncommon for pirates to form temporary alliances for such purposes, and together, your crews have a good chance of plundering a fortune

you nod your head in acknowledgement when hongjoong introduces you to the two pirates as ateez’s navigator

you don’t miss the way jihoo’s eyes seem to linger on you for a second too long before he flashes a crooked grin and gestures towards the navigational map spread out on the oak table

clearing your throat of discomfort, you step forward and flatten the creases out with your hands

“this is the most open spot within the triangle that the vessel we’re after will pass through,” you tap an annotated spot on the chart, “and this is where we are now”

you slide your finger across, “we’ll follow the rhumb line west to avoid the shallower waters and when we can catch the trade winds, it should be smooth sailing from there”

jihoo challenges you, “how can you be sure we’ll catch the ship within the triangle?”

“they’ll need to sail past the equator and i’m almost certain their ship will be slowed down by the doldrums. we can easily gain knots on them”

he squints at the scribbles you’ve made noting down what you’ve gathered of the wind patterns

you know for a fact that it will mean nothing to him, but whatever he sees must satisfy him because jihoo appears to make up his mind

“when do we set sail?” he directs his question to your captain

“three days from now”

he grunts a noise of affirmation and stands, which hongjoong takes as the cue to see them and the rest of their crew off your ship

you trail behind the group as you all head back to the upper deck

you prepare to emerge from the hatch with a playful wink, knowing that yunho will be craning his neck from the helm to get a glimpse of you, when a sudden holler surprises you out of your thoughts

it’s immediately met with the answering cries of several other pirates - none from your crew - and you hurry to clear the hatch to gain your bearings

you’re thrust right into the throes of battle as ateez are forced to unsheathe their cutlasses to defend against silver light’s sudden attack

having been caught off guard, basically none of your firearms are loaded with gunpowder, rendering them unusable

you will have to make do with the short sabre at your waist

there’s no time to account for the whereabouts and safety of your crew members and you just have to pray that you all make it out of this unscathed

especially yunho

but as ateez retaliate, you all notice something is off about the situation

your crew is very quickly overpowering the other pirates - it was a losing fight for them from the very beginning

it makes no sense to you nor the rest of your crew

the losses of breaking the alliance before the planned raid, much less through betrayal, far outweigh any gains they could possibly make from their choice of action

it makes absolutely no sense

until it does.

you are blocking the swing of a sabre with your own when you are tugged backwards harshly by the collar of your shirt

there’s an angry snarl in your throat as you prepare to turn around, but it’s quickly silenced by the warning shot of a pistol right beside your ear

the cold ring of metal is then pressed to the back of your head

you know that firearms require time to reload and there’s a chance that this pistol is now useless

but, like wooyoung has taught the rest of the crew to do, they may have pre-prepared several pistols and you are not willing to play with fire - especially when you are only the flex of a finger away from death

you vaguely hear someone yell out your name in panic, but you’re not quite sure you hear correctly over the clamour of cutlasses clashing, warcries resounding and your own heartbeat pounding

“stand down or your navigator dies,” the voice behind you thunders

it’s jihoo…and he wants a navigator for his crew

“ateez,” one of your men commands, “lower your weapons”

your crew may make decisions fairly, but in battle, only hongjoong has the power to make commands

yunho has never spoken against his captain or disobeyed orders

until now

the words do not come out of your captain’s mouth but yunho’s

the rest of the members hesitate - they will not stand down unless hongjoong commands them to, yet, they are unsure whether they will be able to follow should he demand them to fight on, even if it means endangering your life

but there is no guarantee jihoo will let your crew go unharmed even after you all surrender, and as the captain, hongjoong must make decisions in the best interest for the crew

“captain!” yunho yells desperately

yunho never yells

“stand down,” hongjoong commands

silver light’s captain steps in closer behind you until you can hear and feel the noise of intriguement that leaves his mouth down the back of your neck

“that your loverboy, hmm?”

he smirks

there’s a false moment of primal relief when the press of the pistol is removed from the back of your head, but it is immediately replaced with fear that is irrevocably worse as he aims it in yunho’s direction and shoots

“no!”

you shriek and pull against the tug of his hold, still fisted around your collar, your pupils blown wide with terror at the sight of the clean hole in the mast right beside yunho’s head

“it’ll be pretty boy’s head next if you don’t come with me,” jihoo coos into your ear

the fight slips out of you immediately

because if you can save him, a life for a life, then you will

even if the sight of mingi holding yunho back from lunging forward when the pistol’s barrel returns to your head makes your heart clench painfully

“y/n, don’t you dare,” yunho pleads, voice filled with anguish

you’re barely given enough time to lock eyes with him and say resolutely, “remember what you said to me,” before you are tugged away to the boarding plank

ateez can only watch helplessly as the planks are removed from over the bulwarks and the last of the ropes are untied, releasing the silver light from their ship for good

jihoo tugs you down the hatch as the ship starts to pull away, and just like that, you’re gone from their sights

“fuck!” yunho shouts furiously, unable to contain his emotions as he turns around and connects his fist with the mast

right where the musket ball had made a hole

his hand pulls away with bloodied knuckles from the splintered wood and the sheer force of his punch

a concerned whine leaves seonghwa’s mouth and he tries to approach the taller, but yunho shakes him off and looks determinedly at hongjoong

“we’re sailing to the banver isle just east of the triangle. we’ll ambush them there”

seonghwa looks between the two, hope flickering in his chest at the potential plan, “you think the silver light are stupid enough to try taking on the prosperity triangle alone?”

yunho chuckles darkly, “they were fucking shitbrained enough to take y/n, so yes”

nobody disagrees and hongjoong smirks dangerously

“ateez, ready the sails for banver isle,” he commands. “prepare for battle”

because not only have the silver light taken you away from ateez, but they have also annihilated the light from yunho’s eyes

gone are his warm brown orbs - they are now black holes thirsty for retribution

there will be lives to pay and even that will not be enough for the void

unaware of what your crew is capable of, jihoo looks down at you with a triumphant leer

“you’ll navigate us to the triangle in three days’ time. don’t even think about lying - you’ve already shown me where the location is”

with an even nod you reply, “of course”

it’s true though - you have absolutely no intention of navigating them somewhere else

because you know yunho will be waiting there for you

amidst chaste kisses exchanged between plush lips cold from the rain, yunho tells you in a brief moment of seriousness

“don’t show them where the real location is,” his breath is warm across your cheeks. “you know the coastal island roughly ten nautical miles away? show them that instead”

you tilt your head to look up at him, “you think they’ll betray us?”

“no,” he reassures you with a deeper, slower kiss, “but we can never be too safe”

and even if your vessels miss each other this time, you have complete faith that yunho will sail to the very ends of the world just to find you

two days before the originally-planned raid, the arriba sails as closely to banver isle as possible without risking running aground

yunho has navigated the ship around the back of the isle so that the form of the rocky terrain conceals them from sight

once the anchor is lowered, the crew members use every ticking moment to make preparations

swords are sharpened and firearms cleaned

mingi distributes the gunpowder and ammunition, which is pre-loaded into muskets, pistols and swivel cannons ready to be engaged

the ship’s sails and riggings are checked and yeosang keeps a keen lookout in the crow’s nest

and it’s as if the world itself can sense the brewing storm that grows inside yunho

the sea is eerily still and silent, but the sky is an omen to something impending, its rolling clouds dark and angry with the threat of rain leering over the waters

yunho doesn’t actually like the rain

he only likes it because it’s with you

rain with you is barefoot dancing, breathless confessions and bashful giggles. it’s drenched locks and fluttering eyelashes and the only thing that exists in the moment

but as the profile of the silver light finally approaches the isle two days later, the heavens split open and you are not by his side

rain without you is falling pinpricks, frigid winds and flaunting mockery and yunho despises it with his entire being

at yeosang’s call of, “vessel approaching from starboard,” up in the lookout, yunho smothers the fervid desire to barrage the other ship with cannonballs like hail from hell; to unleash an inferno that blazes through their hull as he sadistically watches the crew jump for their lives

he stamps out the hunger to shoot the ones that make it into the sea, not to kill, only to maim and induce a long, painful struggle in the open waters until death becomes inevitable - until there is enough blood spilt that it becomes the only stench in the air that stretches across for miles

yunho leashes his monsters with an iron fist

because he will not do anything that could even remotely endanger your life

even if it means that he has to hold back - to sit and wait like prey instead of advancing on the other ship like a predator

at least not yet.

silver light do not know, but this is the calm before the storm

the heavens may be crying, the winds may be howling and the waters may be roiling

but this is nothing compared to yunho

yunho is a tempest of unparalleled rage and their ship is in the eye of his storm

as the bowsprit of the silver light starts to appear around the isle, the members ready their grappling hooks and yunho draws his cutlass with a menacing whisper of unsheathing metal

you are his treasure, and pirates never lose sight of their treasure

today…you return to him

yeosang

pov: you're a tavern keeper

watching the ale reach the brim of the tankard you are holding, you’re about to step away from the barrel when the voice of a patron sounds behind you

“‘scuse me, could i get a mint-”

you look up and turn around in confusion as their voice cuts off

only to have the question taken right from the tip of your own tongue as you’re met with the face of the person you had loved for years

the same person you have spent twice as long trying to forget

eyes searching each other’s in a surprised stupor, seeing kang yeosang standing right in front of you takes you back to those memories that you have tried to remember and simultaneously bury

it thrusts you headfirst into what used to be of your shared love - like the feathery remnants of a dream, so distant from the fingers of your consciousness, suddenly returning to vivid existence when you least expect it

“hey, mint leaf. i’m back”

yeosang at least has the perceptiveness to appear a little apologetic, immediately pulling you into a hug and pressing soft kisses against your hairline uncaring of the other people in the tavern

it’s been several weeks since you last saw him, and whilst he had warned you he would be gone for longer this time, you hadn’t expected it to mean two whole months

he’s a small merchant who also fishes along the coast to earn enough to make ends meets, so he’s often gone for a few days or a week or two

you knew what you were in for when you first made it official with him, but just because you become accustomed to something, doesn’t mean it gets any easier

and he’s never been gone for this long

something must have happened - something good - because he looks alive, cheeks glowing and eyes fiery

“i met the crew”

“the crew?” you ask, hands reaching for the bourbon to prepare him a drink as he lets himself behind the counter to stand beside you in your workspace

he nods excitedly, "wooyoung’s pirate crew, ateez"

you think you know where this is going to go and you hate that your stomach sinks at the thought of what your future may become, because yeosang looks so happy to tell you about this and a happy yeosang is all that you could ask for

“the captain offered me a position as their lookout”

you pick out your next words carefully as you hand him his finished drink - a mint julep with two sugar cubes, just the way he likes it

"aren't…isn't being a pirate dangerous?"

“not as dangerous as you might think, actually. they’ve been showing me the ropes the last couple of weeks and…and i think i want to join them. officially”

there it is

the forked end of the road

you wonder how far two people can keep walking with their hands intertwined before the distance becomes too great and they have to let go

his words become a little muddled when he goes on to tell you about how they divvied up their recent loot to include his share too

how he’s gained more money than he’s made from the last two years of working as a merchant and fisherman combined

if he joins his old friend and his crew, he could earn enough to buy his parents a proper house; earn enough to build you your very own tavern

you want to tell him that you don’t need the tavern, just him, but you also know just how important his family is to him

his filial desire to take care of his parents was one of the very reasons you fell in love with him in the first place

before you can say anything though, the tavern keeper is interrupting to let you know that your shift is over

yeosang immediately perks up and herds you out of the place, claiming that there is a new fishing spot he discovered that he has to show you

and so you sit while he rows his modest boat, only the splash of his oars disturbing the peaceful stillness that has settled over the waters as the sun dips below the horizon

the waning light casts a soft, warm glow over him, like a gentle kiss against his skin and birthmark

if angels graced the earth, there would be one sitting right in front of you

“i missed you, mint leaf,” he confesses, gaze shyly averted. “i thought about you when i was gone”

“did you think about showing me this place?” you feel a little breathless

he nods, “every single night”

and that’s enough for you

it feels like everything is okay again

it doesn’t matter if you’re standing at a forked road

you think that perhaps, for him, you can walk on an unpaved path - just so that you can keep holding his hand

“y/n”

yeosang’s voice is deep

the word sounds foreign to your own ears but you don’t dwell on it

(because if you do, you’ll wonder whether it’s because you’ve forgotten the sound of his voice or because you want to hear him calling you something else)

“what would you like to order?” you ask

(because it’s easier to pretend that he’s just another patron than to admit that he used to be all that you ever knew)

yeosang fumbles a little but then regains himself, “oh, um- just a mint julep, please”

you turn your back to him to prepare his drink, hands reaching for the barrels lined along the bottom shelves without needing to look

you’ve made this drink too many times to count

half of those times were in the safety of the darkness that midnight offered; when the tears could flow freely without anyone seeing

it’s only when you start to mix his cocktail that yeosang realises he didn’t ask for his sugar cubes, but he figures the drink will taste bitter tonight either way so he opts to watch you instead

he wishes that he could walk past the counter like he used to and wrap his arms around you

he wishes that he could whisper endearments into your ears and press them against your lips

he wishes that he could show you that he still loves you

“do you still love me?” your voice wavers with hurt as you stand in front of him

he’s finally back after being gone for four months this time and you hate this conversation as much as he does, but it was bound to happen eventually

yeosang pleads, “more than anything”

“then why does it hurt so much? loving you…and being loved by you”

he doesn’t have an answer

but god be damned if he doesn’t try to find a way to fix things

“tell me, mint leaf, what can i do?”

you blink back your tears furiously, having already made up your mind while he was still at sea

“let’s break up”

because in the end, unpaved paths have too many rocks, too many thorns and too many arched roots; they were never meant to be walked along

you pass yeosang his finished drink without another word and then move further down the counter to serve a different customer

his eyes linger on you wistfully before he tears them away from you

it’s a good thing his hair has grown long enough to cover his face when he looks down

because his eyes start to grow wet at the sight of the mint julep you have made him

with two sugar cubes in it, just the way he likes it

perhaps, once you’ve loved somebody, you never really stop loving them

yeosang shows up again the next day and seats himself at the bar

you don’t serve him though, actively avoiding his end of the counter and letting another of your staff tend to him

he orders his usual but he leaves out his request for additional sugar cubes

it feels wrong for him to order it from someone that isn’t you

but you’re watching out of the corner of your eye as the worker mixes the bourbon, sugar and water, topping it with a few mint leaves and then sliding it across the counter for him

you let out a little sigh, half amused, when he takes a small sip and smacks his lips together at the bitterness

you take two sugar cubes and drop it unceremoniously into his pewter cup before you realise what you’re doing

yeosang immediately seizes the opportunity to talk to you

“my crew’s docked for the fortnight…” he waits to see if you’ll respond. you don’t, but you also don’t move away, so he continues. “we’re making some repairs to the hull and sails before our next raid”

you have half a mind to walk away after you reply, “i didn’t ask” 

he forges on regardless

“we’re going to work with another crew for this one. it’s going to increase our chances of a successful raid because-”

your voice comes out a little harsher than you mean for it to when you hiss again, “i didn’t ask”

yeosang’s mouth closes as he pulls away slightly, back straightening

then he says in a softer voice, “i’ve been doing well. wooyoung still takes care of me, even though i’m not new to the crew anymore. i also saw my parents today and they’re happily retired now…”

you don’t stop him from talking this time

because how many sleepless nights have you spent sitting outside your tavern looking up at the stars; how many times have you served a mint julep to a patron and accidentally added sugar cubes; how many moments have you been consumed by the thought of him, simply wondering if he is living well?

this is everything that you have ever wanted - yeosang in the flesh letting you know that, yes, he has been well

but it is also everything that you have ever feared - that he has been well even without you

you don’t know what to feel

“my parents asked about you,” he says gingerly. “how have you been?”

his voice is barely audible, as if he is afraid of what you might say

or perhaps, afraid that you might not say anything at all

“good. excellent,” you force a small smile, your eyes still focused on the mint leaves floating in his drink. you don’t think you can look at him. “i own this place now”

his body loses its tension, cheeks rounding as he looks at you with genuine relief

“that’s…that’s really good to hear”

his words sting

you are unsure if it stings your ego or if it picks at the wound in the shape of the person you have lost

but it hurts to know that he has worried over you in the exact same way you have over him, the whole time you two have been apart

you’re suddenly overwhelmed by the realisation and hot tears well in your eyes almost immediately

your bottom lip starts to crumple so you rush into the back room to escape

“y/n!” yeosang calls out after you, alarmed

when you don’t stop, disappearing into the storage, he jolts up from his seat and follows

your body shudders with every heaving breath you take, unable to stop yourself from crying even harder when you feel him tug you into his chest

you try to pull away but his sturdy arms tighten around you

yeosang refuses to let you go once more

“i hate you,” you sob, struggling against his hold as you hit his chest weakly

he hushes comforts against the crown of your head, soothing noises as he endures your fists

“you have every reason to”

yeosang holds back tears of his own

he feels your body gradually losing its fight, sinking into his embrace instead, hands desperately holding him close

your voice is so impossibly small when you tearfully confess, “but i still love you”

“oh, mint leaf,” he brushes the stray locks of hair away from your face and cradles your jaw tenderly, “i still love you, too”

he presses a soft kiss against your forehead, pulling away once only to reaffirm, “so, so much”

when he kisses you again, his lips taste salty against your own, but nothing has ever tasted sweeter than this

your breath no longer stutters but the tears continue to run down your face because your heart finally feels right after all these years apart

and yet-

you pull away

“we can’t do this”

yeosang feels his heart shattering

“why not? i don’t understand,” he whimpers

“you know why,” you say distressingly, “my life is here, yeosang. i can’t just leave and return whenever i want. but you, on the other hand? you can. you go where your crew goes - you belong with them”

“but my heart belongs to you. please, y/n,” he begs

his arms are still wrapped around you and you feel his desperation as his fingers cling onto you like a lifeline

you look earnestly into his bloodshot eyes, your own vision blurry, “yeo, you’re not the one who gets left behind here. you’re not the one who waits weeks, months, years on end, just hoping that the next person to walk in is the person that you want to see”

he wants to plead that he waits to see you, too, but he knows that he’s the one who leaves, too

“you’re the right one for me - the only one for me - but it’s not the right time,” you tell him gently

slowly, his arms lower themselves from around you

“it wasn’t the right time then and it isn’t the right time now,” he repeats, “then when is the right time for us?”

you shoot the question right back at him, “when is the right time for someone whose life is to sail the world?”

neither of you know the answer

nobody does, because loving a pirate has no certainties

but yeosang doesn’t give up

“if we can’t ever be sure, why don’t we just make it the right time ourselves?”

you caress his cheek sweetly, and despite having stepped away from you earlier, he leans into your hand, starved of your loving touch and affection

“yeosang…what if we’ve already had it? what if…meeting each other was already it? what if we’re just meant to love from a distance, not side by side?” your voice is poignant but resolute

he brings up a hand to cover yours, still warm and tender against his wet cheek

how is it that he can be touching you yet simultaneously feel worlds apart from you

“okay,” he accepts with a whisper

if loving you silently is the only way he gets to love you, then he will choose it in a heartbeat over losing you entirely

he thumbs away the remainder of your tears

“can i kiss you? one last time?” he asks

you nod

“one last time”

your lips slowly meet, slotting together as they find their home in each other’s dips and curves

his hands cradle the small of your back and neck and your own hands rest against his chest

the kiss you share is steady, longing and bittersweet

it conveys everything that you want to say to each other, and even then, it is hardly enough

thank you

i’m sorry

i love you

goodbye…

you can feel your eyes burning up again, but you focus on the feeling of yeosang’s lips against yours instead

because you know that the moment one of you pulls away, that is it forever

in the world of love, there are people who are ill-fated

they meet the right person, but at the wrong time

and then there are people like you and yeosang

not ill-fated, but star-crossed lovers

the right person…

but just not meant to be

[littlefreya]

Neptune's Snare

Summary: She came to take revenge on the loathsome man who murdered her fiance, only to become his captive.

Read Chapter One

Pairing: AU!Pirate August Walker x Virgin OFC (for now 😏)

Word count: 3k

Warnings: 18+, minors DNI. Sexual themes, dark themes mentioned, historical inaccuracies, kidnapping, captivity, graphic descriptions of sex, intimidation, slow burn, sexual tension, foul language.

A/N: I was unsure whether I should do part 2, but @deandoesthingstome (💖) motivated me to do it, so I truely hope you will like it. Many thanks to @agniavateira, for beta'ing. I am no longer using my old tag list, but I will tag those who specifically asked to be tagged for this story via my new Writing Update Blog @littlefreyaslibrary.

Thanks for reading, and please reblog with a comment 🖤

Chapter Two

Hours had passed since the Captain left—hours of futile attempts to escape the cruelty of the heavy iron binds. By now, the ship was deep into the ocean, miles away from any harbour or piece of land. The notion that she’d been abducted by the most ruthless murderer known to authorities had only just begun to sink. 

As hot tears stung at her cheeks, Lizette couldn’t help but chuckle at the stupidity that led her to this fate.

‘Did you really think that a foolish girl could succeed where great men had failed?’ 

If Lizette had dared be honest, she would admit she never thought that plan through, not that it mattered much anymore. Soon enough, she would be yet another shiny trinket in Blackbeard’s gaudy collection.

Exhausted from a fierce yet futile battle, she leaned her head back against the plush, gold-paneled wall. Her weary gaze drifted through the open window, where the dark skies and black seas merged into a desolate void. No light shone through tonight; the darkness has devoured the stars and the moon. Lizette felt as if she was drowning in it too, sinking into a thick, tar-like liquid. With each breath, the collar around her throat grew heavier, the iron pressing into her skin and dragging her deeper and deeper until everything faded to black.

When she blinked again, it was still night but the cabin was lit in deep shades of honey and amber. Her heart skipped—once for the iron still hanging from her neck and twice as her bleary eyes caught sight of a shadow by the edge of the big table.  

It appeared that her host had returned. 

Boots flung across the food-abundant table, the Captain sat back in his royal velvet chair. One hand cradled a silver chalice whilst the other toyed with the edge of his thick whiskers. Silver trays of food, wine, and books were splayed before him, surrounded by dozens of fat, wax-dripping candles. The flickering flame guttered upon his eyes, painting them bright red while he observed the girl intently. 

The curiosity was mutual, at least to some extent. As loathsome as the pirate was, Lizette could not help but scrutinise. Never in her life did she see a man so crude and yet so regal at the same time, He looked like a washed-out king, holding himself to a higher status amongst the scum aboard his ship. Surrounding himself with fine art, books and scientific obscurities, one would assume that this low-life man was educated, or at least aspired to be. His appearance, too, was of some sort of false elegance,  with his moustache carefully groomed and his hair neatly combed save for an errant curl that fell upon his tanned forehead. However, the white cotton shirt that hung partially unbuttoned and loose from his shoulders exposed him for what he truly was as it revealed a myriad of tattoos, scars, and coarse hair. 

‘Nothing but a filthy scoundrel.’

“At last, sleeping beauty is awake.” 

Lizette kept her tongue knotted. The blazes on her stare answered on her behalf. 

August scoffed at the silent response. ‘Precious little thing,’ Had only she known how much he enjoyed obstinate women. The only thing that was better than bending a spitfire to his will was getting a nun to kneel before his cock.

A slight twitch tugged at his cheek; his smirk widening at the fond memory.  

‘Ah, Mary… you sure pray hard.’

Letting go of his whiskers and the chalice in his grasp, the Captain reached for a loaf of bread and split it in half. Steam rose and coiled to the air.  The scrumptious scent of the freshly baked goods quickly filled the room and wafted over Lizette in a tempting invitation. Absentminded, she suckled her bottom lip, almost able to taste the sweetness on her tongue. 

The pirate held out one piece of the loaf, an unmistakably provoking grin lighting his face. “Would you dine with me, pet?”

Weakness unfurled through her, reminding Lizette that it must have been hours, if not an entire day, since she last ate. Her empty belly flipped and gurgled so loudly that the pirate could hear it even from where he sat. Joy immediately cascaded about his glance; the impish grin between his cheeks further stretched. 

To his delightful surprise, the girl was a lot more stubborn than she appeared. Instead of begging, she offered a spiteful glare and turned her face away. 

“I’d rather starve!” 

“Suit yourself.” The Captain shrugged and bit on one of the pieces. Hums and moans sputtered from his mouth, all exaggerated to taunt his brazen prisoner. As he finished chewing, he sucked on each of his inked fingers. 

“Got a name, pet?”

“What matter is that to you?” The girl spat.

August shrugged again and returned to the chalice, dragging it on the table's surface in circular motions. A deep-red whirlpool briefly formed in his drink. He stared at it indifferently as he retorted, “Matters not, pet. But since you’ll be spending some time here in my quarters, I will require a moniker to approach you by. Question is, would you rather I choose a name for you myself? It won’t be a nice one. I can promise you that.” 

Keeping her eyes averted, the girl folded her knees and hugged them, a deep sigh sinking from her. She couldn’t even bring herself to imagine the horrendous name he would choose.

“My name is Lizette.” 

A touch of dark delight kissed his face—as if he had heard the enchanting hymn of a siren. Thoughtful, he stopped stirring his drink to the sound of her name, licked his lips, lifted the chalice and pressed it to his lips. “Ah, yes, you are definitely a Lizzy.” 

“It’s Lizette!” she vehemently corrected.  

“Oh!” The pirate abruptly twirled his free hand in the air, his brows lifting in a sardonically submissive gesture. “Forgiveness! Mercy, milady!” That had earned him the attention he was hoping to receive, as finally, Lizette snapped to glare at him. 

The pure ire on her face did nothing but feed his amusement. 

With a slanted grin and his thumb brushing his whiskers, he eyed her back. It’s been a while since a girl piqued his fascination, and this one was indeed something else. Fear seeped from her like dewy nectar from a ripe fruit. The sheen of sweat clinging to her skin and the throbbing at the crook of her neck gave away her true emotions. Yet, she exuded the unyielding fury of a harpy, the shackles around her throat barely deterring her brazen spirit.. 

‘Bold little thing. As ferocious as the ship’s cat…’ August thought and then frowned, ‘Where is that ungodly creature, anyway? Haven’t seen it in a while.’ 

“Lady Lizette…” the correct moniker rolled smoothly on his tongue in an inherently sinister sweetness. “Are you always such a rude guest to your hosts?”

“Guest?!” Lizette seized the chain that held her collar to the wall and lifted it in front of him—a deep frown decorating her weary face.  

“I am not a guest! I am a prisoner!”

“Ah! Ah!” The pirate lifted his inked index finger in an unbearably pretentious manner. "It was you who came aboard my ship willingly, and let us not forget—uninvited.” 

Lizette felt a chill in her chest, the same chill she always sensed when getting an answer wrong in her Latin lessons. He was right, and there was more to it. Pirate or not, doesn't every man deserve respect in his own home? 

That notion made her cheeks hot. 

“And if I may…“ the pirate drawled huskily and shifted into his seat. Lizette’s eyes followed his movement with the wariness of a skittish cat. Initially bemused, she realised his hand had snaked below the table and was now fumbling with his waistband. 

A deep, pulsating pang bloomed in her core as the primordial anxiety every maiden is doomed to suffer from awoke within her. Alarmed, she shook her head and blurted hoarsely, “Wait!” 

The pirate paid her no mind; either he didn’t hear or didn’t care. Then, his hand sprang back sharply with a pistol in his grip—the same one he had confiscated from her merely a few hours before. 

“Did you not attempt to murder me in my own home?” 

With those words, he slammed the pistol on the table, the dull thud booming through the cabin wall and causing Lizette to jump with a start.

Sinking back to his red regal chair, August crossed his fingers together and pressed his lips together with the contempt of an authority figure. The many golden trinkets around his fingers chimed as they collided. 

“Answer me, Pet.” 

Lizette regarded the pistol carefully. The golden floral embellishments upon the handle sparked with the candle's light.  For a fleeting moment, she wondered how fast she needed to be to grab the pistol and shoot him dead in his rotten heart. Instead, she simply nodded, much as she could with the heavy collar around her neck. The spots where the sharp edges grazed her flesh burnt as sweat dripped over the bruised skin.

“Dumb as your plan was, I do appreciate the gesture, las. It wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to murder me, but it’s definitely the first time it was a beautiful young lady. Was all of this because of a boy?” He challenged, crooking one eyebrow. 

This time, Lizette did not hesitate to answer. 

“You robbed me of my future!” She corrected, and though she tried to maintain a fierce demeanour, the quiver in her voice gave away the rageful grief. 

Sympathy, sadly, was not in August’s books, especially not whilst being distracted by the way her breasts pressed against the confines of the corset with every fervorous breath. A small, almost inaudible groan left his lips. He wondered if she, indeed, was a virgin. Did he deny her of her wedding night? Were these lovely tits ever in the hands of a man before? 

Surely, he would find out. One way or another. 

With a glare still fixed on her cleavage, he grazed his dimpled chin and simply shrugged. 

“Pirate.” 

Lizette hissed in response. Defiant, she snapped her arms across her chest to hide her cleavage. 

‘Pig.’

“So I robbed you of your future,” August continued, mimicking quotation marks with his long, inked fingers. “And thus, you thought you should rob me of mine?” 

“And what future would that be? Murdering and whoring?” she muttered hatefully.  

The pirate swatted a hand over his chest, giving her a fake, exaggerated pout. “Now that pains me, love.” 

Lizette could sense the blood seeth beneath her skin. She was used to men belittling her, but never did she experience such sheer mockery and humiliation. Trembling, she yelled back, “Good! I wish you nothing but pain!”

“And so she continues to insult me in my own home.” August clicked his tongue and shook his head with sardonic disappointment. “You highborn ladies sure lack respect. ‘Funny thing is, no matter how uppity women like you act, they all want the same thing…” his voice slurred and deepened, coaxing a baffled look from the maiden who abruptly forgot her wrath and ate the bait. 

“And what would that be?” 

The pirate stood and calmly paced to the fore of the table, where he leaned against the edge to peer down at his prisoner. Lizette remained guarded. he was fairly far away yet close enough for his shadow to fall upon her face and for his manhood to be situated at the level of her mouth. She struggled to avoid staring at it directly, which only made that wretched smug smile light his face again.

“What you ladies truly want is to be violated by none other but us ‘lowlife scoundrels’,” August nibbled his bottom lip, a dry chuckle escaping him as more fond memories came to mind. “Truly, the lots of you are bored by the castrated virility of the poised gentlemen. All you fantasise about is to be fucked dirty like a whore by a brute who has no sense of propriety.” 

The pirate held his fist before him and mimicked a slow pumping motion. Although Lizette did not quite understand it, his words alone were enough to leave her gravely unsettled. 

“You are an animal,” she snarled, not realising that her nails were biting into her forearms as she clutched herself so protectively. 

But that merely fueled him.    

“Tell me, Pet, did your boy satisfy those dark desires before he left a delicious bonny lass like yourself all alone? Did he split open and plundered your sweet little cunt, ass, and mouth, or did he leave you wet and miserable?”

Heat crawled at Lizette’s cheeks, yet she wasn’t sure whether it was from outrage or shame. Never in her life had she even considered the possibilities he had suggested, and now those horrifying images poisoned her mind.  

Amused by her obvious mortification, the pirate tilted his head impishly. “No? Not even a finger or a tongue?”

“Stop it!” She implored, her voice cracking.

Ignoring her plea, he clicked his tongue. “Aw, sweet, tender flower. That’s the problem, isn’t it? He left you all alone and uncharted—that lonesome seal, begging to be invaded. Well, milady, you didn’t have to threaten me with a pistol in that case. All you had to do was ask.” 

The pirate reached for his bulge and squeezed it, much to Lizette’s dismay.

”Trust me, one night with me, and you’d forget you ever loved him.”

That was enough to send Lizette over the edge. Not thinking twice, she jerked to her feet, the chains around her rattling along a furious onslaught that sputtered from her mouth. 

“Love?! What do you know about love? You are a monster! All you do is kill and rape! You are incapable of love, and I’d be damned if anyone could ever love you!” 

All the candles in the cabin flickered with a sudden gust of wind as the pirate suddenly lunged forward. He moved so fast, too fast. Lizette hadn’t even had the chance to sway from his touch, and already he was upon her. Crude fingers dug deep into the hollows of her cheek, forcing her to face his terrorising stare. 

“You think this is a game? You think you know anything about me, little girl? About what I’ve done!?” 

It was not a question to be answered, and even so, Lizette couldn’t bring herself to speak; she was suffocating, drowning on the surface. All around her, the air stood dense with the scent of iron, wine, and musky sweat, whilst the weight of his body crushed as it clung to her. 

Closer, deeper. Layers upon layers of silk and wool separated their skin from one another, and still, she sensed the curve and firmness of his robust figure. The woven map of muscles that adorned his torso and the flex each muscle made as he tensed were evident 

But none of this came close to what she saw as he forced her to look into his eyesa wrathful maelstrom pregnant with sinister urges beyond her darkest fears. It felt as if it was trying to draw her into a deep sense of anger, and grief submerged her.

Dread began to spill into her veins. He was going to kill her.

Lizette sucked in a deep shuddering breath. She was not going to join her Edward. Not tonight.

“Let go of me!” She squealed and began to punch his shoulders repeatedly. It felt like hitting iron, every blow more painful than the other, yet she refused to stop. 

Indeed, she was just like that sea monster of a cat.

Stoic as an icy sea breeze, the pirate tilted his head at the girl. Despite her desperate efforts, her battle did nothing but vex him. Quirking one eyebrow, he released his grip from her jaw and swiftly reached for her hands. Lizette did her best to evade, squirming erratically, but to no avail. With a swift single hand, he seized her wrists and pinned them above her head with a booming thud.

The girl gasped out with surrender, strands of her hair blowing back and forth upon her face as she heaved and panted exhaustingly. With his hand around her wrists and his body slightly bent to meet her height, he stood  closer to her than any other man had before. So close that she could taste the wine and sea salt on his breath and study every freckle and every scar that marked his skin. He was nothing like her Edward, she thought; he was coarse and terrifying, and despite it all, she found him tragically beautiful. 

She hated him for that. 

“Listen to me now and listen carefully,” he finally spoke, tightening his grip around her wrists.

Liaette lifted her chin disdainfully; it took every ounce of self-restraint not to spit at his murderous, smug face. 

“You’ve mistook my hospitality and playfulness for kindness, but let’s get this straight; I am not a good man. Upset me, and I will pluck that little flower between your thighs without blinking and then throw you to my crew once I have my fill.” 

His words brought a stark shiver down her spine, yet it wasn’t just fear this time but something far more primordial. Between her trembling thighs, she sensed dewy wetness. A desperate gnawing need she had never known before. Trying to ease and brush it off, she squirmed and ground her thighs. 

August’s brow rose with realisation, an immediate knowing grin spilling upon his malicious face. He leaned closer, his lips and whiskers brushing against her ear as he spoke. 

“Seems like there won’t be much resistance from you, isn’t that so, pet? Soon, you’ll beg me to fuck y…”

His words were cut as warm saliva splattered on his cheek. 

He shut his eyes momentarily, releasing a deep, exasperated grunt and then moved an inch away to fish a silk handkerchief from his pocket. Lizette watched proudly as he wiped his face. 

The pirate, however, was not amused. Throwing away the handkerchief, he offered her a deadly frown. And then he leaned in, his mouth drawing voraciously closer to hers as if meaning to devour her.

“I warned you…”

“Captain.”

A low, sonorous call followed from the door, drawing both August and Lizette to turn their heads toward the uninvited guest. 

Lizette blinked twice. The man in question was almost the spitting image of August, though his hair was wild with earthy curls and his beard fully grown, pointy, and tended with wax. Indifferent to the scene before him, he drew a pipe from his pockets and lit it with the flame of a candle that stood on a shelf near the door.  

August regarded him with slight respect, yet not without annoyance:." What is it? I am busy.”

“I can see that,” the other pirate puffed out, grey lines of smoke following through his nostrils, “you are needed at the brig.”

“About?”

“Flint might finally speak.”

Eyes ablaze with sudden intrigue, August straightened to his fall height and drew a step back from the girl yet kept his grip around her wrists. 

“I assume your methods worked, brother?” He crooked one eyebrow at the other pirate curiously. 

‘Brother, of course,’ Lizette nearly chuckled. The men must have been twins, although she could tell the other sibling had far more grey in his untamed mane. 

“My methods always work.” He answered with dry arrogance. “Finish her off later. This is more important.”

August lingered, his fingers brushing over his moustache as he contemplated what to do with his sweet little prisoner. The possibilities were endless, yet the more interesting ones would take some time, and with the trouble she gave him, he definitely wanted to give her what she deserved. 

A deep, exasperated sigh left his lips. “A moment, Gus,” he requested, finally unhanding the girl. 

The man, now known as Gus, bowed his head and threw Lizette a quick glance before disappearing into the darkness behind the door.

“It seems like I have some business to attend to, love. Shall we continue our little fun later?” August teased, slight annoyance still lingering at the tone of his voice.

Lizette did not answer. Rubbing her aching wrists, she watched him cautiously while he searched within his pockets.  She wondered what new cruel method of torment he would inflict to her now. 

To her surprise, it was a small silver key.

He lifted it to her face and offered her a razor-sharp  stare." The water is close to freezing; sharks and eels are swimming within them, and every man upon my deck is probably plotting to use you as fuckhole since the moment you stepped onboard. I trust you won’t try anything stupid in my absence.”

“Like what?” Despite her physical and mental exhaustion, she dared to speak back, “Seduce one of your crew members to fornicate with me so he would betray and murder you?” 

Her weariness must have brought out the worst in her because she would have never thought of such an inappropriate, vile thing. Then she realised it was  him who, in less than a few hours, corrupted her soul. 

August paused and contemplated for a moment as if this was an actual possibility he did not consider. However, he brushed it off with a burst of taunting laughter while proceeding to unlock the collar around her neck. “I wouldn’t  recommend it, love. They all come with so many exotic afflictions on their cock s that no doctor has even heard of.” 

As the iron was removed from her little neck, the girl rested her hands around it, massaging the cuts and bruises that formed beneath. It ached even worse as the chill air of the night pecked at the raw flesh. 

The pirate waltzed toward the table, reclaiming the pistol in an obviously provoking manner. He sheathed it back at the front of his waistband and paced toward the door. 

“I won’t be long, love,” he promised, and with that, he left and locked the door behind him.

Lizette listened carefully to the sound of his footsteps, counting them one by one until she could no longer hear him. And then, she began to search around the cabin for anything, anything that can be used as a weapon. 

‘I will not be a pirate’s whore.’  She vowed to herself while absentmindedly grazing a palm over her cheeks where August had touched her. 

[venussaidso]

Nodal Dominant Themes — 𝐍𝐚𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 12

Ardra, Swati, Shatabhisha embody Rahu qualities to the fullest. Breaking boundaries, whether they mean to or not, refining or rebuilding themselves by the way they absorb Maya (illusion), being thrown into foreign lands to create, explore and challenge existing paradigms. The ultimate mastery of Rahu nakshatras lies in recognizing that Maya is not the goal, but the process of refinement. This is shown in the natives' urge to learn, apply and cultivate something for themselves. This means that their initial stages have a lot of lack, and that's where that hunger to achieve and receive comes from. They'll take on challenges if it means there's an opportunity to fulfill themselves. In these following examples, the Rahuvian character is often given an opportunity to enter higher societies, usually through a job, a scholarship or from meeting the right person in the right time.

Swati Sun Julia Roberts, in Pretty Woman, plays a poor, sex worker who enters the high society through a billionaire and becomes 'refined'. Despite her glow up, her authenticity still contrasts with the pretentiousness of the high class social circle she finds herself in, challenging their perceptions of worth and class.

Much like Pretty Woman, in the film My Fair Lady, the Rahuvian meets a snobbish phonetics professor who wages that he can make her presentable in high society.

In the film Khoobsurat, Shatabhisha Moon Sonam Kapoor Ahuja plays a quirky physiotherapist who is ill-mannered and boundless. She is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work for a royal family. There, she meets a handsome young Rajput prince who is her complete opposite (given that he is portrayed by a Mula Moon native, Fawad Khan, who adheres to the customs of his background, bound by his roots).

Despite their different social classes, the royal family learns a lot from her authenticity.

This theme of outer duality in which the native crosses over to a whole new world different from where they originally came from centers a lot around the 'poor vs rich' dynamic in these modern examples — exploring classism, elitism and other societal divisions which make outsiders.

As I briefly gave examples in this post, Shatabhisha can be linked to Cinderella. Which means that trine nakshatras can also inherit this theme of person from poor background falls in love with person from wealthy background. As shown in that post, the union is often with a Mula native. It was expected to find these Rahu-Ketu connections, as the nodes are always one with each other. Their themes can overlap, which I'll be going more into further down this post.

The Mula CEO also comes from old money.

Rahu thrives on venturing the unknown and embracing the unconventional, often shown in the trope of one falling in love with someone alien.

This otherworldly love is seen in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, where a Rahuvian sailor falls in love with the mermaid, Syrena. Mermaids are captured and exploited by humans — immediately we see this theme of division. And unlike the other humans, he treats Syrena with respect and equality.

Syrena is portrayed by Mula Moon Astrid Berges-Frisbey, while the sailor is portrayed by Ardra Sun Sam Claflin. In the end, Philip becomes a merman and lives with Syrena underwater. This transformation that the Rahuvian goes through in order to unite with a lover of another species is also seen in the film Lisa Frankenstein, starring Shatabhisha Moon Kathryn Newton — although it's more in a Romeo-&-Juliet style.

The Rahuvian character, Lisa, falls in love with Creature, who is a living corpse portrayed by Magha ASC Cole Sprouse. Lisa kills herself in a tanning bed to join the Creature in death. Their union shows her alive, but mummified.

This theme of one overcoming the obstacle between them and the person they desire is seen yet again in the film Casper (1995). A girl, played by Magha ASC Christina Ricci, meets a ghost named Casper, who falls in love with her. Casper is voiced by Malachi Pearson who has potential Swati Moon. Casper's one wish is to be human again so that he can win her heart.

His wish is fulfilled but he can only be human up until midnight. His human form is portrayed by Swati Moon Devon Sawa.

In the Korean drama, Are You Human?, Shatabhisha Sun Gong Seung-yeon plays a bodyguard who is given an opportunity to protect an advanced humanoid whom she falls in love with. Another abnormal, interspecies relationship.

The humanoid is the clone of an heir of a rich conglomerate. The heir is portrayed by Magha Moon native Seo Kang-joon – him being born into wealth contrasts with her being brought up from a poorer background; we see this theme again of a cross over between two opposite worlds as she gets romantically entangled with him.

A lot of these pairings show Rahu's need to break taboos and seek authenticity over conformity, as these unions tend to be abnormal in a discriminatory society. As illusory as Rahu is by nature, it highlights the illusions within society and the challenges that come with it.

Rahu seeks to challenge conventions, forcing individuals to confront their biases, embrace diversity, and explore love in its most expansive ways; while Ketu can be detached from society in general, already transcending or dissociating from it altogether.

Now extending the old money archetype into this, we can see Rahuvians embodying this shabby, nonconforming, rough-around-the-edges, transformative archetype who'll be on the opposite end. As Ketu symbolizes the past, ancestral roots, tradition, the old way of doing things; Rahu symbolizes the future, foreignness, pursuit, a new way of doing things.

Old money often means adhering to strict family rituals, customs, and expectations. There's an expectation for the wealthy to marry their own, maintaining a cultural practice that has existed for centuries, a theme of Ketu as it means to preserve the past. But Rahu comes in as a disruptor, changing rules that seemed absolute, causing more confusion and tension. Rahu often seeks unity, even with our all differences.

Rahu and Ketu are always 180 degrees apart in a chart. This gives an understanding to how they're always on opposite sides of the same coin. So their union in these media examples often come with resistance and chaos.

The story of Romeo and Juliet is about a star-crossed love stuck in this push-&-pull between tradition and breaking free from tradition.

Rahu is symbolized as the head of a dragon, while Ketu is the tail. Together they remain in this endless chase, their nature defined by longing and separation. Maria and Tony from A West Side Story mirrors this nodal dynamic, as it's based on the classic Romeo and Juliet. Just as the nodes themselves are forever trapped in opposition and in an eternal chase, these lovers remain trapped by their differences. Their love and lives are destined to be cut short, signifying the impossible union between the opposing nodes in these forbidden love stories.

The tragic ending of Maria and Tony’s story reflects the inevitable nature of the nodes. In both Romeo and Juliet and A West Side Story, we see the power of love transcending societal barriers, yet this love is doomed by the very forces it seeks to overcome.

Another pair of this nodal influence (Ketu-Ketu), with this exact theme, is Mavis and Johnny from the animation Hotel Transylvania. Mavis is voiced by Ashwini Moon Selena Gomez, and Johnny is voiced by Magha Sun Andy Samberg. Mavis is a vampire and Johnny is a human. Their worlds should never have had a crossover to begin with. But Johnny, being Magha, feels a sense of belonging with these monsters and Mavis instead of fearing them (a nod to the Mula archetype and Beauty-&-the-Beast trope, which, as I've stated before, can also manifest itself as Ketu-Ketu instead of Ketu-Jupiter... much like Belle and Rumpelstiltskin from Once Upon A Time, Belle being played by Mula Sun Emilie de Ravin and Rumpelstiltskin portrayed by Ashwini Sun Robert Carlyle — the show's own Beauty & the Beast).

Though light-hearted and comedic, their union was forbidden as monsters and humans should be kept apart to their own worlds due to past conflicts. Mavis' father, Dracula, goes to great lengths to separate the two, but then he realizes that their love is genuine and overcomes his prejudices.

The theme of letting go touches on Ketu's tendency to sever ties, signifying the lesson of how temporary things are, including love. As Mars also rules Ashwini nakshatra, there can a theme of loss.

Connecting Orpheus to Ashwini, so much of this nakshatra's themes are highlighted in this Greek myth. Ketu is associated with nature, animal caretaking, and taming wild beasts. This is seen in Orpheus's ability to charm animals, move trees and rocks, and even change the course of rivers, through his music. Music has been known as a form of comfort and healing, and Orpheus' music is so powerful that it hypnotizes wild beasts, even influencing Hades, the ruler of the underworld.

The mythological character loses the love of this life, Eurydice, and he is unable to accept her death. He becomes so desperate, filled with grief and fear, that he descends into the underworld to get Eurydice back. As Ashwini can be driven by selfishness, severance becomes a major lesson in their journey.

The musical film Black Orpheus (1959) is directed by Ashwini Sun, Magha ASC Marcel Camus, a black Brazilian retelling of the tale.

In Jason & the Argonauts (2000), Ashwini Moon Adrian Lester portrays Orpheus. In the animation Hell and Back, *Ashwini Moon Danny McBride voices Orpheus. In 1960s The Giants of Thessaly, Massimo Girotti portrays Orpheus and he has Moon in Magha (trine nakshatra to Ashwini). This obvious connection of Ashwini to Orpheus takes me back to the ruling deities, the Ashwini Kumaras. Ashwini can be related to partnership, soulmates, connected minds. Here, there's a theme of inseparability yet the nature of the nakshatra forces severance. Back to the tale — With just the charm of his music, Orpheus is able to convince Hades to bring Eurydice back to life, only under the condition that Orpheus never looks back at her when they leave the underworld. Overwhelmed with so much love, he's unable to help himself, as he fails and looks back at her as they neared the exit. This is how Orpheus loses Eurydice forever.

Similar to Orpheus, the Twelfth Doctor from Doctor Who spirals into madness and desperation after the death of his close companion, Clara Oswald. The Twelfth Doctor is played by Ashwini Sun native Peter Capaldi. His Aries relentlessness and selfishness has him breaking the laws of time to bring her back, just like Orpheus breaks the natural order of life to get Eurydice back.

Clara Oswald is interestingly nodal herself, being played by Ashwini native Jenna Coleman.

YouTube video link

His journey through grief and his refusal to let her go mirrors Orpheus's determination to challenge the natural order of life for love. In the end, Twelve's memories of Clara get wiped out when he is forced to sever ties with her. Clara remains dead and so does Eurydice. This makes these pairs star-crossed, as Ketu reminds us of the inevitability of loss and separation. With Mars there, it makes it an obvious theme with Ashwini nakshatra.

Orpheus tried to get Eurydice back after her death by seeking the realm of the dead as a mortal being. He finds the cave that led to Hades and slowly descended into the Underworld. He sang to Cerberus, a terrifying, three-headed monstrous watchdog, able to tame and charm the beast so that he enters. This theme of entering portals to other worlds and dimensions tends to be associated with Ketu, and I find it interesting that I am particularly seeing the magic within Ashwini nakshatra.

In the 2008 film Jumper, Ashwini Sun Hayden Christensen plays a young man who can teleport himself anywhere and everywhere due to a genetic anomaly.

It is interesting that Ketu nakshatras also have this otherworldliness quality to them which is seen in having access to portals or dissociating into other realms. Although I have already explored this theme within the context of Anuradha nakshatra, there is still an undeniable nodal influence to it as I see these nakshatras frequently pop up in this genre of film.

Magha Sun Amy Adams' character in Enchanted falls into a well which is a portal to another world. In Alice in Wonderland (2010), Magha Moon and Swati Sun native Mia Wasikowska's character also falls into a portal to another world.

In the animation Caroline, Ashwini ASC and Shatabhisha Sun native Dakota Fanning voices a girl who finds a portal to another world. In 1953's Peter Pan, Ardra Sun Kathryn Beaumont voices Wendy who is taken to another magical world called Neverland by a boy named Peter Pan who's voiced by Shatabhisha Sun Bobby Driscoll. In 2003's Peter Pan live-action movie, Wendy is played by Ardra Moon Rachel Hurd-Wood, taken into this whole other reality of magic and wonder. In Hook (1991), adult Peter Pan is portrayed by Shatabhisha Moon and Swati ASC Robert Williams, the character a middle-aged lawyer from the modern world who returns to his magical origins. In the Korean drama Spice Up Our Love, Ashwini Moon Han Ji-hyun's character wakes up as the protagonist of the web novel she wrote. In the Korean drama W: Two Worlds Apart, Shatabhisha Sun Han Hyo-Joo gets sucked into a webtoon written by her father. There she falls in love with the protagonist who is played by Shatabhisha Moon Lee Jong-Suk, who gets gets sucked into her reality as well. In the Chinese drama Love Game in Eastern Fantasy, Mula Sun Esther Yu gets sucked into a video game novel as a supporting character. In The Wizard of Oz, Mula Moon and Ardra ASC Judy Garland plays a Kansas farm girl who is taken away in a tornado and ends up in the magical Land of Oz. In the series Emerald City, Ashwini Sun Adria Arjona is a Kansas nurse who is transported by a tornado to the Land of Oz. In the film Oz: The Great & Powerful, Ashwini Sun James Franco is a magician who is hurled away from Kansas into the wonderful land of Oz.

As Rahu is associated with illusions and exploring the foreign, we see this theme of escaping into simulations and dreamy worlds which one becomes absorbed in. This has been explored deeper within Swati nakshatra, which combines the arts and illusory tendencies of Rahu together.

The influence of the nodes often transcends the physical realm, embodying forces of spirituality, illusion and transformation together. But they both manifest differently in this theme. Rahu becomes absorbed in illusions (in form of the arts, simulations, imagination (ex. Peter Pan being the boy who is attached to Neverland because he never grows up — Neverland is an illusory place only found in the minds of children, this highlighting his attachment to illusions)); while Ketu tends to escape the material plane altogether, yearning transcendence and passing by realms to seek meaning and lessons.

In the film Meet Joe Black, Mula Sun Brad Pitt plays an otherworldly being who takes over the body of a man to experience Earth and be guided in the teachings & meaning of life. His very existence quite literally transcends time and space, which I relate to Ketu, as he is a mystery himself.

He is innately detached from human concerns like time, societal expectations, and permanence. But he falls in love with a human named Susan, who is also nodal-ruled, and his nature makes their connection doomed from the start. Susan is played by Mula Sun, Mula Moon native Claire Forlani. This making for another star-crossed pair because he can never fully participate in human life.

Going into the body-swapping trope, this calls to Rahu's desire to navigate a foreign perspective while Ketu seeks to transcend its rigid reality.

In the film Hot Chick (2002), Swati ASC Rachel McAdams plays a teenage girl who wakes up in the body of a 30-year-old male criminal played by Swati Sun and Ashwini Moon native Rob Schneider. In 1989's film Dream a Little Dream, an accident puts the consciousness of an elderly dream researcher played by Magha Moon Jason Robards into the body of a bratty teenager who is played by Mula Sun and Shatabhisha Moon native Corey Haim. Many more examples often include a Saturn nakshatra native as well, which I found very interesting. Hopefully I'll be circling back to that one day!

Rahu is thriving on the chaos of this trope since an entirely new identity is being explored (and lessons are learned as the social difference in one's gender, class, and even age tends to be highlighted for the ignorant one (Rahu essentially refining the native through this experience)).

The interaction of the nodes drive each other to a deeper understanding of life's illusions as it signifies letting go and refining oneself. In this little exploration, I got to understand that Ashwini is a romantic nakshatra which deals with loss and forced detachment due to Ketu. While Rahu nakshatras tend to be more romantic and igniting conflict in their pursuit of a love that's not right according to societal standards. This solidifies the image of the eternal chase of the dragon representing desire and detachment.

[caplanbuckybarnes]

Bucky Barnes Drabbles/One Shots

banner by the lovely @sarahowritesostucky

updated December 12 2025

Main Masterlist

Requesting Rules

Before I Catch You || Summary: You try to run as fast as you can away from the winter soldier.

Better Off Alone || Summary: The Winter Soldier lets you free.

Bossy Play || Summary: You meet your new boss.

Change Your Mind || Summary: Summary: After an intense fight between you and Bucky, you vow to get your revenge on him. He thinks your kidding around until he wakes up with an arm made of metal. Will he forever have the metallic limb? Or will you both resolve your issues and cause his arm to become human like once more?

Cold Kisses || Summary: The winter soldier always comes to you for help after a mission. He hardly speaks, let alone kisses you after a treatment...

Come Out, Come Out || Summary: After a long mission, after he'd damned near destroyed every building in his path, the Winter Soldier finally comes face to face with the lone child that had somehow survivede the chaos that he ensured around the damn. He had orders to kill everyone. And he'd be a fool to let one little child go unharmed.

The Devil's Tailor || Summary: you work for dangerous criminals, most notably, the mafia leader himself, when they need new suits and dresses for political statements.

Don't Touch Me || Summary: Bucky tries to comfort you after a nightmare, it doesn’t go as well as he wanted.

Guns N' Thugs || Summary: Bucky protects a woman from being harassed after he recognises the perpetrators as his enemy’s goons.

Howling Moon || Summary: you find out Bucky's a werewolf.

Long Live My Heart || Summary: Bucky decides to leave you after a long strenuous battle in his mind. He didn't give a reasoning behind his departure.

Mafia Cakes || Summary: there's a new worker in the bakery you frequent.

Never Safe Again || Summary: you’d thought you would have been safe after all this time.

Pirate's Heart || Summary: Bucky enlists you, a smuggler, to get him away from the royal guard after he steals something from the crown.

Rescue Me || Summary: you vowed to rescue Bucky. No matter what it took.

She's Like Heroin || Summary: you and Bucky have been fighting for MONTHS. And you couldn’t figure out why until you catch him trying to leave without saying a word to you.

Somewhere I Belong || Summary: You're woken up in the middle of the night to your husband freaking out about the villagers finding his wolf form.

Surprise! || Summary: you thought everyone forgot your birthday.

Those Cold Nights || Summary: bucky always waits for you at the end of your shift to make sure you get home safely.

[amarynthian-chronicles]

Royal Y/N: hey, sorry, what's the wifi password in here?

Pirate Sun: weren't you tied up?

Royal Y/N: yes, but I got bored. You could have left me a magazine. Such an uneventful captivity this is.

Pirate Moon: what the bloody blazes is a wifi password?

Royal Y/N, leaving the chamber: you know what, fine, I am going back to my room.

Pirate Sun: the disrespect, after everything we have done for them.

Pirate Moon: we need to start enforcing some discipline here, we spoil them too much.

5 minutes later

Captain Eclipse, appearing ominously in the dark corridor, leaning closer and whispering to Y/N: it's clipsyrulez87. Don't tell my brothers.

Royal Y/N, with a sly smile: I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship, Captain.

[zosan-secondchances]

The Pirate King of the North: Part 7

Main Themes: Villain Sanji, Alternate Universe, Zosan Ship

Warning: Long post ahead with One Piece spoilers. Contains strong language and explicit content.

Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Zoro should count his lucky stars when Nami showed up when she did. She was on her way to Sabaody Archipelago to personally deliver the map that he asked for. He hadn’t seen their former navigator for almost a decade so he was taken aback at how powerful she had become manipulating the weather the way she did. It’s not that he ever underestimated her before, but he won’t openly admit that to her. She practically took on an entire armada of Pacifistas on multiple Marine vessels without so much as getting a scratch or being seen. It looks like travelling the world on Weatheria has worked out very well for her. The swordsman reminds himself to send a letter to Usopp to compliment his handiwork with her new staff as well.

Law had received their message and had been waiting at Duval’s base ahead of them. They should be celebrating Sanji’s success and their return, but the Heart Pirates had no smiles to share that night.

Bepo pushed the stretcher where Sanji laid, rushing him to the surgery room aboard the Polar Tang. Keeping up with them, a few other members of the Heart Pirates worked together to wrap a breathing mask around the blonde’s face, manage the gas tanks and calibrate other medical equipment attached to the stretcher while Law held the IV line that’s secured to the blonde’s arm. He injects a clear liquid into the drip chamber as he walks along quickly.

Law

Penguin, I need that blood result as soon as you can get them. We may need to look for donors if we don’t have his type in stock. I doubt royal blood type comes in abundance.

Penguin

Yes, Captain!

Penguin turns his heel with a few other members of the crew following him. They walk past Zoro, who is following closely behind, the entire front of his robe stained with dried blood.

Sanji

Wait…

Law

Sleep tight, Mr. Prince-ya.

Sanji weakly pulls the pouch that was looped around his wrist. He stretches it towards Zoro, wincing when he holds out his hand to a certain extent.

Law

Don't move, idiot!

Seeing that Sanji wouldn't listen to the doctor, Zoro rushes to his side and grabs the pouch by its bottom. The blonde clasps Zoro’s hands in his as he holds onto it tightly. With a dry mouth, he speaks in a rasp.

Sanji

I'm entrusting these to you until I get back. Promise me that you won't lose them.

Zoro opens his mouth as if to say something but ends up staring at their hands. There's just about a million things that he wants to tell and ask him, but can't seem to decide which one to say out loud first.

Sanji resists closing his eyes shut. He props himself on the elbow on the side without the open wound, still holding onto the swordsman as if his life depended on it.

Law

Oi! Lay back down.

Sanji

Marimo, I need to hear it.

Zoro looks up to his eyes. What was once bright and blue are now completely filled with pain and desperation, much like a helpless animal cornered by a beast.

Sanji coughs, getting a splatter of blood on the white sheets of the stretcher, some drips at the corner of his mouth. Law pushes him back down by the chest.

Law

I said lay down! You’re making it worse!

Sanji

Zoro, your word.

Zoro wants to give him the moon on a silver string.

Sanji

Please….

Zoro

Y–yes! I promise.

Sanji

Good….

At that, Sanji succumbs to slumber.

—

Zoro emerges from inside the submarine and into the chill of the night on the top deck. His head is down and hands tucked inside his sleeves, working the pouch loops around his forearm to keep it secure and out of sight. He stops then straightens himself in front of Nami who’s reading the most recent papers that she had acquired just a few moments ago. When the navigator sees him, she quickly folds the paper and tucks it under an arm.

Nami

So…was that who I think it was?

Zoro

The Pirate King of the North?

Yeah….

Nami tilts her head on the side as she eases back against the railing of the deck.

Nami

The one you wanted dead.

Zoro

Yes.

Nami

For…what, twenty years? Give or take? And…now, for a reason you wouldn’t tell me, you want him…not dead?

Zoro

Y–yeah….

Zoro rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. It’s not that he doesn’t want to share any details with her, it’s just that he’s still trying to figure out how he feels about the man himself.

Nami

He’s kinda cute, actually. Minus all the bleeding.

Zoro

Yeah….

Nami raises her eyebrows. She gives the swordsman a moment to process his own response.

Zoro’s mind is still shocked and dazed following the events of Sabaody Archipelago. When he realises what he had said to the navigator, he stammers, and tries to find the right response to save himself. After not coming up with one, he settles with just crossing his arms and looking away grumpily. He eyes Duval’s tiki bar on one of their open docks where the man himself and the rest of his Flying Fish gang are currently at, drinking merrily while looking after the family that they had liberated.

Nami gives the swordsman a cheeky smile. After a second, her expression darkens.

Nami

You’re not going to like this then….

The navigator holds out the papers to him.

Zoro takes the papers hesitantly then unfolds them to the front page. His blood boils at the sight of the headlines.

“WORLD NOBLE DONATES TO CHARITY, GETS DISMEMBERED AND ROBBED BY PIRATE KING.”

Nami

Zoro…did this actually happen?

The swordsman remembers what Law had told him about the Marines twisting the truth in favour of the Celestial Dragons. While he knew that the headline and the article weren't entirely untrue, it didn't cover anything about the malice behind the World Noble. Unintentionally, he starts visibly shaking with fury, ripping the entirety of the paper from its sides. Purple aura starts to surround him and sparks of red zap from within. At that point, he wants to rid the face of the planet of all Celestial Dragons and their supporters.

Nami

Hey! I was reading that!

Duval

Is everything okay up there?!

Duval was shouting with concern from the tiki bar down at the docks. When Nami looks over from the side of the sub, she gives him and the worried crowd a reassuring wave after noticing how tense everyone had become–no doubt feeling the swordsman’s unintentional haki flexing.

Nami

Yes, yes! The adults are talking here, so don’t come up!

Duval

But I’m technically older than you….

Looking slightly hurt, Duval returns to making drinks for the people around him. He tries to think of a good distraction to take everyone’s attention from all that tension aboard the ship.

Nami carefully reaches out and places both her hands on Zoro’s shoulders.

Nami

I know this is hard, but you need to calm down. You can wreck this whole place just by doing that. You don’t want that to happen.

Zoro continues to tremble under her but the navigator has learned from the past that nagging him about this would just fan the flames. She approaches with care.

Nami

Remember your breathing exercises? How you had to really step it up because of Brook distracting you?

Zoro’s shoulders flinch at the memory. His aura starts to stabilise.

Nami

How about that song he likes to play…? Do you remember it?

Sure enough, when the swordsman finally gets his senses back, he hears the chorus of Bink’s Sake sung out happily below them by the drunk Flying Fish Pirates and the joyous family that they had freed. Touched at the scene, along with the memories that start flooding through his mind, he relaxes. His aura disappears as quickly as it came.

Nami gives Zoro a couple of pats on the shoulder and takes a step back, separating herself from him.

Nami

Good job. Now come on, let’s get a drink. You look like you could use one. Or two. Or several. Honestly, knowing you, you’d bleed them dry. Screw it, let’s go get drunk. It’s been a while!

Zoro smiles at that, and nods. He misses having a friend who he trusts enough to let his guard down–let alone someone who can keep up with him when it comes to drinking.

Seeing the papers almost tipped him over the edge. Everything that they’d gone through from that previous island left him drained and suffocating. Now, he just feels so tired that he just wants to spend the rest of the night drinking, then nap the whole week away–not wanting to think of a certain blonde who’s currently fighting for his life.

The swordsman misses the times when things are a lot less complicated and a lot more straightforward. At this stage in life, he expects himself to be older and wiser, to know exactly what to do and when. However, nowadays he finds that he’d been second-guessing himself a lot more than ever.

He begins to think about the seemingly innocent game show at Sabao Dome, and how it quickly spiralled into dealing with a Celestial Dragon. He wonders if telling Sanji not to kill him was the right thing to do, and starts questioning his own knowledge of the world. He thinks about his own ignorance and the consequences that someone else had paid for in his lack thereof.

Maybe some people just deserve to die, so he considers going back to get the job done out of spite now that he has a better understanding of how and why his “friend” sees the world the way he does, and the world hates him for it.

Out of nowhere, he feels a slim arm wrap around his own as his navigator friend pulls him out of his trance to walk with him side by side. He doesn’t know how long he’d been just standing there just staring blankly. He welcomes Nami’s presence as it brings him back to reality, taking the opportunity to ground himself.

With a deep breath, he focuses on what’s currently around him. He slowly comes to, feeling the navigator's warmth next to him, smelling the sea in the air, and hearing the sounds of his own feet against the wooden deck and the merry singing in the distance. He pulls himself together and decides that he should stand by his own morals, to stay strong and keep his values. Now is the worst time to falter. If he’s to prove himself to be a real man to protect his friends, he shouldn’t be one to bend so easily.

—

Zoro wakes up the next morning feeling like hell. He pushes himself off whatever ground surface he ended up on, running his hands over his face, trying to ease the throbbing pain in his head. He doesn’t get hangovers a lot but for whatever reason, this is one of the few rare moments when he does and he has it bad.

The swordsman stretches, then winces at the pain from his back and shoulders, only just realising how sore he is from all the fighting and fleeing yesterday. When he looks down, he sees that he’s in a very loose orange boiler suit with the Heart Pirates jolly roger embossed on its front pocket. His face scrunches as a memory comes to mind.

He remembers getting a full lecture from Nami for not changing out of his blood-stained clothes before going out drinking. The Heart Pirates agreed with her so they took matters into their own hands when he refused to take her advice. It took almost the full crew to pin him down so they could clean and dress his wounds to avoid infection. To add insult to injury, Bepo forced him into his spare clothes, which are the only ones that aren't too small for the swordsman, to keep him protected from the chill of the night. They were very concerned that he’d catch a cold, especially having been soaked for hours in the oceanic storm.

He looks around to figure out where he is, then recognises that he’s sat in the middle of the floor of their room aboard the Polar Tang. The familiarity gives him relief. Over at the bunk beds, he sees a mess of orange hair on his pillow. A flash of another memory comes back to him–he’d talked to Nami a lot last night. She promised that she’d be there for him as he waits for Sanji to come out of surgery.

Zoro scooches his butt so his back rests against the far wall. He turns his gaze at the round window. By the looks of it, it’s already late morning so they’d just missed breakfast in the ship’s galley. He digs through his mind, trying to figure out if he saw the blonde at some point in the night but can’t seem to recall anything of the sort. Then he hears blankets shuffle around.

Nami

Morning…. Ugh…someone, kill me.

The navigator struggles to push herself up to a sitting position. With both hands, she parts her hair from her face then nurses her forehead with her fingers. She swings her legs off to the side to face Zoro.

Nami

So…do you want to talk about last night?

Zoro raises a brow at her then returns his gaze to the window.

Zoro

What else is there to talk about? I told you everything already.

Nami

No, you haven't!! You passed out first so I didn’t get all the details!

Zoro groans at the volume of her raised voice. He covers his eyes with a hand.

Zoro

I don’t know what you’re talking about. Mind if you keep it down? You’re doing my head in, witch. Also I didn’t pass out first–you did.

Nami

You were about to tell me about the kiss!

Zoro

Oh–then, no.

Nami

Zoro! Come on! This is the first time I hear you being involved with someone! Is he your first?

Zoro

Look, just forget it, alright? My head wasn't in a good place and I had too much to drink. Why do you care anyway? It’s none of your business.

Nami stands and puts her hands on her hips, looming over him. She gives him an intimidating glare.

Nami

That's not fair, Zoro.

The swordsman grunts in annoyance and chooses not to face her out of spite.

Zoro

What did I do now?

Nami

Do you only talk to me when you have a favour to ask? Or when you need something from me?

Zoro slides his hand off his face to properly look the fuming navigator eye to eye.

Nami

Do you have any idea how worried everyone's been? Sometimes we don’t even know if you’re still alive because no one hears anything from you, sometimes for years. We only know you are because you'd pop up in the papers once in a while.

We try calling but you always throw your snails away. We send you letters but you've only ever replied twice. So you'll have to forgive me if I get all excited just to hear just a smidge of news from someone who means a lot in my life.

Tears welled up in her eyes and snot dripped from her nose as she spoke. She sniffs and runs an arm over her face in an attempt to clean her face.

Zoro’s eye softens and he stands in front of the now crying navigator.

Nami

I really, really miss everyone.

He opens his arms to her, and she runs into it, giving him a tight embrace. The swordsman returns her affection shyly with a hug of his own.

Nami

Zoro, we just want to be there for you.

Zoro

I know….

Nami

But you have to let us in, alright? Otherwise…

Nami pulls away to look up to him, gripping onto his arms.

 Nami

Otherwise…we don’t know if you’re okay.

Zoro quietly nods.

—

The family that were freed from the Celestial Dragons are enjoying their newfound freedom. The merchild had taken to swimming laps around the entire perimeter of Duval's base while the adults celebrated with the gang for hours on end, and doing absolutely anything they can think of “just because they can,” as one of them would say. Such things included eating food any time they wanted, sunbathing, running around wild, singing out loud and wearing the gang’s leather jackets for fun–anything and everything that they can think of they do happily–their future looking as bright as the sun above them.

Man 1

A–are you sure you want us in Weatheria?! We really don’t want to impose…everyone’s done so much for us already!

Nami

Don’t worry about it–you and your family are welcome to stay for as long as you like! We’ve got plenty of space up there and there are no Marines to catch you. It moves as fast as a den-den mushi but we go to different parts of the world collecting data about the weather. Maybe one day you can find a more permanent home but that’s really up to you.

Woman 1

Up to…us?

Nami

Yeah! It’s your life!

Nami turns her heel and waves behind her, walking away to join the swordsman who is currently fishing by a nearby pier.

Man 1

Did you hear that, junior? We can do whatever we want, and go wherever we want!

Merchild

REALLY?! Thank you, kind lady!!

The merchild jumps around happily, clapping to himself. He proceeds to swim all the way around the base for the twentieth time, spouting long streams of water from his lips as he goes–simply because he can.

Nami joins the unhappy looking swordsman who’s grown impatient from the lack of bites from his fishing line.

Zoro

“Kind” is a bit generous.

The navigator’s temper snaps. She delivers a strong kick to Zoro’s back, sending him flying into the horizon.

—

That afternoon, when Zoro had gone and changed into fresh dry clothes, he made his way to the infirmary and knocked on the door as soon as he was told that he could visit Sanji.

Law

Come in.

The swordsman quietly lets himself in, the cool air-conditioned room is a welcome sensation on his sunburnt face.

Law

Oh good, it’s the other one who doesn’t follow my plans.

Law scribbles angry notes onto a clipboard and hangs it on a nearby wall. His face is looking a lot more grumpier and sleep-deprived than usual, which makes sense given that he was up all night performing surgery. The swordsman isn’t even sure if he’s slept or eaten yet.

Zoro closes the door behind him. He puts his hands in his pockets as he approaches, looking at the sleeping blonde tucked comfortably in the infirmary bed. He felt relieved to see that Nami had used her cat burglar skills to pick the slave collar off him earlier. It was an ugly sight and he was glad to have rid of them. In place of it are bandages around his neck, proof that Law had already tended to the wounds.

As Zoro stares at the sleeping patient, the doctor frowns at him for wearing Bepo’s oversized outfit but chooses not to say anything about it. Instead, he stays on topic about his first point.

Law

You lot always do whatever the hell you want. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that the Pirate King was a Straw Hat.

Zoro

Shut up. It’s not the end of the world, okay? Nami’s here, and we got the funds to pay her for the map.

Law

Great, but we still have to find a bubble ship, unless you know a way to make my ship fly. The only capable shipwrights that I know of who specialise in modifying submarines or making bubble ships are in Sabaody Archipelago.

Zoro crosses his arms and gives him an unimpressed face in return.

Zoro

You know the scientists in Weatheria practically invented bubble ships, right?

Law raises an eyebrow, intrigued at the idea.

Zoro

It’s smaller and probably can’t carry everyone you wanted…but it flies. If you play your cards right and you’re nice, maybe the Pirate King will give you more of his money to buy it off our navigator.

Zoro pulls out Sanji's bag from under his sleeve and shakes it in front of Law's face. Its contents jiggled with sound.

Law’s eye twitches at the bag, and at Zoro’s attitude towards him.

Law

I just saved his ass!

And since when do you care so much about him? He gave you everything he got, didn’t he? Given how much you wanted him dead, what’s stopping you from just leaving him behind right here and now?

With an impassive look on his face, Zoro returns the bag in his sleeve, pulls up a chair and sits by Sanji’s side. Calmly, he replies.

Zoro

Would you?

Law crosses his arms and looks away, thinking carefully, as if weighing his options whether or not to also ditch the swordsman who’s apparently now taken the Pirate King’s side–literally and figuratively. 

Law

No.

Zoro

Because you and I know that we’re better than this…

The swordsman reaches out to hold Sanji’s hand in his, gently stroking his knuckles with his thumb.

Zoro

And he needs to see that the world isn’t such a cruel place.

The doctor stays quiet, now looking at Zoro and Sanji’s entwined hands. After a few moments, he decides to give them privacy and walks towards the door.

Zoro

Hey, Traffy…

Law stops but doesn’t turn to face his way.

Zoro

Thanks….

We’ll find Corazon. I swear to you.

Law hides a smirk on his face and continues to move to the door.

Law

I know we will.

—

Zoro didn’t want to part with Nami so quickly, but he knew that the longer they stayed at Duval’s base, the more they put the people around them in danger. Law agreed with him, stating that they need to leave quickly before they leave too much evidence of their visit behind.

They purchased the map and the bubble ship from Nami as planned, giving her a single condensed Seastone that Sanji acquired. The swordsman wasn’t actually sure if the bubble ship was hers to give away, but nevertheless they finally have what they need to travel to Skypiea.

She had also given Bepo a work-in-progress copy of the Grand Line map with a very clear disclaimer stating that it’s incomplete so they may find islands that aren’t drawn on that she isn't aware of. When asked why she gave it for free, she looked at the swordsman and secretly told him that it’s a reward for opening up about his personal life. In truth, Zoro knew that her heart was too big for that, and that she’d give him anything if she thought he needed it.

Duval generously offered to escort Nami and the liberated family to Weatheria with his entire gang on their flying fish mounts to ensure their safe travel. He didn’t ask for much in return but he approached Law to see if he could give him a facelift so he could look just as “handsome” as the Pirate King. Zoro cringed at the idea, but the man was insistent that he wants the same popularity as Sanji did when he saw him in the video feed during the game show at Sabaody Archipelago. Naturally, the doctor refused until Duval begged him for the umpteenth time so Law had to say yes in the end just to shut the man up. Now, Duval looks like an extra “handsome” version of the Pirate King, but much taller.

It’s been three days since they set sail and Sanji still hadn’t woken up from his sleep after his big surgery. Law reports that it’s not because of the wounds inflicted on him but rather the serum that they detected in his blood. It was a type of drug that’s designed to keep the victim in a helpless state for several days. The fact that the blonde was awake for hours after receiving it would have taken a strong constitution on his part. They had flushed it out of his system successfully but his body still needs time to recover naturally. The whole idea of him potentially being in the hands of the Celestial Dragon in that state just makes the swordsman want to turn the ship around to give the World Noble a piece of his mind, and maybe shove one of his blades down his throat while he's at it.

Zoro felt particularly protective so he’d been spending most of his time keeping the blonde company in the infirmary instead of staying more comfortably in their bunk room. He’s been kindly lent a futon to be set up in the corner of the room whenever he needs it. Unsurprisingly, other Heart Pirates have also come to visit Sanji at least once a day not just to check in on their patient, but also to hang out, trying to be supportive of Zoro and hoping to be there the very moment Sanji wakes up. The swordsman welcomed their company lest he spirals too deep into his own mind which he’s been trying to avoid recently. 

Shachi

I reckon he did all that just so he can skip out of doing chores, the lazy fuck.

The others laughed at the snide comment as they played a round of cards between themselves on the floor. They figured that now is the best time to make fun of the blonde, in front of his own face, without worry of any retort.

Penguin

How do you like your new outfit, Mr. Bushido?

Zoro looks down, admiring the orange boiler suit that is now tailored exactly to his size. Over one side of his chest, they embossed the Straw Hat jolly roger on with the Heart Pirate’s one just underneath it, especially made just for him.

Zoro

It’s fine, thanks. It’s great, actually. Luffy would love it too.

Bepo

You properly look like one of us now! It’s a good colour!

Sanji

The Marimo…turned into a giant carrot.

Everyone in the room poke their head up from the floor to look at the blonde on the bed.

Sanji gives the crowd a warm smile and a weak wave.

Heart Pirates

CHORE BOY!!!

They immediately surround Sanji, giving him hugs, pats on the head and cheerful greetings.

Zoro stood behind them, watching the group finally celebrate his return and recovery. He can’t help but smile at the touching scene. The blonde makes eye contact with him and returns his grin with his own.

When the hype had gone down and they felt like they gave the blonde enough affection, the Heart Pirates wished Sanji well and returned to their duties to leave him to rest. Zoro closed the door behind them and turned to approach the bed.

Sanji

It's a shame that I didn't get to meet your nakama.

The blonde massages his neck where the heavy collar once was.

Sanji

I would have liked to have thanked her personally. It was like the heavens sent her.

Zoro lets out an unexpected hearty laugh, making Sanji jump.

Zoro

Sent from the hells, more like.

Sanji

Marimo! You talk about ladies that way?

Zoro

If you knew Nami, you would too.

Zoro gets a faceful of pillow thrown square at him.

—

Hours have passed since the Heart Pirates have left but Sanji can't seem to settle himself comfortably on the bed, his body feeling too sore to properly relax on the unfamiliar thin mattress under him. He gives up eventually and decides to watch the waves of the waters through the round window. He feels that familiar pull again, as if the ocean itself is beckoning him. It's a comfortable feeling that he's always sought after since reading about the All Blue when he was a child in that damp cell where his father kept him.

The repetitious calm waves eventually makes him drowsy, but he fights going back to sleep. He thinks, not just yet. He knew that he’d already missed out on precious days that he could have been spending being up and about, even with the limited space the Polar Tang offered. If he was being completely honest with himself, he’s also feeling scared and fragile–a feeling that hasn’t arisen until the recent encounter with the Celestial Dragon. He's afraid that if he falls asleep, he'd never wake up.

The bed sinks on one side. He turns his head to find that the swordsman had sat next to him, making him smile at the contact and the newfound comfort that the man seems to have with him. It was reassuring and warm to the heart but Sanji knew he’d have to stop whatever this is before he gets too emotionally attached to the man.

This isn’t supposed to happen. He’s planned to have the swordsman by his side as an asset as he does with Doflamingo–to instill fear where he needs it, and destruction where he wants it. The extra sex would have been beneficial as well.

He shouldn’t care about the swordsman. He wanted the challenge of turning someone worth their salt, someone who can keep up with him, someone who the Marines respected. He meant to strip him bare, break him slowly, confuse him, then use him. But now he can’t seem to get himself to do any of that.

Finding love wasn’t supposed to be on the table–or whatever it is that he’s feeling. He starts fearing for the things that might scare the swordsman if he learns too much about his life, and the heartbreak that will inevitably come if this gets too far.

Out of nowhere, Zoro reaches out and takes his hand in his. He gently lifts it to plant a light kiss on the back where an old scar is. The blonde’s eyes soften at the sight.

Sanji

Mellorine…

Zoro

You’re shaking. Have you gone for a nap?

Sanji

No… I couldn't.

The swordsman flips his hand and pecks an old burn mark on his wrist. He looks at Sanji in the eye then places his next kiss on his inner forearm where the burn spans. Slowly, he continued the trail of affection up his arm, then his shoulder, until he found the bandaged area of his neck, kissing over the material right in the middle where he very well knew an old scar is.

Sanji holds his breath as he feels Zoro’s tenderness in the area. The mark was from another slave collar that he tried to force off by hand when was younger, and he’d always associated it with nothing but pain. The swordsman's gentleness on it was a new sensation that made his heart practically flip.

He can’t help but stretch his neck to present himself, exposing his vulnerabilities and succumbing to the affection as the other man continues his barrage of kisses on different spots of his skin. His breath quickens. His face scrunches when he tries to resist the pleasure, only for his body to betray him and demand more.

Zoro pulls the blanket down with his teeth, revealing Sanji’s top half bare. He's fully unclothed aside from the wrappings around one side of his chest where he just had his surgery.

Zoro

This one, I know about….

Zoro kisses a scar on Sanji’s collarbone. He trails his lips down, finding his way on one of the blonde’s pecs, never removing his mouth off his skin.

Sanji

Mhmm…

Sanji wraps his arms around Zoro’s neck, spreading his legs to give him better access.

The swordsman takes the opportunity to mount the bed and hover over his figure with care. 

Sanji

You gave me that one and…

Sanji pushes Zoro’s head further down where the swordsman finds an old stab wound on the side of his waist where he once pierced him with Wado.

The swordsman gives it a light smooch.

Zoro

Don’t forget this one….

Zoro tilts his head and gives an unexpected lick along a deep scar on the V of Sanji’s hips, making the blonde yelp in surprise.

Sanji can’t help but chuckle at the playfulness of it all, entangling his fingers into the man’s soft hair.

The swordsman starts dragging his hands up and down Sanji’s front to soothe him, all the while continuing to lick and peck the man’s skin wherever he can find old and new wounds. They stay like this for a while, with Zoro remembering each instance when he’d harmed the man and leaving him gentle kisses in his wake like a form of apology.

Sanji

Marimo…why are you doing this?

Zoro

Hmm….

Zoro starts using his tongue, dragging it down from the man's chest, following the line in the middle of his abdomen.

The blonde takes a sharp inhale, arching his back. He ignores the slight pain from his chest.

The swordsman, liking the reaction, shuffles himself under Sanji’s blanket and covers himself in it. He continues his onslaught of kisses closer to Sanji’s core, out of sight between the man’s legs.

Sanji

Fuuuuck…

Sanji jerks his hips in the air involuntarily, trying to get any sort of friction.

Zoro

You were saying something?

Sanji

I… I forget.

Sanji’s mind has gone blank and can no longer see what Zoro’s doing. Everything became about touch alone. He could feel the swordsman’s rough hands glide over his hips and legs, comforting him. He remembers pain from the bite marks that the Celestial Dragon had bestowed on him. But now, in its place, the swordsman took his time to lightly kiss the area in his inner thigh as an attempt to make him forget by replacing the hurt with his own affections.

Sanji

Z–Zoro… I don’t know if I can get hard right now after…you know….

Zoro pokes his head out of the blanket to look at him eye to eye.

Zoro

That’s not what I’m doing this for.

Though…you do smell fuckin’ amazing down here.

Sanji winges.

Not wanting to torture the other man too much, the swordsman moves up, still dragging his lips over his skin. He leans his arms against the pillow, caging the blonde underneath him. He peppers his face with tender kisses–under the jaw, at the corner of his lips, the tip of his nose, and the spot between his brows. He repeats this on the other side. He feels the blonde release the breath he’d been holding, easing into his touch.

After a few moments, he feels pressure against his chest from Sanji trying to push him. The swordsman parts himself to look into his wide blue eyes. He looked pained.

Zoro

What's wrong?

Sanji

…I don't think I want to marry you anymore.

Zoro stops his movements abruptly. He pulls himself back to separate himself from the blonde. He sits back on his heels, his face looking confused and offended.

Sanji

Don’t take it the wrong way. It’s not that I don’t want to do this….

Sanji entwines his fingers around Zoro’s collar and pulls him back at his eye level. With his other hand, he brushes back stray strands of the swordsman’s hair that had gone awry on his forehead.

Sanji

I don’t want to marry you anymore because I want to do this right…. Whatever this is.

Zoro

Hmm…

Zoro eyes the blonde up and down, as if trying to gauge him and read his thoughts.

Zoro

Alright.

Sanji

Alright…?

Zoro

Yeah…I want to do this right too.

Whatever this is.

Sanji raises his eyebrows in surprise. He’s never been one to go exclusive and steady, but the swordsman didn’t explicitly say that. The one thing he knows for sure is that he wants Zoro in his life, in a very different way than he initially thought. Whatever plan that he had concocted for the man before had already gone down the drain ages ago, opening an opportunity for a fresh start. It’s not exactly the cleanest one, but it might be what he needs while he figures things out.

There is a knock on the door.

Zoro clumsily throws the blanket over Sanji’s head to cover his nakedness and readjusts himself back to a sitting position at the edge of the bed, trying to look as casual as he can.

Sanji sputters, pulling the blanket down from his face irritatingly, earning him a smirk from the swordsman.

Sanji

Hey!

There is another knock, this time, more urgent.

Sanji

It’s open!

Law opens the door slightly, just enough to poke his head in. He looks especially furious behind his polite tone.

Law

You have a guest, Mr. Prince-ya.

He steps inside and pushes the door wider. Behind him, a familiar man with long pointed blue hair and a dark cape around his shoulders ushers in. Sanji notices a particular iron helmet not being worn, but instead tucked under one of his arms, leaving his curled eyebrows exposed.

Zoro

Who’s this?

Sanji

Commander.

Commander 2

Your Highness. We lost track of him.

Sanji narrows his eyes, his expression instantly changing into something dire.

Sanji

Who, exactly?

Commander 2

The Warlord, Donquixote Doflamingo.

----------

Coloured to show that Sanji looks healthier when he's happy.

Also I really enjoyed drawing Zoro in Heart Pirates outfit!!

[mr-mandalorian]

there was sturmhond’s second in command, the princess that never was.

nikolai lantsov x reader, arranged marriage, angst/comfort, haven’t read to books so this strictly follows season 2

she was promised to the second prince. she didn’t know it at the time, but nikolai was the one to plead his parents to accept the deal. what a scene she caused that day, her father squeezing her arm a little too tight as he presented her to the royal family. she was all polite smiles and curated answers, her beauty undeniable in her satin gown. it was a perfected act, nikolai could only watch in amusement as guards swarmed her. when he reached to greet her with a kiss on her hand, she slashed at him with a hidden blade.

from that moment on, he knew that she would always be the woman to hold his heart.

and she hated herself for harboring similar feelings. she was an only daughter, an asset her father was sure to exploit. the last thing she expected was to find a kind man by her side, one who shared the same distaste for arranged union. when nikolai was preparing for sea, he didn’t ask for her to follow him. she was free to do as she pleased, and yet she chose to go after him.

and she was proving herself to be a valuable part of the crew. direct yet diplomatic, trusted by all as she unintentionally took the place of second in command. at times when there was a difficult decision to make, she felt crowds of eyes pointed at her instead of their captain. she didn’t mean to overstep, but the prince never dimmed her light.

she watched as the first army bowed to nikolai, the ravkan wind suffocating compared to the salt water breeze. and when no one took notice of the soon to be princess, she stayed silent. she should’ve been pleased, no longer a bride but just an acquaintance of nikolai’s that happened to tag along. and yet somehow it stung, feeling restless and out of place in the spinning wheel.

so when nikolai proposed to alina and turned to her for approval, she could only offer him stunned silence. y/n was no fool, she understood the need for this calculated move. and who was she to deny him? a prince was free to do his own bidding.

“dorogoya, please say something. it’s not like you-“

“right away, my prince.” she wished for the earth to open and swallow her whole, how embarrassing as she fumbled with her pockets, looking for the piece of jewelry that was just another secret out at sea. “you’ll be needing this.”

“you- you had this with you the entire time?” nikolai couldn’t help but grin as she revealed the engagement ring. he understood the weight of it, how she was never given a choice of who got to place it on her finger. and yet, when she was free to get rid of it, she continued to keep it on her person.

“just in case i needed something to trade if you ever got captured by pirates again.” she tried to save grace, ears tinting pink.

“you wound me, moya lyubov. you know i’m too good to let it happen again.”

his charm wasn’t working, y/n not in the mood for pet names without meaning. her eyes found alina and mal on the other side of the room, having their own quarrel about the proposal. she couldn’t help but feel like her and the tracker were the same.

“y/n, listen. i know you never wanted this and now we have a reason to end it. take as much as you need, your father won’t hear a word about it. return to sea, or-“ he cleared his throat, somehow more nervous asking this than her hand in marriage. “or stay as my advisor. it would be foolish of me to let go of your talents.”

hearing these words years ago would’ve had her over the moon. she’d be overjoyed, running through the door without saying goodbye. and yet she found herself unable to move, her breath hitching at his offer. he was giving her a reason to stay.

“i suppose it would be dangerous to leave you without supervision.” she tried her best to look nonchalant, but if a heartrender walked by, surely they’d think she was having a heart attack.

watching sturmhond flirt his way out of tricky situations was one thing, but seeing the way the prince treated his new lyubov was another. it was once y/n that got to intertwine their fingers, got to hear sweet nothings fall from his lips. it was all pretend but she couldn’t help the ugly feeling blooming inside her chest.

“i see changing brides is as easy as changing clothes, brother.” vasily mused after the engagement became public over dinner.

“good riddance to that feral girl you were so obsessed with before, no amount of money attached to her family could make her a worthy princess.” the queen nodded along, eyeing her second son.

alina watched as nikolai flexed his jaw, ignoring his family. instead his eyes were roaming the crowd, searching for someone. and when he found who he was looking for, alina had to bite down a gasp. there was sturmhond’s second in command, the princess that never was.

“y/n, it seems congratulations are in order.” zoya leaned over the the table, a smirk painted on her lips. “you’ve managed to escape a boring, pompous royal life.”

“pardon?” tamar leaned in just as close from the other side, nearly brushing noses with zoya.

“seriously? am i the only one who remembers that y/n was promised to nikolai?” the squaller stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. it should’ve been, but people only cared for saints.

y/n placed a gentle hand on tamar’s shoulder, ordering her friend to back down. instead she raised her glass, deciding the next best thing was to drown her sorrows. and soon she was laughing, her head thrown back like she was back at sea, enjoying a late night drink with her crew. with liquid courage and burning cheeks, she extended her hand to mal. she felt the need to cheer the tracker up.

her vision was becoming difficult as she danced, failing to notice that mal had twirled her into someone else’s arms. it was only when he spoke did she realize the warm hand on the small of her back belonged to her beloved prince.

“i barely get to see you now, moya lyubimaya.”

“don’t call me that.” she exhaled in content, resting her head on his chest as they swayed to the slow song playing.

“it’s never bothered you before.”

“i didn’t care if it was real or not before.” she admitted, the poison in her veins untying her tongue.

“and what if i said it had always been real, moya lyubimaya?”

“i would call you a liar.” she looked up at him, so beautiful with her doe eyes and long lashes. and then she was pulling away, leaving the prince lonely in a room full of people.

there was little time for sulking after that. the spinning wheel fell under attack and y/n was second in command once again. it was like second nature to stand besides nikolai, ordering people around and keeping the situation from spiraling further. when he was mulling over what to do with genya, she threw a warning glance his way. if an advisor he wanted, an advisor he would get.

there was no denying that they were good together. even when it came to facing the darkling and his army of grisha and shadow, y/n never lost her head. that was until the church, until a certain sharp shooting durast trapped them inside with a shadow of the size of two men. that was the only time y/n didn’t think, she just did as she pushed the now king out of the way, shielding him from the monster coming his way.

she couldn’t remember much after, just fragments of conversations and trembling hands trying to glue her back together. the thought of nikolai safe and sound lulled her to sleep.

when she rose, she was met with genya’s wide eyes. she was tending to her wound, the awful gash on y/n’s abdomen requiring everyday tailoring. the grisha smiled then, a genuine smile for the first time in days. she pulled away to reveal the king asleep in a chair next to y/n’s bed.

“wouldn’t leave your side.” genya whispered before walking over to wake him.

it was like he was struck by lightning, nearly tripping over himself as he rushed to the woman’s bedside. grasping her hand tightly in his, he thanked the saints with tears in his eyes.

“please, moy tsar, you’re embarrassing yourself.”

“you will send me to an early grave, woman.”

“clearly, it will be the other way around.” she dared to glance down, genya having left her abdomen exposed. it wasn’t pretty, thick dark stitching slicing her belly in half. she nearly jumped out of her skin as the king placed his palm on top of it.

“see this scar?”

he nodded towards his hand, revealing a long pale line trailing through all of his fingers.

“this is where you cut me the day we met. i refuse to get it tailored, to keep as reminder of you everywhere i go.”

“nikolai-“

“i know it was an act of protest, but you had me falling head over heels. from that moment on, i knew you’d be the one for me. my second in command, i would fall apart without you by my side. i had this whole grand gesture planned, to make up for how you were treated before. but i can’t wait a second longer.”

he pulled out the ring y/n had returned him. suddenly it held no weight to it, it was light as a feather sitting on her finger. like it was always meant to be there.

“and what of your pervious engagement?”

“well my advisor was out of commission for a while, so i haven’t really thought it through.” she rolled her eyes at the king’s teasing. but she couldn’t help but allow herself to smile, wiping the smug look off his face with a kiss.

[dramaticcrow]

(Eng Prompt List)

Day 1: Moon and Sun | Space AU | Royal AU - “My Missa”

Day 2: Vampires | Mermaids | Gods - “I'll be here when you're ready”

Day 3: Mafia | Past lives | Cat Missa and Crow Philza - “As long as you are with me you will never feel alone”

Day 4: Confession | Emergency | Murder - “The sky is the limit”

Day 5: Language of flowers | Hanahaki | Spy X Family AU - “No one ever told me that love hurt”

Day 6: First times | Emergency room | Separation - “It's not goodbye, it's see you soon”

Day 7: Disease | Hot chocolate | Comfort - “The family is forever”

Extra prompts:

Pirates

Anniversary

Red thread of destiny

“I love you, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner”

Family

Ghibli

Lullaby

“I would never choose to love another”

New parents

DeathDuo/Pissa Week

Reglas/Rules:

(Esp)

Entonces eh decidido que haré este reto agradezco a mi amigo Irl y a los chicos de Discord por apoyarme y darme ideas para la lista! Así que aquí vamos…

Las dos primeras imágenes contienen los prompts para esta Pissa/DeathDuo Week, contiene dos prompts y un diálogo. Puedes elegir el prompt que más te guste o combinarlos para darle tu propio toque personal :D

Las reglas de este reto son las siguiente:

1. La escritura y el arte están permitidos, puede ser solo uno o ambos como más se le acomode a cada uno.

2. No @ a los cubitos irl, tanto en vuestro arte como en vuestros fics (en el caso de que lo suban a X o Insta)

3. El contenido Dark y sensible como; Yandere, Personajes posesivos, Daño a uno mismo, Sangre, Muerte, Etc… está permitido siempre cuando se etiquete correctamente. (En caso de que tengas una idea y no sabes si está permitido puedes enviarme un mensaje)

4. No es necesario hacer los siete días, puedes hacer cuantos quieres y con los que te sientas cómodo.

5. Este reto es tanto de Pissa (pareja romántica) como DeathDuo (pareja platónica) por lo que los prompts están hechos para que sean cómodos para los dos lados de la comunidad, solo por favor etiqueten debidamente si es Pissa o DeathDuo.

6. La semana que he escogido para este reto es del 1 de Junio al 7 de Junio, aunque pueden tener todo el mes de Junio para publicar su arte/escritura

7. Y la última regla pero no menos importante… no olviden divertirse!

(Eng)

So I've decided that I will do this challenge I thank my friend Irl and the guys on Discord for supporting me and giving me ideas for the list! So here we go...

The first two images contain the prompts for this Pissa/DeathDuo Week, it contains two prompts and a dialogue. You can choose the prompt you like the most or combine them to give it your own personal touch :D

Also, if one of the days doesn't suit you or you don't feel comfortable with that prompt there is a list of nine extra prompts that you can also choose from.

The rules of this challenge are this:

1. Writing and art are allowed, it can be just one or both as it suits you best.

2. no @ to the irl, in your art and in your fics (in case you upload it to X or Insta) 3.

3. Dark and sensitive content such as; Yandere, Possessive characters, Self harm, Blood, Death, Etc... is allowed as long as it is tagged correctly. (In case you have an idea and don't know if it is allowed you can message me).

4. You don't have to do all seven days, you can do as many as you want and as many as you feel comfortable with.

5. This challenge is both Pissa (romantic couple) and DeathDuo (platonic couple) so the prompts are made to be comfortable for both sides of the community, just please tag properly if it's Pissa or DeathDuo.

6. The week I have chosen for this challenge is from June 1 to June 7, although you can have the whole month of June to post your art/writing.

7. And last but not least rule... don't forget to have fun!

[dalivanmagritte]

FIC REC : CHOI SAN (SAN)

favs

in the quiet places (fav, FLUFFY FLUFF, smut)

no smut

kill them with kindness (angstish, fluff, TENSIONS)

chicken noodle soup (fluff)

classics (smut)

filthy lips, loving touch (smut, fluff)

it's sweatpants season! oh my! (smut)

sweet farmer (smut)

save a horse, ride a cowboy (smut, cowboy!au)

knots (smut, masseur!au)

soft san (smut)

a lesser man (smut, fighter!au, boxer!au)

kalla (smut, BDSM)

i see red (smut)

dilf (smut)

roommate (smut, roommate!au (duh))

handy (smut, handyman!au)

his princess (smut, badboy!au)

howling to your moon (smut)

better late than never (smut, husband!au)

give a little pow pow on the baby maker (smut)

after all, you're my wife (smut, mafia!au)

stay focused (smut, office!au, university!au)

at your mercy (smut)

the hidden pleasure (smut)

pussy slapping (smut)

inexperienced (smut)

i hate how bad i want you part.2 (smut, CEO!au)

be my americano (smut)

workout (smut)

san as your boyfriend (fluff, smut)

cam boy (smut)

alternate universe (magics, gods, royalty, etc...)

limitless (smut, fluff, angst, knight!au, royal!au)

warrior (smut, historical!au, shifter!au, werewolf!au, royal!au)

let me protect you (smut, angst, victorian era!au)

demon cat boy (smut, catboy!au)

shut up and drive (smut, mafia!au)

imp!san (smut, imp!au)

hollow's eve (smut, demon!au)

vaya con dios (smut, religious!au, photographer!au)

*739 (smut, sex worker!au)

kinkuary day 1 (smut, royal!au)

underwater (smut, greek mythology!au)

the big bad wolf (smut, fluff, angstish, hybrid!au)

catch me if you can (fluff, hogwarts!au)

the champion (fluff, angstish, hogwarts!au)

from the shadows (fluff, hogwarts!au)

darling, his darling (smut, angstish, royal!au)

incubus: coming of age (incubus!san, smut)

to taint your soul (smut, incubus!san)

baby baby (smut, ABO!au)

synthetic heartbeat (smut, IA!san)

with another member

heists and celebration x wooyoung (smut, thiefs!au)

slow it down x wooyoung (smut, mafia!au, boxer!au)

crazy form x wooyoung (smut)

descend to depravity x seonghwa (smut, demon!au)

morally gray (and tw)

an imprisoned nighttale (pirate ateez, kidnapping!au, angst)

twisted (smut, stalker!au)

[cardverseut]

♦ KINGDOM OF DIAMOND =

• His kingdom is the one with the most wealth of the 4 kingdoms.

• They have a rivalry in the seas with the Clover kingdom.

• The kingdom of Diamonds was formerly known for having a tree in the center of the castle, a unique and special one that did not exist anywhere else. Black and gold apples came out of this tree, which could provide happiness or despair if consumed. The former Queen of Diamonds queen was the only one allowed to approach this tree.

• They have the best doctors and healers from the 4 kingdoms.

___________ ♦ ___________

• KING OF DIAMONDS =

Name: Dream B. (Brightness) Joku. Age: 26 years. Spouse: Ink E. Comyet Family: ??? Joku (Father = Deceased), Nim Joku (Mother = Deceased), Night D. Joku (Big Brother = Deceased ...?).

Weapon / Skills: Her main weapon is a sword but she is the best archer in the kingdoms. You can get magic from the positive feelings of the people around you, with them you can make heavenly magic arrows of positive energy. Also because of its powers to absorb the positive feelings of those around them, it can help people who are scared, stressed or sad by passing a bit of their magic and relaxing those negative emotions but without removing them completely.

Personality: He is quite optimistic and friendly most of the time, he tries to help every person he can. He is someone very serious when it comes to the well-being of his people and he always tries to avoid the conflicts that can bring death, sometimes he can get angry but he has great patience (which Ink loves to test). But if you are alone you can be very melancholic and sad, lost many times in the memories of the past.

Story before he was crowned: He and his older brother Night were the twin sons of the previous Diamond kings. Dream grew up being trained to take on one of the royal roles alongside her brother, as being the son of the Queen and the King of Diamonds it was almost possible that they would choose her. Her entire childhood was happy and carefree until the sad day came when the beloved Queen Nim fell ill with a plague that struck the kingdom of Diamonds, which ultimately caused her death. The kingdom fell into sadness but tried to recover; unfortunately two years after the queen's death, the tree of feelings that guarded the kingdom died one night without explanation, all its fruits disappeared with the exception of a golden apple that Dream ate when he found it (since he was the first in finding the scene), and not only did the tree die, but not that Prince Night "died" that same night as well, killed by the same one who destroyed the tree of feelings and stole its fruits. Dream and the kingdom of Diamonds fell into deep sadness that culminated when the beloved King and his Jack they were killed by pirates on a diplomatic journey to the kingdom of Clover. Dream woke up the following night to the mark of the King of Diamonds and from there he rules, vowing that his kingdom would be the happiest and most prosperous of all in the name of his family.

Bonus: He loves to eat donuts. She is very angry with King Nightmare when she finds out that he was the one who murdered her brother and constantly tries to get the king to return the moon brooch that belonged to Night (without success).

• QUEEN OF DIAMONDS =

Name: Ink E. (Ence) Comyet Age: 23 years. Spouse: Dream B. Joku. Family: orphan.

Weapon / Skills: Her favorite weapon is her Art Brushes, they look like normal brushes in sight but can transform into small Knives / Daggers. You have the ability to control the ink as you like and shape it as you please, but the more ink you have to control, the greater the chance that you will lose control, but thanks to a special giant brush it is layers to handle it with ease.

Personality: He is very friendly, joker and childish, he loves to make jokes and annoy people. He loves trying to help people with what he can, even though he sometimes makes things worse with his "solutions." But despite being quite cheerful and friendly, he can't stand arrogant and superior people, when he gets angry he can be really scary and he is not someone you want as an enemy.

Life before the coronation: He was left by his parents in an orphanage when he was a baby because of his strange condition, he was born without a soul, which prevented him from feeling any emotion, a rare disease that was rarely seen. Because of this he was never adopted and grew up being cared for by the nuns of the orphanage who treated him with all the love they could, they paid a doctor who discovered that with certain special ink paintings he could feel emotions, so it was that an older man who came and adopted him at age 13, that man was an old pinto with a lot of money who taught Ink about art and made him passionate. A few years later his adoptive father died, he inherited everything and used it to become the best painter in the entire kingdom of Diamante, at the age of 20 his queen mark appeared in the palm of his hand, but without knowing what it meant to pass 6 months until one of his clients saw him take off his gloves, quickly calling the royal guards who guided Ink to the castle where she was crowned Queen of Diamonds.

Bonus: because of his lack of soul he has a very bad memory and can forget that he was talking in the middle of a conversation, But if you see a person many times or if something is very striking in his eyes, he can remember it. You have little sense of self-preservation with your life, he tends to be dangerously unnecessary for the simple emotion and loves to go to the animal stables in the castle to play with them and draw them. He has a little pig named Stain that he proclaimed as his son and prince of the Diamond kingdom (To the horror and amusement of many).

• DIAMOND JACK =

Name: Blue B. Popcorn Age: 19 years. Spouse / Lover: None. Family: Aster W. Swap (Uncle) and Honey S. Popcorn (Younger brother).

Weapon / Skills: Its main weapon is a large battle hammer. He has a monstrous strength that was developed from a young age combined with his great speed. It can summon bones and a small GB (Gaster Blaster), but it's mostly good with close range and physical attacks.

Personality: He is very friendly and energetic, he is always eager to fight and save people. He calls himself "The Magnificent Blue". Although he hates violence, he is passionate about friendly battles where he fights to train not to hurt his opponent, for this great heart he has, he gained the friendship of some members of royalty, and if there is a discussion that goes astray likes to interfere to find the most peaceful way to solve it. Even with all this he should not be underestimated, he can be an enemy to fear when he wants, he takes very seriously his job of protecting his kings and his people.

Life before being the Jack: The eldest son of a middle family, his parents went to the previous war by belonging to the royal guard and died in combat, leaving him and his younger brother at a very young age, they were breeders for his Uncle Aster. As Blue grew older, his love to join the royal guard like his parents did, he began training from a young age to fulfill his dream, his younger brother Honey did not support his brother's wishes for fear of losing him as his parents. When he turned 16, his brand of Jack appeared, he decided to go behind his family's back and appeared at the castle where he began his training for his position as Jack, he is one of the youngest Jack's in history.

Bonus: He loves to cook and especially make his extra "special" foals that are capable of leaving monsters and humans speechless for their indescribable flavor. He considers himself the best friend of the Queen of Clovers and letters are constantly being sent about what happens in their lives, it is said that thanks to that friendship peace continues to prosper between Diamond and Clover.

[the-golden-comet]

✨👑Character Profile Tag 👑✨

Thank you for this tag, @willtheweaver , here @paeliae-occasionally , @mundanemoongirl here, @illarian-rambling here, @theink-stainedfolk here, and here @saturnine-saturneight ! 💛✨

Okay, PETER TAKE A SEAT. We’re gonna let BENJAMIN answer this. ✨

Name: Benjamin Matthias Bartholomew

Nickname: Benji

Kind of Being: Human

Age: 21

Sex: Male

Appearance:

“Prince Benjamin was a red-headed dynamo: short hair with long strands in front of his freckled lobes, lining the contour of his soft jawline. A slender-bodied, slightly curved twink dressed in royal purple silk. He, too, had side-swept bangs to cover his slightly-sunburned forehead. His face was also dotted in many freckles that extended down his neck, past his shoulder and arms. He rolled his emerald green eyes as he crossed his arms across his chest.”

Occupation: Prince of Port Mayor

Family members: Father—Matthias Bartholomew (Duke of Port Mayor), mother unknown

Pets: None

Best friend: None

Describe his/her room:

Finally, swinging first his arms over the window pane, then his legs, Peter tucked and rolled inside the lavish room. It was adorned with golden accents, royal purple sheets, and heavily ornamented furniture. Standing quickly, the blonde pirate dusted off his hands and took stock.

“Right….” He looked around the room, observing his surroundings. “….Vanity, check. Wardrobe, check…..hm?” Peter knelt down on one knee and looked underneath the bed. A few sheets were preemptively tied together, as if the person this room belonged to had been planning an escape. “Ah, well that makes my job easy…..”

The Golden Pirate pulled out the makeshift rope, pulling the sheets taut as he tested the integrity of the tied ends. “….Though, whoever made this needs a few tips on tying knots….” Peter reinforced the sheets in his own sailor knots, satisfied that they would hold his weight. Then, he draped the rope of sheets over the bottom of the window, outside the room as they billowed down to a foot above the ground. Tying the other end tightly to the foot of the heavy bed, he secured his exit and got to work scavenging the room for loot.

Way of speaking: British accent, speaks like a royal.

Physical characteristics (posture, gestures, attitude): very dynamic, perpetually pissed off, carries himself like a prince not because he wants to, but because that’s what he had to do in the castle.

Items in his/her back pocket/ purse: nothing

Hobbies: Ballroom Dancing, writing.

Favorite sports: Cricket 🏏

Abilities/Talents/Powers: Bilingual (English and French), somehow being both the luckiest and unluckiest man alive.

Relationships (how he/she is with other people): distrusting, gradually has to warm up to the person

Fears: Megalophobia, Hemophobia

Faults: naive, cynical, lofty daydreamer, idealistic, abrasive, blunt

Has Vasovagal Syncope with triggers from blood (more of a medical condition than a fault)

Good points: fiercely loyal, can stand his ground, knows exactly what he wants, shows bravery in multiple instances of fear.

What he/she wants more than anything else: To be loved by a man who adamantly loves him back, a romantic at heart. To have freedom to love who he wants, and live the life he wants.

Tag! @tragedycoded , @sableglass , @cowboybrunch , @wyked-ao3 , @gioiaalbanoart , @alinacapellabooks , @authorcoledipalo , @mysticstarlightduck , @ominous-feychild , @drchenquill , @finickyfelix , @autism-purgatory , @willtheweaver , @aintgonnatakethis , @moltenwrites , @kaylinalexanderbooks , @agirlandherquill , @astramachina , @leahnardo-da-veggie , @yourpenpaldee , @48lexr , @thecomfywriter , @thatuselesshuman , @rotting-moon-writes , @lychhiker-writes , @davycoquette , @katenewmanwrites , @leatafandom , @thebearthatreads , @tabswrites , @words-after-midnight , @theaistired , @theverumproject , @theink-stainedfolk , @ceph-the-ghost-writer , @cybercelestian , @differentnighttale , @jadeglas , +open tag! ✨

[anonymousewrites]

Pearl of the Sea Chapter Two

Found Family! PoTC Cast x Teen! Reader

Platonic! Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Jack Sparrow, Tia Dalma x Reader

Chapter Two: Battling in Port Royal

Summary: The night of the promotion, a strange ship arrives in Port Royal. Danger follows it.

            The sky was dark, and the moon was high. (Y/N) turned over in their bed for what felt like the millionth time, unable to get to sleep. Groaning, they sat up and threw off their bedcovers. If they couldn’t sleep, then they wouldn’t. Sure, they’d be exhausted the next day, but that wasn’t their problem (it was).

            Throwing on the simplest of their dresses to avoid the wind and shoes to have proper foot grip, they stood in the center of their floor. Carefully, they repeated the moves Will had taught them earlier in the week. They had no sword, but they pretended as they pivoted, turned, and danced. Sword fighting was an art, and (Y/N) excelled at it. The lessons they’d taken in dancing, too, had helped. The footwork, the gracefulness, the ability to move through a crowd with skill—it was helpful for their training.

            Still, although practicing the movements usually calmed some of their restless energy, (Y/N) found no reprieve that night. They felt as energetic and jittery as ever, like their body was on edge.

            Lizzie getting hurt must have really worried me, thought (Y/N). That being said, they couldn’t quash the energy they had.

            Boom!

            The sound of an explosion made (Y/N) jump, and all of their energy came roaring to the surface. Instantly, (Y/N) ran from their room to find Elizabeth. They bumped right into each other since Elizabeth, equally shocked from the sound of cannon fire, had gone in search of (Y/N).

            “Elizabeth!” said (Y/N), glad to see her.

            “(Y/N).” Protectively, Elizabeth pulled the teenager to her side. “Are you alright?”

            (Y/N) nodded as more cannon explosions echoed and cries began to go up in Port Royal. “Are we seriously under attack?”

            “Yes,” said Elizabeth grimly. She gripped (Y/N)’s hand tightly. “Stay with me.” She kept (Y/N) behind her and peeked out her balcony. She narrowed her eyes. Pirates were coming up the lawn to the house. “Quickly!”

            She ran to the foyer to bar the door, but it was too late. A manservant opened the door just as she yelled “Don’t!”

            “Hello, chum,” said a pirate.

            Bang!

            The manservant fell, dead. Elizabeth let out a cry, and (Y/N) let out a strangled gasp. The pirates pushed into the room, and two set their gazes on Elizabeth and (Y/N).

            “Up there!”

            They dashed up the stairs, and Elizabeth pushed (Y/N) in front of her to run away. She grabbed a door and shut it violently. (Y/N) grabbed a table and pushed it in front.

            “Mistress!”

            Elizabeth and (Y/N) jumped to find Elizabeth’s maidservant standing there. She grabbed Elizabeth’s shoulders with a wild look in her eyes.

            “They’ve come to kidnap you two!” she cried.

            “What?” Elizabeth’s brow furrowed in confusion, and (Y/N)’s eyes widened.

            “You’re the governor’s daughter and ward,” said the maidservant.

            That would be the cliché, thought (Y/N).

            The door rattled, and the table creaked. The maidservant’s eyes widened, and Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.

            “Listen.” Elizabeth looked at the maidservant and (Y/N). “They haven’t seen you, and they’ve barely seen (Y/N). Hide, and the first chance you get, run to the fort.” The maidservant ran.

            “But, Lizzie, I can’t leave you—” said (Y/N).

            Elizabeth grabbed (Y/N)’s shoulders. “You can, and you will. Now, if you can’t get to the fort, get to Will. He’ll keep you safe, alright?”

            “But—”

            “Please, (Y/N), listen to me,” said Elizabeth. “You have to stay safe. You’re my sibling.”

            (Y/N) wanted to say no, but they nodded. “Alright.” That being said, they’d get to Will and get help for Elizabeth instead of going to the fort. They weren’t going to just abandon Elizabeth.

            “Good. Go,” said Elizabeth, pushing (Y/N) back to the other side of the house. The door burst open as (Y/N) shut the next door and Elizabeth disappeared down the hall.

            “There she goes!” The pirates stormed down the hall after Elizabeth while (Y/N) held their breath.

            Once the footsteps had echoed down the hall, (Y/N) moved to the servant’s staircase. They darted downwards to the kitchen on the main floor. Carefully, they pushed the door open and only emerged from their hiding place once they ascertained the room was empty. They crossed from the kitchen to the servant’s quarters, also abandoned, and looked away from drips of blood on the floor. (Y/N) pushed up the window and hopped out.

            As soon as their shoes hit the lawn, (Y/N) sprinted for Port Royal. It was lit not by lanterns but by fire, and smoke curled upwards, grey against the blue night. And in the harbor, (Y/N) could see a dark, tattered ship—a pirate ship.

            (Y/N) narrowed their eyes and pushed themself to run faster, avoiding the main streets of Port Royal as soldiers fought pirates and people fled danger. (Y/N) scrambled over the ruins of stalls and houses, destroyed by cannonballs, and finally approached the blacksmith.

            Will was already fighting the pirates, facing an extremely tall and brawny man. The pirate grabbed him, but Will shoved back just as a cannonball hit a wall above them. The sign above fell and smashed onto the pirate.

            “Will!” (Y/N) ran to him.

            Will spun around, and his eyes widened. “(Y/N)!” He grabbed them, searching them for wounds. “Are you alright? Why are you here? Where’s Elizabeth?”

            “The pirates want to take Lizzie!” said (Y/N) urgently. “They came to the house and chased up, and Lizzie told me to go, and I did, I know I should have stayed to fight, but she said to find you—”

            “Hey, hey.” Will held their shoulders tightly. “You’re alright. You did the right thing. And we can help Eliza—” His eyes widened as he saw Elizabeth across the harbor. “Elizabeth!”

            (Y/N) whirled, and their eyes widened as they saw the pirates dragging her towards their ship. “Lizzie!”

            Will and (Y/N) took a single step towards Elizabeth as she was pulled onto the ship.

            Boom!

            A cannonball hit next to them, and (Y/N) and Will were thrown to the side. They hit the wall, and their heads smacked against the stone. They collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

            Lizzie…

l

            “(Y/N). (Y/N).”

            (Y/N)’s eyes opened to see Will gazing down at them as he woke them. They groaned, their head still aching a bit. The sun beat down on them, and they sat up. Will guided them to their feet.

            “How are you feeling?” he asked.

            “Like my head was hit by a cannonball.” (Y/N) grimaced, and then their eyes widened. “Lizzie! They took her!”

            “I know,” said Will grimly. “We’ll tell Commodore Norrington and Governor Swann, and they’ll save her.” He looked at them. “And they’ll know you’re safe.”

            (Y/N) didn’t care about that, they cared about Elizabeth. However, they didn’t argue with Will and followed him to the fort where bodies were being carried out. Norrington stood with other officers near a map, Swann by his side.

            Instantly, Will ran up to them. “They’ve taken her. They’ve taken Elizabeth!” He was straight to the point.”

            “(Y/N)!” Swann saw them and hugged them. “Oh, my dear child, I thought we wouldn’t find you.”

            “I’m alright,” said (Y/N). “Lizzie and Will protected me.” Their brow was creased in worry. “But they took Lizzie.”

            “We must do something,” said Will forcefully.

            “Mr. Murtogg, remove this man,” said Norrington, not looking up from his work at Will.

            Will shoved Murtogg’s arms off him. “We have to hunt them down. We must save her.”

            Swann swallowed and snapped, “Where do you propose we start? If you have information concerning my daughter, share it.”

            “I—I don’t know where they went,” said Will.

            “But they took her alive,” said (Y/N). “We saw it!”

            “You saw it? You shouldn’t have been anywhere near such danger,” said Swann.

            (Y/N) frowned. “Who cares about that? There’s a chance to save Lizzie.”

            “And we have nowhere to start!” said Swann, clearly frustrated and frightened for his daughter.

            “That Jack Sparrow.” All heads went to a soldier, who swallowed uncomfortably at the attention. “He talked about the Black Pearl.”

            That must be the ship that was here, thought (Y/N).

            “Mentioned it more than once, he did,” agreed the soldier’s partner.

            “Ask me. Make a deal with him. He could lead us to it,” said Will instantly. (Y/N) nodded furiously.

            “No,” said Norrington. “The pirates who invaded this fort left Sparrow in his cell. Ergo, they are not his allies.”

            “That doesn’t mean he doesn’t know where they might go,” snapped (Y/N), completely impertinent but frustrated, so they didn’t.

            Norrington looked at them sharply. “We do not make deals with uncivilized, lawless pirates. Sparrow would betray us in a moment and get Elizabeth killed.” He turned away. “Not, we can judge a likely course from—"

            (Y/N) narrowed their eyes and opened their mouth to give him a retort.

            Bam!

            Will was the one to interrupt Norrington, though. He slammed a hammer through the table, and everyone stared. “That’s not good enough!” he declared.

            “Mr. Turner,” said Norrington with a massive amount of condescension. “You are not a military man. You are not a sailor. You are not a blacksmith, and this is not the moment for rash actions!” He pushed Will towards the door and spoke in a low voice. “Do not make the mistake of thinking you are the only man here who cares for Elizabeth.” Norrington gave him a final push to the door, and Will had to walk away.

            Swann shook his head. “It’s a pity he does not have more of a tactical mind. He is clearly devoted.”

            (Y/N) was silent and shifted. The restless energy had returned, and they longed to leave the stone walls around them and do something. “Mr. Swann.”

            “Yes, (Y/N)?” said Swann.

            “I am tired from last night. May I return to the house to rest?” The lie slid from their tongue like water.

            Swann smiled kindly, looking at the teenager as just a child, helpless and needing guidance to be protected. He nodded. “Of course, my dear. And do not worry. Commodore Norrington will find Elizabeth.”

            “Of course,” said (Y/N). They walked towards the exit of the fort.

            And they promptly took a turn towards the cells. Will was already, of course, ahead of them, so (Y/N) ran to catch up.

            “You’re going to talk to Jack Sparrow yourself, aren’t you?” said (Y/N).

            Will looked at them and nodded. “You should go home. This is a pirate. It’s dangerous.”

            “No.” (Y/N) looked at him sharply. “Lizzie is my sister. I’m not staying here and doing nothing.”

            “Fine, you can come and speak to him with me,” said Will.

            (Y/N) did not voice their decision that whatever plan Will decided to concoct to save Elizabeth, they were coming with him. Will led the way down to the cells where only one man was left—Sparrow.

            “You, Sparrow,” said Will.

            “Aye,” said Jack, laying on the ground.

            “You are familiar with the Black Pearl?” said Will.

            “I’ve heard of it,” said Jack.

            That feels like an understatement. “Where does it make berth?” asked (Y/N).

            “Where does it make berth? Have you not heard the stories?” said Jack.

            “Enlighten me,” said (Y/N), crossing their arms.

            Jack waved a hand. “Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sail from the dreaded Isla de Meurta.”

            Of course pirates come from an “island of the dead.”

            “It’s an island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is,” said Jack. He grinned.

            “The ship’s real enough,” murmured Will. “Therefore, its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?”

            Jack examined his nails. “Why ask me?”

            “You’re the only pirate we know,” said (Y/N), crossing their arms.

            “And you want to turn pirate yourself.” Jack grinned. “Is that it?”

            For a brief moment, (Y/N) imagined themself free on the open sea, the salty breeze in the air and water stretching for kilometers in every direction. Joy rushed through them before they squashed the picture.

            “Never!” declared Will, and (Y/N) remained quiet.

            Jack raised a brow at Will’s forcefulness, and Will cleared his throat.

            “They took Miss Swann,” said Will.

            “So it is that you found a girl.” Jack sat up and grinned. “I see.” He tilted his head. “And you, laddie?” He looked at (Y/N).

            “She’s my sister,” said (Y/N), crossing their arms. They avoided showing that being referred to as “laddie” instead of “lassie” made them stand straighter since losing the labels they’d grown up in made them feel freer.

            Jack nodded and smirked at Will again. “If you’re intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue, and so win fair lady’s heart…you’ll have to do it alone, mater, laddie. I see no profit in it for me.”

            “You can be free,” said (Y/N). “I’d think that was an obvious profit.”

            Jack paused and looked at them. “How? The key’s run off.”

            That dog is a troublemaker. “Will?” said (Y/N), glancing at him.

            “I helped build these cells,” said Will, examining the bars. “These are half-pin barrel hinges.” He picked up a piece of wood, and (Y/N) helped him position it. “With the right leverage and the proper application of strength, the door will lift free.”

            Jack cocked his head. “What’re your names?”

            “(Y/N),” said (Y/N).

            “Will Turner,” said Will, a little confused at the question.

            Jack sat forward suddenly, and (Y/N) and Will exchanged a curious glance.

            “That would be short for William, I imagine.” He nodded strangely. “Good, strong name. No doubt named for your father, eh?”

            “Yes,” said Will slowly.

            “Uh-huh…” Jack deliberated for a moment. “Well, Mr. Turner, (Y/N), I’ve changed me mind!” He stood. “If you spring me, I swear, on pain of death, I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass.” He grinned. “Do we have an accord?” He stuck out his hand to shake.

            (Y/N) took it and shook firmly. “Agreed.” Will nodded.

            “Agreed!” said Jack brightly. “Now, get me out.”

            Will pushed down on the bench he had position as a lever, and the door of the cell lifted from the hinges. It hit the ground with a bang.

            “Hurry. Someone will have heard that,” said Will. He looked at (Y/N). “Go back to Governor Swann and Commodore and Norrington. See if you can stall them from coming after me.”

            (Y/N) looked at him and scoffed. “I’m not staying here. I’m coming to help Lizzie.”

            “No.” Will narrowed his eyes. “You’re not coming straight into danger.”

            “You can’t stop me,” said (Y/N). “I’m going.”

            “(Y/N)—”

            “If the laddie wants some adventure, why stop them?” Jack shrugged and smiled brightly. “This place seems stuffy, anyways! And we’re running out of time as it is, so why don’t we pop on out of here before anyone comes a’ lookin’, hmm?”

            Will really didn’t like the idea of getting caught, but he also detested bringing (Y/N) into danger. However, as he looked into their eyes, he saw commitment. All of the restless energy that they always had was focused now. Their gaze was solemn. Will knew in his heart that he couldn’t stop them.

            “Alright.”

            (Y/N) grinned.

Taglist:

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[dnpanimationstudioclone]

Saw your Stolas redesign 🌔. Also saw u said you’d rewrite his dynamic with Blitz. U have a rewrite for Stolas in general?

Why yes I do! I’m still thinking on some stuff but I’ve got some general ideas! Aswell for the other gang but I can talk about the rest another time.

My Stolas🌔✨

Personality, What’s his deal with Blitz?

Mix of the Pilots original regal air and Show Stolas softer moments. I'm leaning towards more busy introverted scholar who's also nobility. Hes also MAJORLY socially akward, which can be a struggle for him, especially as an esteemed royal. Often hiding behind a mask of professionalism and sophistication, expected of a Goetia.

Hes a fairly polite and amiable enough bird man but at the same time, out of it. Basically a guy who had his head up in the clouds or in his case, the stars. Despite usually trying to stay professional to his name, opens up way more to people like Octavia and Blitz.

I imagine he tries his best to be respectful and mannerful, being an esteemed royal and all. To high and lower class ranks. I imagine while he'll make mistakes here and there, tried to be more respectful of imps, even before meeting Blitz and developing.

He feels that what he does is important(with the grimnoire and other royal duties)...just doesn't think HES important. Thus initially....he didn't consider just how much his actions could have such an impact on others…

In the end...he was just looking for someone who he could be himself around a bit, someone that was interested in him, not as a member of the Ars Goetia. With all the other Goetia and most people, he’s had to put up the big front of being the “Great Goetia Prince”, always held above massive expectations, and even with his daughter Via, felt like he had to keep up things(to be a proper role model and not wanting to get her involved in thing she didn’t have to be in)

He admires how honest and true to himself Blitz can be, not trying so hard to modify who he is around others( not realizing Blitz puts up a mask aswell at first). Also loves hearing all the stuff he knows about pirates and horses. With Blitz, he learns to more honest and assertive in his life, done with living to Ars Goetia standards which already have their own issues in many ways.

His relationship with Blitz also makes him consider his own privilege more and the power he has over people, even if not intentional. He comes to want to fix the classicism issues with the Ars Goetia and become more involved with the social issues of Hell’s system. Blitz and Via def help make him a better person. Aswell as Loona who def rips into him for his stuff.

He def shares OG Stolas’s interests like Astronomy, books, plants etc. I can imagine he’s def shown Blitz the Centaur constellation 🌌

What’s he’s like with Octavia?

Def sweet, like has those moments like you will be okay and bonds with her with Space/stars stuff and nature, she’s def a daddy’s girl and was def still hurt by what happened.

He def does his best to be considerate of Via, and keep her out of his problems. His biggest issue is being upfront, not being full honest about stuff and avoiding the subject, pretending everything’s fine which it’s NOT! In a way, the affair ended up helping him improve in ways a father. Learns to open up more about his problems and being more honest with her.

What's the situation with Blitzo and the full Moon Arrangement ?

Just to be clear, I’m not the biggest expert when it comes to sexual relation, transaction stuff. But I do know a major issue was def about the consent, power imbalance in all this. This is my take on trying to resolve that, and if there’s something I’m missing please let me know. Just wanted to make it clear I def want consent. I've talked to friends about my ideas and they say my take seems alright, let me know what u think.

For mine I'm making it a weekly meeting so there's more time for their relationship to develop

Sex is only a one of Many options Blitzo can "return the favor" for the Grimnoire. Other options can include chaperoning for Loo Loo land as bodyguards, retrieving important errand runs, helping with his gardening etc. It's a fairly flexible arrangement and Stolas made it absolutely clear sex wasn't mandatory(Blitz just finds it as both the easiest and funnest of options...at first)

For Ozzies, Blitzo decided to invite Stolas in hopes to tag along with M&M like double date, killing two birds with one stone kinda deal

What's his relationship with Stella ?

Def still complicated. It was alot like a business arrangement. Both knew they were in a tight spot, but were able to figure a way they could help the other. Stella being the more social and loving the spotlight, took care of most of Stolas social affairs(hosting events, going to events, meetings) while Stolas focused more on the paperwork(grimnoire and celestial studies)

Stella told herself she could be prepared if Stolas wanted to ask to seek others for certain pleasures he coudlnt with her. Affairs and having side relations weren’t uncommon for nobility(there were things such ans courtesans and mistresses afterall) and people have a high standing. But when he went behind her back to have relations with an Imp of all people and letting himself be publicly exposed and thus their reputation, the one she worked so hard to maintain and even hurt their daughter who was led to believe they genuinely loved each other, she was…less then pleased to say the least.

Does he regret cheating?

Stolas isn't defensive about being called out for cheating. Even if it was a normalized thing amongst nobility, he acknowledges what he did was still wrong and hurt people. What he gets angry about is when others make it about that he cheated with an IMP(Blitzo).

Stolas-I’m certainly not a better because I’m a Goetia, so how is being with someone like Blitz, lowering my standards!?

Main Changes?

Def wanted to make him more accountable, resolve some of the issues with his and Blitz’s relationship and etheir does become a thing with him or if it doesn’t work out, end on genuinely good terms

What do u guys think? How would u go about Stolas or his relationships like with Blitz or Via? I'd love to know💖