#v; ⋱ salt and sea foam ⋰ ⦙ |*| ( pirate )

[gunmetalgrey-trashpile]

for @harkcr who hit that damn heart

    “ Drop it.” She pulled back the firing pin of her pistol, letting him know it was a real threat. He wore a captains colours, and was well groomed enough to match. A gentleman of the royal Navy, no doubt. Alex tilted her head so that he would be able to see her smirk from beneath the brim of her hat, her dirt and sweat stained skin giving away how long it had been since she had even bathed. Might as well give him the full experience of a filthy pirate, let alone a woman.

    “ I won’t ask twice, trust me.”

[sabolution]

❛ I can let you drown. ❜

╟ 🌊 ╢ I @pirateshou I v. Turncoat Pirates

✖ ╟ ☠ ╢ ✖

                                Placidly floating along the white froth and foam of ocean water, he drifts closer to the exposed rock on which his crew-mate is perched before him, several feet above the thrashing of the waves and well out of harm’s way. He looks up at her with an expression of unadulterated smugness, completely self-satisfied. He is stripped down to little more than button-up shirt and ankle-length pants, and as his arms and legs leisurely wade back and fourth underneath the ocean current, his clothes waft around his body as if they were the gliding fins of a complacent merman.

                    ❝What was that?❞                                                He torments, facetiously feigning ignorance.                    ❝I couldn’t hear you over the waves…                      There must be sea water in my ears.❞

                                        Perhaps he had been distracted by the stench of the salt in the air.

[gunmetalgrey-trashpile]

v; ⋱ salt and sea foam ⋰ ⦙ |*| ( pirate )

most likely to involve: @diabolicaltendencies​ @epiitaphs​ @consultingsister​ @theasteriae​ @ so many more 

during: 1680-1720

She was once a girl, with a name and a life planned out by her prominent family. A child who couldn’t be contained by her time and society, who fled to Portsmouth in her fine clothes and with enough money to book passage to buy a fresh start. She met a smuggler, one who took a look at her silk dress and jewellery and knew he could make his moneys worth. Aidan Gallager watched her hack away at her hair, bind her chest and become almost unrecognisable. She was no longer the Naval Captains daughter, but a ship-hand in the making.

Alex Moran knew her older brothers were across the ocean somewhere, and it was the only option she had ever considered. She joined a less than reputable crew, the kind who wouldn’t ask questions. Over the years she jumped from ship to ship, avoiding detection and making herself valuable. No one could scale the rigging as fast as her, no one could throw knives with her accuracy or relieve you fo your silver. She was light fingered and fast, even if she was a head shorter if not more than most of the burly crew men. Sailing under a pirate flag was thrill and adventure to her, she was happy to be an outlaw. She had no other choice.

She had managed fine pretending to be a man for nearly five years, even as her hair grew out. It was only when she took a bullet and the ships newly captured doctor ( @diabolicaltendencies ) had to take a look that her secret was given away. There were moments, as the wound was infected and she slipped in between fever dreams, that her recovery was unlikely. But thanks to Sam, she made it to Tortuga alive.

Joining another vessel whilst living as her true identity proved a little harder. There was one though, with a name like her own, who seemed happy enough to have women aboard. Captain Moran ( @consultingsister ) took a liking to the vicious pirate. Alex and Cee worked together for long enough, with an agreement that Alex would have her own ship for her service. She ran into her bothers again, all now strangers tot he law and order they had signed up to serve. Seems like causing hell for the East India Trading Company was the family business.

Alex has friends in many ports, but she is happy to sail under the name or Moran for the protection it provides. Many assume that she is someone else, seeing as there are a fair few Morans drifting around with dangerous reputations. When she does finally have a ship, it’s tiny. It can be manned by as few as three if necessary, but that makes it a far faster vessel than the huge galleons that cross the Atlantic regularly. 

[gunmetalgrey-trashpile]

❝ what? no one mentioned the impending doom part. ❞

for @epiitaphs ft. @consultingsister

Of course he wanted to run his mouth. It was the only response the certain death that was in front of him. Her stupid brother, facing up the the dread pirate Moran. Not he pathetic mockery he took credit for. The real, ruthless and fearless pirate queen. Alex, even through her bound hands, gave him a hard poke in the ribs to shut up him.  She could see the eyes, and the long dark hair from where Cecelia Moran say, apple in hand, absentmindedly surveying the chaos. Really, Alex was lucky it had been long enough for her hair to grow back in, cascading over her shoulders in knotted braids. Beneath that and the layer of filth, she was fairly unrecognisable. 

Not to the queen herself though. They locked eyes across the deck, and Alex raised an eyebrow beneath her knotted mat. There was a chance for fun here.

    “ COWARDS.” Alex screamed, spitting on the nearest guard to her. “SHOW ME YOUR CAPTAIN, THE LILY LIVERED SON OF A BITCH.”

The guard beside her held a knife to her throat, at least until he was waved away. The glared her brother shot her were almost as sharp, the confusion at his sisters sudden death wish showing on his face.

    “ WHERE’S YOUR BOSS, EH?”

[gunmetalgrey-trashpile]

⛵(From Sam)

for @diabolicaltendencies ⛵on the beach before sunset as remnants of a ship wreck wash onto shore sort of continued from here???

Her eyes were pulled to the horizon, to the churning sea as she looked away from him, wiping her face in frustration. Her clothes were still soaked through entirely, her body covered in goose-pimples as the dying day stained the sky. Purple, red, hints of orange pulled towards the horizon line. And no way to leave this god forsaken island, with him stuck on it. They could go round and round in circles, having this argument over and over until they were both blue in the face. 

Finally she turned to see him, down in one knee in the white sand. Ring held carefully between his fingers. She almost choked. 

    “ I-I wasn’t...” 

She hadn’t been serious. It was a hateful comment, really. Daring him to marry her because she knew she wasn’t going to be anything permanent. The pure fury in her eyes melted away as she watched him, waiting for an answer as if this was for real.

They had lost so much. It was an unforgiving sea, and a reckless life that could cost them everything at a moments notice. They had been lucky to survive long enough to find each other, and maybe she should say a silent thank you to whatever god had let that happen. But she was still speechless.

Alex fell to her knees in the sand, cupping his face as her lips locked with his. Pulling him closer. Ignoring the ring between them, that wasn’t the important thing. He was still breathing. And somehow, despite her fickle nature, she needed him to be with her till the end. And beyond, whatever beyond there was.

    “ Yes.” She pulled away just far enough to whisper it, her forehead still against his as she repeated herself between kisses. “A thousand times, yes.”

[gunmetalgrey-trashpile]

49…out of necessity.

for @epiitaphs to touch Alex (ft. @diabolicaltendencies )

It wasn’t ideal. She hadn’t planned it this way. And yet they had fished her out from the broken pieces of driftwood, the skeleton of her ship in pieces to be tossed amongst the waves now. This was the second vessel she had gone down with now, and Alex was starting to hope this wasn’t becoming a habit. As they had pulled her from what was formerly part of the hull, she had tried to keep Sam afloat enough to get air to his lungs.

The nasty wound on his head was starting to terrify her, the blood mixing in with the water to stain his shirt a dark red. He hit the deck with a hard thud, Alex falling to her knees in attempt to to catch him before they pulled her away.

    “ You filthy pricks, he’s a doctor. He’ll be useful, alright? Just get him looked at.”

The larger of the three deck hands pulled her hands together, binding them tight whilst the other members of the crew circled like sharks. Without the protection of her own men, without her oversized coat and hat, she showed her true nature. Her soggy clothes clung to her in the way that gave away her gender. She had her cutlass and pistols taken from her, and was screaming obscenities until someone would take notice. She had watched enough men die today, Sam wouldn’t be joining them.

    “ Where’s your fuckin’ captain eh? Show me this coward and I’ll have his guts for a god damn garter!”

The idiot who was holding her made a mistake of getting cocky. A little woman, he joked to the others. Just enough for Alex to see red. She lunged forwards, clashing her head into his nose and her knee to his groin with a full force. The crew backed away from her, but she had his gun even with her hands still bound. A mistake, not tying them behind her back.

     “ WHERE IS HE?!”

In her frantic desperation, she hadn’t thought about guarding her back. She felt the grip, the headlock cutting off her air supply briefly. But she didn’t drop the sword, even with the pistol pressed against her temple...

[gunmetalgrey-trashpile]

a lucky escape pt.2 for @epiitaphs @diabolicaltendencies

SAM

The last thing he remembers is chaos. Though... who knows how long ago that was. It all sort of blends together in a haze as he slips in and out of consciousness- the sounds of splintering wood and shouts of the desperate fade away. He drifts, isn't sure if he's still in the water, but he hears Alex's voice. It's a relief. Even if she's shouting and cursing. He wouldn't be surprised if it were at him. Maybe curses were real. He'd almost believe he was the victim of one if he hadn't plunged into the ocean and come out alright so many times. Still... no one should be as familiar as he is with the creaks and groans of a dying ship. When he stirs again things are quieter. The haze is fading and with it the cloudy numbness. His head is pounding and every inch of his body is screaming in pain. Even the slightest shift has him groaning, but he powers through and opens his eyes. "Where--?" His voice catches on scratchy vocal chords as he tries to make sense of the scene he's woken up into. Alex is next to him and he reaches out for her out of instinct, gravitating towards the familiarity of her. He attempts to sit up a fraction but quickly decides against it.

ALEX

She barely resisted the urge to pull him tight, string her arms around his neck and just hold him. The pit in her stomach hadn’t vanished entirely, not till she could be sure the blow hadn’t done any further damage. But she let go of Sams hand to press her palms against his chest, urging him to stay put. Once he settled, she shuffled up the be- ignoring the wet patch she had already caused. Her clothes were still sodden, puddles pooling at her feet on the wooden floor of the cabin even as her hair started to dry out. “It’s alright. We’re alright.” Maybe that wasn’t true. She had yet to trust Sebastian. He had the last few members of her crew imprisoned, and it sounded like he’d be happy to do the same to his own sister. But being out of the water was a great start. Her voice was immediately softer, her forced accent dropping out slightly. “You took... something to the head, I’m not sure what honestly.” She thread her fingers through his gently, watching every movement for a sign of sudden change. “How do you feel? I tried to treat it like you showed me.”

SEBASTIAN

Sam was stirring finally, Sebastian noted with quite a lot of relief. It wasn't only because he had a feeling that Alex would become even less manageable if Sam were to die, but also because he'd quite simply missed Sam after their paths had separated. It was hard to forget someone who'd saved his life, after all. Sebastian watched him reach out for Alex - so perhaps some of his initial assessment had been correct. Sitting up looked painful and though Sebastian had no idea what the two of them had gone through with the sinking of the ship, he imagined the bruising had to be fairly severe beyond the cuts. It was perhaps a bit optimistic of Alex to say that everything was alright, though really, Seb had let them into his quarters, so maybe she was right. He'd have to keep both of them. As Alex took Sam's hand, Sebastian stepped forward himself, not sure if Alex might lash out, but wanting to provide a little clarity, since Sam was asking. "You're on my ship," he said. "It's Sebastian. I pulled you out of the water." Not too much information, so he wouldn't overwhelm Sam mere seconds after he'd woken up.

SAM

Sam blinks, a little slow on the uptake as he tries to focus on what she's saying and not his sore muscles or throbbing head. "As good as I look I imagine." He manages hoarsely, squeezing her hand before his attention shifts to the other person in the room. "Sebastian?" He lets out a breathy laugh. Resisting a grimace of pain, he smiles instead. It's a bright smile, ignoring the tension between the two Morans he hasn't quite picked up on yet. "I didn't think we were that lucky. It's good to see you."

ALEX

Slow was better than no movement at all. She brushed her thumb over his hand subconsciously, ignoring the fact her estranged brother decided to chip in. It wasn’t a surprise, Sams reaction seemed to confirm he hadn’t been telling lies when he spoke fondly of Sebastian. It was just that her grudge had festered over the years into something twisted and cruel. “I’m not sure we are. He’s thinks he’s holding us prisoner. And he pointed a gun at you.”

SEBASTIAN

Sam smiled up at him, and though Sebastian didn't quite smile back, he did reply. "It's nice to see you awake, Sam," his tone reasonably warm in replacement of a smile. It was - he didn't want to see Sam dead and it was very nice to have some sort of reunion, even if it was somewhat marred by Alex's reaction to all this. The resentment in her tone and her apparent need to recount all of his faults made a frown return to his features. "No one likes a tell-tale, Alex. Maybe if you'd listened and not threatened me and my crew, I wouldn't have had to point a gun at him. If you really want to feel like a prisoner, I can easily have you join your crew members down below. Maybe Sam, too, though I'm sure that wouldn't be good for his wounds." Full commitment to this. She'd pushed him to it. "And if you continue to misbehave and question my hospitality, I'm sure Sam doesn't need every single one of his bones to be intact in order to carry out his duties as doctor." Maybe not the best path for him to take, but if Alex wanted to see him as the villain, he could easily comply. It wasn't the end of the world. Sam could hate him if he wanted to. It'd have happened eventually. A life like this wasn't only about making alliances, but also knowing when to tear them down. Sam had saved him once, but he no longer had any control over whether Sebastian lived or died.

ALEX

“Hospitality?” She bristled, fresh with anger once again. She let go of Sams hand, grabbing the knife from her belt as she launched herself over the mattress and straight at her so called brother. The blade was pressed to his throat even if his pistol sat against her side. “Have you seen what it looks like when a man bleeds out?” She was a head shorter than him, but she watched his eyes carefully. One arm was pushed across his broad shoulders to pin him to the wall with a surprising amount of strength for someone so small (and soaked through) whilst the other pressed the very edge of the blade into his skin. She watched it tear at the skin ever so slightly, just a graze to the right of his carotid artery. The same blood that flowed through her veins. “You watch the light leave their eyes slowly, it takes a surprising amount of time. Listening to them choke...” she wouldn’t go that far. Probably. But Alex had absolutely no room to be pushed around, especially by men. She had survived this long by being ruthless, if a little fool hardy. Sympathy was a luxury for ladies shut up in beautiful houses far away from the reality of what it took to be a single girl amongst thieves and traitors. The code was just a set of guidelines after all.

SAM

Sebastian had always been the distant type but his response still throws Sam off. Before he can say anything Alex is moving, he tries to hold onto her hand but she's already pulled away and at her brother's throat. Sam pushes himself to sit up, breathing labored with the effort, "I take it..." His head swims a bit and he clears his throat. "this wasn't a rescue."

SEBASTIAN

"Yeah -" he was cut off by her lunging at him, knife to his throat. His pistol was pressed to her side - a stalemate. But maybe not, actually, as he considered his options. First he listened to her. "I have." He regarded her coolly, though he could feel the bite of the knife as she pressed it to his neck. And the dampness of her clothes, but that wasn't as relevant at the moment. She continued, her intentions apparent. It was, he had to admit, quite an effective attempt at intimidation. The fact that she could hold him at knife point at all was also impressive. Maybe he'd been too slow, thought of her too much as family. But at the same time, she hadn't been slow to lunge at him at all. She trailed off eventually and Sebastian thought about telling her to keep going, to see if she could continue the bloodthirsty act (that might not actually be an act), but he was interrupted by Sam. Sam, who had been a very good pawn before. In a fluid motion, not caring about Alex's knife at his neck, Sebastian fired his pistol. Not at Alex, but at the wooden walls right above Sam's head. "Back off. Next time I won't miss," he told her, looking down to meet her eyes for a moment before looking over at Sam. "Does that answer your question?"

SAM

Sam flinches at the shot, the sound rings in his ears but he doesn't move. He sighs, shooting Seb a cool glare before shaking his head, "Not really. If you didn't want us intact we'd be tied up or worse, not in your quarters... and you wouldn't have missed." Sam might not know the full story but he knew enough that Sebastian had good aim and if he wanted them dead or otherwise on his ship they would be. "Let's stop this and take a break for two minutes, huh? Talk? It's not like any of us are going anywhere..." He shifts his attention, "Alex, please."

ALEX

Alex flinched too, but held firm long enough to make her point. As if that wasn’t enough, when she removed the knife from her brothers throat and let up just a little, she pushed her weight back against him to slam his body against the wooden wall again. “Do not fire a gun at my husband, have I made myself clear?” Even with Sams reasoning, she wasn’t going to let Sebastian come away unscathed. If Sam wanted to try the diplomatic approach then fine, she simply wasn’t going to make it easy. Finally, Alex stepped backwards. She put the knife between her teeth rather than drop it or stow it away, peeling at the drenched leather coat that cling to her skin in an attempt to remove somE of her layers. If she was going to listen to them bloody talking, she would at least get dry. She piled her outer layers in a heap, heading to the dresser in the corner of the cabin in search of something dry.

SEBASTIAN

"Shut up, Sam." He was right - if Seb had really wanted them gone, they'd have been dead by now. Or mangled or whatever. "If Little Miss Violence over here would like to take a step back and talk, I might be willing." Good luck. He laughed as she shoved him into the wall, far too amused by what she'd just informed him of to bother trying to reciprocate the violence. "Oh he's your husband is he? Give me a second." He needed to really laugh at that. "You've made yourself very clear, Petya." He lived for this sort of hypocrisy. "Weren't you just saying that a husband and a brood wasn't something that would ever interest you? That you ran away from home because you didn't want that to be your fate? And here you are with a husband all the same. God, I needed the fucking amusement." What he didn't need, however, was her pillaging his clothes. "You fucking thief," he said, laughter finished. "Ask permission, would you?" He'd give her - and Sam new clothes, but he didn't want to hand over his clothing in particular. It would barely even fit Alex.

SAM

Sam takes solace in the fact that Seb snapping at him likely means he was right, but before he can respond the subject has changed. It's not exactly how he would've decided to share the news that they were now family, but to be honest he never would've made that call himself. It would've always come down to what Alex wanted to share when. With a sigh he doubles over slightly, one hand holding him up on the bed, the other gingerly reaching up to try and get a sense of his injury. "Do I have to ask for some water too?" He mutters, not entirely sure it'll be heard between the sibling's bickering.

ALEX

She pulled the knife out of her mouth with a smirk setting it on the dresser a she carried on rifling. “Thief? I think you mean pirate.” It wasn’t like any of them were honest. She turned her back to him, pulling her shirt off over her head and tossing it down to the floor. The ring Sam had given her bounced against her chest on a chain. She chose instead one that covered her body like a dress, pausing to roll up the sleeves before she kicked her sodden breeches off too. Her fingers grabbed at her dripping hair, wringing it onto the wooden floor so that it might finally dry. Then she paused, with her hands on her hips, acting the indignant prisoner her brother seemed to think she was. “We’ve drunk half an ocean, you going to let us die of thirst?”

SEBASTIAN

He rolled his eyes. "You'll hang for both." A bit pessimistic, that, but it was a possibility for any of them in this life. He turned slightly more towards Sam, trying to ignore the fact that Alex apparently felt comfortable enough to strip down completely in front of the two of them. "If you want some, you can have some." He was annoyed with Alex, not Sam, as much as that might overlap, given how much he'd threatened Sam since the two of them had been pulled aboard. Plus, Sam was injured. Hoping that she was dressed at least a little bit, Sebastian turned back to Alex, unimpressed. "I'd let you die of thirst any day." He wouldn't. He made his way over to the cask of water, bring Sam and Sam alone a cup of it.

SAM

Sam breaths a bit easier when they don't jump at each other's throats again, at least not right away. He keeps his eyes trained on Sebastian, less out of concern for Alex's privacy and more out of wariness that he's already been shot at once and threatened more times than he's apparently aware of at this point. He takes the cup he's offered and downs half of it in an instant. "Thanks..." He passes the rest of it to Alex and risks an attempt to change topic, "Are there any other survivors?"

ALEX

She pulled the breeches from the drawer up over her legs, tucking the loose end of the shirt in before she pitched the belt from her wet pair. Her hands fiddled with it, fastening it tight and threading her knife back away in the hidden section at the back. Only when she was dressed did she take the last shirt from the drawer and head over to Sam on the bed. Kindly, softly, Alex took the cup from him tossed the dry shirt onto the bed. She let her hand hover on his shoulder, a gentle squeeze to check in the most affection she’d show him in front of Sebastian. She wanted to kiss him, hold him, the some kind of relief now he was awake but now wasn’t the time. “Apparently. I don’t know how many were fished out of the water, it was hard to keep your head above the waves. If you could try and stay conscious next time that would be a huge help.”

SEBASTIAN

He sees the way Sam's watching him, and really, he understands. He'd watch himself warily too, if the positions were switched. The bullet in the wall over Sam's head is pretty good cause for concern. Being held at gunpoint earlier might have been cause for a bit of annoyance, but what Seb just did was a real threat. "You're welcome," he replied, not unkindly. Sebastian resigned himself to not having any changes of clothes for the foreseeable future once Alex also took the other shirt that had been in the drawer. Oh well. If it was for Sam, that was alright. It was interesting to watch her interact with Sam - the closeness, the gentle touch. Not that Sebastian remembered her well from before he'd left home, but it was a stark contrast to the hellion he'd encountered only minutes prior. "There's two others. I don't know how many your crew used to be, but we pulled out four people total."

SAM

"Sorry..." Sam reaches up to touch her arm reassuringly when her hand settles on his shoulder. He gives her a small, soft smile before pulling away. They can have their moment later. A moment of relief, a moment to process, a moment for her to yell at him before they try to figure out which god they owe for surviving yet another impossible situation with both of them in (mostly) one piece. He sets about trying to peel off his soaked jacket and shirt. Every movement is stiff and painful but he does a decent job of not showing it. He certainly doesn't complain. His chest is a canvas of forming bruises but nothing quite as bad as the blow to his head. "Two...?" Sam frowns a bit before looking to Seb, "Are they alright? Can we see them?"

ALEX

She softened a little as she felt the weight of his hand, just enough to calm her temper. Alex Moran was as tempestuous as the ocean, and just as unpredictable. There were fleeting moments though, amongst her rage, where she could be calm. Even if it was only for Sam. She polished off the water, wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her new found shirt before acknowledging her brother again. Yes, she probably should have checked before now if anyone else was hurt but there had been other things keeping her busy. “We were eight.” It was a small, slim crew but her ship was maybe a third the size of the larger gunners. The hope was to move undetected, and fast to raid smaller merchant vessels rather than tangling with the likes of the British Navy. Eight was tight, but it just about worked. She glanced at Sam, already in a bad shape. “I don’t think you should go anywhere.”

SEBASTIAN

"Yeah, that ginger that I promised Alex that no one would touch and a man." He shrugged. "They're alive. In much better condition than you." Especially given all those bruises in addition to the head injury that had made both Morans anxious for Sam's continued survival. "You can. You're a doctor, after all. And I've got some crew members you'll need to look at as well. Alex is going nowhere near them unless it's to stay there in chains." A needless threat, really. Things were calming down. "Half is a good survival rate for a shipwreck." Very good, even. "That's a really small crew." An obvious statement, but he didn't know exactly what that said about the sort of outfit that Alex seemed to be running. "If you can stand, I'll let you see them, but not before. The air isn't good for you that far below decks, anyway, not with your head the way it is."

SAM

"Giving me medical lectures, now?" Sam replies with a huff of laughter as he pulls the shirt over his head. He doesn't try to stand but he hardly seems discouraged. "If you're that worried about my heath, you can bring them to the upper decks. I'll treat them and your men, equally, side by side. If you want to avoid hostility, Sebastian, stop asking for it. Either commit to us being your prisoners or integrate us into your crew. All of us."

ALEX

She was hardly about to sit here and play a happy prisoner, especially if it meant letting Sam out of her sight for even a split second. Her fear at loosing him was still palpable, although what was left of her crew would need attention. She folded her arms across her chest, puffing it out to back up Sam completely. This was one of the many things she loved and admired. All the pretence and dancing around the point was sickening, as well as Sebastians stupid threats. “I stay with him. Leave me be and we won’t have any trouble.” It wasn’t a promise by any means. Alex knew when she was outnumbered though and she had bigger priorities in keeping the few loyal crew members alive until they hit dry land. There was potential here. His ship was nice, and clearly he was an absolute arsehole. The promise of enough gold might just sway the weak willed... “He should bring them here. That way you don’t have to move and I can help.” It would buy them some alone time to formulate a plan.

SEBASTIAN

"I might as well, since you can't stay in one piece." Which was something he'd encountered before with Sam and clearly something the man wasn't going to grow out of, even with even more time spent among pirates. It was probably admirable. At the scolding, Sebastian frowned, wanting very much to lash out somehow. Sam had a point - multiple points, actually, and he hated it. "Fine," he snapped, in the end. It wasn't particularly clear what he was agreeing to, which was exactly how he'd prefer it, to be honest. "Fine." Another snapped syllable. He wouldn't remove her from his cabin, even if he absolutely wouldn't stop threatening her with imprisonment. Even if she did end up working as part of the crew till they reached the next port, he wasn't going to trust her one bit. "I'll hold you to that." "He will be staying here with you two, thanks." Sebastian had no plans to go anywhere - leaving Alex alone seemed likely to be disastrous, and if she and Sam were married, then he could hardly trust Sam either. "I can have them brought up, though." He wasn't a complete monster. Most of the time. "I still think you should rest before then, though. No one's in such a bad way that you can't gather your wits."

SAM

"Fine." Sam says the word lightly, almost in direct snarky defiance of the way Sebastian had snapped it twice. "I'll rest. You two promise not to kill or imprison each other, and we'll be in port before we know it. Then we can all move on with our lives and put this behind us. Deal?" He asks them both.

ALEX

Alex shrugged off his promise, she had already agreed not to be actively hostile and that was the most Sam could hope for at this present moment. He was playing the diplomat, even in his weakened state. Moving on with her life sounded pretty good right about now. It sounded as if Sebastian wasn’t planning on leaving them alone together, but he had to go and at least fetch someone. Privacy and forced his hand last time, maybe the same trick would work twice. With a heavy sigh, Alex moved to turn her back to her brother and perch on the edge of the bed. She leant forwards to kiss Sam, long and slow. Intimate, the kind of soft gesture she kept for behind closed doors. The thing she wanted to do the second he opened his eyes again, in all honesty. Her back softened a little, her shoulders dropping with the release of the emotional weight she didn’t realise she had been carrying. Her next words were chosen carefully, hoping he might cotton on fast. “Do you feel okay?” Was the sentence that she said aloud, yet without moving her head she flicked her eyes at Seb whilst he couldn’t see her face. Do you trust him? is the question she was really trying to answer.

SEBASTIAN

He glared at Sam. "We'll see." He wasn't going to promise if Alex wasn't going to either. The two of them both knew better than to trust each other. Sam was a special case for them both, clearly, even if for Alex it was a marital relationship. Seb could hardly believe that she was married. Clearly it wasn't quite so easy to escape what was expected of her in life, even if she was far away from their family and from society. "I'm happy to move on as soon as possible." As Alex shifted to kiss Sam, Sebastian rolled his eyes, moving to the door as it didn't appear to be ending any time soon. Awful. The next few weeks were going to be absolute torture, he could tell. Not that he trusted them, but if they were busy for now, he'd stuck his head out the door and get reinforcements in the form of someone far more trustworthy. "August - I need the new prisoners released, given berths and duties."

SAM

Their response is... underwhelming, but he knows it's the best he's going to get. "Okay." Alex comes back over, and he reaches out for her. He doesn't pick up on her intention to shoo away Sebastian. He's just relieved she's still alive. The kiss takes him by surprise; it also takes the tension out of his shoulders. They didn't exactly live safe lives, but that didn't mean he quickly dismissed the idea that every shot aimed at them or shipwreck they experienced could be their last. He was grateful every time they survived. He rests his forehead against her's for a moment before she pulls away. The 'concern' makes him smile. It's probably equally a question she wants him to answer as the one she's implying. So he replies to both. "I'll have to get back to you on that." He replies, his own eyes straying to the bullet hole in the wall with a small frown as the captain called for one of his crew. He wanted to trust Sebastian. He really did. But being shot at sends a pretty clear message of the opposite. "Maybe later I can give you a better answer."

AUGUST

 August is waiting just outside the door. He's been there since he heard the gunshot, but upon hearing the muffled sound of Sebastian's voice after he paused. He arches a brow at the order, "Release the prisoners? And here I was expecting you to come out with a body. Since when do you do successful negotiations?"

ALEX

She shifted closer on the bed, practically in his lap. It was easier when he was there to keep her steady, and occasionally reign in the worst of her temper. She was worried about his head still, but didn’t pull away as his breath tickled her face. The door opening and gruff voices was enough to tell her that her plan had worked. At least Sebastian seemed to be predictable, it was a small victory but one she could use. “Are you still armed? I can take him, if we have to. Just... be careful.” Sam still had faith. He still trusted people, well, gave them the benefit of the doubt from time to time. To Alex, her husband was the only person in the world who had wanted her loyalty. Anything else was momentary. She blinked slowly a couple times, pulling away when she thought she recognised the voice from outside the door. “No- it can’t be-“

[gunmetalgrey-trashpile]

a lucky escape for @epiitaphs​ 

it wasn’t ideal. she hadn’t planned it this way. and yet they had fished her out from the broken pieces of driftwood, the skeleton of her ship in pieces to be tossed amongst the waves now. this was the second vessel she had gone down with now, and alex was starting to hope this wasn’t becoming a habit. as they had pulled her from what was formerly part of the hull, she had tried to keep sam afloat enough to get air to his lungs.

the nasty wound on his head was starting to terrify her, the blood mixing in with the water to stain his shirt a dark red. he hit the deck with a hard thud, alex falling to her knees in attempt to to catch him before they pulled her away.

   “ you filthy pricks, he’s a doctor. he’ll be useful, alright? just get him looked at.”

the larger of the three deck hands pulled her hands together, binding them tight whilst the other members of the crew circled like sharks. without the protection of her own men, without her oversized coat and hat, she showed her true nature. her soggy clothes clung to her in the way that gave away her gender. she had her cutlass and pistols taken from her, and was screaming obscenities until someone would take notice. she had watched enough men die today, sam wouldn’t be joining them.

   “ where’s your fuckin’ captain eh? show me this coward and i’ll have his guts for a god damn garter!”

the idiot who was holding her made a mistake of getting cocky. a little woman, he joked to the others. just enough for alex to see red. she lunged forwards, clashing her head into his nose and her knee to his groin with a full force. the crew backed away from her, but she had his gun even with her hands still bound. a mistake, not tying them behind her back.

    “ where is he?!”

in her frantic desperation, she hadn’t thought about guarding her back. she felt the grip, the headlock cutting off her air supply briefly. but she didn’t drop the sword, even with the pistol pressed against her temple��

SEBASTIAN They needed more crew, so it'd come down to fishing survivors out of the wreckage just to see who they might be able to keep. Some loyalties were strong - others weaker and much more exploitable. He watched as they pulled these two out of the wreck - one much more lively than the other. They'd probably be tossing one back over the side in a day or two. The other one - he stepped closer as the lively one told them to get help. A doctor would be helpful. As he got closer, he frowned trying to decide whether or not that could actually be the man who'd saved him from pirates years ago. "Get him bandages," he remarked to one of the crew who wasn't involved in restraining the other ones. "We do need a doctor." No need to reveal any familiarity until he was sure that it really was Sam. It'd been years and he couldn't be sure. Didn't need to give their new captive any reason to try to manipulate his way into surviving. He barely paid attention to the shouts for a moment, coming around behind the action as she - she called for the captain. She? A fucking woman? It was lucky that he had approached, given that she managed to slip free of the crew member holding her. Idiots. She was tiny. Shouldn't have been able to get free. Shouldn't have been able to get her hands on a sword. So he lunged forward, wrapping an arm around her neck, pistol to her head to make really fucking sure she didn't get free again. "Drop it." He increased the pressure for another moment. "Stop screaming or you'll go right back in the water." She probably would be disposed of, in the end, but might as well give her some hope so that she'd drop the fucking sword. "What did you want the captain for?"

ALEX

He was taller. Most people were. She could feel the strength of his grip on her neck, and the cold barrel of the pistol pressed to her temple. Enough to make her breath catch in her throat, but she hesitated to drop the cutlass. Her clothes dropped onto the wooden deck, her curls long and flat from the salt water. Enough to cling to her face, hiding her eyes even if he had been facing her. She couldn't drop it. Not till she was sure they would stop the bleeding. It was her only barging chip. She didn't wriggle, although she carried on through thoroughly gritted teeth. "So he knows who he's fuckin' dealing with. He's messed with the wrong crew." Her lips let out a laugh, forced and harsh. As much as Alex hated using her name, or more importantly, the name made famous by an old friend to strike real fear in the hearts of men, she wasn't above desperation. "If it's war with Moran he's after, then he's going to end up a dead man."

SEBASTIAN

"Has he?" She didn't struggle, which was a step forward, at least. The sword remained in her grip - he wouldn't drop his guard, even if he was pretty sure he could choke her before she'd be able to use it on anyone, including himself. The pistol didn't move from her temple. The water from her clothes was soaking him, but that was a discomfort he could easily endure. "It seems rather the opposite, don't you think? Since we so kindly pulled you out of the fucking wreckage. Should've let you float off, for all the trouble you've been. Your friend, too. Did he smuggle you aboard? I hope you made it up to him." Well, now this was confusing. Sebastian wondered if this could possibly be the explanation for certain deeds attributed to him that he definitely hadn't done. But she couldn't possibly be the other Moran - could she? He'd heard pretty definite news of another one, but he wasn't sure that one had an entire fleet. Maybe it was an alliance. "I think I'd know if I was at war with myself," he said dryly, choosing to ignore whoever the other one was. "Drop it or you and your friend go back in the water."

ALEX

He was either talking nonsense or lying, or worse, both. She was soaked enough to think about slipping out of his grip, as long as she could be sure she was quick enough. Alex bristled at his gloating, and even more at his insinuations. This piece of shit was going to die screaming. "Sure, thanks for taking us prisoner, it's a real treat." She spat on the deck to show her true feelings. His words though, and his accent? What the hell did he mean? Her elbow moved hard into his ribs, spinning the second the barrel was free from her head to get loose. She stood with the sword out in front of her, a good distance between them now even with the sodden hair blocking the best of her view. "You're not Moran. You've just got a death wish."

SEBASTIAN

"Would you rather drown?" He was happy to help her own her way with that. Sebastian did have his questions about how this supposed doctor - maybe Sam - had encountered her and had somehow made himself very important to her. Most captives tended to beg for their own lives. She'd called for them to save the doctor first. Certainly, she seemed much more willing - and able - to fight, but it intrigued him. The still-bleeding man might have some use, then. The elbow to his ribs combined with how damp she still was made it impossible to regain his grip on her. She spun, pointing the sword. The crew still hung back, which was probably smart. A small shake of the head to keep them all still. "Sebastian Moran." He probably did have a death wish, but that was for another time. "I think you might as well. Does he?" The pistol that he'd levelled against her now was pointed at the doctor. "This is your last chance. Drop it or I'll give him a worse wound. One that he won't have a chance of recovering from."

ALEX

Alex narrowed her eyes. The issue was, if it was either of them, she wouldn’t be able to know. She hadn’t seen her brother in well over a decade, and for her cousin that was almost two. The person that certainly would know was currently unconscious. She let out an involuntary shout as he moved his gun, trying to put herself in the line of fire. Her options were running out, and fast. Good thing she was used to thinking on her feet. “I-if that’s true you should have a burn, on your wrist. Show me.”

SEBASTIAN

That clearly meant something to her as she didn't protest any further. As far as he knew, he didn't know who she was - not that it was easy to tell with her hair in her face like that. She'd heard of him and she'd heard of the other Moran. What could possibly be the explanation? He'd been right. "Stay there." He'd shoot. If this was Sam, they had to keep him. If it wasn't - they still needed a doctor. But he wasn't going to admit any of that to her, seeing as this was the only bargaining chip that kept her still. "How would you know that?" Confusion was what he felt, but he covered it with a veil of hostility. Keeping an eye on the unconscious man - and partly her - he raised his other arm so that it might be visible to her. "Explain."

ALEX

Carefully, she didn’t move. His confusion was enough, she had another lucky escape, it was him. Somehow. She wasn’t even really looking at his arm, and the stolen sword finally hit the deck. He didn’t deserve her trust, and yet he had it just enough for her to surrender. “That’s Samuel Prescott, you know him.” The confirmation he’d no doubt been waiting for. He had been hesitating, or at least playing a damn good bluff. She brought her hands up to pull some of the hair from her eyes, gesturing with her bound hands to the still bleeding lump of a man. “Let me treat him and I’ll tell you.” She might trust him, but his crew... she didn’t need active ears spreading whispers. It was a long story after all.

SEBASTIAN

At least she listened to that. It was probably more his willingness to show her the scar than the pistol he was pointing at the doctor, but hopefully the crew wouldn't catch on to that part. Finally, she dropped the sword, clearly having been satisfied by what she'd seen. If Sam had told her that, it had been very smart of him. "I do." He wasn't sure just yet whether she was lying or not, but all signs pointed to this being the truth. Bloody though he was, the man looked like Sam. She'd known about one of his minor scars. It was all very likely. Good to see him again, he supposed. Her eyes...it couldn't possibly be. Or could it? Stranger things had happened, he was pretty sure. That was why he nodded. They could figure this out in secret. If he had the full story, then he could present it to the crew to keep her - or not. "You may treat him, but I'll keep an eye on you both." He nodded to one of the crew. "Cut her loose and bring bandages. Someone help me carry the doctor to my quarters."

ALEX

As soon as her hands were cut free, she fought the instinct to reach for the sword. Sure, she had knives hidden in places they would never find but the comfort of the steel in her hand was almost like second nature. She tried to focus on the Captain, apparently her brother, and the crewman who carried Sam (although not as carefully as she would have liked) towards the captains quarters. Whilst they set him down in the bed, Alex went straight for the bottle of spirits  left out on the side, grabbing it and following them to set to work. She wasn’t great at this part, but she knew enough by now. It looked like the worst of the wound was just superficial, although the fact Sam had been out so long did worry her. Alex tore at his shirt, pouring some of the liquor from the bottle onto it to dab gently at the wound. “Well don’t just stand there, make yourself useful. You got a needle and thread? Bandages?”

SEBASTIAN

He was grateful - for both their sakes - that she didn't immediately lunge for the sword. He needed answers before killing her. If he was going to kill her, which was seeming less and less sure by the minute. Carrying Sam made Sebastian quite sure that whoever this was wasn't lying. Once again, despite the blood, he was recognizable. It was, despite the circumstances, good to see him again. Hopefully he'd wake up soon - if he didn't, who knew whether he'd wake again. He stepped back once Sam was set down, giving her room to work, since clearly she was going to follow through on her demand to treat the doctor himself. "Needle and thread for an answer," he replied, picking them up. "What's your name?" He didn't really mean to gamble with Sam's life, but he didn't want to risk her simply lying if he asked whether her name was Alexandrie. Just in case he needed to bargain further - in case she wasn't his sister - he picked up the bandages from the table as well.

ALEX

“You knew me as Petya, a long time ago.” She glanced at him, trying to remember all the steps she needed to follow to keep the wound clean. She wasn’t great at this but, and Sam made it look so easy. Maybe,  he hadn’t pointed a gun at her, Sebastian would get a warmer tone but it was highly unlikely. Alex didn’t care much for men, as a species. Brutes and traitors, just like herself. Her loyalty had to be earned, and the only person who had come close in a long time was at risk. She dabbed at his wound again, knowing it would sting but better than the alternative. “Although I think you were figuring that bit out on your own. It’s been a while.”

SEBASTIAN

"Petya?" So it really was her. He could barely believe it - not because he thought she was lying, but simply because fate had clearly taken a strange turn. It had been a long time since he'd last seen her when he'd left home. She'd been so much younger - he thought it might have been an entire decade, but her eyes were the same and that was confirmation enough. He handed over the needle and thread, almost in a dreamlike state. The bandages, too. "You've gotten so much bigger - well - not that much bigger." Couldn't help it. "Your eyes are exactly the same. What happened? How'd you meet Sam?"

ALEX

“Yeah.” She bristled even at the sound of it. It never felt like her name, not that she had one now. She left people hanging, she used Moran only when it suited her. Most of the time, she was no one at all. She held the cloth to Sams head again, her face creasing into a frown. Maybe, she was a little more concerned than she wanted to admit. She pored some of the liquor form the bottle over her hands, not caring about the soaking bed or floor. Sebastian would get over it. He could have expected a little more care if he hadn’t pointed a gun at her, or the poor doctor. “I could say the same for you.” She reached out for the needle and thread, getting her first real look at him. He was taller, scruffier around the edges. More weathered than really aged. He must be nearly thirty by now. She hadn’t been sure what to expect, if she was honest with herself. “It’s... well it’s a long story. Sort of the same way you did. He’s a bit of a bleeding heart.” She paused to thread the needle, trying to knot the thread neatly at the end like her mother had always pestered her to do. “You’re a hard man to find, you know that, right?”

SEBASTIAN

He didn't quite know what to think, even with confirmation that it really was her. It had been so long since he'd thought about his family, and especially her. He'd assumed a while ago that there was going to be no way for him to see most of them ever again. The law-abiding ones, at least. He'd certainly never expected to see Petya here, not to mention the absolute surprise of seeing her dressed in this manner, clearly having lived on a pirate ship, and done well there. He wondered how she'd persuaded people she wasn't bad luck. "I certainly hope so." He'd at least grown a reasonable amount. She could have passed for younger if she'd really wanted to, he thought. But life on the seas had marked her the way it marked everyone. He wondered exactly how long she'd been out here. "We've got plenty of time," he replied dryly. "Port's not close." The way he had? There was definitely a story there, then. One that she'd better tell. "Believe me, I'm aware." Hopefully he'd wake up again. At least if he was out, there was less screaming to worry about. He shrugged. "I don't intend to get caught, so of course I am." Given all the possible penalties - piracy, desertion, murder - he wasn't in a hurry to be easily found. "Were you looking for me?"

ALEX

She started to work on closing the wound up, hoping Sam wouldn’t curse her for messy stitching. Although she wouldn’t normally talk, she liked the rhythm of it, it was easier to focus on the story instead of her looming dread. “I heard about someone, Moran. I thought it was you. Went to Portsmouth, sold my dresses and had a friend set me up as a kitchen boy. Didn’t last lunch but was a good start. Couple of years in I thought I had you, turns out you’re not exactly the Moran everyone is scared of.” She wouldn’t give away her friends secret, not even to her brother. There was chance he didn’t know. He had no right to. The bond she shared with the first woman to show her kindness was unmeasurable. “Worked for the Captain for a while till Sam came along. Ended up stealing a ship and starting out on my own. I guessed that you were either dead or didn’t want to be found. Not like you looked back either way- so no point in trying.” Of course, she had taken it with permission. But the whole thing had been set up to look like a betrayal. Better to stop any other ambitious crew member with ideas above their station. The fact that her brother had never even bothered to look though, well, it stung. She hadn’t made it easy, but that wasn’t the point. She had been forgotten completely. Finally she bit at the threat with her teeth, thing it off and unraveling the bandages. “My crew, did they manage to fish anyone out of the water?”

SEBASTIAN

He watched her work, clearly showing just how much she cared about Sam. The man seemed to have that effect on people. "Could have been." Christ, what a gamble. "You really did all that just because you'd heard some rumors about me? Why?" He could imagine pretty well that it hadn't gone according to her plans. "You found the other one?" Wait - "hey, I'm plenty scary. The reputation boots are quite helpful for it. If we ever meet, I'll have to express my gratitude." It had come in handy a few times. He was a little jealous of the other Moran from time to time, he had to admit. On the other hand, he didn't mind working a little bit more under the radar - meant that he didn't have to worry as much about being chased. That's where the reputation spillover might cause problems. It'd be easy to try to pawn off the Navy onto him. He'd do the same in return, if he had to. "I'm impressed - stealing a ship's quite the endeavor. Clearly you learned a thing or two from Captain Moran." He shrugged. "Either one is fairly likely. Now you're here, the answer's clearly the second one." He frowned. "Why would I be looking back? I thought you'd just be doing whatever it is you were supposed to be doing at home." Why would he have looked. Coming back to England was a probable death sentence and he'd never really considered that the rest of his siblings might have their own problems. Especially her, since she'd been so young when he left. A nod. "We caught a few, yeah. Not too many, but I believe there were two or three that we kept." He had no plans to let her see them. Sam was an exception. Sam was also not waking up. Motioning at Sam, he continued. "Of course he's the one knocked out right when we need his opinion."

ALEX

“Right. Marrying someone and having a brood. Didn’t seem like you ever wanted that, so why do you think it would have been my idea of a decent life?” She unfurled the bandages, pausing only to shoot him a glare. Her options were limited, and the life she had chosen was limitless. Freedom came with the threat of being hung as a pirate, it was just better to have a short life she chose than no life at all. “You’re nothing like Cap’n. Twice the man you could ever hope to be and more, doesn’t point a gun at unconscious survivors for a start.” She was speaking far too highly of someone who was supposed to have banished her, but it was hard not to. Alex took the knife from where it had been hidden in her belt strap, trimming the bandages before she could tie them off. “There wasn’t many of us. The ginger scrawny one, she’s with me. You keep your men away from her, or I’ll gut every last one of them, we clear?” She stowed her knife away, perching on the edge of the bed finally. There wasn’t anything else she could do. She curled her fingers around Sams hand, squeezing it just in case he might squeeze back. “He told me he met you. He thought he was being kind, telling me nice things about you. The problem was, you never thought about me once.” One more squeeze, maybe he would feel it this time. “Severin, is he with you?”

SEBASTIAN

Fair enough. "I didn't know your preferences." Probably because he hadn't really asked. "I couldn't have taken you with me to the Navy, and it's not like I would have been able to smuggle you out of England either, even as a pirate." He didn't know what to make of being measured up to the other Moran like that. "And yet, you stole one of that Moran's ships, so clearly your respect and admiration only stretches so far." He rolled his eyes. "Got you to drop the sword and see sense, didn't it? If it works, I'll do it. There's no time to be nice when dealing with a prisoner." Of course he was going to point a gun at someone to get done what was needed. It was a shit move, obviously, but he wasn't about to lean on morality in this life. He'd gotten where he was by doing whatever was necessary. She wasn't going to shame him into apologizing, that was for sure. "I suppose if anyone was going to have women in the crew, it'd be another woman. I think we got her. I can tell them." A raised eyebrow at the threat. "Do you really think you're in the kind of position to be threatening that?" Maybe he shouldn't push his luck like that, but at least he'd agreed to keep some of her crew safe. Hopefully because of that, he could at least not get too badly stabbed. He should absolutely confiscate that knife before someone else noticed. That could come later, though. It was just the two of them - and Sam - for now. "He's too kind for the life he lives," Sebastian agreed. "Was I supposed to? Was I supposed to be pining for my family every day before falling asleep?" Maybe a bit much. "Not with me, no. I hadn't heard much news of him, so I assume he's still in the Navy. Maybe he's trying to catch the pirate Morans. But, I have no idea, really."

ALEX

“Didn’t leave me much choice either way.” It was hypocritical for her to be so bitter. She had done exactly the same thing, even worse really. At least her brother had been in the Navy, instead she had battled straight past that into a life of crime without looking back. “Doesn’t matter now.” She hadn’t known what to expect, to say the whole affair had thrown her off guard was probably right. She had wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt but now she was just... hollow. She didn’t know if she could trust him, or if this was all just another game. She parroted his words back at him in a perfect mockery- “if it works, I’ll do it.” There had been closer calls. She had two more concealed on her, if he tried his luck. But finally that comment made her laugh. “You can say that again.” The idea of being without him was terrifying. And starting to become a little too real, even as she kept watching his chest rise and fall. “He’ll wake up and you can drop us off wherever you stop next.” Half her crew weren’t even people she had picked up, it was Sam. Always wanting to help, always knowing the best way to be around people. Alex was prickly and bad tempered but somehow he mediated the worst of it. Alex nodded over the talk of Severin, he hadn’t heard anything about him. Maybe, in this case, no news was the best they could hope for.

SEBASTIAN

"What did you want me to do?" This argument wasn't getting either of them anywhere, but he couldn't just let it go. And clearly she couldn't either, though her side of things was probably more justifiable. He just didn't want the blame for something he hadn't even done. "It doesn't." Table that shit for later. "Fuck off." No trust lost between them, even if they were related. It'd been far too long for any of that. Alex had met the other Moran, had worked with him. Sebastian didn't want to trust her any further than he could toss her, even if that was probably pretty far. "I'll keep you down with the ballast. See how you like the dark and damp." He probably wouldn't. But he wasn't letting her too far out of his sight no matter what. "Yeah." Sam was a good man. Would probably end up hanged for piracy because of it, but he had a feeling Sam would think it was worth it. Or something like that.  He didn't know how it worked for people who had a heart and a conscience. At least he was still breathing. Maybe he'd just fainted from the pain or something. Maybe that was it, not some head injury that meant he'd never wake again. "Sure, fine. I'll have to convince everyone that you won't get us sunk out of bad luck." Which might be hard, given the state of her ship. "You can stay with him. I want to keep an eye on you anyway. Your people won't be harmed. Might need to put them to work, but they'll be fine." It'd make feeding the prisoners a lot more palatable for the crew, if they were also doing work.

[gunmetalgrey-trashpile]

💋 (From Sam)

For @diabolicaltendencies Send 💋 for a kiss of the receiver’s choice - i’m going with the kiss from someone else

The groaning and cracking of wood filled her ears, the salt spray rising over the sides of the ship around her. It was all she could to do lash him to the mast, despite his constant squirming to reach the mythical voices the men around her were enchanted over. And yet she head nothing but the sound of destruction. She used her whole bodyweight to pull at the ropes, tying a series of complicated knots in the hopes he would stay put.

    “ Sam! - SAM.” Alex slapped at his face, trying to get him to see sense but it was no use. Men around her were throwing themselves overboard, to the mercy of an unforgiving sea. Alex, and Alex alone seemed to have her wits about her. She pushed back the brim of her hat, reaching for her pistol even though it would do very little. How was she supposed to fight the ocean? Never mind whatever these creatures were?

Deep, bottle green tentacles seemed to snake their way around the sides of the ship. They were being encased in the grip of something colossal, it pushed and pulled at the sides of the vessel as if it were a ship in a bottle, being shaken around to see if there was anything interesting inside. As they were raised higher, she clung to the rigging, keeping one eye on her oblivious doctor in the hopes he might come to.

This was her fight, and hers alone.

Alex pulled at the net of the rigging, hoisting herself up to get a better view beneath the surface of the sea. From here she could see them. Beautiful red haired maidens with glass smiles, blowing kisses as they dragged the men of her crew beneath the surf over and over again. And yet they paid no mind to whatever foul beast held the actual ship in its grip. Her stomach was in her throat before she could think, the sinking feeling of the gravity being pulled from under her feet horribly familiar. The had been let go, to come crashing down to earth again.

The bow sunk beneath the waves. The down to a watery grave, and there was nothing Alex could do about it. There was only enough time for her to take two deep breaths, before the rush of water overcame her. Her hat was pulled from her head, the long braids cascading around her face making it difficult to see. There was a few minutes at most before the sail either cracked with Sam stuck to it, or sunk too far for her to find. 

In the misty water, the best she could make out was the splintered wood. Alex launched herself forwards to avoid a barrel or two, ignoring the twirling limbs of the monster that seemed to share her love of what had once been her ship. Her gaze glanced over the bodies down here, before one caught her yes.

There. The sea weed hair was enthralled around him, and yet he smiled at the creature so sweetly. The way he had looked at Alex, when no one else was watching. Her eyes narrowed, her arms launching herself forwards through pieces of the wreckage. She used her knife to dig into one of the writhing tentacles, letting it pull her closer at a forceful speed. The gilled creature looked different beneath the water. They all did. Here you could see their gills, their fangs, their webbed hands ready to tear men limb from limb. At least this beast was untying him from the ropes as Alex was pulled closer, doing the hard work for her.

She pulled her knife free from the kraken, launching herself at the mermaids back. She buried her knife deep there, the black blood flowing like ink between her and Sam just as his ropes loosened- and his eyes drifted closed.

Despite the wreckage around them, Alex shoved an arm under his and swam upwards. Upwards and upwards still, as far up ash she could go to break through to the surface. They were so close. They had to be.

And then she was hot, and dry.

Her sodden clothed pooled around her, waves lashing around her feet as her throat drew ragged and raw breaths. She fought to get air, rolling onto her side to cough up more salty salty foam. Scorching sunlight covered the bay as pieces of wood and ropes drifted slowly towards them. He lay to her side, his tattered shirt clinging desperately to him. He looked at peace, she could see his chest rising and falling at the very least. He was alive, although he would have hell to pay when he came to.

     “ Fuck me-”

Alex leant back on her elbows, cursing at his stupidity. Men, yet again, had cost her more than she cared to admit. Hopefully, this one was worth it.

[gunmetalgrey-trashpile]

“I thought I could trust you.” / Aidan to Alex

for @theasteriae

    “ That’s on you.”

She had scaled the tavern easily, letting herself into his rooms with ease. She perched on the windowsill, leaning into the frame with one knee set up on it. She didn’t even look to him int he darkness, but to the bustling port streets below. even at this hour of the night, there were drunkards singing and market traders setting up for the morning. Daylight would break in a few hours, and she would look to new tides for adventures. But for now she let her restless legs bring her to an old friend.

    “ Never trust anyone.”

Her eyes drifted closed, her exhaustion showing. She didn’t sleep much, but sleeping when still was even harder. She brought the cup to her lips, wondering if he had noticed his rum bottle open across the room on his desk. Either way, he didn’t have much say in the matter.

    “ I thought you knew better.”

[gunmetalgrey-trashpile]

🔪 / aidan

for @theasteriae

She had been loitering for long enough. And yet when it came time to approach him, Alex Moran had found herself pinned to the stone wall of the alley.

    “ Now - how’s that any way to great an old friend.”

Her smile glinted like the blade of the knife in the dim lamp light as she lifted up her hat just enough to let her face show. The wide brim had hidden her features, but even with the dreads and thick layer of grime that coated her skin, he should be able to recognise her.  Aidan hadn’t changed. His clothes were finer, clearly a man of new money now and doing well enough that he could keep an office of his own beneath the tavern.

It had been almost five years since she had given him the last of her money and fine clothes, using him as a vehicle to find her new life amongst cut throats and thieves. Piracy suited her. There was still some debate in her mind as to whether he had been taking advantage of his position, or if he had truly meant well. But in this life, everyone looked after their own back. Alex could hardly blame him either way.

Alex shoved him hard, forcing him to take a step back from where he had her pinned against a wall. Her breath was tinged with rum, her worn leather coat showing signs of cracking and somehow it was made for her. 

    “ Maybe I should find another shitstained barrel bastard to fence my  wares?”

[gunmetalgrey-trashpile]

✿ (from sam

for @diabolicaltendencies 

15: last kiss

She had epic destiny, a life of crossed pistols and drawn swords. A heroes journey. At least her version of a hero.

Sailing under a black flag carried a death sentence, and yet it was the only way to find home amongst sea spray for someone like her. She would never be truly free, not in a world confined to stays and hoop skirts. She needed the ocean like she needed air in her lungs, and whatever cost she had to pay was worth it. Piracy was the life legends were built on.

Meeting Sam had been the last thing she had expected. Alex Moran would chase her brother to the ends of the earth, and yet this beautiful doctor had her bound to him. Not through marraige, or any kind of agreement. Simply because he was kind, and reckless, and the only person who could make her feel alive without the sound of sails whipping against the wind.

Samuel Prescott was the ocean at its finest. Calm, alluring, peaceful. And yet a seething mass beneath, more depth than could ever be explored. His eyes rang with the charm of endless tides, a spell that tied her heart to his. He would patch her up countless times, as long as his laugh was there to brighten her day she would be content.

Yet gunshots battered the stone around them, and there was no alternative. They had sprinted to the highest point around, the top of Fort Charles. 

Alex spun, ignoring the booming shots from the other side of the wall. Her arms wrapped around his waist, gun still in hand as her hat flew off with the hungry wind. From here ti whipped them both, her wild hair flowing around her face.

She locked lips with him desperately. One last time. She would send her heart on with him, to live on. Death was nothing but unexplored and uncharted waters, after all. She pulled away enough to press her forehead against his, smiling in the way she wanted him to remember her. Tears wouldn’t save them.

    “ You, are the greatest adventure I could have asked for.”

Alex broke away, shoving Sam backwards, hard. Pushing him over the cliffs and down, towards the water a startling pace. She hadn’t noticed that she was holding her breath until she gasped at his head, bobbing above the waves below. He was alive. 

And now he needed time. Just what she was running out of.

Cutlass drawn, pistol loaded, Alex Moran was ready to live. One last time.

She pressed her back to the wall, listening to the poor soldiers shouting on the other side. As she left her shelter and her body took each impact of the muskets balls, her shot found home in the captains heart and her sword running through as many of them ash she could reach. These kings men, these poor red coats who hunted pirates and thieves who lived by a far nobler code than they could imagine.

Her head hit the stone cobbles with a thud, her lips parted in a permanent grin that didn’t reach her glassy eyes. Maybe she would live on in the stories or the wild captain, or maybe just in Samuel Prescott’s memory. Either way, she had gone out fighting.

[gunmetalgrey-trashpile]

where the sea meets the shore, where the wave breaks into sea foam, that’s where my heart lies 🎵

[gunmetalgrey-trashpile]

for @steelbvtterfly who hit that damn heart

The harbour was hardly ever this silent. There was ballands drifting across the breeze from a far off tavern, the jeering crowds more used to drinking songs the only crackle that cut though the lashing of the ocean against this shore. The gentle rise and fall of the water was peaceful Her legs dangled off of the dock, her gaze fixed firmly on the moonlit horizon line was the rum glazed her lips. Here, Alex could be free. If only for a moment. She would be able to feel the salt spray in her hair again soon, just not quite yet. The sea air was close enough, the charm of the sea calling her back home.

It was the only home she had now. 

She hummed gently, singing along to the tune.

    “ Tomorrow ye will get you’re pay, and it’s time for us to leave her...”

She didn’t see the ripple in the water in her drunken sorrows, she simply let her voice carry across the water.

    “ Leave her Johnny, leave her.”