#was this whole thing an excuse to write parrot shifter hst??? maybe!!

[lynne-monstr]

Writer's Month Day 14: Ship

The King's Avatar, Yuhuang, Blue Rain, Yu Feng, pirate au

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“What should we do with the traitor?” 

The harsh tone of Yu Wenzhou’s voice rises above the whistling of the ocean wind. He stands on the deck of his ship, surveying his crew, swords drawn where they have the traitor surrounded.

The pirates of the ship Blue Rain have a reputation for being a mild mannered bunch, right up until the moment they creep up behind you and slit your throat. Their ship isn’t the fastest, but everyone in these waters knows to steer clear if they value their lives. As their captain, Yu Wenzhou needs to be as cunning as he is ruthless, lest anyone forgets and starts to confuse Blue Rain’s lack of aggression for weakness. People say he looks more like a scholar than a pirate captain, but it's a mistake few make twice.

“Walk the plank!” The words are a loud squawk, silencing the murmur of the men. “The plank, the plank!”

Above their heads, a noisy parrot spins circles, a smear of bright blue and yellow against the endless sky. The parrot gives another loud squawk before gliding towards the deck and landing on Yu Wenzhou’s shoulder.

“Isn’t that a little harsh, Shaotian?” Yu Wenzhou asks, valiantly ignoring the way the parrot happily chomps on his hair. It’s more than a little undignified for a captain to be groomed by his parrot on the deck of his ship, but his men have seen worse. He catches Song Xiao hiding a smile, though he never drops his blade or his guard.

“Walk the plank!” The parrot cries out again, and Yu Wenzhou hides a wince at the loud noise shouted directly into his ear.

“What the fuck, Huang Shao. I thought we were friends!” The traitor gives Yu Wenzhou’s shoulder a glare, though the blades near his neck mean he doesn’t try to come any closer.

The parrot ruffles his feathers, and then the pressure on Yu Wenzhou’s shoulder is gone, replaced by a young man with sun-dyed hair standing at his side. A pair of blue and yellow feathered earrings dangle from his ears, a match to the bracelets on both his wrists.

Huang Shaotian. First Mate of the ship Blue Rain.

Huang Shaotian runs a hand through his wind-mused hair, the other resting on the elaborate sword at his waist. “Friends? You think we’re friends, Yu Feng? Friends don’t conspire against their friends with those Hundred Blossoms scoundrels. We saw you meeting secretly with them. Were you giving away secrets? Tell me, tell me right now!”

“Shaotian, let him speak,” Yu Wenzhou says under his breath, placing a hand on Huang Shaotain’s shoulder before he can say any more.

“The captain had drinks with Captain Wang last month,” Yu Feng says, looking put out. “Why aren’t you telling him to walk the plank? Tiny Herb blew a hole in us last winter, or did you already forget?”

“The captain can do whatever he wants!” Huang Shaotian yells back.

“We know that already, please don’t remind us.” Zheng Xuan interrupts.

“Shut up, Zheng Xuan. Maybe next time you should knock before coming into the captain’s quarters at night, huh. You ever think about that?”

“It was after breakfast.”

It takes effort, but Yu Wenzhou refrains from dropping his head into his hands. Instead, he draws his sword.

Every voice on the deck falls quiet at the singing of his blade. The sails flap loudly in the wind, punctuated by the spray of water against the sides of the ship.

“Yu Feng,” Yu Wenzhou says, as he stalks across the span of the deck. With his sword glinting in the midday sun, he looks nothing like a scholar. He looks like the encroaching shadow of death. When he reaches the circle of his crew, they part, letting him through.

Yu Feng lifts his chin, but it isn’t enough to hide the gleam of terror beneath his cool demeanor. “Captain.”

“You could have told me you wanted to leave.”

“I didn’t want to say anything until I had somewhere to go.”

Yu Wenzhou studies him for a long moment before tilting his head in acknowledgement. “You were right that I met with Captain Wang. I hear the Hundredth Blossom will soon be in need of a new captain.”

Yu Feng smiles, a hint of his usual pride shining though. “Not anymore.”

Yu Wenzhou steps back, and motions to his men to drop their weapons. 

“We’re not killing him?” Xu Jingxi asks, looking relieved.

“Of course not,” Huang Shaotian says, slinging an arm over Xu Jingxi’s shoulder. The feathers in his ears sway back and forth with the rocking of the ship. “Just teaching him a lesson about the value of keeping your friends informed.”

Yu Feng frowns, but is quickly distracted by Zheng Xuan returning his pair of pistols and his backup knife. “I hate all of you,” he proclaims, to a chorus of friendly jeers.

“Let’s eat,” Yu Wenzhou says, smiling as if the entire incident had never happened. He looks over at Li Yuan and adds, “Set a course for the port. We’ll see Yu Feng off when we make land.”

“Yes, Captain!”

As they descend deep within the ship, Yu Feng turns to look at Yu Wenzhou and Huang Shaotian walking to either side of him. It feels a little like a prison march except he’s fairly sure the matter is settled. “You knew the whole time,” he says. It isn’t a question. “You knew I never betrayed you. What the hell was that farce out there?”

“Something to remember us by.” There’s something terrifying in the quirk of Yu Wenzhou’s smile, far more than Huang Shaotian’s raucous laughter. "Stay in touch, Yu Feng. Don’t be an enemy.” He sets a hand on Yu Feng’s shoulder as they turn a corner. “If the Hundredth Blossom is ever in need of aid, you know where to find us.”

Days later, when Yu Feng leaves the Blue Rain for the last time, he’s still debating whether Yu Wenzhou had wished him well or threatened him.