#pirate writing prompts

[unboundprompts]

Pirate Terms and Phrases

-> Pirate Lingo

-> A Pirate's Glossary

Batten Down The Hatches - tie everything down and put stuff away for a coming storm.

Brig - a prison on a ship.

Bring a Spring Upon 'er - turn the ship in a different direction

Broadside - the most vulnerable angle of a ship that runs the length of the boat.

Cutlass - a thick, heavy and rather short sword blade.

Dance with Jack Ketch - to hang; death at the hands of the law (Jack Ketch was a famed English executioner).

Davy Jones's Locker - a mythical place at the bottom of the ocean where drowned sailors are said to go.

Dead Men Tell No Tales - the reason given for leaving no survivors.

Flogging - severe beating of a person.

Gangplank - removable ramp between the pier and ship.

Give No Quarter - show no mercy.

Jack - flag flown at the front of the ship to show nationality.

Jolly Roger - black pirate flag with a white skull and crossbones.

Keelhaul - a punishment where someone is dragged under the ship. They are cut by the planks and barnacles on the bottom of the ship.

Landlubber - an inexperienced or clumsy person who doesn't have any sailing skills.

Letters of Marque - government-issued letters allowing privateers the right to piracy of another ship during wartime.

Man-O-War - a pirate ship that is decked out and prepared for battle.

Maroon - to leave someone stranded on a. deserted island with no supplies, typically a punishment for any crew members who disrespected the captain.

Mutiny - a situation in which the crew chooses a new captain, sometimes by forcibly removing the old one.

No Prey, No Pay - a common pirate law that meant crew members were not paid, but rather received a share of whatever loot was taken.

Old Salt - experienced pirate or sailor.

Pillage - to steal/rob a place using violence.

Powder Monkeys - men that performed the most dangerous work on the ship. They were treated harshly, rarely paid, and were expendable.

Privateer - government-appointed pirates.

Run A Shot Across the Bow - fire a warning shot at another boat's Captain.

Scurvy - a disease caused by Vitamin C Deficiency.

Sea Legs - when a sailor adjusts his balance from riding on a boat for a long time.

Strike Colors - lower a ship's flag to indicate surrender.

Weigh Anchor and Hoist the Mizzen - an order to the crew to pull up the anchor and get the ship sailing.

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#creative writing #writeblr #pirate writing prompts #pirates #pirate au #glossary #pirate lingo #pirate terms and phrases #pirate language #pirate vocab #pirate vocabulary #victorian slang #how to talk like a pirate #how to write #writing tips #fiction writing #writing advice #writing help #writing resources

[buyandsellcar]

#creative writing #writeblr #pirate writing prompts #pirates #pirate au #glossary #pirate lingo #pirate terms and phrases #tswiftedit #my gifs #candy swift #tscreatorsnet #food

[imfinereallyy]

Steve Harrington was not a treasure.

His family had treasure for sure: more gold than they could count, family jewels passed down from generation to generation, and an estate with more rooms than servants. But Steve himself was nothing worthwhile.

Women were worth something; well… daughters were. In Steve’s mind, it all seemed a bit twisted. The women he knew were only as good as their selling price, not seen for their minds or strength. It confounded him most days, considering they could rule better than he ever could. They probably should rule instead. Still, in most family’s eyes, although their worth was demeaning, but it was still worth.

Steve Harrington didn’t hold any value. Most saw him at best as the damaged heir, broken and bruised beyond repair. Others saw him at worst as his father saw him, as a disappointment who would only make good helping running the ship under the man Richard wished was his son.

Steve was almost certain he could be lost at sea, and no one would ever bat an eye.

So Steve is baffled, really, when one of the few times his ships is back in port and he stays a rare night in his family’s estate.

Perplexed when the rooms are broken into and raided in the time before dawn by the ruthless crew of Hellfire, that they come looking for more than gold. He is baffled, and downright alarmed when, instead of killing Steve as they had for many of the guards, they rip him away and steal him, much like the gold that lined the halls.

And when he meets the dreaded Captain Munson for the first time, where he brushes a thumb across the scar on Steve’s lip…Steve can’t help but be stunned into silence when Munson mutters under his breath, “Looks like we found our hidden treasure.”

#steddie #I can’t stop thinking about pirate Eddie #there needs to be more #this is just like a prompt #idk if I should write more #no one probably cares about this lol #pirates #Steve has a tragic past in this one #pirate eddie munson #Steve Harrington #Robin is there in spirit #they become besties on the ship #stranger things #my writing #writing prompts #steddie au

[deepwaterwritingprompts]

Text: There are not so many suns left in this galaxy. Pirate ships circle those remaining, each craft fitted with between six and ten glittering solar panel sails.

#creative writing #writing prompts #space and aliens #pirates

[pennzance]

"For some ridiculous reason, to which however I have no desire to be disloyal, some person in authority-"

"Who?"

"... I don't know who, very likely the astronomer royal; has decreed that although for such a beastly month as February twenty-eight days as a rule are plenty, one year in every four it's days shall be numbered as NINE and twenty. By some singular coincidence, I wouldn't be surprised if it were owing to the agency of some ill natured fairy, YOU-"

"Me?"

"-are the victim of this... clumsy arrangement, having been born in leap year on the twenty-ninth of February. And so, by a simple arithmetical process, I am sure you will easily discover that although you have lived twenty-one years, if we go by birthdays, you're only five and a little bit over."

#writing prompt #dialogue prompt #pirates of penzance #the whole plot hinges on this logical leap #i love this musical

[avvail]

Could you do some prompts where villain is a pirate and hero is a naval captain?

pirate villain and naval captain hero

hero and villain being shipwrecked together on the same island. they both hate each other, but realise that they’re going to have to work together to survive.

hero is famous across the seas. the villain sees this as a challenge and wants to be the one to see them defeated by their own hand.

the hero as a captive on the villain’s ship: opportunity for rope burns, sea sickness, crippling sunburn...

hero’s crew being captured by the pirates. the hero is forced to spend their captivity as the villain’s pet, while their crew is subjected to brutal torture in the brig.

hero discovering that the monarch/kingdom/government they work for isn’t as righteous as they believed. perfect opportunity for the villain to turn their pawn into their own loyal subject.

hero being seduced into joining the villain.

or reverse, the villain being seduced by the hero. they don’t mind throwing other pirate crews under the bus if it means the hero will stay by their side.

the villain seeing the hero as their “treasure” to claim.

#hero x villain #villain x hero #heroes and villains #villains and heroes #hero and villain #villain and hero #hero villain #villain hero #hero #villain #pirates #naval captain #writing prompts #prompts #writing #my writing #avvail

[unboundprompts]

Pirate Prompts Inspired by Lyrics pt. 2

-> writing prompts from the lyrics of songs that have pirate vibes. feel free to edit as you see fit.

link to part 1 found Here.

"Your destiny is here with me." - Once You Were My Lover by Méav

"The soul full of anger is immortal." - Ghost From The Barrow by Paddy And The Rats

"I've seen that look in your eyes. It makes me go blind. Cuts me deep, the secrets and lies storm in the quiet." - Madness by Ruelle

"Fear me or love me, it's all the same." - Empire by Beth Crowley

"It's time to leave, the clouds are hanging low." - Love and War by Fleurie

"I've learned how to forgive." - I Hope You Die in a Fire by Grand Commander

"When you go, I fear you will never return again." - My Jolly Sailor Bold by Ashley Serena

"Batten down the hatches, we're going to war." - Pirates of Three Rivers by Bastard Bearded Irishmen

"Nothing else matters. Only Us." - Only Us by Miracle Of Sound

"A cold corpse lies in the harbour." - Ghost From The Barrow by Paddy And The Rats

"I'll do what I have to do. You can't understand, it's all part of the plan." - Love and War by Fleurie

"Madness and greatness can both share a face." - Empire by Beth Crowley

"Give 'em what they're here for." - Pirates of Three Rivers by Bastard Bearded Irishmen

"The eyes stolen jewelry in the night, and a heart's as dark as a coal mine." - Devil Town by The Builders and The Butchers

"I took this life and I lived it in vain." - Trying to Kill the Moon by Motherfolk

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas with never a fear of drowning." - For the Dancing and the Dreaming by Erutan

"Let vengeance roar for blood and war behind a scornful smile." - Only Us by Miracle Of Sound

"You claim you trust me. You think I don't see the doubt behind your eyes?" - Empire by Beth Crowley

"I would keep you from all harm if you would stay beside me." - For the Dancing and the Dreaming by Erutan

"My spite became the steps upon the stairway of descent." - Only Us by Miracle Of Sound

"Nobody will ever convince me to stop." - Empire by Beth Crowley

#writing prompts #prompts inspired by lyrics #pirate writing prompts #pirate au #dialogue prompt #prompt list #story prompt #fantasy prompts

[andaniellight]

if i could write modern-setting-with-no-power AU where Zoro and Perona are both famous, but the public in general don't know they're siblings, best believe i'd make one where Zoro shows up in Perona's business account like this not because he wants to be perceived as a loving brother but because if he had to fight his way up tooth and nail (literally physically) to have no-lose-streaks reputation as "MMA Fighter" then might as well get comfortable with scaring the shit out of people with threats context-not-provided whatsoever*

(* Perona's been followed by creepy stalkers so he becomes her personal bodyguard for a whole week while they wait for their rich-as-fuck dad, Mihawk, to do something about it)

Zoro's full pic below ↓

(reference pose from that picture of Mackenyu Arata holding up card of Perona btw)

#Goth Family #Pastel Goth Family #Perona #Roronoa Zoro #One Piece #Straw Hat Pirates #Mugiwara no Ichimi #Shanks #a hint of MiShank but if you blink you'll miss it #writing prompt question mark? #Pirate Hunter Zoro #Modern Setting AU #i'm still wondering what is the use of Perona card that Mackenyu's been showing on IG #Goth Fam

[loonybun]

hi back again with more whump ideas for you guys!! this time i’m gonna focus on settings in whump because there are a ton of things i’d love to see more of!!!!

- morgues. i’ve brought this one up before and ill say it again. morgues. you can keep your whumpee on a slab!! in a dark and confined space!!! embalm ‘em! drain ‘em! they’ll be fine!!!

- on that same note, a funeral parlor! have them down on the table and pretty them up for a burial! doesn’t matter if they’re still breathing.

- operating theaters. you people do not understand how perfect operating theaters are. as someone who had a hyperfixation on victorian medical practices trust me when i say they are fucked up. for those unaware, operating theaters are kind of circular rooms that have rows of seats similar to an amphitheater that all point towards the operating table!! imagine a whumpee getting a fun little painful and unsedated surgery in front of a live audience! are the onlookers nobles who just wanted to watch a fun, gorey show? or are they fellow doctors/surgeons/scientists or training to become one?

- forests. cold, cold forests. frostbite and hypothermia are enough of a threat to keep whumpee from running off.

- restaurants! because of course the person who loves fictional cannibalism has to put it on here!!! serve them up!!!!!!!! maybe limb-by-limb as not to be so wasteful. keep them waiting in the freezer while you pick em apart!

- space. it’s called the final frontier for a reason. and unlike the other places, you can’t really escape space. once you’re there, you’re kind of art the mercy of whoever else is there. aliens im talking about aliens. i need more aliens.

- pirate ships. that’s all. that’s the prompt. once again, you can’t really escape the ocean. you’ve just gotta wait until another ship finds you and hope they’re on your side.

- labrynths. regardless of how many turns whumpee makes, they always find themselves right back at the start. maybe it’s been rigged from the beginning. maybe something else is in there with them. hunting them down.

once again if you use any of these tag me please i’d love to see

#whump #whumpblr #whump community #whump prompt #whump writing #alien whump #cannibalism #medical whump #med whump #lab whump #cold whump #dismemberment #pirate whump #situational whump

[forpiratereasons]

meeting stede bonnet

a slow meandering through June. third prompt: discover!

day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5 | day 6 | day 7 | day 8 | day 9 | day 10

-

Obviously, Stede found men attractive.

This was the gay part of the thought, I’m gay. Perhaps even the defining feature of it. Despite having only allowed himself that thought several days prior, Stede was not exactly surprised to discover that attraction to men was part and parcel.

Hugh Grant was attractive, for example. Richard Armitage was attractive. That bloke on the telly at six on Sundays doing the weather was attractive.

Not a problem, Stede had thought. Men! Hands and shoulders, body hair and the napes of necks. Fantastic.

The thing was, though: Stede was not in any danger of meeting Hugh Grant.

Stede was very much in danger, at this moment, of meeting the man in leather trousers and a cropped shirt queuing in front of him at the hot dog stand.

His heart hammered in his chest. His palms were sweaty. Was there some—some protocol he didn’t know? To finding men attractive in real life?

Not that he intended to act on it, not here and now in the hot dog line, but just  looking, at the hands and the long beautiful neck and skin full of tattoos and not instantly turning away—it was breath-taking, it was chest-crushing, it was—it was—

“Next!”

It was Stede’s turn.  

“Er,” he said intelligently, trying not to watch Leather Trousers saunter down to the end of the stand for condiments. “Two, please.”

The kid behind the stand took his card. Stede didn’t watch as Trousers struggled to balance two hot dogs, a mobile phone, and a bottle of mustard. Definitely not. Nope.

“Let me hold that for you,” someone said.

Trousers looked up. Right at Stede. Because Stede said it. Did he? Must have done, because Trousers was looking at him.

Trousers had warm, dark eyes that crinkled at the edges. Stede’s heart, for its part, had an arrhythmia.

“Cheers, mate,” Trousers said, handing Stede his mobile. “Pockets in the leather are a nightmare.”

“I imagine so,” Stede managed. Was he blushing? He felt like he might be blushing. The kid behind the stand also looked like Stede was blushing: incredibly smug in the way only teenagers can be. “Must be terribly hard to get out of them.”

The mustard blurted inelegantly onto one end of Trouser’s hot dog, like it had been squeezed too hard. He looked at Stede, sharp-ish grin forming along the corners of his mouth, and dragged his gaze all the way down to Stede’s shoes and back up again, focusing briefly on the progress pride flag pinned to his chest.

“Why? You offering to help with those too?”

Stede blinked, realised what he’d said. Blushed further, yes, he was definitely an unhealthy red now, wasn’t he?

“Oh, shit,” he said, flustered. “I’m so—that wasn’t what I meant, I wasn’t—”

“Think you were, a little bit,” Trousers said, still grinning. “You could tell me your name first, probably. Only polite.”

Absolutely positively humiliating, and yet. And yet.

Stede was smiling. Couldn’t stop smiling, actually, good lord, he was almost giggling.

So this was it, then. This is what it was like.

Seeing someone, liking the look of someone—what people meant when they said, our eyes just met, and I knew. Flirting. Being flirted with.

Stede hadn’t—he couldn’t have done, before. Trousers was the sort of man he might have caught sight of, but he’d have looked away. Turned aside. Shoved down the inclination.

To catch sight of this man now, to let himself linger on the carved angles of his wrists, the brown skin and black ink, the silvered hair, the dark eyes—to look, and find those eyes looking back—to breathe through the jolt in his stomach until it spread wings from fear and into possibility—

It felt like discovery. Like finding something he’d been looking for.

Like finding something he thought he’d lost.

“Stede,” he managed. “Stede Bonnet.”

Trousers smiled. Took Stede’s hand in his, when Stede reached to give him back his mobile, and held him a moment; his skin was sun-warm, rough. “I’m Ed.”

I’m going to remember you, Ed, Stede thought. I’m going to remember this.

Ed’s smile turned soft, like he heard. Like he agreed. “Do you want to grab a bench? Eat some lunch?” He gestured toward the waterline.

“You know,” Stede said, smiling back, “I think I do.”

#ofmd #gentlebeard #pride prompts #darcy writes pirates

[writing-to-survive]

#73

A princess gets kidnapped by a group of pirates for ransom. Little do they know, she let them kidnap her. She couldn't stand another second in that suffocating castle. Now, she'll do anything to stay on their ship.

#fiction #writing #writing prompts #writing prompt #creative writing #fantasy #fantasy prompts #fantasy prompt #pirate prompt #pirate writing prompt #royalty #royalty prompts #fiction writing #writing-to-survive #writing to survive

[a-whumped-tea]

Vampire pirate who feeds on their human crew.

Maybe their crew didn't have a choice about joining them.

Perhaps when the pirates capture a ship the captain samples each of the captured sailors. The ones who taste good are added to their crew and the rest are slaughtered. Or maybe they're sold off at the nearest port.

Of course, this vampirate makes sure their crew is well-fed and taken care of. They can't have scurvy or other illnesses and ailments ruining their collection of hard-working blood bags.

However, keeping people alive doesn't mean they can't or won't get hurt for acting out. You can't have your crew plotting to kill you after they start to think you're getting weak and soft, now can you?

Who would a vampire such as this entrust to be their first mate? Who could this vampire trust to watch over their crew during the day while they sleep?

#this was written out at 230 in the morning so I apologize about grammar/spelling errors #I live #this turned out longer than i expected #whump writing #whumpee #whump community #whump prompt #whump scenario #whump ideas #whumper #whump idea #pirates #pirate whump #multiple whumpees #intimate whumper #pirate whumper #pirate whumpee #whump #sailor whump #captivity whump #vampire whumper #vampire whump #vampire #vampire whump prompt #nonhuman whumper #a whumped tea #whump prompts #vampire pirate

[thepenultimateword]

Prompt #196

"What's with the webbed fingers?" Pirate asked, nodding lazily to where the cabinboy gripped the swab.

The man leaped a little in his own skin, tucking his curled fists, still gripping the mop pole, into the folds of his linen shirt. "Birth defect. Nothing special."

"Ah." Pirate leaned back on her elbows and leveled him with a hopefully, not too knowing look. She'd always been bad at hiding her hand. It was why she never joined the crew in the gambling dens ashore. "Like freckles?"

She pointed to the sun-drawn speckles dusting her cheeks and grinned wide at the man's nose wrinkling hesitation.

"Um...yes," he said agreeably--he was learning, never a good idea to argue with a pirate, no matter their idiocy.

She threw back her head and laughed, and he squirmed a little, clearly uncertain what to make of the conversation or of her. He was a cute thing. Too dainty for piracy. But steel ran through the sea storm in his eyes. A little blood and grit and he'd fit in just fine. Well, unless anyone found out the truth, that is.

She knew, but lucky him, she wasn't saying a word. Captain and crew would see a treasure, but not the same way she did. They'd only see gold. Not the wonder.

No, she was keeping quiet. And the moment she figured out where he'd stashed that fur coat, she was going to make him hers.

#trying to reach 200 #prompt #short prompt #writing prompt #selkie #selkie x human #selkie x pirate #fantasci #fantasci prompt #fantasci wriitng #fantasci tumblr #writblr #I kinda just want to keep writing #I know Selkies are mainly females #but there are male selkies too

[deepwaterwritingprompts]

Text: My father leaves me a kaleidoscope of stars in his will, unique, the whole cosmos mapped out in it’s turns. Without it, I might never have become a pirate, or turned out so damn good at it.

#creative writing #writing prompts #dwp #pirates #kaleidoscope #space and aliens

[chaotic-orphan]

Febuwhump: Day Seventeen

Prompt - hostage situation (#febuwhump)

TW: tied up, ropes, helpless, pirates, intimate Whumper, explosion, fighting, violence, mass killing implied

*~*~*~*~*

The sea was calm. The weather fair, the morning was yawning awake, blue skies rising with the sun, the dark blues disappearing beyond the horizon. It was a cycle of change that lay before his eyes, the fresh dew cast a mist on the water… and yet something, on the wind perhaps, was unsettling Locke as he maintained his chartered course. Something unexpected was turning with the tide, and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

His first mate approached him, eyes on the horizon as they sailed at half-speed. “Admiral,” first mate said in greeting, the lilt of a question hanging off the last syllable.

“Do you feel the shift in the dew, first mate?”

First mate followed Locke’s line of sight to the lazily rising sun. “No, Admiral. However, that is not my station.”

“What is your station, mate?”

“To ensure you’re ship shape, Admiral,” said First Mate with a cheeky grin. “I trust your instincts; I would sail into hell if you ordered me too and recruit the best dead sailors of the underworld to navigate us to the living one again.”

Admiral laughed, a smile appearing on his face at Mate’s words.

“And what do your instincts say today, Admiral?” Mate asked.

“That we need to fly at full speed and reach the next port before this ill-begotten wind is at our backs.”

“Sir,” said first mate with a nod. First mate walked promptly down the steps of the ship onto the poop deck and let out an unmerciful commanding shout that could wake the dead. “Make-Ready Men!”

There was a ruckus below deck, a few curses and sudden thumps from the crew waking to the sound of First mate’s bellows.

“Heave the sails to full speed!”

Admiral laughed again when First mate turned to look at him over their shoulder, dark eyes bright with mischief. Then First mate’s eyes widened as they stared passed Locke to something behind him. Locke turned too.

A black ship twice the size of Admiral’s was on them, which had not been there a mere moment before. “Admiral!”

First mate yelled and Admiral heard sudden panicked footsteps run towards him as a chord of rope enveloped him, binding his arms to his sides with one unmerciful pull and lifting him from his own ship. Admiral gasped as the rope closed tighter and tighter around him the more he struggled. His feet left the deck of his ship, his eyes on First Mate who was standing where Locke was not a moment ago, reaching up desperately trying to catch Locke before he was completely out of reach.

First mate’s fingers brushed Locke’s ankle devastatingly close before Locke was hoisted up like one of his sails away from his ship and impossibly high above it like God himself was pulling Locke to the heavens.

Were it not for the chants of “heave! Heave! Heave!” Locke would have thought he was dead. If not for the riotous laughter as Locke was hoisted higher only tightened a knot of anxiety in his gut until he was above the other vessel, black planks below him and a man in a white shirt with red hair grinning up at him deviously.

Locke swallowed as he gazed down at the ship. No uniforms, no colours of their allegiance and the black finish of the deck… Locke had only heard rumours of this monster that haunted the seven seas.

Locke was lowered precariously to the deck of the ship, his legs like jelly under him when they hit the ground. The red-haired man laughed when Locke’s knees buckled and he fell to the deck, unable to catch himself.

“We went fishing lads, yet it seems we caught ourselves a landlubber,” the red-haired man proclaimed. More jeering laughter followed as the red-haired man spread his arms to his adoring crowd, turning his back slightly to Admiral. Admiral grit his teeth as he got a leg under him and pushed himself up.

He didn’t make it to one knee with a sword at his throat. His eyes widened at the glinting metal, the same black as the ship – a metal Locke had never set his eyes on before. The red-haired man’s eyes narrowed into a sharper point than the blade.

“I wouldn’t get brave now, fishbait.”

“Let go of me!” Locke demanded hotly. “Perhaps we can write this off as a misunderstanding.”

“Oh,” the red-haired man hummed, turning his body back to Admiral. “I don’t like threats, especially not ones made aboard my own ship, fishbait.”

“What a coincidence,” said Admiral tightly. “I don’t like being hoisted from my own. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement.”

The ropes tightened harshly around Admiral, stealing the breath from his lungs as the red-haired man stepped in, the captain of this ship no doubt… why was his name eluding Locke right now? He should know the name!

His smile was wicked and reckless. “Aye. Mayhaps we can.”

“Captain!” One of the pirate’s crew called. Captain, so Admiral was right. The red-haired man lifted his head and the pirate continued. “They’re preparing for a fight.”

Captain smiled down at Admiral. “Your men are loyal, Admiral,” Captain said, slightly impressed. Admiral frowned at him as someone grabbed Admiral’s arms and wrestled them behind him, before tying them off behind his back. Admiral pulled at the ropes, but they were so tight he could feel his pulse beating below the ropes.

“We can part peacefully, Captain,” said Admiral diplomatically. “Release me and let me return to my ship and my crew. We have no quarrel with you.”

The red-haired man grinned. Someone handed him the loose rope that was attached to Locke which Captain wrapped tightly around his hand and used it to pull Locke to his feet. Locke’s eyes widened as the Captain gave another harsh tug and yanked Locke closer, stumbling into Captain’s chest.

“Who said there must be a quarrel?” Captain said with a smile as he watched the realisation flood Locke’s face. Then Captain gave his order: “strike their colours, lads!”

Admiral lurched forward, panic seizing his limbs as he let out a sharp: “no!”

“Hush, now, Admiral, and be a good little hostage. I’ll get you accustomed to the mast, shall I?” Admiral fought him the entire way, but the Captain pulled him along anyway, looking over his shoulder to chat idly with him. "I must say, Admiral, it is a good day to see Kings men fight with loyalty for their captain. You'd be surprised how often men readily give up their captain for their lives."

"We can trade, Captain, please, there need not be blood!"

The red-haired man laughed, throwing his head back and mouth open wide staring at the sky with a hearty chuckle.

"Perhaps we are alike, Captain, you and I. We are sharks," said the pirate, yanking Admiral forward with a hand in his shirt and with a twist of his hips he slammed Admiral back against the central mast, knocking the breath from his lungs. "We both smell the blood in the water."

Captain smiled as he handed the rope to someone behind Admiral. Admiral felt the ropes tighten around him, locking his arms even tighter to his sides until there was no leverage at all for him to move. He felt the wood against his hands that were trapped uselessly behind him, and he wanted to curse and scream at the grinning pirate.

Locke froze as the captain placed a hand on the mast and leaned in, smiling at the Admiral, barely an inch between their noses. The pirate didn't smell bad, he smelled like sweet rum and salt water, but Locke scrunched his nose up all the same.

"What is your name, Admiral?” Captain asked with a dashing smile. “Just so I can properly threaten your life to your men."

"I'll tell you once you walk the plank, Captain," Locke snarled, baring his teeth at the pirate. Captain smiled and shrugged.

"Fine,” Captain said as he leaned away from Locke, the glimmer of something mischievous in his eyes. “I guess I’ll just have to wrangle it out of that spiffing first mate of yours instead.”

Admiral jerked forward, but he didn’t get very far, the ropes holding him back to the mast. “Don’t touch them!” Admiral barked.

“Sorry, Admiral,” said Captain with a forced sigh, pulling his revolver from his belt and checking to see if the gunpowder was loaded before drawing the hammer back to the full cocked position. “Loot to plunder, sailors to threaten, I have a busy schedule. Sit tight gorgeous, I’ll be back.”

Captain snapped the into place and offered Admiral a wide smile and a wink before he disappeared. “Captain! Captain wait!”

Admiral screamed after him, but over the sounds of swords clashing and gunpowder his screams just joined the sea of noise. Captain struggled in the ropes, trying to find any leverage to squeeze under or shrug over but it was no use. The rope dug so tight into Locke’s diaphragm that he could barely breathe. He knew there was going to be a ring of bruises there after he got free.

These men… Captain’s men weren’t ordinary pirates, they had an easiness to them, a regiment that reminded Admiral of his own ship’s crews and ranks. Ordinary pirates are usually not worth their salt, and yet… something in the back to Admiral’s mind told him that he knew — or should know — the Captain that currently kept him captive.

The fighting lasted until the sun was above the horizon, shimmering on the waters as the smoke cleared from between the two ships.

Another pirate came to Admiral and cut the ropes tying him to the mast. Before Admiral could ask what they were doing, the pirate yanked him forward, grabbed him by the crook of his elbow and pushed him towards the gangplank between both ships.

“Now then!” Captain said, his mirthful voice carrying over the ships with relaxed ease. “We have your captain, sailors. Your beloved Admiral Locke,” said Captain, sending a flash of his teeth to Locke. Admiral searched the poop deck for his first mate and found them in the arms of two of Captain’s men, blood streaming down their face from their forehead and nose. A bruise crowning on his cheek, his officer jacket tore.

Captain turned to Locke then, still aboard Captain’s ship. Admiral glared down at him. “The choice is yours, Admiral. Your men fought for you, will you fight for your men?”

Admiral frowned. “What?”

“I offer you the choice— would you fight—”

“Yes!” Admiral yelled, taking a step forward but he was yanked back. His heart pounding in his ears.

“Two streams of loyalty,” Captain mused. His boots hitting Locke’s deck towards first mate. Every step resounded in Admiral’s heart thudding in his chest.

“Hey! Get away from them!” Locke growled, struggles renewed as he tried his damned hardest to get to Captain and shove him away from First mate. “Captain! Captain please!”

Captain ran a hand through First Mate’s hair and yanked their head up to face Locke aboard Captain’s ship. Captain smiled, his eyes sharp.

“I offer you the choice, Admiral,” said Captain again. “Your ship and your crew, or First mate.”

Admiral blinked, something horrid settling into his gut as First Mate struggled in the pirates’ hold. The pirates wrestled First mate back into submission, Captain never taking his eyes from Locke.

“What?” Admiral breathed, too quiet for Captain to hear, but it was as if Captain heard, because he continued his torturous ultimatum with a grin.

“Your ship. Your men, your crew, your rank as Admiral, your flag, your country, your uniform,” said Captain, turning to face First mate and grabbing First mate’s chin between his fingers. “Or your first mate.”

“Admiral!” One of the sailors cried. Admiral’s dragged his eyes away from Captain to his navigator, struggling against a pirate. “That would be treason! You can’t!”

“That is my offer,” said Captain nonchalantly, capturing Locke’s attention again. “Treason and love? Or service and duty.”

“Go to hell,” First mate rasped. Captain shook his head and clicked his fingers. One the pirates holding First mate brought a cloth forward and wrestled it between their teeth. Captain waved his finger in front of First mate’s face and booped their nose. “Good little hostages don’t speak, First mate.”

First mate glared at Captain as the gag cut into their cheeks, mumbling incoherent curses at Captain behind it.

Meanwhile Locke was rooted to the spot, stunned at the awful choice that stood in front of them. It wasn’t the choice was difficult, Locke had already decided, the decision was made long ago, but… the ramifications of voicing it seemed too horrible to think.

First mate caught his conflicted eyes and shook their head softly. Admiral’s heart lurched in his chest because they knew, the pair of them knew what way the situation was going to unfold. The guilt before the decision was threatening to overwhelm them both and Locke hadn’t even said a word yet!

Captain noticed too, looking up at Locke. “Will you leave us in suspense, Admiral? Are we but fishes on your hook? Or are you waiting for the next bell to sound, hmm? Tick tock goes the tide, and with it comes the weather.”

Admiral felt all eyes turn on him, the weight of them threatening to drown him out of water.

“Admiral,” Captain hummed and yanked First Mate’s head up by the hair. First mate let out a muffled protest, fighting against him. “Come on, we don’t have all day.”

“First mate,” Admiral whispered.

Captain paused. Then he turned, eyes bright like a cats. “What was that, Admiral?”

Locke cleared his throat and avoided the eyes of his crew. “I choose treason. I choose my first mate.”

“For shame!” His crew cried but Locke didn’t care. His gaze was fixed on First Mate who was shaking like a leaf. Captain released First mate’s hair and clapped his hands together.

“Wonderful!” Captain said. “Please, bring First Mate aboard the Fallen Marauder, lads.”

Admiral stilled.

The Fallen Marauder, there’s no way that Locke was standing on the Fallen Marauder. Aside from the fact that it was a fiction, a fairytale, Admiral should be on his ship with his crew.

“Wait, what? I thought you would let us go.”

Captain grinned, “oh Admiral… how naïve.”

First mate was struggling against the pirates as they dragged them across the gangplank to the Captain’s ship. Admiral turned to First mate, but he was turned again, forced to face forward.

“Wait, Captain! What are you doing?” Admiral demanded as he saw a barrel of gunpowder being scattered over the deck.

“You chose, Admiral,” said Captain, walking across the gangplank after his men and came to stand beside Admiral. “You chose first mate, didn’t you?”

Admiral’s eyes were wide with fear. “Don’t. Don’t do this there are good men on that ship!”

“Good men you abandoned,” said Captain softly. “A ship without a captain is doomed.”

“They can make another captain!” Admiral cried as the Captain’s men pulled the gangplank away from the ship. “Please!”

“What do you care for a King’s ship? You have no country now, no loyalties to this endeavour. Now you are one of us, Admiral…” said Captain, then his head dipped, a conspiratorial smile gracing his face. “Or should I say, more accurately, Locke?”

Locke’s eyes went wide. That… Captain wasn’t wrong but Locke, he didn’t… he— his eyes searched the waters as his ship slipped further and further away from him, his men and crew wailing and crying and screaming.

Captain raised an arm. “Captain please,” Locke begged.

Captain dropped his arm. A cannonball fired and Locke stood frozen as he watched his ship go up in smoke. He sucked in a gasp as the air was ripped from his chest in shock. The planks bent and snapped and flew over the sea in a two metre radius of the ship.

“Welcome aboard the Fallen Marauder,” said Captain with a deep bow, dipping low. He tilted his head up as he introduced himself to the shaking Adm – former admiral. “My name is Captain Marlowe.”

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