#sub potc

[minoment]

ofc ofc ofc, sub!jack sparrow supremacy✨ So I didn't really plan this out, but something about jack getting the cockiness fucked outta him…it just does something to me. I don't mind presentation, so you can keep it gender neutral if you like!! Now i'll proceed to obsessively refresh the 'dom reader' tag until you publish it <3

Pairing: CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow x Dom GN!Reader

Type: Draft

A/N: Posting this because I promised to get it out <3

Minors DNI <3

You and Jack had gotten off on the wrong foot, to say the least. Well, in your opinion. He didn't seem quite so bothered by it, more.. excited? That definitely ticked you off. He was so.. so infuriating.. so carefree. He treated you like some alluringly gorgeous god of war and that he was some un-killable fool who dared question your presence. Like he was the special one who would never ever be shown your wrath. You hated it.

Jack Sparrow was known across the seas as the luckiest, unlucky but admirable alcoholic to ever stumble upon the slippery decks of a ship. You however, were known as a vicious, territorial, almost Nordic pirate who guarded their claimed land with iron and steel. No one dared to venture near your territory, the pure amount of fear had made you almost forgotten to this day. Not that you minded of course. Stories of your cruelty and maliciousness spread an elaboration of what you were truly like, the tales isolating you in an almost comforting sense of loneliness.

You almost wished you had back that loneliness. But no. Of course not. That fool had made sure to never give you a sense of tranquility ever again.

"HELLLOOOO??"

A shouting voice was heard over the waves, it was slightly slurred and incredibly obnoxious for this early hour. The golden sun peeked over the horizon, sending golden slivers dancing across the waters surface.

You grunted softly, opening an eye and slowly picking yourself off the deck of your ship where you had peacefully been napping. You were an intimidating figure, at least 6'4" and toned from years of taming rough oceans. Your skin was tanned and mottled with scars and tattoos. Your braided and decorated hair glowed a fiery auburn in the growing daylight, 'like molten copper' as your late mother used to say.

Silently, you moved over to the ships edge, raking your cold green gaze over the sandy expanse of the small island you were moored next to. And there he was..

That daft moron got himself stranded a few days ago, somehow separating himself from his crew AND the Black Pearl. You had moored here a few weeks prior, reading the stars and waiting for the perfect time to sail back to your hidden cove you called home. He had dragged himself drunkenly out of the sea not 16 hours ago and your tranquil peace had disappeared from that point forward.

You had no intention of helping him, his constant chatting and one-sided conversations making him insufferable. He was doing it on purpose and you knew that, but it got on your nerves either way.

"What tha fuck d'ya want?" You snapped crossly over the well-kept railing of your ship. Your gaze narrowed as a triumphant smirk played across his lips. He was admittedly handsome, you'd give him that.

"Mornin' lovely..." He singsonged flirtatiously, gazing up at you and shielding his eyes from the now fully-risen sun.

You scowled in disapproval, not appreciating this levelling sort of flirtatious friendliness.

"You know.." He continued thoughtfully, mockingly speaking as if you were some sort of Lord, "I'd really like some food and water.. if you'd be so gallant as to spare some?"

You scowled once more and moved away from the railing. As much as it was 'survival of the fittest' and a constant battle with your stubbornly cruel personality, you couldn't watch a man starve to death with your help right in front of him. Besides, apart from being an infuriating pest, he hadn't actually hurt you.

A neatly coiled rope lay near your mast and you picked it up, carrying it back over to the railing. You secured the end firmly to the rail and dropped it down so the other ratty end dipped into the salty water.

"Climb up before I change my fuckin' mind.." You snapped, tilting your head in a sort of aggressive invitation aboard.

Jack wasted no time in scrambling up the rope like a monkey, your powerful grasp steadying his shoulder and body as he helped himself aboard. He stood to the side as you untied the rope and started to reel it up. His hand absentmindedly rubbed where your fingers had gripped his collarbone, his gaze flicking to your veined, clearly weathered hand as it worked the now sodden rope.

You turned and looked down at him, your gaze becoming ever so less furious as he looked back up at you and thanked you for your generosity. For some reason, you felt a little guilty for not letting him on sooner. He looked like a curious little mutt, his beautiful brown eyes seeming to warm you up from the inside out. You bit the inside of your cheek and looked away, scolding yourself for getting in your head. You motioned Jack to follow and brought him below deck.

Your boat was large yet you were the only one on it. It was decorated beautifully, showing off what obvious peace you had by yourself. There were maps and tapestries in some rooms, others having shark skulls and ornately engraved longswords hung up with bent nails. Apparently you were incredibly creative as well as a ruthless killer.

Jack marvelled your boat before his gaze curiously roamed your broad form. His keen eye took note of your clean clothes, the neat Nordic pattern embroidery and the occasional stain of spattered blood. Your belt held pouches and sheathed knives, all made by you. He admired your physique too, the way your muscles flexed under your skin as your opened the heavy door to your main living area. You didn't smell like the usual pirate either. An alluring scent of spices, fabric, seawater and blood seemed to follow you wherever you walked.

Eventually you sat him down, taking note of his ripped clothes and dirty features. You motioned for him to hold out his hands, working in complete silence as you wiped off his hands with a wet rag. The salt water stung a few scratches but Jack patiently held still, letting you wipe off his neck and face area. You almost did this as a sign of respect before standing up and getting him some clean clothes. You held out the rag and the pail of sea water, wordlessly telling him to get dressed and clean the rest of his body. He did as he was hold and you turned, moving to the other side of the cabin to find some stale bread and dried fish for him to eat.

When you finally turned around, he had washed himself and was getting dressed. Only Jacks upper body remained unclothed and your green gaze wandered over his tan skin. He had many bullet and knife wounds, adding up to the lucky part of his reputation. Personally, you found them quite beautiful although you would rather die than admit it.

"Here.." You said gruffly, handing him the plate of foot and a pouch of rainwater off your person. "Rest for a while.."

"Ah.. thank you.." Jack replied, finishing dressing himself and taking the plate and pouch from you. "I knew ya soul would be as beautiful as your pretty face.."

You sighed silently, moving to pick up his discarded clothes. You walked back up to the sunny desk, laying out Jacks clothes so they would dry and be parched of their salty sea smell.

You moved back below deck, your gaze raking over Jacks now-clothed chest and opening your mouth to ask about his scars.

"You really are nothing like the stories say, are ya?" Jack said as he interrupted your train of thought before you could speak and looked from his food to your eyes.

You paused, momentarily re-arranging your thoughts before speaking.

"No I'm not..." You said eventually, motioning to your own chest in reference to his bullet wound scars. "But you're definitely as lucky as the tales tell.."

Jack looked down and smiled slightly to himself, unable to form a response to that. It felt odd to be complimented by such a stoic and feared persona like yourself.

"What are ya really like then?" Jack asked, drinking the last of his water and letting you take the plate from him.

"I- don't really know.." You replied, stowing the things away before turning back to him. "Well no.. I just can't remember.."

"Why not?" Jack asked with a tilt of his head. "You look like you'd have quite the personality.."

"Near death experience can blanch the personality from your soul I s'pose.." You shrug, leaning back against the ships wall and crossing your arms. You watched him closely. "You definitely have had your fair share of near death experiences, how come you're still an arrogant shit?" You say flatly, making Jack laugh.

"You've got quite the mouth huh?" He smirked, his gaze flicking to your scarred lips in a much more suggestive way than before.

You were a little taken aback by his suddenness but you regained control of yourself and narrowed your eyes. "Answer my question.."

"I guess I'm just better than you.." Jack shrugged with a cocky smirk, obviously trying to rile you up. The annoying thing was, it was working. You gritted your teeth, your jaw tensing.

Jack easily picked up on that and grinned, a soft chuckle escaping him. He knew this was a dangerous game; that only made him want to play it more. It certainly solidified his reputation of the stupidly brave captain.

"You aren't better than me.." You scowled, your hands moving behind you to grip the wooden counter as he began to approach you.

"Oh but I am.." Jack smirked. "You would have killed me by now if I were anyone else in front of you.. am I special?"

The audacity he had. It made your blood boil, but nonetheless you stayed against the wall, watching him like a hawk.

"It makes me wonder.." Jack continued, moving ever closer so his body was mere inches from yours and his calloused hand reached up to cup your face. He leant up and in a little closer, his lips only centimetres from yours. "A great pirate like you.. maybe you've gone soft.. maybe you could even be a whore and-"

That word set something ablaze inside of you, a boiling pit of rage and frustration overflowing within your guts. The only thing you could think about was teaching this cocky brat a lesson. Just before he could finish the rest of his insulting sentence, before he could kiss you; you snapped.

You pushed him back, slamming him against the opposite wall and knocking the breath out of him. Before Jack could get a single word or gasp out of his mouth, you crashed your lips against his and silenced him. His eyes widened in shock before he relaxed. He attempted to bring his hands up to cup your face but you gripped his wrists and slammed them against the wall with your iron grasp. This was a lesson.

You bit down on his lower lip and squeezed his wrists tighter, earning a low whine of protest from Jack as your larger body pushed him up against the wall. Soon your hands left his wrists and he got the message, holding onto the edge of the counter lining the ships wall. Jack gripped the polished wood so hard he thought his rings would splinter the expensive timber. His breath hitched as you wrapped your hand around his neck, only needing one to pleasurably restrict his blood flow.

Heat pooled between his legs when your hand tightened around his neck, a choked whine escaping his lips as lightheaded pleasure filled his senses. You took this opportunity to slide your tongue into his mouth, making his legs almost buckle. Your kisses became even more aggressive and vicious as you tasted him, pinning him roughly up against the wall. The fiery taste of rum and salt on his lips spurred you on as Jack mewled in your grasp. You were so good, it made him lose himself almost instantly. The way you squeezed his neck, how your rough fingers pressed against his arteries so he could breathe easily through his nose while you ravaged his now kiss-bitten lips.. he wanted more, oh so much more...

Jacks greed eventually got the better of him and he clawed at your free hand, trying to move it towards his hips. You growled low in your throat, warning him. He didn't listen, desperate for more pleasure as he dug his nails into your hand. You pulled away with a rough curse, gripping his dreaded locks and dragging him away from the wall and down into the next room; your quarters.

The man yelped in a pleasurable sort of pain, opening his mouth to protest. You didn't let him, throwing him down into the messy nest of furs, fabrics, and blankets that was your bed. You held Jack down on his stomach, one hand pressing down between his shoulder blades and your knee in the small of his back. Nothing could be heard except for Jacks laboured breathing, the gentle lapping of the waves against the hull, and the metallic noise of you unclasping your belt.

You dragged the thick, worn, leather strap from around your waist before wrapping his tightly around Jacks wrists. He watched as you wrapped the belt further around an iron ring connected to the wall, unable to move his hands. Now that he was restrained and laying on his stomach in your bed, you could begin his real lesson.

Jack buried his face in the fabrics, your scent making arousal rock through his body in steady waves; yet it was also weirdly comforting to him. He felt you over him, your knees on either side of his hips as you leant down to bite and kiss at his neck.

You moved his hair ever so gently to the side, your lips and teeth leaving dark hickeys all over his sweet, salty skin. Jacks breathing became heavy once more as he tried to hide this fact by muffling his face in the furs. Eventually it became too hot and Jack couldn't breathe, so he just lay his head to the side and took it; not even bothering to preserve his dignity or hide his rough pants and gasps anymore when you suckled marks onto his skin.

You were marking Jack as yours and the very thought made his hips stutter forward ever so slightly. A small whine escaped his lips and you scowled, one hand moving to pull his hips up away from the bed. Jack was now face down ass up, a humiliated blush spreading over his features as he panted. One of your hands was in his hair, tightly gripping his locks and keeping his neck exposed while you marked him. The other held his hips, keeping him pressed against your body but unable to grind down against the sheets where he needed it most.

A choked breath was pushed from Jacks lips as he realized exactly what situation he was in. You weren't going to give him any sort of pleasure. You were going to hold him up like this and mark him up until he was a pleading mess. Jack didn't want that, he was greedy for more, anything more; and you knew it.

Jacks heavy panting and gasps filled the room, occasionally breaking it up with low keening whines as you tugged his hair and marked his neck. Eventually he couldn't take this torture any longer.

"P-please.. Indulge me, I beg you.." Jack panted, swallowing and licking his lips. His own breaking, reedy voice surprised him. "Need more..."

Jack lay his head to the side as you pulled away from his neck, letting out a low groan as you squeezed his hips and silently warned him not to try and thrust back down against the bed.

You decided to treat him knowing that his stubborn greed and wants would get both of you nowhere. So instead of taking away what he wanted, you would give it to him. Oh yes you would, you would give him what he wanted until he was a squirming, moaning mess just pleading for you to stop.

Jack practically melted in your grasp once more as your hot mouth came in contact with the sensitive skin of his neck. Your sharp teeth grazed over the fresh bruises, your tongue gliding over their wake.

The sensation distracted his attention long enough for you to slip your large, rough hands into the soft cotton fabric of his pants. the low whine echoing in his throat turned into a strangled moan as your hand wrapped around his stiff, leaking shaft.

He buried his face in the furs once more, his hips trembling as your mouth continued to work at his neck and your hand tightened around his cock. Jack could feel himself dripping into your tight fist as he bit down on the thick wool of a blanket, his eyes rolling back in pure ecstasy. Nonetheless, he remained obedient and kept his hips as still as possible while your hand worked him into oblivion.

[before-the-black-pearl]

Have you heard that there was supposed to be second season of the books? I'm so sad knowing that they never came out and never will but it's kind of fun to think about. Do you have any headcanons for what would happen there?

I first read about this waaaaay back before the series ended. I’m forever sad it never happened 😭 I don’t think I have any hcs rn but I’ve always wondered what was planned for that. I still really want Disney to someday do a second series for YJS but as a graphic novel maybe.

When I first saw that, the source said there was supposed to be to be a preview of this second season in The Tale of Billy Turner as well as original concept art of the characters. The gatefold cover was also originally supposed to feature every single major character to have appeared in the series. This book was supposed to have so much more than what it got and it’s so disappointing 😞

I really wish the Walt Disney Archives or maybe the illustrators themselves would release all the concept art. If they were easier to find on social media I would hit them up myself. The only concept art I’ve seen of YJS that was published is one sketch of Jack in a Disney Adventures issue, and I’m not sure if it counts but there’s a prototype version of the cover of book 7 in a Film Fantasy magazine too. I want to see so much more concept art of the books and I’m sad they’ll never come out.

[physalian]

"Dry" Fantasy vs "Wet" Fantasy

I feel like there should be a distinction in the sub categories of fantasy, because “high fantasy” is, I think, too broad. Quick recap, cause there’s really four main big ones:

High fantasy—stories set in a fantastical otherworld (LOTR, Narnia, GOT)

Urban fantasy—stories with fantastical elements in our world (Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Twilight)

Historical fantasy—stories with fantastical elements set in a different time period (Merlin, Castlevania, PotC)

Science-Fantasy—stories that try to ground their fantastical elements in science and logic, or that play in a sci-fi setting (Arcane, Star Wars, Fullmetal Alchemist)

There needs to be a clearer distinction between what I’m temporarily calling “dry” fantasy and “wet” fantasy. Somebody please recommend me better terms here.

The scale concerns how heavily magical forces are at play.

“Dry” high fantasy would be more like ASOIAF, yes there’s magic but 99% of the cast are non-magical humans living in a world with magical elements that occasionally show up in the plot.

“Wet” high fantasy would be like LOTR, multiple present races, wizards, magical artefacts and heavy references to the arcana influencing the goings on of the plot.

Because “fantasy” isn’t just whether magic exists and when I say I write high fantasy, the book you’re probably picturing is Fellowship of the Ring.

Which is not accurate at all. My book is, technically, high fantasy. It’s about fantastical creatures—vampires—in a world that’s not our own, brought about by magical forces.

But, I have no witches, no wizards, no spells. What I do have are a nebulous pantheon of gods, ancient magical stones that each do one specific thing, and pretty grounded vampires. They don’t have unique abilities like those in Castlevania or Twilight, they don’t have superspeed or superstrength or mind-altering powers.

My big world-altering event, the loss of the sun across the entire northern hemisphere, was treated like a massive ritual, but the players involved weren’t magically imbued, they just begged the gods for and end to the slaughter and the gods listened, for once.

My book would be very, very “dry” high fantasy, but high fantasy, nonetheless.

The previous science-fantasy series that I’d been working on for years, would be very “wet” science-fantasy. I had witches and spirit guides from one planet, mages and alchemists from another planet along with solarkinetic demigods, and a polytheistic Nordic-based, fairie-folk pantheon and nature sprites from another planet.

It’s still scifi, there’s still spaceships and technological problems that magic cannot solve, and the alchemy is very heavily grounded in “this cannot break physics it just speeds physics up”, but it is very busy, magic-heavy scifi.

And I think recognizing the distinction with proper labels to better set audience expectations of this behemoth of a genre would be helpful. If I’m missing obvious labels that already exist, do tell, but I’ve only ever seen the umbrellas listed above.

[esta-elavaris]

I won't list all of my stuff here - just the things that I think are worth shouting about. Organising it all via fandom, with some little sub-categories within those because some of them *cough*James/Theodora*cough* have decided to become ungovernable.

Where to find me: AO3 -- IG -- Goodreads

Catch the Wind-verse:

Catch the Wind - James Norrington/Modern!OC Status: Complete. [400k+ words] AO3 The behemoth that started the absolute sickness in me, and probably where you should start if you want any of the rest of my Norrington stuff to make total sense to you.

When it was completed, I also did a read-through on here talking about some behind-the-scenes type stuff. The tag is here, but it's obviously reverse-chronological order so spoilers abound! I plan on doing this for other fics when they're complete!

Sainted by the Storm - James Norrington/Modern!OC Status: In progress, updated sporadically. AO3 The home for any random snippets of this pairing that I write - there are a few AU chapters here and there, mostly it's flufftober fills, or pieces not long enough to warrant their own story. Wicked Game - James Norrington/Modern!OC Status: In progress. AO3 Semi-sequel to CTW, just a very small smutty series set after the events of the main story. Red Thread of Fate - Theodore Groves/Pirate!OC Status: In progress. AO3 Vague companion piece to CTW, taking place in the background of that story, and then branching into the timespan that follows it - with appearances made by Norrington and the OC I write for him.

Catch the Wind AUs

Fallen Through Time - James Norrington/Modern!OC Status: In progress, on a break. AO3 -- Tumblr An AU of Catch the Wind, exploring what might've happened had Elizabeth Swann been the one to find Theodora when she fell into the world of POTC.

As It Was - Modern!James Norrington/Historical!OC Status: Planning - a teaser can be found on tumblr for now. AO3 Another AU of Catch the Wind, where James Norrington is the modern character, and Theodora Byrne is the "canon" character from POTC who is fated to die.

Here, Where Fire Grows - Boromir/Modern!Amnesiac!OC Status: In progress AO3 Writing Catch the Wind didn't get the "modern girl falls for fictional dead man" trope out of my brain, so I had to inflict another on Boromir - but this time with an amnesiac twist, just for some added fun. Other mini-stories for these two written during flufftober can be found here.

Flufftober '23 The non-Theorrington flufftober fills can be found in this series on AO3, but all of the fills also be found on Tumblr where they have pretty banners to go along with the chapters.

About a Girl Captain Hook [Peter Pan 2003]/OC AO3 Hook sets out to manipulate a former member of The Lost Boys in order to gain the upper hand against Peter Pan…and learns the hard way that it's best not to underestimate one's opponent. Manipulations, trust issues, lots of "falling for you would be the worst possible idea so I won't do that haha...unless 👀" on both sides.

Obscure, Plain, and Little Aemond Targaryen/OC AO3 A Jane Eyre-inspired fic -- probably won't follow the events of the show/book.

Absolution Dracula [Van Helsing 2004]/OC AO3 Set in the modern day, lots of cliché favourites with (hopefully) some added twists to spice things up a bit! Free Cullen Rutherford/F!Inquisitor AO3 Modern!Royalty!AU which will eventually follow the events of the game.

This is the hub that contains all of my post documenting my progress with the challenge I'm setting myself for 2025, in which I'll be aiming to have twelve consecutive 50k word months.

List of ideas for tentative future pairings and fandoms I want to go into can be found here. I'm also always open to suggestions, so don't feel too shy if you want to send me an ask or a message 💜

[thelibraryofsylphide]

Hector Barbossa- Still thinking of runnin', Jack? Think you can outrun the world? You know, the problem with being the last of anythin'... By and by there be none left at all. Jack Sparrow- Sometimes things come back, mate... We're livin' proof, you and me. H.B.- Aye, but that's a gamble of long odds, ain't it? There's never a guarantee of coming back. But passing on, that's dead certain. J.S.- Summoning the Brethren Court, then, is it? H.B.- It's our only hope, lad. J.S.- That's a sad commentary in and of itself.

H.B.- The world used to be a bigger place... J.S.- The world's still the same. There's just... less in it.

Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa, POTC: At World's End. (video) (transcript) (subbed image)

[shining-scion]

Ok, here’s my thoughts/review on Pirate101 as a newcomer/someone who just beat arc 1.

I wanna start off by saying I did, overall, have a lot of fun with this game. I did. That being said—

The first thing I think is really worth addressing as a problem is just how… culturally insensitive this game gets. I’m not an expert on any of this stuff, and with Wizards I’m not sure how much is noticeable until at least Krok, but I noticed some stuff almost immediately here that I— while not an expert— am concerned about. Perhaps that’s because I’m older. I did start my Wizard playthrough very young.

First of all, the whole class of witchdoctor, the aesthetic… probably needs to go. I can tell it’s being sourced from “piratey” media, (wasn't the plot of one of the POTC movies that Jack Sparrow got tied up with a voodoo doll in some manner?) but it’s outdated and while I can’t speak for the cultures it affects, I’ve seen people speak out against using similar tropes. I’ve personally just replaced the class altogether in my own headcanons, but I don’t think Pirate has the budget or means to overhaul a whole class, and headcanons don’t fix canon, so I’m not sure what can be done here. I’m not an expert.

I can tell that, in general, much like Wizard, Pirate is a melting pot of different sailing/odyssey/pirate pieces of media. “The Road to El Dorado” is literally a movie.

In general, I don’t mind the media inspirations being blatant. It’s fun to see what I recognize and how passing bits and pieces of different stories make their way into the Spiral, and when it’s done well I think it gives the universe this really fun bizarro world vibe. The issue lies in the fact that popular culture is full of stereotypes, and it’s clear that those stereotypes were taken as face value and just seen as “tropes”— which, yeah, a stereotype is often used as a part of a trope, but that doesn’t make it ok. At all. Both games would need a serious rehaul to make some of this stuff passable, I’m sure.

In addition to the witchdoctor class, the whole entirety of Cool Ranch was really just awful to Native people, and so was the literal opening questline in Skull Island. Wizards has this problem at times too.

In general, Spiral worlds have a problem where they don’t take enough creative liberty from their source IRL locations. I wonder if they might have at least a little bit of an easier time with this stuff if they took the time to worldbuild each… well, world, until it’s a distinct thing from its source. They did so fairly well with Dragonspyre, and multiple pieces of fiction do the same, so I don’t see why they couldn’t except for maybe their “one world a year” cycle kind of stopping them from writing things like that as much as they want.

TDLR: KI, YOU NEED A SENSITIVITY READER. “IT’S FICTION” IS NOT AN EXCUSE. THOSE ARE REAL STEREOTYPES AND REAL HARM. YOU SHOULD BE DOING AS MUCH AS YOU CAN TO PREVENT PERPETUATING HARMFUL STEREOTYPES IN THE FUTURE.

I just wanted to hold space for that topic, because it’s important, and it’s probably my biggest worry above all else. I don’t know everything but it seemed worth mentioning.

Transitioning onto the brief background context I do have with this game, since that will affect my view…

I played Pirate101 once as a kid— in 2012, when it launched. My stepsister and I crowded around the home computer and waited with baited breath as we saw another side of the spiral for the first time…

I never got past like, level 3, and that first character currently says she’s “adrift in the spiral” on the loading screen so I can only assume she got shot by the Armada or something horrible. Anyway—

The idea of playing again was something I’d turned over in my mind as I got back into Wizards. Now that I was older, I figured I’d be able to grasp it better than I could as a kid, and I’d be able to pay for my own sub, as well. After a bit of thinking, I went for it. I’d heard a lot of things about the game’s current state, but I decided to try and push that out of my mind as much as possible and meet it on its own terms. I wanted to give it a fair shake and I wanted to experience it with all the unbridled joy I know it would have given me as a kid, without worrying about how the later content would or wouldn’t compare.

I’ll give the game this— I LOVE THE OPENING. Maybe I was just excited to cross the long awaited item off my list, or maybe my inner child was just giddy to start a new adventure in my favorite fictional world, but I could not stop smiling and laughing from the moment the curtains opened to the minute I landed in Skull Island. Escaping the ship was exciting, seeing the Armada was SO COOL— I can see why they’re a fan favorite 101 villain— and the way I got to pick my backstory was unique. When I realized a Swashbuckler was much the same as a Storm wizard, I was really happy to see that picking the choices that seemed to speak to me (in wizards, questions about my personality, here, what I thought would make for a cool backstory) landed me with a playstyle I favored. It’s a small, coincidental thing, but it worked and I settled into things fairly quickly.

…I did also notice that the game was a lot rougher around the edges. Small things, really— the bloom is a little too bright, some models aren’t entirely animated in the face, things like that. I didn’t mind, and honestly? It just reminded me a little bit of classic Wizard, and it grew on me within the hour.

There were a few glitches that have and continue to persist. The dialogue box when Boochbeard is psychically communicating with you, or your companions are talking while you’re doing something, is covered by the crowns shop symbol unless the menu is opened. This was a… mild problem for me, as I have an auditory processing disorder and need that text to understand what’s being said to me. As well, every time I was shown an image, it would be cut off and shown halfway above the screen. I never got to see the face of my mother. That sounds horrible out of context. Anyway—

I really enjoyed the moment you walk up to the dock in Jonah Town and see your parent’s ship. I think my little part of the game was how the chase to El Dorado often felt like you were moving in step with your parents, running beside them and only separated by time.

There’s a weird feeling of legacy and it all feels really grand in a way Wizard doesn’t. They’re both, objectively, stories about growing up and taking your place in the world, but the Young Wizard is not attached to the Spiral in the same way the Pirate is. If I were to name the difference, I’d say Wizard is about Destiny and Fate, while Pirate is much more about Legacy and Heritage. The Wizard is guided by the stars, the Pirate is guided by the echoes of the past. They’re both very different ways of addressing and justifying the great journey, but I think they work in step with each other.

Another thing that I think was done SUPER WELL is the sense of SCALE. Especially, docking at Mooshu made me realize that if anything, I hadn’t explored CRAP of the worlds I was going to. I was basically saying I explored a whole country when I was really just going to the capital. The travel times were boring and a little egregious at times, but I think they were overall needed to give a sense of just how big the Spiral really was. When you look at the illustration of the cosmos, it can almost seem sort of small, but that’s not the case at all and Pirate really wants to remind you of that.

Gear wise, I knew it was gonna be more open ended, but OH GOD. I wasn’t expecting what I got. I was waiting for a waterworks, or the Kane dungeon to be like Darkmoor, but it wasn’t like that at all. The openness was daunting, but eventually I really just pressed into the agility and attack stats, and I came through fine. Managing my companions was a little bit more of a daunting task, and I eventually realized that even on a normal playthrough, you needed to know how EVERY class played so that you could spec your companions accordingly. There’s a lot to keep up with and I don’t think the fact that I was treating it like Wizard102 helped. It took me until about Aquila to really have an idea of what I was doing.

As for Ship Things— coolest part of the game. I am REALLY impressed with how well it plays especially for the engine and when it was coded. The skyboxes are gorgeous, the fact you can run around on your boat and even get a little cabin was a pleasant surprise, and I liked the nods to Wizard’s spells with the ship combat attacks. I did play through the whole game with a partner and often rode with her, so this might not be an issue for others, but my nautical level was severely underleveled almost the entire game. I’m only on Sinbad part 1 now, but to my knowledge, I’m past the part where sailing is useful.

Now, as for purely story stuff…

This was Blind Mew’s game. I’ve heard a lot about him as a writer during my time on Wizblur, and I know he has pretty strong influence in Wizard now, but I wanted to see his writing “in his element”, so to speak.

…I really enjoyed it. I could tell that a lot of story beats were planned out in advance, with an idea of how and when exactly things would tie together. There was a thematic idea through the entire game and it stuck to that— the idea being of freedom, and choosing to seek redemption.

It was really interesting to hear this sort of idea of “redemption is an action an individual chooses to take— and it doesn’t always mean forgiveness or being allowed “back in”— it just means the person tries to do better.”

A lot of redemption arcs in the current day are very… uh… Catholic about it? You must Grovel and Suffer and Atone and only once you have Suffered and Killed All The Old Parts Of You can you be considered worthy. Pirate doesn’t do that. It kind of just says that at any point, someone can decide to turn around and do something different, and you should always give people the chance to TRY.

I know Valencia part two was rushed, but I think even then it was really good. Kane did something I really appreciated with was take the theme and add an addendum:

People can decide to turn around and do better at any point, and they deserve to be offered that chance, but some people will refuse to do better.

Kane SHOOTING HIS OWN HEART really tied a bow on the message for me. You could probably argue “well, could he really be blamed for that if he didn’t have the conscious to tell him it was the right thing to do to accept it?” But I really don’t think the whole nature of AI and how they think thing matters here.

The ending was great. I adored how all the companions sort of came to your side in the end and even explicitly said that they were your family. I’m not sure Wizard ever has a moment where an NPC says something that… close and caring to your PC.

Overall I enjoyed the chase for the map pieces, and chipping at the Armada’s elites was really well done. I wasn’t expecting them to treat the Marleybone war with so much gravity, but they did it about as well and as seriously as a kid’s game could. The finale with Rooke at the end was amazing, the atmosphere was really well done and Rooke died to my partner’s crab, which was just… peak 101 game comedic timing.

I also really loved the “GO GO GO AND GET OUT” way they structured Valencia part 1 and 2. I was genuinely tense and nervous in part 2, wondering if being Spiral Spain’s Attaché was even going work. Being so close to Kane and watching him get SCOLDED for daring to touch me was incredibly satisfying. I wish there was more time for Royal court shenanigans so that I could get to see Kane glaring at from across the room more, but I suppose that’s what fanfiction is for.

In terms of story execution and story execution purely, I’d give arc 1 an 8/10. Every beat was there when it needed to be and early actions affected the long term narrative, which was nice to see. With some Wizard worlds I do feel like they suffer from “this could have been an email” disease, but my time was less wasted in Pirate.

…Now, as for Sinbad…

I have unfortunately noticed the increase in insane difficulty, and an increase in glitches. Last night my partner and I tried to do the tower in Mooshu to find Sinbad, and we were in there for two hours, only to get teamwiped and find no dungeon recall. I understand Pirate was made to be harder than Wizards, but that is just straight up unfair for mainline content, I’m sorry. As well, a promotion quest my partner did had enemies that were almost level eighty. If the level cap is seventy, how in the WORLD is that fair?

It didn’t bother me so much initially, but now in the endgame it really does— how much is locked behind a timer. Oh, you want to level your pet? You have to constantly be starting timers for their training, and logging in regularly to stop their training and start a new one even if you aren’t playing. If your companions get injured they’re unusable until they’ve recovered, which is mostly fine in the early levels, until they need ten hours to recover at level seventy. If you’ve been trying to fight something for ages, and you keep dying, all your companions will be bedridden and you just— can’t play anymore. It reminds me of those really formulaic mobile games where everything is on a timer and progress is so, so slow that you maybe get five minutes to do things a day. Sinbad feels impossible right now because I’ve pretty much run out of ways to improve or maximize a stat to make it easier. There’s no team up either— so am I just supposed to hope I can figure out how to cheese a rigged combat system?

I am still, overall, interested in Pirate101. I want to support the game and allow it to come back to life like the developers have been trying to do. I am interested in what’s next for the story and how they’re going to expand or do something differently from the Armada. I can understand reused assets from Wizard, I can understand a few glitches or bugs, but if I can’t keep up with the gameplay, none of that matters.

It’s possible I just suck at the game. I came for the story and for the most part, I did get to experience that. It was really impressive to see how well it stood up against Wizard— it didn't feel like an aside or lesser, it had its own identity and part of the Spiral.

I’m not sure how to end this review other than… like, I can’t tell KI how to make their games, but please have a little bit of mercy. Wizard is fairly forgiving and I understand wanting to make a harder game, but there’s hard and there’s challenging. Pirate101 is not challenging me, it’s hitting me with a brick inside of a sock. I think it really needs some balancing help.

Adoring the amount of badass coats to pick from, though.

[karinamay]

I got tagged by the wonderful @cinnamontails-ff to talk about fanfic so let's go

1) How many works do you have on AO3? 33 apparently? Damn, that's actually way more than I thought okay okay.

2) What’s your total AO3 word count? 198,622 (that's hilariously low again when looking at the amount of works)

3) What fandoms do you write for? BG3 currently, I used to write a lot for CR and Detroit Evolution

4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Arms unfolding (Critical Role, Caleb/Essek)

Uselessly devoted (Critical Role, Caleb/Jester)

Something small (Critical Role, Dorian/Dariax)

Three is company (Critical Role, Caleb/Jester/Essek)

The one that got away (BG3, Astarion/Tav)

5) Do you respond to comments? I try to, I really love getting comments and having little conversations with everyone but I'm also terrible with keeping up with my email notifications.

6) What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Wrong place, wrong time (Detroit Evolution, Nines/Gavin)

7) What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I almost always write happy endings honestly.. Tell her a story (tell her the honest truth) (Detroit Evolution, Ada/North) maybe?

8) Do you get hate on fics? I don't think I've ever had straight up hate, no.

9) Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes, I'm very much a smutty oneshot writer, who occasionally branches out. What kind of smut? I don't know? Nothing extremely. Mainly F/M. The consensual kind. Good communication is a recurring topic. One of my most used tags is probably "dom/sub undertones"

10) Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I don't have any crossovers up and I don't plan on writing any. The most idiotic fic I have up on AO3 is a fanfic based on the google translate butchered script of Detroit Evolution called Camp Cyberlife (Anatomy) that I fully just wrote as a joke for a couple of friends.

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware.

12) Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope.

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before? Also no.

14) What’s your all time favorite ship? My all time favourite ship is Will/Elizabeth from PotC, but I don't read or write about that, they just live in my brain forever.

15) What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I have a WIP still up for a Detroit Evolution fic that I haven't touched in literal years, that I recently got a comment on. I reread it and now I personally am pissed at myself for never finishing it because it ends on a cliffhanger and I don't even remember what was supposed to happen.

16) What are your writing strengths? The thing I've been complimented on most across all fandoms is characterisation. I take a lot of care finding the voice of the characters I write, and from people's reactions that seems to work very well.

17) What are your writing weaknesses? Pacing. Pacing is hard.

18) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I think it's hard to not have it be confusing. I've thrown in a few words in a different language here and there a few times, but never more than that. I think there's definitely a place for it but it's hard to do it well.

19) First fandom you wrote for? Oof, um. I think that somewhere in the dephts of ff.net there's still a fic of mine for the shadowhunters universe that exists.

20) Favorite fic you’ve written? Recently probably The one that got away. That one is a little special to me because the Tav in there is a character very near and dear to my heart. Besides that I'm actually really really enjoying working on my current multichapter (with the most obnoxiously long title) High heeled heroes & reluctantly righteous rogues (BG3, Astarion/Tav).

[megan-loves-surveys]

#57. Longest survey part 3...

— Favourites —

Accent: Scottish.

Age you’ve been: 21.

Album: Oh so many, but if I had to pick one, then Five's debut album.

Animal: Cats <3

App: YouTube.

Artist/Painter: None.

Band: Blue or Five.

Bar/Club: I don't go to them so I don't know.

Bird: Pukeko!

Body part on preferred sex: Arms and ass lol.

Book Series: Weather Warden series.

Boys Name: Nathaniel.

Brand: Converse.

Candy/Sweet: Gummy lollies and those chalky ones.

Car Brand: Dodge Viper.

Celebrity (female): Cheryl Cole.

Celebrity (male): Jon Moxley xD

Character (book): Joanne from the Weather Warden series.

Character (movie): Jack Sparrow from POTC.

Character (TV): Penny from Big Bang Theory.

Character (other): Dunno.

Children’s Game: Um...

Children’s TV Show: Sesame Street.

Chocolate Bar: Hersheys Cookies & Cream.

Class in School: Computers/IT.

Coffee Franchise: Starbucks.

Colour: Purple.

Colour Combination: Purple & blue.

Crystal/ Gemstone: Ruby.

Day of the Week: Saturday.

Decade: 2000's.

Destination: New York City.

Dog Breed: Corgi.

Drink: Water.

Fabric: Cotton.

Farm animal: Anything cute.

Fast food restaurant: KFC.

Flag: US flag.

Food: Mac & cheese.

Fruit: Banana.

Gadget: My phone or my laptop.

Game (board): Monopoly.

Game (card): Last Card.

Game (video/computer): Pokemon in general.

Gift received: My kitten.

Girls name: May.

Hobby: Watching wrestling.

Holiday: Christmas.

Home lives in: My current one.

Hotel chain: Dunno.

Hymn: None.

Icecream flavour: Cookies & cream.

Jan/hJey flavour: ????

Job you’ve had: My current job.

Language: Japanese.

Late night TV show: None.

Live performer: Ayumi Hamasaki.

Lucky number: 13.

Magic trick: Dunno.

Manga: None.

Memory: LOADS.

Morning activity: Sleeping xD

Movie genre: Action or comedy.

Movie series: POTC.

Number: 13.

Odour: Citrus.

Pet: My kitten, Mox <3

Photograph: Any of my pics with Mox.

Place visited: NYC.

Play/Musical: None.

Podcast: None.

Podcaster: None.

Public place: The mall?

Pudding: Hmm.

Quote: Loads.

Radio station: I don't listen to the radio.

Random fact: I have loads, but most of them are wrestling related so nobody will care lol.

Riddle: Dunno.

Shirt: Prob my Moxley Club one.

Snack: Chips.

Soda: Coke No Sugar.

Sound: Music.

Spice: Hmm.

Subway Sub: I don't eat Subway.

Summer Activity: Sitting by the fan xD

Teacher: -

Temperature: Warm, but not too hot.

Time of Day: Evening.

Town: Hmm.

Toy from childhood: My teddy bear.

Type of vacation: One where I go somewhere fun haha.

Weather: Sunny.

YouTube channel: Call Me Kevin.

YouTuber: Call Me Kevin xD

— Finish the Sentence —

What motivates me day to day is: Lots of things.

I’m the kind of person that can be counted on to: Know useless wrestling facts or know things about The Shield xD

When you first meet me you’ll notice: I have blue hair.

To me, love is: Amazing.

What I look for in my friendships is: Fun and a good sense of humour.

You’ll know if I’m afraid by: I play with my hair and start walking around if I can.

When I’m happy I’m most likely to: Talk. A LOT.

I’ll never comment on someone else’s: Looks.

I’ve got a good eye for: Hmm...

My nighttime routine involves: Go to the toilet, get changed, get my bed ready, get in bed and then watch some YT before I go to sleep.

It’s not easy for me to: Do maths lol.

Once you get to know me you’ll realise that: I'm super talkative.

If I’m daydreaming it’s most likely to be about: Food xD

I never leave my house without: My phone, sunglasses, keys and Airpods.

The last song I heard play was by: MISSIO.

— Firsts —

First best friend? Anna.

First school teacher? Don't remember her name.

First hobby? Writing.

First girlfriend/boyfriend? Lee.

First vacation/holiday? Up north or Rotorua, not sure which one.

First book series you got into? No idea.

First album you bought? With my own money, Billie's debut album lol.

First kiss? A boy named Cameron.

First piercing? Ears, but I let them close up cos they got infected.

First tattoo? None.

First car? None.

School trip? Prob the zoo or something.

Movie saw in the cinema? No clue.

First stay in hospital? When I was 8 and broke my femur.

First time having sex? I was 14.

First major fall out with a friend? Dunno.

— Fives —

Five authors you like: I can only think of Rachel Caine.

Five colours you like: Purple, green, blue, orange, yellow.

Five emojis you use the most: The crying laughing one, the sideways laughing one, the crying one, the heart and the heart eyes.

Five locations you’d like to visit: Japan, France, Italy, the UK and Perth.

Five musical genres you like: Pop, J-pop, K-pop, rock and dance.

Five names you’d give your pets: Any human names. My cat is named Jon Moxley xD

Five popular bands you’re not into: Most of them.

Five songs you play over and over again: Loads.

Five Words you use a lot day to day: I don't keep track lol.

Five YouTube channels you follow: Call Me Kevin, ashens, LGR, Matt Rose and HeroVoltsy.

— Food —

Salty, sweet or savoury snacks? Salty.

Favourite meal of the day? Dinner.

Favourite chip/crisp flavour? ANYTHING, but especially salt and vinegar and sweet chili.

Favourite food that is native to your country? Dunno xD

How many meals do you have in a day? 2, I usually skip breakfast.

What’s your favourite vegetable? Potatoes.

How do you like your eggs? Poached.

Do you like your potatoes boiled, mashed, baked, roasted or something else? All of the above lol.

What’s your comfort food? Chips.

If you go out for a meal what are you most likely to order? Fish & chips or pasta.

What’s your favourite type of cake? Chocolate.

What do you like on your pizza? Hawaiian.

What nations cuisine do you like the most? Dunno.

Name some foods you really dislike: Onions.

What was the last item of food you ate? Strawberries.

Do you usually eat a cold or hot lunch? Cold if I'm at home, but hot if I eat out.

Do you have a favourite restaurant chain? Not really.

What’s your favourite type of meat if you eat meat? Chicken.

Do you prefer lots of little meals or a few larger ones? Few larger ones.

Do you like seafood? Some.

Do you prefer spicy or plain foods more? In between, I like some spice but not too much.

Are you a better baker or cook? Neither.

Do you had spiced water? No.

Do you add spices in your cooking? Not really.

— Friends —

Do you value friendships highly? Yes.

Are any of your friends like family to you? Yes.

How often do you get to see your friends? Depends, some I see more than others.

Which of your friends have you known the longest? Laura, since 1996.

Are most of your friends male or female? It's a mixture.

Do you ever hang out with your friends in a group? Some of them, cos not all of my friends know each other.

If you have a partner do your friends get on well with them? Yes, they like him.

Have you ever lived with a friend? No.

Do most your friends have similar interests to you? We share some, but not all.

Do you have any friends who live in a different country to you? Yes.

Are any of your friends good to talk to when you feel you need emotional support? Yes.

What are some of the finest memories you have with your friends? There are SO many.

What friend that you’re no longer in contact with do you miss the most? Sarah, we're FB friends but we barely talk now.

Have you had a friend who wasn’t really a friend and backstabbed you? Yes.

Did you have a lot of friends in school or were you more of a loner? I had loads.

Have any of your friends got you into a new hobby or interest? What was it? No.

Do any of your friends have a high social media profile? Like famous? Haha no.

Have you supported any of your friends with their dreams or career such as going to their gigs or sharing their business page? No.

Which of your friends is the most successful in their career? One of my friends is a doctor, so her lol.

Do you share your secrets with your friends or are they more casual friendships? It depends on the friend.

Are you a member of the LGBTQA community have you told your friends and have they been supportive? I am, and some of them know.

Are most of your friends younger, the same age or older than you? My age, but I also have younger and older friends too.

If you work do you class your colleagues as friends? Some of them!

What friend that you are still in contact with now have you known the longest? Laura.

Is there anything you’d really like to say to one of your friends right now? If so, what is it? Bitch, stop being busy and go to the gym with me to Ngawari xD

[victorborkowski]

mmos are such a unique genre and quite frankly one of my favorites. yes i want to play the same game as hundreds if not thousands of other people because i love a sense of community that simple 4-player multiplayer games cannot achieve. i want to mindlessly grind With Other People because it’s the only way it’s fun. i want to sit and idly fish because i think it’s cute when i sit next to some random other person who is also idly fishing and we may not know each other or even speak to each other but ik there’s another person behind that screen and we are simply vibing together now. what do u want from me.

[biodegradable-glitter]

listen ofmd is great but let’s not forget the og gay pirates ok

(+elizabeth swann because SHE!)

[n7viper]

9 Fav Movies

Thanks for the tag @briarfox13 ! 💖

No pressure tagging: @hawkeshep | @plisuu | @rosella-writes | @blarrghe | @melisusthewee | @sulky-valkyrie | @moss-flesh | @kirkwalls-dumbest | @indoctrinates | @commander-krios

1. Mulan

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

3. M*A*S*H

4. The Grand Budapest Hotel

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

6. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

7. Kiki's Delivery Service

8. Anastasia

9. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

[beautyisinkonpaper]

SUB JACK SPARROW IS CANON AND I WILL TAKE NO ARGUMENTS:

when elizabeth kissed him, she def lead that kiss he was following her.

that line "what is it i want most" that beckett says and jack responds "me" it just gives off bottom jack vibes idk

NSFW HEADCANONS BELOW

jack LOVES being dominated, more specifically he loves when someone else shoves him around? line pushes him against a wall, drags him forcefully into a kiss, etc

jack likes it rough when it's done to him

he's not a fan of being the top in penetration sex, if he tops he likes to do oral and finger stuff

i bet this ^^ is why he's got such a good reputation as a sexual partner among various sex workers... cause when he's on top he's solely focused on his partner's pleasure not his own

anyway he would love getting topped by elizabeth cause i guarantee she's rough in bed and did they have straps or dildos back in 1700-something?

SUB👏JACK👏SPARROW👏 MY MIND HAS BEEN ENLIGHTENED, THIS IS A HISTORIC MOMENT FOR MANKIND, PLEASE WRITE IT I'LL PAY YOU (I won't, but I was tempted to)

YES YES YES OH MY LORDDD

idc care if we are the only two people out there who want this. it can be our special little thing..

do you mind sending in another ask with maybe a certain idea and a preferred gender for the reader? ill get too it frrr

[before-the-black-pearl]

Because in tpof Jack said he was sailing with Teague since he was a kid, but in the Sins of the Father Jack said he run away from home (one of the many reasons at least) was because Teague didn't believe he was ready to sail with him, I headcanon that Teague stopped taking Jack with him after he was kidnapped and almost sold to slavery when he was twelve

That is exactly how I imagined it too.

I’m kinda glad that this book barely speaks on Jack’s teenage years as far as I read of it.

The author said Disney told her to not reference the YJS books and to make TPOF its own thing (from what I remember reading about it) and she easily could’ve retconned them in the book, but instead barely mentioned that period in Jack’s life so they can still coexist in the same timeline.

(None of it can be said for POTC5!)

[cjbolan]

Davy Jones [Lyrics] (feat. @RachelHardy @Fialeja )

Major Namor/Shuri vibes with this song. I’m slowly coming around to this ship because of all the amazing fanart for it. As an artist I’ll support anything that inspires amazing art. Also they low-key remind me of Batman/Catwoman. Both hero/villain pairings with a ton of sexual tension, with the woman wearing a black cat costume.

*WARNING: WAKANDA FOREVER SPOILERS BELOW* ...

And yes I know Namor killed Shuri’s mom, so I doubt they’ll become a canon couple. Honestly they probably shouldn’t.

But before that moment I definitely shipped them. And wonder what they’d be like under different circumstances. It’s like Namor said, “...it could have been different.”

[fieldsofbone]

my ocd be like: you may have a few sub-hyperfixations nestled within The Main Hyperfixation, as a treat

[gonnalovetoday]

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