#To Set Sail [Starter Call]

[n4kama]

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[heyidkyay]

Pause it, play it, pause it, play it | Market girl AU

Matty x marketseller!reader

Summary: Saturday's are always the same working the stall, until a stranger stops in to disrupt your cassette display...

Authors note: A one shot for you, needed something to help me with a little writer's block so I hope it's alright! Nothing too detailed, mostly just fluff, just saw that middle picture and the idea took root:)

--

“Oi, Rob… You see where I set those new slips I just had?” I called out loudly, riffling my way through the boxes I’d brought over from the van that very same morning. “I swear I left them here in one of these lot.”

Rob seemed to shuffle over towards me at the beckon, peering around the tent whilst I pulled apart one box’s contents. 

I huffed when I heard a familiar crunch and looked over my shoulder to see him stood there munching on an apple. “Nah, babe. Sorry. I can ‘ave a look though if you want, got Nance watchin’ out for me.” ‘Nance’ being Nancy, Rob’s massive Alsatian that had once been his grandad’s guard-dog when he’d manned the stall years back. 

With a soft chuckle I pushed myself up onto my feet once more, tucking my hair behind my ears as I went. 

“Have at, can’t for the life of me find them.” I told him, watching on in growing amusement as he bit down on the green fruit to hold it between his teeth whilst he mooched about the pyramid of cardboard boxes for me, “Sure you’ll still have enough left to sell? Last Saturday you ate your way through six of those, the one before that was the highest yet, at eight.”

Huffing, Rob took another bite of his apple and then shot me a wink. “Keepin’ an eye on me, are you?”

I rolled my eyes as a breathy laugh escaped me, falling against the stall’s main bench so that I could cross my arms over my chest. 

A quick glance at the time told me that we still had a while yet ‘til it hit nine and the market opened properly, letting that first bit of crowd sail in. Though I’d always found it was easier most days to just enjoy the atmosphere that was Portobello, instead of focusing in on the imminent mob.

See, I’d been at the market since I were nine, working the vintage stretch with my mum and aunt, having grown all too fond of the people and their many eccentricities. Rob was of the same cloth, though a tad bit older, just enough that I’d had the fattest crush on him and that East London accent of his as a kid. 

It had faded over time, mind, what with him jetting off a couple years back when he’d been a holiday rep in Ibiza and me realising that I’d wanted to try my luck at art school. Not that either of those things had worked out, which had ultimately led us back here, surprised not to be rid of the other.

He was as close as I could get to a best mate though. Strange yeah, but he was family, wasn’t he? Everyone who worked the market was.

“With an arse like that? Always.” I retorted easily enough to have him laughing along with me and shaking his head at my antics. Something he’d grown all too used to in the recent years since I’d come back and made my mark with a stall of my own.

It wasn’t anything too grand, my stall. Nothing like the tourist trapping shops that sat a little further down, but sweet enough for the likes of me and the massive music collection I managed to drag down here each weekend. Set up was always mad, yes, but with Rob, Nancy and a few other early starters, time slipped away quick enough.

“Here we go then.”

I blinked and looked back over at Rob, who was now beaming brightly at the set of LP slips I’d ordered in special, waving them about in smarmy pride. I swatted his side as I made a grab for the things, only to have him lift them up higher to where I couldn’t reach. 

“Don't be a twat, pass them over. We open in five!”

Rob simply chuckled in retort, taking another chomp out of that apple of his. “A thanks wouldn’t go amiss.”

“Yeah, yeah, I would’ve gotten to it!” I swiftly shot back, jumping up to swipe them from his grasp and grinning in triumph when I managed it. He only laughed, a slight rasp working its way into it like it typically did. “Thanks.” I added after I’d thumbed through the lot, smiling up at him as he made his way to the other side of the tent. 

“Buy me a pint and we’ll call it even, treacle.”

I gave him a roll of my eyes, but agreed without much fuss. “Fine, but just the one, tight arse.”

His hearty chuckle filled the steadily growing street of sellers and I watched on as he stroked Nancy’s collar before settling back in at his own stall which resided by mine.

“Penny’s take care of the pounds, my darlin’.”

I raised a single brow and tucked the slips into one of the closer vinyl cubbies- 70’s Proto-punk wasn’t much of a seller anyway. “You mean, look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.”

Rob clucked his tongue, waving the correction away with the hand that held his apple core, “Alright, smart-arse. You knew what I meant.”

I smirked, tittering quietly to myself whilst he settled his usual bum bag around his hips. It suited him, I thought, the neon green pouch sitting atop that awful red and white apron he’d pinched off the butchers up in Notting Hill when he’d worked there for a weekend. Though I much preferred my own, my nephew having decked it out in all sorts of pins and patches for me a while back now. 

With that Rob and I settled into our own stations, me taking perch on the old wooden stool I’d found in the back of a garden shed, and Rob being his usual loudmouth self, beckoning the arriving customers on closer.  

The crowd grew bigger and bigger the closer it got to ten, lots of people stopped by to have a chat or a look round, a few purchased a couple of bits. It was mainly just the vinyls that sold these days, but I still had posters, cd’s, and even cassettes on show.

It wasn’t usual for the cassettes to get a good look over though, mainly just a ‘Oh! Do you remember them?’ and then a small laugh before people eventually moved on. Which was why I was more than a little surprised to see a figure having a right old rummage through the steady collection I owned, once I’d managed to wrap up another sale. 

Glancing about, I spotted a pair of old birds flirting with Rob by the pears, Nance having gone to settle herself down by my bag in the back to hide from their gentle clucking, and how the crowded mob had thinned out a tad since most people had made their way further down the road’s neck.

I tucked the few notes I held into my pouch and stepped over a tangle of cables to make my way closer to the person, taking in their too big graphic tee and the tight zip up that had been layered over top of it. The nearer I grew the more I spotted though, the slight nod of a head as fingers worked their way deftly through the collection, the array of dark curls that poked their way out of the sides of a worn cap, and then the tiny hoop which dangled from a right earlobe. 

“Looking for something specific?”

The bloke didn’t startle much, there was no real jump at the sound of my voice, only the slight tilt of his head, as though he was used to being caught off guard. I watched him closer after that, noting how his thumb trailed across one of the few Sonic Youth singles I had.

“Their ‘86 album?”

His voice was gentler than I’d first been expecting, rasped with a slight accent I couldn’t quite place. I blinked at his ask, skimming through the catalogue of tapes my mind offered me, which hardly ever seemed to move from their typical place of sorting. 

“Um, top right? Should be one there, got Sister and Goo too, if I’m not wrong. Though the ‘88 album seems to be their most popular- even in cassette form.” I had rambled a tad there, I knew that much, but it was all part of the job to me. Talk and talk until they either fled the scene or decided to buy more than what they’d first come for. “You into cassettes then?”

He gave me a low chuckle and pulled away from the stand slightly, it was then that I caught sight of his face, a tad bit stubbled and lips parted almost in wait. He must’ve been closer to Rob’s age than my own.

I raised a brow when he didn’t offer me an answer, tilting my head in turn. “Or, is it a gift of some sort?” I dragged out.

With a blink, he seemed to stand a little taller and I noticed he only had an inch or two on me.

“Er, no.” He muttered, before mimicking my head’s movement and propping his elbow up on the cassette stand almost as if he was attempting to suss me out. It took a second before he finally flashed me a slow but genuine smile, “Looking for a certain sound. Some tapes sound better than the actual record so I figured here would be my best bet.”

I hummed, crossing one ankle over the other. “The further back you go you can hear it, but most of their stuff's good either way.”

He smirked as he settled in further, looking out at me from under the brim of his cap, “Aren’t you meant to be selling it to me?”

My laughter couldn’t have been helped because he did have a point there, only… “It’s just not everyday that someone pops by to talk about music mediums with me.” I argued, all too pleased when I heard him give another hearty chuckle in reply, “So forgive me for my excitement.”

“Will do.” He simpered, eyes flicking down to where he still held the Evol tape, I reached out to tap its plastic top.

“That one’s known for its ballads, if that’s something you’re into, but,” I practically sang before peering round him to see if I could find the one cassette case I was thinking of, “If you’re wanting a specific sound then A Thousand Leaves is probably worth giving a listen to. Personally I don’t think it got the recognition it deserved, but there was a lot of experimenting whilst also managing not to betray their roots, you know? It’s softer, smoother, and the guitars are almost unmatched.”

When I went to hand it over to him just to have a look at, I found him already watching me with this inscrutable sort of expression. I merely brushed it off, figuring that he’d just leave if he did eventually grow tired of my ranting, then turned slightly when a round of whispers echoed around the tent. It seemed a few younger girls had wandered straight on over to the independent artists section I had placed by the front and were arguing over who got this one Sam Fender album.

I looked away and went to say something else to him, but the way he'd simultaneously moved to angle his back away from the cassette tapes when he too spotted the new arrivals wasn't lost on me. I frowned a tad, though chose not to comment on it. “So, what sort of sound are you searching for anyway?”

His gaze skittered away from the tapes to meet mine for a second and I wondered, briefly, why he’d so suddenly lost the relaxed stance he’d been in just minutes before, but then he said, “Anything I haven’t heard much of before, in truth.”

Mulling his words over I then gestured towards the stand. “Can I?” I gestured, and immediately he knew where I was going with it, jumping back a step to let me riffle through the lot. 

I pulled out a couple I figured he might be into, simply going off of the Sonic Youth album he’d been eyeing, then a few of my own favourites, not that I’d let that tidbit slip. 

Handing them over, I let him search through their titles and answered one or two questions he had for me. I had to admit he intrigued me a bit, I’d had music enthusiasts stop by and talk about this and that with me, even had a couple people who played and were searching for new stuff to learn and adapt, but him? He didn’t give much away.

“Any good?” I questioned once I'd wandered back over to join him. I’d only left him to look through the selection again when a customer had called me over towards the front, and was just tucking away the few extra coins I’d been given when he glanced up at me with a bright grin. I was a little surprised to say it caught me off balance a bit.

“I’ll take the lot.”

Trying my hardest not to outright baulk, I paused. “The lot?”

Sure, cassettes weren’t all that pricey, not compared to pressed records at least, but there must’ve been just over a dozen that I’d pulled out to show him and now he supposedly wanted to take them all.

He laughed after a moment, most likely at the baffled look that marred my face, and made to pull his wallet out of his back pocket. “That gonna be a problem?”

The question was almost argumentative, pushy even, but in a jokey sort of way, the kind you’d use when ribbing a mate, not now. Not with some stranger at a market stall. It only left me marvelling further.

“Might be, I’ll have to find a bag big enough to fit them all though.” I countered, hiding my own smile when I heard him laugh again whilst I spun around to fetch exactly that.

“Anything will do, love.”

I dipped my chin in a slight nod but didn’t go right for the usual stack of black baggies I used for most sales, instead I swiped one of the few printed totes I had hung up for trade and tallied up the price. “You gonna be alright walking the rest of the market stretch with that?” I teased him, looking up once the transaction completed to hand him the now very full bag only to find him already looking back at me.

He hummed around a sly smile, fingers meeting mine around the totes handle before they were slipping away again. “Think I’ll make do. Only came looking for these anyway.”

My brows jumped up in surprise as I watched him tuck his wallet back into the pocket of his jeans. “Everyone loves Portobello.” I murmured and his light laughter echoed around the market stall once more before he simply shrugged. 

“Been a couple times before, and besides, don't reckon I’ll get a better deal than this, do you?”

My eyes narrowed when I smiled, humoured by his easy going nature and quick quips. I found that I wanted him to stick around a while longer, if only to solve the mystery he made. “No, don't reckon so.”

He lingered for a moment or two more, simply smiling at me and I found myself smiling back, before a gaggle of school kids wandered on over, loud and uncaring of the looks they garnered. They caught my attention too and I found myself reminiscing over years where I’d been much of the same. 

When I glanced back over to him, I saw that he was gone. My forehead pinched in confusion and I glanced around to see if I could spot him in the busy crowd, but it had grown all too quickly again and appeared easy enough for anyone to get swept up and lost in. 

I rocked back on my heels as I gave up the search, just before I was called over by one of the kids asking for a specific LP. I let it go, him and the strange encounter we’d shared, and went about the rest of the day just going through the motions.

By the time seven o’clock rolled around I was shattered and had already packed most of the stall away. I waited patiently for Rob to help me with loading the larger bits into the van, watching Nance for him whilst he wrapped up what remained of the fruit and veg, knowing he’d take most of it back home to his family. It was at that moment that I caught sight of something amiss in the vinyl cubby I’d used to hide those slipcovers in just before we'd opened. 

I walked over and was more than a little dumbfounded to spot a cassette lying there on its side. Standing On A Beach. One of The Cure albums I’d mentioned to that bloke in the cap earlier, the very same he’d gone and bought, and the exact one I was more than sure I’d bagged. 

I picked it up, feeling Nancy brush up against my side whilst Rob called out to say that he was just dropping off his usual round of goodybags to the nearby sellers. I waved him off, then looked down at the tape I held, pausing when my thumb caught on something attached to the back. 

Flipping it over I found a quickly scribbled note, its corner tucked into the case's opening so that it would hold its place. 

(It sounded like you enjoyed this one when I asked about it. Know it’s a first edition too, so I figured maybe you should be the one keep it. - Matty.)

Matty.

“What you smiling at, weirdo?”

I startled at the sound of Rob’s usual drawl, head snapping over to my left to find him already trailing back towards us, a happy grin plastered over his face. 

“Go on, tell us!” He ribbed, and now that he was drawing nearer I was quick to tuck the note into my back pocket. 

“Nothing, just this tape. Figured I’d keep it.” I told him with a small shrug, clutching the cassette closer when he hip checked me in passing and bent down to give Nancy a good old stroke.

“Thieving your own gear! Wow, that’s a new low even for you.” Rob chuckled, shooting me a bright smile before he stood once more.

“Hush up, it’s a goodun. Forgot I even had it.” I defended, but he merely continued to laugh at me. Rolling my eyes, I shoved his arm lightly before I said, “Now be useful for once and grab the last of those boxes for us, will you.”

“Tetchy.”

I simply snorted, shaking my head as I moved to pick up my bag, clinging to the old cassette case for a second before finally dropping it inside. 

“You coming then?”

With a deep breath I took one last glance around the stall and didn’t see anything that had been missed, so I wiped down my jeans and then gave Nance another pet, “Yeah, coming!”

…

My week continued on much the same after that. I worked in the local pub behind the bar when I wasn’t performing on the crate stage there and on my day off I took the tube over to see my mum and nan. They lived further East nowadays, closer to the clinic my nana hated but needed, and not too far from the street she’d grown up on as a girl.

Saturdays were my only market days, even though it was open most of the week. Rob usually did Fridays there and the rare Tuesday too, when he could be arsed. Though the rest of his time was used up by frequenting the old boxing club every other evening, training and helping out with the younger lot that liked to come in. I’d only been half a dozen times, but he was very much in his element there.

So in shorter terms, my week had slipped on by without much fanfare, which meant that Saturday had seemed to both crawl and shoot back around. 

I opened the stall like usual, only without Rob for the first time in ages. He had apparently come down with some sort of bug or other that he’d gone and caught off of his nieces when he’d popped round to see them Wednesday afternoon- and well, he was a man, wasn't he? Which ultimately meant that he was dying. 

He’d let me have Nancy though, seeing as she hadn’t been out very much since the cold had hit him. So the Alsatian had jumped in my van that same morning and had been as good as gold all day. To be honest, she was a much better seller than me and I could see why Rob always brought her along with him, people seemed to flock to dogs which in turn meant more sales for me.

I’d been fanning the crowds away ever since we’d opened, which typically only tended to happen during half term or school holidays, but nonetheless it was a more than welcome change after the crappy tips I’d garnered down at the pub the night before.

‘Cause well, since I’d dropped out of school I’d taken to performing there on the more livelier nights, a few covers, one or two of my own songs, and then I’d end the set and slide behind the bar to serve. Normally I was fine with that, the tips were often good when both the older folk and the younger lot rolled in, Friday nights especially. Only, there’d been a gig on down at the O2 so we hadn’t gotten our usual patrons in, and had instead been sacked with a couple of stragglers and a less than lively lot.

Still, today more than made up for it.

The sun was shining as much as it could do during a London March, the skies were blue although not completely clear, and the market crowd seemed to be in good spirits too.

Sy, who worked a couple stands down, had passed out a tray of coffees not too long ago, just after the lunchtime rush, and then Dianne and Reg had followed with some of their freshly baked pastries. They’d even thought to bring a little treat over for Nance too. 

I'd just texted a picture to Rob to show him what he’d missed out on by having a case of man-flu and had just got up to toss the last of the rubbish away when I was caught off guard by an unexpected surprise.

“You!”

Matty, my mind supplied a half a second later. The same name that had been circling my thoughts since he’d left me that note the Saturday prior. I blinked at the sight of him. He was wearing a cap again, although this one was different, a dusky navy blue that he’d gone and tucked under a giant grey hoodie. 

“Me.” He grinned in glinted amusement, jutting out his chin in a gentle hello. “Figured I might find you here.”

The snort I gave was unprecedented, “Oh, really? Wonder what gave that away.”

Matty smirked. Matty. It felt strange to put his name to his face then, even though it had been puttering around in my head like the bouncing DVD logo since the last time we’d met. 

“Got any more tapes for me then?”

My eyes squinted in my attempt to dim my smile, not really believing that he was actually here, before I pursed my lips and tilted my head at him. “Might do. Take it you liked the last few?”

He hummed, smiling down at Nancy who’d trailed on over and allowing her to sniff at his hand. When she nudged his leg with her snout I watched on as he dropped into a crouch to give her a proper stroke. Nance seemed to be quite taken with him after that. 

I propped a hip against the nearest vinyl cubby, crossing my arms over my chest whilst he replied, “They were good- helped a lot, in truth. You were right about the Roxy Music album, too.”

Chuffed with that, I shot him a pleased little grin. 

“You’ll come to learn that it’s to be expected.”

“What, you bein’ right?” Matty wondered with a low laugh, petting Nancy’s head once more before he forced himself back up onto his feet. 

“What I said, in’t it?”

He shook his head softly and I felt his eyes on me before I finally gestured him on over to the cassette stand. “I found a few new ones in the charity shop near my mum’s the other day, figured it’d be best to add to the collection after you nearly took the lot.” 

“Wow, and she’s dramatic too.”

I swatted his arm thoughtlessly, then stilled the second I realised what I’d done, but Matty was either none the wiser to my momentary pause or just didn’t care. “That come with the job then? Having to be mouthy?”

My jaw dropped a tad at his sudden cheek and I tutted around the tiny beginnings of a stuttered laugh, “You’re brave. I’ll let you have that. But honestly, you’re probably not wrong there either.” We shared a chuckle, coming to a standstill by the tower full of tapes, “Most of this lot have to be gobby enough to have a shout at bagging any customers, especially when Rob’s around.”

“Rob?”

I titled my head over towards the next stall which sat empty, “Yeah, he works the fruit and veg. Might’ve seen, or rather heard him last weekend.”

Matty gave a slow nod, dragging his gaze away from where I’d pointed and back to the many cassettes I had to offer.

“So what're we looking for this time?” I smiled, thoughts on The Cure tape he’d gifted me, although wary to mention it too soon. “80’s Punk? Electro? Rhythm and Blues?” I dragged that last one out, enjoying the sight of his smile and how it only appeared to lift on one side before dimpling the corner ever so faintly.

“Give me one of your favourites.”

“Mine?” I blinked.

He hummed again, fingertips trailing over multiple rows of cases. I watched the movement, caught up in it in actuality, before I tore my eyes back over to him. 

I caught him looking again, only this time around I didn’t much question it, not when the Saturday sun sitting high in the sky reflected so prettily in his eyes. Lightening them enough that they almost appeared to glow. 

I followed through on the ask though, once I’d finally managed to get my head in working order and drag my gaze back towards the task at hand, pulling out an extensive range of cassettes, both singles and albums, for him to view. 

Matty liked to talk, I quickly learned. He asked question after question, even when it seemed like he knew more than he was letting on at times, and he waited whenever someone else walked over, sitting amongst the back shelves with Nancy whilst I talked and sold a couple of vinyls.

Soon enough the sun had started to dip low in the sky and we realised that the hours had honestly escaped us. I was startled when I finally looked down at my phone to see that it was almost time to start packing away, having lost myself in the conversation we’d shared, or rather the debates we had both started over artists and genres, and what decade had done the most for music. 

“Oh shit! I can’t believe it’s almost half six!”

Matty appeared to remember himself at my exclaim, pulling out his own phone to see for himself and blowing out a large breath when it rang true. “Fuck, ah, I didn’t even realise.”

He actually looked somewhat apologetic when he met my eye again. 

I shook my head and waved him off, “You’re all good, actually one of the best market days I’ve had in truth, made almost double than what I did last weekend, even with the stash you claimed.”

With a soft laugh, Matty made to stand, holding out a hand to help me up too once he'd found his footing. I smiled softly at the offer and took it, perplexed by the careful callouses which lined the tops of his fingertips and the soft palm that accompanied them.

“You play?”

“Hm?”

My chin jerked over towards where an older acoustic hung on display in the stall across from mine, “Guitar. Do you play?”

His brows knitted together at the ask but he did eventually give me a low chuckle too, hand still holding my own. “Yeah, how’d you know?”

My eyes flickered up to find his and I gave a small smirk, unable to help myself. “Intuition.”

Matty scoffed in amusement, “Oh yeah? How’s that work?”

Shrugging a single shoulder, I stepped on closer to him, near enough that the brim of his hat shaded the top half of my face and the toes of our shoes almost aligned. “Just comes to me, I ‘spose.”

He quirked a questioning brow.

“What’s your intuition telling you now then?”

I bit down on the insides of my cheeks in hopes to contain my playful smile, figuring I’d best take the chance now while it was being handed to me. “That you’re gonna buy me a drink.”

“Am I?” Matty answered, voice dropping a fraction as a grin threatened to split his face.

Humming, I could only smile, eyes flickering between his own before they darted up towards the brim of his cap. With the hand not holding his, I reached up and settled it a little lower on his head, then glanced back down at that growing grin. “I mean, if you’re gonna keep coming back each Saturday then…”

His eyes narrowed a tad and finally he let go of the chuckle he’d been holding onto, leaning in even closer to me. “Intuition telling you that?”

“Hm, along with a couple other things.” I quipped, revelling in the hand that came to rest on the hem of my jeans. “So, that drink?”

Matty laughed, sweet and lovely. “Might know a place.”

“Good,” I murmured in the little space he’d placed between us, mouth almost touching his own before I was smirking and pulling away, “Guess you can help me pack up then.”

Matty huffed out a breathy chuckle whilst shook his head at me, watching as his hand slipped from mine. Though he wasn’t left lonely for too long, seeing as Nancy padded on over to him for another round of strokes whilst I set to picking up a horde of albums. “Tease.” He shot out, though he didn't look too disheartened.

I gave him a loud laugh in return, content with being labelled as such. “Well you’d best get to work then. Quicker we’re done here, quicker we can see about you and me sharing anything other than a drink.”

And he did, he set to work swift enough, the two of us slipping by one another with a gentle ease we shouldn’t have yet earned and sharing soft smiles in the lessening market bustle. All the while I continued to wonder and watch him, thinking back on the cassette he’d gifted me and the sudden fondness I’d found for him. 

“Ready to go?” He asked me not long later and I found myself never wanting to say no to that pretty smile of his. So I just nodded and took the hand he held out, Nance moving to join us too before we finally ventured our way out of the market street. Matty asking me every question he’d been holding back the further we got, and making realise that I had a horde of my own.

[raayllum]

Anyway time to talk about the 6x03 poem:

As many others have speculated judging by the map, Captain Skall made her way to Hook named after her, and then "as east she sailed into waters so deadly and cold" in the Frozen Shards, her ship eventually being stuck and meeting her doom there.

With that out of the way, I want to talk about other pieces of info, why this might be the poem for 6x03 specifically, and where I think Skall may fit timeline wise:

"From the isles without name" makes me think of the Independent Isles in between Evenere and Katolis.

"sailing north, she called herself free" makes me feel feral with Callum (and Rayla) doing the same in hopes of freeing Callum from Aaravos' grasp by destroying the prison

"Through forests and flowers, past the uneven towers" clearly symbolizes Katolis, indicating that Skall lived once most of the human kingdoms had been established, and thereby post-Exile/Exodus.

"Skall hungered for glory, she wanted a story / they’d tell it long after she died". Routinely we see a desire for glory / worthiness / power described as hunger ("Hungry for knowledge and power" / "But that small taste left some humans hungry—starved, even—for a better path. An easier path. And thus Elarion became the birthplace of a new form of magic, a shortcut to primal power: dark magic"). This also comes into seeking a legacy.

"So with winter wind’s blowing / she sailed north, forgoing / a man who’d have made her his bride". This is where we see the poem take a more negative slant in a few ways. The first is winter, wind, and north, setting up a future unfortunate turn of events. This is also the first mention of Skall having something else in her life other than adventure and something she had to subsequently abandon. While the end of the poem is much more on her side of feelings, "forgoing" does mean "renouncing; sacrificing or giving up" something that is more positive.

"Alone in the cold, yet ever so bold" again adds to the more negative feeling the poem is building, as boldness is in the contrast with "alone in the cold" that's overall negative and maintaining a bit more of an upkeep. Likewise, we see the return of the wind with an even more negative connotation in wailing in the following stanza: "And oh, winter wailed / as east she sailed / into waters so deadly and cold". We see the return of cold but also the change into things being 'deadly' (although there were still hints of danger earlier, as 'bold' indicates).

"Then came the ice, and trapped in its vise" The cold finally catches up to her, and we see ice return as a form of entrapment (2x06, 3x08, 3x09, 5x04, 5x06, 5x08). Most interestingly, "vise" is a tool with closable jaws for clamping things. Maybe the ice is magical, or the jaw of a great (the dragon we've seen in the trailer) creature?

"And while she found peace / she wished that, at least / she’d told him she loved him, always". While the poem ends on a somewhat bittersweet end (at death but at peace), we do see that Skall died with a final regret to the man she could've wed but left instead.

Or you could say, a last wish.

Either way, the poem paints a rather grim journey: going North didn't hold the same freedom and achievements that Skall hoped for, and instead led to entrapment, separation, and death.

That said: there's a few Rayllum-y things I think we can glean from this poem, for starters:

1) The episode will likely have a strong focus on Callum and Rayla sailing to and/or through the Frozen Sea on whatever ship they're planning to use to get there. This leaves 6x02 "Love, War, and Mushrooms" more open to either explore other plot lines or another pit stop in their journey (like say, the Silvergrove)

2) The poem itself has pretty clear Rayllum parallels, specifically in TDP's continual gender subversion of the women who puts other things above her romantic relationship, even if it's likewise seen as a sacrifice. Rayla left Callum in order to protect him/the world from Viren, even if that meant damaging their relationship, and Skall puts her desire for glory and adventure over presumably a more settled married life at home. (Excuse me while I scream over "forgoing a man who'd have made her his bride.")

3) The poem likewise has some parallels to Rayla's "Dear Callum" letter specifically. There are wishes expressed of the leaving party, a desire to have made feelings more plain that Callum reiterates in 5x04 when they think they're about to die ("I hope you know—" "I know"), and most notably, a parallel to the always mention:

she wished that, at least she’d told him she loved him, always.

But, if it does—if you feel that soft aching—know that that piece of your heart isn’t missing. It’s not missing at all, Callum: I’m carrying it with me! Always. I love you. I love you so much.

4) All this bodes quite well for 6x03 being an episode with a big Rayllum moment in it — perhaps even their Big "You Finally Came Back" Talk — especially since there's not much else to (presumably) happen on a ship if they're just travelling somewhere (and not being pursued this time).

Episode Speculation (a summary / misc thoughts)

Callum and Rayla travelling to the Frozen Sea

Big Talk happens

+ potential love confession / reaffirmation?

They reach the other end of the Frozen Sea

Maybe fight the big dragon from the video game teaser we see with Rayla (like Skall, she has literal hooks = blades) whose guarding or in their way to the Starscraper? Could account for the jaws and maybe the ice

One of them is worried and/or has a moment of thinking the other person is hurt/injured bc of said dragon fight?

Maybe some Aaravos backstory in his lost love (although like I said, I don't think it's Skall exactly — I still think the likeliest names are Elara-adjacent or Kalik)

Episode Title Speculation (in about this order):

The Frozen Sea

By River and Sea

Always (this would be my personal favourite and i would never stop screaming)

[notstilinski]

Book Lovers Starters !

Taken from the 2022 novel by Emily Henry, Book Lovers! Some of these have already been edited. You can change them however you see fit!

“Is she a baker? The woman you’re leaving me for.”

“What went wrong is that, in a past life, I betrayed a very powerful witch, and that put a curse on my love life.”

“All I need from them is a full credit report, psych evaluation, and a blood oath.”

“Oh my god, what is that? Are you planning a bank robbery?”

“FOR ALL I KNOW, YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE FEELINGS.”

“I could tie a bedsheet around your ankle and drag you up.”

“I’m a grown adult, (Name). I can buy my own Bigfoot erotica, thank you very much.”

“You are in control. You won’t let anything bad happen to them ever again.”

“I wouldn’t call it bloodlust. I don’t revel in exsanguination. I do it for my clients.”

“(Name) is here. Everything must be okay.”

“You really are sickeningly good at everything, you know that, right?”

“If you offer to lend me your Crocs again, I’m going to sue you for emotional damages.”

“To be known isn’t necessarily to be admired.”

“If I knew the answer to that, (Name), I’d have ascended to a higher plane.”

“Yeah, well, you should try almost marrying then and see if that helps.”

“If you’re into cat pee and gasoline.”

“I’m going to be up all night making diagrams and charts, trying to figure out what you just said.”

“You are much weirder than I thought.”

“Do they eat outsiders?”

“Can it really be called fanfiction if the author clearly isn’t a fan?”

“I can tell you’re pleased with yourself when your eyes go all predatory like that.”

“(Name) will listen to you. You could sell snake oil to a snake oil salesman.”

“The ship of their disappointment in me set sail a long time ago. I’d have to do something WAY sluttier to let them down now.”

“Right. There will make it easier to knock them out and empty his pockets. What should our signal be?”

“If you’re looking for your dignity, you won’t find it here.”

“Does that mean you want to date my bullies, or to humiliate them?”

“And that’s how they discovered your passion for serial killing.”

“So I’ve found the key to (Name)’s joy. My sexual humiliation.”

“Is it possible you don’t have any pain receptors?”

“You’re right. I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to accept this can’t be anything.”

“Next time try not to look so excited at the thought of misery. It’ll help you blend in better.”

“Yes, together we add up to one emotionally competent human, a real accomplishment.”

“I would be adorable in Daisy Dukes and pigtails.”

“What do you think the age gap is between these actors? Sixty-eight years?”

“There are far worse things to be. Normal is a badge I wear proudly.”

“And by you’ve seen me, you mean you’ve watched me.”

“You’re not a disappointment. You’re not wrong.”

“I’ll remember you begging until my last dying breath.”

“You fucking undo me.”

“I just don’t want to be here anymore. I want it to stop.”

“You look like you haven’t slept in years.”

“You’re not useless, (Name). I mean, look at all this.”

“If we stay together, every single day for the rest of our lives is going to be the same.”

“I once had a sex dream about the green M&M.”

“If (Name) had known how hot the reverend is, they probably would’ve made it down here sooner.”

“If I had to pick one person to be in my corner, it’d be you. Every time. You take care of shit.”

“I wanted to help. I wanted to take care of you.”

“See? I’m perfectly harmless over here.”

“Yes, you have lost something but maybe, someday, you’ll find something too.”

“What about what you want? Who’s making sure you’re happy, (Name)?”

“You do have me, (Name). I never stood a chance.”

“I had no idea it was possible for you to want me as much as I want you.”

“(Name). You shouldn’t have to be alone through that.”

“It’s just… Ever since then, it’s been hard to imagine letting anyone close like that. Not when I’m so fucking broken I can’t sleep anywhere but my own bed.”

“Don’t be sorry. Please don’t apologize for letting me know you.”

“For what it’s worth, I doubt I will ever like anyone else in the world as much as I like you.”

“Sometimes the first act is the fun part, and then everything gets too complicated.”

“A week ago I liked you so much I would have wanted to try to make this work. But now I think I might love you too much for that.”

“If anyone could be enough, I think it might be you.”

[marias-island-of-visitors]

Open Starter (Female or Futa only)

A small chuckled escaped Tomo's lips as she cleaned out one of the glasses in the bar. She was surprised to get a call from one of her old high school friends about setting up a bar on a resort island. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity she immediately said yes and soon was sailed out to the island. At first she was a bit weirded out by the rules, having not been naked in front of anything besides a mirror, but she quickly adjusted. She had just opened up for the day when she heard the door open, the futa smiling as she leaned forward.

"Hey there, welcome to Stired and Creamed, how can I help you?"

[bursting-at-the-memes]

'Lungs' Sentence starters

Dog Days are Over: -"Happiness hit her like a train on a track." -"Leave all your love and your longing behind." -"I never wanted anything from you." -"Can you hear the horses?" "The horses are coming, so you better run."

Rabbit Heart: -"How quickly the glamour fades." -"Was that the wrong pill to take?" -"You made a deal and now it seems to have to offer up." -"It seems I've made the final sacrifice." -"This is a gift, it comes with a price." -"Who is the lamb and who is the knife?" -"I wish that I could just be brave."

I'm Not Calling You A Liar: -"Don't lie to me." -"Just stop haunting me." -"There's a ghost in my lungs." -"When you kiss me I'm happy enough to die."

Howl: -"If you could only see the beast you've made of me." -"I howl when we're apart." -"Until I wrap myself inside your arms I cannot rest." -"The saints can't help me now." -"I want to find you, tear out all your tenderness." -"Be careful of the curse that falls on young lovers."

Kiss With A Fist: -"You hit my once I hit you back." -"You smashed a plate over my head." -"I set fire to our bed." -"My black eye casts no shadow." -"A kiss with a fist is better than none." -"I broke your jaw once before." -"Sit back and watch the bed burn."

Girl With One Eye: -"She told me not to step on the cracks." -"Pretty little thing stopped me in my tracks." -"That's the price she'll pay." -"Get your filthy fingers out of my pie." -"I'll cut your little heart out 'cause you made me cry."

Drumming Song: -"There's a drumming noise inside my head and it starts when you're around." -"It makes such an almighty sound." -"I hoped that they would clear my mind." -"As I move my feet towards your body I can hear this beat." -"I pray that the water will drown out the din." -"It couldn't wash the echoes out." -"It swallows me whole, until there's nothing left inside my soul."

Between Two Lungs: -"We are all too young to die." -"Breath passed from you to me." -"It flew between us as we slept." -"Gone are the days of begging." -"No more gasping for a breath." -"I can see the ground far below." -"I have this breath and I hold it tight."

Cosmic Love: -"A falling star fell from your heart and landed in my eyes." -"You left me in the dark." -"I'm always in this twilight." -"I can hear your heartbeat." -"I was in the darkness, so darkness I became." -"You were in the darkness too. So I stayed in the darkness with you."

My Boy Builds Coffins: -"He doesn't build ships, he has no use for sails." -"He can't carve a whistle 'cause he just doesn't care." -"It's not just for work." -"I think it's a shame that when each one's been made he can't see it again." -"It just isn't fair."

Hurricane Drunk: -"No walls can keep me protected." -"You can't save me now." -"I'm in the grip of a hurricane." -"I brace myself because I know it's going to hurt." -"At least things can't get any worse." -"I don't want shelter." -"I hope that you see me, because I'm staring at you." -"I've never felt so alive, and so dead." -"I'm going out."

Blinding: -"Seems that I have been held in some dreaming state." -"No gentle word can wake me from this slumber." -"Felt it in my fists, in my feet." -"No more dreaming like a girl so in love." -"I never could go back."

You've Got The Love: -"I know I can count on you." -"You've got the love I need to see me through." -"The going is just too rough." -"Things go wrong no matter what I do." -"When food is gone, you are my daily meal."

[heartthrobxhook]

@fornassau closed starter

After some long weeks of planning and convincing the other pirate captains of Nassau to work together, it was time to launch an assault on the blockade. The Jolly Roger had gotten past to begin with because she had was not a pirate ship on paper, having skillfully avoided leaving any witnesses when attacking the english whenever he had made port he was merely a merchant that imported goods. Now this fight would be a daring attack. Four english frigates and one large galleon flagship formed the blockade. The galleon was Killian's main target when he launched the attack, the other four ships would be who the other pirates would focus their attacks on.

That evening the backup hid in the shadows of the cliffside and come dawn the Jolly Roger began sailing right for the blockade. The english made no move to stop him, having the united kingdom's flag flying he was allowed to pass and they were all none the wiser. Once they sailed past was when the plan was set into motion. Killian began to sing, commanding his crew with a shanty as they took down the english colors and raised their pirate flag. The crew worked to the beat of stomping boots and Killian's voice as the cannons were loaded and the shipped turned to take aim at the galleon.

"FIRE!" With Killian's command the long range cannons shot out, all sixteen cannon balls hit their unsuspecting target. Early morning the navy was not ready for a fight so the pirates had plenty of time to quickly reload and fired upon them again before the ships began to react. This was when the other captains sailed out from hiding and began their own assault. The confusion of being attacked from both sides was their advantage as the navy would be frantic on who they should attack. Killian ordered them to sail closer and he brought James over to the unique mortar cannon. Unlike the normal cannons on a ship that shot straight out, the mortar shot up into the sky to drop the ammunition down onto the deck. He and two other of the crew would show James how to aim a lob shot like this and when they were within range Killian had the other captain be the one to ignite and shoot it.

After the mortar went off the pirate ship would turn broadside so the cannons that were ready would shoot as they worked together to load the mortar again. The navy would return fire but Jolly was already turning swiftly the opposite way, cannon balls whooshing past but not hitting the beautiful agile ship. With the mortar reloaded this time they aimed at one of the frigates, fired again this hit dealt critical damage having gone straight through the deck down through the hull that it began sinking. The ship would turn to it's other side, this time the call to brace for impact was shouted by Smee and the pirates had enough time to take cover as some shots blasted into the ships hull and one ripping through a sail. "RETURN FIRE!" Killian commanded and the cannons blasted, much closer at this point they did serious damage to the large galleon.

"RAMMING SPEED!" Killian called out with adrenaline and excitement of the thrill of battle racing through him. The helmsman spun the ship's wheel to turn Jolly to maneuver the waters to go around the galleon's side then face it head on. The captain rushed across the deck to the bow of the ship as his vessel charged forward. A reckless tacktick many would say was too dangerous as it could damage one's own ship and would leave them vulnerable to a point blank attack. But the navy did not expect this aggression and were completely rocked to their core upon impact. Killian was ready though, just after hitting he wasted no time climbing onto the railing and dashing over the bowsprit so he could leap onto the other ship. Some of his crew followed as their captain drew his sword and lead the attack, others took up to the smaller mounted canons on the front of the ship as well as rifles to shoot at the english crew.

[kateofthecanals]

A Little Ditty About Jack and bi-Anne...

Welp, it's been nearly a decade since I discovered my last big ship hyperfixation -- shoutout to my aunt for texting my mom and me and telling us we HAVE to watch "Black Sails" on Netflix. So we did and WHOOPS, new OTP! And of course, as always with my OTPs, it's a ship that comes with some controversy. It just wouldn't be a ship of mine if there weren't some other, annoying competing ship that I constantly have to side-step in fandom spaces like a freaking minefield. What sets this one apart from those other ships, though, is the not insignificant number of posts I see from people claiming to be JackAnne shippers but who say things like "I love them they're just such good friends!" or calling them "platonic" or closing their eyes to ANY romantic aspects of their relationship. To which I have to say... well, A LOT.

For starters, I need to point out a very telling moment from the very first episode of the series. Jack and Anne are hanging out at the inn on Nassau when Max slinks over and sits on Jack's lap. Anne immediately reacts out of jealousy, rising from her seat and grabbing for her daggers, but Jack holds her off. (Max is not soliciting Jack for sex; she is trying to sell him the schedule that John Silver stole.) This seems to make it very clear that one of both of them considers themselves an exclusive couple. Apparently, Jack is not even allowed to partake in meaningless sex with the many prostitutes that populate the island! But that seems just fine with him, because, throughout the entire 4 seasons of this series, we never once see him even come close to hooking up with someone else. Like, he does not even entertain the notion. Even when he and Anne are on a "break" at the beginning of Season 3 when she is shacking up with Max, Jack has every opportunity to find himself another lover too, but he doesn't. The closest he gets is employing a prostitute to play cello for him while he takes a shit, lol. We later learn that Anne met Jack when she was 13; she's about 25 or so during the show, so they have been together for at least a decade (when they actually became lovers, though, is not clear). So, the fact that they are apparently in some form of a long-term monogamous relationship at the start of the series is a very important detail to keep in mind.

Now, my hot take (which I'll probably get hate mail for) is that Anne either (a) had always been openly attracted to women but never bothered to act on it out of her duty & loyalty to Jack, or (b) wasn't particularly interested in women at all prior to Max. Either way, I do not think Anne was "repressed" or anything and needed Max to, like, coax it out of her, because I don't think it was about that at all. It is clear that Max's particular gift of persuasion and seduction, coupled with their shared trauma and Anne's increasing need for intimacy and connection (which she was obviously lacking with Jack) is what led to their affair.

It's essential to look at Anne's arc through the lens of her backstory in order to properly contextualize it. She was a child bride, physically and sexually abused, with no real power until Jack gave it to her by killing her husband. (Note how she knows how to properly and gently administer the anti-pregnancy treatment to Max -- something she no doubt learned to do during her marriage.) It perfectly explains why Anne was so upset by Max's treatment on the beach and her willingness to go to such extreme lengths to free her. Even Jack -- who Anne insists would have backed her up even if he had known about it -- does not quite understand the effect the situation had on Anne. He outright says this, but is also still a bit dismissive of it. In fact, we frequently see Jack be quite insensitive toward Anne's feelings throughout Season 1. (Though, tbf, Anne herself is a bit inconsistent here -- she admonishes Jack for calling Max "the whore" but she herself refers to her as much... even after they started sleeping together!)

And this kicks off an increasing pattern of Jack seemingly becoming more and more dismissive of Anne on the whole. He stops including in her plans, and he is unable to remain aroused while having sex with Anne. She's angry, frustrated, and feeling unseen. Then there is Max, who is aggressively pursuing her. (There is a conversation to be had about the optics of Max's constant disrespecting of Anne's wishes to be left the fuck alone if she were a man but we won't go there now...) She not only offers Anne fulfilling sex but also something else that has been missing in her life -- intimacy. It's worth noting here that every sexual encounter between Jack and Anne that's on-camera is initiated by Anne. (Yes, even the tied-to-the-bed one, because she's topping and she's frustrated by his lack of interest, so it was most likely her idea.) This isn't someone who's, like, just laying back and thinking of England out of some sense of duty, like she probably did with her husband and his friends. She has an appetite and Jack is a willing participant. However, despite their love for and devotion to each other, it apparently kind of stops there. So it's no surprise that Anne finally gives in to Max. But when she finally does show up to Max's door, she looks like this:

This is not the face of someone who's anxious to start an affair. This is not the face of someone anticipating some world-changing discovery about herself. This is a face of... shame. This is the face of someone who knows they are about to betray someone else. Tbh if someone showed up to my door for a booty call looking like that, I'd tell them to just go back home.

But to Anne's surprise, Jack is... well, not exactly okay with it, but he accepts it, because it's clearly something Anne needs -- an itch she needs to scratch, as he puts it. And he's willing to give her that space rather than lose her completely. (Though Anne probably has mixed feelings about this too -- on the one hand relieved that Jack is accepting of it, but also partly wishing he would fight a little harder for her, that he didn't fly into a jealous rage... We all wanna be fought for, right?)

So Max opens up this whole new world for Anne, one where fucking can be something MORE. And whattyaknow, she wants to share this with Jack! Just because she is with Max doesn't mean she still doesn't want to be with Jack too. She could not be any more clear (save for actually SAYING so) that she wants to share this intimacy with him. The point is even driven home after their first threesome, when it's with JACK that she is doing her post-coital cuddling. Like DUDE she is trying to tell you something, PAY ATTENTION!

Just a coupla bros snuggling after sex ☺️

Meanwhile, Max is coming to the very swift conclusion that she will never truly have Anne all to herself, so she tries to further drive a wedge between them by initiating a little "moment" with Jack during another one of their trysts. This after Anne had told Jack that she's aware Max is probably playing her, so she needs Jack close by to make sure Max does not succeed in driving a wedge between them.

Anne: "I need you to watch my back in there, Jack."

Jack: "SAY LESS."

The ultimate wingman 👍

We also see Jack putting 2 and 2 together when he hears Max explaining to Idelle the difference between fucking and seducing (though he doesn't seem to take this hint for HIMSELF... sigh). So now another strike against Jack -- actually engaging with Max while in bed with her and Anne.

The NERVE!!!

Then comes the straw that breaks the camel's back... the ultimate betrayal. When Jack's new crew gives him an ultimatum between Anne and Max, he chooses Max (for business and financial reasons). This sends Anne into a spiral. She even tries to join another crew but they tell her that if even Jack Rackham doesn't want her any more, why would they? She then has a full-on mental breakdown. She murders two innocent people (one of which is a member of Captain Flint's crew) and instead of trying to flee, she stays at the scene of he crime and waits to be discovered, and face the inevitable consequence -- her own death. Luckily, Max finds her and tries to help her, and it's here that we (and Max) learn Anne's backstory. Anne laments that she doesn't know who she is without Jack and wonders who she could have been if they had never met, if she could have found a way to save herself instead. Then Max gives her an oversized dress to wear and Anne basically reverts to her previous self before she met Jack -- a scared little girl silently following a strange man into the bedroom. Freaking heartbreaking!!!

But Max affords Anne an opportunity to exist and operate outside of Jack by giving her a little spy assignment in another port. It's the longest period of time and furthest she has ever been separated from Jack and it gives her time to put things in perspective. She even at one point considers just taking off on her own somewhere entirely. But ultimately she decides to return to Nassau and to Jack, telling him that it was an impossible choice he was given. The way his eyes are all glassy and his voice cracks when they are reunited UGH....

He wants SO BAD to hear Anne say that she came back to be with him (and possibly make it official?) and even presses her about it the next day. Thus comes Anne's infamous "I can't be your wife" line, which always makes me 🤨 because uhhhhh you WERE his wife, gurl lmao. But in the context of everything that just happened, it makes sense -- she wants/needs an identity outside of Jack. However she still wants to be by his side until the day they die. Kind of the king of mixed messages there...

The tear!!! 😭

Following this, Anne enters her "Have Your Cake and Eat It Too" Era. She wants to continue her affair with Max, but she also wants to keep Jack near… ish. After returning to Nassau, she even moves out of Jack's room and into Max's(!!?). The threesome is over. She completely takes for granted that Jack will just always be there when or if things go sideways with Max (and lbr she’s right; he would 100% take her back no questions asked.) Jack complains that he barely even sees Anne anymore but he just has to suck it up and take it, even when it's being constantly rubbed in his face. Even so, it's never far from Max's mind that eventually Anne is going to have to choose between her and Jack and she will inevitably be left out in the cold. She even tells Jack this, even though he has his doubts. Anne resists the idea of breaking things off, but Max soon convinces her that they might as well call it sooner rather than later. And after all that initial hemmin' and hawin' and whimperin', Anne moves on pretty quick. Jack left her out of ONE sailing expedition and she became SUICIDAL, but she breaks up with Max, whom she is supposedly in love with, and she's sad for like a day, lol. Just sayin...

So now Jack and Anne are officially back together and making a clean break from Nassau to start a new life somewhere else with their cache of jewels. But of course, Jack being Jack, he's like "on second thought nah Imma go back get myself a pardon so I don't have to change my name brb!" He's obviously arrested immediately, setting off a whole insane chain of events that the entire rest of the series hinges on. (istg Jack is the Peter Quill of "Black Sails" lmao)

Now here is when Anne's declaration about not being Jack's "wife" enters shaky ground. This is also a good time to address the term "partner". This is a word bandied about and bounced around between several characters and dynamics throughout the course of the series, usually in reference to a financial or business alliance. Jack and Anne are frequently referred to as partners too, but when it comes to them, the term takes on a whole other more nuanced and deeper (and some might even say co-dependent) meaning. They are partners in every conceivable sense of the word -- they are partners in piracy, they are partners in companionship, they are partners in the bedroom, and they are partners in life. What is Jack's is also Anne's and vice versa. Any conversation about their futures is always intertwined with each other. After being captured by Woodes Rogers, Jack basically refers to Anne as his "wife" when positing a hypothetical scenario to Rogers in which their predicaments are switched. Meanwhile, Anne tells Flint that, in their plan to rescue Jack and recover the cache, Jack means more than the money or Flint's war, because "what I got to lose ain't so easy to recover from." So, you know, she can sit there and SAY she can't be his wife, but lbr.... SHE IS.

This point is driven home when she discovers Jack still alive in the wreckage of the carriage, she scrambles breathlessly inside, grabs him, and plants the biggest damn kiss on his lips. Yeaaahhhh Max WHOMST? ;-)

Just a coupla bros high-fiving… with their mouths ☺️👊

Now, it’s conceivable, though perhaps unlikely, that this is the first time Jack’s ever had a real brush with death, or the first time Anne has faced such a situation. Either way, things seemed to have changed from this point on. Because this is the first time we've seen them kiss! Again, unlikely they've never kissed before but this is the first time WE have seen it, so it must be significant... right?

So what changed? My best guess is that, with Max now out of the picture - and she having lied to Anne's face about Jack being tortured while under arrest to manipulate her into giving up the cache - and with their futures currently on extremely shaky ground now that Nassau has been taken over by Woodes Rogers, Jack is really the only stable thing in her life at this point. No matter what else happens in the world, they at least have each other, and that is the one thing she knows she can count on. And having faced the very real possibility of his imminent death (either by the noose in Port Royal or in the carriage crash), Anne is realizing that he is her world, and she is determined to hold onto that for dear life.

Soon the roles are reversed, when Jack and Anne are captured by Rogers while fighting on Blackbeard's crew. After brutally keelhauling Blackbeard, the rest of the crew are chained up in the hold and Jack forced to choose crewmembers to fight one of Rogers's thugs. One by one, the crewmen are picked off, until Anne convinces Jack to let them take her next, which he is obviously NOT about but reluctantly agrees. Indeed, she gets absolutely pummeled, and she severely injures her hands while attacking the thug with broken glass shards. She's able to get a hold of the keys and toss to the crewmen to break free, and they subdue/murder Rogers's thugs. But Anne is severely, almost fatally, injured. Jack cares for her as best he can with their meager resources on the ship.

Here, have a Renaissance painting.

When they get back to Nassau, Max confronts Jack and tells him that the best way to defeat Rogers is by going to Philadelphia and appealing to the now-dead Eleanor Guthrie's grandfather for help. Jack agrees to the plan, and even invites Max to come with him. Which made me wanna pull my hair about because DUDE, you JUST got Anne back to yourself and were THIS CLOSE to leaving Max completely behind y'all and now you want to reintroduce her into Anne's space again?? Either he's feeling super secure or he's an idiot. (Since it's Jack, I'm opting for the latter...)

As expected, the first thing Max wants to do when she gets on the ship is see Anne, which Jack allows (duuuuuude!!!!). Luckily, Anne tells her to get the fuck out, and AS ALWAYS, Max initially refuses. But Anne insists so she finally leaves. The next time Jack goes to tend to Anne, all of her mixed emotions are stirred up again, which is honestly the last thing she needs. Jack confirms that he told Max to not visit her again and says "You can murder her another day." Which confirms for me that he really does think he's sitting pretty with Anne now, because it seemed clear to me that that was not what Anne was thinking at all. She just didn't wanna deal with it.

So they get to Philly, and poor tropical-blooded Jack is completely ill-prepared for northern weather. He tells Max to stay on the ship because he's pretty sure she will double-cross him and serve him up on a platter for prosecution at the first opportunity. When Jack finally gets in to see Grandpa Guthrie (but not before telling Featherstone to find a proper doctor in the city to tend to Anne), he blows Jack off, but his wife takes him aside and presents herself as the real brains behind the operation and is intrigued by the proposal. So, new plan: Jack brings Max to the followup meeting hoping to appeal to Granny Guthrie's feminist ideals or whatever. It seems to work, and Granny agrees to the plan, but with one caveat -- she wants Flint dead, and she wants Jack to pull the trigger.

Soooo at this point, I'm pretty much convinced this is a death sentence for Jack, because, well, Flint is the main character, there's no way that, if Flint does die, it's gonna be at Jack's hands. Jack seems to be feeling the same way, as he returns to the ship as if condemned. Anne, who is now up and about (and looking very Virgin Mary-esque), greets him on the deck where he tells her what he has to do. She doesn't seem to doubt that he can accomplish it -- she is more worried about how he will be able to live with himself after. But he reminds her of why he is doing any of it in the first place -- for them. He prepares to leave, and they share the sweetest frickin' kiss in the history of mankind.

Just a coupla bros sharing a tender kiss

When I first saw this, I was nearly sobbing, because I was convinced this was the last time they would see each other. Jack may have thought so too, even if Anne didn't.

So Jack sets off to his fool's errand, leaving the door wide open for Max to turn Anne's head again. In the meantime, Anne, for some reason, enlisted Idelle to find her a list of other ships leaving Philly, because Anne intends on just peacing out, even though, as she tells Idelle, she's sure Jack will return. Sooooo, what, then Jack gets back, and she would just be gone?? Kind of a dick move! I have no idea why Anne was wanting to leave. There's a moment preceding Idelle's entrance where Anne attempts to slice a piece of bread but her injured hands won't work -- does she want to leave because she feels she would be useless now or something? That she would be some sort of hinderance to Jack? That she doesn't want to have to rely on him any more than she already does if it turns out she has lost some if not all of the use of her hands? And that she wants to leave while he's out to sea so that he doesn't have the chance to talk her out of it when he gets back? That is honestly all I can think of.

At any rate, Idelle then jumps into this whole dumb speech about how amazing and wonderful Max is, and how she wants to share all her successes and spoils with Anne. It's fucking annoying but LOOK, it seems to have kept Anne from getting on a boat and leaving Philly, so fine, whatever.

Meanwhile, Max has another meeting with Granny Guthrie, who has another caveat, this time for Max -- she wants her to marry the man she has picked out to be Nassau's next governor. It would be a completely political marriage, in name only. Max refuses. Why? Because it might interfere with her chances of getting back together with Anne.

CUE ALLLLLL THE EYE ROLLS.

Like GURL, did you not hear her?? She said SHAM MARRIAGE. Meaning, do whatever the fuck you want behind closed doors. Now, call me crazy, but I would have thought that Max would refuse this arrangement because, you know, she comes from slave culture where white men took advantage of brown girls in this way all the time? Max herself even gives this big speech at one point about how she had to sit back and watch the master of the plantation where she was a slave, who was her father, play with and dote on his other (white) daughter. You'd think THIS would have played a bigger role in her decision. But no. She's just really concerned about the minor possibility that she and Anne will hook up again. (Even Anne doesn't see an issue with the marriage proposal.) So, Max whimpers and whines all this to Anne, who doesn't say anything but holds out her hand to Max. Which was nice and all, but it really doesn't tell us much about Anne's intentions here. But it seems like Anne is indicating that she forgives Max for lying to her and that she at least is willing to be friends again.

Meanwhile, Jack finally reaches Skeleton Island, but instead of killing Flint, he rescues him, and together they decide to engage Rogers in one final battle. Indeed, they end up double-teaming him and defeating him and his crew. Jack refuses to kill him, though, deciding that getting Granny Guthrie to purchase and then default on Rogers's debts will be a fate worse than death for him.

And so, Jack returns to Philly, and Anne is right there to greet him, running through the busy streets and right into his waiting arms.

Just a coupla bros hugging it out.

The moment is slightly ruined, though, when Max comes out and stands watching from a distance with a pouty look on her face. Jack catches her eye and suddenly looks... guilty? For WHAT?? For having the love of his life wrapped out him like a shroud cuz she's so freaking happy to see him again?? GO AWAYYYY.

Anyway, this is the last time we even see Anne and Max in the same space together. The series, and the story of Jack and Anne, wraps up when we see Jack back in Nassau, now out of English hands again and being governed by Featherstone -- but with Max the true power behind the throne -- insisting to a young recruit named "Mark" Read that piracy no longer exists in Nassau but okayitkindadoesbutshhhh. He invites "Mark" onto his ship, where "Mark" is introduced to Anne, who clocks “him” immediately (of course it's Mary Read, y'all!). She and Jack then take stock of the new and improved flag for their ship, which turns out to be the now infamous and iconic skull-and-crossed-swords emblem we all now associate with pirate ships. Cue credits! The End!

So, WHEW, Jack and Anne both made it out of this series alive, which honestly I didn't see coming. AND they ended up together again, as they should be. Of course, it's kind of bittersweet, because if you know anything about the real Jack and Anne, you know that the introduction of Mark/Mary Read means the beginning of the end for them. Still, the series ends on a perfect note, and you cannot convince me that, after everything we saw just in Season 4 alone, that these two won't rekindle their romance at some point -- if they haven't already. Because they just aren't the same people that they were when the series started, and their relationship is on a different footing now too. And even if Anne does decide to restart things with Max, or anyone else for that matter, the fact is, that person will never have all of Anne. It was always be Anne and Jack; they are a package deal. I'm not talking about a throuple situation here (even when Anne was sleeping with both Max and Jack, it was never an actual threesome, because Jack and Max didn't really like or trust each other); I mean that that 3rd person is always going to have the knowledge looming over them that Jack is #1 in Anne's life. Even Max knew this, and she decidedly not to delay the inevitable by breaking things off with Anne prematurely ("you can't fire me, I quit!"). And that's how it will always be.

[classiqals]

closed starter -> @diamondnoble

setting -> long after the welcome breakfast, as evening draws near, in a small suite in the french castle

for all his efforts to hide within shadow, maceon was accepting that his fate was sealed the moment he decided to respond to his sister's letter - to set his sails towards ethiopia, following whispers && rumors. birds chattered of spain's growing unhappiness - of the call within the north to ride for glory. of his sibling, seated comfortably awaiting life to provide...

but maceon was restless. he'd been raised to be a king - not a fishmonger, not even an explorer. after all, a promise had been made to his blooming rose, a promise the fallen prince intended yet to keep. restless now, he paced, waiting her return - for rose could afford more daylight to shine on her, despite the circumstances of their quick flee from trouble that horror year past.

the door opened - at last - and maceon was across the room in three steps, cupping her face and pulling her near for a kiss. it lasted seconds and felt an eternity, but he finally pulled away enough to murmur - " i cannot keep hiding away. this secret begs not to be kept any longer. "

[sardonic-the-writer]

for you potc sentence starters, maybe “So, can you sail under the command of a pirate, or can you not?“ where reader is an escaping royal who is in disguise on Capt. Jack’s ship and gets discovered and reported? bonus if they’re very headstrong and got toe-to-toe with sparrow

only if you feel like it ofc, thank you for everything you write!

<3

glad you like my stories. i do try to keep people entertained with them

• Runing off from your normal life of rules and regulations had been a no brainer in your opinion

• In the years growing up a member of high society, your family hadn't nessicarily been a bad one. They gave you the basic needs to have a comfortable life, sometimes more, but feelings of detachment lingered in the air durring nights without a kiss on the head goodnight and calls of don't let the bed bugs bight

• Nevertheless, after the age of six you felt more often than not you were left to fend for yourself in an extravagant manor of winding hallways and stone faced servants

• You'd never liked the nobility anyways. So away you went, letting your feet lead the way instead of your head for once

• How you eventually ended up as a stowaway on The Black Pearl of all ships was a mystery to even yourself

• You supposed it started with that fact that you weren't dumb enough to stick around your hometown for long. Your position in the nobility might not be that much of value, but still. When a person with money and a hint of power goes missing, people tend to look for them, hoping for a reward in turn

• Along with traveling outside of town, you were clever enough to get rid of the fresh clothes you normally wore in exchange for the cheapest pair you could find—which turned out to be a simple pair of cotton pants and shirt

• That's how the ship mates later found you. Wedged between two barrels of their rum, softly snoring as the ship rocked back and forth, face scarcely illuminated with the lantern they had taken with them for light

• Gibbs was the first one to say anything

• "We better get th' Cap'n for this one mates. I have a feelin this'll be a bit more excitin than standin at the helm for an hour."

• They waited till they had called Jack down below before letting anyone wake you up—although a few members wanted to in favor of moving you out of the way to pour themselves some more cups of liquor

• Imagine your surprise when you wake up to a strangers face practically a foot from your own, dark eyes sweeping over your face as he places a hand on his chin

• "Huh. Don't remember pickin you up in Tortuga."

• Panic replaces drowsiness as you start to scramble up, but the men surrounding you are quick to draw a variety of weapons—ranging from guns to knives and long swords

• You think you even saw one with a wooden eye holding a slingshot?? Which didn't make any sense, but who were you to judge right now

• Jack's own sword is pointed at your throat, and he tilts his head with a wide smile, showing off a few of this golden teeth

• "Reckon we got another set of hands to help us around here, aye Mister Gibbs?"

• "Aye Captian."

• "How do you feel sailing under the command of a pirate, mate?"

[n4kama]

Give a LIKE for Red Leg Zeff

(will be iconless)

[ruckusresourcebin]

LAYERS OF FEAR 2 SENTENCE STARTERS. starters from Bloober's game Layers of Fear 2, a psychological horror thriller game about an actor heeding the call of an enigmatic director. Some lines have been changed for the sake of easier interactions.

cw: verbal abuse, mentions of animal cruelty, implications of child abuse, themes of identity loss, self - deprecating thoughts, implications of suicide ideation

" stay awake. you will play your part. you will stay awake. "

" sleep is a poor excuse. and so are you. "

" all preparations have been made. your toys await you upstairs. "

" time waits for no one, actor. do not waste ours. act. "

" so long i have struggled to finish what was started. i had nearly lost hope. and yet, here we are. "

" remember what we talked about. focus on what you do best. "

" build the character. trust me, it'll be worth it. "

" the room has been set up as per your request. "

" one, in his time, plays the parts of many men. "

" you observe the others, while the others watch you. "

" you're expected to behave properly, wandering through worlds that aren't really there. you put on masks and adjusts accordingly. "

" each mask is a character. each character -- a layer. layers upon layers, calling out to you. "

" you must build the character you were meant to portray, or lose yourself completely. "

" you stand, on a stage where every man must play a part. and yours . . . is a sad one. "

" as per the director's request, this section of the ship has been closed off to all passengers and crew. "

" did you sleep well? "

" look, once you get there, just do what you have to do. get to the set, and build this character for him. "

" i know how many times you've told me you hate the sea. and i'm telling you, this gig is just too good to pass up. "

" did you check the lower decks this time? i swear to God, if we find stowaways again this time, you'll never set foot on this ship again. "

" never met him in person, but a few people have. that's why you hear all these rumors . . . about him being broken, disfigured . . . all that nonsense. "

" acting, if done well, is a scary business. it takes immense courage, to lose consciousness of your own self and not just reenact, but become the character you are portraying. few can muster that courage. "

" it was as if the person onstage dissolved before my very eyes, letting the character burst into existence. "

" just think of me as an admirer of your talent. "

" your performances . . . they speak to me like no other have. "

" to say that you are my favorite actor would be a gross understatement. "

" guy's got a bit of a . . . reputation. "

" supposed to be some new method for building the character. bunch of artsy-fartsy bullshit if you ask me. "

" just, go with it. guy doesn't take no for an answer. "

" so, what if the guy is a little nuts? he's a director, it comes with the job! "

" what's he gonna do? kill ya? "

" i think it's all an act. "

" the world's a stage, but the play is badly cast. "

" there is always a way, a light in the darkness . . . "

" do you remember? "

" before the world told you who you should be, do you remember who you were? "

" come. i will make you remember. "

" so many have tried to be a part of my greatest work, as if there was ever a choice. "

" only one can bring this character to life. only one is broken enough to build it. "

" i believe in you. "

" we have to get out of this godforsaken prison, before we rot! "

" are we really going? [name], i'm . . . "

" i'm back, me hearty! scouted out the whole area! "

" looks like there's a trail we can follow . . . left by fellow pirates no doubt! to lead us to safe harbor! "

" there she is, me hearty! the fastest vessel to ever sail the seven seas, ready to take us to the land of the Flame . . . "

" i don't see any sails . . . "

" shh! we must make our way aboard, quietly . . . "

" [name], i want to go home. "

" be your heart soaked in doubt, or a fire burning within? "

" we always come with a burden. "

" voices, faces, figures from the past . . . wrapped in an heavy, old bag. the first thing to do is to get rid of it. "

" a little spark is all it takes to set the human soul on fire. "

" an act of creation always begins with an act of destruction. "

" one life ends, another begins. one life ends. "

" a life for a life. one must be taken. the right one. "

" do not doubt. act. "

" no, you look but do not see. shoot her. "

" take. the. shot. "

" a story as old as time. who are we to rewrite it? who are we to deny it? "

" we must look deeper. we must do better. we must. "

" this chart will lead us away from peril and into safe harbor! "

" it takes courage to stand up to someone stronger than you. "

" i was never brave enough, but she was. "

" only one of us knows what must be done. only one of us knows what is at stake. the other . . . doesn't need to know, doesn't need to understand. only to listen, and act. "

" [name], i think there's something in the dark . . . "

" sod it, if the chief wants it checked so bad, he can bloody well do it himself! "

" [name], i'm scared. "

" you should be scared! you know what happens if they find us! they'll send us back! "

" heard you got off to a rough start. i know you have your idea of who this character should be. it's your right. you're the star of the show. "

" just remember, the director might be an odd duck, but at the end of the day, you're on the same team. "

" inside every actor is the one part they were born to play, the one character they were meant to build. "

" chip away the bloody marble, give form to the formless, until all that remains . . . is the truth. "

" how far can you go? how deep can you descend? "

" the thing you seek is still there. buried, hidden away. locked in a vault, a prison of yourself. "

" you try, and fail, to understand. "

" a hungry animal does not think. it knows. it needs. it acts. "

" where reason dare not go, instinct prevails. "

" you must leave the stillness of the mind, and brave the storm of teeth and claws. only then, can you find the key and claim your prize. "

" yeah, uh . . . could we take this again? there's something wrong with the picture. i think you must've moved. "

" you just don't look quite yourself . . . "

" excuse me, i'm such a big fan! could you please sign my -- oh, i'm sorry. i must've mistook you for someone else. "

" when chasing dreams, we often find ourselves in a nightmare. "

" that'll do for now. it's time to eat. "

" but, [name], the food . . . it's gone! "

" tragedy strikes at the heart, despair consumes the soul . . . a life crumbles. "

" what's done is done. no use crying. "

" we need to venture forth and find fresh supplies. "

" here, take this. it'll help you find your strength. "

" one suffers for another. another takes their place. the machine goes on. "

" time marches on. death turns to decay. "

" no man is an island, but one can become a vessel, to carry within it the flame of another. "

" it warms the heart, it feeds the soul. it makes the world so bright. "

" a stolen flame burns strong, burns quick. a stolen flame . . . burns out. "

" we must not forget great art carries a heavy cost. to lose oneself in a role sometimes leads to losing oneself, period. "

" looks like the rats got to it before us. "

" shh, we're not alone here . . . "

" ugh . . . it stinks! but . . . it looks like someone took a bite. "

" come, let's not wait for it to come back. "

" something's got the animals all spooked. might be they sense the storm coming? "

" look! there's something there! over there! can't you see it? "

" no, this isn't what i saw. you have to believe me! "

" we're out on the edge of the world, [name]. nothing is as it seems. "

" this one's empty too. we need to keep looking. "

" [name] . . . i mean, captain. there's something out there, in the dark. "

" hush now, and stay behind me. i won't let anything happen to you. "

" such an opportunity, such responsibility, to unleash what has been trapped for so long. "

" i can hear it howling, rattling its cage, dying to get out. "

" leave it, we're not that desperate yet. [name]! i said, leave it! "

" a heavy cost must be paid, when one destroys the balance. a heavy cost . . . "

" not all lives are created equal. the life of one can outweigh the lives of many. "

" when everything is at stake, when lives hang in the balance, reason becomes weakness. "

" trust your instinct. tip the scales. "

" reason poisons your mind, makes you weak. "

" do not give in. do not let go. "

" the life that was meant to be, that life that never found its flame . . . weak, weightless. worthless. "

" some things should be left behind. some things. "

" you didn't take it. you'll starve. "

" you let go. you'll regret it. "

" you gave up. you'll never make it. "

" i once saw this boy drown a baby rat in the gutter. i didn't let his head up until he promised to never do it again. there is always somebody stronger than you. "

" it's no good. we'll never find any food! and it's all my fault! "

" [name], look at me! look at me! i will see us through this! don't you ever doubt me! "

" i know you have your orders and i mean no disrespect. i'm just saying, the chief is being unreasonable. he'd let all that food rot in the hold as long as it's accounted for. "

" they're decent, God fearing folks. not one thief among them. but when people hear their bellies, rumbling, it's easy to put them over the edge. "

" maybe there's some food here . . . "

" did you hear that?! this way! "

" it's like . . . i was never there. "

" remember our treasure? it's not far. this way! "

" watch out, something's coming! you need to keep moving! "

" what happened? i heard the director's furious. ready to call the whole thing off. "

" it seems you two have a completely different vision of who the lead character should be. "

" i hope you know what you're doing. "

" a house is built of walls and beams. a home is built of fears and dreams... "

" what's past is prologue. what seeps into the earth becomes fodder, a fuel for the flame, the lifeblood for the roots of existence . . . "

" roots . . . you must cut them away. only then, can you be truly free. "

" but . . . how does it do that? a sea couldn't fit in there! "

" it's the spirit of the sea. it captures its strength, its calm, its freedom. so it can live on, forever. "

" i'll be sending over a new reel tomorrow. pirate film. give this one a good spin. "

" more screenings means more arses in the seats, and more reason for me to keep paying you. "

" come, faithful servant, for tonight we brew a ghoulish concoction : the world's strangest stew! "

" he eats a lot. a WHOLE lot. "

" this one time, he almost shot himself out of a cannon! "

" seasoned by sadness, burnt from within, ravaged by madness, rotten with sin . . . "

" hollowed by longing, hardened by loss . . . once slick and polished, has now lost all its gloss. "

" torn up by conflict, ravaged by war, flawed on the surface, warped to its core . . . "

" look at it bubble, look at it shake . . . "

" the beast! it's awake! "

" look, [name]! father's screening the Black Wanderer! "

" movie's almost over. time to go. "

" i've been getting complaints about noises up in the balcony. people are scared the damned thing is gonna fall on their bloody heads. "

" i told you to keep it off limits! "

" careful! don't step into the light, or he'll see you. "

" don't you hide from me! "

" i know you've been sneaking into the theater again! what did i tell you about going in there while i'm working?! "

" she likes boys a lot. and girls too! "

" she's very friendly. maybe a bit too much . . . "

" i told you to hide it! i told you to keep it safe! "

" how could you let him take it?! it's all we have left of her! "

" you have to find it, and bring it back. "

" little scum . . . you were always bad luck. a blight upon this family. i gave up everything and what do i get in return?! "

" a lucky break, an ace up my sleeve. that's all i need! "

" a blackened heart, uprooted by tragedy, skewered by pain. that's all you've ever given me . . . that's all you've ever been good for . . . "

" keep her close to your heart. never forget her. she gave everything for you. prove that it was worth it, that you weren't a mistake . . . "

" weak, useless, no good to anyone . . . it was like, i was never there. it would've been better . . . if i was never there . . . "

" shh, be quiet . . . just watch. "

" let's go! father will be leaving the projection room soon . . . "

" as to my prospects, the doctor remains cautiously optimistic. "

" i admit, the pains have been getting stronger as of late, but i dare not complain. compared to what you've been through, my 'suffering' is barely worth mentioning. "

" i think father's been trying to fix his old camera. "

" when the world becomes too cruel, we look for a place to hide. "

" the dark can be many things. it can be refuge, or it can be hell. it is whatever you make it. "

" the dark can be a silent place. silence can be empty, or it can speak volumes. "

" the dark can be a lonely place. solitude can be a sentence, or it can be a companion. "

" sometimes, it's better to hide, to let the dark in. "

" father's coming! quick, get in! i said, get in! "

" hush, it's already started. "

" come on, he'll get mad if we're not back before him! "

" haha, what is that thing? "

" i thought i knew, but . . . now i'm not sure. "

" oh, [name], it has to take shape in your head first. otherwise, it'll just stay . . . formless. "

" words cannot express how overjoyed i am to finally hear from you. "

" when i had heard of what happened, my heart sank. it was as if a terrible shadow had eclipsed my life. but now that i know you're still with us, i feel that shadow has lifted. "

" goddamn bastards . . . i gave them everything . . . and what do i get in return? a bloody piece of rust! "

" this is where you come in! go on, pick it up! "

" it seems the tables have turned! curse you and your mutinous puppets! i will not make this easy for you. "

" if i am to meet my end, it will be by your hand, by your . . . action! "

" play your part, villain! i'm waiting! "

" that's right, don't hesitate! you know i wouldn't! "

" show me your strong! like me! "

" spare me your mercy, i would not show you any. "

" [name] . . . ? are you alright? "

" [name], i thought you were gone. "

" who i was a moment ago is no more. now, i can become someone else. "

" if i could sit around all day, i would, but there's always more pirating to be had! the captains says so! "

" watch, this is the best part! "

" come, we can't stay any longer . . . "

" steady your tongue! i can be whoever i choose to be! if your little mind says otherwise, then to the depths with it! "

" for the last time, i'm not replacing the bloody projector! it's your job to keep it up and running. "

" quit your whining and do your goddamn job while you still have it. "

" he loves gold above all else. "

" you were always there, following in my footsteps. silent, smiling sadly . . . like a warm shadow. "

" sometimes, when darkness fell across town, we'd sneak out of the house. "

" i'd look up, but i didn't see the stars. what i saw was . . . a thousand souls on fire. "

" your eyes would light up. the stars were already there. at that moment, i knew you had it in you. "

" you . . . the silent dreamer, dreaming that a day would come when we could leave it all behind. the journey of a lifetime! a light on the horizon! a flame to call your own . . . "

" you had it in you, to make a thousand souls burn. make them feel . . . alive, make them live forever! a thousand lives . . . but never mine. never mine . . . "

" there we were, dreaming our souls away into the night sky. "

" a cruel shade eclipsed the sun. our dream was gone . . . something else took its place. "

" oh no . . . what will [name] do now? "

" one day, we'll get to see how it ends. "

" [name] . . . what if something bad happens? what if i can't find you? "

" shh . . . listen to my voice. hold it deep inside, and i will always be there for you. "

" if you want to make it to the end, just remember . . . the monster may be scary, but it's sad too. because, at the end of the day, it is just as lost as we are. "

" a little spark is all it takes. "

" why can't you just leave us alone?! "

" you fill the boy's head with nonsense, as if he wasn't useless enough! "

" you're . . . you're the one who's useless, you cruel one - eyed freak! "

" what did you just call me?! "

" get away from him, you . . . you monster! "

" [name] . . . it's today. "

" i'm going to see her. take care of the house, while i'm gone. "

" what about [name]? it's their day too. "

" it's . . . all i could afford. "

" please . . . help me . . . it hurts, it hurts . . . "

" i can't take it anymore. make it stop. "

" come on, there's nothing left for us here. "

" is . . . is it over? "

" it's only just beginning. "

" gotta be honest, i don't like what i'm hearing. "

" i've been told that you didn't even show up on the set, and the director's mad as hell. "

" i don't think he likes where you're taking the character. "

" this'll all be over soon enough, one way or another. "

" go all the way. let your heart bleed. "

" step back. breathe. remember. "

" there shall be a vast shout, and then . . . a vaster silence. "

" we are so close. i can feel it. "

" there can be no doubt. no hesitation. only will. unbreakable. "

" [name] . . . captain, i found it! but . . . it's empty. "

" go back to the hideout. i'll keep searching on my own. i said, go. "

" but . . . i can help! "

" go on, be there for her, like she was for you. "

" from one flame to another . . . but never your own. "

" find the character, lose yourself. "

" some parts are not to be played. "

" there are some things that should not be. should not be . . . broken. "

" cheer up. you're alright. you're not hurt. you're not upset. nothing really happened. you just need to be more careful . . . "

" why am i always the one?! why weren't you there?! "

" why didn't you protect me?! why did you let this monster . . . ?! "

" useless! worthless! i hate you! "

" it's alright, things happen. bad things . . . i am still here. this is not the end. this pain will pass, the scars will fade . . . "

" the flame will burn it all away. "

" you're weak! you're worthless! you're nothing! "

" we were meant to live forever. and i will. i will be forever. "

" forever the dream. forever the wound. forever . . . you. "

" do you hear it? the tide rises in the veins of the world. it comes for you. don't fight it. "

" do not go into that savage fire. it will never be conquered. it will never be tamed. it will never be yours. "

" do not go into that reckless flame. it was not meant for you. it will never let you be. "

" your heart burns, your soul burns away . . . yet, you choose to go deeper. "

" you can never have it. "

" [name] . . . please, come back . . . i need you. "

" huh, that's a funny name. "

" can you help me find my sister? "

" i was drowning . . . in a sea of thirst. i was feasting . . . but never full. "

" my teeth are yours to bare. "

" she's been gone a long time. i'm scared something's happened to her. "

" it - it's not my fault! she told me to go back! "

" stripped of all my riches, i sailed the seas of nothingness. "

" my debt to you . . . i will repay. here is my pound of flesh. "

" i was never one to serve . . . but, for you? i swallow my pride. "

" i come . . . from a sea of displeasure. i longed for affection. now, i live to please you. "

" my hands . . . became the Devil's playthings. put them to some use. "

" y - you're right. it is my fault. "

" you can still be saved. you can live on . . . forever. "

" lead the way. i will do what needs to be done. i'm the captain now. "

" lead us, oh captain! we will follow you across the seven seas! "

" it's just you and me, captain. "

" here we are again . . . you almost had it. "

" she lied to me . . . "

" it won't be me, when you see me again. "

" the ship's maiden voyage turned out to be its last. "

" who the fuck am i?! "

" forever . . . an endless sea, stretching into eternity . . . restless, roaring . . . terrifying. "

" for years, you have learned to hide, to flow with the tide. "

" now that a flame has been lit, you know . . . there is no other way. "

" the eyes of eternity are once again upon you. "

" this place . . . it feels so familiar. like, i've been here before. and yet, i cannot find my way . . . "

" do you see now? you tried to fix me. instead, you broke yourself. "

" this place . . . it sickens me. "

" with all its clutter and confusion, it is a monument to your weakness, a portrait of your indecision. a wreckage of what never truly was. "

" it is broken, hollow. just like you. "

" you tried so hard to bring me back. you called out to me in the void, but . . . something else answered back. "

" a broken body can be rebuilt, but some wounds go deeper . . . so much deeper . . . "

" how long has it been? i don't remember anymore. so hard . . . to remember. "

" i feel myself slipping, growing thin . . . "

" it keeps growing. it won't let me go. "

" poor little [name]. poor weak, pathetic little [name]. always the victim, always the burden. "

" i guess i never stood a chance, did i? neither of us did. "

" we never should have lived this long. forever is a very long time. "

" sometimes, it's better not to be . . . to burn away completely. "

" there is no place for me here. only you, whoever that is. "

" i hope you'll be brave this time. i don't think i can. "

" you . . . you cannot help me. not anymore. "

" this was to be my final work, to reclaim what was lost. to let go of the stolen flame, and reignite the true one. "

" the spark . . . it's almost gone. it is lost, hopeless. just like you. "

" a life that was never yours, dreams you had no right to dream . . . too scared to be yourself, too weak to be anyone else. "

" wherever i go, it follows. i cannot be free of it. "

" it keeps shifting, changing . . . and i change with it. "

" an empty shell cannot live forever. it cannot live at all. it can only be. "

"it's always there, one step behind, stretching over me, pulling me in . . . "

" i'm shedding skin, changing . . . into what? "

" sometimes, it's better to find your own way, to accept what was lost. to accept the pain . . . and feed your own fire. "

" how many lives have your buried, just by existing? existing . . . but never being. "

" wouldn't it be better if you just went away? "

" how many times have i tried to put the pieces back together . . . just to watch them fall apart? "

" i am done. all of us. we cannot be forever. "

" the sound in the deep . . . it's growing louder. something's coming. "

" finally, i understand. the way out . . . it's here, in me. "

" how long can a man burn, before he turns to ash? how could you know? "

" of all the wasted years, all the pain it took to bring you here . . . you don't even know who you are! "

" how many times must a man die before he can truly live? how many times?! "

" look at it. this is what happens when you fail to take control. "

" look at it! twisted! formless! just like you! "

" it crumbles, as it must. and when the time comes, will you crumble as well? "

" the boy that never speaks . . . have you found a voice? soon . . . the world will know. "

" it's bound to be . . . a night to remember. shame i won't be there to see it. "

" you run, but do you know the way? "

" you build one character, you destroy the other, but which is which? "

" you follow reason. you see through it. you cut away the strings. "

" you struggle against the current. you fight, against all odds. "

" in the end, there is no right or wrong. "

" listen to me! you have to go! "

" i'm not leaving! i - i'll find a way to reach you! "

" you're strong, stronger than you know. "

" we'll be together again. no matter how long it takes, i will find you! "

[ulises-tarth]

Open starter (2/2) Setting: King's Landing, after the festivities for King Jaehaerys' coronation have come to an end.

He was ready to set sail, to head back home. Ulises had seen the Green King don his crown and the whole pomp and circumstance all of it entailed. Some called it the true end of the Dance of Dragons, an undisputed Targaryen made king after the bloodshed, the fire, and all that drowned. The Lord of Tarth did not show his displeasure openly, did not voice out his opinions while in the middle of the pit of snakes, but he didn't wear fake smiles either. Calm and collected, he witnessed the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.

“Ya no demoremos más, quiero estar en casa antes de que se ponga el sol”. Let's not delay more I want to be home before the sun sets, the lord commanded. There was no real rush, no appointment to meet, no duty to fulfill; the impatience dictating his attitude was merely because of his wish to return to his homeland. The Evenstar moved about his men like a sailor, navigating the deck of his ship with ease, with familiarity, with no evidence of the mild dread that whispered in his mind whenever he set foot on a vessel. It too, could sink. A man of Tarth could not fear the ocean. Ulises did not fear it, in truth, but his experiences had taught him to respect it more than he did any kings or gods.

“Mi señor,” My liege, one of his crewmen spoke and went on to indicate that someone was at the dock looking for Ulises. The Tarth lord looked over, seeing the familiar face. With a simple nod, he communicated to his men that they were not to stop their preparations to set sail soon. Just another small delay, but they were to return to the Sapphire Isle today. Ulises Lazarus Tarth walked over to the wooden gangway, descending from the ship to meet with the person who'd come looking for him.

[spiritsintertwined]

World RP Discord server Domino City welcomes you!

Streaks of color spread across the sky. Branches of the multiverse, twisting and colliding, brought new visitors to Domino City…

Are you looking for a relaxing multifandom roleplay? Tired of muses already claimed? Want a mix of the familiar and unfamiliar?

The Yugioh-focused Discord World RP, Domino City, is now opening the doors for more members! The community is inclusive to other fandoms and OCs, for a refreshing variety of personalities and crossovers. The server offers neutral locations and Alternate Universes for those unfamiliar with Yugioh, allowing for grand adventures or smaller slice-of-life interactions.

Upon joining only the Welcome and Rules channels are visible. After verification, all other channels can be seen. It may take a moment to be verified as it is done by hand!

World RP: plot threads in style.

Our World RP server is structured where each category is a zone/world, each channel a location and each thread a sub location or private story. Characters move about in these locations and writing in them is usually a slow to steady pace. Quick-paced RP channels, like the opt-in Telephone Chat, are for those who desire fewer locations, or just like a brief interaction. It is also possible to start private RPs.

What our server offers:

🤝A small, friendly, inclusive and tight-knit community. Needs are respected and no one gets left behind. There is always some activity to be found in the variety of channels!

😎 Freedom to reply at your own pace. There is also 0 pressure to match writing length or quality.

👥 A duplicate canon muse system. This feature that aims to resolve the issue of fandom characters being taken, using an identifier of nicknames and mun names to tell each other apart. Additonally, the existence of duplicates is explained in-lore with the multiverse! We believe every roleplayer should be able to play any character, any way they like.

🤖 The Tupperbox bot which allows you to use your characters on the fly! This bot works in conjunction with the duplicate muse system.

🔎 The RP Bulletin Board with plotting threads, thread tracker, starter calls and status updates.

Settings and Alternate Universes:

🏙️ Domino City: The perfect place for more slice-of-life RPs, dates or semi-fantasy stories with a more realistic backdrop. Shop at the mall, visit a restaurant, or enjoy the comfort of your own house channel.

🐉 Domino World: A high fantasy AU setting, including a world map!

☀️ Season of the Light Spirit: This category features locations that are Spring and Summer-themed, but are open all year. Wander into the Spring forest, or sail to the adventurous Summer islands. Port Crookhook is the place for Lovecraftian mysteries. And last but not least, the Sunflower Festival is the slice-of-life hub with picnics and markets!

🌙 Season of the Dark Spirit: Coming soon with Autumn and Winter-themed adventures.

And even more features!

Will your character solve the mystery of the colliding multiverse? Become the greatest duelist? Cause some chaos? Or simply find a place called home, with friends or a loved one? Everything is possible in Domino City!

[my-favourite-zhent]

New Tricks - Chapter 12

Status: Work In Progress

Version: 1.01

Pairing: Rugan x AFAB!OC

Rating: NC-17 (This chapter R)

Genre: Adventure/Romance

Summary: Misadventures of Rugan and the original Zhentarim Gate's crew before and during the year of three sailing ships.

Notes: Big shout out to @fistfuloftarenths for beta reading this one for me. It would've been a lot more confusing otherwise and have a bit less kick.

Table of Contents

Read below the cut or on AO3

New Tricks - Chapter Twelve

Isolde sighed as she stared at the ceiling. The man grunting on top of her didn't seem to notice. She had thought him charming enough with that nice northern accent she’d recently grown fond of. He was handsome enough too, eager enough, too eager it had turned out. He had thrown her on the bed and gotten to rutting without any preamble. She could've done with a bit of preamble.

“Does that feel–” She had started.

“Don’t really like to talk during, thanks.”  Her brow twitched but she bit back a reply.

He continued on with what Isolde considered half-hearted thrusts. It wasn't uncomfortable per se, but it really wasn't doing anything for her. 

Just as this thought flitted through her mind, his angle shifted to something much more pleasing. She sighed and arched her back. Maybe this wouldn't be a total loss- 

The man gave a loud groan and Isolde felt something hot and sticky hit her thigh. He rolled off her without another word. She laid there in disbelief for several long moments before she heard the snores begin.

She felt her brow strain in irritation.  “Fantastic.” She muttered to herself before rising to make her way over to the washing basin at the other end of the room. 

She cleaned herself off the best she could in the dark room before dressing and heading back down to the main hall of the inn. She spotted a short woman with long curly red hair sitting by herself, and made her way towards her.

“Back so soon?” Corra chirped as her friend approached the table, handing her an uncorked bottle.

“Don't look so smug about it.” Isolde shot back. She grabbed the bottle by the neck and gulped down what remained. 

The hired bard was playing a rousing rendition of Red Roofed Girls to the excitement of the crowd. The entirety of the place was raucous with the sounds of music and laughter.

“No fun to be had then, I take it?”

Isolde swiped a dribble of wine from her mouth with the back of her hand and gave a sigh. “I can't tell if the men are getting worse or I'm just getting worse at picking them.”

“Might want to rethink your hunting ground for starters.”

“What's wrong with festhalls? They're lively, no one takes notice of what you do.”

“First of all,” Corra began and Isolde was already rolling her eyes knowing what was to come. “we call them taverns here.”

“That is the opposite of what every other country, nay city–”

“And second of all, they're all young pups here, overconfident and easily excitable. Should go to some place quieter, a proper Crimmor club, take your time, have a little chat.”

Isolde winced at this, the only person she wanted to chat with was– well it didn't matter.

“I'm not looking for a conversation partner. I want to get straight to the point.”

“I'm sure that's what your friend upstairs was thinking too.” Remarked Corra with a waggle of her eyebrows.

“Gods above.” Eyes clamped shut, Isolde pressed the heel of her palm to the bridge of her nose. “Fine. You may have a point about festhalls.”

“Taverns.” Corra corrected.

Isolde let out a sigh of frustration and set the bottle down. “Doesn't matter, I've somewhere to be anyways.” She lied, truthfully she just needed a break from the noise.

“At this hour? Not finally going on a proper date are you?”

“Hah? Me? No, I've got some work to do.”

“Translations can wait for the morning, you're gonna ruin your eyes reading by candle light.” Corra chided, she was used to playing mother hen to her impetuous companion.

“I’ve a ring for that now.” She waved off Corra’s concerns. “Besides that, what are you still doing here if the swiving is no good?”

“Unlike you I actually enjoy the company of others. Also dancing.”

“I like people.”

“Name five.”

Isolde pursed her lips, trying to think.

“Hah exactly.”

Somewhere amongst the crowd the bard moved onto another song, a merry jig that made Corra’s eyes sparkle.

“Oh this is a good one!” She gave Isolde a little pat on the shoulder before grabbing another patron from their spot leaning on the wall.

Corra turned back to yell as she dragged the poor sap onto the dance floor. “Have fun with your work or what have you!”

Isolde shook her head, equally in amusement and for pity of Corra's poor dance partner.

Pulling her cloak around herself she pushed past patrons and stepped out into the cool night air. 

The rain had finally stopped but that meant the city smells had returned, and the whole of Crimmor stunk of ox dung and tannery piss. 

Isolde wrinkled her nose but continued on foot to the Purse Ward. The Theater of Joy was an old amphitheatre come temple, dedicated to not one but three goddesses: Lliira, Milil and Sune. It was open all hours of the day but this late at night all church services would be dedicated to Lliira. 

She supposed it made sense that the services of the goddess of joy were held at night, what with all the taverns about the city. 

Lliira would've been a fitting god for Corra, but ever the hedonist, Izzy preferred to give what devotions she could spare to Sune, goddess of beauty and passion.

She entered the temple and sought out the shrine to the lady of love along the far wall. The shrine was simple but crafted of fine material, beautiful just as Lady Firehair herself. 

Isolde considered her reflection in the shrine’s polished mirror before adding a small kohl pencil to the collection of donated toiletries. She felt that there was something she wanted to ask of the goddess yet the questions would never form properly in her mind. Instead she merely offered a prayer of thanks before taking her leave.

It was as she stepped out back onto the street that she saw a familiar silhouette clad in a yellow scarf with a mess of black hair. He was casting about as if looking for something.

“Olly?” She called to the figure and he turned to her in surprise.

“Izzy!” The shock and relief was painted so clearly on his face even in the dark of the twisting streets. He trotted over to her without a second thought.

“What are you doing here by yourself at this hour? I know Crimmor’s a sight safer than Waterdeep but can't be much fun on your own.”

“I was looking for the temple.”

“Adherent of Lliira are you? Wouldn't have figured that. They're having services now till dawn.” She nodded her head back towards the building behind her.

“No uh, I'm looking for a shrine to Tymora if they've got one.”

Izzy pursed her lips and hummed. “Mmm no you'll want to go the All Hands temple for that, they handle most of the less popular deities in the city.”

“Ah, that's my blasted luck, I've been asking about a temple and the innkeeper sends me here.” The boy's head hung low.

“I can show you the way Olly, it's not far.”

“If it wouldn't be a bother.” He was so sincere that she had to resist the urge to ruffle his hair.

“It's no bother, come along then.” She turned to lead him down the street. Luckily enough all the temples were here in the Purse Ward.

Izzy looked over her shoulder at the boy, to take stock of him, his expression was utterly miserable.

“Had a bad spot of luck and looking to turn it around?” She asked gently, she was curious but didn't want to push too hard if it was a sensitive topic.

“I did something foolish and now Rugan's fallen ill.”

Izzy froze in her tracks, she whipped around to face the boy. “Ill?”

“We think it's Winter’s Chill but the others say we can't wait it out more than another day or two.”

“Sune’s sake Olly, forget the shrine and take me to them.”

+++++

It was Sal who opened the door when Olly rapped.

“Bout time you got back, who's this then?”

“Oh this is Izzy, Rugan's uh friend from Waterdeep.” Olly scratched his head nervously, unsure how to proceed.

“Izzy?”

“Short for Isolde.” She said extending her hand in greeting.

“Hah bet I can guess who gave you that nickname. I'm Sal, short for Salazon.” He accepted her hand and gave it a quick shake. “You the one the sending was for?”

“Sending?”

“Ah nevermind, he didn't have the coin anyways. Where’d Olly pick you up from?” Sal was opening the door now to let them pass.

“I ran into her looking for the temple.” Olly supplied.

“Temple?”

“He thought Tymora might lend us a little luck.” Izzy stepped into the room and caught sight of Rugan for the first time. She felt her chest tighten and a lump form in her throat. The man was deathly pale and his breath came in rapid shallow breaths.

“You were just going to leave him here alone like this?” She couldn't suppress the accusation as she took the seat by Rugan's bed.

“It's not like we have much choice,” Sal started as he shut the door. “we're already behind schedule as it is.”

“Where the hells is everyone?” Came a shout from the other side of the door. 

It burst back open as Bellar barged in. “I thought one of you idiots was supposed to come down drinking with me.” He took stock of the scene before him. “What's she doing here?”

“Olly met her at the temple, she's a friend of–”

“Yeah, yeah I know who she is. I was there.”

“Hello Bellar.” Izzy forced a polite smile despite her annoyance.

“You smell like a whore house.”

“Remind you of your mum then, bell end?” She sneered all pretense of politeness dropped.

“A bit actually, yeah.” He smirked.

“Olly says you're set to abandon him to his fate.”

“We're not abandoning him–” Sal began.

“Shipment’s gotta arrive on time.” Bellar cut in. “Too many days late, too much cargo lost adds up over a career. And sooner rather than later management decides to cut more than just our pay.”

Izzy took his meaning, though she wasn't happy about it. She turned back to Rugan’s prone form. 

He would have the most mistakes under his belt just as a matter of course. Rugan also had the most seniority, most responsibility, by virtue of those two facts alone he had the most to lose if the shipment was late.

“Don't wait the two days. I'll stay with him.”

“You expect us to leave him with you? Just like that then?”

“You were already set to leave him here for any tavern girl to rob.”

“Well but that's different then, can always burn the inn down later. You, you can abscond without a care.”

“You still have my ring don't you? Or have you already pawned it?”

Bellar produced the ring from his pocket with a practiced flair.

“Consider it collateral.”

“Well if that's the case maybe it's to my benefit if Rugan's stood his last watch.” Bellar mused with a grin and Izzy could feel her jaw clench in silent rage.

“Bellar!” Cried Olly in dismay.

“Oh quit your bellyaching Olly, I'm sure the jammy bastard will pull through and catch up with us in Athkatla.”

“We can send word when we get there,” Sal directed this at Izzy. “let you know what inn we’re at.”

“Thank you Sal.”

“Suppose you'll be wanting coin for the the stay here.” Bellar's tone was indignant as if he was the one being put-upon rather than Izzy.

“Doubt you have enough.” She bit back without thinking, then restraining herself added. “I have a friend I'm staying with here in the city. Let me speak with her tomorrow morning, see if she's willing to put him up in her house.”

“That's very kind of you Isolde–” Sal began.

“Must be a nice house, what's your friend do for a living?”

“The Shadow thieves of Crimmor execute anyone who steals within city walls.” Isolde replied bluntly.

“You've got me all wrong.” Bellar replied in faux indignation.

“That's too bad, I was hoping to see their handwork.” Acid dripped from her every word before she turned to Sal. “Is he the one in charge with Rugan out of commission?”

“Afraid so.” Sal offered a regretful smile. Bellar was grinning broadly.

“Fantastic.” She muttered feeling another headache brewing.

Eyes closed she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “If I get her permission will you be able to transport him?”

“We can carry him on a stretcher if it's not too far.” Olly volunteered and Sal was nodding along.

“You can't carry anything heavier than a watermelon Sal.” Bellar snorted, then with that same put-upon tone. “I can help the boy.”

Izzy took one last look at Rugan, and gave his hand a squeeze. She had to bite back a whimper when she felt how hot his skin was to the touch. She needn't have bothered, the distress written on her face was plain to everyone present.

She stood abruptly and turned towards the door. “I'll speak to my friend tonight and return in the morning. Try to keep him alive till then.”

She stalked out of the room, not wanting them to see the beginnings of tears prickling her eyes.