#pirate ship au is fascinating

[themossycauldron]

I absolutely love pirates and their whole stick, so I got too silly and created an uty Yellow au that's just. PIRATES!

Yadda yadda, instead of monsters being banished under a mountain after the war they were banished to a specific part of the ocean (the place where they lost the war and surrendered, specifically.) And live out their lives having to either live under the sea or sail above it.

Clover snuck through the barrier due to rumors of sailors going missing in that area, and end up on a stowaway on Starlo's ship.

(For those who can't read the text:)

Captain "North Star"

-Built his persona around legends of pirates outside of the barrier.

-Stubble is painted on

-The hook is fake, his actual hand is still present and is just hidden by it.

-He's a starfish in this AU! To fit with the nautical theme.

-Starlo's "First Mate," Clover.

-Originally a stowaway on the ship, Starlo quickly promoted them to "first mate" due to his fascination with humans.

-Eventually demoted to Cabin Boy (Cabin Child?) After Starlo's crew almost declared mutiny.

-Snuck through the barrier to find five sailors who allegedly went missing.

-They haven't given up on their search. Not yet.

(More sketches of the Fiesty Five and Flowey under this message)

[one-idea]

Maybe consuming media where parallel dimensions exist has rotten my brain. (The spider verse, years of comic book, au fanfics) but worlds were little changes change the whole world are just fascinating to me.

I’ve seen stories were Luffy is the one that dies at Marineford. Where Luffy is the older sibling. Where Shanks or someone else arrives in time to save Ace. I’ve seen Kuina lived and takes Zoro’s place on the straw hats. But what I haven’t seen is a reverse straw hat crew.

Let me explain myself.

Shanks isn’t the only Yonko vacationing in the east blue, Whitebeard takes a break there as well. Meeting a young Ace. This Whitebeard knows his time is limited but sees a future for Ace. He can’t take the boy with him but they promise to meet again one day when Ace is a great pirate, a pirate great enough to take Whitebeard place in the world. The rest of the back story (meeting Luffy, Sabo, everything) stays intact and Ace sets out at age 17. (I was going to have him meet Shanks instead of Luffy but Luffy and Shanks’ relationship is important to me and will play a role later)

Where he meets 17 year old Kuina. (She is 1 year older then Zoro, and he was one year younger then Ace so they would be the same age) in this world Zoro is the one who died. He was the only one who believed that she could be the strongest swordsman, he didn’t care about her gender. They promised that one of them would be the strongest swordsman in the world and then he died. Now at 17 she is on a journey to be the world’s best swordswoman.

The two start traveling together where they meet Nojiko, a thief, she’s an okay navigator but not as good as her sister. She speaks fondly of her sister but doesn’t mention her village (or the pirates there) Ace instantly likes her, no it’s not because he gets to trade stories with her about how great Luffy is vs how great Nami is. Kuina enjoyed their stories but her heart hurts a bit at the fact she doesn’t have the same number of stories of her ‘dumb little sibling.’ But strangely Nojiko only tells stories about young Nami.

They keep going and meet a sickly girl named Kaya. She was visiting the shipyard while they were looking to get a new ship. Kuina recognizes Kaya’s brand new butler as Kuro and none of the crew are going to let him take advantage of Kaya. (Ace and Nojiko are over protective siblings and Kaya is the same age/a year younger than their siblings. And Kuina has to much honor plus she just really likes to fight) they save Kaya but the girl realizes that there is no life for her in Syrup village. There are just to many traumatic memories for her there so she joins the crew. Bring with her a brand new ship and a boat load of beri. (She leaves behind most of her fortune to Usopp and Merry, knowing they will take care of it until Usopp is ready to sail.

The crew travels on to a floating restaurant where they meet red leg Zeff and his apprentice Reiju. Her backstory is the same and Sanji, her and Zeff trapped in an island. It isn’t until much later that the crew finds out about her connections to Germa 66 and what happened to her beloved little brother Sanji.

The Baratie arc goes about the same with Kuina getting defeated by Mihawk, and Nojiko stealing the boat and the money.

They track Nojiko down and find out what Arlong did to her village. How he killed her sister to send a message to the village and imprisoned her mother. Using Bell-meré’s Marine knowledge to expand his territory and threatening Nojiko and the villages lives to keep her cooperating. So much about Nojiko makes sense. How she only tells stories about young Nami, why she cared so much about Kaya’s money. As they learn about her trying to buy her village back.

Arlong obviously breaks their deal. How can he keep Bell-meré in line without her daughter and village as leverage.

Needless to say Ace, Kuina, and Reiju burn the place to the ground (Kaya helps as she can but she’s still getting used to fighting)

They sail on with Bell-meré’s blessing.

When they get to the grand line they meet two fools named Mr. Nine and Miss Wednesday. But it’s not what you think. Mr. Nine is Koza. Vivi told him about the danger their country was in and he went in her stead. (At this time he is 17 and she is 13, but when he left he would have been 15 and she 11)

The crew agrees to help him, (Ace is thrilled to have another dude on the team) when they meet a mysterious women with white hair called Miss All Sunday. The encounter is very similar to Robin’s introduction.

They sail on to little Garden. Kaya has a great time meeting the giants (thrilled to tell Usopp about them one day) but also starts to really work on mastering a weapon.

They leave with a slowly sickening Nojiko. They stop at Drum Island to get her help where they meet and eccentric Doctor who helps them. His name? Dr. Hiriluk. He tells them about how he was deathly ill when his son cured him by accidentally giving him a Devil fruit. A Zoan type fruit. Specifically the, reindeer model. Unfortunately his son was killed by Drum’s island king for being a ‘monster’

Needless to say Wapol gets his butt handed to him. Dr. Hitiluk, seeing his country free and his dream fulfilled decided to join up with the crew to live out Chopper’s dream of curing all diseases.

They continue on, freeing Arabasta. With Koza staying behind to help rebuild his country, but he might rejoin 👀. As their sailing away someone makes themselves know. The mysterious white hair woman is on their ship and joining their crew, her name? Nico Olivia.

I’ll cover more of this later. I have so many ideas. But all of this to say. Imagine this crew meeting the straw hat crew. Something crosses their Dimensions into one another and Luffy gets to see Ace, Zoro gets to see and adult Kuina. Nami gets to see Nojiko and hear about their mother’s blessing their life of piracy. Usopp and Kaya meeting when both of them are competent warriors of the sea. Reiju reuniting with Her brother Sanji (I haven’t even told you what happened to Sanji in this world!) Chopper and Hiriluk. Robin and Olivia.

(I did this for Ace and Luffy and Zoro and Kuina but I think Sanji, Robin and Chopper will rip my heart out more)

Let me know what you think.

Master post

Part 1/2

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

[candycandy00]

The Pirate and the Mermaid - A Shigaraki x Reader Fanfic Part 1

This is the AU idea that won the poll, and I’d planned to write it after finishing some other fics but I just couldn’t stop myself. It was getting too long so I had to break it up into two parts. Part two will be posted in a few days, so check back for it. Part two will also be more smutty than part one. Any feedback at all would be greatly appreciated!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Smut. 18+. Dubcon. General rough treatment of Reader. Shigaraki is a pirate captain, Reader is a mermaid who gets caught in his net.

When you were a young mermaid, just old enough to begin exploring the waters around your home without being accompanied by your parents, you saved a human boy from drowning. 

He was around your age, and he’d fallen from a cliff near the sea, his body breaking the surface of the water like a rock, knocking him unconscious. You swam for him, easily catching him before he sank too deeply, and pulled him to the craggy shore. You turned him on his side so the water would pour out of his mouth, then, not knowing what else to do for him, you waited, and watched. After a few minutes, you began to worry that he was dead. You crawled over and leaned close to his face, trying to determine whether or not he was breathing. 

At that moment, his eyes snapped open, and you’ll never forget the strange red color of them. You’d never seen eyes that color on anyone before, human or merfolk. They reminded you of a bright burning sunset. 

He stared at you for a moment, then suddenly began coughing, his body attempting to force the remaining water from his lungs. You took the opportunity to slip back into the sea, swimming past the rolling waves and disappearing into the depths. 

It would be four years later before you saw the boy again. This time he was on a large wooden ship with black sails. The humans called this a pirate ship. He was working with several other teenage boys, scrubbing the deck, tying ropes, carrying buckets. When he came to pour some water over the side, he was close enough for you to see his face. He had two scars that hadn’t been there before, and his soft white hair was longer, touching his shoulders. 

You watched him from beneath the surface of the water all day, sometimes coming up to get a better look when you were sure he couldn’t see you. 

Humans had always fascinated you, with their strong legs and their loud, breathy voices. Though humans didn’t seem to know merfolk existed, merfolk were very much aware of humans and had learned much about them over the centuries. Some merfolk had even studied the corpses of humans that had been found on the ocean floor.  

You were amazed that humans had no gills or fins, but even more amazed by the similarities. Human and merfolk looked almost identical down to the legs, where merfolk had fins from the knees down while humans had feet. Merfolk also had gills on either side of their torsos, right below the rib cage, and small translucent fins on their outer thighs. 

Merfolk had learned to comprehend the human languages used near their seas, but they had trouble speaking it. Even when out of the water, breathing dry air, it was difficult to form words. Like most merfolk, you could say a few words, but anything more made you feel like all your oxygen was suddenly depleted. 

So when you heard humans laughing or singing, you were transfixed. This had led to you floating a little too close to ships sometimes, something your parents warned you against. 

On the day you saw the red-eyed boy again, you followed his ship for hours, even after the sky grew dark, just to catch glimpses of him on the deck. Eventually you had to abandon the ship, fearing that you would drift too far from home. 

Over the next few years, you spotted him occasionally when his ship passed through your seas. Each time he was a bit taller, wearing clothes that were a bit sturdier, like a leather coat and tall boots, now carrying a sword at his side. He stopped doing random tasks on the ship, now spending time at the helm or deeper inside the ship where you couldn’t see him. At one point you heard someone else call him “Captain”. From what you understood, this meant he was in charge of the entire ship. 

One night he came onto the deck late at night, when no one else was around, and looked out over the water. The moon was full and bright in the sky. You were watching, just under the water, daring to get a bit closer, depending on the darkness to hide you. His eyes suddenly shifted down to you, and they widened slightly. He leaned over the side, trying to get a better look, but you quickly dove deep, your heart thundering, worried that he’d seen you clearly enough to be certain of what you were. 

That night was half a year ago, and now you find yourself watching his ship again as it passes through the waters surrounding your home. You’ve seen him at the helm a couple of times, but he’s been lingering on the deck much more than usual, pacing around and inspecting the work of those doing the tasks he used to perform. More than once he’s went to the side to look out over the gently rolling water, and your heart races each time. Is he looking for you? 

You remain out of sight. Even if you’d love to properly meet him and interact with him, you can’t risk exposing your family and friends to humans. If you’re spotted here, the humans might search these waters carefully and find your home. 

He’s at the side again, looking down, and you worry that you might be too close to the surface. You quickly swim to the side, darting under the ship to move to the other side. Just as you clear the dark shadow cast by the enormous boat, you feel rough tendrils wrap around you, like the seaweed merfolk use to tie things together, only much stronger. Isn’t this what humans call rope? Wait, isn’t this a net? 

You try to swim away from it, but it’s tangled around your legs and through your hair. You struggle and pull, but that only seems to make it worse. At some point you realize you’re being pulled up, toward the surface. Toward the ship. 

When you’re lifted out of the water, still tangled in the net, you find the red eyed captain standing there, staring at you. For a few moments, you both look at each other with wonder, and then the spell breaks. 

“Haul her over,” he commands, then steps back to give his men room to swing the net over and drop you on the deck. You gasp at the pain of colliding with the hard wood, then try to disentangle yourself. If you can just get free of the net, you can crawl over and slip off the side of the ship. 

The captain walks over, holding a large knife in one hand. You watch apprehensively as he begins cutting through the net. He’s freeing you! Could it be that he remembers being saved by you when you were both young? 

After cutting most of the rope away, he gathers a long piece of it in his hands, then wraps it around your wrists. He stands up, hoisting your arms above your head so roughly that you give a little cry of pain. A couple of his men come over and secure the rope around your wrists to a tall wooden pole, effectively pulling you upright, your fins dangling a few inches from the wood. 

You wriggle and jerk at the rope, trying to slip out. Your arms and shoulders are aching, and the rope is biting into the wet skin of your wrists. You look at the captain pleadingly. You almost beg him to help you, but you hold back. Speaking the human tongue is difficult and drains your oxygen. You decide to wait. 

The men on the deck are staring at you with wide eyes. One of them steps a bit closer and says, “They really do exist!”

Another man turns to the captain and asks, “How did you know we’d find her here? When you accepted this job I thought you were crazy, but here she is right in front of our eyes!”

The captain’s eyes have never left you. “I thought I saw her around these parts a few months ago.” 

One of the other men gives a cheer. “She’ll catch us a fortune! This is the highest paying job we’ve ever taken!”

The captain nods to the two men who had tied you to the pole. They touch the seaweed wraps around your chest and waist, and you try to shrink back away from them. 

“It’s not cloth,” one of them says. “I think it’s seaweed.”

The captain is looking you in the eyes when he says, “Remove it.”

You immediately begin struggling against the ropes again. Merfolk have a tendency to be modest about certain parts of their body, only revealing them to lovers. Are they really going to strip you of your coverings, right here in front of all these men? 

The two men take out knives and begin ruthlessly cutting through the seaweed wraps until they fall to the floor, leaving you completely exposed. You whimper and try to clamp your legs shut in an attempt to cover yourself. 

One of the men reaches a hand toward you, as if to touch you, but the captain suddenly says, in a commanding voice, “No one is to touch her! Am I understood?”

The man who had reached for you quickly withdraws his hand as several calls of, “Yes, Captain!” sound over the deck. 

The captain himself walks over and stands in front of you, those red eyes roaming over your body. You blush crimson under his gaze, closing your eyes and turning your face away in shame. 

The sun is burning hot in the sky, already drying you out, making you feel like you’re on fire. Merfolk could survive outside the water, but after a short time it became painful to do so. It was hard to breathe without the added oxygen from the water. Your skin and fins dried, cracked, and bled. Some brave merfolk had tested the limits generations ago. Yes, they could live, but only in misery. 

You suddenly feel two warm, dry hands on your hips, sliding down your damp skin, roughly rubbing over your fins. You open your eyes and find the captain looking at the tiny fins on your thighs as he repeatedly runs his hands over them. They twitch from his touch, and he seems amazed. His hands move further down, past your knees, where they find your main fins. He strokes the scales there, sending tremors through your body. Then, all at once, he lifts your legs up by your knees and pulls them apart to stare between them. 

You struggle to free your legs, but his grip is strong. You let out a strangled cry as he shifts one of your legs to be held beneath his arm so his free hand can probe your most intimate place. “She’s just like a human woman down here,” he says, his voice cold and emotionless. “I wondered how her people mate. I guess they do it just like us.”

He drops your legs, the sudden weight of them pulling on your arms painfully. Then his hands are on the underside of your arms, moving down beside your breasts, stopping at your gills. You draw in a sharp breath, causing them to flutter as they attempt to draw in water that isn’t there. His fingers slide into the folds, and you cry out again. Your gills are very sensitive, and his fingers moving into them is more painful than you imagined. 

Withdrawing his hands, the captain steps back to look you up and down. One of the men beside him is looking at you as if you’re a deity. “She’s beautiful,” the man says in a reverent voice. “We should set her free.”

Still looking at you, the captain says, “She’s a monster, and she’s worth more than her weight in gold.”

The hot air is merciless on your skin, the sun’s heat unrelenting. You decide to finally speak, or at least try. 

“Please,” you say in a weak, small voice, causing the men to look at you in shock. “I need… water.”

“She speaks our language?” one of the men asks, suddenly seeming afraid. 

The captain calls for someone to bring him a bucket of water, then carries it over and sloshes the water over your body. The cool liquid feels so good on your dry scales, it almost overrides the soreness of your arms. 

You shiver from the pleasure of it, then look at the captain. “Thank you,” you manage to force out. 

He looks up at the sky, squinting at the sun, then turns to his men. “We’ll take her below deck. Get a cabin ready.”

You feel a small bit of relief to know he’s not going to leave you strung up under the blazing sun. 

“Do you… remember me?” you ask in your weak voice. 

The captain looks at you with those red eyes, but says nothing. 

“You fell… from a cliff… when you were young…”

His eyes widen slightly, and you can see the recognition there, like the pieces all coming together in his mind. For a moment, you think you’ve gotten through to him, but he suddenly turns his back to you and says, “I don’t remember.”

You droop in despair, realizing he’s not the kind hearted human you imagined him to be. 

Some time passes, and one of the men emerges from deeper into the ship and reports that they’ve readied a cabin for you. The captain approaches and cuts the rope holding you up, then catches you in his arms. Your own arms, sore and exhausted, drop over his head, effectively leaving your wrists tied together around his neck. It’s an intimate position that makes you redden. Your bodies are pressed together, you’re completely nude, and his hands are on you to keep you from falling. 

He carries you down the wooden steps leading beneath the deck, down a hall, and into a room. There’s another wooden post here and you make a whining sound as he pulls your arms up again and ties them above your head. Your arms are throbbing in pain. You look at the captain with tears in your eyes and say, “Please… it hurts.”

He turns away from you and motions two of his men in. They’re carrying tall buckets full of water. They sit them on the floor close to you, and the captain lifts your fins, one at a time, and places them in the buckets. The water reaches up to your knees, and feels so wonderful. Before you know it, he’s holding another bucket. This one he splashes over you, from your head down to your thighs. 

The captain hands the bucket to one of the men and says, “Pour water over her every hour. We have to keep her healthy until we sell her.”

Your eyes meet his. “Sell?”

He averts his gaze. “We have a buyer waiting to take you.”

“What will… they do to me?”

He heads toward the door as he replies, “I don’t know. It’s not my concern.” He hesitates, then adds, “Probably nothing good.”

Then, you’re left alone in the dimly lit room. 

You count the hours by the number of times someone comes to splash a bucket of water on you. Four times. Four times you feel some small measure of comfort. The men stare at you, but none dare touch you. 

Just before the fifth time, the captain walks into your room. He’s holding a plate piled with seaweed, kelp, and other sea vegetables. He steps closer to you and says, “I don’t know what your people eat, but I thought fish might be in poor taste.”

You nod at him, and he uses a metal fork to feed you. After you eat around half the items on the plate, he pulls a round orange object from his coat pocket, as well as a knife. He uses the knife to cut the outer layer of the object away. 

“Have you eaten one of these before?”

You shake your head. 

“It’s called a citrus fruit. They don’t grow on the lands around here.” He slices off a piece of the object’s flesh and holds it up to your mouth. You look at his thin fingers holding the “fruit”. They’re dripping with the object’s juice, and it looks delicious. You open your mouth, and he places the piece of fruit inside, his fingers grazing your tongue. 

An explosion of flavor bursts in your mouth. You’ve never tasted anything like this! It’s so juicy and refreshing. After swallowing it, you open your mouth again, waiting for the next piece. He stares at your open lips for a moment before cutting off another slice. 

He feeds you the rest of the fruit until only one slice remains. When he places it in your mouth, you instinctively close your lips around his fingers, licking the juice off. 

His eyes seem to flash with something as he pulls his hand away and looks at the thin string of your saliva connecting his fingertips to your lips. Then he puts those fingers in his own mouth and licks them clean. You’re unaccustomed to things of a sexual nature, but the act makes you feel heated somehow. 

He pulls off his coat and lets it fall to the wet, sticky floor, then walks around behind you. Not being able to see him makes you nervous, so you try to twist in your bonds. This causes a jolt of agony to race up your arms, and you cry out. 

“What hurts you?” you hear his voice behind you ask. “Your arms? Or the lack of water?”

It was both, but right now one was worse than the other. “My arms,” you say. 

His hands touch your upper arms, gently, and begin massaging them. It hurts at first, but then your muscles begin to relax slightly as his hands firmly but comfortably rub them. He moves down, working at your shoulders, then beneath your arms. You sigh in pleasure, just glad to feel something other than pain in your arms. 

He does this for a few minutes, his body so close that you can feel the fabric of his white shirt against your bare back. Then, his hands slip around to cup your breasts. You stiffen, your small gasp seeming loud in the silence of the room. He massages them as he did your arms, and though you’re embarrassed, you can’t say it feels unpleasant. Your breaths get more shallow, and you realize it’s probably been more than an hour since your last bucket of water. 

One of his hands slides down your stomach and moves between your thighs. You squirm, trying to escape his touch, but you’re helpless to stop him as his fingers press into your folds and rub circles around your clit. Your whole body trembles as he keeps up the motions, his other hand still groping your breast. 

“Please,” you manage to breathe out. 

His voice is calm, almost cold, as he asks, “Please what?”

You can’t answer, because you don’t know. Do you want him to stop? There’s a primal pleasure building inside you, making you quiver. Is it wrong to want to feel good, when you’ve only felt pain all day? 

For years, you’ve thought about this man. You’ve daydreamed about meeting him, interacting with him. And as you grew into an adult, those daydreams sometimes included being touched by him. But you never imagined, in your darkest nightmares, that he would have you strung up painfully in his ship, taking you to be sold to strangers who would most definitely do terrible things to you. 

Tears form in your eyes. Your heart is so confused! You feel his fingers stroking your clit, more roughly than before, as he pinches your nipple. You gasp again, loudly this time, then a moan escapes you as you shudder through rippling pleasure. 

The captain finally pulls away and steps around to stand in front of you. He holds up the hand he’d shoved between your legs, and clear sticky fluid is dripping from it. 

“Looks like you get aroused the same way humans do,” he says, examining his fingers. 

You blush furiously. Was this just some experiment? But then he licks his fingers again, his red eyes staring at yours. 

He walks over and picks up a bucket of water, then sloshes it over you. Without another word, he leaves the room. 

[threadsun]

Anonymous Asks: "may i ask for more pirate au blurbs? its okay if not 💕"

Of course!! I'm hype to write more au stuff both in general and specifically pirate au >:3c

Your house isn't made for ten people. Honestly, it's hardly made for one. It's a simple shack, propped up on stilts for those storms that drive the sea up to your door. Inside it's open, but hardly spacious. A firepit set up in the middle of the floor, a handful of chairs around a small table, the barest possible kitchen to get by. And around a half wall sits your bed, spartan and hard as a plank of wood.

You've never felt the need to own much. You were born on the sea, and you'd lived your whole life on the sea. No matter how secure you are, you can't shake the habit of frugality and discomfort. Honestly, you reckon you'd sleep worse on a plush mattress you could sink into than you do on the hard pallet atop your wooden bedframe.

Really, the only things in your house that aren't completely practical are the relics of your time at sea. The cavalier hat with the raven feather you'd bought when you first became the admiral of your own pirate fleet. The ornate cutlass with the obsidian handle you'd taken off a captain in the Spanish navy when you'd taken over his ship. The flag that had heralded your fleet, emblazoned with two pieces of eight and a jagged shark's tooth.

All this to say, you certainly don't have room for the nine dripping men currently stripping down around your fire. They're eyeing the remains of your stew hungrily, and most of them smell like rum. Not that either of those particularly bother you. Nor does watching water run down their naked bodies. No, you simply take one of the few seats in the house and watch with a grin. It's not your problem that there's not enough chairs.

"Used to make people pay to see this," one of the men, a scrawnier one with black hair, sighs. He sounds wistful.

"We could make them pay to watch," the strawberry blond points out with a deceptively mild smile.

"Hey." The one you can only assume is the captain—brawny, dark haired, tattooed—cuts them off with a stern look. "Don't you dare. They opened their home to us when we needed it."

"Some pirate." One of the gingers snorts and rolls his eyes. "No one wants a captain with morals."

"He won the captaincy fair and square, Jean." The one with locs and a gold hoop earing frowns. "You're just bitter no one wanted you in charge."

"Oh don't bring this up again..." The other ginger whines, nervously eyeing the other men as though worried a fight might break out. You sit up in your seat a little, ready to kick them all back into the storm naked if they try anything in your house.

"We'll be good house guests." The blue haired one looks stern as he glances at each crew member in turn. He's the largest of all of them, and it's clear none of them feel up to arguing with him.

"Is this stew?" The man with the dog ears and tail sniffs in the direction of your pot, tail wagging excitedly. It's hard to tell if he's intentionally changing the subject or baiting you to offer some.

"It smells good..." The final man has hair that flashes intermittently pink and orange in the light of the fire. They definitely want some.

"Take some," you finally speak up from where you sit, gesturing to one of the cupboards. "There's bowls in there. You can split the rest between you, I've had my supper."

There's a general clamour as the hungry, naked men set about passing around bowls of stew. It's fascinating to watch them. The way they work together, clearly a crew, yet with their obvious differences. You feel almost nostalgic for your days at sea. You're sure if you were on their ship you'd be able to whip this crew into shape.

You shake off the thought as they race for the remaining seats, the losers resigned to sit on the floor. You're happy here, on land. You don't want to go back to the pirate's life. Not for all the gold in the world.

[hearts-hunger]

Chapter One: A Flash of Steel and Silver {Series Masterlist | Series Playlist ♫}

Series Summary: You've been called the Jewel of the Bay, a lady born and bred in one of the Royal Navy's most profitable ports of call. On a fateful summer night, taken aboard the pirate ship Starcatcher, your world is turned upside down. To survive, you must put your faith in the honor among thieves and learn to trust the devotion of a pirate to his most precious treasure.

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Sam x Danny, Josh x Reader | Chapter Word Count: 4.7k | Warnings: AU-typical violence, harassment, historically accurate misogyny

A/N: My sweethearts! This is my very first time doing an au like this, and I'm very excited to share it with you. I have no concrete plans for this series, and no update schedule - I'm just seeing where the wind takes me on this one. I know it's different from my other fics, but I really hope you like it! ♡

Pirates. 

The word alone struck fear into the hearts of the people of Sapphire Bay, sending them inside to lock their doors and close the window shutters with a firm crack. Those devils marked by the branding iron were hated and feared, considered with a mix of awe and horror and morbid curiosity. To meet one meant certain death; for the superstitious, even to speak of one meant the calling down of hell’s rapacious wrath upon the new world’s fragile kingdom of islands. Everywhere, in hushed voices and cautious glances at the western horizon, people dreaded the coming of those demons. Pirates.

You had learned to fear them just as much as anyone, the threat of them always lingering in the back of your mind, but there was an insatiable curiosity that held you captive any time you so much as heard them mentioned. Your late father, the former governor of Sapphire Bay, had spoken of them often; you’d grown up on snatches of conversations heard from the other side of his study door, tales of murder and thievery and drunken escapades, stories of freedom and bravery and adventure.

Those stories had continued to fascinate you even as you became a woman, and you were more interested in them now than you had been as a child. Lucky, then, that you’d been betrothed to Commander Kit Drake of the battleship Black Smoke; his own closed-door conferences about the pirates that roamed the seas provided an endless diversion to your hungry imagination.

Hearing those stories was perhaps the only lucky thing about your betrothal, and you reminded yourself to try and think of other silver linings as your lady’s maid dressed you for dinner at the Commodore’s estate. 

“He’ll tell me how beautiful I look,” you said to yourself, touching light fingers to your lightly rouged lips. “Surely he will.”

“Indeed he will, miss,” your lady’s maid said as she styled your hair. “You’ll be the jewel of the bay this evening, all sparkling in the candlelight.”

You met her eyes in the mirror. “Thank you, Tabby. You’re very kind.”

She smiled. “Have you decided what necklace and earrings you’ll be wearing tonight, miss?”

You brushed a hand over your deep blue bodice. “I suppose the sapphires would be best, wouldn’t they?”

“As you say, miss. Commander Drake will surely be pleased to see you wearing his gift.”

Tabby finished your hair, a relatively understated crown of curls, and spangled you with trinkets from your jewelry box that could have fed and housed a family for several months. You touched a hand to the blue gem that rested in a swath of silver, the centerpiece of the heavy necklace that felt more like a collar for a dog than a gift of love from your fiancé. 

“There you are, miss,” Tabby said when you were ready. “I’ll tell the footman to bring the carriage ‘round.”

The Commodore’s estate was right on the bay, a sprawling mansion that put even your father’s estate to shame in sheer grandiosity. Several carriages stopped outside the main doors, ladies in fine dresses and men in naval uniform stepping out to join the group that filed into the golden, candlelit hall inside. Your attention was drawn to the sea as you waited, watching the way the moonlight dashed itself to bits across the glittering surface of the water.

“My dear. You finally made it.”

You looked over from the bay to the door of your carriage. “Kit.”

A frown tugged at your fiancé’s expression. “You mustn’t call me that here, dearest, you know that. Commander Drake or ‘sir’ will suffice.”

You flushed, wishing you’d remembered that rule. “Of course, sir.”

You accepted his hand when he offered it to you, and you looked up at him with girlish eagerness to see if he’d comment on your appearance.

“I wore the jewels you gave me at our engagement,” you said quietly.

He gave you a distracted glance. “Oh. Yes, I suppose you did.”

“Do you... do you like them?” you asked, crestfallen.

He breathed a short sigh. “They’re lovely, my dear. Let’s not tarry, shall we? I’m afraid you’ve already made us late.”

He offered his arm, and you hung off of it as a good young lady should. Your head turned back to the sea, just for a moment, and you thought you caught a glimpse of a shooting star reflected on the waves.

“We’ve got to double our presence on the coasts of the southern isles. We’ll rout them simply by being there in force. They wouldn’t dare to try and attack any of the ports there if we made our presence more obvious.”

You took a sip of wine and tried to look bored, knowing that the quickest way to get navy men to stop talking of pirates was for a lady to show an interest in their conversation. If they didn’t consider you too delicate or stupid for that kind of talk, they’d fear for some kind of longing to spark within you, the same kind they allowed to rage unchecked as they sailed on their mighty seafaring vessels.

“No corsair in these waters is a match for any of our fleet,” Kit argued. He gesticulated and narrowly missed your wine glass as you set it down. “I say with conviction, gentlemen, that there is no need to add even a single ship to those we already have out of port.”

“Maybe they’re not a match for your ship, Commander,” said a lady on the opposite end of the table. You glanced over with mild panic, wishing you could tell her merely to listen, but the gentlemen she was interrupting didn’t seem to mind.

“I’ve heard you gentlemen say the Black Smoke is the fastest ship in the Royal Navy,” she said, and there was a flirtatious intonation to her voice that drew the men in like moths to the flame. “However, I’ve also heard it said that there is a pirate galleon in our waters that can match it for speed.”

“Name the ship,” a lieutenant challenged.

The lady smiled. “Starcatcher.”

The name caused a flutter of excitement to stir in your breast. Starcatcher. It certainly sounded like a fast ship, and no vessel in the Royal Navy had such a wonderful name.

“Nonsense,” Kit said, waving her remark aside even as he trained his attention on the coy curve of her mouth. “The Starcatcher is a myth told to frighten new deck hands. No such ship exists.”

“No?” the lady asked with an elegant lift of her brow. “And what of its sister ship, the Indigo Streak? Some men say it can disappear into thin air.”

“Some men are fools,” Kit said, and his smirk betrayed his arrogance. “No doubt you’ve heard these same men claim to have seen the witches that serve as the figureheads of each ship.”

“They’re not witches,” another man protested. “I’ve heard they’re meant to be Nike and Themis, goddesses of victory and justice.”

Kit scoffed. “Victory and justice, indeed. Even if these ships did exist, what victory and justice could be won outside the King’s authority?”

“Pirates don’t consider the King’s authority legitimate, though, do they?”

All gazes swung to you, and you felt a wash of embarrassment follow the heady flush of having impetuously offered your own opinion. Kit’s face went pink with anger.

“What a pirate thinks of the King’s authority means little,” he said sharply. He took your hand under the table and gave it an uncomfortable squeeze, leaning close. “And what a woman thinks of it means even less, my dear, so I suggest you keep such foolish thoughts to yourself.”

He released your hand with disdain, and you shied away from him as far as you could. You understood perfectly well why the lady with the deep red lips was allowed to speak and you were not; her comments were meant to incite men to braggadocio and pride, and yours only called into question their self-assurance. You would not speak merely to stroke a man’s ego, pirate or King’s man or anyone in between; most at the table considered it better, in that event, for you to keep your mouth shut entirely.

You took another long drink of wine and tried to keep your hands from shaking. Of a sudden, everything was overwhelming; the sound of tittering laughter and silver forks against china dishes, the smell of dozens of different perfumes, the heat of the candles that cast flickering beams onto jewels and gold buttons and silver sword handles. You felt pressed in on all sides with an extravagant meal you couldn’t hope to finish in front of you, men to the right and left of you, servants behind you to tend to your every need should you so much as wave an indolent hand. 

You took a deep breath, as deep as you could with your stays laced as tightly as they were, and dug into the reserve of feminine gentility and self-control that had been trained into you since birth.

“Commander,” you said quietly, touching your hand to his sleeve. He ignored you, and desperation clawed at you.

“Sir,” you said in a pleading whisper.

With a frustrated huff, he turned away from his companions and met your eyes. “What is it?”

“I beg your pardon,” you said. “I — I suddenly feel quite ill. My head, it’s...”

He snapped his fingers, and a footman came to his side to await his instruction in perfect silence.

“Attend the lady,” he said, gesturing to you with impatience and contempt. “She’s taken ill, apparently.”

The footman bowed his head. “M’lord.” He pulled your chair out and gave you his hand; you took it, offering a feeble excuse to those few who noticed your departure and cared to comment.

“Shall I show you to one of the guest chambers, m’lady?” the footman asked when you were safely outside the dining hall.

You shook your head. “No, thank you. I wonder... could you help me find the gardens? I would be so grateful for a breath of fresh air.”

“Very good, m’lady,” was the man’s response. He escorted you to the gardens. “Shall I ring for a lady’s maid to accompany you?”

“That won’t be necessary,” you said. “Thank you for your help, sir.”

He bowed. “M’lady.”

A bit of the peace you so dearly needed was found out in the garden, and you wandered in the cool darkness of the shrubs and trees blossoming with flowers of every hue. You took a deep breath of the warm night air as you walked over the cobblestones, closing your eyes for a moment to drink in the quiet of birdsong and the ever-present hush of waves upon the shore. You longed to go down to the water, if only for a moment; what relief it would bring to feel the cool waves lapping at your ankles, to feel the salty breeze skim over your cheek with all the tenderness of a lover’s hand. You opened your eyes and felt its dark, silver-scaled presence call you like a mother to a child, begging you to leave the world you knew behind.

“Foolishness,” you whispered, pressing your hand against the merciless shackle of sapphire and silver that hung about your neck. You could never leave. You would be here, always, looking out upon the water, wearing its color on your breast, never quite close enough to touch.

You heard your name called from a direction opposite the ocean. Footsteps sounded behind you, and you did not allow yourself to breathe the sigh that waited ever-ready at your lips.

“I only needed some air, Commander,” you said without turning to him. “I’ll be well enough to join the ladies in the parlor after dinner.”

Without warning, Kit grabbed your wrist in a punishing grip and spun you towards him.

“Turn to me when I call you,” he said in a low, dangerous voice. “Do not presume to speak to me with an air of indifference.”

Your blood ran cold at the anger in his face. “I didn’t — I wasn’t trying to — ”

“I knew you weren’t ill,” he said, squeezing your wrist tighter. “You left because you wanted to shame me, didn’t you? Or perhaps because you were petulant about my correction?”

“No,” you said weakly, trying to tug your hand from his grip. “Please, Kit, you’re hurting me.”

He took your jaw in his other hand and squeezed it. “I told you not to call me that. Do you mean to respect me at all tonight? Or shall I have to teach you a lesson in obedience?”

You paled. You tried to find your voice to try and calm him, to apologize, but another man’s voice broke in before you could.

“Take your hands off the lady.”

Kit released your jaw, more out of surprise than any desire to obey. You tried to pull out of his grip, but he held fast to your wrist.

“Who spoke?” Kit asked into the darkness of the garden. “Show your face.”

“Take your hands off the lady, as I said,” the man repeated. “I’ve got a pistol aimed straight for your heart, Commander, and I assure I won’t miss.”

Kit’s face flushed an angry red. To your surprise and relief, he let you go, and you put a few steps of distance between you.

“How dare you speak to me in such a way?” Kit thundered. “I demand that you to come into the light and show yourself.”

No sooner had he spoken than a man sauntered out of the shadows of a copse of palm trees, a flintlock pistol held in an almost lazy manner in Kit’s direction. The hilt of a cutlass on his hip caught the light of the moon.

“You demand it, aye?” the man asked. His long hair was dark, his frame lean and hard-muscled; he was practically indecent, his cotton shirt unbuttoned to reveal a collection of necklaces that rested against his tanned chest. You blushed and averted your eyes when he looked at you.

“Makes you wonder,” he continued conversationally, turning his attention back to your fiancé. “Perhaps your King ought to call you Demander rather than Commander.”

Kit put his hand to the hilt of his saber. “What are you, boy?” he said derisively. “Beggar? Thief? Be on your way before I arrest you for harassing an officer.”

The man’s mouth turned up in a crooked smile as he returned his pistol to its holster at his waist. 

“Go ahead, Commander. Though I doubt if you’ll find there’s any jailhouse to throw me in by the time you do.”

Kit looked the man over in confusion and absolute fury. He opened his mouth to speak, but an explosion from the outskirts of town effectively cut across him.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Kit raged. He looked to see the billow of smoke from the direction of the jailhouse, then whipped his head back to look at the man.

“You’re a fool to attempt a prison break,” he said. “There’s plenty of brigs in the fleet to throw you and your worthless comrades in once we collect all of you.”

Kit drew his sword, and the man had drawn his and disarmed Kit in a flash of steel and silver quicker than you could see it. Kit’s sword clattered across the cobblestones and skidded to a halt at the man’s feet.

“I’d be careful who you draw your sword against tonight, Commander,” the man said. He kicked the saber back towards Kit. “You won’t find my men as forgiving as I am.”

“Your men?” Kit blustered, shame and fury mottling his face. “Who the devil do you think you are?”

A cocky smile lit the man’s face, and you found it somewhat maddening and almost alluring. Confidence radiated from him like warmth from the sun, and you watched in fascination as he took a step closer to Kit.

“You don’t know me?” he asked. He lifted his sleeve; just above the white bracelet he wore was the scarred mark of a pirate.

“You gave me this, Commander Drake,” the man said. “Though I suppose you were only a lieutenant back then, weren’t you?”

“Scum,” Kit spat. “I should have known. I’ve branded enough of your kind that you all run together into one wretched mass.”

“I see,” the man said. He sheathed his cutlass again even as Kit bent to retrieve his, seemingly unconcerned with the possibility of a duel. He tilted his head towards the Commodore’s house.

“In that case,” he said airily, “I’d love to be the one to tell you that the wretched mass is running together in your Commodore’s estate as we speak. Taking your jewels, your gold, your spit-polished swords that have yet to taste blood. It’s only a matter of time before they interrupt your little dinner party, I fear.”

As if on cue, pandemonium erupted from inside the house. Doors burst open, sending a flood of screaming party guests outside with pirates right on their heels, each of them armed to the teeth and crowing with delight.

“Filthy pirate!” Kit howled. “I’ll have you and every one of your men hanged for this!”

“Oh, Commander,” the man said with a winning smile. “You’ll make me blush with that kind of talk.”

Bang. A bullet whipped past the three of you, slamming into the trunk of a palm tree and sending out a shower of splintered wood. You flinched and raised your arms to shield yourself.

“Aye, watch yourself,” the pirate called to whoever had fired. He sounded only mildly annoyed rather than fearful for his life, and you wondered if it was bravery or stupidity that made him so calm.

Suddenly, Kit grabbed your arm and snatched you close to him. For the second time that night, he held you in an iron grip, and there was little you could do to fight him off.

“You’ll tell your men to let me go,” Kit said, panic crawling into his voice. “You’ll order them not to shoot me, because if they do, they’ll hurt the lady.”

You startled at the knowledge that your fiancé was using you as a human shield, offering you as a bargaining chip to a pirate. You tried to wriggle out of his grip, but he held you fast.

The pirate scowled. “Coward,” he spat. “What sort of man are you, Commander?”

“One not condemned to death,” Kit said, a maniacal glee in his voice. ��Not tonight.”

He started to drag you with him as he made his way out of the garden, heading with slow steps towards the docks rather than the house where screams and gunfire still rang through the air. You kicked and clawed, begging him to let you go, terrified that a bullet meant for him would kill you too.

“Let me go, Kit!” you pleaded, tears streaming down your cheeks. “You worthless coward, let me go!”

“Silence yourself!” he hissed in your ear. “Once we’re well away from this, we’ll both be safe.”

He clapped a hand over your mouth, and it only made your panic and anger worse. You had to get free of him — he was squeezing you so tightly, you couldn’t breathe — 

In a last, desperate attempt at freedom, you bit down, hard, on the soft junction between his thumb and first finger. He bellowed in pain and released you.

“Bitch!” he howled, backhanding you across the face. The force of it made you dizzy, and his signet ring cut your cheek; you stumbled backwards, falling in a tangle of blue skirts to the unforgiving stone walkway.

“Right, that’s it.”

You heard the pirate’s voice as if from somewhere far away. You looked up with a bleary gaze; he stood next to you, his pistol held aloft and pointed right at Kit.

“No!” you shrieked.

You grabbed at his leg to try and stop him, somehow, blind devotion for Kit urging your forward. The pirate didn’t even seem to notice you, and your whole body flinched at the sound of gunfire. You squeezed your eyes shut even as sobs wracked your body.

“Come on, lass.”

You felt the pirate's callused hands reach to help you up, and you reacted in terror-stricken instinct.

“Don’t hurt me!” you begged, trying to get out of his reach, woozy with fear and pain. “Please, don’t hurt me. Let me go. I won’t tell anyone you killed him, I promise.”

“I didn’t kill him,” he said harshly. “Quit fighting, lass. I won’t hurt you, but you have to come with me.”

You looked up at him, and his face was blurry through your tears. “But you’re a pirate.”

“Aye,” he agreed. “And your only chance of making it out of here alive.”

He offered you his hand, and you didn’t see any other choice but to take it. His grip was strong and steady, firm enough to help you but gentle enough to keep from hurting.

“Attagirl,” he said when you were standing. “Steady, now. Can you walk?”

“Yes,” you breathed. For some reason, you didn’t let go of his hand. “Where are we going?”

He nodded towards the bay. “My ship. You’ll stay there until all this settles down, and then I’ll take you back home.” 

Shattering glass brought your attention to the house momentarily; a raging fire billowed out of the broken window, sending great clouds of smoke up towards the sky.

“Unless you live here,” the pirate said. “In which case, you’ll have to find other arrangements.”

You could do nothing but stare at him for a moment, bewildered and dazed. “But... why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you helping me?”

He looked over your shoulder towards Kit, who lay groaning and weak in the grass with a bullet wound to the shoulder. His expression held nothing but disgust and contempt for your fiancé.

“I don’t like to see a lady mistreated,” he said. He gave your hand a gentle tug. “Come on. This way.”

You followed after him, helpless not to, feeling outside of yourself as you tried to think past the pain in your jaw and the overwhelming fear that still held you captive. He led you through the garden and down to the Commodore’s private docks where a skiff was waiting.

“Wait.” You stopped and tugged on his hand, and he turned to face you.

“What is it?” he asked, a touch of urgency to his voice. 

You looked to the skiff and then back to him. “How — ” You swallowed nervously. “How do I know you won’t hurt me?”

He looked a little lost for a response. “I don’t know, lass. I believe you’ll just have to trust me.”

“Trust a pirate?” you asked, choking a little on the words.

He gave you a grim half-smile. “Could be worse.”

“How on earth could it be worse?”

He didn’t answer you, distracted by the sight of several more skiffs approaching the docks. You followed his gaze and saw they were coming from two huge galleons further out in the bay.

“Heavens,” you breathed. You didn’t know how you could have missed them, but they suddenly loomed like two great monsters on the surface of the water.

He pulled you towards the boat. “Come on, lass,” he urged. “The second wave’s coming in soon, and they don’t mind me as well as I’d wish them to. I’d rather you not be out here when they come.”

You met his gaze. “Second wave? There’s more of you?”

He huffed a short, mirthless laugh and ushered you into the skiff with little grace. Your became hopelessly tangled in your skirts and sat uncomfortably on the opposite side from him.

“You may wish to take off some of those cumbersome overskirts, lassie,” he said, taking the oars and rowing you out to the giant ships. “You’ll get them caught in something and get hurt.”

You blushed vividly. “Take off my skirts?” you repeated, incredulous and mortified at the idea, though you noticed you didn’t sense any salacious undercurrent to his suggestion. “I certainly will not. Just because you run around in a state of undress does not mean I will.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

You sat in silence as you came ever nearer to the twin galleons, feeling a caving pressure in your chest as they loomed closer. You looked around for something, anything, to distract you; against your better judgment, your gaze landed on the movement of your pirate rescuer’s strong arms with each pull of the oars.

You looked away, chastising yourself for such foolishness in the face of everything else that had happened.

When you reached the closer ship, you looked up at the cargo net that hung over the side with more than a little trepidation. How were you ever going to climb it in your dress?

Your pirate — when had you started to think of him as your pirate? — gave a theatrical gesture to the net. “Ladies first.”

You huffed, feeling anger at your situation start to override any other emotion. All you’d wanted tonight was to have a nice, unexciting dinner, and yet here you were, standing before a pirate and about to board his ship in the middle of the night.

“Very well,” you said tartly, dredging up some reserve of courage and feistiness from whatever was left in the hollow of your chest. With some difficulty, you reached under the waist of your blue overskirt and untied the two underskirts and hoop skirt underneath. He had the decency to avert his gaze, at least, but your face was still hot with embarrassment as you shimmied out of them and slipped off your uncomfortable shoes.

When all that was left to cover your undergarments was your overskirt and bodice, you stepped in your stocking-feet onto the first loop of rope on the cargo net.

“Mind your gaze, pirate,” you said, managing with a fair bit of exertion to climb the net. He scaled it with you, quick and nimble, and gave you a grin when he reached your perch.

“Pirate sounds such a dirty word when you say it,” he said, and there was a teasing lilt to his voice that gave you the strangest fluttering sensation in your chest. “You’d better just call me Jake.”

Oh, but you didn’t like knowing his name. Not one bit.

“Fine,” you said, tearing your gaze from his. “Mind your gaze, Jake.”

He grinned. “Only if you mind yours, lass.” He stepped up another rung and climbed the rest of the way with ease. You gave a dejected sigh and continued your laborious ascent to the railing of the ship.

When you reached the top of the net, Jake was waiting for you. He offered you a hand up, and it was only with his help that you managed to get aboard without falling on your face.

You looked up when you were steady. “Oh, dear.”

Several pirates stood frozen along the deck, watching you with a mix of shock, hostility, and undeniable interest. Each one of them was armed, sword hilts glinting at their hips and pistols tucked into belts that looped over their barrel-sized chests.

“Easy, lass,” Jake said, taking hold of your arm again. You barely registered that you’d made a sudden, jerky movement to flee the ship and go back down the net, but he’d stopped you before you could go anywhere.

“None of my men will hurt you,” he promised, and when you met his eyes with a terrified glance, you saw that he meant it.

“I have to trust you on this, too?” you asked feebly.

His mouth curved in a smile. “Aye. You’re getting the idea, lass.”

He let you go, a testament to his trust in you not to try and run, and nodded to the stairs before you.

“Allow me to escort you to my quarters,” he said.

You flushed. “Y-your quarters?”

“Indeed. Where I shall leave you to your own devices and come back out to be with my men.”

You gave a shaky sigh of relief. “Oh. Very well.”

You’d taken no more than two steps towards the stairs when another man appeared at the top of them, his features strikingly similar to Jake’s but done up in dark makeup that matched the black clothes he wore.

“Why, my dear Jakey,” he said with a glittering smile. “What have we here?”

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[bakawitch]

Mermay time >:3

Casteshipping au where Bakura was an infamous pirate captain who went down with his ship. Due to a cursed artefact present on his ship when he died, sometime after his death, he woke up on his ship as an aquatic humanoid. He never really leaves the ship or its general area and stays extremely territorial of it.

Enter a runaway (swimaway?) siren prince from Atlantis who has a Little Mermaid fascination with humans syndrome going on for him. He sneaks onto Bakura's ship, hoping to find some sort of exciting human regalia, only to be confronted by a very angry creature, pointing a sword at his neck. Bakura chases him around the ship, but unfortunately, due to the lack of a tail, he's considerably slower than the intruder.

Eventually, the siren starts taunting him and asking questions, which Bakura is very surprised to be able to understand (an effect of the curse). They end up talking, and the siren introduces himself as Atem. Bakura tells his story, which Atem finds really exciting, and he instantly develops a new special interest in piracy. They hang out for a while, and even after leaving, Atem stops by a lot to listen to more of the ex pirate captain's tales, given that he's not in one of his famous 'let's stab the pretty merguy' moods.

One day, Bakura ends up showing Atem the mysterious artefact that trapped him in the ocean, and Atem instantly recognises it as a lost divine treasure with mystical powers that is said to be from Poseidon himself. Atem tells him that supposedly it gives the wearer some sort of authority over the ocean and urges Bakura to put it on out of curiosity. Bakura does so with hesitation, and initially, nothing happens. After a few seconds of silence, though, the old ship suddenly starts shaking and moving. Atem and Bakura make it out on the deck, and they realise that the ship somehow started sailing underwater. Bakura wants to see how much control he can really exert over the ship, and he uses the currents to push it up to the surface.

Atem obviously falls on the floor because tail, but otherwise, he's extatic because he's technically never been this close to the sun. Bakura is also very appreciative of the sun, but now he doesn't really know what to do. Atem suggest that they just sail around for a while and see where the wind takes them. Bakura agrees and away they sail.

They end up rebuilding Bakura's old crew with other supernatural outcasts, and Atem discovers that he can make legs for himself. They go on fun vengeance adventures and treasure hunts, and they become the au's equivalent of the Flying Dutchman (I will come up with a name for their ship, I swear). Atem gets to live out his pirate fantasy away from the court, and Bakura gets over the betrayal of his old crew. They do an impromptu mid-fight marriage Pirates of Caribbean style, and they live happily ever after. The end :)

(Unless Atem's abandonment of his role as crown prince eventually comes to bite them back in the butt in the inevitable sequel.)

[bluebird167]

The Little Mermaid AU.

This was actually a rough draft of Heart’s Content which was a straightforward re-telling of the Disney film but I decided to scrap it and try for something more original. Still I wondered what you all would think of it, so I re-read and re-edited it to fit with the new cannon and well..Here it is.

In a kingdom located in Denmark, Prince Alastor prefers to spend his days sailing and exploring rather than at court, despite his advisor Husk insisting that he should focus more on honoring the wishes of his deceased parents by settling down with a nice young lady and starting a family. One day while sailing over seas he hears a beautiful voice singing from fathoms below and commands it to be followed. No one else can hear the voice though but one sailor suggests that what the prince heard may have been a mermaid, specifically Lucifer's daughter for it is said that no one on land or in the sea has a voice as lovely as hers. The sailors then proceed to tell Alastor about King Lucifer who rules over the ocean and the mer-people, and how there was a time long ago when mer-people could be seen rising to the surface but then suddenly, they stopped coming. That the sea king had forbidden them from ever rising to the shore again after he lost his queen. Alastor is intrigued by these stories but Husk just brushes them off as nautical nonsense.

Meanwhile, deep on the ocean floor in the merfolk kingdom, King Lucifer and his brothers and sister in-laws Baron Belphegor, Lady Seras, and Lord Stolas are celebrating the anniversary of their nation's founding by having each of their daughters sing in a concert for their people. The concert is conducted by Lucifer's advisor and court composer, the sea-imp Moxxie and Belphegor's daughter Bee, Seras's daughter Emily, and Stolas's daughter Octavia perform magnificently but Lucifer's daughter is not present for her solo bringing the concert to a halt and enraging Lucifer.

As it turns out, Lucifer's daughter Charlie had forgotten about the concert because she is a mermaid who dreams of life on the land and spends most of her time swimming around the surface, collecting human items that occasionally fall from ships, and trying to learn about the humans. Unfortunately her people do not care for the surface or humans, and often look down on her and mock her for her interests. Calling her “odd”. The only ones who support her are her friends Vaggie who doesn't quite understand her fascination but wants her to be happy, and Blitzo a land-imp who gives her information about the human objects she finds. Or rather information that he's concocted in his own head. As he's telling her that a fork she found is used for combing one's hair and that a pipe she found is used for music, she suddenly remembers the concert and hurries home.

Elsewhere, Adam the sea-wizard and his loyal follower Lute are plotting revenge against Lucifer for banishing them and transforming Adam from a handsome merman to a hideous cecaelia. When Adam notices how head-strong and rebellious Charlie is, like her late mother, he suspects that she may be the key to Lucifer's undoing and tells Lute to keep an eye on her.

When Charlie returns home her father reprimands her for missing the concert and going to the surface, reminding Charlie that humans killed her mother Lilith years ago. Charlie then protests that the humans who killed her were pirates and that she believes that not all humans were like them. However Lucifer is xenophobic toward humans, viewing them as nothing more than savages. He forbids Charlie from ever going to the surface again and she leaves distraught. Lucifer then assigns Moxxie to watch over Charlie and keep her out of trouble, much to the sea-imp's dismay.

Moxxie follows Charlie and Vaggie to a secret grotto where she keeps her collection of human objects. Vaggie comforts Charlie and asks why she's so interested in the surface world anyway. The sea princess then responds that she gets it from her mother and that Queen Lilith always believed that the humans and the merfolk could live together in harmony if they tried to understand each other, so she would visit the surface as often as she could and then tell her daughter about her adventures. Charlie also reveals that her father once supported her mother's dream and even had a special music box made for her to show his support but that was lost along with her mother's life. Charlie then confesses that she secretly wishes to live in the surface world and have her own adventures, and wonders if maybe the humans would be more accepting of her "odd" nature than the merfolk are.

Moxxie is horrified by this discovery and makes his presence known. Charlie quickly pleads with Moxxie not to tell Lucifer about her collection or her secret wish. Moxxie promises not to but tries to convince Charlie to forget her strange hobbies and focus more on music and her singing. The conversation is interrupted when Charlie sees a ship floating overhead and curiously, swims up to investigate. She swims closer to the ship and spies on the sailors aboard who are celebrating Alastor's birthday. She watches the young man play the flute and dance with his cat Kee Kee and the crew, further intriguing her. During the party, the prime minister Zestial tells the prince that he must find a bride and take up his father's crown, then tells him that he is planning to arrange a marriage for him and the duchess Verosicka. Alastor and Husk both protest, insisting that both his father and mother would have wanted him to marry for love. Zestial counter-argues that despite that, the prince doesn't have anyone to love. Alastor tells them that the woman he falls in love with will be someone who's different. Someone who's "odd". Hearing this, Charlie is instantly smitten.

A storm suddenly hits and when the crew cannot steer the ship to safety, Alastor risks his life to get everyone on board including Kee Kee over to the lifeboats, choosing to be the last one to get off. Just as it's his turn, lighting strikes and the ship breaks apart. Alastor is tossed overboard and knocked unconscious. Charlie saves him from drowning and drags him to the shore. The storm ends by morning and Charlie checks to see if Alastor is still alive. When she sees that he is, she sings to him. Alastor begins to stir and the two fall in love.

Alastor dazedly begs Charlie to stay but she is forced to leave when she hears Husk coming. However Charlie vows to find a way to be with him and Alastor vows to find the woman who saved him. All of which is witnessed by Lute and as Adam spies on them through her eyes, he boasts on how he can use these star-crossed lovers to his advantage and that the reason for his transformation and banishment was that years ago, he and Lilith had been arranged to marry but she fell in love with Lucifer, choosing to marry him instead. Out of jealousy and revenge, he arranged for Lucifer to be killed by pirates but Lilith pushed her husband out of the way, taking the killing blow for him. He then remarks that Lucifer’s lovely little princess would make a charming bride.

After Charlie returns home, her behavior makes her father and her cousins Bee, Emily, and Octavia suspect that she has fallen in love. Moxxie tries to convince her that the sea is where she belongs and points out all the wonders of it, but she only dismisses his words and swims off. On land, Alastor is pressured into a dinner with the duchess Verosicka but he quickly realizes that she’s a vain woman only wants to marry him to become queen and rejects her advances. This upsets Zestial who believes in marriage for convenience but Husk proposes a compromise, that they give Alastor some time to fall in love and find a woman to marry before betrothing him to the duchess. Alastor reluctantly accepts but reveals that he’s in love with the one who saved him and wants to marry her but the only clue he has to find her is her beautiful voice and eyes.

At first Lucifer is pleased with the idea that Charlie has found love and asks Moxxie who the lucky “merman” is? Unfortunately Moxxie accidentally reveals that Charlie saved a human and that he is the one she is in love with. Lucifer is furious and forces Moxxie to take him to Charlie's grotto. There Vaggie has surprised Charlie with a small, marble statue of the prince that she found on the ocean floor and the princess gleefully starts to talk about how she'll sneak away to the surface to visit the prince. But Lucifer appears at the grotto and is enraged by her plans. Charlie tries to explain but Lucifer refuses to listen and destroys her collection of artifacts in a misguided attempt to protect her. Charlie swims away to cry and Lucifer is left feeling guilty for his actions but convinced that it was for her own good.

Once alone, Lute approaches Charlie and tells her that Adam has great power which he uses to help others achieve their greatest desires, and that she was once a land creature who dreamed of life in the sea and Adam made that dream real. Charlie knows nothing of Adam or of his past with her parents, and she's so devastated by her father's actions and feels so alone in her own world, that she agrees to go see him. Moxxie and Vaggie spot Charlie with Lute and follow them to Adam's lair. When Moxxie realizes who Charlie is about to meet, he rushes to warn her but Lute silences him and Vaggie.

Adam tells Charlie that the only way to be with Alastor is to become human and he offers to turn her into one for a month and if she can win Alastor's love and receive a true love's kiss from him before the sun sets on the final day, she will remain human forever. But if he doesn't then she'll turn back into a mermaid and be Adam's prisoner. He also demands that Charlie give him her voice as payment for the potion. At first Charlie is hesitate to accept, unsure if she can leave her father, family, and friends forever or give up her voice as it is her last connection to her mother. But Adam manipulates her by saying that she never really belonged in the sea to begin with and no one down below will ever truly accept her. And he convinces her that giving up her voice will be no great loss because she'll be the most beautiful human woman anyone has ever seen and that she will dance more gracefully than any other. In the end Charlie accepts the deal, Adam then takes her voice and locks it away in a nautilus shell, and gives her a potion that turns her tail into legs. Vaggie and Moxxie quickly get her to the surface before she can drown.

They meet Blitzo by the shore and Charlie is thrilled at finally becoming a human while Moxxie is mortified and almost goes to tell Lucifer what happened. But Vaggie and a now silent Charlie persuade him to instead help them as this is the only chance Charlie has at being truly happy. Blitzo finds some discarded rags and cloth to cover Charlie’s body with, just as she’s found on the beach by Alastor. He doesn’t think she’s the one who saved him due to her no longer having a voice but something about her beautiful eyes draw him to her so he decides to take her to the palace, inviting her to stay as his guest.

Inside, Rosie the headmistress of staff and Niffty the maid, take care of Charlie and see that she is treated like royalty. Giving her a suite and baths, dressing her in gowns of silk and muslin, weaving pearls into her hair, all the while Charlie is fascinated by the new world around her. In the evening, a banquet and ball is held in hopes that Alastor will choose a bride but none of the young ladies attending interest him.

When Charlie enters the room, Alastor is astonished by her beauty and invites her to sit with him and Husk at the banquet table. Charlie attempts to impress him by brushing her hair with a fork and blowing Husk’s pipe like it’s an instrument. All the guests laugh at her but Alastor finds her “odd” behavior charming and smiles at her.

Moxxie and Blitzo sneak into the palace to keep an eye on Charlie but the royal Chef Pentious mistakes them for being crabs and tries to cook them for dinner. They retaliate, leading to a brawl that disrupts the meal but luckily Blitzo escapes out the window while Charlie hides Moxxie in her room. After dinner Alastor teaches Charlie to dance and despite her clumsiness, she still moves with grace and charms him even further with her eloquent eyes. As Husk, Rosie, and Niffty watch them dance, they are pleased to see the prince so happy and suspect that love is in the air.

The next day, Alastor takes Charlie on a tour of the kingdom, going to shops and stands, introducing her to his neighbors and good friends, and he is further impressed with how she responds to everything with such an innocent and playful fascination. They end the day with a picnic on the beach which Charlie enjoys but as she watches the tide, she starts to become homesick and dips her feet in the water. Alastor notices that she's sad and understands that she misses her family. He comforts her and opens up to her about how he lost his parents and misses them. To cheer her up, he gives her a present, one of the many artifacts that his father brought back from his days as an explorer and to Charlie's wonder and joy, the gift is her mother's music box. She embraces him and they almost kiss but Alastor backs out, still longing for the "one" who saved him.

As Adam continues to spy on Charlie, he starts to become anxious. He tells Lute that he gave Charlie a month to win Alastor's heart because he knows that the prince is expected to marry another woman by the month's end and is sure that humans never break an arranged marriage. Still, he sends Lute upward to make absolutely certain that the kiss doesn't happen.

As the weeks pass, Alastor and Charlie grow closer. They go horseback riding, they climb mountain tops, he takes her sailing, and she listens to him whenever he talks about how he doesn't want to be king and that he's not sure he will be as good at running a kingdom as his parents were. Not one day goes by where they are not together yet Alastor still does not even make an attempt to kiss her. But while she spends her days with Alastor, Charlie spends her nights dipping her feet in the ocean and visiting with Vaggie who misses her terribly but is glad that she's happy. One night as Charlie comes back from the beach, she over hears Zestial and Husk arguing about Alastor's betrothal to Verosicka and she fears that he may love another. Rosie and Niffty figure this out and comfort Charlie, assuring her that Alastor does not like Verosicka at all and that they truly believe that if he ever married anyone, it'll be her. Meanwhile, Lucifer and his family have been searching the entire ocean for Charlie and Moxxie the remorseful sea king breaks down to his brother in-law Stolas about how he knows Charlie and Moxxie's disappearances are his fault and that he failed them and Lilith. Stolas however assures him that Charlie and Moxxie will be found and that his sister knows how much he loves and tries. Still Lucifer cannot help but constantly say "What have I done? What have I done?"

On the day before the last day of the month, Alastor takes Charlie on a romantic boat ride in a lagoon. A secret spot where his father used to take his mother and he tells her how his father met his mother while exploring the middle east and how different she was from all the other woman he had met before. That she was "odd" just like how his father was "odd" and they fell so much in love that no matter what they faced, no matter what stood in their way, they would always find each other. He then confesses that he wants a love like that and that is why he cannot consent to an arranged marriage. He also confesses that he considers himself "odd" and that he thinks Charlie is wonderful because she's "odd" too. Moxxie takes advantage of the moment by working with Bltizo to create a romantic atmosphere and again they almost kiss, but Lute ruins the moment by tipping the boat over.

Furious at Charlie's close success, Adam decides to take matters into his own tentacles but going up to the surface and appears to a jealous Verosicka, who is sulking over the fact that the prince would prefer a “little mute" over herself. Adam offers Versoicka a solution and gives her specific instructions to follow. That night, Husk suggests to Alastor that "Far better than any dream girl is one of flesh and blood, one warm and caring, and right before your eyes." Alastor takes this advice to heart and realizes that he's fallen in love with Charlie. He decides to forget his dream girl and marry Charlie instead but before he can tell her how he feels, he is approached by Versoicka who is now wearing the nautilus shell containing Charlie's voice around her neck. She uses the voice to bewitch Alastor to forget all about Charlie and marry the "one with the voice."

The next morning Charlie learns that Alastor has decided to marry Verosicka today, much to the joy of Zestial and the confusion of Husk, Rosie, and Niffty. Charlie tries to get Alastor's attention but Versoicka does everything in her power to keep him from seeing her, and when the staff questions him about Charlie, he claims not know such a woman. Heartbroken, Charlie runs off in tears, sobbing by the shore as the wedding ship departs. But Blitzo suspects that something is up and decides to do a little snooping. He spies on Verosicka and sees her conversing with Adam through a mirror, in which they reveal that they've been using Charlie's voice to keep Alastor in a trance and that Verosicka must not let Alastor see his true love or the spell may weaken. Blitzo quickly warns his friends and they devise a plan, Vaggie will take Charlie to the wedding ship, Moxxie will get Lucifer, and Blitzo will stall the wedding.

Blitzo enlists sea animals and Kee Kee to help him and together they disrupt the wedding and attack Verosicka. Vaggie and Charlie get closer to the ship but Lute turns herself into a shark and attacks them. Vaggie fights her, giving Charlie a chance to climb aboard. Alastor finally sees her, bedraggled and on the verge of collapsing, he starts to remember her and rushes to embrace her. Veroscika attempts to strengthen the spell over him but Blitzo rips the nautilus shell from her neck and breaks it at Charlie's feet. Charlie's voice is restored to her and Alastor realizes that she's the one. Tragically, just before their lips can touch, the sunsets and Charlie turns back into a mermaid. It's too late and Adam takes Charlie away, but Alastor is determined not to lose her again.

Lucifer confronts Adam and agrees to take his daughter's place and give him his trident, in exchange for her freedom. Adam agrees, he claims the trident for himself and turns Lucifer into a sea worm to Moxxie's and Charlie's horror. Charlie attempts to take the trident back to save her father but Adam restrains her. Alastor, having found them, shoots a harpoon at Adam to defend her and Lute responds by trying to drown him. Vaggie and Moxxie defend him and Adam attempts to kill all three of them with the trident but Charlie intervenes, causing the blast to hit and kill Lute instead.

Alastor and Charlie reunite at the surface and she urges him to get away for his safety but he refuses to leave her. The couple is suddenly pursued by an enraged Adam who controls the waters to bring them to him. He takes Charlie hostage and starts trying to drown Alastor, all the while taunting him about how once he's dead, he'll takeover not only Charlie's kingdom but Alastor's as well, enslaving both of their people, and pushing the final button by declaring that he'll make Charlie his replacement bride for Lilith. Furious, Alastor reaches for the harpoon he threw earlier and stabs Adam in the chest. In pain, he drops both them and the trident, and the couple use the trident to destroy Adam.

Afterward, Alastor and Charlie swim to the shore where he proclaims his love for her and they share true love's kiss. But then Charlie tells him that although she loves him too, they belong in different worlds and that they can never be together. Alastor pleads with her not to leave him, that they can surely find a way but she tearfully insists that there is no such way. She returns to the sea and is overjoyed to see her father restored to his true form, they embrace, and both apologize for the mistakes they've made. Charlie agrees to go home but asks to have one last look at Alastor first and Lucifer consents. Seeing the way Charlie looks at Alastor and the way he looked at her, reminds Lucifer of how he used to look at Lilith and recalls that Alastor had risked his life to save his daughter just as Lilith had given her life for her husband. Realizing that he was wrong and that he wants Charlie to be happy, Lucifer decides to change Charlie into a human for good, she runs into Alastor's arms, they kiss, and at some point marry, finally uniting humans and merfolk just as Lilith always wanted.

[creativesnek]

Bowuigi Selkie AU

Ch. 2: The Sea's Curious Eyes

Luigi was perplexed as to why he engaged in this forbidden act. His brother had explicitly prohibited it and with good reason. Nevertheless, he defied his brother's words and emerged from the ocean's depths, stepping onto the stable ground.

The young selkie concealed himself behind a cluster of rocks, draping his enchanted coat over his shoulders. From a secure vantage point, he observed the pirate captain effortlessly casting his net into the vast expanse of the ocean. Luigi attentively watched as the mariner skillfully reeled in his catch, taking note of the captain's impressively defined arm and chest muscles.

He had never encountered a being quite like this before. It was evident that this individual was not human, not only due to their distinct physical appearance, but also because of their remarkable affinity for the sea. Luigi observed with fascination as the reptilian creature skillfully plucked fish from the net, carefully selecting only those it required and returning the rest to the ocean. The captain's nurturing behavior towards the marine ecosystem was truly remarkable. Luigi tilted his head and cooed. He’s taking what he needs, he thought. 

The mustachioed selkie has witnessed this unfortunate occurrence far too often: entire reefs decimated by individuals driven by self-interest. He has found himself consoling sharks in their final moments, as they are callously tossed back into the water with their fins brutally torn from their bodies. On a few occasions, he and his brother have taken on the responsibility of nurturing an orphaned whale calf, left motherless due to the insatiable pursuit of profit.

But yet, here stood someone who clearly defied all that.

After he gathered enough, the turtle-dragon reached into his pocket and retrieved a piece of cloth; once he held it to the light, Luigi saw there was a gemstone within. The captain walked deeper into the tide, then dropped the gem into the sea where it was quickly swallowed by a wave; a thank you for the sustenance it provided. 

Mario was wrong about these pirates, if they even were that to begin with. Luigi has never seen such a respectful gesture for the sea. Whoever they are, the selkie would like to know them. His heart was racing at the thought. 

The captain kneeled down and grabbed the basket of fish, stopping a moment to wipe his brow before setting off down the beach. Luigi gasped softly, then quickly slipped his coat on and sank into the watery depths. He raced towards the spot the captain had just been mere moments ago, scouring the sands below. After a few minutes, he found what he was looking for.

The beautiful gem the captain dropped to the sea.

.

.

.

Once again, ignoring his brother’s words, Luigi continued observing the island’s visitor from a distance for the rest of the day. He watched from a safe distance (so Mario couldn’t technically reprimand him)  and tried to remain in his seal form. For the most part, it would seem the crew was just passing by and resting after a seemingly long trip.

They weren’t doing anything harmful, just playing on the beach and maintaining their ship. It was a rather domestic sight; furthermore, it soothed his fears and anxieties that they were to cause harm. And with that settled, Luigi decided to call it a day and head back to the den. Mario must be wondering where he was.

╚══ ≪ °❈° ≫ ══╝

Oh, Bowser was more than aware he was being watched. He could see their silhouette out of the corner of his eye and could smell them from his position; despite that, the captain was not too concerned. 

It wasn’t every day he was within the presence of a selkie.

Kamek has told him stories of the mysterious creatures ever since he was little, how they were shape-shifters that took the appearance of seals and guarded reefs. At first, Bowser didn’t believe it was a selkie spying on them from a distance; however, his encounter and their scent proved otherwise. He remembered vividly that the seal that interrupted his nap had vibrant blue eyes, something he had never seen or heard occur in seals; furthermore, they had a darker spot on their snout that looked a lot like a mustache. 

Not only did their appearance differ, but their behavior exhibited a higher level of sentience compared to that of a typical animal. These distinctive qualities served as undeniable evidence supporting Bowser's assertion. However, possessing this knowledge did not provide him with much assistance. The presence of a selkie, a harbinger of good fortune, following him was indeed an honorable occurrence, but how does he respond?! 

Bowser dropped a jewel into the sea, but was that enough? The least he wanted to do was insult the guardian of this island! He also worried that he may have somehow upset them; after all, they were being rather vigilant towards him. He should consult Kamek as soon as he can.

With a huff of smoke, Bowser headed down the beach and boarded the ship, weaving his way through the relaxed crew. Some seemed to be playing betting games, playing Liar’s dice or darts; others busied themselves writing letters to loved ones or preparing meals for the day. The captain smiled softly at the sight, then headed below the decks and toward the officer’s quarters. 

Entering the officer's quarters, Bowser found Kamek engrossed in a collection of maps and charts spread across a large wooden table. The quartermaster looked up and adjusted his glasses, “Hello captain, how did your net fishing go?” he asked.

Bowser walked over and grabbed a stool. “Got quite the catch today; the crew will be happy having fresh fish rather than the dry rations for supper for the next few days.”

“Yes, our rations have been low so this will most certainly buy us some time before we reach the next ” replied Kamek. “However, you didn’t come here to tell me about that.”

The aging sailor got up and grabbed a book from the lining shelves; he flicked through its pages before walking back to the desk. Bowser nervously wrung his hands, “You’re right about that,” he said. He waited a moment for Kamek to get comfortable before just coming out to say it. 

“We are being watched by a selkie.”

Kamek's eyes widened in surprise as he absorbed Bowser's words. The mention of a selkie immediately piqued his interest, for he knew that these mythical creatures were known to possess magical abilities and had a deep connection with the sea.

"Are you certain?" Kamek asked, his voice filled with a mix of curiosity and concern. "How did you come to this conclusion?"

Bowser leaned forward in his chair, brow furrowed. "I've been noticing some strange occurrences lately," he explained. "Unexplained ripples in the water, glimpses of a shimmering figure disappearing beneath the waves, and an eerie feeling that we're constantly being observed."

Suddenly Kamek appeared in front of him, clutching his shirt. He stared intently into Bowser’s eyes, “Do you have any idea what this means?!”

“No… That’s why I’m telling you,”

Kamek let go and started pacing, “Selkies are such skittish creatures; rightfully so, considering there are wretched bastards out there willing to steal their coats.”

Bowser growled at the mention. To steal a selkie’s coat was to steal a piece of them; it was a truly despicable crime. And the fact that most did so to force the magical creatures into marriage just made it even more horrible. They have every right to be afraid of landfolk. Kamek snapped his fingers, catching his attention. “Bowser, you haven’t told anyone else about your suspicions, right?” he asked.

The captain shook his head. “I wasn’t about to risk their safety,” he replied. “But what does this mean? Why are they so interested in us?”

Kamek tapped his chin and walked around. The two stood there, mulling over the situation. After a few moments of silence, the quartermaster snapped his fingers, “Perhaps they misunderstood our presence,” he said. He walked over to his desk and retrieved some random materials; a polished gemstone, an empty bottle, and other miscellaneous items. Bowser watched as he walked around, grabbing ingredients from baskets and shelves.

The captain watched as he worked with a confused look on his face. Kamek threw them into the cauldron, then looked at an old calendar behind his seat. Mumbling under his breath, the koopa continued going, completely ignoring his presence. Bowser crossed his arms, “What’re you doing?” he asked. 

Kamek started stirring the contents in the cauldron. “Preparing an offering for you to give them,” he replied. “Tonight’s a full moon, so it’s perfect! With this, we may be able to convince them that we mean no harm.”

“Why do I have to do it?” asked Bowser.

“Because you were the one that noticed their presence and are the captain of this ship.”

Bowser grumbled. It’s not that he doesn’t want to do this; he’s just deadly afraid he’ll mess up and insult the selkie. As Kamek continued to stir the contents in the cauldron, a mixture of herbs and mystical ingredients, Bowser couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He glanced at Kamek, who seemed confident in their plan. "But what if they don't believe us? What if they attack instead?" Bowser voiced his concerns, his voice laced with worry.

Kamek paused for a moment, considering Bowser's words. "I understand your fears, Bowser," he replied calmly. "But we have to try. The selkies are powerful beings, and if we can convince them that our intentions are peaceful, they might even bless us."

Bowser sighed heavily, realizing that Kamek was right. He had been the one to notice the presence of the selkies near their ship during their journey through these treacherous waters. Having a selkie’s blessing would do them some good, considering the foe they were facing. King Boo would do anything to tear them, considering they were a threat to his rule. And who knew… perhaps the mystical shape-shifter will get closer, allowing themselves to be seen by him.

.

.

.

Nighttime quickly fell upon them. The captain waited until everyone was asleep below decks before proceeding with his plan. Carefully, he quickly put on his boots and grabbed the offering basket; for someone of such size, Bower managed to leave the ship silently. 

The moon hung high in the sky, casting an ethereal glow over the vast expanse of the ocean. Bower's eyes scanned the horizon, searching for any signs of danger or unwanted attention. Sand crunched softly beneath his feet as he headed towards a familiar set of rocks; hopefully, that would be close enough for him to see them, but not too close that he’ll scare the selkie.

Reciting Kamek’s instructions under his breath, Bowser held the gemstone into the moonlight before placing it inside the basket. He walked to the tree line and retrieved some colorful flowers; he meticulously placed them inside the basket then put it into the tranquil waters. The captain gave it a small nudge forward and watched it drift away.

╚══ ≪ °❈° ≫ ══╝

“Where were you today, bro?” asked Mario.

Luigi clutched his bowl of food tightly. He hasn’t come up with an excuse for his absence today; he was too busy gawking watching over the captain. Something simple should work; Mario looked exhausted after swimming all the way to the Jellie Kingdom and spending a full day with the princess. With a forced smile, Luigi replied, "Oh, you know, just helped some of the Jellies with their seagrass fields. The currents were strong today" He hoped his nonchalant tone would divert Mario's suspicions.

Mario sighed. “Ah, that makes sense!” he said. 

“H-how was your date with Peach?” Luigi asked in a desperate attempt to change the topic.

Mario threw another log into the fire. Thankfully, the cove they lived in was big enough that the smoke could exit with ease and the light wouldn’t be too noticeable. The elder twin adjusted his coat around his hips and sat down, “Everything went well. We had lunch and I carried her around to see some of the flower patches outside the lagoon,” he said.

Luigi listened intently; it always lifted his spirits when Mario talked about Peach. The mermaid was such a sweet soul, caring for the kingdom that took her in during a time of need. That and she made his brother very happy. While the relationship seemed odd from the outside, (a relationship between a selkie and a mermaid was unheard of) the two really cared for each other and made it work. Since Mario could also walk on land, he would often carry Peach along with him, allowing the princess to see the world outside the massive lagoon within the island. 

Some day, Luigi hopes to be with some like that.

The first person that came to mind in that department was the pirate captain. The thought surprised him, causing him to choke on a bite of food. Luigi had always been a dreamer, occasionally envisioning himself in extraordinary situations and seeking companionship with unique individuals. He remembered his short-lived crush on the spunky merl Daisy from the Betta tribe. Or that other time, he embarrassed himself in front of a royal court because he couldn’t stop blushing when the seahorse mer Peasly kept chatting with him.

As he sat there, gasping for air (and assuring his brother that he was okay) after his unexpected choking episode, he couldn't help but wonder why the pirate captain had popped into his mind. It’s not like he didn’t meet his taste in partners. The captain seemed to possess an air of confidence and freedom that Luigi found incredibly alluring. Not to mention he was rather aesthetically pleasing in Luigi’s eyes. The way his scales shimmered in the light, those bright red eyes…

Luigi was pulled away from his daydreaming to hear something heavy fall to the ground. He looked to the other side of the fire and saw Mario on the floor, snoring louder than a walrus. The younger brother put his bowl of cold food to the side, then got up. He picked Mario up and carried him to his bed of woven seagrass. Luigi draped a blanket over him before walking to the entrance of the cove.

A bright light in the distance caught his attention; something was shimmering with moonlight. Luigi squinted, trying to get a better view but couldn’t discern what it was. He looked over his shoulder; Mario was out cold, he wouldn’t wake up until morning. Luigi had plenty of time to check out what this mysterious light was. Slipping on his coat, the now transformed seal headed towards it.

[jaim-inhothekid]

 ⎈ 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐔𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦

[ W.C ! ] : 1.5k

[ Summary ! ] : Usopp has been having those vivid dreams about being part of a pirate crew. A certain person starts to appear in his dreams and can't seem to leave his thoughts. He never expected to find them during class a random day. | GN!Reader ; Modern AU

⌗ ✎ Author's Note : This was originally a trade fic for one of the members of my one piece discord server!

Usopp always had his head up in the clouds, a fertile imagination, as his mother would call it. Smiling fondly and nodding along to the crazy stories he would make up on the spot, she would gasp and cover her mouth in disbelief when his tales took an unexpected turn, laugh at the funny parts, wipe her eyes and pout solemnly when a tragedy was told. Always so expressive and genuine, Usopp inherited her best traits. Spontaneity is one, if not the most important, attribute of a storyteller.

Usopp always had a particular fascination with pirates during his childhood. He bragged and boasted about being a brave warrior of the sea, with a fleet of over eighty-thousand men, captain of the most notorious crew to ever grace the seven seas – the usopp pirates, they were called. A plain black shirt that didn't fit him anymore turned into a flag, the jolly roger sloppily painted in gouache, sheets turned into sails held by the cable of a broom he took from his mother to use as a mast – and would deny vehemently to know where it could've possibly gotten. Sat on the deck, the headboard, Usopp would reunite all of his crew mates, his plushies, and set sail for the most wild of adventures all day long, until 10pm because he couldn't go past his bedtime.

He grew out of it with time, as it was never more than a childhood phase of playing pretend. Though the childish wonder about pirates was something that was never quite forgotten, Usopp would catch himself daydreaming about certain scenarios – about a life of utmost freedom and adventure. Maybe his infatuation came with the desire of putting himself in the world, leaving a mark, feeling like he mattered. Usopp wanted to be brave and adventurous and so so much more, acclaimed like king or praised like a God – or just knowing that he was an important part of something that wouldn't be quite the same without him, in that case, a crew.

He thought of the sea, which could be equally terrifying as it was beautiful. The tangy smell of salt in the air, the crash of the waves against the hull of the ship, the steady swaying of it as it navigated through the waters. He thought of all the possibilities that the waters had in store for him – the ocean only had roughly 5% of it discovered by humanity, did it not? What exactly disproves the existence of creatures lurking in its depths? Monsters bigger than he could imagine, with nothing to compare their size to, areas that have never been navigated through, places that have never even been drawn into maps– okay, pause on that thought, it's starting to get disturbing. The pirate fantasy would really lose its spark if Usopp managed to give himself thalassophobia by overthinking the dangers of the sea.

It's been a while, about a month or two, that his imaginations seemed to reach their peak. He even started to dream about them, vividly so, and things like that didn't happen since he was a little kid. He thought about college and that it was probably the culprit of his head being even further into the clouds than it already was on a regular basis. He was getting closer to the week of finals, after all.

However, his dreams started to feature a new element ever since, and for that, he had no explanation. Said element was a new person, with eyes like shining rhinestones – that reminded him of the brightest starry sky he could think of, beautiful like diamonds, and just as unforgettable To his frustration, Usopp would always wake up before he had the chance of asking for their name, and to his anticipation, he knew that he would see them again once his drowsy eyes fell closed when his head hit the pillow.

Mx. Mystery, as he decided to refer to them, became the main character of his mind. With their beautiful smile and contagious laughter and tooth rotting sweet disposition that left him feeling all tingly as a dumb smile tugged on his lips. Staring off the windows of his classroom with them on his mind, replaying the dream he had the previous night, feeling giddy about what scenario would he dream about with them tonight when he got home–

“Excuse me,” came a voice next to him, “Is this seat taken?”

Usopp immediately turned his head to the source of the voice, ready to reply… but no words came out. Everything he could've possibly have said died in his throat when he saw an unmistakable face with a familiar pair of gentle eyes.

Eyes…

Huh?!

That's them! 

But… wait, what?

The person of his dreams…!

He blinked up at them, and then at the seat… oh, right, he put his bag there. “Uh, n– no! Um, sorry, let me just–,” Usopp stuttered, laughing awkwardly as he took the bag into his lap and wiped the seat clean. Why did he even do that? He was so weird when he got nervous “There! There, uh, it's free”

Mx. Mystery didn't seem to mind him stumbling over himself, as they wordlessly flashed him a sweet smile and sat themselves in the seat next to him, offering him their hand for a handshake “I'm Y/N” they said, and it was like Usopp finally got the final clue for a mystery he spent his whole life trying to discover.

“The name's Usopp,” he said, a smile of his own stretching over his lips, more confident this time “It's nice to meet you”

Conversation flowed easily with Y/N, and he honestly barely paid attention to the lesson at all while they were by his side, they talked about anything and everything – each word that left their lips got him over the moon, he never met someone who had so much in common with him! He wished for this specific day to last 72 hours minimum because he didn't want to phantom the idea of having to bid them goodbye.

As they talked, Y/N told him all sorts of things about themselves  to which he reciprocated by telling them more about himself as well. Y/N was in their first period of college and recently moved cities because of their scholarship, Usopp clung onto every word they told him about their major and why they chose it. Usopp told them about how he was born and raised on a small island near the beach and was a graphic design major. He was currently working on a personal project for a comic book – about a pirate kid who ate a magical fruit that gave him powers, but in turn, took his ability to swim.

“Imagine living in the sea and not knowing how to swim!” Y/N laughed, their cheek resting on their fist as they propped up their elbow on the desk “That's really ironic"

“I know!” Usopp nodded, crossing his arms over his chest, grinning proudly as he could get the whole point of it across “That's why I wrote it”

“Y'know, sometimes I have these dreams about being in a pirate crew. It's kinda weird”

Usopp paused, and in that moment, it was like the whole world paused along with him.

“... I don't think it's weird”

Their conversation didn't stop there. In fact, they seemed to have even more to talk about after that point. They had so much in common that Usopp couldn't help but wonder where have they been all his life, that it felt too good to be true, that it looked like he was still imagining things– until Y/N tugged on his sleeve, nodding their chin towards the door, the class ended 10 minutes ago.

“Hey, do you know the little coffee shop down the street? The one next to the Skypiea building?” They asked, already jumping out of their seat as they urged Usopp to do the same.

“Are you kidding?! I love that shop!”

“Really!? Oh my god, me too!”

And so they went, walking side by side, fingers shyly brushing against each other with every step, growing closer just to steadily grow apart again. For some reason, they grew quieter as they walked off the campus – eyes meeting, a mutual searching for something, and then looking away. The silence stretched uncomfortably as they exchanged those glances, searching for familiar traits in one another.

Usopp had the sudden urge to ask about the dreams. He cleared his throat, puffed out his chest – and then thought it over, and a third time. Would they think he's a weirdo for it? It's a possibility because dreaming about the same scenario is one thing, but asking a person you just met if they also dreamed of you was bordering on crazy. But also, he felt like he needed to say something about it, anything. He glanced at Y/N from the corner of his eyes, immediately looking away when he realized they were looking first, his cheeks felt hot. Get your act together!

Deep breath, don't think about it, he turned to them to speak his thoughts. Y/N seemed to have the exact same thing on their mind when he turned to them, because their mouth was already open and words were spilling out of it, coming in unison with his own.

“I think i saw you in my dreams”

[rogueddie]

Pirate Steddie au where Eddie and Steve first meet when he pushes him out of the way of something dangerous, just a simple little thing as they passed by that Eddie thought nothing of. But when he's later captured, sentenced to hanging, Steve feels a little indebted... that's what he says anyway, refusing to tell anyone how fascinated he is by the idea of running away. And, whilst helping Eddie escape onto his ship, he's given the perfect chance. So he gets on the ship too, watching with nervous excitement as the place he's been trapped in grows smaller in the distance.

[deskgirl]

If I can’t find comfort in the fandom tags, I’ll make it myself.

Here’s how SteddyHands can win:

Yet another (museum) Reincarnation AU

Stede Bonnet, separated from his wife and trying to discover himself, decides to pursue his love of pirates with a museum. He proceeds to have it built to his specifications with all kinds of fascinating architecture and a main exhibit room large enough to house an entire recreation of a pirate ship that visitors can board (with secret passageways?). He hires a bunch of niche historians, people with no degrees but an absurd amount of specific knowledge on one thing or another, people with social skills looking for a good paycheck, and theater/stunt/background actors happy to put on a costume and play pirate.

He then either catches the attention of or extends an invite to leading Golden Age Piracy experts Izzy and Ed (who perhaps met while earning their doctorates and bonded over the fact that they both have names similar to the historical pirates of old. This is a small point of contention and later bonding that Stede also has a pirate name (or perhaps changed it from Thomas Edwards as part of his reinvention of himself).

Ed is enamored. Izzy thinks this is a rich man’s midlife crisis. But they’re all on this ship together now getting this museum ready for its big debut and they’re going to keep it afloat no matter what.

And maybe in the midst of all this history, they’ll find a hopeful future together.

I’ll have to draft out the beats, but this might be something I manage to write…look in the reblogs for me possibly adding more details as I think of them.

[amarguerite]

Pan-Austen pirates AU? :D

1) oooh ok. I think a very fascinating translation of the power structure would be all the major landowning characters being captains of their particular ships

2) I think it would be particularly funny if the Bennets were directly plopped into infamous Chinese pirate queen Ching Shih’s fleet because at one point the pirates on their little fishing vessels managed to capture a Western ship in Canton, and also managed to pretty much evade all punishment by the Chinese Emperor. I think this would be a fun parallel to 2/5ths of the Bennet daughters making miraculously good marriages.

3) Mr. Woodhouse’s problem is that he’s a broken man on a Halifax pier, the last of Barret’s privateers. This has understandably put him off the whole piratical business and he (or rather Emma) is a well-known fence for stolen goods.

4) The Crawford siblings are some of the best pirates in the whole canon.

5) Catherine Morland is pretry convinced she is in the Pirates of the Caribbean while really she’s in Black Sails. Sorry Cathy, it’s not an ancient Aztec curse, it’s just capitalism.

[weather-mood]

Ummm Loustat x Pirates of the Carribean ??

I love this 🏴‍☠️

1. First, Lestat is not Will. I’m sorry! He’s not good or loyal enough to be Will! Lestat is Captain Jack Sparrow. Search your heart, you know this to be true.

2. Louis is our Elizabeth-Will figure role-wise, he’s trans, he’s into sneaking away to the blacksmith where he likes to train with the swords, he’s not the daughter that his father the governor wished him to be, he’s fascinated by pirates and the implicit freedom that life could provide.

3. Armand is Barbosa. Armand led the mutiny against Lestat and stole Lestat’s original crew, Lestat’s ship, and his whole vibe.

4. Loumandstat! Louis and Armand have that charged dinner scene on the ship, Louis kisses Lestat to handcuff him and gets him nearly eaten by the kraken, and the Lestat and Armand rivalry is unparalleled.

5. Daniel Molloy (or maybe Santiago if we’re going more villainous) is Norrington.

AU Ask Game

[long-lost-mcguffin]

'Kay so, first thanks for the answer!

Second, in the pirate AU what does Wu thinks of all this mess? I'm guessing he fast recognized those were Maya and Ray children once they used their powers. Does Wu know Lloyd ends with them and that that's his nephew?

And what does the OG 3 thinks of all this mess? Like do they view the pirate crew?

-Pandemonium Kidz

you’re welcome :33 thank you for being interested in my silly au

and you’re correct!! Wu pretty quickly recognizes Kai and Nya, and he also sees Lloyd end up on the Black Drake. it’s very similar to what happens with the serpentine, where Lloyd doesn’t really understand the gravity of his situation and is having way too much fun.

Wu is instantly terrified because he’s worried Morro will corrupt him or put him in danger, and he’s very confused on how the siblings got there too.

the og3 are also very confused, who the hell is this pirate captain and why does he know Wu? what’s the green ninja prophecy?

Jay is still weird as ever, in their first confrontation he immediately tries flirting with Nya which turns into his shit getting rightfully rocked. at some point Jay gets captured for info on the green ninja and he just tries flirting with Nya the entire time. Nya begs Morro to throw him overboard, Morro says no.

Zane is fascinated by the pirates use of their powers and how they combine them for battle. he later suggests doing something similar with Cole. Wu walks out to the monastery training yard and finds Cole frozen up to his waist and Zane covered in mud.

Cole’s more interested in the ship, because the figurehead(the sculpture on the front of boats) is covered in this black kelpy mass that glows green in some places whenever the captain uses his wind. Wu is also very curious about it, and spends a lot of time trying to find out what it could be. maybe it’s connected to Morro’s left eye and that odd green streak in his hair…

[the-kr8tor]

Little update on the cyberpunk motorbike racers au- my friend suggested 'Spikedcpider' with a c for Hobie's racer name lol It used to just be all for fun but now I'm considering it- dammit! Aha Daily Hobie HC! Alright we're going with the typical Siren x Pirate trope here.. Imagine how much more of a loveable and idiotic menace Hobie would be if he was a siren. Probably after a few encounters, because he was fascinated by how you could be so stunning and not even try to kill him, although he was a siren. Of course, he was able to turn into a human and speak your language, but he procrastinated on it since he loved the way your eyes slightly widened every time he brought you a jewel or shell or even a pearl (a black pearl?) Even your crew was pretty friendly towards him, seeing how attached the siren as to you (and vice versa), as well as the fact he just travels with the ship now. Sometimes, he brings you jewelry that matches your outfit. For example, possibly one day he found a bright blue piece of sea glass, offering it to you and gesturing to your neck(lace/s). Soon enough, the next time he saw you, you were wearing it around your neck. I bet his confession would be really simple too. Red things splayed on ship in the (wonky) shape of a heart, and maybe even a small 'u' shaped with pebbles beside it. Even when he's bored he'll just bother your crew if he cant bother you. If they're sharpening their swords, all they have to do is look up and immediately Hobie's there with the most bored expression on his face. Like imagine those seagulls just looking at you..they aren't doing anything, but you still feel intimidated. Yeah, that's him. I bet he's managed to even persuade one of your crewmembers to give him a weapon. The first time he actually turned human, and spoke, he would've had to bite his bottom lip in order not to laugh at your shocked and probably flustered face. After that first time, he'll just practically invite himself on board..sure, sometimes he's helping, but you can never be too sure. Idc what au i come up with, Hobie likes to give trinkets in all of em i aint listening to anything or anyone that says otherwise >:( -🐦‍⬛

Lol I get what you mean!! Bdas was supposed to just be a lil 3 series look at it now 🤣🤣🤣🤣 That's a pretty cool name!!

Wake up everyone there's a new daily hobie hc!!!

Omg Siren! Hobie!!!! Imagine him curling his tail around you protectively while u sleep!! And he rarely sings despite being a siren but when he does it's to sing you a lullaby 🥺

A black pearl! Bdas reference

Awwweeee him giving you jewellery!! His thought process was: pirates love treasure so I'm gonna give my treasure some treasure!

Siren! Hobie who confesses to you in sign language!!

Lmaoo I bet it was yuri who gave him a sword

Siren! Hobie who confesses again now that he can talk!!!

Hobie is a crow fr fr

[starrspice]

Bless you Cero

I'm grabbing you and Smooching your lil head

So my rough Idea for the AU was Y/N actually Being a Siren instead of a plain mermaid

A kind of black sheep among their kind who has always been fascinated by the world outside of the ocean, and left their life within the sea to instead sail and see the world

But of course not all people Are good and one the truth of what they are was discovered they were shackled and sold as if they were a wild exotic animal (often treated like it too)

Until Sun and Moon plundered the ship taking Y/N to another auction to be sold

All Sun and Moon and their crew saw was a poor defenseless human trapped and mistreated so they bring Y/N aboard their ship and treat their injuries

The whole time Y/N refuses to speak (that way if they ever found out they were really a siren they couldnt accuse Y/N of using their magic on them)

But even without words the boys find themselves fascinated And endeared to Y/N (and Y/N feels the same but struggles with the fear left by past betrayals)

So every now and then Y/N sneaks away to swim around (so theyd be ready should they decide to return to the sea)

And Eclipse is there too but he's a whole other thing

But yeah TLDR: Siren Y/N trying to pretend to be a human falls in love with Pirate Sun and Moon