#very captainy

[everybodylovesmusiala]

here are my random thoughts I wrote down during todays friendly against monaco while at the stadium

Stadion speaker butchering names

Most fans in the stadium: gnabry, musiala

Sarr shirt on a fan lol

Serge very tiny

Leon's fall seemed painful, but it was kinda  his fault

Laimer leader, future captain (?)

Laimer verrrrryy defensive, but high work rat

Corners bad, GET BETTER

More shooting less passing in front of goal pls

Missed 4 mins because of la ola (stadium wave)

First 20 mins good, next 10 bad

the players are Very quiet, no talking except for ulle and serge (+ leroy), but pointing by laimer and jamal

Phonzy the stuntman lol

10 more second striker (jamal/serge)

Coman very fast

Leon not very captainy

Cute jamal/Paul wanner bromancy moment

Jamal off, attacking plan off.. serge and coman off, attacking plan back on (??)

Baby players more chemistry and more communication somehow

Why am i the only one actually knowing our youth players?

Mathys Tel is an angel child.. only one to come say thanks to the fans

People need to keep their damn children in check

Where the fuck was thomas tuchel, didn't see him coach once

[agentem]

Marvels spoilers

I am dumb

For some reason I thought the Khans were moving to Louisiana, but I have just been told it was Carol moving there permanently.

I mean I guess it's good Kamala and the other Khans get to keep their friends and community but I think their house is very damaged. And who is going to pay for those repairs? I do not think they should have to foot the bill. I have concerns.

I also don't think Carol should be left alone. Monica and Maria are gone. I hope Muneeba checks up on her regularly. And Val. Also Sam. Carol is now close to New Orleans so they can hang out and do Captainy stuff.

[fallloverfic]

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Warnings Apply

Category: M/M

Fandom: Star Trek: Lower Decks (Cartoon)

Relationships: Brad Boimler/Jack Ransom

Tags: Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Mid-canon, Happy Ending, Top Ransom, Bottom Boimler, Bad roleplay, Spoilers for Season 4, Episode 10, more tags on Ao3

Summary: "Ransom was VERY happy with my captaining." - Lieutenant junior grade Bradward Boimler.

Yes. He was.

Do I sound captainy? (1,011 words, complete)

[sputnikodin]

it's very tough with tos though i truly love jim spock and bones more or less the same but in a pinch i gotta go with the rakish captainI MEANTHE alien whose outsider-brought-in status wrt humanity positions him to critique and comment on human nature while simultaneously coming to realize how much he has in common with it IMENANNN the doctor

[ramsaybaggins]

Hornberry pick up!

Okay so this one never got much past brainstorming but here was the stream of consciousness I dumped into my discord server when I was thinking about it:

Gets his captaincy for the act of grace, but clearly had a crush on Stede And he's out there doing captainy things and finds a dingy full of people And stede and his crew are like FUUUUCK But then hornberry leans over like "Stede? Stede Bonnet?!" in a parallel to Nigel in episode 1 but instead he helps them all on board and Stede explains everything that happens and Hornberry is just like "LETS GO GET YOU YOUR MAN!" lmao Also interesting reunion drama because it would be an english ship chasing the Revenge And then Ed would realise that Stede is on an english ship and maybe he never left the academy! But then there would be explanations and comedy and Hornberry being like "No old chap you've got it all wrong" at Ed It would be SO FUNNY Especially if Hornberry is basically like "Ed he's fucking gorgeous LOOK AT HIM" and Stede looks at Hornberry like "Wat" omg and then Hornberry could be like "Oh, Blackbeard? Oh yes, we caught him and killed him. All gone, no need to pursue him anymore wink wink" when he leaves Maybe Ed gives him his leather jacket or something as proof that Blackbeard is 'dead' I think they'd offer to let him come with them but he'd probably decline cos he seems happy in the navy and also he has a big ol crush on stede and wouldn't want to have to see him and ed, but he would tell them they're always welcome on his ship 🥺 Omg, ed pouting as Stede is surrounded by guys CLEARLY flirting but Stede is being a proper gentleman through and through Stede doesn't even realise they're all into him "Gosh these navy chaps are very nice, aren't they ed? I don't know why we were worried!" Ed gripping the edge of the table so hard his knuckles are white "yep" -_- After dinner ed stands up, grabs Stede's hand, stares pointedly at all the navy round the table, and drags Stede back to the cabin and shags him extremely loudly

Anyway, I struggled to fit it all together, so it eventually became this kinktober 2022 fic except I just made it an anonymous captain instead of Hornberry (but in my head it's still Hornberry)

[m1ckeyb3rry]

No literally hand over the character copyright….karasu is ours now

Multiple favs so real…I see some people really having a an ultimate fav and I’m like WOW I could never good for you for being loyal idk how you do it

I forgot Rin was 16…..um…yeah that aura uh…anyways…well we saw how captain Rin turned out!! Not very captainy if you ask me

LMAOP omg no I can’t believe I missed it….the old Mira fics…

PLEASE wait that’s so interesting you really said “I talk in money” LMAOO HINDI HOLLYHOCK Y/N

No wait because I can imagine tabieita older sisters liking yuki…they’re probably thinking wow he’s so kind and refined unlike my stupid little brother omg it would be so funny if they met LMAOOO also NAH BC I READ “my beloved Kenyu” and my face kinda just….jaw to the floor ummm what??? Also you guys are like both younger than 10 I thought people had cooties at this age but ok girl

NUMBER ONE YUKI BLOG you’re just taking over all of bllk tumblr at this point Mira world domination queen of tabieitaken so true

LMAOOOO I’m honored to have a tag on your blog HAHAHA I also already considered your tags organized like if it were me nothing would get tagged besides main fics so I’d say you’re doing a pretty good job

LMFAOOAAOAO I SAW IT HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA how’s the wc now LMAO

Also THE NEW TRAILER THING FOR THE OP??? COLORED TABIEITAKEN ICONS WE RISEEEE also your edit is superb LMAOAOA THATS HOW IT SHOULDVE BEEN!!!!!! WHERES KARASU GET IGAGURI OUTTTT

Anyways I’m excited to get the translations out because it’s honestly kinda fun to do just time consuming HAHA I’m also trying to save time by translating as I read through it..honestly if I just read it I’d probably be able to get through it like x10 faster it’s just the actual English writing and going back and forth between reading, pausing, typing it out, rewording it, and continuing that takes forever LMAO happy to be of service though o7 <3 lmk your thoughts on 3 and 4 I think yuki’s just been confirmed greenest flag in bllk shdgshshsh

-Karasu anon

FACTS we are the ceos of karasu no one can compare 🤫 /j…no because on the one hand i def do pick one character per piece of media that i’m like “this one is my FAV” but half of the time they’re not even the one i write/talk abt the most?? and i always love other characters sm plus like sometimes i’ll just know that a certain character will fit well w a plot i want to write so i end up writing a lot for them even if they’re not my number one yk (cough otoya cough)?? so because of that i could never be loyal to just one character 100% i fear 😓

rin is somehow the most and least 16 year old ever?? the way he and charles are only a year apart is so insane to me 😭 but yeah he wasn’t exactly doing the best job at being captain we need one of the older/friendlier guys w actual leadership skills to do it fr…alternate scenario barou becomes captain KDNDSJSK i genuinely think they would either become the best team in the world or absolutely lose it if that happened

i think some of them were still up when we started talking!! they are all for aot though since that’s the only fandom i wrote for back then which is probably why you didn’t see any of them

nah because honestly if my younger brother was tabito or eita i would also be very impressed by yuki 😭 omg maybe i should have karasu’s sister in his version of bfb end up w yuki LMAOOO always got to involve my man at the scene of the crime 😩 one thing abt yukimiya he will be guest starring in the most random roles in my bllk fics 😓 NO PLS FR like if yuki was 6/7ish in that then she was 9/10?? to be sure i def understood what love was and had crushes back then but a) that is such a huge maturity gap i’m pretty sure 99% of 9/10 year olds view 6/7 year olds as babies (this is actually a plot point in karasu’s version of bfb) and b) who is confessing like THAT at such a young age 😳 yuki is in his reo era fr (although reo’s was worse…still think it’s crazy that his elementary school teacher confessed to him?? and it was never mentioned outside of the egoist bible?? SAVE MY BOY 😭😭😭💔💔💔)

i take being a tabieitaken enthusiast very seriously as you can see 🤫 no one’s doing it like me fr 😏 haha yay i’m glad it’s not too much of a mess!! i’ve had to unfollow people who didn’t tag anything and posted stuff from random fandoms i’m not in because my dashboard was just filled w stuff i had 0 interest in so i don’t want to be that person but also at the end of the day i think my blog is filterable enough that it shouldn’t be a problem

haha…so we’re at over 5k words rn and karasu has reached the grand age of six years old…haha…omg he’s such a bitch ass little kid FJJDSJSJ it’s so funny writing him as a child knowing how he’s going to grow up 😦 even though some people might find it weird i think it’s important for immersion that we see him as a little kid LMAOO because a huge point of the story is that reader has always treated him like a baby/her younger brother which he’s obviously not happy about as he gets older 😰 and i figured if we really see how/why she’s like that it would make her reasoning more relatable?? idk if that makes sense but basically you’re supposed to see him as “aww cute baby four year old tabito” and then one day it’s like “wait he’s a 6ft tall 20 year old soccer player he’s not actually a baby anymore”

THE COLORED ICONS LOOK SO GOOD why is nagi so pale compared to the rest of them though 😭 also they made otoya’s hair silver instead of white which lowkey idm that much but i’m pretty sure i’ve called it white in the past…oopsies…whatever i’m also still a black hair + purple eyes karasu truther even though he has bluish violet hair and blue eyes in the show so whatever we can take artistic liberties w it 🤫 OMG THE EDIT DKFJSJSJ i thought it was soooo funny truly the scene we deserved…i need more than just my man’s blurry chin to get me through until october 😩 genuinely i don’t get why igaguri was in the trailer he literally does nothing in third selection/u20?? unless they show him and shidou vs kunigami and reo ig…idk though but either way they had the rest of the top six in there (tbf yuki was kinda in the background but still) WHY NOT KARASU?? why was OTOYA given the spotlight out of all of them 🤨 he straight up gets subbed out for barou in u20 (still love him though he looks super handsome)…maybe it’s because they didn’t want to risk animating karasu’s hair wrong and getting hate 😫

translating is so cool i used to do it in high school for my spanish literature class and it’s def so much work but fun as well!! there’s so many things to consider that most people wouldn’t pick up on like connotations and whatnot it’s way harder than you might think at first 👆🏻 but your services are appreciated 💖 CHAPTER THREE AND FOUR WERE SO CUTE OMG ANIMAL LOVER YUKI CONFIRMED?? from tabieitaken he was the only one that struck me as a dog owner instead of a cat owner and it was finally (kind of) confirmed!!! plus him getting beat up…100% he’s the greenest flag in bllk (second place goes to barou but yuki has a nicer temperament than him and is apparently canonical smart now sooo he wins sorry) I LOVE HIM I NEED MORE YUKI CONTENT (i say as if i wasn’t supposed to write my own but got carried away w tabieita stuff like usual)

[tristealven]

I would love to read anything you'd write from Nico's pov! It could be angsty (thoughts about np every time the devs play the flyers!) or fluffy (summer in Switzerland) or something completely different.

my gut reaction is to ask if nico would really feel that angsty about np. he doesn't seem the type to overthink things, unless it's about his captainy responsibilities and carrying the entire state of new jersey on his shoulders. but maybe he'd feel something akin to survivor's guilt about it, having gotten so much from hockey and being reminded of how others weren't quite that lucky. maybe there would also be some tension between him and tk, something that doesn't really make that much sense in their current situation but would be there nonetheless. and with all that, playing against the flyers would always end up being kind of complicated for nico.

i don't know how to do fluffy and also, i've never been to switzerland. idk if i'd be confident enough to write something set there. i'm usually very particular about sense of place in my writing. i don't actually think you need to have first hand experience from a place to successfully portray it in your writing. but you know… sadly i'm a perfectionist :/

[trustherkindheart]

This isn't very Captainy behavior Lindsey

[buttonhouseparty]

hello library/academia modern AU Captain

[flufflecat]

I dressed up in my best captaining outfit for the premier of part 2 ( • ‿ • )ᕗ

[burnsopale]

Ha! Kai and Takao are on wavelength. Cause, you know, they both like to do this thing to boost their team mates’ morale. They both did it for Rei back in the second finals.

*mutters* whichiswhythey’rebothcaptainmaterialIguessYOU’LLNEVERTAKEMEALIVE!

[enforcersh20bottle]

I appreciate Macks episode tonight

[kaaytea]

Hi kay!! can u write for kuroo where he tries that pinning your girlfriend against the wall prank on the reader please please

Kuroo Can't Kabedon

Warnings: reader is a manager, but I used gn! pronouns <3

A/n: Hello~ I'm assuming you meant the Kabedon thing? Unless there's a different prank I'm unaware of. I hope you like it and thanks for requesting 💕

----------------------------------------------------------

For some unknown reason, Kabedonning had become a huge trend at Nekoma over the past few weeks

The rumors say that it started during a game of truth or dare the baseball team played, but honestly, the entire thing has become so wide spread that it's hard to trace it back to an original source

It was hard for Kuroo to ignore the Kabedon trend; everywhere he went someone was pulling it, didn't matter the relation of the two participants, the students were doing more for fun at this point

(for jokes, Kuroo had done it to Yaku, which was hilarious for everyone else, but not for Kuroo because he got an elbow to the stomach for startling the libero)

Kuroo was very interested in doing it to you, but was kind of hesitant after getting obliterated by Yaku

He didn't feel like getting elbowed again . . .

But ya know, Yaku is (usually) more physical and aggressive than you are, so why not have some fun!

Practice rolls around, you walk in ready to start your work and that's when Kuroo decides to strike

Now, you're literally just try to get your work done and you see Kuroo walking over

And you think it's probably some Captainy thing he wants to discuss before practice officially starts, so you wave at him as he approaches

Only he doesn't slow down

He is wAlkIng closer and closer and instinctively you think he's upset or something, so you kind of awkwardly scoot away from him to not bother him

But he keeps coming C L O S E R ?!

You are now up against the wall and thats when it clicks

This little bitch is going to Kabedon yOu?!

Nah . . . Not if you have anything to do with it

The second his hand goes to trap you to the wall, you slip from under it, grab his arm and switch places with him, pressing his body to the wall and slAmming your hand next to his head

The gym falls to complete silence and Kuroo can only blink back at you, completely baffled by what happened

To tease him even more, you lean close to his face and say: "Gotcha, Captain~"

He's so flustered he can't even speak

The silence is broken by an attempted suppressed snort from Kenma which quickly falls into him laughing at his friend and a fallout of teasing from the rest of the team

[Bonus stuff, ig]

Practice is finally over and you're putting away some equipment in a storage room when large hands grips your waist and spins you around

Kuroo then traps you between both his hands, sending you a smirk before leaning in close to your ear

"Gotcha."

[skjeinon]

tavares kinks / what would he be like in bed

YES I CAN

lmfao i had to do some research and watch some interviews to get a grasp of his mannerisms and he seems so kind

- touchy. very very handsy.

- when you’re riding him, he has his hands all over you.

- he loves it when you put your hands in his hair, especially after he grew it out. when he kisses your neck and you pull at his hair?? drives him wild.

- he’s quiet. not like uncomfortably quiet but definitely not one to go crazy with praise yknow. definitely very reserved while he grunts and moans.

- very good massages.

- he seems like he’d be clumsy in bed and then you’d both giggle about it. like my man cannot take off his shirt unless he almost falls over.

- he’s tired of being all dominant and captainy so sometimes he just lets you take over. not even like being dominant but if he’s horny but tired, he just lets you do what you want until you’re satisfied

- loves head. LOVES IT. giving or receiving. it takes him a minute sometimes. you think maybe he’s not sexually inclined but once he finds the spot that makes you tick, you’re cummings in minutes.

- hookups are bad. you have to get with him a few times to get his best. (nothing against you, but he tries to hold back on girls he knows won’t come around again)

- quickies are a hit or miss, a miss if he’s absolutely petrified, a HIT if he absolutely needs it.

- hattie? quickie in the car, 3 orgasms at home yknow the move

- rough game? quickie in the car.

- hand jobs! hand jobs! hand jobs! (w a little spit? bro he’s fucking weak in the knees. head thrown back, hips bucking into your hand?? ugh.)

- now i wouldn’t say he’s huge, definitely not chris kreider big but all captains have BDE. i’m calling thick and not super long, but satisfactory. i feel like i’m not giving this man what he deserves 😭😭

- guys i love john tavares but OBVIOUSLY he’s not my captain, not like chris, jordo and roman

[ninhaoma-ya]

Chapter 1040 — Falling on deaf ears

Keep still, my fluttering heart. Keep still within your cage, lest you set us all ablaze.

WHAT A CHAPTER! I promised @purplehairedwonder to use a lot of exclamation marks, and that will be done with gusto!!

Just… go and read it, nothing I do or say here will do it enough justice.

But I’ll try my best!

Some info from the cover story: so it was Big Mom herself who defeated Niji and Yonji. Good for them, not being taken out by mere scrubs.

Very nice panel layout, with both crews framing Big Mom from each side, terrified for their sake.

But their captains aren’t afraid!

Nice captainy resolve, at first mistaken for stuttering.

R-room? Someone will probably make a proper scientific medical explanation at some point, I’ll just hug all these feelings…

…of being inspired by your parental figure and sob in this here corner, okay?

PURE BEAUTY!

Look at Law’s movement! Look at the memento of Monet in his rendering of Misery! Look at the indistinct lines of Big Mom; the pure force of the attack on her! Look at the stability and clearness of Kid!

It’s just ..art.

Tag yourself, I’m the blobhead in the bottom left corner.

But was that it for Kanjuro? We’ll see, I’m sure.

And some updates from the interior! I like Big Mom’s speech being showed in the same form Oda normally uses for thought bubbles: she is silenced, after all, so her words are as audible as thoughts to others.

No no no no no no no.

You’ll be fine, Zoro?

Komurasaki wearing the mask again. She’s also amazingly stable in a crumbling castle, with Orochi being tossed this way and that.

Interesting that Big Mom didn’t know if the One Piece is real. And that’s the big difference between the yonko and Luffy. Luffy’s belief is cast in iron: he knows it’s real and won’t stop before he finds it or dies. But Big Mom and Kaido both stopped: they were both comfortable as emperors, dreaming of a future where they might find the One Piece, but not bothering to work for it.

And thanks to Law’s silence, the capital didn’t know what almost hit them that night. They could keep on wishing for a while, about a country without Kaido and Orochi.

Do you think she’s dead? Hard to say. I don’t think the fall or the explosion would be enough on its own, but she has been fighting for a few days now, first against Kaido and then against the captains.

Here, have a whole page of celebration. Because they are worth it.

Great chapter! I give it a barrel of exclamation marks and a step closer to finding the One Piece!

[canyouhearthevoices]

ATEEZ Theory TidBits Ep 2 - Which positions do the members have on the ship?

So we all know that ATEEZ have a pirate storyline (duh). So, it makes sense that they would all have roles which correspond to the real roles of crew members on a ship (duh).

Some of these are obvious, but some of them, less so. How much do they mean to the storyline? Goodness knows, and probably not much, in most cases (ie. most cases excepting HJ, SH, and maybe Mingi occasionally). 

But it’s still interesting to explore, as a concept, and just in general.

Some are conciously picked up by the fandom (Hongjoong being Captain) and some are more subconciously absorbed by the fandom (Yunho as second mate). The subconscious ones, like Yunho, also come at least partially from that particular members’ role in the group IRL, as the roles of the members IRL and in the storyline are purposefully matched/very similar. For instance - we see Yunho in the group as an enthusiastic and kind/pure soul who encourages and loves everyone. And in the storyline, we see him playing a large role in keeping all aspects of the ship together and running - like the ‘glue’ of the crew. 

Now that I write that out, it doesn’t seem very similar at all. But we see Yunho enthusiastically pointing (metaphorically) towards the future of ATEEZ, and we also see him enthusiastically pointing (literally) towards the horizon/the Treasure/ATEEZ’s goals in the storyline. 

For a perhaps easier example, Hongjoong is the Captain of the ship, and is also the leader of the group. In both situations, he is keeping everyone on task and organised, is the mediator between members and between the group and other parties, and decides the goals + how the group will reach them. 

The list is currently incomplete, because, in this stage of my analysis, I will need more information to allocate a role on the crew to each member, and to have evidence to back it up. I’ll update the post as I figure out the other members. I’ll leave a summary below, if you’re looking for your bias.

Hongjoong - Captain

Seonghwa - First mate/Quartermaster

Yunho - Second mate/Sailing Master

Yeosang - Pilot/Helmsman/the dude who looks after the loot

San - Master-at-arms/Gunner

Mingi - shantyman/coxswain

Wooyoung - undetermined

Jongho - undetermined

Hongjoong and Seonghwa have pretty clearly defined roles, while Yunho, Mingi, and San are pretty easy to pick up if you stare a little. But the other three - Yeosang, Wooyoung, and Jongho, are much harder. I’m getting there slowly with them. This person on reddit assigned roles to each of the members and gave reasoning. Some of it is pretty accurate, like Seonghwa as Quatermaster, and I can certainly understand their arguments for YS, WY, and JH, but this post is based more on personality than the storyline. And I just don’t have enough evidence to assign the last three members to roles yet... especially Wooyoung. I know he likes cooking, but I don’t think he’s the cook on the ATEEZ ship. 

I’m sure we’ll get there eventually. Maybe if I watch the Diay Film again...?

Full explanation of roles below the line.

Hongjoong - the Captain

I mean, it goes without saying. He’s the leader, he’s the Captain, and he, the company, and the members constantly refer to him as such. 

And I shouldn’t need the explain the role of the Captain on the ship, either - he’s the leader, the one in charge, and the one who oversees the people who are in charge of keeping the ship running - the first, second, and third mates and other higher-ranking crew members. The role has stayed mostly the same across time and across different types of ships (cruise ships, navy ships, pirate ships, fishing ships etc), so I have nothing to comment on there.

We all know that Hongjoong is the Captain. But, let’s forget for a moment that he’s the actual leader of ATEEZ, and consider what exactly in the storyline shows that he is the Captain. With a few examples, of course.

He’s on the throne (MAMA 2020) and is the one who takes the highest position in performances (eg. KINGDOM - Answer: Ode to Joy)

He directs the members/controls them in the choreography often (Pirate King, Deja Vu etc)

He is the one who starts many performances and introduces the group to the audience (KINGDOM - Symphony No. 9 Wonderland)

Delivers the majority of the storytelling in the lyrics through his rap

Is the one who goes out solo in MVs and things (Don’t Stop)

Shown at the head of the ship (ILLUSION) and often given navigation equipment, maps, and the steering wheel (ILLUSION)

The one who is given the Cromer (Diary Film)

The one who plants ATEEZ’s flag at the Treasure + establishes their goal (Precious and Treasure)

The one who makes all of the cool speeches (KINGDOM - Awakening of Summer)

Is shown in traditional Korean clothes more often than the other members - this makes him seem sophisticated and powerful (The Real)

The storyline is literally about him (Dear Diary, Diary Film etc)

Also often given long and large coats - a symbol of power and wealth. Similarly, he is also given the megaphone and the staff - the former is a way to spread the message of the team, and the latter is a symbol of power and wealth (again)

The one who sprays the red spray paint in HALA HALA’s MV, which makes everyone go crazy

Given his own unique symbol (the one on the armband he wears in Deja Vu, The Real etc)

The one who has the Cromer most of the time (KINDGOM - Wonderland, Diary Film, etc)

The one who brings the members together (Diary film)

What is he writing in his diary??????? (Fever extended edition)

There’s plenty more evidence to find. Hongjoong has easily the most evidence leaning towards his position. But this is also to do with the storyline heavily revolving around him, and with his position being the most easily and clearly defined. It’s much easier to put a lot of symbols and story into a guy who is definitely a leader and only a leader than a guy who ‘does this one random specific job and maybe he does a few other odd jobs but mostly this one and also we don’t really know what his exact position is supposed to be so I guess we’ll just randomly give him this fork to hold or something’.

Hongjoong is the easiest member to write symbolism for, and he is the most important one to write symbolism for, so he gets the majority of it. And he deserves it. AND - it suits him - he has the regal leader persona completely nailed down. 

Seonghwa - First mate/Quartermaster

This is another pretty easy one that most of the fandom agrees on. Seonghwa is the oldest in the group, and is often the one backing up Joong, whether in the storyline or real life. He is the one who deals with the members while Joong is doing all of his captain shenanigans - composing, liaising with EDENary and KQ, and confusing the hell out of ATINY. Seonghwa is pretty clearly the second-in-command for ATEEZ. 

The first mate of a modern cruise ship is in charge of the passengers and cargo. But ATEEZ don’t have any passengers or cargo, so let’s forget about that. The equivalent role on a pirate ship is a Quartermaster. The Quatermaster was the second-in-command to the Captain and was the representative of the crew to the Captain. Not only did he take on the jobs tat would free the Captain up for more important jobs, he also was the one who divvied up treasure to the crew, and was the mediator between the Captain and crew. He was in charge of punishment on the ship, was involved in directing the ship, and was the counterbalance to the Captain. But, importantly, and most importantly for Seonghwa’s position in the story, is the hierarchy of power. The First mate in most ships doesn’t have much power over the Captain - they (hopefully) respect each other, but the Captain is the one in charge.

However, the Quatermaster had some degree of power over the Captain. He was the one who represented the crew, and was in charge of loot, and, as a power counterbalance to the Captain, was crucial to the ship’s functioning. As an article I looked at said, ‘A wise captain made no decisions that his first mate didn’t support.’ And we know that Seonghwa is the only one who has any power over Hongjoong in the storyline.

So, what evidence points to him in this position?

Is the second-most-often dressed in traditional outfits - this gives him the same power as HJ

Gets the nice, Gothic, Dracula coats

Is the one who represents the crew to Joong (Don’t Stop)

Is the one who leads the team when Joong isn’t there (Don’t Stop)

Most commonly interacts with Joong in key points in the choreo (Eternal Sunshine)

Is shown alone when Joong is gone (Eternal Sunshine)

Is often controlled by Joong (I don’t know the choreo but I remember it happening, will update when I find it)

The one who takes the head of the ship sometimes (WIN)

Is always on Joong’s team (The Real)

Has that big brush in The Real, which isn’t a weapon (I think) but definitely makes him look intimidating

Everyone bows for him in the choreo (even Joong) (WAVE, Treasure, etc)

Is literally held up on a throne (Deja Vu)

Screams his soul out in Utopia (he’s in the centre of the circle formation, and expresses Joong’s views about thinking he found utopia, but realising it was an illusion, then still having hope he can reach it before realising it was a fake place all along)

In this very unique position where he is controlled by Joong the least, but when he is controlled, it is directly/one-on-one

The one who supports Joong (Treasure etc) and is supported by Joong (WAVE etc)

Speaking of, he controls the other members sometimes (Deja Vu, San in Wonderland, etc)

I mean, what else do I have to say? ATEEZ love Seonghwa and made him their First mate, and Hongjoong loves him and made him his First mate. And I love him too. 

Ahh, we’re back to this again...

Maybe the Joong demon has actually possessed me...

Yunho - Second mate/Sailing Master

This is an interesting one. It’s very subtle, but it’s there, and you CAN TELL that it’s there, because KQ have been so carefully sending us this mysterious image that it has become part of the fandom’s view of Yunho through images like this.

Ahh, I love this image! Yunho’s the only one who’s really storyline-accurate in it, but the whole thing is pure pirate gold.

This wasn’t a storyline image. It wasn’t related at all to any ATEEZ content. It was just an ATINY making a meme, with no other context or ulterior motive, and no inspiration other than ATEEZ being ATEEZ on their reality shows (which are also a non-canon part of the storyline, so keep that one in mind). And yet, it shows Yunho’s position in the storyline perfectly. He’s at the helm of the ship, directing the team and pointing them ahead towards their goals. 

The Second mate is... well, the third-in-command on the ship, and it’s equivalent on a pirate ship (the pilot) serves a very similar purpose. Crucially for the storyline, the second mate is in charge of navigation and keeping everyone on course. He keeps the maps and navigation equipment up-to-date and in good condition, and he logs and records everything that happens on the ship. This was also the role of the sailing master - who was in charge of navigation, and who knew the sea currents and other very sea-ie things, and used them to navigate.

This all makes sense for Yunho - he’s the third oldest, is very skilled (as a dancer and vocalist, especially) and often has a smaller leadership role in the group (looking after the younger members and as the hyung of the 99 line, as a dance leader when learning choreo, leading dances etc). But there are a few other details, to be added below.

Leading/calling for the charge against the kraken (KINGDOM - WONDERLAND)

In the centre of the beginning choreo (Pirate King)

Has key roles in steering etc in WIN

Literally reaches for the Treasure and directs the ship/crew in Pirate King

Can we get some Yunho appreciation here? He has my heart. He’s also the one who inspired this post, so, here you go, Yunho, my king; <3

Yeosang - Pilot/Helmsman/the dude who looks after the loot

Yeah, an odd combo, right? And what the hell does any of this mean, anyway? The dude who looks after the loot? Really, Casper?

Yes really.

Yeosang works closely with Yunho, both in the storyline and the actual group, as main dancers. As mentioned earlier, the Pilot is a very similar role to the Second Mate and Sailing Master - the one who navigates the ship, directs it, and keeps the ship and the documentation of it. The Pilot was involved in these jobs, but was also the best sailor on the ship. They were often the same person, but I think in the ATEEZ storyline, Yunho and Yeosang share different parts of the role. While Yunho directs the crew and keeps them on track towards their goals, Yeosang steers the ship, directs the other crewmembers to steer the ship (move the rigging and things), and, instead of keeping track of the navigation and maps of the ship, keeps track of the loot. 

And what is my evidence for this?

Yeosang and Yunho are the two members who are recognised by the robot in ‘Deja Vu’ other than Hongjoong - this shows that they are likely the two members who are actually working to push ATEEZ towards their goals - OR, are the two members who most help push Hongjoong towards his own goals

Work together as dance leaders

Together in performances like KINGDOM - Answer - they fight the white mask man together

Yeosang is often reaching like he is changing the rigging on a ship - eg. ‘Pirate King’

Yeosang is the one who has the Cromer in ‘Deja Vu’

Yeosang often seems to be collecting objects - the paper cranes in the 2022 Season’s Greetings, the instruments in the Diary Film, and lots of other random examples

Yeosang is one of the ones who I kind of need to shove into his role, but not enough that I don’t think he deserves it. Yeosang’s importance to the storyline is definitely underappreciated, but I think a part of this is almost certainly because of the nature of his importance. He does a lot of important things in the storyline, but all of these things are about as random as it can be. 

He’s reaching for rigging. Cool, I guess he’s a helmsman. He’s got the Cromer. Why him? How? What does this mean? He’s trapped in the glass box. Um, why? Who picked Yeosang for this? Is he important to keep as a hostage? I guess he’s really important to the team and keeping them together. He’s in the centre of the ‘Pirate King’ choreo? Uuuuhhhh??? He’s got no lines? He’s sliding across the floor in ‘WONDERLAND’? 

What is happening???!?!?!

Um, so, I think I’ve found the best roles Yeosang fits into. But it is a bit funky. Please let me know if you think he has a different position. Thanks <3

San - Master-at-arms/Gunner

This role is pretty self-explanatory, and clearly one that most of the fandom has come to accept in the same way as they accept Yunho’s role. 

The Master Gunner was in charge of the canons and other weapons on the ship. While the Captain was extremey skilled with pistols and swords, the Master Gunner was skilled with canons. It was a crucial job - not only did he have a large team of men to instruct, he was in charge of a very dangerous job. On a military ship, cannoners would shoot to kill, and to destroy the opposing ship, but pirates wanted to keep the opposing ship afloat - so they could loot as necessary, and maybe even gain another ship. The technical ability needed to cripple opposing ships, but not to destroy them or their cargo, made the role of Master Gunner a highy skilled one.

There isn’t a huge amount of evidence for San, but here’s what we have - it’s definitely more than crumbs... I think...

He is often the one attacking in the storyline and sacrificing himself in the process (KINGDOM - Answer)

Is controlled possibly the most out of all the members - a valuable weapon

When he is controlled, is seen shooting (Immortal Songs - Seo Taiji episode)

The literal birth of the ATEEZ demon 

Is associated with animals and animalistic/violent tendencies more than the rest of the members (Halloween performances, especially Black Cat Nero)

A very passionate man who likes his alcohol and his murder (Answer, HALA HALA, etc)

Directs attacks (KINGDOM - WONDERLAND)

At the centre of the (literal) killing choreography (HALA HALA, KINGDOM - WONDERLAND, WONDERLAND itself, etc)

Yes, a lot of these are ‘non-canon’ performances, but keep in mind that ATEEZ have repurposed these songs by other artists, and these other performances, to reveal aspects of their storyline. It may not be ‘canon,’ but it is definitely ‘ATEEZ storyline.’

And a lot of this (like being the demonic center of dance breaks) comes down to San’s unique performance style and skills (and the demon he has conquered and tortures for his own ends), but the reason doesn’t matter. He’s in this position, and this position means something. 

Mingi - Coxswain/Shantyman

Another one that is subtle, but Mingi is also easy to recognise. He’s a rapper, he helps the group keep on beat, and his parts in the choreo often involve him directing the group. I say ‘directing’ instead of ‘controlling’, because, not only does he stand IN FRONT of them (and most of the controlling happens from those in the back), but also because it is much more subtle, and involves less harsh movements. Mingi will make a sweeping gesture, and the members will follow him or switch the direction of their dance, whereas someone like Hongjoong of Wooyoung will stand at the back and make harsh, jerking movements which the members belatedly COPY, not follow. 

The Coxswain/Shantyman role has been pretty much the same throughout time, and on different types of vessels. The only thing that has really changed the role is the technology available on ships. Shantymen were full-time employees of ships in the medieval period, and all other time periods where rowing was the main form of transport, rather than steam power. They were chosen for their leadership abilities and were highly skilled in keeping everyone on task, and keeping everyone on beat. They would lead the sea shanties which were sung by the men (shanties helped keep the men in time when rowing and performing other tasks), and thus would ensure everyone made the correct movement at the correct time. I heard somewhere (I don’t remember the source, I’m afraid), that a good shantyman was worth... I forget the specifics, but he was worth many, many men actually doing the task. If you’re interested in shanties and shantymen, I recommend this video by Rachel Oates. Coxswains had very similar roles, of keeping everyone in time, going in the right direction, and generally leading the crew, but the term isn’t nearly as interesting or applicable to Mingi as ‘shantyman.’

I’ve already discussed it a bit, but, evidence?

Mingi directing the members in the choreo (Say My Name, HALA HALA, Treasure, Pirate King etc)

Helping the members keep time through his rap (Pirate King, Treasure, Answer, etc)

Is a mouthpiece for HJ’s thoughts in the lyrics - has a lesser role in telling the story, and has some form of leadership through being a ‘mouthpiece’ for Joong (various lyrics)

Often the one who ramps everyone up for a big movement/moment in the story/choreo (HALA HALA, etc)

One of the only ones with some semblance of control at the end of WONDERLAND

Given the handheld mic/radio thing - a smaller ‘version’ of Joong’s megaphone which is a symbol of power + leadership

Unlike Joong and maybe Seonghwa, who have lots of small pieces of evidence pointing to their role, Mingi’s role involves a lot of repetition of the same movements. Almost all ATEEZ songs have Mingi’s rap expressing either his own thoughts or Joong’s, and almost all ATEEZ choreos have Mingi directing the team and keeping them on beat. It’s less the specifics that matter here, and more the overarching themes.

Conclusions 

When we say that ATEEZ’s concept is ‘pirates,’ it’s not a joke, it’s not an exaggeration, and it’s not just something that we pick up on occasionally when they’re literally on a ship (like in ‘ILLUSION’. A pirate makes a ship, but a ship doesn’t make a pirate - whether they’re on land, in the sea, or flying a giant ship, they are pirates. And their roles in the real group have been wonderfully merged with their roles in the storyline. It tells us a lot about their characters, their interactions with each other, and their roles in the group and the storyline. It’s a wonderful, semi-hidden piece of storytelling by the KQ team.

And either way, when has a fandom not liked sorting people into categories and matching them up with specific roles? There’s a reason there are Hogwarts AUs for every fandom under the sun, and why the ‘mum and dad of the group’ is such a common trope (now, whether or not that trope is problematic is a completely different debate that we aren’t going to go into today). Only, in this situation, ATEEZ have already sorted themselves, and we just need to figure it out. It’s canon sorting, how brilliant, right?!