Against All Flags - A Pervy Pirate Adventure (Group RP, 18+)

May 13, 2014

Against All Flags

Being an epic and pervacious adventure on the high seas.

Featuring the noted and notorious likes of

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(Intended only for mature, adult audiences)

***-***

The Merry Dancer slid up to the docks with the casual grace that spoke of an experienced crew. The damage she’d sustained in the last battle still marred the frigate’s beauty. But, she was too proud to limp into dock. Boasting three masts, thirty eight guns, and a reinforced ram prow there was no question she’d been built for war. Poseidon himself knew she’d seen her share of battle. She was a cunning mix of strength and speed and though she’d taken some losses in the last fight she’d come out the victor and the men were in a light mood as they secured the ship.

The town had been built along a hill and from the ship most of it could be seen dotting the land with its cheap wooden structures. Squatting in the near shadeless sun, it looked as if the buildings had used up every bit of lumber on the island in their construction. Higher up, the buildings were larger and better built and at the top sat the home of the island’s governor, a pompous man with some of his captain’s fashion sense but none of his charm. Nico had met the man only once. With his foppish ways and military family, it wasn't uncommon for the captain to be invited ‘up the hill,’ when they spent time in a port and, as second in command, Nico occasionally accompanied him. While he remembered the ‘proper’ way to act and kept a set of fancies just for such times, Nico had taken to life at sea to avoid all that. He looked forward to nights spent in dockside taverns with no greater responsibility than to make sure no one shanked his captain for winning too much at the table.

On the docks fishermen and loaders moved about with purpose and already girls had gathered to greet the coming ship. Even in a no where place like this, the hustle of port life was controlled chaos and the sight was like home to Nico. A free port was rougher than average, but he was glad for it all the same. They would get better prices for their goods and it shouldn't be hard to pick up a few men to fill out the crew.

Nico shouted orders out to the crew. Along the decks men scurried about carrying out their work. Unlike the rest of the crew his mood was foul. Their boatswain had taken a shot in the gut and not even their surgeon’s considerable skill had been enough to save the man. The man hadn’t been well liked, but he had been efficient and Nico felt his loss as he considered all the things he would need to accomplish while they were in town. The captain looked at him sideways after a while and though there was no reprimand in his eyes, Nico sighed. Breathing deep of the salty air, he let go of his annoyance. There was coin in their pockets, goods to be sold, and they flew free beneath their own colors. Looking up at the proudly flying flag, Nico Crisóstomo smiled. It was a good day to be a pirate.

May 15, 2014

“Master von Haven? Willem von Haven?”

Willem turned to face the direction the voice was coming from, unable to see who it was over the bustle of the port. He was just disembarking from The Merry Dancer , looking forward to going to one of the many taverns and engaging in a spot of recreational gambling as he often did so. However, this was one of the free ports where he’d built a somewhat professional relationship with the Governor; a older gentleman who ruled his little island with an iron fist, but had developed a reputation for enjoying softer company… namely his.

Willem was always polite when speaking to him, never refusing an invitation. The man gave away tidbits of information in an effort to woo him into his bed, which admittedly proved most helpful to the crew and subsequent adventures, however, the last bit of information had been responsible for their current predicament, leading him to believe that perhaps the Governor had grown tired of him rejecting his advances and was now just setting him up for trouble. As he stepped off the gangplank, the messenger had made his way to him, huffing slightly, his face red from the exertion. “Lord Humphrey is requesting your presence at his dinner tonight, shall I inform him of your attendance?”

There was a bit of a desperate look in the messengers eyes, leading Willem to believe that it was one of those “on pain of death” moments for the poor man. He gave an inward sigh but put on his brightest smile, “Please inform Lord Humphrey that I shall be more than delighted to attend tonight, however, I may be slightly tardy as there a few things I need to sort out first, but I shall most definitely be there…” his voice lilted slightly with his Dutch accent, but his English was perfect. He cast a meaningful glance in the direction of his Quartermaster who was pretending to look the other way. Willem let out another sigh and smiled at the messenger reassuringly, “I’m assuming that it’s just my presence he requests?” The messenger nodded before quickly making his way through the port and back towards the mansion on the hill.

It would mean a change of plans for starters; there was the intention to recruit more crew, find someone to do some repairs, restock and all of the mundane things that went with the upkeep of a “pirate” ship, but instead he was now looking for the public baths in an effort to make himself presentable for dinner… and finding an appropriate outfit from the many that were stashed in his cabin. With an audible sigh he turned and made his way back up the gangplank. He’d have to choose the outfit before he went and had a bath; bathing was a particular luxury that he enjoyed immensely and the more time he could spend soaking, the more prepared he felt to face Lord Humphrey.

May 15, 2014

Despite the more tragic outcome of events in their last voyage and adventure at sea, now at port again, things were looking back up, and Levi couldn't help but feel re-energized by the always bustling, loud port activities as they docked. Though it had been rough the past week or so with their not only lack of crew - not to say the crew was lacking at all, simply, they lost some important men - but also their lack of food and supplies with the last attack, now they could finally replenish their stocks. Most of the crew were excited to be back on land, and were running off the ship to go explore and have fun in the familiar port. It was mostly the younger crew that headed off and about, once they had finished taking care of things on the ships end and making sure it was docked securely.

Levi himself waited for the initial rush of the large crew to spread out off of the ship before he himself headed off. He was never one that seemed much in a hurry, being more of the laid back type of person, a bit more carefree and wanting to enjoy the simple pleasantries in life - as a pirate, of course. He had found that out long ago that the pirate life was definitely for him. Despite having a rough introduction to the sea life, he enjoyed where he was at now, and with the crew he was among.

Levi meanwhile, waiting for the chaotic bustling on the deck of the ship to settle and quiet down, he took care of his supplies, making sure they were securely locked away - such as the compass, sextant, and most importantly, the various maps. Levi was in love with his job more than anything else, and he took it very seriously. Rightfully so, duty of the navigator was rather important, to not only make sure they crew and ship didn't get lost, but that valued maps for direction were not exploited - the only ones who really ever actually got to see the maps, other than himself, were of course the quartermaster and Captain himself.

After leaving his cabin and heading back on deck, he noticed majority of the crew had gone off to port and town. He smiled a bit as he looked out over the familiar town, slipping his hands casually in his pockets as he walked down the gangplank onto the dock. He took a glance back at the beautiful yet clearly worn and tired frigate behind him, before heading into town, curious where several other of the officers had run off too. Most of the bulk and fill of the crew were off helping getting supplies, while he was sure some of the others were off in taverns already, just as Levi himself was considering.

May 15, 2014

The houses may have looked like some crap, but the shipyard had beautiful wood, and currently a smaller fishing ship was being built, one that could stay on the water for a few days and bring in a haul of fish. The docks have been quiet the past week, so when a ship was actually turning into the dock it brought quite a bit of attention. He stopped sanding for a moment to look up and out towards the docks. He saw the frigate, even from this distance he could see the damage she had, but true to the nature of ships she was a proud vessel. He sat the sandpaper down and walked towards the opening to the shipyard.

“She’s a pretty one,” said one of the boys.

He hadn’t personally been on a frigate, the last ship he was on was a galleon, a much larger ship and the pirate crew he was a part of didn’t take good care of her and was run down from this very port and sunk into the seas. Karma was a strange bitch in his mind. He had wished for years to get off that ship, as one of the shipwrights they had, the others never took their advice.

Didn’t matter to him really, as since that day they were ran out of port he and a few others were stuck on the island. Many had taken to leave on other ships and sometimes pirate ships too. At first he was happy with the freedom, now he wanted back on the waters. He had seen this ship a couple of times before, not as beat up as she was now. He turned and gathered his tools.

“Hey where are you going?” asked the boy that kept eyeing the ship. Turning to look at the boy he pointed his head towards the docks. “Done for the day then,” he gave a grin as an older man watched him head down to the docks. From the shipyard it wasn’t that far of a walk.

Coming up to the ship herself he couldn’t help but marvel at her beauty, and her scars. He watched as the men walked down the gangplank to the docks itself, and the yelling that was coming from onboard the ship. He wasn’t hiding himself from anyone as he looked over the ship with curious eyes.

May 15, 2014

Luc managed to row the small fishing boat into the port, completely dwarfed by the larger vessels around he stepped out of the boat and tossed the mooring rope to a young lad that was around. "Here all yours, do what you like with it." The child looked to be an orphan, if he was lucky one of the older fishermen would show him how to use the boat and he would be able to fish and eat. If he was unlucky? well he might just find himself accused of trying to steal the boat. Making a short detour Luc spoke to the port master in charge, pointing out the child and saying that he had given the boy the small vessel. The rather large port master sneered at the boy and turned to him with a pompous attitude, clearly about to say something about a mooring fee, or how improper it was to make a gift of such a vessel. Small as it was it had been finely crafted.

Before the man had a chance to say a word Luc pressed a single silver coin into the man's meaty hands and then turned to walk away. Ignoring the bustle of the port he headed for the nearest tavern. It was a port he knew well and he was also known at the tavern, so when he walked through the door and asked for accommodation the owners were more than willing to help, once they had helped him part with more silver coins this was. Once the room was paid for he dumped his bag in there and went back down to the main room, buying a pint of the local ale before settling in front of the fire.

For a good length of time he just stared into the fire thinking. Usually he would not have arrived at the port in such a small vessel, normally he was a part of a crew, except the latest crew he had joined up to... well they weren't exactly his kind of people. While he was a pirate he had a certain sense of morals, and slave trade was one thing that he did avoid and it was well known. When he found the slaves he approached the Captian, informed him that having been hired under false pretenses that the crew had broken the contract and were therefore liable to pay him the full amount for the job and provide him with a method of transport off the ship immediately. This left that crew down one life boat, a skilled swordsman and about 30 gold pieces. Luc D'harvric would not stand to be involved with slave trade and he very rarely signed up to articles usually working as a mercenary for hire since everything went wrong with the first crew he was a part of.

As the doors of the Tavern banged open to reveal a large number of pirates entering he simply smiled and pulled off the elaborate eye patch he wore over his left eye. It was there so that he could improve his skills by fighting and surviving with vision from one eye, however he was about to care for his swords he wanted all of his vision to make sure they were well treated.

May 15, 2014

It had been a few weeks now, Ethan counted. Three Weeks since their battle at Palmero Grove, a busy trade route. His old crew was as cocky as ever and started a fight with the overpowered enemy. It was by mere luck, or destiny, that Ethan wasn’t killed but instead captivated. And even then, they didn’t torture him, sold him to slavery or killed him. No, he was given a chance. A chance to prove his loyalty and utility towards his new crew. Ethan Flint would be the cook on The Marry Dancer. But not just a disabled cook like on any other pirate ship that would be for sure. Ethan would go to great lengths to show that he couldn’t just cook but also fight. He would be a god in the kitchen and a demon on the battle field……at least the young man wished for this to happen. Reality strikes hard and though he is a master with his cooking knives (according to the ‘rumours’ on his home town), the cook would still have a long way ahead of his dream. His food was godlike already but he lacked a bit in the other pirate areas. Like manliness in case of the body or refinement of hiding his emotions.

“Sort them you rats! Count them too when your’ already at it.” the cook shouted to his cabin boys that arranged the barrels of food neatly. Since their Shipwright died in the battle with his old crew, they would have to find a new one on this island. And other positions needed to be filled too. So for now Ethan would have to count his supplies and supervise them himself. After all they needed food and water. Their supplies were low already, even more so due to the battle. Ethan sighed when he thought about it all. He will have to go around town and buy the stuff while his cabin boys brought the barrels back to the ship. There goes his little island vacation after this whole ordeal. Well, Ethan kinda saw it as his first test in his new position as a chef. So the chef made his way down the plank, five cabin boys in tow to invest some money in the towns local food stores. The cook was thinking about buying wine and some rum too for the crew. At one point they would deserve some alcohol now and then but they would probably get drunk on this island’s tavern anyway. But just for future times he would take some with him.

May 27, 2014

Nico sighed as he watched the courier approach, he already knew what the message would say. It was the same almost every time they stopped in this port. As pirate’s went, Willem was an attractive and respectable man and the Governor had taken a liking to him the first time they’d met. Nico knew very well what Lord Humphrey wanted from his Captain and it had nothing to do with his polished manners. So far Willem had refused the man’s advances, but the Governor’s demeanor had grown more predatory with each visit and Nico wasn't sure how much longer the man would take no for an answer. It might have been different if his Captain actually had an interest in the Governor, but so far as he could tell, the man didn't seem interested in male companionship at all. As thick as he was, Lord Humphrey seemed to growing aware of that as well. Glaring out over the bay as he waited for the Captain’s inevitable answer, he wondered idly if the crew would be adverse to moving on to the next port. He barely controlled a snort of derision over the Captain’s next question. It was always just Willem's presence that was requested. It had not stopped him from attending, so far, and it wouldn’t now. Especially with the question of whether or not he had intentionally fed them bad information before their last run floating in the air.

As the courier quickly faded into the crowd, Nico grabbed a passing boy by his collar, stopping his progress along the dock. “John, go on down to the Lady's Anchor, the Anchor mind you, no other will do. Tell the owner we need adjoining rooms for a captain and one officer. Two baths. A hot one for the Captain. Don’t let the old tyrant try to haggle you over the price, tell him its for The Merry Dancer. Repeat.” Standing as straight as he could manage, the golden haired boy repeated the instructions he’d just been given as Nico counted coins into his hand. Despite Nico's gruff tone, the boys tone held more respect than fear. ”If everything is ready and you are waiting when we get there, you can take until midday tomorrow onshore. Martin will take your shifts.”

The grin that spread across the boy’s face was more than just pleasure at having time off in port. “Aye, Sir.” The cabin boy answered. He knew Martin had been caught sleeping on duty and Martin was a hard boy to like at the best of times. John wouldn't make that mistake. Once freed from the Quartermaster’s grip he repeated his orders once more, then scurried off toward a path that lead up the hill. The Captain had taken to the sea with great fervor, but he’d not been born on it and though he would never say so, Nico knew he still appreciated time time spent on dry land. With the loot from the the last battle, a room for the night was an easily accommodated luxury.

Once the cabin boy was out of sight, Nico turned to follow his Captain back up the gangway. “We’ll be staying at The Lady’s Anchor, a bath will be waiting. If you want it to be hot when you get there, you better go start picking your clothes now. I’ll grab my own and issue orders for the day while I wait.” As he walked beside the captain, he continued to speak. It was less like conversating, and more like thinking out loud. It helped his own thought process but it was also a way of instructing the too often clueless Captain. “The crew will spread their coin and their stories tonight. The recruiting will better tomorrow for it. I’ll send the carpenters out to check the shipyards today. The carpenter’s are a good lot, but I wish the Boatswain hadn't met the sea while we were in need of such extensive repairs. The new cook is taking care of provisions. I’ll have to check behind him, but I think he’ll do just fine. The goods will sell as well tomorrow as they would today. Providing our hides are intact tomorrow to do the selling.”

At the last bit, Nico's words finally dried up. Willem von Haven had always been a gambler in more than just the traditional sense. Nico had never seen the man’s luck run dry when the stakes were important. Perhaps they would enjoy a quiet dinner and learn that it had all been a terrible misunderstanding. The Captain would once again offer polite attention without ever quite committing or saying no. They would complete their repairs and sail away, crossing this port off their map entirely for a good long while. It was a pleasant thought, but Nico made a note to wear extra dagger sheaths in case he needed to be prepared for reality instead. Luck was a fine thing, and the Captain’s finer than most, but Nico had never been much of a gambler himself so he abandoned his earlier musing of a night in the taverns and finished making plans for an evening as a semi-invited guest at the Governor’s mansion.

June 1, 2014

His pace back onto the ship slowed as Nico joined him, Willem listening intently to what the man was saying. The ship might have been his, and his father may have been the Vice-Admiral of the Dutch Navy, but Willem himself was not completely across life at sea and all that it entailed, some of the information taking longer to sink in. In the very beginning he was sure Nico would have just pushed him overboard in the middle of the night if it wasn't for his uncanny luck; the two of them eventually establishing a rapport with one another that had deepened into a genuine friendship (or at lease he hoped it had, like many things, Willem was also clueless about social interactions outside of gentry gatherings). He nodded as Nico ticked off the list of things that needed to be done to ensure the continued smooth operation of their vessel.

Once on the deck that led to the Captains Cabin, Nico left him to continue on. Once inside, Willem made his way to the many chests that contained his clothes. Whilst he wore the tight fitting leathers and comfortable linens for actual seafaring, he couldn't bring himself to get rid of the fine clothes that he'd accumulated, either through gambling, or purchases using the money he won from gambling. He couldn't say that gambling was a love, just something he was ridiculously good at thanks to his uncanny luck; even when the situation initially seemed bad, a silver lining would always show at the last moment that made up for it... in ways that lined his pockets and that of his crew.

He picked up an armful of clothes and laid them out on this bed, fingering the silks and laces as he straightened them out. The clothes were all predominantly “new” as he’d gotten rid of most of the clothes he originally owned before his pirating “career”. His hand hovered over the blue doublet, with matching hose; the feeling that he got when he was sure that his luck was operating made the hair on the back of his neck prickle and he quickly stuffed the other clothes back into the chest. He'd won the outfit from an English Aristocrat, and he felt the colour suited him well, bringing out the blue in his own eyes, the colour vibrant in contrast to his skin and hair.

Rummaging around in the bottom of one of the chests, he located an even smaller chest, hidden amongst the lace and frills, he carefully opened it and emptied a small pouch containing small items of jewelry, a few rings, a gold necklace or two, but given the company he would be keeping tonight, he opted for just the signet ring of his House, the dark blue sapphire matching his outfit. He folded the clothes neatly and wrapped them in waterproof oilskin to take with him to the baths, along with some perfume and powders. To keep in line with the current fashion trend, he would have to apply a touch of makeup; at least it hid the slight imperfections on his face, caused by repeated sunburn whilst out at sea.

There was a knock at the door just as he finished putting his things together, and Nico's face appeared around the door. Willem gave his best smile, the man's timing was perfect as usual, and the two of them made their way off the ship, exchanging small talk as they walked up the hill to the Lady's Anchor.

June 2, 2014

Levi headed off the ship after the majority of the crew had moved on and gone about their own ways throughout the town, most probably going to the common tavern, or several, that were around in the large popular port-town. Levi walked down the gangplank, sighing a bit in relief as his feet meet the wood ground of the dock. It was nice to be on land for once. Especially after that last battle, it was nice to see something solid to stand on and be surrounded by.

Levi was a little irritated though, because of the outcome in the past battle. It was one of their worse ones, and their ship would surely need repairs before they headed back out to sea again. That's not what Levi was most upset about. Sure, he loved the ship and worried for her. But he worried and cared for his specified materials more so. Such as his beautiful compass that had unfortunately met a bullet. The compass itself though, had ended up saving Levi's life from a stray bullet that battle. He put a hand to his chest, where he was sure there was probably still a bruise of the impact. But now he had such bittersweet feelings about the compass. He didn't want to get rid of it...but surely, they would need a working compass before they headed back out soon. He was usually good at fixing broken directional equipment. But he wasn't sure if he could. He definitely would need some supplies he'd have to get here at port to fix it up if he was going to.

As Levi had gotten off the ship and contemplated either going to a tavern first, or shopping to get materials to fix his treasured compass, he saw a man standing on the dock, staring up at the large frigate he had just stepped off of. Raising an eyebrow, he stepped over to the other "Oi!" he called eyes the man suspiciously "Are you looking for someone?" he inquired. It wasn't unusual for someone to just stop and admire the ship. But she was clearly tired and beaten now, needing a rest. So he was curious about the male who seemed taken by the ship.

June 4, 2014

Still looking over the damages she had, he stood in thought, it would take two or three days to fix her up right, and that’s pulling her out of the water and taking everything out of the ship to not damage her more. His thoughts were pulled from him however when he heard someone call, and approach him.

Watching the man carefully for a moment before he turned back to look at the ship. Was he looking for someone, no not really, though he would have to talk with whoever was the owner of his vessel about fixing her up. He tapped his belt, and tilted his head towards the other.

The tools on his belt would have given him away as a repair man. Seeing the damage he could, and the size of her, and the number of crew that he saw walking up and down, mostly down, his guess of three full days of repair was about right, with the others working on her, plus the one or two days of actually unloading her.

“A week,” he said finally, taking a step back, looking from the man to the ship and back again. “I can’t see the damages to her hull, if she has any,” he went on. “No,” finally answering the question, his arms resting over his broad chest crossed. “Tell that to yer captain, shipyard is around the bend there,” he pointed with a thumb over his shoulder, where there was a smaller dock with a ramp for the people to haul ships up to land.

With that he done his first inspection of the ship, his eyes lingered on her once more before he turned and started to walk away, waiting long enough for the man to say anything else before he did walk towards town.

June 4, 2014

The pirates were loud and it sounded as though they had just pulled into port. The men were rather few in number, but then this wasn’t the favourite tavern around for simply drinking. This was the best Tavern in town, The Lady’s Anchor, favoured more by the officers and high-ranking members of the crews that docked here. Luc refused to stay anywhere else and personally knew the owners, though that was from a long time back in his life, a time he didn’t often revisit in memories.

The men had all settled down, each getting their favourite drink and ordering food before sitting nearby. It wasn’t very warm outside so seats near the fire were appreciated. As he sat there polishing his swords he listened carefully, seems like whichever crew they were from had met with a bit of a fight and they were a few men down. Not that Luc needed more money, but he didn’t enjoy sitting still on land, much preferring to be on the seas.

He was about half way through polishing the first sword when a young blonde lad ran into the tavern and hurried up to the owners at the bar. Handing over a number of coins the owner nodded and called one of the girls who worked as a barmaid over and started giving instructions. Seemed like whatever the boy had said was important, glancing over at the boy Luc frowned, he didn’t seem like the important type and was quickly leaving the tavern again.

Putting away his polishing kit he re-sheathed the sword and headed over to the bar with his drink, very quickly losing the seat by the fire, but he wasn’t bothered as he slid into a seat in front of the owner where he proceeded to continue polishing his swords. Not looking up at the owner he spoke in lowered tones.

“Why the rush Mark? Got celebrities in or something?” The owner looked over at him, grinning as he counted the money the boy had given him into the safe box of the tavern.

“Aye, well as close as we get to celebrities in this port. The Captain of that there crew which came in a while ago, and one of his officers will be arriving soon.”

Luc raised an eyebrow politely, he hadn’t yet caught which crew that was. Mark knowing him sniggered and finished counting the coins, locking the box up then putting it away before he leaned on the counter, keeping his voice low as he talked to Luc.

“I know what ya be thinking lad, known ya long enough now to know what ya thinking. Nah, ya haven’t sailed under this captain yet. This be the captain of the Merry Dancer. That crew has a good reputation ya know, may be pirates but then who in the waters that ain’t pirates these days.” With a grin Mark stood back up, stretching out his back before he moved onto other jobs he had to do behind the bar.

Luc himself sat thinking, if the Merry Dancer was that good and the crew that had been talking about the recent battle were from that crew then they may be hiring. I might be a good chance. While he sat thinking and polishing his swords he kept part of his attention on the door, watching each and every man that walked though it.

June 6, 2014

Ethan lugged the last barrel out of the shop and shouted a loud goodbye to the shopkeeper. His cabin boys where already stowing away the other barrels and Ethan had to carry the last one back to deck. Thank god he got the money earlier from the Quartermaster or else he would not have been able to buy the needed provisions. Well not entirely food since Ethan also stocked up on water and some booze. So it cost a certain amount of money to buy this but the Quartermaster gave him more than enough. The pirate reminded himself to return the change later on. His cabin boys had to walk back and fro more than once but it was over soon enough.

After lugging the last barrel into it's designed spot, he turned towards his cabin boys that were waiting like good children for his next orders. "Aye, you may run around town now you monkeys. Make sure ta' be back at sunset. Ya' hear?" he spoke in an authoritative voice but also with a slight grin. A chorus of 'yes's and soon enough his cabin boys sprinted outside and down the plank. Talk about monkeys.... Either way, now that he was done with buying and storing the barrels away, his gaze sweeping over them yet again to tick everything on his mind list and he was also on his way down the plank. Maybe a little tour around town and the gazing forest would be a good objective for him.

June 10, 2014

Standing on the main deck with his arms resting against the railings, Dr Eijkman silently scanned the port city from corner to corner, watching every movement of hands and novel faces as they busied themselves with the arrival of the frigate. There was always something new to watch despite having previously been here several times with the crew. At the port, the air was heavy with salt, but it certainly smelled different from the sea and the ocean; for that matter, the surgeon found the smell to be rather fresh, though perhaps it might merely be an illusion of change.

Down in the city street, amongst foreign faces, his pale blue eyes caught sight of two familiar figures making their way towards the Lady’s Anchor. The captain, Willem von Haven, was a fellow Dutchman, yet, as much a patriotic man the surgeon was, he felt a lack of affiliation towards the captain; the blood in their veins may be orange, but they were two very different people. Dr Eijkman let out a sigh. He was no pirate; he was merely on deck to survive the captivity. After all these years, hope was still lingering within him – the hope to return to his country, and to the government’s fleet. There will, however, come a time when hope will dissipate and he will be one of them. But until then, he would continue to remain distant from the lifestyle that he very much abhorred.

His gaze broke away from the two authoritative figures as a brief interaction down by the frigate caught his interest. Levi the navigator was having an exchange with a male he did not recognize – a shipwright by the looks of it. And a local perhaps. That reminded him that he needed to check out the local drug store to purchase some medical supplies, and that also reminded him that the last time he checked, the city’s drug store he knew did not have what he needed at the moment. And perhaps, if this lad was a local he might be able to point him to a place where he could get what he wanted.

A sigh escaped the surgeon’s lips for the second time. He tapped the heels of his shoes on the wooden boards as he considered the idea of speaking to another of them pirates, and of being rather rude for interrupting the two. But he needed to get the medical supplies before they set off again.

Pushing all thoughts away, the surgeon left the spot by the railings and glided down the ramp towards the two males.

“Hey Levi,” the surgeon greeted the navigator casually, and pacing towards the shipwright, quickly enquired, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but are you a local, good sir?” Though his English was fluent, his accent was thick; the characteristic difficulty of pronouncing the D in ‘good’ was apparent in his speech.

June 17, 2014

It hadn't taken the quartermaster long to gather up his clothes and stow them in his sea bag. Nico had chosen his outfit and placed it out to air in expectation of this invitation before he’d left his cabin upon waking. While it was true that he preferred the casual style favored by sailors, he’d been born to affluence and he’d never quite lost the knack for dressing the part, at least while ashore. If nothing else, his captain cared about such things, and he’d not shame the man in front of the peasant nobility by dressing the part of a common deckhand.

The patrons were always different, but The Lady’s Anchor itself was just as Nico remembered. Mark’s smiling face greeted them as the pair entered the tavern. Nico's eye was drawn to a blonde man at the bar, seated near the owner. The man was polishing one of two swords in his possession and he had the look of someone who knew how to use them. Nico was distracted from further thoughts of the random swordsman when the owner joined them from behind the bar moments later with his attention focused on Willem. Nico let the conversation of the two men flow around him as he followed the pair up the stairs, dodging two boys running back down with empty but still steaming buckets in their hands. He chuckled to himself when he noticed that one them was John. He told the boy he was free to enjoy his evening once he’d finished carting the bath water.

The Captain’s room was the last on the right at the end of the hall. It was large and well appointed with french doors that opened to a spacious balcony along two walls with a view of the port. Nico's own room was next door, smaller but still well decorated. Opening the door to his room, he left Mark and the captain to continue along. Without the need to heat water, his own bath was already prepared.

Nico wasted no time removing the clothes from his oiled sack. The deep blue velvet English style justacorps and knee length breeches came out first. His long fingers traced along the elaborate and stylized silver embroidered waves along the collarless coats edges around its silver buttons. It’s skirt was slightly less flared than favored by the french. The french had a habit of overdoing things, anyway. Nico was pleased with how his suit had turned out. He owned very little that had not been plundered, and though it had been expensive, he was vain enough to be pleased with the result and he found himself actually looking forward to wearing for the first time. The sleeveless cream silk waistcoat came next. Embroidered in silver and gold waves and sea life, it’s color matched the silk facing on the coats upturned sleeves and inner lining. Once Nico had removed the bundle of his shirt, only his slightly heeled shoes remained at the bottom of the bag. Unwrapping his linen shirt with its simple, yet finely wrought lace cuffs, he removed his white silk stockings, undergarments, shaving kit, looking glass, and the small pouch containing the pearl accented silver buckles for his shoes, bits of black hair ribbon, and some other small bits of jewelry. It was becoming more common for military men and those with active lifestyles to forgo the wig. Nico was glad enough to take advantage of the trend, since he could never stand the extravagantly expensive and entirely annoying things anyway.

Through the thin walls and open balcony doors Nico could hear the final buckets of water being brought up and the tavern’s owner making his final platitudes to the captain as he pulled off his shirt and sat down at the table with his shaving kit and mirror. The mirror was one of his finest bits of personal plunder. Not just polished metal, but a proper looking glass, it was rectangular with an ornate and and ingenious covered frame that opened into a stand to hold the mirror upright. Nico wasted little time with shaving away the dark stubble. The ship’s barber was a fine enough man, but Nico had learned the skill years ago and it was easy enough just to do it himself. He was soon shedding the rest of his clothes and climbing into the moderately cool water. It took only minutes to scrub the dirt and salt from the sun-darkened olive skin of his unusually tall frame and he didn't waste time luxuriating in the clean, unscented water.

Wrapping his waist in a drying cloth, Nico snatched up his shaving kit and knocked on the door connecting the captain’s room to his own. Entering without waiting, he found Willem just beginning to soak in his bath. Despite Nico's own apparent quickness, there was no real reason to rush. They had hours still until the governor would be expecting them. Pulling up a stool, Nico seated himself next to the man in the tub. Heady scents rose from the steaming water. The captain’s body was not quite as thick or defined as his own, but he was a fit and well muscled man. He had not acquired Nico's habit of wearing as little as possible when away from shore and aside from his face Willem's body was pale and nearly flawless; a stark contrast to Nico's tattoo and scar covered darker complexion.

Nico made small talk as he tipped the captain’s head back and began to give him a shave. Only the smallest bit of hair marred the strong lines of Willem's face, but Nico was careful and thorough all the same. He couldn't recall when he’d first begun playing body servant to the captain. He hadn't served such a function since his first years at sea. But there was something about the man that made Nico want to take care of him.

The former quartermaster, Nico Crisóstomo, had been between berths with his most loyal crewmates waiting along with him. He had been considering the merits of a promotion to captaincy when Willem von Haven stumbled into his path. Naive and only recently cut from his Daddy’s purse strings, Willem was the perfect mark. It hadn't taken much time to realize he was ill equipped to captain a dinghy, let alone a frigate. Nonetheless, the man had a ship and a burning need to prove himself and Nico had the necessary experience and the makings of a crew. It hadn't taken long to convince the poor sap that pirating was the quickest way to make a name for himself. It wouldn't take long for Nico to become captain himself, and he’d have a newly commissioned ship under his command. There was no underhanded scheme. Nico merely had to wait for the dandy to hang himself with his ignorance and pompous attitude. He would be voted in as The Merry Dancer's captain himself. Nico had always wondered about that, whether or not Willem's father knew he had been sending his son off to a future of likely mutiny and possible death.

Nico hadn't accounted for Willem's earnest nature or quick mind. That he was easy on the eyes hadn't hurt either. Most importantly however, the man recognized his limitations and sought to better himself both for his own sake and for those who were his responsibility. He asked questions and sought knowledge. It was an admirable trait enhanced by the knowledge that despite his family's navy heritage, in the beginning, even the greenest of powder monkeys had known more of the sea than their captain. In some ways, he was almost like a child himself. It was odd to think they were nearly of the same age. In the end, Nico hadn't really tried to fight the desire that rose in him both to nurture and protect the man. He hadn't really wanted to be a captain anyway. Like the rest of his men, he’d really only been tired of serving under scum.

Wiping the last bit of soap and stubble from the captain’s jaw line, Nico grinned. Willem von Haven was a pampered little peacock, to be sure, but he was also a decent man. Perhaps with a little more training, he might even be a decent pirate. Nico's fingers traced down the man’s neck and along his collarbone, brushing away some nonexistent pieces of hair. He only barely managed to stifle a chuckle at the slight shudder he felt in the man’s body in response to his touch. Despite his seeming seduction of the governor and for all his foppish ways, Willem von Haven was as proper as any man. He had to have a bit of molly in him, given the way he humored the governor. But, there was certainly no experience there. And the truth was, while he’d tried valiantly to hide it, Nico knew that Willem had been intimidated by him from the beginning and, at moments, even genuinely frightened. The fear had faded eventually but this occasional tension had taken its place. These unnecessary, yet seemingly innocent touches had become commonplace between them. While it felt almost like bullying the man, it was just another urge Nico didn't really try to fight. Leaning close, Nico's voice was an almost intimate whisper as he shifted to sit behind his captain. “Lean up. I’ll wash your back.”

June 18, 2014

Upon entering the tavern, Willem had to blink a few times, his eyes adjusting to the contrasting gloom inside. The patrons were obscured slightly by the shadowy interior, but as his eyes adjusted, their faces revealed themselves. A few steps in, a quick look around; Willem didn’t recognise anyone, but it was hardly surprising that the only face he recognised was that of tavern keeper Mark. The man broke out into a beaming smile as soon as he was spotted, crossing the threshold of the bar to greet them. “Ah Willem, it’s so good to see you!” Willem nodded his agreement, the feeling was mutual of course, Mark being a good source of gossip and advice, not to mention his tavern was the best within sailing distance.

Mark led them up the stairs towards the room, sharing tidbits of gossip as they went, Mark always seemed to know what was going on in the world, and Willem always looked forward to catching up with him, secretly thirsty for information from home. The two of them exchanged stories, Willem careful not to let too much information about their latest voyage slip; it was obvious that things hadn’t gone well, but the ever sharp Mark didn’t need to know just how badly things had gone, as congenial was the man was, Willem didn’t doubt that the flow of information occurred both ways.

Nico peeled himself away from them as they passed his room, Willem momentarily distracted by a tidbit of gossip, “She did what? ” The story of a mistress getting revenge on her lover was as salacious as gossip got, the women living on the spice islands were certainly something, almost frightening in a way. Most certainly the thoughts of the honey and olive coloured skin kept him warm in the dark of the night, but when confronted with one of these fiery beauties, Willem couldn’t make it past the introductions, the women laughing at his foppish ways as he blushed at their teasing, and moving onto more… masculine pursuits.

The room Willem had been given was large and spacious, the french doors and windows letting light flood the room. The Dutchman couldn’t help but smile, there was something about having unlimited access to hot water that made one truly decadent. The serving boys entered the room with their final buckets of hot water, the bath steaming in the centre of the room, and Mark gave him a nod, letting him know that if he needed anything further, all he had to do was ask, the hospitality of The Lady’s Anchor was second to none, and Mark ensured that it stayed that way.

Willem took a moment to himself, unpacking the oilskin and hanging his clothes out to air, hoping that the steam from the bath would at least make the wrinkles look less noticeable. He slowly undressed himself, the water would still be that fraction too hot, and his pale skin would no doubt redden instantly from the heat. He rubbed his hand over his jaw, noting the stubble, it didn’t matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t seem to grow a convincing beard, the hair too pale and wispy to be taken seriously, even his stubble was laughable, the hair so light that it couldn’t even be seen unless he caught the rays of the sun “just so”.

When he judged the water to be cool enough, he picked up the bath oil and sniffed it experimentally; the smell of pine and mint wafted from the bottle, rich enough to be pleasing but not overpowering; a pleasant change from the oils that the nobility usually favoured. He swirled the oil through the water with his hand and stepped into the tub, slowly sinking his body into the still steaming water. Wincing as he adjusted to the temperature he slowly leaned back and closed his eyes to prepare for his soak.

Moments later there was a knock at the door, and without even waiting for permission to enter, Nico strode into the room, Willem didn’t even bother opening his eyes, he knew the man would either be naked or not far from it, and whilst he had no problem with nudity in general, he found Nico’s nudity to be slightly… distracting. There was the quiet thud of a stool being placed next to the bath, and strong supple fingers tilted his head back. Willem relaxed slightly as he felt lather being applied to his face and the sure, steady movements of the razor gliding against his skin.

Nico’s voice was deep, his tones quiet and Willem began to relax. There was comfort to be had in being looked after, despite his latent fear of the Quartermaster. The man was taller than him, and better built, and it was only the thought that the man could have killed him at any time during their companionship that he wouldn’t resort to slitting his throat in the bath, that stopped Willem from shivering in fear. The man knew that Willem had gotten over his actual fear, but still seemed to enjoy teasing him, the dark eyes and wicked grin flashing in amusement as Willem stumbled, stuttered and generally made an arse of himself.

He felt the slightly rough cloth wipe the last of the lather from his face, and was about to open his mouth express his gratitude when he felt the man’s fingertips brush along the skin of his collarbone. Willem fought hard to suppress the shudder that went through him; the touch wasn’t unpleasant, in fact far from it, but it flustered him to admit it. “Lean up. I’ll wash your back.” Nico’s voiced had dropped to nearly a whisper, the tone surely reserved for more… intimate pursuits; Willem was all too glad to be able to hide his rapidly reddening face from the Quartermaster as he wrapped his arms around his bent legs, and rested his chin on his knees.

June 19, 2014

Levi looked to the man, seeing his interest in the ship. And with one quick and easy glance at him, it was easy enough to tell the man was a shipwright, and one that clearly took interest in his job and the ships he fixed up. The man clearly had an air of command - not controlling, or overpowering, but command for his position, clearly knowing full well what he was doing when it came to sizing up a ship and what it needed. The man knew his job and wasn't just there to admire the beauty. Just by looking at their home for not even five minutes, standing on once spot and taking a once over at it, the man seemed to be able to deduce what needed to be done, and how long it needed to be done for.

Levi raised an eyebrow in interest as he looked to the male, watching him. It seemed he already had an interest on fixing the ship up. After all though, it wasn't every day such a beauty of a ship, a frigate, docked in a port, and one that would need some good loving and caring hands tending to her. They would be fixing the ship up while here, after all. No matter the cost, they needed her fixed up, and taken care of. She was in absolutely no condition to be sailing back out any time soon, not in her current state. It was good they caught the attention of a shipwright so soon on docking, though. He was sure the captain didn't want to wait and spend too long here, as much as they all loved this town, the sea was still there home. Levi supposed they'd probably spend a week or two, and then be back out, given, that the ship was fixed up by then, and they had gathered men to make up for those they lost in their most recent battle.

Levi listened to the man with small interest. He personally didn't care to hear about the details regarding the ship - it all went past his head, even if he tried to enjoy and understand the material. Levy wasn't much of a hands on person - even when it came to fighting, he preferred his guns. He wasn't much that enjoyed hard, muscle work like fixing a ship. He really did fit his position as navigator perfectly. Even though he wasn't keen on fighting all the time, he didn't have a problem with it, and despite his thinner looking frame, he had quite a bit of muscle, or enough to keep himself alive and skilled in fighting, if need be anyways. And, as a pirate that was of course more than necessary. Levi was simply the uncaring type, who enjoyed staying out of fights, not because he couldn't handle them, but because Levi had a more laid back, lazy sort of persona, one where he didn't see the need in exerting himself if not necessary.

As the man turned to take his leave, he raised an eyebrow "Whats say be your name, sir?" he inquired curiously, as he would be sure to later on inform his captain about the male. As he was asking the other this, he heard his own name being called by a familiar voice. Blinking a bit, he glanced over his shoulder at the doctor they captured a few years ago. Levi was still rather amused by the man, acting like he wasn't a pirate. Whether the man accepted it or not, he was already one of them long ago. Levi himself got stuck into piracy through same forced methods, and ended up on it. He had learned quick to accept it, either that, or it was death for him at sea.

Levi watched as the ships doctor made his way down to where he and the shipwright had been talking just before their frigate. He looked to him, giving a slight nod "Hey there, doc" he greeted back to the male, before he was passed over and ignored to where Eijkman seemed more interested in the shipwright and talking to him, asking about him being a local.

June 20, 2014

Jac paused in his walk and turned back towards the two pirates. Looking to the new comer he turned back to the person that came down to question him. “Jac,” he replied easily enough to the name question before turning to the other man and then to the ship again and then back to the other man. “If your captain and crew intend to have her fixed, don’t load anything on her, there are warehouses at the shipyard to store your goods until she’s back in the water,” he finished and then turned to the other man that had walked up to them.

“I’ve lived here a few years,” he answered something was a little off with this pirate however, and it wasn’t the accent or that he was a doctor. Standing there waiting or either of them to speak again or not. He wasn’t sure if he was needed for anything else at the moment and he had already got his original assessment done on the ship, he could inform the foremen tomorrow when he would be at the shipyard. Then he thought of something.

“Could I look around on and in deck for any other damages, this way you can inform your captain better?” it was a simple request, honestly he didn’t want to be surprised to find a lot more damage than he could see on the outside and have to spend longer than he gave, that was just poor judgment on his end. If they turned his request down he could always give a second time frame from anything new he learned.

June 30, 2014

Luc kept a keen watch on the tavern entrance, many unimportant men entered and left, some would go over and talk to the crew that were sat around a nearby table, others would take a seat in a corner. Though it wasn't only the entrance that Luc was watching. He knew Mark and knew how the man worked and he could tell the moment that it was the Captain and Officer from the Merry Dancer that walked into the tavern.

He hummed to himself as he watched Mark go and make a fuss over the two men, one had a strong build and could probably hold himself in a fight if the numerous scars that Luc could see on the man's exposed skin were anything to go by. The second man, well honestly Luc wouldn't ever put him in a fight, not even if he asked. Sure he looked as though he had some muscles, but he had no scars, he seemed noble almost and delicate.

As he watched the three head up the stairs he stopped polishing and lent back considering his options. Either he remained without a ship and crew for now, jobless and slowly work through his money, Mark may know him from his childhood, however it didn't stop the man from charging him for room and food. As he thought he continued to polish his swords and waited for Mark to return.

It didn't take long for the man to show his face again, presumably the men were now settled into their rooms and the gossip was over with. "So Mark, those are your celebrities of the night then." he stated to the grinning man.

"That they are lad, and they pay better for you that's for sure. Turns out they are gonna be looking for more crew during their stay here, just not tonight. They have been summoned by the port governor for the night." His voice quietened near the end, Luc had no love nor friendship to over to the governor nor many powerful men in all honestly. They were the reason that he had been kidnapped into to slavery as a child for the entertainment of men such as the governor. His polishing finished, he re-sheathed the sword and stood.

"Mark... thank you for the conversation, I will be back later." With that Luc turned and left the Tavern, he would be back, his room already paid for however for now he needed to walk. Not going anywhere in particular he brooded, smelling the strong sea air as he did so and looking up after a short distance to find his feet had lead him to the docks. With a bark of laughter Luc began to walk along by the ships, looking at them all and admiring some as he slowly made he way down to the end of the dock, and also to where the largest ship was currently.

June 30, 2014

The city was bustling with life. The Merry Dancer wasn't the only ship that docked into this harbour it seemed. Some of the pirates sneered at him but Flint didn't look at them and neither did he stop to start a fight. Though Ethan Flint was a rather well mannered male, he did favour a good fight now and then. But he was exhausted from their fight on sea so he didn't even bother with the other sailors. The lad walked towards the forest instead. He passed by many people that were making their way towards the docks to stare at their large ship. Many shipwrights making their way towards the old lady, obviously looking for a well paid job and the chance to repair such a big ship. Ethan could care less to tell the truth, as long as the lady survived the last fight and would stay even longer with them. In the few weeks that he stayed on the ship Flint learned to love the ship. It was far bigger then his other one and he even had his own kitchen as well as some cabin boys to order about.

Before he even noticed the pirate arrived at the bordering forest. A slow walk on dry land was relaxing to the male and who knows; maybe he found some interesting ingredients in the forest. Some guy from town told him that there were mushrooms growing in the underbrush. At it seemed that they were at least edible. As a passionate cook Ethan didn't miss the chance to get some good ingredients. Especially if he didn't need to buy them and if they were still fresh. Besides, a nice meal with different ingredients was working real wonders on the crew. Some crew member even joked that Ethan's meals gave them enough energy to work two days in a row nonstop. Flint only replied with a hearty laugh and dismissed it. Though he was really good in the kitchen didn't mean that he was producing god meals that make every wonder happen. It would be nice to believe that but even Ethan didn't believe in that. He could cook good meals yes, but they were not bringing miracles forward.

"Maybe I will find some other things as mushrooms. Maybe some meat or some sort of berries...." he started muttering and continuing his way deeper into the forest. Though he could get pretty tangled up in his hobby Ethan was still able to snap out of it. The cook would surely return before sunset.

July 1, 2014

Dr Eijkman regarded the shipwright for a moment, contemplating his question. As the surgeon of the frigate, he certainly did not have the authority to give the green flag for the man to get on board and snoop around the deck and cabins despite him looking like a genuine shipwright who was genuinely interested in working to mend the scars of the ship. He ran his fingers through his hair nervously, and shifted his glance to Levi who was just a few feet away from him, hoping that the navigator would do the talking for him. After all, this whole pirate dealings was not what he was familiar with, and on top of that, it was not to his liking.

The surgeon shifted his weight from one foot to another, and his gaze from the navigator to the shipwright and back to the navigator again. After a moment of thought, and not being able to find the words, he cleared his throat, and said to the shipwright with a tilt of his head towards Levi, "I suppose Levi here has the answer for you." He stole a glance at the navigator, and upon catching his eyes, he flashed him a half smile before turning back towards the shipwright.

At his sides, his fingers fiddled with the fabric of his top; his mind was alert, looking for that right space in the conversation to ask the shipwright if he knew anywhere that he could go to to get the medication that he was looking for. Silently he cursed himself for his awkwardness with social situations, and also at the state of the frigate's medical supply and storage. Pirates. What do they know about medicine? Just amputate your foot with the same rusty saw that was used to saw a plank of wood just minutes before. The thought made him cringe.

Awkwardly the surgeon continued to shift his weight from one foot to another, each time moving closer towards Levi and then back in the other direction towards the shipwright. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting for that moment to ask for assistance.

August 11, 2014

Nico was sure his Captain blushed as he leaned forward. Nico was glad enough that their positions prevented the man from seeing his smile. His grin only widened as he watched goosebumps rise on the pale flesh in the wake of the warm soapy sponge as it slid across the slender, but well-defined back. Nico was sure the man delighted in the sensations and equally sure he had no idea what to do with them or the feelings they aroused. At times like these, it was easy to remember that despite the game they played with the Governor, Willem had never actually been with a man.

Thinking of the Governor turned Nico’s mood. It had been his information that had led them to their latest target. They had sailed expecting a small, lightly armed Spanish supply ship. What they had found was a large brig; well armed and expecting trouble. On her way to resupply an outpost, she had[/] been loaded down with gold and supplies, at least. Whatever the Spanish had been expecting, they hadn’t counted on The Merry Dancer. It was rare for a pirate captain to get his hands on a warship, let alone one of her size. And, he must have learned something from his Vice Admiral father. For all the practical knowledge Willem lacked about life at sea, he made it up in battle strategy. The Spanish hadn’t stood a chance. Their own bad turn of luck had come during the boarding. Only the experienced, and therefore, higher ranked crewmen had any real skill with a sword and even they could use more drills. The crew had done well for itself in the melee, but casualties were inevitable. Both the Boatswain and Master Carpenter had been killed as a result of the battle. No suitable replacements had been found amongst the Spanish crew. Without skilled craftsmen to lead them, major repairs had been difficult to manage without returning to port despite their overabundance of supplies. So here Nico was, pimping his captain out again to the bilge rat who’d sold them out to their enemy.

Nico sighed at himself and the situation as he focused again on his task. He’d actually finished at some point during his musing, but Willem hadn’t complained when he’d continued to move the sponge in slow soothing strokes and it had helped Nico collect his varying thoughts. He’d started drifting from his intent to wash only the man’s back when a knock at the door of the adjoining room startled him.

Almost guiltily Nico dropped the sponge in the water and stood. “We still have a few hours and it may be a while before we have this much fresh water to spare again. Take your time, Kapetánios mou. I’ll go take care of whatever it is that can’t wait. Call if you need something”

Nico pulled the door behind him as he returned to his room, leaving it cracked enough to easily hear the captain should he need. Another, more hesitant knock came before he reached the door leading to the hall.

“John.” Nico acknowledged as he answered. The golden haired boy was flushed; his breathing just slightly irregular. He had obviously rushed back to the room.

Taking in Nico’s towel-clad body, the cabin boy flushed more. “I- Did I interrupt you, Sir?”

“Nothing I should have been up to, anyway.” Nico shrugged as he moved away from the door allowing John inside. “So what has you hurrying back up the hill when you should already be working your way to a belly full of ale and a hand full of bosom?”

“There is some stranger sniffing around the ship, Sir. Looked like a carpenter, maybe. He was talking to Master Levi and the sawbones. It seemed like he was trying to get aboard and it looked like they might let him. Thought you’d want to know.” John looked almost defensive as he finished his little speech. Nico appreciated the young man’s earnestness, but even John obviously felt his stated reason for the rushed visit was surely informative, but not urgent. It was always good to be well informed. However, Nico trusted that the crew knew better than to let strangers go on pleasure strolls about the ship. Proper discipline could mean the difference between life and death at sea. And Nico was known for being a bit heavy handed with those who needed to be reminded of that fact. Whatever had brought John to his room, it was more than some stranger come calling. If the man sought berth or business he would come back tomorrow and if it was mischief he was after, he’d find The Merry Dancer well capable of defending herself even without her captain or quartermaster aboard.

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention.” John made no movement to leave and after a moment Nico sighed and closed the door. Gracelessly, he slumped into a chair and motioned to the bottle on the other side of the room. Practically jumping, the golden-haired lad moved to the table pouring some of the rum into the cup sitting nearby. Standing before the chair, John held the bottle out to Nico, keeping the cup for himself. Nico barely controlled his smirk as the boy drank greedily before settling on the floor; arm wrapped around his leg, head resting against Nico’s still unclothed knee. “Well, tell me what’s wrong then.” Nico carefully forced away his impatience. A good many merchants frequented this particular inn and Nico had hoped to speak with a few in the common room before the evening’s festivities. But there was clearly something on John’s mind. He hadn’t sat with Nico like this since he truly had been just a lad; overwhelmed by the realities of the life he’d thought he’d been prepared for. He’d filled out a bit since then. He’d grown taller, more muscular. His voice had lost its high melody. In truth, he could hardly be called a boy at all. But there was something of that lost little boy still in his look as he sipped at his rum and gathered his courage for whatever it was that he wanted to say.

“I-I want to apprentice under the carpenters. I have a knack for it, the boatswain said so a few times. I know I’m a bit old for apprenticeship, but I swear I wouldn’t be a burden.” Looking up at Nico with bright blue eyes, he looked so much like that long ago boy. Nico couldn’t resist reaching down ruffle his hair.

Nico almost laughed with relief. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected from the boy’s tense behavior, but this was easy enough. “Is that all? We’ll make the arrangements for you to join the carpenter’s tomorrow. They could use the help and you’ve more than proved yourself worthy of the vocation. Can I ask why now?” It had been John’s own choice to remain in his position so long.

“Well, I met someone, Sir. Annabelle.” Nico raised an eyebrow, but John powered on. “I haven’t lost my head over some doxie. I swear it. She works in the kitchen up at the governor's place. She’s as proper a lady as I’ve ever known and I dont want to do wrong by her. And I know she wouldn’t have me if I did. A cabin boy only has so many uses, you see. And she says I have to start thinking about how I might support a family. Carpentry... that’s a trade that’s useful no matter the tide. And I think I might enjoy the work.” There was a long pause. Nico knew he wasn’t quite finished yet. After several minutes of staring into his empty cup, John finally spoke again. “God help me, Sir, though I be damned already, I want to be a man she can be proud of.”

Nico had met Annabelle while accompanying the captain. She was a fine lass. Headstrong and self-assured, even as young as she was. She was the kind who would put up with no rivals to her lover’s affection. Nico understood the implications and he didn’t disagree. Despite his words, however, John clung tighter and Nico didn’t stop him.

Sex, it was had by all...except the captain. The captain had to listen to sex. It was hot and the captain was jealous, but he didn’t get any because he was too busy being a shy pansy-witted prude about the whole thing. So he had to sit alone in his quickly chilling bath listening to hot monkey humps and the sweet sweet sounds of super uke mode John, but there was none at all for the captain. Then, still all sex nuts and retard strong Nico rampaged into the hallway, grabbing the first man he saw and ramming him in the fudge hole right against the wall, but still the captain didn’t get any. Downstairs, Nico had his way with every man in the bar. “I am the Captain NOW!” He shouted as he took the street, humping even the innocent women in a swathe of humping destruction.

((For the record... What actually followed was much more like the enthusiastic if somewhat desperate sex making of two people who know they have reach the natural end of what was a pleasant but always transient relationship...but I tried to stint on providing those details and so it has been demanded that I post this completely OUT OF CHARACTER captain-taunting Humpage instead.))

It was some time before John helped Nico collect his once neatly piled clothes. His face was flushed and it was obvious he’d been crying, but short of wiping away the evidence of their farewell, John refused to stay long enough to clean up. Turning back to the room as John left Nico’s attention was pulled by movement at the corner of his eye; to the still open door to the captain’s adjoining room. Nico silently cursed himself for a fool. There was no hope that the captain had not heard the exchange. If Willem hadn’t realized what kind of man he was before, there was certainly no hiding it now.

August 12, 2014

The sponge moving across his skin felt rather pleasant, the warm water beading against his pale skin and trickling down back into the tub before cooling too much. He ducked his chin into his knees a little more to hide his face, suppressing a shudder; why did it have to feel so damn good ? The slow, smooth strokes of the sponge across his back were soothing; he could feel himself relaxing into them, and as they continued his mind began drifting off someplace else… until he felt something stir. He froze, unable to move as his body did something completely unexpected.

He could feel himself getting hard, confused, mortified even. Why would something like this even happen to him? As the moments passed, his “condition” only got worse; what would he do if Nico noticed? Time seemed to drag even slower, his erection felt like it was burning through his stomach… perhaps if he just pretended that it wasn’t even there… The sponge on his back continued it’s slow, languid journey over his skin, the atmosphere in the room subtly changing; Willem could feel his mouth go dry and the goosebumps rise.

The knock at the door came as a surprise; it took a moment longer for Willem to realise that the knock wasn’t on his door, rather on Nico’s in the adjoining room. The sponge landed in the water next to him as Nico got up, “... Take your time, Kapetánios mou ”... His Quartermaster was right, who knew when the next bath would be that didn’t come out a bucket of water, so he might as well as make the most of this one. He waited until he heard Nico answer the door in his own room before shifting the tub, stretching his legs out in front of him as much as he could manage.

He glared at the offending bit of flesh between his legs and let out a frustrated sigh. He didn't think that this one was going to go away by itself like all the others, but what was he going to do about with Nico in the room next door? He lay back in the tub and closed his eyes, the hot water beginning to cool slowly; it was almost tepid now, and the breeze that wafted through the window and across his damp skin caused him to shiver. He could hear the voices next door, Nico’s deep bass and someone else's slightly higher tenor, he couldn't make out the words either, the occasional postulation cutting through the space between them.

Perhaps ignoring it was going to work after all, the soft sounds and lack of stimulation were having the desired effect and he could feel his erection softening. He froze as he heard a noise come from the adjacent room. It hadn't sounded like normal conversational tones; there had been movement, the creaking and shifting of floorboards, the thump of things hitting the floor, and the unmistakable sound of a bed groaning under additional weight.

Willem's face went bright red, and as much as his brain tried to deny what was happening, his body apparently knew different. His erection returned with vengeance, and no amount of wishful thinking was going to make it go away. With one hand covering his mouth, trying to hide his shame from himself, his other hand wrapped itself around his cock and began stroking it. He wanted to have this over and done with as quickly as possible; it would just be his shameful little secret, between him and the empty room.

Except it wasn't working out that way... The noises from the other room were loud enough to hear, muffled as they were; they were also rhythmic enough that he was unwittingly stroking himself in time with them. His body gave a shudder, part shame that he was using the pleasure of others, the other part was unmistakable pleasure. As his fingers squeezed and stroked he couldn't help but imagine that it was him on the receiving end of what sounded like some very thorough attention. The shame built up further, why was he even imaging that ? Why wasn't he imagining himself with some soft pliable girl, all golden curls and soft feminine curves? Why was he thinking of olive skin, dark hair and hard lines?

The tenor let out a particularly loud cry that matched his own silent shuddering, the muscles in his stomach and legs contracting in the confined space of the bath. He had least had the presence of mind to lift himself out of the water as he did so, feeling around for the towel on the floor that Nico had used when shaving him, and wiping his hand. His legs felt shaky and his hands trembled as he wiped them, his mind unable to come to grips with his actions. He stood up in the bath, stepping out and reaching for the clean towel, not caring about the water he was dripping onto the floor, and dried himself as quickly as he could. He could hear the sound of the floorboards creaking so whatever had occurred was most certainly over in the next room.

He fumbled with putting his clothes on, his fingers still clumsy; his face felt like it was permanently on fire. He tried to take a few calming breaths, now suddenly feeling nervous... He couldn't even figure out why he was nervous, except for the fact that the voice that had been crying out in the next room had certainly belonged to a man and not a woman... and if Nico had just slept with a man, then what did all those "touches" mean? That thought stopped him in his tracks, and his face went from beet red to pale, before the colour exploded back to his cheeks as the implications became clear to him.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts, just because Nico might... be that way inclined, didn't mean that he felt that way towards him... He was sure that Nico just enjoyed teasing him because he found his obvious discomfort amusing and it surely wasn't anymore than that... He refused to entertain the notion of anything else until it was presented to him in such a way that he could no longer deny it, and until that day came he refused to read any more into his Quartermaster's actions. He stood in front of the full length mirror and concentrated on setting his clothes right, and turned his mind towards the upcoming dinner and how he was going to deal with the Governor.

He paused halfway through putting his jewelry on; the Governor obviously had the same sort of designs on his person, and whilst previously he'd been able to ignore the attentions, with his recent actions he was now unable to... The thought of the Governor touching him in that way filled him with a strong sense of revulsion; only one person was allowed to touch him so familiarly! The indignant thought threatened to trip him up in the next breath he took as realisation slowly began to dawn on him.

How would he face Nico now?

August 13, 2014

Levi stood there silently for the most part, listening to both the ships doctor and the shipwright standing before him. He wasn't all that interested in the diagnosis of the ship, after all, he would be useless to do anything with the information. There was no need for him to know it. Though, it was important, he supposed, since the ship needed some serious tending to if she planned to sail back out to sea again - which he knew was a fact, of course. It was home to far too many pirates, and lifestyle for them to give her up that easily. She may be wounded, but not fatally so. He may not be a shipwright, but even he knew that.

As he listened to the unknown shipwrights current diagnosis of the ship, He supposed he'd inform the captain and quartermaster tomorrow. Not only did he want to bother anyone, but was sure they didn't want to be bothered with things like that just yet, even if it was about the ship. They had just docked, after all. Everyone wanted their relief, their breath, before having to deal with it again. He'd inform the two commanding officers tomorrow. And now that he had this mans name, perhaps he could reference him to them. He seemed like a good, genuine enough of a man. Of course, Levi well learned to never base and trust people off of first impressions, or ever, perhaps. "Jac, you say? I'll let my captain know of your input tomorrow. But the ship can rest herself for one night." he spoke glancing back to the wounded vessel before back to the unfamiliar man.

He listened as the other then started asking if he could go aboard the ship and he frowned a bit. Perhaps the man really was genuine and innocent with no ill intentions, but, who would think that was an okay thing to ask? Especially with pirates nonetheless. He sighed a bit, just staring at the other, before blinking and glancing to Eijkman when he turned the question onto him to answer. He didn't mind, he supposed. He'd planned to answer anyways, so it wasn't like some unbearable burden or anything. "Sorry, no boarding the ship, only for those of the crew right now" he said with a shrug of his shoulders "I'm sure you understand. Talk to the captain tomorrow and perhaps he'll let you look about the damage aboard. But she'll be fine on her own for a night" he spoke.

As the conversation started to die to an end, Levi glanced to Eijkman, who was shifting side to side, clearly awkwardly and uncomfortably. He hesitated a moment, watching the male and just staring at his posture for a moment before back to the shipwright "Anyways, thanks for the information. I'll be sure to let me captain know" he said, making it clear the other could go on ahead and leave now. Levi meanwhile glanced once more to the doctor shifting around beside him "Come on doc, we've got errands to run, no?" he said, nodding in a motion for the male to follow him. "I have to go into town to get some things of my own. I can show you some medical places I'm sure you want to go to as well. No?" he spoke as he already started walking in expectations of the other to follow along.

Levi was sure that was what the doctor wanted. Most of everyone had been stripped of their supplies. Levi's compass had cracked and broken, the food was practically non-existent, as were other working sections of the ship lacking their supplies. Levi was sure it was just the same for the doctor, especially since he knew how particular the man could get about his tools. Just as Levi was the same picky individual when it came to his own needed tools as well. And he figured he was going in to town, might as well help the doctor along to find his things, knowing the male wasn't familiar with the town. Where Levi on the other hand, was more than familiar. The ship and her crew had stopped here countless times, Levi knew it like the back of his hand. This was practically the crews land home, the other home being that of the ship on sea.

"I'm sure the ship will be fine on her own" he spoke in thought, knowing Eijkman probably didn't care all that much. But Levi wasn't worried, there were a few lackeys on deck to watch to be sure. But with or without them, Levi wasn't worried at all. It's not like the ship looked desirable to take. Well, she certainly was still desirable, but not in her beaten and battered state it would take to fix her up. As well as the fact how many men there would need to be to command the ship. An as well as the fact most people in town, commoners, knew the ship and it's owners and crew. Lastly, also because there was nothing on the ship to take, she'd been used up clean, and needed much resupplying. The ship was mostly useless at the moment.

September 19, 2014

Luc hadn't been paying attention as his feet moved. One foot moved in front of the other in a slow, but steady pace. Wandering past the moored ships he surveyed each one in great detail. You could tell a lot about a captain from the state of a ship. Was it kept in good repair, did he hire the best shipwrights to do the job, or as some of the larger ships did, have an on board shipwright to keep the ship in good shape while one sea.

He knew that the ship at the end belonged to the captain he had seen earlier, it was about twice the size of any other vessel docked that evening and it was clear it had been through a fight recently. As he walked Luc passed the vessel he had sailed into port on himself and smiled, amused as he looked into the small boat to find it's newest owner curled up under a thin blanket and asleep. The child would likely go unbothered for a few days, the ruffians thinking the child was just using it to sleep in.

Luc's shoes were not completely silent on the wooden floor, but they were a subdued noise as he came to a halt and looking up a the vessel just as two men moved past him, presumably crew going into town.

"Hmmm, well it is an impressive ship..." murmuring under his breath he took in the view. It was certainly in bad shape at the moment, but there were plenty of shipwrights in the town and the ship had only docked that day, so it would be too soon to see repairs being started yet. Watching a couple of figures move about on deck Luc could see they all knew what they were doing and where to be. A good sign, usually those unhappy with their captain slowed the work and caused problems.

A small smiled worked its way onto Luc's face. He had't even spoken to the ships commanding officers yet and here he was considering trying to get on the ship. HE didn't even know if they would accept him... Most captains required their crew to sign up to their articles. One thing that Luc didn't want to do, especially when he hadn't sailed with the crew yet. It was what caused him a large part of his problems so far, and he was not of the disposition to start his own crew. A fair few men had laughed in his face, goading him and claiming he couldn't even handle his swords, while they fast stopped when they found their trousers pooling on the ground around their ankles he would find it hard to build a crew.

The smile still faint on his face he turned back towards the town. Walking fast and all too soon finding himself in a run down, dangerous part of town. Slowing to a leisurely pace he headed to one of the seedy taverns in the town. People glanced at him, but mostly left him alone. The locals knew who he was, having tried to mug him during he first of his trips here. It wasn't the locals he was here for though and as he took a seat in a dark corner of the brothel he began to listen carefully to what was going on around him.

September 20, 2014

Ethan carefully left the underbrush, his arms full of different plants and other ingredients. They were mostly for cooking but the pirate even found some herbs that they could use. Though the black head would never be a doctor, he did have some basic knowledge of herbs. It came with living by yourself all the time. He didn't have anyone to rely on so he had to be able to treat his little injuries on his own. And after experimenting and 'borrowing' a book from a merchant, he was able to tell the difference between some herbs. So all in all his little detour in this town's forest was worth it. Mushrooms, berries, herbs and even some fruits were sitting snugly in his arms. Though Ethan had thought about hunting, he decided against it. Though he could create hunting traps, it would take to long and he wouldn't even try to hunt with his dagger. So he abandoned the idea of fresh meat and concentrated on the other things.

A shame in itself since meat was the priciest food but he can't change it. This tour was merely to search for additional food since they already replenished their food supplies. So Ethan can't really complain he just had to make sure to return the left over money. Since he joined this crew just recently, he can't afford anything. So taking some gold for his own pockets was out of question for now. Trust would have to come before that. As far as this 'trust' goes was another question, they were pirates after all. But Ethan Flint didn't want to walk the plank anytime soon. So laying low was his top priority now.

The way back towards the docks was uneventful, there were still many people around and some even stared at him. But Ethan didn't care, he was used to it. After storing the things away, he might look at some tavern in town. Getting a mug of beer was surely a good way to end the day. Besides, it was not like anyone did anything else in their crew. Except the higher ups maybe. Ethan was sure that the Captain and the Quartermaster had at least some thing to fulfil here. So drinking a night or two was perfectly fine he guessed.

Against All Flags - A Pervy Pirate Adventure (Group RP, 18+)

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