Blackbird - ATEEZ Pirate!AU

Butterfly Wings

For someone, something that can't feel,
For someone, something feels like a storm.
We can make it, something new,
Grow bigger, let the wind blow.
We don't wanna fall deep down.
We don't wanna lose our mind.
We won't stop until we get there.
The trembling hands remember it, yeah,
How we flew.
Move big as if we're gonna break, yeah,
Dancing like butterfly wings.

"Dancing Like Butterfly Wings" - ATEEZ

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With nothing else to do but linger in the now empty infirmary and replay Seonghwa's words in my head on an endless loop, I decided what I needed most at the very moment was fresh air. I'd been shown enough of the underdeck so far that I knew how to find my way to the upper, and I spared no time making my way there.

I climbed the stairs quickly as I approached them, lifting the hem of my dress skirts as I took the steps two at a time. The allure of the sea-salt breeze hit my nose like a siren's call as I stepped up onto the deck, and I stopped short at the top of the staircase having to shield my eyes from the brilliant sun.

After a moment of adjustment I let my hands fall back to my sides, my pupils shrinking to account for the vibrance of the sunshine. When I could finally see properly, I gasped in pleasant surprise. The view was beautiful enough to steal the breath from my lungs.

It wasn't just the vast visage of the ocean, or the way the void black sails contrasted the blue and white of the sky as they billowed high above me. It was The Blackbird herself that truly captured my full attention, her beauty having been wholly understated in the darkness. In the full light of the sun she was like a brilliant black diamond atop a soft blue satin cushion.

My gaze drifted over long stretches of dark oakwood, which looked nearly black with how deeply brown it was. Turning my head, I faced toward the bow and glanced upward at the foremast and it's swollen sails, before turning again count the remaining three.

Mainmast stood tallest before me, then the third tallest, the mizzenmast, sat aft more to the stern. Far enough away that I could barely see, the shortest mast was tucked aftmost, which I knew to be the jiggermast. I, by some means, knew that not all ships were large enough to warrant having a jiggermast at all. Why I knew this much I was uncertain of, but I was merely pleased to know anything at all to tell the truth.

"Incredible..." I breathed, taking small steps out into the daylight. I spun in a full circle slowly, taking it all in. The gentle rocking of the ship made moving a bit difficult, but I found that didn't have too much trouble with it. In fact, I hadn't had any trouble at all when I was below deck. I wondered idly if being tied to the other ship had given me some sort of sea legs via osmosis.

Of course, as if on cue, The Blackbird decided to humble me when the ship crested a rather large wave. I found myself stumbling backwards, unable to stop my own momentum.

"Shit, shit-shit, shiiiit!" I squeaked softly, windmilling my arms in a cartoonish attempt to right my balance.

Gravity seemed hellbent on a tag-team partnership with momentum, because no amount of trying to right myself was working. With another rolling pitch of the ship I found myself careening sideways, moving faster and faster, until I wasn't moving anymore at all.

"Motherfucker!" I cursed loudly, causing a few curious and amused sailors to turn their heads toward me. Reaching up, I grabbed the back of my head as I turned to see what I'd crashed into. I came face to face with the mainmast, my face scrunching up in resentment.