Let's Be Pirates

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HALFWAY BETWEEN DERSE AND PROSPIT, 23:25. MAY 5

The douchewad was making you clean the deck again. Little did he know, the goddamn fucking deck was permanently dirty due to the captain's constant journeys under the sea. Wood doesn't like constantly absorbing filthy sea water. Jake looked pretty into it, though.

After Aradia pretty much stole the kid, she put him in your care. So, in short, everything the first mate orders you to do, he has to do as well. You actually had no idea where the kid even came from. Derse, probably. Dave's note had made it pretty clear that he'd just met Jake as well, but pretty much the entire note was shitty drawings that you're 99% sure no one but you and your bro will be able to interpret.

Kind of like a secret language consisting of terrible life decisions and a pinch of panic. And you doubt anyone else's decide to care about a bunch of doodles. Especially not the Ampasshole, who was noticing your staring off. "Strider! Aren't you supposed to be swwabbing the deck?"

"I've been swabbing it for two straight hours, if you haven't noticed, and I don't think I have the ability to make the water in the floorboards magically evaporate." You make sure the first mate can't see you roll your eyes.

As the caped weirdo grunted and stormed off, your mind drifts back to your brief moment of eye contact with your brother before he'd fallen. Wait... why the fuck had he fallen? Collapsing isn't just a thing normal people do at random times.

Jesus fuck.

You were seriously going to have to calm your shit down before someone noticed your mental freakout.

Jake is giving you a weird look.

Fuckfuckfuckfuck.

"Hey, Dirk. You alright?," you say nothing, hoping that the English kid would just stop caring about you for a second, "You seem quite... blimey...  I dunno... out of it?"

You can't seem to meet Jake's eyes, so you just glance back and forth to other crew members, "yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry 'bout me. I'm alright." You attempt a small smile, still trying to keep focus on something- anything.

But what if Dave was  dead?

You'd be left with only the Lalonde's for family, and hell knows where they are.

You'd have to manage on your own.

No. You can't let yourself think like this. It's fucking unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Dave's alive. Whatever made him collapse was probably just a dumb pirate drug or something. Nothing to be afraid of, right?

You're snapped out of it when Jake nudges you, a concerned expression on his face. You can't help but let out the tiniest yelp of surprise.

Before English can say anything the ship's captain is standing before you, looking rather irritated. She quickly wiped that look off of her face, giving both you and Jake a wide smile.

"So, the two of you haven't got much knowledge about the Empress's Revenge, so I figured you'd might as well learn now!"

You have no doubt you look like the most confused pirate on all of the Alternian.

Jake, however, looks excited.

"Come on, landwellers! Stand up!" Feferi chirped. The English kid scrambled to his feet, pulling you up afterwards. For some reason, you're not entirely ready to trust the captain, even if she'd taken you in. There's just something about her that seems... fishy.

You brush some of the seaweed off of you, wrinkling your nose at the smell of it. The green stuff makes a sort of splat noise as it hits the deck.

Gross.