[We Interrupt Your Usual RP to Bring You... International Talk Like a Pirate Day!]

[kirktastic]

It was morning on the Enterprise, and it came with the slow creaking of wood deck around him, swelling in the heat of the morning, the sound of waves against the sides of the ship. Definitely a damn good way to wake up.

Even better was waking up between two warm bodies, one pressed to either side of him. On one side was his cabin boy, a young buck with a foolish head but a pleasing face and tongue. On the other, his first mate, a smug, stoic, uptight, ridiculously intelligent bastard who he had finally talked into ...sharing his bed. At least in the physical sense. He'd won the argument that the captain's bed was the most comfortable place on the ship, but anything beyond that was met with a pointed look and a reach for the sword hilt.

It was a damn good life here on the Enterprise.

He was Captain James T. Kirk of the pirate ship Enterprise, the most feared name on the open seas. He ran his crew with a mixture of charm, command, and the point of his sword. He was a good swordsman, a better brawler, and decent with a flint lock.

[OOC: This will be the ONLY pirate thread everyone, no multiple posts on multiple journals! Post just in here for this! Today only!]

Comments

Re: Damn for not having pictures of Len in period costuming. :(

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

There were two ways to rate as a mate: Through the cabin windows, or through the hawsepipe. The first meant an apprenticeship and four years wherein very young men were expected to be taught by the captains how to become officers, and the second was by working up from the foredeck to the aft cabin. Neither was easy, but the latter was harder.

Second mate itself was not particularly a comfortable place for most; in that position, he had one foot on the foredeck and one on the quarterdeck, and was expected to work just like the rest of the seamen, yet not actually be one of their comrades. The increase in rank and pay often meant giving up at least a survivalistic sort of camaraderie, and yet did not insure that the first mate and captain would accord any more respect.

In other words, it was not the most comfortable place to be on most ships, but the aforementioned second mate (dubbed Scotty in some distant past) had gotten rather lucky.

He'd started as an orphan, wherein it was a fair bet he would not have likely made it to adulthood, except he had a rather uncanny ability to survive. One part dogged determination, one part intelligence. He got a job in Belfast's shipyards, in a rather roundabout way. He might have stayed there, even -- he liked working with his hands and was good at it -- except he'd fallen madly in love with the schooner he was now on.

From there, it had been three or four years of hard work to try to find a way aboard her; he took to sea in order to get himself proper seatime experience, starting right down as an ordinary seaman and working his way up, picking up whatever education he could from whomever would provide it.

Now, at twenty-two, he was second mate aboard this schooner he had helped build quite some time ago. It still meant no better food, nor more sleep, and barely any authority, but the Grey was truly his home, and the sea his only country.

Therefore, he had no trouble agreeing with Nimoy, looking off into the blue expanses thoughtfully, "Aye, it quite is. A good wind on th' quarter, and a followin' sea."

Re: Damn for not having pictures of Len in period costuming. :(

[len-not-spock.livejournal.com]

"Should make up for some of the time we lost in that clock calm yesterday," Leonard agreed, smiling.

"I've been meaning to thank you for putting in a good word with your Captain for us - not sure how else we would've managed to find passage, it's so expensive these days. Let me know if there's anything I can do on deck, if you need another pair of hands? It's been a while since I've reefed a sail, but some things you don't forget easily."

Re: Damn for not having pictures of Len in period costuming. :(

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

"If it so happens we do, I'll let ye know." Scotty braced on a shroud against a gust heeling the Grey leeward, automatically. "How're ye findin' the voyage?"

Re: Damn for not having pictures of Len in period costuming. :(

[len-not-spock.livejournal.com]

"Oddly nostalgic, much to my surprise," Leonard responded. "Then again, just wait until we hit not so smooth sailing, and I bet you I'll remember in an instant why I used to hate being at sea," he added, with a wry smile.

Re: Damn for not having pictures of Len in period costuming. :(

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

"Aye." Well, it was fairly inevitable; there was no such thing as an ocean crossing that didn't involve some foul weather. Regardless, both the captain and the mate were exceptionally good sailors. And the Grey... Scotty had the utmost faith in her seaworthiness.