▬ | Ｓ Ｗ Ｉ Ｎ Ｄ Ｌ Ｅ | ▬ ▬ ✖

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

Yess Scarlet is calmer this time
now it will hold much more of an impact when she does lose her temper >:DD
the next bit is an interlude ooooooooo

[aurora.]

ooooooop
me like.
i agree, scarlet's personality
is a lot more chill [ for her ]
like captain said, it'll make
it a lot more mm pizaz when
she does get angry.

[casimir]

I like what you're doing with scarlet, too.
this time around the character development is on point.
keep going c:

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

╭━━━━━━━━━━━╯✗╰━━━━━━━━━━━╮


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Merseyside, England. october 3, 1696.

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Merseyside, England was caught in a frenzy of utter chaos. The night sky burned red with flames- a red cast by the crimson sails of the looming ship in port. Outcries and crashes rang through the frigid air as men swarmed the coastline.

A young girl ran through the streets, heart pounding and eyes wide. She didn’t know where she was going, but wherever it was she wanted it to be far, far away. Her feet carried her to the docks and her heart rose to her throat when she saw the massive ship in the bay. She hadn’t realized she’d skidded to a stop until a frantically passing body knocked her own to the ground. With a squeak, she fell to her hands and knees, tears beginning to sting her eyes from the pain.

Red curls bouncing around her face, she looked up and struggled to see through the veil of hair as well as the blur in her eyes. However, once she blinked it away and was able to focus she saw a figure a short distance ahead had stopped, as she had managed to catch its attention. With a flash of a cannon, the features of the scraggly man were revealed, from his dusty brown beard to the wide-brimmed hat upon his head topped with a pluming red feather.

Scarlet’s eyes widened further still. Driven by fear, she scrambled to her feet and in her panic and the near darkness, she found herself tumbling off the edge of the dock with an overwhelming splash.

Before she knew what was happening, Scarlet was engulfed in black water that chilled her bones. As she froze in shock, time did as well, slowing at a dangerous rate until she saw a hand plunge through the surface and before she knew it, she was hauled back onto the dock.

No sooner had Scarlet’s quivering knees hit the wood than she began to cough and sputter, ridding her lungs of the salty water. It was then that she felt a gentle pat on her back and heard a voice reach her waterlogged ears.

“Ye alright, lass?”

Scarlet paused and looked up, immediately scrambling back with a gasp when she recognized the man with the feathered hat.

“Woah, woah, calm yerself,” he said, though couldn’t help but release a small chuckle. “I won’t be hurtin’ ya,” he promised. “Are ye alright?” He asked again.

Scarlet stared at him, propped up on her hands, before offering a small, stiff nod.

“Good,” he said, groaning as he sat back from the crouch he’d previously been in. His calmness looked so out of place in the chaos behind him, but the strange man seemed to ignore it entirely. “I was afraid ye were a goner,” he said light heartedly. “The second ye fell into the black waters, they became scarlet waters,” he added with a raspy laugh.

Still awestruck but less intimidated, Scarlet narrowed her eyes slightly and eyed the man. “That- That’s my name,” she informed.

He looked at her in surprise. “Goner?” He snickered.

“No,” she huffed. “Scarlet.”

“Oi, excuse me,” he said, playfully sarcastic. “I suppose yer last name is Waters, then?” He teased.

“No, sir,” she corrected. “Elmwood. Scarlet Rose Elmwood.” She offered a small nod along with each syllable of her name despite the chatter that accompanied her voice.

The man turned to her and gave a warm grin. “Well, nice meetin’ ye, Scarlet,” he said. “My name is Captain Shawn Gail.” He cast her a side glance, noticing her increasingly violent shivers. With a swift shrug, he slid out of his own jacket and held it out to her with an encouraging nod.

Scarlet stared at the thing a long moment before leaning forward and hastily snatching it, wrapping the thing around her shoulders. It smelled of smoke and salt. She then looked at him once more. “Are you a pyrate?” She asked cautiously.

The man’s smile faltered, but answered truthfully nevertheless. “Aye,” he confirmed with a taut nod. “I am.”

Scarlet furrowed her brows in anger. “What are you doing here?!” She demanded.

He looked to her and struggled to find the words. “Well, we’re after a special treasure,” he answered in an intriguingly low voice.

Scarlet’s eyes widened, this time in interest rather than fear. “Treasure?”

“Special treasure,” Captain Gail repeated with a small smile. “A ring with the power to restore life,” he explained, waving a hand before him for effect.

Before Scarlet had a chance to respond, there was a distant call that made the captain turn his head, causing the red feather to tremble as he did so. There was another man waving to him, something in his hand glinting in the firelight.

Scarlet looked over as captain Gail straightened up, and she immediately did the same. “Where are you going?” She demanded. “Can I go with?”

Gail looked down at her in surprise, taken aback by the request. “Come with?” He repeated with a laugh, beginning to stride down the dock. Still, she scampered after. “I’m sure ye’d be missed here, lass.”

“No,” she argued, tripping over his long coat that dragged behind her. “There’s no one to miss me,” she admitted, her voice cracking as tears brimmed in her eyes. No, they wouldn’t miss her. Not after what she’d done. The last thing she wanted to do was face her family without her brother in hand. She did not want to go back.

Gail hesitated and glanced down at her, pressing his lips into a thin line with a sigh, assuming the worst.

“Don’t make me go back,” she pleaded, looking up at him as tears fell down her cheeks.

Gail groaned and slapped a hand to the back of his neck. How could he possibly refuse in good conscience? “Alright,” he caved, continuing to walk with Scarlet in tow.

The girl instantly brightened up, bounding after him. “Where are we going?” She inquired curiously.

The man’s brown eyes flickered to the red sails of the ship in the bay, rippling with a gentle breeze. “The Obsidian.”



november 11, 1696

Scarlet had been on the Obsidian just over a month, but already it had proven more difficult than she’d anticipated. She’d spent the first few days terribly seasick and everything interesting was off limits. Gail kept a close eye on her and she was not allowed to go exploring on her own, though there were times she’d snuck off anyway. The rest of the crew was not nearly as friendly as the captain and looked down on her with resentment, rarely saying a word to the little ginger.

The rest of the crew, that is, except for a select few. One of these few, to Scarlet’s delight, was a young woman. Naturally, the girl gravitated towards her, and though she seemed to pay no mind, she never bothered to shoo her away as the others did. Antessa was her name and she had smooth, dark hair that Scarlet was immediately envious of, among other things. Her eyes were only just darker than Scarlet’s, but no less mesmerizing. The crew treated this woman with a similar hostility, but she remained unaffected. Scarlet admired this more than anything, doing her best to stay just as strong.

Then, on the other end of the scale was the captain’s brother. She was ignored for the most part, but this particular man never failed to greet her with unwavering hostility and nasty remarks. She could hardly believe he shared the same blood as the man she quickly grew to accept as a father. More than once in her short time aboard, the man’s remarks had brought her to tears and either captain Gail or Antessa- whoever found her first- would only defend him. That was something she would not come to understand until many years later, and she resented them for it, though not enough to waive her respect.

Once night, Scarlet had managed an opportunity to romp around on her own. She always liked the ship better at night- something about the darkness encouraged people to be quieter and blistering winds to grow cooler. Not to mention the complexity and wonder of the stars she’d never bothered to look at; nature’s map, as Gail has said. If one can only read the stars, they will never be lost.

Scarlet had developed a habit of curling up with Antessa each night, as the woman had insisted the Gail’s snoring was far too dreadful to bear, and was one of the few crew members with an actual bed, even if it was pitifully narrow. Still, Scarlet would bid goodnight to the captain each evening without fail.



She caught sight of candlelight streaming through the stained glass doors of the captain’s cabin as she scrambled up the stairs. As she approached the doors, however, Scarlet slowed, pinching her brows together. Two muffled and very unhappy sounding voices traveled from inside. Hesitantly, Scarlet reached for the crystal knob and twisted it slowly, opening the door just enough to peek inside.

Through the mere slit, she watched as the captain’s brother paced before him, Gail’s expression fallen in a way that made his features age considerably.

“I can’t simply abandon her, Russ,” Gail said flatly, gaze steady and collected- quite the opposite of his temperamental brother.

“What the hell would possess you to bring her aboard in the first place?!” Russ snarled in a raspy voice, throwing an accusing glare at the captain as he continued to pace.

“She had nowhere else to go-”

“Nowhere is a better place for a child than a ship,” Russ spat back. “We’re pyrates, not nannies.”

Now frustration began to grow on the captain’s face. “She has fared just fine so far,” he argued.

“And what happens when we cross paths with a hostile ship?” Russ countered, stopping to loom over his brother. Though he was younger, he was also taller than the captain, but Gail refused to waiver. “She’d be slaughtered in seconds,” he hissed. “Do you wish to bear the blood of a child on your hands?”

Gail met him with a cold stare. “I am not stranding her,” he stated flatly.

“Here she is only a burden.” Russ fumed.

“No." His tone remained firm.

Russ hesitated before speaking once again. “If she doesn’t leave the ship at this port, then I will.” This took Gail by surprise, but he remained hardly conflicted. “Make your choice, brother.” He only remained silent.

With an outcry that sounded much more like a growl of frustration, Russ turned and backhanded a candle holder hard enough that it hit the wall, diverting his anger towards the inanimate object rather than his brother. Nevertheless, he whipped right back around and leaned in nose to nose with the still stoney-faced captain. “She will never replace the one you and Tess lost,” he hissed viciously, his words finally seeming to cut through the captain’s persistent apathy.

However, Scarlet saw no more as the door suddenly clicked shut. Jumping with a small gasp, she turned around and looked up at Antessa with wide eyes. The woman quickly turned her around by the shoulders and shuffled the child away from the door and down the stairs, her expression unreadable.

Once they made it to the deck, the dark-haired woman knelt and turned Scarlet to face her, the look in her eyes having softened considerably. “What did you hear?” She asked carefully.

“Nothing,” Scarlet answered quickly, which was, of course, a lie. She’d heard far too much.

“Scarlet, don’t lie to me,” Antessa said sternly, searching the girl’s eyes despite the fact that they desperately avoided her own.

Face contorting under the pressure, the girl caved. “I don’t know,” she stammered. “I think Russ wanted me to stay here,” she cried, tears brimming as they usually did at the thought of being unwanted, “and he said you lost something, but I don’t-”

She was sharply cut off, both of them jumping as the door to the captain’s cabin was opened and slammed shut hard enough to make the glass rattle dangerously. Russ stormed from the room and down the stairs, straight for the ramp and onto the dock of the seaside town.

Mere seconds later, the captain emerged with a much calmer and rather forlorn demeanor, sluggishly descending the stairs on the opposite side of the deck.

Antessa stood and rushed to him, but Scarlet stayed put. She watched their silhouettes against the light of a lantern hanging on the mast, but their voices were far too hushed for her to hear over the sea breeze.

Scarlet watched the shadows exchange a few words- watched Antessa shake her head in protest and watched Gail take her insistently by the shoulders. She watched as the woman took a hasty step back as if Gail had said something to offend her. Whispers steadily rose to shouts, voices carrying though their words continued to be lost to the wind. Antessa’s actions grew with her voice, flailing her arms as she argued. She’d be nose to nose with the man once second and pacing in a small circle the next, running her hands through her hair. Gail remained utterly defeated, but seemed not to falter with his demands.

Scarlet was not sure how many minutes had passed- quite a few- before Antessa whipped towards the ramp, swinging the fist at the level of her thigh against the mast in the process. She watched as Gail’s figure strode forward and snagged the woman’s hand, causing her to pause and turn her head though he remained an arm length away. Voices reduced to murmurs once more, Antessa hesitated before hastily tearing her hand from his grip and descending from the Obsidian for the last time.

That was the night Shawn Gail chose Scarlet over his own blood and the woman he loved, and it was a night she would never forget.



august 6, 1698

Scarlet did not, nor would she ever, understand why the captain insisted she learn how to play the infernal instrument. She’s tried burning and tearing the sheet music- even dangling a whole book over the edge as gail tried to coax it from her hands. Nevertheless, she’d let the pages ride the breeze, floating far from sight before settling in the blue ocean. Still, he would only buy more at every port. No, she didn’t understand why he persisted, but one thing was certain: the man had the patience of a saint, and Scarlet did not.

“This is absolute bollocks!” Scarlet screeched, slamming her hands onto the ivory keys of the upright piano.

Gail leaned against the instrument, sliding his hat from his head and setting it on top before pinching the bridge of his nose. If only she picked up music as easily as curses, he thought bitterly. “Someday you’ll appreciate art,” he insisted once the jarring din of the musical abuse faded. “And you’ll be glad I taught ye.”

“More like forced it on me,” she snarled, crossing her arms. “Swordfighting counts as art,” she huffed. “Why can’t I learn that?”

“Scarlet,” Gail said flatly. “Ye could not even lift a blade yet, darlin’.”

“You have never even let me try!” She barked accusingly, shooting a glare in his direction.

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Gail pushed off the piano. “Fine, ye want to learn swordfightin’?”

Scarlet’s face instantly lit up and a grin spread across her face. “Yes!” She shouted, shifting on the bench so she sat on her knees. “You really mean it?”

“Aye,” he said in a gruff tone, scanning the walls before walking over to one of the displays and plucking a sabre from one. Holding it in both hands, he turned to face her. “If ye can swing this, I’ll teach ye. But if not, you’ll be continuin’ yer lesson.”

“Deal!” She shouted, cutting off the end of the sentence. Scrambling from the bench, she bounded over and he held the grip out to her. Taking it in a single hand, her smile immediately fell the second he let go, the end of the blade hitting the floor.

With a grunt of effort, Scarlet’s other hand flew to clasp the first. With a heave, she lifted the weapon only about half her height, arms shaking before it fell once more.

“Alright,” Gail said, unable to hold back a smirk of amusement. “Back to the-”

“No, wait!” Scarlet insisted, growing frustrated as she adjusted her grip on the thing. Hauling it into the air, the motion caused her to stagger, spinning with momentum. Her circle was stopped halfway, however, when the blade buried itself in the corner of Gail’s desk.

Realizing what she’d done, Scarlet immediately dropped the weapon and stepped back, allowing it to dislodge itself and clatter recklessly to the ground. Cringing, she dared to look up at the captain with a crooked grin. Gail merely looked at the sword with a vacant expression before his eyes narrowed and flickered to her.

Sucking in a deep breath, Scarlet turned and rushed back to the piano, sliding onto the bench and allowing her fingers to drift over the keys. “So- where were we again?”



april 19, 1700

Scarlet never felt more alive than she did when she was facing the possibility of death.

Though she seemed to run on adrenaline, others were not nearly as at ease with her antics.

The wind was strong, whipping her long red curls behind her like the flag atop the mast. Arms stretched wide on either side, she stared downward, picking her way across a stretch of the main mast and easily ignoring the calls from below.

“Scarlet Rose!” Gail shouted demandingly, standing on deck with his head craned upwards. “Ye get down from there before ye break yer neck!”

“No!” Scarlet shouted back, the power in her voice making her wobble slightly and a laugh escaped her as she righted herself. “It’s me birthday, and I’ll be doin’ whatever I damn well feel like!”

Her slight falter made Gail’s heart leap into his throat and he had to look down to catch his breath, groaning to himself. After a moment, he looked back up and prepared to shout a response. “Ye get yer arse down here before I get ye meself!” He easily brushed away the chuckles that escaped the crew.

Scarlet scoffed and plopped onto the beam, swinging her legs playfully as she looked down at the man she called father with a wide smile. “Oh please! Ye could not even make it this far!”

Before Gail could make a sharp retort, the wind caught on Scarlet’s jacket and her eyes widened as it pulled her backwards. Thinking quickly, she twisted and snagged the rope that ran under the beam she sat upon. She came to an abrupt halt, nearly upside down as her legs remained hooked over the beam but her hands held fast to the rope.

Slowly and with a grunt, she pulled her legs off so they dangled and shimmied along the rope until she was hovering above the platform below the crow’s nest. Dropping onto it with minimal effort, a wide grin stretched across her face and she stepped into a bow, sweeping her arms outwards. Her blue gaze met that upon Gail’s horrified expression, but her amusement remained as she called out, “Still not dead!”



july 18, 1702

Port Royal had been a mere pit-stop, as lingering too long with the reputation their ship held was a deathwish. As the majority of the crew hurried supplies on board, the clash of steel rang out on deck.

“Come, Bishop, surely ye can do better than that,” Scarlet taunted with a smirk, holding her sword poised towards the taller, older man. He curled his lip in a snarl and was about to charge before something caught the corner of her eye and she lowered her sword, causing him to pause. “Hang on,” she instructed, turning to face the ramp and crossing her arms, sword dangling at her side.

A few men she did not recognize began to board the Obsidian; no doubt additions to their dwindling crew. One in particular- a young man- looked particularly shaken and nervous, dark eyes wide as his lanky figure strode after the others. Busy looking around at the intimidating figures, he nearly ran into Scarlet before stopping short.

“Oh- I’m sorry, miss-” he began to apologize, but scrambled back when she casually lifted her blade and pointed it at his chest.

With an unamused expression, Scarlet eyed him up and down and narrowed her eyes. “Watch where yer goin’,” she snapped.

He was taken aback by the young woman on such an infamous pirate ship- not to mention a young woman who dressed and spoke as a man, armed with such a weapon. He had no words to speak.

“What are ye lookin’ at?” She demanded, though her demeanor remained careless.

“I’m sorry,” he mused. “I just did not expect a woman to be on board.”

“Most don’t,” she said flatly, letting her sword fall back to her side. He seemed oddly out of place; he was neat and spoke neatly as well, which was far from any swine they tended to pick up. How boring. Tearing her gaze from him, she turned to walk away, but heard his steps quickly follow.

“Er- why are you here, if I may ask?” He pressed, catching up to walk beside her.

Scarlet whipped around, making him stop in his tracks as a humorless smile crossed her face. “I’m the captain’s daughter,” she said innocently. “So don’t cross me.”

“Oh- that was not my intent,” he said quickly, though was obviously still intrigued. “It’s just that most girls I’ve known wretch at the sight of a ship.” He let out a small, breathy laugh and ran a hand through his dark hair.

“Yeah, well, I’m not most girls,” she said cautiously, eyeing him closely. “And yer not most pyrates,” she pointed out. “Where the hell did ye come from?”

“Oh, uh-” he began, glancing around as the nervousness returned. “I was a cadet in the navy,” he admitted, then offered a shrug. “It wasn’t for me.”

Scarlet hesitated, then cracked a smile and shrugged. “Works fer me,” she said, sheathing her sword and holding out a hand. “Scarlet Waters, first mate.”

The young man tentatively allowed a smile to reach him and shook her hand. “Timothy Thorton,” he greeted.

“Great!” Scarlet jeered, turning to stand at his side and pressing a hand to his back so he walked with her, as she was too short to toss an arm around his shoulders. “So, Timothy,” she began. “Have ye ever walked along a mast?”

“I… Can’t say I have,” he admitted as he walked beside her. “But it doesn’t exactly sound like a great idea.”

“Oh, it’s absolutely terrible,” she agreed. “So do ye want to or not?”

“Of course.”

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[raey]

omg omg omg
- heavy breathing -
Want more
Need more
How can this become even better and better everytime?
You're a magician

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

-wiggles fingers-
magiiiiiiiiiiiic

[Woogwoo Wren]

Yay. More young Scarlet.

[raey]

-wiggles fingers-
magiiiiiiiiiiiic

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

... I love you.

[aurora.]

OM
OM
OM
OM
OM
OM
OM
OM
OM
- slips into a fangirl
induced coma -