Trash Panda

Messengers of Heaven and Hell

It didn’t take long for Roman’s phone to chime with an incoming text from Abigail. He checked to find a new message from her asking if he was inviting her on another date. For some reason, the question surprised him. He would have thought it was implied that he was asking her out again. She really must not have been on many dates if she needed clarification. He was just about to reply, when a second text came in that caught him even more off guard:

Whatever this is, I don't want to go out anywhere. Are you okay coming over to my apartment? I make really good food!

She wants me to come to her place? His lip curled upward in a smirk. How trusting. He would have thought it would take at least four or five dates before she let him come to her apartment. Maybe three if he was lucky. For her to invite him over after just one was both unexpected and encouraging. After all, if she was willing to move fast with him in that way, it wasn’t too far of a stretch to assume she could be willing to move fast in the way he wanted, right?

He tapped out a reply:

A home cooked dinner? You spoil me, doll ;) Just me send your address and I’ll be there tomorrow.

Pressing ‘send’ on the text, Roman stood up from the couch and raised his arms over his head in a long stretch. Normally, he would have gone out to a bar on a Friday night, but after everything that had happened the night before, he decided he would rather stay home and keep watching movies alone—especially since it turned out Cindy was tailing his ass and trying to ruin his chances with any other women.

He walked over to the kitchen and opened up a cabinet, taking out a bottle of whiskey. Just because he wasn’t going out didn’t mean he couldn’t get shit faced by himself. He brought the bottle back over to the couch, kicking his feet up on the table and pouring himself a glass. Lifting the drink to his mouth, he downed the whole thing in one gulp, grimacing at the burn of the alcohol on his throat.

After pouring a couple more glasses and repeating the process, Roman sank down into the couch, lying on his side as he watched a low-budget Godzilla destroy a city. He yawned tiredly, letting the whiskey work its magic on his system. His head was already fuzzy with drunkenness. He smiled to himself. He would definitely get a good night’s sleep tonight.

--

October 3, 2015
New York, NY – Roman’s Apartment
9:45AM

Roman woke up on his living room couch with the TV still glowing in the corner. He sat up slowly, testing to see if he had another hangover. Fortunately, he seemed to have escaped from one this time. He glanced at the time on his phone, wondering when he had fallen asleep last night. Whenever it was, he felt like he had slept for a solid twelve hours at least. It certainly made up for the shitty three hours he had gotten the day before.

He got up and headed to his bedroom to get ready for the day. He had a date with Abby later that evening, after all, so he needed to turn on the charm. He wanted to make sure she was crazy about him after their dinner together, and the first step to that was looking presentable.

Roman took a long shower—he had all day to get ready for the date, so there was no reason to rush—before he went to his closet to pick out something to wear. Most of the clothes he owned were nothing fancy, but after a bit of searching, he found something halfway decent. He put on a maroon button-down shirt and a pair of black jeans, and then went to the bathroom to trim his beard down to a neat stubble and run a comb through his hair. Lastly, he searched his closet one more time and found a black tie, which he threw on to complete the look.

He stood in front of a full-length mirror that was attached to his bedroom door and grinned at his reflection, adjusting his tie so it laid straighter against his chest. I clean up pretty nice, if I do say so myself, he thought confidently. Hopefully Abby will think so too.

Masters of the Sea

***To be edited as NPCs are created

Keel Haulers Crew

Ship Captain

• Agustin de la Fuente

Quarter Master

• Danial Shawe

Sailing Master

• Anthony Glover

Boatswain

• Manuel la Rosa

Carpenter/Surgeon

Master Gunner

First Mate

Able Bodied Sailors

• Rowland (Cecily) Weeks
• Stefano Sforanzo
• Lope Alonso

Riggers

• Tobias Young

Cabin Boys

Powder Monkeys

Swabs

Other Characters

• Blackbeard

Masters of the Sea

“I am sorry to see you here, but if you had fought like a man, you needn’t be hanged like a dog.”
— Anne Bonny



General Characteristics

Birth Name: Cecily Weeks
Male Name: Rowland Weeks
Pirate Crew: The Keel Haulers
Ship: The Mermaid’s Curse
Role: Able Bodied Sailor (ABS)

Personal Characteristics

Birth Date: September 3, 1694
Age: 22
Birth Place: England

Desires: To make something of herself without getting special treatment for being female
Secrets: She is a woman

Mental Characteristics

Known Languages: English, some Spanish
Lures: Adrenaline rushes
Temperament: Sanguine

Philosophical Characteristics

Morality: She lives by whatever code has been set by her captain
Perception: The glass is only full when you fill it yourself

Spiritual Characteristics

Religion: Protestant
Virtues: Kindness, Diligence
Vices: Wrath, Pride

Apparel

Wardrobe: Loose-fitting, masculine clothing

Social Characteristics

Emotional Stability: Somewhat volatile
Humor: Sarcastic
Reputation: Her crewmates know to avoid getting on her bad side

Interpersonal Relationships

Friends: [M crew member]
Rivals: A few men in the crew who had rubbed her the wrong way

Physical Characteristics

Height: 5’6”
Weight: 138lbs
Nationality: English
Skin: Lightly tanned Caucasian
Hair Color: Brunette
Eye Color: Brown
Scars: Most are on her hands and forearms from rope burn and other various injuries

Health and Fitness

Addictions: None
Handicaps: Her left knee locks up in cold weather

Sexual Characteristics

Gender: Female
Orientation: Heterosexual
Significant Other: None

Masters of the Sea

“Heaven, you fool? Did you ever hear of any pirates going thither? Give me hell, it's a merrier place.”
— Thomas Sutton



General Characteristics

Name: Agustin de la Fuente
Pirate Title: Spanish Reaper
Pirate Crew: The Keel Haulers
Ship: The Mermaid’s Curse
Role: Ship Captain

Personal Characteristics

Birth Date: January 20, 1690
Age: 26
Birth Place: Spain

Desires: To become the most feared pirate captain in the New World
Secrets: He suffers from occasional nightmares

Mental Characteristics

Known Languages: English, Spanish
Lures: Money, Adventure
Temperament: Choleric

Philosophical Characteristics

Morality: He lives by his own moral compass of right and wrong
Perception: The glass is half full of riches

Spiritual Characteristics

Religion: Catholic
Virtues: Diligence, Patience
Vices: Greed, Pride, Envy

Apparel

Wardrobe: In addition to his linen clothes, he dons expensive gold jewelry to show off his wealth

Social Characteristics

Emotional Stability: Relatively stable with some outbursts
Humor: Sharp-tongued
Reputation: Feared by his enemies; respected by his crew; despised by his rivals

Interpersonal Relationships

Friends: His crew members (tentatively)
Rivals: [F Captain], Danial Shawe

Physical Characteristics

Height: 6’
Weight: 170lbs
Nationality: Spaniard
Skin: Heavily tanned Caucasian
Hair Color: Dark brunette
Eye Color: Brown
Scars: He has various scars all over his body from battles with other pirates and trade ships

Health and Fitness

Addictions: Heavy drinker
Handicaps: …Heavy drinker

Sexual Characteristics

Gender: Male
Orientation: Heterosexual
Significant Other: None

Masters of the Sea

Masters of the Sea

This is a historical pirate RP set in the year 1716.
Limited to: Summer & Hushed Whispers

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

That's why he didn't tell her first xD
He was worried she would be like "You are NOT letting an archer shoot you like that"

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

“To be honest,” Crow panted. “I haven’t thought this far ahead.” He was beginning to feel the toll of exerting himself so much. His lungs burned, and his heart thudded like a hammer against his chest. However, even though it hurt, he enjoyed the sensation. It made him feel alive. He glanced over his shoulder once more to see that the knights were slowly gaining ground. He didn’t have much time to come up with a plan.

His eyes swept over the buildings around them as he raced to think of a way to lose their pursuers. Suddenly, he saw an alley leading out to a side street. Taking a chance, he gave Penelope’s arm a quick tug to get her attention. He pivoted on his heel and sprinted down the alley with her, listening to the pounding of the knights’ boots behind them. They were closing in fast.

There’s always a way out, he thought calmingly, forcing himself to keep a level head as he searched for an exit. He couldn’t let himself panic or he wouldn’t be able to think straight, and at that moment, he needed to stay focused.

He turned a corner inside the alley instead of heading for the side street, taking Penelope’s hand in his so he wouldn’t lose her as he navigated through the narrow pathways. Up ahead, the alley branched off in two more directions. It looked like a maze. He just hoped they would be able to find their way back to the main street after—

His eyes widened as an idea slowly formed in his mind. “This way,” he said to Penelope, dipping sharply to the right. He proceeded to lead her in a series of fast turns, until the knights’ footsteps began to fade away behind them. He grinned excitedly. It was working. They couldn’t keep up while he and Penelope were switching between different alleyways so quickly.

Crow kept running for a while after the knight’s footsteps disappeared, just to be sure that they were gone. Eventually, he slowed to a stop, doubling over to rest his hands on his knees. “Well, that took a lot more effort than I was expecting,” he said between breaths. “But I’m pretty sure we lost them.” He stood upright again and leaned against a wall, giving her a cocky grin as he held up the bow he had stolen. “So, what do you think? Did I earn my title as the number one thief in Brerra?” He winked. “I’m starting to think I’m going to extend my reputation to Younis by the end of this trip.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Finally got to write a heist for Crow~
That was fun xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow held Penelope’s gaze for a moment longer before he finally nodded, satisfied with her answer. Part of him still worried that she wouldn’t keep her word after she saw what he was about to do, but he also didn’t want to tell her beforehand, in case she thought his plan was too dangerous and didn’t want him to go through with it. He just hoped she trusted him enough to stay back no matter what.

“Just trust me,” he said with conviction, hoping to ease her worries. “I promise; I’ll be back before you know it.” He touched his lips to hers in a quick kiss and then walked into the marketplace.

At first, he did nothing. He pretended to browse the merchants’ wares like the other nobles in the area. However, as he worked his way down one row of vendors, he kept a pair of Younisian knights in the corner of his eye. They were engaged in a conversation with each other, not paying much attention to what was happening around them. He shifted his gaze to another set of knights on the far side of the marketplace, who were doing the same thing. All four had swords hanging in sheaths at their belts, but they appeared to be the only security in the market.

This will be easy, Crow’s lip twitched upward in a smirk, and he turned to hide the expression from the merchant whose cart he was standing by at the moment. He slipped into the crowd of nobles, vanishing from sight as he made his way over to the closest pair of knights. They were still chatting idly, completely unaware of the thief in their midst. Perfect.

Once he had gotten close enough, Crow shot out from the edge of the crowd and sprinted towards the knights. One froze in surprise, while the other reached for the hilt of the sword at his side. However, the thief was quicker. He snatched both of the knights’ weapons right out of their scabbards, one in each hand, and bolted past them into a small orchard behind the market. Spinning around on his heel, he turned back to face the stunned guards. He brandished the blades like oversized dual wielders, grinning wildly.

“What’s the matter?” he taunted. “You two act like you’ve never seen a thief before.”

“Give those back,” one of the knights said, eyeing him warily. “If you don’t surrender, we’ll have no choice but to kill you.” The two spread out, walking around to either side of him but keeping their distance.

“That’s some big talk,” Crow said, though his eyes flicked cautiously between the knights on either side of him. “Forgive me if I’m not afraid of an unarmed tin can.”

“You’re some kind of stupid if you think you’re going to get away with this,” the other knight growled.

“Says the man who just had his sword stolen right out from his sheath,” Crow waggled the blade mockingly. He glanced back at the marketplace to see that the other two knights were finally making their way over to help their comrades. Their swords were drawn and they were moving to fill in the gaps around Crow to surround him. He took a step back, and the two knights that he had robbed tensed.

“Where do you think you’re going?” the first one sneered.

Crow stared at him blankly, “If you think I’m going to wait here for your little buddies to join us, then you’re the idiot.” With that, he ran towards the knight and swung the sword in his left hand, forcing the man to jump out of his path. He made a beeline for the closest tree, put the blade of one sword between his teeth, and used his free hand to grab onto the lowest branch. Kicking off of the trunk, he swung up into the tree and clambered higher, just beyond the knights’ reach.

“Look at that,” one of the knights laughed from below. “He trapped himself.”

Crow took the sword out of his mouth and stabbed the blade into the tree just above his head. “Oh no,” he drawled sarcastically, sitting down on a bough and swinging his legs. “What am I going to do now?” He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Come on. I could do this all day. You geniuses know you can’t get me without losing a few fingers, don’t you?”

“You have to come down eventually,” another knight said.

“That’s true, but I know I can wait out you four.”

“I don’t have time for this,” a knight spat. “I’m going to get one of the archers.”

“I bet you regret climbing into that tree now, thief,” one of the knights smirked up at him.

“I’m shaking in my boots,” Crow said dryly, leaning against the tree trunk. He bit his tongue to keep from smiling. So far, his plan was going perfectly. He just needed to play the rest of it out without letting them touch him.

After a while, the knight who had said he would get an archer returned. He was alone, but that wasn’t surprising to Crow. More than likely, the bowman was probably setting up somewhere farther away, so he would be safe in case the situation turned ugly.

Crow scanned the buildings around them, trying to figure out where the archer might be hiding. Below him, the knights started jeering again: “Ten Tael says Algernon shoots him in the gut.”

“Twenty on his eye.”

“Twenty-five on his heart!”

The knights laughed cruelly, but Crow just shook his head, Idiots. He looked up as a faint motion off to the left caught his eye. A subtle smile spread over his mouth. Found you.

He stood up on the branch and gazed down at the knights, “I’m starting to grow tired of you jaded halfwits—Catch!” He pulled the sword back out of the tree and threw it down at them, causing them to scatter. As soon as there was an opening, he jumped down from the tree and took off running back towards the market, leaving the weapon behind.

As expected, the knights chased after him in pursuit. He bobbed and weaved through the crowd—fortunately, he had guessed right that the soft-palmed noblemen wouldn’t be as eager to catch him as the peasants on the border had—leaving a confusing trail for the knights to follow. He glanced up at the archer every once in a while. The man had set up on a low rooftop not too far away. His bow was cocked to fire, but he seemed to be waiting for a clear shot.

Now came the risky part.

Crow spotted a small clearing in the sea of people and headed for it. When he was standing in the middle, he turned around to face the four knights, holding up his remaining sword like a barrier between him and his opponents. The knights slowed to a stop, chuckling at him.

“Aw, I think he wants to fight,” one of the men crooned. “How cute.”

“You really think you can take all four of us, punk?” another snorted.

Crow ignored their taunting. His eyes were fixed on the archer, who was staring back down at him intently, the string of his bow held taut. He had a clear shot now, so there was no more reason for him to restrain himself. Come on, Crow challenged silently. Shoot me!

As if on command, he saw the bowman let fly his arrow. The projectile whistled through the air, headed straight for the thief’s chest. He let out a howl of pain and staggered backwards, gripping the shaft of the arrow against his sternum. Falling forward, he dropped heavily to the ground, the shaft snapping beneath his weight.

“Looks like Algernon got him first,” one of the knights sighed.

“Did anyone see if he shot him in the heart?” another knight asked. “I want my twenty-five Tael if he did!”

Crow laid still, his heart pounding furiously. Even though he had managed to catch the arrow before it struck him, the head had come within a hairsbreadth of piercing his chest. Another half a second and his fake cry of pain would have been quite real. He just hoped the knights would keep bickering amongst themselves and forget to check if he was alive.

A short period of time passed, and Crow got his wish. He heard a fifth set of footsteps approach, signaling that the archer had come down from his perch.

Algernon clicked his tongue, “Tch, he broke my arrow…” He crouched down next to Crow’s unmoving body and reached for the splintered shaft that lay nearby. However, before he could pick it up, the thief shot up from the ground and swept out his leg, knocking the bowman to the ground.

“For me?” Crow quickly removed the man’s bow and quiver. “You shouldn’t have.”

Before the other knights had a chance to take in what had just happened, Crow was already sprinting back towards Penelope. “Run!” he shouted to her, peering back over his shoulder to see that the knights were giving chase once again. “Run now!”