Chapter Text
Elizebeth stood on the edge of the ship. She leaned as far over the rail as she could for her short height, sticking out her tongue at the lapping waves. The salty wind whipped past her face and pricked her senses. She pulled back, grinning, and spun around on the deck. Somewhere, jaunty music seemed to spill from the boards of the ship itself. The rest of the crew was celebrating around her, some dancing, some speaking, some drinking; boisterous energy filled the entire boat. It was one of those moments that made her grateful to be a pirate. The kind that rivaled counting treasure or firing a pistol.
“Ey! Elizebeth!” A voice called from behind her.
She turned, her grin growing into beam when she saw the voice belonged to none other than Captain Beau, the man whose retirement they were celebrating. She gave him a playful salute. Then, before she could blink, he wrapped her up in a grandiose one-armed hug, squeezing her tight and releasing her only when she gave him a playful (but strong) jab in his side.
“Oof… oh, haha, quick as ever, little lady!”
“Pirate, not a lady.” She corrected cooly running a hand through her hair. “The best pirate! I could beat everyone here one day and you know it.”
“Oh, really? ” He smirked.
“Yes, really. Just ask Arlin; I sure as hell gave him the message!”
“What you’re bragging ‘bout is gonna take a little more than a stomach of holding and a hunger for hotdogs,” the Captain chuckled.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, still smiling. She knew that, obviously, but at the same time was delighted to find the word of her victory had already spread throughout the ship. The eating battle had left her a little more sluggish than she let on and it was wonderful to know the others recognized her victory. The captain reached out and ruffled her hair. Her good mood faltered as she caught a melancholy glint in his eye.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing terrible, little pirate. I’m just thinking how much I’m gonna miss your attitude.”
“I don’t have that much of an attitude…”
“Haha!” The Captain burst out in laughter. “Ah, I guarantee you do! But I meant more than your sass. You’ve got spunk! Energy! You’re determined, competent, clever, and—above all else—philanthropic.”
“What?”
“You care, Elizabeth. You’re compassionate. You do a good job hiding it under all that teenage angst—“ He playfully tapped her head. “But it’s there. And you are quite the aspirant. If you hone those carefully and don’t forget what really matters you could do a lot more than beat people. You could lead them.”
Elizabeth stared up at the Captain’s face. It was like he’d gifted her the sun. She felt something shine within her, a thought, a dream, a flash of the future. Every pirate kid dreamed of being a captain one day. At least, every pirate kid she knew (which was just her and Chip). It was a game. Pretend to have your own ship, bark orders at an imaginary crew, go on adventures inside minds! But… this was different. This was real. It could be real. Every single person on this ship trusted the captain with their lives and for him to say that was an honor even 13-year-old Lizzie was left speechless at.
“I WILL!” She burst out. The Captain jumped a little at the sudden shift from contemplating to shouting but quickly returned to a soft smile. “I mean, I won’t forget to think about what’s important. I won’t lose track and I’ll be a Captain!”
“And what do you think I meant by important?”
“Power?” The Captain raised an eyebrow. “Um, freedom?” The Captain frowned. Elizabeth sucked in her cheeks, brow furrowing. She could get this right. “Strength? Wait, no that’s just another word for power… uh…”
“Why are you asking?”
“Huh?”
“I asked a question, I’m waiting for you to give me an answer.”
“I—guess I wanted to check if I was right? Gods, I didn’t realize it was that strict of a test.” She folded her arms, trying to deny the tiny bit of pink that had crept onto her face, betraying her embarrassment.
The Captain shook his head, a small smile returning but it was colored by his disappointment. It was infinitesimal, humored, and gentle, but it still stung. She couldn’t help but scrunch herself up in frustration.
“Oh, you’ll get it right someday,” he reassured her, “I’ve no doubt of it. You’re on a hell of a right track, I’ll tell you that! Besides, kids like you ought not to need to think of all the responsibilities that come with being in charge yet anyway.”
He suddenly stopped, glancing to the side, a knowing gleam caught in his eye. “In fact, why don’t you go find that other scamp who lives on my ship and play with him? Put this out of your mind for a moment. You’ll get better answers living your life than wondering about it.”
Elizabeth turned to where he was glancing but a few crates were the only thing in the direction. A few crates and—as she tilted her head, keen eyes narrowing—a shuffle of dark brown hair behind them. Chip.
Chip sneaking around probably meant some kind of prank was on the way. She turned to the captain and smirked, catching his drift. “So… does this mean I don’t get to take over after you retire?”
“AHAH! Oh, sharpen your tongue. Stoke your ambitions! We’ll make a captain out of you yet!” With that, he slammed a hand on top of her head, ruffling her hair so much it fell messily over her face when he finished and turned to enjoy the rest of the festivities.
Elizabeth moved like lightning as he walked away. Sneaking with incredible stealth, she disappeared, crouching to the side of a crate. She slowly peaked over and, sure enough,there was Chip. He was poking his head over the side now, looking wildly to where she and the Captain had been. Next to him was a pile of make-shift cloth pouches. He also held one in his hand, half-up like he was going to throw it but was currently too busy trying to figure out where his targets went.
Without giving him a chance to turn around and find out, Elizabeth jumped. She had her arms around her younger shipmate like an octopus. She held tight, despite his flailing, lifted him off the ground, and moved back towards the rails. He screamed, trying to buck himself out of her grip but she only squeezed him harder.
“AAHHH! ALRIN! ARLIN, HELP!”
“Arlin?” She mocked. “You’re lucky Arlin cheated me out of a proper weapon or your blood would be painting the deck right now!”
“Wh—Elizabeth!” Chip gained no more control as he realized who his assailant was but vainly attempted to appear like it. “Hey! Put me down!”
“What’s in the pouch?”
“Nothing!”
She obliged his previous command and put him on down. Or—more accurately—slammed him to the ground like a wrestler and jumped on top of him to hold him down. She grabbed his arm but didn’t even get the chance to twist it before he yielded.
“Ah! It’s just water! Okay? It’s only water, I swear. I wouldn’t hit you with anything worse than that, would I? I mean, we’re friends!”
“Oh?” Elizabeth snatched up the one he still clutched in his hand. She held it over him and slammed it down on his head before his eyes could even widen and SPLOOSH.
“Ah-ack! Hey! You ruined the fun!” Chip carped as a greasy mixture seeped into his hair. What had been in the homemade balloons was evidently not ‘just water’ but rather a foul-smelling and slimy concoction.
Elizabeth ran her hands through his hair, rubbing it in like gel, and snickered, “Still fun for me!”
“Hey! HEY! Quit it! What kind of captain are you gonna be if your crew hates you?”
Elizabeth stopped. “You heard that?” Chip nodded, squirming out from under her and sitting up, scraping the gunk out of his hair. “How much?” She was genuinely curious.
“All of it. I was gonna get you when you were lookin’ over the rails but then the Captain showed up and I got really excited to get him too. Nobody ever gets the best of the Captain! Boy, I coulda bragged about that for months!”
“He’d drop you off at the nearest island!”
“No he wouldn’t, he’s not that mean!”
“That is the nice version. If I was a captain and someone did that to me I’d throw him overboard on the spot.”
“Well, you’re not the captain and, even if you were, Arlin would never let you. Plus, I think that’s a you problem.”
“What is?”
Despite being pressed to the deck of the ship, he managed to shoot her an unimpressed look. “Uh, most people don’t constantly look for reasons to beat up or kill people. Just because you want to be scary and stuff doesn’t mean anyone else is gonna do that to you.”
Elizabeth shifted, letting him sit up. Chip was a nine-year-old boy. He was almost two years younger than Elizabeth and was not exactly a philosopher. He was just emptying words from his head with barely a thought to them. Yet, something about what he said made Elizabeth’s insides twist.
Maybe it was because he said it so easily, maybe because he was so genuine and matter-of-fact; whatever the reason, she didn’t like it. “Just because I’m gonna be strong and powerful doesn’t mean I’m mean or… or scary.”
“Hah! I’m not scared of you,” he boastfully reassured her, casually flicking away the bits of prank from his hair.
“Pfft, yeah right. Besides, you’re getting off-topic, why didn’t you go through with it?”
“Oh, I got distracted by your conversation. I ended up just hiding behind the crates and listening. Then, when I looked up again after the Captain left, I couldn’t see you either. And then you jumped me and did this.” He gestured grumpily to his head.
“Hehe, yeah,” she smiled wistfully, “Truly some of my best work.”
"You mean MY work. I made them."
"Yeah, but you're also the one who had it dripping down his face so..."
Chip, left without a retort, punched her in the arm. She punched him back. They went on like that for a little while, trading faux blows. Then trading not-so-faux ones. It slowly escalated to the point that they were having a full-on brawl, albeit a playful and lighthearted one.
Chip grabbed at the shoulder of her shirt, attempting to push her down. She tore away and poked him in his stomach. He pulled back, holding his arms over his belly and laughing. She rushed forward to tase him again but unfortunately, at the very same moment, he fell over in his laughter. Before she could even slow down her hand collided with his cheek a nail’s length below his eye. A long, sharp, kid-who-lives-on-a-pirate-ship-and-doesn’t-exactly-clip-her-fingernails-regularly length.
The air was still for a moment. Chip remained doubled over. He was still shaking but very clearly no longer out of humor or excitement.
Then Chip’s voice filled the deck again, not with laughter but with wails.
“OOW! AHHH! ELIZABETH, THAT REALLY HURT!”
“Ah! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Just—shhh. Shh shh shh, okay? Let’s go get you some water! I’m sure Chey has something cold.”
“I want Arlin,” he sobbed, clutching his face.
“Hold still a moment.” Elizabeth moved his hands as much as he’d let her. She inhaled sharply through her teeth, ouch. Not only had she effectively punched him in the face but she’d also scratched him badly. Still, on the optimistic side, it was a good thing she missed his eye. When she tried to reassure him by informing him of this good luck, however, it only made things worse.
“Y-YOU CUT MY EYE OUT?”
“No! That’s the opposite of what I just said, you idiot! Are you even listening?”
“Well excuse me,” Chip hiccuped, “If in n-not the perfect pair of ears right now.”
“There, see? You’re calming down already. I’m really sorry I hurt you…. please don’t tell anyone?” Chip only sniffed. Elizabeth faltered, she didn’t want to get in trouble with Arlin. “You’d look really cool with an eyepatch anyway!” She blurted out, not at all hiding her desperation.
Chip sniffed again, “Like Drey?”
“Cooler than Drey! Like a real legendary pirate!” Chip sat up a little straighter but still made no agreement to keep quiet. “AND, plus, if you don’t tell… uh… I’ll let you be Captain when we play! You can boss me around for two whole weeks and I’ll have to obey you.”
This was probably a mistake. That was a lot of power to give to someone like Chip. He was goofy and excitable and not exactly smart when it came to boundaries or knowing when to stop. But… it got her out of trouble for now. She’d pay the price later or slip her way out of it if she could.
Chip instantly sat up as if he hadn’t been sobbing seconds ago. A mischievous and eager glee danced in his eyes. Then he frowned and tapped his chin.
“Hmm… Nah.”
“What? Wait, what? How could you turn down an offer like that?”
“Oh, no,” Chip shrugged, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell. I’m not a snitch!” Elizabeth bit back a retort of all the times he’d told on her for no good reason. “I just meant no on me being a captain.”
“…Huh?” She stared at him, completely floored.
“You gotta practice being captain. A good one. So that when you actually are a captain your crew doesn’t turn on and destroy you for being a blood-thirsty, crazy, jerk!”
“You mean that? You really think I could actually be a captain one day?”
“Yeah,” Chip beamed. “Well, obviously not a captain like The Captain, but I’m sure you’ll have a boat at least and, like, a few people who can stand you. Plus, you’ll be really strong by then! You could probably rule the whole ocean! Except for Arlin and me because we’ll be the best pirates too and have our own ship and stuff. But other than that you’ll be the best! You’ll have an iron reputation and be like- like… like a pirate Queen! With a really cool sword and a HUGE bounty!”
“Why do you say that like it would be a good thing? I don’t want the Navy after me! You think I’d be smart enough to not fall under their radar. I’d be like a... mystery legend so no one could ever catch me.”
Chip rolled his eyes, shuffling backward to sit up against the crates. “Uh, who would want a reputation like that? A bounty is like a coolness chart for pirates! The bigger the bounty the more dangerous and cool everyone knows you are. What’s the point if they don’t even have your name? Besides, everyone knows the Navy is stupid. You could definitely run circles around them, even, like, now! When you’re just a dumb kid!”
She scooted back next to him. “You are a dumb kid. I’m technically a teenager.”
“Okay, fine! You could run circles around the Navy right now even though you’re just a dumb teenager.”
Lizzie shoved his shoulder but laughed. He was coating it with his regular naive and probably unintentional insults but, for Chip, this was really nice! Honestly, she was surprised at how genuine he seemed to be. In reality, she knew Chip had a good heart, he wasn’t even that subtle about it. It just caught her a little off guard to see him be, openly and intentionally, so kind.
Really, so kind… almost felt a little too kind for how deliberate he was being—oh no.
Her realization didn’t reach completion until the cold tingle of the make-shift balloon was smashed against the top her head. She locked up, completely frozen, as the goop dripped down her hair and back. Chip was in hysterics.
She really should have seen that coming. The way he lulled her by appealing to her worries, how he’d stoked her ego just the way she wanted to hear, the subtle scooting back to the crates, he was a perfect little manipulator.
“UGH!” She snapped out of her state, spitting and spluttering. A bit of the prank had dripped down her face and by her mouth, threatening a foul sting against her tongue. “Ugh,” she shuddered again, wiping the gunk from her face, “What’s even in this?”
“Just—ahaha—it’s just a bunch of stuff I gathered from the ship,” Chip giggled, regaining his breath. He laughed so hard he’d be nearly turned the shade of Fin. “Oh…” he wiped an eye.
Lizzie calmly balled her hand to a fist and pulled back.
Chip jerked back to cover himself. “Ah! Nothing real bad, I swear! No rotten stuff or pee or nothing!”
“You were gonna throw piss on the Captain?” Lizzie grabbed him by the collar.
“I said I DIDN’T piss in it!”
“Hah, I know, I just wanted to see you squirm.” She let him go with a smirk.
“Oh. Well, that was the dumbest joke anyone has ever played on anyone in the history of ever,” he said in a monotone, pretentious, voice that made Lizzie grin inside. “Back to my good prank, I just mixed together some seawater, grease, oatmeal, and a bit of rum.”
Lizzie blinked, baffled at how excited he’d seemed to spill that. “You stole rum.”
“Just a little.”
“And you just mixed it in this awful stupid gloop?”
“…Yeah?”
“Okay!” She shook her head, blinking again, and stood. “Well, I’m gonna tell Chey.”
“WHAT?”
She took off without another word, sprinting towards the decks. Chip gawked at her for a moment before stumbling to his feet and giving chase.
“THAT’S NOT FAIR!” He whined, “I SAID I WOULDN’T SNITCH!”
“Not my problem,” She called over her shoulder. “First rule of being a pirate: always take the upper hand!”
He was far behind her. As much of a little conman he was, she was still older and much faster. With a sharp turn up-deck, she completely lost him. His hasty attempt to replicate her threw his balance, and he tumbled over. She snickered and ducked into her quarters.
Of course, she wasn’t actually Chey. If she was really upset she’d have done something herself. The heart attack she’d given him felt revenge enough.
“ELIZABETH!” Chip suddenly pounded at the door, “I’M GONNA TELL ARLIN YOU HIT ME THEN!”
“Okay fine I won’t tell!” She called, much more casually than he’d expected after that chase.
Honestly, he’d gotten her good. She’d let him manipulate her completely and deserved the reality check she’d gotten. Alone in her room she could admit that it was kind of funny. Besides, she’d gotten him back. They were even. Now she just wanted to get this awful mess out of her hair! She grabbed a towel and began wiping it down her face. She hummed a little as she looked at her tiny handheld mirror. Captain… she would be captain one day.
She didn’t know what kind of crew she’d have, though. Just really strong people? She couldn’t trust them then though. Maybe she wouldn’t have one at all.
Whatever. She’d figure out what the Captain had meant with or without a crew. She’d be the strongest, most feared, most mysterious, most wanted pirate in all the seas!
><><><
Above the blissful child; over the deck holding jolly, ignorant, crew; through a brewing storm and scream; out in the ocean, something impossible was gaping. The waves of the water opened their maw, ready to swallow every last splinter and soul of what these children called home.
A few drops of rain began to fall. The ocean began to whisper of turmoil. A moaning fog crept past the hull.
The Black Rose sailed on, blindly into its dire destiny.