AU: Captain Blacke and lady Karalie [Karalie]

[Lucas Blacke]

He had returned, feintly hearing the crew singing shanties as he closed the door with a loud thud, knowing that despite his refusal to really get drunk the crew had a point. All men had a need, and that need was booze. Perhaps he should give in to it.. or.. he didn't really know anymore. Not that there was really a need to lose himself, and it wasn't like he could get drunk from a few sips.

Eyes dropping upon her; his whore. She sat quite open, on his bed which was the most used object in his cabin. Karalie would change that. Instantly he found her and saw she was getting up, and he wondered what she was going to do. She couldn't possibly know what he wanted just yet, he still needed to beat that into her.

She did something else entirely, she called him sir. A title most unbefitting for him, and to call him that was quite the request for a beating, something Lucas would happily oblige to as his hand shot forward and his fingers wrapped themselves around her throat. Now, the fact he didn't like to be called sir was something she couldn't know, but that was of no use to her. ''Call me sir once more an' I'll 'ave a body ta expose of, savvy?'' He told her as he drew her closer to him, forcing her feet to move forward to keep herself standing. She probably knew that if she were to fall she'd likely not get up again.

He looked at her as his head swayed a bit and his hold tightened a bit around her neck as he grinned. ''Ye look like a filthy landlubber at sea, lass.'' He said as he pushed her back to his bed in order to go rest up. ''No chores fer ya just yet. In fact, I'll ma'e this all a bit easier on ya. I ain't gon' ask no more, I want ye ta do tha' out o' yerself.''

''An' try not ta be bland, fer if I deem th' act repetitive I'll be grabbin' ya by th' sockets an' throw ya overboard. They won't miss a whore.''

He turned around and made for the desk to sit down on his chair, trying to map out the journey they could best take.

[Karalie Heise]

She gasped as his hand shot out, wrapping around her throat. It was the last thing she expected and her own hands came out to wrap around his wrists, desperately trying to free them from her windpipe, which he was starting to close off. "Sorry! Sorry!" She whimpered frantically, trying with everything she had to remove his hands from her throat. How could she have known that would set him off? The tears came steadfast, but before long he was insulting her and throwing her back to the bed.

Karalie felt dizzy with fear and sadness, as though she were spiraling madly down a pit of despair.
What had been so wrong with what she'd said? How had her words possibly warranted such a reaction in reply?  Silently sobbing once more, her body trembled on the bed as he went over the new rules of his cabin.  He'd no longer force himself upon her. No, no need for that, not if she was plenty capable of offering herself to him.

This nightmare got worse with every passing hour.  It wasn't enough to simply treat her like a whore, now she actually had to act like one on her own, without any force.  She had to go to him, fall upon her knees and ask to please him, as though it were something she wanted to do. As if she weren't humiliated enough already.  Her punishment for not complying? Being thrown overboard, though she was sure he would threaten her a good few times with the crew before it came to that.  In fact, she wasn't so sure he wouldn't bring her up to them once he'd trained her.  At some point the pirate would insist he'd done a fine job of making her enjoy doing what he told her she must ask to do, but she wouldn't.  How could she ever enjoy something meant to be between a man and his wife, when that man meant nothing to her?

He moved to his desk and sat down, Karalie still choking back her tears.  She understood her new command, but until she calmed down she would be useless.  She couldn't bring herself to perform for him just yet, not when a piece of her spirit had been so recently shattered. The raw empty ache in her stomach felt good now, a reminder that she was still alive, that she must stay alive. She curled herself up by the porthole instead, her head resting against its round, wooden frame and peered out at the shimmering ocean.  There was nothing for miles, simply water as far as the eye could so.  No promise of another ship to save her, no land in the distance that she might have a chance to swim to if she chose to make the plunge in an attempt to escape her current fate.

Trapped like a rat in a cage.

[Lucas Blacke]

It was a shame that no existing map could show them the position of any other ship near them, time was growing thin for them as it was. The hold was beginning to grow smaller in items it held and they would have to plunder another ship before that happened. The current stock they had, counting Karalie as one of the crew, would last them a month or four yet, giving them plenty of time before setting eyes on some other ship, but for the seas to be this calm was definitely a first. They had only encountered one other ship so far and that was when he got injured, and assumed the role of captain, a change he didn't mind in the least as he now had something to relieve him.

He would go and hover over his whore a few times as he looked at of the porthole for anything in sight but all he could see was water, and that wasn't even good enough to drink. He knew he'd see that, but seeing his whore react to him being near brought him joy.

Abruptly he turned around and grabbed something from his desk, his canteen and some fruit he had locked away in a cabinet to prevent survy from himself. And not one but two pieces, an apple for him and one for her. He walked back over with canteen in hand and an apple wedged in his mouth as he threw one of them in the direction of the whore Karalie before sitting down on his own bed and screwing the cap off of his canteen. ''Eat up, tha's an order.'' He said as he took a sip of not water, but rum. He didn't want to get drunk, but it would ease his mind a bit.

''Look, I don't wanna hafta be a hard-ass all th' time, okay?'' Lucas told her without even looking at her, handing the canteen over. ''It might taste bad, bu' trust me when I say it soothes th' mind. Jus' try it.'' Karalie on rum.. he wondered how that would be. But that wasn't what he wanted to find out, he was genuine to her at this moment. While she was his and his alone, and every threat of sharing her with the crew as hollow as a boat without crew, he was a man of his word. He would keep her alive even if she annoyed him. Though that wasn't something she had to know.

She simply had to stop doing things that would get him upset and they would get along just fine.

[Karalie Heise]

It was quiet for a time, the pirate coming near now and then to look through the porthole, causing her to tense and shrink away, afraid to touch him and especially to be touched by him.  When he'd gone back she kept her eyes away from him, trying not to cry, trying not to think about how much she actually wanted to jump out that porthole.  Miserable didn't even begin to describe how she felt.

Something landed near her on the bed and she gasped, eyes searching for what it was he'd thrown. An apple.  She equally wanted to eat it and wanted to throw it out the window, something she would never actually consider doing again.  He ordered her to eat it and she slowly picked it up, looking it over before sighing and pushing it to her lips.  

She nibbled slowly on the fruit, savoring it, forcing herself to finish it.  It wasn't as though she wasn't hungry; her body ached for sustenance, but her heart wasn't in it. Her mind was messy and cloudy, and though plenty of light shone through the window, it still seemed so desperately dark in there.  

He spoke but she didn't acknowledge him, hearing the words he said, but not turning to show she was listening.  She turned when he pushed something at her, looking to the canteen as the dread seeped cold through her veins like ice.  She knew what was in there, and had this been a different scenario she would have refused, but she knew she had no choice.  There was no denying the pirate when he gave a command, even if it came out sounding more like a request than an order.

She took a few deep breaths before bringing the canteen to her lips and drawing in some of the liquid.  It burned going down and tasted like nothing she'd ever had.  Harsh and poisonous, and she coughed and spluttered after, thrusting the canteen maybe a little too roughly away from herself.  How could anyone drink that? Once the initial shock wore off she noticed the somewhat pleasant aftertaste and the warmth that bubbled down her throat into her stomach, and spreading.  It was then she saw the appeal on a cold winter's night, but not much now.  She went back to the apple, nursing it, refusing to speak unless forced to.  What did she have to say to him?

[Lucas Blacke]

He accepted the canteen back and screwed the cap back on, silently chuckling at her reaction to taking a sip of it as he took a bite of the apple, both quenching his hunger and his thirst at the same time. The taste of the apple had been amplified by the ingestion of rum and it almost made the pirate want to take another taste of the nectar, not because it made his surroundings soften up a bit but because he had told the crew he would be holed up in his own cabin for the day so he could likely be drunk like the rest of the crew was without it interfering with his skills.

Though he did stop to think about what Karalie would do, would she try to run off when he was out cold? He soothed himself a bit by thinking about the words he had told her himself; she was his and no one elses, her only hope to survive however long their journey would be was to stay at his side. Besides, she'd told him he could expect complete obedience from her, but the thought didn't escape him that she could do the same thing he had. At least it wasn't like pirates weren't taught to keep booze from acting like normal. All those years befopore he had been occupying the rank of quarter master he had been drunk at least every week, so if ther e had been someone who know how to hold his booze it was him.

He figured if there was any time to do this it would be now where he had essentially asked the rest of the day off. So he unscrewed the cap off of the canteen again and put it to his lips, part of him wanting to taste Karalie on it, knowing that it would be very little he could pick up and it would be mixed with alcohol, but really, those were two of the best things around at that moment.

''So, what exactly 'appened?'' He asked suddenly as he brought the canteen back and swallowed the rum. ''I mean, I know what 'appened, but I wanna hear from yer mouth. Ye still think yer the princess tha's better than all of us?''

''An' speak freely. I won't hurt ye.'' He added.

[Karalie Heise]

His question took her somewhat by surprise, but she didn't bother looking at him.  She'd seen enough of him to last a lifetime.  Had it only been a day ago she looked forward to his arrival back in the cabin? Her eyes alight with relief at having some company? And now.. now she couldn't bear his proximity.

It was difficult not to feel bitter towards the pirate her passive aggressively berated her.  She had never thought herself royalty, but she'd been brought up with the notion that she was deserving of the finer things in life.  

She didn't believe him when he promised not to hurt her, either.  She didn't believe anything that ruthless savage said.

"What difference does it make?" She asked as way of answer.  "None of that matters anymore.  I can't go back." Even if I could, no one would accept what I've become. She thought sadly to herself, her heart physically aching in her chest.  She'd been destined to be a whore either way, but she supposed it was allowed when the man using you was your husband.  She purposely ignored his question about her feeling like a princess.  She did still feel she was better than him, because she was.  She would never lower herself to be like him. Even when he'd completely broken her mind, body and spirit.

[Lucas Blacke]

It made a whole lot of difference, and despppite having given his word he wouldn't hurt her he kind of wanted to because of the answer she had given, he wasn't used to not getting the answer he himself deemed correct. But he had given his word and he would adhere to it, however hard it was. ''Nor can I, remember that.'' He told her, replying to how she couldn't go back. Like she was alone on the ship or something, maybe she needed to be reminded of who exactly was on the ship. ''But I still wanna know where it went wrong, how ye saw it all.'' He knew where it went wrong for him; the moment she challenged his resolve by asking him to lie with her.

He'd snapped and he knew that, and part of him was okay with it and what it had done, Karalie now being the obedient whore she should be and not standing up to what was asked of her, but another part of Lucas did not want to treat her this way, hence the mixed signals he was sure he was sending her. Giving her food and drink the one moment and forcing her on her knees the other. This way he would never get on her good side again, but really, did he have to? She had nowhere to run so getting her to like him was no real necessity.

But to see her broken like this.. the pirate was fifty-fifty on the whole situation. Her being broken was what he wanted, but to be ignored like she was doing was hard to come to terms with. Lucas could blame his manly needs on what he did but knew it wouldn't be enough. He'd made the first step and realized that what Karalie said was true, even in his actions; he couldn't go back.

''Yer right. None of that matters anymore, so why are ye scared? Ya know I am a man o' me word, if I say I won't hurt ya, I won't hurt ya.''

''Will it or not, I'm gonna be keepin' ye alive.''

[Karalie Heise]

She didn't want to go into her tale, didn't want to give him the pleasure of knowing she'd left a situation she deemed dreadful only to land where she was, making things worse for herself.  Or was it worse? Karalie couldn't be sure, really.  She  didn't know what life with William would have been like, though she suspected he'd gladly smack her around to get what he wanted if she disobeyed.  He might have threatened her life as often as the pirate had done, and he certainly would have been just as gentle as Lucas when it came to her 'wifely duties'. She didn't want to think of it, though.  Didn't want to share with him the reason she had found herself in his possession, but she knew she had little choice.

"I told you I was meant to be married." She'd have been married nearly a month by now.  Had William moved on yet? Had her parents given up their search for her? Was she thought to be dead?  "He wasn't kind, though the world saw him so. He played the part of a charming gentleman well, but when, the doors were shut he showed to have violent tendencies and little patience, especially concerning me." She explained.  It was still vague, but answer enough that he would know what she'd left behind. At least the pirate hadn't beaten her. Not yet. William hadn't either, but she was certain the slap to her face the night she fled was meant to be the first of many strikes to her cheek.

She was scared because she didn't know what came next. She didn't know what he expected, what set him off, how to control his temper and keep her alive.  She was afraid of doing the wrong thing, of being made to do all the things she wasn't prepared to do with a man that was not her own. Lucas didn't love her, he didn't love anything or anyone but himself.  He was ruthless, and just because he promised to keep her alive didn't mean he was incapable of killing parts of her off.  He could turn her into a husk of the woman she'd once been if he so desired, giving her to the men he lead to do with as they pleased.  He may intend to keep her alive, but that didn't mean he wouldn't make her wish she were dead.


She remained silent.  He'd already hurt her, and he'd do so again.  He didn't have to grab her and force her to her knees to hurt her, he only needed to call her a whore.

[Lucas Blacke]

Lucas looked at his own hands as she spoke of violent tendencies, he knew he possessed those and did act upon them every now and again, especially so when not getting what he wanted but rationalizing it by figuring it was the way things were at sea. The rest of her story didn't impress him as he already knew most of it, though he had to admit some parts of it did intrigue him. Perhaps he could force her to talk about it and find out what he was to do or what he should avoid doing. Obviously, when asked she would say he should stop being commanding and threatening towards her, but all that would accomplish was another hollow threat against her life.

''Bein' married is important.'' He nodded suddenly as he took another bite of the apple he held. Marriage at sea wasn't anything like marriage back on land, mainly due to there being mostly male pirates, but it was a bond of security above anything else, having someone you could trust with secrets, someone who would help when in need instead of turning their back. Unlike being married on land it didn't state who you could have sex with, it just stated who you were to trust. And pirates of every kind were bound by their words. In fact, there was a rule stating you could flay anyone who lied.

Now this didn't mean Lucas was okay being married, and really, he wasn't. He felt no need to share anything with anyone, though most of the other crewmembers had some version of matelotage which meant they had found someone to protect and trust. And share whores with. In a way Karalie should be glad Lucas hadn't given her to the crew seeing as their sharing held no boundaries.

He got up from the bed and looked at her, even if she didn't look at him. ''He sounds like me.'' He offered. ''But in th' end yer nothin' but right; ya can't leave. A man like th' one ye left behind bein' yer only hope at survivin'.''

[Karalie Heise]

The bite he took of his apple served as a reminder to bite her own, that queasy fishy feeling still rumbling in her innards.  It took Karalie by surprise that the pirate would put any real value on marriage, as he was ruining her form ever being able to do it herself.  She sincerely hoped he didn't expect to marry her.  Then again, she might not have a sat in the matter, and even if she did he might be the only true option.  How could she ever expect someone else, someone of value, to find her attractive now that he'd destroyed her so thoroughly?

She felt the man closing in on her, her head turning towards him though she continued to advert her gaze away from him.  In many ways, William did sound a lot like Lucas.  She couldn't deny that.  It was a shame she'd crawled onto this hip; if she'd gone onto another who knows what her life could have been like.

His final statement made her feel ill again and she forced herself to swallow the bite of apple in her mouth, turning her face away once more.  What sort of answer could she offer in return to that?  Maybe she should just offer to please him to get it over with and to pull his thoughts from depressing her further with his inquiries about her past.  But performing didn't sound all that much better than what was happening.

The sun was quickly setting and she knew he wouldn't be running off again for a time, which means she needed to think of something to get him to leave her alone.  "Do you ever plan to marry?"

[Lucas Blacke]

She didn't enjoy his line of questioning, her gaze turning from him with every question, every attempt to get close. Surely Lucas knew that getting close to her now was a waste of time; he would not get far after what he'd done and he knew that. Still, to see her like this irked him and urged him to stop his questions, but for someone who was known for his ways of breaking people he knew he had to continue, maybe not this current line of questioning, but surely something. He didn't feel like pointing out that her feelings really held no weight to him, and that would be just what he would do; point out, he wouldn't mean it because what she did very much mattered to him. He wanted her to stop making him care.

She was on her way of making him snap again. And she furthered her progress by asking him about marriage. His gaze turned to the side and he avoided looking at her for once, not out of shame but because he felt he didn't have the right words for a reply. Maybe someday he would want to marry? Find a mate? Right now he had no need, and certainly not when most, if not all choices were men. He would want a union between man and woman like whoever his god was at the moment intended.

''Nope. No plans.'' He replied, eyes now resting on Karalie once more, watching her constant avoidance of his gaze. ''Not right now anyway.'' He added as he would not deny seeing something more in the girl he called a slave. He'd called her his queen and it was no lie that he loved her, he would want to make her his own in deed and word, if he were to be completely honest with himself. How long that would take though, he had no idea. ''Don' 'ave time fer a wench ta call me own an' care fer.'' He told her despite doing just that, giving her his time. So he was lying; he did have time and he knew it. But this was no time for hopes, not when he was in the act of dashing hers.

''I 'ave no need fer marriage fer now. An' certainly not if I'm all but surrounded by men.'' He told her. Yes, she was there, but he was forcing only one thing upon her for now, and he had still to see if she would keep to her words about being an obediant little wench.

[Karalie Heise]

At least he didn't have false hopes for the pair of them, she decided.  Or at least no desire to force her into a situation she wasn't interested in or prepared for.  Not yet, anyway.  She decided she would cross the bridge when she came to it.  If she came to it.  It was clear the pirate saw her as nothing more than an object to be used, one that took space and supplies no less.  Surely he wouldn't want to marry her anyway. Even if things were well between them, she'd seen her reflection.  Her hair was both limp and frizzy, slick with natural oils and nothing close to the what it had once been.  Her skin had grown pale and her face gaunt.  She could feel her bones starting to protrude; she'd lost weight since their voyage began.  Her eyes held bags from the rough nights of sleep upon the floor.  The journey had taken its toll on her, but she knew it was for the best. The less he desired her, perhaps the better of she'd be.  Or maybe not.. Maybe her ticket to survival was the complete opposite.  She knew it was true as she thought it.  He should want to desire her.  If he did, he would keep her alive. Yes, she was a hole, but his men were no different, and at least they worked for their food.

She supposed she did as well, now.

He was still hovering close, seeming to want to converse but not truly offering up much in the way of conversational topics, which she took as a silent command. Did he want her to do something? Get off the bed? No, he would tell her to do that or simply take his place beside her. Should she talk? Did he actually care what she had to say? Karalie could sit and try to pretend all night that she didn't know what he wanted from her, but she did.  Oh, she did.  He'd told her earlier, and she could dance around it if she wanted, but she knew the consequences and she'd promised to be obedient.  She'd done a fine job since last night.  But how did she go about it? Certainly not outright asking.  She was quiet a moment as she mulled it all over.

With a deep breath Karalie turned towards him, averting her eyes as she looked more to his torso, unable to look him in the eye now.  She reached a shaky, hesitant hand out towards his pants, scooting herself closer.  Perhaps this would be easier if she simply said nothing at all, but rather acted on his whims.

[Lucas Blacke]

As he sat beside her on the bed he kept thinking about how long it would take for the next ship they could plunder to arrive, perhaps even getting some rare goodies out of it like they had done in the past. They'd gotten their fair share of exotic goods once, that journey had been their longest and biggest pay out yet - eight thousand thousand dollars per person. For a journey of four years that was quite the haul, and made rich men out of them instantly, which the crew then instantly threw away by buying lots of booze and company, but not Lucas, he had kept a share of it for himself, five hundred dollars he kept in gold coins in a bag under his desk, the rest he had put into - and most pirates would think this odd - buying a distillery. Little did they know that now with everyone that bought booze they would effectively be paying their own captain.

Maybe he'd expand in the near future, who knew. Not that he had much need for it anymore, but if things continued to look up he could buy an entire town. perhaps a place to store the people he owned, he quite liked that idea. But now he only really knew one thing, the sea. Lucas was good at keeping up a dividing line, the moment he got on a ship he would forget of his assets on land. And why should he remember? He had everything he needed in arms range.

Speaking of things in arms range. ''My my, it seems th' lil' whore is bein' obedient.'' He said as her hand reached for his pants. ''I washed up just fer you.'' He added with a grin, meaning that he dumped clean water over himself and dubbed himself clean.

He watched on, looking at Karalie and her obvious hesitance and inability to look at his face while she was doing what she was doing. His hand then shot to her jaw and forced her to look at him with a slight squeeze. ''Try ta act alive fer me. There might be a reward in it fer ya.''

[Karalie Heise]

Her hand faltered slightly as he spoke to her, trying to steel herself from his crude name calling.  Karalie grit her teeth, forcing her hand to keep going as he smugly offered a reward for a job well done. There were times when she wished she'd taken the time to learn that gun of his.  

Fortunately it was all over pretty quickly and she hoped to not have to worry about doing anything more for the rest of the evening.  It would make life much easier that way, and with any luck he would simply leave her alone.  As luck would have it, he had not.  She'd been instructed to stay there on the bed with him, and when the canteen was offered once more she had the instinct to push it away.  Her mind raced to having thrown the bread out the porthole and knew she could not afford to turn down, or worse, waste an offer from the bloody pirate.

She attempted to let the words he spoke to her roll off her shoulder, desperately wishing she could block them out, or decide they wouldn't get to her, but they ate at her, tore her apart and made her feel pathetic and dejected.  She believed most of what she said, even if she'd try to mentally steel herself from him.  The canteen went to her lips and she took a sip, wincing as the harsh liquor slid down her throat and warmed its way into her belly.  She took another sip, this one slightly larger, and made a sound of disgust before pushing the canteen back, turning her body away from him slightly as she was forced to lay beside him.  How strange that only a day ago she had practically demanded they lay beside each other, and now she wished he'd keel over.

[Lucas Blacke]

The moment had passed, and he was no longer the frustrated pirate he was prior, no, he had made himself a hole for his relief; to wash away his stress and be able to focus on the job at hand more even if the job at hand meant breaking Karalie mentally. He handed her the canteen, leaving no word to be wasted upon her and watched as she, without a word took not one but two sips of the alcoholic liquid inside. He took the canteen from her as she made a sound he knew would soon be a thing of the past. Lucas gave her a pat on the shoulder as if to say good job and did his best to let his hand linger and squeeze, forcing her down even if she turned away from him, letting her know that what she did was no longer her own choice, at least not without permission of the pirate. Whatever she did, she would either ask or be forced to do. Except the thing for which she was meant, the pirate would always find the time for that.

''Just know yer turnin' yer back on th' only man alive who could ever enjoy a wench like yerself.'' He told her, just knowing that no matter how strong she pretended to be, he was breaking her bit by bit. He'd gotten her to beg him for her life, his flesh, and he wouldn't stop there. He would make her his own in ways beyond what she could comprehend. A small grin formed upon him as he knew that what she was doing now was in silent protest, but it was also because he let her.

It wasn't that he was demanding, it was that he needed what he wanted at that very moment while sugarcoating it in the form of a question. Was the answer no, he'd find someone else to do it, but not before making you realize the grave mistake you've made. Which in her case was threatening her with the crew. Maybe he'd keep her virginity intact just so his threats would have more effect on her..