📖 our muses read a story | Joji to Abigail to make up for that last one. He likes being read to by her a lot tbh

It was sunny outside – though it had been raining for much of the day, and heavy clouds on the horizon promised more to come – for the moment their room was filtered with soft lighting and drenched in warmth and comfort as they lay together on the bed, his arm around her shoulders and the book on his lap as she narrated today’s choice.

From time to time she would lose herself in familiar passages of dialogue, altering her voice to be more suited to the character in question without truly realizing she was doing so. This only happened with books she was particularly familiar with and fond of, and was a testament to her enjoyment of them that the shift came almost naturally.

Reaching the end of the chapter, she sighed and stretched, leaning up to kiss Joji’s jaw before bumping her nose against it. “We should probably make the most of the sun while she’s out,” The musing was reluctant – she was quite comfortable whiling the entire day away in bed, but she knew responsibility had to come into play eventually. “We can fetch our food at the market and make something while the storm returns.” That they would return to the book was a given, after they’d tended to such needs.

🌹 teach my muse something (include details) | Billy explaining to Abigail how the ropes work on a ship to keep her calm? More likely than you think.

{ Random Act Prompts }

Abigail observed Billy’s work intently, holding in her lap a small coil of extra rope from which to practice matching his motions, and perfecting the knots he was showing her. In truth she could not say how long they had been at it now, though she did know the sun was much higher, and a great deal hotter than when they had started.

The terror that had sparked this little lesson was wholly forgotten by now, and likely would remain so provided she wasn’t in close proximity to the men who had seen fit to scare her for sport. Something told her they meant nothing malicious by it – rather like school boys delighting in mischief and screams, but never meaning to actually hurt anyone.

Perhaps if she were a little less trusting of their leader, and had a less sound friend in Billy, she might not have been so easily convinced of such a thought, let alone thinking it without prompting. As it was, her alarm had fallen away, and she was thoroughly engrossed in her lessons. Her hands worked over the rough rope, and though she had not been at it very long, they were red and sore from her efforts all the same – chafed in ways they were far from used to. She had some callouses from working in the kitchens, but not nearly enough to protect her from rope burn.

“I think I missed – something,” She admitted, showing her knot in comparison to his to try and figure out on her own where she’d gone wrong, “Here?” She guessed, pointing to where she’d doubled when she should have run it over a third time.

“It’s cold outside” | Billy to Abigail

{ The Meme }

After the blanket had been wrapped around her, Abigail curled her legs up and looked at Billy thoughtfully from within the rather impromptu nest he’d settled her into for the evening. She had no intention of retiring while the stars were so bright, but she was terribly grateful for the blankets.

“Thank you,” She offered, before tilting her head curiously, “Won’t you join me?” It seemed almost wasteful to have this much blanket just for herself, and she knew he had to be up for hours yet. There was no reason for him to be cold the whole while, especially not when he was making certain nobody else would be.

“It’s cold outside” | Joji to Abigail

{ The Meme }

Abigail could not say how long she had been standing at the window, lost in her thoughts. All she knew was that it was not until a warm blanket draped around her shoulders, and strong arms settled around her waist that she even registered the fact she was positively chilled.

Leaning back into Joji’s chest for support and additional warmth, she leaned back a little to look up at him and smile. He was too far away to offer a kiss for thanks, so she settled for turning in his arms and raising her own so that the blanket could wrap around them both and she could snuggle in against his warmth.

Although, noting that his chest was peeking at her through the long cut of his shirt, she couldn’t help but be a little mischievous, and rub her cold nose directly against warm skin.

“Oops!” | Billy to Abigail

{ Random Oopsies }

8. Your character walking in on mine in a revealing costume.

The door had barely revealed him when he was already ducking out respectfully, and Abigail reacted on sheer impulse. “Billy – wait.” She shifted uncomfortably, trying to make the dress she was in feel as though it were – more than what it was, before she sighed and headed to the door, drawing it open.

“I already feel ridiculous without one of my few friends in this place running off on me,” The explanation was honest – she felt horribly exposed and not at all as sure of herself as Idelle had promised. She simply felt even more out of place than she normally did. “There was an accident earlier -some brawlers ruined my dress.” Her arms crossed to try and offer herself some modesty, though it had rather the opposite effect. “This is going to sound just awful – but would you mind if I borrowed your shirt until I can go home?”

“My grandfather used to say that elegant dresses and stylish accoutrements do not a lady make. A true lady is known by her behavior. So he said.” [ @ [s]dottir[/s] abigail! ]

{ The Pirate Chase Starters }

Abigail lowered the glass she had admittedly stolen from Captain Flint’s desk in order to better track the stars, gazing still at the unusually bright light of Venus as she considered his words. She’d been melancholy these last few days – a necklace of hers had gone missing, one of the two she had managed to keep all this time, which had been a gift from her mother. She supposed her mood in context with the loss of something pretty might have been mistaken here.

Rather than reveal the truth of the sentiment behind the piece however, Abigail decided to tease her friend by deliberately misunderstanding him. Minimizing the glass, she turned and handed it over to him as she replied, “I am well aware that thievery is not lady like captain, but then neither is piracy I dare imagine. You hardly need to remind me I am behaving boorishly for a girl of my background.”

She let that hang between them a moment before she smiled, letting him know she was only teasing. “If you do happen to find the culprit, please let them know I am not angry – I would simply like to trade them my other one. That necklace holds more value to me in sentiment than I could ever get for it in gold, that’s all.”

‘ you don’t have to be on your own. ’ from phil to abigail

{ Don’t Starters }

Abigail continued to stare ahead unseeingly for a time, her only defence against the tears that tracked down her face being to wait them out and refuse to acknowledge them. She did lift her chin a little at the insinuation she was alone – Abigail knew better than to believe she didn’t have at least two shadows.

There were captains invested in her for various reasons she had yet to wholly discern and, strange as it was considering they were not only pirate captains, but the very same ones which had burned down the fortified town her father had staked his career on building, she trusted them both to make sure she would always be safe on the streets of Nassau – at least, physically.

She doubted either of them, let alone her shadows, knew what to do with a woman in tears.

Sighing, she raised her arm and dabbed her face clear with her sleeve before replying quietly, “I’m alright – it’s just a moment of silliness taking over me, that’s all.” To think some part of her missed the familiar constraints of a society that controlled everything about her, even the extent to which she was allowed to breathe. She had so much freedom here sometimes she just didn’t know what to do with herself, let alone such independence!

Of course it wasn’t like she could really explain that to anyone here. Those who understood the constraints had either been banished from them most cruelly, or had spent their whole lives clawing to escape them. It seemed unkind to expect them to sympathize in any way, and it was easier to simply allow herself to emote somewhere she would not really be bothered. She could bleed it onto pages later, but at least this way, she’d be able to function well with the worst of it cleared from her system.

“Thank you,” She managed then, remembering her manners as she looked up at Phil. “I didn’t mean to get so distressed – it was kind of you to sit with me.”

‘ don’t listen to them. ’ | Billy to Abigail

{ Don’t Starters }

“It’s rather hard not to when they are being ever so loud about it Mister Billy,” Abigail pointed out, sounding more annoyed than frightened by her encounter. She really had come to form a great deal of faith in the men who had drawn her safely from Charlestown in the wake of her father’s great betrayal – but not everyone on Nassau was so familiar. Some, like this latest crew from Panama, were just pure trouble.

“I think I may need to take a few days off from the brothel, at least until this crew clears out.” As much as she hated leaving her friends there to less invested waitresses, she knew they could handle themselves among such rowdy and demanding men far better than she could – especially considering their rampant inability to understand not all women in the brothel served only food and drink, and never anything more.

She looked over at him then, smiling, “I’m not as afraid as I used to be – but some of the things those men say! Do such statements ever work outside a brothel, where they pay to have their boorish manners overlooked?”

‘ don’t talk. save your strength. ’ to abigail from anne !

{ Soft Angst Starters }

Abigail fell silent in her desperate apology, and inclined her head in submission. She had not meant to cause so much trouble – but with Miss Anne and Mister Jack away, she had not known who else to turn to at the time and had been naively certain that the awareness they would be back would spare her any harm for interfering with such rowdy fellows.

When had she stopped fearing pirates to the point she thought they would hear reason from a girl in a brothel?

Sighing, she shifted – reaching out to what may arguably be one of the most frightful pirates in all of Nassau – in the hopes that Miss Anne might take pity on her a moment longer, and hold her hand until the medicine for her bruises put her to sleep.

“I’m not afraid,” She promised softly, “Just very sore, in every way.” Her body hurt from being hit, of course, but she was more sore in the emotional sense – she was quite vexed with herself for being so foolish, and even more annoyed with those boorish men! “I’ll – be alright, but – would you stay, for a little while more?”

🛏️ carry my muse to bed | Joji to Abigail

{ Random Acts }

A smile split across her face as she felt the ground leave, her lover’s firm arms lifting her right out of her chair and causing her to lift her arms on a newly developed instinct, looping them lightly around his shoulders. “I overdid it again, didn’t I?” She guessed, laughter bubbling on her lips as she was settled into their bed with a care.

He was as gentle as he was immovable sometimes, and it only endeared him to her further. She had said she would be done in another hour – though a glance to the candle told her she had in fact been at it for three. “Whoop,” The small, sheepish sound was followed up by he shifting up so that she could bump his nose with hers. “You really are too good to me,” A soft accusation, sealed with a kiss to his lips before she settled back, arranging herself so that he could join her once he’d set the candle out.