Have you ever shown a bad side of yourself to someone you love? -Gates from @harriedwritings

“I don’t think you can really say you’ve loved someone if you never seen any of their ugly, nor shared any of your own. Love is stronger than some butterflies in the stomach, or some bullshit blood-based obligations set upon us by social expectations. Love is seeing the fucking worst in someone and knowing damn well that even if you hate the shit they pull sometimes, there’s not a damn thing you wouldn’t do for em. So yeah. The people I love have seen my ugly – and you can bet your ass I’ve held them through and beyond their own in turn for it.”

△ + Gates + What was it like the last time you saw your children?

{ Invasive Questions }

The breath seems to huff out of him as though Flint had just slammed his fist directly into his stomach. Perhaps it might have been kinder if the man had, rather than come forth with the worst sort of inquisition imaginable. It was – his own fault, really. In the wake of what he had learned of the other man, he had offered a glimpse of his own past in exchange – mentioning only that he had sons ashore, and that due to similar circumstances he would never know them as men.

Now, to be faced with a memory he had not confronted in a very long time, he wondered why in the nine hells he had seen fit to offer this in exchange as opposed to something a little less gutting.

“Imagine if you’d been able to say goodbye to your Thomas,” The response is low, the only way he can conceal the fact he’s still raw from this, “And hold him, knowing it is the last time. Knowing you will never, ever see him again. But then imagine that he has absolutely no idea of that fact. And then do it twice.” Hal huffed, smiling grimly, “And you could say it was a bit like that.”

He took a steadying breath, leaning back as he cleared the air with the remark, “My course was set for an uncharted sea the moment I let them go. I knew that, with those farewells, I was leaving behind everything I was – with no idea what I was meant to become in its wake. But that was not nearly as terrifying as knowing from that point on, I’d never hear them laugh again, and they’d never know why. That eventually, inevitably, they’d forget me.” His smile was wry now, and he shrugged. “We make our own hells, I suppose.”

quartermaster hggg + smash or pass + admiral heNNESSEY G-D I SWEAR TO FUCK

{ Smash or Pass }

“Who?” Eh, it didn’t matter, really. “I don’t smash strangers – and I especially don’t smash admirals these days. Bit of a mess, all things considered.”

@ Gates smash or pass the tree buffet

{ Smash or Pass }

“Never really was one for craning my neck so much,” Hal chuckled, shaking his head, “Don’t get me wrong – I adore the lad, and I think he’s got plenty of takers to contend with as is without me vying in on top of it all. I’d much rather pass and keep him on as a friend than have to spend the rest of eternity with a cane just to sweep away his hopeful and hungry fan club.” Hal was too damn territorial and possessive to be with a man as sought after and lovely as Joji – and he fucking knew it.

Richard Guthrie; Smash or Pass (for quartermaster hggg)

{ Smash or Pass }

“I’d be safer sleeping at the brothel than tangling with that messy excuse for a governor! Pass – absolutely and without question.”

❌❌❌ [ for hal! ]

{ Sunday Kinkuisition }

One thing Hal greatly enjoys is – as the kids say – a good dyson. It’s efficient, to say the least, and requires rather minimal effort – in the Caribbean heat this man is not easy to rouse up and is even more unlikely to get rolling on anything too strenuous if he can help it. That said he is not entirely selfish, and will always ensure that his partner gets off by the end of their tryst one way or another.
If the weather and the mood permit – and all the right factors are in play – Hal does enjoy getting rather vigorous in the bedroom. In particular, lifting his partner up and pinning them into place – getting them in a position where the majority of the control is his, and utilizing that trust to bring them the most exquisite pleasures he can muster alongside a little bit of rough handling is one of his favored modes of exercise, though not one utilized altogether often.
To say he likes bring his partner to the point their thighs are trembling and their stomachs are aching, and all they can do is pant his name and make incoherent requests is ah – putting it mildly.

peacock blue: is your muse honest? what sorts of lies do they tell, if not? / reddish brass: how likely is your muse to step up and take the role of a leader? are they willing to take the challenge, or are they more apt to being a follower? / tea orange: what is something that your muse is fascinated with? / [ for gates! ]

{ Colorful Headcanons }

peacock blue: is your muse honest? what sorts of lies do they tell, if not?

Gates is a painfully honest man, which stands out rather notably when he is contrasted by someone as dishonest as Flint is capable of being. It is due to the depths of his integrity that the men trust him so much – and unfortunately more often than not, the lies he tells tend to be spoken in an effort to protect Flint or ( more frequently still ) Flint’s interests.

reddish brass: how likely is your muse to step up and take the role of a leader? are they willing to take the challenge, or are they more apt to being a follower?

Gates is a natural leader who is completely content to not be doing that – when he notices a gap in control he fills it because efficiency is how he operates and he doesn’t have a lot of patience for lackadaisical efforts. He has no issue taking the reigns and pulling things under control – not to mention when it comes to delegation he could straight up be in parliament he is so good at it – but ultimately he just prefers not to – so while yes he will when needs must, more often than not he prefers to follow.

tea orange: what is something that your muse is fascinated with?

Flint, honestly – if the man were not so capable of amusing and yes, fascinating Gates he would never have reached a point where Gates stood as his confidant. They wouldn’t be captain and quartermaster – Gates would never have backed him, and he would have left the ship with the old captain if Flint managed the votes anyway. Without the core fact that Flint intrigues and impresses Gates in turns, there would be no foundation for their friendship to form, let alone maintain itself.

🍴🍴 Gates

{ Food Headcanons }

Hal loves oysters – they are his favorite delicacy. Unfortunately for him, his hands fumble the damn things constantly, which means every time ( every single time! ) he tries to enjoy some bloody oysters, he ends up with literally bloody oysters from slicing his fingers or his palms! He considers it a cruel and twisted fate, and loves any soul who will shuck the damn things for him.
Hal has a method to cooking fish that is deeply favored among the crew – due to what is needed for it, they can only enjoy his pan fry when they are landed and supplies are plentiful. He claims it is all in the oil, but it’s actually the flour mixture he uses that brings out the flavor so favorably. It’s very mild – little more than pepper, salt, and a pinch of cajun spice with flour flipped hand to hand and fried in a spider ( a sort of pre-cast iron skillet propped up by sticks above the open fire [x] )

🎐 for Charles, Darcy, Jane, Jack, and Hal

{ Unusual Questions }
🎐- Does your muse like to collect/hoard anything?

Despite being a pirate, Charles is actually not attached to material objects. These sorts of things can be taken and destroyed, and he has enough going on in his life to find the idea of getting torn up over things to be a waste of his resources and energy.

To this end then, it is safe to say that what Charles Vane collects is in fact people – individuals who he believes he can trust to uphold the ideals that matter to him, and prove themselves to be loyal to those ideas even if it means crossing lines that the civilized would balk before.

Mr. Darcy has benefited greatly from the natures of his ancestors who collected great works of art – from sculptures to portraits of the most grand design. His life has always been couched in luxury, which has in turn instilled upon him a rather marked lack of interest in collecting more. When he does go out of his way to gather items, it is usually gifts for his sister and those few who can count themselves among his friends.

Jane collects letters – from all over the world, from friends and benefactors, from allies and enemies. Most important to her are letters intercepted from her family back home – it has allowed her to thwart the Beckett sons again and again – but there is one among them she cannot bear, and one day she seeks to correct the lie it has told – the story of her own death, a blatant lie delivered to her brother Cutler, the only man in the Beckett line whom she adores.

Jack would like to collect fine things, but he has a terrible habit of losing them, or trading them, or exchanging them to save someone who won’t even say thank you. So while he certainly has the desire and the drive to be a hoarder, he simply does not possess the means to keep what he acquires, for one reason or another.

Whittled figures from the men. He has a small collection of pieces, and when a man dies in battle, storm, or illness, he carves their name on the piece to immortalize a memory of them. Those who cannot whittle, or have never gifted him a piece, he purchases a small figure to represent in the wake of their death – or in some cases, so they are represented among the crowd.

😡What are their deal breakers? / 🏷️Do they give their partners cute nicknames? / 💚Are they prone to jealousy? [ for gates! prepare yourself for a billion asks ]

{ Relationship Inquiries }

😡What are their deal breakers?

Violence and alcoholism will have Hal out the door faster than you can say hgg. Hal has no time for abuse in his love life – and having grown up with an alcoholic mother and an abusive father, he’s seen the effects of both and knows it isn’t anything he wishes to court for himself.

Beyond that, the only other thing that is certain to have him call it quits is to cheat on him. He’s a monogamous creature at heart, and possessive, so getting him to share isn’t easy – and that’s with his consent. Going behind his back is sure to get you tossed out on your ass.

🏷️Do they give their partners cute nicknames?

Absolutely. Hal is ridiculous and will come up with the silliest shit to call his partner – generally it is in a teasing nature, but when he’s feeling cuddly it can be more generic matters like darling and dearest. He’s also prone to the ‘endearing insult’ when he is vexed, or teasing again.

💚Are they prone to jealousy?

Absolutely. Hal is territorial in a platonic sense – in a romantic one, he is possessive almost to a point of it being unhealthy. That said he doesn’t suspect his partner of being unfaithful without due cause – more often than not those suspicions arise due to changes in their behaviour rather than others flirting with them.

Hal knows damn fucking well he has impeccable taste – he generally expects that his partners will have plenty of opportunity outside of himself and will trust that they will maintain the relationship between them honorably. If he notices that his partner is uncomfortable with the attention however, he will not hesitate to lay a notable claim and chase off unwanted advancements.