Atlas with Skunk because they’d have chemistry if they both didn’t have canon bfs jdjdjd either 18 or 12
Imma go with 18, that sounds fun :3
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"Alright lads, enough pillaging! I believe we've made our mark!"
One would normally expect a pirate raid to come from the ocean, where a large ship would sail across the choppy waves. That was the case for most pirating vessels...but not this one.
This was a pirate airship.
This was the first ship of its kind to fly through the clouds on the wind, hovering with some godly type of power- in reality it was a big balloon piloted by propellers and wing sails. Commanding this vessel was the dreaded and elusive pirate, Captain Skunk the Swift. His black and white hair gave him his name, and his swiftness came from the fact that he had escaped custody twenty times!
The captain signalled his crew to bring up what they had captured from an enemy supply fortress, his team being hoisted up to the aircraft by a pulley system. They had taken barrels of gunpowder, food and wine, sacks of money, and a large chest that had to contain something valuable.
The ship sailed off into the sky where no cannons could reach them, a smooth wind guiding them along. Skunk adjusted his flight goggles to his forehead and stepped down from the wheel. "Mighty fine haul, ladies. This'll keep us going for another few months- maybe even get us a few women to keep us company~" He laughed, and most of the men did too.
"Yeah, the ones who can at least tolerate ya." A busty blonde woman shouted, leaning against the railing of the ship. "You men couldn't please a lady due to your stenches and snoring."
Some of the men groaned and rolled their eyes. "Susie's right- but at least we can please em another way!" Another roar of laughter, Susie smirking and shaking her head.
"Enough, my friends. What I want to really know is what fine gifts we got in this chest." Skunk licked his lips eagerly at the thought of something rare and valuable inside.
Two of the men, Wally and Shawn, nodded in agreement. "Aye, took us fookin' forever to lug that thing onta' the pulleys. What're they keepin' in that thing? Rocks and wet sand?"
"Well, pop it open and see Skunk! You're captain, so you get first pick!" Wally grinned widely, bouncing on his toes at the thought of what could be inside.
Skunk kneeled down and took out a dagger to unlock the chest, only to find that it wasn't locked at all- just latched shut. "C'mon now, this better be some good booty..." When he lifted the lid, his eyes went wide and the crew gathered around to see the interior.
Inside was a man, curled up tight and whimpering with his eyes wide open. His hair was very fluffy and stood up with the rest of the hair flowing down the young man's neck, and his face was adorned with freckles. His eyes were golden and wide with fear, his clothes were simple and dirty, and he wore no shoes.
"P-please don't hurt me-.." He stammered, trying to stay shrunken inside the chest he had hidden in.
Skunk stood up and raised a brow, the crew staring in disbelief. They hadn't expected a young man to be in a chest- was he a stowaway or one of the enemy's crew? Or was he a prisoner kept hidden away?
"Skunk, what do we do with them?" Susie piped up, resting her hand on the man's face. "The poor thing looks awful, there's no way we could throw them off the ship."
"I agree." Skunk sighed, looking down at the trembling figure. "Well, he's my booty after all, I can make this work. I am in need of a cabin boy." He offered his hand to the man, who very reluctantly took it. "What's your name, lad?"
".... it's Arthur." The young man muttered quietly, holding onto Skunk's hand like a lifeline. "Are you going to keep me prisoner..?"
Skunk shook his head and guided him into his quarters of the ship, the rest of the crew getting back to work. "I'm not going to hurt you, my boy. You've clearly been through a lot, and I'm not gonna put you through Hell. Here, change out of those rags."
He handed Arthur a fresh set of his own clothes, they should fit him nicely. Arthur looked at the clean clothes in his hands, holding them close to his chest. They smelled so nice- hints of whiskey and sea breeze, a somewhat sweet and salty scent. "Th-thank you. But..I don't understand."
"What do you mean?" Skunk asked, leaning against the wall of his cabin. "Just showing some kindness towards an innocent survivor."
"It's not that." Arthur shook his head and sat down on the lavish bed of the captain. "I've heard stories about you and your ship. They say you're as swift as the wind itself: gone so fast no one can catch you. And that you take no prisoners. So why make me one of your crew?"
A sparkle appeared in Skunk's green eyes and he sat beside Arthur, placing a hand on his head and ruffling the back of his hair. "You said it yourself- I don't take prisoners,"