New Ties
Uhhhh, idk I kinda indulged in how Motti met Pirate Nightmare
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From the time Motti was of age to marry, she had many suitors. One right after the other, her parents would arrange an engagement and Motti personally made it her mission to sabotage every last one.
In the beginning it was merely setting up the suitors to look poorly amongst the peers. That worked for a while until Motti's father was starting to get suspicious, and so Motti had to get more creative.
Tars and feathers in their luggage.
Pretending to have smallpox.
Croaking like a toad when asked to sing.
All of which was only done in front of the suitor or behind closed doors.
Motti refused to be married off as if she was property. Which in hindsight, she might as well have been. In her father's eyes she was a well bred dog. Prim and groomed to the highest pedigree.
At least that is what he hoped.
Motti was as wild as her wavy red hair. Being an only child, her Father did not want Motti to fall short of any subject. However, his wishes fell on death's doors when he poured all his resources and Motti only chose to excel in the Arts, Archery and shooting sports.
Motti showed great talent being a sharpshooter and was often taken on hunts with her Father. At least, until he deemed Motti needing to be more ladylike the older she got.
But now, Motti found herself going on fewer hunts. Fewer days where she felt her Father cared for her anymore as his child and not a coin to be bargained for.
Agitated and feeling dehumanized that her value of a person was whittling down each year because of failed engagements.
And so when Motti heard the gossip of another suitor coming to the manor to seek her hand, she was ready to set course of her usual plans to ruin it. However, the name of the man had a reputation for being cruel and vile all the while mysteriously losing three spouses to influenza.
Motti wasn't a fool. She could be rash, excitable and sometimes naive, sure. But deep inside her soul when she heard his name, Motti knew that if she married him, she would become the fourth spouse who died of mysterious circumstances.
On the day of his arrival, Motti waited patiently for the maids to leave her quarters just long enough for her to strip out of her fine gown and into something easier to move about in.
She strapped her pistol to her thigh and hid it under her skirt. Her hair usually kept up, she braided her hair to run along her back. She tried her best to look as much as a commoner as possible and giving a once over in the mirror, she resolved herself to continue out.
She snuck out from the second floor window and clambered down the vines and made her way out of the estate. With only a sack of shillings and the clothes on her back, Motti was determined to never return to the manor.
There was a sort of exhilaration that swarmed the inside of Motti's chest the further she got from the manor and into the dirty town just before the ports.
Dusk was already beginning to settle by the time she hit the center of the dingy and muck filled streets. Motti continued forth, just far enough to head to the cheapest Inn to reside in for the night. This Inn being where she knew that her Father wouldn't even think to step inside in fear of contracting a disease just by breathing in commoners' air.
She ignored the many cat calls from drunken sailors, regular men and monsters. She kept her wits about her from pickpockets. It wasn't the first time she had snuck away, in all her years, she knew this town like the back of her hand.
And yet as she rounded a corner, she came across a quarrel. Four men surrounding a large monster. The monster looked like a skeleton made from tar, underneath his bones and joints glowed a brilliant aquamarine just like his singular eyelight. His clothing definitely indicated he was a pirate, a handsome one at that, Motti mused to herself.
There was a part of her wanted to walk away, he could handle himself, right? She tried to wander onwards, but she could barely take two steps. What kind of person would she be if she clearly left? She didn't find it fair that there were four against one. She could be backup… if needed, right? Perhaps foolish, she told herself, she couldn't lose her life over someone she didn't know.
Just as she was about to walk away the skeleton monster chuckled a chuckle so deep that it reverberated within Motti's chest. It felt like her soul was set aflame and her head felt incredibly light.
However, his baritone chuckle only seemed to enrage the others, unlike her.
"A fine night, gentlemen." His grin stretched across his face, peering down at the much smaller beings. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
The four men bristled but held their ground. "Ya know what we fuckin' came for, ya fuckin' jipped us. Stole ta whole pool with fake die, ya cesspool!" One of the men barked, his fat mead belly jiggling as he yelled.
"Ah." The skeleton monster hummed almost joyously as the men's rage grew. Leaning back, the monster held his large belt, "How do ye know it was fake?"
Another man with one eye threw the die down to the cobbled floor. It landed perfectly on 6s. He kicked it and it once again landed perfectly on 6s.
The pirate's grin grew as if holding back from the worst joke he only found funny. "Oops."
The men shook with rage and each drew out knives or swords and held it to his neck. The pirate's looked more thrilled by the second and as one of the men went to take a stab just when gunshot went off.
The mead belly man stumbled, looking down at his heart. Blood began to pool under his shirt and he slowly, and clumsily, turned around to spot Motti holding her pistol.
The grungy man fell to the ground and it took another moment for the other men to shake out of their stun state, which Motti took advantage of. Faster than they could comprehend, she shot the three men between the eyes.
They ceremoniously fell one right after the other and surrounded the skeleton monster like a bleeding threshold.
There was a loud silence that befell the remaining two in this alley. At least just before the skeleton monster let out a howling laughter. Motti was once again overcome with the deep tones of his laugh.
The pirate stepped on the dead men as he made his way to Motti. She took note of their height differences and it made her stomach do jumps.
She put away her pistol as he finally approached. He noticed. "Not an ounce of fear in ye, huh? Quite intriguing. A pretty little pistol for a pretty little lass. Where didja get such expensive weaponry?" He went to run one of his fingers along her chin and Motti stepped back.
"It's not polite to touch a lady." Motti jested, smirking, "Especially to one that just saved yer hide." She held out her hand in a teasing gesture, "A proper introduction for yer savior? Then maybe this little lass will tell."
He barked out another deep laugh, but grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles. A shiver ran along her arm up into her shoulder before it jittered across her body. She noticed he paused too, a slight quirk in his boney brow. Perhaps he felt that too?
Not once letting go of her hand, his deep voice spoke, "Shan't disgrace me savior, indeed. Do me the pleasure of calling me Nightmare."
"Nightmare?" Motti spoke incredulously, "What kind of name is that?"
Nightmare smirked, his fingers curling around her smaller hand as he leaned closer to her face,"Perhaps if me savior gives their name, I'll tell her how I got it."
It was Motti's turn to laugh, "Fair point." She huffed between laughs, "Name's Motti."
"What kind of name is that?" He jest, standing up to peer down at her from his nose.
She rolled her eyes, "Supposed I walked into that one."
"Ye really did."
Motti burst another laugh before shaking her head. "It has been quite nice to meet ya, Nightmare. It was good timing when I arrived."
He cocked his head to the side, "Yer not at all concerned ya just did away with four men?"
"Can't have much pity for those who already wanted to kill." She knitted her brows, "Ain't a fair fight, four against one."
He gave Motti a long look before he leaned down nose to nose. "I think I've taken a likin' to ya, little lass."
"Is that so?" Motti's breath nearly hitched at the close proximity. "Perhaps, we shall see each other again?"
Nightmare smirked, "Aye. Sooner than ye think. As for now," His hands reached for her face and brushed the back of his joints against her cheeks before sliding down her neck and behind her.
With a quick swipe of his sharp phalanges, he lopped off her braid. Motti gasped as he stood back up and she grabbed at the back of her head. He brought the braid up to his maxilla and lightly brushed it against like a kiss. Motti didn't know whether to feel flustered or angry.
He chuckled again, his eyes lowering and drinking in her flustered state, "A momento from me savior and a reminder that I owe ye me life." His tone was playful, and heavy with implications.
Motti wasn't sure if she really was owed such a thing since it was all out of instinct and her own morals, but her inside was swarmed with butterflies that she couldn't really think much into it.
Nightmare braided the chopped off end of her braid and tightened it with rope. He then tied it to his belt and patted it like a job well done. He stepped around her and she followed.
"Ah-" Motti began, but felt her tongue fail her. She stilled her resolve, "T-than I should have something of fair trade."
Nightmare paused mid step and looked over his shoulder, "Throw upon light on me, lass."
Motti held out her hand with a stern look, "A momento from the one I saved." Her cheeks flushed, feeling foolish, but when would she ever see him again? "Something that ties ye to me. S-so we will meet again."
"Ties, ya say?" He parroted, turning on his heel and once again making Motti take him in at how much larger this monster was compared to her. He stood just centimeters from her and gave her a once over before he ran a hand down her left arm and picked her hand up to his teeth.
Taking her fourth finger and biting it just enough it breached skin, Motti gasped and seethed, instinctively trying to pull her hand away. Nightmare had a firm grip and clasped his hand to envelop hers. He squeezed and Motti could feel a burning sensation that instantly cooled.
During the whole ordeal, he never broke eye contact. Motti took her hand back, a little flabbergasted. This pirate not only cut her hair but now bit her like a wild animal.
She would have been upset if some part of her wasn't enthralled by it. Looking down at her hand, her fourth finger now adorned what looked like a black ring that wrapped around her finger to look like a crescent moon.
She couldn't help but notice that some of the intricate details looked like a part of her skin, but he didn't give her much time to think as he lifted her chin to look at him.
"Satisfied, Savior?" He smirked. His thumb flicked across her bottom lip. "Like I said, lass. I taken' a likin' to ye." He stood tall, gave one last smirk at her flustered state and turned on his heel, he waved over his shoulder, "Get yer belongings and meet me back here in the morn."
"W-what?" Motti blinked, fingers running over her new ring absent-mindedly.
Without turning back to face her, his deep voice reverberated in her chest, "Got to make preparations for me savior." And with that he was out of view.
Motti's heart drummed against her ribcage, feelings swirling about. Exhilaration, confusion, and a bit of fear but excitement. Although the interaction left her with less hair and new jewelry, part of her basked in the thrill.