Okay, I threw a pirate Fantasy High AU at the wall a while back (find the original post here), where Adaine was a princess, Kristen was her lady-in-waiting, and they both got captured by a pirate crew run by Fabian and wound up joining the crew once he realized that both of them desperately needed a new life... and honestly? I like it, I'm revamping it, I'm exploring the stuff I left hanging, you're welcome.
Right off the bat---I've decided that Fabadaine is gonna be the main ship. They're the two main characters, we're gonna be inside their heads for the most part, I've gotten pretty attached to them... yeah. Of course, Adaine is always on the ace spectrum in my fics, so they do obviously become close friends who tease and rib each other all the time before anything romantic happens---and there are also polyamorous shenanigans all through this story, so there's absolutely going to be some touches of Inkblade and Fabragh here and there. Being a multishipper is very nice.
While we're on the topic of differing character dynamics, Fig is part of Fabian's crew because she's his stepsister---Gilear was an ambassador who was sent to the pirate country of Leviathan in a futile attempt for a peace treaty, and Hallariel, who'd taken up the mantle of the Pirate Queen after her husband was lost at sea, decided that she absolutely preferred him to all the other suitors clamoring for her hand. Because of this, Fig spent her teenage years on Leviathan with Fabian, getting into trouble and eventually becoming both incredible musicians and insanely competent thieves. I love writing these two with an established sibling relationship, and you cannot stop me. (Also, yes, their little sister features in this.)
Ayda is a librarian in Leviathan, Fabian's childhood friend, and Fig's longterm girlfriend... well, they're gonna get married at some point in the story, but when we first meet her, they're girlfriends. Ayda is also the first person to give Adaine a proper spellbook, since before that, Adaine was learning wizardry in secret and simply scribbling down magical formulas in an old notebook. They become pretty fast friends.
Gertie and Tracker are dating from the start, and Kristen winds up joining their polycue---Gertie agrees to teach her to fight, Tracker helps her figure out what kind of god she wants to follow now that she's left Helio behind, and the end result is two very cool girlfriends who will throw hands with you when your old church comes looking for you.
Oh, yeah, speaking of which---of course, Angwyn and Arianwen have no interest in getting Adaine back at first, since they don't consider her to be anything other than an improper disappointment, but the church of Helio is very interested in recovering their Chosen One from the clutches of pirates... and when it's revealed that Adaine is the Oracle of her generation, the royal house of Abernant definitely changes their tune on leaving their spare behind. This is also motivated partially by the fact that Aelwyn, the supposedly perfect heir to the throne, has been moonlighting as a gentlewoman thief.
And with all that juicy information out of the way... let's look at the crews of some other ships sailing the waves:
The Maiden Voyage
Antiope Jones is the youngest in a long line of warriors who have sworn themselves in service of the kingdom she hails from, but she always felt like the odd one out---not for lack of love from her family, but rather due to the expectation and assumption that she would become just like them. As she grew older, she started to see corruption in nearly every governing body, and she eventually decided that she would make her own name for herself, on her own terms. Antiope became a skilled archer, a brilliant strategist, and a renowned pirate captain in charge of her own crew, formed from those she met as she made her way across the waves:
Katja Cleaver, Antiope's first mate, most trusted ally, and eventual girlfriend. She's the daughter of Karl Cleaver, a well-known pirate in his own right, who took up his sword after he finally made the decision to settle down and retire... though, she herself is still nervous about living up to her father's legacy, even if she's the happiest she's ever been while sailing with her sisters. And for those of you who were worrying---Katja absolutely still has Cinnamon. Cinnamon is a tamed kelpie in this, so she's perfectly capable of living on a pirate ship.
Danielle Barkstock, a former wandering nomad who hitched a ride on a pirate ship one day, got swept up in the lifestyle, and liked it so much that they decided to stick around. For Yelle, living a life of utter anarchy away from civilization is a dream come true, and she manages to be a pretty calming and thought-provoking presence on the ship despite her more wild tendencies... though, she still often needs to be reminded that she's allowed to be the one taking focus every now and then. Also, they're the ship's cook, which has led to recipes that are incredible and recipes that are, well... let's say "experimental."
Penny Luckstone, an incredibly proficient spy and assassin who grew up on Leviathan and initially joined the Maiden Voyage so she could hone her training and prove herself worthy of joining a secret society of thieves, assassins, and spies who act as an unofficial secret service. As she grew closer to her newfound crew, however, she decided that she'd much prefer working with them, and now, Penny's one of the best damn gunners and navigators that any pirate crew has ever had.
Sam Nightingale, an ex-stage diva who had a very public falling out with her manager-slash-mother and proceeded to disappear from the public eye entirely, going to stay with her cousin on Leviathan instead. When she met Antiope by chance, she decided to put both her musical talents and her natural gifts at magic to embracing a life of adventure, and she's earned a spot on the crew as both the entertainer and the resident spellslinger.
Ostentatia Wallace, one of the few remaining worshipers of a god of the forge that most believe to be dead. She took up piracy because she saw it as the easiest way to get a steady access to materials she could use to make accessories, jewelry, and clothing, both as a way to honor her god and to hopefully become a well-known fashion designer someday. Until then, Ostentatia's happy to sail the waves alongside her sisters, and she pulls double duty as the ship's surgeon and carpenter.
And lastly, Zelda Donovan, a close friend of Sam's since Leviathan who's part of a family of incredibly bloodthirsty pirates who live for the revelry and chaos above all else. In sharp contrast with the majority of her family, she's very much an introvert who prefers the quieter side of living a life on the sea, but make no mistake---she's a beast in combat, and there's a lot of people out there who speak her name with fear. Also, Zelda happens to be Gorgug's ex. They're still friends, but it definitely makes it a bit awkward whenever they run into each other.
Of course, every pirate crew needs a friendly rival, and Fabian's crew (name pending) has one one in the crew of...
The Unlucky Rat
Oisin Haknivar is a highly proficient wizard who disowned himself from his old-money, stuffy, and incredibly corrupt family in favor of being a pirate, and he became captain of his own ship... which he stole from his former friend, a naval officer named Kipperlilly Copperkettle who holds grudges like it's a competitive sport. While his crew is rather small in comparison to a lot of other ships, they're getting more and more well-known under his leadership. Also, Oisin and Fabian are coming out of a very heated situationship. It was the only reason they weren't killing each other for a second there, and they're starting to settle into a sort of alliance.
Ivy Embra is Oisin's first mate, a Leviathan lass who lives for drama, revelry, and good-old-fashioned chaos. While she's always a little bit wary around newcomers, she's surprisingly one of the more reasonable members of the crew once you get to know her... of course, you'll get to know her once she stops suggesting fun games that may or may not end in you getting tossed overboard. It should be no surprise that she's also in charge of managing the ship's guns.
Mary Ann Skuttle is a practical enigma to everyone outside of the Unlucky Rat---nobody's quite sure what she does on the ship, or why she even took up pirating in the first place. All that's really known about her is that she particularly enjoys collecting cute and well-crafted things, and that she is one of the most ruthless fighters that has ever lived. Gorgug has a crush on her, but won't admit it.
Ruben Hopclap is the ship's musician and cook, and he's always trusted to put a positive spin on whatever situation they're in. Most people think that there must be some sort of tragic reason as to why a guy as sunshiny as him became a pirate, but the truth is actually pretty simple: he was a sailor on the first ship that Oisin and Ivy ever raided, they took him as a prisoner, and he endeared himself to them through his kind nature, insightful advice, and his ability to both cook well and play the lute. Ruben's just a little guy.
And, of course, Lucy Frostblade is the ship's surgeon and navigator, and she's incredibly good at both of those things. She used to be Kipperlilly's second-in-command, but after she started to have a change of heart regarding some of the missions the navy was going on, Kipperlilly had her thrown overboard. Oisin and Ivy found Lucy floating face-up in the water, very near death, and through sheer luck more than anything else, they were able to nurse her back to health. She's not much of a fighter, but she is someone who is very willing to defend her friends and what she cares about, and she's kind of the moral compass of the ship.
Also, the crew recently took a missionary of the Church of Helio hostage and are trying to get him to recognize that he's in a cult. It's slow going, and Buddy keeps on praying for their souls, but he and Ruben are getting along.
...THAT'S ALL FOR NOW