This is a Dragonshipping Roleplay between me and ofspiritsandpuzzles. I played Joey and she played Yami. Posted with her permission.
...
"That was yer last chance, boy!" the large brute of a man slammed the young blond man up against the wall of the tavern. Joey had lost one too many gambles at cards and didn't have the money to pay for his losings. This large man, by the name of Daniels, was the reigning gambling king at this particular establishment and he didn't take kindly to people losing and not paying their dues.
"I'm sorry; I don't have the money to pay you right now!" Joey gasped as his head made a thudding noise against the grimy wall. "I'll pay you back as soon as I can, I swear!" This wasn't all that likely of a statement seeing as how the boy didn't have a means of employment in this smart port town and with his reputation of being a liar and a thief no one would be quick to hire him.
"A likely story," the man scoffed. "I'd just a' soon take 'et out of yer 'ide, you good for nothin' lit'le bum!" He landed a very hard punch on Joey's left cheek which laid him out flat on the floor.
The blond lay still for a few minutes before shakily rising to his feet. "I might be a good for nothing, but I know I can take you down!" He spat out blood, the punch had caused the inside of his cheek to be punctured by his own teeth. Joey lunged at the large man, catching him momentarily off guard with the suddenness of his action. He kicked the man squarely in the gut with enough force to send him flying into a nearby table. The young man took the opportunity to run for it as fast as he could.
In such a small town there weren't very many places he could run to for safety. He had unfortunately made far too many enemies here to have any friends he could turn to for safe haven. So Joey went to the only place he could think of that would get him out of this God forsaken hell hole: the docks. There he could stow away aboard a ship and get far, far away.
Joey was lucky to find a ship that was just getting ready to sail. In all the commotion of the crew preparing for departure, he managed to sneak aboard and below decks without being seen or stopped. He hid himself in some old sail cloth and waited. He only hoped wherever this vessel was headed was better than where he had come from.
…
Yugi hummed a quiet tune to himself as he made his rounds, making sure that everything was properly stowed away and accounted for before their departure. It wasn't often that they were able to dock somewhere without being stopped or recognized, and his brother was quick to take advantage as he sent some crew members (along with Yugi as supervisor) off to restock their supplies—surprisingly enough through honest means this time, which Yugi figured was only because his brother was in a generous enough mood after their most recent successful heist. (Which was good for Yugi—he really didn't have it in him to be mean or do anything bad, so he felt much better knowing that the goods they were carrying back on board were paid for... even if they were paid for with someone else's money.) Once he was sure that everything and everyone was on board, Yugi returned to his place at his brother's side, helping him with anything that his brother asked of him as the sails were raised and the ship was guided away from the dock and back out into the wide open sea, completely unaware of the extra passenger on board their vessel.
…
Yami was known as the King of the Seas, and he was more than proud to wear that title along with the descriptions that came with it: ruthless, sadistic, cold-blooded, heartless... the list went on, and Yami saw no need to dispute them when he knew them to be true. He found enjoyment in striking fear in the hearts of people, making land-lovers and sea-goers alike tremble at the mere mention of his name—and that was only half of it. There were also rumors that went whispered like the devil's name itself, rumors of sorcery and witchcraft and even (Yami liked this one the best) some claims that the pirate king was actually Satan in disguise, here on Earth to drag all of humanity down to Hell with him.
Of course, only a very select few knew of the truth behind these rumors (and by 'select few' he meant his twin brother, because he trusted no one else besides his own flesh and blood): the fact that he was cursed, weighed down with heavy dark magic that dyed his eyes blood-red and brought suffering to those who dared to become close to him—which was just as well for Yami, who needed no one by his side but his younger brother (who thankfully seemed to be immune to the curse's effect, though with the loss of their parents from a young age and the boy's tendency of getting pulled into trouble Yami had to wonder if perhaps he wasn't as immune as he tried to convince Yami he was).
The curse wasn't all bad, though—it gave him power at the expense of his own life, power that he used to keep his brother safe and to instill fear into anyone who dared to oppose him... Honestly, if it wasn't for his brother, Yami would have been happy to let his life burn away and to leave this world as king—but he knew the kind of hardships and sorrow that leaving Yugi behind would bring, and so it was for that purpose and that purpose alone that the pirate king began to travel with a new goal aside from plundering and fighting: somewhere out there, there had to be a cure to the curse that was eating away at his life, and he would find it with his brother by his side even if it meant giving up the power that he loved so much.
It was during this long and arduous search that Yami had his men disguise the ship and guide it towards the nearest port, deciding to spend some of their recent 'earnings' on restocking the ship's supplies so they could travel comfortably. Of course, the pirate king knew he couldn't just waltz into town—even if people didn't know what he looked like, his eyes were enough to give him away—so he sent Yugi in along with some of his most loyal men before making his way to his quarters, where he waited for their return.
Once the ship was stocked and ready to leave, Yami returned to the deck of the ship, where he took his place at the wheel and began barking out orders until the ship was away from the port and back at sea—and it was then that the ship's disguises were removed and taken down to storage, restoring the ship to its natural appearance as the proud vessel of the King of the Sea. It was after a few minutes that Yami and Yugi both were greeted by a sight that neither expected to see: two of their men pulling a blond, struggling stranger up from below the deck and leading him over to them before forcing the blond to his knees in front of the captain and his first mate. "Oh...? And what do we have here?" the pirate king questioned in a low tone, his eyes narrowed as his hand came to rest on the hilt of his sword. "A stowaway on my ship? You must have some guts, thinking you can get a free ride on a ship belonging to the King of the Seas."
Joey looked up at the pirate captain from his forced spot on the deck. "Some king you are," he growled, "You're so tiny. You're like one of those little dogs that thinks it's so tough." The blond fended off the two men who were holding him down before adding; "The name's Joey Wheeler." He stood up, standing a good ten inches or taller than the short man.
Yami could feel his eye twitching as the blond spoke—it wasn't as if he wasn't aware of his... less than impressive stature, but normally people at least had some semblance of self-preservation and held their tongues on the matter. This 'Joey Wheeler,' however, seemed to have a death wish judging from both how he spoke and how he carried himself, and the only bit of satisfaction that the pirate king gained was watching out of the corner of his eye as his crew members warily backed away, leaving ample space between them and the bloody mess that was about to occur.
"Well, Joey, it seems you are even more foolhardy than I thought, running your mouth off like that to someone who could kill you with a mere thought." Though he wouldn't admit it, beyond Yami's irritation was a dangerous glint of excitement—it's been years since anyone had ever dared to speak to him like this, and part of him missed the challenge of breaking someone's will and forcing them to acknowledge him as being superior—and so though he could kill Joey on the spot (and though he would continue to appear willing to do so), he instead decided to toy with the blond a little first and see what sort of reactions he could get out of him. He could see some of his crew members flinch as soon as his eyes began glowing an eerie crimson, the shadows around Joey's figure swirling and dancing around him before taking life and springing upward to wrap around the blond, forcing him back down to his knees. "Now then," the captain began, drawing his sword with a smirk and pointing the tip of the blade at Joey's throat, "would you care to retract your earlier statements?"
Joey was a little spooked at the sudden tendrils of shadow that took form and latched onto him. He struggled with them before realizing they were way too strong for even him to break free of. "What are you? Some kind of devil?" he said, fear starting to creep into his voice. Living in a small town by the port so long Joey had of course heard tell of a notorious pirate captain who was rumored to be Lucifer himself. Of course he hadn't taken any stock in the stories; he figured they were just that, tall tales told to pass the time in a town were nothing interesting ever happened.
"And no, I will not take back what I said before. You're a tiny midget," he added, trying to stay brave even though he was starting to realize just how much danger he really was in. Once out of his mouth though, he began to regret it. This pirate meant business, and if he was really as dangerous as all the rumors said then Joey was in for something very unpleasant.
Yami smirked. "Ah, and he finally begins to get it," he replied mockingly, both seeing and hearing the fear that was beginning to take hold of the blond. The pirate king's satisfaction was short-lived, however, when Joey continues to speak. He narrowed his glowing eyes, the shadows tightening their hold on the blond in response to his spike in irritation, and he pressed the tip of his sword against Joey's throat hard enough to break skin, a small bead of blood gathering and forming a thin line down his neck. "I retract my earlier statement. You obviously still don't understand your position if you're still running your mouth."
Yugi frowned, reaching out and pulling his brother back before the captain could do Joey any more harm. "Yami, that's enough! I know you're angry, but you'll seriously hurt him if you keep doing this..."
Yami scowled, still feeling irritated, but he sighed and reluctantly sheathed his sword, though he continued to keep Joey restrained. "... Very well then. I won't kill him... for now." With narrowed eyes, he added, "But if he cannot learn to hold his tongue by the time we reach the nearest port, his corpse will be food for the fishes."
Joey gulped, this pirate was serious, and he had just narrowly avoided getting sliced and diced. His continued restraint bothered him, but this apparently demon possessed man had very strong powers despite his size. "What are you going to do with me?" he asked, his voice far softer than it had been before. The second man, whom Joey assumed had to be the pirate captain's twin brother because they looked almost identical, seemed to be a far fairer and less cruel person. Maybe there was some hope of reasoning with him.
"Well, it depends on how cooperative you plan on being," Yami responded, his expression still dark with irritation. "We're still a few days from the next port-if you can prove yourself useful then you can have food and sleeping quarters until we arrive. If not..." His eyes flashed, and the shadows lifted Joey off of the ground slightly and turned him to face the endless expanse of sea stretched out before them. "You'll be making a new home for yourself amongst the fishes. Understand?"
"Yami...," Yugi warned with a disapproving frown, before turning his attention back to Joey with a weak smile. "Basically, just help out a bit with cleaning and maintaining the ship, and try not to get on Yami's bad side... any more than you already have, anyway."
"Alright, alright," Joey quickly agreed, kicking his legs as he hovered a couple inches off the ground, "Whatever you say, just let me down!" He wanted to add that Yami always seemed to be in a bad mood, but that would not be a good idea at all right now. He needed to actually behave or he'd get to personally meet the fish in the sea. This was going to be hard; Joey had a smart mouth and was quick to talk back.
Yami smirked in satisfaction as he heard the touch of fear in Joey's tone. "That's more like it." He left the blond struggling for another few seconds before calling off the shadows and letting him fall back onto the deck. "Yugi, show him around the ship and monitor him to make sure he doesn't cause any trouble." He turned his gaze over to the crew members hovering nearby watching the entire exchange, shooting a glare at them as he added, "And you lot! Get back to work!" The crew members quickly scattered and went back to their assigned posts, and Yami gave an approving nod before making his way off to his quarters.
"Aye aye, captain," Yugi responded with a touch of amusement, his expression falling into one of slight worry as he watched his brother walk off before allowing a smile to return to his face as he turned to face Joey. "Are you alright?" he asked, offering the taller boy a hand. "Sorry, my brother can be a bit... much to handle sometimes, but he really isn't as bad of a person as everyone thinks."
Joey took the offered hand and pulled himself to his feet. "You sure about that? He seems like the Devil incarnate." The blond dusted himself off, not that it did him much good when he was already filthy. He hadn't bathed in a good couple weeks not to mention wash his clothing. "How can you be related? Are you twins? You seem so much nicer than him."
Yugi muffled a laugh behind his free hand as he helped pull the blond to his feet. "Just don't let him hear you say that, especially after how much you already managed to irritate him." He smiled at Joey's barrage of questions and comments. "Yeah, we're twins... Yami's the older of the two of us, and the stronger of the two of us for that matter. As for me being nicer, well... like I said, Yami isn't as bad of a person as he seems; it's really just... circumstances that make him act the way he does." With a smile, he added, "But thank you for the compliment, Joey." Yugi began to walk, gesturing for Joey to follow him as he continued talking. "Let me show you around so you can get familiar with the ship, and then we'll figure out what you can do to help out. Do you have any preferences for what you do or don't want to do?"
"I'd prefer to not be murdered by your brother," Joey joked, running a hand through his tangled golden mop of hair. "I'm not sure; I've never been on a ship before. What do you do here?" It was true, even though he'd lived by the sea all his life, Joey had never been on a ship before.
Yugi muffled a laugh behind his hand at Joey's joke. "You won't be murdered by him unless you give him a reason to murder you," he replied with an amused expression. Yugi gave the blond a smile at his question, continuing to show Joey around the ship as he spoke. "Well, when we're at sea there's not much to do aside from simple chores—cooking, cleaning, maintaining the ship... Cleaning takes the least amount of experience, but is a lot of work; cooking is self-explanatory, so if you can cook then we'll be glad to have an extra pair of hands working in the kitchen; and maintaining the ship is a bit difficult if you don't know what you're doing, but I'm sure you can pick it up in no time if you put in the effort. So really, it's up to you what you'd feel most comfortable doing."
Joey thought about the question for a while before giving his answer. "I think I'd prefer to work in the kitchen." He didn't have much experience in the matter, but working with food sounded better than scrubbing floors or something of the sort. Thinking about food made his stomach growl. The blond hadn't eaten anything all day and was starving.
Yugi muffled a laugh behind his hand as he heard Joey's stomach growling. "Was that your brain saying you'd rather work in the kitchen, or your stomach?" he teased, before leading the way to the kitchen. "Alright, so kitchen duty it is! Let's go get you a little something to eat and get you familiarized with the kitchen, and then I'll take you to the bathing station and get you some new clothes—no offense or anything, but we try and keep up a certain level of... proper hygiene on the ship, especially in the kitchen." He smiled as he added, "Yami says that it's just because it would be a waste of time if everyone got sick, but I know it's really because he worries about his crew."
Joey looked down at his tattered and dirty clothes; it had been a long time since he had had a bath. It wasn't like he had much opportunity to do that living on the streets. He was very glad that they were actually going to feed him too. He had feared that, with what he had seen of the cruel and not so stable captain, he would be treated very poorly, which included not getting fed. "Thank God, I could eat a whole horse right now," the blond exclaimed, his nose starting to catch a whiff of something cooking in the galley.
Yugi smiled in amusement. "Well unfortunately we're a bit short on whole horses, but we have plenty of other food for you to choose from," he joked, entering the kitchen and waving to the chef on duty. "This here is Joey, he's going to be joining you in the kitchen once I get him set up-but for now, can you make him something to eat?" He smiled when the chef agreed and began to cook up and serve a nice sized meal for the blond, and once the plate of food was passed to Joey, Yugi gestured for him to follow. "I'll take you to the mess deck so you can sit and eat at your leisure-it's right over here." He walked into the dining hall, smiling as a few crew members greeted him and politely greeting them back before introducing Joey. "Go ahead and take a seat," Yugi said, gesturing to the long tables with a smile. "I'm going to go have your bath prepared while you eat; I'll be back in a few minutes."
Joey happily dug into the food given to him with gusto. This was more like being treated like a king than being captured by notorious pirates! The blond couldn't remember the last time he had eaten so well. On top of that, he was getting a bath. He let out a happy sigh as he devoured the last morsel of food on his plate; things were finally starting to look up for him.