A/N: So...this is pretty different from my other stuff and not a typical pirate story in general. This is rated 'M' for the usual reasons (sex, violence, the occasional curse word). This is also an experiment in a change of style for me, so any feedback is greatly appreciated. This story was inspired by the great 'bent crooked in the light around you' Pitch Perfect story on AO3 as well as a fantastic playlist accompanying it. Links for both are at the bottom of my profile.

Also, it has some Pirates of the Caribbean influences in terms of locations (Windbloom = Port Royal, Garderobe = Tortuga, etc) and a few other details.

Part I: Pretty Filth

Cold nights
Strange dreams
Memories stuck like glue

Her face
Her voice
Sail 'cross the seas with you

When you feel like you're out there on your own
Know there is someone watching over you
When out at sea feels nothing like a home
Oh sailor we will blow the wind like

- Oh Sailor, Mr. Little Jeans

The chains were starting to chafe against her wrists. Night was falling and Natsuki was in a cell, leaning against the stone wall directly across from the entrance. She was waiting. Had been waiting for the last few hours.

The bastards had sunk her ship. Her crew…she didn't know where they were. The skirmish had taken place not far from Fuuka; it was entirely possible most had made it to shore.

Being the captain meant making sacrifices. She had lingered until everyone else abandoned ship before she herself jumped into the water. By then, the First Navy was on her like a pack of rabid dogs. They threw her in the brig, smug grins adorning their stinking faces. Their ship had docked early this morning and they hauled her off to the hooting and clapping of the new blood on board.

And now she was waiting for whoever was in charge to interrogate her. She lifted her manacled hands before dropping them heavily back into her lap. Her wrists were really starting to chafe.

Natsuki jerked awake to the sound of her cell door swinging open. A man with neatly groomed black hair stepped inside and took in the surroundings with disinterest. Natsuki hauled herself up and looked as menacing as she could. Her clothes had algae growing on them and unseemly tears in some places but at least her eyes could still look dangerous.

"I'm Commodore Kanzaki, the man who sunk your ship," he stated without any trace of arrogance. He slowly made his way to her, a calm expression on his face. "And I have some questions for you."

A bark of laughter. "Sure you do. Can't say I'll have answers." Her voice sounded raspy in her own ears.

He crouched down until he was at eye level with her. "We have ways of making you talk," he said in a low voice.

She met his stare evenly. "Do your worst," she said back before spitting in his face, the spray landing on his cheek.

Kanzaki flinched but his expression never changed. It didn't change when he gently unlocked the manacle around her hand. Nor when his fingers softly traced the newly exposed skin.

But a smile appeared when he snapped one of her fingers, and then a second. By the time he moved onto her wrist, a full-fledged, sparkling grin had emerged. He twisted until bones were grinding together, until something had to give (and did).

Natsuki was crying, and tears and snot dripped down onto the ground. When Kanzaki took hold of her wrist and slammed it against the wall, the world turned black.

The bastard had broken her hand. Her non-sword hand. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. Or maybe spreading rumors of her being right-handed had paid off.

It was probably the latter.

Memories washed over her like waves. Gently at first, then more insistently. They were always good memories and Natsuki was in danger of getting lost in them. She had seen the people who had—their eyes were unfocused and they never spoke, trapped as they were in the past. Sometimes she wondered if that would be such a bad thing.

When they brought her to the whipping post, she wondered very hard.

She was nine when she first met Shizuru. The sand between her toes was still warm from the sun and she was more than content—earlier Sakomizu had told her that she could accompany him to Garderobe at the end of the month. His ship wasn't the most impressive in the harbor but he always gave her more free reign with the sails than the other sailors. And he never hit her when she made a mistake.

She looked up at the cloudless sky, her mouth gaping open in wonder. The world was so big and she was so small. Many girls her age would be discomfited by the thought, but it thrilled Natsuki. With the stars as her guide, she was going to explore every inch of this earth and all of its wonders.

"What are you doing out here?" Natsuki turned towards the voice and saw a girl. She looked to be wearing a nightgown and was carrying a lantern. The glow of it caught her red-brown eyes.

"I'm just looking," Natsuki answered. She sat down facing the surf and the girl soon came over as well, placing the lantern between them.

Up close, the girl seemed to be a few years older. She cocked her head slightly. "Looking at what?"

Natsuki shrugged. "The stars. The sea," There was a pause. "you, I suppose." She tilted her head back up.

The other girl followed suit, a few strands of light brown hair tumbling away from her face. "You're a very odd girl," she declared after a moment. The words weren't said antagonistically, but with a hint of curiosity and interest.

"I suppose so." Natsuki agreed easily. She was one of the only girls in Windbloom who was a wharf rat (the other being a redhead who could scurry up the highest mast in the blink of an eye). She had been called worse and tonight was too perfect to start a fight. She cast a sideways glance at the girl. For some reason, she felt safe with her—the girl seemed just as at home on the beach as she was. "Can I tell you a secret?" She asked and the girl looked fully at her.

"I'd like that," she answered with a small smile.

Natsuki gave her a conspiratorial grin and leaned close to her. "I want to be a pirate," she whispered.

The girl's eyes widened. "A pirate? My father says pirates are the scum of the earth," she said matter-of-factly, though the smile never left her lips.

"Oh yeah? Who's your father?" Natsuki shot back. This is why she never told anyone, not even Sakomizu. They just didn't understand.

"The governor," she replied primly. She giggled at the expression on Natsuki's face.

"You're…" Natsuki choked out, "you're the governor's daughter?" The men on the docks had plenty to say about Governor Viola. Most of it was good, however he was so strictly anti-pirate that some of his laws interfered with the lives of normal sailors and traders. She had also heard stories about his daughter—how she sneaked onto ships and took midnight walks. 'Shizuru' was her name.

Shizuru suddenly stood up and pulled Natsuki with her. Her hands were warm where they grasped her arms. "I want to be a pirate too," she said excitedly. "Imagine all the freedom!"

Natsuki cheeks turned red at the closeness but Shizuru's excitement was contagious. She finally found someone else who wanted the same thing she did. Natsuki glanced down to Shizuru's nightgown. "You wouldn't have to wear any dresses!" She laughed.

"I could see mermaids!"

"Think of all the treasure!"

"No arranged marriages!"

"Swordfights!"

They spun each other around until sky and sea blurred into one—

The memory came to an abrupt end when Natsuki started to smell her own flesh burn.

She screamed even after the brand was taken off her unbroken forearm. She looked down and saw a 'P' seeping blood down to her fingers. "Congratulations, Ice Queen," the man with the iron said. "You're officially a pirate."

Natsuki gave a weak chuckle. "About time."

They got tired of her after a while. Natsuki never talked (not the talk they wanted, at least) and soon she became intimately familiar with her cell. The amount of bricks making up the walls, the dirt and dust and blood on the floor. She shredded her mattress once just to see how much straw was inside.

Boredom was about as bad as the beatings and the whippings. At least those broke up her day, gave her something to look forward to (something to dread).

She started hearing Shizuru's voice. It was a nice voice, to be sure. Playful, lilting, wanting. When Natsuki closed her eyes, it felt like Shizuru was with her. But that would jar her conscious again—she never wanted Shizuru to be here, in this rotten cell.

Other times, she had swordfights in her head. Her body was too weak to go through the motions but her mind was still sharp (but maybe a little softer around the edges than it had been). She fought against friends and foes countless times. When the bones in her bad hand twinged, she made sure Kanzaki was gurgling on his own blood, her sword plunged deep into his chest.

Shizuru's room was large and airy. The white curtains of her balcony fluttered with each gentle breeze. Two teenagers giggled when the light haired one dropped her rapier. "Quiet!" Natsuki hissed, trying to control her own mirth. "Your father—"

"My father sleeps like the dead." Shizuru answered breathlessly, "And the servants know better than to come in here."

Natsuki rolled her eyes and shifted her hold on her own rapier. "Fine, fine. Now, if I come at you like this," With her left foot forward, she lunged towards Shizuru straight on.

Shizuru sidestepped and twisted her sword around Natsuki's. This time, it was Natsuki's sword that clattered to the floor. "Very good!" She said enthusiastically. "You're a quick learner."

The back and forth continued until the sun began to edge past the horizon. The smile that had been on Shizuru's face for most of the night started to fade. "When will you be leaving?"

Natsuki wiped sweat from her brow. "In a few hours." Nao was probably already packing the supplies. They were going to the seedier parts of Garderobe in search of a crew to join so they could begin their lives as pirates, scoundrels, and the bane of the First Navy's existence.

"I wish I could come," Shizuru said quietly. Her grip tightened on the sword until her knuckles went white. "I wish I wasn't trapped here."

"Hey," Natsuki strode over to her. "I'll visit as often as I can." She tried to catch Shizuru's eyes but she wouldn't look up.

There was a knock on the door. "Miss Viola? The governor would like you to join him for breakfast."

"Coming," she called back. Still not looking at Natsuki, she placed her sword under the false floorboard and closed it up. Natsuki put hers through her belt.

"So this is goodbye." Natsuki said. She reached under her shirt and pulled out a necklace. It was a foreign coin with a square hole punched into the middle of it. She had found it on the beach when she was younger and had tied it to the end of a leather cord; it was one of her only possessions that meant anything to her. "You should have this."

Shizuru took the necklace solemnly and put it around her neck. She stayed silent until Natsuki was about to swing a leg over the balcony railing. "Wait!" And then Shizuru's lips were against hers, pressing softly. She pulled away after a few moments. "Remember this, Natsuki."

Natsuki nodded dumbly, unable to say anything. There was another knock on the door and Shizuru ushered her over the railing and down into the garden. Natsuki looked back once to see Shizuru wiping at her cheek.

"What are you so happy about?" Nao asked when Natsuki skidded to a stop in front of their boat.

"Just excited about the trip," Natsuki replied, cheeks flushed and lips still tingling. "This is the beginning of a lifetime of adventure, after all."

Nao grunted. "Sure." She sagged against a crate of salted meat, giving a passing man a glare when he whistled at her. "You gonna miss this place?"

"Yeah, actually. It has its charms." In particular, one red eyed girl. An ache in her chest flared for a moment. Rubbing at it, Natsuki glanced at her friend. "How about you check the knots one last time? I'll take care of the rest."

"Aye aye, Captain."

After all the supplies were on board and knots were checked, they were cruising out of the harbor and into an uncertain future.

"—The sea be ours, and by the powers," she used to be able to carry a tune but now her voice was hoarse and weak. Still got the job done. The job being to piss off the jailors and raise the morale of the other prisoners. "Where we will, we'll roam."

Another, deeper voice joined hers. "Yo, ho. Haul together, hoist the colors high."

People started banging their cups. "Heave ho. Thieves and beggars—"

More joined, spitting out the line with all the contempt they could muster. "Never shall we die!"

The singing continued even after the guards yelled at everyone to shut up. The only man the prisoners listened to was Kanzaki and he was away.

Natsuki's thumb traced the now-scarred letter on her forearm.

The fantasies of her killing him had been becoming more vivid. She could feel her palm against him as his breathing started to fade. His blood covered her hand when she reached into his chest to pull out his beating heart and squeeze—

She would be the one to kill him, she just knew it.

Shizuru splayed her hand across Natsuki's chest, idly tracing patterns on the smooth skin. "Three visits in as many months from Dread Pirate Kruger. Who am I to consider myself so lucky?"

Natsuki snorted. One hand went up hook loose strands of dark golden hair behind an ear before cradling Shizuru's cheek. "No one calls me that. And you are…" Natsuki raised her head up to whisper close to Shizuru's lips, "you."

Shizuru inhaled sharply and closed the small gap between them. She shifted slightly so one of her knees pressed between Natsuki's legs. Natsuki groaned and Shizuru deepened the kiss, taking Natsuki's bottom lip between her own and sucking gently.

They broke for air and Shizuru looked down with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I was mistaken. What is it they call you?"

"Don't make me say it," Natsuki protested. "It's embarrassing." She shivered when Shizuru ran a hand down her side.

Shizuru's hand continued to trail downwards until it reached Natsuki's center. "Then allow me," she said softly as her fingers rubbed at the younger woman's clit. "The Ice Queen…as cold in temperament as she is in temperature," Natsuki flushed, her breathing already heavy. Shizuru continued in a voice of soft silk, her lips pressing against Natsuki's ear, "Behind her ship, the water lies frozen in her wake. Her sails are buffeted by the icy northern winds…"

"Fuck," Natsuki hissed. Her hips bucked, urging Shizuru's tortuously slow pace to quicken. "Shizu—"

Her fingers circled Natsuki's slick entrance. With a tinge of possessiveness, she murmured, "But I'm the only one who can see her melt." Finally, her fingers curled up and in. Natsuki's back arched and her nails left marks on Shizuru's flawless back.

Natsuki's moan was muffled by a bruising kiss before Shizuru lowered her head. Never stopping her ministrations, she angled herself to plant kisses around one of Natsuki's breasts. Soon, she took the quickly-hardening bud into her mouth, flicking it with her tongue.

The whole of Natsuki's body shook with tension. When Shizuru's fingers hit just the right spot, Natsuki's hands clenched the sheets and she gasped. For a moment, her world went a blinding white as waves of ecstasy rolled over her.

She sagged back into the mattress, pulling Shizuru up to plant lazy kisses along her jawbone. Shizuru slowly took her fingers out of Natsuki, eliciting a shudder from the other woman. Not breaking eye contact, Shizuru put the fingers in her mouth and sucked.

Natsuki felt her eyes go wide at the sight and, with a move she learned in a fight with a Zipang merchant ship, she hooked a leg around one of Shizuru's knees and twisted her hips. The result was a victorious Natsuki perched atop Shizuru, who looked up at her in genuine surprise.

Natsuki leaned down to give her a thorough kiss, tasting herself on Shizuru's tongue. "It's my belief that the governor's daughter should want for nothing," Kisses were placed along Shizuru's neck, her collarbone, between her breasts. She paused to lock eyes with the older woman. "And so I intend to give everything I have to you, Shizuru."

Shizuru's gaze softened and pink came across her cheekbones. "Natsuki…" But her lover's head was already between her legs, tongue and fingers stroking.

"You're from Windbloom, are you not?" Kanzaki asked her on the day of his return. She didn't reply but his tone conveyed enough confidence that she knew her acknowledgement was unnecessary. "Terrible news, what happened there. I saw it firsthand."

Natsuki tensed but refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing she was curious. He continued on, "A few of our ships were attacked in the harbor. The fighting spread onto the shores and into the town. I'm afraid many civilians were killed in the crossfire."

What was he getting at? Last Natsuki had checked, Sakomizu was long retired, having made the voyage back to Cardair years ago. Nao was with her when her ship sunk but Calypso knew where she was currently. That just left—

No.

"The governor was murdered, his throat slit. It left quite the stain on his nice wood floor, or so I'm told," Kanzaki said dispassionately, "His daughter, on the other hand, just disappeared. Did you know her?"

Natsuki stayed still, eyes focusing on his boots. They were good boots. Thick leather, strong buckles, a solid heel…

Kanzaki sank to one knee and jerked her chin up to meet her eyes. "I found a trinket on the floor of her room," Kanzaki reached into a pocket and pulled out a coin on the end of a cord. "Hardly fitting for the governor's daughter; I'm sure it must belong to one of the servants." He swung it back and forth in front of Natsuki before abruptly putting it away. An ugly smile cut across his face. "No matter. She's probably dead anyhow. My men combed the island and found neither head nor hair of her. Perhaps one of the pirate ships picked her up. I heard you people like to have at least one wench on board for an easy fuck—"

It was rare for Natsuki to be right in front of a man yet unable to kill him.

She jerked against the chains and did the only thing she could—her head slammed into his face and she felt a satisfying crunch.

Kanzaki was thrown off balance and fell over, clutching at his nose. Blood streamed from between his fingers. Natsuki's lips curled upwards for the first time in what seemed like forever.

She laughed long and loud, the sound reaching the other prisoners. They echoed her and when Kanzaki stood up, his mask of serenity was ripped off. He looked like some kind of beast—the entirety of his lower face and part of his neck were wet with blood. The sight made Natsuki laugh even harder.

"You will pay for this," he snarled. "You were to be sent to Cardair for execution in one week's time but now I think I'll keep you here."

With his hands shaking in anger, he clumsily unlocked the manacle around her bad hand and stood up. The heel of his boot pressed against her palm.

Natsuki's laughter continued though it was now tinged with hopelessness. "Go ahead!" She yelled shrilly. "I don't care anymore!"

Kanzaki lifted his foot and slammed it down, once, twice, three times…

Even as hot tears ran down her cheeks, Natsuki continued to laugh. Kanzaki eventually stopped, chest rising rapidly. He smoothed his hair back and hissed, "You will rot in this cell," before spinning and slamming the door behind him.

Natsuki went silent for a moment before a scream erupted from her chest. The sound was full of fury and desperation. She only stopped when her voice died out and she could taste blood in her throat. She cradled her ruined hand in her lap and rocked frantically back and forth, eyes wide but unseeing.

Shizuru…

Natsuki sat cross-legged in the area where Shizuru's bedroom met the balcony, head tilted towards the heavens. She tended to get lost in thought when she gazed at the stars, so much so that a pointed throat-clearing noise had to be made in order for Natsuki to turn around.

Shizuru was sprawled naked across the bed, giving Natsuki the best 'come hither' look she could muster. It was…quite effective. Still, Natsuki stood and stretched her arms above her head slowly and deliberately. She saw Shizuru drink in the sight of her shirtless body coupled with her (their) favorite pair of dark, snug trousers.

Natsuki padded over to the bed and saw Shizuru's smile flicker for a moment. "What's wrong?" She asked as she stretched out beside the older woman.

"I just noticed a scar," Shizuru's finger traced a thin silver line extending along the left side of Natsuki's hip. "This is new, isn't it?" She made an angry little sound, as if offended Natsuki would allow her herself to be wounded.

"Only cowards are without scars." Natsuki answered mildly. While she considered herself an excellent fighter, she was still sometimes at a disadvantage when her opponent was bigger and stronger than herself. She had many close call Shizuru would never hear of—her thoughts went to the scar under her right armpit, the one where a dagger had come dangerously close to piercing her lung. No, she would not tell Shizuru about that.

"Are you calling me a coward?" Shizuru asked playfully. Finished with running her hand along Natsuki's side, she pulled her closer and rested her head against Natsuki's shoulder.

Natsuki leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the nose. "You are anything but." An amused expression came across her face. "Your betrothed, however…I once distinctly remember him squealing like a scared child when we raised our flag upon leaving the harbor."

"Yes, Nagi is…delicate…about violent matters." Though her voice still sounded carefree, the smile on her face hardened. "How my father managed to agree to this sham of a marriage is beyond my comprehension."

Her lover was silent. Truthfully, Natsuki had thought long and hard about what the engagement of Shizuru with Nagi Homura meant. She had fantasized about stealing Shizuru away with her but dashed the thoughts instantly—Shizuru's father would send the entire navy after them.

Instead an uglier, more troubling alternative started to take shape in her head. It had been festering there for months now and Natsuki knew voicing it aloud would change everything.

She cleared her throat. "When is the marriage to take place?" She ran her hand absentmindedly through Shizuru's silky hair.

"Sometime this spring. The Homura's wanted to have the ceremony in Zipang but I insisted it be held here," she peeked up at Natsuki through long lashes. "Why, would you like an invitation?"

"Actually…" Natsuki took a deep breath, sure Shizuru could feel her heart hammering. "I think this marriage is a good thing. This way you can have a husband, children. You can forget about me." It pained her more to say the words than any injury she had ever taken, and she was surprised her voice still sounded steady.

The result was instantaneous—Shizuru withdrew from her side and moved to the opposite corner of the bed. "You must be joking," she said flatly. Her eyes flashed dangerously in the moonlight. "Tell me you're joking."

Natsuki leaned up as well. "I'm not. I'm a pirate, Shizuru." She didn't want to do this, didn't want to push her away or hurt her. But there were no other options.

"I know that. I've always known that," she gave a harsh chuckle. "You've been a pirate since you were nine years old."

"No, I—" Natsuki stopped herself, unsure of how to voice her thoughts. "We live two very different, very separate lives. They overlap at times but that's all they do. I'm a pirate and you're the governor's daughter—"

"There's more to it than that, isn't there?" Shizuru cut her off, tone not conveying any anger. But it didn't need too; Natsuki could see it in the tension of her body. "If that's all the argument you have, then you have nothing."

Natsuki flinched and a stab of anger went through her. "I'm trying to do right by you—"

"And I wish you wouldn't!" The uncharacteristic outburst left Shizuru looking just as surprised as Natsuki. Shizuru recovered first and continued on in a lower voice. "I am so tired of people deciding what is good and bad for me. Don't I get a say?"

"Then what is it you want, Shizuru? I can't stop being a pirate any more than you can stop this marriage to Homura. And even if you could…we'd be treading the same water again when your next suitor shows up."

"Take me with you then," Shizuru said, changing her tactic immediately, "I'm almost as good with a sword as you are, I could be an asset to you and your crew."

Natsuki sighed. "I don't want you to be an asset. I want to know that you're safe, that you're living comfortably. Can't that be enough?" She looked imploringly at the other woman. "Take this, Shizuru. Take this chance at a good life and be done with me."

"Is that really what you want?" She asked quietly, hardly looking at Natsuki.

No. "Yes." The answer severed whatever control Shizuru was clinging to and Natsuki found herself being pushed out of the bed, her clothing being tossed at her.

"Come back when you can be reasoned with," Shizuru said decisively, "and not a moment before." She stood as well and waited for Natsuki to get dressed.

When the younger woman had finished putting her jacket into place, she glanced at Shizuru. She desperately wanted to embrace her but thought Shizuru wouldn't respond well. Instead, she gave her a small nod. "Goodbye." It was so weak of her to leave without saying anything else.

Natsuki was almost to the balcony's railing when she felt arms wrap around her waist from behind. Shizuru turned her around and her lips found Natsuki's. The kiss started gently but then one of Shizuru's hands sought out the back of Natsuki's neck and pressed. It felt like Shizuru had put every ounce of passion, every moment of happiness, every good memory she possessed into that kiss. Shizuru broke the kiss first and pulled Natsuki into an embrace.

Against her jacket she whispered, "I love you, Natsuki. Remember that."

A/N: That's the end of part one (of three). I am open to any questions/suggestions/critiques if you have them. As I said above, this is a new style I'm experimenting with (disjointed prose, a narrative that has gaps, abrupt flashbacks that (hopefully) melt back into the main story, etc). Thank you and remember to check out the playlist I linked in my profile, it really goes well with the story.