Looked over, unedited

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     The clang of cuttlasses filled the air through which Sean walked, he wasn't really all that engaged in what was happening around him until a blade flew right in front of his face.
     His reflexes kicked into gear instantly and his hand shot up, catching whatever had been launched in his direction, he pointed the sword, as he now identified the object as, towards the 'attacker'.

     "Woah!" The man was short but had above decent build, his voice was silky smooth and his hair was black with slight stubble on his jawline.
     "Easy there powder monkey." Quartermaster Mark grinned at the still glaring Sean.

     "T'at's not funny Mark." The Irishman sneered at his crew member and skillfully flipped the sword around in his grasp so the hilt was facing it's rightful owner. The quartermaster continued to grin as Sean looked out to sea, peace had been established just yesterday but with the sun high in the sky and having left the docks at sunrise, nothing but clear waters were seen here.
     "I could've stabbed ye, mate." Sean had always had sharp reflexes, they kept him alive since the man himself wasn't that attentive.

     "But you didn't." Mark still grinned, taking back his sword and sliding it into the sheath attached to his belt.
     "Why's a Gunner like you got reflexes faster than a swordfish?"

     It was very common for the quartermaster to tease the Irishman. Nobody quite knew why but nobody really questioned it as it had become something of a ritual. The day being incomplete without at least one person in the crew having heard them squabble with each other.
     "Just lucky. Always caught on quick when my pa decided t' train me, so he taught me to shoot, had good aim and could reload as quick as t'e fastest generals." Sean restrained a smile at the fonder memories from his childhood.
     "Or so he said."

     "Was gunner boy a little daddies boy?" Mark tried his patience.

     "Matter o' fact, I wasn't, I was a sister protecter." Sean brushed off the comment. Adding as an afterthought.
     "Shouldn't you be helping t'e capt'n?"

     "Maybe, but Cry's helping him as of now, so I get to supervise you scallywags. Noticed you were just wandering and decided to test you." Mark not only brushed off the subtle dismission,  he actually explained why he was there at all.

     "T'at would explain t'e sword." Sean scoffed.
     "You know I'm not landlubber now so go help someone be a freebooter. And stop messin' wit' me!" He failed to hide his growing aggravation. It was no taboo that Sean was more reserved, even when he was swaying more than a ship in a hurricane. You could hardly get a peep out of him, let alone a decent conversation.
     And I suppose that's why Mark actually set aside time in every day to mess with the gunner. In these short interactions he talked more to the quartermaster in one day than most of the crew did in a month.

     "Mark!" Both men turned to look at the man approaching, Captain Pewds or amongst his crew, Captain Felix.
     "Stop harassing our top gunner and help us out will ya? We got booty to find just past a couple near visits to Davy Jones' locker!!" The captain grinned.

     It was no secret to anyone with eyes that the captain was a looker. His blond hair and blue eyes were stunning and his pearly white teeth were often in a happy, smug, and mischievous smirk. Many considered the captain to be the best in the seas but that title was held unofficially seeing as everyone looked up to and respected Captain Aries.
     Captain Aries was a Privateer, however, so his popularity was lessened amongst pirates by his connection to the crown.
     Not that the crown knows that he steals, pillages, and congregates with the very same pirates that the crown wants to behead.

     "Right away captain." Mark responded, back into a more professional air which Sean liked much more. He respected Mark as his quartermaster and crew matey but sometimes, when he lost that professionalism, Sean lost the recognization. He just couldn't connect the dots between the childish man and the respected quartermaster.

     "And Jack." Captain Felix locked gazes with the short gunner.

     "Yes sir?"

     "Help the powder monkeys. Some of them are just hopeless." The captain sighed tiredly as he recalled how slow they were and how uncoordinated the team's had been.

     "I'm on it." Sean hurried away and started to teach the struggling powder monkeys techniques to advance their teamwork skills and syncronization. By sun down, they would be fluent in the monotonous actions of loading cannons.

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     Sean was right, he had taught the seemingly hopeless powder monkeys to be fluent and work as one, but the moon was peaking out over the waters, the small laps of waves catching the light like diamonds.
     Sean sighed, sights like these made him miss his clan back home, where he could look out over the cliff to sea, where he could see children at the beach in rain and shine. He loved his pirate life but, like anyone else at sea, he sometimes missed what was back on land.

     "I'm impressed." Sean turned his body and head to look at the newcomer, Ethan, the crew's cook and surgeon.
     "You taught those lousy boys to be decent powder monkeys by nightfall. If only others shared your magical abilities." Ethan smiled.
     The man was a short, sweet man with soft brown hair and brown eyes, he was young but experienced with what he does.

     "It was not'in', just following t'e Captain's orders." Sean let the indirect compliment be swept away by the wind.

     "I think you should be Boatswain. You have the silent respect that Mark, Cry and Captain have. Boatswain would do well for you." Ethan tried to convince him in two sentences, but to no avail.

     "I'd still be just a crew member, rank don't mean not'in' to me." Sean relinquished the idea.

     "Jack. You'd be watching over the crew just like the three already do an---"

     "And t'ey do a mighty fine job on t'eir own." Sean almost felt bad, the boy was practically pleading with him now.
     "I'll take it to consideration but I can't promise ye t'at I'll say anyt'ing about it." Sean compromised, finding a mid ground that he wouldn't be satisfied with but wouldn't push.

     Ethan huffed. "Fine, but I will be putting in a good word. Not that you need it." The cook/surgeon trudged away and Sean took his leave towards the barracks, laying on his for, he didn't sleep, just thought about what Ethan said, considering the pros and cons.
     A big positive for being Boatswain was that he had a little more authority, he already had respect which was what might get him the position in the first place. A second thing was that his pointless wandering around the main deck would now have a point, he would be busy supervisingb the crew as they sparred like that day and probably the morrow too. A third advantage was that he still answers to the same people, so not really much of a change.
     A con, however, is that he didn't like being in high places. He did run from his clan to get away from being the army's leading commander after all. More on, people would be talking to him a lot more often than not, he would be required to interact with people and make sure they're doing what they should be doing and do it correctly.
     Sean was surprised that he couldn't think of more cons than pros but he still didn't know what to do, although he was more comfortable with the idea of Boatswain now than he was when Ethan brought it up.

     "Jack." Sean restrained a groan when Mark's voice called for him, although the quartermaster did sound serious.
     "Captain wants to speak with you." Mark turned away as Sean stood up and started to follow him. They headed to the Captain's quarters in unison, Mark knocking on the door before entering.

     "Mark, do you have Sean." Captain Felix asked, Sean cringed from hearing his given name come from the Swedish man.

     "Yessir. I'm 'ere" Sean spoke up from behind Mark, moving so that they were side by side.
     "Has t'ere been a problem?" Sean worried, as much as he didn't like to admit it, behind his cold front he was caring and even further behind that, he was jovial, always happy and optimistic. Not that anyone has seen him like that before, not counting when he was three sheets to the wind.

     "No, just wanted to fill you in on the plan for the next week or so. We're going to Ireland and ransacking a town team the north shore, not on the coast though, you can see the water from their town though." Felix looked down to the map on his desk and pointed to the location, Sean almost breathed a sigh of relief, his old home was on the west shoreline, on cliffs and overlooking ocean.
     "We want you in with us on scouting, it is your homeland after all. You will need to be sparring with us the on the way there so that we all can touch up on skills and learn each others' styles. Are we all clear on this?" Captain Felix glanced up from beneath golden strands of hair. Cry, Mark and Sean all did a single firm nod.
     "We will review the plan the night before docking, then we will revise and finalize it after we have scouted. Mark, Jack, you are dismissed." Captain Felix went back to scanning the map as Mark and Sean left the room, leaving Captain and First mate to talk.

     "Your name isn't Jack." Mark blurted out immediately after the door had shut behind them.

     "No, but if ye call me anything ot'er that 'Jack' I will gut ye." Sean Promised.

     "I like your name though." Mark pouted, a glint in his eyes.

     "Well I don't, so please don't." Sean sighed firefly, not having the energy to deal with Mark at the moment.

     "Fine, but I'll be training with you tomorrow." Mark changed the subject, slapping him on the back.
     "Night Gunner."

     "Night Fischbach." Sean grinned when Mark's face pinched with annoyance. The quartermaster halted and took a deep breath before continuing towards his sleeping quarters, Sean heading for the barracks to get some well deserved rest.

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Sincerest apologies for not updating, family issues and moving has been a real time filler.

I still don't quite know what I'm going to do for a story line, but I think I have an idea.

I will be working on a new chapter the same day that I upload thi a  One because thi s chapter Is too short in my opinion.

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Pirate Slogan
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• Cutlass:: A type of sword.
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• Powder Monkey:: a Gunner's assistant.
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• Landlubber:: One who is not incredibly skilled at sea.
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• Freebooter:: Refeers to a real pirate.
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• Booty:: Treature.
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• Davy Jones' Locker:: Refeers to death.
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• Privateer:: Pirates sponsored by the government.
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• Three sheets to the wind:: Drunk

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