The Siren's Revenge was three ships over, each gangplank more precarious than the last.
Pirates still leaned over the rails, tankards sloshing, calling out suggestions about what Llewellyn should claim as his prize.
"Take him belowdecks! See if he moans!"
"He's got fight in him—tie him up first!"
"He's proper beggin' for it—just tie 'im tight!"
"That blush says yes, cap'n!"
My ears were on fire. I refused to be embarrassed by NPCs that would disappear in a few hours.
Though… well. I couldn't say I wasn't mentally taking notes.
Unfortunately, Llewellyn wasn't going to forget this in a few hours, so there was that.
The Siren's Revenge seemed less raucous when we stepped onto it, but that was soon overturned by the amount of pirates that had followed us there. Looked like they were invested in seeing this night through.
Penguin's eyes immediately locked onto a green parrot perched on the rigging a few feet away.
He chirped, suddenly hyperfocused.
"Looks like there's lads here for the knot-tying challenge!" someone on the Siren's Revenge shouted.
The pirates behind us, who'd apparently not known about this challenge, cackled.
"In front of all of us, no less! Bold move, captain."
"Didn't realize the tying'd be public!"
"Ye doin' demonstrations now, captain? Shall we take notes?"
"I knew he'd be hands-on, but this is generous!"
Wait, what?
A rudimentary… wedding arch stood at the center of the main deck, a cleared space that held two cushioned chairs and wooden posts.
Okay, wait a moment.
Wedding arch? And they were mentioning rope? What kind of knot-tying were we talking about?! Neither version sounded appropriate!
Didn't the booklet just say tie three regulation knots?
"Test of trust between crew," an older pirate explained. "Tie your crewmate challenge! Can't have a proper ship without knowin' your mate won't panic when the ropes come out."
"…"
Llewellyn's hand found my elbow, steering me toward the setup. "Perfect. We need that stamp."
What!
"Unless you're backing out?" He raised an eyebrow.
The pirates watching had increased. They all perked up at that.
A woman with intricate braids stepped forward. "Each of ye gets one go at tyin' the other with three knots. The System picks the rope and the knot, and where it goes. Person being tied stands still and lets it happen without resistance. No sabotaging! Nothing that shows lack of trust."
You've got to be kidding me.
"Why is this feeling more and more like the kind of dungeon you shouldn't enter without a safeword?"
Honestly!
Llewellyn's ears went red as he eyed me. Then, he asked, "Do you have one?"
What!
He turned to look properly at me, looking amused at whatever he saw on my face.
Well. Two could play this game.
I thought of his statue in Mondwyn Harbor. "Knight's Monument," I said with a grin. Apparently Llewellyn remembered too, because his ears went completely scarlet. "What's yours then?"
Llewellyn looked at me for a long moment. Then he said, "Llewrando," deadpan, and moved closer toward the posts.
"…"
Okay, that killed me and ended me.
What was he doing reading the shippers online!!!
"Absolutely not!" I yelped, following immediately. "You'll have to choose another."
Llewellyn raised an eyebrow. "Why, am I going to need it?"
"…"
How could he be this smooth one second and then flustered the next?!
We were gestured to move under the arch. We did so, facing each other.
The System chimed.
-
[System Notification: Tying the Knot Challenge!
Round 1: User Llewellyn must tie User Ryo
Configuration 1: Wrists to post, bowline knot
Time limit: None
Resistance penalty: Immediate disqualification]
-
A coil of rope materialized in Llewellyn's hands. He tested its weight, then looked at me.
"Nervous?" he asked.
"Why would I be nervous about being tied up in public by—" I cut myself off. "Just get on with it."
His mouth twitched.
Pirates were scattered around drinking beer and rum and looking at us with interest. However, since this wasn't a competitive event, they were less loud than the last challenge, most just mingling relaxedly.
I removed my coat, placing it on one of the chairs.
I intended to ask Penguin to keep an eye on it, but he was on the other side of the deck, chittering at the parrot. Well. That was probably for the best.
Llewellyn stepped closer.
"Wait," I said. I accepted a tankard and drank half of it.
"Loosen up before ye tighten the ropes—smart lad!"
"Drink up, sweetheart! Helps with the squirming!"
"That one knows how to prepare! Proper cooperative, he is."
"Hope it's not the only thing he's loosening tonight!"
Llewellyn raised an eyebrow.
"Give me your wrist," he said.
I extended my left arm. He caught my wrist in his free hand, thumb pressing against my pulse point.
Right.
He guided it above my head and pinned it to the post.
"The other one as well."
I extended the other one too. Llewellyn's fingers circled it and it joined the first on the post, his hand covering both.
He started working with the rope, looping it around my wrist and working on the knot. His hands were warm.
"You've done this before," I realized.
I didn't know how to feel about it.
Llewellyn looked down at me and my stomach clenched.
…Uh. Maybe the extra alcohol had been a bad idea.
Llewellyn looked amused.
"Sailing," he said simply.
Huh?
His fingers remained on my skin as he adjusted the tension.
I frowned. "That's not on the forums."
Llewellyn's amusement grew.
"My granddad used to sail," he said. "I only know the basics."
Oh. Though, now that I thought about it—
"Are you getting any instructions there? Because I personally have no experience sailing."
"Or with bondage?" Llewellyn asked, raising an eyebrow.
"…"
I looked at him. I could feel my chest rising and falling.
"I'm not answering that," I said.
Llewellyn actually laughed this time, looking like he was having the time of his life.
Well.
I bumped my head back and took a deep breath. As long as he was enjoying himself.
He finished the knot, then looked at the next instruction from the System.
I flexed against the rope experimentally. It held firm, not cutting into my skin but I was definitely not going anywhere.
The System chimed.
-
[System Notification: Round 1 continued
Configuration 2: Torso restraint, clove hitch
Time limit: None
Resistance penalty: Immediate disqualification]
-
Another rope appeared in Llewellyn's hands.
He wrapped the rope around my torso, over my pectoral muscles.
"Hold still," he said.
Like I could move much anyway.
I forced myself to take a steady breath as he worked the knot, the rope snug but not constricting.
The pirates had gotten quieter, though someone whistled appreciatively.
"Look at that concentration!"
"The captain knows what he's doing!"
"Poor lad's gone all red!"
That was done quickly.
The System chimed again.
-
[System Notification: Round 1 continued
Configuration 3: Waist restraint, timber hitch
Time limit: None
Resistance penalty: Immediate disqualification]
-
Llewellyn hummed.
"Last one," he said.
His hands settled on my waist, positioning the rope, then worked the rope around me.
"This is definitely the kind of Dungeon that needs a safeword," I breathed.
Llewellyn stepped close again. "Still Knight's Monument?"
"Still Llewrando for you?"
His eyes met mine. "For now."
His fingers found the hem of my shirt, and lingered. Then, he seemed to make a split second decision, because he lifted my shirt slightly, sliding it up to position the rope against bare skin.
"…"
I definitely made a noise.
"Problem?" he asked from behind me.
"Nope. No problems. Carry on with your... ropework."
The pirates were loving this.
"Look at him shiver!"
"Can barely breathe, poor lad!"
Llewellyn came back around to my front, trailing the rope. Every adjustment made the rope shift against my skin.
His fingers skimmed the hem of my trousers.
I was. Uh.
Um.
Showing.
Somewhat.
Llewellyn seemed to fixate on that for a second, and I tried very hard not to pant. The alcohol had definitely been a bad idea.
Llewellyn's fingers brushed the button, then his face went red and he moved the dangling rope and tied the knot more to the side.
"There," he said, finishing the knot. He didn't step back immediately, his hand trailing under my shirt for a few moments, over the skin around the rope.
"…"
I couldn't breathe properly.
-
[System Notification: Round 1 Complete.
Scoring...
All knots secured!
No resistance registered.
Rope Tension: Excellent.
Knot Precision: Excellent.
Trust assessment: Full Pass!]
-
The crowd cheered. Looked like they got the notification too.
"Your turn," Llewellyn said.
Before he could start untying me, a pirate stepped closer and cut all the ropes off.
"Right then!" The woman gestured to Llewellyn. "Switch positions!"
I rolled my shoulders, trying to shake off the phantom sensation of being held in place.
-
[System Notification:
Round 2: User Ryo must tie User Llewellyn
Configuration 1: Hands behind back, secured to post — figure-eight knot
Time limit: None
Resistance penalty: Immediate disqualification]
-
A rope materialized in my hands and I tried to remember what I knew about tying knots. Absolutely nothing.
A faint outline appeared into my vision—a ghostly diagram of rope looping through itself, arrows marking each step of the knot.
[Assistance option available: Visual tutorial.]
Oh.
"You could have told me there was a tutorial," I told Llewellyn, narrowing my eyes.
He grinned.
This asshole.
I made eye contact and pushed him against the post.
"Hands behind your back," I said.
The pirates whooped.
"Looks like the lad's takin' charge now!"
"Oho! That's it! Tie him up!"
"Payback time! Let's see if the captain squirms as pretty!"
More heckling was coming from my right.
"That push had feelin' in it, lads! Someone's been waitin' for this!"
"Easy, boy! You'll bruise him—unless that's the idea?"
"Fetch more grog, we got a reversal of roles!"
Llewellyn complied, clasping his hands behind his back. The position pulled his shoulders back.
For a moment I stared, speechless.
Then, I stepped behind him, and looped the rope around his wrists.
The instructions were simple to follow, but for someone who had no idea how to do it, it still took some fumbling. My fingers kept brushing Llewellyn's, who twitched.
After two failed attempts, the knot came together, securing his wrists firmly but not too tight.
"Done."
Llewellyn tested the bonds, muscles flexing. The rope held.
-
[System Notification: Round 2 continued
Configuration 2: Left thigh to post — round turn and two half hitches
Time limit: None
Resistance penalty: Immediate disqualification]
-
I stared at the tutorial. That… looked complicated.
"Problem?" Llewellyn asked.
Yes. Multiple problems. Starting with the fact that I'd have to kneel to—
The rope appeared in my hands. I gripped it too tightly.
"Hold still," I said.
"That's literally the one rule," he pointed out.
...I dropped to my knees in front of him.
Llewellyn's breath visibly hitched.
The crowd exploded.
"THERE WE GO!"
"On your knees already! Haven't even finished the games!"
"Don't forget to ask him to marry you after!"
"Rope first, vows later!"
Llewellyn's whole face was red. I could see his Adam's apple work as he swallowed.
I took a deep breath.
I reached for his thigh, wrapping the rope around it. The muscle tensed under my hands.
The pirates were beside themselves.
"Look at the captain's face!"
"He's blushin' down to his boots!"
"The lad's got him right where he wants him!"
"Hope he buys ye dinner after!"
Llewellyn made a low sound.
"Too tight?" I asked.
"It's. Fine. Just—" His voice came out rough. He cleared it. "Just get on with it."
I fumbled with the knot, trying to fix it.
I was very pointedly keeping my eyes—not there.
Unfortunately, the pirates had other ideas.
"That rope's not the only thing gettin' pulled tonight!"
"Kiss it for good luck!"
"Lad's combustin'! Someone pour water on 'im!"
"That's the look of a man meetin' his fate—and likin' it!"
I finished the knot, making sure it held. My hands might have lingered a moment longer than necessary.
"Best entertainment we've had in weeks!"
"Don't stop now, it's just getting good!"
"This is better than the tavern fights!"
"By the gods, tie me next!"
The System chimed in again.
-
[System Notification: Round 2 continued
Configuration 3: Right thigh to post — double constrictor knot
Time limit: None
Resistance penalty: Immediate disqualification]
-
Looked like I was going to spend more time on my knees.
With his hands behind his back and thigh tied to the post, Llewellyn couldn't move much.
I accepted the rope that materialized.
"Double constrictor knot," I muttered, staring at the tutorial. What the hell was that? "Yours were easier."
No answer.
I looked up.
Llewellyn was staring down at me, jaw tight, face still flushed, hands bound behind his back.
I realized my hand was still on his thigh, thumb soothing.
Um.
"All good?" I asked.
Llewellyn just stared at me.
Right. Was that a yes? A no?
"The knot," Llewellyn said. "Keep going."
Right. Okay.
I wrapped the rope around his other thigh, following the tutorial's ghostly outline. The first loop went fine, but how I managed the rest was a mystery. It also required way more touching than before, which wasn't helping.
Llewellyn's breathing had gone harsher. And he was also—
I really shouldn't look there.
"You alright up there?" I asked, adjusting the tension.
"Fine."
His voice came out strained. When I glanced up, his eyes were fixed on me.
The pirates kept cheering.
"Look at 'im! All tangled and touched!"
"Raise a toast for the newly knotted!"
I finished the double constrictor.
"Done."
Llewellyn tested his bonds. The ropes held firm, keeping him secured to the post.
-
[System Notification: Round 2 Complete.
Scoring...
All knots secured!
No resistance registered.
Rope Tension: Optimal.
Knot Precision: Optimal.
Trust assessment: Full Pass!]
-
The crowd erupted in cheers. Pirates slapped tables and shouted encouragement.
"Beautiful work, lad!"
"Captain's lookin' properly tied up!"
"I'll never look at rigging the same again!"
The same pirate as before came closer to cut Llewellyn's ropes as I stood up.
By the time I did, Llewellyn was free. He grabbed my arm, turned me around, and pushed me back against the post.
What!!!
I stared at him.
"Balance restored," he said, looking extremely flustered, but also amused.
I snorted. "What, do you prefer being the one doing the tying?"
"Mmh." The hand on my waist slid under my shirt, back where the rope had been. "Don't worry. I'm gentle."
Uh.
"Aye! He's back in command!"
"Pin him there, cap'n! Lad's starin' like he's ready for vows!"
"Tie the knot, not just the rope!"
"Someone bring more rope! Tie 'im again, cap'n! But strip 'im first!"
...My body definitely liked that plan.
"This is the most romance I've seen since shore leave!"
"Give us a sequel!"
"He's gonna tie 'im up and keep 'im!"
I swallowed.
Llewellyn looked down and I took in a shaky breath.
I really, really wanted to kiss him.
The System chimed, mercifully cutting through the pirates' suggestions.
[Challenge Complete!]
Llewellyn let me go.
The crowd groaned.
"No vows? No consummation?!"
"Ye can't leave us hangin'!"
"At least kiss 'im, ye coward!"
"We're done here," Llewellyn said, ushering me forward to get our stamps.
"Aye, but he's not!" a pirate cackled, pointing at the tent in my trousers.
I covered my eyes with one hand. "Feedback noted. Let's go."
Penguin fluttered over, clutching a stolen parrot feather. He chirped proudly, oblivious to the chaos.
"You want me to save it in the inventory?" I asked.
Penguin chirped and dropped it in my hand. That was a yes.
We fled the Siren's Revenge, pirates still catcalling as we crossed the gangplank.
…Though I could totally have been talked into another round.