Regulus Arcturus Black, as a pirate captain, knew there were few places where he could dock without drawing the attention of the authorities and the navy. The perfect city was Tortuga, a pirate-only port where no one was sober for even half a second. Second to that was Crow's Hollow.

It was a port city named for the eerie number of crows that inhabited it. It alternated between wealthy, respectable districts and poor ones inhabited solely by criminals. And yet, even in the most respectable neighborhood, a pirate received as much attention as a rock from the townsfolk. The only thing that made it the second-best choice was that the authorities, though few and disorganized, were always on high alert and armed.

He had just docked there with his first mate, Sirius, to try and recruit someone—anyone clever, daring, and criminally inclined. Someone who, from their very appearance, seemed capable of murder. Instead, his gaze fell on you—a bread thief.

He had spotted you through the window of a bakery, in one of the less disreputable districts, though still dangerous enough. You were slipping a few loaves of bread into an old cloth sack. He chuckled to himself, genuinely impressed by how agile you were as you moved through the crowd outside the shop, hiding in plain sight while feigning innocence. He followed you, his curiosity piqued, into an alley not far away.

"Your secret's safe with me. I won't say a word, beauty." he declared suddenly from behind you to make his presence known. Instinctively, you grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him against the wall, and in the blink of an eye, he found the blade of your dagger pressed against his throat. He nearly burst out laughing in your face. His dark hair was windswept and slightly salty from the sea breeze, and you could have sworn you could smell his cologne even from three feet away. "A knife? Are you flirting with me?" he teased, an arrogant smile plastered on his face.