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Post by *ᴿᵃᶤᶰᶜᵃˡˡᵉʳ* on May 29, 2019 14:23:51 GMT -5
(Brockton shall take the challenge! ...He doesn't know how to say no to one)
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Post by vakarian on May 29, 2019 14:32:42 GMT -5
Another calm day on the water. It had probably been a record amount of peaceful for the Morning Glory now - but Genevieve wasn't complaining. As much as she loved the thrill of plundering and sticking it to the really bad pirates, she couldn't deny the feeling of tranquility when she sat up in the crow's nest, breathing in time with the ship as it bobbed up and down. She chuckled to herself. I'm really channeling my mother now, huh. A destination had been set for Port Royal, and if her intuition was correct, they were likely to arrive within the day. The looking glass propped up in front of her was ever tempting. It was the one thing that threatened interrupting her relaxation. She looked up at the nearly cloudless sky. The sun had crawled across the sky a little since she last checked their whereabouts... Eh, there was no harm in checking again, right?
Standing upright, she took the looking glass and peered inside it. Looking into it was ironically harder than it needed to be - given the tool's age, the lens was a bit cracked at the edges. Genevieve made a mental note to inform the captain about it - perhaps when they reached shore she could look into procuring another. As she peered into the scope and adjusted to the fish-eye effect, the sea ahead of her was magnified to a glorious degree. The big blue expanse made her excited and a little uneasy. Compared to the years she spent on land, it still took Genevieve a bit of getting used to, realizing that this was her life now. Constantly confined to a hunk of wood and iron on the near endless sea. But at least she was in good company.
Genevieve squinted as she twisted the scope, enhancing the magnification little by little. Off in the distance, a desaturated structure stood amid the fog. She looked closer, and more of place seemed to reveal itself. It wasn't just one building, it looked like many, lodged close together! Port Royal! A tremendous grin sprung across Genevieve's lips as she lowered the looking glass.
"Land ho!" She exclaimed, her booming voice suddenly breaking the silence of the midday air. Genevieve rushed down the ladder pegs, and was greeted to the cheers and shouts of the crew below. The first place she hurried to was Henna's usual hangout - if she hadn't heard the ruckus yet, Genny would bring it to her instead. Henna's blonde locks stood out among the deep blue waves that seemed to surround her. She was resting on the deck, calm as usual when not in conflict.
"Henna, love!" Genevieve called as she approached, "I've spotted the Port just ahead, we should be arriving in about half a day's time!"
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Post by *ᴿᵃᶤᶰᶜᵃˡˡᵉʳ* on May 29, 2019 14:53:30 GMT -5
"Oh, thank God!" Henna blurted out as Genny gave her the news. The young captain really liked the other woman. Practically just as reckless and unpredictable as Henna herself, it seemed that Genny was probably the only person who happily went along with Henna's crazy ideas. And the Youngster was happy when people didn't question her, sick of being looked down upon for her young age.
Henna never asked to become a pirate. Not really. After the murder of her parents on the eve of her seventh birthday, Henna didn't really have a choice in the ship she hid on. Though now she was uncertain of whether she would have been a good lady or not, but once a pirate, always a pirate. And Henna made a damn good pirate.
"Keep an eye out," She called to her crew. Port Royal was a popular place, and Henna was all too excited about that due to her previous boredom. "The last thing we need is a repeat of New Providence."
They were simply passing by New Providence when they were ambushed, the fight hard and bloody. Henna wasn't about to risk that again, and every time an island was spotted reminded her crew not to relax until they docked.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 29, 2019 15:07:57 GMT -5
(Okay I’ve written up the Lilith thing but I shall put it up after the Artem/Lilith thing so we have chronological order)
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Post by vakarian on May 29, 2019 15:16:18 GMT -5
A slight shiver ran down Genny's spine at the mention of New Providence. The name hung over the Morning Glory like a curse now, since the incident. She could hear the faint apprehension in Henna's voice as she gave out the order; there was no doubt she felt some insecurity about it. An insecurity that matched her own, in some regard. It was part of the reason why the two got along so quickly. Two lasses, young and full of energy - troubled by the past. But Genevieve knew that Henna was smart, she hoped that the one blunder (that wasn't even her fault) didn't leave her questioning her own authority.
As the crew members scurried to put the Morning Glory into full sail, a hearty gust of wind blew into the massive, unfurling canvas. She was really on the move again.
"What say we take a good night off when we get there, Henna?" Genny suggested with a smile, placing her hands confidently on her slim waist. "I think the lot of us could use a round of drinks. Great taverns too, from what I've heard." Growing up in a religious household, alcohol was a sort of sacred thing deemed by her mother. It was for ceremonies, not celebrations. And while Genevieve didn't much like the stuff anyway, she admired the power it had to bring good friends together. Needless to say, she was excited to experience the feeling again when they'd dock at Port Royal that night.
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Post by Hawkeyes258 on May 29, 2019 15:16:27 GMT -5
Nathaniel stood at the helm as Port Royal started getting closer and closer. He was eager to stretch his legs and have a bit of fun. They had a lot of cargo to sell and he was eager to get rid of it. Aside from a close call with bounty hunter ship, the Golden Wave had been quite successful in raiding and pillaging merchant ships and villages. Most never see it coming. The Golden Wave appeared like any other merchant or boarding vessel until the flag is raised or the cannons are fired. One of these days, he was going to finally be on top!
Nathaniel gives a sharp whistle and his crew turn to look at him. "All right men you know the drill! We are here to restock and to recharge! Don't go starting anything unless you can get away with it! Do not draw attention to yourselves." He paused for a moment before a large grin appears on his lips. "Aside from that enjoy yourselves! We will be here a while! Drink and bed as many men or women as you want!" This earned a loud cheer from the crew as well as whistles and nudging one another. "Now prepare to bring the merchandise from the brig! I suspect we will be rolling in coin after this!"
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 29, 2019 15:28:07 GMT -5
I’m just gonna quickly repost my reply from the original rp, since I think I’m going to bed soon This was the last post from the Broken Dagger before the meeting so between this point and the meeting anything can happen aboard the Broken Dagger Any crew interactions we want)
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 29, 2019 15:28:19 GMT -5
Lilith couldn’t have imagined a smoother operation than what ensued in the next few moments. The sailors streamed across into the other ship and organised chaos and slaughter followed.
Lilith was as involved as all of her men were. She wasn’t afraid to have blood on her hands, and she was merciless. She hardly gave her opponents any time to strike, her attacks were relentless. And so the fight, if it could be so called, was over very quickly.
She’d noticed Artem turning away from the firing squad, and her worries about his capability as a future captain filled her head. He would have to do things like this himself if he ever became captain.
Once the attack was over, Lilith made sure to help with organising their loot. Their coffers were much more full now, and Lilith was no longer concerned for the ship. They could leave that route now; they needed no more loot for the moment and it was better them to space out their attacks so as to allow them to continue using that route for their raids. She knew it would be better because they didn’t want to be found out as raiding that route. They weren’t amateurs. One ship going missing would prompt an investigation, but two in quick succession would immediately imply that pirates were involved, and Lilith and her crew would be instantly implicated.
She then headed back up onto the deck, giving some orders to the crew members to make sure that the ship would be en route for their meeting with Cassian Avery. As she walked and gave her orders, she could hear Artem singing a sea shanty with the men. She did like that about him; he had a better relationship with the men than did Lilith. She just didn’t have a friendly personality, and the men were a little afraid of her. She was pleased they feared her; fear and respect were very important if she was going to keep control of her crew and make her ship successful. But the crew also needed their morale to be kept up and they needed a kind of closeness with their superiors. Artem could provide that for them while Lilith couldn’t. She knew that. And so she valued her quartermaster. Just another of the ways Artem was vital to the ship.
She did kind of want to apologise to Artem because she knew what he had wanted her to do, and she’d went against it. She knew that the killing of that crew had gotten to him as such things always did. But Lilith didn’t apologise to anyone, she had been told never to make apologies, and she didn’t need to. Artem was just going to have to either handle the pressure or leave the Broken Dagger. Lilith was determined that she wasn’t going to change. She would never change, not if she could help it. She’d never let anyone close enough to change her, anyway. Not for a long time.
And so the dark-haired woman simply continued to wander the deck, hands clasped behind her back. She felt great unease and restlessness and she just couldn’t figure out why. Was it guilt over upsetting Artem? Surely not, that had never happened before. Nervousness over meeting Cassian Avery? Possibly. She didn’t normally get nervous about these things but it made more sense to her that this is what she would be feeling so unsettled about
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Post by vakarian on May 29, 2019 15:30:43 GMT -5
(good night pallas! c: )
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Post by *ᴿᵃᶤᶰᶜᵃˡˡᵉʳ* on May 29, 2019 15:32:08 GMT -5
Henna snorted. "A good night off is what I'm hoping for," She responded with a grin. "A few rounds would do everyone on this ship good." Henna herself didn't drink much. She didn't care for the bitter taste of alcohol or the hangovers. Liquid courage wasn't necessary for a captain who was reckless enough to be constantly scolded by her crew mates for ridiculous plans. But the relaxing atmosphere of a tavern would be welcome, as would be the fun of watching others make a fool of themselves.
She could still remember the first time she tried alcohol. She was only on the ship for a year when she was offered some. One of the pirates had said that she was too young to enjoy the taste, but of course it was a crew of pirates. The one who had offered her the drink had laughed, saying how "I was just a boy when I first tried it! The lad ain't too young for some liquor." She still has no idea what she had tried, just that her younger self made a face funny enough to make the crewmates guffaw.
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Post by *ᴿᵃᶤᶰᶜᵃˡˡᵉʳ* on May 29, 2019 15:41:24 GMT -5
𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 going to put this before I forget, but I think I want Rinn to be on the Flying Pearl. I think the Explorer being her captain would make more sense.)
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Post by vakarian on May 29, 2019 16:03:16 GMT -5
"I definitely agree," Genny chuckled, "it'll be good for everyone to relax and get their feet on dry land for a bit." At her own comment, she stretched her arms, reaching up into the blue sky. Everyone, including herself, looked tense. And who could blame them? It wasn't like they had much room to move their legs on the Morning Glory. Genevieve felt like she could run a mile once she set foot on Port Royal.
"Oh! One more thing..." She mentioned as a yawn suddenly caught up with her, altering her speech. "That whole Pirate King business has been spreading all around these isles. What do you make of it, love? I think it could quite benefit our girl here if we try to curry favor. As much as we wanna be rough n' tough lone wolves," Genny made a slight flexing motion as she exaggerated the phrase, "having allies with such a powerful force could send a message to any naysayers around."
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Post by *ᴿᵃᶤᶰᶜᵃˡˡᵉʳ* on May 29, 2019 16:31:01 GMT -5
"I swear Kyler, I will shoot you one of these days," Henna growled at him. She was no child, but was often referred to as one due to her being the youngest of the captains. If it was anyone but Kyler, she probably would have already done it. Shaking her head at him she turned back to the topic at hand. The late Pirate King, Henry Avery, apparently had a son that was to take his place.
"As for this Cassian Avery, we will see," Henna replied. "You seem to forget, one doesn't just become Pirate King because of one's father. He has to earn the right to call himself that and earn the respect of the pirate captains. If I think he'll actually do some good for us, I'll ally myself with him. If I think he's going to get us all killed? Well, he could go do that himself." Henna took risks, but at least they were calculated and fun but she wouldn't put her life in anyone else's hands without knowing that they had what it took to survive this world.
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Post by vakarian on May 29, 2019 16:35:31 GMT -5
"Ah, there you are Kyler!" Her head turned towards his voice as he approached the two of them. "I'm glad I'm not the only one that's caught wind of the news on this ship, I was worried I'd get tossed overboard for ocean madness!" She joked lightheartedly. Abbott was another member of the Morning Glory that she had come to respect. In fact, it was these two folks in particular that had welcomed her the most. They never teased her (in a spiteful way, at least) for her righteous attitude, and frankly, they seemed to understand her best. She truly couldn't have been taken in by a better crew.
"I'd bet that he's a smart cookie, if he listened to his father at all." Genny suggested, getting back to the topic at hand. "No doubt he'll be fancied by every other pirate gang in the continent."
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Post by vakarian on May 29, 2019 17:13:16 GMT -5
Genevieve crossed her arms, considering what the quartermaster had replied. Kyler had a good point. With all the talk about this Avery boy, it could just be baseless rumors - or even a trap devised by other pirates to lure the weak ones in. But the more she thought about it, the more she felt assured by it. "If it's in his blood, it's in his blood." She said, walking backwards a few steps to rest her elbows on the deck. As the ship continued to cross the sea, the wind picked up even more. Genny let it toss her hair around a bit. "All the ships we've seen have been on a course straight to Port Royal, he's definitely got all eyes on him. I have faith that what they say is true. But I trust your judgement, Henna." Her gaze flicked to the young, capable captain. "And if anyone challenges you, we've got your back, love."
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Post by *ᴿᵃᶤᶰᶜᵃˡˡᵉʳ* on May 29, 2019 17:22:37 GMT -5
"I would hope that you do have my back," Henna replied. "A captain is only as strong as her crew. If you all decided to leave, I'd have to build this ship right back from where I started." She frowned in thought, looking on to where they were headed. "We will be headed towards the meeting after this break. No point in guessing on what Avery is like, we'll know soon enough."
She turned back to look at Kyler with a smirk. "And Kyler, you should know by now. When am I ever cautious?" She was prepared, and learned from her mistakes, but outright cautious? She wasn't known as the cautious one. She was known as the reckless, unpredictable young captain.
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Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on May 29, 2019 17:37:43 GMT -5
In the light of the coming dawn, Crispin could see the damage to his ship a little better. Her nose had been broken for sure, but other than that, she had held up nicely. The pale sun was peeking its face up from the horizon, showering the Burning Rose in an almost shy light. He stepped down from the quarterdeck, leaving the bridge to walk past the men and women of his crew as they walked down the plank onto solid ground. Most of them left, searching for solace in a tavern or bar, but there were a few that remained on the docks, talking with each other. Chris smiled to himself as he approached the front of the Burning Rose, inspecting the damage that cannonball had caused up close. He would have to find someone to hire to fix it before they set sail again. I’ll do that later today.
His mind began to drift to the court meeting tomorrow. He was actually looking forward to meeting Henry’s son. If the boy was anything like his father, who had been one of Crispin’s closest allies, then he wouldn’t disappoint. With a little guidance and time to adjust, he would do just fine. It was true that certain people took to pirating much easier than others, but if rumors were to be believed, then Avery’s son was no stranger to the tides, and that was a stepping stone that most people never crossed at all. As one of the few male captains in the pirate alliance, he felt a certain responsibility to this newcomer. If he had nothing else to offer, he could provide a man's perspective, and an older one at that. Gender aside, he was now the eldest captain since Henry’s death. Years were just about the only thing missing from the other captains experiences, most of them females, who were all well-equipped to lead their own ships, and did so rightfully. They would provide plenty of help to the new king if they accepted him, but Avery was a young man, after all. if his quartermaster didn't inform him of what he was walking into, Chris could always fill in with the missing pieces.
A presence at his side made him turn.
“Yes, Delphine. In part. It was a navy ship that hit us, but what was strange about it was that they gave no warning as they normally do. I wanted to ask your perspective, seeing as you know better than most how those royals think. What's their next move?”
Captain Taffert was no fool. The authorities must have caught wind of Avery's passing, which would have explained their sureness in attacking the Burning Rose. But did they know about his heir? It was tough to say for sure. Until he could share these recent events with the court, all he could do was speculate. The other captains could very well have similar stories of ambush. Whether they would tell them or not, due to some prideful notions, he didn’t care one way or another. He would tell the truth, knowing it was better that the other captains, and the king, know about the potential threat that seemed to grow by the day since Avery’s passing.
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Post by vakarian on May 29, 2019 18:26:36 GMT -5
Delphine was almost tickled by Crispin's report on the attack. The Royal Navy, what luck! It was quite odd of them to not even give word before firing off their cannons. Usually they would have the audacity to get close to the marvel that is the Burning Rose. Admittedly, that was about the only taste of nobility that she would get now, since she took on her life of piracy. And it wasn't even the fun part! No insult contests or luxurious parties, just swaths of meaningless paperwork and empty threats thrown their way. It made her want to roll her eyes so hard they never returned to their rightful place. But instead she sighed, and lightly bit her lip.
"Uncharacteristically cocky of them, isn't it?" She pondered aloud. "And all this meddling at our expense. If only I had the status - they'd get a strongly-worded letter and then be at work fixing our girl in no time." But she knew she would get nowhere fantasizing all day. That's what she told herself, at least.
The woman had also heard about the rumors of this Cassian Avery at length. Knowing how close her captain was to the boy's father, she instantly saw their possible partnering as a boon. And frankly, there was no other pirate out there that had the ties they did. But besides word of Cassian existing, not much else was known. She couldn't judge his character from his name, but hopefully he and Crispin could foster a good relationship - then by extension, she also had the means to get close to to him. It was all a game, everyone knew. A game of power - one that she was eager to partake in.
"It seems they want a taste of all this gossip-" (And who were they to blame?) "but they wish to silence it before all of us can gather in the same space. Perhaps they see their own use of this boy... Cassian Avery. If they know of his whereabouts at all. Needless to say, it's good that we've docked this early. I suggest we don't dawdle any longer and at least get situated by midday. If what we've heard is true, perhaps we could find him here before anyone else. We must keep our eyes and ears open for further activity," Her gaze finally shifted to the captain, with the usual solemnity that her deep blue eyes held, "but I suppose that was already the plan?"
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Post by vakarian on May 29, 2019 18:44:22 GMT -5
"She's right, you know!" Genny guffawed, directing it towards Kyler. Yes, the girl was reckless, but it was only natural for her age. And it's not like Genevieve at her own age was one to talk... It was Henna's rashness that put the Morning Glory on the map, and heaven forbid they stop their crazy antics. "I hope this Cassian is a fun guy. Maybe he just wants to board a pirate ship and never be heard from again." Genevieve leaned over and gave Henna a loving nudge, "And if he's just a nobody, we can always ditch him. I'm sure some well-to-do ruffly pirates would scoop him up if he was. We'd know he doesn't speak for us anyway." She followed Henna's gaze and looked behind herself. Port Royal was drawing ever closer, a bit quicker than they anticipated. Thank god, she thought. She was beginning to get even more antsy about staying on the ship much longer. "Want to join us for drinks later, Kyler?" Genny offered, turning her head back towards the quartermaster.
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on May 29, 2019 21:45:14 GMT -5
𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 going to put this before I forget, but I think I want Rinn to be on the Flying Pearl. I think the Explorer being her captain would make more sense.)
(Ok! Speaking of which, does anyone want to claim the explorer captain? They are currently entirely crew XD)
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on May 29, 2019 21:47:33 GMT -5
Is there anyplace that the Golden Wave should be? Same goes for Mason)
(wherever you want!! Mason would probably be with elena in the tavern though)
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Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on May 29, 2019 22:09:56 GMT -5
Their house was quiet. He stood in the middle of a room at the front of the house, a window before him and a window to his left. The window before him held an image of the street, stones and passing shadows. The window to his left proudly displayed the piers, and the waves that climbed up their posts to the beach of the little port town. Normally he would hear footsteps outside, or the waves beneath the dock. Now, he didn’t hear anything, not even the gull’s crying. Not that those sounds were gone, in fact, they were still there, present and hopeful he would join them again. It was just that he couldn’t hear them. Artem’s ears felt like they were full of water, his brain felt swollen in his skull. Naturally there was some leaking. Tears drifted down his cheeks. He couldn’t feel anything below his neck. How long he’d been standing on the floor, wanting to disappear into the nothing that occupied his mind, he didn’t know. He didn’t care.
The sunset was the only break in the monotony that reminded him. Two months. That was all that stood between him and a different sunset. “Two more months!” she’d said. “We’re going to be parents in two months, can you believe it? We’re going to have a baby.”
Yet their side of the coin hadn’t been the one to land face up. Two months later, he had an empty house instead. And two months after that was where he found himself, lying on the floor, not knowing how or when he got there. Thinking. He used to believe in fate. He used to think it couldn’t be so unkind. Staring at the ceiling, he refused to believe any more. This was not his fate. Nothing controlled him except for him. Luck, on the other hand, didn’t take sides. It was fair in its unfairness. He could believe that. He happened to stand in shadow at the moment, and his retribution was seemingly far off. He hadn’t had any luck with tracking down the pirate who was responsible. But that didn’t mean he would never have luck again.
It was difficult to say what snapped inside him that night, what convinced him to leave. Common sense, maybe. Pirates didn’t tend to stick around for long. Grief, possibly. He was desperate to assuage his own guilt in the matter. So when the morning came, before the sun rose into view, he unmoored and took his schooner out to sea.
The saltwater was healing, in a way. That was what he told himself. He’d cried enough for a lifetime, and he had gotten himself this far without another bout of crippling sorrow. That meant something was changing, didn’t it? The ocean was, and had always been, his home, even during that brief period of time when he still had Jane. Still, his vessel was considerably small, used for transporting people and products, and it was designed for coastal sailing. He was then in open waters though, pulling ropes and ducking under the boom, driven by instinct rather than knowledge at this point. It didn’t cross his mind that he didn’t know where he was going. Away. That was somewhere. That was better than doing nothing. He figured everyone would understand, and even if they didn’t, even if he was breaking their hearts by leaving in this way, he was convinced it was for the best. They would be safe if they stayed there. They would know he’d done it to protect them, to find the scoundrel that killed his wife and kill him in return, along with the rest of his kind. It was all he could think to do now.
It was almost a nice sunrise. He could almost pretend that she’d come away with him, leaning over the railing and sticking her hand out to touch the waves, white dress billowing around her ankles. Almost.
Artem watched the sun’s reflection in the water as it climbed the stairs in the sky to its throne at noon. It was nothing more than hot, and exhaustion soon set in like fog over his body. He raised the sails until the schooner was resting in the water, coasting on waves in its place. He went below decks to sleep through midday. And when he woke, he lowered the sails again and kept going. Not once did he encounter a storm, and as days passed, he started to think he might just be lucky enough. I might just survive long enough to see this through.
It was a strong ‘might’, yes, and what he thought of as his ‘enough’ wasn’t quite enough of anything. The tides turned beneath him, hidden under a calm, glassy surface one foggy morning, bringing with them a new foe. The ship was enormous next to his. He didn’t attempt to outrun it, it snuck up on him so efficiently that it was too late to even adjust the rudder. His heart struggled in his chest to free itself, fearful at first, then thrashing in anger that he didn’t know he had. Pirates. Who else? It was a strange twist of fate that almost felt right. How fitting. It was as if they’d been personally delivered to his hands by the ocean, until he remembered he was by himself. He had never fought with the intention of killing someone. So the ocean must have known, it had betrayed him, delivering him into the hands of his enemies. His heart fluttered sadly in his chest at these deluded thoughts, but he wasn’t going to give up without a fight. They would kill him, he was sure of it.
They took his small ship and brought him aboard, but did not take his sword, which surprised him. His mind was racing. He would try diplomacy. If that failed, he would swim for it. He would rather drown than be their prisoner, he told himself, lying in the hopes that it would light a spark inside.
The captain was a man of average stature, in his forties, his face weathered and torn through with scars. His eyes were a mean shade of brown, like dried blood. Artem stood his ground as the captain scrutinized him, the crew gathered on deck in a tight ring around them to prevent the prisoner’s escape. The captain looked him in the eyes and Artem scowled back, wondering if this was the man who was to blame for his suffering. He certainly looked the part of a man who did many things wrong and smiled meanwhile. In the midst of the fog, Artem realized how quiet it was. They were waiting to see what his fate was. Artem himself was not as eager.
The captain stepped toward him and Artem put a hand on the hilt of Solasciathan, causing the older man to chuckle humorlessly.
“No need for that, boy. Do you know where you are?”
“A pirate ship,” Artem said, spitting the words out as if they were hot coals on his tongue. The captain nodded, noting his tone of voice.
“The Broken Dagger, to be more specific, yes. So I presume you know that if I wanted you dead, you would be?”
Artem nodded, seeing no other option. The captain wanted to talk to him. Fine. He could do that. Did he want him to negotiate his own freedom? He could do that too. Fine.
“What do you want for me, then?”
“That remains to be seen.”
“I don’t have time for riddles, captain. I presume you are the captain?”
“That I am. I want to know what you think you were doing with that little boat all the way out here. These are pirate waters, boy.”
“I’m not some book for you to rifle through. Assuming you can read. My business is my own.”
The captain had slapped Artem’s cheek before he could blink, sending him reeling to the ground. The captain was faster than he’d thought. He looked up, expecting to see fury on the man’s face, but his expression was vacant. Unnervingly so. His heart thudded a few times as if to remind him that he was still alive, and should try to stay that way. His attitude wasn’t helping his case.
“I’ll ask again. What is your business?”
“My job,” Artem lied, a bittersweet taste in his mouth.
“Which is?”
“Hunting.”
The captain paused. His eyes narrowed slightly. “Hunting what?”
“Someone. A person. A pirate.” The captain’s brow twitched, but he gave nothing away.
“Truly? I am also trying to locate someone. Perhaps we can help each other out. This ship will get you much farther than any schooner.”
Artem frowned, unable to tell if the man was lying. He got up from the deck, electing to keep his words to himself this time. The captain found his silence agreeable, nodding to show his approval. Already, Artem was learning. The captain waved his hand and dismissed his crew. He approached, and though Artem tensed, he listened when the man leaned forward to speak under his breath.
“You’ve got some fight in you. What do you say to staying on the Broken Dagger?”
“As your prisoner?” Artem asked, about to back away, but the captain shook his head.
“As one of us. I get the impression you don’t have much else.”
“Do I have a choice?”
The captain pondered this question, running a hand over his beard as if he’d never been asked it before.
“No, not really.”
Artem didn’t know what to say. There’s nothing to say. Despite what the captain said, this felt more or less like imprisonment. Work beside pirates? The idea was appalling, but… he had nothing. If he refused, the captain would run him through with his own sword, more than likely. He had to look on the bright side. This was an opportunity. He wasn’t sure why the captain was giving him a chance to prove his life was worth saving, and Artem didn’t think he actually cared to help him find the pirate he was looking for.
“Okay.” He finally said, mind spinning as if caught in a whirlwind.
“Good. Lilith!” The sheer volume at which the captain called out the name made Artem flinch. A young woman about his age appeared, looking at him with thinly-veiled disgust.
“Lilith, I’m assigning you the task of teaching our ways to the new recruit. You will be in charge of him.” Really? Artem thought, with a bit of annoyance, frowning. She was a scrawny-looking girl who didn’t strike him as someone that belonged on a pirate ship. Then again, he was here, too. “You’re responsible for him and for his actions. Eric can advise you if need be.” the captain added, referring to the quartermaster, before turning and walking back to what Artem assumed was the captain’s quarters.
He turned to look at Lilith, forcing a neutrality into his countenance. “Hi,” he said, thinking he would hold out his hand for her to shake, but then deciding against it. “I’m Artem.”
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Post by vakarian on May 29, 2019 22:13:18 GMT -5
(ooo cool layout!! i love it :0c
edit: all of a sudden i am crying in this club over artem)
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Post by *ᴿᵃᶤᶰᶜᵃˡˡᵉʳ* on May 29, 2019 22:21:51 GMT -5
(I'm loving the sad story of Artem, the poor baby)
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on May 30, 2019 0:38:43 GMT -5
Abraham had been finishing up some of his duties on the ship as everyone else left the ship in favor of the port town's tavern, no doubt. Grumbling to himself about the blasted lazy knaves who had abandoned him to finish cleaning the ship so they could go drink themselves into oblivion, he finally decided the ship's state was up to his standards before walking down the plank himself. Spotting his captain talking with Delphine, Abraham strutted towards them, a scowl on his face deeper than usual as he took in the damage to the front of the ship. When they had been attacked by the Royal Navy, he quarter master had shot back several times with his pistol, screaming insults at the cowards as they quickly retreated. Unfortunately, he hadn't made any hits due to the distance between the two ships. But if he ever saw a member of that damn Royal Navy again... His thoughts were interrupted by the conversation between the two. Hearing Delphine's suggestion of writing letters, Abraham scoffed. "Strongly worded letters won't do a damn thing. The Royal Navy only listens to one thing, and one thing alone: a ship that can sink theirs. They are just lucky we weren't close enough to pursue. I assure you, if we were, there wouldn't have been a single man left upon that ship," he growled. "The way I see it, it was a warning shot. Now that the pirate council is unstable, it's the ideal time to make a move against us. And if we aren't careful, they'll be right."
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 30, 2019 0:41:43 GMT -5
(Oooooh that was such a good post! I will get something up in response soon but that was so good )
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on May 30, 2019 1:17:08 GMT -5
(Ok I have Clara and Elyssa open in the tavern, as well as Selah on the flying pearl, and Leia on the broken dagger)
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 30, 2019 1:19:10 GMT -5
Yeah I have Jesse on the Flying Pearl, Lilith on the Broken Dagger, and Ada in the tavern )
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