Meghan Cunningham's Story

---

---

XXXXCaptain Meghan Cunningham stood amongst the noble people of Astorium in the largest sitting room of Lord Chamberlin's estate, a glass of wine gripped in her hand. While she couldn't deny she looked gorgeous in her attire, she also felt ridiculous. It was hard to move her arms and even harder to breathe at times. Rosia had to lace her up tightly to get Meg the fashionable thin waist, and it was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Her First was somewhere in the house, being her eyes and ears. Meanwhile she was stuck here, eyes on the man who owned the very thing they were here for-- the updated map of Merrinia. They needed this map in order to find the keys to the lost treasure of Captain Corso. And they need it to find Arimathea, the garden of Eden. None of these places are expressly marked on the map. Especially Arimathea. But it would get them close enough.

It had to.

Meg shifted her hips beneath her skirts so the dagger she borrowed from Vale, her navigator, wouldn't jab her in the thigh. She made a mental note to purchase one for herself the next time they were at port. While she preferred her twin pistols or her cutlass, they aren’t subtle enough to conceal on her person. Not well anyway. Meg needed this to go off without a hitch. She didn’t need the Land King’s navy sailing after them once they left. And she would like to return here at some point in the future. Besides… she was only here to borrow the map.

For now, she was buying time. As she sipped at the wine in her glass—an expensive brand that still tasted like dirt to her—her thoughts strayed to the rest of her crew.

James, the former Captain of the ship was in her brig. She buried down the feelings of guilt deep down as she thought of the mutiny. He refused the journey, the search for Corso’s treasure, and the majority of the crew’s wishes. She couldn’t let it continue. Not if she wanted to find that treasure. Not if she wanted to make her parents’ deaths mean something. Rudy, their youngest by far, was keeping watch on the ship along with Tessa—her master Rigger and eyes and ears on the ship, Vale, Jack—the gunner, Bill—her third, Philip—her helmsman, and Sunni—the surgeon.

Somewhere just outside the estate was Vera—their cook and tonight’s distraction—who was awaiting the signal for her entrance. Meg had to admit, when Vera walked out in her getup… her heart beat a little faster. The woman’s past made her the perfect person to serve as the distraction for the night. Meg did feel a little guilty about this as well. Vera was a person after all and having her play this part was… not the best, but they had no other choice.

Her finger tips brushed the chain of the necklace she stole from the Lord and Lady’s bedchamber. Not only will it aid in their distraction, but it will serve as the signal. It was such a simple thing, a necklace of diamonds and pearls hardly bigger than her pinky fingernail, but it was definitely an expensive piece. Although, this specific necklace was chosen because it seemed to be the least worn. It was buried under a pile of jewelry. All Meg had to do was loop her pinky around the end and gently pull it away.

All she needed now was the go from Rosia and their plan would be underway. Even if it was the last thing she'd ever do, she was going to get that map and find the treasure.

---

XXXX Mutinied Captain James Porter sighed loudly as he laid on the wooden floor of his prison cell. Straw crinkled beneath him as he shifted, staying far away from the corner where a chamber pot was chained to the wall. With the waves on the high seas, he couldn’t be entirely certain it was clean over there. Then again, this whole cell was more than likely no better than that chamber pot, but James decided to ignore this thought and stick to keeping from the corner.

He still couldn’t entirely believe he was in this particular position. His crew turned on him… over greed. He sighed again at the thought. It wasn’t entirely greed. He had denied them adventure, he denied them mystery… and greed. James knew he was unorthodox as a pirate captain and that most on his crew didn’t mind. It seemed that his refusal to go on Meg’s wild goose chase was the last straw with them. And here he was, in the brig when not even a day prior he was asleep in his quarters, dreaming of the wind on his face and sailing towards the horizon.

When he woke to the nightmare that was the mutiny, he was shocked, angry, hurt, and most importantly… relieved that no one had been killed. If his family didn't think him a fine captain, then fine. Let Meg squander her winning for a while… They’ll be begging for him back. His stomach growled loudly and by the light leaking through the side of the ship, he knew it would be about dinner time. Vera was more than likely cooking something up in the kitchen for the crew. He wondered if he’d even be allowed to eat. Meg wasn’t heartless, but he couldn’t be certain of her treatment considering where he’s found himself. Maybe she was keeping him alive for his luck.

Or perhaps… his luck had run out.

Although, now that he thought about it… the ship was unusually quiet. He expected a party. Drinking, food, merriment on their victory of taking down Captain Midas. However, there was a noticeable silence. He knew they had docked somewhere, but that was the extent of his knowledge. Maybe he could get Bill to drink with him. Or Phillip. Maybe Rudy? He wished someone would bring him a drink. He needed one after today. And food preferably.

Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw the mutiny.

He was asleep in his quarters, dozing as was previously mentioned, when there was a commotion on deck. He didn’t think it was an invading party since no one had sounded for battle stations. There was shouting and the metallic clanging of swords. However, the commotion was missing the cries of pain that came with a boarding. He crew was never one to give up easily. Well… not noticeably anyway. So he pulled on his breeches and a simple shirt along with his boots and his cutlass before heading out the door. Right as he emerged, Meg was there, her wild red hair blowing around her face in the breeze, shining in the morning son like a fire. Hellfire.

”I’ve come to relieve you Captain,” she said, fierceness in her tone, but an apology in her eyes. ”Come willingly or face the consequences of your actions.” Behind her were the few who opposed the mutiny, on their knees with pistols pointed at the backs of their heads or cutlasses at their throats. No one looked willing to be in this position, but Meg—the treasure—was worth the sacrifice. He was no fool. He knew the treasure’s worth to each member of the crew.

Especially Meg. Her parents died in search of the treasure and to her it would be for nothing if she doesn’t find the treasure. For nothing, if she couldn’t claim it for her family name. For nothing, if she made nothing of herself…

So here they were. James standing in obvious surprise, Meg with a cutlass to his throat, and his crew divided. So, he surrendered. It was better to do so than to be the cause of any harm to his crew. He didn’t believe any of them capable of hurting the others, but they were desperate to cause a mutiny… how far were they really willing to go?

With his mind caught up to the present, he closed his eyes and let out a few soft notes before continuing through the song:

Safe and sound at home again,
Let the waters roar, Jack,
Safe and sound at home again,
Let the waters roar, Jack,

Long we’ve tossed on the rolling main,
Now we’re safe ashore, Jack,
Don’t forget you’re old shipmate,
Faldee raldee raldee raldee rye-dye-doe!

xRosia “Jack" Hienrik

Everybody in the world knows
Everybody in the world knows
Everybody in the world knows
Everybody in the world knows

I'm a little twisted, twisted
I'm a little twisted, twisted
I'm a little twisted, twisted
I'm a little twisted, twistedxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxThe Mate//#7C674A


Rosia was giggly and excited for this whole plan, the only thing she didn’t like was that she was told to just focus on the map, and they had to wear these restricting dresses. While they were pretty and Rosia liked pretty very much, she didn’t like how tight it had to be, and her dress also had sleeves, something she just didn’t like at all. She also had to wear gloves to cover up her injured pinky. Noble and high-class women weren’t scared. Rosia remembered growing up and seeing that the rich always had to “perfect” and didn’t care about anything else besides their looks and their money.

Rosia entered the party behind Meg and in front of Vera, Rosia prancing off to do her part, get information about where the map was Meghan getting the signal necklace, and Vera getting in position. Rosia would much rather just go through each room and tear it down looking for the map but was told numerous times they had to be silent and not suspicious. She talked up a couple of nobles but nothing much more about politics and other business opportunities around the city, as well as overhearing the nuisance pirates were being.

As Rosia walked around and began to listen to the different conversations of the party, she also thought back to the mutiny earlier in the day. Captain James had refused the crews request to go after the treasure, and Meg came up with the mutiny plan. Rosia quickly whispered and questioned to figure out who was with who, subtly asking questions without giving away the plans. When the mutiny finally began, Rosia felt a rush as cutlasses clashed on deck and was a little disappointed when it was finally over, helping her crew mates up and starting their journey for the treasure. Rosia was brought back into he present and her mission when talk about selling items for coin caught her ear

Eventually Rosia joined the circle of a pretentious nobles talking about the items that were going to be auctioned off and being sold for a high coin. “How we know these items are real. I haven’t seen them, especially this so called updated map of a lost treasure.” Rosia spoke up after smaller talk and making sure she sounded proper. Luckily these men loved to brag about themselves and easily gave up information. “Well young lady, I personally have seen ALL of these items, even the treasure map that Lord Chamberlin has shown me up in his study earlier this night.” The conversation then spun off about what these items looked like and if gemstones in some cup was real, Rosia quickly snuck out of the circle and went on to find Meg. She was smiling with happy with herself.

After finding Meg she walked over to her after fidgeting with her dress, standing next to Meg and sipping some wine. “T’is is terrible. How do they drink this? Oh, there’s a study upstairs.” Rosia said under her breathe, with a smile on her face, happy and proud of herself. As she looked through the crowd making sure no one was catching on to them or watching them too closely, she talked “Ey, you look great tonight madam, let me know when were ready.” Rosia ready to get to the next part of the plan.

---

---

XXXXMeg did a most unladylike thing when Rosia commented on the wine: she snorted. Loudly. Thankfully, no one in the room seemed to give a gold coin for whatever the two ladies were discussing. They were all wrapped up in their own conversations. Meg placed a hand over her mouth and leaned over to Rosia as if to whisper a bit of gossip to a friend and said, "Aye. Right nasty thing. It's like drinking a sandy beach." She paused, giving the room a once over. "Let me dispose of this trinket and we be on our way." She walked over to the nearby open window, the cool night breeze wafting into the room, bringing about the smell of roses from the Lady's garden. Meg closed her eyes a moment, allowing herself to take in the scent as both a part of the act and as a part of the plan. In one quick movement, she had the necklace from her sleeve and tumbling down to the floor below where Vera would hopefully find it. Then she turned to Rosia, a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. "Lead on."

Rosia giggled upon herself hearing her captain snort. It was a cute little thing that the almighty Hellfire would do occasionally. Usually, Rosia would have to try to get her to snort, but this time it was just natural and perfect. “Heh, I’ll be ‘ere.” Rosia said as she debated in her head to finish the wine that she hated the taste of, but was still thirsty. In the end, she gulped down the rest of the glass and setting it down. Rosia watched as Meg went to the near window and disposed of the necklace, Rosia didn’t even notice her getting rid of it and she was watching it. “Nice move.” Rosia commented when Meg returned.

Rosia looked around the room before walking out the door and down the hall. With Meg behind her, she peaked around the corner before continuing down the long hallway. She finally reached a room that was off to the side. Rosia assumed it was the study since it was locked and there weren’t any other rooms around. “Keepin’ an eye out will yae?” Rosia asked in a whisper to Meg as she fiddled with her dress, pulling out her lock pick kit out from the front of her corset. “Don’t judge, had keep it hidden.” Rosia said before bending over and started to pick the lock. Rosia cursed to herself a couple times before finally getting it unlocked. “The Cap’n may enter.” Rosia said as she stepped back.

Meg left her glass behind as she followed Rosia out of the room and towards the study. Meg silently chastised herself for not being more prepared, but the Lord rarely let anyone in and she couldn't very well replace a servant for the short period of time they would've needed. Servants hold important positions, ones Meg could appreciate more than the nobleman, and if you replace or add to the household, all of that will shift resulting in commotion later on. While it was an appealing idea to cause chaos in the home, Meg wouldn't want to cause trouble for the servants who were already as close to slaves as could be. She was lost in thought and nearly collided with Rosia once her spy found the door.

Her first mate pulled a pick from the front of her corset and whispered in defense. Meg simply smirked. "If ya think that's all I need to judge, ya be wrong. I have a knife strapped to me leg and another garter for the map. With this damned hoop-skirt might even make for a show." She replied quietly as Rosia worked on the door's lock. There was a soft click and the door swung open on silent hinges. "That a lass." She walked in and quietly shut the door behind her leaving Rosia to keep an eye out.

The study was exactly as Meg expected. It was a male's collection of inconsequential things that he parades around to compensate for his small manhood. Meg, being a pirate, was a bit hypocritical with her thoughts, but she began her quiet search. She prayed this wouldn't take nearly as long as she feared. The more time spent searching meant a higher chance of capture... and an arrest for Vera.

Rosia nodded Meg walked in and closed the door behind her as she walked in. Rosia’s next task was to just stay outside the study and keep watch, easy task but she knew it was important, so she couldn’t goof off. Rosia didn’t expect anyone to come investigating upstairs, but Meg still wanted her to keep watch to be safe. As Rosia was waiting by the door, she heard footsteps approaching from the staircase. Rosia leaned against the door and gave three light knocks, signaling to Meg there was company coming. Rosia was getting ready bolt away when she heard talk. “There’s a situation in the courtyard! Something about the noble and some mistress.” Then the footsteps went away from them and silence followed. Rosia gave the all clear two knocks afterward and continued to be on guard.

Meg had checked the desk first, figuring it was the best place to check. However, she had none of James's luck and so found nothing. She checked the pile of rolled up paper on the bookshelf. She found a map of the stars she had to prevent herself from taking for Vale. They had a star map, but it was old and fading. She only had room under her skirts for one map and this one was more important. Her heart sank. It wasn't on the shelf either. She nearly jumped out of the pointy shoes she had shoved her feet into when three quick knocks came. She noticed the window was nearby and looked out. There was a small lip just outside and she decided that was probably a better than getting caught.

She was half out the window when the two slow knocks sounded through the study. She sighed in relief and shut the window. Back to her search. She had already checked the two most obvious places. She really, really hoped that they had heard wrong and he had stashed it somewhere else. Then she saw the corner of a piece of paper behind the large hanging mirror on the wall. She gently tugged on it and it slid away easily. At first, she stared in confusion at the blank sheet of parchment. Then she flipped it and behold the map! She quickly rolled it up, fumbled a bit with her skirts until she had it snug in the garter.

She knocked on the door once, loudly, before she hoped the door and stepped out. She heard the commotion in the other room. Probably caused by their very own Vera. Time to act fast. "Best be off," she said quickly and quietly before moving down the hall. She wasn't running, but it was definitely obvious they were in a rush. They had to get down the stairs and out the door where they'd wait for Vera just on the other side of the rose hedges. She was impressed they hadn't been found. "We nearly done." She said once they were out the front door.

Rosia looked back hearing a knock come from inside the room, and then watching Meg come out, smiling at her. “Sure thang, tired of t’s place already.” Rosia said as she followed behind Meg through the hall and out the door, the whole time Rosia having a hard time in the dress she was wearing. “Ey, slowin’ down.” Rosia said as she finally caught up with her outside the front door. When Vera finally arrived, Rosia perked up and smiled a little. “Good an’ glad you made it. Time to get back to sea?”

---

---

XXXXAs soon as the sole of Meg's boot touched the wood of The Stardust a calming sensation moved through her body, causing her muscles to relax. The Stardust might not be Meg's ship, but she was home. Ever since she laid eyes on the navy blue masts and dark wood, she loved her. She was her ship whether James liked it or not. She stuck out her hand and ran it over the wood of the side just as Rosia crowed from behind her, "Cap'n on deck!" She smiled softly, rolling her eyes just at a tad at the formality. Nice to have a first mate, She thought. She closed her eyes a moment and when she opened them again, the nostalgic Meg was gone and was replaced by Captain Meghan Cunningham.

"Look alive ye scallywags!" She yelled to her crew. "We've returned with the updated map and will set sail within the hour! Just in case we've got Land King men on our tails!" She looked at the near-empty deck, and her eyes narrowed. Where was her crew? "First Mate!" She turned to Rosia, "Find me crew and tell them all hands on deck. I want Philip on the helm and Tessa in the rigging. Have Vera make a nice dinner for everyone including that rat down in our brig." She started towards her room and paused. She turned back towards Rosia. "Oh, and tell Sunni I'll come by in a bit. I know she gets a tad lonely when we're out on land." And she secretly wanted to see what her surgeon thought of the dress. Not that she'd ever admit it to anyone.

Instead of going to her quarters to change, she made her way towards the ship's brig to visit their prisoner.

XXXXJames's wishes for a drink and company were quickly answered. Just as his song died on his lips, he heard boots coming down the wooden steps to the brig. The man had addressed him as captain and then a filthy traitor which made his hand curl into a fist but with a deep breath, he relaxed again. It wasn't Bill's fault he was in the situation. It was his own. "Aye. A drink would be grand, Mate." He paid little mind to Bill's comment on him being free shortly. If the pirate was daft enough to free him without the order of his captain, it could very well be his head. At least, that's how traditional pirating was done. James... he'd yell about it, but in the end, he probably would do nothing. Bill was family. This crew was family. They just... needed a reminder. They'll let him out. They had to...

As Bill's boots retreated back up the stairs he yelled. "Bring me rum you bilge rat! Not grog!" More quietly he said, "The stuff tastes like... well like you're kissing a lemon. A dirty, rum soaked lemon." There was a clanging as someone brought supplies on board. James swiveled his head to get a better look and spotted Vale, the ship's navigator, and Tessa, the ship's master rigger. Then again they were pirates. There should be no shame in it. Tessa's mouth was even worse than his own. Why the two were stowing supplies he wasn't sure considering both of their duties lie on the ship's deck. Meg would want them up there. That is... unless she was already failing at being a pirate captain. He gave a small arrogant smirk which was wiped away in surprise when Vale came bounding up to him with Tessa's hat in her hand. Inside the hat was a small bird.

He rose to his knees and moved towards the bars. He stuck his hand through and reached to touch the top of the bird's head lightly. It was soft and so very small. "It looks sick..." he said softly. He raised his eyes to Vale's and said, "Does Meg know you've brought aboard a bird?" He looked back down at the winged creature and whispered, "Even still. Best you bring it to Sunni. See if she can patch the thing up." He knew their ship's surgeon was more of a people person, it was possible she'd know what was wrong with the bird.

He heard the clicking of heels coming down the stairs and he looked over in confusion. As far as he knew, no one on board wore the types of heals that would make such a racket. Except maybe Vera, but it was uncommon. When he saw the redhead of Hellfire striding towards him, decked out in finery... he laughed. "Why Meghan Cunningham! You look like a wolf in sheep's clothing!" He guffawed. "My word what an outfit!"

Meg stood on the other side of the bars of James cell, watching him laugh with an unamused expression on her face. She had come down here to give the news about the map and to inform the former captain that... if he wanted he could be captain again he just... had to take a chance for once. His luck would see them through, she knew it, but now...

"Tessa." She said sternly, command hardening her tone. "Valentina." She didn't look at them, but when she felt their attention turn to her, she continued. "To the deck." With a seething glare at James, she added, Now. Before Vale passed she stopped her and said, "Wait here," She pulled the map from her garter and handed it to her navigator.

When they were gone, she stepped towards the bars... and in one quick movement, she had James by his shirt and pulled him towards her. His face nearly met the metal and he cussed quietly. "You will not make fun of me in front of my crew again, is that understood?" She said, her words laced with anger. "Is that understood?" James just nodded, shocked at Meg's sudden mood change.

"Good." She released him. "I came to tell you that we had the map and that your position was free to be taken back, but I think I'll keep it instead." She smirked at him, her eyes burning like the hair on her head.

James glared back at her. "You won't make it a week without me. You're a quartermaster, Meghan. Not a captain. This is my ship. My crew. And I'll be damned to Davy Jones's locker if I just hand it over to the likes of you."

A sadness spread through her core, dousing the burning fires of her anger. "You were my friend you know. I didn't want this to happen... you left me no choice you were--"

"In the way? Yes. I suppose I was."

"This treasure is my birthright, James. My parents--"

"Died looking for it. Yes, so I've heard. But are you really willing to sacrifice their lives for your... suicide attempt?"

"I gave everyone a choice. No one is doing this blindly, James." She turned from his cell. "I'll have Vera bring you a meal." And with that she flounced back up the stairs. Tears prickled in her eyes. She was so frustrated with him. She blinked them away, took a deep breath, and went below decks once more to find her favorite surgeon.

"Sunni!" She called right before entering the room. "There is good news and bad news! The good new is we got the map. The bad news is I had to wear this--" She looked up as she entered and saw her helmsman and her surgeon sitting close. Philip was drunk which was just fantastic. She crossed her arms, her frustration easily racing back to her. "Am I interrupting something?"

xRosia “Jack" Hienrik

Everybody in the world knows
Everybody in the world knows
Everybody in the world knows
Everybody in the world knows

I'm a little twisted, twisted
I'm a little twisted, twisted
I'm a little twisted, twisted
I'm a little twisted, twistedxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxThe Mate//#7C674A


Rosia stayed towards the back of the three women as they walked back towards the ship, finally arriving after a short walk. Watching Meg and Vera step on board, a small but quick idea popped into her head, one she acted on very quickly. “Cap’n on deck!” Rosia shouted, giggling a little to herself before pushing past Vera little to get a view of the deck. Well, she didn’t mean to really push past her, but the dress she was wearing didn’t exactly make it easy get by them. When Rosia looked around the ship she was surprised, by not what she saw, but what she didn’t see. She was honestly expecting the others to already be on deck waiting for them to leave, but there was barely a soul on the deck, though she did notice little Rudy laying about.

"First Mate!" Rosia heard Meg call for her, making her jump a little. “Aye!” Rosia quickly responded, and listening to what Meg was saying to her. Rosia quickly nodded. “Will do Cap’n Hellfire.” Rosia said as she went to start heading below deck. She stopped and nodded again after hearing a follow up to let Sunni know she was going to stop by. Rosia tore her tight shoes off leaving her barefoot, and headed towards the stairs, going past Bill and taking his grog out of his hand. “T’anks for the drink Py. Hellfire wants all ye on deck.” Rosia said with a smirk darting below deck, guessing Pyrite wouldn’t follow her after hearing what she said.

First Rosia ended up running into Julian and the rest of the gunner crew first, jumping onto Julian’s back, though it was more difficult than she expected with her dress, taking a sip of the drink she stole from Bill. “Ey Big Dragon, Cap’n wants you an’ gunners on deck. Whole crew an’ such. See you upon top.” Rosia handed off the grog Julian and continued throughout the ship to find the others, but next thing she knew saw Tessa and Vale coming up from the brig. “Ey? Riggknot, Tempest. Why were ye’ not on deck when we arrived? ‘Nyways, Cap’n wants to part soon. I not need to say ‘ere she wants you?” Rosia asked, she knew both of her crewmates knew their job, and she took off again, not even noticing the small birdie.

Rosia thought about getting food, but quickly remembered she was supposed to tell Sunni about Meg visiting her, plus she still hadn’t found Nameless. Sunni’s room was only around the corner so it wouldn’t be a long walk. Rosia opened the door and stepped in, surprised to see Nameless here with Sunni. “Hellfire will be ‘ere soon. An’ she wants Nameless at the helm.” Quickly after she had finished talking Meg walked in, talking about her dress. Luckily she snuck out behind her when sh was confused to see Nameless with Sunni.

After running around the ship in the uncomfortable dress, Rosia stumbled into Vera’s kitchen and snuck a small potato, equally exhausted and hungry from everything. Rosia assumed that she was probably changing since she wasn’t here in the kitchen. As Rosia went to sat down she made a little ruckus and knocked over a chair. “I am goin’ to cut tis dress up!” She shouted to herself as she put her snack down and started messing with her dress, almost looking like a feral animal.

The manifest is set, release the mooring lines
From the top, from the nest, looks the perfect night

So I’ve gone out to sea
But this time it’s gonna be a burial for me!

Bill had just gotten out of the stores, hearing Meg's orders. He was just about to command the gunner crew and Leigh before he was interrupted by Rosia, who took his grog that he was about to serve James.
“T’anks for the drink Py. Hellfire wants all ye on deck.”
Bill annoyingly called after her as she darted below deck. He didn't want to follow her, the ship was about to start sailing. She ran down the stairs barefoot, leaving Bill again wondering how a person as small and thin like her was so fast. She always seemed so tireless, yet Bill had the instinct to protect her since the minute he met her. She was like a little sister to him.
"Don't drink too much o' that, Rosie!"
Bill looked around, seeing the crew on deck getting ready, though calling the rest was still necessary. He naturally had a loud voice from singing and the occasional bellowing of orders, eventually taking a deep breath and shouting.
"Weigh anchor and hoist the Mizzen! Get the Stardust ready lads!"
That was enough to get the gunners and some of the crew going. Meredith, better known as Sharktooth, hurried onto the deck. She was carrying her spear and hastily approached Bill.
"Are we gon' start sailin', sir?" She seemed tense as she asked Bill.
"Aye. Call meh' Bill, though." Bill watched the Gunner Crew jump down from the forecastle deck, getting ready to raise the anchor. Raising the anchor was tedious, which was why Bill often didn't participate in the activity.
He quickly rushed down into the ship, passing several crew members. He was quick on his feet as he hurried to get another drink for James, noticing that Jules was carrying the tankard Bill planned to hand to James. The grog sloshed around in the tankard instead of the rum James had wished for.
"Get on deck. Crew needs th' arm o' th' dragon."Bill gave a grin to his friend before he eventually passed the crew's quarters and climbed down into the Stores. Like most other bottom level rooms, the Stores smelled like saltwater. Bill's soles were wet as he looked around in the cold and dark storage room. Barrels filled to the brim with cannonballs and some rations were kept here, though the part further back in the Stores contained some barrels of alcohol, where most of the crew would get their beverages from. Bill grabbed a tankard from a small table and tapped grog. The cup was half-filled with grog, and it had the typical smell and color of fresh grog.
But James had asked for rum...
Bill found the barrel for rum and filled the rest of the tankard with it. The beverage adopted the typical smell and color of rum. Bill held the tankard over his mouth and dripped some beads of the half-grog-half-rum beverage. Perfect.
It had the flavor of the 'dirty, rum-soaked lemon' but was perfectly disguised as a fresh, tapped tankard of amber rum. Bill quickly barged through, walking to the brig at the other side of the ship after walking along the hold. Sometimes, Bill would be isolated, resting in this bottom level of the ship. He had haunting memories from his past he hadn't shared with anyone. No one, not even him, knew anything about the strange burnt markings on his body and the same engravings in his cutlass.
He finally saw James and gave him the tankard.
"Enjoy, lad." Bill darted back up to the deck, not looking James in the eye in fear of him figuring out, though he realized that even if James did, he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
Within the matter of a minute, he was back on the deck. He panted, trying to breathe steadily as he watched the Stardust release itself from the mainland.

x

J U L I A NX| | XD R A G O N

---

| Master Gunner |
| #B02E04 |

---

T H EX N A M E L E S S XH E L M S M A N
HEXCODE: #1d906f

Philip nodded, choosing to believe Sunni’s words about the girls as he followed her instructions and found himself a seat. Sitting down, Philip found the world stopped spinning, but it definitely had a gentle rock to it. Maybe, just maybe, that last tankard had been a mistake.

“So tell me about this person you're in love with." Sunni asked, returning to his side.

Philip sighed and looked to the roof above them. He could recall the boy’s brown eyes, so dark they seemed as if they held the secrets of the universe. And the way he laughed when his friend told a joke, Philip could listen to that sound for the rest of the days. Philip looked back at Sunni and sighed again, a long bedraggled one. “It does’na matter. Our love be a doomed one.” Philip hadn’t even caught the boy’s name before he left into the night, it felt impossible to hold out hope for a reunion.

“Hellfire will be ‘ere soon. An’ she wants Nameless at the helm.”

Philip didn’t need to turn around to know it was Rosia at his back, yapping out orders for Meg. He recognised her voice and feeling no sense of responsibility to be where their new captain wanted him to be, he waved her off without moving, “Aye aye." Then Philip looked back at Sunni with a soft, drunken smile and leaned in as if telling a secret. Resting his hand gently on her shoulder. “He had the most beautiful eyes though.”

Then Meg herself burst in, stopping her tracks when she noticed Philip’s presence. "Am I interrupting something?"
Philip dropped his hand and looked at Meg. “Aye, ye are.” He said before stumbling to his feet. “But ‘aint that be ye right as our new captain.” Then on his way out he turned to Sunni with a sloppy wink. “Let’s continue this later, my lovely lass.”

On Philip’s way from Sunni’s quarters to the deck he stumbled across a half-full mug of grog left atop a barrel. Shrugging, Philip took a large mouthful, “Must be me lucky day.” That was when he spotted Rudy asleep, tucked away in a corner.

Philip laughed to himself, as a powder monkey himself back in the day he’d done a lot worse than fall asleep on watch. “Oi,” He said kicking the boy’s leg to wake him up, his lack of balance causing a little bit of the grog to topple over the rim of the mug and fall into Rudy’s direction below him. Philip liked the boy, he had a sense of adventure Philip recognized in his younger self. Plus, it was nice have someone around who followed your orders and wanted to hear what you had to teach.

“I be needing ye help. So come along boy.” Then headed to the deck, happy to see the wheel unmanned. The last thing he needed tonight was Vale taking over. He walked past the small group raising the anchor, noticing Bill’s usual absence from the task, and ran his hands along the familiar wheel. Well, semi-familiar considering they’d replaced it about six months ago.

Without Vale, he had no idea where they were heading but even in his state he could get them away from the docks, then he could have Rudy or Rosie or someone take over so he could take a well-earned nap.

---

Sat upon the barrel, Tessa watched as Vale went up to James to show him the bird. Though she couldn't help the small smile on her face from seeing Vale be so excited. She shook her head slightly at the former captains comment. If only ya knew what was in this barrel, the birdie would be the least of our worries, mate, She thought. She was so focused on the exchange, she hadn't noticed Meg come in dressed to her ears in that beautiful dress. At hearing the command in Meg's voice as she ordered them to go up, Tessa did as she was told. For the most part.

She carefully slipped off the barrel, but before leaving spoke under her breath as softly as she could. “Don't make a fucking peep,” the last thing Tessa wants is for this stupid plan to fail. Then up top she went, furrowing her eyes when Vale was stopped. She wanted her hat back but knew Vale would return it… eventually… after she has fun wearing it around.

Once upon deck, Tessa took a look around. It seemed everyone was where they needed to be. For the most part, at least. She made her way over to the ropes that were needed to be adjusted to set sail. Everyone seemed busy at work. But not busy enough to make a comment apparently.

“Ay, where's your hat?” said Rum, though Tessa didn't care who said it either. Though, she supposed they had a point. It wasn't often she went around without her hat. But it was in good hands she knew.

“Fuck off,” she spat as she continued walking until she made it to where she had to be. She waited until the anchor had been raised and the helmsman was at the helm. Though she wasn't surprised to see him stir the kid, probably trying to get him to help. She rolled her eyes at this then went to take care of the rigging.

Some ropes loosened here, others tightened there. Just as the sail dropped ever so slightly to just catch the gentle breeze, Tessa couldn't help the song that came to her. Lightly under her breath while she went about pulling and tying ropes she sang, “Now we are ready to head for the horn, weigh hey, roll and go. Our boots and our clothes, boys, are all in the pawn to be rollickin’ randy dandy-o,” she reckoned the song was quite fitting. She sang even as she pulled and tied ropes and watched as the land became further away. Soon they'd be at sea. Soon we'll be at home, she thought.

xxxxxPYON SUN-AH

dialogue colour; #fa8072
plague || the surgeon

She just acknowledged Rosia with a nod as she said the captain was expected shortly. Her attention, however, turned immediately to Meg as she entered the room in a dress that just took her breath away. She was stunning. As Sunni scrambled to regain her power of speech, Meg asked about her and the helmsman, and he did absolutely nothing to help with his leaving comment. In fact, it was her irritation that helped her regain her composure.

"Naneun geureul jugilgeoya," she muttered to herself. I'm going to kill him. She turned back to look at Meg. "Our dearest Helmsman decided to tell me about his newest affection. A boy on the street, from what I could tell. I sat him down so he wouldn't vomit everywhere." She paused for a moment. "And also so he'd stop touching my stuff," she admitted.

Her attention drifted back to Meg in the dress. If she had been a little bolder, if she was a little more honest about her affections, she knew exactly what she would dare to say. But instead, she leaned back a little in her seat. "How horrible it must have been for you," she said with false shock. "I bet the men of the party were positively swooning into your arms," She added with a smirk. Even if they were, Sunni didn't even know if she would have noticed. She probably would have used it to their advantage.

"So there was no trouble then? So excitement or drama?" She asked, picking up her book and sliding her bookmark into it. "Please tell me you have some stories, it's so boring here when you're on land," she added.

X
X
X
C a l l i e X| | XR o s i a



V e r a || J a c k

C o o k || M a t e

#DD5308 | | #D2B48C

The walk home was lighthearted. It was as if Vera had a skip in her step. The wine bottle swung in her arms; she cradled it as if it was her child. When the ship came into view, she hummed. The Stardust is the only safe place in the world for Vera. There, she is surrounded by friends and allies. On land, who knows where spies may lurk. Sure, they were eons away from Pierce and his crew, but money runs deep. A few months back, she heard the name “Venus” while visiting a bar. They could have been talking about anyone, but it scared Vera back onto the ship. She didn’t touch land for months after.

Her captain hopped on first, then Vera, then Rosia, who promptly announced their arrival. That made Vera’s grin grow wider. These were her people. Meg took charge immediately, ordering her crew to get prepared for sailing. But she was waiting for those words; those words and her name. And they came in the form of a swift order to prepare a meal for the crew. Finally, Vera would be able to enter her element. Her true home. Her kitchen was waiting.

However, the kitchen would need to wait a bit longer. For now, this dress would absolutely need to go. With a swift, “Aye, captain,” Vera headed towards her quarters. Well, their quarters. She pushed into the crew’s quarters and shuffled over to her hammock. A hammock that was often left unattended, whether Vera found solace in someone else’s bed or napping on the deck. She rifled through the small chest that contained her belongings and pulled out a quite different dress. This one was much more simple, no frills or lace, but it was a crimson red. If she dirtied with blood, it would be less noticable. It fell just above her knees with a ragged edge. Clearly it had been cut to shorten it. The sleeves, well, lack there of, had suffered the same fate. As the corset knot was undone, Vera sighed loudly in relief. She certainly didn’t miss wearing those.

Once the dress was on, Vera was off. She raced to the kitchen, humming wildly to herself. She was sure nothing could improve her mood, but as she swung the kitchen door open, she jumped. In her kitchen was a ragged animal, clawing at her dress with desperation. Vera did her best to stifle her laugh, but an unruly snort and chuckle escaped. “Excuse you, ma’am. Need some help?” She joked, approaching Rosia. Then she noticed the stray potato. “Oh my, having a little snack, are we?” Although she was chastising the shorter woman, she couldn’t hide her playful tone. “I need these to make dinner, you little rascal!” Vera snatched it up and walked to the other side of the kitchen, closer to the pantry. They had stocked just a few hours before, so she had plenty of fresh meat to work with. A lovely cow flank sat in her icebox, ready to be butchered. She pulled out a large pot and filled it with a mixture of ale, water, salt, pepper, garlic, and some bay leaves. As that worked on boiling, Vera pulled out her meat and started cutting it into cubes. “You know, you don’t look bad in that dress,” Vera teased her. Although she wasn’t looking up from her knife, a grin spread across her lips.

Rosia at this point was close to just getting a cutlass and cutting the dress off of herself. She was startled when she heard a voice talking to her, looking up and seeing Vera, smiling back at her. “I don’t neednt help.” She said back to Vera. Rosia gave up on messing with her dress, and settling down at the table she was sitting at. In reality she probably could’ve used help getting the dress off, or at least loosened, with how she has shorter arms. But she didn’t exactly want to ask for help with such a simple task of taking off a dress.

As Rosia reached for the potato she took out of the pantry to snack on, Vera snatched it up. “Ey!” Rosia shouted at her, giving a pouty lip when she talked about how she needs it to cook. “If ye let me eat it now, less food to cook.” Rosia said as she watched her take it back to the pantry. Rosia got up from the table and dragged a barrel closer to where Vera was working and sat upon then, struggling to get comfortable with the dress still on. Whenever the ship was steady flow and calm, and Rosia wasn’t asked to worked anywhere else, she liked to come down and watch Vera cook and prep food. As she saw the cook bring out all her ingredients and seasoning, she noticed and remember Vera had started painting the jars and bottles with labels to try to get Rosia to read. Rosia was just staring at the labels trying to decipher the symbols when Vera brought up her dress.

”It be pretty, isn’t comfor’able. Hand me that knife and I’ll be fixin’ it. Yours was much be’er. Ya legs lookin’ nice.” Rosia said as she repositioned how she was sitting on the stool. Rosia wasn’t one to flirt, but she was one to speak her mind and what she thought without giving it a second. “So that sand stuff ye put in the pot, that says ‘say-lety’?” Rosia asked, attempting to pronounce the letters on the salt container.

Vera huffed at Rosia’s comment about making less food. The entire time she spoke, she never looked up from her meat. “I enjoy cooking, dear. Why in the world would I want to cook less? I would have to cook less if you stole all of my ingredients...” As she finished cutting, she placed the knife down on the counter a ways away from Rosia so she couldn’t snatch it up. Vera scooped all of the meat up and dumped it into the pot. With a stir, she covered it and let it sit.

Then came the compliment. Vera laughed curtly. Although the comment was said in a rather terse tone, it was a compliment none-the-less. She decided to ignore the heat in her cheeks and continued working. “You don’t want to cut it up! You’ll ruin how pretty it is. Let me finish up here and I’ll help you out.” Vera glanced over at Rosia if only for a moment. Her mind wandered off track for just a moment before she jerked herself back into awareness. Next came the onions. She began peeling them and tossing the skins aside. Then Rosia fixated on the salt, attempting to read it out loud. “Not quite! But you did get rather close, Rosebud.” Vera’s voice was always kind, but when she began teaching, you could tell it oozed with patience and warmth. That nickname was thrown in there just to tease. You know, in a gentle way. “Look at each letter and pronounce them by themselves. Ssss-aaa…” Vera trailed off, hoping that Rosia would finish for her. She was now slicing the onions into smaller pieces

“But with knife I could cut like ye do with the meats and stuff.” Rosia commented back to Vera about not cutting up her dress. “Aye, fine. Help me af’er food is done.” She finished after reaching for the knife before Vera moved it out of her short reach Rosia sighed when she was told she was a wrong about how she pronounced the labeled word. As Vera started the word, Rosia figured out what she was trying to do. “Lll-tttt… Wait! That say salt?! As in the wa’er?” Rosia exclaimed and questioned loudly, pointing towards the wall that held water on the other side. “No. I refuse. Ye said before the second thingy made a ‘Ay’ sound. Like Ace on the cards!” Rosia continued laying her forehead down on the counter in play-like defeat. “Tis dumb. How much long’r till food done.” Rosia asked, rolling her head sideways so now her cheek was against the counter. Rosia hated feeling like she couldn’t do something, hence why she didn’t really try to read or let anyone attempt to teach her, but with Vera she knew she wouldn’t be judge.

Before Vera even spoke, she had dumped the onions into the pot and stirred the mixture. It was starting to smell lovely. A few more herbs and spices found their way into the pot. “Yes, salt. They take out the ocean water and let it dry up in the sun. Then they scrape the stuff up and it makes food taste better!” Vera heaved the bag of potatoes out of the pantry. It seemed to be half her size but she hoisted it up anyways, almost miraculously. Then, she began to cut them up. Generally she would soften them first but everyone, including Rosia, seemed eager for the food to be finished.

“I know, that was a different sounding ‘A’ though. All the letters sound different depending on what letters are around them. When you say ‘salt’, that’s why it sounds like ‘salt’.” Vera scoffed when Rosia called it dumb, but the smile never left her face. “It’s not dumb! Just complicated. It takes a while to learn, but you’ll get the hang of it eventually. Try reading this one.” She paused in her slicing to hand Rosia the small jar that said ‘pepper’ on the front. Then her hands went back to cutting. She was half way done.

Rosia lifted her head up as Vera told her it wasn’t dumb and then took the small jar Vera was handing to her. Rosia looked at it for a couple seconds as her mind turned and she tried to figure it out. “So the ‘Ar’ thingy changes the sound of the ‘eh’ right? So t’is would say ‘Peh-par’?” Rosia asked curiously. She knew Vera would sniff most things as she put them into her dishes, so Rosia decided to smell the small jar she handed it. Immediately Rosia sneezed to the side, almost dropping the jar. After she put the jar down she sneezed a couple more times. “Blach. What you given me ‘ere, messin’ up me nose” Rosia said as she scrunched and then rubbed her nose.

Vera listened intently as Rosia went through pronouncing the words out loud. Her smile widened when she said it correctly. “Yes! That’s pepper.” In one quick motion, she rounded up the now diced tomatoes and began picking them up and putting them into the pot. When she looked back, Rosia stuck her nose a bit too far into the jar which resulted in a sneezing fit. “It’s a spice! You aren’t supposed to inhale it.” Vera took the jar back so she could toss a few more peppercorns into the mixture. She churned everything in the large pot, making sure it was all mixed nicely, before covering it and letting it sit. “Alright, give that a few more minutes and we’ll be good. Wanna read some more?” Although Vera was genuine, there was a light teasing in her tone. “I have plenty more jars.”

Rosia started to regain her composure as Vera told her pepper was a spice. “Well, I see you always sniffin’ the jars.” Rosia was happy that she pronounced the word correctly before she started her sneezing fit. She felt a small sense of accomplishment and was smiling to herself and towards Vera for helping her. Rosia shrugged her shoulders before talking again. “Don’t know. Alot for today, still confused with salt not being like ace.” Rosia rubbed her nose a couple more times as the pepper still was irritating her a bit. Burgundian partlets“Next time, tell me not to sniff. Please.”[/color]

“Well, I sniff the jars at a distance, I don’t jam my nose into it.” Vera taunted her, her devilish grin never once fading. Once Rosia expressed her confusion and irritation, she nodded in understanding. “That’s alright, don’t worry. We can learn some more another day.” Vera checked her pot again; it was boiling nicely. She gave it another good stir before covering it once more. “Don’t go sniffing my jars then if you don’t want a nose full of pepper.” Vera smiled. She liked the way her dish looked, but she wanted more. It needed more punch. Humming to herself, she disappeared into the pantry again, coming out with some colorful peppers in her hands. She cut them up, stripped their seeds, and tossed them into the mixture. That should add some extra warmth. “Alright, now that just needs to settle for a bit. Want me to help you out of that dress now?” The content of the words seemed so vulgar, but Vera’s intentions were nothing but innocent. Well, mostly.

Rosia continued to watch Vera move elegantly through her kitchen, checking her pot and getting more ingredients to add to tonight’s meal. Rosia wasn’t entirely sure what it was but it did smell amazing and Rosia knows Vera always makes amazing food so Rosia isn’t one to complain about whatever Vera puts in front of her. “But your food always smellin’ good, so why don’t the jars smell good like the food?” She commented before standing up and pushing the barrel she was using as a chair back where she got it from. As walked back towards Vera, she heard her ask if she still wants help with her dress. “Well, I mean ye won’t let me go cuttin’ it off, so yes.” Rosia answered, as she smiled towards Vera.

Vera loved talking to Rosia. It gave her the chance to teach someone, and teaching was always so satisfying and rewarding. “Well, there’s a reason I only put a little bit of the stuff in my food. Its very intense.” Vera walked over to her cleaning bucket and wet a cloth. She cleaned her hands, making sure to scrub the smell of onions and raw meat off of them. “Now, to get that dress off…” Vera approached Rosia again. As they stood so close together, their height difference was quite clear. Vera thought it was adorable. “Hold still.” She walked around the younger woman so she stood behind her. “Dresses may seem fancy but they’re rather simple. Just gotta get this tight, upper piece off…” Vera grabbed at the strings tying her corset together. With nimble and calculated movements, she untied it. Immediately it started loosening, but Vera was fast enough to catch the sides of the dress before the entire garment fell. “They slide right off! See, not that bad, hmm?”

As Vera approached her, Rosia smiled. “Finally.” She said, reaching her arms back and showing she could only reach a few strings and couldn’t really do much. As she fidgeted around, Vera quickly told her to hold still, Rosia sighed and just let her arms down as Vera walked around behind her and started talking about the dress. Rosia didn’t wear these style of dresses often, not exactly her style, so she knew very little about them. For a second she felt one string come undone,but then very quickly they were all loosened. Rosia jumped as it came loose, but more from Vera quickly grabbing and holding her sides. Rosia stated to blush lightly, not entirely sure why though. Rosia just stood there for a second before cutting the silence. Oh, yeah. Feelin’ much better now. Rosia said to Vera still standing behind her.

“Good, I’m glad you’re more comfortable. However…” Vera paused to gently squeeze Rosia’s sides for emphasis, “As lovely as it might be, I can’t spend the whole night standing here and holding you.” She giggled. For some reason, her instinct was to just lean forward and hug Rosia like this, place her head on her shoulder. It seemed like it would fit perfectly. But that last thing Vera wanted was to lose her grip and embarrass the poor girl, no matter how much Vera wouldn’t have minded. She paused in speaking, taking the time to chew the inside of her bottom lip. “Meg-.. The captain must be looking for you, no? We’re about to set sail! What are you doing wasting your time down here with me?” Vera continued to tease her, but this one seemed a bit more half-hearted. She didn’t want Rosia to go quite yet, but both of them had a job to do. It took her a lot to stop the disappointed sigh from leaving her lungs.

Rosia giggled and jumped a little again when Vera gave her a light squeeze. Rosia just nodded when Vera commented about not being to just hold her, though she was comfortable right now, Vera was right about what she said. Rosia might be needed up top soon if they start to set sail, Bill might need her up on the sails, or Phillip might need someone to steer the helm while he goes off to do more things. “Aye, do have to do that” Rosia put her hands over Vera’s that was holding her dress up for a second, and then took control of her dress and spun around to face her. “T’anks again, for t’e dress, and salt and pepper words.” She gave Vera a light smile before she darted off towards her quarters to get changed and ready to set sail. “Peh-par… S-aw l-t” She said to herself but also out loud as she left the kitchen.

Vera’s smile was subconscious as Rosia praised her. Although she would do it in a heartbeat without being asked, it felt nice to be appreciated. “No problem, dear. I’ll be here if you need me. Always,” She hummed, giving Rosia a wave as she left. Hearing the younger woman repeat her words caused Vera’s heart to swell with pride.

A few minutes passed. Vera busied herself with other tasks. When they stocked up on meat, they essentially purchased the entire cow, intestines and all. So Vera went out of her way to grind it all up and make her own sausage. For now, she just needed to mix the chunks with some spices and let it sit for the night. But that kept her occupied for a decent amount of time. After cleaning her hands once more, she approached the pot. Upon opening it, her body suddenly remembered how hungry it was. It smelled so delicious; she hadn’t eaten all day because she was too nervous. But now she was ready to gorge herself. But she wasn’t the only hungry person on deck. As the cook, it was her job to feed everyone. While mixing it again, she wondered if this would be enough for everyone. She ran down everyone’s names in her head, thought about portion sizes, but then one name stuck with her. James wouldn’t be able join the others in the mess hall. Vera was thought about it but only for a moment. James wasn’t a bad a man. He was always kind to her and treated her with respect. With a sigh, she pulled out one of her large wooden bowl and filled it with the stew. After adding a spoon to the mixture and pouring an extra tankard of ale, Vera left the kitchen.

Once on deck, Vera saw all of her friends and crewmates working hard to begin setting sail. A part of her felt weak and useless, causing a pit to grow in her stomach. She couldn’t hoist the sails or steer the ship or even shoot a gun. Vera frowned. Her disappointed facial expression remained as she walked down the stairs once more to enter the brig. “Good evening James!” Although he was their prisoner, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t treat him unkindly. “I’ve got dinner here for you.” She hummed as she approached the bars.

M e g

H e l l f i r e
C a p t a i n
#e6b800

XXXX Meg continued to stand with her arms crossed against her chest, a frown planted firmly on her face. Of course, her mind was telling her she was being ridiculous. It's not like she had a claim on Sunni. She was allowed to have any kind of romance she wanted. Meg didn't have a say... that didn't mean that seeing someone be so familiar to Sunni in front of her didn't smart a little. And it didn't mean she wasn't going to be mad about it. Especially since their helmsman just waved her off like she was nothing. Like her orders didn't matter. Heat raced up her limbs, her attention no longer on her beautiful surgeon, but instead on her helmsman. Boy, was he in for a rough-talking to later. A sour taste coated the back of her throat as she thought a punishment might be in order. She wasn't one for punishments of the... violent nature, but being a captain meant she had to have better control over her crew. She might have to take a finger...

Once the bilge rat was gone, she turned her attention back to Sunni who was muttering something in her native tongue. The irritated look on her face and the fact that Meg spent enough time around her to know that what she was muttering wasn't friendly... was starting to bring a smile to her lips. When Sunni was angry, she tended to remind Meg of a wet kitten. Meg reminded herself that she was angry with her friend and not to smile... but the self-scolding didn't stick and she found herself smiling again. Especially because Sunni explained Philips presence in tones of unamusement. "Of course he believes himself in love with the boy." She said, followed by the thought, As long as it's not you.

A heat crawled up Meg's cheeks as those dark eyes took in every detail of her, the way a physician sizes up a wound or condition. There was something more in that gaze. Something that sparked a warmth in her core and a quick mental image of Meg's hands on Sunni's waist, her lips at her neck, and Sunni's precise fingers unlacing the backing of Meg's dress...She shook her head sharply. None of that.

The look on her surgeon's face changed. It became more guarded as she sarcastically commented on the attention of the landmen while she was away on mission. Actually, very few men paid her little mind. Any attention given was quickly averted at her terrible etiquette. She wasn't about to tell Sunni about that so instead, she grinned and said, "A few of the women, too. And it was something terrible to be swarmed by so many people. But what can I say? They have excellent taste." She flipped her red hair over her shoulder.

When Sunni requested stories of their mission, Meg's grin brightened just a little. I wish you had been there, too, She thought, Nothing is ever as fun without you with me. Then she started to share the story. "Oh, you should've seen the commotion Vera created." Meg technically didn't see it either, but the aftermath was something spectacular. She could only imagine what the girl had done while they were in that study. "And we retrieved the map. Our lovely Vale is examining it as we speak." At least... she better be. They needed to be on the open ocean as soon as possible if they wanted to avoid any ambushing by the land king's men.

In fact... "Come, my dearest," she said sarcastically, though she meant every word, "Time to oversee the operations on deck and you probably could use some fresh air." She held out a hand to the woman. Whether she took it or not, Meg headed up the steps to the deck, holding her skirts in her hands to prevent tripping. She was definitely going to need to change shortly. She would need Rosia to help her out of this getup. She couldn't ask Sunni... not with the thoughts still swirling about her head. It had been some time since Meg had been... passionate with anyone. Actually, now that Meg thought about it, she didn't have much taste for sharing another person's bed since she had met Sunni. It was beginning to mess with her head.

The biggest problem Meg was having was figuring out what exactly her feelings for Sunni were. Was it because she had saved Meg's life? Was it because she was so beautiful she had a nasty habit of taking Meg's breath away? That she didn't seem interested in Meg? She did always like a challenge. But Meg enjoyed Sunni's company. She enjoyed her brain. Her laughter. The way her eyes took in everything she saw as if to memorize it. Her mind immediately went to the look on Sunni's face as she observed Meg in the dress and a tingling sensation started at her fingertips. She had the sensation often enough around the woman--around those she fancied--enough to know it meant: She desperately wanted to touch her.

This, of course, had Meg stepping away from her as they reached the deck. She cared about Sunni to mess up whatever friendship they had with her... interests. She was definitely going to need to cool off.

She smiled at her crew, moving about the ship. Tessa was up in the rigging, singing a shanty and moving so quickly and expertly, you would think she was born and raised in the rigging. Rudy was now moving about the deck helping Jules. Bill was staring off at the land, making sure they had a clean getaway. Philip was at the helm--which of course reminded Meg that he would need a good scolding later. Rosia must have still been below deck because she was missing from her post. Meg wasn't going to reprimand her first mate though. Rosia had played a part in getting the map today and she deserved whatever break she was getting. "Everything is looking ship-shape, me hearties!" She yelled to her crew as she watched them pull away from land and out into the open water. "Now leaving Hartford Island! We sail for port!"

Which reminded her..."I need to speak with Vale," She said, turning to Sunni, "You're welcome to come along if you wish." Then she strode to the helm to seek the advice of her navigator. "We need to chart a course. Do you suggest going up and around or down and under." She traced her fingers along the map, marveling in the clarity of their new chart. "We'll need to stick close enough to land to supply, but far enough away we won't be stopped."

She could practically see the treasure now.

---

---

XXXXJames heard another set of footsteps coming towards the brig. These were softer and, judging, by the smell, it was someone he was expecting. He knew he was right when he heard Vera greeting him. His eyes flashed to Eva, but found she was gone. She was probably hiding behind the barrel. Good, he thought, Stay that way. It’s not that Vera would show any animosity against the lass. More in the opposite. She’d probably see the lass as something similar to a lost puppy.

As she came closer, the smell of food filled his nostrils, his stomach letting out a loud growl in response. ”Well… It’s a better evening now that you’re here.” He said to her with a smile and noticed the disappointed look on her face. ”Why the face? Is it because of the Mutiny?” His fingers twitched in anticipation of a meal considering he hadn’t eaten since the night before. It took all his control to keep from reaching through the bars for the bowl of stew in his cook’s hands.

Of course, as Vera approached, James tossed her a kind, flattering phrase; one that wiped the foul look off her face. “Are you sweet on me, James? It’s starting to sound like you are,” She teased him as she approached the bars, her usual smile sitting comfortably across her lips once more. Once he brought up the mutiny, it took some effort to keep from grimacing. It was brutal; they had to take the ship from a man who had never truly done them any wrong. And what was she supposed to say to him now? Vera had sided with Meg. She needed this money. She helped take the ship from him. “No, no, nothing about that. Was just hoping the food tastes good,” so Vera did what she did best: acting. She couldn’t let James know how she really felt. “But I suppose I won’t know that until you taste it, hmm? Here, eat up,” As she finished speaking, Vera passed him the food and drink through the bars, hoping that would be enough to stop him from asking questions she didn’t have answers for.

James snorted at Vera. ”You? Make something that isn’t absolutely delicious as if the angels of heaven prepared it and served it to us mortals as a sign of divine mercy?” He coughed into his fist. ”As if.” He smiled at her and winked once. When she passed him the food and drink, he took them with a quick ”Thank you.” before he downed the entirety of the drink. He needed to get the taste of lemon out of his mouth. He tried to be patient enough to blow on the stew before shoving the spoon into his mouth, but he failed significantly. In fact, he burned his tongue and the roof of his mouth on the stew and let out another string of colorful--and partially made up--swear words.

Evangeline was in an uncomfortable position behind the barrel. She was squatting and the wooden end of her axes were digging into her soft flesh. Eva didn’t dare to move as she listened to the friendly conversation. Relief filled her when James finally said thank you to the woman. She assumed the woman would leave soon. Eva couldn’t stay in her current position for much longer. Just as she hoped she wouldn’t get a splinter, James let out a string of swear words. Evangeline was surprised again by James.


Soft laughter escaped her lips and she fell back onto her bottom. “James and his swearing,” she whispered under her breath. Instead of staying still this time around, she stood. She used the barrel in front of her to steady herself. Her eyes glanced over James before they found the woman. Evangeline gave her a sweet, but small and shy smile. She broke eye contact for a second to fix the skirt of her dress. When she looked up, she was still smiling.


“I’m Evangeline, or Eva if you prefer,” she paused to move around the barrel. She stood between James and the woman. Eva stood a bit to the side, so she wouldn’t block anyone’s view. Eva held her hand out to the other woman. “Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?” she asked.


Vera couldn’t help but giggle at James’ embellishing compliment, “Oh stop that, James.” She couldn’t help but linger as the man started eating. She really did want to know how her food tasted. As he began scarfing it down, she frowned and furrowed her brow. Before she could open her mouth to scold him for not waiting for it to cool, Vera heard something moving behind her.

At first, she assumed it was just Rosia or Rudy scampering about and causing trouble. Her motherly reprimanding would have continued if she hadn’t turned and faced an entirely new person. Immediately, Vera went on edge. Her knees bent, lowering her stance somewhat. The dagger hidden in the back of her boot was now in arms reach. However, this strange woman didn’t appear aggressive or hostile in any way, so Vera allowed herself to relax, but just so. She was ready to defend herself at a moment’s notice. “Hello, Evangeline…” Her uneasiness was evident in her tone. She eyed the young woman up and down. “My name is Vera. If you don’t mind me asking: what are you doing here?’ She shifted her position, taking a slow step towards the exit of the room. Vera wanted to be able to flee if need be.

Eva watched as she lowered somewhat and tensed up. She was unsure of what the woman was going to do. When the woman spoke, she relaxed. Evangeline knew the woman was uneasy, but she couldn’t fix that issue. She wrapped her arms around her waist as she listened to Vera speak. Eva gave her a nervous smile now. She was only nervous as she wasn’t sure if the woman was going to start screaming or running or both. Evangeline had noticed she took a step towards the exit. She parted her lips to speak, but closed them again. Eva realized she shouldn’t tell her exactly everything. Though, she didn’t want to lie either. Slowly, to not frighten the woman off, she used her right hand to run her fingers through her hair. She smiled at Vera as she processed her thoughts.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Vera. The food you made smells lovely…” she paused to glanced at James, but her gaze returned to Vera, “I am here because of a friend…I knew they couldn’t stay with me…so we decided I’d stowaway.” Eva tried being as honest as possible, but at the same time she didn’t want to give away too much information. She didn’t want to say Vale’s name yet. Eva knew she could not mention Tessa. Though, she hoped Tessa wouldn’t rat herself out. She knew she couldn’t keep Vale out of the mess. Eva imagined Valentina would come to her defense when she was exposed.

James was about to eat another spoonful when Eva popped up from behind the barrel. He hadn’t realized she had been making noise before now, but when he looked to Vera to gauge her response… she was on edge. She probably thought the girl was a threat. James snorted and went back to his stew. Let the two females work it out. What could he do stuck behind these bars anyway. When he heard that Eva thought the food smelled delicious, his first response was to say, ”Oh you have no idea. I don’t think anyone else could make a meal fit for kings out of what we pirates manage to scrounge together.”

Then, after spooning another bite into his mouth, he realized that she was probably hungry. He looked longingly down to his bowl before holding it out to Vera. ”Here. Hand this to her. She probably needs it more.” He sat down, bowl still being held out. ”What do you think Meg will do when she finds out the lass is here?” It wasn’t polite to speak of such things in front of the subject of conversation, but he was hungry and it made him a tad unfiltered. ”I doubt she’ll do anything too terrible right? I mean I was mutinied against, and I’m still here in one piece.”

“Eat James, I’ll be fine,” she interrupted. She gave him a smile to reassure him and thank him for the offer. Evangeline hadn’t been hungry since the incident happened. She pushed her thoughts away, but couldn’t help the shaky breath she took next. Eva looked at Vera, her smile now slightly faded. Her heart stung a little at unwanted memories. “What is Meg like?” she asked softly, wanting a distraction. She vaguely remembered how Meg had spoken to James earlier that night.

Vera just stood by as the two of them exchanged words. Truly, she didn’t know what to make of this situation. This woman didn’t seem to harbor and ill will, but she still could have asked for a job on ship instead of just stowing away. “No, James. Eat your food. I have plenty for everyone.” This was something she would speak sternly about. She returned her wary gaze to this Eva, who was asking her about her captain. A part of her was screaming to run and get Meg, but she couldn’t help but feel for this poor girl. If James hadn’t accepted her in the past, she likely would have stowed away too. “First, she’s Captain to you,” Vera corrected her in the same motherly scold that she had sent James’ way. “Second of all, Meg isn’t cruel, but she also has rules. I’m sure she would have let you join from pure compassion alone. But I’m not entirely sure if she’ll take kindly to someone stowing away on her ship.” As time went on, Vera’s posture relaxed more and more. However, she was still ready to defend herself at a moment’s notice. “Why don’t you meet her for yourself? Might as well get it over and done with with.” Vera took more steps toward the exit, but this time, she ushered Eva along with her.

James sighed after Vera’s scolding and retracted the bowl of stew. Secretly grateful, he continued eating spoonful after spoonful of the now cooled food until little was left. In fact, the last spoonful he had stuck into his mouth… was the one he choked on when Vera suggested she meet Meg now. He whipped his head to her. ”You can’t be serious.” Then again… she had a point. If they all waited until they were in the middle of the ocean to reveal the lass… it might make Meg even more angry with them. So… ”No. Nevermind. She’s right. With Meg, things must happen now. Not later.” He sighed, feeling for the poor lass. ”Might as well follow Vera. Her presence might prove helpful.”

As the two began their leave up to the deck, James was sure to add. ”Just remember this when dealing with Meg: the lass is a hellfire.” He made sure to give his empty bowl and tankard to Vera before they left as well. ”I wish ye luck lass.” He said to Eva, his accent emerging.

Eva smiled as she listened to Vera. She took note to refer to Meg as Captain. Evangeline was relaxed and stayed relaxed as James put in his opinion. She decided to listen to them. It seemed like it would be better to meet Meghan sooner than later. Before she let Vera usher her out, she grabbed the chest and pouch from the pillowcase in the barrel. The only thing left in the barrel was the fruit and her pillowcase. Though, the pillowcase did have two dresses and makeup inside. She opened the small chest and stuffed the pouch in there. Eva closed the small chest, but it wouldn’t close completely. She tucked it under her left armpit before she followed Vera. She flashed James a smile to thank him for his advice and the luck.

“Vera, there are sacks of apples and mangos in the barrel I came in…” she said as she followed. She assumed Vera would want to know as she seemed to be the ship’s cook. Eva cleared her mind as she got ready to meet the Captain of the pirate ship.

Vera was ready to argue with James, but he seemed to realize his mistake. “Don’t worry, James. Meg can’t say no to me,” Vera was exaggerating, of course, but she just wanted to have the two of them relax. A few steps up the stairs, Eva told her about the fruit. Without hesitation, she jogged back down the stairs and went straight for the fruits. She hadn’t had mangos in a long while, and she was already planning on a what to cook. A pie perhaps? Hmmm, yes, mango rum pie. Her mouth was already watering. She had to shake her head to return to reality. No, she had to face this. Show Meg the stowaway now, make pie later.

Once the sack was slung over her shoulder, she started back up the stairs. Vera was already trying to come up with a plan, but she knew that there wouldn’t be much she could do. She would never dare challenge Meg’s final word. In that past, she’d bartered with the woman for better funds, but once Meg made up her mind and said no, Vera knew not to press her authority. Perhaps this was why they got along so well? Who knows. For now, she just needed to introduce Eva to her captain. As soon as she stepped on deck, Vera swiveled to find that head of fiery hair. It wasn’t difficult to spot Meg, standing beside Vale. With a silent nod to Eva, she stepped over to Meg.

“Captain.” First, the proper greeting. She bowed her head down for a moment, almost out of instinct, before continuing. “Pardon me. I don’t mean to interrupt, but we have… a guest on board who wishes to speak to you.” Vera then stepped to the side, gesturing to Eva to step forward. She bit her lip nervously, her doe eyes trained on her captain to see her response.

Hex: #ca8765
Navigator

Being stopped by the captain made Vale almost break out in an internal sweat. She watched Tessa take a few more steps before turning slowly but when Meg handed her the map, she breathed out a soft sigh of relief and nodded. She even did a double take heading up because Vale had to admit, the captain did look stunning in that dress. In her mind she also hoped Eva would be safe for now. Vale knew she was going to be found out sooner or later but she preferred a little later. At least long enough for her to work on the map and hopefully not be caught off guard. With it now in her possession, Vale was expected to get to work fast but the small bird she carried was taking more of her attention. Right before heading above deck, Valentina did stop at medic but she saw that Sunni was preoccupied at the moment with...Philip.

Vale didn't make herself known but she did roll her eyes at the helmsman. You have such bad timing, she thought before glancing back down at the bird. The colorful little thing had it's eyes open now but was still weak. It couldn't move much other than blink at her and Vale felt sad for the poor thing. She softly rubbed the back of it's head as she climbed above deck.

The navigator was just in time, everyone was at work getting the ship out of port. Tess was at the rigging and the anchor had just been lifted... they were finally going back out to sea. Heading towards the helm, Valentina climbed up onto the small wooden platform she had installed herself. It was sort of her own little spot and also where she built in her sundial/compass. She had been working on the contraption for years after learning a few things while traveling with her uncle. Some adjustments and teaks were needed which is why Valentina took the task of building it into the ship herself. Everything needed to be just right for it to work properly.

Vale placed the hat with the bird down on the wooden platform. She took a moment to pull off her jacket and folded it into a comfy square to lay the bird on before placing Tessa's hat on her head. Then it hit her. "water!" she blurted out under her breath, reaching for the pouch of fresh water she had laced to her belt. She shook her head as poured a little into the cap, placing it next to the bird. "Sorry lil pajarito, it has been a big day for the both of us, huh?" The colorful bird responded by sapping up the water. She sat next to it, pouring out a little more then criss-crossing her leg. Finally, Vale pulled the map out and unraveled it out in front of her. Her eyes scanned every inch of it, she was getting deep in thought when Philip and Rudy came to the helm. "Aye, Rudy." smiled Vale from where she sat, tipping Tessa's hat in his direction but gave another eye-roll towards the helmsman. "Philip." she simply said, returning her attention back to the map. Vale began tracing her finger over the parchment, figuring out which way to go best.

Her attention was taken again by the Captain herself striding right up to her. Vale looked up, greeting the captain with a nod and a grin. "Tis a beauty," she referenced the map. "We need to chart a course. Do you suggest going up and around or down and under." Valentina looked back at the map contemplating it when Rosia joined in. “Sorry Cap’n. I was b’low deck with Vera, she was takin’ me dress off.” Rosia said non-chalantly.

Rosia scanned the map they had laid out, mostly just seeing shapes as Meg traced her finger across it. Rosia pronounced the words to herself in her head, thinking back to her reading lessons with Vera. “Whenev’r we go up, it gets colder…” Rosia mumbled out loud, but mostly just to herself.

Vale acknowledged Rosia's comment giving a subtle nod to it. She traced the first path, "We can go up and over but," Vale paused for a moment looking up at Meg. "there is the possibility of running into ice and fewer ports... I don't think going north is worth it. The best is to go under." she explained, tracing out the second path going south. "We'll need to stick close enough to land to supply, but far enough away we won't be stopped." said Meg and Vale instantly agreed. "Yes, if we go under we have a few more places to port in between if anything." Vale pointed out Guicona, Snitinlos, Quinlterra, Isccumo, Serbe, Mobe and Beweyma.

When she went to look back up her eyes instantly locked with the two lasses coming up behind the captain. It was Vera and... Eva. “Captain.” Vera began. Valentina visibly gulped, she wasn't per say afraid of Meg, Vale just didn't want to go through the drama that might ensue. “Pardon me. I don’t mean to interrupt, but we have… a guest on board who wishes to speak to you.”

xRosia “Jack" Hienrik

Everybody in the world knows
Everybody in the world knows
Everybody in the world knows
Everybody in the world knows

I'm a little twisted, twisted
I'm a little twisted, twisted
I'm a little twisted, twisted
I'm a little twisted, twistedxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxThe Mate//#7C674A


Rosia lightly skipped down the hall towards the stairs that led to the officer quarters. She had only recently moved her stuff in there after the mutiny and Meg moved into the Captain’s quarters. Luckily Rosia didn’t have much to move, she had a chest that she kept the majority of her clothes bundled up in, and then a couple barrels of miscellaneous items that she collected, her gold and treasures mixed a little bit everywhere in her stuff. Rosia didn’t really care about how she organized her stuff, to her it was organized and she knew where all her stuff was, mostly.

Rosia entered the quarters she tumbled onto her bed, quickly slipping out of the dress since it was already loosened before by Vera. After she took off the dress, she looked stared at it for a second, thinking back to Vera. She was right, it was a pretty dress, and she giggled back to thinking about how Vera squeezed her sides and how soft her hands were. Rosia was brought out of her thoughts by the waves hitting the side of the ship. “Oi. Leavin’ land ‘nd I ain’t even up top!” Rosia said to herself as she rolled off the bed to her chest and flipped it open, quickly grabbing some better clothes to wear on deck than a dress.

Quickly digging through she chest, she threw on the black short black vest that was basically her trademark and then a simple white shirt under it and dark blue pants with her boots that went almost up to her knee and sliding her Jack card into her left boot and small dagger to the side of her right boot. Rosia stood up quickly and grabbed her pistol belt as she headed towards the ship deck to where the fun was sure to be happening, and hopefully them getting to the treasure sooner rather than later. Rosia was going to check in Meg first and see if there was anything specific that needed to be tended to and then see if anyone needed help, maybe Tessa or Bill on the sails or mast.

After running up the stairs to the deck she turned and looked around, seeing everyone on the ship doing their part, giving Rosia a smile on her face. Everyone had a part of the ship, even though Rosia’s was a little looser than most, she still helped around as an extra pair of hands and being Meg’s First Mate. Rosia spotted the Captain shortly, on the helm talking with Vale and Sunni behind her, and skipped towards them, knowing she was a tad late. As she got up to the helm, Rosia buckled her pistol around her waist and adjusting it so it was behind her and out of the way, a little confused that Meg was still in her dress, but walking around to an empty side of the table they had the map laid out on. “Sorry Cap’n. I was b’low deck with Vera, she was takin’ me dress off.” Rosia said non-chalantly.

Rosia scanned the map they had laid out, mostly just seeing shapes as Meg traced her finger across it. Rosia pronounced the words to herself in her head, thinking back to her reading lessons with Vera. “Whenev’r we go up, it gets colder…” Rosia mumbled out loud, but mostly just to herself as she put her shark tooth earring into her ear. Rosia walked away for a second as Vale and Meg discussed more about the route they would take. She walked around the sundial and to the edge of the ship to lean over the railing, looking over the side, watching the waves hit the side of the ship. Rosia even thought about jumping in for a second if they weren’t already on a rush for this treasure.

“Captain.” Rosia heard Vera's voice, being a little surprised she was up on the helm. She quickly turned around and walked to the side of Meg before stopping in her tracks and seeing a woman she’s never seen before. Rosia looked at the woman, looked over the edge of the boat to see they weren’t near land anymore, looked at Vera and then back at the woman, turning her head for a second in thought. Where did t’is woman come from, and why she here? Rosia thought to herself, sliding her right hand behind her back and gripping onto her pistol, prepared for whatever could happen. Rosia trusted Vera wouldn't bring someone hostile up to the captain, but she was still confused. She was positioned so that Vale and Meg could probably see where her hand was, and Vera could more than likely assume where her hand was. But honestly, Rosia wouldn't care if anyone actually knew, including the new woman on the ship.

---

---

XXXXEvangeline stayed close to Vera as they walked. Eva crossed her arms and kept her eyes on Vera’s legs. The last thing she wanted to do was see Vale and or Tessa. She’d likely make it obvious she knew them and get them in trouble. When Vera began to speak, she listened carefully. When gestured to do so, she stepped forward to stand next to Vera. Eva only glanced at Meg’s face for a second before her eyes wandered down the woman’s dress and stayed at her feet. She noted how lovely the dress was. Eva wondered if the Captain always dressed so nice. Surprisingly, Eva wasn’t nervous. What was meant to happen would happen, and she had faith the outcome would be positive.

“Greetings Captain,” she paused to press her crossed arms closer to her chest, “My name is Evangeline, but I do go by Eva.” Eva kept her eyes on Meg’s feet. She wondered if Vale or Tessa was nearby. She knew others were near her and around the ship. Eva had to fight the urge to look around as the curious cat in her awoke. The last thing she wanted to do was seem distracted and offend Meg. Her expression stayed blank as she waited for a reply.

Meg’s gaze was on their brand new map, her mind working its way through the maze that was their journey. Talking with Vale helped, of course. She was an expert at what she did. Make no mistake. Rosia joined not soon after her own arrival, giving her own advice on their voyage. It was always appreciated and it helped to work out their options.

The three were huddled around the map when Meg heard Vera’s voice come from behind her. Judging by her cook’s tone, something was amiss on her ship. A… guest? Meg turned around, sure Vera was simply joking when she came face to face with… an unfamiliar face. Or, at least, she would have, had the girl not been a whole head shorter than her. The heeled shoes on Meg’s feet weren't helping either. Though, the girl didn’t look frightened. No… she looked curious.

Meg’s eyes narrowed a bit. Obviously, this dress was taking some of the seriousness of her position. The thing had to go. But first… She propped a leg up on the nearest railing to her, pulled the knife she borrowed from Vale from the garter strapped to her leg, and leaned against the table, cleaning the dirt from her fingernails with the tip. ”What brings you aboard my vessel, Evangeline?” She asked, purposely using her full name. Eva looked up through her eyelashes to make eye contact as she spoke.

“I would say fate has brought me aboard your lovely vessel. I saw my dearest friend for the first time in years tonight. Since they were needed here...I decided to come along. T-they are my only family left...”

Meg’s eyes narrowed a little more at the idea that someone had brought her aboard. Obviously, it was for a reason Meg… couldn’t exactly sympathize with since her family was dead or she had never known them to begin with, but… if her parents were still alive… she knew she’d want them with her, too. Still, that didn’t change the fact that they hadn’t asked permission of their captain before bringing aboard another mouth to feed. ”How did you get aboard my vessel?”

“Well, I came in a barrel. Sacks of mangos and apples are in the barrel...a gift from my prior home.”

Well… at least she didn’t come empty-handed. She thought, finishing with the cleaning of her left hand, she shifted the knife to her right hand. ”And who brought you aboard?” She didn’t really think it mattered much, but she would have to have a talk with them regardless. Otherwise, the others might start bringing on strangers willy-nilly.

“Captain, I can only tell you if you promise not to hurt them or have someone else hurt them. I won’t have them come into harm’s way because of me.”

Wrong answer, lass, she thought, her eyes turning to narrow slits. ”I don’t make promises to stowaways who tell me how to run my ship!” In a split second, she had the knife flipped, blade facing out towards Eva. ”Tell me who brought you aboard!”

“I am sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean to make it seem as if I was telling you how to run your ship. I would have never done that intentionally...Also, I apologize that I came on your ship in secret. It seemed like the only way of not being separated from my friend,” she took a solid deep breath as she prepared for the worst, “But I refuse to tell you if it means harm to anyone, but me.”

Eva’s tone was serious at the end and her lips were set in a stubborn pout. She apologized, and Eva would rather die than have Vale and her friend hurt. She glanced at the blade and finally looked around as the curious cat won. If she were to die, then she may as well see what the ship looked like. Eva saw Vale and some other woman nearby. She forced herself to keep her gaze on the other woman. She didn’t want to give Vale away. She noticed the woman had her hand behind her back, but she couldn’t give it much thought. Finally, she returned her gaze to the Captain with sad eyes. At least she saw Vale once more before she died.

If it had been a member of her crew, Meg would have strung them up and left them to hang by their wrists for a few hours. Which was a tempting punishment for Philip...but Eva was not a member of her crew. The way she spoke was eloquent enough for her to know she was no slum wench. At least that wasn’t how she had begun her life. Meg sighed, the fire remaining in her eyes, but she leaned against the table once more. She’d figure it out eventually anyway. ”What are your skill sets?” She flipped the knife back around so it was no longer pointed at Eva, but it was also no longer set to cleaning her nails.

Eva let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. She forced herself to keep her gaze on Meg. Evangeline really wanted to look at Vale, but she knew that was a bad idea. Now filled with relief and with a question she would willingly answer, she smiled at the Captain. She heard her heart pounding in her ears, but she was happy. It looked like everything would be okay. James may have said Meg was like hellfire, but fire kept people warm and safe. It could burn and cause pain, but everything could have a bad side.

“Thank you, Captain,” she paused to loosen her crossed arms; she had been tense, “I am best at sewing, and I have worked with a blacksmith for some time. I had taken a break when traveling, but I can make good weapons...I have always done odd jobs as well. The odd jobs most recently involved cleaning, running errands, and or just fixing things. Though, I am a quick learner and am always willing to learn. If you need me to do something, I’ll happily do it and do my best to do it well. Although, I don’t do well with things that involve...heights...”

Meg tried her best not to smirk at the idea of putting the lass in the ropes with Tessa.

“I can defend myself though. I don’t own any knives at the moment, but I do know my way around them. I have upgraded to boarding axes for my weapons of choice...” she added. Eva smiled to herself as she remembered why she upgraded. She pulled herself from her little memory to look at the Captain. Evangeline smiled at her with warmth in her expression. She was grateful to Meg now.

“Although, the question I should ask is, what kind of person do you need most on your ship Captain?” she asked. She knew she likely just rambled, but at least she answered the Captain.

Meg smiled smugly, taking to flipping the knife in her hand now. ”That’s the thing… we don’t really need anyone else on this ship.” Not entirely true. They could always use the hands if there was room and right now there technically was. However, those they added would need to have a place. ” However, I could find a place for you if you’re willing to work. There is no room for useless individuals on my vessel. If you have no use, I’ve no use for you. Savvy?”

“I am always willing to work Captain.”

Meg thought for a moment. Her skill sets were wide and largely… only useful as an assistant. She had one already in Rosia. Vera could probably use the help and Rosia could probably use an underling as well. Right now, they needed the ship underway which was more or less a success considering there was wind in their sails and the land was shrinking in the distance. They would soon have their heading as well.

”If you’re to stay on my ship, you will work under Rosia,” She nodded to her first mate who currently had one hand on her pistol. Meg tried not to roll her eyes. ”And Vera, whom you’ve already met. I’m sure they could use your help. If you’re going to be aboard my vessel you’re going to work. Hard. I want no complaints and you will obey my orders or you’ll be keelhauled. Savvy?”

“I’ll be happy to help in any way I can,” she replied. She glanced at the woman who she assumed was Rosia. Meg had nodded at her. Evangeline wondered if the woman had her hand on a weapon. I guess a stranger on a ship could be seen as a danger. After the thought, she glanced at Vera and flashed her a smile before her eyes went back to Meg.

“Anything else Captain?”

Meg watched the newcomer a moment. And then another. Hoping the girl would squirm even a little. Then she flashed a smile, spun the dagger around, and said, ”Welcome aboard neophyte.” Then she stabbed it into the wood of the table beside the map and began to walk towards her quarters. ”Vale! Set a course! If Philip is still drunk, take the helm!” She waved her hand in the air. ”Rosia! With me!”

She walked by Rudy and Philip just as they were walking by. ”Our new crew member. Treat her nice now, lad.” She said as she ruffled the powder monkey’s hair. Then she continued to her quarters.

xxxxxPYON SUN-AH

dialogue colour; #fa8072
plague || the surgeon

Meg had a way of telling stories, one that made Sunni smile, no matter how else she was feeling. Meg had a talent for making Sunni smile anyway, for making her feel wanted, important. She knew she was important on the ship. And, well, for now, Sunni had to ignore the butterflies that she felt every time Meg looked at her with that smirk, with those dangerous eyes. What she wanted was not important. She wasn't about to ruin the ship's dynamic. She wasn't about to ruin their friendship. She had Meg in her life, and that was what was important. She had somewhere where she was valued as a doctor and a person, and that was important.

But when Meg held out her hand, Sunni took it, lacing her fingers through Meg's, and followed her through the decks of the ship. In those moments, Sunni's imagination got the better of her. The thought of running anywhere with Meg like this, anywhere people could see. Of a soft kiss, a shared joke, and of more. So much more. But then they reached the deck and Meg stepped away once they reached the deck. Sunni swallowed and raised her chin a little, folding her arms as she watched the activity on the ship. Captain Hellfire was needed. Not Meg.

The ship was full of activity. It brought back a little of her smile as she watched the activity, and watched as their ship started to pull out of the bay. Meg said she was going to talk to Vale, and Sunni followed. Most of the terms would probably go above her head, but anything for a few more minutes around their captain.

Vera's voice made Sunni raise an eyebrow, partially because of her presence, but more so because of her words. A stowaway. She folded her arms and made the decision to watch, not interfere. She sincerely hoped her skills as a doctor wouldn't be needed. She doubted it would. But still, she watched.

At one point, Sunni started questioning her duties on the ship. Not her loyalties. But as a doctor, she was expected to aid all, no matter who. Would that include someone her captain had declared an enemy? If Meg injured this girl, how would she react at Sunni helping her? She internally gritted her teeth. She'd just have to do her best to stop that from happening. She didn't want to cross Meg under any circumstances. But sometimes it needed to be done.

Thankfully, something about the girl seemed to impress Meg. Sunni did her best to suppress the burning jealousy in her stomach. She watched her captain head back towards her quarters, and simply looked at their newcomer. "Welcome on board. Sun-Ah, the surgeon on this ship. People call me Sunni. Or Plague. Don't annoy me and we'll be fine," Sunni said, barely managing to keep the edge out of her voice. "You need a hand in the kitchens, Vera?" She asked genuinely, turning to her friend.

xRosia “Jack" Hienrik

Everybody in the world knows
Everybody in the world knows
Everybody in the world knows
Everybody in the world knows

I'm a little twisted, twisted
I'm a little twisted, twisted
I'm a little twisted, twisted
I'm a little twisted, twistedxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxThe Mate//#7C674A


Rosia stood and watched the conversation between Meg and this stowaway happen, she thought about commenting something at first, but could tell Meg wouldn’t have wanted to be interrupted right now. So Rosia just stood aside and waiting and took mental notes, waiting to see what the situation would turn into. Though if it was Rosia’s choice, they might bust out the plank for a little bit of fun.

During most of the conversation, there wasn’t much going on. Rosia heard what the Stowaway called herself, Evangeline/Eva, but Rosia quickly dismissed that. She wasn’t one for actual names, as seen around the ship when she calls everyone by their alias and not really caring about what their name was, like with Nameless. But Rosia did need to know everyone’s names since some people still used them when talking about others.

One thing did catch Rosia’s attention and get her a little excited. Meg had asked a question about who brought Eva onboard, and giving an answer that Meg didn’t exactly like. When Meg turned the blade to Eva and raised her voice, Rosia’s heart skipped a beat with excitement, her grip on her pistol tightening. Rosia didn’t exactly want Meg to stab this girl, or be forced to draw her pistol, but it would be a little bit excitement, though she was also a little disappointed when Meg leaned back and the situation didn’t escalate.

Towards the end of the conversation the hostility died down, and Rosia realized there wouldn’t be a need for much violence. She was surprised when Meg said the stowaway would work under Rosia and Vera, depending on what was needed. Rosia subconsciously bit her bottom lip when Meg said the stowaway would work with Vera, maybe a little jealousy, or maybe just upset there wouldn’t be a walking of the plank.

Rosia was snapped back to reality when Meg called her name and told her to follow. Rosia let go of her pistol for a second and turned towards Vale. “If ye need me, I’ll be ‘round, especially if Nameless needs me on t’e wheel. Just yell.” She said towards Vale and skipped along to catch up with Meg as she walked towards her quarters. As she walked past the stowaway, her pistol would be revealed to be behind her back, but she wasn’t too worried. Also, when Rosia walked past Vera, she put her hand on Rosia’s arm and told her to be careful, Rosia replied with a nod and a smile, getting a warm feeling inside before she followed the captain into her quarters.

When Rosia entered the captain quarters behind Meg, she closed the door behind her and quickly grabbed a small crate stood upon it. it would help her be at an easier height to assist Meg in taking her dress, since she is taller than her. “Stowaway huh? Wonderin’ who brought her aboard…” Rosia said towards Meg.

M e g

H e l l f i r e
C a p t a i n
#e6b800

XXXXOnce they left the island of Hartford, Meg had requested that Vale set a course for the smaller islands off the coast of Snitinlos. These small islands were really part of the Guicona territory, but they were so far from the mainland that they remained empty. Well... empty of people. The islands were used as storage for the Land king's men as they sailed from island to island. They were also used by pirates. James's crew had been multiple times to stock up when they expected to be on a long journey across the sea. Or, like in this specific instance, they were being chased and they needed supplies fast.

The island typically contained alcohols, nonperishables, and barrels upon barrels of fresh water. Meg knew water would be the most important. You can go for days without food but not very long without water. And while they'd be surrounded by water on their journey, Meg knew that the ocean wasn't a water source. So, they were there for the water, some of the nonperishables, and whatever fruit, veggies, and meat they could find. Sometimes they found a few barrels of goods that were fruit and vegetables based, but they were only there when the king's men had dropped them off to be back for them shortly.

As she stood on forecastle, salty sea breezes blowing through her hair, Meg took a deep, relaxing breath. She so badly wanted to dive into the sea and swim for an hour instead of lug supplies to and from the ship. They had reached the island now and Meg decided she'd split the crew into two groups. Half would stay on the ship and keep a lookout for enemies and the other half would go on land to haul off goods. She wanted Rosia with her on land. As the first mate, she was technically Meg's second in command due to lack of a quartermaster. She wanted Tessa on the ship to keep an eye on the ship for her. While Bill was the boatswain, she wasn't sure she could trust him just yet. He was the one opposed to the mutiny. Vale would be good to have on land in case they came across any trouble. Bill and Philip she wanted on land with her. Both so she could keep an eye on them and so they could do some heavy lifting. She had a difficult time deciding whether or not to bring Jules. Primarily because he was excellent for heavy lifting, but if trouble arrived on the seas he would need to ready the crew that remained there. So Jules would have to stay. Rudy will be staying too. Meg wanted him up in the crow's nest to keep watch. They really needed someone devoted to lookout so Rudy could help Jules more easily. Vera and Eva will need to stay as well.

Meg felt guilty about having to leave Vera behind, but she wasn't sure Eva was trusted enough on land and they needed people watching the ship. She had enough people joining her on land. She'd have to look for something special to bring back for Vera. Maybe a sack of sugar if they had it.

As Eva came to mind, Meg realized she still hadn't figured out who had brought the girl on board. However... she was spending a good amount of time with Tessa. Meg's stomach squeezed a little at the possibility of her friend doing such a thing without even telling her after the fact. She would have to talk to her before they left.

Which reminded her... she needed to inform James of their leaving. Not to request permission or even because she was in the habit of informing her prisoners of her whereabouts. James was different. James had been a friend. And... maybe she could convince him that things were going to be worth it. As she made her way down to the bring, she decided that she'd give orders when she returned to the deck.