Fantasy On Uncertain Tides

[Sir Damien]

Declan Murphy

Though Adella claimed she didn't need to be protected she was still a woman. The pirate world was dangerous, most men weren't as chivalrous and kind as Silas, Declan and Rolf. Pirates would proposition women, call them wenches, hell Declan had to step in a time or two when a drunken pirate tried to get brave and force themselves on a woman. It happened more than it should, and she was a tiny thing. Gambling could only get you so far on the rough side of the docks. He was sure she was fast, he had seen her climb the crow's nest like a skilled professional, but still. Declan wanted to avoid any trouble that they could possibly run into. Trouble for the girls, and trouble for Declan and Silas.

Their past fuckups weren't something they advertised when recruiting new people, though it was something that was widely known among the ports. Their old captain made it well known that Declan and Silas were idiots, they were dream chasers that got people killed in pursuit of some phony treasure. It was embarrassing, it was a mistake that they didn't want to make again. It was also Declan didn't want the girls and Gideon to know, and Silas didn't seem to want Hana to know either. No way she would join them if she knew their history.

As they rowed up to the dock Declan couldn't take his eyes off of Adella. She looked incredibly familiar and not in a good way. Where had he seen her before? This was going to drive him crazy. He always thought more clearly when he was drunk though, so maybe after a few drinks later he'd be able to remember better.

"Har, har, har. Have you ever consider going into standup, lass?" Declan gave a small smirk and eyeroll at the mention of his losing streak. "I'll fair better in Royale. Pirates are far easier to con than some of these landlubbers apparently." With a small chuckle he tossed his arm around Adella casually and moved towards throughout the busy crowd. "Incredible gitup, no one will be able to pinpoint you in a crowd like that." Now if only Astrid could of dressed like Adella, but they all knew that wasn't going to happen.

As they navigated their way through the crowd he made his way to a familiar shop that they often trade with. The cute shop keep knew Declan's face and often gave him better deals. After some haggling and a little flirting he walked away with far more money than anticipated. With that said and done they headed straight towards the pub to secure them a table.

"Barkeep! Another round for me and my buddy here." Declan couldn't help but grin ear to ear as he finished off his tankard of ale. "We'll have to teach you how to drink like a real pirate. Now since I'm buying you have to adhere to all my terms. This here is called Liar's Dice. You roll your dice, hide 'em, and then we bet on drinks and guess on what dice are on the table. You can call bluffs, but if you get the bluff wrong you have to finish your drink. This'll be more fun with the rest of the crew, but let's try a round, yeah?" Declan had already pulled out several pairs of dice, handing her a pair with a smug grin. “Be warned, we are pirates and it'll be hard for a pretty lady like yourself to keep up. It's all right to admit defeat."

 

[ZombieBaee]

Adella Davies



“I’m really not a big fan of anything performed on a stage. Too uppity for my liking.” Adella rolled her eyes at his stand up comment, Declan was obviously joking but still. Her father always dragged the girls to the local theater and opera and whatever else sort of event rich folk pretended to enjoy. She hated it all, it was all so pretentious and fake. The thought nearly made her shudder as the two walked, thankfully Declan changed the subject quickly after draping an arm around her shoulder. It was quite different hanging around these men, even the two other women. Back home… everything was so proper. A man wouldn’t dare more than a kiss of the hand or an arm and arm walk with either of the girls while out in public. It was the way you did things. Everything was proper and modest and polite. But Declan alone had now wrapped an arm around her twice without second thought, Silas literally got into a battle with her sister, Hana knocked out Gideon. It was all a change in a good way…



“I’ve gotten used to it.” Adella said it simply, glancing down at her outfit and internally laughing that the pirates still hadn’t recognized her yet. Maybe that game wasn’t as big of a deal as they made it seem? “I sneak down to the docks a lot once my father thinks I’m asleep. It’s easier to dress as a boy, I don’t get recognized and no one tries anything funny.” Adella looked around as they walked, taking in all of the different people and shops. It already felt so freeing to be somewhere new, she couldn’t wait to be even further… somewhere she didn’t have to hide what she truly wanted and sneak around with her friends.



Once they reached the shop, Adella looked around as Declan flirted with the shopkeep to get some better pricing on their sales. What a little flirt… at one point Adella even looked back to watch and it nearly looked like the girl behind the counter was ready to faint. “Well that was quite impressive.” She said, raising a brow at him as the two left and headed for the tavern.



They found their way to the large wooden building and found a spot inside, there was loads of people but the two were able to find a table that would seat everyone as they arrived. The two had already had one drink down when Declan proposed a drinking game. “Are you not tired of losing yet?” Adella snatched the dice from him with a smirk, if she was anything it was competitive. “Go first, show me how it’s done. Or rather how it’s not done, I just hope you’re better at this than you are at poker fine sir.”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Hattie O’Connor



Everyone in the port was abuzz about the incoming storm , Hattie made a point to try and listen in on passing conversations to hear if there was anything of use. The only bad thing about their crew was that they had kind of ruined their last connections, they didn’t have a reputation that could get them any side jobs for money. They didn’t have any connections for news or gossip. It wasn’t too bad of a thing but it was a small hurdle thus far. From what she heard the storm didn’t sound like it was going to be awful, people were anticipating two days of heavy rain, thunder, lighting and some medium winds. Definitely not the type of weather you want to risk sailing with a skeleton crew but not hurricane, heavy wind or otherwise.



“Aye, then let’s get a bit of everything Astrid wants. Then some beans, onion and oh hell you pick whatever you’re not selling enough of today yeah?” Hattie gave the woman behind the small stall a small handful of money and turned to Rolf as she waited for their basket of goods. Once that was done and over she followed the man to the little stand with various candies and watched as he began to look over them. It was still so funny to her that this big burly man has such a sweet tooth, but she supposed anyone could right?



“Hmm? Oh! Are ya sure big guy? Well, thank ya!” Hattie gave him a soft smile, picking out a few things for herself while also not taking advantage of the offer. “Oh I think you’d like these. Let’s get some! They’re not easy to find, much more popular back home than they are around Britain I reckon.” Hattie added a scoop of the little lemon candies to their haul and waited as Rolf paid before adding their bag to her basket full of groceries and making her way toward the entrance of the market. As they walked Harte bumped into someone again, nearly falling over and turning to verbally assault the asshole until she caught a glimpse of who it was. Thankfully it seemed as if the man ignored the interaction and kept moving but Hattie knew that they could get out of here before they were spotted.



See Hattie and Rolf didn’t technically do anything wrong, but jumping ship like that and being disloyal got a bit of a bad rep in this world. But- kicking Silas and Declan out was wrong too! They didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt and they may be idiots but Hattie believed in them. Everything they shared and told them should have led them to a treasure but didn’t! It was why Hattie was so psychotic about the new maps. She was fully convinced that whoever took in the info from the boys in the old ship, did something wrong. Not them.



“Rolf let’s get to the tavern yeah? Make sure Declan and Silas don’t get in any trouble.” Hattie nodded in the direction of the man who she just bumped into, their former ships first mate. Then the two of them were off to find the others.



At the tavern Hattie realized that she and Rolf were the first two to show up, meaning the other four were either taking their sweet time or in trouble. Both made Hattie annoyed. “Declan, it’s just you two then? No one else. Any trouble at all?”

 

[EclipseRosee]

Silas



Maybe letting the girl win wasn’t such a good idea but … well at the time he thought it was better to give in than to keep going with the fight. Declan wasn’t actually upset, that was easy to tell. Hattie and Rolf seemed to be getting a laugh out of the last few days. Hana though? Hana was pissed. Silas could tell. The woman thought that she hid her emotions well and that she was cold and steely but she really wasn’t. Her reaction at the end of that silly little battle was enough for Silas to know that he would likely get an earful later about his choices.



“I mean you would be safer if you would have dressed like your sister, or at the very least more like… lord I don’t know. But yes you’re safe, just don’t run off or anything stupid.” Silas had chosen to go with Astrid because the woman made it very clear that she didn’t really understand the world around her. The folk you dealt with out to sea, at least the people like him and his crew, weren’t the type that you should trust easily. It was a dangerous place, even more so for a woman. Silas knew that Hattie and Hana were more than capable of handling themselves but he even worried for them on occasion. Not because they weren’t smart and strong, but because there were too many men who didn’t respect women. Dressing up and looking nice weren’t the issue here, it was doing so and drawing attention and attraction when you weren’t able to handle it yet. Sure she held her own in that fight but that was different, if Silas had wanted to hurt her he could have.



“Let’s just get this done and get back to the others so we can enjoy some time before we need to get back to the ship.” Silas sighed, then when Astrid brought up the bookstore he turned and looked at her like she was out of her fucking mind. Because she was. “You ask if it’s safe then near instantly say you’re going off alone? I’m sorry but are you ill in the head?” It was nearly laughable. This woman was so infuriating it was insane. “No.” It was all he said before roughly taking her by the arm and pulling her to catch up with him. Silas was careful to not hurt her but he was making it clear that she wasn’t running off. “What do you even need a bookstore for? If you’re so bored on the ship that you have time to read I’m sure we can find something else to occupy your time Astrid.”

 

[KAYDEN]

Gideon

Gideon wasn’t exactly thrilled about being separated from the girls at a place like this, it was bustling and busy and full of pirates and officers. Neither of which he particularly trusted around a pretty girl. He knew that it wasn’t likely that Declan or Silas would allow anything to happen but the truth of the matter was that they had only known these people a few days, there was no way in hell he could fully trust any of them. Plus he was paired off with Hana again who seemed to be moodier today than usual. Great. Just all together a splendid time ashore.

“Yes I know. I feel you forget that I’ve likely been to this island more than you have.” Gideon followed Hana with a sigh, keeping his eyes peeled as they made their way to the shop. Part of him had been hoping to convince the girls to leave at this point of the journey, another part hoped to see someone he recognized and have it ruin their plan to continue. But being split up kind of complicated matters.
Inside the shop Hana paid and as the two waited Gideon looked around a bit before finally looking back to Hana and spitting out what had been on his mind. Hana was fairly straight to the point and from what he had gathered she was a paid member of that crew, not a friend. So she should have no reason to lie or hide anything, no emotional reason to protect them. “Why is there only four of them, even with you that’s five and that’s an awfully small crew for a ship. Even a small one. It doesn’t make sense to me. I would think they’re all idiots, just some men playing pirate but they’re clearly competent enough to have gotten this far. They had enough money to hire you. What’s their deal?” Gideon leaned back against a counter as he watched her face, it was possibly Hana wouldn’t know considering she was hired help but he had to take the chance to ask. This was his last chance before they got out ti open sea and had no real way to turn back.


The shop door opened and a rowdy group of young men in naval uniforms entered. Gideon quickly moved from the counter and got closer to Hana, putting his back to the men but it was too late. “Lieutenant? Gideon? Hey! It’s me! Officer Dawes, gosh it has been a while sir!” Shit.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Astrid Davies

While Adella was keen on sneaking out without her guard, Astrid was not. She lived in safe, innocent world where people would treat her with respect simply because she was a lady. She was getting a crash course lesson today. "H-Hey!" Wasn't he supposed to be happy he could go off on his own? She wasn't out here to be a burden on people, she was out here for some independence! Surely she was competent enough for that, right? Clearly Silas didn't think so. "Well I never- let me go you!" As he pulled her after her she couldn't help but stumble after him in attempts not to trip on her heels. This man had some nerve!

Her face heated up as he asked her why the bookstore. How embarrassing. "I just wanted to cook some decent food for you people, so I thought to get a cook book." Astrid came off as a prim, proper, and stubborn woman but she was also incredibly caring. She always looked after her sister, her father, Gideon. Now she wanted to be able to take care of everyone on the ship, she just wasn't very good at much. With a small sigh she quickly caught up to him and looked away with a small pout. "I'll figure it out on my own, then."

"Well well well, if it isn't dead fishy eyed Silas!" The two of them had stopped on a dime and once again she nearly fell forward. There were two men approaching the pair and instantly Astrid could sense tension in the air. These men weren't friendly. And dead fishy eyed? Definitely not the story he told. "What're ya' doin' here you ol' bilge rat? You and the traitorous crew still together?" While she wasn't fluent in pirate she could assume that any name with the word 'rat' was an insult. Rude. Silas was temperamental, but he certainly wasn't a rat. "Let's see, who's all on ya' crew still? Big dumb oaf, the drunken idiot, and the lady map maker? Seems you've added a pretty little wench to your collection now, too. Shocks me to no end how the Captain didn't make ya' walk the plank. You going to get this lot killed chasing some fantasy too?"

The more words that came out of the man the more Astrid felt extremely angry. While she was sure no one on the crew even so much as liked her, Silas especially, Astrid would not stand for someone to insult him like this. And wench? Quickly Astrid pulled her arm away from Silas's hold with a loud huff and proceeded to poke the brute in his chest. "Listen here you git, can't you see we're busy? As captain of his own ship Silas doesn't have time to deal with your pathetic dribble. Now, kindly piss off."

With that said she grabbed hold of Silas's hand, shouldered her way through the large men, and stomped off down the street. Once out of sight she released her grasp and let out a small sigh. "Now, where to again?"

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Hana.

Of course she knew he knew the island well, she just wanted to make sure he didn't run off and ruin things. Or... maybe she should let him. What was the worst case scenario? The girls get stuck here, the rest of them get away and continue their search without them? That didn't seem like a bad thing at this point. "Captain doesn't seem to want to talk about that." Even with her, not that she was offended or anything. This was just business. "Oi." With a heavy sigh she rolled her eyes and looked over at him. "Sailors and pirates avoid them, too. I'm not quite sure the logistics, but usually they only do that if there's a serious fuck up. I've heard whispers of them almost walking the plank, but other than rumors I know nothing. They had the coin, said that they knew where this treasure was."

Hana knew he was trying to dig up dirt on the crew. He had a job to do, he was protecting the girls and she respected him for that. Duty, honor, self preservation. Those were all the values that she lived, she admired that. So... she'd give a little and tell him all she knew. "Truthfully if I had anything bad to say about them I'd let you know, as is your right as a temporary member of the crew. Silas is a good man, Declan's an idiot with good intentions, Rolf's quiet but he wouldn't hurt a fly, and Hattie is probably fiery than any of them but she's as smart as a whip. My reputation is at stake working for them, but I believe in them. And if your girls want one adventure then this is the crew to work for."

The gunpowder was deposited on the counter and Hana quickly deposited it into her tunic. Just as she turned to get her and Gideon out of there a group of rowdy men came in and her demeanor instantly hardened once more. Great. The change of clothes didn't do anything to disguise him. Fuck. Quick, think on your feet Hana. Don't make a scene. "Dear, is this a friend of yours?" The words sounded sweet and sincere, but deep down she was loathing talking like this. Like... some sweet woman. Disgusting. "Officer Dawes, right? I'm sorry, we're in a bit of a rush right now. I'll be sure to have dear Gideon here find you later though."

Hana flashed a sweet, polite smile at the man and laced her fingers together with Gideon before quickly making their exit. "You ever tell Silas about that and I'll make you walk the plank myself." With that said she released his hand and headed straight for the pub. "Declan I am amazed that you haven't caused any trouble. We've been here a whopping hour, I believe that's a new record." Quickly gazing over the table she noticed the absence of two of their crew. Great. What trouble could Astrid have caused now?

 

[Sir Damien]

Declan

Declan thought about a day in the life of Adella's shoes. It seemed lavish, but also rather restrictive. Just the way Astrid was seemed uptight, proper, strict. That was the thing about the sea that Declan loved! Sure it was a struggle at times. Severe storms, big waves, they ran the risk of getting lost should one thing go wrong... but he wouldn't of traded it for the world. Adella wasn't just surviving their life, she was thriving. Astrid seemed to be having a good time, too! In her own weird way. He hoped that Gideon would find his love for adventure soon, they weren't making this trip to be miserable. Hell, even when they did find the treasure it wasn't like they'd just retire and call it quits. That was just funding for more adventures! A bigger crew maybe, some ship and weapon upgrades and better ale, but the ship life was what they had always wanted. At least, all that Declan had wanted.

As big as an idiot as he was he would always protect his dream and his crew. "Losing? I am the best gambler on this side of the Atlantic! I had an impeccable record up until not too long ago." He shot a handsome smile at the young tavern lady who deposited their drinks before he took a quick drink. That's when he did a double take at Adella. "You're from London, right? You said you dressed up like this before?" He thought back to their previous conversation on her sneaking out dressed in her disguise. There was... a familiar looking young man that had caused Declan to lose a fair bit of money some weeks ago.

Of course when she challenged him he couldn't help but let out a small grumble. "Oh, I'll show you. You won a game of poker and suddenly you're tough as stones, lovely? Even Silas can't best me at this game!" Declan took his pair of dice and quickly shook them around in his large hands, slamming the dice down and taking a peek at what they were. "Well, bet and guessin' time my fine lady." On the table was a six and a five. "I bet one drink that the die equal less than four. What say you?"

As he finished off his fresh drink Hattie and Rolf made their way into the pub and he couldn't help but grin ear to ear. "The only troubles is I never have enough ale, but other than that things are goin' right as rain. How were things on your end? You look stressed. Barkeep! Another drink for my friends and I?" He glanced over at Adella again, only this time he got a flashback of the night he lost most of their money. "Aye! It was you, wasn't it? Oi if Silas finds out I lost to you twice in poker he'll never allow me to play again." He wasn't mad so much as rather impressed. She had beaten him twice?

 

[Colt Voltage]

Rolf.

Having no connections was rather difficult. While Rolf was sure he could get work on another ship he also thought the brothers were being railroaded. They were good guys, they were getting accused of leading their crew into a trap. The gentle giant wasn't as dumb as most people assumed him to be, he knew something was off. When Hattie seemed to have similar thinking and walked off with the boys Rolf followed. The treasure will be nice, but redeemed their reputation in the pirate community? That would all make it worth it.

"Thanks." Hattie was awfully thoughtful as she picked out some special sort of yellow candies. He had always found himself fascinated about her home land, he wondered if everyone was as fiery as her. He also wondered what her family was like, but he also knew better to ask. Family was a sensitive spot to people, plus Rolf wasn't exactly the most fluent person in English. Once the candy was paid for they turned to leave, blinking a few times as Hattie nearly fell over again. As he looked back at the man who she bumped into he instantly grimaced. This smelled like bad news should they be spotted. "Hmm." He gave a small grunt in response before quickly heading off with her.

Once inside the tavern he could always see that Declan was a few drinks in and all he could do was chuckle. While Hattie got annoyed by most things Rolf found them entertaining. Just as the two of them were about to take a seat however he noticed someone getting awfully close to Hattie. With furrowed brows he glanced over and was about to pull her away from the guy, she had been nearly knocked over a few times already today, but he froze when the man made a grab for Hattie's bottom.

There wasn't much that made Rolf mad. Someone trying to hurt their crew, and disrespect for women. Especially Hattie. Rolf was quick to set down the basket of groceries, turn to the man to grab him by his hair, and smashed his face into a wooden pillar holding up the bar. Not enough to kill the man but certainly enough to make a point. "You okay?" Not even addressing the disrespectful male he turned back to Hattie to make sure she was all right. It was mostly the brothers to get them into trouble, never Rolf. But he wouldn't just sit idly by and let someone put their hands on Hattie.

Behind him he could hear the mans friends getting angry for their friend and all Rolf could do was roll his eyes. Good thing he brought his hammer today.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Hattie O’Connor

The tavern was swimming with people, it was quite possible that members of their old crew could make an appearance sure but it would also be easier to hide amongst the crowd here. At least that’s what Hattie had believed. Apparently she must have taken some idiot man’s fancy, or simply she was a woman in a sea of hounds, because within minutes of her standing near their table she found herself approached from behind and groped by some stranger. “Oi! Just what in the hell-“ Hattie had grabbed and tankard from the table and quickly turned to bash the man in the face with it only to find he was already crumpled on the ground with Rolf standing above him. “Couldn’t have said that better myself big guy.” She sighed, her adrenaline dipping slightly once the anxiety of what just happened began to set it. Any woman who chose this life was no stranger to the gross talk of men but actually acting on it was thankfully much more rare. So this idiot actually touching her? It made her skin crawl.

“Aye, I’m okay. Just peeved I guess, what a little rat!” Hattie grimaced down at the man before her attention was turned to his group of buddies getting loud and acting like they were going to do something. That made the adrenaline spike once more and Hattie found herself turning to look back at the others for a moment before turning back to the men, ready to say something just as Astrid and Silas came bursting into the bar with guests. Guests that Hattie quickly recognized. “Well shite.”

“Games over kiddos! Time to git!” Hattie turned and looked around, there was a side door as well as quite a few open windows. They needed to cause a ruckus to get out of here. Thankfully one was coming to them. “Aye! Your friend dropped so fast! Near impressive how much of a sniveling little wimp he was. You all must be a whole group of em yeah?” As Hattie yelled she threw the tankard straight at one of the men, dinging him with it in the side of the head and starting a full out brawl.

 

[EclipseRosee]

Silas

“Can’t you ever just let loose lass? Just let life happen and realize that you’re not always going to be in control?” Silas said it in a huff as he pulled her along. There was always a complaint or a comment or a suggestion and just - was he not already doing enough?! Letting the two of them stay with his crew was equally a danger as it was a possible strength. He didn’t feel like he was asking too much for her to just listen we’re now and then! However when she mentioned the book it made him falter a bit, looking over at her with a soft expression and a raised eyebrow. “Really?” It was quite shocking to him that she wanted a cookbook for that reason, it was actually quite entertaining. “Dammit Astrid.” He hated that she was able to make him feel soft at all? First the sword fight and now this. “Listen maybe we can-“

Silas had his words cut short by the men approaching them, their words making him instantly nervous. “Hardy har boys.” He said in response to their jesting at his name, his body moving as he did to step slightly in front of Astrid. “Listen here, sounds like ya may be jealous you were invited to come with. I mean clearly we’ve been on your mind much more often than you’ve been on mine.” Then their comment about Astrid made his stomach drop a little, he knew they would say something about her but he just honestly didn’t want to deal with this right now. Then only to make matters worse, Astrid started yelling at them! For a moment it seemed to stun the other men and Silas, allowing Astrid to grab him by the hand and yank him away from the altercation and out of sight.

“That was actually quite impressive girl. I mean stupid, both of those men I’ve seen kill for lesser insults, but still…” Silas looked down at her, her face still in a pout. “I appreacite it, really.” Maybe they could find the time to track down a bookstore…. Or maybe not. Down the street Silas could hear yelling and see people getting pushed out of the way. After a few seconds it finally dawned on him what was happening.

“Ah fuck me.” Silas groaned, bending down slightly and picking Astrid up without another word, placing her over his shoulder and starting to run through the streets. Seems like the shock finally wore off on his old crew mates and they were now pissed and we’re chasing after the two of them. “Well this is more what I expected of you boys! Though you’re still rather slow!” Silas yelled, laughing as he used his free arm to dump a barrel into the pathway behind them as they turned down an alleyway that would lead to the tavern.

Upon arrival Silas tossed the doors open, his eyes quickly finding his rag tag crew apparently already in a small fight of their own. “Aye! What the hell kids!” Silas turned and saw the two men behind them now joined by a few other familiar faces. Apparently running was no longer an option, Silas dropped Astrid gently to her feet before pulling out his sword and turning to face the incoming pirates. “Astrid you and Adella get back to the boat with Gideon okay? Everyone will make their way back but - well it might just take some of us longer.”

 

[KAYDEN]

Gideon

The fact that Hana was so open with him was refreshing and welcomed, not that the others all hadn’t been but in the navy everything was always so hush hush and need to know basis. It was all so political and rank based. Gideon was always kind of annoyed with that, he felt like anyone involved in any given situation had the right to know what they were getting into, what they were fighting for. It didn’t surprise him either that Hana didn’t seem so fully in the know, she was hired by them after all. However what she did know was fairly eye opening, it even helped calm him a bit. Gideon had to admit that this crew didn’t exactly scream bad guys to him… and so far they had been mostly easy to deal with. It was just so hard to go with the flow when Gideon knew how pissed his father and the admiral would be. How did he explain this when they did eventually return home?

Gideon didn’t have long to contemplate before the young officers were joining them in the shop. Earlier that day he wished to be given an opportunity to go home… now he was a little less excited for that plan plus the girls weren’t with him now. Bad time to get caught. Thankfully Hana seemed to think quickly on her feet, her hand moving around his arm, then her fingers through his. Gideon put on his most convincing smile as she spoke to the men, his eyes darting between her and them before he finally spoke. “Yes, sorry to cut things short men but we must be off. Next time you boys dock in London make sure to stop by though okay?”

The two of them left and as soon as they were out of sight the two of them sprung apart. “Likewise.” Then the two quickly made their way to the pub.

Gideon had placed himself in a corner behind the table and watched over the game and everything silently, hell his eyes nearly had glazed over. But then things started to get wild, suddenly Hattie was yelling and Rolf took down some guy causing Gideon to let out a shout of surprise. “W-what the hell!” Then some guys were trying to fight them and soon after that Silas came flying in with Astrid over his shoulder. What in the hell happened when he lost himself in thought! To the side of him a man lunged at their table, screaming something about Declan? Gideon pulled out his sword without another thought and simply hit the guy in the head with the hilt before sighing and turning to grab their basket of goods from the table along with anything else they needed to make sure to take.

Gideon turned and found the side door, having to push a few men to the ground on his way before kicking it open and standing near it to clear the way for the others. What had they gotten themselves into?

 

[ZombieBaee]

Adella Davies

“Silas didn’t even beat Astrid at a spar, your comment isn’t the threat you believe it to be.“ Adella commented with a laugh, taking a long drink of her ale before turning her attention to the task at hand. The game seemed simple enough, plus she liked changing it up! It was a nice change of pace to the normal gambling games men played down at the docks. “And yes, we’re from London. I don’t find a lot I really enjoy to do in the city, the shopping and theater scene aren’t for me. So I sneak out. I went a few times without changing and it was just too much to deal with, Gideon would always end up having to come handle things. Dressing like this let’s me just enjoy my night without being bothered by idiot men or people who know my father.” Adella had gotten herself into shady situations often, most of the time it was nothing more that her buying a round or two of ale couldn’t handle but there had been the occasion that Gideon ended up magically appearing to fix everything. That was what he did, make everything nice and quiet and boring and safe. There was a time he wasn’t like that, when they were both younger… but that was a long time ago and they weren’t those people anymore.

Declan started the game, Adella watching him as he took a peek at the dice and declared his bet. “I bet you’re full of shit?” Declan might not know it but he had a tell when he was lying, Adella had noticed it back in London early on in their game because she thought it was actually kind of adorable. Each time before he lied he just slightly flipped his hair from his face. The game went on for a little while longer, each of them having to take their fair share of drinks. Then suddenly Declan made an exclamation that made Adella burst into laughter. “Finally! I wondered how long it would take you to say something. Christ you and Silas made SUCH a deal out of that game just to complegely go and forget your opponent? And to think I felt kind of bad about absolutely burying you that night.”

Behind Adella there was a bang followed by Hattie yelling, Adella turned quickly and saw Rolf slamming a man into the bar. “Oh shit.” Things moved quickly from there, Silas and Astrid joined and Silas was engaged in a fight at the front door. Gideon was creating a path. Before she knew it, it was like everyone in the damn bar wanted them all dead!

“Oi! There they are!!” Adella heard someone yell, pulling her attention to a man pointing his sword towards their table. He was tall and had all the classic markings of a pirate, leather, tanned, dirty… hell the man even had a green parrot resting on his shoulder. “I told you men if I ever had to see you again I would end your journey.” Who was this guy talking to? Adella turned and looked between Declan and Hattie and the man, yeah he was definitely speaking to all of them.

This would be fun.

“Hey hatchet face! Awful lot of talk from a man who looks like he’s one gale away from crumbling to dust.” Adella yelled as she stood up on her chair, booting a man in the chest who came towards her and pulling his sword from his waist in one motion. “I mean truly, is the way you keep your crew in line by being so damn ugly they’re literally afraid that you’re an actual sea monster?” The woman had no clue what this guys problem was but she was a little tipsy and a lot too excited about a bar fight.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Astrid Davies.

Astrid was trying to let loose. After being so uptight and always the responsible one for so many years though she was finding it difficult let go. She did have to say though, standing up to those big men made her feel some sort of adrenaline rush. Maybe that was why she found her face heating up at his words. Despite being a bit moody and picky Astrid had been really trying to be useful on the ship, she knew that life on the sea was no cake walk and she didn't want to get in anyone's way. Hell, she had been trying everything her sister had been doing! Was she good at any of it? No, not really. But Silas was risking a lot taking a chance on them, Astrid didn't want him to regret this decision.

Seeing his softer side, even just for a moment, was enough to warm her icy heart. "Well, you've been more than patient with me, Silas. I appreciate you. I won't let anyone bad mouth you, no matter how big and ugly they are." Her lips turned up into a small, sweet smile as she looked up at him. The sweet, kind moment ended as soon as the men came barreling down the street after them. Silas plucked her up and took off running, and Astrid couldn't help but laugh quietly. Why was this so much fun? They were in danger, they were being chased by people who wanted to hurt them. There was something about the adrenaline and seeing grown men trip over barrels that was so much fun though.

Once in the tavern and she was deposited on the ground she could see the party had already been started without them. Had Astrid had a sword she would of stayed and enjoyed the festivities, right now she knew she'd only be in the way though. While Adella seemed to be having the time of her life, Astrid for once decided to listen and grabbed Gideon so they could retreat to the boat.

--

While they waited for the others Astrid decided to utilize their time constructively. Gideon was fairly good at cooking so she recruited his help in the kitchen to show her a few tricks, determined to improve her skills cooking book or no. By the time everyone had come back they were able to eat, introduce their new green chatty pal, and even had time to prepare for the storm.

"Now, I understand the need for companionship on a boat and all, but you found it appropriate to name him Shark Bait?" Astrid was presently feeding the vibrant green parrot seeds from her hand. They had just 'battened down the hatches' and secured all the doors and supplies for the night, tucking themselves away inside the barrack of the ship so they'd all be safe and accounted for. "No wonder the bird hates you." "Squawk. Hate Declan. Declan sucks." Outside she could hear the waves picking up and thunder rolling in. Hattie said the storm wouldn't be terrible, but Astrid was also afraid of storms.

"So you're sure the storm won't get bad, right? Not saying I'm scared, but it's just to comfort poor Shark Bait. I think he needs to hear that the storm won't be terrible." Smooth Astrid, real smooth.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Hana.

"Ridiculous." She had said that word probably twenty times since the bar. From the ridiculous bar fight, to the unnecessary violence, the way Silas had carried in Astrid, the drunks, to the crew that seemed to have it out for Declan and the gang. It was all fucking ridiculous. The bird? Completely ridiculous, a waste of time. Kind of like taking on the girls. This crew seemed keen on wasting time though, didn't they? She had participated only when necessary at the bar, and when someone tried to grab at her in the midst of the fight she was quick to knock him out. Ridiculous.

After several minutes of drinks flying, swords clashing, and punches Hana gave a heavy sigh and pushed off the wall to gather her people. She recruited Rolf in hopes that he would help her out. Thankfully he obliged and tossed Hattie over one shoulder, Part of her was jealous that Gideon had gotten out so easily, the other part of her wished that he took Adella with him. She was a fiery one that one. Hana tasked Declan to grab her, allowing her to swiftly push Silas out after them. He's lucky that's all she did, with how much he had been irritating her lately she wanted to knock his ass out.

"Out of the new crew? Adella's useful, and I think we'll find more use out of the parrot than we will Astrid." Hana was quick to throw another insult Astrid's way as she finished securing a few barrels. Normally during a storm they would take turns keeping watch until it passed just in case something serious happened. The parrot squawked loudly at Hana as if he was giving her some sort of attitude. "Shark Bait. Shark Bait is parrots name." Great. Even the parrot was annoying. "Right. Shark bait. Apologies." With another loud sigh and eye roll she glanced over at Gideon. "At least I don't have to worry about anyone recognizing your charming little face out at sea. But, now that we're going to be stuck on this journey together, any tips on dealing with the girls? I'd like to arrive with my sanity intact. Preferably."

 

[Sir Damien]

Declan Murphy

The thought of Adella sitting in some froo froo frilly dress with her sister watching something at the theater was wildly entertaining. She seemed like someone who would go to no lengths to sneak out of them, the thought alone made him chuckle. This woman was absolutely something else, he had never met someone like her! A smart, pretty lady like her dressing up like boy and sneaking out to play with shady characters. No wonder she beat him... Twice! he wasn't even mad at this point. He was really, really impressed. "Aye Silas really laid into me after that loss, I had tried not to remember that night." Silas was really going to kick his ass after he finds out it was Adella who beat him.

Growing up without anyone really sucked. Declan had a big heart and he cared about everyone, Silas was just the unfortunate one that paid Declan a little mind and he stuck to like glue. The crew was his family whether they liked it or not, he more than often saw himself as the mom of the group and Silas the cranky old dad. So when you messed with one of them you were really messing with him. Rolf and Hattie were going at it with some ugly crew, he assumed they made a move on Hattie since Rolf was involved. Their old captain was there to make matters worse and Declan couldn't help but groan. They were in a predicament.

While Rolf was busy covering Hattie Declan quickly moved by Adella's brave yet stupid ass as she stole the man's sword. Quickly the shaggy haired man pulled out his sword and held it at 'hatchet face'. "Aye, I told you to leave my crew alone, didn't I?" Drunk or not Declan wasn't playing around. There was no making friends with these people anymore. Quickly he grabbed Adella and tossed her over his shoulder. "Come along now lass! While I would love to watch this it seems as if it's time for us to leave. " His free hand snatched the green bird and tucking him in his jacket before sprinting off after everyone.

--

"I'm telling you, that bird loved me. I'm like a bird mom! Rescued him forever ago from those weird fisherman that were actually going to use him AS shark bait. We were inseparable, ask Silas! Hattie, the most fiery, brilliant redhead will you tell these fine people that Shark Bait and I sailed the seas together? Someone brainwashed my bird." The damn thing let him sneak him away in his jacket, but as soon as they made it to the boat he started squawking and saying Declan sucks!

"Oi Hana learn to take a chill pill why don't ya?" Declan was peeking out one of the portholes at the dark sky. Rain began to fall just as Astrid inquired about the storm and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. "Now don't tell me, are you two girls afraid of storms? They get pretty nasty on the sea. Don't worry though Adella, I'll hold your hand and be your comforting shoulder should you need one." Declan was back to being the flirty soul he was and shot a quick wink over to her.

 

[Colt Voltage]

Rolf.

Usually the big guy was calm, cool, and collected, but with someone disrespecting Hattie like that... it left a foul taste in his mouth. It didn't even necessarily have to be Hattie, just any woman being disrespected pissed him off! Hattie was special to him though, she had been since they first met each other. They were both awkward socially, personality wise they were polar opposites at times but that was the fun of her. Rolf was, well, he could be boring, and Hattie was fun, wild, sassy. She wasn't very socially graceful and he couldn't really articulate much, but they both seemed to understand one another rather well. So he naturally felt as if he should knock some sense into anyone who dared to disrespect her.

He had tossed her over his shoulder and ran out of the tavern despite wanting to still kick the shit out of those assholes. He was so frustrated with the situation he didn't notice Shark Bait until he started saying how Declan sucked. It gave him a small chuckle and helped cut the tension a little. Good to see the bird again. "Fun night." That was the last thing he said before they all got to the ship.

Rolf secured things on the deck, the life boat, anything they had on the deck, the mast and many poles the ship had that could be damaged. They didn't call for severe winds so he didn't overly stress out about it. Focusing on the ship helped him calm down a little bit. After the rain started hitting his face he let out a small groan and headed down the stairs, securing the door, and into the barracks with everyone. "All good." He slipped off his jacket and tossed it on the bed that he had been sleeping in as of late. There was some sort of tension in the air, he couldn't tell if it was between Shark Bait and Declan, Hana with Astrid, or Declan with someone else. Who knew who the man pissed off in such a short time.

Walking over to Hattie he pulled out the bag of candy and handed her a lemon one before plopping on in his own mouth. The sour made his face pucker a little, but behind the sour there was some sweetness to it. It was... interesting. He liked it. "Good." Just as he said that he could hear the boat creaking as the wind and rain picked up a bit, the waves giving the boat a small rock.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Adella Davies

When Declan abruptly removed Adella from the tavern she had screamed at him the whole way home. First off she wasn’t a fucking bag of potatoes, second she was having a good time and third she definitely could have taken that guy! So once they got back to the ship and we’re basically locked inside she found herself moody and more testy than usual. “Maybe he hates you because you abandoned him and left him with that ugly mug of a man back there. Or maybe it’s because he knows how much of an embarrassment you are at poker. Could truthfully be either.” Adella chuckled as the parrot screamed its distaste at Declan, moving to scratch its head before moving past everyone and waking to the back of the small main cabin, peering out the large windows of the back of the cabin as the wind and rain crashed against the glass.

“You keep acting as if I’ve asked for your help Declan.” Adella turned and looked at him with a slight smirk, her eyebrow raising a bit. This man really would flirt with anything that moved yeah? With Hattie it was constant, then the shop keep and now he was going to try with her. Well this man has met his match. She moved from the window and made her way over to where he was standing, right until they’re toe to toe. Her fingers danced up his chest until she gave him a gentle flick of the nose. “I love a good thunderstorm, the more wild the better. But don’t worry love, if you get scared I’ll make sure to help you through it. I can do that before or after showing you how to truly play poker. Oh and after I help be emotional support for telling Silas who you lost all that money too back in London.” With that Adella gave him a wink of her own, tossing her hair behind her and turning on a heel to return to the bunk she had been resting in.

They had all decided to stay together in the captains quarters and attached barracks rather than the cushy area meant for the admiral and themselves. Adella for one was already hating this, the only thing was possibly more prissy about than Astrid was her personal space and sleep. But oh well, it would be okay. “The storm will only get worse through the night yeah? Hopefully we can sleep through most of it.” She thought about her twin, the poor girl has always hated storms. Just then a big wave rocked the boat, causing Adella to sway slightly and the windows quickly turned from dark to pitch black. The lanterns and few candles they had were fighting hard to keep the place lit.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Hattie O’Connor

Hattie disappeared to her small library for a few after they got back to the ship. Back in the tavern sure she had gotten angry and loud and at first glance seemed confident. But once the adrenaline stopped pumping and the situation caught up to her, Hattie was devastated. It wasn’t that big of a deal, at least that’s what she tried to tell herself. It felt big though, it felt like she was an object. Hattie had tried for so long to distance herself from being a woman because the world constantly told her it was something to be ashamed of and it was so upsetting. She couldn’t ever be as good as man. She wasn’t worth respect. It hurt and she broke down, crying until it hurt, until she finally just felt numb. Of course she knew not everyone felt that way about her, or women, her crew mates weren’t that way. Even if Declan was a little bit of a pig.

Rolf though stood up for her, defended her after such an embarrassing moment. It warmed her heart so much. He was such a bright light in her life, a kindred soul and great friend. Hattie was thankful for him.

Hattie was also thankful for the rain, it covered her tear stained face as she ran across the deck from the library to the captains quarters to join with the others. Thankfully things seemed chaotic enough that no one really paid her much mind. “Yes Declan the bird likes you, shockingly you found something that liked you. And look what came of it!” Hattie spat at him, probably a bit more anger filled than she should have but she was just over today already.

Rolf joined them and that made her mood a bit better, offering him a small smile as he took a seat and handed her a candy which she happily plopped in her mouth. “I’m glad ya like em!” She smiled a bit more brightly and looked around the room as Adella mentioned the storm. “It’s getting quite spooky in here already, suns not even set all the way.”

 

[KAYDEN]

Gideon

Never would he have imagined that escaping the bar brawl quickly would have resulted in him ending up helping cook a meal with Astrid. Sure he was a decent cook, whenever he came home and off the ship he didn’t want to eat anything less than amazing so he had learned how to cook the things he liked. Gideon had attempted to tell Astrid no but there was really no such thing. So he made the bloody meal and once they were done and the others arrived he headed upstairs to help secure everything for the evening.

Between the folks working in deck it didn’t take long but by the end of it all Gideon was soaked. Nothing new for working on a ship but still wildly annoying. Finally they made their way downstairs and began to make sure all furniture was secured and any of the barrels or food stored was tied down to something. Hana seemed to be taking out a bit of aggression on basically everything she touched and it didn’t go unnoticed by Gideon, especially when she started to speak. “I mean she did cook the meal you’re about to eat.” Gideon understood that Astrid may give off a bad vibe at first to many people, that she and her sister were both a lot to handle but Hana seemed particularly hostile with the poor girl and while it was his job he also saw her as family. He wanted to stand up for her, especially when he knew how hard she was trying. Hana was someone who took their job very seriously and he understood why she was worried but… she was making it harder on herself.

Gideon straightened up after tying the last items down, wringing out his shirt and looking over at Hana as she spoke. “To not butt heads over silly things. To realize that just as you quickly misjudged me you may have misjudged them.” He gave Hana a raised brow and a soft smile as the two spoke quietly out of ear shot. “Hana I know your job is very important to you and I know they may seem like little girls off on a field trip. But Adella, this is probably like a dream to her. Astrid maybe not so much, but she would do anything to make Adella happy. So even if she hated this, she would grin and bear it. Though I am starting to think she likes this more than I would have ever imagined.” He looked over to the girl feeding the parrot and laughed. “It’s my job to protect them but also to keep them out of trouble, for your sake I promise you that I mean the second part as earnestly as the first. I won’t let them cause issues, you don’t need to worry.”

 

[EclipseRosee]

Silas

The brawl left Silas with a busted lip and a small gash on his arm but he would take that compared to the possibility of what could have happened. Those men meant it when they said if they ever saw him or Declan again they would be dead, they hated them. Even before the whole situation happened they weren’t that close with that crew. Declan and Silas were the grunts, the ones who always got the shit jobs and crap dealt to them despite being better than most. Once they went to the captain with their discovery, their literal life’s work, only then did things change a bit. However they fucked up somewhere and their ship ended up in some dangerous waters, looks of rocks and debris. Finally it was a strong undercurrent that screwed up their navigation and threw them into a tall rock, tossing a few men overboard. Two died. The captain had wanted to toss him and Declan right then, instead they sent the boys off on a lifeboat to at least give them a chance. If Hattie and Rolf hadn’t ran off with them they probably wouldn’t have made it to land…

Silas had cleaned himself up in private, wiping away the blood and bandaging as much as he could. Then he went to work. The anchor, securing the mast, securing all their cargo, taking down the sails. It was a lot. Thankfully they had more hands than usual. Then they all were to stay in the captains quarters as a crew, it was easier to keep tabs on everyone that way and if things went awry he wouldn’t have to run and wake everyone up to help. With a crew this small they needed all the time they had if an emergency arose.

“I can’t believe you took the bloody fucking bird you absolute moron.” Silas sounded mean but he face was absolutely giddy, it was hilarious! Silas only wished he had seen the captains face when Declan snatched the thing. “Oh Shark Bait come on mate, you’re going to break the idiots heart and the girls are already doing that enough yeah?”

Silas laughed, sitting in his chair backwards, his arms resting along the top of the back. The storm outside was swelling, he could feel it under his feet as she boat began to sway more and more. Things were apparently getting more restless inside as well, everyone was finally accounted for. Hana was pissed, Astrid seemed worried, Adella and Declan were… doing whatever that was. “Hana seriously, it’s getting old fast.” Silas spoke suddenly, tossing the girl a look that told her to knock it off. She wasn’t normally like this and he didn’t understand what was going on. She had been so willing to take a chance on them, sure they were paying her but even then they weren’t the most convincing crew to work with. Silas had thought she was a perfect fit because she was competent and talented but also a bit of a dreamer though maybe he wasn’t so right about the last part…

“Right… for the parrot.” Silas chuckled at Astrid before continuing, “It’ll get loud, if you’ve never been on a ship for a storm it’ll be an experience for sure but, it shouldn’t be too bad. If you plan on staying this is a good introduction because we will surely meet worse as we travel.”

 

[Sir Damien]

Declan

Adella was certainly different than any woman he had ever met before. Most women, besides Hattie of course, swooned for Declan. He was gifted with his dashing good looks and he could swoon the socks off of any lady! Not her though. She kept beating him despite his best efforts, and it felt as if the woman STILL was challenging him! Who raised these crazy girls? "I- errr..." His tanned face heated up and for the first time in forever found himself speechless. Her words, the flick of the nose, the ATTITUDE of the women. It was all so intriguing and part of him loved the challenge. Hell, even everyone heckling him over the bird didn't seem to phase him as he took his time to process what had just happened.

He stood there for a minute before he let out a small huff. There, Declan was back. "Our next poker game I'll win! Boy oh boy I'll make you eat those words girly." Hopefully she didn't reveal she was the one that beat him the first time. He was not ready to explain that he lost to the same girl, twice, to Silas. Declan would truly never live it down. With a frustrated sigh he ran his long fingers through his messy brown hair as Hattie even seemed to gang up on him about the bird. "Hattie not you too! Aye, maybe it's the ship? Silas, we need a new one. I don't think Shark Bait likes it."

There was too much tension in the room. They were supposed to be together until the storm passed and he was not dealing with this awkwardness. It was clear that Adella and Declan were soulmates but he'd have to inform her of that later. As first mate it was his job to make sure everyone was in a good mood, now was his time to shine! "Alright alright crew, listen up!"

Declan cleared his throat loudly as he prepared for his story. "Now, you ladies really have to be careful on nights like these out at sea. During real bad storms the ghost of davey jones wander ships and snatch up pretty lil' things like you. He'll drag you to his locker, where you'll spend the rest of your days. I know, it sounds dreadfully terrifying but, don't worry. I've faced off with the ghost before and I'll protect this ship." Was Declan trying to scare the girls? Of course. Good ghost stories were part of the fun of being a pirate.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Astrid

As usual Adella helped distract Astrid from the anxiety that the storm was bringing, it was just unfortunate that poor Declan had to be the one to deal with her instead of Gideon. It seemed to fluster the poor man and that made it that much funny. Maybe with this lively of a group she wouldn't even notice the storm! She just hated being alone during storms, when she was little she would always crawl in Adella's bed cuddle her. Hell, even as a grown adult she'd still crawl in her sister's bed just to cuddle if the storm got bad enough.

Her smile fell as soon as Hana made another jab at her. Listen, she was just naturally bad at pretty much everything on the ship. It wasn't a lack of effort by any means. But with Gideon helping her out Astrid would be a natural in the kitchen in a few short days! That thought made her stomach turn a little. How long would this trip last? She knew it was temporary, but this all had been so much fun. The spoiled lady was enjoying the ship life and was finding herself a bit more humble.

Much to her surprise Silas was sticking up for her? Astrid was just going to ignore Hana, she was sure she would get over whatever jealousy or anger she had for her over time. It felt nice knowing that he didn't completely hate her for all the trouble she caused earlier? That was then that she noticed Silas's ill fitted bandage on his arm. "Who wrapped up your arm? Tell them not to quit their day job." Part of her felt bad, if she wasn't so useless Gideon could have protected him from getting hurt. Hell, if she had a weapon she would have been there to help out! As much as she hated to say it, Hana was right. Astrid was more useless than the bird and it hurt. The least she could do was do a decent job by patching up someone's wounds.

Astrid moved to the cabinet to grab the first aide kit before making her way to Silas's side, not listening to any objections as she took off the loose wrap on his arm. "I used to be terribly reckless back in the day, I can patch up any wounds you guys get I'm sure." See? She was useful in other ways than deck work. First aide was an important skill! She knew where every box was on the ship, and she wasn't shy wiping the wound off with an antiseptic soaked gauze. "It might burn. Sorry." Whoops, should've said that first.

Ghost stories didn't really scare Astrid, it was the combination of the swaying ship, the flickering lights, and the gloomy skies paired with rain that did it for her. As the stupid ghost story was done she finished wrapping the bandage tightly on Silas's arm. The ship creaked as it swayed once more, a few of the candles went out. Then the thunder hit, lighting lit up the sky and Astrid couldn't help but jump nearly out of her skin. "Oh, damn it all Declan!” It wasn’t often that she swore but the poor woman was already on edge. “If the ghost does come here I think we’ll all agree on sacrificing you to it.”

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Hana.

When Hana fled her home all those years ago she knew it was an eat or be eaten world. She used her skills to help peasants, nobles, sailors, really whoever had the coin to pay her. Her job was always to protect something or someone. Here? She was to protect the crew, help them in this endeavor. That's what she signed up for.

Gideon's words were annoying. Bothersome. Most of all? They touched the gentle soul she once was and she hated it, she loathed the fact that he was right. Adella was... well, she seemed to be thriving in this environment, she had taken to it far more than Hana had expected her to. Astrid was a liability waiting to happen, but she was giving it her all. The sword fight impressed her, it was irritating but she did have a little potential. "Maybe I've been a little too harsh on the girls." A small, frustrated breath of air passed her lips. "Aye. Fine. You win, again."

Usually she was cold to people on the ship, she kept her distance. This crew was friendly though, they were different. Declan obviously was overdramatic and the most cheerful pirate she had ever met, Rolf and Hattie were nice to her, and Silas was, well, charming to say the least. Kind, welcoming. She liked the idea of getting this treasure. It was the way Silas was treating Astrid that was making her so bitter. It was the way he smiled at her after their duel that pissed her off more than anything! So when Silas piped up and shot her his look she felt her face go red with anger.

"Right, you punished her with peeling potatoes for nearly a week until her hands were bloody, but she can't take a little heckling. Duly noted, Captain." There was a bit of bite to her words but then Declan started up his ridiculous story. God help them. "Here. We don't need you getting sick." While she was sure Gideon's wet clothes would dry eventually she didn't want him to catch a cold. Plus, if she paid Silas anymore attention she'd be tempted to throw her boot straight at his head. Hana's small figure moved to grab a blanket, moving back to Gideon and tossing it around his shoulders. "There. Better?"

 

[Colt Voltage]

Rolf.

As the room became rowdy Rolf couldn't help but notice the tear induced splotches near her Hattie's eyes. They were subtle, she was more angry than usual and the big man could tell that something was wrong. Hattie was amazing at map making, the woman could do anything she set her mind to. She was even good at the deck hand work! Not that they had much of a choice on that matter. After the two of them joined the brothers on the life boat they all had to focus on survival, they did things they weren't proficient at just to help them make it to shore. He knew that the guys wouldn't have survived on their own.

"Something wrong?" He shone her a small, warm smile and his large hand gently pat the top of her fiery red hair as if he was trying to reassure her. Was she still upset about the tavern? Rolf was, too. The guy deserved far more than a bashed in face for the disrespect he caused her. Though, when she smiled and popped some candy in her mouth he felt his face heat and he forgot about the anger he had towards the stranger. Why did her smile always take him off guard?

As Hattie mentioned something spooky it seemed as Declan found it an appropriate time for ghost stories. It would (hopefully) quell the anger between Silas and Hana. If Rolf had caught on to their little affair then he was sure the whole crew was aware of it by now. They were trying to hide it, sure, but they were doing a piss poor job at it. Now? Now it was creating an awkward tension. Wasn't that the reason you weren't supposed to sleep with your shipmates? He supposed Hana was only a temporary member of their crew, but still.

The ghost story was one that was told to new deck hands and grunts to scare them, see if they were really made for this life, Declan just sucked at story telling. The lights of the candles going out did help the ambiance though. The rain had began to pick up and made a rhythmic tapping on the window that faced the sea. The sea was home for Rolf, he found storms comforting and soothing. "Tired? Big day tomorrow." Rolf pat the pillow and blanket next to him, doing his best to let her know that he could make a bed for her on the bench. He wished that he was better with his words, but considering he started with grunts and hand gestures he wasn't doing too bad.