open

[bouchonne]

WHO: Byerly & Kitty & you
WHAT: Open log! Assorted prompts!
WHEN: Months of Harvestmere & then Firstfall
WHERE: In and around Kirkwall
NOTES: If you're not into this junk tell me what junk you're into and I'll give you that junk

Prompts in comments my pretties. If none of em catch your fancy, then just throw up something that does.

Comments

Gallows docks

[rathercommon]

[ There is a man standing at the docks, waiting for the ferry to take him back to the mainland. He has a companion. The man is very casually holding forth to his companion about nobility, and the virtues of nobility, and how it's good that the common folk aren't all uppity and rebellious where he has his lands. Nothing extraordinary offensive, but held in a very loud tone of voice, and at length.

That's probably why Kitty looks like she's about to jump him. Someone should probably stop her. ]

[thereneverwas]

I wouldn't recommend it.

[In a low voice, from a very large man, who leans down slightly to ensure Kitty knows he's addressing her.]

That's the sort of man who makes people disappear.

[rathercommon]

[ She jumps slightly in response to that sudden voice. Her head whips around, and she stares at Barrow, eyes wide and then narrowing slightly. ]

He's - What, meaning what? What does that mean?

[thereneverwas]

[Barrow nudges his head toward the man.]

Noble. Likely wealthy. Connected. Not afraid to announce it, daring someone to challenge him.

[He tugs a cigarette out of his jacket and strikes a match on his own shoulder to light it.]

A man like that is better inconvenienced than attacked. [When he looks back down at her, there's a smile in his eyes, if not on his mouth.]

[rathercommon]

Wasn't going to attack him.

[ The stubborn, defiant look in her eyes rather says something else. But, intrigued a bit - ]

What's that mean. Inconvenienced.

[thereneverwas]

[Oh no. She's full of piss and vinegar, but she's still willing to hear him out.
That's not a good combination, but bless her for it.]

Be a pity if he were to stumble getting into the boat. I hear that water's filthy. [Puff, puff.] Happens all the time.

[rathercommon]

[ Slightly baffled - ]

Thought you said not to attack him.

[thereneverwas]

Who said anything about attacking?

[He shrugs one shoulder.]

You've seen how people crowd onto the boats.

[rathercommon]

But we're over here. How...?

half wildcard, half not; full kill bill sirens

[katabasis]

[The sun has just finished setting and the last shocks of light paint Hightown and the Viscount's Keep a vibrant yellow. But down here in the close cut of Lowtown and the leaning overhands of the Kirkwall docks, shadow is falling almost as quickly as the small boats are running in from the channel. The exception to this rule is the nearly empty boat bound for the Gallows. The oarman is doddering around about lighting the ferry's stern lamp so he can jaw for a few minutes longer with some grey whiskered old sailor over some new ship at anchor in the harbor. The gossipy quality of the talk - 'Mark me, she came from up north'; 'the Captain's a ponce, and are you surprised - have you seen the leaf on the stern rail'; 'If the Viscount doesn't mind things--'; - has a lulling, mindless quality to it, punctuated only by the intermittent and half hearted clack of steel on stone.

The ferry should have been gone five minutes ago. If it had, Kitty Jones would have safely been safely esconsed in it. As it is--]

Stepping on.

[Captain Flint joins the little boat just as the light finally catches in the lamp.]

YES.

[rathercommon]

[ The voice takes a moment to really reach her consciousness. Which is ridiculous. It's such an unmistakable voice, an unmistakable accent and timbre, that it ought to have been instantaneous. But she's tired, really tired, and the water is so hypnotic that for a moment she'd been in a sort of a daze and so she doesn't even feel the sway when that heavy boot treads on the step and she doesn't recognize the voice till she's almost turned round to look.

Recognition comes just before she does make that turn. At the last moment, she keeps her face turned away, stays huddled with her face turned to the water. Fear runs up and down her spine, a jittering high panic as she considers the water as an escape (she does know how to swim now, a little, courtesy of Captain Vane, and why did he have to be the one to go and leave Flint here) but probably not as well as a lifelong pirate. But that's stupid, he's not going to come for her here, now, with the old oarman a witness - unless the oarman is in on it -

She could turn and hop back to shore. Yes. That's it. That's the best thing to do. Except that right when she resolves to do that, the old sailor gives the boat a good kick that shoves it off from shore, and the oarman laughs chummily, and calls out a farewell, and the boat sets off.

Shit. She huddles in on herself, trying to be small and unnoticeable under her cloak, tension in every muscle. ]

[katabasis]

[And for what must surely feel like a painful length of time, it works. The ferryman is in no hurry; he hacks leisurely at the oars, the boat creeping sedately out into the harbor, and at some point makes some effort to engage Flint on what by now should be a tired subject. They discuss the Lion's lines and speculate as to her port of origin and profession, and debate the legitimacy of I hear either it or the Captain came by some Qunari gold, from the oarman with a snort and 'What the fuck use would the Qun have for gold?' from the man in the dark coat.

But eventually - perhaps right after the thought occurs that Flint and the oarman might chat their way across the whole harbor without ever referencing the narrow shape sitting stiffly in the bow -, the ferryman calls out to her:]

Girl, if you're going to be sick then you better see to doing it over the side.

[rathercommon]

[ She'd really thought she'd get away with it. She was actually starting to relax a little. So what does she do? What does she say? Any ounce of tension she'd lost before comes back in full force. Does she say something? No; he'll know her voice. She can't -

A moment passes. One that's rather too long. And then, finally, she shakes her head, remaining silent, unable to trust her voice. ]

[katabasis]

I said-- [begins the oarman.]

She's fine. [It's not a sharp correction by any means, but it does slaughter conversation until Flint suggests to their skipper:] I'll give you tonight's drinking money to take a small detour. That ship there.

[The Walrus is a darkening shape where it lays at anchor.]

[rathercommon]

[ That -

That breaks her self-control. She whirls around, then, face pale, lips thin, eyes wide, wildness in the way she half-crouches. Her motion is sudden enough that the boat pitches, just a little bit - not enough to threaten capsizing, but it's significant enough. And, not to be missed: a hand sits on the hilt of her dagger. ]

No. No detour.

[katabasis]

[The oarman curses - sit down, you fucking-- and so on, but Flint seems even more off put. Not by the sway of the boat, righting now. No, the paleness of the girl in question and the hand on the dagger is a surprise. He studies her, sharpening like slowly drawn belt knife, as the ferryman hisses and grumbles.

After a long beat and without looking back, Flint allows:]

Nevermind it. Your other passenger is in a hurry.

[rathercommon]

[ And she's surprised by his surprise. Was that not a threat? That - Surely it was. Surely he'd recognized her, surely he'd known, and he'd been planning to use the fact that she was trapped to abscond with her. Except that now he's...not doing that. Why not? Because she's onto him? Or did he just say it to unnerve her?

Or did he actually just want to go to his ship?

She feels a flush of embarrassment almost strong enough to wipe out her fear. She sits, then, shoulders hunched, silent, eyes fixed balefully on Flint. ]

[calicoy]

[Jack Rackham has very annoying laughter. It's high-pitched and loud and cuts through people's concentration. He hasn't noticed Kitty. He's noticed the other loudmouth and wants to fight for supremacy.]

Tell me more about the titles you hold, Messire, we're all absolutely fucking riveted.

[rathercommon]

[ This is slightly unexpected. Kitty had been about to move forward, to take action, when this new man had come upon the scene. She takes a step back a bit uncertainly.

The loudmouth clearly didn't expect anyone to stand up to him. He glares at Jack and puffs his chest - quite a bit broader than Jack's, it must be noted - and says, Who are you? ]

[calicoy]

[Everything is a performance. You can't let on being afraid of rippling pectorals.]

Someone incredibly fucking tired of braggarts. The only people who talk like you do just impregnated a duke's daughter. Congratulations on the impending matrimony.

[rathercommon]

[ The man snorts. Maybe I did, he jeers. Aren't many ladies who can resist me. Maybe one of them was someone's daughter, eh? ]

[calicoy]

Fantastic. Wonderful. Now will you kindly shut the fuck up? Your voice is an advertisement for deafness.

[Jack sits, and crouches, even letting hid tricorn slip down a little on his head. A posture he learned from Anne. Not a technique. The watchful will note one hand has slipped inside his jacket.]

[You know. Just in case.]

[rathercommon]

[ From a ways back, Kitty watches with dawning horror as she realizes - this guy's going to get himself hurt. Probably awfully bad. Nobles like this, they're absolutely monstrous, aren't they - they face no consequences for their actions. And this guy, he's going to bear the brunt of it.

And it's not her business. It is not even remotely her business. If he wants to get his face rearranged, then so be it. She's got nothing to do with any of it. She's...

With a noise of fury and frustration, she takes off running. And she yells - ]

Sorry! In a hurry!

[ And smashes into the nobleman, shoulder against his. As she does, she deftly slits his coinpurse - not to take with her, but so that all those gold pieces tucked in there go raining down upon the dock.

The man's attention is immediately diverted as he scrambles for his cash. ]

[calicoy]

[Well, that sure as fuck wasn't a coincidence. Hilarious, though. What about him and the trajectory of his life means he keeps running into capable young women?]

[Luck would have it, the ferry shows up just about then, and Jack scrambles on it, grabbing the girl by the shirtsleeve for a quick tug-- follow me, thank you-- before physically pushing the ferry off.]

Anchors aweigh, for the love of- [He physically throws some coin at the ferryman, coin that sure isn't his. But when it's just lying there on the ground... Look, if they're all culpable, the plan works that much better.]

[The ferryman is a bit put off by having things thrown at him, but coin is coin, and he goes a little faster as the daughter-fucker yells for them to come back.]

Important business with my uppity, rebellious cohorts. No time to waste. Ta!

[rathercommon]

[ She had, by instinct, grabbed a few coins before getting swept onto the boat. She looks at them a moment, then looks back at the man still on the dock (clearly debating whether to try jumping after the boat, and then deciding against it), and then pours a few more silver on the bench next to the ferryman. ]

Sorry. Thank you. Right. Sorry.

[ There's color in her cheeks, and she's a little breathless, but - against her will - there's a grin on her face, as well. She doesn't often do things that reckless any longer. Or things that fun. ]

You could have gotten your teeth smashed in, you know.