why is fishing such good business?

[tender]

WHO: Derrica, Ellie + Loxley
WHAT: Bullying a fisherman
WHEN: Very early August
WHERE: Jader
NOTES: ooc notes

Basile Anselme was probably having a very fine day, by the look of things. His nets are full, the deck had been clear, and squawking loudly from a cage in the corner of the deck is a raven, presumably from Val Chevin.

Yes, a day that by all accounts had been going to plan, but now is certainly not.

Basile has been cursing at them in a steady stream of increasingly indignant Orlesian, after several escape attempts and Loxley's most persuasive efforts had failed. Crushed belly-down on the deck while Derrica tries to wrestle his wrists into a loop of rope, he has very decisively rejected their suggestions as to relocating to Rivain and leaving his fishing boat to Riftwatch.

"The message was in code," Derrica is saying, a little desperate. "Do you think we can find the codebook somewhere on the boat?"

They're all a little drenched from the near-loss of Basile to the sea on his last attempt. The kind of problem he presents is something to be dealt with after they've figured out whether or not his codebook is somewhere easily accessed. If not—

Well, maybe Commander Flint won't be too put out if they bring back an entire fisherman for Madame de Cedoux to interview and extract codes from.

Comments

skip her for the next round or so if it so moves y'all

[tender]

Having made descended halfway below deck, Derrica peeps up to take in Loxley's sword and be certain Ellie still has the man in question pinned. Should either of them glance her way, there's a grin and a little wave, before Derrica resumes her descent and vanishes from sight.

[charmoffensive]

Loxley glances over to Ellie as she asks this next question, briefly assessing. They hadn't really gamed this part out—and who could tell, with how graceful and coordinated its been since they all plunged into the ocean in a mad, splashy dash—but it seems that, to at least some extent, they've brought along the right people.

All Loxley does is turn his rapier like so in a way that bores a tiny puncture into skin, a spider-bite of a wound.

And so the information comes out faster, like slimy guts on a fishing boat deck.

[notathreat]

After making sure Derrica is safely below, Ellie meets Loxley's eyes and gives a slight nod. Her greenish eyes are flinty and hard; it comes off as if she doesn't care what it takes, but in reality, she's distancing herself from what they may have to do if this man doesn't comply.

But fear is effective as fuck, and it works now.

The poor man winces away from the blade and starts giving it up, stumbling over himself as he relays the next place he's expected, and Ellie stares hard at the deck rather than the trickle of blood on his neck.

"If the info's good," Ellie says slowly, "We'll keep you out of the Venatori's hands. But if it isn't..."

She lets Loxley, or perhaps his own imagination, fill in the blank.