Topic: Troubled Waters

Silver Starblade

Date: 2011-09-19 22:17 EST
Posted with Permission, as always

The air was warm, and the weather was annoyingly warmer. The world was more annoying when days like these happened. There was no malice in his gait as that hooked bow on his back with the cylinder of arrows bounced lightly with each step. It was slightly out of place on a man wandering the ports, indicating perhaps he was something else besides a sailor or pirate. But the man was more than that bow and arrow. He was too much of a man to some. So honest he got removed from the payroll for it; for being truthful, and in this world, the hardest thing to be was honest. He'd never let go of that trait for anyone or anything and that was why he was here.

He was back to zero.

But there was a silver lining to his predicament; a single Captain whom he had worked with over the last few years. From his perspective, one with minimal standards personally, but high expectations professionally. It was worth a shot. If he was turned away, he would go home with the same amount of money he carried in his pockets now. It couldn't hurt to seek out this female woman. The man wore a bone-colored poet's shirt with a faded navy blue doublet, black boots with blue faded leather heraldic designs, and his auburn hair neatly combed back into a ponytail, showed that he was once a person of note and took care of his appearance. The point is that he wasn't any longer, but what he was indeed was broke. Those very boots carried him down the docks and rows of ships in search of one called the Starstruck Siren.

All he carried was a duffel bag of old enriched leather that was bulky, all his possessions stuffed inside. With a glance to the paper in his hand and a look at the ship before him, he had arrived at the ship. When he had found himself out of a job, Sully had turned to a friend that knew most people in the ports; a friend with more resources than Sully thought possible. When he had mentioned this particular Captain, it had seemed a good idea.

With that in mind, he walked up the plank and came to acknowledge the nearest crewmember with a bandage wrapped palm by the shoulder. "'oy mate. Where's Silver?" Sully recognized a few of the men from glances and a few lighthearted introductions in the past, as his green eyes sought the woman that he wished to find.

Patrick shifted from foot to foot, a nervous habit he could not seem to throw. His eyes darted toward the docks, just as he heard the voice looking for the Captain. Apparently, she heard it too from the swearing that reached Patrick's ears. He turned pink at the mention of someone's mother and rather uncouth suggestions, her boots stomping up the plank and onto the deck.

"Mr. Fallon." Silver began, sticking to protocol since he was a wanted man. For what, she did not know, nor would she believe anything that would come from Brede O'Leary. "Can I help you?" Her tone, while polite, was complete business, though her expression showed a hint of concern.

"There she is!" He raised his voice to her approach and turned toward her with a grin. "Well aren't you the sight for me sore eyes!" But the stiffened formality caused that grin to waver a brief moment. "Afternoon Captain." He also was in a bit of a rush for the reason Silver was so very proper at the moment. "I'm looking for work." He opted for as little information as possible, but grinned that guilty grin that was so trademarked in that handsome man's face.

"Work?" She questioned, watching him closely.


Silver Starblade

Date: 2011-09-19 22:19 EST
Could she help him' Hell, she could save his life if she acquiesced for a lift. "I apologize for dropping by unannounced." Sully continued.

"What happened to O'Leary's?" It was a loaded question. She was waiting to see how he answered before she even weighed her options.

"Two O'Leary's went down to one, Captain." It wasn't the most favorable story, but it was the right one. He heaved an unpleasant sigh. It was not a tale he liked to tell, but his tone was concise with a clearness that indicated he would not use his reluctance to stain the report he had to issue. "The son, Brede, decided to make an aggressive business strategy and dispatch his father from being." The tall, six foot two man shifted, standing tall before the woman. She was near his equal in height, something he was not used to. "He was killed, Captain." It meant he had failed in protecting them; it was because he hadn't quickly seen that an argument would lead to a death. And he was hired to protect the property, and less so the people. "Brede is behind it. I saw it myself while on watch and Brede thinks it's best to remove any conflicts of interest that might arise of what I witnessed."

Sh*t.

Silver continued to swear silently in her head until she ran out of combinations and began to creatively pair words together. It was a long moment before she spoke again. The delicate situation just got more precarious, especially if she hired Sully. No doubt Brede had paid someone in the Watch and they'd come looking for Sullivan Fallon before too long. It would take some delicate negotiations on her part to keep from this spiraling out of control. Lucky for her, they were sailing out at the next high tide. "We are sailing in three hours. You ready by then" You'll be bunking with the crew. Everyone on board has worked to do. I don't take to idle hands on my ship."

"My deepest thanks, Captain." A bracer covered arm came to his abdomen to rest there as he bowed. He was a good man. Quiet, kept to himself, effective, a good worker, and honest. The ginger color of his hair was bright in the sun, as were the eyes he wore with that handsome but marred face. It had no visible markings, but the way he carried every facial muscle showed a bruised and hurt man, but at least he was a man with a job.

"Three hours" I'll be back with my things in 3 minutes.? He held up that heavy bulky bag that was at his side, and the loaded pouches at his belt along with the stuffing of his pockets. He had all of his things with him.

Silver looked at him again for a long moment. She was sympathetic, having been in situations like this herself. She reached out, slapping Sullivan on the shoulder. "Welcome aboard, Sully." A half, lopsided smile was flashed before she turned and disappeared into the ship.


Faustus

Date: 2011-09-20 19:10 EST
"Is that?"

"Yes."

"Is he a crew member?"

"Yes."

"You do realize?"

"Yes."

"Motherfu.."

"I KNOW Faustus." Silver grimaced, pacing the floor of her quarters. Her arms were crossed tightly in front of her, her lips pursed in a tight line.

"Sh*t on a stick, Silver." Faustus swore again. "Do you know what you just did?"

"No one knows yet."

"Yet." Faustus emphasized the word, stabbing a finger at her. His shirt was obnoxiously loud today, a bright yellow with irritatingly bright red stripes. "When words gets out that he's on YOUR ship.."

"Who the hell would know?" She stopped pacing, her eyes pointedly staring at him.

"Um, the hundreds of nosey-a$s people in the ports that watched him stroll down the docks and on to your ship! It was broad daylight. You couldn't have told him to go away and come back in the dark?"

"He's below deck. They saw someone come on board but until it's proven otherwise it's all gossip. You know this."

Faustus stared in disbelief. "Seriously' You're going to play that card again? It's not going to work this time. Not with someone who's got money and henchmen like Brede." He shoved his hands in his pockets, digging around for a cigarette and his lighter. "You know better then this. You always know better then this."

"It's getting old and Brede deserves what?s coming."

"It can't be getting "old". This is your damn job." Faustus pulled out a cigarette carton, flipping the lid open to reveal it was empty. "Damn it all to hell!" He threw the carton on her desk. "What now?"

"What do you mean "what now??" She shot back, throwing her hands up. "I'm leaving the ports in an hour. Hopefully by the time we get back, someone else has killed Brede or it's forgotten."

Faustus snorted, running a hand over his short stubble of hair. "You better pray for the first because I highly doubt it will ever be forgotten." He stabbed a finger at the ceiling to where the crew was readying the ship above. "Witness!"

"F"king hell, Faustus." Silver swore at him, waving a hand. "Are you going to help or just stand there whining like a damn woman?"

"Don't get your panties in a bunch."

Silver winced. She hated, loathed, that word. "I swear to hell and back Faust.."

"Yes, I know what would happen. I like my face where it is. I have a run to Isla de Conchas. It just so happens I'm sailing out when you are, hence the reason I came by to say adios for a while. It seems you will be following me on said run."

A single brow arched as she listened. "From there, we'll figure it out, even if that requires leaving Sully there.?

Faustus turned, disappearing up onto the deck and toward his ship. Silver stared at the empty doorway, swearing once more in her head, this time about all the uncivilized things Faustus could do to himself and his mother. She couldn't figure out if the situation got better, or just went from bad to worse.

Silver Starblade

Date: 2011-09-21 12:27 EST
The door to the Albatross swung open without a care to who was in the path of its swing. The patrons of the tavern (if it could be termed a tavern) grimaced, shielding their eyes from the only sunlight that filtered into the room. She slammed the door shut behind her, her boots thudding across the floor. No one bothered to move a muscle as the angry Captain made her way inside. They knew better then to try anything when she was in such a foul mood.

The darkness of the room nearly swallowed her whole, the stench of ale, sweat and grime overwhelming. "Where is he?" Silver hissed at the keep.

The man looked like he belonged hauling cargo on the docks, not tending a bar. He was tall, roughly the same height as her, and built like a brick house. His right eye was missing and in its place was a scar that ran from his eye to the top of his lip. The man threw down the dirty rag he was using to "polish' the glasses, tipping his head toward the back.

Silver stormed off in that direction, watching as the man scurried out from his seat in attempt to make it out the back door before she reached him.

Unfortunately for him, she was faster. Her fingers curled into the neck of his shirt, half carrying, half dragging him out the back door and into the dirty alley behind.

"I swear I didn't do nothing!" The man pleaded, his eyes wide.

"If you so much as lie to me.." Silver started, a dagger slipping out of thin air to press dangerously against the man's most cherished body part. He squirmed, trying to disappear into the wall behind him.

"I like my balls where they are, thanks." He fired back. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Out of all the ships in this damn port.."

"No one would've touched him!"

"I wonder why!" Silver barked, pressing down on the dagger.

"Just get him out of here. I'll spread word you turned him away."

The Captain's blue eyes narrowed as she studied the man in front of her. He had been accurate all these years with his information; though on occasion she had to coax it out of him. She didn't have any other options at the moment.

"You make sure that word gets around he's not on my ship. If the rumor doesn't reach my crew in 30 minutes, you'll be one body part short."

He nodded quickly. "It's done. I swear it.?