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Eavesdown Episode 1 - The Arrival; Anne & Jack, Alex
Topic Started: May 4 2016, 02:55 PM (2,940 Views)
Rabbit
Straight Outta Eavesdown
Mere days before, there had been quite the commotion here. Soldiers were everywhere, as was the law, and the whole place had been put on lockdown. Something about fugitives, or at least, that was the rumor. Very few here knew the whole truth, and likely never would.

Looking at the Docks, however, you'd never know there had been a problem. Places like this healed fast, and the normal level of activity had returned. The Docks were great for people watching: a hustling, flowing crowd of humanity, streaming in and out various buildings and flying in and out on ships of all shapes and sizes (and with intents of varying degrees of legality.)

One could find anything they wanted here, if they looked hard enough and were willing to pay for the privilege. Whatever your appetite, it could be satiated at Eavesdown.
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Anne Bonney
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The Summer Wind
This would be her last day.

Normally, she had absolutely no interest in Eavesdown. In fact, she avoided it like the plague, 99% of the time. The reasons were her own, but suffice it to say the words "potential mob-related violence" may or may not have been involved. Not really a big tourism draw, on top of all the other fine qualities of Persephone: a generally high rate of crime, dusty environs, a sub-50 percent teeth remaining ratio amongst the denizens... a lovely place, to be sure.

But, every so often, she came back for Cale. After all, the man had taken her in when she had nothing. Just some lousy street urchin, fresh off the boat. He gave her shelter, a job, a sense of the home she'd lost.

She felt like she owed him a visit from time to time.

But she'd already bid him goodbye, and now she was getting in one last day's business before she took off for, well, wherever the hell she wanted. The food cart was very mobile, and many transports gave her a discount in exchange for fresh food and skills in the kitchen, both of which she was more than happy to provide. It was a good life, the best life she could manage these days. She'd already left three lives behind, there was no telling whether she'd have any more coming her way. Seemed wise to make the best of this one, then.

The customers had been slower to show up today, but still steady enough that she'd make a bit of profit. The money she'd drop into a lockbox attached to the side of her shiny metal food cart, the awning overhead protecting her from the sun and reading "Bonney Bites" in red block letters. It was simple, but it was enough to draw the eye (though, she thought, the nose was usually drawn first.) In her downtime, she cleaned the tools and surfaces, then kept an eye out to catch the gaze of hungry customers. Her pretty features and auburn hair usually did the trick where scents and signage failed.

It was during one such scan that trouble caught her eye.

It was a vague recollection, but even the vaguest recollection here meant bad things for her, potentially. After all, there was a crime lord here who she'd managed to cross years ago. There was no guarantee that he'd remember to be looking for her, but neither was there a guarantee he didn't, either. The guys in the suits, making their way through a part in the crowd that always seemed to be provided them.

If they're not the Boss's guys, I'd be surprised...

Without hesitation, she began to shut down the systems on the cart, locking down hatches and covers as she did. The lockbox would be secure, so she wasn't too worried about that. She was mostly just interested in not being seen.

Satisfied with the security of the cart, she turned on heel and started down a small street nearby, away from the cart.

It figured. Three days she'd gone without a hitch, and now that she was about to get ready to depart...

Ahh, but have you ever been lucky, girl?

It had been years since she had been here, in the notice of the Boss. But that didn't mean that the man didn't hold a grudge, and she didn't look that different. Older, sure. Sadder, definitely. Recognizable, though, absolutely.

And it was at that moment, mired in the thought of having to once again flee from the Boss and his goons, that she ran full force into someone, sending them both to the ground.

Ta ma de...
Here Comes Trouble

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Calico Jack Rackham

Oh, my dear Persephone. How I've missed you." he muttered under his breath as he left the dark cargo bay's docking ramp of the passenger transport.

It'd been a good trip, uneventful, and even a little profitable, since he'd rigged the ship's security system into something that might actually be called secure. The trip, however, wasn't exactly one he was pleased to be making. He hated coming back here, if only for the memories that slammed him in the face as soon as the air hit him.

Hot, dry, and filled with dust, Persephone's Eavesdown Docks had been his home for years. They'd taken him in when he'd had nothing and nowhere to go, and had provided. He'd had to work for it, but he'd never starved. He'd found family when his own abandoned him. He'd even found himself here, among the ships and shops and go se.

He'd had to come back, though, as he always did. There was family business to attend to. Kids to check up on and such.

He pushed his hair back out of his face...again. It was becoming a habit. He didn't mind, of course, since it framed his bearded face nicely. He never could come up with a good reason to keep his hair trimmed short, though it was considerably longer than it had been in a few years.

He raised the sunglasses that he wore to the top of his head, securing his hair...kinda, as he blinked in the bright sun. He'd forgotten how bright the sun was here in Persephone. Most of his memories were of late night runs, or sunsets spent enjoying the spoils of one con or another. An early morning escape or two.

Like most of those that made their living off of graft jobs here or there, daylight wasn't his friend, and he preferred to sleep away the hotter parts of the day.

Still blinking as his eyes adjusted, he shifted his rucksack into place, the drab green tab that read "Calico Jack" brushing his hand as he turned. He'd taken barely a dozen steps across the crunchy sand when a body slammed into him. His boot caught a rock the wrong way and he went down hard.

"Yu bun duh back birthing son of a-" he muttered as he tried to right himself, but he cut off when he saw it.

A small piece of glass, reddish orange, that blazed in the sunlight. A small flame, held by a silver chain, casting an inferno against the ivory top it rested upon.

"Juh jen sh guh kwai luh duh jean jan."

He swallowed. Or tried to. It stuck at the top of his throat. He didn't need to take his eyes off of the pendant to see the hair he knew to be red, or the eyes that might be green, or blue, or gray, depending on the light and how pissed she was.

He looked up anyway, and met her eyes, which turned out to be a color he couldn't think of a name for other than "home".

"Hiya, Annie."
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Chasing Trouble...
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Anne Bonney
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The Summer Wind
Her world turned into a blur of colors (mostly beige) and then lightning when she hit the ground with a jarring impact. From behind her, theoretically in the direction of the guy she'd slammed into, came a stream of epithets directed, deservedly, at her. Right now, all she could manage to care about was the pain in her knees and wrists, and the taste of pure Persephone sand on her lips. She spat, then turned over to a more dignified sitting position. Cue the second stream of epithets. This seemed like overkill, the first bit would have sufficed. She glanced up, brushing the hair from her face, and...

"Tai kong suo you de xingqui dou saijin wo de pigu...."

"Hiya, Annie."

Of all the things, of all the people in all the places. This was the worst thing, with the worst person, in the worst place in the Verse. She took a moment to realize what he had previously been looking at, before he looked her in the eyes. Eyes that hadn't met in... not long enough, but a pretty long time. She half-sputtered out another colorful word, and hurriedly took the pendant and shoved it into the collar of her blouse, hidden away. She wished it would have been that easy for herself.

She pushed herself back, only a few inches, supporting herself with her hands behind her back. Het feet attempted to find purchase, whatever could get her up as quickly as possible. She tried to gather her thoughts, to manage words, but none came. She could only manage to shake her head at him. Her fingers closed, taking in a handful of sand. And then it came out.

"'Hiya, Annie'? Hiya, Annie" She gritted her teeth, and tossed the handful of sand right into the center of his chest. "Hiya ruttin' Annie?" She pushed herself to her feet, brushing sand off of her blouse (which certainly stayed tawny in places, ivory cloth stained by the sands of Eavesdown) and her plum-colored skirt. She looked down at him, pointing, her voice shaking. "You can't... This isn't going to...." She wiped her lips with the back of her arm. "Just... don't!"

That was about all she could manage. She just wasn't in the mood for this. She turned away from him, heading back along in her previous direction of travel. Her hands were shaking.
Here Comes Trouble

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Calico Jack Rackham

"Tai kong suo you de xingqui dou saijin wo de pigu...."

"Well, that's less a less welcoming reception than I'd have hoped for...or is it?"he thought, careful to keep that particular sentiment silent.

She seemed to realize that he was staring at her pendant, a gift from him, too many years ago, and she hastily shoved it back into her shirt, a look of annoyance mixed with fury on her face. As she scrambled backwards, he righted himself a bit more, and sat up straight, not taking his eyes off of her. It had been...a while since he'd last seen her. First he'd counted the minutes, then when he got tired of those, he counted hours, days, weeks, months. When it rolled to years, he stopped counting. It just became "too long".

"'Hiya, Annie'? Hiya, Annie"

But apparently not long enough. Definitely not welcoming. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a handful of sand hitting him square in the chest. It blossomed, and he found himself tasting grit. It was a familiar taste, if wholly unwelcome, and several instances of him getting his backside handed to him flashed into his mind. He was grateful that this time the sand wasn't mixed with the coppery flavor of blood.

"Hiya ruttin' Annie?"

Jack, for the moment, was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. He sat still, and watched her stand, her movements as graceful as ever. She moved with tightly coiled energy and blood boiling anger. He glanced at her hands, to ensure that another fistful of sand wasn't about to find his face. She brushed the reddish cloud from her clothing, which did help a little, but also smeared it's mark across her ivory blouse, just like Eavesdown left it's mark on everything and everyone that passed through.

Her finger poised, he froze. He couldn't have remained more still if she'd drawn a weapon on him, though he knew that wasn't her style, and the fire in her eyes told him that not moving was probably in his best interest.

"You can't... This isn't going to....Just... don't!"

He moved slowly to stand, and she spun on her heel and stormed off, back in the original direction she was heading. He righted himself, picked up his pack, and slung it back over his shoulder. He hesitated only a moment, and then set off after her, his long strides closing the distance, despite her considerable speed.

"Welcome home, Jack. It's good to see you. I've missed you so much." he said, in a poor imitation of her voice as he caught up to walk alongside her. "Also, I didn't. You did. Yes it is, because I'm not going to let you run off again. And furthermore, you're not the boss of me, so just try and stop me."

He took several quick strides and planted himself in her path, unmoving. He also said a silent prayer to whatever gods were listening that she wouldn't knock him down again.
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Chasing Trouble...
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Anne Bonney
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The Summer Wind
As expected, she heard his footsteps approaching from behind, which caused her even more annoyance.

"Welcome home, Jack. It's good to see you. I've missed you so much." It seemed his sense about women hadn't changed much. Yes, girls went crazy for guys who did mocking impersonations of them. Her hands clenched into fists, but he continued.

"Also, I didn't. You did. Yes it is, because I'm not going to let you run off again. And furthermore, you're not the boss of me, so just try and stop me."

She thought about turning around, but she didn't have to, as in a few moments he was standing in front of her, barring her path. She looked up at him indignantly, fists still clenching tightly, her nails digging into her palms now.

"There it is, that's more like it. You shoulda led off with that stuff instead of the cutesy 'Hiya Annie' feihua. At least that would be honest. Don't pretend you're happy to see me, and I'm sure as hell not gonna pretend I'm happy to see you." She paused for a moment, seething, her breath staccato, coming out of her nostrils in puffs. "I know what I did, and I know you know. And I can't ever take it back, and I sure as hell can't handle this right now. Especially not with you patronizing me." She pulled back and slugged him right on the sternum. "You should hate my black ruttin' guts, Jack Rackham! You should be yellin' your face off at me, you should be pissed! So ruttin' don't ruttin' 'Annie' me, Jack." She exhaled, deeply, her tone and volume shifting down now. "And get the hell out of my way. I was trouble then, and I'm no less trouble, now. Do yourself a favor and move on."

She didn't want to look at his face anymore, she didn't want to hear his voice. She'd buried that so long ago, that it didn't even register. All she saw when she saw him now was regret, pain, embarrassment. Nothing good, just everything that was bad. About her past, about herself. She was panicked before when she thought she might get caught by the Boss, but she'd throw herself at those goons a thousand times to get away from...

him
Here Comes Trouble

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Calico Jack

She stopped when he planted himself, but the look on her face and the whiteness in her knuckles made him wonder if this had been a bad idea. She wasn't a fighter, but when pushed, she was a scrapper. He'd once accidentally stepped into the path of one of her punches during a daring escape from some sort of ruffians or another, and she'd damn near knocked him out.

"There it is, that's more like it. You shoulda led off with that stuff instead of the cutesy 'Hiya Annie' feihua. At least that would be honest. Don't pretend you're happy to see me, and I'm sure as hell not gonna pretend I'm happy to see you."

He rolled his eyes, and put his hands on his hips. She paused, her nostrils flaring as she breathed in that adorable way she had about her, but the anger in her eyes kept him from saying anything.

"I know what I did, and I know you know. And I can't ever take it back, and I sure as hell can't handle this right now. Especially not with you patronizing me."

Her punch was quick and sharp, and nearly drove the wind from his lungs, her sharp knuckles surely leaving bruises on his flesh. He took a step back, and coughed, rubbing his chest.

"You should hate my black ruttin' guts, Jack Rackham! You should be yellin' your face off at me, you should be pissed! So ruttin' don't ruttin' 'Annie' me, Jack."

She lowered her voice a bit, but it was no less menacing than the shouting.

"And get the hell out of my way. I was trouble then, and I'm no less trouble, now. Do yourself a favor and move on."

She went to move past him, and he sighed. This was getting them nowhere. Sure, she was entitled to a little venting, maybe even a little violence, but the one sided rant didn't allow him to explain anything, or vent himself, so he decided that it was his turn to use force.

He reached out and grabbed her about the waist with both arms, using his superior height and strength to pick her up off the ground. He put on his best "I'll kill you if you cross me" face, and turned to make his way through the crowd. He carried her out of the throng and into the space between two large cargo containers, an untraveled dead end alley way that offered a bit more privacy.

"Alright, little girl. Now it's my turn." he said, setting her back on her feet, with her back to the far wall, using his size to block any escape. "First off, I was trying to offer a little common courtesy with the 'Hiya Annie feihua', because I mistakenly thought I was dealing with the grown up woman I used to love."

He immediately regretted the last part of that statement, but didn't let it stop him talking. If he lost his momentum, he wouldn't get it back.

"And yeah, I'm a little happy to see you. So sue me. Like I said, you're not the boss of me or how I feel, so you can jump right back down off that high horse." he said, staring her in the eyes, his own anger rising. "If you recall, you ran into me. I didn't come here looking for trouble, though you certainly did seem to bring it with you, like always. I suppose I shouldn't be terribly surprised."

He extended a long finger and pushed just below her collar bone.

"You always had a knack for heaping a world of trouble on those around you, but for the most part you got them and yourself out of it, until the one time you didn't. So yeah, I'm pissed. I'm angry. Yeah, I hated you for a while, and maybe I still do a bit, but that's long done, and this isn't exactly the time or place to discuss it."


He took a deep breath, and pulled the sunglasses from his head, running his free hand through his hair again. This wasn't at all how he'd thought this conversation would go. He'd gone over it countless times in his head, and he'd always thought it would start with them meeting eyes across a crowded room, maybe at a holiday party. Maybe at Christmas. He'd always thought it would've been cold, for some reason.

It didn't matter, though, as there were apparently more pressing concerns at the moment. When he paused and thought for half a second, he realized that she'd been on the run from someone when they collided. Probably someone here, now.

"We do need to have that conversation. If you're in trouble, then we'd best get you out of it." he said, putting the sunglasses over his eyes partially to shield them, and partially to hide the tears of anger that had threatened to start welling. "Until then, I'm not letting you rabbit again. You're not leaving my sight, so tell me what's going on, and we'll figure it out."
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Anne Bonney
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The Summer Wind
She could not rutting believe that he just picked her up. Right up off the ground, as if she were a child. Of course, this being Eavesdown, no one batted an eye to see a man basically kidnapping a young woman. Probably happened on the hour, every hour.

But that didn't mean she would go down without a fight.

He gave her the meanest look he could manage, and she scowled right back and started hammering on him as best she could to get him to put her down. He wouldn't, more than like, and she knew it. But he'd remember that this had happened for a few days (and whatever woman he was taking to his bed would know it, too.)

Eventually, he set her down in an alleyway nearby, one that they'd used to slip away as youths. Sometimes from the law, sometimes for a moment between them. He placed her against the wall and tried to intimidate her with his size. She just mugged him back as best she could. This was not one of those moments.

He said his words, including a very stupid 'L'-startin' word that he knew he didn't know half a rutt about, and she didn't give a tinker's cuss whether he thought he meant it or not. Then he put a thick finger against her chest, pushing in just enough to make a dull hurt.

"You always had a knack for heaping a world of trouble on those around you, but for the most part you got them and yourself out of it, until the one time you didn't. So yeah, I'm pissed. I'm angry. Yeah, I hated you for a while, and maybe I still do a bit, but that's long done, and this isn't exactly the time or place to discuss it."

That's what I tried to tell you, ben lu...

He took off his sunglasses and ran his fingers through that thick, black hair, the way he used to when he was getting emotional. It was charming, once, but today it was just the cherry on top of a bitter sundae. Yet another little tic of his that wasn't making her life any easier.

"We do need to have that conversation. If you're in trouble, then we'd best get you out of it." This was stated matter-of-factly, and it seemed like the decision had been made for her. He put the sunglasses back over his eyes then, and continued. "Until then, I'm not letting you rabbit again. You're not leaving my sight, so tell me what's going on, and we'll figure it out."

Chengzi he ningmeng...

She turned her gaze up at him again, still smoldering. She wanted to bore a heat-hole through those glasses. "So, what, I'm not the boss of you, so that makes you the boss of me? Little girl can't make her own decisions? Yes, I think I might be in trouble, and if it had been anyone but you that I stupidly crashed into, I'd be much, much further away from trouble. Instead, you took it upon yourself to stop me getting away." She turned her head to the side, looking down the alleyway. No one of any note or suspicion. Yet. "I get it, you're bigger and stronger than me and I don't have any chance of escape, so you can back up now, you ape. I'm not gonna run." It was a sad realization, and if it had been anyone but Jack, she'd have found the knife in her waist and stuck him by now. But, truth be told, this whole mess was her fault, dating back to long ago. He might have been a horse's pigu, but he didn't deserve to get cut. If anyone did, it was hers truly.

She turned to look at him again. "You know he's still running things here, Jack. I only come back every so often to see Cale because he's sorta like my dad. Even then, it's never for very long. I dunno if you-know-who even still cares what Baba and I did, but if he does, then every second I'm standing here is a second too long. And every second you're standing with me puts you in the crossfire, too." She put her hands on her hips. "These cats mean business, always have. I know I wronged you, and not a day goes by I don't drown that reality in alcohol if I get the chance. But the most selfish thing you can do right now is insist you help me. You're still alive right now because we left, Jack... same as me. If you go getting that stupidhead of yours killed now..." She sighed.

She looked down at her boots now, brown leather stained with dust, just like every other rutting thing in this place. "You wanna have that conversation, fine. Let me go, and I'll look you up once I'm out of here. Those are my terms. Otherwise, I start screamin' about this John trying to stiff me and see what happens."

She glanced up again, one more time, the color in her eyes calming a bit. Her smirk was wry, almost playful. "So, what do you say, Calico? Deal?"
Here Comes Trouble

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Calico Jack Rackham

'Ow, ow, ow...tah ma de ow!" he thought as her sharp fists found every sensitive spot they could reach.

She pounded away on him, and he did his level best to ignore the blows, but one or two came dangerously close to parts he'd rather remain uninjured, and he had to pause to readjust his grip. Once he set her down and had said his peace, she glared at him. Which, in all honesty, wasn't anything new. It certainly wasn't unexpected.

"So, what, I'm not the boss of you, so that makes you the boss of me? Little girl can't make her own decisions? Yes, I think I might be in trouble, and if it had been anyone but you that I stupidly crashed into, I'd be much, much further away from trouble. Instead, you took it upon yourself to stop me getting away."

He stifled the "Yeah, maybe for now I'm the boss of you." that rose unbidden into his throat and let her continue uninterrupted as she looked away, checking the entrance of the alleyway. He followed her gaze, and found nothing but the common foot traffic of Eavesdown. The neverending, rarely slowing crowd that seemed to inhabit the docks at all hours of the day and night. No purple bellies, no dock guards, no local law. Hell, not even any of the goons that worked for the various criminal elements hereabouts trying to shark their way through the people without looking obvious.

"I get it, you're bigger and stronger than me and I don't have any chance of escape, so you can back up now, you ape. I'm not gonna run."

He looked back at her for a long moment, and then backed out of her personal space. He put two long paces between them, hating himself for feeling guilty about manhandling her. He'd reverted to the relationship they'd had years ago, where personal space wasn't a thing, He realized that he hadn't seen or spoken to her in several years, and that this wasn't the same Anne Bonney he'd run the rooftops of Eavesdown with, just as he wasn't the same young, foolish "Calico" Jack Rackham he'd been all that time ago.

It was a wonder she hadn't drawn on him, splitting him wide open. He knew she was armed, the same small knife tucked at her waist. He'd known it would be there, and hadn't been surprised to feel it against his arm as he carried her. Now, he was nearly shocked that it'd remained in place.

"You know he's still running things here, Jack. I only come back every so often to see Cale because he's sorta like my dad. Even then, it's never for very long. I dunno if you-know-who even still cares what Baba and I did, but if he does, then every second I'm standing here is a second too long. And every second you're standing with me puts you in the crossfire, too."

He snorted. Her insistence of refusing to name the boogeyman of Eavesdown, "The Boss", was borderline infantile, in his own opinion, which he tended to hold in relatively high regard. With that said, he'd seen the man's goons appear out of nowhere, so maybe not shouting his name wasn't a terrible idea after all.

She put her hands on her hips, looking slightly less ready to bolt at the first sight of an opening, and he relaxed a bit.

"These cats mean business, always have. I know I wronged you, and not a day goes by I don't drown that reality in alcohol if I get the chance. But the most selfish thing you can do right now is insist you help me. You're still alive right now because we left, Jack... same as me. If you go getting that stupidhead of yours killed now..."

She sighed, and for an instant, he saw her as she was. Without his memories shading her appearance, she looked tired, and scared, and probably deservedly so. He remembered how bad things had been when she left. Hell, he'd been the one to take the punishment for her and Baba's daring escape in an effort to protect the Empire, so he couldn't help but know intimately how much she had to look forward to.

"You wanna have that conversation, fine. Let me go, and I'll look you up once I'm out of here. Those are my terms. Otherwise, I start screamin' about this John trying to stiff me and see what happens."

He looked her hard in the eye, but found no trace of deception there. Not even a hint of the slight squint that had once been her tell. Either she was being completely honest, or had become a much better liar. He wasn't sure which, but neither would have surprised him. She met his gaze without flinching, and smirked, the way she once had, and his heart gave a heavy thud against his ribcage.

"So, what do you say, Calico? Deal?"

It was his turn to let out a heavy sigh. He considered for a moment, calling what he knew to not be a bluff, but he doubted that'd do more than to satisfy his urge to cause her trouble. Even though he and The Boss were square, or as square as anybody could ever be with the man, he didn't fancy a visit to the dark headquarters that the man ran Eavesdown from. He'd spent enough time there to last several lifetimes, and his first visit had ended with entirely too much of Jack's blood being spilled.

"I'm here to visit the kids. I come back every...I don't know. Once or twice a year. Check in, make sure they're still good. So I understand why you're here, Annie. I really do." he said, rolling back his sleeves to reveal tattoos on both arms. "And believe it or not, I'm not here to cause problems."

His left arm featured an image of a city with bright blue skies, sun shining, plenty of air traffic, and buildings under construction. The right was a mirror of the left, only this was an image of the city burning. Black smoke mixing with the night sky, bright orange and red flames lighting up the gutted buildings, and a single craft headed for atmo. He put his hands on his hips, mirroring her pose, and sighed again.

"Everything in me is screaming that you're going to rabbit again. If I turn you loose, you'll just vanish for another...too many years." he said, slowly. "It's a tough call, not to be made quickly. So the question is, do you sit here and wait while I think about it all and eventually get my feelings hurt enough to be vindictive and cause you more trouble than you're already in, or do you not give me the chance to ponder and just get out of here before I change my mind?"

He turned and backed himself up to one of the containers that made up the alleyway. He interlaced his fingers into a basket that was perfect for a boost to the top of the container and a better escape route than moving back out into the crowd that held whatever it was that she was running from.
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Anne Bonney
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The Summer Wind
The kids. It stung, but not as much as it would have stung years ago, back when she knew most of the kids. She imagined these days there were a lot of fresh faces around the Empire. There was never going to be a shortage of orphans around Eavesdown, and they needed protection. From the slavers and the pimps and the gangs. Sure, you couldn’t save all of them.
But the ones you did save, well… it makes a difference.

Until you rutt up, and they start getting killed because of you.
He rolled up his sleeves, and showed his tattoos, two cities… well, one city, twice. A familiar city, and yet so foreign. He’d just gotten it started back when they knew each other, to see it completed was a stark indicator of the passage of time. She took it in, for a moment, but then she couldn’t stand to look at it anymore, drawing her gaze back toward his face. Even that wasn’t safe.

”Everything in me is screaming that you’re going to rabbit again. If I turn you loose, you’ll just vanish for another… too many years.” Funny, that, how one person’s too many was another’s not nearly enough. ”It’s a tough call, not to be made quickly. So, the question is, do you sit here and wait while I think about it all and eventually get my feelings hurt enough to be vindictive and cause you more trouble than you’re already in, or do you not give me the chance to ponder and just get out of here before I change my mind?”

Again with that hurt stuff. She’d told him flat out he’d get hurt. That he chose to continue with his little game couldn’t be her problem forever. She was about to tell him as much, when he bent slightly down against the wall of the container behind him and entwined his fingers. Just like the old days, a little boost up. They’d done it plenty of times before, together. She knew what it meant.

He’s letting me go. Finally.

”Thank you. I’ll keep my promise, Jack. I’ll let you know when I’m safe again.” And then she nodded, backing up against her own wall. Then, with quick steps, she ran toward him, her foot connecting with his platform as he pushed up. Using the momentum, she kicked a foot against the wall, pushing herself out slightly to grab the edge of the flat top of the container. Then, with a slight grunt of exertion, she pulled herself up on top of it.

And she didn’t look back.

The Container Fields never looked the same twice, but it was easy enough to get your bearings using the permanent landmarks further along in Eavesdown. Quickly, she deduced the direction of her abandoned food cart, and started making her way along the tops of the containers: jumping, climbing, striding smoothly along. Eventually, she came to a building with a fire escape and leaped over the rail, hustling up the spiraling stairway up to the roof. She carefully made her way to the edge of the roof to see her cart, just where she left it.

And, as it happened, being inspected by a pair of Alliance soldiers.

Ta ma de… She couldn’t believe the low quality of her luck today. She headed back to the stairway, breath puffing as she made her way down as quickly as she could manage without breaking her damn neck. Hitting the dirt at a full run, she rounded the corner and approached the two soldiers, one of them pecking away at a Corpad.

”Hey! That’s my cart, I’m here, okay?”

The tall, broad shouldered man peered at her from under the lip of his helmet.

”Good, you’re just in time to be served your citation. Your cart was illegally parked here, Miss…
He glanced down at the pad again, looking at her less-than-stellar record. ”Bonney. That’s an immediate impoundment and a fine of 500 credits, to be paid at the station house when you come to pick up the cart.” There was a slight, wry grin to his lips. In her younger, dumber days, she would have wanted to wipe it off with her knuckles.

”Can I at least get my cashbox? All my money’s in there…” She motioned toward the cart, the black box on the side. He peered at it, then shrugged.

”Sorry, can’t let you handle the evidence. You’ll have to get it when you come to get the cart.” He handed her a slip of paper, then turned to his partner.

”Come on, let’s go!”


She wanted to go after them, to take her stuff back by force. But she couldn’t make a scene. She just watched as they wheeled away her livelihood, and all of her money. She was furious at herself, at Jack, at the law. Everything. Just fury. She was stranded, and now she didn’t know what the ruttin’ hell she was gonna do.

For a moment, all she did was stand in the dust, fighting off the tears.
Here Comes Trouble

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Calico Jack Rackham

”Thank you. I’ll keep my promise, Jack. I’ll let you know when I’m safe again.”

With that and a slight nod, she backed up against the far wall, and then sprinted directly at him. He caught her foot solidly, and shoved upwards with all his strength, following her with his gaze. He caught a flash of thigh that she'd probably be pissed about later, but he didn't look away. It wasn't as lecherous as some might have thought, though. He really had intended to look up just to see her over the edge, which she managed with minor exertion.

She vanished over the edge, and he darted for the closed end of the alleyway. He hit the wall running, and using his superior height, he managed to bounce from one wall to the other, pushing off to grab the ledge like she had. He'd never been as good as she was at the whole darting up walls and crossing rooftops with the grace of a cat, but he'd been taller, so his strides and jumps were longer, so he managed to keep up...barely. He pulled himself up onto the top of the container, and saw her heading up a fire escape. He resisted the urge to chase after her, strong as it might have been. He turned his head away, and sighed.

He'd come back to Eavesdown to do something specific, though Sweet Lady Fate had intervened, and his day had taken an unexpected turn, as they often did. He figured that he should get on with his day, and figure out what to do while Anne was back in the area. He'd never imagined that it would happen, so he didn't have a plan. he sat and considered his options for a few minutes while he stared, unseeing, towards the crowd still milling past the alley. He couldn't brute force his way out of the situation. He might be able to out-think the situation, but there were likely too many variables. The Boss had resources that Jack himself didn't, more eyes about than could be counted, more money, more power, more time.

Jack needed to do something now, before Anne got herself picked up by the law or somebody worse, so time wasn't exactly a luxury he could afford. He pushed his hair back out of his face, and removed his backpack. He drew out his Corpad, and set about inputting a number he hadn't used since the last time he'd come to Eavesdown, six months ago. He leaned back against his backpack, using it as a pillow, so that no background could be seen, and thus, his location not likely traced through simple visual inspection. He knew that they'd find him if they wanted to, but there was no fun in making it easy for them. The screen flashed as the wave began recording.



"Hey there, friend. Calico Jack, here. I'm back in town on the usual business, and I just wanted to let you know that I'm about. I'd love to catch up, buy you a drink, if you've got the time." he said, and then pressed the send icon.



He sat up, stowed his Corpad, and slung his pack again. He strolled amiably along the Container Fields, back in the direction that he'd come from, back towards Anne's cart. He saw the Alliance Officers, and her tense body language, but he didn't approach. He watched as they rolled her cart off, and she stood there, nearly shaking with rage and he had to fight not to leap down from the container to go help. He couldn't stop himself from feeling that way. It's who he was. Or who he'd been. He shrugged it off.

"Bad luck, darling. I guess I'll see you around." he said, mostly to himself, and a little bit to the wind.
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Chasing Trouble...
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Anne Bonney
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The Summer Wind
Okay, rage subsided.

First things first, she had to get herself out of the middle of the street. The whole start of this mess was needing to get out of sight, and here she was, back in it. Hurriedly, she headed out of the little plaza and off into a nearby alleyway. Back in the shadows, where she was comfortable.

Secondly, she assessed the situation. Her money was gone, as was her source of income. Okay. 500 cred wasn’t overly much, but it was enough. She wouldn’t ask Cale for the money, pride wouldn’t let that happen. Jack would probably put up the money, if he had it, but… yeah, that was also not an option.

Long story short: she needed a job.

There was work to be had, some of it a bit more desirable than most. She couldn’t get work on a ship – getting back to get her cart would take too long, it would be sold off by then, and she’d likely have a warrant out. Not good. There was quite the bustling skin trade here, but that meant the Boss, and that was an eye she didn’t want drawn in her direction. Besides, business wasn’t fun. Unless it was.

She had two skills: being a criminal, and cooking. Being a criminal came with its own laundry list of complications, chief among them the threat of incarceration. Which, here, could easily be the end of the old road. So cooking it was. The question: where could she get hired, with little to no identification, possible issues with the crimelords, and as secretly as possible?

She had an idea… and took off down the road….
Here Comes Trouble

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Ink
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Somewhere else at Eavesdown Docks

Ink's hands and bare chest were smeared with blood. He was in his "dungeon" which was located under the Cabaret Royale, doing what he enjoyed doing.

Well, one of the things.

Yes, Ink liked violence. In both his workplace and in his personal life. This was not fun time though.

He really didn't usually finish the job with the final farewell, but this one was warranted and mandated by his employer, known as the Boss. It was brutal, but then, what did the girl expect?

He stepped back, looking over his handiwork as he set a rather large looking knife on a table across the room.

"I do not relish that this happened, Caitlin," he said as he spoke to the softly sobbing woman who sagged against the manacles that chained her to the wall. "I like you, I do. I thought about bringing you down here sometime soon for some play time."

They way he said "play time" would make anyone shudder, especially if they knew what play time involved.

"But you had to break the law. You had to steal what didn't belong to you."

The woman's body shook with her sobs.

"I'm... I'm sorry... I-I w-won't do it a-again. I p-promise,"

"I am most positive that that is a true statement," he said chillingly. "Do you think you've had enough? Suffered well enough for your crimes?"

The woman sobbed louder, feeling relief that all would be OK. She nodded vigorously. Ink regarded her before stepped forward and releasing the first cuff and then the other. She sunk to the floor, kneeling at his feet, looking up at him, bloodied body swollen and bruised, evidence clearly showing that he had taken his time using that knife to cut a word across her bare torso.

It simply said "Thief."

"Ah... This would have been a much better sight. You don't know how often I imagined you like this, kneeling in front of me ready to let me use you," he said as he looked at her with unbridled attraction. "But I don't rutt thieves on a general basis. You just aren't good enough now. Defective as it is."

Another wave of relief washed over the woman's features as she nearly fell prostrate at his feet. He circled around to stand behind her, admiring the whip marks he had given her.

He had had her down there for quite a while, driving home the lesson. One that the carving would remind people out on the docks with a clarity that might strike fear in others. Others that would think to do the same.

"Yes, I think you have suffered quite enough and you did it with strength. Admirable even," he whispered into her ear as he pulled her upright again. "I am done now."

"Th-thank you," she said, glad that he was finished. Glad that no other pain was to be doled out.

That was when he grabbed her head and snapped her neck before letting her lifeless body drop unceremoniously to the floor.

Ink stepped back to the other side of the room, using the basin of water to wash his hands. As he did, he called out to his minion of sorts.

"MONKEY! Get in here!" he bellowed. Monkey scurried in, looking down at the body with awe of the man he served. "Deposit her where she might be a strong reminder of her treachery. Perhaps those folks who might share in her thinking might be swayed back on the straight and narrow. Then clean up in here. I'll need it later. I need to relax a bit."

Yes, his work had him humming with excitement and a bit of carnal pleasure would fit the bill quite nicely. That's when he heard the sound of an incoming message on his CorPad.

Quote:
 
"Hey there, friend. Calico Jack, here. I'm back in town on the usual business, and I just wanted to let you know that I'm about. I'd love to catch up, buy you a drink, if you've got the time."


Well, didn't that bring a smile to his face. Calico Jack was in town. Obviously checking in on the little ruffians he used to run with. That little group had become a boon for him. He had turned the ones that remained into runners. Those who served to move product around the docks. The kids were crafty and quick and were quite tight lipped on their involvement. Some others had taken refuge at New Hope Commune. A little too touchy feely for him, but OK for the Reverend and his like. It got them off his docks and out of his way.

He wiped his hands dry and typed back a response.

Quote:
 
It would be a pleasure.  Let me clean up and I will meet you at the Cabaret.  An hour?


It would give Monkey enough time to spray the place down and deposit the body before starting to look for a suitable play mate. Then he wiped his torso clean and put on a clean shirt.

Now time for a shower and crisp clean clothes. Nothing felt like a million bucks like a clean set of clothes.

After all, cleanliness was next to godliness. And there was no doubt that he worshipped the Boss.
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Calico Jack Rackham

As Jack entered his hotel room, he laid his pack down on the table. He opened it up, and found his Corpad flashing with a received message. He brought the screen to life, and found a text message from Ink waiting for him.

"It would be a pleasure. Let me clean up and I will meet you at the Cabaret. An hour?"

He tapped out a reply, indicating his acceptance, and removed the change of clothes inside. They were bit wrinkled, but clean an dust free for the moment. He spread them out, and jumped into a quick shower. He cleaned up, and tied his hair back in a tight tail. He trimmed up his beard, but didn't shave. He had to make some accommodations for Ink's personal style, cleaning up a bit, but he would look extra suspicious if he cleaned up all the way. He ironed his clothes, dressed, and set out for the Cabaret.

He made an effort to keep off of the streets proper, out of the dust and dirt. He wound up with a little on his boots, but stomped hard outside the Cabaret's doors, knocking them mostly clean. He entered, and found himself at the bar, ordering a drink. He sat, staring at himself in the mirror for a moment, and satisfied with his appearance, he started checking the room. It wasn't terribly busy, being early evening. Things would pick up as the sun set fully and the crowd filtered in for the night's entertainment. He watched the people, drinking, talking, admiring the ladies moving through the crowd. He tried to put Annie as far from his mind as he could, preparing for the conversation that would take place shortly.

He needed to be on his game to talk to the big man. Ink was...well, the Boss was the true power, but Ink was the fear that ran kept Eavesdown in line. Jack had suffered horribly at the hands of one of the Boss' "physical correction specialists" years back, but had still considered himself lucky that he hadn't wound up with Ink.

He saw a door at the far end of the room open up, and the suited form of Ink squeezed through the frame. Jack straightened up, and killed the rest of his drink. He removed himself from his stool, turning to face the larger man as he approached.

"Hey, buddy. It's good to see you. How've you been?" he asked, extending a hand, careful to not seem overly familiar.
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Ink
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Ink entered into the room, looking quite dapper in his expensive suit. As he walked by the stage, he gave the stage manager a jerk of his chin which started up the next set. Two girls came out on both parts of the large stage and began to dance. There was no need for a strip tease, they were already naked and looking for their first client of the night. The newbies often got the early "shift" leaving the veterans for the larger monetary draw later.

He saw Jack at the bar and came over with a smile on his face and a bounce in his step. He knew when the man saw him because he stood up and extended his hand.

"Hey, buddy. It's good to see you. How've you been?"

Ink shook the offered hand before motioning to the bartender, who brought him a drink and an ice pack. Ink knocked back the drink then placed the ice pack on the knuckles of one of his hands.

"Hey there yourself, buddy," he responded with a smarmy expression on his face. "What do you want Jack? We both know I ain't your buddy."

He looked up at the blonde on the stage.

"She has possibilities, don't you think?"
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