Natalia's quarters were modest. A lone hammock sat in the corner, where a window had a view of the ocean she sailed. Terrariums hung from the ceiling, and a desk in the corner had drawers with locks in the center. A chest sat against the wall, also locked, and botanical drawings hung on the walls, with small, neat writing diagramming various parts of the flower. Maps, written on with red ink, were everywhere; hung against the wall, spread out on the desk, and rolled up in tight, neat scrolls. The captain, it seemed, had a problem with trust, and it seemed that she tried to keep organized. * * * Natalia looked down at Cobiah in approval. "Excellent work, Mr. Seatone!" she called, hanging off the side of the ship, holding on to the ropes with one hand, and her feet in the middle of climbing. "Wait for my signal; hopefully, we might not need to use them." The ship propelled forward, and Natalia stifled a smile. She was not fond of the Corps, for sure, but this was a glorious feeling. "Miss Mercury! What is our status?" "We are pulling away, Captain!" came the small, chirpy reply. Natalia allowed herself a moment of triumph, and then readied herself again. "We're not out of the woods yet! Please, Miss Lenning, turn the ship-" A long explosion interrupted Natalia. The opposing ships were firing their cannons. A dark ball whizzed towards them, missing any valuable parts, but startling the crew in the process. It landed in the water with a splash, and Natalia gritted her teeth. "Trying to hurt my ship," she growled. She address her frantic crew with a quick order. "Get that other sail down! Immediately!"
Avice poked her up from the lower deck, with slight panic on her face. "Starboard cannons readied!" She shouted, "Prepared for firing!" (I might redesign Avice slightly. I'll notify you when it's finished.)
(Exciting! Let me know!) "Be ready!" Natalia called. She directed a few more sailors to the sails. "Quickly, quickly! To flee is our first priority!" She ran to the edge of the deck and shouted down below. "On my count!" She watched the opposing ship, watched how it reacted with the waves, and how quickly it was coming. She thought about how the cannonballs naturally flew in the air, what their route looked like, how they descended. Quite elegant, in a strange way. "Ready..." The first opposing ship was near, even though the Calypso's Revenge was moving rapidly. "Such a good little ship we have," Natalia thought absently. "Aim..." The ship turned, and Natalia saw an opening. Like the belly of a lioness, it was vulnerable, and she caught it. "Fire!"
Jared hurried up the stairs to the deck to witness the opposing ship close in and the nearby cannons fire. "C-Captain!" He called as he got close. "Our cargo is secured and safe. What shall I do to help?"
The cannonball jolted the ship, and aimed true. Natalia watched as it flew, almost in slow motion, and it struck the hull of the Corps' ship. Cries from their deck flew to them, filled with panic and worry. The second sail released, and the Calypso's Revenge shot into action. They moved forward and quickly put a distance between the Corps and themselves. "Stay alert," Natalia cautioned, glaring at the ships behind them. "They are still pursuing, but we should be free." (Just realized, I didn't really give anyone an good opening to respond.) "I will be in my quarters - let me know the instant something goes wrong." She strode up the stairs, stepping two at a time, opened her door, and shut it with a dull click. Jack slid down the rope, and landed smartly on the deck. "Nice work everyone! Jared, please return to the kitchen - I'd imagine we'll be rather hungry tonight." A cheer rang across the deck, and the group scattered. (@Starlight Speedster - you aren't doing this by yourself. You have assistants that will help you.)
The panic caused her to fall off the desk and faceplant the floor. When she looked up Natalia was closing the door behind her and people were cheering. She immediately got up and brushed herself off. "U-uh S-sorry Cap'n. I was just waiting for you to come in so we could talk about the Corps thing and I must'very fallen asleep I didn't mean to-" She continued to babble about herself until she eventually shut up,standing straight and formally. "U-uh so is now aneed appropriate time to talk or no?"
Natalia looked at Sierra with a face of amusement. "Yes, now will do. Unfortunately, the Corps is still following, but it appears that we have put enough distance to manage for now." Walking past Sierra, she picked up a small, tin watering can. With an expert hand, she watered her plants, her eyes carefully monitoring the level of water in comparison to the soil. "So, tell me about your history with the Corps," she said, without turning around.
She stood silent for a moment as she tried to find the words. "Uh,well have you ever heard of how the Chief Captain of the Corps was murdered? You know,"The Brave and Notorious" Brock Feist?" She stayed silent,waiting for an answer as she eyed the flowers. She felt queasy since this was the first time she ever talked about him.
(Alright - Everyone else, this shouldn't be long, but I think @Starlight Speedster's character is making the food, and dinnertime should be soon. My other characters are still up to RP.) Natalia paused for a moment, gently smoothing a leaf back into place. "Yes. I have. Why do you ask?"
Jared was still uneasy but knew he was safe. "Yes, sir" He replied to the first mate. He walked down to the hold with a brisk pace. As he stepped off the final step he beckoned over his 2 assistants. They followed him to the kitchen-esque area he cooked in. "Dinnertime.... Okay!" He and his assistants began preparing some beef, vegetables and some bread for the sailors. "The breads crusty... it'll have to do..." He said to himself as they began cooking. "I'm glad we found that supply from the ship we pillaged". His assistants agreed with a simple "Aye"
Jade walked down below deck. The smell hit her as soon as she walked in, and she looked around and saw the cooks hard at work. "Need any help?" she asked casually, leaning against the wall. She didn't know much about cooking, but she knew how to cut things, and she knew how to follow orders... generally. * * * Jack surveyed the deck, and rubbed one of his temples. The headaches seemed to be more common these days. In the back of his mind, he worried about it, wondering if there was something in his brain that he couldn't fix, but he ignored it, and kept quiet about it. The last thing everyone else needed was more stress. He removed his hand, and walked over to Avice and Cobiah. "Excellent work with those cannons, you two. You may have saved our necks." (@Common Sense, you still in this?)
Jared looked around before spotting the woman. "If you want to. All help is appreciated here." He smiled at the helpful gesture. "You can..." He thought for a moment. "You can...start by cutting up the carrots and putting them in the water over there." He gestured to some peeled carrots in a small bowl then to a metal pot placed over a small fire crackling in a small sandbox. "Be careful not to cut yourself."
"The Corps has never refused a Seatone Family 'Handshake'" Cobiah said with a laugh. "Anyway, the Calypso has some nice ordinance on it, much better than any mercantile freights at least. ONE volley disabled a Corps galleas. That's certainly impressive."
Jade smiled slightly, and walked over to the bowl with the carrots. They smelt of gardens, and for a moment, Jade froze, memories flooding her brain. Her mother's hands sifting through the soil. A gentle smile, and her own hands planting the seeds. "You have to tuck them in, Sofia," her mother's voice said, patting down the dirt over the small mound. "It makes them feel safe." A door slamming, and a look of fear crossing her mother's face. Clouds rolling in, and tears beginning to fall. A ripped teddy bear arm, and bloody knuckles. Jade blinked, and then took the carrots over to a cutting board. She pulled out a knife and began to make delicate slices of the carrots. Her years of working with swords seemed to translate, and the slices were even and carefully done. "I'm curious," she said to Jared, trying to keep her mind off the unexpected flood of thoughts. "Why would you choose to be a cook on a pirate ship? I mean, we're grateful, of course, and your meals are always wonderful, but surely cooks on land get paid more, or at the very least receive less infamousy. Why here? Why this ship?" * * * "The Siren has spent many years perfecting those cannons," Jack said fondly. "Seeing as it is difficult for her to go on land and request cannons better than those that belong to the Corps, she has had to work on them on her own. Quite admirable. The damage done to that ship won't sink them, I don't imagine, but it will slow them down, certainly."
"Sometime I'll have to show you the Seatone Family 'Housewarmer' Marauders and Corpsmen LOVE it. All you need is a bit of rum, a cloth, and an open flame. It's marvelous."
A rare spark of excitement flared in Jack's eyes, and he laughed a little bit. "I bet it is," he says. "You had me at the rum."
Jared slowly stopped what he was doing and took a swig of the rum he had. He wiped his mouth and tipped the bottle upside down. A single drop left its neck. He tossed to the side. "I've got nothing left out there... No mother, no father..." He paused. "You guys... you were my only choice at that time. I was raised to be smart, over-achieving, academic. Heck, if everything hadn't gone to hell then I could have been a captain of the Corps. Hell... It could have been me chasing you just then... But you're my new family now... and I'd do anything to protect you." Jared suddenly realized how mushy he was getting. "SO... erm... have you finished cutting up those carrots yet?"
"Er.. yes. I think so," she said, trying to lighten the mood. "I never spent much time in the kitchen." She gathered the slices and scraped it into the pot. She paused, and then turned back to Jared. "I had to leave too," she said quietly, "if it's any consolation. If it weren't for Natalia, I would be dead."
The assistants had noticed the mood and atmosphere, looked at each other and left. "The captain? You two must have some past..." He took a key from his pocket and unlocked a small cupboard hidden away behind some barrels. He pulled out 2 small bottles of Rum. He pulled the cork out of one of them and offered it to Jade. "You two seem to be fond of one another. How did you two meet? If you don't mind me asking."
