~Wind in Our Sails~

[TheSamm]

Working on it...

[TheSamm]

TheSamm's Characters




Name: Emilio Campaña (Emile)
Occupation: Ex-spy, Spanish privateer, Quartermaster of the Bevrijder
Weapon of Choice: Emile prefers to use a Spanish cavalry saber, but does posess a couple of knives for particularly close combat. He is also an improviser and will sooner fight dirty than fair.

Other skills/talents: Emile has detailed knowledge of British affairs and speaks English, Spanish, French and Italian. He has also picked up some phrases in Dutch from the captain of the Bevrijder.

Brief background: Emile was a naval soldier of Spain in his youth, but his family connections allowed him to advance into the area of espionage and he was placed in the British courts for nearly 10 years. Unfortunately, he made a big mistake and was caught laundering money through his own side project. It nearly blew his cover and was brought home and put in jail. Instead of getting prison time and hard labor, the Spanish courts made him into a privateer and stuck him on a ship with Dutch prisoner-of-war and Captain Christoffel Emerens.

[MissHotCoco]

Name: Adelaide VonDaemon
Age: A week from her 18th birthday
Royalty Status: Daughter of the King's sister and Duke VonDaemon
Maritial Status: Unwillingly Betrothed
Skills: Adelaide can do all of the norm for woman in her position. She can embroider, sew, play the harp and the piano, and lead staff in prepping for something like a party dinner or just tea. She can have a smart mouth, which can get her into trouble as well.
Brief Backstory: Adelaide is second oldest, with an older brother and a younger brother. Being the only woman, she is expected to perform in their ways of life. Etiquette, party arranging, entertaining, art projects were all drilled into her from a young age. She was to be waited on twenty-four seven and have not a need in the world. But she has grown tired of living up to everyone's expectations. Her other brother, technically third in line for the crown, was able to wait to wed. Her younger brother will most likely get to have at least a slight choice in girls he wants to marry. But not Adelaide. Her choice was in her mother's hands who wanted the wealthiest and handsomest, not the kindest or the good-hearted types. Lately, she's been sneaking out with her ladies maid to get a taste of what life was like for a girl's life at night when she wasn't part of the royal family. Tonight will probably be the last time she can sneak out because her betrothed will be coming to town to meet her and her family. Her mother knows better than to let her wander and cause a ruckus with her past experience chasing off potential suitors. Ronald Birkley is one of the wealthiest suitors in his early twenties, all inheritance of course, and is son of Marquess Birkley and in line to be the next Marquess. It is a step under a Duke in the royalty line, but her mother trusts this will still be a profitable match.

[TheSamm]

It was dusk when the Bevrijder docked in Yarmouth, but there was much to do before she was ready to rest in the bay, so it was already dark outside when their boots hit the cobblestone streets of the port town. Captain Emerens remained behind, shut-in as he was, and his quartermaster tread quietly behind the men as they made their way into the streets. They numbered perhaps thirty or so there, but every time they docked they gained some men and they lost some. This time, Emile worried that they would lose more than they could make up for. The Bevrijder had taken some serious damage and it would be expensive to fix. When that happened, it came out of everybody's cut. To make matters worse, they had been nearly run down by the British Navy. They were carrying cargo that was known to be stolen, so they would have to go to other, less reliable markets to sell it which would require more time than a normal negotiation. That was why they had docked in Yarmouth, though.

Emile had been stationed in the British Isles two years ago for nearly a decade, during which time he had made many useful contacts. The man they were going to see would hopefully be able to help them unload some of the cargo, but they'd be taking a much smaller cut using him as a middleman. What was more, he wasn't expecting the company. Emile had chosen a few of the more loyal crew-mates to accompany him on that particular mission, hoping that if he could at least get something in the works then he could keep his men on the hook a while longer. This group included a lanky, Franco-Russian man who simply went by "Ivan". He was the only other crew member who spoke the Captain's native Dutch and would speak nothing else, though it seemed he understood other languages. Another member was an Italian woman who would not have been described as feminine named Allegra. She had a good half a foot on Emile and twice the muscle, and a square cut jaw that would fill a man with more envy than lust. Then there were Duncan, the Scotsman, and Niall, the Irishman. The two were always boisterous, laughing together or fighting. Still, they called the Bevrijder their home and they were good friends to Emile and the captain, who had nicknamed them the "twins".

Most of the crew dispersed after they entered town. Emile led his party onto the main thoroughfare and hailed a carriage. The five of them squeezed in, Emile in the middle with the Ivan on his left and Allegra on his right. Duncan and Niall sat across from them and were already chatting it up.

"Ey Niall," Duncan said, "why wasn't Jesus born in England?"

"Oh God, not this again." Niall said, but he was already chuckling with a big grin.

"But why, Niall?"

"Go on, tell me." Niall replied, shaking his head.

"Because God couldn't find three wise men, or a virgin!" Duncan laughed so hard he could barely finish the punchline. Niall shook his head and punched Duncan in the arm. Emile smiled and Allegra shook her head. Ivan was staring out the window, making far too much eye contact with strangers.

It was a long ride, but they soon arrived at the front door of Sir Albright's establishment. It was a bar, not quite upscale but certainly not bottom-of-the-rung. It looked like it was as busy as ever; there was a lot of noise coming from inside of the building. Emile led them through the front doors, and the scene within was even more exciting than he had anticipated. There was a buffet table, which the twins immediately broke for. Ivan sat at a table near the door and just watched the room. Allegra followed Emile as he waded through people and around furniture. There were chaise lounges and sofas where men and women had gathered to drink and consume opium. It would have been nice to join them if he was not on business, Emile thought. When he had lived in England before, his status would not have permitted it.

Finally he spotted Sir Albright and his madame seated at the bar. The two were engaged in conversation with another man, and Emile approached slowly. He caught the man's attention and his eyes popped with surprise, drawing him out of his conversation.

"Well if it isn't my old partner in crime." He said, leaning back with his elbows on the counter and his hands folded across his chest. "Sir Nicolas, it's been years. Please, regale me with tales of your exploits."

"Nothing too terribly exciting, I fear." Emile said, shaking the other man's hand. It was apparent that he had been drinking quite a bit. "Actually, I'm in a bit of a bind. I think you could help me out, and you could stand to profit from it."

"Well come, sit, tell me all about it. You and your...?" He gestured with perplexity at Allegra, who did not move to correct him. "Well anyway, you make yourself comfortable."

Emile sat at the bar and Sir Albright ordered them a round of drinks. Emile sipped his rum slowly. It was necessary to keep his wits about him while trying to negotiate.

"Thank you for hearing me out, old friend." Emile raised his flagon to the older merchant. "So let me be brief and spare your precious time. It seems I have come into some property that I cannot sell by normal means for certain reasons I cannot explain here; I'm certain you know the nature of the issue. I need a distributor who can find the right market for me. I'm willing to cut you thirty percent, if you find that agreeable."

"I see, I see." The older man said. He turned his head toward the bar and in a gesture that startled Emile, he knocked back his glass. He turned back to Emile, who was still wearing a stunned expression. His movements were loose and wild and he slurred in his speech. "I'm really sorry to tell you this, but it appears that I am under investigation for conducting similar transactions--of a purely legal nature, mind you, but the fact of the matter is that I cannot afford to take any more risks. I'm terribly sorry, truly I am."

The older man put a hand on Emile's shoulder to convey his sympathy, but then he reeled and scared Emile up onto his feet. Albright didn't vomit, but he seemed about to at any moment.

"It's fine, really." Emile replied, holding him up while his wife took his arm, "You should go lie down."

The older man nodded slightly and waved his hand about dismissively.

"Enjoy the party." He said as his wife led him off.

"Shit." Emile said, leaning back against the bar. Allegra was frowning too. They were going to need to think of something else.

[MissHotCoco]

Adelaide was having one of the worst days of her life. Everything was striving on boring until dinner. Her lessons had turned more into just sitting around doing whatever was planned for the day. She'd finished her embroidered handkerchief, practiced the harp until her fingers felt like they would bleed, took a stroll through town but didn't get to even step foot in a shop, and then was in charge of setting up dinner. In between everything was of course some sort of mini tea party with either a lady in the area or her mother, either one always full of some kind of gossip that never intrigued Adelaide.

But the worst part was finding out at dinner that her betrothed would arrive in one weeks time, on her birthday to start planning the wedding. Not only did Adelaide not know that her mother had chosen another suitor already, but she didn't think she would have to get married so soon after her eighteenth birthday. Most women were married off before eighteen and she knew she was lucky to have made it this far. She craved more tastes from the outside world! She couldn't be stuck inside a stuffy house with a man that she most likely wouldn't care for. There were many things Adelaide had wanted to do before getting married and she'd only just started.

Adelaide hadn't finished her dinner. She actually stormed out of the dining room and went straight to her rooms, where she proceeded to punch her pillows and scream into them. These tantrums were rare, but she didn't know what else to do. Plus she'd never do this in front of anyone, even she knew that most toddlers didn't act like this after one or two of them. Her mind reeled with the life she was stuck with. She longed for adventure and romance, not embroidery and music. Music was great, when she wasn't the one performing.

Dusk came and went. She lay on her bed, still in her day gown, staring at her ceiling when she heard her door open softly. Eleina, her ladies maid slipped in and shut the door behind her.

"My lady." Eleina said as she through hardly any clothes at Adelaide. She'd brought a get up similar to her own. In Adelaide's hands was a corsetted beige top with a white undershirt, a ruffled black and beige skirt that was long in the back and short in the front, with a pair of black leather boots to finish the look.

Adelaide perked up almost instantly. This is exactly what she needed. A party. She quickly changed out of her day dress and put on her new clothes. New wasn't a word she should compare to the clothes she had just changed out of. These were more ratty and made her blend in with everyday people. New clothes were like the pristine dress she'd just stepped out of. Nonetheless, no matter how she was raised, the top of the undershirt was left open to show off her perfect cleavage. She ruffled her hair so it wasn't so neat and then applied some charcoal around her eyes to give them a dramatic flare.

Then the two set off, sneaking out of the big mansion and down the road. Eleina told Adelaide about the man who was hosting this party. He was a business man and worked with one of Eleina's uncles, which is how she heard about the party. She'd never met the man, nor gone to any of his parties, but she said they should be fine there. Her uncle was one of those chivalry types that made sure no foul play happened with any of the girls, a bouncer of sorts because he would throw out brawling guys too when they got too rowdy.

Adelaide was so intrigued by a new venue. She ached to drink without being told 'no'. She wanted to eat without being told 'not so fast, not so much'. She wanted to dance to something that wasn't so traditional. She wanted to converse with new people and get their opinions on how they saw the world today. She may not have influence over the king, but she did over her father. She may use some of that knowledge to persuade him to ease up on some of the laws ever now and then to help. The better the people felt, the more they partied!

The girls arrived as the party started to go into full swing. Men were in all corners with big beer mugs in their hands, yelling stories at each other. Women, both brothel-like girls and regular looking girls either serving food and drink or serving some of the men. Near the door sat Eleina's uncle, a very tall and muscular guy that looked like a mercenary with his vest and sword. Adelaide nodded to him and then B-lined it for the bar, getting a mug for herself. She turned and saw that Eleina had already ditched her for a guy, which didn't surprise Adelaide at all. Eleina's clothes were more skimpy than Adelaide's. Plus she hadn't put on the air around her that let people know she was approachable. Now that she had a beer in hand, she turned towards the party and smiled. This felt more like home than her actual one did.

[TheSamm]

Since there was no longer anything to negotiate, Emile and Allegra were drinking a tad more liberally. He had finished his rum, but since he hadn't the money for more he settled for warm ale. Niall and Duncan were off getting doped up and enjoying the company of a few ladies. Emile could hear Duncan's bad jokes from the bar.

"What's next?" Allegra asked over the rim of her glass. Emile shrugged, frowning.

"We sell the ship, run away, cut our hair, shave our beards, change our names, and hope nobody catches up to us." He replied.

"Doubt the captain will go for that." She said.

"Then we'll sink the ship." Emile joked. "And he can go down with it, just like he always wanted to."

He tossed back his flagon and finished his drink. When he pulled it back down, he caught sight of two women entering the bar. One of them caught his eye, and initially he was uncertain why. She was familiar. Emile could not remember if he had laid with her some years ago or merely seen her someplace he frequented when he was still on assignment. Allegra was following his gaze.

"Like what you see?" She asked.

"That girl doesn't seem like she belongs here, does she?" Emile watched her approach the bar from his periphery.

"No." Allegra said. "Her hair is too clean, and so is her face for that matter. Maybe you should go make her feel welcome."

Emile nodded and got to his feet. He approached the girl where she stood a few seats away, and knocked on the counter to get her attention.

"I hope I'm not out of line asking," he said with his most winning smile, "but may I buy your next round?"

[MissHotCoco]

Adelaide watched the party around her, sipping on her beer. She knew that it wouldn't be fun if she got too tipsy too soon. She watched as Eleina felt at home catering to a small group of young men, all of their eyes filled with desire or adoration. Adelaide wasn't too good at reading these people still, but she was getting the hang of it. She could normally tell the difference when someone desired her sexually or just wanted to chat.  Eleina was one of the people she wished to be. She looked so at ease in this bar with eyes on her bare skin. Adelaide only just started to show off her legs and cleavage, mainly because Eleina said she looked too proper with it all buttoned up.

Adelaide was pulled from her thoughts with a knocking next to her. She turned her light gray eyes towards the man getting her attention, her eyes dropping to the smile on his mouth first before making their way up to assess his other features. A winning smile on a handsome face. He looked like someone her mother would adore having on her only daughter's arm for the world to see. Adelaide hoped this male wasn't as dumb as the suitors she easily chased off.

So she returned the smile and stepped closer, trying to remember to use a different tone of voice than her normal one. "O'course." Her accent was a little heavier than she normally used at home. There was expected to speak delicately, when she was even permitted to speak. "'Tis me first time bein' 'ere at Albright's. Know 'im well?" She asked curiously, trying to keep up her odd common accent. She knew the ones like Eleina left off a lot of letters, just enough to still be understandable. Eleina spoke much like the nobles when she was working, Adelaide had only gotten a taste of the way she normally talked when they first started to sneak out to parties.

[TheSamm]

"Not terribly, to be honest." Emile replied, flagging down the bartender. "I hope you like rum. This place carries the best."

The accent had caught him rather off guard, but Emile kept his cool. He thought she might be faking it, but he couldn't be sure, nor could he imagine why--unless she wasn't supposed to be there. Emile had been known to adopt an accent to get out of a bind.

"As for Albright, we used to do business together, but the way I hear it he's fallen on hard times. Good to know the establishment hasn't suffered much though. It's as lively as I remember." He returned to sipping the rum. His pockets were getting lighter, but he figured it wasn't a waste if he enjoyed one of his last days as a free man in the company of a lovely girl. Still, there was another feeling he just couldn't shake. "I must apologize though, have we met? You seem familiar, but I suppose I should introduce myself anyway. My name is Nicolas."

Emile held his hand out expectantly to shake hers. It felt strange to use that name again, but it would have been unwise to start throwing around his real name.

[MissHotCoco]

Adelaide smiled as he mentioned rum. It was her favorite hard liquor to drink, but beer was her first. Mainly because beer didn't get her drunk as fast as rum or whiskey did. She would take his offer for the free drink anyway and just be extra careful not to drink it too fast. Eleina's uncle was here to watch her, but when she stepped out of those doors, no one would be escorting her home, unless she convinced Eleina to come, but usually the girl had other plans with some male company.

She couldn't help the realization in her eyes when he said his name. The name plus his face put two and two together. He was Sir Nicolas. She never spoke to him outright, but she'd been near him at parties. They'd never been properly introduced, but she was certain that a woman of her status was pointed at and explained to him who she was. She tried to smile coolly and took hold of her rum. "I don' believe we 'ave, Mr. Nicolas." She took a sip and set the glass down before taking hold of his hand. "Name's Anna." The name was thought of right then since she hadn't had the time to make up one for this party before she'd arrived.

"Strong grip." She decided to try and use her woman powers to steer them away from any topics of her. Moving closer yet again, she made sure her chest was well pushed out to emphasize her breasts. "You must be good wit' a sword, yes?" She smiled up at him, though a worried look shared the innocence she tried to portray in her eyes.

[TheSamm]

"Anna." Emile nodded, his eyes drifting from her eyes to her bosom and back. He knew her, and he knew that he did--it was on the tip of his tongue, so close he could taste it, but just out of reach. Much had happened since he'd been removed from his post; plenty of time  to forget a face. Her tough grip startled him. That, he was certain he would remember of a woman, but if anything it made him doubt himself. Maybe he'd already had too much to drink.

"I should say the same for you my lady, you have the iron grip of a smith! If you're interested in swords, I've got something to show you." He unstrapped his sabre and scabbard from his hip to show her. The scabbard was black with floral details carved in cherrywood. The handle was silver and featured a French cage to protect the hands. "This sword is special, you see; it's a tad longer than others in its class. Makes for a nasty surprise when a man thinks he's out of range."

And if you like this sword, he thought, I've got another like it.

[MissHotCoco]

She felt a small blush on her cheeks as he complimented her grip. It wasn't customary for ladies to shake hands, but she imagined that if she did shake hands at a royal party then it would have to be delicate. She grinned as she was shone the sword. Her fingers lightly touched the silver handle as she admired the french cage around it. She'd seen her fair share of swords like this but didn't want to say anything to let him know that she could at least guess at where it was made and possibly even guess the smith.

She looked back up at him and intentionally brushed his hand as she dropped hers from the sword. "I see an' has it seen blood yet?" She asked, though she didn't really care much if it had seen battle yet, but she knew that asking questions was a good way to keep a drinking man talking about himself rather than asking questions.

[TheSamm]

Emile chuckled, though he considered that an odd question to ask--especially from a lady. This woman was odd in more ways than one, but she was crossing the line from peculiar into uncanny. The soldier in him became uneasy. It could very well be that they were acquainted under bad circumstances, and if that were the case then he wasn't sure he'd brought enough muscle to watch his back.

"Of hundreds!" He regaled her. "I've sailed everywhere from Norway to North Africa. Enough to talk about myself for days, but of course nobody wants to hear that. I want to hear more about you. Are you a native of Yarmouth?"

Emile hoped that by turning the spotlight onto her, he might discover a flaw in her disguise or reveal a distinguishing detail about her. Once more he really was playing the role of Sir Nicolas, English lord and Spanish spy.

[MissHotCoco]

Adelaide let out a small giggle, possibly a bit too proper for someone raised in the town as a commoner, but it was her laugh and she didn't feel like trying to change that as well. It delighted her that he seemed excited to speak to her about his travels, but then it was brief as he turned the conversation back to her before she could keep him going.

Her smile wavered a bit and the nerves set in. After being to a few parties without any close nobility in them, she hadn't expected a run in with anyone that may know her. She tucked her hair behind her ear, feeling herself grow hot with her worry. At an angle from her ear, towards her hair line, was a small dragon shaped birthmark. Dragon was a bit of a big statement for it looked more like a regular lizard to her. Normally this would be covered up and she didn't even think about it.

"Born an' raised." She almost slipped up and said 'sir' at the end, but he hadn't said he was Sir Nicolas. "Neve' been out the country." Then she leaned closer to him with a new question, plus it was one she was actually interested in knowing about. "You say you been to Norway. Are they re'lly savages?"

[TheSamm]

Emile was a cocktail mess of feelings. For one thing, he knew he'd had a bit much to drink and not enough water to sober up which could be a problem. For another, he'd already spent what money he'd had on buttering up this strange woman, and he hadn't learned the first thing about her. Maybe he was overthinking it, he considered. Maybe it just didn't matter anyway.

"Well savages, that's just a matter of perspective." Emile said. "Every one of them's a warrior, down to the lass. But they love to trade almost as much as they love war, and that's what we've got in common. I am a merchant and a sailor, and a sailor must be a warrior before anything else. You know never know when you'll be set upon by pirates or the like." At the tucking of her hair, a dark mark near her ear caught his eye. In a split moment, he went from casually observing it to suddenly realizing he had seen it and his heart skipped a beat. Then he remembered! They had been acquainted once before, just before he left the British Isles. He couldn't recall her first name, but he knew her last. She was one of the VonDaemon children.

The gears in his mind began to turn. The VonDaemons came from money and here was their daughter, unescorted and unsupervised in the middle of the night. It would have been too risky to try and abduct her there, but he wondered if he could get her to go someplace more quiet with him. If he showed her a good time, she might not be so resistant. It was a crazy plan, he knew, but it beat the hell out of rotting in a jail cell for the rest of his days. He kept his eyes out for an opportunity to alert his pals to his plan, but "Anna" was rather engaged with him.

"You don't seem like you belong here." He told her, smiling and gazing meaningfully into her eyes. "You're too fine, too polished. Much more than I expected to find in a place like this. Why are you here?"

[MissHotCoco]

Adelaide was starting to feel some effects of the drinking, but thankfully she'd kept it slow enough that she was feeling tipsy. It wasn't enough to say she was drunk, but it was enough to make her confidence boost and make her feel like her body was tingling. She was pretty intrigued in what he was saying about the Norse, especially interested in the women being warriors too. That sounded so wonderful to her. Spending days fighting, partying and sailing. Not inside surrounded by snobby people who think they're better than anyone else based off of a good birth or good marriage.

She didn't catch the realization in his eyes, but she had caught his glance at her birthmark. She quickly ran her hand through her hair again to cover the mark, hoping he wouldn't recognize it if he'd noticed it. Of course she'd forget one of the most important things before leaving the house. At least Nicolas might not know of the mark, even if she kept it exposed, but she didn't want to chance it.

There was enough alcohol in her blood now that she smiled coolly at him and downed the rest of her rum. "I work as a lady's maid." She told him, taking part of Eleina's story. "I have'ta be clean for thems." Her accent was a little more slurry now from the drink, but not horribly slurred as if she'd drank a fifth to herself. "No un' wants a dirty maid in they home." She waved at the bartender for another round and pointed towards Eleina's uncle in the corner. The bartender replaced the ale in her mug. "Same as e'eryone else. To drink and dance." She smiled at him, hoping he'd buy her story. It was odd for her to be chatting about 'herself' so much.

[TheSamm]

Emile was already scheming in his head about how he could take advantage of this situation. He just needed to keep her talking long enough to come up with a plan, but before he could question her any further he heard a loud crash and shouting from behind. On reflex he glanced back to see what the ruckus was about and his eyes about popped out of his damned head.

Duncan had thrown up a table, spilling alcohol all across the floor. He was suddenly locked in a fistfight with a slightly larger individual who looked like he was a regular around there. Both were smashed and lobbing their gangly limbs everywhere. Niall stood in the back, cheering for Duncan and shooting insults at the other assailant.

"Oh no." Emile said, hesitating to get involved. The English bloke managed to get Duncan onto another table and was choking him. In a panic, Niall grabbed a lantern off the wall and smashed it over the man's head. Oil was cast everywhere, and it mixed with the alcohol. This created a burgeoning flame that set the Englishman ablaze. He jumped away, howling in pain, and began flailing his flaming arms, spreading the fire in every direction. Niall grabbed Duncan off the table began dragging him away, but Allegra came to the rescue and threw the Scotsman over her shoulder. As the fire climbed the walls, the whole bar became filled with smoke and the door crowded with evacuating men and women. Ivan was nowhere to be seen.

"We should go." Emile suggested to Anna urgently.

[MissHotCoco]

Adelaide's eyes widened as she turned to the brawl taking place. All she saw were bodies. She didn't even recognize Eleina's uncle in the mix. Then the place started to go up in flames. People started to scream and run out of the exits as the smoke poured into the are.

She grabbed Emile's arm and tugged him towards the door, not wanting to stay and be burned alive either. "Let's get out of here." She said urgently and in her normal voice. The disaster made her forget to use her previous accent.

Once they were outside, Eleina caught her eye and she pointed to the muscular man she was linked arms with. Adelaide knew that meant her friend was ditching her. It didn't matter much to her. She knew how to get back to her house and sneak in without being caught by anyone. But she wan't ready to return home either. "Well." She cleared her throat as she looked back at the smoking building.  "Shall we go fo' a walk then?" She planned to steer him towards her house so she could be near when the night ended.

[TheSamm]

A thousand thoughts raced through Emile's mind. For one, he was now more eager than ever to skip town. Hopefully word wouldn't make it back to Sir Albright that he had been remotely involved with an event that would almost certainly spell financial ruin for him. For another, he saw his friends in the crowd of evacuees hurrying away from the scene. He couldn't very well join them in this situation, so he hoped they wouldn't be too worried about him.

"A walk sounds fine." Emile said, sighing in relief. "We probably shouldn't linger around here too much longer. Where shall we walk, then?"

[MissHotCoco]

Adelaide realized that she was still holding onto his arm and dropped her hand down to her side again. She felt how exposed she was now, in the cold night air after having warmed up inside. The tops of her breasts and the fronts of her legs felt a small chill. She looked around again at the people fleeing the scene and then turned back to Emile.

"How 'bout we go this weh?" She said, her accent back and started moving in that direction. The way back to her house was around the bend towards the ocean, they'd walk on the dirt road that would turn into man placed cobblestone roads the closer to the heart of town they got. She always loved the sound of the ocean and was glad that her house was near one, not that she got to go out into the ocean as much as she wished she could. "Where ya' think you'll go next?" She asked curiously, eyeing the boats out in the water.

[TheSamm]

"I'm not certain." Emile replied, thinking. They walked along the coastline and he watched the crowd disappear in the streets. Everything was getting quiet. This was familiar, too. Once again he felt as though he really were Sir Nicolas Salamanca, wealthy merchant and politician, and Emilio Campaña were the alias. He wondered how it must feel not to be acting every moment of your life.

But this was not the time for philosophy. The lass sure seemed to have an interest in sailing, and Emile was willing to bet he could use that to his advantage.

"Wherever we go, it is up to the captain; but I hope that each new location will be even more beautiful than the last." He stopped walking rather suddenly, "You sound like the sort of lady who appreciates the sea. How'd you like to see our vessel? She's not in the best shape she's ever been in, but you get a great view from the bow."

If he could just get her on the ship, there'd be nowhere to run.

[MissHotCoco]

Adelaide perked up when he offered for her to see the ship he was on. Though it quickly faded when she thought of all the cons that went with it. Sir Nicolas could have turned into a pirate for all she knew and what she knew of pirates was when they kidnapped a woman, they weren't seen again. But she loved the idea of being near the ocean and on a real ship that could take her away from all her problems. Mainly her fiance coming to see her soon.

"I-" She stopped and looked out at the ocean, making her final decision. The night skies showed she had some time before anyone would be awake in her house and she was sure she could get back in time. "I'd like that." She looked at him and smiled. "So long as it's not too far away."

[TheSamm]

"Not at all!" Emile said, maybe with a mite more enthusiasm than he should have. He turned about the opposite direction, hoping at least some of his crewmates might have returned to the Bevrijder. Getting "Anna" onboard might be a challenge, otherwise. The ship had certainly seen better days, and he doubted that the young woman's poor judgment would extend to actually getting on the ship. "And if your legs get tired, I'll carry you. A little thing like you, I could probably lift on one arm."

They arrived in front of the Bevrijder with the moon directly overhead. Emile grimaced at the sight of the thing. The lighting thankfully hid much of the damage and he was thankful that the port side was not too visible, as that was the side where it was most damaged. Still, in the pale moonlight it looked more like a ghost ship. His crewmates were nowhere to be seen either. Emile walked up to the ramp and grabbed the dim lantern off of the hook where it hung.

"Like I said, she's seen better days," Emile laughed nervously, "but she's much lovelier once you get topside, I promise. Care to go up?"

[MissHotCoco]

Adelaide was able to walk her own way there without getting much fatigue. She was pretty flattered at this compliment about her being little. When they arrived, she took one look at the boat and thought about how he wasn't kidding. The vessel definitely looked like a ghost ship and the lack of crew made her a bit worried. It must be very late or they didn't have anyone on their crew that was a night owl, doing things out on the deck instead of being out and about or in the sleeping quarters. She looked up at the ship wearily.

"T'anks fer the offer." She nervously rubbed her arms from the cold wind coming from the ocean. "I bes' be gettin' home. It was nice meetin' you." Fear crept up on her as she realized how alone she was with this guy she barely knew. This was probably her last night she'd get to sneak out as a single woman and she was using it to see a ship with a stranger? She started to back away, watching him for his reaction.

[TheSamm]

Emile was about to give up and offer to escort her home. It was, as far as he was concerned, a miracle that he had made it this far. He might as well just jump in the water and sink to the bottom right then, because his life was over. He sighed, disappointed--but just as he was replacing the lantern, he heard a familiar clamor of voices. Rounding the corner were his crewmates; Duncan was leaning on Allegra's arm and holding a wet rag on his right hand. Niall spotted Emile and immediately hailed him.

"Ey, look who it is!" Niall shouted, Ivan trailing behind him, "An' he's got a girlfriend!" This was his chance. Emile lunged forward to wrap his arms around Adelaide, intending to throw her over his shoulder. If he let her slip, at least he'd have backup.

[MissHotCoco]

Adelaide had no time to react. The voices of his crewmates drew her attention so she didn't see Emile lunge for her. Before she knew it she was thrown over his shoulder. Shit. She thought to herself and started to flail, kicking her legs and smacking his back. "What the hell are you doing?!" She demanded, her accent now gone. Her real voice was back and it was angry. She grabbed at anything she could and ended up being able to somehow reach the sword he'd showed her earlier. Quickly she pulled it out and pointed the end at his back. "PUT- ME- DOWN!" She yelled, the tip threatening him.




~OOC: I hope that idea was alright, couldn't see her really overpowering him in strength, especially with his back up. Next post I'll have her realized her opportunity and then start making her own demands. If this all works for you.