Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Morose
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MI13 Academy: May 28th, 2018 - 9:41 A.M. Local Time


In a secure location in the English countryside stands the MI13 academy. Its large campus provides training to its agents in various fields and disciplines, such as the sciences or operations. Its American equivalent is more blunt and brutal, killing effectively and efficiently yet without remorse. Morality is seen in shades of black and white, with no questions that are uncomfortable to answer ever posed.

"Deviances," a leading scientist at MI13 said clearly, clicking to advance to the next slide in her presentation. The auditorium was silent aside from her voice and a thousand students quickly typing notes onto their various devices. "First discovered in 1719, deviances were often explained as gifts from the Christian God. No studies, however, have made any such connection between these gifts and divine powers."


"It was not until last week that we came closer to understanding where these extraordinary abilities originate from. The shipwreck of the Bellona, a vessel used for piracy, was found off the coast of Puerto Rico. While this is United States territory, we were fortunate enough to have been granted permission to examine the wreck."

"Inside the ship, we found something remarkable. Glass shards were reconstructed by our forensics team, forming the shape of a flask," Abney paused, as if expecting a stunned gasp from the students. "Contact with the glass shards has lead to the development of extreme deviances by members of our team: Roscoe Connor, Dae-Ho Vong, and Kaseem Siddiqui. It is believed that the flask contained some sort of chemical substance that interacts with human biology in such a way as to induce terrific and terrifying abilities."

"What sort of abilities?" a student in the front asked, her hand high as to gain attention.

"Abilities that, back in 1719, would bring armies to their knees," Abney responded. "The powers of gods."


The Port of Tortuga: April 4th, 1719 - 12:49 PM Local Time

Tortuga. Named for its turtle like appearance by the Spanish, this island is a pirate's idea of paradise. The port itself may be dirty and foul, but such are the conditions preferred by those who wish to escape the notice of the East India Company and the various European navies prowling the seven seas. It has been less than six months since Blackbeard himself was killed by the Royal Navy, and yet, perhaps the English are not the largest threat facing the Caribbean.

Rumors have been flying around the most boisterous pirate ports of special dispensations--of pardons in return for services. Captain Benjamin Hornigold, Blackbeard's old captain, took up the bargain. More and more pirates are clamoring for pardons, claiming that they can see a change in the winds and that the age of piracy is coming to an end.

The atmosphere in the Twelve Daggers Tavern, however, didn't reflect such somber revelations. Men and women alike, intoxicated on whatever liquor was to be found, danced and screamed and shouted and fought all at once. Stools were thrown, glasses smashed, loves lost, and battles won. In short, it was complete and utter chaos. The barkeep, of course, was hardly phased, even chuckling and grinning as a pair of young lads fell out the door and into the street, screaming and cursing in Spanish.


One man, seated in the back corner of the establishment, seemed oblivious to the world around him. With a cane resting gently against his hand, he tapped his fingers almost menacingly against the table. There was a certain weariness to his eyes as he regarded his companion. A young man, his eyes covered by cloth bandages, and his entire body shaking.

"Please sir, ye be havin' t' help me," the boy pleaded, setting his hands down on the table. His hands were stained from what appeared to be soot, yet his companion showed him no sympathy. "Mr. Alucard, you're a physician, aren't ye? You can save me."

"Lad, there isn't anything that can help you," Mr. Alucard sighed, shaking his head. "I'm a man of science, nothing more."

"I canna live like this, sir. I canna be seein'..." the boy choked out, reaching up for his bandages. He tapped his fingers delicately against them, as if to remind Mr. Alucard of his plight. But Mr. Alucard rose from his chair, the wood legs scrapping against the ground, as the boy cried out in terror, latching onto Mr. Alucard's hand.

"There's nothing that can be done," Mr. Alucard repeated, looking down at the boy with pity. "Go home, lad. You'll be joining Captain Swale soon enough."

Harlianne James

Location: Main Deck of the Bellona - Port of Tortuga Docks


To say that the Bellona had a skeleton crew was an understatement. Harlianne had only two others with her on the ship at the moment, but to be fair, she had only recently acquired the vessel. It hadn't ever left the docks of Tortuga under her command, and with only Anna and Sirena to help her, it certainly wasn't going to any time soon. She had met with Alucard just two days prior about the job. Things were going too slowly for her taste.

"Anna! Sirena!" Harlianne called out, taking a swig of rum before setting the bottle aside. She was plenty brave, but even Harlianne wouldn't turn down liquid courage. "We need ter find a crew, i'n it? Anyone will do, right, as long as they ain't wiv the bloomin' Company." It wasn't uncommon for pirates to recruit out of Tortuga, making their way through the pubs to find a few able bodies. Some of the spots would be harder to fill--jobs like physician. Those tended to require more extreme measures to find.

"And Sirena," Harlianne added, "spot if yor French mate 'as any more information on the bleedin' flask worth nicking."

She pushed her hair out of her face, but it quickly fell back in front. There were some days when she wanted nothing more than to chop it all off, but it was good protection from the sun. Smirking at her crew of two, she couldn't help but feel confident they'd have a full ship by the end of the day. And then, then they could hoist the colors and sail for the Devil's Triangle. The job was simple enough, with all the idiots before dying because they were just that--idiots.

As to whether she had any intention of returning the flask to Alucard once they found it, well, that was anyone's guess.


Aravis Zacharia

Location: Outside the King's Arm - Port of Tortuga


The King's Arm wasn't named for a king, as the name would suggest, but for a pirate. It was as rowdy as any pub on the island, never a place for a quiet drink. Though Tortuga itself was never incredibly quiet. The only place where silence reigned was in the jungle, where most were too afraid to tread. Stories were often swapped about the ghosts of the people native to the island running through the terrain, killing any that crossed their path.

But Aravis, of course, was not at the tavern to drink. She played slightly with her necklace, a Christian cross, as she kept her wits about her and a wary eye on all those who passed her. A thief by trade, it was a poor reflection on her skills if she was to allow herself to be robbed. It'd be a cruel and twisted irony.

"Chalo, Elissa. Aap let hai," Aravis muttered in her native Hindi, releasing the necklace from her grasp. Her friend's last ship had been ransacked and raided, with the survivors hardly making it to Tortuga. She had made arrangements to meet up with Elissa as soon as the woman was able to. Whenever the two of them met up, it was always here, just outside of the King's Arm. It was a point of tradition.

"Bah! Filthy halfbreed!" a drunken man sneered, as he brushed past Aravis and fell into the tavern. She rolled her eyes and then shot him a bit of a glare, her hand on the handle of her cutlass. She didn't enjoy violence, but she hated the blatant racism even more. Still, the drunk had left her line of sight and she relaxed slightly, hoping to see Elissa come into view shortly enough.

She was getting tired of waiting.


Édouard Riviere

Location: Twelve Daggers Tavern - Port of Tortuga


Édouard had had a brilliant morning so far. He woke up in bed with a rather delightful fair maiden, all to the jealousy of his mates. His fiancée had sent word that she was stuck in Port Royal for another few days, as her father had taken ill. And for the young Frenchman, that was another positive. More time for him to mess around and relax, after all.

Unbeknownst to him, his crew had held a vote as to whether or not to hold a mutiny against him. They narrowly decided against it, but to him, there was never a question of their loyalty. They were his crew. How could they not love him? And what, pray tell, was there not to love about Édouard Gautier Riviere, future leader of La Fraternité du Sang?

"Bonjour, tout le monde!" Édouard cried out in the tavern, striking a bit of a pose with his arms held out wide. There was a stupidly smug grin on his face as he sat down, one of his men bringing over a pint and a hunk of bread. The perfect lunch. They'd be setting sail that day, he figured, as soon as his men finished gathering the supplies and enjoying the pleasures that Tortuga had to offer.

"Le pouvoir des dieux," Édouard whispered to himself, taking a sip from the pint and imagining that it was the cursed flask he had been sent to collect. It was at least an interesting task, compared to the things his parents usually tried to put him up to. They never seemed to hold his attention. But power that would boggle the mind and the senses? That he could understand.

"Édouard, regarde!" his best mate chuckled, sitting down next to him and motioning to a man whose eyes were concealed by bandages. "L'erreur de la nature!"

Édouard took another swig from his pint before looking over and laughing proudly. "Oui, Félix, c'est un monstre...Monstre! Retirez les bandages!" Édouard goaded, attempting to get the poor man to remove the bandages. The man, unfortunately for Édouard, did not even look in his direction.

"Quel dommage," Félix muttered, before taking a sip of his own pint.
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Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by mnkee
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Location: Main Deck of the Bellona – Port of Tortuga Docks
“She had the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and it took only her laugh to realize that beauty was the least of her.”



Sirena leaned her head back with a sigh, relishing for a moment the feel of the sun’s warmth on her skin. Such simple pleasures she had come to appreciate after a life of captivity. Her blue-eyed gaze looked beyond the port of Tortuga out at the open sea, a place that was devoid of the stench of civilization. Oh, how the horizon and the adventures it promised called to her. But she would have to be patient, as other more important business had to be tended to.

Her hand lightly skimmed the wooden deck railing as she leisurely turned around upon Harlianne’s call. She glided across the deck and over to her captain, as a small relaxed smile graced her features. It was ironic really that a pirate could have such eloquence. But for Sirena, it was just a habit that she had built long before piracy was even a fleeting thought to her.

“Indeed,” she replied as she walked up alongside Harlianne. “I am curious to see if the men will need a little more convincing. A crew of women does have a certain appeal to it though. It will make it sting more when we crush those who dare stand in our way.” The corner of her mouth pulled up into a sly smirk as she looked over at her friend and now her captain. She turned to face Harlianne fully when she was addressed more specifically.

“Ah, the Frenchman Édouard Riviere,” she stated. Her smirk grew a little, and there was a wicked gleam to her eyes as she remembered her last “encounter” with the man. She had successfully lured Édouard in, getting him to let his guard down and take her straight to his quarters. But instead of getting his heart’s desires, he got a swift bottle of rum to the head. It knocked the man clean out, allowing her to steal his scroll and switch it out with a fake right under his nose. This certainly was one of her finer works, and the end results ultimately made the painstaking process of flirting with the obnoxious man all worthwhile. She wondered how much, if any, of that night the man actually remembers. She would have to tread carefully, as always. “This shall prove interesting,” she remarked deviously.

Sirena decided to get this matter dealt with sooner rather than later. There was a strong chance that Édouard Riviere could be found at Twelve Daggers Tavern, so she headed in that direction as she departed from the Bellona. Fortunately, it was not a far walk to take on foot. Her hand rested on the hilt of her cutlass as she walked through the streets of Tortuga, an island known for being notoriously dangerous. She remained vigilant and prepared to defend herself if the need arose. For her to be attacked would be fortunate indeed—that is for those who would dare cross her. After all, she was no damsel in distress. She took a deep breath as the Twelve Daggers Tavern came into view, letting any tension in her demeanor drain from her as she exhaled. As she pushed through the tavern doors, there was a confident smirk on her face and gleam to her beautiful blue eyes.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Dark Light
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Dr. Jonathan Baynard


Location:Port of Tortuga



As per the previous ports, Jonathan's wrists and ankles were met with the cold heavy iron of rusty old shackles. Unlike the previous ports, Jonathan did not find himself left aboard the ship with a grimacing overlooker.
Instead for the first time in a long time, he was going to step foot on land.
John was not the only slave in shackles, he was accompanied by three more men. The last of the ships remaining slaves. Two of the men of African decent, like Jon, had remained for their usefulness. There was also an older Irish man who simply remained because he had proven to be un-sellable due to the frailties of age. Lucky for him he could cook. All four of them had been tethered together and now pottered down the plank ramp with a gunman at their backs.

The cold sweet sea air rustled Jonathan's hair blowing it across his face. Despite being marched into the den of madness as a slave the man held his chin up high, clinging to what ever faint semblance of pride and dignity that still remain. Bravely refusing to let fear or worry make its way into his heart.

The rest of the crew worked in pairs, eagerly and excitedly carrying crates of goods and spare bits and bobs from their journey. Salvaging every spare item that could possibly be sold. All eagerly awaiting their share of the plunder.
Jon awkwardly carried a large rucksack of his only possessions in his hands, the other slaves were not so lucky as to own anything. Led down to the docks they were positioned amongst the crates of wools, spices and cottons. Alongside with an assortment of junk and other knick knacks. The fruits of their pirating labour. The captain stood nearby with his quartermaster, tallying the goods and awaiting to barter.
By this time the pedlars and pushers were already far ahead of the game. Having spread off through the various taverns of the town they heckled and bartered building up interest and drawing potential customers to their wares.

It was there on the docks of Tortuga as Jonathan stood waiting, contemplating his fate and the weight of his actions, that a startling most unexpected sight caught his eye and stole his breath. Never in a million years would he expect to find a familiar face here amongst this crowd. It was not a tired delusion nor hallucinatory sickness. It was a face from his home.

His brain scrambled to match a name to it. "MILLICENT!" he suddenly blurted out without thought at the top of his lungs in a feverish desperation. No sooner had he realised what he had done, a thudding impact struck the back of his head sending him staggering forward in a daze, his tether to the other slaves the only thing keeping him on his feet.
Frantically looking back up and scanning the crowd, his hope sank as he could no longer spot her familiar face.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Nallore
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Nallore RPG's Grope Master & Taco Hunter. :P

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Anastasia "Anna Nine Fingers" Ridgeway


Location: Port of Tortuga - Main Deck of The Bellona -> The Kings Arm





Anastasia was sitting down on the main deck running her red sash over the blade of one of her cutlasses, getting some of the dirt and grim off of the blade she did take care of her weapons pretty well. She had been with Harlianne and Sirena for awhile now, she was glad to have met up with them, and trusted the two of them. When the captain called out their names Anna slowly stood up dusting herself off and sliding her weapons into their holsters and sheathes, The Bellona did need a crew it would be very hard to just maintain a ship with just three people.

"Cru searchin' got it captain!" Anastasia said as she gave her two friends a friendly nod, just as she was about to disembark from the Bellona she paused for a moment when Harlianne mentioned a French man. "It better not be dat feckin frenchie dat oi met awhile ago." Anna muttered to herself, remembering that little meeting with Edouard back at the Twelve Daggers that meeting didn't turn out so well for little Eddie, she shuddered slightly at even having to work with the man when it came to Alucard's job that Harlianne had set them up with.

Anastasia walked along the port seeing her crew mate making her way into the Twelve Daggers Tavern, she decided to go and hit the other Tavern that she frequented in the port The Kings Arm. As Anastasia walked past she looked over at a group of slavers and their slaves as they unloaded their ship, she caught a glimpse of one of the men suddenly yelling out the name Millicent. She felt slightly bad for the man, she wasn't sure if he was seeing things or if there was an actual woman with that name somewhere within the crowd. Anastasia then walked past them, catching a glimpse of woman standing just outside of the tavern then one of the drunken men calling her a halfbreed. Anastasia was tempted to just simply punch the drunkard but, she wasn't really there to start a bar fight she was there to recruit a crew for the Bellona and hopefully get paid by Alucard.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by FantasyChic
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Millicent Clarke


Location: Port of Tortuga





She stepped towards the edge of the ship as it pulled into the port. She watched the men scramble around as they got the ship ready for docking. She walked up to the captain who was shouting orders to his crew. He glanced over and smiled at her. He had almost no teeth left, "Well miss, here we are. Can't understand why ye be wantin' to come here, but we made it." Millicent nodded and looked out at the port. It was busy it seemed with other ships there. "The reasons are my own, but I am grateful none the less. Remember our deal though. I was never here." The man laughed, obviously oblivious to her veiled threat, but she shrugged it off. She had already paid the man in full. Her things would be sent to her new place.

Once the ship was properly docked she stepped off. She wandered past a few people running along. A few sideways glances thrown her way made her grin. It seems it didn't matter where she was, she still attracted attention. Which was good. Considering what she was aiming to accomplish here, attention on her in this way would be best. She thought about where she should go first. The tavern always seemed to be the best bet for getting information.

As she continued, she heard someone call out her name. "Strange," she thought to herself. No one should recognize her. She looked around to see where the voice came from. A group of slaves was working and she saw a man looking her way. Sure enough, it was someone she actually knew. What were the chances? It was the Doctor she saw not long ago. The one who asked too many questions for his own good. This would not do. She quickly turned around and kept walking. The man would not blow her mission here. If he continued, he would be getting a visit soon. Though it seemed he was already in over his head.

Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by BlueSky44
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Elissa Isley


Location: Port of Tortuga




She knew that she was late, but it didn't help her to know that. Aravis was probably sitting there, wondering where she was, and Elissa wasn't there yet. Picking her way through the crowd, she could see the sign for The King's Arm off in the distance, and she needed to hurry up. Meeting up with Aravis was something she looked forward to, and she wasn't planning on skipping out on her friend just yet. It probably didn't help that she was keeping an eye out for thieves, since she knew too well what could happen on the streets of any town.

As the sign grew closer, Elissa started hurrying slightly more, since she didn't really want to keep Aravis waiting longer than she needed to, and Elissa was practically running by now, and eventually she could see her friend, and as she drew closer to her, Elissa waved her arm with a smile. "Hello Araffis, it is kood to zee you akain," she said as she walked up to her friend.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Morose
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The Port of Tortuga: April 4th, 1719 - 1:00 PM Local Time


@FantasyChic -

Millicent's belongings have been sent onto her room at the Faithful Bride. It's one of the more popular taverns in Tortuga, but it is hardly any exception to the general awfulness of the island. Its constructed from timbers taken from wrecked ships and the roof leaks. There's a general smell of marine life (read: fish) to it, but it's a step up from sleeping in the jungle of the island. It isn't a great distance from the docks if she wishes to see to her rooms instantly, but there are other sights to see in Tortuga, and surely her possessions will be safe.

@Dark Light -

The Bellona isn't the only ship looking for a few hands, of course, and a few men come by, eyeing the slaves for purchase. There's a bit of a pattern going on, where the men will come by and take a look, act like they aren't interested, leave, and return just a few minutes later with another person. There's some muttering and grunting, and a few of the men even come up to Jon and the others, poking and pinching to get an idea for the muscle. Seems Jon's "employers" had forgotten to lather them up with oil, in order to make the muscles a bit shinier, as no one seems to be buying. Whether that is good or bad is yet to be seen, of course...


Harlianne James

Location: Main Deck of the Bellona - Port of Tortuga Docks


Harlianne chuckled to herself, shaking her head. Despite Sirena and Anna both having encounters with the mysterious Édouard Riviere, Harlianne had never bumped into him. She had a knack for just missing the man, leaving or arriving with an almost divine like timing. On some levels, she couldn't help but be disappointed. While Sirena and Anna could go on and on about the man, all she knew of him were the tales. She was curious to see if the man was the legend he was made out to be.

"An all female crew...That'd be a sight," Harlianne murmured to herself, leaning up against a post. She could see the other ships at the dock, a few of them displaying their wares--both goods and people. She never liked the business of slavery, figuring that if someone was going to serve on a crew, they ought to want to do it. Anything else seemed stupid and moronic to her, practically asking for a mutiny. She whistled slightly to herself, liking the idea of an all female crew the more she thought of it. In her experience, women tended to be the fiercest fighters and the best mates to have.

Holding up her flask of rum, Harlianne gave a silent toast to Blackbeard, one of the finest role models for piracy there ever was. Calico Jack may have been her captain, but she had no illusions about him. He wasn't any better than the rest of them and he didn't always keep to the code. To Harlianne, that was the duty of every captain--to keep to the code.

It'd be a bit until Sirena and Anna returned, she figured, giving her plenty of time to work out a heading. She headed over to the Captain's Quarters and took out her map, journal, and compass. Returning to the main deck of the ship, as she hardly felt like letting her stolen vessel be stolen from her, she set herself at work for setting their heading. The Devil's Triangle--that much was obvious. But the precise route that they should take from Tortuga would be paramount to figuring how much supplies they'd need.

"Seems a bit o' barney rubble for a wee ole flask," Harlianne muttered to herself as she worked, but her eyes were lit up. There was an honest smile on her face as she felt the sun beat down on her, her nose inhaling the mixture of the smells of port and the smells of the sea. She was always happiest at the start of an adventure.


Aravis Zacharia

Location: Outside the King's Arm - Port of Tortuga


"You're late," Aravis said stiffly, but her stern expression melted into a smile. She didn't pay much attention to the smuggler woman standing outside of the tavern, merely noting her presence and ensuring that she stood in such a manner that the woman couldn't rob her. Aravis looked her friend up and down, checking Elissa for any new injuries. People tended to return from lengthy travels with pirates missing a few more limbs than when they left, so she couldn't help but be pleased to see her friend was all in one piece.

"Now, you must tell me your tales," Aravis insisted, brushing her braid behind her back. "I'm sure you've had plenty of excitement since I saw you last--and you know our deal. I'll hold up my end of the bargain if you hold up yours." It was a bit of tradition with them. Aravis would either purchase or steal them some drinks, provided that Elissa entertained her with tales of sea. There was hardly anything that she loved more than stories.

Inside the King's Arm, the people had arranged themselves into a bit of a chorus line. They were spouting off various sea shanties at the top of their lungs, with mugs of beer and rum and so forth smashing into the ground, walls, people...Even a goat and two pigs were involved in the mess, running around and narrowly dodging the various weapons the drunks were using. A few women of the night were moving around looking for clients and in the back, a group of five veteran seafarers were in the midst of a rousing round of cards.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by mnkee
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Location: Twelve Daggers Tavern - Port of Tortuga



As Sirena entered the Twelve Daggers, a well dressed man brushed by her on his way out. Sirena’s entrancing blue-eyed gaze drifted upwards to look at the man, taking in his features for a moment. There was a certain weariness to his face, with his hair turning from a rich brown to an elegant silver in various places. He nodded politely at her by means of apology, before quickly walking into the crowd of people in the streets of Tortuga, and vanishing from sight. No sooner had their gazes met did she break the eye contact, barely even having acknowledged the man’s apology as her attention moved elsewhere and the man was quickly out the door. Her cool gaze took in the people occupying the room to finally land on one of the most raucous of them all: Édouard.

"Ah, c'est amusant! La bête sans son maître!" Édouard cried out, taking another chug of his pint. A few others in the tavern--all of them Frenchman under Édouard's command--roared in laughter similarly. One of them threw a hunk of hardened and stale bread at the so called beast--a man sitting alone in the corner, his hands trembling and his eyes covered in bandages. Édouard was so absorbed in his tormenting of the poor man that he didn't notice Sirena enter the tavern.

Sirena smoothly and confidently made her way across the tavern towards Édouard. She could feel the heated gazes of men on her, but she made her intentions clear. No man would interest her apart from the one she had her gaze trained on. Her charming smirk disappeared for a moment and she raised an eyebrow as a man chunked a hard piece of bread across the room. Her eyes followed the trajectory of the bread to land on the apparent target, a man with bandaged covered eyes who was sitting in the corner of the room. She let out a small sigh and rolled her eyes before returning her attention to Édouard. She quickly tried to close the distance between them. She was nearly to him when something the victim said stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Stop! I dasn't want t' hurt you!" the bandaged man warned, moving his hands to cover up his bandages, as if that would somehow afford his eyes an extra layer of protection. "'Tis th' curse o' th' Devil's Triangle!"

Sirena’s gaze snapped over to look at the man. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her head tilted a bit to the side. Curious words. Perhaps he would have more useful and accessible information than the French man child. She pursed her lips in thought as her gaze went back and forth between the two men. After a few moments of contemplation, she finally opted for the man with the bandage covered eyes. She abruptly turned on her heels and strode over to the man. She cleared her throat as soon as she came up alongside him. “Mind if I joined you? she asked. However, she did not bother to wait for him to answer, sitting right down in the chair across from him. “You have an interesting story to tell, no doubt. Please do tell. I am intrigued to know.”

The man didn't remove his hands from his eyes, but there was something odd in his movements. "Miss, ye dasn't want t' be talkin' wi' me," the man said simply, sniffling slightly as another hunk of bread hit the back of his head. Félix, Édouard's righthand man, was the culprit this time. He paused for a moment, before tilting his head to look at Sirena straight on. Of course, with his hands and the bandages in the way, there was no possibility that he could see her. "You be havin' beautiful eyes. Blue like th' sea."

Oh really now? Well, all you are doing is making me want to find out more and more what you know and what you are hiding, Sirena thought to herself as she leaned forward unperturbed. She let out a slightly exasperated sigh when another hard piece of bread hit the man. She was tempted to throw a glare in the direction of the culprit but thought better of it. She wasn’t here to start a fight. She was here to get information for her captain about the cursed flask, the very flask they were set out to find for Mr. Alucard. She was not about to ruin her chances of getting valuable information over the mere pettiness of men.

Sirena’s brows furrowed at the man’s strange behavior. The way he turned his head to look at her straight on, despite the fact that there was no way he could see her through his hands and the bandages. It was just plain creepy. But the words he spoke next are what truly made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She inhaled sharply, “How in the—” She was cut off by an annoyingly familiar voice.

"Mademoiselle Ikaria! Ne parle pas avec cet homme!" Édouard called out, recognizing the beauty seated across from the man. Finishing off his pint, he slammed the mug down on the table and motioned for his men to stay back for a moment. He practically swaggered over to Sirena and put a hand on her shoulder. "Ma cherie," he greeted with a smile, before sending a particularly foul scowl at the bandaged man.

Sirena’s jaw clenched as she bit back a groan of annoyance at hearing Édouard call out to her. Why now?! She took a deep, calming breath before looking over her shoulder at him. She watched as he finished off his rum and slammed the mug down before swaggering over to her. Yes, he swaggered. If he thought that was meant to be attractive, then he was terribly mistaken. It was downright comical to her. A smirk played at the corner of her lips. She maintained eye contact with him as he approached her. There was a gleam to those entrancing blue eyes of hers. “Édouard,” she returned his greeting in a voice that was like velvet. She smiled warmly up at him before glancing down at the hand he rested on her shoulder. She looked back up at him, then over at the strange man she had been talking to previously, and finally back at the hand rested on her shoulder. She let out a small sigh. She did not have time for this nonsense. She lightly pushed Édouard’s hand off her shoulder before turning her attention to the bandaged-up man she sat across from.

Édouard raised a bit of an eyebrow, uncertain by Sirena's action. His mates in the tavern rolled their eyes, nudging each other and gesturing towards their fearless leader, so easily brushed aside by a thin little thing. The world was run by men and Sirena's actions caused when little respect they had for Édouard to diminish. Yet Édouard's reaction to Sirena was hardly any better than that of his men. Anger grew on his face as his hands trembled, before falling onto his cutlass.

Her countenance grew deadly serious. “Now where were we,” she began. Her voice was no longer sweet and charming but instead had an edge to it. If the man wanted to play hard, she could play harder. “I am just going to be frank with you. What do you know of the cursed potion flask that Mr. Alucard has paid many a man to find?”

The bandaged man shook his head at Sirena, his hands falling onto the table. He gripped it tightly, as if he might find some strength from the wood. "Don't get yersef involved in this business, miss," the man replied quietly. "It'll only brin' ye pain." But Édouard pulled his cutlass and pointed it towards the man, as a method of regaining his honor. There was no honor to be had in attacking the woman who brushed off his hand. Yet to impose his well on the deformed man in front of him--that would go over well with his mates and potentially cause them to forget his earlier transgression.

"Comment tu t'appelle?" Édouard sneered, crudely asking the man what he was called. "C'est pour ta pierre tombale," he explained, as a mug of rum crashed into the table, lobbed by one of his men or simply another drunkard in the tavern. Anyone could have thrown it. But it elicited no reaction from the man, as either he didn't care or he simply couldn't understand the Frenchman.

Sirena was about to open her mouth and respond to the man when Édouard unexpectedly drew his cutlass and pointed it at the very man she had been speaking to. God damnit, what does he think he is doing?! She stood up abruptly, causing her chair to screech loudly as it was pushed backwards. Her breath came in sharply as her wide-eyed gaze went from the bandaged-up man to Édouard’s angry face. She was not scared. She was in shock. But fortunately, the gears in her head began to turn as she quickly came up with a solution to this unexpected predicament. As a mug of rum was thrown at the table, shattering and sending shards of glass in the air, she knew time was even more of the essence. Resorting to violence to resolve this would likely only make matters worse, so she would have to fix this the only other way she knew how.

She gingerly reached out and caressed Édouard’s face with her hand. She ran it across his cheek and down to his chin. She lightly grabbed his chin and tried gently coaxing him to turn his head to meet her gaze. With her other hand, she placed it on top of his hand that was holding the cutlass. She pushed down on his hand, trying to get him to lower the cutlass that was pointed threateningly at the bandaged-up man. “No. Don’t kill him, please,” she pleaded with him softly as she shook her head. “I don’t know that you understand anything I am saying, but I will try regardless. I beg of you not to kill him. I need information from this man. He is worth much more alive than dead. Please put down your weapon.”

Édouard appeared to respond well to Sirena's actions, despite not understanding a single word she said. While it might have been sensible for the Frenchman to attempt to learn English at one point or another in his life, he never had. He detested the language and found it foul, harming the ears of all who heard it. But out of Sirena's mouth, it never sounded lovelier. He grinned at her, enjoying the tone of those meaningless words and allowed her to push down the cutlass. A few of his mates whistled approvingly, taking the change in dynamic well.

Sirena pulled her hand away once Édouard had lowered his cutlass, her hand falling back to her side. The hand that still held his chin in a light grip moved to rest on his strong shoulder. She hoped that her gentle touch would keep him calm for the time being. “Thank you,” she murmured. A small smile played on her features as she met his gaze. She kept her hand rested on Édouard’s shoulder as her attention returned to the other man whom still stood in their presence.

"What could I possibly be worth t' ye?" the bandaged man murmured, a bit of surprise in his voice. "Just one drop be enough t' seal me fate. Jus' one. 'Tis too much fer any man t' handle, miss."

“I get the impression that you have more information on the cursed flask than these Frenchmen. That information is invaluable to my captain. And there isn’t much I wouldn’t do for my captain.” she explained, before addressing his last statement with a smirk forming on her face. “Well, it is a good thing then that I am not a man. I am a woman.”
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Nallore
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Anastasia "Anna Nine Fingers" Ridgeway


Location: Port of Tortuga - The Kings Arm





As Anastasia walked through the tavern she couldn't help but just smile brightly hearing everyone singing various sea shanties, and the craziness that usually occurred at any other tavern that she frequented in Tortuga. Anna would occasionally dodge a random mug of beer or rum that flew through the air, some spilling onto her sleeve, and dodging some drunkards who held out their weapons. Anna spotted a sleeping drunk man with a half full mug of rum that wasn't finished, picking it up Anastasia quickly chugged it down and slamming I onto the table that the man was asleep.

Anastasia would look around the room smirking slightly as she would see the occasional pig or goat running along the tavern, she was tempted to just grab one of them, and take it back to the Bellona with her. She would also see the various women searching around for their next clients, she was slightly tempted to grab one but Anna did keep that part of her life secret from everyone else that she knew. Then Anastasia spotted a group of five men, who seemed to be very well experienced seafarers. Finding experienced sailors were always the best to find, as Anastasia started to approach the group of five men in the back of the King's Arm.

"Mind if oi join yer?" Anastasia asked, and if they did Anna would grab a seat and then sat down looking at them as they played cards looking at each one of them. "Oi'm also lookin' ter recruit people for a job if any av yer are interested at al'." Anastasia also offered, hopefully that will also peak their interest in the job, though she was a woman and sometimes the men would just give her odd looks from time to time.
Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by Dark Light
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Dr. Jonathan Baynard


Location:Port of Tortuga



His head still aching from the sudden blow, he could feel the swelling of a bruise already beginning. He knew the strike for what it was. Short, fast, harsh, unexpected and sudden. It was a warning. A deterrent for future actions. 'Behave', they had said with violence as their voice. Scolding him like some worthless animal. Only Jon wasn't worthless nor was he some animal.
Despite their original deal it was clear the captain was eager if not a bit desperate to sell him off. It seemed nearly everything from the ship was up for grabs. Including many supplies and ropes that they may still need.

He was glad to be rid of that crew, desperation was not a good state for man to be in. Nor could he handle the inevitable growing implications of Stockholm syndrome. These were the men who essentially kidnapped him, even though it was a willingly negotiated deal. They created the situation that keeps him from his home, for that he would never forgive them.

Jon scanned the crowd again. Millicent knew him, she knew his worth. Maybe, just maybe if he could get her attention then he could favour a deal with her in which he might actually end up home to his wife. Here he was a no one with nothing but back home he had influence and resources. Millicent knew this.

The dirty jeering face of leathery sun-aged skin, tattered with spots and scars smiled widely in amusement at Jonathan. The old spiteful man blocked his vision of the crowd as he moved so close that Jon could taste the mans last meal on his rotten warm breath.
A silver tooth shone brightly with the reflection of the sun, only adding to Jon's growing irritation.

Jon was hit by a sudden sharp pinch to the left of his stomach that caused him to uncontrollably flinch.
With focus and determination he managed not to yelp but even in his silence the tormenting pirate found a sick pleasure in his power trip.
Jonathan could withstand that, he had come to accept much of the depravities of man since sailing with those void of true religion. What he could not stand for was this bell swagger getting his big buffle-head in the way of his view. As he tried to move or look around him he was only met again and again by that stupid grin.

Another pinch caught him by surprise. This time Jonathan didn't resist keeling over, instead embracing it as he lurched forwards with all his momentum and throwing his forehead at the mans nose. A loud crunch was followed by a splatter but it didn't end there. Before the stunned pirate could even pull his hands back Jonathan had reached under his own chain, grabbed the mans pinching index finger and with a sharp yank dislocated it sideways over his shackle.

* * * * *


The subsequent beating that followed was almost worth it. After a fierce blow to the back of his knee Jonathan quickly collapsed to the floor, his shackled hands barely cushioning his fall. Once on the floor a flurry of boots hit him from the front and from behind. His face, his head, his back, his legs. They kicked anything and everything. Jon desperately tried to curl up in a defensive ball. Due to his restraints he couldn't protect his exposed ribs. After he heard his captains loud booming voice presumably trying to bring an end to the violence, one last heavy hate-filled boot caught him square in the side.

It drove the wind from his lungs along with a splatter of blood. Jon lay on his side, dazed and numb. He stared at his crimson spit as it settled into the grooves of the wooden planks just beside his face.
Never in his life had he taken such a beating. So cruel and malicious, kicking him while he was down. His frustrations and spite soon spread beyond his attackers, beyond his captain and to the many gathered onlookers that stood idly by. Either drawn to the commotion or simply pausing while passing by to take in the free entertainment. Jon imagined they were doing so without a single shred of compassion. He heard very little objections under the jeering laughter and shouts. That was when he understood just how alone he truly was, just how far from his home he really was. Here in this place he could get kicked to death and dropped into the ocean and no one would ever know or care. No funeral or prayer. As he lay there on the cold hard floor freshly battered and bruised, that realisation is what hurt him the most. This was just the way of things here, and Jon had to get used to it.

Physical and emotional pain aside Jon just prayed that the pirates bloodlust was now satisfied. His actions were not as reckless or as without reason as they may seem. Now he only prayed that this jolter-head hadn't the coin to just throw away on petty vengeance.
Over the droning commotion of the crowd Jon swore he could hear the quarter master seemingly try and force the man into a sale. Jon couldn't imagine the 'you break it you bought it' argument to hold when he had attacked first. He saw no logical way it could or any sense in this man to throw away money on a disobedient slave. With all desperation he hoped his calculations to be right, but with a gut wrenching fear he realised not all followed logic and thought as him, especially not here.

As long as Jon seemed valuable, he was pretty sure his hog-grubber of a captain wouldn't freely allow anyone beat him to death. Not completely anyway.
So despite how unpleasant the beating was, the violence had served its purpose. Jon had hopefully discouraged some prospective buyers not only with his defiant attitude but now also his newly attained injuries. This should buy him a little more time. It had also drawn quite some attention to himself. Now in that extra time, with those extra onlookers, hopefully one of those people to notice him would be lady Millicent.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by BlueSky44
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Elissa Isley


Location: Port of Tortuga - The King's Arm




Elissa laughed,"Of courze, let's ko in already". She followed her friend inside, and knew that Aravis hardly loved anything more than to hear tales of the sea. Elissa enjoyed telling them to her, especially since her friend got the two of them drinks. The sounds coming from the tables made her smile more, since she had been away from a real town for a while now. She kind of was eager to return to sea, but right now she was content being in the company of her friend. Elissa thought about what to tell Aravis, since there were so many stories, she didn't know where to start as she sat down at a table to talk with her friend.

"Ve did ein lot of bluntering und billaging as ve vent on our vay across zee ocean, cauzing terror vereffer ve vent. Arh ! It vas only ein matder of time pefore zee Naffy caught up to us. I vas ein crew memper on poard zee Nebtune's Horror, und ein fine schip sche vas. Arh ! Ven zee Naffy caught up to us, it did not end vell for half zee crew. Ve vere atdacked, und effentually poarted py zem. Arh ! Zee Cabtain yelled to brepare for pattle und ve schtruck zee insdance zey kot on poard. Zefferal mempers had already peen killed py cannon fire, und zefferal others died during zee svord fighting, incluting zee Cabdain. Arh ! Ve managed to get zem off of our schip, und ve managed to bull avay from zem. Vith half zee crew dead, und nein one vanting to fix her up, zee crew vas dispanted und zee schip vas zold. Arh ! Zadtens me, put at least I could zee you, und maype look for another crew to choin," she said as she told Aravis of the last ship she was apart of. Elissa continued smiling, but eventually thought of something else.

"I haffe more tales, put in orter to hear zoze Araffis, you haffe to keep up your end of zee parkain und ko get us zome drinks," she said, and then decided to get a better look at the room around them. The five men she had seen when she had entered with Aravis had now been joined by a woman. She clearly wasn't like so many others in the room, but she decided not to pay too much attention to her. Elissa was here to catch up with an old friend, and that was exactly what she planned to do.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by FantasyChic
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Millicent Clarke


Location: Port of Tortuga





Millicent really wanted to get to the Faithful Bride as soon as possible, not only to plan what she would be doing from here on out, but also to make sure her things got there safely and no one took anything of hers. That would not be good. As she walked, she felt a raw pinch in her gut. One may call it guilt, but that feeling left her years ago. However, she did feel the tiniest bit bad about the good Doctor. He was inquisitive and naturally, when viewing her injuries, would question where she got them. It was pretty easy to pass off the occasional bruise or scratch on a prostitute (they weren't well looked after), but a giant gash on her back and some harsh hand marks don't typically show.

She turned back to where the Doctor was. She could tell he was in over his head. Slavers didn't give up their prey easily or without coin. She had very little coin on her (not that she would buy his freedom anyway), but perhaps there was something she could do.

She soon came upon the slavers and scanned for the Doctor. She saw him looking much worse than when she first passed by him. He had some fight in him and she had to respect that. She caught the attention of the slaver and pointed at the Doctor "That one. I may have a use for him. Could you tell me how much?" She had no intention of buying, but if she wanted her plan to go well, she would have to act the part. The Doctor better be thankful for this. She didn't do this for just anyone.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Morose
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@Nallore@BlueSky44@Dark Light@FantasyChic@mnkee
The Port of Tortuga: April 4th, 1719 - 1:15 PM Local Time


@FantasyChic@Dark Light -

Despite the intensity of Jon's beating, he was lucky. There was no extensive damage done to him that wouldn't heal up in a matter of days. No broken ribs, no punctured lungs, no internal bleeding--mostly just some deep and painful bruises. Of course, that would hardly help him be sold. It was one thing for his captain to have forgotten to oil him and the others up, in order to make their muscles look more appealing and desirable, but now the man looked battered and abused. No one wanted a broken slave, no matter how valuable. In the Caribbean, life expectancy wasn't that great. A battered slave would be a dead one in a matter of weeks, usually.

"Aye, 485 English pounds," the Captain replied, nodding curtly at Millicent. As prices go, it was actually rather low. Slaves back in the day could go for easily 1000 pounds or more. The discounted price was due to his beaten and broken condition, but perhaps also from the captain's desire to sell him. "If ye be wantin' him badly, I suppose ye and I can come to an accord...What have ye to offer, miss?"

But right as the Captain was in the middle of speaking with Millicent, a gruff and tall man pushed his way through the crowd. In a painfully accented and hardly English speech, he explained to the Captain his need to purchase Jon, as his ship's last physician perished. The Captain smirked a bit to himself, seeing the potential for profit.

"Seems we have a biddin' war, lads."


Harlianne James

Location: Main Deck of the Bellona - Port of Tortuga Docks


Harlianne didn't pay much attention to the sounds of violence coming from the docks. It was par for the course, hearing slavers beat their wares into submission and cry out prices, always trying to get the most coin they could. It was the way most ships got a physician these days, as no respectable doctor wanted to be on a pirate crew. The only ones that ever did tended to be nutters, in her experience, and practice something closer to witchcraft than medicine.

"Hullo! Miss!"

Harlianne frowned a bit, setting down her map and instruments. Walking to the edge of her ship, she peered down and saw two rather out of place girls. The taller of the pair waved up at Harlianne and nodded, while the other appeared to be shyer, hanging back. From their clothing, they looked to at least be members of the highest social class, perhaps the gentry, even. Tortuga was an exclusively pirate port--those types didn't often turn up, unless they were coming with jobs to hand out, deals meant to be taken under the table.

"Wotcher girls want, then?" Harlianne called out, tilting her hat as to hide her face. She never cared much for the upper class folk, usually going out of her way if possible to screw with them. It was entirely possible they were here with some grievance, attempting to settle things politely, as naive as that was.

"We need help in locating a man!" the brunette called out. "We know he is present in Tortuga--do you know an Édouard Riviere?"

Harlianne chuckled slightly, shaking her head. Anna and Sirena, once more, got to know the little bastard and Harlianne had never met him. She didn't even get the pleasure in imagining the pig's face and thinking as to why these two were looking for him. But given the shy mannerism of the smaller girl, Harlianne pegged her as a poor woman, knocked up by the man. "Bloody hell, I wish. Everyone else gets ter fuck wiv 'im. Mess 'im up and all. Wot business do yer 'ave 'im wiv, then?"

There was a bit of a pause, with the shy girl shaking her head furiously at the brunette. Harlianne couldn't have been certain, but she felt strongly that there was some eye rolling going on down there as well. Definitely some sort of unwanted pregnancy situation. Those things always seemed to plague the upper classes, thinking that it was the end of the world and whatnot. "I spot 'ow it is. Good luck, luv. Yor'll need it. 'eard the chuffin' man is a bastard through and through."


Aravis Zacharia

Location: the King's Arm - Port of Tortuga


The men playing cards gave Anna a bit of an odd look, but they allowed her to sit down with them. Their conversation died down, becoming the minimal words needed. Draw a card here, fold here, bet here. It wasn't really clear what game they were playing, but the scent of alcohol on their breath explained it all. The veterans didn't have a bloody clue what type of cards they were doing either.

"'Tis brutal luk ter 'av a lass involved," one of the men finally said in a thick Irish accent, eyeing Anna. "You're liable ter summon a kraken whaen 'tis yisser bleedin', yer nu." There were nods of agreement all around the table, as if the man had stated something that was scientific fact. But in these days, even science didn't mean much, especially to the old timers. The sea was their goddess, mistress, and wife--they didn't have room for belief in anything else.

"A deal's a deal," Aravis nodded, having absolutely loved her friend's tale. She had been around Elissa enough to understand the thick German accent, as well as learning to respond to Araffis. Her friend never really had understood the proper use of a v, but that hardly mattered to her. The drinks weren't too expensive in the tavern, only a few pence, and she returned to Elissa a few moments later with two strong pints.

"I heard something over there, she's looking for people for a job," Aravis said, nodding over towards Anna and the men in the back. She knew that as much as she enjoyed Elissa's company, the sea would call her back eventually. Aravis herself had never done much pirating, usually making a living as a thief. It wasn't that she was opposed to it. She just simply had never found herself in the situation to start.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Dark Light
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Dr. Jonathan Baynard


Location:Port of Tortuga



Jon was hoisted to his feet. The movement brought fresh blood and fresh pain to all his bruises and aching bones. At one point his battered knee nearly gave way. After a small cough the doctor brought himself to stand tall. His left eye was swollen half shut, undoubtably black and blue. As his head settled he caught up on the situation. His price was low which was good, but seemingly this made him a good deal for the newcomer.

Jon looked to both interested parties, careful to show no recollection towards Millicent. He tried to judge her reaction to his price. Was she carrying that much? Did she even have that much? Would she even spend it on him?
Sure he was worth a lot back home, but they were far away from the comfort and safeties of England.

Jon had his wedding ring hidden away in a secret pocket on the inside of his jacket, wrapped in parchment. He considered telling Millicent about it. It was no cheap thing after all and surely it could aid in his bartering. The thought of selling it twisted a sickening knot in his stomach that threatened to crawl up out of his throat.
Using that feeling he had one more card to play.
He had little dignity left, paraded around in chains as he was. Why try to hold onto it now?

He sucks on a loose tooth gathering the blood in his mouth. Lurching forward and leaning over he coughs it out and begins his best display of dry reaching. He has to curl down so his hands can cup his mouth. It's then, under the concealment of his other hand, hidden by his hair and head, he shoves a finger down his throat and lets all the horrid feelings, fears and worries within come rushing out of his mouth.

The first time was forced. The second came naturally. Unfortunately due to his near empty stomach it wasn't nearly as theatrical as he might of hoped. A sweat almost instantly took his skin as his knees shook under his own weight. He truly began to feel sick.

He dropped to the floor. Hopefully dropping his value and the interest of the other pirate. "Arghh..." he moans from the floor. "Someone get me to a healer." He pleads with a raspy cough while fighting off a smile.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Nallore
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Anastasia "Anna Nine Fingers" Ridgeway


Location: Port of Tortuga - The Kings Arm





Anna leaned back in the seat, she could easily smell the scent of alcohol coming off of the men that were around the table, she took off her hat letting it rest on top of the table. Her eyes wondering around as some of them continued to play their game of cards, Anna moved her head over to the closest man holding his hand. Then one of the men made a comment about her, monthly cycle could draw the kraken to the crew sure she did believe in it but she did her best to keep her cool. "Well de Kraken 'asn't cum oyt since Ah've been oyt at sea quiet a few times already." Anastasia said as she looked over her shoulder seeing a bar maid carrying several mugs of beer and rum in her hands, hanging them out to others around the tavern.

Anastasia waved the woman over to grab herself another drink setting the mug down looking around the group of men at the table still playing their card game. "Mind if oi join yisser guys game, is anyone winnin'?" Anastasia asked, though she knew that she should actually try and convince these men to join the Bellona crew they needed a crew as soon as possible to set sail to the Devil's Triangle. She would look over her shoulder seeing that indian looking woman that was called a half breed when she was about to enter the tavern talking with another woman, giving them a slight smile and nod.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by mnkee
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Location: Twelve Daggers Tavern - Port of Tortuga



Édouard seemed to be content for the moment, looking at Sirena's hair. He had never seen something so fine in his lifetime, to the extent that he was certain his own fiancée would look like a hag in comparison. It was a shame that he couldn't understand her, but he felt that Sirena could pick up French in time. The words that she would say to him and whisper in his ear, his ears turned a bit red in turn at the very thought.

The bandaged man laughed a bit, with a grin appearing on his face. It almost looked like he was straining to do it, as if he had forgotten how to smile ages ago. Sirena’s smirk grew a little more at hearing the man laugh. That was certainly an improvement. "Right ye be, ye're nay man at all," the man replied, before hesitating for a moment. He tilted his head as if to look directly at Édouard, but of course it was impossible for him to see the Frenchman. It was impossible for him to see anything. "I can show ye...He'll need t' get back," the man nodded.

"My Captain an' I, we got th' flask an' we kept 't. I be th' Quartermaster ye be seein' an' we tookst jus' a sip, jus' a sip....Ye must know what happened t' th' lad," the man continued. "He drowned on dry land. An' me...I can show ye what happened t' me."

Sirena raised an eyebrow at the man’s request. She glanced over at Édouard then back at the man. “Alright then,” she stated as she shrugged her shoulders. A mischievous glint lit up her blue eyes as she turned to face Édouard. Now this shall be fun. She placed both of her hands on his chest and tried shoving him backwards with all her might. “Move now!” she exclaimed before turning back to the bandaged-up man. “Do continue.”

Édouard didn't budge, his left leg landing behind his right with a slight bend to afford him stability. He furrowed his eyes in confusion, before one of his mates motioned for him to back off. While Édouard didn't speak English, some of his crew did. It was supposed to be the language of the New World, the language of riches and power. Most of the men who wanted to take Édouard's power away from him could speak English, vowing to be nothing like the Frenchman.

Sirena promptly looked back over at Édouard when she realized that she hadn’t budged him. She let out a small huff of frustration. The man needs to learn some English so people don’t have to play a game of charades with him, she thought to herself. Sirena looked over gratefully at one of Édouard’s crew members who finally motioned the oblivious the Frenchman to back off.

Once Édouard had almost begrudgingly backed off, standing next to a post, the man held up a single finger, indicating for everyone to be still. Those nearby seemed to get the picture, but the rest of the tavern was just as rowdy and loud as ever. Slowly, he unwrapped the bandages, the cloth slowly falling onto the table until there was nothing to block his eyes. At first glance, there was nothing wrong with them. He had them closed tight, quivering a bit from perhaps nerves, but there was no wound to speak of.

Sirena watched the man closely. She stood still as he requested and watched in anticipation as he slowly unwrapped his bandages. Her brows furrowed slightly as he revealed nothing of particular note, apart from his closed quivering eyes. There was no wound, but perhaps if he was simply blinded there wouldn’t be?

"Are ye ready, miss?" the man asked, before silently doing the sign of the cross. He then opened his eyes. They were entirely red and bloodshot, with his dark irises having a certain warmth to them. But soon after, there was a scream in the tavern as Édouard yelped and jumped back. The post next to Édouard had been set ablaze.

Sirena nodded her head in response, before watching him closely again, this time with a sense of trepidation. She squinted her eyes slightly when the man finally opened his eyes. They didn’t have the traditional cloudiness of a blindman’s eyes, instead they were red and bloodshot and had an odd warmth to them rather than coldness. Strange. Sirena let out a small gasp when she heard a yelp behind her. She spun around in time to see the very post that Édouard had been leaning against was now on fire.

"'Tis a curse, miss. Make nay mistake," the man said, offering an explanation as he closed his eyes. The bartender, perhaps used to fires with this sort of crowd, threw water on the post quickly, dampening and killing the flames.

Sirena’s attention returned to the man with the bandages. She started laughing at the absurdity of his claims. “What, you are saying that you caused that? You can’t be serious?” she inquired jokingly, but her laughter soon diminished at seeing the grave seriousness on the man’s face. “Such powers or curses are only in myths, like the Gorgons of Greek Mythology, surely?” And yet as she stood there, she couldn’t help but slowly believe that what all he had said and had shown might actually be true.

The man didn't seem to take Sirena's laughter very well. He had done as she requested and given her all the information he had. He had shown her his curse, the very thing that would drag him down to meet Davy Jones himself. Fortunately, her laughter didn't last very long, but he couldn't forget the way it sounded. Rather than answer her question, he gazed down at the table and opened his eyes. A moment later, the table itself was in flames.

"Believe 't or nay, miss. A curse be a curse all th' same," he then shut his eyes again and grabbed the bandages, narrowly saving them from being consumed by the flames. Wrapping them around his eyes, he gazed directly at her. "How else can ye explain, miss, that I can be seein' ye now? An' that everywhere I look wi' me eyes open, 'tis like th' devil appears?"

Sirena gasped when the table was lit a fire merely by the man opening his eyes and gazing down at it. She looked over at the man with wide eyes before staring back down at the fire. This cannot be real. My mind is just playing tricks on me, she thought to herself unconvincingly as she shook her head. Though she had witnessed it all with her own two eyes, she still needed more concrete evidence to convince her that supernatural powers existed in actuality. She hesitantly reached a hand out towards the fire, and as she felt the intense heat of it lightly burn her hand, she winced and quickly pulled her hand away. She took a shuttering breath. It is real. Her normally confident demeanor faltered at the realization, and an inkling of fear appeared in her eyes. After a few moments of silently staring at the burn mark forming on the palm of her hand, she pushed past the fear that threatened her and finally looked back over at the man. “I believe you.” she said earnestly. “But I still have more questions for you.”

The fire sputtered out, thanks to another thrown glass of rum. It was anyone's bet whether the majority of the alcohol in the tavern was thrown or consumed at this point. Édouard looked a little antsy, as he stared at Sirena, his eyes boring into her. Most of his men were watching the bandaged man, the former Quartermaster of Captain Avery Swale. The man had to be Elias Smith, then. Elias nodded at Sirena, understanding that she had more questions.

"So do I, miss," Elias said simply, before smiling sadly to himself. "Don`t touch th' thin', miss, if I canna persuade ye to--" But his words were cut off. Almost as if an angry nest of hornets were inside him, a strange rippling effect went across his skin. It was almost like the waves of the sea. His skin then turned the same soot color that his hands had been, and then not a second later, his body collapsed into a pile of ashes.

"Incroyable," Édouard muttered, looking more impressed than anything else.

Sirena’s eyes widened when the man’s skin began to ripple, as if there was something inside him that was itching to get out. What the hell is going on?! she thought, taking a step backwards out of caution. No sooner had she put a little space between them did the man’s body begin to turn sooty and then quickly disintegrate right before her eyes. “NO!!” she screamed out in frustration, lurching forwards. But there was nothing she could do, and within seconds the man had been inexplicably reduced to ash. “You have got to be kidding me?!” she bit out.

Great, just great. My best source of information has been reduced to smithereens. Now I am stuck getting information from the French man child again. She rubbed her temple between her fingers, feeling like a headache was going to come on at any second. She stayed like that for a few moments before turning to face the Frenchmen with a sigh. “Any of you by chance speak both French and English? I could certainly use a translator when discussing this matter with Édouard. It beats having to basically play a game of charades with him,” she inquired, gesturing over at Édouard with a wave of her hand.

One Frenchman raised his hand. He was a bit short compared to the others and rounder as well, with an almost honest smile on his face. However, his eyes looked somewhat treacherous and beady, as if someone had accidentally put the wrong eyes on a jolly little man's body. The entire effect, to say the least, was highly unsettling. And if that wasn't enough, his fingers looked gnarled and mangled, the result of some horrible accident. "Ai can translate, mademoiselle."

Sirena’s gaze landed on the Frenchman who volunteered for the job. He certainly wasn’t easy on the eyes, but as long as he could translate for her, he would suffice. After all, it would save a lot of time and frustration on both her part and Édouard’s. “Thank you,” she replied with an appreciative nod of her head.

The man then turned to Édouard to explain what was going to happen. "Je serai traducteur pour vous et Mademoiselle Ikaria," the translator explained, eliciting a snort and a few nasty words under Édouard's breath. It was no secret of his hatred for the man. He had been the cause of the translator's ghastly hands, something that Édouard considered to be one of his finer accomplishments in life.

While she waited for the man to explain what was going on to Édouard, Sirena looked down at the slight burn mark on the palm of her hand. It still stung a little as she absentmindedly traced it with a finger. She finally looked up when the Frenchmen’s talking had stopped. She straightened up, pulling her shoulders back and lifting her chin up. “Ask Édouard what he knows about the cursed flask that a Mr. Alucard has promised to pay people big money for. I could only glean so much information before my informant spontaneously combusted,” she explained to the translator before her blue-eyed gaze met Édouard’s.

The man nodded, grimacing slightly as he glanced at the ashes again. He had seen some weird things in his lifetime, but never quite this strange. "Édouard, elle voudrait que vous lui parliez du sujet de la fiole maudite. Que savez-vous, monsieur?" Édouard thought for a moment, considering his reply or more likely struggling to remember the information he had on it. To be truthful, almost everything he knew about it was written on the scroll in his quarters. It was what made them aware of the flask's existence in the first place.

"La fiole, elle a beaucoup de pouvoir," Édouard mused. "Le pouvoir comme la sorcellerie...la magie noire."

His translator nodded before turning to Sirena and translating for her. "He says zhat ze flask 'as a great amount ov power. Power like witchcraft, mademoiselle." Édouard then added something to his translator, speaking in a low tone that made it difficult to hear, but his translator seemed to speak mutter. "He says there iz a scroll in 'is possession zhat mentions ze flask."

Sirena scoffed at the so-called information she was provided. “Well, that is a bit obvious, don’t you think? Try telling me something that I don’t already know,” she retorted irritably, gesturing at the pile of ashes that lay behind her for added emphasis. She shook her head and turned her back on them as she rubbed her temple. She started to pace as she thought back on what she already knew about the flask. However, she paused for a split second and her brows furrowed slightly when she heard the translator say something about a scroll. You mean the scroll I stole awhile back ago? Well, it is nice to confirm that it indeed does talk about the flask. It’s a shame that I can’t read the damn thing since it is in French. Can’t very well have one of Édouard’s men translate it, now can I, she thought to herself. She let out a sigh as she continued her pacing.

She tapped her chin in thoughtful consideration as she paced back and forth. She spoke out loud her various thought processes, and Édouard's translator did the best he could keep up. “For one, the flask is said to be located in the Devil’s Triangle. The place in and of itself has a mystical element to it. Perhaps the flask draws its powers from the place, or from some sort of vengeful spirits of those who died there." The translator then glanced at Édouard, whose eyebrows were furrowed with confusion, before hurriedly beginning his work again. The translation wasn't perfect or exact, but he was doing his best to get Sirena's points across. "Tout d'abord, la fiole est dans le Triangle des Bermudes. Cet endroit est mystique. C'est possible que la fiole acquière son pouvoir d'y ou des fantôme vengeurs qui sont devenus morts là."

"Then the man said that he and his captain, Captain Avery Swale, drank from the flask. And they both eventually died as a result of it. I wonder if Captain Swale gained any powers before he died or if the flask just has different effects on different people."

"Ensuite l'homme a dit qu'il et son capitaine, Capitaine Avery Swale, ont bu de la fiole. Et ils, tous le deux, sont morts finalement à cause de ça. Elle se demande si Capitaine Swale a acquis un pouvoir avant de son mort ou si la fiole a des effets différents pour des personnes."

"But why give people powers just to inevitably kill the people later on?"

"Mais pourquoi est-ce qu'elle donne du pouvoir aux personnes avant de tuer les mêmes personnes plus tard fatalement?"

"Perhaps the flask itself doesn’t kill them but death is just a consequence of not knowing how to control the strange powers that it dishes out. Like a blessing and a curse all wrapped into one. Afterall, the man couldn’t look at people with his own eyes and yet he could still see people—” She found that the more she thought about it the more questions she ended up having.

The translator took a deep breath, glad that it seemed Sirena was coming to the end of her verbal trains of thought. He may speak English, but he was beginning to feel a slight strain on his skills. "Peut-être la fiole ne les tue pas mais la mort est une consèquence de ne pas savoir comment on contrôle des pouvoirs bizarres qu'elle donne. Comme une bénédiction et une malédiction en même temps." Édouard, for what it was worth, seemed to have followed Sirena's train of thought. Yet it was clear by the expression on his face that he had the very same questions Sirena had. He knew just as little as she did. The only person in the Caribbean who knew more, as far as anyone was aware, was Mr. Alucard himself.

"Parle avec Monsieur Alucard," Édouard instructed. Parler was one of the few French verbs that any pirate would instantly recognize, relating it back to the right of parlay in the pirate's code. Édouard's translator wouldn't be needed--he was instructing Sirena to go seek out Mr. Alucard.

Sirena halted her pacing and turned back to face Édouard as he spoke words that she could understand without the help of a translator. A small smirk graced her features as she approached him. “My captain has already spoken to Mr. Alucard. Clearly, he was not too forthcoming with information as I was sent out to gather intel on the flask,” she replied. She crossed her arms over her chest as she stopped a few feet in front of Édouard. She pursed her lips with clear disdain evident in her facial expression. “We are being played by Mr. Alucard. He sends us out on a mission but doesn’t give us all the information we need to complete it successfully. He has ulterior motives, and I can’t help but want to find out just what those are.”

Édouard's translator was thinking through the translation, but Édouard heard Sirena say Alucard's name and the disdain in her voice. Her body language made it clear--she wasn't happy with the man. A few moments later, his translator rapidly confirmed his suspicions in French, and Édouard bit his lips, before smirking in turn. Motioning towards his translator, he leaned in and whispered something to the man, before clapping him on the back and nodding his leave at Sirena.

"He says zat 'e does not vork for Monsieur Alucard," the translator explained. "Ze Fraternité du Sang has zheir own designs for ze flask."

A wicked gleam came to Sirena’s eyes as she watched Édouard depart. I hope you have enjoyed the peace between us while it lasted, Édouard. As I have a feeling the next time we meet it will be on less than friendly terms, she thought to herself. Once he was out of sight, she turned to face the room. She had gathered a decent amount of intel to take back to her captain, but her work was still not done yet. The Bellona needed a crew before they could set sail to the Devil’s Triangle in search of the accursed flask. Surely, someone on this god forsaken island would be up to the task.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by FantasyChic
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Millicent Clarke


Location: Port of Tortuga





She had to grin. A bidding war over some slave seemed contrived, and she didn't have the funds to afford to go higher. Or lower, for that matter. She would have to rely on her other skills. She looked at the man, "My dear sir, I assure you I am in need of him more. You see, I am no more than a simple woman who's father is on his deathbed. No other physician will come near him out of fear, but if I can manage to pay for one, even one under slavery, there is a chance my father could be put to rest peacefully. It's driving my mother quite mad." She dabbed her eyes for added effect. "Please, could you find it in yourself to allow me this? After I am through with him, I can return him to you for free."

Of course, Millicent had no intention of doing so and should this man say or do anything, she would have him dealt with. What better way than to show The Monarch's long reach than by handling this situation. Still, the good Doctor needed to be saved by any means. And who knows, he may be grateful and show his gratitude in other ways. It paid to have some allies, after all. Even ones who couldn't stop asking questions.
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Elissa Isley


Location: Port of Tortuga - The King's Arm




Elissa smiled as Aravis brought back the drinks. She looked over to the direction that Aravis had indicated. There were several men over there playing cards, and the woman that she had seen earlier had now joined them at the table. The men didn't seem all to thrilled to have her there. They seemed to be talking, and all of the men nodded in agreement about something. Elissa couldn't hear what they were saying, but she watched as the woman sat down to join them. She watched as the woman looked over her shoulder, and looked directly at them. With her smile and nod, Elissa didn't really know what to think of her.

"I don't know Araffis. Arh ! Vo vas asking? Vas it zee men, or zat voman vo chust choined zem. I might ko offer zere und zee, put I haffen't guite made up mein mind apout it yet," she said as she looked over at her friend and took another drink. Elissa liked being around Aravis, but she loved being at see too. She knew that she couldn't have both, but Elissa didn't mind having to wait for a little while, since it allowed her time to catch up with her friend. She was curious about what Aravis did while she was gone, but it made her happy to be in the company of the woman, though many others probably wouldn't be.
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@Nallore@BlueSky44@Dark Light@FantasyChic@mnkee
The Port of Tortuga: April 4th, 1719 - 1:30 PM Local Time


Harlianne James

Location: Main Deck of the Bellona - Port of Tortuga Docks


The brunette chuckled slightly at Harlianne's comments, before giving the blonde a bit of a look. It said it all right then and there to Harlianne, interesting the captain so much as to sit on the railing of her ship to get a better look at the pair of them. The longer she observed, the clearer the situation was. Her initial suspicions seemed to be confirmed--the blonde was some unfortunate member of the upper class, disgraced and defiled by the Frenchman.

"That's the chuffin' French for yer, luv. Can't trust them ter pull out," Harlianne said bluntly, picking at her nails as she attempted to remove some grime from underneath them. The shy noblewoman below turned as red as an apple at Harlianne's words, while her elder looked to be grimly in agreement with Harlianne.

"Miss, it's as we suspected," the brunette said, yet the younger woman wasn't listening. She was staring in shock and horror at one of the slave sales going on nearby. The horrible appearance of the man took the young woman's breath away, her eyes widening even more as she overheard Millicent's story. It was ghastly and awful and she turned to her minder at once.

"We are going to help!" the young woman said determinedly, taking her coin purse in her hand and marching over towards the slaver. The man had straight out laughed in Millicent's face, wiping away a tear before crudely informing her that he wasn't running a charity, that he was running a business and needed to turn a profit. As if to somehow emphasize his point, he gave Jon another good kick to the back.

"Come back when yer have some coin, lass," the captain said haughtily, turning abruptly to face the young blonde as soon as he heard the jingling of coins.

"I'll purchase him," the young woman said boldly, handing over easily double what the man was asking for. "This should suffice." The captain could hardly believe what was happening, but he didn't look a gift horse in the mouth, and motioned for Jon to be released. Neither Jon nor Millicent would recognize the woman by appearance, given the lack of decent portraits in the day, but they would recognize her name.

"And who be ye, miss?" the captain asked, pocketing his profits.

"The Honorable Miss Alice Blackwood," the young blonde replied, her minder shaking her head slightly behind her. So much for privacy...


Aravis Zacharia

Location: the King's Arm - Port of Tortuga


The veins in the men's heads practically burst as Anastasia asked if she could join them. It was bad enough that she wanted them to join her crew--now she wanted them to play cards with her? Cards were games of chance and women were never good luck. No matter how they dressed or carried themselves. Hell, some even rumored that Teach had only been caught because he allowed a woman on his ship, and Calico Jack hadn't faired much better.

"Get lost, miss," one of the men sneered, holding onto his cards a bit tighter as if to make a point. The others weren't nearly so kind, replacing miss with just about every swear in the book. "Why not go sit with the other women, aye?" There was another round of cackling, before suddenly, one of them kicked Anastasia's chair out from underneath her. This, of course, merited another round of laughter.

"Pigs," Aravis sighed, shutting her eyes for a moment before returning her attention to Elissa. "The woman was recruiting--but those men don't look like ones I'd want to go to sea with." She kept an eye on Anastasia, with one hand on the hilt of her sword. If the men did one more thing, Aravis wouldn't hesitate to get into a brawl with them. Their actions disgusted her, to say the very least.

"They probably couldn't load a cannon to save their lives," Aravis added with a snort, recalling one story Elissa told her ages back about a certain crew member who somehow though it best to replace the powder with rum.


Édouard Riviere

Location: Misty Mire - Port of Tortuga


After he left the Twelve Daggers, Édouard hadn't quite felt like returning to his own ship and discussing the plans for the week with his men. They wouldn't be able to give him any useful input--he was in charge for a reason, after all! The notion that they could do any better, those men with foul and unimportant blood, was silly. They hadn't been able to snatch up the daughter of an English viscount for marriage, after all. Most of them married women of the night, women who were so stretched out as to give no more pleasure.

He pitied them, really. They would never know the true joys of conquest. And of course, most of them were gross and disfigured. None of them possessed his boyish good looks, his rugged sense of fashion, and his winning personality. Their association with him likely improved their mating prospects, even! He chuckled smugly to himself as he made his way to the outskirts of the Port Town, reaching the area known as the Misty Mire.

Its name was quite appropriate. A marshland filled with all sorts of nasty creatures, such as alligators and flytraps, not many dared to settle here. Shacks were put up on stilts and often left abandoned, after the inhabitants wizened up and moved to the main drag of Tortuga. Some of them were now inhabited by petty thieves, unable to find housing in town and unwilling to risk their lives in the jungle. A few of them kept supplies of booze hidden, yet not even alcohol had prompted Édouard to wander out into the marsh.

His feet sloshed slightly as he muddled on through, heading for the furthest stilted shack in the marsh. Sirena's line of questioning had only inspired more questions of Édouard's own, questions that he doubted Mr. Alucard would answer for him. After all, he was working against the man. He had no intention of giving him the flask--he intended to seize the flask for his own cause, for the betterment of La Fraternité du Sang and France itself.

No, he had another contact to speak with--an individual most on the island only sought out in the most dire of circumstances. And as stupid as he was, he hadn't told Sirena everything. He hadn't mentioned the witch's name to her, as he couldn't even understand the scroll himself. It was in French, yes, but that did not guarantee comprehension. It had been months since he even looked at the damn thing--long before he met the beautiful Sirena Ikaria.

"Sorcière!" Édouard called out, standing outside of the shack. "C'est moi, Édouard! C'est le chou!"
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Nallore
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Anastasia "Anna Nine Fingers" Ridgeway


Location: Port of Tortuga - The Kings Arm





Anastasia's face started to turn into a rather pissed off glare as the men continued to insult her, and call her just about every bad word you could think of. One of her hands were clenched tightly and the other one was about to go to grab her dagger, giving the men a death glare as they all seemed to get a kick out of just insulting her constantly. Though it was a common thing, when she was on her previous ship Anna did get the same treatment at least for a long while until she earned her keep with the previous crew and back home she was also respected along with the other members of her family.

Then one of the men thought it would be rather funny to kick her chair right from under her, causing Anastasia to fall onto her ass in front of practically everyone within the tavern. One of them telling her to get lost, Anastasia was now beyond pissed off now with the men as they continued to laugh at her. She was about to turn around and storm out of the tavern cracking her neck ever so slightly, but decided to knock them down a few pegs Anastasia suddenly turned around quickly and tried to aim a punch into the one who kicked the chair out from under her. Then Anna grabbed a nearby mug that was on a nearby table as she attempted to smash it across the man's head the thought of them getting their asses kicked by a woman would maybe get them to see reason in some way.
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