Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 20 2007, 03:52 PM
The Mistral was obviously a ship, but Elaine would have little idea what kind as she had fainted before their arrival.

However, the table on which she lay moved but faintly as the tide rolled in, and was large enough to almost be comfortable.

However, what was less than comfortable was her aching but tightly bandaged stomach. The room smelled of blood and rum, and was empty apart from her and and the Commandeur. He was sitting at her side, quite comfortably leaning back in his chair, his boots propped up on an unnamed crate. His shirt was slightly stained with blood, though he seemed to be mostly occupied by the letter he was reading. Now and again he took a drink from the nearly empty bottle of rum that was standing on the table next to her.

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 20 2007, 03:55 PM
When the girl started to stir, it was with a grimace on her face, her upper lip curling into a snarl, the throbbing sting of the stitches in her side searingly alive.

She wasn't yet lucid. "Papa?" she murmured.

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 20 2007, 04:01 PM
"Non, I'm afraid not mademoiselle. You are a guest of Commandeur Moreau, this is my ship, the Mistral, and this happens to be my cabin." He paused for a moment, thin lips creased into a wry smile. "And my desk as well."

He didn't reach out to touch the girl, but he folded the already creased letter and slipped it back into his pocket.

"You were accused of thievery, shot, and fainted. Are all your shore leaves this exciting?"

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 20 2007, 04:06 PM
"Ow," Elaine answered, reaching to rub at her side. Which hurt even more. "Ow!" she exclaimed, and she shot up, gritting her teeth in agony.

"Oh, god, that hurts." She took several shallow breaths. "At least I know I'm not dead, Jesus."

Now she looked at the man. "This is boring in comparison," she informed him unhappily. "Except usually I'm not the one who gets wounded. How long have I been asleep?"

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 20 2007, 04:16 PM
"No, you aren't dead mademoiselle. The bullet tore through your side, but the wound was shallow and deep. It is properly stitched up, but according to le docteur it will heal as long as you don't tear it open again. It will scar though, quite badly."

He pulled down his boots, turning to face her. A white shirt had been draped over her chest, several sizes too large. "You've just been out for... almost two hours. You've lost a lot of blood, I recommend you make sure to enjoy the meat while you're ashore. That and wine, it builds the blood."

"Admiral Romain seemed to be quite a good shot."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 20 2007, 04:19 PM
Elaine stuck her tongue out as she gingerly eased herself up to sit, dangling her feet over his desk. "My father's better," she answered. "The Admiral's never been good at hitting moving targets, or I'd be dead. She pulled the shirt up around her, tugging at it as best she could to make it fit.

"Has anybody come by from Judith's yet?" she asked, frowning.

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 20 2007, 04:26 PM
"Non, if Madame ni Dowd had sent word I doubt I'd be able to sit here and relax quite this easily. The woman is nothing if not loud." There was that this smile again, and he offered the bottle to Elaine, wiping the neck first with the arm of his shirt. "A drink mademoiselle?"

Once that was offered he gave her a thoughtful look. "Admiral Romain is a relative then? Though I dare say I can't see the family resemblance. You think he'd shoot to kill then? I assumed he simply wanted to slow you down."

Family. Always a nest of snakes that.

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 20 2007, 04:34 PM
"Captain said no drinking," Elaine answered apologetically, waving the bottle away. "I told you, he's my grandfather. And we don't look alike because I'm about ten shades darker than he is, thank you very much. He wouldn't kill me," she added seriously. I told you that, too. He's possessed. By something that does want to kill me."

Now she frowned. "Where is she, then? She would have sent somebody to get me."

She stretched her legs, with only a little bit of wincing. "Would you mind walking me back over there? Or getting somebody else to do it?"

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 20 2007, 04:42 PM
"Now Mademoiselle Romain, I want you to understand your situation here. I brought you here, on my honor, letting your friend run off despite everything. Admiral Romain claims that you are a thief, and you claim that he is your grandfather and possessed by some manner of creature that wants to kill you. I however, have no proof whichever way."

He shrugged apologetically, gesturing to the surrounding room. "You are my guest until I have at least spoken to madame Ni Dowd. If she deems you important enough I assume she will come. Even if your little friend ran off without telling her, I assume that Admiral Romain will contact the woman. Until then you are my guest here."

The friendly smile didn't camouflage the fact that he still had the gun in his belt.

"Besides, you should not walk just yet."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 20 2007, 04:47 PM
"Did you send someone for Judith?" Elaine asked, worrying suddenly if Starling got lost-- or accosted again, or worse. It showed on her face in a grimace.

"Um. I appreciate the hospitality?" she told the man, uncertainly. "I don't exactly have proof of anything, but the Admiral and my Captain know each other already. Look, I-- if I were just some thief who tried to grab his purse, how would I have happened to introduce myself with the same name he has?"

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 20 2007, 04:55 PM
"Since your little friend made such a grand affair about having to contact his captain I assumed I didn't need to arrange for yet another message to be sent." He pursed his lips thoughtfully, then shrugged. "If we have no word by nightfall I will make sure she is contacted come morning. You have to learn that life around here is best dealt with without hurry."

The thought of that made him chuckle, shaking his head in amusement. "And mademoiselle, the truth is one thing, and reality is quite another. Had you been a thief, you might have known the name of the man already. After all, good thieves are often the people you should speak with when you want to know what's going on. It is a sad thing really, but the fact that your little friend seems to have run off, and your alleged captain has not yet appeared makes it even more likely that you just mentioned that name in the hope of scaring us off."

He seemed vastly amused by that. "Madame Ni Dowd has a reputation."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 20 2007, 05:00 PM
"If she had such a reputation, you'd know to call her Judith like everyone else," Elaine answered, sticking her tongue out. "Or are you afraid her name will summon her up?"

She frowned, squirming a little, and looked down at her side. "I don't care about hurrying, but Judith will," she informed the man. "And if Starling got...held up somewhere-- she's got to know about that. Sir."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 20 2007, 05:08 PM
"Oh she will always be madame Ni Dowd for me, mademoiselle Romain. Though I admit it has been a point of some contention before..." He got a slightly faraway look in his eyes, scratching his leg a bit. "And there are plenty of legends around here, but i don't believe that just saying someone's name will summon them out of thin air." He seemed to take offense that she implied that he might be afraid that she'd get here.

"Is it likely that your little friend will have been held up then? You don't think the Admiral might have gone after him as well? Such a shame that he didn't accept my offer." He seemed honestly saddened at the thought.

"Why would he hurt you two then? Are you still sticking to the story about him being possessed?"

Oh quite likely that.

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 20 2007, 05:21 PM
"He's gone after him before," Elaine answered with a frown. "And yes, he's possessed. My stupid sister did it."

She tried to cross her arms over her chest, but it hurt too much, and she dropped them back where they had been at her sides, wincing. "And I have seen people get summoned out of thin air just by saying their name. And I've only even been here a few months."

She looked at the man, then hesitated. "So, did you sleep with her, then?"

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 02:30 PM
"Ah, mademoiselle, you make me believe that you indeed know Madame Ni Dowd with comments like that." But he didn't answer her question, simply smiled a bit and ran another finger over the finely engraved gun at his belt. "You sound like the Cecilians, superstitious lot that they are. But if you sail with Madame Ni Dowd, then I suppose that's inevitable."

Renaud shrugged, as if this burden that had been placed upon his shoulders was such a cross to bear.

"What on earth would your sister go and possess your grandfather for? It seems a backward sort of way to handle family relations."

But then again he had become quite used to the fact that for a thousand people, there was a thousand ways to handle a situation.

He just happened to think that his way was the right one.

Well, it had got him promoted, hadn't it?

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 02:43 PM
Elaine looked skeptical for a moment. "I guess it's at the point where it doesn't really matter who I tell," she said thoughfully, rubbing at her head. "Look. So there are these wraiths. They're evil demon things. And my sister can order them around, but nobody else can. My grandfather tried to kidnap her, so she made a wraith possess him so she could tell him what to do, but then she got pulled away and the wraith got left alone with control of my grandfather."

She paused again. "Who was a bastard before he got possessed, but he was the kind of bastard who wanted me married off to a nice boy, and not the kind of bastard who tried to shoot me."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 02:53 PM
"Evil demon things indeed..." Renaud seemed quite amused at that, as if she was retelling some old fairytale. "It seems Admiral Romain doesn't take rebellion in the family too lightly, does he? But then again, who am I to blame the man if his granddaugther goes off setting a wraith on him. Mon dieu..."

He looked her over, as if measuring how much of a tall tale she was serving him.

"I have little faith in either gods, saints or demons mademoiselle. In my experience they only plague those men and women with too much imagination and too little common sense. Other people might kneel at the shrine of Saint Fish in search of a good catch, but I have no plans to join them. Les gens sont les completement débile..."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 03:02 PM
Elaine snorted. "On n'a pas besoin de la foi pour croire qu'on peut voir avec ses yeux," she retorted. "I was raised in two faiths, Monsieur, and both of them have done me good. Surely if you spoke to a demon, you would feel differently about believing in him?"

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 03:13 PM
"Perhaps, mademoiselle, perhaps. I've never had the pleasure, so how would I know? All I have seen are people claiming to hold power over les forces invisibles, not those actual forces." Renaud pulled out his gun, sighting along the barrel at a spot on the wall.

"People might claim that they can curse people and bring about their deaths without ever laying a finger on them. Well, with this in my hand I can do the same. Does that make me a wizard then?" He chuckled grimly, returning the gun to his belt.

"Faith is for the weak of mind who needs a crutch to walk them through life." As soon as he had said that he bowed his head in apology. "My apologies mademoiselle, it seems I forgot my manners there for a moment."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 03:19 PM
"Forgetting and ignoring aren't the same thing," Elaine informed the man dryly. "Faith isn't for the weak of mind. You need a stronger mind to believe in things you can't see with the naked eye, and to tell which are real and which aren't," she informed him. "I've seen those forces, anyway. I've lived with them. If you don't want to take my word for it, I'll introduce you to my mother; I think she'll do a nice job of explaining."

She smirked at the older man. "Wizard's just a trade name, isn't it? You wouldn't call a poisoner a swordsman, or a swordsman an archer, even if they all do the same thing."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 03:27 PM
"You seem to have a strange taste for philosophizing mademoiselle, it is quite a rare trait in a sailor." Renaud chuckled a bit to himself, admitting "But an even rarer one in a thief. At least a young one."

He gave the girl an amused look, noting that she already looked a bit less grayish. Good.

"To be frank with you mademoiselle, I find this world I can see and touch to be quite enough for me thank you. It seems to be complicated enough. But then again, people search for answers when they are young, or at death's door. I remember when I was your age..."

That made him smirk a bit at his own foolishness.

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 03:31 PM
"I'm not a thief, and I haven't been a sailor for very long," Elaine answered. "I was raised in a convent. They do a lot of philosophizing there. My sister's more like you," she assured him.

And then she gave him an amused look. "What? What were you like at my age? Did you ponder the existence of everything? Can I have something to eat?" she added, suddenly, as if it were part of the same train of thought. "I'm starving."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 03:39 PM
"Of course we can have food. Like I said before mademoiselle, you need to eat." Getting out of the comfortable chair, Renaud opened the door, shouting a few short sentences down the hall in what seemed to be the native dialect. Then he closed it, returning to his seat once more.

"Ah, a convent, that explains it. I was wondering where une petite fille telle que vous had learned to speak like this. And yes, I pondered the existence of everything, searching for answers with the blessed assembly. I even briefly considered a career in church believe it or not."

He seemed vastly amused by that, shaking his head.


Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 03:52 PM
Elaine shrugged. "There isn't a place for women in the church," she said, a bit grudgingly. "You can be a nun, but you have to hide yourself away. There's no place for greatness or leadership or even respected scholarship, not that I really consider myself any kind of scholar. That's why I'm here," she said thoughtfully. "Because here I can be me and people will like me for it, you know?"

She tilted her head to one side. "So how'd you make the leap from Church to the Navy?"

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 04:06 PM
"Ah, it is never easy to belong to la beau genre, mademoiselle. But things are a bit more relaxed here in the islands, that is for sure. It took some time to get used to."

A knock at the door interrupted then, and Renaud shouted another phrase which led to the door being opened, and a bowlful of what seemed to be some sort of fish soup was put on the table next to Elaine. The man that had delivered it, a shortish, crooked looking fella quickly bowed, winked at Elaine, then disappeared as quickly as he had come.

After a moment's thought, Renauld untangled himself from the chair once more, offering it to Elaine. "You have more need of a seat than me at the moment mademoiselle Romain." Instead he turned the crate on its end, sitting down upon it.

"How did I...?" His thin lips pursed for for a moment, the man hesitated. "My father's money, and my confessor's busy hands made me make the leap." He elaborated after a moment, chuckling.

"My father's money bought me a spot as a junior on a ship bound for the islands. My confessor attempted to explore my body instead of my soul and I lost taste for the church."

He shrugged, no nostalgia for the life he had left behind.

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 04:13 PM
Elaine laughed out loud. "Wait, so you were afraid of buggery so you joined the Navy?" she asked, then groaned as her snickering made her side hurt. "Ow. I mean, isn't that a little-- going-about-things-backward?" she asked, trying to force herself not to giggle as she got up to take the chair, giving him a grateful nod before she took her soup, blowing on a spoonful and then ladling it into her mouth.

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 04:21 PM
"So is that what they say at the convents mademoiselle? That all sailors turn into brutes as they leave shore and we all va te faire enculer?" Renaud actually laughed there, shaking his head.

"Perhaps on your ship mademoiselle, but believe me, it isn't universal."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 04:24 PM
"No, they don't speak of such things in the convent," Elaine answered, rolling her eyes at the man. "I have a grandfather and a father in the French Navy; believe me, sir, if you weren't subjected to it, it was only because your father paid for your commission."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 04:30 PM
"Perhaps all the more reason to be grateful to my father then mademoiselle." But the line of questioning made him pause a bit, pondering the girl. "But then again, you are a woman on a ship, and that old saying should go double for you. It doesn't sound like something any responsible father would want for his daughter."

Especially not sailing with THAT ship.


Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 04:33 PM
Elaine gave the man an amused look. "First off, I never said my father was responsible. Second, I'm with Judith. If you have ever even seen Judith from the back, you know that I'm in a lot less danger with her than I'd be in the most safely-guarded convent. And thirdly, my mother's on the ship, too. The only man who's dared to touch me is the only one I asked. So I'm pretty safe, I think."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 04:40 PM
"That is true, I doubt even the most horny sailor would dare challenge Madame Ni Dowd's rules." So she had her mother with her, that explained a lot of things. Still, so many women on one ship...

Trust Judith to be unconventional.

"Unfortunately, mademoiselle, you seem to be a lot less safe off the ship." Renaud indicated the bandage with a nod. "Do you know if madame Ni Dowd are planning to stay long? If she is just passing through, it would be wiser to stay aboard for the duration. If she is planning on staying here for a while..." He shrugged, taking another drink of rum.

"... then your Admiral might cause you no end of troubles."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 04:45 PM
"I don't know what she's planning," Elaine answered. "There were a few people she wanted to see in town, but I don't know who. I know she meant for us to stay on the ship as long as we were there. The Admiral isn't the one I'm afraid of," she admitted. "He doesn't bother me. It's the wraith that worries me. Judith or my mother, they could both kill the Admiral easily. But the wraith could possess somebody else then, and it would be a hard job to find out whom. Someone on our ship, someone in town. There's no way of knowing, really."

She brought the soup to her mouth and started slurping it straight out of the bowl.

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 04:53 PM
The soup was salty and strong, and had obviously been simmering for quite some time, the fish had long since disintegrated. Still, it was quite tasty.

"So Madame Ni Dowd is here to see people. I imagined so, it would be stupid to think she might be here to do her job." The very thought seemed to amuse him, but then again his mood had been picking up the longer the discussion continued.

"Ah, yes, the fantôme..." He drew the word out, obviously doubting that bit of her tale. "So you disobeyed her and went ashore then? Oh mademoiselle, that is really not a wise decision when dealing with madame Ni Dowd. She can be somewhat irate when people don't cater to her wishes."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 04:58 PM
"No, we were just supposed to be back on the ship by curfew," Elaine answered, shaking her head. "I follow my orders. Except when I think they're stupid, but then at least I try not to let anyone find out." She smirked at this. "But I'm not stupid. As soon as I get back on the ship, I'm staying there."

Then she shrugged. "I don't know. I-- you know. I don't know who she was here to speak to. It might be about doing her work. She made a big point about how your men are on the same side as us," she answered seriously. "Told us who not to beat up and everything."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 05:04 PM
"That was rather accommodating of her... but I guess Madame Ni Dowd wasn't very flattering in her description of us. I am guessing she probably implied we all had sticks up our behinds, and pointed fun of our uniforms and various physical characteristics." The smirk deepened for a moment, then he chuckled and shrugged. "The world should probably be grateful she sails the seas so much. I don't think any port she decided to settle in would ever be the same again."

But he had to give some credit at least. "Well, perhaps she has mellowed. So far nothing have caught fire or been blown up. Or sunk. I'd like to think I would have heard of that."

"You have picked a troubled captain mademoiselle."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 05:18 PM
"I don't care so much about whether she's troubled, just so long as she's the best," Elaine answered, a light glinting in her eyes. "And she is. Which is why I'm sailing with her. I think I can figure out pretty well which bits to respect and which bits to merely...you know, indulge. She's still better than anyone else I could sail with. I wouldn't be sailing if it couldn't be with her," she said, a bit proudly.

Then she raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't sound as if your history with my captain is particularly flattering, huh? On either of your parts. What happened?"

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 05:24 PM
"She is good, that I won't deny." Renaud grudgingly admitted the fact, but being a good captain didn't necessarily mean you were a good person. Most often it was the other way around.

"But I don't think that anyone can have a story with her and have it end up being flattering." He chuckled, taking another sip of rum. "Things happen around her is all. Especially to people that gets in the way of her fancies, whatever they may be. You should know that if you have sailed with her some time now mademoiselle. But I am not the person to hold grudges, I would have taken a lot longer to make Grand Commandeur had she not been around."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 05:30 PM
"She tried to murder my father," Elaine answered, sounding very laid-back about the whole thing, and she took another slurp of her soup. "They really don't like each other very much. I don't think my mother likes Judith very much, either, but she's really only around to look after me."

She rubbed soup off her nose. "And it sounds like you got something good out of it, at least. How'd you make your rank? What happened, did Judith kill all the competition?"

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 05:39 PM
"One day I would like to meet one single person that actually still likes Madame Ni Dowd after having spent enough time with her. Well..." Renaud aimed an apologetic nod in Elaine's direction. "... at least one adult person that is not idolizing the woman." She was quite easy to idolize from a distance, if you only heard the stories.

The reality was always quite more shifty.

"It seems that your mother at least has the good sense not to leave you fully at her mercy."

For a moment he was silent, then he rested the bottle on the floor, looking down at his hands. "Oh no mademoiselle, we are colleagues, the deaths were entirely incidental. She is a chartered Commandeur of Aquitaine, the same as I was. She just..." How to put this delicately...

"Madame Ni Dowd had the good sense to set sail for other shores at just the right time. I assume she might have been concerned about consequences..." That made him smile, quite meanly in fact. "I however decided to stay and face up to what had happened, and surprisingly enough I ended up being made Grand Commandeur in the process. I gather it is all in the presentation. c'est la vie..."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 05:46 PM
"I don't idolize her," Elaine answered, rolling her eyes. "If I idolized her, I'd drink and play cards and spit a lot more than I do. So?" she asked curiously. "What happened? That you stayed to face up to? I don't think Judith would want to be Grand anything, anyway. It's not in her nature."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 05:51 PM
"No, it is not in her nature. I suspect that Madame Ni Dowd wanted the quarter simply because it would make her life simpler and more profitable. She was given it because it would make our lives simpler was she on our side." Renaud shook his head, casting an amused look at Elaine. "Of course I am simply second guessing my superiors here mademoiselle. But I suspect that very soon Madame Ni Dowd would indeed wish that she had made Grand Commandeur."

Another chuckle there, and the man picked up the bottle once more.

"She never did have a proper respect for the chain of command."

He didn't seem to think that telling her the full story was a good idea, because he skirted the issue completely.

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 05:52 PM
Elaine raised an eyebrow. "So what happened?" she asked.

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 05:57 PM
"If Madame ni Dowd has not seen fit to tell you yet, who am I to undermine her authority? She obviously does not want you to know since she ordered you to stay on the ship."

He took another swig, pondering the bottle for a moment.

"Besides, she would deny it all mademoiselle, she always does. Two bullets in here" he patted his side and thigh "are from her, but she denies it all. Plausible deniability. The woman should have gone into politics."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 06:02 PM
Elaine raised an eyebrow, looking impressed. "So when you said you'd been shot four times, half those times were her?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at the man. "So...let me guess, if a kid in her charge gets shot, you're not just sewing her up out of genuine human kindness or anything like that, are you?"

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 06:06 PM
"I think I said it plainly to the Admiral, mademoiselle. Had you been a common thief I would have cared little if you'd been shot. As it was, your little friend invoked Madame Ni Dowd's name and that caught my interest. The soup however, is genuine human kindness. I don't intend to starve you..."

Another swig of rum and he smiled at the girl. "I am merely making the most of this opportunity. Just like any man would do."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 06:16 PM
Elaine frowned at this. "So, what are you going to do with me?" she asked. "Try to milk me for information? Hold me for ransom? I don't really get what you're going to get out of this. Although the soup is too good to be anything but genuine human kindness."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 06:22 PM
"Do you have any idea how hard Madame Ni Dowd is to pin down? The woman likes her privacy, and she can put a very deaf ear to any official summonings. They always seems to miss her, or get distracted or somehow never find their way to her ear." Renaud seemed quite amused by this.

"This is simply the easiest means to get together a meeting with her. She is quite loyal to her crew in all respects. Also, it is a matter of power and face, mademoiselle, the lifeblood of any officer."

Once more he looked directly at her, dark eyes throughly amused. "As I said, Madame Ni Dowd is quite adept at ignoring summons. Should I want to meet her, I would have to go to her ship. That would be on her ground, at her terms. Quite simply that would make me lose face and make me seem more like her lackey. This way she comes to me, and the roles are reversed. Are you beginning to see the picture mademoiselle?"

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 06:29 PM
Elaine looked rather impressed at this. "Oh, oh yes," she answered. "So this has nothing to do with her shooting you, then? No, that completely meets with my approval," she informed the man with a grin. "As long as you're intending to give me back to her without a fuss when she does show up."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 06:37 PM
"Provided Madame Ni Dowd does not make one that is... you are still officially in my custody after all, mademoiselle Romain." Renaud smiled at her, stretching a bit on his crate. "I'm glad you seem to be made of stern stuff, not many people deal as well with getting shot." Usually there was a whole lot more whining involved.


Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 06:43 PM
Elaine winced, and looked back down at her side. "I was trying not to think about it," she mumbled, squirming a little. "It stings like crazy. But if I talk enough, I stop thinking about it, you know? But I think I've had worse things happen to me," she said cheerfully. "Not physically; this is probably the biggest wound I've ever had, and it hurts like hell, but if I'm going to sail for Judith, I'm probably going to have ten of these before I'm twenty, right?" she asked him with a grin.

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 06:48 PM
"Most likely mademoiselle. Just make sure you try to keep your limbs intact. Some of her crew have tended to be less lucky like that."

Scratching the back of his neck, Renaud looked thoughtful. "Perhaps I should change into uniform in case Madame Ni Dowd would finally remember you, but somehow the blood is such a poignant illustration." He looked down at his stained shirt where Elaine had bled while he carried her.

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 06:55 PM
"Oh, no, keep the blood," Elaine assured the man with a smile. "It might even make her less likely to kill you if she decides she wants to, and anyway, if she thinks you have a stick up your ass, the uniform will really only confirm it. Dressing like you don't give a damn is a lot more likely to give her even a sliver of respect for you."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 07:02 PM
"J'en ai rien à foutre about whether Madame Ni Dowd respects me or not mademoiselle. However, she will be forced to respect my commission. That part is far more painful in uniform..." He smiled and helped himself to a bit more rum.

"But you are right of course. The blood serves its purpose."

He shook his head, getting a faraway look on his face. "She has seen me in and out of uniform anyways, I very much doubt she will change her mind. There is a reason why the expression 'stubborn as a Dowd' exists after all."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 07:04 PM
The girl howled with laughter, and then. "OW!" she yelled, putting a hand to her side. "OH HELL OW THAT OW THAT OH MY GOD OW is that really an expression? People say that? OW FUCK OW!"

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 07:07 PM
"Around here they do mademoiselle." Renaud found it hard not to join her amusement, but managed to keep himself together. "Watch your wound, the edges were not clean cut, the stitches might tear. Or so i was told."



Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 07:13 PM
Elaine winced. "Oh. Ow. Thank you for telling me that. Oh my god," she moaned. "Is there anything else I shouldn't be doing?"

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 07:24 PM
"You should not get the wound wet, and le docteur recommended leeches before bedtime to remove the bad blood. I..." He broke off as a brief know was heard on the door, followed by a pale head popping in a moment later.

"Mon Commandeur, the petit one is here, she's waiting on the deck with party."

Renaud nodded at the man, getting to his feet. "Make sure nobody starts a fight, but keep the men present monsieur Vieux. We will be right up."

With that he offered Elaine a hand. "Mademoiselle? Shall we go meet your would be rescuers?"

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 07:30 PM
Elaine winced as she got up from her seat, putting her soup bowl to the side. "Rescuers?" she asked dryly. "I thought I didn't need to be rescued."

She gave him a pointed look, then nodded and took the offered arm.

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 07:32 PM
"That is why they are would-be ones mademoiselle..."

And with those words he took her arm, steadying her as he led her topside.

((Waits for the topside crew to post in))

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Sep 21 2007, 07:32 PM
The secret to getting anywhere was to act as if you had every right to be there. That, or bribery. For tonight, the former sufficed. Judith had passed over her charter for examination, asked--politely--to see the captain, and was now waiting with slightly strained patience on deck whilst the gentlemen in question was fetched. But her foot was patting.

Out of the corner of a tightly held smile, she muttered to Keisuke, "I feckin' hate waiting."

Posted by: Keisuke Suzuki Sep 21 2007, 07:34 PM
"I know," said the half-blood, standing to her left, with a little smirk. "Can't imagine the fellow that'd keep you waiting..." he mused. It was unwise to begin any interaction with Judith by setting the woman's temper alight with a long wait.

Posted by: Umar ibn Rafat Sep 21 2007, 07:37 PM
Umar gave the captain a very dry look. "Give it twenty minutes. Then we will be waiting," he answered, sounding terribly amused at her complaint. "And if not, you can do what my previous captain would have done and simply blow up the ship."

Posted by: Keisuke Suzuki Sep 21 2007, 07:41 PM
"The kiddo's got a sister," Keisuke said, cheerfully, dark eyes trailing across the ship, critically observing its make and upkeep. "It's rather like having a spare, I expect. Convenient, when ships start exploding."

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Sep 21 2007, 07:43 PM
"Blowin' up ships got no style," Judith said curtly, folding her arms. "Besides, I like this one. The girl, I mean. Not so much the ship."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 07:44 PM
"There will be no more blowing up of ships thank you very much monsieur." Renaud had heard the last as he appeared on the deck, one hand steadying Elaine. He looked unusually disheveled with his bloody shirt, though the braid was as strict as ever, and the gun as always tucked into his belt.

"Unless Madame Ni Dowd has any inclination for a repeat performance, in which case I would recommend any vessel but this one. I am quite fond of it."

If one looked closer one might see that he was not merely supporting Elaine, but actually having a proper grip on her arm.

"It's been a long time Madame." He offered Judith a slight inclination of his head.

The smile was long gone now.

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 07:47 PM
Elaine was looking a bit gray around the edges, one side sagging slightly under the pain from the stitches, and while the Commandeur may have be trying to hold onto her, she was honestly using him as a crutch.

She gave Judith a weak smile.

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Sep 21 2007, 07:51 PM
She paused long enough to count the ribbons on his jacket before giving Renaud a respectful, if lackadaisical, smile of greeting. "Grand Commandeur. You've been movin' up in the world. I didn't plan on havin' us meet under these circumstances, but good neighbour for keepin' an eye on the lass. From what I understand, that might've ended ugly."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 07:54 PM
"I'm all right, Judith," Elaine chirped in. "It just hurts like hell, but I'm fine. Did Starling get back all right?"

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 07:58 PM
"Honestly madame Ni Dowd, I don't think you planned on having us meet under any circumstances again after last time." Renaud returned the smile then, looking over the group.

A curious crew, as always.

"It seems your life is as exciting as ever, mademoiselle Romain here told me quite the story."

Posted by: Keisuke Suzuki Sep 21 2007, 07:58 PM
Keisuke eyed the girl with a nod, pleased to see her standing. Nothing too serious, then--from the way Starling had panicked, he'd half expected her to be laid up properly.

The half-Japanese was not overly fond of officers, and cast a suspicious eye over the man at her side--not missing the tight grip with which he held her. Then, with a thin-lipped poker-face, he proceeded to scan the deck, making mental notes on the location of each sailor present and where they stood. If this fellow and Judith knew one another, it was unlikely he would be so foolish as to endeavor to trap them... but a little vigilance never hurt anyone.

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Sep 21 2007, 08:03 PM
"Starling got back just fine," she assured Elaine, before moving to situate herself more squarely in front of Renaud--and, by pure happenstance, placing herself more firmly between her two crewmen. She raised an eyebrow, honestly curious. "I don't know when you expected us to meet at all, then. I came to Serenidad to make my reports. It would seem I'm reportin' to you now. Sir."

She came a little nearer. "At present, we'll be takin' the girl off your hands. Again, good neighbour."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 08:11 PM
"It would seem so Madame." Renaud's grip had loosened somewhat on the girl, he seemed to regard Judith with a mixture of suspicion, disbelieve and pleasant surprise. "Fate has a sense of irony I gather. There are just a few things I need to clear up before I let mademoiselle Romain get back to her bunk."

An amiable grin was aimed in Judith's general direction.

"She was accused of stealing by one Admiral Romain, he threatened to bring in the authorities. Now madame Ni Dowd, I need to know whether you are going for official sanction in this? The man shot one of your crew and accused her of thievery. Even if you are willing to let bygones be bygones he might not be."

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 08:12 PM
Elaine rolled her eyes. "I already told you, I didn't steal anything. He just wants to kill me."

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Sep 21 2007, 08:18 PM
"An he accused her of anything, I suspect it were in an effort to get her released into his custody for kidnapping at best and, at worst, murder." She gave an affable shrug. "The man's trouble, Monsieur; he's been trouble since he first crossed me path. I say lay into him if you see him, and don't be surprised if I get there first."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 08:23 PM
"He was attempting just that Madame..." Renaud ran a finger over his gun, smirking faintly. "Had I not been there he might have succeeded too. Mademoiselle Romain had a most ardent defender, but in the end most people will stand up against perceived authority."

He raised an eyebrow at her suggestion. "Mademoiselle Romain seemed a bit concerned about that, apparently she thinks the man is possessed and killing him will release the evil spirit."

He was not exactly mocking the thought... just almost.

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 08:25 PM
And again the girl rolled her eyes. "Well, you can't say I didn't warn you," she shot back. "He's my grandfather. He wouldn't have shot me otherwise."

Posted by: Keisuke Suzuki Sep 21 2007, 08:27 PM
Keisuke could not help his smirk at the man's disbelief. "Oh ye of little faith..." he muttered, amused.

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Sep 21 2007, 08:31 PM
"Still the doubter. You always had problems gettin' your head around this sort of thing." She gave Renaud a small smirk. "What if I suggested that the man's run mad and we'd all be better off havin' him contained, rather than shot outright?"

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 08:36 PM
"It would make a lot more sense Madame. I can understand the mademoiselle's eagerness to believe that her grand-père is possessed to want to kill her, but really, people go mad every day. Push a man too hard and he might snap." Renaud shook his head at the superstition of it all. "I daresay you have driven more than one man to his wit's end Madame... without the need for wraiths to do your bidding."


Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 08:37 PM
Elaine snorted. "Are you married?" she asked the Commandeur, in between grinning admiringly at Judith. "I need to introduce you to my sister."

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Sep 21 2007, 08:41 PM
Judith chuckled. "You believe whatever keeps you goin' between drinks, monsieur. So long as the man's loose in this town and in the state he's in, you might as well call him a rabid dog." She paused thoughtfully. "Tell you what: I need to make me report here anyways. Let's get the girl back to her bunk for now and I'll can fill you in on the fellow in the morning when I turn in me logs."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 08:53 PM
"Rather polite for a rabid dog though. That is always refreshing." Renaud gently let go of Elaine, making sure the girl could stand on her own. "It is not about belief madame, it's about the lack of it." He winked at Judith, patting Elaine's shoulder. "I know you like to present yourself as a mystery wrapped in an enigma, madame, but that doesn't mean all the world sees you as such."

He patted the butt of his gun lightly, mostly from reflex than from any form of threat. "I will see you in the morning then Madame Ni Dowd... it will be interesting to hear your report." Almost as an afterthought he added. "You had better arrange some leeches for the girl as well, she will need to be bled so she heals properly."

Posted by: Keisuke Suzuki Sep 21 2007, 08:58 PM
"Shooting juniors. Polite indeed," Keisuke agreed, stepping forward and offering Elaine an arm to lean on should she need it.

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Sep 21 2007, 09:01 PM
"Doesn't believe in possession . . . but he believes in leeches." Despite the jesting tone, she cast a cautious look to Umar and Keisuke before extending a hand to Elaine. "Morning, then. You'll like this story. I swear you will."

Turning back to her crewmen, she was all business. "That went slightly better than I expected," she murmured to them. "Elaine, how are you for walkin'? You need a hand?"

Posted by: Elaine Romain Sep 21 2007, 09:02 PM
Elaine grimaced and took Keisuke's arm. "I can do it," she said, grinning-- but it was a grin that bit back the pain. "Um. If I can't, the big fellow can carry me," she said, nodding appreciatively to Umar.

Then she nodded to Renaud. "Thank you, Sir."

She gave Judith a sheepish look. "Sorry about that," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to get shot."

Posted by: Renaud Moreau Sep 21 2007, 09:06 PM
"I've been shot enough times to know they can do some good madame." Renaud gave Judith a pointed look. "And I think I had better like your story, seeing as how life has cast us in slightly newer roles."

And didn't he enjoy his one. Watching her call him sir had been one of the sweetest moments in a long time.

"You take care of your crew now madame." He turned to Elaine with a faint bow of his head. "And you mademoiselle, be a bit more careful in the future."

With that he turned to leave.

Posted by: Keisuke Suzuki Sep 21 2007, 09:15 PM
"Pretty inconsiderate of you, really. Getting shot." Keisuke was shorter than Elaine, and it made supporting her slightly awkward. He went slowly, so as not to strain her or cause undue pain--and, in a moment of uncharacteristic consideration, even went so far as to curtail the affectionate 'Fuzzball' he'd very nearly added to the end of that sentence.