The Captains' Truce
A Private Roleplay

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The prisons of Paris had become loud with the buzzing of a new arrival as the sun began to set. A young Pirate Captain sighed as she tried to drown out the voices ringing through the cells and leaned her head back against the cool, damp stone wall behind where she sat on the floor of her cell. Looking up, she could see the smallest sliver of the moon as starlight trickled through the barred window high in the wall, one of the few windows within the prison.

Letting the salt air fill her lungs, the Captain stood up and walked over to the wooden door of her cell; her stiletto boots click-clacking upon the stone floor, her wavy, dark aqua hair placed into high-pigtails and brushing against her shoulders as she walked. Stepping up to the door, she peeked through the bars, her hair falling over her shoulder as she leaned to try and get a better look as the new-comer neared her cell. As her crystal blue eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the hallway, the Captain was able to make out features upon the person. In moments she deciphered the new inmate was female, a Captain of sorts, and was trying her best to keep her face towards the ground so that no one could recognize her.

Seconds later, the guards stopped at her cell and began turning the lock. The Captain stepped back to let the guards in and glared at them as she inquired in a sassy-tone, "What's this? A visitor? What am I supposed to do with her, chat with her about my coming death in two moons? Honestly, even Pirates have better sense than that."

"Saiyuri Rumeti, if you weren't such a beauty, I'd hit you right here and now. However, I'm feeling generous, so why not a kiss instead?" replied the less handsome of the two guards as he stepped towards the Captain, leaving the new inmate to his cohort.

Saiyuri rolled her eyes as she kneed him between the legs and walked across the cell to her cot. Sitting down, she crossed her legs, one over the other, her lace skirt fanning across her legs. Crossing her arms, she smirked at the guard who was now cursing on the ground no more than a foot away from her, "Don't ever speak to me that way again you vile thing. You honestly think I'd kiss you? What, just because I'm to die in two moons I'd kiss any man who came my way if I thought it'd get me out of here? You couldn't be more wrong, Johnathan. There's no way I'd ever do anything with you, even if my life depended on it."

Johnathan's cohort laughed as he shoved the new inmate into the cell and walked over to Johnathan. Helping him out the door, the lad winked at Saiyuri, causing Saiyuri to laugh as she teased, "You on the other hand, Mr. Martin, I'll make an exception for."

Before the lad shut the door, he flourished a bow with a genuine smile, "Simply name the time, Captain, I'd be more than happy to oblige."

Smiling, Saiyuri shook her head and sighed, completely forgetting about the inmate who was simply standing by watching the exchange in both anger and fascination, "You, Willoughby, are a piece of work. Perhaps I'll consider it for my execution day. Wouldn't that give the crowds something to talk about once I'm gone! I'll not only be the first female Pirate Captain to be executed upon that block, but I'll also be the first to cause a scandal with one of the guards on the very same day!"

Willoughby Martin simply laughed as he shut the door, "You jest more about your own death than anyone I've ever met, love."

As Willoughby locked the door, Saiyuri shrugged her shoulders, "That may be, but when you can't change a certain fact, why not make the most of it and joke about it while you can?"

Willoughby simply shook his head as he headed off with the cursing Johnathan back up to the Guards Quarters on the floor above.

Saiyuri, remembering the female in the room two feet away from her, turned towards her and smiled, "Ah, forgive me madame, I forgot you were there. My name is Captain Saiyuri Rumeti, and you are?"

Looking at the woman closer as the moonlight danced across her face, Saiyuri's gaze darkened into a scowl, "You! Maeve, what the hell are you doing here?!"

The new inmate simply allowed herself to be led by the two guards, seeing as she had no options. Magic wouldn’t help her here—if only they hadn’t captured Leyoz-Loo!

While she had shaken her wait-length chestnut brown hair over her face to hide her features and identity as best she could from the other prisoners, the Captain still held her head high and kept her shoulders squared. As if she would cower before these men. They were little better than dogs, creatures not worth her time or bother, and she would maintain that notion even in their custody. Furthermore, she was determined that she would not remain in such a state for long—she had several months before her execution (which she was certain was to be her fate, though there had yet to be any sort of trial) in order to plan.

In fact, she was already formulating one: offer herself to a guard, let him come to her at night, steal his pistol, shoot him, find and save Leyoz-Loo, and run.

Lots of attention attracting, lots of noise, lots of ways for things to go wrong… But it was only an idea. Perhaps she’d be able to think of a sounder, less despicable plan as time went on.

Or perhaps her crew would come for her—though she doubted it. She imagined they’d at least stay in the waters around France and Spain while her execution was finalized, perhaps make some sort of gallant attempt to save her from the gallows should she fail to get away on her own… But it was on her to liberate herself, for the most part. Pirates did not risk themselves, their ship, or their crew for one measly person, even if that person was a Captain.

As the door to her cell was opened, she frowned at noticing that she would share it—this complicated any plan making. Perhaps this person would be useful, there was always a chance they could work together…

And then any ideas the Captain had about working with this other woman faded. She would recognize that blue hair anywhere. Saiyuri Rumeti. Wonderful.

Walking past Saiyuri as soon as the chains that bound her wrists were taken off, she leaned against the wall at the back of the dank cell, frowning at the other Captain. She watched the spectacle of Saiyuri kicking the uglier of the two guards in the groin and shamelessly flirting with the other with a mixture of disgust and wonder—for all she despised the woman, how had she managed to land herself here?

“Took you long enough to recognize me, though I was rather hoping you wouldn’t,” Maeve growled, tossing her hair out of her face and pulling it into a ponytail at the base of her neck. She produced a piece of string from her pocket to tie it off.

Maeve had a sharp and lovely face, with a pointed chin and straight nose, her features angular. She was dressed like a man, in brown trousers, black boots, a crisp white shirt, layered over with a dark blue jacket, lined with golden buttons. A coffee colored belt around her waist sported a sheath for a rapier and a holster for a pistol, both were empty. She’d had the jacket tailored to hug her curves and bust, which, while they were nothing impressive, eliminated the chance of her being mistaken for a man.

Her dark blue eyes narrowed at the other Captain. “I came here to keep you company, I thought you might be lonely,” sarcasm dripped from each word. “Why do you think I’m here, Saiyuri? We are in the same business, are we not?”

Saiyuri grinned at the fellow Captain, "Technically speaking, we're in the same business - Pirating. However, we do not follow the same rules nor seek out the same things. Our ways of doing things couldn't be more different, Maeve, and your ways are out of date and heartless; I thought I made that clear in Barbados. However," Saiyuri continued, unaffected by Maeve's sarcasm and looks, "I do believe my question was meant to ask how you were captured after all this time. You never show your face, you hide behind your name and crew, so it's a wonder they captured you at all."

"I will take that as a compliment, for all the venom surrounding it," Maeve replied staunchly, brushing her bangs from her eyes. She didn't try to aregue with that Saiyuri said about her style of pirating. Arguing with another Captain only got you... well, no where, quite frankly. A stubbon lot, all of them, herself and Saiyuri included.

"If you must know, the French navy got ahold of Leyoz-Loo through a fault of my own," she knew that Saiyuri would recognize the name of Maeve's lavender colored phoenix. "Embarassing, I know, I wish it could at least be said that it was the British navy with all their repute... No matter. I came to rescue him, leaving my crew out of it, something I do quite alot, for all you seem to enjoy insinuating that I have them do my bidding as I lounge about on a pile of gold while they get themselves killed stealing it." Alright, so perhaps she'd argue a little. She was unconventional when it came to her crew, viewing many of them as friends, and a few as family. Perhaps not the most intelligent way to do things, but she did so love her raggamuffin bunch.

"And now, I would like to hear how you landed yourself in this hole," Maeve folded her arms below her chest, watching Saiyuri intently. "You seem to be able to wiggle your way out of anything, why not this?"

Saiyuri couldn't help but laugh as she heard Maeve's story, "The French Navy.. captured Leyoz-Loo.. the French!"

Composing herself, Saiyuri simply grinned as she stood up and walked over towards the door, speaking softly as she walked, "I'm simply buying time of course. Not only are my crew, and Vanora for that matter," Saiyuri added spitefully as she mentioned her dear Fox-Squirrel, "safe on an island by now awaiting my return, but I have a way to dodge my highly anticipated execution that's to take place in two days time. You see, unlike you my dear Maeve, I get my crew safe while the authorities look for me alone. This time, they were too close and the only way to appease them was to allow them to 'arrest' me. Honestly, if you were them, would you rather go after a mangy crew who won't tell a word and will simply die, or capture the notorious Captain Rumeti and execute her?"

Peeking through the bars, she smiled as she noticed Willoughby coming down the hall carrying a tray with their dinners on it. Walking back over to her bed, Saiyuri shot another grin at Maeve, "'Tis a shame your execution is scheduled for the same day as mine, I'd have liked to witness it."

((I am SO sorry! I forgot again, and then was going through my messages, and then was like, "OMG, I am an idiot!" :gonk:))

Maeve sighed and resigned herself to more of Saiyuri's taunting for however long the other woman chose to keep it up. Being in prison, she could handle, and probably get out of. Listening to Saiyuri tease and dig was entirely another matter. It was no use arguing with Saiyuri, muddled and chaotic events in Barbados had given her an entirely skewed perception of Maeve and the way she operated. Maeve never stopped to consider that perhaps she was wrong about some things she thought of Saiyuri aw well, too caught up in her hatred of the woman.

She rolled her eyes at Saiyuri, as though this was the most childish conversation it had ever been her displeasure to be a part of, and turned over on her bed, facing the wall. For all she pretended not to care, though, the comment about Varnora being safe stung- she missed and was terribly worried about Leyoz-Loo. He was being kept in the main room of the prison, where they led inmates and the occasional visitor through, to the stairway, down into the cells. The lavender bird had looked miserable, in a silver cage to small for him to even compeltely stand up in, let alone to spread his wings. He had to keep them pressed close to his body, his head bowed. His misery had evaporated once he'd caught sight of meave, however, confident in her ability to free him from the wretched thing. All he had to do was wait. Maeve hopped he was right.

As Willoughby approached them with their meal, a tall woman came down the prison stairs, out of the view of the cells. She wore her raven hair in a wild mass, pinned up to the back of her head. Her lips were dark red, black make-up painted around her eyes. Her eyes were a dark enough brown that it was hard to tell the difference between the pupil and iris. She paused before Johnathan were he stood guard, looking bored, and drew her cloak about her ever more tightly.

"Hello, sir," she said to him, her voice deep and feminine. "I am here to see a Captain Maeve." She didn't know if he would let her right away. The guards at the top of the stair had insisted that the criminals below were the most dangerous, and were therefore not allowed visitors. She wondered how long it would take for someone to notice they were gone, and then how long it would take again to find the two bodies, broken and dispoded of by way of the window directly above the churning sea? It would be quite a while before their wives would know the fate of their beloved husbands, she knew, and the thought made her smile.

The smile just barely showed her teeth, and she played it off as smiling at Johnathan. She hoped he'd assume the guards above had let her down, and that that would cause him to decide she did not need to be sent away. If he still told her to go, well, she'd move on to her next plan.

Jonathan simply brushed a hand in the general direction of the cells with a grunt and went back to picking at his teeth and wiping it on his shirt.

-

"Ladies, I have your meals," said Willoughby as he unlocked the door and headed inside. Shutting the door behind him, he brought one tray of soup to Maeve before turning to Saiyuri. Handing her the tray with a sly grin, Willoughby bowed lightly as he whispered softly, "Everything is ready. Johnathan will be gone and the guard replacing him is heavily bribed, just as you asked. Is the other Captain coming with you?"

"That shall all depend on if she is willing. Thank you Willoughby, I won't forget this. Are you sure you won't come with me?"

"Captain Rumeti, if I were to leave with you, how will I get you out of prison if you are ever to come in again?"

Saiyuri laughed as she placed a light kiss upon his forehead, "You really are too sweet. But really, Willoughby, when they find out they will kill you. Please think about it."

"I will think upon it, but I give no guarantees," said Willoughby with a wink before heading out the door and locking it once more, "I'll be back for yours dishes in an hour," called Willoughby through the bars and heading down the hall. Noticing a woman walking towards him, Willoughby paused her and inquired with a small bow, "Madame? May I ask who it is you are down here to see? There are very dangerous criminals down here, it is unwise to come unescorted."

(( It's quite alright ^.^
I understand :3
I figured you'd get to it eventually ^.^ ))

“Thank-you,” the pale lady said sweetly, turning her back on him and letting a sneer of disgust overtake her features as she did.

-

Interest whetted by whispers, Maeve quieted her breathing and listened to the conversation behind her. They were speaking too quietly for her to be able to hear more than snippets, breaths of words, hinting at a grander scheme. An escape plan, she was willing to bet, though she hadn’t heard enough to be sure.

She listened to a rat scurry across the floor, and sat up to watch its progress as it scampered across the cell floor and into a tiny hole at the base of the wall. If only it was that easy, she thought ruefully. Should it indeed be a plan to free Saiyuri that those two were hatching, she wanted in. She was a prideful woman, but she wouldn’t let it trump her sense of survival. …Well, she might have, if Leyoz-Loo wasn’t at stake. And escaping with them would certainly be easier than doing so on her own.

Why would Willoughby help Saiyuri, though? And how would she herself get involved? Saiyuri didn’t care for her (this was obvious) but there had to be some way…

-

The woman smiled sweetly, sadly, and clasped her hands before her. “I bid you good evening, gentle sir. I am here to see Captain Maeve. She is my sister, you understand.” She paused here in order to look utterly miserable, despair written all over her face as she wrung the gloomy grey fabric of the dress beneath her cloak.

“Our family is… ashamed of her actions. While we don’t wish to see her dead…” she let her lip quiver here, and prayed she was not over or under-doing it. “We… we understand that there is little else to be done about a pirate Captain. I’m… here to pray for her soul. I don’t want to see her damned for eternity.” She let out some sort of cross between a mangled squeak and a sob escape her throat as she shuddered, as if simply voicing the idea terrified her.

Taking a deep breath and pretending to compose herself, she went on, “I was given… clearance by the guards upstairs and by your… friend, there.” She motioned to Johnathan, unable to hide a look of revulsion.

"Ah, of course, come with me," Willoughby said with a warm smile as he lightly placed his hand on the center of her back and guided her towards the cell. Opening the door and allowing her entrance, Willoughby called softly into the cell, "Ladies, you have a visitor. Captain Maeve, your sister is here to see you. I am afraid you must keep the visit short. I shall be standing outside to unlock the door when you are through," Willoughby added to the young woman before him.

Saiyuri looked at Maeve as Willoughby spoke, conveying a look of confusion as she asked silently, 'Sister? What sister?'

To Saiyuri's knowledge, Maeve did not have a sister - especially not one that would visit her in prison. Perhaps it was one of her crew in disguise to get her out of prison? [i]That is more likely than the former[i]', Saiyuri thought with a laugh, 'Looks like we'll both be getting out of here by our own means.'

Returning to her meal, Saiyuri decided to simply sit back and listen as the scene played out before her in the cell between Maeve and her 'sister'.