Riley smirked and liked her way of life and work. He listened closely and was surprised the reason for their rivalry was because of his mother.
"It's true, they have gotten soft...I used to love the stories of Black Beard, Arabella Drummond, and Anne Bonny. they always fascinated me."he said quietly. He was then surprised again when he heard her say that she didn't think anyone would fight over her.
"Don't say that captain, you always should think positive and you'll see that someday...someone will fight for your love, you just have to wait."he said hoping to make her happy.
"I'm sure you've made quiet an impression, by working hard, and pushing yourself...well, look how far you've come! By doing everything you've done, you deserve all their respect, and you will, you have."he said looking at the bar full of drunken pirates. and turned to her when she addressed his being cooped up in his office.
"I know....I'm sorry..."he said as if he was being punished.
"I can get mean....but it takes a lot to get me mad..."he whispered.

"Riley,you need to toughen up a bit more,I need someone to give me a good challenge on these seas."Lily said with a big grin and nodded slightly."They were my role models actually,especially Arabella and Anne.They showed these men what a real woman is capable."She chuckled."I highly dount it though,love is something I'm not out for.Just gold,jewels,and any kind of treasure I can get my hands on,but if it finds me,I don't think I'll have any choice,but to take it's offer."She smiled a bit with a soft look in her eyes now."I am still young and reckless,so here's hoping I might get a chance at it."She pointed lightly."If they don't,then I'll make them show me the respect I deserve.Nothing is going to keep me down."She said with a proud nod and smirk."You're one of those soft pirate captains.I guess it's fate that we've met like this,Riley.I might be the back bone you need to get a kicking start to being my rival."She laughed before raising an eyebrow."I see,but it's always good to keep a leveled head in battle.Can't get to crazt and go over board with it."She poured herself a fresh glass of rum before gulping half the glass away.

"I know, I try...but it's a bit hard to do something you usually don't."he said and looked at her and nodded.
"Black Beard scared me a little but he was an amazing pirate...it's a shame he's dead. I think it was disrespectful that the women pirates back then had to diguise themselves as men! It's just not right."he added and poured himself some rum then looked at it before drinking some.
"Love is something most people aren't out to look for....but soon, it finds them or they find it."he replied smirking and looking at the bar before speaking again. "I do believe that nothing will hold you down, and that's the best way to think! By thinking and acting that way, I'm sure you'll get the respect you deserve." he added and took another sip of his rum. His gaze was at the bar door now.
"I am a soft captain, but I can't help it." he said quietly. Riley continued to listen and turned to her when she spoke about fate and being the backbone he needed to be her rival.
"Your rival? how are you going to help me become your rival?" he asked her and continued to drink from his rum.

"I'll show you the ropes of a true captain."Lily said holding up her glass now with a grin."How about I take you on as an apprentice rival?"She chuckled."That's if you're up to the challenge of dealing with me?"She questioned with a taunting smirk."Any pirate captain that can adorn an eyepatch needs to be at least some what fierce,whether it be on the battlefield or on their own ship,ordering their crew around."She said before finishing the last half of her glass and filling it back up as she licked the corner of her mouth."You wouldn't believe how this stuff is made,I thank the Irish for brewing up the best rum around these parts.Yeah,believe me when I say that I'm the prime example of how times have changed,there still aren't enough female pirate captains,but I'm helping it move forward."She nodded before taking a lighter sip of her rum before setting it down on the table now and shrugging a bit."Being soft isn't the way to go on these seas,Riley and I'm the one who's going to change that.A world without chaos is to boring for me,I want to stir things up and see what happens."She chuckled with a dark gleem in her eyes before grinning now and nodding."Yeah,I can't find a challenge and I want to see if I can make a rival somewhere along the road.What's life without a little challenge?Boring if you ask me."She stretched a bit."I think if I can whip up my crew within a year,I can make you into a decent rival in less than that,but first we're going to have to toughen you up a bit more.I want to see if you can beat me in one-on-one sword combat."She held up her hand,showing him his mother's ring."If you can beat me before six months is up,I'll give you back your mother's ring.If you can't to it,then I'll make you my erran boy and command your crew for a year.Then we'll see if you have it in you to take me on if you still want to get the ring back that badly,how about it?"She asked with a raised eyebrow now as she watched him,smiling a bit.

"Oh really? an apprentice rival?" he said confused.
"I didn't even think that was possible..."he said quietly and looked back at the door.
"Irish are very barbaric people but they are hard to hate. I don't hate them...much less the Scottish." he answered.
"It is sad to know that male pirates are taking over and women aren't. I would like to see a bit more females, life is boring without them."he said smirking some more. He looked down and admired his rings he still had and looked at the only empty finger without a ring and sighed quietly.
"A world without chaos is nice every now and then...pure chaos gives me headaches and pure peace is just revolting. we need a balance between these two things."he answered. "So you want to have another sword fight with me and if I win I get my ring back...and if I loose I'm your errand boy?" he asked. Riley thought about it and shrugged, he would do anything to get his ring back.
"Very well, sounds fair enough." he said and turned to her with a smirk.
"When, and where?"he asked finishing his rum and serving himself some more.

"Yeah,an apprentice rival!I think you need to start working yourself a bit more,being cooped up in your office is what's making you soft."Lily pointed out with a swift nod."I'm making it possible.As for the Irish,I was told that my ma and pa were from Ireland,but I was raised here in La'rosia.I've forgotten what they looked like,but I know that they're watching over me somewhere."She smirked before swirling her rum a bit in the cup with a nod."I will be the cause of the chaos and see to it that there'll be some sort of balance.If not me,then someone else would have to pick up after me.Can't let this world get to cozy with this current life style."She looked back up at him with a slight grin now."Yeah,I'm going to give you a month to toughen yourself up and make sure you at least try switching up your fighting style a bit,this isn't ballet.I'm not going to go back on my word and you best not go back on your word.I think it's a fair trade,let's just hope you are able to beat me in under six months.I can already tell that you might not be able to beat me in a month from now and five hundred gold pieces and any pick of my rare jems says you can't."She chuckled with a bigger grin now."I'll seek you out once a month has passed."

"My office makes me soft?!"he said completely surprised. He looked down at his rum and drank some then looked up at her. "So you are part Irish yourself? that's something to be proud of, no wonder we're getting along a bit..."he said. She still scared him. He was talking to the most feared pirate after all and now he had to battle with her in a month even if he broke a foot or went blind. "They are...trust me, I know mine are..." he said quietly.
"Okay....I'll practice all day everyday..."he said hoping all went well. He was scared inside, but hid it very well.

"Yes,soft."Lily said looking at him with a stern look."I wouldn't ask anyone else to be my rival because they're not as level headed as I'd like a rival to be.You at least have a good head on your shoulders,you just need to toughen yourself up."She smirked before nodding."Not part though,I'm full Irish and I like that.There's not many people who could get along with the world's feircest pirate captain around."She chuckled,giving him the thumbs up."I know they are."She pulled out a sliver celtic cross that hung from an exquisitely crafted silver chain from the inner pocket of her jacket and let it hang fully around her neck."This was my pa's before he passed.He told me that I should always wear this so I know him and ma were watching after me.You're the first person,besides a few of my trusted crew members,who know about this."She smiled proudly and nodded as she looked up at him again,after tucking it back into the pocket."That's good to hear.I'm looking forward to a good fight with you and don't worry,I won't kill ya."She pointed out before looking up as a couple of her crew member walked up laughing.
"Captain Lily,who's this scrawny rat you're talking to?"A tall,well built man asked after taking a huge swig of ale from his mug.His body adorned both scars and tattoos over his chest,arms,and back with a thick beard,braided into three thick braids.
"Don't talk to this man that way,Buckely."Lily said coldly as she looked up at the man.He straighten up real quick at her solid cold tone and her hard stare as she watched him.
"S-s-sorry ,captain."He said bowing his head now.
"Men,this is Riley and he's going to be my rival in training."She said now turning to Riley with a big,cheezt grin now."I'm going to take this man under my wing and make him into a decent rival."She laughed.The others laughed along with her before quieting down.
"You always were the odd one,Captain."A short woman said from next to Buckely.She wore a pair of katanas on her back with a black bandana wrapped around the top of her head,with a few small braids mixed into her wavy long,black hair.She looked to be at least five or six years older than Lily,yet she still kept a good respect for her."So,Captain Lily is going to make you her rival then,huh?You're lucky,here's hoping you can actually give the cap' a run for her gold."She laughed heartedly.

Full Irish? that's even better!"he said to her and inspected the celtic cross she pulled put.
"That's real silver? I wish I had one...I sadly don't. But these rings are enough to let me know that my parents are watching over me."he said and drank some more rum. Looking around, he noticed that it was getting darker and some people had begun to leave the bar.
"I won't let you down captain."he said tapping his glass against hers before taking another drink. As he put down the glass, he noticed that some of her crew members had come up to visit her. He looked at the man and showed no concern for what he said but was not surprised to see him straighten up quickly before his captain. He would do the same thing too if he was under her control. Then his head turned to the woman ho was talking to him happily.
"Thank-you, I hope so too."he whispered quietly.

"Yup,and I say it with every bit of proud."Lily said grinning a bit now."Well,let's hope you can beat me to get your ma's ring back then,huh?Yeah,pure Irish silver.it was my pa's pa's cross,I just added the silver chain just a few years back,after my first raid.Thought it would suit it since it's silver."She smiled soften now as she nodded a bit."Tha's good to hear."She said as their glasses clinked together before taking another sip herself.She then looked up at buckley now."You should know your place by now,you're still new on board."She scolded lightly as the man nodded nervously.
"The names Maria,I've been on board the Devil's Eye when Lily here was just a half pint.I'm also the battle expert on the ship,training the new recruits,if they last long enough,and help planning the raids.We owe a lot to the Cap',if it wasn't for her straightening a bunch of the guy's asses up,and weeded out the unworthy bunch by getting a few freshies on board.We'd been a lost cause."Maria said with a grin now."So what's the deal you two made?My ears always ring whenever you make a fool's deal with someone,Cap'?"She asked looking at Lily now.
"Heh,if he can't beat me within six months,he's going to be my erran boy for a year while I take command of his crew."Lily chuckled with a laid back grin now."Think this guy can toughen up in a month for the first face off?"She asked looking up at maria now.
"Maybe,he still looks like he needs to put some meat on them bones of his."Maria said leaning over to get a closer look at Riley before straightening up with a grin."Hmm,he looks worthy enough to take you on Cap'."She said with a nod."Well,we got to head out,I here there's a huge bar fight just down the road and I've been aching to pumble this one fool who tried stealing from me."She chuckled before her,Buckely,and the two others paid their last respects to them before heading out.
"They're the best crew a captain can ask for."Lily said with a nod before looking back at Riley now.

"I hope I win too, I will do whatever it takes to get it back." he said with a determined voice. He then looked over at the girl and nodded politely.
"It's nice to meet you Maria. I'm Riley captain of the starlight." he said taking another drink of his rum. When he heard her talk about getting more muscles he looked down at his arms and didn't think he looked too skinny. He was just naturally skinny looking, just like his parents. He smirked when he heard her say he was worthy to fight her and just looked down at the floor as they left.
"Captain...I don't l;ook too weak do I?" he said thinking about what Maria had said.

"Well,let's just hope you can live up to what you say then,"Lily said with a nod before looking back up at Maria now."Have fun with that fool.Don't go easy on him either."She chuckled.
Maria looked at Riley and nodded."I've heard of your ship,Cap' Riley.Our past Cap' always talked about how he would one day get the better of your ship's previous cap'."She chuckled before waving to them as they headed out now.
Lily looked back at Riley before looking him over again."Well,you do look like you're more or less on the scrawny side of a human's normal body build."She said rubbing her chin a bit at the thought."But i'd like to see if you can actually beef up by the time we meet again."She smirked with a nod now.

Riley smirked. "I always do as I say..." he drank the rest of his rum and looked at her with a smirk on his face.
He said good-bye to her crew members as they left and sighed heavily. He knew that this was going to be hard, and he was going to be super tired if he trained the way he wanted to in order to even have a chance at getting the ring back.
"Beef up? how?" he asked confused. How was he going to get muscles, it's not like he could just run anywhere.
"I have muscles...." he started.
"...I'm just naturally skinny like my parents." he finished.

"That's good to hear."Lily smirked as she watched her crew walk out before looking back at him with a raised eyebrow."There you go again with those stupid questions!Beef up?Ha!You really do know how to tell jokes."She chuckled before downing the rest of her rum and pouring some more now."Eat meat,lots of it,too.More or less beef and pork.Those seem to work better than chicken and fish."She pointed out as she looked at him while she leaned on the table a bit with a sigh."You just look like skin and bones,but then again I've only seen you in your clothing."She snickered with an amused look in her eyes now and she nodded."Never met them,but if you say you're as skinny as them,then damn man.they must of been smaller than a fishing rod."She joked before shrugging a bit."Not to be mean or anything,though."

He sighed and looked at her politely.
"You want me to eat beef and pork? Okay...." he said. He hated pork it was something he ate once and never ate it again. He felt that it didn't have enough flavor. He already ate beef and chicken no fish or pork. He was a picky eater and his mother noticed. he flushed red when he heard her comment about only seeing him in clothes and couldn't help but smirk.
"W-well, I do have muscles..how i said, I'm just naturally skinny." he said and chuckled.
"Don't worry captain, I don't get mad easily..." he told her.

"Yup,it'll help get meat on them bones of your's.Just look at some of my men,their main diet is beef and pork and they have a husky look about them,but they're still built like a bull."Lily said with a proud nod."Plus,I got one of the best damn cooks aboard my ship.She can make anything taste great."She chuckled before bursting out laughing as she noticed him blush."I never thought a human could go that red before.Skinny or not,you're going to have to get stronger somehow."She grinned now."And I am glad for that.It means you're a ver patient man."

Riley decided not to complain and do as she said. He was scared she might yell at him or something. He reached up and covered his face trying to calm down as he listened to her talk.
"I am a patient person..." he confessed. He felt the blush go down.
"I only went red because of what you said captain...nothing else." he said to her and was still a bit worried of how this whole month thing would turn out.

Lily smiled a bit as she nodded."It is a rare thing to have among pirates like us."She pointed out lightly as she watched him cover his face a bit."It's nothing to be embarrassed about,Riley.It's not my fault I can get you to blush redder than any red wine around."She teased with a laid back grin now."Wait,it is my fault."She said after a quick thought before laughing a bit."The rum has started to get to me a bit and I'm only down half a bottle,but it is true.Has any other woman been able to make you blush so red before?"She asked with a kitten's curious look on her face as she tilted her head to the side now.

"Well, I think I'm an odd pirate...a bit different from the rest. Like you." he said and smirked at her then drank the rest of the rum in his glass.
"It's not anyone's fault captain, and no...no one has ever made me blush before period." he said and poured himself another glass of rum.
"What's on your mind right now captain?" he asked looking over at her.

"It's better to be your own person these days,no one likes a copycat.Besides,no one person is truely the same in any way or form.Everyone has their own taste in things and desire for treasure."Lily chuckled with a shrug before filling her glass up again."Well,there's a first for everything,huh?"She shook her head a bit and looked at him now."Me?You really want to know what's on my mind right now?"She asked with a devilish grin and chuckle.

Riley chuckled and nodded.
"Yes I do...I really want to know what's on your mind Captain." he said and looked at her gently. She was pretty, he liked the color of her hair. He wondered what was on her mind, on his was the ring and the fact that he just HAD to get it.

An amused grin grew on Lily's face now as he said that."I was just wondering how you got that eyepatch really and what it looks like underneath it.Is it gross or do you really have a good eye hidden under it?"She asked as she leaned over the table and tapped it a bit before pulling back into her seat now,but that wasn't the only thing on her mind as she sat back and pondered a flattering thought as she smirked.

"That's what's on your mind Captain? well I got this during a battle a few years ago. Yes, I have a glass eye under there, but I never show it to anyone...not even my own crew. They still think it's gross under there!" he said with a light chuckle.
"Is that all that's on you're mind? captain?" he asked. He didn't know why he even asked...he just did.

"Well,it's been on my mind since we've met and please,stop calling me captain!You're not one of my crew so just call me,Lily."Lily said with a small annoyed sigh now."Well,at least you know it's not all gross and icky under it."She chuckled with a playful smile now."Not really....I was also wondering what you were thinking,since you're asking me what's on my mind.I want to know what's on your mind."She smiled with a nod.

"Sorry Lily.." he said apologetically. He thought for a second about her question and shrugged.
"I guess you can say a lot of things are on my mind right now. One is this battle we have, the others are just random thoughts about random things...like the fact that you're Irish, that's pretty cool." he said smirking.