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Feb 10, 2021 20:23:49 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 10, 2021 20:23:49 GMT -5
"Rose Moreau," she said, grinning at his offer. "Perhaps I'll take up on that offer one day." Rose had never really made her own decisions, apart from leaving her adoptive father. She went where she was useful and was provided for, and that currently was with Adelphie.
"I might get seasick, though," she said. "I've never been on a boat before." There hadn't been a reason for her to get on a boat, since it was a rockier form of the solid ground. But if someone as intriguing as Mars was around... well, it might be fun.
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Feb 10, 2021 20:40:19 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 10, 2021 20:40:19 GMT -5
Mars grinned, glad to know that Rose at least considered the option. "Well it's lovely to meet you, Miss Rose," he chuckled, "and I suppose everyone gets a little bit seasick the first time they're on a boat, but it becomes normal after a while. A couple of days later and you'll barely notice it."
He glanced over to a nearby clocktower, checking for the time. "How about this, my boat will be on the docks, and I can meet you here tonight after you finish your work. You don't have to commit to sailing, but I can show you around. I have a little...meeting and it'd be good to have someone who can tell me the truth, just to make sure I'm not being swindled, you know? I can pay you handsomely for that if you decide that this kind of life isn't what you want."
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Feb 10, 2021 20:53:54 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 10, 2021 20:53:54 GMT -5
"Sounds good to me," Rose said. It wasn't too unlike what she normally did after hours. At least this time it wouldn't be something as trivial as a cheating spouse or a minor thief. It could be exciting, working as a pirate's lie detector instead of a stall owners.
She said goodbye and listened as his thoughts faded out of range. The rest of the day was boring, comparatively, as she only sold a few items. It was a welcome reprieve when she was packing away and Mars's thoughts came back into range. Once she'd spent time with a person it was much easier to sense them in a crowd- like how some people relied on a face.
"There you are," she said, standing and smoothing out her simple shirt and pants. She moved in his direction, holding out her arm for him to take. "Adelphie came and helped me clean up a while ago. Lead the way to the dock, o dashing pirate."
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Feb 11, 2021 7:48:37 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 11, 2021 7:48:37 GMT -5
Mars laughed. "Oh dashing pirate huh?" he grinned, "I like the sound of that. Hoisting the water-skin he carried everywhere across his body, he took Rose's arm in his good one. "So you can sense my thoughts now?" He was curious to how she knew he had been coming; was he really so easy to read? It was interesting to think that someone could recognize his mind out of a sea of thoughts, and well, Rose might not be a new toy, but she fascinated him in exactly the same sense.
"Are you hungry?" he offered, looking at the stalls, some opening for the evening and some closing for the day, "we can grab a bite before we start working."
"We'll be heading up to my ship and I'll introduce you to a couple of my mates," he mused, "and we'll have guests in a bit. You can pretend to be my assistant; it won't be hard, you really just need to sit with me and signal to me when he's lying. You could just tell me but it might be better if we come up with some system...just so we don't reveal our cards too early in the game."
He turned to Rose. "What do you think?" he hummed.
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Feb 11, 2021 9:38:42 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 11, 2021 9:38:42 GMT -5
"It's like hearing a voice in a crowd," she explained, letting him guide her along as they walked. "It may be indistinct, but I can pick a familiar person out when they get close. It only works once I've focused in on you before."
The suggestion of food made her stomach growl. "Sure," she agreed good-naturedly. "I'm partial to fried clams. I've got some coins to pay you back if you buy." The smell of the seafood had always made her hungry, and she stood beside Mars as he ordered for them and explained the general plan of the evening.
"Sounds good to me. I can even sit behind him so he can't see me." At first, Rose had not known fairies had a limited range of vision- her thought reading operated in all directions, and she had falsely assumed sight worked the same until someone had explained it to her a few years before. "I can flick my nose with my finger or something. He won't even know I'm there."
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Feb 11, 2021 10:11:12 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 11, 2021 10:11:12 GMT -5
He nodded at that. Interesting. "So basically you're saying that my mind's interesting enough to notice?" he teased, before heading down to some of the food markets. The smell of fresh fish was rarely anyone's favourite, but the smell of fried fish made his stomach growl. He quickly diverted to the first stall with a large pan, and ordered a portion of fried clams and a box of the delicious-smelling paella on the side. Paying quickly, he handed the bag of food to Rose.
"Sorry, I only have one hand" he chuckled, as he took her hand once more. Her idea sounded good. They could always have her greet them at the door, after all.
"Sounds good," he nodded as they neared the dock, "you can be the one to introduce them to me or something. I'll make sure you know the layout of the room before it happens."
"Watch your step," he spoke as the stairs up to the docks neared them, "there's five steps up."
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Feb 11, 2021 10:33:17 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 11, 2021 10:33:17 GMT -5
"Sure, whatever you want to think," she grinned in his direction, too focused on the scent of food to tease him further. Rose scarfed down her clams as they walked, listening to him talk. She'd have to ask him about his hand earlier, if he'd been born that way or if he'd lost it.
"Five steps," she repeated, ascending onto the dock. Rose could feel the difference- stone turned to wood, and the sea-breeze blew uninhibited, drifting the uniquely salty water across her nose. She remained quiet as he directed her to the ship, trying to memorize the amount of steps and the amount of turns onto different dock offshoots along the way.
She greeted the small crew with a smile as Mars introduced her, and directed her to the room they'd be in. The first five minutes were spent wandering, feeling her way along the walls, and maneuvering around obstacles with Mars' help, memorizing the layout. It was second nature to her now to create a mental diagram of a space in her head- it was embarrassing to trip over something in the middle of a conversation.
"I'm ready whenever he gets here." Rose stopped by the door, leaning against the wood. She did feel slightly nauseous just from the bobbing of the ship, but she could handle it. "What will you be discussing in your meeting?"
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Feb 11, 2021 11:37:12 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 11, 2021 11:37:12 GMT -5
Mars laughed, as he led her to the ship. Introducing her to the others was easy; he already had a reputation for 'adopting strays,' as the others would say, and well, he didn't mind it. They were all interested in why he brought a blind girl on board, but then again, they didn't question anything. They'd find out soon enough.
He brought her around, the deck, the quarters and the cabins...even to the sails, jokingly asking if she wanted to climb up, before going back to his office and enjoying his meal. With a movement, he had grasped the water with his magic, using it as his second hand to hold onto the bowl he was using, while his free hand shovelled the rice into his mouth.
"We'll just be talking about business," he spoke cryptically, "just a few simple things with the trade routes recently. Shouldn't be a big deal."
"Oi boss," a man knocked on the door, "they're gonna be here soon, saw his guys coming. He's got five with 'im."
"Just bring them in, make sure their men are comfortable," he chuckled, before turning to Rose again. "So did you get a good feel for the ship?" he asked, "what do you think so far?"
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Feb 11, 2021 12:05:49 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 11, 2021 12:05:49 GMT -5
"The ship's lighting could use some work. I can't see anything down here," Rose deadpanned, after the man had left. After a moment she grinned. "It's a ship, for sure. Your crew seems nice, though. Their thoughts seemed generally happy. Though one of them was feeling uh... excited by the presence of a girl."
Her humor faded as the men were brought down to the room. She welcomed them in cheerily, like a proper assistant would, and directed them to take a seat. Then she returned to the spot Mars had told her to go to, leaning against the wall and become quiet and assuming, monitoring the thoughts of the men as the meeting began.
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Feb 11, 2021 13:34:22 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 11, 2021 13:34:22 GMT -5
He laughed at her joke, before giving her a look, his eyebrows raised. "Oh, mind telling me who that special someone is?" he crooned, only to hear a knock at the door. Ah, right on time.
"Come in," he leaned back in the chair, his arms crossed, as a man came in with a scowl, slamming a hand on the table. He was what everyone expected a pirate to look like; the large, hulking brute seemed to have a fight to pick with Mars.
"You!" he snapped, "what the fuck're ya doin' telling everyone that we double-crossed ya?"
Mars smirked, eyeing the man. "Are you telling me you weren't the one who leaked our plan to hit the Caroline when they were crossing the straits the other day?" he mused, "It's either you or Bradley's bunch; we were the only ones who knew about the plan."
"How the fuck would I know?" he scowled, "I lost out on my loot too mate, and why am I the only one here? You think I'd sell you out? Over that weasel Bradley?"
"Seems like I'm late to the meeting," another man was standing at the door. Mars gestured to him, telling him to come over and take a seat. On the other hand, this one was much more tame, dressed as if he was here for a professional meeting. This Bradley character gave the first man a smirk. "Oh don't tell me you think I was the one who botched this mission; I saw you your guys hang back on the docks. What the hell were they doing there?"
The first man looked insulted. "You think I did it?! You said you needed extra help in the warehouse to transport the goods after, and now you're saying I'm the one who fucked up the mission?"
Mars glanced briefly towards Rose.
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Feb 11, 2021 15:10:30 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 11, 2021 15:10:30 GMT -5
Rose may not have been able to see the man, but she could feel the strength in the way his footsteps resounded on the wood plank floor. His thoughts were furious, but there didn't seem to be any deception in them. He seemed like a man angry over being falsely accused, nothing more.
Bradley on the other hand, was calm- and arrogant in his calmness. He thought that he could hide behind a placid facade and let the other man take the fall. Rose disliked him instantly. When she felt the questioning thoughts of Mars turn her way, she inclined her head in Bradley's direction, rubbing the tip of her nose absently.
The angry man was telling- or yelling- the truth. Bradley was the liar.
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Feb 11, 2021 20:31:43 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 11, 2021 20:31:43 GMT -5
Mars's gaze flickered between the two of them, the slight purse of his lips stifling amusement seemed to tell Rose that he got the hint.
"Gentleman," he leaned back, "of course I take both of your claims seriously, but perhaps it was a bit cruel to bring you both here and question you when I know the truth."
He turned to the first man. "Thank you for joining me, Jack," he mused, "and sorry if I got you riled up. It was the only way I knew to get you back here, to be honest." A chuckle left his mouth as he leaned forward.
"Bradley, did you really think the soldiers were going to reward you for what you did?" his tone turned darker, more serious, "are they going to protect you now that everyone knows you sold the rest of us out to that idiot back in Lacaille? Your own countrymen, mate, and for what, money? How much are they being ya?"
The man scoffed. "You think I did it too? Over this idiot here?" he gestured to the other man who immediately stood up in rage.
"I don't think it, I know it," Mars snorted, "you know the soldiers were going to have your head too after they got us. Not to mention you dropped your ring. I wasn't sure whether it was an accident or not, but I'm pretty sure now that you're the one who sold us out. So how much were they paying you?"
The man scowled. "They didn't pay me shit," he looked slightly uncomfortable, "you really think their measly dollars were worth more than what we would've stolen?"
Mars snorted. "I don't know, maybe I should ask my secretary what she thinks," he smirked, turning to Rose, "you're a smart girl, what do you think?"
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Feb 11, 2021 22:10:17 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 11, 2021 22:10:17 GMT -5
Rose was surprised when she was dragged into this, and when the attention of the men turned to her. She held up her hands, giving them her best charming smile. "This may be presumptuous of me to say, but I'm an excellent reader of people, and Bradley is little too uncomfortable when confronted with the facts."
Another delve into his brain told her he did it on purpose- but that he hadn't expected to get caught, and it was difficult for him to play it off so easily. "They did pay you, I'm sure. But you're the only who can say whether that was worth the price of selling out your comrades."
She motioned towards Mars, indicating he should take control again. As much fun as this was, she was still new at it, and did not want to accidentally reveal her talents by talking too much.
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Feb 12, 2021 6:13:20 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 12, 2021 6:13:20 GMT -5
Mars laughed. Oh, this girl was a natural. "So?" he turned to Bradley, his mouth still twisted in a grin but the darkness in his eyes showed that he wasn't taking this lightly, "what do you have to say for yourself, hm? Don't we deserve to know the truth, and maybe get a bit of compensation for this?"
Bradley's expression had changed to a dark one. "Why you–" suddenly, there was a blinding light, and Mars held up his hand to shield his own vision. Moments later, the man was gone, an open door in his wake.
"Shit," Jack snapped, "oh I'm going to get his ass. I almost lost my ship cos'a that!" He raced after the man, Mars only a step behind.
"Thanks," he chuckled, "you did really well. Would you like to join me in figuring where that snake disappeared off to?"
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Feb 12, 2021 8:33:10 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 12, 2021 8:33:10 GMT -5
"I can help, but I can't run without assistance," Rose said, faintly unsure of herself now. "If he's hiding somewhere I can point you in his direction but I won't be much good in a chase." Still, she let Mars take her wrist and lead her off the ship at a decently fast pace, her mind scanning the area of Bradley's thoughts.
"He's that way," she said after a moment, pointing. "But getting farther. I'm not super familiar with his thoughts yet, so my range is more limited. Hopefully he stops and hides."
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Feb 12, 2021 13:33:47 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 12, 2021 13:33:47 GMT -5
He nodded. "Don't worry, the others'll get him," he replied, taking her arm once again, gesturing to the others to follow behind. There were only so many places the man could hide before he ran into a dead end, after all, and well, if Jack was the one to find him...it wasn't like they were fond of each other in the first place. Mars didn't mind either of them, but the same couldn't be said about the rest.
His steps were quick, but he didn't need to rush; he was certain Rose would be able to find the guy again as long as he was near.
"So what did you think?" he hummed, "get anything else from him?"
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Feb 12, 2021 13:55:36 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 12, 2021 13:55:36 GMT -5
"Just a few names," she said. "He was worried about a man named Johnson and whether he'd find out, and he thought something about a soldier named Marquel." Rose moved beside Mars, letting him guide her as they stepped off the docks, heading in the direction that she'd pointed.
They met up with Jack, who was furiously stalking down alleys in search of the missing Bradley. Rose, still not wanting to reveal her power to the other pirate, whispered the direction Bradley had moved in into Mars's ear, following along as they redirected.
Thanks to Rose's 'hunches', they found his hiding place, in the back of a run down bar. Rose hung back, assessing the mental states of all three pirates as their conflict resumed.
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Feb 13, 2021 12:33:31 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 13, 2021 12:33:31 GMT -5
Mars had no idea who Johnson was–frankly he didn't care all that much, if it was relevant, it'd come up soon enough–but he did know the name of the soldier, briefly at least. It was a man in another port in Lacaille. Great. He'd made sure the others were aware of that, perhaps spin another story about how he had learned it from some sneaking around. He'd have to think of a way to disguise Rose's little gift after this, especially if he was to use it again.
It didn't take long for them to catch up again, and this time, it seemed like swords were drawn.
"Okay, we really don't have to come to this," Mars' expression was no longer full of humour as before, turning to the skinny man. "You shouldn't have betrayed us; you knew we'd find out eventually. You can't run forever."
"Oh I can't?" he sneered, "run from you two...that's not even hard."
Without any warning, he shot a beam of light at the other pirate who only narrowly dodged it, before nearing Mars, a knife in hand––
––only to turn on Rose, grabbing her from him with a knife now at her throat.
"One move and the girl dies," he sneered, "now I'm sure you wouldn't want your lovely little assistant dead, would you? She doesn't seem like your type, Mars, but I guess I wouldn't know. She's a pretty thing though; might be useful to me somehow."
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Feb 13, 2021 14:16:31 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 13, 2021 14:16:31 GMT -5
"It's pretty cheap to lunge for a blind girl," Rose spat, voice slightly choked from fear. The first part of this whole thing had been fun- entertaining even. But she hadn't expected her own life to be in danger. The steel at her throat was cold and sharp, a persistent reminder that she might meet her end at its edge.
She knew a bit of self-defense, but it didn't seem to be very helpful now, with the knife teasingly biting her skin. Bradley's thoughts told her he wasn't bluffing, and her lack of experience was taunting her now. Despite her angry tone, there was nothing to do but wait, hoping Mars could prove good on his word and protect her.
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Feb 13, 2021 14:42:41 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 13, 2021 14:42:41 GMT -5
Shit. "Don't do anything stupid," Mars warned, his hand up in surrender, as he glanced around. Shit, how was he supposed to free her when the man's knife was so damn close. There wasn't any water around he could use–
wait. He glanced at the ground, the gutter not too far from them. Disgusting perhaps, but that could work. He looked to Rose, his thoughts immediately aimed towards her.
When I say go, slam back into him, he thought.
"Look, let's talk about this calmly, all right?" his eyes turned back to the man, edging away with Rose in tow, as Mars tightened his jaw, the water in the sewer slowly sneaking up into the street, sliding underneath the man's feet–
"GO!" he snarled as another tendril of water wrapped around the man's ankle and yanked backwards, Mars immediately rushing forward to grasp Rose's hand in case she fell.
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