Private Tales Reckoning

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
And who the fuck is she?!'

Emilie's brow knit indignantly and she stood up, her arms folding across her chest as she stared at the woman. "My name is Emilie." she grumbled in answer.

She glanced around at all of the eyes on her, at the man picking himself up and at the others currently uncertain whether they should be sheathing the weapons tha they'd drawn. They did, eventually, and Emilie had been about to say something when she noticed the pair conversing. Her head tilted as she watched, her confusion plain on her face as she realised that the woman understood the strange hand gestures.

Mako's smug smile was met with a narrowing of her eyes and she let out a sharp huff. "Oh stop smirking at me before you piss yourself." she growled, hopping out of the crate before storming off, grumbling about having to pee.
 
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As the Captain watched Emilie stalk off towards the stairs of the ship a smile touched her lips.

"Found yerself a firecracker, eh?"​

Mako rolled his eyes, fingers quickly flashing in a snarky answer that received only a quick snort in answer. The Captain shook her head, and then muttered a quiet curse before she ran a hand over her face. After a moment more she called out.

"Get him a hammock, and a cabin for the girl. These are friends."​

A pointed look was shot towards Mako.

"But I'm going to be telling Radic about this."​

The pirate let out a sigh, muted as it was, and rubbed at his face.

His head shook, but after a moment he simply pulled away and gestured towards the latrine. A few moments later he stood outside one of the small bathrooms on the ship, waiting for Emilie so that he didn't have to suffer the indignity of peeing off the side of the ship.
 
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Emilie had to shove her way passed several startled and bewildered crewmen as she stormed off in search of a bathroom, muttering to herself.

"The fuck is she?! SHE?! No. Who the fuck is SHE? Her with her stupid hat and little.. flicky hand signals." she grumbled, making a few, albeit ruder, gestures of her own much to the confusion of the men watching her pass.

"Ah........................"

It was the damned longest pee of her life, and all the while she continued to quietly rant about being stuck in a damned crate. She only stopped muttering when she opened the door and saw Mako standing right outside, her brow furrowing.

"Stalking me again are you?"
 
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Mako offered a flat look in response, mostly because he had no actual way to answer her.

It wasn't like he could say anything, and his pencil and notebook had been left behind at the fighting pit. The damned bastards had everything. His swords, his knives, his coat even! He was going to have to ask around for some replacements, maybe make a few wagers about a trick or two.

He didn't have any coin either after all.

After a moment more his mind seemed to snap back to the moment, a frown settling in his face. What was she mad at him for! It wasn't...well it sort of was his fault in a way, but not really.

He'd thought long and hard about what had happened. Sure his....methods hadn't been all that kind, and she had a right to be mad about that, but if it hadn't been for him both Emilie and her father would have been dead. A fact that he would probably never mention to her.

Still, it was a justification to himself.

With a jerk of his hand he pointed to the bathroom, gesturing in reminder to himself a second longer.

Where the hell else was he gonna go?
 
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She hated that bored way that he looked at her. She hated that it didn't matter what expression he wore, or how battered and bruised he was, he still had a face chiselled by the Gods and was the most infuriatingly handsome man she'd ever seen in her life.

"I want to punch you." she said flatly, and stepped aside to let him pass.

He'd find her on the deck, her elbows resting on the side of the ship as she looked down into the water, breathing in the sea air and enjoying the spray on her face and the sound of crashing waves and gulls. There was no land to be seen in any direction, and she wondered where she would end up.

She realised, she'd never felt so alone as she did right now, and she clenched her jaw tightly in effort to avoid making another spectacle of herself. The mark on her shoulder had settled to a dull throb, and she looked over her shoulder, her eyes drifting from face to face, unsure who she was looking for.
 
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Peeing on a ship was difficult, but an art that Mako had mastered many years ago.

The relief he felt was that of a man finally being allowed his final breath and a subsequent rise to heaven. A silent sigh passed from him, and he steadied himself on the rocking boat as he stepped out of the bathroom.

A few of the crew offered him glances, some nodded, but more often than not Mako saw only strangers. It seemed that Amara had done replaced much of her crew since he'd last seen her. He made a mental note to ask her why later.

As he touched the top of the deck one more The young pirate peered around. Lips thinned for a brief moment as he spotted Emilie leaning over the rail, glancing over her shoulder to peer at the men working on the deck. Mako caught her eyes.

For a moment he seemed still, and then slowly he made his way over to her.
 
Her brow furrowed slightly as their eyes met, but she let out a quiet sigh and turned to stare out at the horizon instead. She remained quiet for a while as he joined her, tired of feeling angry. Of feeling anything, really.

"Only been on a ship once before.." she said quietly and drew in a deep breath. "With Dad and Simon." she added hesitantly, her eyes glassy and so she kept them on the sea.

"I guess its something you're used to.." she muttered and rolled her eyes, given that the captain certainly seemed to know him well enough.
 
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Mako stood there, listening as Emilie spoke of her father and brother. A slight tension of discomfort flickered through him as she spoke, and then hurled her quiet accusation at him. Lips thinned for a brief moment as he stared at the sea.

A moment later he nodded in confirmation.

He wondered if things would have been the same had he been able to speak, or if an actual explanation would have made things easier. It was impossible to tell, and wishing for a voice was...well was something he'd learned to stop doing as a child.

I'm a pirate. He thought, as if in answer to her. Something close to it anyway.

His shoulders rolled slightly, pressing away the slight itch that still clung to his mark.
 
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Em glanced across at him as he rolled his shoulders and she turned again to look over those milling around on deck, her lips twisting.

"I don't know where we're going, but I think he's here, somewhere. We need to find him before we dock, or we'll lose him again. I can't stand this fucking burning any more." she frowned.

"Lass - I'm ter show yer to yer cabin." grunted a man the size of a cave troll from behind them, his voice like thunder despite his words being calm. Em flinched and looked up at him, giving a quick nod in thanks.

"I'm going to get some rest." she said as she looked over Mako and lazily followed after the pirate. "Try not to get beat up or fall overboard or whatever.." she muttered sarcastically to Mako with a glance over her shoulder.

"I'd be truly devastated.."
 
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Mako perked an eyebrow as she walked away.

That part of him, that small part that had always wished for a voice was tearing at the inside of him. He wished that he could have said something, that he could have whipped up a witty reply or offered some truth that would stop this anger.

Yet all he could do was look at her.

The young Pirate wasn't even sure what he appeared to be to her, arrogant, angry, aloof. A thousand things could have played across his face, but in truth all he felt was regret.

He watched quietly as the trollish man lead her down into the ship below, his features slightly softening as Amara stepped up towards him. She saw the look on his face, the way he watched Emilie walk away.

"That, that's a look I've seen in a mirror. A look that only ends badly."​

Mako glanced towards her, a small smile touching her face. Aye. Suppose it will.

The young Pirate said as he flicked his fingers in response.
 
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She asked for something to drink, and when she was brought water she asked for something stronger. What she got, was revolting. A single sip of the stuff burned her throat and made her cough, and a single mug of the stuff was enough to numb the pain in her shoulder and send her off to sleep. She found she enjoyed the slow rocking of the boat on the waves, and she remembered why she'd liked sailing so much.

Her dream was of Mako. She was trying to walk away from him but he always ended up ahead of her, in every direction that she turned. She followed a red thread through the city on board the ship and he was always at the end of it. She screamed in frustration and pounded her fists against his chest until his arms looped around her and pulled her in, holding her there until she calmed. And then there was just warmth and the slow, gentle rocking and she eased.

The sound of his heart beating in his chest grew louder and louder until she realised that she was asleep and the sound was the heavy footfalls of pirates on the deck above. Em grumbled and dragged the pillow over her face, grimacing at her pounding headache and the burning pain that was slowly returning to her shoulder.
 
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One of those footfalls came from Mako.

"OOHHHHHHHHH WE DIRNK AL DAY WE DINK ALL NITE AND WE DRINK TO TILL THE DRAGON DIES!"​

The voices sang out as another mug of ale was swept down Mako's throat. He couldn't add to the song, not in any meaningful way, but he enjoyed the revelry just the same. This was a distraction, he knew that, but to go from the fighting pits to this?

He'd welcome it every day he could.

It felt good to be back on a ship, good to be where he was supposed to be. He was a pirate, a goddamn man of the sea. That was what mattered. It wasn't just the alcohol in his system making him thinking that either. Definitely not!

A smile was plastered to his face as the pirates sang, only getting louder and louder.

"AN WEND DA DRAGON IS DED. DEN THE PIRATES GET THE GOoooooooooOOOOOOOLD!"​

The song didn't rhyme of course, but not every song had to...probably.

Mako poured back another mug of ale, drowning away any thoughts of the real problem in his head.
 
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"Shut up shut up shut uuuup fucking SHUDDUUP!" Emilie screamed from beneath her pillow and banged her fist a few times on the cabin wall.

Gods, her head..At least it was taking the edge off her shoulder.

They weren't stopping. They'd sing the whole damned night by the sounds of it, or at least until the passed out drunk. "Fucking pirates." she growled and tossed the pillow against the wall as she swung herself out of bed and stormed her way to the deck to stand glaring at them all, her hands firmly on her hips and her fiery hair unkempt.

"Well. Somebody get me a damned drink."

If you can't beat em...
 
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It wasn't Mako that appeared, not this time.

This time it was Captain Amara De'Ris. She swooped up besides Emilie like a ghost, appearing seemingly from nothing and nowhere. There was a mug of something in her hand, perhaps ale, though it smelled more of grog than anything else.

"Here you are, lass."

She purred.

"Partake in the homecoming...well, something of the sort I suppose, this isn't the the little bastards home after all."

A mirthful laugh parted from her lips, head shaking as she glanced briefly towards where Mako was standing. He was balancing himself atop the rails to the side of the ship, walking along as others cheered him on and a mug was tipped down his throat.

He seemed to tilt for a second, as though he was about to fall, and then in one smooth jump flipped through the air.

The young Pirate landed on the rail perfectly, and a cheer went up as he steadied himself and threw the mug into the crowd.
 
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Em jumped slightly as the captain appeared beside her, clearing her throat indignantly and taking the drink with a short nod in thanks. She realised the 'little bastard' that she was talking about was Mako and she followed the woman's gaze to the mute as he made a spectacle of herself.

She huffed quietly as she watched, her lips thinning in disapproval of his drunken antics. When it seemed he was about to fall however, she dragged in a sharp gasp and felt her heart leap in her chest, forcing her a half-step forward. She stopped herself as he seemed to steady, much to the amusement of the crew, and Em muttered under her breath.

"He really is a little bastard." she growled to the Captain, watching him for another moment before clearing her throat and asking. "How d'you know him?.."
 
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"We came up under Radic."

Amara said, glancing only briefly at Emilie before she remember that she had no idea who that actually was. Her throat cleared as she went on to explain.

"He was our Captain, Mako's still. We were 'bout the same age when we were aboard, him a bit younger."

Lips pursed for a moment.

Amara seemed to glance towards Emilie again, studying for a second before she went on.

"Has he told you anything about that? I mean you two were ina box together so I assume..."

She shrugged in question.
 
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Emilie glanced sidelong at her as she mentioned Radic. She'd heard her say it earlier, but her brow quirked as she explained who he was.

"So he is a pirate." Em nodded slowly, taking a sip of the disgusting drink and stifling a cough with the back of her wrist.

"Well. No. He can't talk to me like he talks to you.. So I, don't really know much about him." Emilie shrugged and her brow dipped. "Not that I want to. We haven't exactly been, getting along."
 
"Ahhh."

Amara said, taking a sip of her own drink as she nodded her head. There was an understanding there, as if she knew the anger that Emilie was feeling. The Captain seemed to muse for a few moments, as if she was trying to think something over.

After a few moments she replied again.

"He takes after him, Radic. The man is a bastard, and unfortunately he's the only father figure Mako's ever had."

She shook her head.

"His parents hated him because he's mute. He...didn't even have anyone to talk to until he came onto the Crow. Literally. We created fingertalk so he could speak to us."

Amara sighed, then looked to Emilie.

"Not that I'm tryin' to make you feel guilty, the boys a fucking idiot."
 
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Emilie watched Mako and slowly sipped from her mug as she listened to Amara, her chest tightening slightly at the story of his upbringing, but she snorted at the insult and nodded, lifting her drink to clink against the captain's.

"He certainly is." she agreed and drank a few deep gulps of the vile drink, her disgust plain on her expression. As terrible as it was to drink, her headache was already easing and her muscles were slackening.

"My father killed a reckoner." she informed quietly, her shoulders sagging. "They came looking for us." her lips pursed. "That's how I met him."
 
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"Oh..."

Amara said, her voice trailing off slightly. She looked at Emilie for a few moments, then at Mako. It was clear she was thinking through her next words, what she was supposed to say. Lips thinned for a brief moment, and then she took a breath.

"I'm sorry about your father."

The assumption was clear on her face.

It was wrong, but given everything the young Captain knew it could only be right.

"They...they can't help it, you know. It's a compulsion. That Mark..."

She shook her head.

"After a while it drives them crazy. Through pain, drive, some way or another. Radic once took us half-way around the world to avenge a man he didn't even know."

Her eyes seemed to focus on something in the the distance, something that wasn't even there. Amara's lips thinned, her fingers tightening on the mug of her ale. A breath filled her lungs.

She flicked her gaze to Emilie and she shook her head.

"I told him not to take that mark, that he and I could get our own ship...but a man without a family...convincing him to leave what he felt was closest to it..."

Amara trailed off, her head shaking in silence.
 
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Emilie didn't feel like explaining the circumstances around her father's death, the captain's assumption was wrong but the outcome was the same. Still she was certain if her brother hadn't been killed, her father would still be here. She huffed, feeling like she at least owed Mako the correction.

She listened to all she had to say, watching Mako with a soft frown as she absently rubbed at her own shoulder. After a moment she pulled in a deep breath and sighed.

"Mako didn't kill him.. Someone else did. My brother too.." she frowned. "The men who killed my brother would've killed my father and I too, Mako tried to stop them..."

Saying it aloud seemed to make her realise the fact for the first time, and she couldn't help but wonder why. Still, her grief was too raw and she needed someone to blame, and as well as herself for being so distracted, she'd blamed him for distracting her. But if he really had used her to get to her father why had he tried to help him?

She ran a hand down her face and grimaced as she drained the tankard of whatever the fuck she was drinking in one go.
 
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Amara let out a long whistle.

"I thought..."

She trailed off for a moment, as if there was something to puzzle through in the back of her head. The Captain leaned forward, running a thumb along the length of her hand before she looked back to Emilie. Her eyes wandered up and down.

"It must have taken a...lot, if he was nearby when they died."

Amara said quietly.

The Captain didn't know everything about the Reckoners, and neither did Mako of course. Yet she knew enough to say as much. The temptation that ran through them. The need to avenge, that very desire that Emilie now felt coursing through her.

"If he killed other Reckoners? That's..."

She shook her head.

"If Radic knew he'd throw the boy to Teletara."

Amara paused, then added.

"It's this...giant squid...thing...Don't worry about it."

She waved dismissively.
 
Em coughed as she finished the drink, pressing the back of her hand against her lips to prevent it from making a reappearance. Already her mind swam and her skin warmed, and she leaned herself against a barrel.

She dragged her gaze from the reckoner to the captain, her lips twisting as the woman spoke. She couldn't quite hide the flare of worry as the giant squid was mentioned and she glanced over the choppy water with uncertainty..

"I.. No he, he didn't kill them..." she frowned. She had killed them. She had killed people. She was a murderer, whether in self defence or not she'd taken lives, and she hadn't processed it yet. She hadn't processed anything since that night and she awaited the day where it inevitably came crashing down on her.

"I did." she forced a guilty smile, her eyes glassy. Pre-empting the captain's next question she reached to shift her shirt to bare her shoulder to her, allowing her to see the mark that Mako had carved into it.
 
Amara's eyebrows shot up in an instant.

She almost seemed to jerk away in an instant, as if Emilie had just reached out and suddenly slapped her across the face. The Pirate Captain seemed to go through the range of a dozen emotions, a thousand, her eyes and lips shifting uncontrollably.

"I...fuck...Kress..."

A loud sigh escaped Amara's throat.

Her eyes quickly shot towards Mako, the drunken Fool who was still balancing himself upon the edges of the ships railing. He was gesturing to the crew, begging them for more of a reaction, coaxing them for the cheers they offered so freely.

"He...you...Kress."

Amara shook her head.

"You know...you understand what the moron did, right? You know?"

There was a panic in her words as she asked,
 
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Em couldn't help but frown at the woman's reaction. It only made her feel even more terrible than she already did. More ashamed of herself..

"He made me a reckoner?" her brow quirked. "So they couldn't kill me?.." her arms folded and she looked back to Mako.
 
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