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 Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:23 pm
You can label us a consequence, Varun winced, but laughed anyway. "I'd 'ather not know about ye...escapades, laddy."
Two pirates attempted to stop Mal's advance, but Varun waved them off. "E's a friend, gents. 'Et 'im be." He got an "Aye, cap'n" in response, and the two men went on their way. Chuckling, Varun clapped Mal on the shoulder. What an odd turn of events..."Some 'anner o' luck ye have, laddy. Ye 'idn't die! 'At earns ye a drink..."
"....once we get 'ack to port, that is. 'Orry, but ye're 'ill a prisoner until 'en. Men, 'ake 'im to the cells, 'ith the 'est o' the prisoners."
"Aye, cap'n."
Varun just grinned at Mal. Well, rules were rules.
~~~
Varun finished calculating the day's advances and sat back, looking around the dim, candle-lit cabin. The chests of salt sat beside him, as did the several thick rolls of fine silk. Both of his ships were restocked with ropes, rigging, sails...anything else that they might have to get elsewhere, with some extra laid aside for the rest of his little fleet. They had salvaged a good number of food items from the ship as well, making for a fine feast and a fresh store for the next few days. The prisoners were fed a decent portion, considering they were prisoners, and given a bit of warmth in the form of torn sails in the cold hull. Hmph, they'd better be happy with that - it was a lot more than some others would give.
His stunning eyes shone in the candlelight as he remembered a certain member that he had pissed off earlier. Hehe...he loved jokes. Time to let off the joke, though.
"Matey?" he called out to the man standing just outside his door - a precaution that was there at all times.
The man stuck his head inside. "Cap'n?"
"Tell the 'ook to whip up another 'eal, exactly as I 'ad this evening. Then, 'ave one Malcolm Lansing sent 'rom the cell 'o my 'abin."
"Aye, cap'n."
Varun smirked. Of how much you have to learn.
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:08 pm
So far, so good, Mal said to himself, rather pleased that Varun wasn’t automatically waving something sharp under his nose. And he had earned a drink! He ignored the pirate’s words of surprise about his survival; after all, he didn’t expect Varun to know that he was a survivor of the war. His smile froze at the man’s words.
Oohhh… prison didn’t sound good. Mal didn’t like cells. Small spaces were fine, but cells weren’t. Still, it didn’t seem like he had much of a choice. While being put in the brig wasn’t attractive, it was still more attractive than the alternative which in this case was the sea.
“Hope we get back to port quickly then,” he said easily, looking outwardly perfectly ok with this. Inwardly, he was pissed; come on, they were friends! Kinda… sorta… they at least knew one another.
~.~
It was a bit of a surprise to not only be fed once, but fed twice. And it was pretty good food. Better than some of the things Mal had eaten, anyway. Unfortunately, being in the brig meant having to deal with the other prisoners, namely trying to tell them that it was none of his damn business how he knew Varun. It was a pain in the a**---not literally, thankfully---to get them to deal with their own issues.
After all, he wasn’t the one who was in real trouble here. Trouble happened to other people.
But when he was unexpectedly summoned to Varun’s cabin, he couldn’t help but wonder if, maybe, just maybe, trouble was going to happen to him first. He went without a fuss because, well, why bother making a fuss around people who could probably squeeze his head in between their toes? He had a healthy instinct. It was just as eccentric a he was, which was a bit of an issue.
“Evenin’, Varun,” he said cheerfully, as if they were meeting in a nice bar instead of in a cabin in a pirate ship. “Crazy thing. You’d be surprised at how many of my friends I meet in situations like this.”
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:36 pm
You can label us a consequence, "I 'et I would be." Varun said, gesturing for Mal to sit.
He decided not to ask anything more about Mal's departure from Xuan. Ask, that is. He could make as many statements as he wanted. He put his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. The man wouldn't bother offering Mal a drink - whiskey and rum sat before him, and several other types sat in a case not far from them. He knew Mal would just take it if he wanted. This was to be a casual setting, after all. He never liked being formal unless he had to be.
"Found yerself the 'uickest way out of 'roposed arrangements, I see. Meanin' yer association to the 'Osaylen house." Varun said, lifting a brow and smirking a bit. Indeed, it seemed as if that was why Mal left...but he could be wrong. People usually had motives that ran deeper than what was on the surface. Varun was only one of such people when it came to matters other than money. When it came to money...he just wanted it. Of how much you have to learn.
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:50 pm
Mal sat down and helped himself to some whiskey on the basis that he needed a good drink and it was there. Such simple motivations made sense to him, even if they were mysteriously baffling to other people. He took a sip, enjoying the flavor of it. Damn good drinks. That was one thing to say about Varun: he had good taste in alcohol.
“Pfft… bullshit, Varun. I didn’t arrange that; that was a complete accident,” he admitted. Actually, he had been entertaining thoughts about paying a particular man a visit and letting him know just how utterly pissed he was. “People keep tellin’ me what a sweet setup it is. And… well, I guess it is. I don’t have to work no more, and my days are filling up like nobody’s business with nobody’s business.” But it also meant a helluva lot less freedom for the rather eccentric and freedom-loving man.
“By the way, I’ll expect my weapons back once we get back to shore.” It was a bit of a b*****d asking like this, considering that Varun could still have him thrown overboard at any moment. But, well, those weapons had a particular place in Mal’s heart. They had once been there. Literally. Well, not really his heart, a little to the north and west of his heart, actually. Damned lucky to survive that, actually. They had stayed at his sides for the rest of the war.
He did not, however, ask which shore they were going to. He figured that Varun would tell him later.
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:59 pm
You can label us a consequence, Varun shrugged. "I 'ow. Funny 'ow accidents bite ye in the a** sometimes. And 'ey're right - damn good 'etup. But as I'm sure ye know, 'ere's a price to be 'aid for comfort. In yer case, 'at's the loss of 'reedom. Aye?"
Truly, Mal was lucky...in the common sense of the word. He'd accidentally fallen into the lavish world of the rich and pompous. Like that pretty lady that he had met with Mal one time, they were both trapped by it. She, however, had a get-out-of-jail free card, being born into it. Because she was born into it, no one blamed her for her occasional 'steps' out of line, and her actions were rarely questioned. For Mal, though...everyone would expect him to appreciate his good fortune. He would be expected to follow the 'rules' to the T, at least for now. It was hard. He knew little about Mal, but he had seen quite a few men in the same position.
....odd how that made sense, and it probably shouldn't. Ah, well, he was drunk 3/4 of the time. He wasn't authorized to care.
Varun laughed, and nodded. "'On't get yer undergarments all in a wad. Ye'r weapons are in the drawer just under my 'iquor case. Ye may 'et them whenever ye wish." Of how much you have to learn.
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:15 pm
He nodded in agreement with Varun’s words. “Exactly, Varun. Hence why I’m travelin’ in secrecy. Has anyone figured out I’m missin’ yet?” Most likely, people would figure that he was either up north in Albion or possibly those closer to him would assume he had found some secret lover. “All my life I’ve done what I want, when I want, no one to tell me otherwise. I’m gonna miss that. I don’t think any price is worth givin’ up that freedom.” He had once fought to preserve that freedom. And lost. This was like losing the war all over again.
Starting to feel depressed, he reached for the whiskey again and poured himself another glass. Things were already depressing enough with the funeral looming over his head. How many survivors were there now? Twenty-one? Something like that… “Well, they’re safe there for now,” he said, after glancing towards the liquor case. “So, this is what you do? Pirate?”
It seemed like a strange thing to say, but it felt right. He didn’t particularly feel like talking too much about his private life. It wasn’t as if he could keep many things private any more, so he kept what he could. “Now that’s freedom… if things get too hot in one area, you can just push off. Or, even more, if the hand of the law is stretched out, you can just put yourself a little further…” yeah, he could see why the life of a pirate was attractive to a certain type of man. Several types, actually, including the type who just liked to see shirtless men run around.
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:24 pm
You can label us a consequence, Varun chuckled. "I 'ow not for sure, but I 'aven't got any 'overnment privateers on me tail, so 'et's assume that ye're still accounted for."
He decided not to comment anymore about freedom. That seemed to be a rather harsh subject, and he didn't want to foul the mood.
The captain grinned. "I 'uppose ye could say 'at, though on the 'and I'm just a 'riendly trader. Ye 'ow, the kind 'at everyone 'alls a trader, but 'ows as somethin' else."
Indeed, it was freedom. The sea was freedom. He'd die without it - that's why he didn't stay in Xuan for too long. Couldn't handle it. Truthfully, he had never been on land for more than a solid, uninterrupted year. Xuan had just been for a few months - a semi-regular occurrance, for him. He had to get more 'clients' after all, and stow some things away. And let his crew have their rests. Hardened though they may be, everyone needs a rest.
He looked down to the chests, admiring them for a moment "I'm 'orry that the bounty be 'omethin' other than jewels and gold, which 'ould be customary, I expect...but...'ell, my crews 'anted a change of 'ace. I'm here to oblige." Of how much you have to learn.
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:39 pm
“Ah well, by the time they figure out, I figure I’ll be back in Xuan anyway. I’m pretty sure you’re not in any danger here.” Huh. No, if anyone came after him and happened to attack Varun’s ship, it was more likely that the privateers would be in danger. “Like I said, this is just a short visit back Cambria. Think you can drop me off on the way wherever you’re going?” He didn’t ask where Varun was planning on going. As far as he was concerned, Varun would probably sail around attacking more ships until he got to a freeport. Once he got there… well, he would pull in and probably sell whatever he had caught. Actually, Synd was a freeport and that was where Mal was headed. This could work out really well.
By now, he was pretty sure that Varun wasn’t going to try to ransom him off to House Rosaylen. That would attract too much attention to his little operation. Everyone would want a piece of Varun and not in a good way. “Sorry that the captain of the other ship had to be such a b*****d; should’ve seen what he was making me pay to travel with him. ‘S probably somewhere in the cabin. Probably somewhere in the desk.”
Once again, Mal poured himself some more whiskey. Most people didn’t expect him to be able to hold his drink, but he liked to think he did a damn good job at putting alcohol away. And he wasn’t a violent drunk either. No, he was more of the sort who got too damn snuggly for his own good.
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:51 pm
You can label us a consequence, Varun nodded. "Of course. No offense, but I'd rather ye 'ot be on my ship any 'onger 'en ye have to. Liability, ye see."
Indeed, if they were attacked, and something happened to Mal..it'd get traced back to him. Nobles didn't like heirs getting killed off. Put them in a foul mood.
He shrugged, pouring himself some whiskey at the mention of the other captain. "'Astard, yes. But 'ost captains are 'astards. We 'inda have to be. Regardless, 'e's just protectin' his ship. 'Oin his duty, so to speak. Though, the 'ole gun-to-me-'ead wasn't fun. I 'enerally don't like 'arrels in my face."
Mmmm...but he had a feeling that captain was more than just an honest merchant. It was the look in his eyes, Varun supposed. He could be wrong, but Mal very well could have gotten himself into more trouble than he was worth, honestly.
"Ye 'ight wanna be 'areful, next time ye 'lan on takin' off. 'Ranted, it's 'one o' me business, but...'ell, 'ust a 'reindly 'arnin." Of how much you have to learn.
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:10 pm
“Works for me. You should put in at Synd; ‘s an open port. You could get a good price for these goods over there, at least the silk.” Not to mention, he felt it was his responsibility to help compensate for any trouble. It wasn’t really a lot of trouble, but it always paid to be nice to people like Varun who might be useful again later. If Mal felt really desperate to get away, people would expect him to take to the skies. They wouldn’t expect him to try going over the water. Hmm… actually, an idea formed in his mind. Perhaps he could claim to have some sort of fear of water… that would work. No one would expect a thing.
“Ah well, I didn’t exactly plan this. I got the notice yesterday. A friend of mine---well, not exactly friend but we were close in a strange way---he died, so I’ve got a funeral to go to,” he explained. Maybe it was the damn good whiskey, or maybe it was just that Mal felt the need to complain about this to someone. He couldn’t talk to Rem about it, because he wouldn’t understand. Iris… well, there were some things that could only be shared with other men. And Kaisa? Ha. He didn’t want to appear too vulnerable to Kaisa. He was still trying to impress the blonde. “If I had more of a warnin’, I probably would have tried the ground route. More comfortable on the ground and with Aeron.
It was never easy to explain the bonds that could form during war. Mal didn’t think of the dead man as a friend, really, but he was an ally all the same, and they had watched each other’s backs often enough. Mal didn’t drink and instead just stared at the glass. He shook himself and poured another glass. “Damned depressing stuff.”
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:30 pm
You can label us a consequence, Synd? Hmmm....not his usual stop, but he might could test the waters a bit - no pun intended. These were good items to try out for such a venture, so...."'E'll see, laddy. 'Anks for the information."
He watched Mal carefully, leaning back in his - admittedly rather comfy - chair. He knew the look in his eyes. Varun could tell a lot from eyes, obviously. Very few people could hide very much, especially after a few shots of whiskey. In any case...mmm, best not to get too personal. He was curious though, as there were few things to cause such a look. None of them were good. Hell, pasts usually weren't good, that's why you got away from them. Tried to, anyway. Varun really had no room to talk - he had no horrible tragedies, gruesome memories...but then, you didn't have to have a wound to know what it felt like. That, too, probably shouldn't make sense. It did to him, though.
"'Orgive me, but....'riend, or 'omrade?"
Distinct difference between the two.
He should probably be shot for asking. Of how much you have to learn.
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:54 pm
Ah well, Mal wasn’t the type to randomly shoot people. If he shot someone, it was with a damned good reason. “Huh. That was the word I was lookin’ for. Comrade. We were in the same platoon and we both fought in the War.” The way he said the word made the capital perfectly clear. Not many people could drop capital letters in the middle of a sentence, but Mal apparently could. Maybe it was just a Cambrian thing.
“Fact is, the s**t’ll really hit the fan once that little bit of news gets out. Albion had a good part in the treaties once the war was over. Those treaties really screwed Cambria over which’ll make people in general suspicious of my movements until I make them realize that, yes, the war is over and I harbor no ill-will.” For a moment, he looked like he was going to spit, but he remembered that this was Varun’s cabin. No need to make it all spitty. The truth was… well, he didn’t harbor a lot of ill-will towards the ‘other side’. Just a few specific members of the other side, including the King of Albion. That would make family reunions awkward… Mal planned to avoid the man as much as possible, along with Dante and about half of the Albinian court.
He wasn’t quite sure what to do once that got out. He had hoped to be far, far away by the time anyone learned of that, but that opportunity seemed smaller and smaller every day. There was the tiny chance that no one would figure it out, but he wasn’t counting on it. Chances were, his name was written somewhere in law books in writing and everything.
“Got any more of that whiskey?”
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Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:53 am
You can label us a consequence, Varun flicked open a drawer in his desk and pulled out another bottle, tossing it to Mal. He kept a well-stocked supply of all things liquor, so his question was rather pointless...ah, well. He would learn.
"Ahhh, 'e War. 'Ost a ship 'ecause of 'at, I did. 'Ever really saw a point in it, 'onestly. But I 'ever tried to 'et involved, so...'ere ye have it."
"..an' I really 'on't think they'll see ye as much o' a threat. Yer in 'o position to be 'akin threats, 'ot yet, so ye'll likely 'e left alone."
Indeed, right now...Mal was important, but not that important. Kings didn't get themselves all worked up unless they had to; at least, that was true for the Albinian king. He still had to deal with things relating to Deste and his fiance, and he was probably about tired of dealing with these kinds of family matters. They'd worry about Mal being a threat after he was more acclimated into the system.
..at least, that was Varun's take on it.
See, this is why he stayed on the sea. Politics were so much simpler - you have ship, I have ship. I attack you, take things, sink your ship. Simple! Of how much you have to learn.
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Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:13 pm
Mal caught the bottle; no matter how drunk he got, he doubted that he would ever miss out on a chance of another drink. After pouring himself another glass, he put the bottle on the table. While it was tempting to simply drink straight from the bottle, he doubted that would go over well with Varun. Besides, he was working on being more civilized and polite. Or even civilised with an ‘s’. That was extra fancy. Mal’s idea of being polite involved not throwing urchin shells in the fire after eating the nasty little sea creatures.
“I should’ve done the same. Stay out of the War, keep heads down, and not get involved. But, Hell, I was just a kid; I was at that age where I thought I was immortal and that nothin’ could hurt me.” And of course his head had been full of stupid stories, damned stupid homilies of glory and honor, the type of thing that absolutely no real war veteran would ever even think of. He stared at his drink for a moment before draining the glass. There were certain things that a man just didn’t want to think about while sober.
Not much of a threat… well, that was true. Mal wasn’t a threat. He had no interest in trying to stir up another war between Cambria and Paralene, even in the name of Cambria’s freedom. He wasn’t that dumb, not any more. But, chances were, he felt, other people would think he would try to do something like that. But maybe, just maybe, he would let people think that, just because it would be kinda funny. He always liked it when nobles made idiots of themselves. They rarely needed help at all, so it was the easiest form of entertainment.
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Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:36 pm
You can label us a consequence, Varun simply laughed. It probably seemed insensitive, but...really, it wasn't. He was always that kid, after all. The one who thought he was invincible. Of course, you could...think you're invincible, or know you're not and do stupid s**t anyway. He made that transition not too long ago.
"Aye, but ye are 'etter off n' those of us who 'imply 'on't care if we're 'ot invincible. Ye had an excuse - I 'on't. KIll me one 'ay, it 'ill. 'O point in livin' if yer not 'onna go all out, 'ough."
Varun shrugged, downing another shot of alcohol himself. He'd been living like that so far..seemed to work well for him. Of how much you have to learn.
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