Trial of the Spades

[hiken]

Who: The Spades Crew + Anyone wandering by or onto their ship.
Where: Isla Empieza, The Sun
When: 12/15 - 12/21
What: Shenanigans! The Cold Curse, Sailing, Etc
Warnings: None so far. Possibly violence, given this crew.
Style: Prose/Action. Either or!
Status: OPEN

Threads below! Feel free to drop in your own, just remember to date them. More 'general' threads will come up after the crew sets sail.

Comments

[booyaka_boom]

It's a pretty good cake, so thanks.

*She pushes the plate slightly towards him with a smile*

You wanna have some?

*Shivering, Selphie reaches forward for her glass of rum and orange juice and takes a good drink from it*

Cold! I mean, seriously, it's freezing! But other than that, it's going okay. Guess I do a lot of the same stuff I did back home, just in a smaller place, and less parties with dancing.

How bout you? What do you like about being a pirate?

[thatched]

No thanks, I'm watching my figure. [though he's joking. Since he looks damn fabulous...and his taste doesn't really run toward that kind of sweet. At least not today. He moves a little to close the faint distance between them, brushing his arm against her...shoulder so that they can share warmth that way. It seems to do the trick.

That was an interesting question though. What did he like...]

Freedom. Family. On Pops' ship-- Whitebeards-- we were all brothers. I'd trust each and every one of those guys with my life. [he'd never set out to be a pirate. He'd never set out to be much of anything but Pops had given him a reason to fight and to come home. To exist]

And the women aren't bad to look at either. [he winks at her]

[booyaka_boom]

Well, fortunately for me, I'm not! Though if this cake had the power to make me tall grower, I wouldn't be complaining... *She smiles, not minding that he's moved closer and brushed against her shoulder, yes shoulder, and she promptly finishes up the cake. She dabs the remaining crumbs with the tip of her finger and licks them off*

Freedom and family, huh? That sounds nice. I think it'll be like that here soon. It already feels like family to me.

*Selphie blinks at that wink, because she hadn't expected it, but it does make her giggle*

I though women were supposed to be bad luck on a ship!

[thatched]

It's a cake, not a miracle. [though he sounds amused when he says this since he mostly is just joking. He smiles at her words.]

Aye? I'm glad to hear it. [though he doesn't dwell on it too much or he'll just get irritated at it. He was sure she was authentic about it which only bothered him more. Partly jealousy, he'd be the first to admit--but partly wondering if they even had the same definition.

He chuckles though at her statement, forcing the thoughts from his mind]

I've heard that superstition but it's an old one where I come from. There's about a dozen women in our-- Whitbeard's crew. Even one in my division. Crazy Annie. Gorgeous sable hair and the ability to hold off twenty marines with two flails and not even getting a hair out of place.

[he misses her. There was a woman who knew how to wear a pompadour]

[booyaka_boom]

That's true! Guess I'll just have to get used to being stuck this height forever. It's a good job I never planned on being a model!

*She nods again, sure of a closeness with many of the crew, and filled with a definite need to protect them. Her idea of family may differ from his, but she looks pretty happy*

I'm sure I've said it before, but I came here without knowing anyone else. Everyone's been so good at making me feel welcome, looking after me. I couldn't ask for a better crew!

*Her eyes widen at the sound of this woman, admiring her already*

Wow! She sounds awesome! That's totally the best kind of woman - beautiful but a fierce fighter too!

[thatched]

[well he's glad she's happy at least. Maybe she really will find a place here. To know that she cared so much relaxed him a bit. That was all he really wanted, after all. To know that Ace was safe with a loyal crew at his back.

He chuckles as Selphie talks about Annie.]

She had beautiful hair but a face like a flat iron. Not traditionally pretty. I adore her, though. And she won the dating pool three years in a row-- I think one or two guys tried to join up just to be with her. But Annie's like me. Free as the wind.

[booyaka_boom]

*Selphie wrinkles her nose a little at his description of Annie's face. But she seems impressed with Annie's admiration*

Ooh! I wanna be like that! But with a prettier face! That's my goal in life - to be totally hot but a real scary skilled fighter!

*She tilts her head at him, with a teasing smile*

Oh? Never wanted to be a free spirit with her? Elope on a rowing boat?

[thatched]

[he wants to tell her that a face only lasts so long. But she's a young girl so he'll let her be painfully young. It's kind of a lesson she will have to find out on her own]

Not at all. Firstly, sleeping with crew is just bad policy. [except for one or two exceptions. And the second was just an accident. Too much wine and commiseration and they'd made a mutual pact never to mention it again]

Secondly, relationships are for other people. I have to be free as a bird in flight.

[and not tied down on some dinky little island.]

[booyaka_boom]

*She's not painfully young, just young. She clears her throat a little at the first thing he says. She hasn't, okay? Just now she wonders if she's breaking some kind of rule*

You 'have' to be? Why have to? Aren't relationships supposed to be nice?

*That's what she's read in books anyway*

[thatched]

[as there is a twenty year age gap, yes, painfully. but he's starting to hold it against her less and less]

Everyone is different on this great sea. For some that's wonderful but I prefer to...spread my romance across the sea rather than just confine it to one. Besides which, most of my ladies have no need for that. Widows and matrons all for the most part. Madames here and there, too. They're the most fun.

[and the least likely to get pregnant]

[booyaka_boom]

*Excuse her laughter, Thatch. It's definitely not directed at him, but it's warm and hearty. He sounds just like a certain cowboy she knows*

Okay, okay. Lots of pretty girlfriends, huh? What's a poor guy like you to do?

*Widows and matrons she understands, so that's fine. But...*

What's a madame?

[thatched]

[she has a cute laugh for all that and it's a pleasure to hear it. He can't help but feel a bit of warmth toward her after all]

It's a hard life. I get hand cramps like you wouldn't believe...from all the love poetry. And a madame, my sweet, is a lady that runs a brothel.

[booyaka_boom]

*For this conversation, Selphie is glad she's had a bit of rum. She files this particular chat away with the one she had with Logan about bruises being hot. She was sure learning a lot on this ship*

Uh huh... Hand cramps from all the love poetry must be...difficult.

Oh! You like brothel ladies?

*She's blushing a little here, and reaches for what is left of her rum*

[thatched]

Aye. Ironically I have fewer madame romances than I do matrons and widows. I tend to befriend madames more.

[he chuckles] You have to sometimes. It comes with the territory when you occasionally have to make arrangements for unusually sized customers.

[booyaka_boom]

Oh... Well, it's good that you can have lady friends. I'm sorry there are no widows or matrons or madames on the ship. But then, I guess you already said that that's weird...

*She's just taken a sip of rum when he says 'unusually sized customers', and she very nearly spits it straight back out. She knows what he means, but...what are these things that the rum are making her think? All this talk of brothels and - She quickly wipes her mouth and clears her throat*

I see...