|
Post by Aurora Westmoreland on Oct 18, 2006 10:04:43 GMT -5
To say Aurora Westmoreland was frustrated would have been a complete understatement. As she walked across the docks, her trusty sword slung against her side and a blank expression on her face, one would have thought that she was simply contemplating a serious sort of matter. And in a way, it wasn't a complete lie. She was thinking of something that weighed a bit on her shoulders, but it directed to something completely different to what most would have had in mind. The usual person would have worried about shelter; where they'd spend the night on a land completely unknown to them. Most would probably worry of food; where the best on the island was and how to manage acquiring some without getting into any potential trouble. Heck, perhaps one would have been best off worrying about how to keep his or her ship from getting stolen in such a dangerous place even. But no, Aurora wasn't one of those people. She didn't think of the trivial things. It was the complicated that sparked her interest, it was the strange that caught her eye, it was the impossible that drew her in like a moth to a flame...
"Where are you?" She muttered to herself, scanning the crowd for even just a patch of blue hair. It wasn't a sight you saw everyday; therefore, she'd concluded the man wouldn't have been too difficult to find. Aurora had seen his poster at the Lady Luck and the reward was high enough- everything was to her standards. So right after she'd paid her bill, she got up, walked out the door, and back to her ship.
And now, she was standing in a port located in the infamous Beasychra. She'd truthfully never stayed on the island for too long; usually just to drop off her bounties and collect her rewards. But this was the second day and she still hadn't found him- whatever his name was. Now, who could really blame her? The bounty on the man's head had just increased in the last month. Would any self-respecting freelancer have let the moment pass? What if others had already decided to come after the said pirate? No, she simply couldn't have that. Aurora loved her challenges and she'd stop at nothing to get what she wanted.
She finally stopped to rest on the pier, plopping down and letting her legs dangle against the side. She looked downwards, admiring the water in the daylight. She'd always been drawn in by the sea as well. She sighed, letting the faint breeze fill her senses. It was a wonder how one's imagination could make such an awful place seem so... magical.
|
|
Skye Wylder
Swabby
...Is a little bit more sane.
Posts: 9
|
Post by Skye Wylder on Oct 19, 2006 0:13:15 GMT -5
It was in times like these that Skye Wylder began to question her choice of profession.
After all, she was currently broke. Thus, the logical place for a doctor in need of money to go would be somewhere where there were a lot of injured people. Injured people happened more in the wake of criminals and bounty hunters. Still, intentionally coming to Beasychra just because she needed a bit more money was definitely borderline crazy. She was surrounded by pirates and criminals, most of whom were drunk. Huh. She wondered where they were getting all their alcohol.
...Oh. She was in a pub. Huh again. Skye looked around, seeing her surroundings for the "first" time, though she had been in the same place for what was probably several hours. Who knew. She certainly had no idea how long she'd been there.
The air was heavy with smoke and the stench of beer, rum, wine, vodka, and all other sorts of lovely things. Skye could see that the occupants were mostly male, though they were hitting on all of the women there. With the man-to-woman ratio being something around five to one, the ladies didn't seem to mind. If the first four were horribly ugly, the fifth was decent enough. There were lots to pick and choose from. She wondered if what she just thought actually made sense, or if she, too, was drunk.
"H'loo," a drunken pirate slurred as he half-collapsed on her table, his pint of ale sloshing over the rim of his mug. Skye carefully moved her book out of the way before the liquid could damage it, then blinked. Since when did she have a book? What was she reading? Hm.
"Wan' -hic- dance?" the same burly man mumbled, giving raising his head off the table as best he could and staring Skye in the... chest. She reached around his head and tapped her index finger against his neck, watching him crumple to the ground. Then she turned the book over and checked the cover. 'Hamlet'? Oh, she'd been reading some old Terran play. Would wonders never cease?
Skye stood and walked outside before somebody noticed the now-unconscious man lying on the floor. The cool afternoon breeze felt good against her face. ...Afternoon breeze? Why was she in a pub in the afternoon?
...Maybe she was more out-of-it today than she had realized.
A poster that said "Skye" on it caught her eye as she walked past. She stopped to stare at it, then walked closer. A wanted poster for someone named Skye? How random. Well, at least it wasn't her. Skye shrugged and walked away.
Hey, a pier. Good for ocean-viewing. Maybe she should stop there and sit down for a little bit.
|
|
|
Post by Aurora Westmoreland on Oct 19, 2006 9:15:03 GMT -5
When it came to battling, Aurora was at the top of the line with sensing when danger approached. She'd prided herself in such a talent that even while she slept, if someone so foolishly tried to take her ship, they'd later find themselves at the end of her blade. She also prided herself with being able to read a person well enough; whether she could trust the said newcomer or keep him/her at close watch for further "studying". Nevertheless, despite all these characteristics, she faintly found it quite odd that she hadn't even noticed that some strange woman had joined her on the pier.
Aurora frowned, observing the white-haired lady with curiousity and a bit of hostility. She had to admit, this woman was quite beautiful in her own way- her style unique and she definitely had an air of pride. The bounty hunter's eyes traveled from her face to her coat-- was this woman a scientist of some sort? Or perhaps a doctor? Either way, why was she here to begin with? This island was definitely not a place to be for such a person and Aurora found the fact even more suspicious. Was she... another bounty hunter in disguise?
Hmph. Choosing then to ignore the supposed odd-ball for the time being, Aurora looked back towards the sea, her hair falling against her shoulder within the mad swish of her head. The one thing most would have known about Miss Westmoreland was that she never introduced herself first, never. No, she reserved such a display for only those worthy of her distinct respect and as of that moment, she hadn't seen anything in particular that interested her so much in the woman. So she chose to remain indifferent, stubbornly indifferent.
And that said trait led to many things in Aurora Westmoreland's life. It had led to the first argument she'd had with her guardian, Arthur Finnigan. It had led to the first chase she'd ever had to have with a rowdy pirate. It had led to the first and last time her ship had almost sunk to the bottom of the oceans. And it eventually would lead to such a time that she'd be introduced to this new individual. Yes, only fate really knew...
And as the strings of fate played about in this little script, a small parchment- usually found folded neatly in her pocket- fluttered in the breeze, mysteriously left unnoticed by the normally alert freelancer. And had she known such a mishap had happened, she would have dove for the said parchment for it was then about to fall from the floor of the pier, to the surface of the murky blue water; a name- her name- written in fancy script for the whole world to see: Aurora Westmoreland.
|
|
Skye Wylder
Swabby
...Is a little bit more sane.
Posts: 9
|
Post by Skye Wylder on Oct 19, 2006 17:56:55 GMT -5
Skye, having reached the pier, noticed the young woman already there. She appeared to be four or five years younger than Skye, and had bright red hair and clingy clothes. She looked like she didn't quite belong on the island--maybe she was a bounty hunter, or just a not-as-malevolent pirate. She certainly looked less out-of-place than Skye, though.
Skye shrugged to herself and sat down near, but not precisely next to, the girl. Her legs hung off the pier and down towards the water, and she rested most of her weight on her hands.
If she were more observant, she may have noticed the girl's eyes on her, but Skye had already decided that watching the ocean was more entertaining. She was content with watching the distant waters sparkle, while feeling the splashes against the pier mist her bare legs lightly.
Nothing happened for a few moments... or a few moments in Skye-time, which could've been anywhere from an actual few moments to several hours. The breeze picked up slightly and sent a piece of paper out, away from the girl and towards the water. Skye watched it flit through the air, swirling towards her and gracefully landing on her shoe.
She blinked and held the foot out in front of her, suspended higher above the sea-water. Huh. The wind switched direction just slightly, so that the paper stayed firmly against her shoe. It had writing on it, but she decided that it was none of her business and didn't attempt to read it. Skye brought her foot closer, then lifted the paper off of it and held it out to the girl.
"Hey, you dropped your paper thing."
|
|
|
Post by Aurora Westmoreland on Oct 22, 2006 0:32:13 GMT -5
Aurora's head shot up as she heard the other woman's statement. She truthfully hadn't expected to be spoken to, much less informed about. The usual person would have said a nice "hello" as well, she mused. But apparently the redhead had dropped something to spike the other's interest. She barely heard the word, "paper" being said and looked down with as much interest as a gold-digger to a piece of coal.
...She blinked. The neat handwriting was barely readable from that distance but she most definitely knew what that piece of parchment was. In a spin of a second, memories began to cloud her mind and a strange sort of melancholic tone started to surround her.
Aurora saw herself on a cold street, dressed in a plain purple dress. She couldn't remember where she had come from, just that she was walking... and walking... and walking some more. Until she reached a house on the outskirts of town. The lights had called out to her, a little girl shivering with no virtual place to go.
She had knocked on the door in what had seemed to be a daze and after a few agonizing seconds, she came face-to-face with a handsome outline of a man. His face had been blank at first, but then as his beautiful dark eyes met her misty violet ones, a gentle smile came upon his face. The man had sunk down, taking her delicate body in his arms, giving her an embrace she hadn't realized but so desperately craved more than anything else. And she had fallen into that said embrace, the small piece of paper flying out of her hands and onto the snow...
Without knowing what she was doing, the bounty hunter leapt off the pier intending to reach for the valuable bit of her memory- her hand reaching out as if she were afraid the image of that home would vanish. She'd forgotten, of course, that she'd been seated just a few meters above the waters and just as gravity would have it, a loud splash was heard.
|
|
Skye Wylder
Swabby
...Is a little bit more sane.
Posts: 9
|
Post by Skye Wylder on Oct 22, 2006 0:39:20 GMT -5
Skye watched as the girl jerked her head up, seemingly startled by being spoken to. She paused for a moment, then turned to Skye uninterestedly, appearing to only have half-heard what Skye said. Then she blinked and seemed to drift off for a second.
Well, she seemed similar to Skye thus far.
Then the girl snapped back to attention and leapt... off the pier. Skye blinked and leaned over the edge, watching the miniature waves the girl's impact had created slosh against her feet and lower legs. Oh, now her shoes were wet. At least she wasn't wearing socks.
Skye raised an eyebrow at the place where the redhead had fallen in, then called out, "You okay down there?"
|
|
|
Post by Aurora Westmoreland on Oct 22, 2006 0:50:25 GMT -5
Aurora gasped, the water giving her a start and filling her senses with quite a bit of embarrassment. She slowly looked down; the hem of her dress was soaked and so were her boots. Oddly, the thought didn't really disturb her as much as it normally would. Perhaps because she still wasn't thinking straight. Aurora then looked back up at the woman who had witnessed everything that just happened and without a moment's delay, tried to hoist herself back onto the ledge of the dock.
"Yeah, never been better." She muttered, shaking her head. "It'd be nice if you could give me a hand here though," she added pointedly, an indignant leer forming on her face. Still, this was a look Miss Westmoreland had perfected and she was sure it would have the effect she intended it would.
|
|
Skye Wylder
Swabby
...Is a little bit more sane.
Posts: 9
|
Post by Skye Wylder on Oct 22, 2006 1:00:55 GMT -5
Never been better? Sarcasm. "It'd be nice if you could give me a hand here though," the girl continued. More sarcasm, kind of. Skye didn't miss the look the girl gave her, but decided that it was probably justified, given the circumstances. It was somewhat amusing, though. This half-leer thing was given so perfectly, Skye wondered if the girl had practiced in front of a mirror. It was a strange combination of intimidation ("help-me-NOW-punk") and embarrassment ("help-me-up-and-you-didn't-just-see-that.")
Smiling, Skye stood and grasped the girl's arm firmly, then hoisted her up with a small grunt.
|
|
|
Post by Aurora Westmoreland on Oct 22, 2006 23:53:43 GMT -5
In no time, Aurora had gotten back up on the pier with the woman's help and she decided to cut her some slack on the hostility. After all, no one really deserved the high-maintainance treatment anyway, she mused to herself. It had been a while since she'd met someone who would be willing to help out and she was faintly reminded of Arthur. But just as the thought slipped through her mind, it was pushed out again with bittersweet longing. No, she didn't need to think about what she'd had now. It just wasn't the time and place, for that matter.
"Uhm, thanks." Aurora tried a small smile and she did mean it. However calm the moment was though, it didn't last long. "Now, where did that stupid parchment go?" She grumbled off, searching for the paper that had gotten her into that embarrassing situation earlier.
|
|
Skye Wylder
Swabby
...Is a little bit more sane.
Posts: 9
|
Post by Skye Wylder on Oct 23, 2006 1:00:51 GMT -5
Skye returned the girl's smile. "You're welcome. And here," she replied, pulling the piece of parchment out of her pocket. She held it out, once again, for the girl to take.
"Oh, and I don't believe I've introduced myself. I'm Skye."
|
|
|
Post by Aurora Westmoreland on Oct 29, 2006 23:57:13 GMT -5
Now there was the introduction she'd been waiting for. Aurora gave a delicate smirk, easy-going and yet totally unreadable. There was no doubt she'd been waiting for the woman to start up the conversation though. She held out her own hand and took the parchment with a grace she'd managed to revive within herself. Aurora then swiftly placed the troubling little sheet back into her coat pocket, the winds making her shiver slightly but she refused to look in any way weak to this other person.
She nodded to Skye's introduction and whipped her head a bit to get the damp silken strands away from her face, "You can call me Rory. Now, I have a ship nearby. Care to come along?" She, of course, needed to head back for a change of clothes. But it really didn't matter if the woman wanted to tag along or not. It made no difference, she just wanted to be polite- the well-bred woman inside of her winning over the more brash aspect of her.
|
|
Skye Wylder
Swabby
...Is a little bit more sane.
Posts: 9
|
Post by Skye Wylder on Oct 30, 2006 17:53:04 GMT -5
"Okay, sure," Skye replied. The wind changed direction, blowing directly into her face, and started to pick up. She felt goose bumps spread across her bare legs, and her wet shoes made a squinch-type noise as she took a step back. Something seemed odd. Skye looked out to the horizon and saw huge, dark thunderheads in the distance.
"Oh, there's a storm coming." She blinked. Well, it wasn't like Beasychra was known for its pleasant weather--quite the contrary, it was rather abnormal for it to have been sunny at all. They still had ten to fifteen minutes before the first waves of rain would hit, but it was still a good idea to get to Rory's ship soon.
|
|
|
Post by Aurora Westmoreland on Nov 2, 2006 14:29:24 GMT -5
Aurora bit back a cutting remark. As today had taken an unexpected turn from her intial planning, she found that her mood was becoming quite foul and she didn't want to seem that way to her supposed guest. She quietly lead the way back to her ship, a beautiful light-weight type that could hold itself when there were strong winds but at the same time fly with the breeze when she intended it to. The deck had been newly polished and the broken wood planks had been replaced. It was a mere fact; Aurora Westmoreland prized two more things with as much pride as her looks, and that was her sword and her ship- her long-time companions ever since she'd decided to become a bounty huntress.
Placing a hand on the railing, she turned to Skye and informed her that she would go and change in to something dry while she would leave it to other woman to guard the ship for the time being. "If you see any odd looking chits trying to get on board, you'd best give me a holler." She smirked, "Unless, of course, you find that you may take them on yourself." She dared Skye to make her own comment on what would have appeared to be a near insult to the woman's appearance. In actuality though, Aurora deemed this her way of testing the woman for she preferred being in the company of strong individuals and not ones who came to her for help for everything.
|
|
Skye Wylder
Swabby
...Is a little bit more sane.
Posts: 9
|
Post by Skye Wylder on Nov 2, 2006 20:20:42 GMT -5
Skye glanced around the ship as Rory led her in. It was pretty nice--not exactly grandiose, but Skye felt like it had a proud vibe to it. Clearly, the owner of the ship took great care of it. The thing that stood out the most was the deck, which was almost gleaming. She felt a bit guilty for walking on it with her wet and semi-dirty shoes, and made sure to tread as lightly as she could.
Rory mentioned something about going to change, and leaving her to "guard" the ship. Skye heard the hint of disbelief in Rory's voice, a sort of 'If you think you can, anyway' comment. Clearly, the girl had her doubts as to whether Skye was actually capable of anything. She also seemed to be in a generally ill mood. Well, they were on an island infamous for its cutthroat pirates and fierce mercenaries. It was actually more likely than not that somebody would try to board the ship. How would they go about it? Walking in the front door didn't seem very piratey. Perhaps they would catapult themselves through the windows one at a time? Possibly. What else could you send with a catapult? Hmm, coconuts. Skye mentally flicked herself on the forehead as she realized that her mind had wandered and returned to the rather one-sided conversation.
"Unless, of course, you find that you may take them on yourself." Rory smirked. Skye assumed that she had been talking about any potential "invaders," and was once again, trying to see if Skye was as useless as she appeared.
She supposed that she should say something witty then, to show Rory that she was capable taking care of herself without insulting the girl. However, Skye was never big on witty repartee.
"No need to worry, I'll call for you if more than twenty show up. I wouldn't want you to miss all the fun," she replied with a relaxed smile. It was a cliched thing to say, but seemed right nevertheless. Skye was not by any means gung-ho, and she would be happier if nobody at all showed up, but Rory seemed to be the opposite. Plus, it wasn't too much of an exaggeration--she knew that anybody that tried to come onboard would likely be inebriated to some extent, so Skye felt that she would indeed be fine. She always had her knife if things got really bad.
|
|
|
Post by Aurora Westmoreland on Nov 4, 2006 9:44:43 GMT -5
Nodding her approval, Aurora left the main deck in what she assumed were safe hands and walked down to where the hold would have been. Skye Wylder... a most interesting person indeed, she mused to herself as she pulled off her soaked dress and tights. She dug through her closet for a few seconds and came up with an almost exact replica of her earlier attire, only this one was fashioned in a more violet color rather than black. Across from her stood a magnificently carved mirror, angels with large heavenly wings framing the structure. It was her one and only memoir of the days she'd spent with Arthur, and this was a gift she hadn't left behind all those years ago when she'd decided to run away from her home- the home that she had learned to love and yet despise at the same time.
Aurora drew her hand out to trace the letterings just below her reflection. They spelled out, "to my darling daughter" and she bitterly smiled. If only those words were the truth... She checked her hair and found that it was drying up, however slow the pace was. Satisfied, she almost unconsciously surveyed her surroundings. The ship was a contradiction in a way to most other ships. Normally, the captain's cabin would have located at the end of the ship just below the quarter deck. But she specifically had it built beneath the main deck, where she was certain most pirates wouldn't look if they did end up trying to rob her.
"Are you hungry, Wylder? If so, then there's still some food left in the pantry." Aurora called out as she stepped on top of a stool and opened up the hatch. She then pointed towards the forecastle where sure enough, her kitchen was located.
|
|