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29 posts
PLAYED BY ALTER
Human
Vice Admiral of the Rhoda Navy!
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Post by Alois Altair on Jul 15, 2014 22:35:35 GMT
The winds blew gently through the busy port town, as the people were active and happy, crowding the streets with life, noise, and smiles. The market just outside of the docking area was the very epitome of this activity. People were buying goods and greeting family fresh back from the high seas. That included many of Alois' crewmen.
Alois, however, opted to remain alone, simply enjoying the nice day and cool, gentle breeze. It was truly lovely. The Vice Admiral had changed out of his uniform before even leaving the ship, opting instead for a casual pair of black pants, and loose white shirt. His hair, as well, was allowed to roam free. It wasn't pushed back like it would be in uniform, but instead draped down and parted at his face. As opposed to his usual white gloves, Alois' hands were uncovered, revealing the surprisingly soft hands normally kept hidden.
The Navy man had found himself an outdoor cafe of some kind, just outside the hustle and bustle of the market, and away from the activity on the docks, and ordered a tea. As the sweet, light green liquid passed through Alois' lips and quenched his thirst, he found his mind wandering a bit. The memories of earlier in the day played up in his mind again as he glanced at his silver pocket, held with care in his left hand, eyeing the time he had left until he was meant to set sail again...
The bustling port was even more busy than usual as Alois' crew departed his three ships, The Typhoon, Maelstrom, and Tsunami. His direct subordinate had been reporting to him the activities that would be undertaken while at port, such as restocking food and ammunition. "Have it done within 6 hours," Alois recalled his declaration.
The memories finished playing themselves out, just as Alois caught eye of a Navy seaman giving trouble to some local market-going lady. He seemed to be getting rather forceful, prompting a sigh from Alois... Even if he wasn't a member of Alois' crew, as a Vice Admiral, it was still Alois' responsibility to ensure the Navy acted proper. The tall, well-built Alois stood from his seat, and moved somberly toward the increasingly dire situation before him. The seaman had begun to grab at the local lady, which immediately rubbed Alois the wrong way. Cur... How can one handle a lady like that? Alois seethed a bit internally, but did his best to keep it buried away.
As he drew on the seaman, he grasped the arm used to harass the poor woman. "Step away, seaman." Alois demanded as calmly as he could, ripping the arm away and pushing the man back. The seam was outrage, his face immediately twisting in anger. "The hell do ya think you-" the seaman paused as his eyes recognized the face of the man before him, and widened as his peanut sized brain began to figure out what would happen to him if he fought... "S-Sorry, sir! Ma'am!" came the abrupt apology. Alois simply nodded, his hands moving to fix the loose white shirt which had been ruffled a moment ago. The seaman scurried off as the lady he was accosting thanked Alois. "Thank you," she began, before grinning, "I was afraid I'd have to knock him out myself!"
With a chuckle, Alois waved to the woman and began to walk back to his seat. She certainly had some fire... Alois was internally appreciative of that. There were few things he hated more than grown adults whining like children. As he drew closer, Alois removed his pocket watch again and glanced at the time. It seemed his still had a little over an hour left... What to do with that time, he wondered? As the Vice Admiral sat back down, he noticed a ship set in without flags, and his face grimaced. He immediately knew the ship was unregistered, and that it was likely a pirate vessel, but as he only had an hour to relax, he decided it wasn't worth investigating. Instead of worrying, he decided to simply lift his tea cup once again and sip another drink of his tea.
"This really is good tea..."
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31 posts
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Human
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Post by Pridham Collett on Jul 16, 2014 15:55:19 GMT
801  i can barely survive a night in my mindTwo weeks. While Pridham and her crew had remained out at seas for longer than that before, she had found herself not entirely prepared for the accosting weather that would occur, battering against her sails, ship, and nearly causing the loss of a crewmen who hadn't properly tied himself down. Likewise, an attack on her ship had only made for a much more irritating travel. Her ship was a bit battered, her flag torn, and honestly, when Rhoda's land had become visible in the distance, Pridham had wanted to sigh in relief and finally go below deck and put her feet up. The wind in her hair and the salt spray on her face, instead Pridham remained above deck, leaning on the edge of the railing of her ship and waiting for the sailing master to pull them into dock. Honestly, though, this wouldn't be nearly as simple as pulling in, however. Her eyes, warily, gazed at the other ships in the port. Now, that didn't put her mind at ease.
Navy.
There had been a time when her mother and father had almost pushed her to go into something of the sort. From the moment she could understand what the sea was, Pridham was wanting to go on the ship with her father, wanted to follow his morals, wanting to help others. She wanted to make a change in the world! Innocence and young energy had spurred her on, but when her father and mother had suggested, briefly, that maybe the rogue life wasn't for her, Pridham had almost vehemently disagreed. It had reminded her too much of what the lives of some of the other kids around her were like. She wanted none of that. She was a rule breaker, not a rule setter! If it hadn't been for her father, her mother might have argued it more. Instead, the subject had been left behind.
Yet one of the woes of being on an unregistered ship was you automatically got labeled a pirate, and the amount of times that she had seen a navy ship approaching her from a distance, expecting pirating and murder, was too many. Pridham was the opposite. She was out on the seas helping in the slightly morally wrong ways that other wouldn't. That didn't mean that she wanted to deal with any fights or arguments, though, and often she'd turn tail and run. Her ship, after all, was fast.
Most of whoever was in these docks didn't seem to be paying much attention to her ship, however, and thus Pridham, and a sea wary crew, began to unload various supplies, looking more like a vessel for transport than anything else. Drinks would be made tonight, and hopefully her crew would have the sense not to tangle where they weren't suppose to. She, rationally, wanted some nice, quiet downtime. Odd for the usually fiery woman, but her hair was a mess of tangles and hardened sea spray around her face, she'd ran out of string to tie her hair back and the wire she'd been using had fallen out, and her clothing were looking particularly mismatched today. Her sword and pistol were the exception. She always cared for those specially. Swiping some hair away from her shoulder, Pridham finally managed to depart her ship.
Curiosity killed the cat, though, or so they say. She wasn't on the docks for long, and near a particular cafe a moment later, when she heard a particularly disgruntled seamen, "Got intercepted by that officer while playin' with some lass--" Pridham doubted he had been acting particularly playful, or that the lass had been up to it, for that matter, if an officer had gotten involved, but it did get her curiosity riled up, especially when the name of said cafe crossed the men's lips, her hands twirling an orange as she waited for them to move on. It was until they were gone when half lidded eyes turned down the street towards where she thought said cafe was. She liked that particular one, and it couldn't hurt to scope out just who from the navy was here, right? She still had duties as a captain, after all.
So, when her eyes lightened on the officer, and the particular drink in his hand, her hand waved the server over briefly. She'd take something stronger. A coffee would do, just to warm up the sea chill in her bones. It wasn't until the first sip had passed her lips that she, briefly wondering what she herself was playing at, approached, just catching his last words, "I'll cover the next cup for yah, then." A playful, if tired grin graced her lips, "With the navy, then, you are. Heard some rowdy looking seamen talking about a troublesome officer down the road."
don't they remind you of just how feeble we are? |
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1 Explored Lands
29 posts
PLAYED BY ALTER
Human
Vice Admiral of the Rhoda Navy!
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Post by Alois Altair on Jul 16, 2014 22:13:23 GMT
Alois had thoroughly enjoyed his sip of tea, and immediately after his last remark, he heard a voice seem to respond to him. The Navy officer glanced around briefly, looking for the source, spotting a rather familiar looking face walking his way. In the brief moments allotted to him before she arrived, Alois' bright blue eyes studied the woman fervently. They had stopped on her face, curiously taking in every single detail of it in the hopes of triggering some memory, some image within his mind to recall who she was.
I've seen her face before... But where?
A man of lesser integrity would likely assume her some dock dolphin, but Alois never partook in such...activities. And just as well, he could also plainly see she was a sailor. Wait, Alois had a thought, that perhaps he knew her from the Navy? That was possible. She wasn't from his crew, but she seemed a bit older than a fresh faced sea-goer, so perhaps he knew her from his days as a non-commissioned officer? "Much obliged, Ma'am." Alois politely responded to her offer to buy his next cup of tea. He gave a brief, thankful bow of his head. Alois knew it would have been rude to refuse, especially when offered by a lady.
"I am," Alois responded to the woman's remark about him being in the Navy. While he was out of uniform, it was hardly unusual for people to recognize him anyway. He was relatively famous after all, "And it is my duty to ensure the men of the Navy act respectably," he paused for a moment, closing his eyes to think, and forming an ever so faint smile at the corners of his mouth, "Though I am pleased to admit that none in my crews would ever behave in such a way."
Why does her face seem so familiar...? Perhaps a name would jog my memory. That would be an excellent place to start.
After setting his tea down and opening his eyes to the woman once again, Alois stood from his seat carefully, offering his hand to the woman. His loose white shirt drooped down around his collar, revealing the tips of a scar or two as they did so. "My apologies, it was rude not to introduce myself. My name is Alois Altair, Vice Admiral of the Rhoda Naval Forces, and Commodore of the Typhoon, Maelstrom, and Tsunami." He glanced to her, curious, obviously hinting that he wished to learn her name as well.
After his introduction, Alois waved his free hand invitingly to the seat across from where he sat, "If you wouldn't mind, it would be my pleasure to enjoy this fine day with you for a time. Please, I insist." The young Vice Admiral smiled politely at the sailor woman, eagerly awaiting an answer, showing that very emotion welling in his expressive, bright blue eyes as they looked upon the woman.
Perhaps this way, I'll learn something about her. |
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31 posts
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Post by Pridham Collett on Jul 22, 2014 15:51:32 GMT
fickle prid muse is fickle i can barely survive a night in my mindDid he know her from somewheres? Pridham was nowheres shy to being analyzed or inspected. She had a bit of a way of trying to make it so that her presence, when she walked into a room, caught notice from others. Wasn't always successful, but there was no part of her that walked around with her head down and her shoulders hunched. She wanted to be recognized for who and what she was, whether by the gun at her belt, her ships flag, or even just the type of drink that she preferred. As a Collett, she had a certain pride, and a family name to keep up.
Which very well may have been what he recognized in her. Her father had been a well enough known man, with his early death leaving a hole in her world. He had been no stranger to talking to others, explaining situations, drinking along, and bringing home strangers that her mother had tsked her tongue at, but no less been welcome to observing a game of cards with. Pridham couldn't say for when his ship was out, but she had peered around enough corners, and as she got older began to talk to them. Her own eyes scanned Alois's face, recalling his features with the sort of dim memory that may have meant they had met before, and maybe no. Either way, he was a navyman, and that intrigued her.
If he had refused, she likely would have done it anyway. Once her own cup of coffee, seeing as she had a taste for something stronger than any watered down grass, was handed over, she felt more comfortable with the cup gripped between her hands, the heat soaking into skin that held the chill of an east wind and too long on the sea. There was a certain way the navy held themselves, not to mention the ships she had spotted and what had been said on the streets, that left her in the know. Not to mention, that inkling of recognition on her behalf that left her rather confused. A half smirk rose on her face, "Mine neither, or I hope. There's a certain discipline I expect on my ship, though nothing too strict." Too strict would lose you crew when half of them were out for a bit of adventure anyway.
"Pleasure, Alois. I believe I spotted a number of your ships. Beautiful vessels." The half smirk didn't fall, as it usually never did. He was certainly expressive, and she found herself already enjoying his company. Rowdy, loud, and often speaking when she should keep her mouth shut, Pridham could fit into the pirate world easily enough, but there was a certain something about talking to someone like this that compelled her to, in fact, take his invitation, pulling the chair free and sitting with a cross her legs and a sip of her coffee, as dark eye inspected him over the rim until she spoke.
"The names Collett. Pridham Collett. Captain of Athena's Pride, I prefer policing the seas without the restrictions of the Navy. No offence intended, of course." She was no idiot. She enjoyed a taste of treasure hunting, and some would categorize her a pirate because of her ways, but honestly, she was a sailor and a captain first, and she wasn't about to go throwing the pirate word out with a navy man if he didn't inquire first. Her cup set down, and her chin rested on the curled fingers of her hand, "So no fancy 'Vice Admiral' titles for me, 'officer'," A playful wink in good nature.
don't they remind you of just how feeble we are? |
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1 Explored Lands
29 posts
PLAYED BY ALTER
Human
Vice Admiral of the Rhoda Navy!
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Post by Alois Altair on Jul 25, 2014 15:20:26 GMT
"Here, here," Alois responded to Pridham's disciplinary comment, knowing full well the value of a loyal crew. Generally, any within his crew would gladly die for him, and he would do the same, but there were always those few who had trouble falling in line. Although Alois knew the danger of being lenient as well, he decided to keep comments about that to himself to avoid spoiling the moment.
His bright blue eyes drew to his tea as he took another sip, before placing it back down on the little plate it was brought to him on. There was still plenty in it, so he likely wouldn't be needing that refill any time soon. As Pridham mentioned his ships, Alois nodded. "Thank you. They're the pride of Rhoda. The first three of a new class of ships designed to dominate the seas. At twice the size and thrice as armed as any other ship, they're quite beautiful." Alois chuckled lightly, almost ironically, as he felt what his ships were being used for was actually an enormous waste of their potential. Instead of hunting and destroying criminals, they were used to chase over sized animals...
As Pridham introduced herself, Alois finally realized just where he recalled her face. "Ah, I see," he quietly stated in realization. As she relaxed, Alois glanced to her face. His sharp eyes absorbed as much of how she carried herself as he could, having now come to realize who she was. He'd need to learn as much about her as possible to validate his source of info. "None taken," Alois responded plainly. As Pridham spoke up again, Alois felt a playful jab in his direction. While she might not have meant to come off as insulting as she did, she had done so nevertheless. But Alois was hardly one to get wrapped up in others' words. It was unfitting of a proper gentleman, so he let it slide and kept himself completely composed. His face showed no signs of emotion, as they rarely ever did so anyway.
"Just as well," Alois began, a certain tint of smugness buried in his tone, "Becoming a Vice Admiral is something you have to earn. It comes from blood, but not the kind you're born with." Alois' tone grew grim, and a bit deeper than he had intended it to, as his words continued to flow seamlessly, "It's the kind of blood you spill."
Realizing just how he had begun to sound, Alois tried to pull himself back, and recomposed himself by brushing a hand through his hair, pushing it back and setting it in the way he wore it while in uniform. After his hair was appropriately set, he folded both of his hands together and rested them on the table, looking forward to Pridham and giving her his undivided attention. "Perhaps I shouldn't have gotten into that subject," he began with a quiet chuckle. "So, Miss Collett. When you first approached, I thought I recognized you, but after hearing your name I realized I do know you. Or at least, I know your face and name." Alois gestured his head in a soft nod toward the Naval Headquarters, which was an immaculately decorated building which loomed over all other buildings in the port. "As a Vice Admiral, I'm given reports and knowledge on many pirates or other outlaws at sea. They say you're a vigilante, but not really a priority to kill or capture. I can see that's true for myself now."
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