drink up me hearties, yo ho

The words were blunt, but beneath them lay the weight of care he rarely put plain. He leaned a little closer, elbows braced on his knees. “As for me? Still afloat. Still star gazing.... The sea and sky've seen fit not to forsake me yet. I'm not very good at blending in. Not like some can.” A ghost of a grin followed, dry as salt. “Walking these decks feels steadier than the dry land lately.” He let the quiet settle a beat, eyes resting on her rather than the books. “Glad to see you, too, Klio. More than you think.”

"Aye, hence why I'm an Archivist for this crew," she chuckled. For all her life, she hadn't wanted for anything. There'd been no need for her to find a job to earn her wage; with the Aslanbey family money, she could fund anything and everything she wanted to do and learn. And oh, was there much she wanted to learn. All her life, she read each and any book she could get her hands on while hiring the best tutors that could come to Mardin from across the globe. It was with much great luck that she'd been able to obtain all the learning and develop critical thinking skills for herself. Fixing up cups for Doone and herself, Klio sighed softly at his words. "I know," she mused and held out a tulip glass full of tea before continuing, "I the same for you. With the brig break-in not too long back, I would not be surprised should there be more of the crown's men on our shores soon."

"We were there for a jailbreak," he said. "A few of our colleagues got taken while we were enroute to Norway, and brought to the jail in Edinburgh. We weren't inconspicious, meaning we got their attention far before we got within city bounds. We made sure a few of us actually presented themselves at the gates, while the rest was smuggled in. We were already doing a jailbreak, it would not be so bad to have a few on the inside to help us," he said. "This was before the Oathbreaker, it would've been nice to have a few soldiers in our ranks who were actual locals."

Klio to a moment to carefully glance around with her eyes. The woman relaxed slightly more at the confirmation that there still weren't any from the Harbinger around. The last thing that needed to happen was someone from the crew spotting the two talking and wondering if she was turning her back on them. While she knew that could never be the case, she still feared the dare that she could lose them all. Especially should her secret be made known to them.

He leaned closer as well, she was listening and he knew that some stories were even better when intimately told. “We did not,” he admitted, a sly smile on his face. “No tools, no map, nothing but a man who was native to the land, and the determination to free our friends. If not for the towns and churches we crossed on the way, we might not have made it to Edinburgh. Of course, the locals weren’t happy to see us. We were a special lot. One of us so tall he could not fit through the doorway of a small church without bending his head, the other so small people almost mistook him for a child if not for the burly beard and the crude jokes. We were dangerous, but we found that if we remained kind and generous, nobody would stop us from slowly making our march through the mist to the city.”

Perhaps, in another life, the rivalries between ships would be nonexistent. Perhaps they could simply be pirates and let others be pirates. No rivals, no arguments, no lies. It would all be uncomplicated. But that wasn't life, now was it? Maybe, for a world like that to exist, their war against the British would've been won. Or perhaps that was the answer: the war with the British was mutual with all the ships. One day, an alliance could be fulfilled. And maybe there wouldn't be the need for secrecy.

Who: Klio @ap1ratesl1fe

Doone moved through the Harbinger's decks with the respectful silence of a man entering someone elses place of worship. No need to speak loud here. He found Klio below, in the belly of the vessel where parchment rustled like wind through reeds and the scent of ink and salt hung heavy in the still air. Doone offered a small nod. Just enough to say he wasn’t here by accident, but not enough to disrupt the quiet sanctity she kept around her work.

“Didn’t mean to interrupt,” he said, voice low but even. “Thought I’d trade the city for something steadier. Maybe see what your ink’s been whispering lately.” He crossed the floor slow, sure-footed despite the unfamiliar creak of her timbers, and pulled the small, weathered book from his coat. Bound in rough oilskin and worn at the corners, it looked unremarkable. But when he placed it on her desk, his fingers lingered for just a breath longer than necessary. “Updated the cipher. Just in case.” His eyes met hers, steady and serious beneath the flicker of lamplight. “Figured you ought to have the key.”

The edge of a smile threatened, not quite reaching his mouth. “You’re the only one I’d trust not to ruin the margins.” No reason to explain why he felt the need to update the cipher, or why he was worried about making sure she had it now instead of later. He waited. Willing to speak more, if she asked. Or wait for her to pick the next topic.

For weeks Klio has made her presence scarce on the island. Hiding away mainly in either her abode within an apartment above a shop or onboard the Harbinger. There were times in which she has needed to go into the Shambles Market for food and other necessities. But, fortunately, she has been able to afford to remain hidden for the most part. She wasn't sure if her part in breaking Arthur free from the brig had been made known or not. But the Archivist certainly wasn't going to try and gain that knowledge. Not when it could cost her her life.

Aboard the ship, she had been updating some documents when she heard someone make their presence known. Her hand had hovered over her pistol as she looked. Sighing with relief that it was Doone instead of a bloody redcoat. "You're more than good," she mused. Moving her hand away while turning to give him her full attention. Her gaze cascaded down on the cipher, her fingertips tracing the edges while her eyes moved up to him. Her lips moving into a small smile. "Thank you. I'll use this knowledge wisely."

vidar simply looked at klio, trying to understand whatever it is she was feeling. for him, love was a concept he never truly understood. a weakness that he didn't get why so many people had while at the same time never feeling what one's supposed to feel. this... situation between anika and klio was a prime example why he was glad that his heart is cold as ice to that feeling, an unnecessary distraction at the time where they cannot effort to have any. so really, vidar didn't really care why anika left, he cared that his crewmember is distracted with things that in his point of view, should come second to what they're going through at the moment. "no distractions." it wasn't quite a command but rather an advice. "it cause blindness." truth, because when's focused on one thing, they cannot see their surroundings.

Klio smiled happily. The Harbinger captain was a stoic man. Being able to see moments like this out of him was a joy that could not be properly expressed. It felt good to be able to bring out such a side of him. After all these years, it felt as if the trust they've been building together was truly coming to bloom wonderfully.

His pistol lowered, slow, and deliberate. His words came before he could stop them, heat and grief slamming together in his chest like clashing steel. “I’ll decide when I put the damn pistol down. For all I know, you’re here to rat us all out and take advantage of a ship without a captain. You belong to rivaling parties, if you remember.” It was harsh. Maybe too harsh. But tonight, Elijah had no room left for soft edges or diplomacy. Arthur was set for the rope, and every second wasted was another second the gallows stood unchallenged.

Still, her lips trembled. Her voice cracked. And gods help him, it hurt. She looked how turbulent he felt on the inside. His sigh was rough, buried behind the heel of his palm as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Helping me, huh?” he muttered, voice thick with exhaustion and disbelief. He stepped toward her then, measured but close. Close enough to see the storm behind her eyes. No longer watching only the woman who would slip from Arthur’s quarters under veil of shadow. No longer trying to simpy ignore how complicated the man’s heart might have become. Just… watching her now. Real. Raw. Willing to drown someone for his captain. He’d lost his brother already. It had nearly broken him. He wouldn’t survive losing Arthur too.

“Fine,” he said, gruffly. “But promise me you’ll not break down on me if we find… find something we do not like. I can’t have any collateral. He wouldn’t forgive me.” With a breath, he turned from her and moved back to the table, gesturing at the scattered explosives and tools with a grim nod. “We do not have all night to plot away but aye, there are a few weak points in the brig. Something with a little blasting power can crumble in seconds, without much of a risk of collapse.” His eyes flicked up to meet hers again, now sharper, more focused. “It’s not my first break out. But in case anything goes wrong…” He picked up a powder charge, turning it over in his hand with something like reverence...and rage.

"I am not your enemy here!" she snapped. She watched him, silently, as she tried to rein back in her temper. Clearing her throat, she took in a deep breath before letting it go. "We are from rival crews, yes. For that alone, I should not be here. My loyalty is to Vidar and to my crew." All of this was true. If she was a different person, under different circumstances, she would not have even showed her face around the ship. She would've been focusing on protecting her own skin, along with her crew's. If she was as smart as she claimed to be, she should be doing that.

And yet... Klio shook her head. "But he is my greatest of friends," she admitted, her voice growing soft. "I can't... I cannot sit back and do nothing, Elijah. Not when it concerns Arthur. I..." I love him. The words died on her lips. She couldn't say them to the man and have the words become twisted. After all, she loves and cares for each and every person close to her heart. There's nothing she wouldn't do for them. Yet Arthur... Surely it couldn't be more than that. No, it wouldn't be. It cannot be. It will not be.

Her breathing was shaky before she cleared her throat. "Yes," the Archivist nods. "In whatever way possible, I am here to help you get him out. He doesn't deserve to die." Bloodcoat Brock deserved a long, happy life. One full of adventure and laughter where a smile never leaves his handsome face. And if she can help assure that, then she will do anything to do so.

If we find... find something we do not life. She hadn't want to imagine them potentially finding Arthur hurt or... or dead. Dark eyes glistened with tears at the image in her mind, but so too did rage and determination. Swallowing back thickly, her nod was firm and convinced. "You have my word." She would stay strong. For Arthur. She would not break until after they've gotten him far away from the brig and out of harm's way. And they will get him out of there—alive. Klio was certain of it. She believed in it fiercely and with her entire heart that Arthur Brock was still alive and that they will be the ones to return his freedom to him.

“You have? I’m glad to hear that hearing one has given you the taste for more.” He leaned his chin on his hands and grinned. “This one happened ten years ago, before my time with the Oathbreakers, when one of my crew got captured by the Crown and brought to a prison in Edinburgh. We sailed under cover of night and landed a day’s walk from the city. It was cold and rainy and mist was keeping our ship concealed,” he said. “Have you ever been anywhere the mist is so thick that the only way to move through it is to hold onto a lamp?”

To wish to have a friendship with the Ironhand before her was perhaps ludicrous. After all, she was already treading on dangerous waters with her relationship with Arthur. Should she develop any more with anyone else on his crew, then surely Vidar was bound to learn sooner or later. It killed her having to keep such secrets from the man. Her captain gave her a home after the Oathbreaker had destroyed her family during a mutiny. This was the greatest betrayal and she knew it.

She simply could not stop, though. Nor, if she was being honest with herself, did she want to.

he tilted his head, that wasn't the answer he was expecting. he sometimes liked to hear his crew's opinions about situations, because sometimes they can see things that he simply cannot so vidar expected klio to come up with a least a base but maybe she wasn't ready, it wasn't her job to think about these type of solutions anyway. slightly disappointed but he paid it no mind. "several, harbinger comes first though." he answered truthfully, because taking care of his crew was always a priority, attacking the crown or even working together with their allies will have to wait until they're properly ready.

"Hey, now." While her words were a warning, her tone was light and her lips were in a smile. After all these years, it still felt good to be able to see Vidar's more playful side. Which was incredibly subtle, like his smiles. Yet they were shown from time to time. She wondered if he felt good in moments such as this. If they made him happy. She truly hope so. All she wanted was for her crewmates to bask in pure, unadulterated happiness. It was what they deserve. "Unless you are prepared to have your ass destroyed, I would be more than glad to play a game with you sometime."

If there was one person on this island who Celia could call a friend, then she knew that it was Klio. It was just admitting that, which was her problem. The pair could argue like cat and dog but that was half of the fun - at least Celia thought so. The only relationship she had which was even remotely similar was the one that she had with her brother.

"I will take it away from you if you're not careful." Celia huffed with a roll of her eyes. A smirk slipped onto her lips as Klio continued, "Now that I will not say no to." A drink was probably one of the few luxury's that could still be afforded. And she would never complain if it meant that she got to see her old friends at the tavern. "For over half the price? Well, colour me impressed." She laughed, nodding her head. While some people had decided to barter, Celia stole what she could. Hardly anyone saw her coming. It was almost like she had trained most of her life for this.

Beaming at Celia, she took a dramatically big bite of the fruit. Making a whole show of eating it and humming in delight. "Oh, no! I have eaten a bite," she mused after she swallowed. Holding out the apple back to her friend with a shit-eating grin. "I take it you're going to take it back now?"

Their banter has always been one of her favourite things about their relationship. Even when she was pretending (or not pretending) to be annoyed with the other, they were able to bite back at each other and know that it was all filled with respect for one another at the end of the day. There wasn't many people that she held that sort of relationship with. Nor any other that she would want such a friendship. "Then, let's be on our way. I've officially figured out which stock is still good, so we should be pleased." Klio beamed brightly. "It's magnificent, I am ready to give the book the love and respect it deserves. It is going to be the crowning jewel of my collection." And she already had quite an impressive collection.

Elijah’s hands moved with methodical fury, wrenching open the weapon lockers. His pack already half-full with gunpowder, flint, wire, and steel. A seemed like outside a hint of a storm brewed beyond the harbor, but it was nothing compared to the one building behind his ribs. His brow glistened with sweat that wasn’t from the heat. Arthur. The gallows. Early morning.

He couldn’t think too long on it. If he stopped moving, he might break something... or someone. The pistol holsters were tight, worn from use. He’d need one for the gate, one for whoever held the keys. Maybe a third for the face of the bastard who’d whispered to the Charter dogs. Elijah’s jaw was clenched so tight it ached. Cowards. Traitors. Rats. His captain, the only man who he'd ever considered close to kinness, was shackled and set for execution while some spineless fool walked free. He would not let it stand.

He reached for the flintlock that had saved his life at sea a dozen times before. His hand brushing its polished grip just as footsteps scuffed behind him. Too light, too graceful for any pirate of the Oathbreaker. The moment twisted sharp and cold in his chest. He turned hard, pistol already drawn and leveled in a single, practiced breath. And there she was. Klio.

His eyes narrowed, storm-grey and unflinching as the barrel of his gun tracked her step. “Wrong fucking room,” Elijah growled, voice low and dangerous. “Unless you came to hand me the name of the bastard who sold him out.” His finger curled near the trigger. Not enough to fire, not yet, but enough to make a point. “Why are you here, Klio?” His gaze didn’t leave her. He didn’t have time for riddles or lovers’ games. Not tonight. “Say what you’ve come to say. Or move. I’ve got a captain to drag out from under the noose.”

Arthur was taken. The moment she heard those words, she couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She couldn't move. Arthur had been taken to the gallows to be executed in the early morning. Someone had told. Someone always tells. And an amalgamation of emotions rushed through her being. Anger. Rage. Wrath. But above all, she felt fear. She was terrified that she was about to lose the one most consistent person in her life. That she was about to lose her best friend. That she was about to lose the man who gave her justice and helped her family's memory to lay in peace. That she was about to lose the man who has given her solace countless of times these past five years and has returned to her life this past month.

No. No, she refused to lose him to the gallows. She refused to witness his execution when he still had such a long life to live. Arthur Brock was meant to go down in history as a great man and an extraordinary pirate; he was not meant to face the gallows at five-and-thirty. Not if she had anything to do with it. First thing's first: she was going to kill the rat who snitched. Fortunately, that had been rather easy: he had been at the tavern, all but boasting about what he done.

He was lucky that none of the Oathbreakers were there to listen to his boasts. He was unlucky that Arthur's lover was there, listening, watching. He was unlucky that he got away from his friends, drunkenly stumbling to the beach. He was unlucky that she followed him and strangled him with her bare hands, then buried his face in the sand as the tide washed over him. He was unlucky to have died choking on sand and salt water while his blood flowed into the sea.

"What, you're curious to know what it would be like to be loved by me?" he asked with a smirk, though it was being used to cover how shook he was feeling at the revelation he was in the midst of having through this conversation. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to, for the first time since we met, disappoint you, my dear. The truth is, it's not all that different from the treatment that you're used to from me." It was an honest answer, but she could never know what motivated that honesty.

No, he was definitely decided on that. As much as the idea of telling her the truth felt like it could be a relief, Arthur wasn't stupid; he had already had the thought that it was likely that her prolonged absence from his bed had been caused by another individual entering her life, and even if she was here now, he wasn't naive enough to think that meant she had chosen him; it just meant that the one she had chosen had not yet chosen her. He couldn't see that continuing forever, which meant that neither would they.

Love was something Klio always hoped to have one day. Granted, she expected it in a way that was not common for people outside of her culture. And yet, she had always been excited for it to happen to her. She's read plenty of stories, swoon over many poems, and daydreamed over the folk songs she's heard over the years. For as long as she could remember, she had dreamt that it would be hers. So when she finally realized she was in love and had it ripped from her unexpectedly... She had to admit: part of her has began to fear love. Part of her has worried that love wasn't meant for her. Part of her has wondered if due to her new life if she was being punished by Allah for it.

What she wouldn't admit was that she often wondered if when she was with Arthur, if this could be what it's like to be loved by the man. To be wanted by someone whole-heartedly. Of course, she was not naive to believe that the Oathbreaker captain would want her heart and soul as he does her body. They were much too good of friends for her to believe such a notion. But... after everything that happened and how her trust in Anika has waivered, she suppose it did not hurt to wonder. Even just for a moment. So listening to his answer, her heart fluttered. And she smiled. "Then I suppose being loved by you would be perfection," she stated. Running her fingers through his fiery curls while looking back into eyes the colour of the sea.

One day, Arthur would find the woman who was meant for him. One day, he would have the greatest love and cherish it with all his heart. One day, he would have the life he dreamt of, perhaps with a family to call his own. And Klio would be happy for him. She would be ecstatic, of course, to see her longest friendship receive the happiness that he so greatly deserve. As for right now, however, she was in his bed. She was feeling his skin against her lips and his lips against her skin. Giving each other a moment of pure, unadulterated bliss after he spent some time in that wretched cell.

She almost lost him. Now she was ready to show him just how terrified she'd been to have almost lived a life without him in it.

their bodies intertwined, casting shadows in the hush of moonlight — silhouettes were finally in union again and anika could have sworn their hearts were beating in synchronicity. there had been a hole in anika's heart that was immediately filled when klio held her. the echos of grief that had haunted anika the past weeks seemed to fade away as a symphony of bliss washed over her. she knew things wouldn't be seamless, she knew she had kept secrets and vanished with no warning, she knew she'd have to work to earn klio's trust. but, this moment was real. klio was in anika's arms again, her life seemed complete. the pulse had returned to anika's heart, her universe finally aligned. the tears falling down her cheeks were a storm of both regret and happiness. but, oh the happiness would always win.

as she gazed into klio's eyes, every memory came rushing back. their nights spent tangled up together, klio's name on her lips like a poem. the way her fingers used to trace constellations across klio's skin. the guilt weighed heavy in her chest, but there was something stronger fighting its way up — relief and a fragile kind of hope. "i'm so sorry," anika sobbed again, knowing no amount of apologies would make up for what she'd done.

but love, love coursed through her veins.

Would she ever be able to trust Anika again? Could there ever come a time where she could look at her or think about her and not have her heart ache with memory of how broken she was to lose her for a moment? Yasemin wasn't sure. She could not say for certain if such a future could happen. But... she wished for it. She desperately wished for it more than she could possibly say. She wanted to be able to trust her again. She wanted to be able to look at her and have her heart ache with happiness and joy, not brokenness and fear. For almost a year, she has loved Anika with her entire heart. She has spoken her words with actions more than words, but could that have been part of the reason why things went wrong? Should she have told her about her heart's greatest desire sooner? Could everything have been avoidable had she spoken up sooner?

The knowledge was forbidden and oh, how she despised that. But, maybe it was also a kindness for her to not know. For if she gained such wisdom, she would never forgive herself for not expressing her heart to the siren when she should have. And Allah knows if that could make everything worse or not. At least now, at least tonight, they could be together again. Tomorrow... was another story to tell. One that she was ready to ignore awhile longer.

She was ready to give the woman who owned her heart everything possible tonight. To live in a dream with her after a month of nightmares.

vidar huffed in amusement and it nearly showed on his face. "don't get caught on a lie." he went with the joke easily, feeling good at the banter between himself and his crewmate, he blockade has done nothing but give him a headache this past couple of days, they needed to figure out a way to stop it before even the smugglers won't be able to help them. "i know." he nodded and turned to look at her and suddenly his curiosity took over. "how would you stop the blockade?" vidar asked quietly, he had a few ideas of his own but it would be interesting to know what his archivist thought about the situation.

With how unpredictable everything was, she knew that she needed to be cautious. To look after not just her own skin, but those of her crewmates. To ensure that no one ended up hurt or worse because of something such as haggling over rum or arguing with a smuggler. She knew that she would not forgive herself if anything were to happen to anyone from the Harbinger. Snickering, she smiled up at Vidar. "As the island's reigning queen of backgammon, I promise not to get caught on a lie," she bantered soft-heartedly.