Field, Hannah

Her famous ‘look’ usually made even the bravest pirates shake in their boots, but it didn’t discourage him one bit, not after being on the receiving end of it for years, instead, he simply flashed her his usual grin. “ So, that’s the secret ingredient in your vile headache tonics’? Why am I not surprise you enjoy watching us suffer through your drink after we foolishly drink our senses away? “ How often had he forced himself to down the seemingly magical cure after a night of drinking? “ Wait… “ He paused for a moment. “ Please tell me you have any other way of getting coca? I would rather not have to be without it for too long, no matter how disgusting it is. “

“I’m too old to get drunk off my own ass anymore, I need to amuse myself somehow. One day, if you’re very good and I’m right on the threshold of death’s door, I’ll tell you the recipe.” Shaking the dust off that had been gathering at the hem of her skirt, Hannah fiddled with the clasp of her basket, considering her options. “Yes yes, I’m sure I can find somewhere else to get it. God forbid I make you suffer the consequences of your own decisions for a few days,” Something in his tone sunk in, and she gave him an appraising stare, “though by the looks of you, you could probably do with a life lesson.”

“Ohhh, I love a good gambling problem. That usually means they’re in debt, and the people they owe money to are always looking to get paid…or get revenge.” Jax grinned wide, his teeth glinting in the bright sunlight “Hmm…well, we’ll definitely be here a few weeks at the least. I have a few leads on where we should head next for our…big score, but after what we ran into last time, I want to make sure there aren’t any big surprises. We may end up here a little longer than usual. What sort of old friends would you track down? Anyone useful?”

“If we’re planning on picking up petty enforcement jobs in between more interesting work, just let me know, I’m sure there are plenty of poor souls ripe for it.” The crowded streets thinned as they got closer to the less busy shopfronts, and Hannah took a moment to enjoy the relative lack of jabbing elbows and people in her personal space. “Probably not useful, no, not for your purposes. Very useful for my purposes, but those are somewhat... smaller scale.” How did one tactfully tell your superior officer you were seeing what old flames might be accessible and available? “I’ll keep an ear out, though, see if there’s anyone looking for a ship.”

“Perhaps you are right, knowing my luck, I would ingest it and then be forever in your debt for saving my life.” Again. Jasper moved through the throng of people as he spoke to the doctor making sure she didn’t get to far from him. He wasn’t the strongest of the men and knew she could probably beat him in an arm wrestling match any day but he could still try to keep her safe as they went into the darker parts of the port. “I can help you find the coca. What do you do with that?” The cook asked curiously. He couldn’t imagine what his favorite sweet could do with medicine. 

“Best not to test anyone’s skills too much on that front, and avoid the possibility altogether. If nothing else, to avoid the side effects of treating a poisoning. It’s rather messy.” Hannah tucked her arm into the crook of the cook’s as the crowds started to thin, however marginally, and matched her pace to his longer stride. As often as they were thrown together, by necessity or just the practicality of keeping the least combative of the crew in one place, it was easy to fall in step. “It’s versatile, really, keeps the energy up, eases pain, helps with pretty much everything. Farmers chew the leaves to keep them alert and awake, so I keep it around for the night watch, pain relief, things like that.”

If there was one place on the ship Lyra always avoided going, it was the infirmary. Human medicine was terrifying and, to Lyra’s eyes, seemed more likely to kill a person than cure them, so it had only ever been under duress that Jax had managed to get through the doctor’s door. Watching the woman now, Lyra was never more sure that was the right decision, even with her current ailment.

She was sitting in the shade nearby, eating a sweet bun she’d purchased from one of the vendors, openly staring at Hannah like she was putting on a show. When she rounded on the musician, her eyes widened, and she swallowed the bite she had been chewing. “Isn’t hemlock poisonous? I think we might be better off taking our chances,” she shrugged, her voice still raspy, she gave an involuntary cough as the words scraped out of her throat.

It was a rare moment when Hannah felt chastened, and she collected herself down out of her snit to avoid making herself look any more foolish or fractious. The girl had already been through enough (though the captain was being irritatingly tight-lipped, so what “enough” was could be anyone’s guess). It probably wouldn’t have been any trouble to drag over a chair, but decided to lean against the wall instead, pulling her hat off and tugging at the loose knot of her hair.

“The dose makes the poison, Hemlock’s no different. It’s useful in small quantities if you’re careful and know what you’re doing. It’s useful in large quantities, frankly, if killing is what you’re aiming for, and you’re useless with a weapon.” Pausing, she pulled a moue of distaste, “That sounded more ghoulish than I intended, but I can’t for the life of me think of a better way to phrase it.”

Adeline raised a brow at Hannah’s wording for a moment, unable to hold back the burst of laughter that escaped her. “Golly, you make it sound so risqué. He was actually fairly helpful, and purely for the sake of changing the bandages, I can assure you,” she added, still rather amused with the suggestion. Of course, things had happened beyond that since, but the interaction in question was very simple. “Of course, you would probably have done a better job at re-dressing the wound than either of us, but I think you were seeing to Lyra at the time.” Looking at the buildings they were passing, she was able to retrace her steps from prior visits. “And I’d assume they have their own unique bits and bobs to set them apart, so you might be in luck for finding that coca you mentioned.”

Making a mental note to keep an eye out for anything salacious (out of friendly concern and a desire to be informed, of course), Hannah shrugged, “I probably would have, but I’m sure he did a fine job. You haven’t suddenly dropped dead of an infection, and that’s always a good sign.” As they turned a corner down a shaded street, Hannah kept an eye out for the signs of herbalists and the like, pictures of pestles up in the windows. or hanging over the street. “Thank you, by the way, I don’t think I’ve said it yet, but I appreciate the help and the company.”

Cruella: Something you really want but you aren’t allowed to have 

With dread written all over his face, Magni made his way through the crowded marketplace. The blinding sunlight stinging his eyes, and the loud chatter of the merchants did nothing to ease the hangover that threatened to split his head in two. Usually, after a long night of drinking and gambling in the Dragon’s Hoard and the Black Barnacle, he would stay in bed for as long as possible, lazing around until he would be forced to get up to plan their next journey. 

He was close to turning around in his step, making his way back to the rented room, when he heard the familiar voice of Hannah, arguing with the merchants. While he knew it was none of his business, he was still too curious to walk away. Eventually, he wasn’t able to hold his tongue. “ Coca? I’m pretty sure you’re messing with them, how are you going to save someone’s life using coca? “ He finally asked her with his usual shit-eating grin. Of course, he was only teasing her. He trusted her knowledge without a hesitation, but he also knew how much it irritated her whenever he doubted her medical skills, so he couldn’t stop himself from annoying her slightly.

Raising an eyebrow at Magni in a look that had terrified more than one anxious cabin-boy, Hannah abandoned her discussion with the new tenant of her dearly departed favorite place on earth (who quickly retreated to avoid another haranguing). “What do you think is in those ‘headache tonics’ everyone comes asking after when they were drinking ‘til the wee hours? I don’t make them just to watch people suffer the taste.” Smiling to herself, she shrugged, “Not that I don’t enjoy that too. The young ones at least have the excuse of not knowing their limits, it’s penance for people old enough to know better.”

“Fair point. We’re rather hopeless when it comes to that sort of thing. You should have seen me trying to fiddle with my bandages the other evening—Alarik had to help me before I injured myself further,” Adeline admitted with a brief laugh at the memory. She glanced back in the direction she’d pointed towards before nodding assuredly as she turned to Hannah once more. “Oh, of course. Here’s hoping my memory lives up to my seeming expectations for it. They were rather small places, so I’m not sure that they would have driven your friend out of his business, but they’d likely still be around.”

The fond but exasperated look that Hannah cast at her companion would probably freeze on her face eventually, it was amazing it hadn’t etched itself in the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes already. “You know you can always come to me if you need a hand with them, or anything else really. No need to throw yourself on the mercy of whoever happens to pass by.” The clatter of a cart interrupted her, and she took it as a sign to not ask any prying questions regarding the exact nature of said ‘help’, returning again to the task at hand. “Small is good, particularly small and long-lived. The best kinds of shops have been around for ages and look like nothing at first glance.”

Jasper was …well, Jasper was a walking accident it felt like. Since he joined three years ago he had fallen over the edge of the ship into the water, got burned, drug around by a werewolf…and that was just the past few months. He really tried to be a good pirate but he was just accident prone that’s all. So of course because of all this he grew close to Hannah knowing he owed her his life by now. 

“Come along,” the cook said with a motion of his head indicating that the doctor should follow him. “I may not be able to help you find everything you are looking for but thankfully we use a lot of the same ingredients.” He explained as he weaved his wave through the throng of people as Jasper lead the way. His height was an advantage as he moved his way heading to the spots he hunted his ingredients at. “I can help with coca but hemolock might be a bit harder to find…”

“It’s comforting that you don’t know where to find hemlock, I think, the less chance there is of it getting mixed up with a less dangerous herb, the better.” Hannah stuck close in the wake of the cook, tucking her basket in close to her chest to streamline herself out of the crowd. “There’s a few other things I need to pick up, but most of that I can find anywhere, so if you can help me find the coca I’d be grateful. And I’m happy to lend a hand at market, if you need it.”

“Good luck with that. Even if you could get anything to grow, I’m sure Jasper would commandeer a garden for kitchen purposes.” He kept up with Hannah’s pace, letting her lead guide him toward the other apothecary. He had no idea what sorts of things she needed, but it was always interesting to listen to. Jax only knew the basics of healing from all his years on the ship. Everything aside from minor burns and scratches was way above his head. “Oh, I can definitely stand there and look menacing. Do you have any good blackmail material? I’d love to hear it…you know, in case I need it for later.” As they turned the corner, Jax shrugged and nodded his head at someone from another crew that he recognized. “No, no. We’re going to be in the Port for a bit. I have plenty of time to do other things. Besides, what’s more important than making sure our doctor gets the supplies she needs? We’re an injury prone crew.”

“Fair point, I’d threaten to fight him but a knife is probably easier to use in battle than a bone saw.” The streets were crowded, as usual, and Hannah narrowly avoided being run over by a man with a barrel over one shoulder, which reminded her she’d need to pick up more whiskey while she could. “He’s got a bit of gambling problem, you know the type, thinks he’s a card shark but he’s more of a guppy.” Privately, Hannah doubted that the Captain was truly as blessed with free time as he claimed, but she wasn’t going to turn down the company. “Any news on how long ‘a bit’ is? I may find a project if we’re going to be here for more than a few weeks. Track down some old friends, make a few new ones.”

Peter Pan: Something from your childhood that you still love.

Nemo: Your bravest moment.

There was this monster of a man at a pub once, decided he “didn’t like the way my man was looking at him”. Took 15 minutes and a knife to get him to decide we were more trouble than we were worth. Learned how to tell if a man is useless, though, so that was worth something.

Aurora: Story of your first kiss

Boo: A childhood hero

There was a woman that lived near my parents inn, I was always convinced she was a witch, but she taught me the beginnings of healing and the best ways to dig clams, and those two things have served me well.

Ariel: Where do you think you belong, and why?

Dory: Something someone has told you that you can't forget (two good things and one bad)

"Fine, but you’d better stay out of the way and god help you if you upset Captain Woods!”

“The cloth one’s name is Mummy, and she’s smart and pretty, and the corn one is me, and we go on adventures together!”

“I can’t stop you going, but don’t expect me to be here, waiting and pining, when you come back.”

Eric: Have you ever helped a stranger? What happened.

Rapunzel: 5 things from your bucket list

Save a leg that “can’t” be saved. Or an arm, but a leg would be easier. Fewer little fussy things to worry about.

Visit my hometown again, to see if my family is still there and how my brothers are doing

See the tip of south america, maybe?

Deliver a baby at sea? It would be like doing so on land, but more exciting, I’m sure

Learn how to make a hat, specifically a nice wide-brimmed one

Merida: What are you most passionate about? 

Cinderella: "A dream is a wish your heart makes" What's that for you?

Better knees. And I’d like grandchildren, one day, or to meet them if they’re already out there wreaking havoc.

Tiana: A time you tried the hardest for something.

Jax chuckled. “Here at the Port, it’s very possible that he killed them to spite the competition.” Nothing would surprise him these days, especially after all they had been through in the past few months. Jax shoved his hands in his pockets and started wondering down the street. He wasn’t exactly sure where these competitors were, but he was sure that Hannah would lead him in the right direction. “Pshhh, I can handle a black eye. But if you need me to, I’ll make sure he lets you buy what you need. I can be very…persuasive.”

“One of these days I’m going to figure out how to keep a garden on deck, then I won’t have to rely on flighty merchants.” She wondered if the Captain had picked a direction on purpose, or if he’d just happened to start off in the direction she was planning to go, but it wouldn’t help to ask, so she pulled the brim of her hat lower over her face and set a more deliberate pace. “If you care to stand behind me and look vaguely menacing, I’m sure he’ll be amenable, the spineless little shit. Worst comes to worst, there’s always blackmail. Actually, are you sure you don’t need to be elsewhere? I’d hate to monopolize you for some errands.”