#mariie

She was always going to die, but she didn't expect it to go like this.

He reached her cell. Oh fuck.

He stopped, reaching into his pocket, pulling out a set of keys. He took the one marked with a short length of rust-fuchsia yarn and opened her door, walking inside and closing it.

He grinned. "HellO, Magenta."

Mariie looked at the floor, biting back a sneer.

"What, nOt gOnna talk? SupriSed with yOu. LaSt time yOu were SO ready tO fight back."

Mariie muttered under her breath. "My name's not Magenta~" 

Her mouth was cottony and dry from disuse, but she got the words out anyways.

He laughed. "What waS that?"

Mariie looked him in the eyes. "My name's not Magenta~"

"RegardleSS Of whether Or nOt it'S yOur name, it fitS well enOugh fOr me! RuSt and fuchSia make a dirty little cuSp called Magenta."

She looked at the floor, studying the same bricks she had looked at every day she spent in this dirty cell. "Get on with it~ Please~ Talking to me like this is pointless, and you know it~"

She was begging and she was, unfortunately, rather aware of it. Her captor chuckled. He moved too quickly for her eyes to follow, and suddenly she was staring down the barrel of a pistol.

His voice was far too joyous for this situation. "I get paid if I bring yOu tO the empire either way, so give me One gOOd reaSOn why I ShOuldn't kill yOu!"

Mariie swallowed, trying to think of something he would accept. Did she even want him to not kill her? Her emotions were on high right now and they were far too confusing to figure out right now and the clock is ticking fuck he could shoot her at any moment what should she do what should she do what-

"I could help you~"

The words were out of her mouth before she even realized she was speaking.

He cracked a grin, but the gun wavered. Just a tiny bit, she wouldn't have noticed if she wasn't paying attention to the most minute things. It could've just been him unable to hold the gun perfectly still, but Mariie chose to take it as a ray of hope, "Help me. YOu want tO help me? What are yOu even Offering tO help me with?"

"ARe you looking foR someone? I'm an Ok detective, I leaRned hOw tO find peOple when I wORked as a messengeR. OR maybe I could help the cook? I lived on my own when I was a wRiggleR and leaRned how to cook, I'm suRe I could help!"

She was rambling, but stopped, looking at the ground. She was dead. At least she had tried to save herself.

The silence was deafening.

When would he pull the trigger?

She heard a click, and the sound of the rushing sea outside. Seagulls cawed, and if she lisbustletened closely she could hear the creaking of rope on deck, and the bustle of the crew hard at work.

She dared to look up, and her captor was looking at her with the most peculiar expression, putting the gun in his coat pocket. The click must've been the safety. She couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

Mariie wasn't sure if she even wanted to know. 

"Of couRse, I'd do whateveR you'd like, siR~"

She looked down again. Maybe showing weakness and cowardice would help? Or it could do the opposite and make him think she was useless and better off dead. She had no clue.

She had no clue on a lot of things, on this ship.

"HOw did yOu knOw I waS lOOking fOr SOmeOne?"

She looked up, eyes wild. She had done something right by the captain, for once. Maybe she wouldn't die tonight.

"I didn't, but-"

"Sybile PrOhey. An acquaintance Of mine'S ex-mateSprit, purple-viOlet cuSpblOOd. KnOw her?"

Mariie winced. She hadn't heard of her, making this a lose-lose scenario. Tell the truth, he might get upset and kill her. Lie, and get in trouble later on and get killed then. 

"No~ I'm soRRy~"

Mariie hugged her knees to her chest, closing her eyes and hiding her face. She felt six sweeps old again, ready for death at every turn, in every alleyway and every abandoned hive.

She never did learn the captain's name.

She felt something tilting her chin up, and she opened her eyes.

The captain had his gun to her throat, forcing her to look at him. There was no mirth in his face, just a shrewd, calculating glare. Mariie took small solace in that the gun was still on safety, but that meant nothing. The switch was easy to flick quickly. Shooting her would take less that five seconds, given the position she was in. On her knees, powerless, staring down the angel of death who was not as merciful as she had been lead to believe.

"YOu're nOt cOmpletely uSeleSS. YOu cOuld fetch me a lOt Of mOney if I turned yOu intO the empire. I'd get mOre if I turned yOu in alive, but nOt enOugh tO make me nOt bOther killing yOu. HOwever, yOu might knOw SOmethingS yOu aren't letting On." 

"I don't, I sweaR, I've-"

Her face was shoved upwards by the gun, as the captain turned to leave. Shutting the door behind him, he turned back and grinned.

He had never looked more like a shark.

"I'll cOme back again SOOn~ I can Only imagine it getS lOnely dOwn here."