May the Father of Understanding Guide Us (Open)

The Admiral had heard the scuffle as soon as it made its way to the main deck. He'd heard a few key names, and knew full well that it was Elizabeth before he'd heard her properly, or the calls of the crew. He could've tried to get her captured and restrained, but if it went wrong it could lead to a bloodbath. He had to think for a bit, before coming to a decision.

"So long as she does no harm to anyone, let her be. Some cackling and screeching is a distraction, nothing more."

He looked at his helmsman, Garred Lockheart, and sighed softly as he saw the look of almost comedic pity on his face. Garred had been on Stodd's crew since before he was a captain, and the two got along quite well. And of course, Garred knew when Roger was annoyed.

"Let me guess. Some pirate from the gallows your fancied? You've always been a bizarre man like that, Roger. Picking up women from whatever little spot you can, be they Maroons, Natives, British, Spanish, be they old or young, pirate or imperial, even royal or peasant. I never picked for a lover of the loons, though."

Roger smirked and chuckled, looking up at the unknown pirate on the mast. He let out a low sigh and rubbed his forehead, groaning. He'd not told anyone on the ship that it was Elizabeth yet, though he was sure the spout of names had given something away.

"Oh, I saw her in the gaol. She was some saddened mother there, to see if her son was dead or not. Something of that nature. I'm taking her back to Inagua, and then... Well, then we'll see. She's nothing like Akua. Or Nkechi... Or Maria... Or... Look, she's just a woman. Nothing more."

The headsman nodded sarcastically, as he continued with his duty. The Admiral shook his head, craning back and looking at the woman, closing his eyes and thinking. If she did do anything dangerous... He motioned one of the men over to him, one that seemed a little more worn than the others, almost like a pirate.

"Get some ropes free, and be ready to use them to restrain her if the need arises. I'd prefer we avoid it, but she does have a sword... actually, try and get that off her first."

Elizabeth "Demon" Shay

"Come on, Captain. Let's get you to bed" Dawson said quietly as he cautiously approached the highly insane woman.
"Oh piss off, mate!" Dawson grabbed Elizabeth, and dragged her down to the brig.

"Look... If you keep acting like this, they're going to take Samuel's sword from you! Is that what you want?!" Elizabeth looked into Dawson's eyes, and hung her head.
"No, Shane. You're righ. That's not what I want." Dawson gently cupped Elizabeth's chin, and lifted her head so he could look into her eyes. Now that there was nobody to come between him and his Captain, he could finally claim the prize he had been chasing for so many years. Dawson pulled Elizabeth towards him, and kissed her passionately. While Elizabeth hesitated at first, it was not long before she eagerly returned the kiss, and gave him what she had denied him for all these years... Her body.

Once the whole affair had passed, Elizabeth pulled on her dress, and looked at Dawson.
"Remember..."
"I know. You're not mine, and probably never will be. Probably only a one-time event." Elizabeth smiled, and the two shared the bottle of rum Elizabeth had bought with her.

"Admiral, the... Woman? She won't be causing any trouble from now on" Dawson said calmly as he approached the Admiral. "She has offered to lock herself in the brig the next time she does anything like that." He played the part of a British officer .

Elizabeth had made her way back to her quarters, and threw herself onto her bed. When her head hit the pillow, she briefly nodded off. This was probably her at her absolute worst. Drunk, high, and the event with Dawson... Never would anyone expect Elizabeth to act out in such a way.

(Sweet christ I was delving far back in the past topics here (the forum) and Ember must have been in the Animus for a long time now.)

(Haha, yeah. I still need to fix up some things with various character apps of mine)

The Admiral nodded, rubbing his forehead softly and looking over the ship. It was moving well now, quite fast for what it was. Judging by where they were, he had to say it was going near nine knots. More than decent. He looked over to the British officer and raised his brow. He did seem unlike the others on his crew. And he had an uncanny ability with Elizabeth, it seemed.

"What's your name and rank, officer?"

The helmsman looked from Roger to the officer and shrugged. He had to assume that the Admiral was simply being anxious; after all, he'd just been the target of an attack at Port Royal. At least, that's what those who'd heard about it thought.

Shane Dawson

Dawson froze when he was asked for his rank. After all his years of sailing under Elizabeth's command, and posing as a British soldier in order to sneak past enemy lines, this was the first time he had been asked for a rank. He needed to think of something, and fast.
"Shane Dawson, Admiral. Gunner, quarterdeck division" Dawson said nervously. He was hoping the Admiral would believe him. If he was found out, he would surely be thrown into the brig, or killed. If he was found out, they would realise that the woman onboard was Elizabeth, the Demon of the Caribbean, and they would definitely kill her. No, he was going to stick around, and defend his captain.

Elizabeth "Demon/Satan" Shay

Elizabeth had passed out, eventually, and had fallen off of the bed. Even as she hit the floor, she was still fast asleep.

The Admiral turned, and walked over to Dawson. He stood looking at the man for some time, eyeing his movements. Any twitch, any movement of the eyes. He'd only dealt with a few spies on his ship before, and they'd all been Spanish; much easier to figure out when they failed to pronounce half of the words they had to say. He took a deep breath and stepped back.

"Very good. Headsman, keep true. We should be at Inagua by the end of tomorrow at this rate. If we happen to run int pirates of Spaniards, feel free to sink them. We've not really got the time to spare at this point."

Roger made his way off the deck, down to the doors to the cabins. That was when he stopped and walked back, looking up to the quarterdeck, calling out.

"Oh, and Gunner Dawson. I want to see you in my cabin in twenty minutes. I'd like to talk with you in private."

Roger stepped into the cabins and shut the door behind him, making way to his own, just below the officers hall. He shut the door behind him, taking a long deep breath, calming himself. A desk, a bed, a washroom, it was almost like a small house. These modern men-of-war were unbelievable with their capabilities, but then again they'd all become warships - there was less need for trade storage anymore. Less than two thirds of the ships entire area were reserved for storage, and most of those areas weren't even filled. Gunpowder, linen, wood, all the things you'd expect. The rest of the ship was reserved for the crew, the kitchens, all that stuff.

"Here I thought I'd be dead before I was the Admiral of a Man-of-War. I suppose my luck is starting to turn around."

He gave a quick thought to the pirate in his ship and sighed, rubbing his head. He'd gotten lucky, but it didn't seem he was making much smarter decisions than he used to.

Shane Dawson

Shane was actually a bit worried when the Admiral asked to speak with him. Had he been found out? Dawson shook his head, and made his way to Elizabeth's quarters.

Dawson stood there in front of Elizabeth's quarter. He was guarding her. He had just had his prize, but he still harboured feelings for her, and he wasn't going to let any harm come to his captain. Dawson had sailed with Elizabeth for around seven years, and he had grown to respect her, never mind love her.

"You wanted to speak with me, Admiral" Dawson asked nervously as he approached the Admiral.

Roger looked up from his desk at the young man and nodded, holding a hand out for him to sit; he held a quill in his hand, and he was writing something. Most who saw him would assume it was a letter, but those who knew him knew he would be writing random jargon. Stories, tales, battles, the typical garbage he enjoyed writing. He tucked the paper into his desk, and returned the quill to the ink pot, before looking the gunner across from his desk and smiling.

"When did you get on my ship? At Port Royal? Or perhaps sooner?"

He smiled softly, as he spoke. He wasn't in the mood for intimidation, not yet. He held his hands together before standing, his hands on the desk as he looked down, thinking of what to say next. He spoke calmly, softly, as he looked up at the man before him.

"You're not Spanish, you're not French, you're not even Dutch. Given my previous encounters, I'm going to have to say you're a pirate."

It was in his speaking he realised what else the man could be, something he'd be far less pleased about. Something he'd likely put down before it even left his room. He wondered what the man would look like in a white hooded robe. He then wondered what the man would look like hanging from the stern of his ship.

"If you're an assassin, I'm sorry to say you're not getting off when we dock at Inagua. You'll get off, surely, but not alive and not at land. I'll hang you and cut the rope as you're near dead, and watch you drown. You'd need to be a poor Assassin, though. No, I'm certain you're just some pirate; only they'd be able to mistake a gunner for someone who'd dress as an officer."

Roger raised his brow as he looked Dawson over, and nodded. If he wanted to kill the Admiral he'd likely have tried it by now. If he wanted to take over the ship, he'd likely have more men with him. There was only one other reason Roger could think of that would bring a man to his ship. And it wasn't a great reason. He sat down and sighed, rubbing his head.

"So. Let's see if I've put the pieces together. You're a pirate. One of Elizabeth's pirates. And you're here to... save her? Kill her? Protect her, perhaps?"

Shane Dawson

Dawson froze in fear when he realised that he had caught out.
"Guess the jig's up, innit" Dawson said with a laugh as he removed her hat, and ran his fingers through his dirty-blonde hair. "No, I'm not one of those hooded bastards. That's captain's thing." Dawson put his hat on again, and stretched before he leaned against the wall. The charming Shane Dawson had returned to his regular self. "You're smarter than ya look, mate. Had ya pegged as a real mopus. Aye, I'm 'ere ta watch o'er captain Shay. Just like I 'ave been for the past seven odd years." A devilish grin seemed to compliment Dawson's chiselled features. "Where she goes, I go. It's a matter of principle. Besides, captain's right vulnerable, and I'd rather try ta keep her from doing anything stupid."

Elizabeth "Demon/Satan" Shay

Elizabeth had woken up at some point, and had decided to work on something decent to wear. She had sewed a hood to Hornigold's coat, and was working on something to cover her face. Until it was finished, Elizabeth had to make do with the mask fashioned from a human skull. She had already made a long pair of spats from leather of an old coat.

After quite a while, Elizabeth's new outfit was finally finished. She had slightly modified Hornigold's coat to look more feminine, and she had modified her pants to resemble a pair of incredibly long spats. Elizabeth tied her hair into a bun, put on an elegant plain white full faced mask, and wrapped some fabric around her head and neck before she drew her hood. She tied an orange sash around her stomach, and smiled at her new disguise.

"Mhmm. I'm sure she gets involved in all sorts of stupid things."

He looked at the pirate with little to no respect. He almost looked disgusted; if anyone on the ship found out about him they'd investigate anyone new, they'd figure out Elizabeth, they'd put it together with Roger, and the entire operation would be damned.

"You're getting off once we're at Inagua. I can't have any loose ends here. I told Elizabeth, and she told all of you, that so long as you do not get into trouble you're safe. Impersonating an officer of the British Royal Navy could be met with execution. Being a pirate definitely could. If you're figured out on here, you're done for. Unless you intend to join us in attempting to outrun and outsmart Assassins and Templars, and the Royal Navy for a while, then you'd best be off. If you intend to risk your life and plunge Elizabeth further into insanity, then by all means, come with us. But you're going to be on my ship, and you're going to follow my orders, in that case. I'm not harbouring two pirates and getting nothing out of either."

Shane Dawson

"I personally don't care what side I'm on, Admiral. I'd be more than happy to enlist if that's the only way for me ta keep an eye on the captain." Dawson could hear someone making their way to the quarters, and he was ready to fight if said person was a threat. "Look, I can keep her relatively calm. If ya get rid of me, well... ya'll have to look after the captain on ya own, and pray to whatever gods ya believe in, that she don't kill ya in ya sleep. So I'll be staying, as a man in service of King George."

"What are you two going on about? And Stodd... What the hell do you mean by 'harbouring two pirates and getting nothing out of either'" Elizabeth asked coldly as she leaned against the doorframe, and crossed her arms. The way she was acting gave off a 'Devil may care less' attitude befitting of a woman known as the Demon, or Satan. The mask distorted her voice slightly to the point that it didn't even sound like Elizabeth's voice. There were a number of things she thought the Admiral could be referring to, but there was one idea that she kept returning to.
"Who the hell are ya?"
"Really, Shane? Have you forgotten me already" Elizabeth chuckled. "Well, Admiral, what did you mean?"

The Admiral clenched his fists, taking a deep breath as Elizabeth entered the room. She may have been wearing a mask, but she was the only female on this ship. He didn't expect his cabin boy to act like this; barging into his room without reason and calling him by his surname would get the boy beaten on most ships.

"I meant that you're going to help me when you are able. Until then, I'm your transport. I'm your protection form crown and king. I'm risking everything, and you're getting high and wandering around my ship spouting the names of your blasted pirate buddies! I know a few of them out there are already suspicious of who you are and why you're here. Add this... this, personal bodyguard into the mix, and we've got a powder keg. It just needs a spark and this whole plan goes under. And it's too late to put an end to it now."

Roger slumped back into his seat, rubbing his eyes with his fingers and looking up at Dawson, gesturing to the door.

"Stand outside. I want to talk with your captain in private."

Elizabeth "Demon/Satan" Shay

Elizabeth clenched her fists at the Admiral's words. She gave Dawson a nod and watched as he quickly fled the scene. Elizabeth quickly locked the door, and turned to face the Admiral. Her body trembled with rage, and she looked like she was ready to kill someone.
"Well excuse me for trying to medicate the pain of my loss, Admiral! I've had a really shit month if you haven't noticed, and I'm trying my bloody best to keep it together! I've lost a sister, a husband, and a child this month, so excuse me if I try to escape my pain for one fucking hour" Elizabeth growled loudly. "By Christ! I've almost died twice this month, died once, but by some miracle, I came back!" Elizabeth took a deep breath to calm herself, and perched herself on the end of a chair. "What is it that you wanted to talk about, Admiral" Elizabeth asked. She was still as mad as all hell, but she was starting to understand things from the Admiral's point of view.

Roger held back the desire to debate her and argue with her. It wasn't worth it, and she wasn't in the best mood it seemed. He leant forward and looked up at the pirate captain, now masquerading as a noble. It was a weird change of pace.

"Yes. That man of yours is a liability here. He doesn't know what he's doing. I'm sure he'd get by on another ship, but with the crew this big and the men this experienced, he'll be spotted in an instant. I want him off of this ship once we hit Inagua."

The Admiral leant back and closed his eyes, thinking of how to best word his next statement.

"Speaking of, I cannot keep us there for more than a day. I'll let you do whatever needs to be done, but in that time I need it all done. I intend to tell my crew everything - everything - once we're there. They're my crew, and they'll know a pirate when the chance arrives. He wasn't even dressed proper! He's lucky I pulled him down here! He'd be thrown overboard if found out, and they'd look for anyone else, and get you! Then I've got my head on a bloody chopping block! He's got to go. He says he'll join the Navy, but if you're not then he'll eventually desert with you by his side. He's just a bloody liability. You need to talk to him."

Roger groaned, his head in his hands. He'd thought this would be an easy job, and it was already getting hard. Once the assassins and Templars got involved, it'd only get worse. He rubbed his face and let out a long sigh, looking up at her for a while before speaking.

"We're going to need to figure out why you're here as well. I've told them you're being escorted to Inagua, but that wont explain you getting back on the ship."

Damian was sitting on the couch in the sanctuary at Ingua - they had been there for a few days, now. Damian had grown more and more distant - he expected to be able to save Elizabeth, there where the entire hanging was supposed to happen. But no, they gained another enemy it seemed - a very, very, very dangerous enemy. He stood up, and stomped on the ground, where a square space of floor board opened - leading to the Cellar. Damian promptly fell down there, after grabbing his mug, and began to pour a drink, sitting at the lantern-lit table. God, he hoped that it was all just a trick on Elizabeth's part.

Elizabeth "Demon/Satan" Shay

"Christ" Elizabeth moaned as a gloved hand snaked beneath her mask, and rubbed her eyes. "Alright, I'll get him to leave." Elizabeth wasn't too happy about having to leave one of her men behind, that there wouldn't be a friendly face to talk to during her travels. "As for how I will be getting back onto this ship... I am? I was? Well there's the whole Assassin thing. Any way you look at it, I'm one of the best when it comes to sneaking around, breaking into places, and working in the shadows in general." Elizabeth was one of the best at what she did, and she loved working under the cover of darkness. "I'll go out wearing that dress, then sneak back on dressed as so" Elizabeth said as she gestured to her outfit. She sat in silence as she thought of ideas as to what she would do. "Or you could always say I'm your guard? Torres has El Tiburón, so I'll act as something similar." Elizabeth lowered her hood, removed the cloth that had her hair, and took off her mask. Her hair was clean and shinning, the blood and dirt had been washed from her flesh, and she smelt clean once again. "Keep in mind, with Dawson gone, things will be different. Any man that comes within five feet of me will be considered an immediate threat to my safety, and I will not hesitate to defend myself. If any man tries to take me by force, I'll rip his bloody throat out with my bare hands. Do you understand?" It was clear that Elizabeth meant what she said. "When we get to Inagua, I'll go and bury my husband, and say farewell to my crocodile, Sentinel. I trust I can at least do that on my own? No guards. I mean it. You have my word that I will return, and I won't cause any trouble for you and your men." Elizabeth drew her hood, and unlocked the door. She was starting to feel less safe with every second she spent on the ship. Now that Dawson wouldn't be around to keep an eye on her, she would probably end up staying in the brig.

Tiago Da Silva

Morgana had been drinking since she reached Inagua, and she had no intention of stopping anytime soon. Even Tiago had drowned his sorrows one night, and he suffered for it the following morning. However, he still found himself drawn to whatever alcohol he could get his hands on. He had even been pinching bottles of alcohol from the tavern.
"I can't believe she's gone. I always thought a Tartaruga would live forever" Tiago said as he grabbed a bottle of mead, and pulled up a seat near Damian. He had a rather grim look about him, much like one would have at a wake. Tiago had taken to crying in secret as he didn't want anyone to think of him as weak. "Master Donnelly... Samuel... He's gone too. Saw some Assassins get him." Tiago poured himself a glass of mead, and stared into the golden-amber liquid. "Do you feel it too? All empty inside?"

"Aye." Said Damian, drinking a bit more. "If it weren't for Arabella, I'd've given up already." He remembered talking with Elizabeth - telling her his plans, on where him and Arabella were to be married back home, in Scotland. But then, the battle happened, and now... everything has changed. "I was planning on a big wedding, mine and Arabella's, back home in Scotland." He took another drink, and said, "Elizabeth was gonna be there... Sam, too... hells, everybody here that was a friend." He grinned a bit, and said, "We'd even make ya the ring boy, if William - my Brother-In-Law's son - is old enough by the time we get there."

Tiago Da Silva

"A shame about that. At least I'll still be there for the two of you. Plus it'll give me a chance to see those famous Scottish horses. Some of the strongest in the world if I remember correctly." Tiago poured himself another glass of mead and stared into the fine crystal glass. "Ah Tabai seems terrified of this new enemy of ours. He refuses to talk about them with me. Have you heard anything about it?"

"These are my men. As said, they'll know everything by the time you get back on. If they go near you, they'll know what awaits them. You, me, and the rest of the crew. Some of these men fear returning home more than death, and that's what I'll give them if need be."

He couldn't help but admire her newly cleaned hair. It looked far better than it had - he laughed to himself when he thought about her preference to sit in the brigs. Lord knows she'd smell like shit by now if that had happened, let alone look the part.

"You'll have no escort. Inagua is a small island, and Matthew Town is it's only true harbour. The only other way off is by rowboat. I trust you wont resort to that. You'll be able to do everything you want, but if you run you wont be lucky enough to get what you've got now. Remember that."

Roger watched as Elizabeth made to leave, before standing up and walking to one of his nearby lockers. He searched through the chest for a moment, before pulling out a long green bottle, with a fine liquid rolling around in it. He walked over to her and handed her the bottle.

"Madeira fortified wine, Portugese. Barely five years old. It's not much, but it'll do what alcohol does best."

He stood there for a moment, wondering if he should speak. He wanted to say a fair bit, but he simply wasn't sure what good it could do; she didn't trust him, and he didn't trust her. Anything he said wouldn't matter in the end. He took a long deep breath, and decided to go for it.

"I'm sure you've heard about me and mister Whitehorn. He and I had a fling a few years back, while in London. I've not entertained the idea beyond that, but he has. Quite a bit. He thought it romance, I thought it an escape. A few years before that, I'd decided to go back home to reconnect. My mother, my brothers, and most important my fiancée of nearly ten years. I went back, and the whole place was in tatters. Buildings were gone, foundations remained. People wandered around, poor and scavenging. It was a fishing village, you see, and a group of pirates had come by and blown the place apart. My mother was dead, my love was dead, and three of my brothers gone with them. Aidan, my youngest brother, was the only one who lived through it, and he'd gone deaf from the event and mute from the shock. He's in my home in London now. I've watched men I know and care for die on a constant basis on these ships, fighting Spanish, French, Pirates, any and all. The worst thing is, I've always known the men they fight are the same as them, fighting for their home, and for their beliefs."

He cleared his throat, standing up straight and returning to a more formal position. He'd never spoken that story to any but Daniel, and he wasn't entirely sure why he was saying it now. He supposed he just wanted her to trust him at this point.

"Don't think you're the only person who loses people, Elizabeth. We're in an era of fighting and death. You've lost those you love, but you shouldn't remember them by getting off your fucking head. Do them the honour they deserve. Bury your husband, and pay all respects you need. They live on through you. Let them live on proud."

(Ugh, accidentally deleted everythin.  Long story short, Elizabeth apologised to the Admiral for his loss, expressed her desire for a world with balance, arrived at Inagua, buried her husband, and she is now wearing her Templar disguise as she sits with her crocodile, Sentinel)

(Yeah, when I saw Ember I was just
ಠ_ಠ)

(Haha, yeah)

Elizabeth "Demon/Satan" Shay

"Christ, I need a drink" Elizabeth chuckled before she made her way inside.
She opened the hatch that led to the cellar, and proceeded to examine the bottles of alcohol as quietly as possible since she heard she wasn't the only one in the cellar.

Damian saw the visitor enter the cellar - a female frame, much shorter than the average male's. He drew his sword, and said, "First the British... now Thieves... Givin' ya twenty seconds to explain yer self." He turned his head toward Tiago, and nudged his head to the corner of the cellar. Damian was confident he had this intruder controlled.

Elizabeth "Demon/Satan" Shay

Elizabeth froze upon hearing the voice of a friend. She soon laughed like a crazed Demon, and turned to face Damian.
"My, don't you look intimidating" Elizabeth chuckled; her voice was heavily distorted by the mask. She calmly approached Damian, and walked around him as her hand rested on the hilt of Samuel's sword.