The pub

[ganuaile]

Grace O'Malley's eyes lit up with delight when she saw the hand-lettered sign hanging above the door, welcoming visitors to the establishment. Pushing open the door, Grace stepped inside. Narrowing her eyes in the dim lighting, she stared around, taking in the wooden tables and chairs which were scattered about the room. Threading her way through the crowd, Grace approached the counter. The smell of bread and ale hung thick in the air, making her mouth water. She'd forgotten how long it had been since she'd had a good meal. Soup and hardtack got old. Quickly. Clearing her throat, almost shouting to be heard above the general roar, Grace placed her order and counted out the rest of her coins. Satisfied that the bar maid had heard her, she scanned the room until she found an empty table. Striding over, Grace sat down to await her food.

[Rascal]

Artemis slithered through the door just before it shut. Rascal hit the wooden entrance as it swung closed in her face, but opened it none the less. The snake wormed her way around the feet of drunk and partially sober pirates, her tongue flicking in and out of her jaws madly, trying to separate all of the scents in the air. Then she found the one she was looking for and slithered up the leg of the table and rested upon its surface, her head raised to Grace and her tail flicking back and forth. Rascal rolled her eyes. Stupid snake. She had learned that from Marie, who had learned it from a dog. But snakes weren't meant to wag their tails. "You're pathetic." Alice hissed and finally picked up the pesky serpent. But Artemis wouldn't go. She tried to slither back towards the table, impossible to hold onto. So Rascal dropped her on the wooden surface angrily.

"Not so rough." Artemis complained. "That hurt."

"It's your own fault." Rascal murmured.

[ganuaile]

Grace's eyes grew wide when she saw the snake on the table. "Well what're you doing here?" As she reached to pick up the snake, Grace saw another hand reach down. It was the trading girl from earlier. Grace glanced up; smiled. "Well it seems your little friend has slithered away from you," she remarked. Her amusment escelated as the snake crawled back toward the table, resisting the girl's efforts at capturing it. "Seems it has a mind of its own," Grace remarked. She chuckled to herself, throughoughly enjoying the whole specticle.

[Rascal]

"Little friend indeed." Rascal sneered, glaring at Artemis. She scooped her up and held her upside down by her tail.

"Put me down!" she hissed, baring her fangs. She hated being upside down.

"You wouldn't dare bite me."

"No." she said in defeat.

"Dead snake." Rascal commanded.

"That's so embarassing..."

"Dead snake." Alice said again, warning in her voice. Reluctantly, Artemis let her entire body fall limp and closed her eyes, as if she truly was dead. "Good." Rascal said, satisfied, and set her down on the table again. Then she looked up at Grace and apologized. "Sorry to disturb you." She looked towards the door longingly, but knew that if she tried to leave, Artemis would fight it. And she couldn't leave her snake in the bar all alone with all these drunks. One wrong step and it'd be bye-bye squished snake.

[ganuaile]

"That's alright," Grace replied. "I should be heading down to the docks soon. The rest of my crew is arriving today." She glanced around the crowded pub, finally spotting the girl bringing her lunch. Sighing with pleasure, Grace took the proffered bowl and cup from the girl, set them down on the table, and tipped the waitress. Turning her attention back to the trader irl and her snake, she said, 'You're welcome to join me if you like. I'm Captain Grace O'Malley, by the bye." She held out her hand.

[Rascal]

She looked around nervously. This was different for her, to actually be treated kindly, and to treat others with the same manner. Cautiously, she shook the woman's hand. "Rascal Hood." she returned with her own name. "And this little pest here," she nodded her head towards the snake, "is Artemis." She took a seat, stroking the serpent's red-and-silver-striped head. "You're not from here?" she questioned. "You have an accent."

[ganuaile]

Grace chuckled at the girl's question. "Aye,. My crew and myself hail from Ireland originally. We found this place in our travels. And yourself?" Grace paused in her conversation to eat her stew. Swallowing several mouthfulls in quick succession, Grace finished her soup. After devouring her bread she turned her attention to the mug of ale. Polishing off the bread, Grace drained the mug and set it back on the table. Wiping her mouth on her sleeve, she turned her attention back to the girl in front of her. Now that she was full, she could better focus on her new companion.

[Rascal]

"Cutlass was my home, once." she said. "Now it is simply where my house is." Rascal watched in amazement as the Pirate ate her meal in less than two minutes. She had never seen someone eat that fast. "What's Ireland?" Rascal asked. Young and very much uneducated beyond reading and writing, she had no idea the lands beyond the Kingdoms and neighboring regions.

[elphiethegood]

Cathleene O'Teal sighed with relief when she finally reached the pub. Exhausted, frustrustrated and in need of food and drink, Cathleene made her way inside, blinking in the sudden diminess. Shed been searching for her Captain and friend Grace O'Malley for the better part of an hour, after the two had gotten seperated while walking around the town. Cathleene slowly opened her eyes, watching as blurs of peope shot past her. She then made her way over to an empty table and collapsed into it. But no sooner had sat down that she heard her name. Turning, she watched as a figure walked toward her and realized after a moment it was indeed Grace. Cathleene leapt from her seat, her eyes wiled with frustration. "I have been wandering around this town looking for you for the past hour," she said.

[ganuaile]

Grace's eyes flashed and she gritted her teeth, balling her hands into fists. "And what have I told you about that tongue of yours, Miss O'Teal? You'll keep it civil or not at all." She glared sternley at her newest recruit. "And as for where I was, is it my responsibility to go reporting my whereabouts to you? I'm the captain, not yourself, and I'll do and go when and where I please." She folded her arms, still scowling. "Are we quite clear on that?"

[elphiethegood]

Cathleene kept the scowl fixed on her face. "Yes, Catapin," she said but kept her tone flat, her eyes narrowing into slits as she continued to stare at the woman pirate. She was not going to be told what to do. Not by someone who was barely older than she. Standing, Cathleene walked over to the bar and ordered herself some food. She then slumped down into the seat beside Grace as she waited for her food and she did not make eye contact with the Captain but kept her arms folded, her gaze fixed straight ahead. She was not going to back down.

[ganuaile]

Grace matched her glower. "You'll have to forgive my crewmate here," she said, jerking her head toward Cathleene. "She's young and in want of proper manners." Fixing her gaze upon Cathleene's slumped form, Grace cleared her throat. "And as for yourself, I'll thank you to stop acting the child. If you're old enough to be on my ship, you're old enough to behave properly and respect your captain without going into a sulk every time I correct you about something. If you can't handle a bit of critism then perhaps you should find yourself another occupation." She turned her attention back to Rascal. "And as to your question, Ireland is another country. Miss O'Teal hails from there as well. Its several month's journey to the west of here. And yourself, Miss Hood? Where do you and Artimes hail from?" Grace leaned back in her chair while she waited for the other girl's answer.

[Rascal]

Rascal watched the whole dispute. Interesting, she thought sarcastically to herself. Morefighting. How lovely.

Artemis, however, saw it differently. Completely ignoring the angry attitudes of the two pirates, she slithered toward the newcomer to greet her.

Rascal rolled her eyes. Her snake was unstoppable. Always so damn happy and friendly. Couldn't she just be a normal serpent for once and be mean and depressed, as Rascal was? This was ridicules. Alice assumed that this new pirate must not be a Siren either, considering the fact that she had addressed the first woman as 'Captain'. Then she listened to the Captain's speech, chuckling when she accused the other of being a child.

"Artemis and I come from the Kingdom of Serpents. Cutlass is our town." she said. "But the Sirens rule it now, so we don't exactly 'hail' it." she snarled with disgust and turned to spit on the floor as if just saying their names made her sick.

[elphiethegood]

Cathleene jumped to her feet so fast the chair she'd been sitting in toppled over and she cut her eyes to the snake. "Now look what I've done," she shouted to no one in partiuclar, indicating to her clothes, which were now soaked with the water she had spilled. Grabbing up the satchel she'd been carrying, she muttered something to Grace and stalked off, leaving her chair and food untouched. Grace would give her a lashing for sure but she didn't care. She was not young! She was of sixteen and did not need anyone telling he what to do! Cathleene stole a glance behind her, looking at the pub, preparin herself for another one of Grace's lectures. And this time she would not stand there and take it. No one, Captain or not, was going to tell Cathleene O'Teal what to do.

[ganuaile]

Grace made her apologies to Rascal and hurried out of the pub after her errant crewmember. She could not remember the last time she'd been this angry at someone. After all the chances she'd given that girl, taken her on against her better judgement and this was how she was repaid. 'This is the last time I let strays and orphans onto my ship,' she thought, grimly striding down the street. "Miss O'Teal," she shouted, running to catch up with the girl. "I have a few wrods to say to you." She held up a hand in an effort to keep the girl from moving. "I am your captain and you will stand there and listen to what I have to say? Do I make myself clear?"