November in a Pirate's Life - OPEN

[not_most_days]

Who: Mary Read and OPEN
Where: Aqures Ixen, Aerilon
When: Throughout November when not otherwise occupied with Shadows
Summary: Mary mulls things over in Aqures Ixen and then goes to check on things in Aerilon
Warnings: N/A

Ever since the spree of mind control murders and the death of Zelda, Mary had been laying low in her own particular way. She'd mostly done her work through contacts and mostly had kept her time around as James Kidd to a minimum. After all, he was the one implicated in some of the murders and kept an eye on by the police. Mary Read had a minimum of heat on her by comparison. The incident of the Night of Thirteen Moogles hadn't helped that much, but at least that was a clearer case of unique circumstances.

But something had to be done, and she had to get back to work. She had Bonnie deliver some letters to members of the Assassin's Guild to organize a meeting. She'd want to speak with them before she went back to Aerilon.



1) Out and About - Early November - Around Aqures Ixen - (OPEN) - Both Mary and Bonnie could be found as they went about their business prior to the meeting. Mary was visiting her usual contacts around the pubs and airports, trying to gather what information she could about the state of things now that the Crystalization was receding. It would be easier to get about once more and she no longer needed to make plans to evacuate Aerilon, but that didn't mean that the world was back to the way it was. People needed protection, even if the threat was from monsters more than the Empire now. She'd need information if they were to do their part.

Bonnie on the other hand was busy with her letter deliveries, and as usual she decided to mix her own Assassin Training into it. The little hooded fluffball ran the rooftops, slid under market stands, stabbed a few melons and otherwise made a cute nuisance of herself as she puttered her way around town.




2) A Meeting - Early November - House A-05 - (Semi closed to Assassin Guild members, but others can stumble in with good cause) - It was convenient that Saori and Mary were living together now. They could use their home as a place to hold meetings and discuss plans freely. This meeting was one that was long overdue, thanks in part to everything that had been going on. Mary frowned as she sat on the couch, fingers clasped against her lips. "Thank you all for coming. I want to discuss the future of the guild as it is in this world. I fear I perhaps haven't been the best leader I could be. I was hoping Malik would have remained her longer than he did. The world is in crisis and we've not had as much chance to help as we'd all like thanks to our own involvement in all of this."

She sighed and sat back, looking around the room at those she considered among her most trusted friends and allies. "I don't plan to step down unless it would better for me to do so. The question is what do we do now. Where do we turn our focus?" The point of establishing the Brotherhood in this world had been intended to battle Kalki and Palitutu as necessary, but that had changed. There was little difference between the goals of the Heroes and the Assassins, and when it came to the roaming monsters and the Calamity, the methods were something of a moot point as well.




3) Back to work - November throughout - The trip to Aerilon and Aerilon itself - (OPEN) - After speaking to her circle, Mary went back to Aerilon. With her personal airship repaired she'd be able to travel freely once more, and so when she was not needed or present in Aqures Ixen for the remainder of the month and for the foreseeable future barring the next inevitable crisis, she'd be making her presence in Aerilon and at the Assassin's Bureau. She hit the streets with fervor, making up for lost time and presence. It wasn't entirely her fault that she hadn't been present, but she didn't want to use that as an excuse either. She couldn't be lazy and let things linger, not right now. But as she worked, as she met with people, as she patrolled the streets, her eyes were as of a woman haunted by something.

Comments

1) Bonnie & Spencer

[shinrasfinest]

It was probably a good thing that Bonnie had help in keeping on top of her deliveries as Mary Read put feelers back out into the general state of the populace once more. Whenever Sephiroth were rotated into Aqures on duty, it meant mess work for Spencer and therefore he'd often keep a beady eye out for the tiny fluffy assassin as she went about her work.

Catching her about to slide down from rooftop to market stall levels once more Spencer tried to head her off. He had a good idea, through mognet, of how much work she were taking on and...well, it turned out that he didn't want her to struggle with it on her own.

"Kupo-!"

The latest stabbed melon had just so happened to be the one to the direct left of Spencer, who startled nearly enough for his glasses to be jolted from his button nose. A yell from the merchant followed, following the discovery of another ruined melon, but Spencer quickly flitted around and pulled Bonnie out of the way and around the bottom of a stall a few units away.

"-you really are crazy, kupo."

[worstintheworld]

At the airship docks at Aqures Ixen, Natalia and one of the airship captains both had their heads bent over a map held in the princess's hands. From a distance it was clear to see the distress written all over Natalia's face, and the creases of worry inscribed into the captain's brow. Moving closer would easily allow anyone to overhear their conversation as it was hardly meant to be confidential.

"...to Aerilon?"

"I'm afraid not." He shook his grizzled head. "Even before the Calamity moved in, airships just didn't go there. Ya had to board a boat, usually from Flence."

"And Flence has been overtaken as well," Natalia mused, knuckling her chin as she frowned. "I understand it was evacuated some time ago. But Aerilon never was?"

"Not to my reckoning," he said, reaching up beneath his hat to scratch at his head. "You might find someone plucky enough in Balicea to take ya there, but I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. The waters ain't safe. Nowhere is if it's been touched by the Calamity."

"I see..." Natalia was disappointed, but she wasn't about to risk civilian lives just so she could run about and check on the welfare of the people. It would defeat the very purpose of such a visit to begin with. "Perhaps I'll have to satisfy myself with a letter, assuming Mognet still delivers to such places."

"I believe it does, ma'am."

"Pray, who would I write to in Aerilon? Surely they must have a lord, or mayor...some governing official?"

2)

[needsteaplz]

Saori brought in some mulled non-alcoholic cider for their guests. The booze can wait until later. "Hmm, that is tough. At least we don't mind bloodying our hands to get a job done if necessary unlike other groups." She took a seat right from Mary.

"Well, so far, I've been focusing on getting funds for a Bureau here in case something should happen to the one in Aerilon. I rather not have in the Space Saloon since it wouldn't feel right to do that to an establishment I didn't create. I did scout potential locations and keeping tabs on what's available. As you can see though, I'm actually tied up on my side so if anyone has a good idea for a front and is willing to manage it, I'm happy to invest in it."