Pirates! RP for ambitious_woman

[rude_not_ginger]

Italy is the most beautiful country in Europe as well as the weakest. France is invincible when attacked on its own territory. My country doesn’t like the sea so the fleet won’t be powerful.

Reinette had said that, or she would say that in one of her letters, historically. France's Navy was far from powerful, and that was well known. They weren't an attacking nation, not since Napoleon. A navy wasn't necessary.

Which was, of course, why this small but very direct pirate ship decided to attack the wealthy-looking French vessel sailing from England back to France. The captain and sailors were more concerned for the large chunks of ice and the falling snow than the possibility of pirates in English waters. And then, there they were.

The commotion caused by the attack woke the Doctor, who had been snoozing over the captain's logs, and by the time he had his senses about him, he was huddled on deck in a fur coat that was two sizes too big with the rest of the male crewmembers. He didn't know where the females were, and therefore didn't know where Reinette was.

He remembered studying pirates in his youth. He was terrified for her safety. Even if they believed her ransomable, they might not be so delicate with her in the voyage back to France.

Snow fell in his lengthening hair, and he bundled himself tighter against the spray of the icy sea water. The pirates appeared to be searching for treasure and staying warm below, while the crew they kept alive froze on deck.

Comments

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

The pirate agreed, and the Doctor found his arm grabbed, and himself all but flung downstairs into the room with the women. The door was slammed in his face, with a few words about dressing like the ladies.

Wonderful. This was not what he'd intended, but it at least left him in the room. Reinette was far more charasmatic than he.

The women left in the room looked particularly broken. One of them had several bite marks on her shoulders, and she clutched at her dress as if worried he might follow suit.

"It's all right," he promised, "I'm the Doctor. I'm going to help you."

Just outside the small window in the room was an expanse of icy water. Above them lay the deck. He grasped a metal nail file and pried open the glass on the window.

"This way," he said, "We can climb. Don't be afraid."

The women were, of course. He offered them trousers and turned his back so they could change into appropriate climbing outfits. They cried and moaned and worried that they looked bad. It was pathetic.

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

Even as the Doctor was being hauled away, she felt a firm hand shove at her back. Again, she checked the security of her had. It seemed they wanted her to move as well. She understood the message.

Down she lead them, past cabins and crews' quarters, hammocks swinging. Down past the galley to the deepest part of the hold. Several barrels were there, tucked away behind the flour.

A firm hand grasped her shoulder, she shoved her so that Reinette sprawled onto the floor. Several of their captors joined her.

Were they -- they intended to share a drink.

The guard gestured, grunted. She translated roughly -- she was to be funny again?

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

He worried over Reinette. Oh, but she was probably fine. Doing much better than these little girls were. Their perfectly manicured hands couldn't quite fit into the slats on the side of the ship, and they most certainly could not handle the icy water splashing up against them. He had to all but shove them up the side of the boat to the deck. One of the women lost her grip and nearly fell into the water below, but the Doctor managed to catch her wrist and pull her back up onto his back.

When they finally reached the top, the women fell forward with exhaustion, and the Doctor crept over to where the guard was watching the crew. They were playing dice, it appeared, while the others drank below. Where was Reinette?

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

The drinking continued for a good half hour or more, though Reinette would be the first to admit she struggled to say for sure just how much time had passed. Though she normally had as excellent sense of it -- too many years literally watching it pass by -- now there were more critical things to focus on.

She continued her witty attack as best she could, keeping them distracted and amused so that the Doctor might free the other captives. But it was a fine line between what might be made fun of, and what were the more sensative pirate parts.

It continued on until one, then two, then three of the men declared her no longer amusing. (Or something with less syllables.) Reinette rather suspected they no longer wished to share their alcohol.

Again she felt herself shoved up, up, and towards the deck and the cold once more. Two hands were firm at her back, and she was shoved with an almost brute force towards the deck. Not for an upset, the thought, but because the pirates seemed to think it was their turn to be funny. They opted for physical humor, and people falling down.

Which Reinette would have accepted as well and could, until her fall, combined with another gust of winter wind, separated her from her hat. She felt her hair tumble free.

This was not part of the plan.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

Merde. Reinette's game was up.

The Doctor pulled a loose board free, and swung it towards the head of one of the stunned pirates. He cried out, and tumbed backwards down the stairs. The others turned to face him, stunned by his miraculous reappearance. Wasn't he downstairs? How did he get upstairs? Why was he all wet?

Enough of a chance for the Doctor to pull a sword off of the door and slide it across the deck towards Reinette. She was a far more skilled swordsman than he, and he hated weapons.

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

The Doctor had been complaining about that loose board on the deck their entire journey. And again and again she had attempted to explain to him that the captain would not take kindly to his repairing it, for as much as she allowed him carte blanche at home.

The booming crack of board to flash unfroze her, where Reinette was still just as startled as the pirates by her hair's sudden appearance. A sword skittered towards her and she caught it, even as two of the men lunged towards her, neither with an especially pleasant look in their eyes. In response she cut a wide arc with her weapon.

"I assure you I do know how to use this."

With one hand she urged the Doctor to keep moving, and to get the other women to safety.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

The Doctor circled around, so that they could be in a more offensive position. The men on top had swords, but the one downstairs had guns, and they would be arriving with the loud noises that were being made.

"Downstairs," he ordered, "Go!"

They stayed frozen in place, looking quite angry and vicious.

"Oh, you order them, Reinette. You're much better at that than I am."

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

In their sobriety they held slight advantage. Not because the pirates were any less dangerous, but because at least now the struggled to hold their ground.

"They did do everything I wished for before, it seems," Reinette advanced, engaging in sword play with the shortest, burliest man. He was not properly trained, but life skill was evident. "How does it feel, knowing you were ordered about by a woman?"

Inch by inch she advanced forward. Only once did her attacker's blade find her coat. Each attack was countered.

"You heard the gentleman. Downstairs."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

The man before the Doctor made several attacks with his blade, but the Doctor was exceptionally skilled in defense, even with a wooden board. He blocked the attacks, and the two of them gained ground.

The rest of the French crew, who had been sitting idly before, stood behind them, suddenly realizing they might well win this. Cowards. This was the reason why the Doctor chose company with Reinette over any of them. She was brave.

"Come, come, now we don't have all day." There was a scurry of noise downstairs, and the Doctor swung out, thwacking the man before him with the board, and setting him to tumbling into another pirate. Both fell down the stairs. Hopefully slowing any advancing assistance.

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

"That might have broken something," Reinette commented on the Doctor's strike, encouraging her lone, remaining attacker towards the stairs.

"Not that I mind, of course."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Well, there's plenty of medical supplies down there, aren't there?" the Doctor replied, "Though against a gun wound, I couldn't say. They won't wait for you to move, if the door's open," he said to the pirate. "They'll just shoot through you. Step back, let me shut the door."

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

Her own man half fell towards the stairwell as her sword caught his arm, drawing blood. As if to affirm the Doctor's threats, a gunshot sounding. Somehow it narrowly missed them all, cutting a hot path as it traveled up, and out.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

With that Reinette slammer the door shut, pausing to lean against it and catch her breath.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

The danger wasn't over yet. The Doctor roughly---rougher than he'd meant to---pulled her away from the door.

"Bullets can go through that wood," he warned, and he pushed the board he'd been brandishing as a weapon against the door, securing it to either side with the very last reserved energy in his sonic screwdriver. The last nail slid into place just as the final reserves sputtered and died.

At least it had those reserves when he needed it.

He turned to one of the other French crewmembers, "There's an open window on the starboard side, there. Make sure none of them get the bright idea to climb up!"

He then turned to Reinette. His initial reaction was to ask if she was okay. It was, of course, overturned by his initial initial reaction, which blurted out: "You were brilliant!"

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

He was right, of course, and briefly Reinette chastised herself for her own foolishness. The door was not where she should have taken to resting -- no matter how she needed to catch her breath.


Focusing on just that -- breathing -- Reinette willingly yielded control for the moment, allowing the Doctor to bark orders. A a part of her argued there was no time for compliments. A part of her, however, basked in his praise.

Her own smile flared bright.

"I was at that."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

He made a step forward, as if to hug her, then a rather impromptu blast came from behind them, as did a pounding at the door. The pirates were irate and drunk, and in a large enough number that the board wouldn't be enough.

Along with the crew, they stockpiled crates and rope and the anchor and anything else heavy that they could against the door. The pounding continued, but it was muffled. It appeared the pirates had begun turning on each other, as the sound of gunfire continued, but was not aimed at the door.

The Doctor stepped over to Reinette and took her wrist, checking her pulse. Her skin was icy and thin, and he didn't possess anything to help.

"Think you can manage?" That was to say 'are you all right' without the overused phrase being forced between them.

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

Even as the board attempted to crack, they piled whatever the could in front of the door. Soon all but the loudest sounds from within were muffled.

After a moment of silence she untangled her wrist from the Doctor's hand and discovered the greatest benefit to her overcoat -- pockets. Both hands were firmly placed within. It was a great testament to her affection for him that Reinette allowed him to check on her at all.

"I am fine."

Glancing to the horizon, she judged that they were closer to England than France. After confirming as much with the remaining crew, she ordered them to set sail for England, not caring if the wished to be directed by a woman or not.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"I don't doubt that," he replied, watching her take immediate command of the crew. She could do that, and it was something to behold, he decided. She just raised her voice, and they listened. Woman or not, frail or not, she was in control.

The Doctor stepped over to the rail, glancing over at the churning, icy waters. He wondered what the pirates below were doing. Were they attempting to escape? Drill holes and let in the water? Or were they drowning their mistakes in alcohol, waiting for what would most likely be a short drop and a sudden stop awaiting them in England?

He looked down at the deceased screwdriver, and tossed it overboard, watching it sink into the black water.

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

It held suspended by the sea, but still in sight, for mere moments. Her own gaze followed the Doctor's.

"Why did you do that," she pressed sharply. "You will need it when you return."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"I'll get another one," he said, "No point in holding onto something that doesn't work."

Like the clockwork men bits, or his frayed purple tie. Little things in his life that were over, from before.

"Besides, maybe next time I'll make it a laser screwdriver, be a bit more handy with welding." He smiled, a little sadly, "And that screwdriver served me very well, very well. Only right it gets a heroes' funeral."

He turned to her, "The crew following your orders all right?"

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

"Just because something is a shell of its former self is no reason to discard it."

There. No, she did not agree with him. But secretly it was another thing she appreciated in the Doctor. He argued back. Reinette knew she was being sensitive. And contrary. But self awareness did not bring any ability to stop such things.

At his question she turned to study the sails, watched as they were hoisted and filled with wind once more. Her hair often cut her vision, but she managed to control it somewhat.

"We should be in England in six hours or so, if the weather holds."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Holding onto material things means other things get left behind," the Doctor countered, "And I haven't got much in this world. Even less place to put it all."

Not that Reinette's homes were not large, but they weren't the same. There was no movability. No way to take it all with him. That was what the TARDIS was, it was freedom. Freedom to hold onto memories and take them all with him.

He placed a hand on her forearm, trying to imagine that he could give her warmth that way.

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

Though Reinette was fairly confident she grasped just what it was he was saying, fairness made her press her next question.

"Would you like me to see about acquiring you a home of your own?"

Though it could not travel in the ways that he wished, perhaps some sense of ownership might ease what was lacking.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

The Doctor's eyebrows shot up. "No! No, I don't want...no. Get a house of my own? With windows and doors and carpets? Can just barely handle a room. It's the..."

He gestured a bit to the horizon.

"Freedom of it all. Having a place that can run with you. Do you...I don't know if you understand. Like...if your fastest carriage was also your home, you could take anything with you. It would be worth it to hold onto it because you'd need it while you ran. But if all you have is your feet..."

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

"It is a very well appointed room," she teased lowly, turning slightly to study the Doctor's profile. He was less focused on her health now, and that did much to elevate Reinette's mood. "Especially since we removed the velvet bedcurtains."

She watched him carefully.

"But I do understand Doctor. Not only because I have seen the worlds within your mind, and what might be possible? But because I have seen where such possibility might be born. From clock to clockwork man, and ship?" Her palms ran lightly over the railing. "To timeship. I cannot give you the freedom that you need, but I can see that you have a space to call your own."

And perhaps that was part of the problem as well. He left his home, and space, and history to travel through those that belonged to other people. To participate in other's lives, so he did not have to face part of his own. Reinette understood that as well, though she had little remedy for it.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

He nodded, listening carefully to her words. She did understand him, better than anyone alive could, and that was terrifying in and of itself. That someone could understand him so well. She took what she knew of him, what she knew of her life, and she blended them until she finally understood.

"I'm going to hug you now," he announced, stretching out his arms.

He would've simply done it, but with the proprieties and what-have-you on board, he wanted to make sure.