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]

"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.

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

From her firm command of the railing Reinette keened her head slightly, and smiled. There was something oddly relaxed in her posture, despite their mutual situation.

"I can make no objection to that turn of events."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Good!"

Rather than merely hug her, he stepped around her, allowing her to keep a grip on the railing as he wrapped he hugged her from behind, his coat billowing between them. He wasn't warm, but he liked to imagine that it would warm her some, having him there, holding her.

He had the oddest desire to tell her how much he cared---how much he loved her. Years had gone by, and there was no doubt in his mind of his affections, but he had no means to express it.

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

His presence was comforting, and did eliminate much of the bite of the wind. Between himself, and his coat, Reinette was all but surrounded. Only her hands were exposed, still on the rail. But the maintained a feeling of control, and she did not remove them.

It occurred to her that he was getting a face full of more of her hair than could be deemed polite, and Reinette shifted slightly. Then, finally relaxing, she allowed herself to rest against him. Her first thought? Was how oddly close they were without skirts.

"Are the women all right?"

She did not include herself amoungst that group.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

Her hair now blew out of his face, which was good because the least attractive thing would be to accidentally eat Reinette's hair as he held her. Even though he had no doubt her hair would taste good. Actually...no, no, he'd lick it at some other point to see. For now, he settled on pressing his nose against the side of her head, inhaling her scent, musked a bit by the lingering smell of the leather hat she'd been masquerading in.

"Oh, they'll be fine. Too much excitement for them, not enough sitting around and gossiping. Nearly lost one of them to the water." He shrugged, "Might've been easier on the rest of the crew if we had."

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

She tilted her head up to study him then, pleased that she had been able to predict the teasing smirk that transformed his features, in her mind. It felt as if some strange sort of test was passed. One of her own expectations and standards.

At the very least he was free of more of her hair. She smiled.

"You should be kinder." There was no real reproach in her voice. "They had a difficult time with things."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Yes, I suppose I should. After all, I wouldn't want their delicate egos to crumble beneath the might of my words. Well, they wouldn't really. I'm sure they've got a suitable man to help them lift it all up. With his money."

He rolled his eyes. They didn't impress him in the slightest.

"You, Madame, must be positively shocked and alarmed by your attire. To dress like a man and rescue a ship. It's downright heroic. Whatever will you do back at court?"

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

"It is all they know," Reinette defended them, for reasons that she was completely unsure of. They were precisely the sort that angered at court -- pastel bits of fluff and lace with no real weight at all to them. But she had been down in that room with them when the attack began, she she had a full understanding of what they had been through.

"If I had never been taken to Madame Lebon's, if my future had not held such promise? I might not have been allowed the lessons, to see and do what I did. I might be what they are now."

Reinette did not believe that, but it was a fair point.

But yes. Her current style of dress. Reinette actually laughed briefly.

"Take a long, hot bath," she mused, teasing. "And return to my corseted ways?"

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"No, I don't think you'd ever be one to cry as they do. Not when you were a child and not now."

The Doctor pulled her a little closer. Without her skirts and corset blocking them, he could feel more of her against him, and it felt...intimate. Wonderful. And being outside, staring out at the icy water and still being so intimate was...it was fantastic.

"You are aware of what will happen to your internal organs over time?" Of course she was, he'd only told her half a dozen or more times. "And your ribs can't be sitting properly anymore, either.

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

"No," she agreed quietly after a moment. "I do not cry."

While the horizon was fascinating, and the lines of the waves compelling, Reinette felt as if she knew them. There was little there that might surprise her. She could even predict how the shore of England would eventually appear.

The man behind her? She did not know quite so well. Parts of him remained a mystery. And all of Reinette relished that challenge.

"Perhaps sometime I will allow you to inspect my ribs then, to assure yourself that they remain fine, and in there proper place." She turned slightly to fully face him, their coats twisting and mating.

"Besides, if there is damage, it is already done. And I have an image I must uphold."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"I should do that," the Doctor replied, nodding, "Best way to make sure you're healthy, and that's what a Doctor does. And things might happen later that haven't happened yet. Just because you haven't tripped off a cliff yet doesn't mean you should continue walking along the edge."

As for the tears she rarely shed, he could understand her desire to keep them inside. Crying for fear or grief gave the emotions validiation, and he would never want to allow those emotions to remain alive within him, to admit that they hurt.

There wasn't anyone on board that would care about her image now, nor that of a physician holding her. He raised his hand, to trace a thumb across her cheek, very like how she touched him the first time he saw her as an adult.