The Ashlanders - Chapter 6: The Blind Man's Last Gambit (Closed, Started)

[The Funslinger]

How's she doin'?"

"She's doing fine. Though I doubt she'd agree with me, and I can't say I blame her," Ruffles said in an absent minded way. An uneducated onlooker might think Ruffles lacked concentration for his task in an almost dozing fashion. In actual fact, the oblivious stillness he was enraptured in as he stitched flesh was the result of focus he usually only reserved for his work as an engineer. Even the footsteps of an approaching Pixie, which made everyone inadvertently stand to attention didn't damage his glazed calm.

Pulling the thread taut, Ruffles severed it quickly with the knife of his multitool, and plucked the shirt from the pan Sprout held, and slashed it open down the front, twisted it and began binding the hot, damp cloth around Elizabeth's shoulder. Then he took the tin cup from Sprout, he thrust it into the bucket of Valhalla until the bubbles stopped and then offered it to his impromptu patient. "This'll burn like a ***** going down, more than the fancy-pants port and wine you're used to, but it's all I got to take the edge off for now."

 

[roushutsu]

Josephine watched Ruffles work at stitching Elizabeth up. On the outside, the wound looked much better, and she could only hope the same was happening on the inside. When he finished, she started tapping the maiden's hand to let her know that everything was over. "Good girl. Tis over now," she whispered.

The man then offered Elizabeth a cup of that wretched alcohol. "This'll burn like a ***** going down, more than the fancy-pants port and wine you're used to, but it's all I got to take the edge off for now." Josephine practically reeled at the idea of either of them consuming that fluid. It could have been poison for all they knew! But the more she thought about it, it wouldn't have made sense for him to go through all this trouble in healing her only to poison her seconds later.

She delicately took the cup from his hands and took a tiny sip from it. "Burning like a *****" was putting it mildly. Her entire body shook as the alcohol went down, numbing it along the way. It was the most terrible thing she had ever consumed, but it was alcohol nonetheless. She held up Elizabeth's body as she raised the cup to her lips. "Hark now. He is right. Tis the most vile thing I've ever tasted! But it shall dull the pain, that I assure you."

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

The Gentleman met Pixie's death stare with a look of mild amusement. He did wish she'd take things a little less seriously at time. Though, he thought that of almost everyone he knew.

"We'll continue this lil' chat later."

"I can scarcely wait." he replied with a mischievous grin. As soon as she and Aesop had gone, the door swinging shut behind them, The Gentleman rose, wriggling his fingers inside their white gloves, and set about snooping through Meredith's private correspondence. Well, he'd be a pretty poor scoundrel if he didn't spy on his business partners.

 

[ProtoChimp]

"Bring me to her." Aesop nodded and began leading her through the ship, stepping over his vomit as he did looking embarrassed and flustered as they entered the room. Aesop looked on at the scene and smelt the alcohol once again. Even worse, the noble had to drink it to numb her pain. Drink that fucking poison. That same fucking poison that once ruined Aesop's first attempt at sobriety on the ship. He had to get out of this fucking scene, 'I'm useless to them all anyway', he thought as his self doubt and lack of self confidence began creeping back in.

"Um... is it a good idea to leave that guy in your office Captain?" said Aesop as he backed out of the room a few steps. "Should I um... gooooooo check he's not planting a bomb or something?"

 

[Ruedyn]

Smiles walked and thought for awhile. Seemed people went out of their way to avoid him, as was the usual. Killing men apparently made you creepy if you did it with a smile, but cry like a ***** afterwards and you're a-okay! He sighed in mild annoyance as he passed a door, hearing something inside.

"Blue moon~, I'm no longer alone, without a dream in my heart. Or a love of my own..."

Warren smiled, looking around. Casino's room, or just about. Hadn't he seen Sprout skulking around here a few times...? And hadn't Lilith been on the other side of the mission? Might as well see how that went, not much else to do except keep to himself and lounge about.

Smiles Leaned his rifle on the wall, and knocked on the door. "Warren here, mind if I come in?"

 

[Fappy]

With no hesitation whatsoever, Elizabeth grabbed the cup and downed it. It burned like hell and smelled of death, but it managed to divert some of her attention away from her wound. As she reeled back from the drink she coughed and nodded, "Y-You're right, Milady. It tastes quite awful!"

Pain continued to surge through her body, but the worst of it was over. She loosened up in Josephine's arms and looked to Ruffles, "Thank you. I fear I would not have lasted much longer without your aid."

Sprout sat back and watched the young woman drink the "poison" with envy. Then he reminded himself why she had to do so and felt like an idiot. Getting shot wouldn't be worth all the alcohol in the world.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

As they approached the holding cell Pixie could sense Aesop's growing anxiety. Then the stench of Ruffles' special stuff hit her like a freight train and she understood. However, before she had the chance to send him off they had arrived. Elizabeth looked like hell, but it seemed as though the storm had already passed.

"Should I um... gooooooo check he's not planting a bomb or something?"

Pixie quickly dropped down to a knee in front of Elizabeth to examine Ruffles' handiwork, "Yeah, sure. Knock yerself out." She replied in a dismissive tone. She nodded in Ruffles' direction as she looked over the stitches. "He fix you up?"

Elizabeth nodded in response. She was still trembling. Pixie was surprised she hadn't gone into shock considering their lack of anesthetics. She was a tough girl, this one, "Good work, but I'm gonna haft'a kick y'all out of here now." Pixie said as she placed a hand on Ruffles' shoulder.

Sprout hopped to his feet, "But I was gonna--"

Without turning her gaze away from Elizabeth and Josephine she barked, "Out. Now!"

Sprout bowed his head and wandered out the door. I just wanted ta' apologize to her is all... He thought.

Elizabeth looked to Josephine and back to Pixie, "What's this about?"

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Lilith raised an eyebrow as she heard a knock at the door.

"Warren here, mind if I come in?"

"What the hell does he want?" She said quietly to herself as she got to her feet, swaying slightly as she did so. She had drank most of the bottle of scotch, and it was kicking in quickly. Her hair was still quite damp as she picked the towel off the floor and wrapped it around herself. Lilith drunkenly sauntered over to her door, clumsily slipping back the lock, she opened the door, propping herself on the door frame as she did so, mostly to stop herself from falling over.

"Why hello there handsome." She smiled at the scarred man, her speech slightly slurred. She slowly blew a plume of smoke towards him, before taking a swig from bottle of Scotch. "What brings you to my humble boudoir?"

 

[Ruedyn]

"Well hello handsome. What brings you to my humble boudoir?"

"Usually the clothes come off after talking to me. Nice change of pace." He mused, still using all of his will power to keep his eyes on her face. At least he wasn't bothered by her smoke. Combined with the slurred speech and lack of clothes, seemed she was celebrating...

'Not that slurred, definitely not with Sprout.'

"I wanted to know what happened on the other side of the mission. Busy?" He offered what was once an affable smile, leaning against the doorway.

 

[ProtoChimp]

"Yeah, sure. Knock yerself out."

Aesop gladly left, running down the corridor in a hurry as he dashed throughout the ship. This day was just... "Fuck I really need to just go to sleep. Just hurry up sun and go the fuck down and end this fucking day already!" he talked to himself out loud as he ran. The stench was killing him. Maybe he could find something to distract him from the booty of the train, booty? Was that the right word? Ah fuck it, doesn't matter. Games, books, smokes, dirty magazines, just fucking something. He didn't even care what it was just something. He sped through the rooms and in his anxiety kicked in the door of Pixie's office. In the speed in which the human mind works in the space of one second a million thoughts exploded in his mind but they were all the same thing 'THE FUCK ARE YOU KICKING THE CAPTAIN'S DOOR IN FOR DUMBASS!!!!! ARE YOU INSANE!!! YOU'RE BEING RETARDED AESOP!!!!'

 

[The Funslinger]

Ruffles shrugged and straightened up. "Yes, ma'am." Glancing at his patient, he said, "you can keep the booze." Collecting his needle box and the box of floss, he turned on his heel and left. "C'mon, Sprout. We got some sodas to open. But first, Aesop."

Taking the boy by the shoulder, he moved through the door and turned to head the way to Pixie's office, where Aesop said he'd be.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

I wanted to know what happened on the other side of the mission. Busy?

"Oh, that." She frowned before turning around and sauntering back to the chaise lounge, raising a hand and lazily waving in a beckoning motion. "Take a seat." She thought about getting dressed, but decided that she really couldn't be arsed. Besides, she knew the crew long enough to know the guy wouldn't try anything.


Lilith sat down, elbow on the arm of the chair, she rested the side of her head on her hand, her legs curled up behind her, leaving enough space on the chaise lounge for the man to sit. She shook the bottle in her other hand. "Can I offer you a drinky drink?"

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

'Knew it; knew it; didn't know it; already stole it; he'll be dead in a week; boring; not going to happen; I'll make sure there are no witnesses...'

The Gentleman's train of thought went on in this fashion, as he ruffled through Meredith's personal logs and private correspondence, having taken only a few seconds to pick the lock on her desk draw. Even when you have known someone fro as long as The Gentleman had known her, it was only sensible together some insurance. He was not a man to be blindsided by unforeseen developments. Besides, either leaving him alone in her office was such an uncharacteristic oversight that Pixie deserved to have her privacy invaded, or more likely there was nothing in here that she didn't want him to know.

The approaching footfalls were so heavy that they could only some from a grown man out and out sprinting. Out of the four options, Ruffles was indisposed, Florian was hardly the type, and Smiles could have come in anytime he wanted. That left Aesop as by far the most likely choice. Calmly, The Gentleman gathered all the notes and files in the correct order, and placed them swiftly back where he had found them.

By the time his suspicions were confirmed, and came Aesop bursting in, The Gentleman was back in his seat, having lit his pipe once more, and was humming some half-remembered tune to himself. He swiveled around to face the door, his eyes first taking in the panting and perspiring Aesop, before travelling over to the sheered lock piece and splintered frame, that now hung forlornly out of place.

"Oh..." The Gentleman said in greeting. "Was the knob stiff? You should have knocked."

 

[ProtoChimp]

"Oh...Was the knob stiff? You should have knocked." Aesop blinked repeatedly as he looked back and forth from the man and the fucked up door.

"Ahhh fuck. Shit shit." Aesop made a weird hissing noise as he stepped out of the room. "Um... get out the room," he continued waving his hand toward himself in a circular motion, "I don't want you looking through her things c'mon I know you will c'mon c'mon..." Aesop's head was getting hazy and he was missing details around him. He wasn't feeling good at all.

 

[Ruedyn]

"Oh, that. Take a seat."

'So far so good. God that sounds rape-y in my own head.' Smiles shook his head and took the seat, noticing a lack of other men. His mind only got to 'solo par-' before he forced the thought out of his head. He also noticed this room was pretty nice overall.

"Can I offer you a drinky drink?"

"Regular drink is fine." He sat down on the... fancy chair. Looked a bit like a therapist thing. 'O lawdy, daddy hit me!'

"So, what happened?"

 

[Daystar Clarion]

"Regular drink is fine."

"Cheeky wanker." She smiled, giving him the bottle.

"So, what happened?"

"Christ, what didn't happen." She stubbed out her cigarette and immediately lit up another. "Did you see that posh twat? The one that wasn't a hostage? I don't think you've met him before, anyway..."

Lilith then proceeded to tell the events of the day.

 

[Ruedyn]

"Christ, what didn't happen."

'The death of you and all the crew with you.' Thought, and filed it away with all his other snarky thoughts, in the 'shut the fuck up' file. Oh, how brimming that file was, with stupid thoughts and mean observations. Warren noticed her need for cigarettes, was it truly that bad? No one seemed injured, particularly. Did this have something to do with Ruffles, and why his mouth was bloodied?

"Did you see that posh twat? The one that wasn't a hostage? I don't think you've met him before, anyway..."

Warren kept his thoughts to himself, seemed she was getting ready to tell the story. The man had all but told Smiles it was better to work with him than Pixie. If there were any truth to that, he didn't give a shit. He listened intently to the recounting of events, the hostage situation, the double hostage situation, everyone flipping shit, the third gun and immediate execution, and Pixies supposed sadism.

Sounded like quite the afternoon, really.

He waited for her to finish before talking. "Hm. Sounds like I missed most the fun... if you can call it that." Warren didn't exactly have much more to say. Still, knowing two sides of the story was better than his one, even if he suspected heavily she was being biased. Gentleman or whatever he called himself could offer the third. Then he'd have nothing to really do.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

"Hm. Sounds like I missed most the fun... if you can call it that."

"If it had been anyone else, it wouldn't have been so bad, but that kid?" Lilith paused for a moment, closing her eyes while she slowly blew out smoke. "I swear..." She smiled slightly, thinking back to the moment in the corridor with Sprout. "But whatever, the Gentletwat and Meredith go way back, so who am I to say who we can and can not trust?"


She tried to gauge what Warren was thinking. In all honesty, she was a little afraid of the guy, she had seen him in action. He enjoyed killing, and that put her on edge around him. Yet here she was, sitting half naked with him, and quite drunk. You've been in all kinds of fucked up places today haven't you Lilly?

Lilith began to chuckle, "Anyway, I'm sure Ruffles has already been whipped by the Queen *****, and I don't doubt I'll be up for a good lashing soon as well." She stretched her arms in the air.

"Ah well, thems the cards we're dealt." She glanced at Warren, "What about you, I imagine your end wasn't a clusterfuck."

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"I don't want you looking through her things c'mon I know you will c'mon c'mon..."

The Gentleman wore his faintly amused smile, not for the first time that day.

"I fear there must be some misunderstanding." he said earnestly "Why, I have no intention of speading mischief aboard this vessel. Your Captain trusts me enough to leave me alone here, and she's known me a great deal longer than you have, perhaps you should trust her word."

'and I'd like to see you try and prove anything against me.' he added silently, before changing his expression to one of concern.

"Are you quite alright lad?" he asked "You look a little... wound up. You should lie down. I have just the remedy for soothing ragged nerves."

 

[ProtoChimp]

Remedy?

"Don't pull that shit about her trusting you. Even if she is talking to you and if we should all trust you then why did you feel the need to take Sprout as a hostage you asshole. C'mon lets just... lets just stand outside the room I wanna watch you, make sure you aren't doing anything weird. Whats your name anyway?"

 

[The Funslinger]

"I wanna watch you, make sure you aren't doing anything weird. Whats your name anyway?"

Ruffles heard this as he and Sprout came around the corner. Coming up by Aesop's side, he casually interjected. "Don't bother asking. Pix's been dealing with the guy almost as long as the Maidens have been a thing. He either won't tell you, or he'll make something up. But I just call him Fuck Face."

This was, at this point, due course for the two men. Having been with Pixie that long, Ruffles had had his fill of the Gentleman as well, and the two men casually aired their dislike towards each other out of habit more than anything. "He's right, though, teabag. It's impolite to go through a lady's things; which if you aren't, surely you have no objection to waiting elsewhere. To put Aesop's mind at ease. Besides, trust me, she's gonna be a while, and those seats aren't comfy for the long haul."