Nightingale's Eyes

[agnesdulac]

thedoncruz‌:

Toño nodded once, a small movement of the head but a firm one to confirm their question. If his experience had taught him anything, whether he played fairly or as dirty as an animal, people were more willing to accept the consequences on their terms. “Oh, but I’m not overly confident I will win, mi amor,” he lied smoothly and with a grin to match. “Which is what adds to the excitement to all of this.” Putting the cup to his lips, he began gulping down the rum before nearly choking on it at her suggestion. A throaty chuckle escaped him as he pushed the cup with his two fingers to sit in between them. “An arm wrestle?” He repeated. “You do understand the aim of a bet is to win it?”

Agnes cocked their head, expression unreadable. There was something about him they didn’t quite trust, but for now, they would play the fool. They were more curious about where this was going than they were worried about losing anything. “I’m sure you aren’t,” they responded, a placid smile crossing their lips. His explanation that it was simply for the thrill of it all was satisfying enough, and something Agnes themself could certainly relate to. “I could be stronger than I look,” they protested, drumming their fingers on the table to try and speed their though process along, eyes darting around the room for inspiration. “How about this? We each order the other a drink. Any drink. The first one to drink their cup dry and turn it over on the table wins.” 

[agnesdulac]

gyllengren‌:

      “Mind? What ya mean?”

   Gerrit glanced up to find someone sat across from them at the table. There was a confused expression on their face, then they looked back to the cards in their hands. The playing cards were well-used, in poor condition, and a few cards were probably missing. Slowly, cards with the black shapes were laid to the left on the table, and they sorted the red on a little pile to the right. After the last few cards were separated, they glanced up at the stranger. Gerrit beamed with satisfaction.

“I meant, may I sit here, please?” Agnes said, making a show of using their manners. Of course, they had already parked themselves in their desired spot, and had absolutely no intention of moving, regardless of what his answer was. They watched as he methodically sorted the cards, head cocked in interest. There was something soothing about it. “What are you doing?” they asked, finally, curiosity tinging their voice. 

[agnesdulac]

rebeccablackwell‌:

Rebecca almost took a step back, reeling a little from the energetic reaction— not that she cared all that much. If it wasn’t the other’s and the true owner shows up then they can deal with the consequences, and besides, she had no use for the trinket. It was interesting, but not so interesting as to truly have caught her interest. She placed the item into the palm of their hand before quickly brushing the residual dirt off of her fingers. It was no longer in her possession, and it probably was in good hands. “I’m glad I caught you when I did. I’d almost tripped over it, and that would simply have been humiliating.” Once again, she had been starkly reminded by her own folly in forgetting to cut the hemline of her dress. She’d have to do it tonight, or just avoid wearing the dress altogether. “I’m just glad that it doesn’t seem to be broken.” 

Agnes’ fingers closed around the trinket, slipping it into her pocket before the woman could question it. It may have been worth nothing, but if she thought it was valuable enough to return to it’s ‘owner’, they were certain it would at the very least seem valuable to someone. They would make use of it somehow. “Thank you,” they repeated, flashing a wide smile in her direction. Her comment about tripping triggered a bark of a laugh from Agnes, and she shook her head. “This is Tortuga. There’s nothing to be embarrassed over. Everyone here has made a fool of themselves at one point or another.” 

[agnesdulac]

river-blackthorn‌:

Brisca games were fun, honestly. The piles of coin looked much more impressive than their actual worth, but a few gold coins were made once everything was totaled out every now and again. Granted one knew the worth of all the foreign coins exchanging hands, ofcourse. He took a few coins from his larger pile and pressed them onto the serving tray of one of the tavern wenches, signaling for a round of grog for those still in the game. Her win had put him in a generous, or perhaps celebratory mood.

“Beginner’s luck indeed,” River uttered. He smirked and shook his head. “Trustin’ me to deal in a game like this would be y’last mistake before goin’ broke,” he mused, pushing the rest of his pile of coins he’d earned back towards the center. Through sleight of hand, he’d already pocketed a few coins into the inner cuffs of his sleeves. The dealer took the cards and re-shuffled them before handing out a fresh hand to those still in the game. “Keep tha’ up and I might just believe you,” he teased. It was all in good fun, and he was in it for as long as he felt entertained, and she seemed like someone who knew how to have fun in a place like this.

Even if the next round resulted in a monetary loss, Agnes was content with the drink and the company. She was here for a good time, and was certainly enjoying herself. She took a moment to organise the coins she had dumped before her and her winnings, keeping a pile of the gold back for herself and pushing the rest into the pot in the center of the table. She was a fool, but not fool enough to give up her entire winnings on one hand. Not unless she had more drink in her, at least. 

It was obvious he could see clearly through her pretence, but it was far more entertaining to keep it up. In any case, others round the table may be too drunk or too stupid to come to the same realisation. She surveyed him with interest, before leaning back in her chair, a cocky smirk across her face. “What kind of cheater are you? You shouldn’t have told me you intend to cheat when there’s money on the line,” she pointed out. She picked up her cards from the table, glancing at them without altering her expression any. It wasn’t a great hand, but she could probably make it work, depending on what he had drew. It didn’t seem likely anybody else in the game could match them without a stroke of fortune or dramatically shaking up the game’s dynamics. 

[agnesdulac]

gruffgriff‌:

Griffin had been spending his entire day at the tavern nursing the same few drinks throughout the several hours that he had been plastered in his seat. If he had more money, he’d definitely already be wasted but since he had to budget and spend wisely, he only had a small buzz. It was good enough to quiet the buzzing in his head though, making it much easier to think about his next plans. The man was deep in thought as he stared at the empty seat across from him, an eyebrow raising slowly as the spot became occupied. “Uh..” he started, almost about to say no, but it seemed to be too late. “I guess not then. If you agree to buy the next round, that is.”

Agnes paused, hand slipping into her coin purse to blindly count the few pieces of shrapnel that lingered in it. Satisfied, she withdrew her fingers and shot him an easy grin. “I can manage that, just about,” she agreed, nodding her head to seal the deal. She raised her cups to her lips, taking a deep slurp of the rum contained within it and surveying him over the rim. “So what’s your poison? They have quite the selection in this place. It’s either rum, or rum,” She joked. 

[agnesdulac]

thedoncruz‌:

“Everyone always has something to offer.” They just didn’t know it. Not until it was taken from them anyway. Toño followed their gaze, noting their interest though it wasn’t obvious as to whether it sparked any curiosity or not. For the moment, he leaned towards not, which made this only a little more difficult for him. “Whatever you want it to be,” he said with a smirk that read: make it your worst. “But I decide the stakes. I’m a fair man, mi amor. There’s no pleasure in taking something from someone who has no chance.”

Agnes pursed their lips, but nodded their head with a placid smile on their face. Despite their outward gesture of agreement, they knew they had little in the way of material possessions to offer him. Nevertheless, this could be their opportunity to line their pockets if they won- and if they lost, they would find a way to weasel out of it. “I get to decide?” they repeated, tapping their lips with their index finger, thoughtfully. Agnes was a risk taker, but they were no fool. They would have to think carefully to walk the balance between the two if he left the wager to them, whilst still tipping the odds dramatically in their fair. “I suppose that’s only fair,” they conceded. “Even if you are overly confident you’ll win,” they shot him a cocky grin. They paused for a moment, racking their brains- without knowing his strengths, they weren’t sure they could rely on their own. “We could arm wrestle,” they suggested, jokingly. 

[charliehq]

Rebecca quickly bent down, picking up the item on the ground before studying it carefully. She’d stumbled on what she’d assumed to be a rock but the tinkling sound that had followed had made her believe that she’d dropped something— although now it was clear that she most certainly hadn’t. Her eyes flickered through the crowd, trying to see if it belonged to someone nearby. Nobody seemed to noticeably be missing anything, and so she gave up, instead racing after the person who had been in front of her. “Pardon me, but did you drop this?”

[agnesdulac]

The woman’s words caught Agnes’ attention, and they turned at the question. Their eyes fell on the object in the other’s hand. Agnes wasn’t entirely sure what was being offered, but on the off chance it was valuable, they wanted it. If it turned out to be worthless, they could soon toss it off the docks. “Oh, mon dieu,” they exclaimed, making a show of patting their pockets. They always had been a talented actor. “I must have dropped it earlier. Thank you so much, my friend,” they said, as they held out their hand for the item.

[agnesdulac]

thedoncruz‌:

Toño looked up from the schedule he transcribed from memory. A look of annoyance washed over him. Over the years, Toño learned the art of attracting people to approach him rather than the other way around. Maps, for example, would lure the curious one. Sailing schedules, on the other hand, would screen for the right ones. Especially in Tortuga. The schedule in his hand intended to do just that. If they recognised the boat, great. If they could spot the errors, perfect. If they could spot that it’s fake, even better. 

“Mhm,” he hums, acknowledging the fact that he had no choice in the matter, regardless of his answer. “There’s a price.” As does everything. “Make a bet with me.”

“A bet?” Agnes asked, tapping a finger to their lips thoughtfully. Despite arriving in Tortuga with enough money to tide them over until they set sail, they had spent the last few weeks playing fast and loose with their budget, and there wasn’t much left. Nevertheless, they were interested. “What makes you think I have anything to offer?” They asked, brows raising and a smirk hanging off their lips. Their gaze fell to the papers in his hand, though at that angle, they could barely make out what they said. “What’s the bet, anyway? What am I getting myself into?” 

[agnesdulac]

river-blackthorn‌:

River knew he was going to lose this round. His hand was complete shit. There was something in the way the other chirped their lamentation at being not very good that told River she was actually probably a very good liar. He didn’t know that for certain, but his gut told him so. Or maybe that was the gruel he’d eaten earlier. Either way, he set his own card down, and a small smirk played on his lips when she, in fact, won. “We’ve go’ a chameleon in our wake, ladies and gentlemen,” he jested, truly amused by the development. He pushed the small stack of silver and gold coins towards her and folded his hand. “Let’s go again. Higher stakes, if y’can handle it.” He nodded to the card dealer who grabbed the cards and began to re-shuffle them. River was no idiot. He wouldn’t bet everything he’d won that night. He needed to walk away with something if he was going to get that ship he so desperately wanted. But what was life without a little risk?

Agnes couldn’t hold back her laugh of delight when he pushed the coins towards her. She was acutely aware of eyes narrowing around them as the men who had lost their money watched the coins change hands. Like any good actress, she relished in the performance, her little deception made all the more sweeter by the presence of an audience. “Thank you, thank you,” she said, resisting the urge to stand and take a little bow. “Beginner’s luck, perhaps.” Despite winning the hand, and being called out of her little deception, she was keeping up the charade, as more of a game than a serious strategy now. His offer of higher stakes intrigued her. A wiser person than she would pocket her winnings and walk away knowing that they didn’t have the money to put on the line, but Agnes was anything but wise. “I’m in,” she said, barely taking a moment to think before pulling out her coin purse and emptying the contents on to the table with an air of confidence. “You want to deal?”

[agnesdulac]

Agnes had been in port for little over three weeks now. It wasn’t the longest time to be on land, but it was long enough for them. They were beginning to get restless in a way that only the sea could soothe. In the meantime, all they had to resort to was the cheap, quick thrills that only the tavern could provide. They had never been one to respect boundaries, and as soon as they had a drink in hand, they crossed to the nearest table, taking a seat, despite the fact it was already occupied. “You don’t mind, do you?” they asked the occupant with a goodnatured grin, not particularly caring if they did. 

[river-blackthorn-blog]

Two months he’d been in Torguga now, and River Blackthorn managed to remain relatively unbothered. There were, ofcourse, a myriad of ways to make money while he was there. From extorting extortioners, to accepting odd jobs here and there, or joining motley crews of buccaneers, if there was one thing Tortuga had, it was an abundance of bedraggled delinquents, runaways, and would-be pirate lords. Today, the scruffy man dressed in hunting leathers sat at the head of one of the tables in the tavern where a game of Brisca was taking place with a deck of Spanish baraja cards. “It’s your turn,” he muttered to someone who had spaced out during the game. His voice was a deep, ragged rumble, and his bright green eyes flickered up. Several glares were trained on the man, quite salty at how easily they’d lost their gold purses to him in this game. Nevertheless, they seemed to have stuck around to watch.

[agnesdulac]

If there was anything Agnes was used to, it was being underestimated. In fact, it was something they somewhat relied on- especially when gambling. They would lose a few hands purposely, act the fool, and then, when the other player’s defence was lowered, go in for the kill. “Oh, I’m sorry. I suppose I’m just not very good at this,” they grinned, their voice chirpy. Slapping their card down with a theatrical flourish, they returned their gaze to the other player, wondering if they would take the bait. 

[hiromiono]

STATS

Name: Agnes Du Lac

Nickname or alias: The Nightingale

Character age: 25

Date of birth: 5 August 1695

Pronouns: She/Her or They/Them

Gender: Non-Binary

Sexuality: Pansexual

Faceclaim: Ivana Baquero

PERSONALITY

+ Creative, gregarious, assertive - Reckless, hot-headed, unpredictable

QUESTIONS

What rank is your character trying to be? Are they looking to be captain of their own ship, first mate, or will they take what they can get? Do they have any special skills that relate to seafaring?

Agnes isn’t suited for leadership, and they know it. They aren’t here to be captain. The daughter of pirates themself, they’ve grown up around ships, and though they are competent, they don’t have a natural talent for sailing. Where they do excel, however, is in combat, and they are most comfortable with a sword in their hand or manning the canons. If you gave them a choice, they’d most like to be a gunner. 

Why does your character go to sea? What are they looking to find?

Agnes was born on the water, and is far more comfortable on the sea than they are on land. Both of their parents are fearsome pirates in their own right, and as their only child, Agnes has big shoes to fill. They’re hoping to make a name and a reputation for herself in their own right, living up to their legacy.

HEADCANONS

If Agnes hadn’t been born to be a pirate, they would have been a bard. They spend most of their waking time singing songs they make up, and can play the flute and the mandolin. Their evenings on board are most often spend playing songs for the entertainment of the crew, and this voyage will be no exception. They are also fond of pranking their crewmates for their own enjoyment.

Agnes has always been adored by both their parents. Both notorious pirates in their own right, they have grown up showering their child with tales of their adventures, and form the basis for most of the songs they create. Whilst her mother was pregnant, she was sentenced for execution. This was postponed due to her pregnancy, giving her the chance to escape. Agnes has spent most of their life travelling with them, but is now looking to strike out on their own.

Agnes’ father was French, and her mother English. Though they naturally favour the French accent, they are a convincing actress with a talent for mimicry, and can slip into most accents quite easily- something they do quite often to imitate and poke fun at others.

Agnes very rarely takes anything seriously, and they treat everything like a game. However, they have a vile temper, and when something gets to them, their entire demeanour can change in the blink of an eye to something entirely unrecognisable. When angered, the first thing they do is reach for their sword and go for blood.