Boats Against {Devilyn Intro} the Current *{OPEN}*

[Loki]

Dev's Bio

Dev hadn't been home in days, spending his nights in his Uncle Aryth's office on an old cot which was kept there just for him. It was comfortable enough, with a thick wool blanket, and, anyhow, it beat going home even if he'd had a feather-bed waiting there. Even so, Dev had to see his father at work, since the man worked for his brother Aryth just as did his son, but he merely ignored him as much as possible, and it wasn't him who Devilyn really hated, anyhow. It was better not to even think of her, that bitch. Focus on work, for one thing. Dev was his Uncle's apprentice at the boatyard, helping to repair and build the fishing boats so essential to the primary industry of District Four; one day, the ownership of the small boatwright shop would pass to Dev, and the young man truly loved his work, especially those times when he was allowed to take one of the smaller craft out by himself to test it for sea-worthiness. Nothing was as satisfying as sailing alone for as long as he could stretch the test before heading back to shore, knowing he had helped restore the craft. In those moments, Dev was free and at peace.

Devilyn still had to go to school, regardless where he spent his nights, and though he really didn't care for it all that much, he was obedient and made decent grades, and was friendly and generally got along with the other kids, though he had no truly close friends. Those he hadn't got along with, in the past, had learned a sharp lesson about Dev's temper when he was pushed too far, and had thereafter left the boy untormented; Dev was not necessarily a great fighter, but he fought viciously when he had to do so. He even flirted with the girls in a very vague way, trying to seem ordinary and average, and tried hard to avoid staring at any of the other boys even when he really wanted to: the last thing he needed was to not fit in at school any more than he did at home. After school, though, and the days off, were the times Dev lived for. He was either at work, or, in his few free hours, able to walk along the beach, daydreaming, trying to think up only pleasant fantasies - usually ones where he found someone to love and was loved in return - he knew there were also happy relationships and not just the misery of his own parents. Sometimes, he dove into the surf and swam for an hour or two, something he was expert at; he had no fear of the water even when he knew he should.

The only thing Dev liked less than school was home, which he loathed, and happily would never have gone back to. In the young man's mind, the hours that his drunken mother and whipped and timid father spent watching endless recaps or live broadcasts of the Games only demonstrated their ignorance and cruelty. Privately, alone in the safety of his own mind, Dev was a rebel, despising the Hunger Games, the Capitol, the President, and all that they stood for, though of course he kept this to himself entirely, expressed only in his own lack of viewing of the Games even when a D4 tribute was in the final running. He felt terrible for the tributes, almost as much as he was also grateful never yet to have been one. Tonight, for example, he knew what his peers would be watching, and he wanted nothing to do with it, even though Uncle had told him to knock off early and go and do something enjoyable, a rare treat; Dev suspected that Aryth wanted to close the shop a bit early to entertain some woman in the small apartment he kept above the shop. He had no objection, reflecting that he would enjoy a walk along the beach, and headed down to stroll along the sand, having left his boots behind in the shop and wearing just a pair of jeans and a light blue tank. He listened to the ocean as he walked, trying to focus on the good in his too-often unhappy life.

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((OOC: willing to play with anyone here, if anyone wants to be wandering along the beach too. Potential friend or love interest, even an enemy, whomever... otherwise it's just an intro.))

[ali]

Jacquotte 'Red' Hayes

Fog whispered across the still ocean, as the moon slowly began to rise into navy blue sky. There was no wind, and Jacquotte knew there wouldn't be any chance of her getting the ship into port without it; their lifeline had been snapped so she had had to find an alternate way to deliver the stolen goods to District 4. They had a contact waiting for them, who would take the food to the orphanages of 4 so that the children would sleep with full stomachs for the next few weeks. The Drought in 10 and 11 had played a harsh toll on 4, the demand for fish became ever higher in the Capitol (who were apparently starving) and so most of the produce caught in District 4's water was shipped of to the Capitol rather than to the small markets at the Dock side. Of course, Jacquotte was displeased with this and after pillaging a few Capitol boats, paying the crew to keep quiet, they were able to 'aquire' a box full of food which had been destined for the Capitol.

The Captain watched as two of her crew members, Salt and Jer, put the box into one of the lifeboats. With a childish grin, Jacquotte said "Tis like them stories, where smuggler's took little boats to the mainlan'"

Jer and Salt watched as their captain took her seat beside the box, pulling the hood of her coat over her wild red hair. Taking hold of one of the ropes to lower it down, Jer looked at his Captain warily "Be careful now Capn'"

Jacquotte snorted at the comment"Fuck You. Course I will- I'll be back in a few hours"

With that the two lowered her in the boat onto the mirror like sea and watched her disappear into the fog.

The young woman was strong for her age, her muscle had been built up over the years living on the ships- lifting heavy boxes and clambering up into the roosts with rope slung over her shoulder- and with a few heaves of the oars, she could no longer see her beautiful ship; only thick dense fog. The fog was so dense, that she could not even see the large moon which hung somewhere over the horizon- the pirate just didn't know where- Thankfully, she managed to use her compass to navigate to a small beach near the contacts pick up point. One stroke after another, Jacquotte moved through the water fast but silently before the boat hit the sand. Leaping out the boat, the girl dragged the boat onto shore ,so's that it wouldn't be swept away when she wasn't there, with all the strength she had.

With one last push, the felt the boat became near impossible to push further up the beach but was far enough away from the tide that it would not float away when she was gone. With her hood still up, she wiped some sweat from her freckley forehead when she heard someone walk up from behind. Instinct set in and the pirate turned on her heels sharply, at the same time she pulled her pistol from it's holster under her coat and aimed it at the approaching stranger. The girl turned so fast, her hood slipped off, releasing her mane of red hair.

[Loki]

Walking along the shore, Dev was lost in his own thoughts until he heard the scraping sound of a small boat being beached - a sound he knew well, quiet as it was, and, curious, he headed for the noise. He walked through the far-reaching tendrils of fog which was growing thicker upon the sea every moment of the darkening night. He wondered who would be out in this weather, and why - he could barely find his way along the beach by the faint moonlight, and he knew this cove like the back of his hand. Dev wondered, with a thrill of fright and excitement, if this was something illicit going on, or, more likely, someone who had gotten lost in the fog and needed a bit of assistance. Either way, the young man knew he'd never be satisfied if he didn't investigate.

A moment later a figure in a hooded coat, back towards Dev, came into sight, and then whirled around, pointing a pistol right at him. The person's - the girl's - hood flopped back revealing some of the wildest hair Devilyn had ever seen. He noticed this even as his eyes skittered back to the pistol. Never had he ever seen anyone but a peacekeeper wielding a firearm. Never once. To do so was a very serious crime. So this girl must be a smuggler, then, or even a pirate.

Dev had long suspected that some of the shop's customers might play a part in smuggling, but he never knew for certain, and, he was almost sure, he had also never met a pirate, not so he knew it, anyhow. Dev did know, though plenty of stories about them. This all added up to real trouble. All of that flashed through the boy's mind instantly and within half a pace, Dev stopped on a dime and flung his hands up into the air, exclaiming, "Shit! Don't shoot!" His breath caught in his throat, then, and his heart started racing, as fear finally put in an appearance, barely visible in his dark eyes as it blossomed.

[ali]

Jacquotte 'Red' Hayes

"SHIT! DON'T SHOOT" the stranger shouted, flinging their hand into the air, with a tinge of fear on their voice.

Jacquotte quickly did a once over with her dark brown eyes, examining the strange boy who had happened across her illegal activities. He was tall, average height for a kid of his age. He looked about 16, maybe 15, Jacquotte couldn't really tell in the dull light; but there was one thing for sure, this blonde haired, prim and proper boy was just that- a boy. Land lovers didn't grow as fast as sea people, in her opinion, they were babied by the Capitol; like an abusive parent, the head honchos made sure they're little boys and girls kept in line. In truth, people never really grew up unless they suffered some real shit in life.

Turning her head to the side, she narrowed her eyes at him. He was the correct build to be a peacekeepr, but far too young, though he could be a Career. Jacquotte didn't really care at that moment in time, all she was thinking about was how this kid had seen the boat and seen the box. People like him, Children, they talked and then those people talked and then eventually those words got to people like Peacekeepers; which would fuck her business with people in 4 right over for a good year- until it died down. That's why she had to keep him quiet.

"Why the fuck shouldn't I?"She practically spat, keeping the pistol level with his face. Her hand was steady, she had held a gun many times and was not afraid to pull the trigger.

[Loki]

"Why the fuck shouldn't I?" snarled the red-haired girl pirate and for a moment, Dev had a complete brain-freeze, unable to think of anything to say. He thought, 'actually, why shouldn't she, it isn't like I'm worth much,' though of course he did not voice any such thing aloud. In that instant Dev realized that if she did kill him, there was no one particularly who'd even miss him. Maybe his Uncle, but he'd get over it quick enough. For just a second, Dev also knew that there was no one he'd particularly miss, either, assuming you felt anything at all after death, and it hit him like a mental sucker punch, but at least his mouth seemed like it'd work again now.

"I don't care what you're doing out here. It's probably something I'd like, anyhow, I won't tell anyone!" said Dev urgently and slowly backed away by minute steps, preparing to duck and run and hope he didn't get shot. What he said was honest, too; he had absolutely no intent of informing the peacekeepers or anybody of what he'd seen here; he wouldn't tell anyone of the pirate he had met. He knew he shouldn't have said that this act of smuggling or whatever it was was probably something he'd approve, as that revealed too much about him and his own inner and secret rebellion, but he showed no signs of lying.

"Besides, even in the fog someone'll hear the shot. You'll have to go and not finish whatever you're doing here." Dev added that last bit, because it was also probably true and it sounded reasonable, anyhow. It wasn't as if he'd walked miles from civilization; he was only a beach and a couple dunes from the nearest houses. Dev was suprised, inwardly, at how calm he was starting to feel despite the gun pointed at his head. He was alert, though, waiting for any flinch of the pirate's finger to indicate she was about to shoot, and planned to dodge to one side if he saw it, and have hope in the fact that his head was not a very big target.

[ali]

Jacquotte 'Red' Hayes

The boy seemed lost for words. This is when they usually ran, and then Jacquotte would have to shoot him a couple of times in the back and let him bleed out a bit before she shot him again in the head. Then she'd have to bury him somewhere, or push him out too sea; the salt would destroy the evidence of her finger prints and the gun was stolen so there was little ways it could be traced back to her. Her finger was poised, ready to pull the trigger and kill him if he dared turn away or so much as look over his shoulder; he was worthless. She didn't need him.

The boy finally found his words again, taking a cautious step backwards. Jacquotte paused as he spoke "I don't care what you're doing out here. It's probably something I'd like, anyhow, I won't tell anyone! Besides, even in the fog someone'll hear the shot. You'll have to go and not finish whatever you're doing here."

Jacquotte pursed her lips. He was right, she could just about make out the glow of houses over the way; one gun shot was more than enough to alert District 4 where crime was short. For all the girl knew, there might be some Peacekeepers in the area which would fly to the origin of a gun shot like moths to a flame. She doubted she'd be able to get away in time if that was the case, she had a boat but they probably had a car or a dune buggy so that they could drive along the beach. The boy was right, she was fucked if she pulled the trigger.

"Shit." she hissed through her teeth, lowering the gun but not putting it away. He could still take off and she didn't exactly trust him enough to just let him go free; he'd seen too much and she should kill him but she needed to finish the job first of all. She sifted through plans in her head, her eyes flickering from one side to the other as if she were reading a book, before she came up with a solution."Tell me, do you know where Jacob's lake is?"

The pirate girl smirked, waiting for a reply.

[Loki]

Dev was relieved when she lowered the pistol - at least he would not have to try and make a desperate run for it. He visibly untensed a bit, though not to the point of actually relaxing. He wasn't stupid. She still had hold of the gun, she still was a pirate and therefore dangerous. And she was asking him a question: "Tell me, do you know where Jacob's lake is?"
Even better, it was a question he could answer. "Sure. I mean, its more of a pond sitting in a marsh than a lake, but it's called Jacob's Lake. It's about a mile from here. That way." Dev waved one upraised hand northeast to indicate.

Once again, his body language and tone didn't indicate he was lying. "It's pretty close to the ocean, really, but, you can't land there. There's no cove or anything, just a lot of rocks. Tear the bottom right out of your rowboat, I'm pretty sure." Aware that he was rambling, Dev shut up, lowering his hands finally, as he realized they were still raised, and continuing to watch the pirate girl. He was curious, of course (even though curiosity had already got him in trouble enough this night,) and wondered what business she could possibly have at Jacob's Lake. It seemed an unlikely place to smuggle something to, or from. 

Plus that box looked pretty heavy, and it wasn't all that small. It was going to be a pain in the ass for her to carry it there, alone. 

[ali]

Jacquotte 'Red' Hayes

The boy still hadn't run. That was a surprise to the girl, most would have bolted after the gun was drawn but this one wasn't dead in the dirt yet. She studied him as he talked about the location of Jacobe's lake and how it was more than a pond than a lake but details didn't matter to her. All that mattered to her was get the goods to her client on time. The boy pointed to northeast to indicate the direction of where Jacobe's lake was- of course, Jacquotte knew perfectly well where the lake was and didn't need directions.

"It's pretty close to the ocean, really, but, you can't land there. There's no cove or anything, just a lot of rocks. Tear the bottom right out of your rowboat, I'm pretty sure." he said in a calm and cool tone; he sounded slightly out of breath- probably afraid. Jacquotte narrowed her eyes and studied him but could find no indication that he had been lying about anything.

A smile slowly graced her lips as she spoke slowly yet with a forceful tone "Good, now you're gonna carry this box for me and together, we're gonna go to Jacobe's Creek and deliver it. No exceptions."She shifted the gun slightly so it was in view, as if to say "I will shoot if you try anything".

Though this hadn't been her original plan, it seemed to be turning out to be better. If there was a moment where, a peacekeeper or the like, appeared and was going to arrest them- Jacquotte could ditch the boy and run; he'd be left standing there with the stolen goods and he'd be arrested instead of her. It wasn't ideal- she'd have an enemy provided he was not hanged at the docks- but it was better than killing him here and now. What she would do to him after the delivery; she didn't know.

[Loki]

Without saying a word, Dev went to the rowboat and lifted the box out; it was heavy, but not heavier than some of the things he lifted at work, so he hefted the big cumbersome cube up and carried it, saying, "This way" to the pirate girl. He was less concerned about being shot now, mostly, he was concerned with not dropping the box, though he did have to ask, "Guess you won't tell me what's in here.. My guess is luxuries from the Capitol," that seemed a likely thing for a pirate to be smuggling. 

Before she'd ha chance to reply or not, he continued, "We'll be walking into a marsh, the mud gets deep in places. And it sucks at your shoes."