The Dancer and The Pirate || Adélie

[Antonio Fernández Carriedo]

The Entertainment District was always its busiest during the nighttime. During the day, most of the streets were abandoned, the clobber stone pavement drenched with a rest of the rain's water, and at shady alleys, even a smell of piss. The houses, piled one over the other, were not exactly impressive, but something about the pipework and the constant blows of steam, like odd copper chimneys, shone during the day, yes, a little charm, but at night... Oh, at night they looked like beams of light, reflecting all the candlelights and small electricity some of the shops had. Antonio, who had in his airship just a few lanterns, so he wouldn't be spotted among the clouds or waves, was always impressed by the bright and colourful lights.

It was a warm invitation to forget about life's troubles for a moment or so, perhaps for a whole night even, which Antonio gladly took. He had heard that, there, was a show, nightly even, on a small theatre at the end of the main street, something about a girl named 'La Faye' who had fire in her hips and a grace on her dance. She was an exotic dancer, the pirate had read from a small paper he had grabbed from an alley, a propaganda with the location of the where the show happened, as well as the time. Antonio checked his pocket watch, a small trinket he had bargained from another pirate back in the Isles a long time ago, and well, wasn't he lucky! If he hurried a bit, he'd still be in time for her next show!

Excited at the prospect of seeing this said dancer, and most of all curious at what the whole talk in town was about, the brunet quickened his pace, hurrying a bit, and only stopping at the entrance to buy his tickets. He smiled at the salesman, despite the elder's frown and the strange machinery around his eye, some sort of retractable lenses perhaps to better count the money, then, with ticket in his hands, walked it. It hadn't been hard to find a seat either, surprisingly, yet Antonio eyed a small group of thugs at the corner warily at first — well, he supposed the propaganda was meant to attract those men... He wasn't going to be bothered by that, anyway, and once he was sitting down comfortably on one of the chairs, he directed his attention to the stage with a small smile. Well, it hadn't even stated, how lucky of his!

[monaco]

Adèlie took a deep breath; her eyes were closed and drowned out the roars of men from beyond the curtain, focusing on her breathing. The show had been delayed for ten minutes, due to some technical difficulties but the stage manager had assured the audience a moment ago that La Faye would be giving them an extra special show. Then, the curtains were pulled away and Adèlie opened her eyes to the crowd and instantly a seductive smile played upon he lips and the music began, and she began to dance. She began with a few spins forward to bring her to centre stage and began her personalized routine. The men were going nuts the more she moved, flowed, flexed and licked her lips, She ran her fingers across her body, she dipped, 'come hither' gestures and kicks, all perfectly executed and both graceful and crowd-pleasing. The minutes ticked by, her body was beginning to shine even more than the sparkles on her costume as seat began to make her gleam, causing the crowd even more to react and go crazy.

Her breaths were getting quicker with her heartbeat so she bent over tot the side of a the stage, grabbed a glass of water and with her foot extended in perfect form, her hands high above her head for emphasis, she spilt it over her toned body. With a flick of her wrist, her form was transformed into another posture with the precision and speed of a tight spin, sending droplets everywhere and she became La Faye, her wings behind her, spread wide, and ornate. The wolf whistles, cheering, howling and applause were deafening, though the barrage of sound was dulled within her ears. The girl dancing on stage was miles away from the smoky, dusky club that was filled with jeering, stimulated, intoxicated men whose glassy-eyed stared all watched transfixed upon her twisting curves. Her focus was completely upon her routine, her personal choreography, and ensuring she satisfied her adoring crowd. The music was loud and carried her through one form to another: a spin, a shake, a well-placed wink or smooch of her painted lips.

A few more turns, another kick and wiggle of her hips, before she spun once, twice, tree times before dropping into a straddle split and arching her back backwards with her arms raised, her chest heaving. The crowd exploded. The multiple loud thud of chairs toppling over by their drunken owners standing too quickly and the shattering of mugs hitting the floor while the stampeding drum of feet beating the floorboards in accompany to the multitude of clapping; another perfect show. Coins rained down onto the stage, some hitting the feathers extending from her coiled, golden hair upon her head, though she mainly ignored them. She knew that she would be paid well for tonight for her presence alone brought in a full house.

In one smooth, graceful movement, she stood, the luster of he outfit catching the light of the room, and she bowed low with another teasing wink, causing another series of wolf whistles. A sweet, sultry smile remained upon her lips, as it had her entire performance, and though her blue eyes were bright, the only thrill that dwelled there was from the heat of the dance and not from her admiring fans. A few more bows, a wave, and a blow-away kiss she gave before she headed off the side of the stage and ducked behind the screen, heading straight for her personal dressing room, the sooner she got out of the rather revealing, busty, fantastical fairy outfit the better.

She began the process of stripping off the tight fitting lace and replacing upon her skin with her casual clothes, this consisting of a scarlet bodice over a white blouse, a long dark shirt over lace-up, heeled boots. Carefully, she removed the pins, clips, and feather from her hair, allowing for her golden locks to cascade down her back. With steady hands, she took her long strands and entwined the, together in a single side plait, securing a scarlet bow at the top and pinning back her bangs with two pins. Lastly, she replaced her spectacles that she had removed before she got up on stage; wearing glasses were not practical when one is spinning and moving about with drunk men at her feet. Looking upon her reflection in the mirror, she looked like a completely different person from what she was a few minutes ago, almost unrecognizable. Perfect.

She donned her dark green frock coat and collected her pay before slipping out of the back door of the cabaret into the nearly empty back alley save few a crates and a feral cat sleeking in a far shadow. Normally a bouncer of the club would accompany her to the division of the Entertainment District and the North Residential District where her home resided, but due to the mass attendance, all of the able bodied men were required to quell any brawls and handle the crowd. Clutching her coat closed and holding her purse close to her chest, she started down the alley with a quick step.

She was nearing the end of the alley, the expanse of the dark street opening up before her, when the torrent of steps of someone running towards her made her freeze; whoever was coming, they were in a hurry. Tightening her grip upon her bag, Adèlie began to step aside in order to clear a path for the approaching person but in doing so she failed to see the other two figures appear from the darkness beside her.

[Antonio Fernández Carriedo]

The show was better than Antonio expected, most certainly. The lady, la Faye, moved with grace and agility, spinning around at the right times, and then pausing, slowing down with the right tempo, she surely pulled quite the claps from the crowd, including the pirate himself. The costume was impressive too, glowing softly due to the stage lights and some other gimmick the Spaniard couldn't quite figure out, but he liked it anyway — quite honestly, the fact she was an actually pretty lady did help. Antonio smiled like a child at every spin, bright green eyes reflecting some of the light that went his way, and his mouth was permanently set in an 'O' until the show was definitely over.

Too soon, actually, the pirate would dare say. He smiled from ear to ear still, knowing the girl had probably not even seen him, yet whistled and clapped as she walked off the stage. It made him consider, for a moment, who was this girl, who had to work as a dancer for men not much better than thieves to pay her bills, but then again, he was a pirate himself, not so above her. Sighing softly, Antonio checked his pocket watch discreetly — the machine would certainly be stolen if he showed it around too much — and concluded it was time to leave. The show was over, after all, no?

But not, however, without eavesdropping a couple of pirates at a table nearby. Antonio thought he knew them by the tattoos on their back, but things just wouldn't come to mind! He pouted a bit in frustration, certain that he was missing something, but what? The group stood up, too, not shortly after him, and they all walked through the back door, speaking loudly with a small drunken slur. The captain watched that, a strange gut feeling telling him to follow them: Go on, Antonio Carriedo, go on! And he did, might as well.

Humming a small tune, the brunet trailed after them, keeping some distance. Antonio wasn't good at hiding himself, or being any less than a bold pirate with a loud voice, but these were so drunk… He hid behind a barrel in time to see one of them deviate from the group, walking back towards the theatre, at some back door of sorts. Well, this didn't sound normal or anything, what the hell?! He scrunched his nose, jumped off his hiding spot and walked after that one, just in time to see the dancer from earlier on walking back home some steps ahead. Ah, maybe he should say hello!

The pirate grinned a bit wickedly, and said a warm "Oye, so you know her too?" when he was next to the thug, waiting for his reaction. Why was that man after the poor dancer, anyway?!

[monaco]

The person ran by, holding a parcel and slipped into the back door, obviously one of the stage managers late night deliveries. Such shady businesses were common in this part of town and she guessed from the hastened speed, that the delivery was late which could mean bad news. Adèlie watched him go by, sighing and tucking a hair behind her ear; she really was way too easy to scare but that could be because she was exhausted. A long day at the shop followed by two shows was wearing her out, but thankfully the following two days were her days off so se could catch up on some highly anticipated sleep. Removing her glasses to rub her eyes, she remained still to allow her heart to stop racing was about to replace her lenses when a voice broke through the reasonable silence of the alley and a small gasp escaped her lips in surprise.

"Oye, so you know her too?"

She blinked up at the two men, fully aware of her much shorter status, and the fact that her back was to a wall and that the alley was narrow, meaning she didn’t have much options to run. The man on the right was larger than the other, body wise, his muscles apparent with his lack of a proper shirt, and the reek of liquor was emanating strongly from him, and his hungry stare upon her made her cringe. His glazed eyes slide off of her body to the man next to him, whom Adèlie could only assume owned the smooth voice that had spoken up. The other man was shorter but by far more handsome and dressed properly, his attire spoke of at least some form of dignity and while his smile set her on edge, his eyes she admitted were a bewitching shade of green, even in the dim light of the alley.

Shaking her head, getting over her initial shock, she forced her fear down and set her expression into one of annoyance and not of some timid woman caught unawares by two possibly dangerous men; she straightened herself into perfect poster and raised a brow at the men. “Gentlemen,” she began, her tone even though showing her obvious irritation, “I think you have mistaken me for someone else and I assure you, I know neither of you”. Her chin was held high, a trait of her dancing experience and one of the reasons why she was often mistaken for a noble when seen around town. Blue eyes gazed up at the two men before she uttered, “Good night gentlemen,” in a finite tone and, clutching her purse, began to step around the man with the striking eyes and mahogany hair but only when she was by his side that her expression did slip, that fear entered her eyes and her hand reached up to find the end of her braid. Of all the nights to be alone…

(Hope that this is suitable.. didn't know quite what to do >x< )

[Antonio Fernández Carriedo]

Antonio blinked at her at first, confused at the harsh reaction as he had simply been trying to be cordial, but didn't let it bother him. He smiled, eyes still set on the thug, but waved softly at the girl. "Ah, perhaps… Right, my friend?" He leered at the thug, tilting his head up a bit. The girl was walking off, on her right, sure, and for a moment, Antonio just thought it all would have been settled quickly, when the thug leered "Well, I like them best when they start with 'no'!" and his actions did take the pirate quite by surprise.

The thug moved forward, grabbed the lady by her forearm with enough force to leave a bruise, and pushed her up close. The smell of alcohol reeked all around him, especially when he gave the woman an ugly, crooked smile with a few less teeth — Antonio gestured widely a 'What the Hell?', but when the other man said something quite lewd about taking her there and circled an arm around the dancer, it clicked. The brunet huffed, quickly frowning, and pulled out his pistol, tapping the taller man's shoulder. Frankly, how rude!

"Good sir, I think not!" He smirked on, and clicked the pistol. The thug didn't take it lightly, cursing at Antonio about him being a nosy brat, but he did let go of Adèlie. The problem, however, was that he let go of her to fight the pirate instead. Oh, damn.

Antonio blinked, dodging the punch that came his way and climbing on some of the trashcans to distract him. It made the thug come forward, toss the trash bags at the back wall, which the captain also dodged with ease, used to far bigger dangers and fights with sober pirates, of all things. He didn't want to kill the other, however, as a gunshot would attract far more people than he possibly meant and scare the poor lady away, so the pirate would have to do with knocking him off. The thug tried to grab him, yanking Antonio close by the arm, yet the pirate braced himself, keeping his ground, and the fight ended after he whacked the other's head with the back of the pistol.

The thug got a bit dizzy at that, cursing loudly. Still, Antonio simply pocketed the weapon, punching the man's jaw with the small notions of fighting he had — sadly, he didn't have brass knuckles with him, but the hit the thug took to the head, followed by the punches and a heavy push did leave him unconscious. Antonio nodded at his work, wiping his hands clean on the other's shirt, then turned to talk to the lady.

"Ay, he didn't hurt you, did he?!" The brunet hummed with an humorous tune, walking closer to her and stretching a hand out. "Perdón, I'm Antonio, a pirate! And you are?" Well, he should apologize for the small mess, and he doubted the girl knew anything about pirates at all.

[monaco]

The woman let out a shaky breath, her heart was pounding, and sweat tickled the back of her neck, and she had a good reason to feel so unease. The two men, the drunkard brute, and the suave gent, were now behind her meaning that she could see them, which she immediately knew was a huge problem. Taking another step, she heard the handsome man say something but she didn’t quite catch it, though she did turn her head a bit to strain back her peripheral to catch once more the brunet in her sights. Things seemed to be going more slowly, light someone had turned down the speed of time, because Adèlie was just thinking that after she took her next step, she would begin to run, leaving the two men behind, but in that same instant, the brute’s slurred and deep voice struck her ears and all she had time to do was gasp before a huge, strong hand grabbed her by the arm and ripped her back, causing her to shriek in surprise and from pain, and she dropped her bag.

What struck her more with shock than being grabbed, was the smell. The reeking stench of alcohol and unhygienic foulness nearly made Adèlie choke with disgust and with her arms pinned as they were, she could even cover her face, but the smell was the least of her worries. The man brought her close and slurred words that were more than a threat, but were more a promise and it made the girl freeze with terror ad she felt even more vulnerable and fragile. It was her worst fear coming true, being caught alone in an alley with her assailant having more than inapposite motives on his mind. The blonde tried to fight but it was no use, she was fighting against a harry arm thickened from years of work and natural strength. Her facial features were strained with fear and desperation, tears evens stinging her eyes, and shocks of revulsion coursed through her when the man holding her began to chuckles with sick desire and satisfaction.

"Good sir, I think not!"

Blue eyes shot wide at those words and she jerked her head to the side to see the other man with a pistol in his head; Adèlie had been so consumed by her current dismal situation, she had almost forgotten that technically she wasn’t alone. A glimmer of hope flickered across hers eyes but this was quickly extinguished by an ugly curse spat from behind her before she was violently and gruffly tossed aside, landing hard on the ground, and coughed a few times with her chest cavity now able to take a deep breath. Still coughing, she turned over and immediately scrambled back once she looked up to see the two men had begun to fight. Her heart was thundering in her ears and adrenaline was pumping through her veins and the woman felt the urge to flee. Forgetting about her possessions Adèlie did go to stand, stumbling a bit from her franticness, and was about to bolt down the alley, when she stopped and looked back because of the thud followed the grunt of someone getting hit and she admitted that she feared that her savior had been struck down. Fortunately, she watched with wide eyes as the brute was knocked to the ground and she just stood there, petrified, in shock, her a hand to her mouth, as her mind began to fully realize how close she had become to falling victim to one of Granor’s vilest.

Her thoughts began to spiral down as images struck her consciousness, rousing teas to once more brighten her blue eyes, and as consumed as she was becoming, when a calm voice disturbed her darkening thoughts and made her jump. Adèlie looked up at him, heart having yet to slow, and she took a minute to interpret his words. Oh… he was concerned for her… it’d be polite to answer him since he did just save her.

“I…” her voice came out weak and dry, so she took a moment to wet her tongue, “I’m fine…” she managed but even as she said it, she had begun to rub her arm where she had been grabbed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but her eyelids fluttered open when the man spoke again, his tone once more light and easy.

"Perdón, I'm Antonio, a pirate! And you are?"

Adèlie just blinked at him at first, surprised by his greeting and self-proclamation of his status as a pirate; she wasn’t an expert but she did know that such members of the piracy profession usually tried to keep their identity a secret. She looked from his face, to his hand, then back to his face, deciding what she should make of this. Well, obviously he meant well and perhaps by saying he was a pirate meant he was showing her that she could trust him by exposing himself so easily. Plus, when someone introduced himself or herself it was polite to respond likewise. Offering him a small smile, she extended her hand to place in with his to complete the handshake.

“I’m Adèlie and… Thank you so much. You…. You Don’t know how grateful I am for you saving me and I apologize if you were injured doing so”.

[Antonio Fernández Carriedo]

Had Antonio known that the girl would be so shocked at his intervention, he would have presented himself as a noble or ran off, simply. Then again, it would be quite a shame of his to know a girl was about to be attacked and not honestly do anything to stop it. Still, he was hoping that she wouldn't remain as stiff — he wasn't that cruel! He didn't even look remotely mean, that was just downright offensive. The Spaniard quickly smiled at her once heard her name, and shook her hand firmly as she allowed so.

He also allowed her to see a ring in his hand, golden with the seal of the Merchant Marine boldly stamped. It was the ring he used to seal the letters as a merchant, despite being a pirate per excellence, and even as he presented himself as a pirate, most people just took as a joke from a meechant who didn't fail to recognise he was corrupt, either leaning towards Ruthians or Draconians. Antonio, he didn't care for either side, but if he was to pick one, he's definitely stick to the latter.

"Very well. We should just walk out of here... Listen, do you have anywhere to go? It's really not safe here." He spoke again, gently rubbing his own shoulder. It's true Antonio had taken a few hits, but mostly, there was nothing to worry about. The man was drunk, and drunk people rarely manage to land a good hit or so. "Bien, let us walk, and then we talk, ¿sí?"

Now, Antonio wasn't sure how great of an idea that had been, given how scared she was, but still he gently placed a hand on the girl's upper back and began to walk her off, back the main street where it was more illuminated. "I saw your show too, by the way! You looked pretty great, señorita." He hoped that hadn't sound cheeky, but it was just his honest opinion! Although not quite the dancing show he was used to seeing, he couldn't deny it hadn't been enjoyable.

Once they were back on the street, Antonio smiled down at the dancer. "So, where to, milady?"

[monaco]

He took her hand and shook it with enthusiasm, causing more of her aftershock to crumble and she began to felt more at ease, plus his bright smile helped ease a larger one of her own from her lips. Now that she was beginning to feel better, Adèlie took a moment for her eyes to start to take in some features of the man before her now that they were in close proximity. He couldn’t be much older than her, though it was difficult to tell distinct features in the dim light of the alleyway. She did notice that he had an earring and that his hair was long enough to tie back into a ponytail if he wished, but most of all she did notice that his attire was of the usual scum who usually attended her shows. In fact, he was dressed rather well and she didn’t have to stare to notice the feel of a large ring upon his finer when she had shook his hand.

Was he truly a pirate staging as a noble, or a noble thinking he could score points with the ladies by saying he was a pirate? Both were dangerous notions but the most dangerous idea of all that occurred to her was if he actually was telling the while truth and perhaps was both, an elite and a pirate. Adèlie knew the extent that people were corrupted, but the thought that perhaps she had just formally met one who also was a decent enough man to help, sparked her curiosity as she retook her hand from his and quickly retrieved her bag from the ground, eyeing the downed man.

"Very well. We should just walk out of here... Listen, do you have anywhere to go? It's really not safe here."

His words made her look back at him as she came back over to stand by his side with a raised brow. Walk?

"Bien, let us walk, and then we talk, ¿sí?"

She blinked at him and was about to say something but then his hand came to her upper back and she was ushered forward with him, down the alley and towards the street. At first her heart fluttered a bit with leftover anxiety but it soon passed once she thought that he was leading her towards people and that she should really reserve her worry if he had insisted that they remain in solitude. Basically, she was tired and was thinking so much so she allowed herself to relax with a deep sigh, though looked up at him when he mentioned that he had seen her show.

“Oh, thanks,” se replied lamely at first, before clearing her throat and lifting her head with pride. “I try and the money’s pretty good. It pays the bills”. She ended with a small shrug because that was the truth, nothing more. The world ran on money and to survive sometimes you had to do things that perhaps were out of your comfort zone. She gave him another small smile and breathed a bit more easy once they stood beneath the light of a street lamp. A few people were walking about because, well at least in the Red Light Distraint night was day and people strolled when others slept. Now that she could see him properly she glanced him up and down and again, was about to say something when he spoke up once more, taking her by surprise.

“I...” she stammered, caught off guard a bit before she took a moment to think. Usually, after her shows she went straight home to bed but did she really want tot his man to know where she lived? He may seem now like a gentleman but that didn’t mean she didn’t still need to be cautious. Looking him straight in the eye, deciding, she smiled and said, “Well, since you’ve elected yourself my good sir to escort me in the stead of my usual companion, if you would be so kind enough to show me to the border of the North Residential Distinct, I would be most appreciative, Monsieur Antonio”.

[Antonio Fernández Carriedo]

Antonio noticed the way she stared at him once they were by the light, suspicious of him maybe? He just noticed her eyes flick down, that never meant something good, but just the face she had, Adèlie's expression, he couldn't figure out. He kept his smile, however, not letting it falter despite his thoughts, and even laughed a bit at her answer, all in good faith. Bills, bills, bills to pay… Money was something, no? Which is just why he was a pirate, despite all his 'noble' intents.

"Ah, that's good to hear!" He chirped, letting his hands drop down. He had pocketed by gun by now, keeping it safe and tucked at the holster which the coat hid. The coat, bright red with silver spaders, shone faintly under the red and white lights, making him look perhaps more imposing than he meant. Some hints of glitter from the girl's costume could still be seen on her face and clothes, which got the man amused for a moment. She still looked like she was on stage, and perhaps that was the whole magic of it, no? She also wasn't the only girl around, many ladies, courtesans, passed by, some who knew Antonio smiled, some just ignored him, leading other gentlemen on for their love carefully bought. "Although you should be careful not to bump into more men like that one... Could be dangerous." But wasn't him dangerous himself? Oh dear.

“Well, since you’ve elected yourself my good sir to escort me in the stead of my usual companion, if you would be so kind enough to show me to the border of the North Residential Distinct, I would be most appreciative, Monsieur Antonio”.

To say he didn't blush was a lie, but still, he held himself up enough to simply scratch the back of his short, tussled hair, wincing a bit in some embarrassment. Should he call her up on that? Probably not… It had been very gentle, still, and of course he should thank her for that… Well, later! He'd do that certainly later. Blinking and tilting his head up, Antonio traced a mental map of the city, muttering 'North Residential' under his breath. Oh, right, there towards the west gate! He laughed to himself, sticking his tongue out, once he knew the way to go again. A pirate without a sense of direction, please...

"I almost forgot where said district is, but now I remember!" He replied cheekily, then looked back into her eyes, smiling proudly as he stretched out a hand. "It'll be my pleasure to guide you there, señorita Adèlie!" He left his hand hanging for her to catch it, so they could go. It was the posture and action typical of a noble, as no pirate would ever behave that way, and he was letting it show on purpose. Not that he wanted to confuse the poor girl, no, but if she was to remember him as a noble despite his big mouth, even better. "Shall we go?"