The Jackdaw, Port of Fandom, Tuesday Evening

[doesnotkneel]

"Shouldn't we be makin' haste leaving this place?"

Edward draped himself back in his seat on the deck of the Jackdaw with a rakish grin. "We could," he said, "Or we could enjoy ourselves a few days of respite before getting back to the muck and the salt, aye? We've plenty of supplies in the hold."

Adé sighed and shook his head.

"Besides," Edward said, picking his mug of ale off the table, "We've earned some making merry, haven't we, boys?"

That got a hearty 'aye'. Thusly enabled, Edward took a large swig of his drink, grinned, and hopped up onto that table with the keen sense of grace he'd picked up from years of climbing around the rigging. "Then let's make something of it!"

The men - bar Adé, who was returning to the hold to shake his head, no doubt - cheered loudly.

Edward scraped his throat. "Now you're ready to sail for the Horn! Weigh hey--"" He waved his arms, and the men joined him for a loud "Roll and go!" before he continued alone, "Our boots and our clothes, boys, are all in the pawn to be rollicking Randy Dandy-O!"

Hope you liked rowdy pirates singing shanties, island, because you could hear them from a mile away.

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[okteiviakom]

Octavia was not a mile away. She was making her way back to the Rouge, and stopped by the slip housing the Jackdaw for a moment, just to listen.

Just to briefly wonder about what it would be like to have a whole crew on a ship.

(She figured she already had something of an idea.)

[doesnotkneel]

It was rowdy, was what it was. Edward, already drunk, clambered up on the railing as soon as he noticed somewhere nearby. "Oi!" he bellowed. "That you, trawler lass?"

[okteiviakom]

"I have a name," Octavia called back.

Even though she was well aware she had not told him what it was, yes. (Well, not within the last... nine years or so, anyway.)

[doesnotkneel]

Edward let out an ebullient laugh. "Well, what is it?" he yelled.

[okteiviakom]

"Octavia!"

Kom nothing, now. Just Octavia.

[doesnotkneel]

"What you starin' at us for?"

Incidentally, Edward's accent got vastly and almost indecipherably worse when he was drunk.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was noticing that, yes.

"Because you're being loud as hell?"

That wasn't it.

[doesnotkneel]

"You're welcome!"

For the noise of a bunch of drunken pirates singing increasingly out of tune, yes.

[okteiviakom]

Could he tell Octavia looked unimpressed from this distance? Because she did.

"For the noise?"

[doesnotkneel]

"The merriment!" Edward yelled.

Behind him, Grim bellowed, "Who're you talking to, Kenway?!"

[okteiviakom]

"Not my merriment."

Again, deadpan worked at every volume.

[doesnotkneel]

"Then you clearly need to be drinking," Edward yelled, undeterred. "Grim! Get her some ale!"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia considered objecting.

Instead, she snorted to herself, and moved a little closer to the ship, and its gangplank.

What did she have to lose?

[doesnotkneel]

Her sobriety, if the drunk pirate shoving a pint of ale at her had anything to say about it.

"That's more like it," Edward called, and swayed dangerously above the water for a moment before he reeled himself back onto the deck.

[okteiviakom]

Please. Her sobriety had been a lost cause ever since she'd decided to make the trio of Crocker, Morningstar, and Kyōraku her closest people.

Octavia accepted the pint as she made her way aboard. "What's the occasion?"

She didn't think there was an occasion.

[doesnotkneel]

"We're back on Fandom again despite attempting to get to Nassau for months now," Edward called. "Might as well be drinking!"

[okteiviakom]

"Good enough, I guess," Octavia drawled, casting a glance around.

Not really curious, but not really not curious, either.

[doesnotkneel]

"So will you drink with us?" Edward grinned.

He probably should've removed his swords - or the blades on the rest of his crew - before he started drinking. Probably.

[okteiviakom]

Eh. Where was the fun in that?

In fact, Octavia was perhaps eyeing the swords even now. Couldn't really help it - this was the first time in what felt like all too long she'd been around this many people with unconcealed weapons on them.

She lifted her pint just a little, demonstratively. "At least this much."

[doesnotkneel]

"I'll take it," Edward said, grinning. "Lads! Make some space for Octavia!"

They cleared out a seat rather quickly.

[okteiviakom]

Something about it felt familiar in a way that Octavia wasn't going to bother examining too closely. Not right now, anyway.

She just took her newly vacant seat. "Thanks."

[doesnotkneel]

"Never mind having a pretty lass aboard," Edward said, grinning, and took a big swig of his own ale. "And if any o' these bloody vermin try'n touch you, you just stab 'em somewhere awkward, y'hear?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted.

"I don't need to be told that," she drawled. "But it's a smart move to assume I'm armed."

[doesnotkneel]

"I lived on this island for quite a while," Edward said, "... And I've known enough women who can cut a man's head off just as easy as any man."

This would only get worse.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia could look dry while taking a swig from her pint. It was an important skill.

"I doubt all the men you know can do that."

[doesnotkneel]

Edward laughed. "I have met a squeamish one or two," he agreed. "Like you, Grim."

Grim veered up. "How dare you!"