{ Welcome to Port } (368 views)

Susan laughed when the man stood up, surprised he was being so generous but also impressed. She rarely found men who behaved gentlemanly around her. Sure, she commanded respect, but sometimes she felt so unfeminine when surrounded by the men she associated with! But this stranger – he said his name was Miles – was such a gentleman! It amused Susan very much!

”My, my! Someone wasn’t raised in a tavern, unlike this lot here!” Susan said, her tone jovial as she took the seat he had vacated. She looked out at the city and saw no disaster, before she glanced at the fish and chips dinner Miles was eating. Now that looked delicious! She ordered one for herself, half-listening to Miles as he complimented her speed. She turned towards Miles with a smile.

”Of course I’m fast – the captain of the navy in Salem is not a slow woman,” She said, almost chided, though her tone was still light and teasing despite the words, ”You may call me Captain Summers! I take it you are new to the port?”

Susan smiled to herself as she listened to Miles talk – and she was completely fooled when he feigned ignorance to her title. What reason did she have to suspect this man? He had been thieved from, and he was likely just a merchant looking to sell some goods. Many men came through here, young and old, cocky and naïve, and he seemed to Susan to lean towards the latter option. She had always had a soft spot for the naive merchants who came through, though she never said it, she just... did. Despite her intimidating title, Susan wanted to help out those who she thought were struggling whenever she could.

”You have to have your wits about you here! It’s a dangerous place, especially since we have many strange ships dock. Including pirates,” she said. She had wanted to meet with Eldin soon and ask him why he had yet to chase off the latest pirate ship – but she didn’t need to speak with this newcomer about that.

When he offered to buy her dinner or drinks, she laughed for a good minute, as though he’d told her the funniest joke she’d ever heard. ”Oh – oh that is the first time half a decade that someone has asked me that!” she said. The last date she’d had was Kasper, her former fiancé, and he was sadly no longer with the world. She took a bite of her food as it arrived.

”I have a tab here that I would rather not change up, however I am more than willing to get some drinks with you later!” She said, smiling back at his smile. His face was so innocent looking and round... like a bunny rabbit! Or a dog. She decided not to say that because, if her prior experience with men was any indication, they hated to feel emasculated and her being in this position was enough to emasculate most. She was very intrigued that it didn’t have the same effect on Miles, however. ”Would tomorrow evening work for you?”

Miles’ surprise that she hadn’t been asked out in a long time amused her, and also reinforced her idea of his naivety. Any wise man would realize why she had never been asked out and not been quite so shocked. And, of course, any wise man would have backed off when they realized her title and name. But he didn’t seem perturbed at all. And that not only amused Susan, but intrigued her as well.

”Tomorrow night it shall be! I am aware of where you are lodging – I will be sure to join you. With the town under Admiral Eldin’s watch as well as mine, I can take a day off to have some fun. Lord knows I need a break from my duties,” She said, smiling over at him. ”But you’d best be careful – you can’t always trust every kind soul you meet! Even if she is a Captain in the Navy. She took another bite of her fish and hummed in appreciation. ”What time works best for you? I don’t know your schedule after all! Or how late you’ll be in the market selling your goods.”

”A smart man, you are!” Susan said, chuckling all the same at his little chuckle. ”And that is true – I am the Captain of the Navy. If you can’t trust the Navy then who can you trust? Pirates?”

She laughed at her joke, before she considered eight o’clock tomorrow. That sounded perfect for her – and she could come right to his door! She finished up her meal and drink, humming in appreciation to the waitress who came by.

”Eight o’clock sounds wonderful. I can be by around then and we can enjoy our time at the pub. But be careful – there are many wrenches there who will see your wealthy and try to seduce it from you! I suppose I’ll have to do you a favor and keep your attention, won’t I?”

Susan giggled when Miles said she didn’t need to worry about him running off with some wrench – though who could be sure with men – and when he said he just would focus on her Susan smiled. Oh he sure was a charmer, wasn’t he? She stood up from her place once she had eaten everything and moved to leave. His comment that he would rather see her dance made her wink, and she said perhaps he’d see that, perhaps he wouldn’t.

She left, then, and headed back to her duties. She patrolled the ports, and kept special eye on Jean’s shop in the dock. She spoke with Jean – who said he had spoken with Eldin earlier and wanted no trouble – and then told him to control his rambunctious pirates. He smiled and assured her he would and Susan nodded, though she didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him. Pirates. She hated them, and couldn’t stand the thought of their lying and deceitful natures. For all she knew Eldin had told Jean to leave and he had yet to obey.

So of course she asked her superior later, but Eldin said all was well. She was confused but he explained he’d spoken to the man so she shrugged it off, and just kept a wary eye. She had to ward a few mooching pirates off of innocent people but had yet to see that curly haired girl again. She wanted to give that girl a piece of her mind! But alas, she seemed to be hiding, either aboard the ship or elsewhere. Susan hummed at the thought.

That night she actually went back to her home, located in the center of the city under the best protection. It was a small home, with a beautiful view of the ocean and harbor down at the bottom of the hill. As she expected, her brother was there, rocking Adelaide to sleep. It hurt Susan to think it, but she had to think of Adelaide as her niece. She wanted to claim ownership of the girl so badly but she already received so much negativity from her male officers – if they thought her mind was focused on her baby and not on the ships and pirates, thy would petition to get her removed. Even with Arthur as Adelaide’s parent, there were still those who questioned her loyalties. It was ridiculous. No man in her position faced the same prejudice – but it was because she was a woman, and women were thought to be mothers before they were anything else.

She told her brother that she would be going out tonight with a friend and of course he was skeptical – especially when she said it was a male friend she’d be with. Arthur narrowed his eyes and asked her if she was sure about this and she said she’d be fine, and that she would get home herself and not drink too much. Arthur was wary but she assured him with a kiss to the forehead and a promise and that was that – she could make her own choices, loathe as Arthur was to admit it.

The next day she bid adieu to Arthur and Adelaide, heading out to port to do her job again. By the time it was 8 she had Admiral Eldin covering her and went home to change – coming in a simple dress with a flower in her hair to decorate it. Susan already knew she looked odd with her short hair in a dress like this – she was so used to wearing a uniform – but she wasn’t going to the tavern as the captain!

She approached the inn Miles was staying at and, when given access to his door, knocked on it.

”I hope you’re ready to go! It’s 8 now, nearly! Oh, I’m so excited to go to the tavern as a woman and not as a captain!”

As the door opened, Susan was greeted to the sight of Miles dressed up like a true gentleman, which wasn’t unlike the attire she’d met him in. He looked very classy which was something she was beginning to suspect he always did. She saw his reaction to her garb and smiled, though she couldn’t deny the twinge of insecurity she felt.

Ever since she’d cut her hair short she’d not had any complaints in the field. It worked perfectly for not being a distraction while navigating a ship and casting orders. No pirates could clutch her by the back of the head as they had done in her youth, and try to get her crew to lay down their weapons by incapacitating their ‘weakest link’. But when she was out and about in town she was aware of the whispers of women and men alike. She looked ‘mannish’ with her hair like that and it was mostly noted when she wore woman’s wear. She decorated the top of her head with flowers and headbands and scarves, but not even they could hide the shortness of her hair.

Still, to hear Miles compliment her nevertheless and say she looked beautiful made Susan’s worries dissipate and a natural smile cross her lips. He didn’t look taken aback in a bad way, nor did he cringe or sneer at her hair. He instead just assured her that he would be with her and she followed him as he led the way. The action touched her in ways she wouldn’t admit, and it made her crave being around Miles’ presence even more.

Susan was aware of the eyes on her – and waved at many of them – and for once didn’t feel quite so out of place in the tavern among townspeople. It was odd to see many women with their air, often kept in buns, let loose and down as they danced and wrapped their arms around the drunken men and sailors in the pub. She took the seat that Miles offered her with thanks and she looked around. Immediately she recognized odd faces and tensed, scanning the pirates for weapons. They seemed to have none but they could be hidden away, they could be here to be pickpockets. She saw a male pirate beckoning some girls over who giggled and she frowned. The pirates were going after Salem’s women, were they? She itched to pull out her concealed weapon but knew better than to go up against the pirates here. They would slaughter the townspeople before she could so much as make a demand.

She smiled over at Miles, only having heard half of what he’d just said.

”Yes! It is awfully crowded in here – but this is where people come to let loose, I suppose!” She said, leaning forward slightly to expose the skin of her collar, but not going low enough to expose anything that might be unflattering. ”So, how about those drinks!”

Susan laughed when she saw Miles get ignored yet again by a barmaid. Oh, the poor guy was so bad at this! It was more endearing that it was silly, though and as one of the barmaids gave her time to the drunken sailor she hummed.

Despite Miles’ poutiness she wasn’t perturbed and when one of the maidens approached she reached out and pulled the girl over, and once she had the girls attention, the girl seemed to laugh at Miles for a second before she composed herself and asked them what they’d like. Susan asked for an ale, and whatever Miles wanted, before the girl went off to get their drinks.

”You gotta pull them over! Otherwise they’re not going to give you the time of day. They get so many aggressive customers here, it’s ridiculous!” Susan explained, smiling at the hopeful look on his face. ”But you seem to be much more the subdued type – the type who isn’t going to get anything to drink in a bar no matter how hard he tries!”

Miles didn’t look comfortable. Susan wondered if it was just the atmosphere of pirates, or sex, that seemed to litter the pub they were in. When the ale arrived she smirked over at the embarrassed Miles, grabbing a glass to sip.

”Oh, I agree actually! I rarely come down here, and if I do, I never come alone.” There had been times when she’d brought Arthur to the pub, before Adelaide was born and even after when she had a sitter, but he didn’t like it there so Susan found herself not coming very often. ”It’s loud and full of people who are after one thing! Not to mention, traveling sailors and pirates, who all have their own sets of goals about them.”

His inquiry made Susan grin to herself, when eh called her beautiful and asked her how she became a Captain in the Navy. Susan was not unaware to these questions and many people wondered how a woman had acquired her rank. It took skill – a lot of it, because had she none she wouldn’t have even been considered given her gender. It took sacrifice – not being able to raise her daughter as her own. It took intelligence and a dedication to the city – premised by her time spent in the library and out in the sea, studying the wave patterns and fighting against pirates who wanted to steal from others.

”Your interest is flattering! I don’t mind,” Susan took another sip of her drink – it tasted the same as it usually did and she hummed in appreciation at the warmth it sent down her throat. ”It took a lot of training. I started out underneath Captain Duca and then, when he passed, Captain Eldin! Well, before he became an admiral anyway!” She laughed, doing her best not to let on any personal attachment to Captain Duca – Adelaide’s father – who she had masked her relationship with. ”Captain Eldin liked my skills as an officer and when he was promoted, he had me prove myself in a taste and I became a Captain. I went to find my brother and his daughter when I was stationed here in Salem and now I protect the two from here!”

She swirled her drink around, not focusing on Miles. ”And you, sir, how was it you came to Salem again? A deal with a merchant ship, or do you have your own transport?”

When Miles mentioned her company and implied that perhaps she’d come here with dates before, she laughed, that couldn’t be farther from the truth! But she found the interest he seemed to have – however subtle it was – to be slightly endearing. She wondered how no woman had already snagged this man for a fiancé. He was young and attractive, charming, and clearly wealthy. But then it was also possible he had odd tastes in women – the fact that he was taking her out of all available women a testament to that. She laughed at the suggestion as he dismissed his concerns.

”The only man in this town who can stand being seen in public with me is my baby brother. The rest of them consider it... some sort of insult to their masculinity, I suppose.” She took another drink as Miles did, finding herself oddly comfortable despite the walls she had around her. This man was so unassuming she found herself unconsciously defensing around him the more conversation wore on. She found herself happy when he impressed her, and, looking at his expression, it didn’t seem as though he was lying. ”Aw, you flatter me! Though I did earn my stripes.”

She raised her mug as well, to his toast, and threw another sip back. She should probably stop drinking soon, she thought, just as she noticed Miles’ mustache – and she laughed again. ”Your mustache looks quite lovely white,” she pointed out.

His explanation for being here seemed reasonable and lucky – a mix of skill and timing.

”Ah, that is smart to go by sea. Pirates are tricky, but with the right guards and navigation, you can bypass them easily.” She said. ”How long have you been in the business?”

Susan had to wonder if he would do this to just any woman he found attractive at port. He spoke so smoothly for the shy man she’d taken him for – but then again, perhaps he wasn’t shy, but rather, a gentleman through and through. He knew how to speak to a woman but grew flustered at notions of sex, and pirates, and genuinely seemed surprised no one had talked to her. She leaned forward, a smile still on her face.

Had he not foam coating his mustache she would have thought his words were too smooth – but the awkwardness with which he cleaned himself off made her laugh as she adjusted her arms so they rested underneath her breasts. She finished off her ale.

”Before I answer that question, how about you answer me one: why is it that you are still single? I assume you are if you’re speaking to me like that,” She asked. ”A man with your money could have any young woman he wanted, any fair eyed maiden with hair flowing to her waist. So why wait to entice me? I certainly don’t fit the typical beauty standard here.”

She listened to his story, finding it fun to learn more about this guy. So he was a first son, which made it even odder than he’d yet to be married. But likely he’d been focusing on overtaking the business, but still – to try his luck with a captain of the navy? It seemed like an odd choice to target her. She allowed Miles to fill her glass, vowing in her mind this would be the last. She’d promised Arthur she wouldn’t come home too drunk, after all.

”I would love to hear more about these tales! The tales of the comings and goings of those in Salem fascinate me, indeed!” Many people who had come here liked to talk of their story, and Susan listened to them all attentively. ”The travelling I’ve done in my experience has only been with the navy – so it is a fascinating thought to do so as a child! Travel, that is.”

Particular? Susan snorted at the notion. He certainly was! He seemed like the type of man who would rather have a companion than a wife. He didn’t seen the type to partake in brothels – then what did she know, many whores had her look and physique because there were men who had fantasies they never enacted – and wondered if perhaps he was interested in men as well! But, she only allowed herself to giggle at the thought before she leaned forward and hummed at the comments of appreciation for being robbed. That was silly! But kind of sweet, and endearing, that he thought that way.

When he asked for an answer to his question she laughed – he was awfully determined! She hummed and shrugged her shoulders.

”Hm, perhaps I’ll need to hear these tales before I satisfy you with my answer. The first rule of my trade is to bargain – not donate,” She said. ”Your incident with that pirate girl earlier might have been avoidable – I’m certain we could have met otherwise! Though perhaps we would not quite be this close – maybe I wouldn’t have had this much interest in you.”

At that she rose her eyebrows and wiggled them suggestively, grabbing her drink and taking a sip.

”Impressing me is a difficult feat sir – I wonder if you would have,” She said, jokingly. She wondered if, had he not been chasing some pirate thief, she would have noticed him. Likely she would have noted his cute face and stall, but she probably wouldn’t have given him the time of day unless he needed the Navy’s assistance. She played coy for a bit but did, in her mind, wonder if she would have actually spared him any attention. She knew now that he had it – but would he have had it before?

She smiled t his offer to tell her a story based on any age. She hummed and thought about it, though in reality, she knew it was all for show. ”Eighteen,” she asked, curious for what this man had been doing at that age, which was full of chaos and struggle for herself. She wondered what age he actually was. Was he older? Younger? He looked roughly her age... she had half a mind to throw the number 40 or 50 at him, just to see if he’d get angry she thought he was so old!