New Blood Bracket: The International vs. OneManWolfPack [Archive]

The International

08-08-09, 05:47 PM

This day was a rare day. It was a rare day because the Villeneuve siblings had nothing to do. Usually when the family set anchor in a new land they had their work cut out for them on both business fronts. As merchants the family would be selling goods they'd acquired from another land, and buying others here. As covert operatives for hire they would have been sent jobs. The merchant vessel, rightfully named The International, should have been all but vacant, but they had just docked on the shores of Dheathain.

There wasn't much in the way of spy work here, with the exception of the two rival governing bodies of the land spying on one another for information that was already known. The fairy men and women of the Comataidh nan Roinnean weren't ones for battle. They talked... a lot, and thus had very little information to hide. The more aggressive, half dragon race of Draconians were loyal to each other to a fault. To the Ceann Cath the use of spies demonstrated the capacity to deceive, and if a Draconian found the need to deceive a lowly Fae or Human, they could easily do the same to a brother or sister. Both the Fae and the Draconians had very few secrets, and they prefered to deal with each other directly. It was no wonder the peoples of Dheathain rarely left the land. They could never make it in the rest of the world.

Economically Dheathain asked very little of the rest of the world. This market wasn't interested in the conventional exports of other nations. They cared little for Corone's timber, Alerar's rare metals, or Fallien's spices. The inhabitants of this land were a simple people, not in an intellectual sense, but in a lifestyle sense, and the things they would have needed from the outside world had a native substitute. The Villeneuves had plenty to buy here, but very little to sell, and until they could find something to import with some sort of practical value, there was no need to send the entire family to do what only required the efforts of two people. And so Alix and Esme set out into Talmhaindh leaving their children on The International to their own devices.

Vespasian leaned on the bronze rail of the ship as he fiddled with his father's guitar. He didn't know how to play the thing, but he did his best, strumming random dissonant chords until he could find one that sounded pleasant to him. He would then try to combine it with some other chords he had previously discovered. Ludivine lay in the embrace of a hammock held together by the ship's bowsprit and second mast. Her silk onyx hair swayed in the sea kissed breeze as the ship rocked her from side to side like a mother putting her baby to sleep. The sun provided a comforting warmth that didn't overwhelm and the view of the muted silver port city of Talmhaidh was captivating. Today was a vacation.

”I fucking hate Dheathain!” Ludivine randomly screamed out after being completely silent for the better part of the afternoon. Her protest was so loud that the wind managed to carry her voice to the other ships near them. She was in rare form. The middle Villeneuve sibling never showed frustration in such a conventional style, but Dheathain managed to change her from a calm and calculating woman to a frustrated and emotional little girl. “There's nothing to do on this piece of shit little continent.”

“Now, now, sister.” Vespasian said with a smirk on his face. He had been anticipating Ludivine's outburst for some time now. Whether she liked it or not, they all needed this break, and what she said about the piece of shit little continent wasn't exactly true. “Maelle has found a good way to make use of her time. She's gone on land to socialize and maintain some of her contacts. Myself, well, I've chosen to take advantage of this downtime and just relax.”

“Like I said,” Ludivine rolled off the hammock. “Nothing to do. Big sis is still working, or at least practicing. When she socializes she hones her skills in negotiation and communication. You could be doing the same thing. For me, the only way to practice is to kill someone. Crime rate is low in this city, so there's little chance of me finding someone deserving of my attention.”

“That's not the only way you need to practice.” Vespasian stood up and gently placed the guitar in its case on the floor. “We could spar. No weapons. No tricks. Just me, you, and the ship.”

Ludivine turned away in contemplation. She took some time pacing back and forth, then pierced her little brother with her jade eyes. “You're on.”