The Golden Peacock Theater
25th of Frost, Year 121 Steel
On the coast, during a certain queen's reign, a man celebrated the completion of his twenty-first year and the end of his apprenticeship to a gentlemanly band of pirates. The pirates' maid appeared and revealed that, as his nursemaid long ago, she made a mistake through being hard of hearing: mishearing his father's instructions, she apprenticed him to a pirate, instead of to a ship's pilot.
He had never seen any woman other than his nursemaid, and he believed her to be beautiful. The pirates knew better and suggested that he take her with him when he returned to civilization. He announced that, although it pained him, so strong was his sense of duty that, once free from his apprenticeship, he would be forced to devote himself to the pirates' extermination. He also pointed out that they were not successful pirates: since they were all orphans, they allowed their prey to go free if they too were orphans. He noted that word of this had got about, so captured ships' companies routinely claimed to be orphans. He invited the pirates to give up piracy and go with him, so that he need not destroy them, but the Pirate King said that, contrasted with respectability, piracy was comparatively honest. The pirates departed, leaving the young man and his maid. He saw a group of beautiful young girls approaching the pirate lair, and realized that his maid had misled him about her appearance. Sending her away, he hid before the girls arrived.
The girls burst exuberantly upon the secluded spot. He revealed himself, startling them. He appealed to them to help him reform. The girls were fascinated by him, but all rejected him, except one. She responded to his plea, chiding her sisters for their lack of charity. She offered him her pity, and the two quickly fell in love. The other girls discussed whether to eavesdrop or to leave the new couple alone, although they stole glances at the affectionate couple.
He warned the young ladies that his old associates would soon return, but before they could flee, the pirates arrived and captured the girls, intending to marry them. His new love interest warned the pirates that the girls' father was a high-ranking military officer, who soon arrived and introduced himself. He appealed to the pirates not to take his daughters, leaving him to face his old age alone. Having heard of the famous pirates, he pretended that he was an orphan to elicit their sympathy. The soft-hearted pirates released the girls, making him and his daughters honorary members of their band.
Aurin, having watched some of the pick-up rehearsals, knew how the first act ended, and so he pushed off from the wall at the back of the auditorium to sneak out early and hit the bar before the rush of the audience. It was a comic opera, a bit silly for his tastes, but the swordplay was interesting to watch, at least. He had left tickets for Carina and Imogen at will call and noted that they had been picked up, so he supposed he might see them if he stayed near the alcohol, even if Carina would probably go to the bathroom to snort something.
25th of Frost, Year 121 Steel
On the coast, during a certain queen's reign, a man celebrated the completion of his twenty-first year and the end of his apprenticeship to a gentlemanly band of pirates. The pirates' maid appeared and revealed that, as his nursemaid long ago, she made a mistake through being hard of hearing: mishearing his father's instructions, she apprenticed him to a pirate, instead of to a ship's pilot.
He had never seen any woman other than his nursemaid, and he believed her to be beautiful. The pirates knew better and suggested that he take her with him when he returned to civilization. He announced that, although it pained him, so strong was his sense of duty that, once free from his apprenticeship, he would be forced to devote himself to the pirates' extermination. He also pointed out that they were not successful pirates: since they were all orphans, they allowed their prey to go free if they too were orphans. He noted that word of this had got about, so captured ships' companies routinely claimed to be orphans. He invited the pirates to give up piracy and go with him, so that he need not destroy them, but the Pirate King said that, contrasted with respectability, piracy was comparatively honest. The pirates departed, leaving the young man and his maid. He saw a group of beautiful young girls approaching the pirate lair, and realized that his maid had misled him about her appearance. Sending her away, he hid before the girls arrived.
The girls burst exuberantly upon the secluded spot. He revealed himself, startling them. He appealed to them to help him reform. The girls were fascinated by him, but all rejected him, except one. She responded to his plea, chiding her sisters for their lack of charity. She offered him her pity, and the two quickly fell in love. The other girls discussed whether to eavesdrop or to leave the new couple alone, although they stole glances at the affectionate couple.
He warned the young ladies that his old associates would soon return, but before they could flee, the pirates arrived and captured the girls, intending to marry them. His new love interest warned the pirates that the girls' father was a high-ranking military officer, who soon arrived and introduced himself. He appealed to the pirates not to take his daughters, leaving him to face his old age alone. Having heard of the famous pirates, he pretended that he was an orphan to elicit their sympathy. The soft-hearted pirates released the girls, making him and his daughters honorary members of their band.
Aurin, having watched some of the pick-up rehearsals, knew how the first act ended, and so he pushed off from the wall at the back of the auditorium to sneak out early and hit the bar before the rush of the audience. It was a comic opera, a bit silly for his tastes, but the swordplay was interesting to watch, at least. He had left tickets for Carina and Imogen at will call and noted that they had been picked up, so he supposed he might see them if he stayed near the alcohol, even if Carina would probably go to the bathroom to snort something.
