his response is delayed, though that's not altogether uncommon. but he is taking his time - first acknowledging the message, then actually reading it, then considering, very thoroughly, how he wants to respond.]
she bought her security with it. saw her at the gallows, standing right by eleanor's side
[it's trickier to make an example out of her in a place like this. and frankly, his desire to do so is still relatively new. for a while, after eleanor, he'd developed a great deal of respect for max's ability to survive and adapt. towards the end, their relationship was one of mutual cooperation.
then she lied to anne. a thing that would have led to anne's death as well as jack's, had charles not arrived in time to stop it. she's england now. an enemy that won't go away after one fight.]
better start by making sure your people here know she's not to be trusted. i'll do the same with mine
[ Jack doesn't especially like pulling the Dominant card himself, since it's random and not something he earned, but some circumstances require playing the whole hand. This could be one of them. ]
She might be from further on than even Anne was. Or she might be full of it.
[that gives him pause. there are certain details that charles and anne both chose to admit from the narrative for jack's sake. at this point, jack might be more offended that he wasn't told than grieved by it if he does find out, and either way charles would just as soon avoid having to confront it without a much better reason.]
She said that we had already moved past her betrayal. Which I find hard to believe, as Anne made it sound as if she singlehandedly destroyed any chance for a real fight against the governor by revealing our plans. Most of the fleet run aground in the bay, and she and I on the retreat with Teach. But sure, Max, we'll shake on it any day now.
listen. he's been trying not to make the same mistakes this time around. part of that means choosing his battles more carefully. but the idea of cutting her throat just to feel better about it is swiftly gaining appeal.]
fuck that.
she turned on the only person on this island who was willing to fight for her
what the fuck could she possibly have offered you to overlook that
I don't know. Perhaps a magical healing elixir that would have brought Anne back from the brink of death. A leprechaun, complete with more gold than the goddamned Urca. Eleanor's head on a plate.
Turn her shit back around on her. She's got no allies to slaughter, but she's got her pride. Hack at it, bit by bit. Blackball her from what I can, sabotage her contract attempts. Set her up with an awful one, maybe.
Could still kill her. Even if it doesn't stick. Keep her scared enough to stay out of our way.
[ As if our way is still a thing, for them. Healing's been slow, but this, they can be united on, as the only two here who know what this woman is capable of. ]
[a good plan. a satisfying one... mostly. jack would undoubtedly be able to do some damage, and it might feel good for a bit, but they both know better than to underestimate her.
charles is rarely inclined to advocate caution, but he certainly believes in being prepared.]
say she manages to gain a foothold here, like she's done before, and you're her most outspoken enemy
[ He and Anne used to joke that if Max ever showed up, she'd be running the place in a month. Two months, if she were a Submissive. So, it's a valid question. But the idea of losing to her again isn't one that Jack's eager to entertain. ]
Anne's gone, and with her, any power that Max may have held over me.
While she's struggling to land on her feet, I've been here long enough to make allies of everyone from vampires to viscounts. Whatever foothold she gains will never belong to her, but to her Dominant. I have the facts of her betrayal on my side, and a cornered market on those whom she will relate to easiest, with the Neptune.
Her wisest option is going to those Navy shits, but they've done their worst already. All bark.
[they may be fairly estranged from one another at the moment, but charles has not become less attracted to jack's bloodthirsty side just because the days of doing anything about it are over. time to fucking end the conversation.]
good
maybe she'll remember how it fucking feels to be at the bottom
in the meantime, don't give her our link to daphne any sooner than we can avoid
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she bought her security with it. saw her at the gallows, standing right by eleanor's side
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for all the fucking good it'd do us
[it's trickier to make an example out of her in a place like this. and frankly, his desire to do so is still relatively new. for a while, after eleanor, he'd developed a great deal of respect for max's ability to survive and adapt. towards the end, their relationship was one of mutual cooperation.
then she lied to anne. a thing that would have led to anne's death as well as jack's, had charles not arrived in time to stop it. she's england now. an enemy that won't go away after one fight.]
better start by making sure your people here know she's not to be trusted. i'll do the same with mine
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[ Not that he's going to. But he'll think about it. ]
I'm working on it. I'm only considering how much to tell the Neptune crew.
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tell them she'll manipulate them to her advantage without thinking twice
that much was true long before she set her sights on you
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She might be from further on than even Anne was. Or she might be full of it.
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why
what did she say about it
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listen. he's been trying not to make the same mistakes this time around. part of that means choosing his battles more carefully. but the idea of cutting her throat just to feel better about it is swiftly gaining appeal.]
fuck that.
she turned on the only person on this island who was willing to fight for her
what the fuck could she possibly have offered you to overlook that
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All rather unlikely.
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Could still kill her. Even if it doesn't stick. Keep her scared enough to stay out of our way.
[ As if our way is still a thing, for them. Healing's been slow, but this, they can be united on, as the only two here who know what this woman is capable of. ]
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charles is rarely inclined to advocate caution, but he certainly believes in being prepared.]
say she manages to gain a foothold here, like she's done before, and you're her most outspoken enemy
what then
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Anne's gone, and with her, any power that Max may have held over me.
While she's struggling to land on her feet, I've been here long enough to make allies of everyone from vampires to viscounts. Whatever foothold she gains will never belong to her, but to her Dominant. I have the facts of her betrayal on my side, and a cornered market on those whom she will relate to easiest, with the Neptune.
Her wisest option is going to those Navy shits, but they've done their worst already. All bark.
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good
maybe she'll remember how it fucking feels to be at the bottom
in the meantime, don't give her our link to daphne any sooner than we can avoid
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Tell me what you find out.