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This RP is about a royal family member that steals away on a pirate ship as part of the crew for the notorious Pirate Captain that their father has been trying to capture for years. Both don't know the other's true identity until they start getting closer during travels.

Name: Cleopatra Van Hertling

Alias/Nickname: Cleo or Pirate Name: Athena of the Seas

Gender: Female

Age: 24

Sexuality: Heterosexual and Monogamous

Reputation:

Many know Cleo as the daughter of the Pirate Captain Ironheart and only the crew know that she has taken his spot as Captain of the Siren's Song. The other name that many in the Royal Navy and Guard know as is Athena of the Seas due to her quick thinking in a battle. The scar upon her neck is the fastest way to recognize her as that is one of the many scars that she keeps covered on her body. When she is in a town, word spreads about the rowdy female singing on top of tables with a drink in her hand in the local taverns.

credits to Witchcrew on picrew.me

Appearance: Cleo knows she has curves and she uses them to her advantage. She has shapely hips that melt into long athletic legs. Her upper body has a slightly larger than normal but not over large chest with a flat stomach that many have envied her for. She has a soft round face with a barely noticeable cleft chin. Her eyes are round with a little button nose that gives her a more natural beauty with a naturally tanned skin tone from many years spent on the ocean.

Cleo has deep chocolate brown almost black eyes that seem to pull people in when she talks. Her lips are full and plump sometimes wearing a shade of dark red to contrast the makeup that she does around her eyes to try and brighten the darkness. She has waist length dark brown hair that carries a natural wave when she is fresh out of the water. Cleo has two piercings on both ears and her cartilage pierced on the left one. Many times, she will have a chain connecting two of the piercings on her left ear to adjourn the rim of the ear. She has two full sleeves of different animal tattoos that look like they are coming out from under her skin in certain areas. She also has a simple rose tattoo on her right thigh in the shape of a garter, though many do not get to see this tattoo unless they catch her off guard.

Normal clothes for the young woman are usually a men’s billowy shirt with a black corset over the top combined with dark brown or black riding pants and riding boots. She has a solid 5'8" frame but can appear slightly taller when she is wearing her boots. The young woman has a barrage of different blades that rest on her hips, but most notably are the two daggers with dragons on the hilts. The blades look simple until one gets close enough to notice the fine detail done in the hilts for the dragons.

Though many would not think the female is self conscience of the scar that adorns the bottom of her left jaw and across her neck, a nasty rope burn from a fall when she was not as accustomed to the churning waves, the female does her best to keep it hidden with a scarf. There are also scars that run along her back from fighting with her father to become Captain of The Siren's Song.

Personality: Cleo is reserved in appearance alone. Behind closed doors, Cleo prefers to speak her mind and wants to enjoy her time with friends. She is headstrong like her father but will try to listen and work through the problem without getting frustrated. She prefers to spend her time watching those around her and can usually be found watching people with a book in her hand to appear as though she is reading.

Cleo is loyal to her father and the few of the crew that she has grown up around. They are all part of her family and even though she wishes she did not have to keep her gender a secret while working on the ship, Cleo would not change where she is in her life. She loves children and wants to start a family of her own one day but hasn’t found the right guy to capture her heart.

The young woman is also captivated by the sheer power and uncertainty about the ocean waters. She never tires of staring down into the depths wondering what is going on below the surface that she isn’t able to see. Something has always drawn her to the dark waters whether it be the stories or her father’s blood that courses through her veins.

The woman loves getting into mischief, as it usually finds her, even if it ends with her having to run away for whatever reason. She can be a bit prideful when it comes to questioning her abilities with a ship, and will get defensive. Even though she will use her feminine guiles to get things, she is adamant about respect and isn't afraid to cut someone's hand off for touching her without asking. She is charismatic, however, she doesn't have a good poker face. She gets along with most people but does need to be reminded when her opinions are showing on her face.

Her voice claim is Freya Catherine

credits to The Lady of Hera on picrew.me

Abilities:

She can tell if something is real gold based on just her sight.

Has an uncanny ability to get herself into the most random of scenarios.

Legal Name:
Prince Brandon Aldrich Russell

Alias:
Brandon
Birdman

Rep/History:
The second son of the King Aldrich and the late Queen Alice. His whole life story could be summarized with that one word: "second". His brother's lessons taught him how to be king. Brandon was taught to behave in the presence of one.

Not much is expected from a second son. He could be a one-man army, a calculating tactician, a fatass, a beggar, but until the death of his brother or his brother's offspring, he would never inherit his father's vast swathes of land. Anyone in his position would feel a bit disenfranchised, wouldn't they? And so he turned away from the royal family. Sure, being castle-bound meant he could attend great parties and eat great food, but he was sick of being the kingdom's source of gossip.

A few good things came from his royal bearing: he wasn't shabby with a weapon, he had a decent knowledge of medical care, and the parrot his father had bought him proved a valuable partner. He wanders the country, helping small hamlets recover from mercenaries and pillagers, chasing off small bands of looters. The "Birdman", they call him, for the African Grey that always sat on his shoulders.

He considers his new reputation misjudged. It was his bird that bit off fingers, not him. He hates confrontation.

Appearance:
He's a scrawny guy, what can he say? It's always been a frustrating point for him. No matter what he eats, he's just not the muscular beast of warhorse his brother is. Towering over the peasantry at an six feet tall still had its uses at least. His otherwise-wavy ash brown hair is cropped short, the top kept longer than the sides. Bushy eyebrows, a clean-shaven beard, gray eyes, and thin lips make up the rest of his face.

A prince can't help but have some color, though he avoids royal purple for obvious reasons. He keeps it to reds, yellows, the occasional green, and he won't turn down a standard brown sheepskin in the cold. His parents would be aghast at his wear, but Brandon is fine with functionality. Underneath that red tunic of his is hardened leather and chainmail, necessary in the case of surprise attacks. On top of that is a thick quilted blue vest. He gets a surprising amount of questions of how he can still move. The peasantry just didn't know just how heavy King's Armor could be, and he is never in a mood to explain.

He carries himself a certain way: chin up, a strictly straight posture, reserved and efficient movement. To others, it comes off as haughty, but he can't help a habit drilled into him since birth.

Don't mind the parrot. Grey was one of the few gifts he received from his father.

Personality:
Shy, reserved, and closed off. Keeps his politics to himself. It would be poor taste of him to air family matters after all. Besides not wanting anyone to know of his royal heritage, he much prefers being taken at face value, liking the honesty that comes with it.

The few times his princehood was discovered, it never ended well. People expected him to behave a certain way; they thought they could gain a favor with the king by showering him with praises; they thought he himself could be bribed—or taken hostage and sold for ransom. He'd had a few close calls during his wanders. Fortunately for him, typical bandits were looking for quick coin, and he isn't an easy buck to catch.

Brandon respects his father—his position, at least. Managing an entire kingdom was difficult, he understood that. But there is no love in a royal family; not his. At birth, he was handed off to a nursemaid. By the time he could talk, he was sent to a noble family for education, then rotated through several others. His existence was a political act in itself: a spare in case his brother fell sick from illness. He had facetime with his mother a few times a year, with his father ten times in ten years. Watching how the peasants do "family" is remarkable to him. Fathers actually care about their offspring and take part in raising them. He envies those who've had a "normal" life.

If there's anything he likes, it's problem solving. Puzzles, games, challenges, anything new to him is fair game.

Abilities:
Clever, problem solver.
Weapons Expert—prefers the sword.
Dexterous, with some medical knowledge.

Fears:
Capture by nobility or hostile parties.
Losing Grey.

Strengths:
Jack of all trades. Learns quickly.
Strategist.

Weaknesses:
Hesitant, unconfident.
Not great at making actual friends.
His bird. Other birds can be shot.
Food. Loves to eat.

Other:
Gets horribly seasick.

Bird Name: Grey

Species: African Grey

Gender: Female

Personality: Brandon would call her sweet, loyal, and affectionate—a bit like how most owners would describe their dogs. She's incredibly protective of her human. To others, this bird is a menace, constantly stealing shiny objects, pulling on earrings, tugging at laces. Give her an apple though, she'll love you for days.

Like many parrots of her kind, Grey is an excellent mimic. He often leaves her near questionable areas so he can learn what the people there say. Unfortunately, she doesn't always forget what she's learned, which puts her human in questionable situations.

divider © WP#1269

The loud cheers only grew louder each time the door opened of the tavern. Many of the patrons within its walls causing the majority of the chaos was a crew of weathered men all laughing and talking rather loudly about their recent "adventure". The captain, though many had thought she was something else, was standing on one of the stools with her other foot resting on the table as she leaned against her knee actively engaging with the telling. The tankard in her hand somehow kept its contents within itself as she animatedly moved about the hand as she spoke. Her eyes looked between the men of her crew as she spoke, her mind even though foggy from the drink was calculating how to keep the conversation from their lost crewmates that had met their untimely end due to a few bullets fired upon them by the merchant ship's crew.

The young woman lifted her drink to the sky esclaming "To our spoils and good luck!" The men around her cheered as they followed her lead and downed the alcohol before another round was ordered. Cleo set down her empty tankard and with a wave of her hand, motioned that she did not need another drink. It was never easy for the female to lose members of her crew but there wasn't time to dwell and the next morning she was going to be asking around if anyone is looking for a job on a ship.

A few lies never hurt anyone and being as this tavern was within the main city of King Aldrich and her head would be on a pike if it was known that the Athena of the Seas was within his grasp. She stepped away from the table of her sailors to lean against the bar pulling out enough coins to pay for the rounds of drinks and any food, though if one looked closely it was obvious she was leaving a little more than what was needed. Was it bribe money for her secret? Was she being prepared if her crew drank more? Who knows but the female was quick to put the purse away and adjusted the scarf around her neck to loosen it enough so that cool air was able to dance across her skin.

She had been asked a couple of times why the scarf was such a staple of her outfit even when the weather was blistering hot, but the female would laugh and say it was a gift from a friend, lover, parent, whoever and that she promised to never take it off. Granted once she was out on the open water the scarf was left hanging on the back of the captain's chair.

Cleo stood for a few more moments letting a soft smile reach the corner of her lips before looking over her crew once more, knowing if she stayed there would be unneccessary challenges and she was not in the mood to run from any guards. She was quick to step out into the cool night air, taking a few deep breaths as her eyes closed seeming to help clear the fog that was building in her mind. "Might as well let them have some fun for the night and tomorrow will be somber." Her eyes were cast up to the star filled sky, one of the cloudless nights to where she could really see the stars that surrounded them.

The tavern wasn't far from the dock where the Siren's Song was currently waiting, the ship almost unrecognizable as being a pirate ship but there were minor details that if one really took the time to look at or really read her docking papers, would clearly make the seasoned pirates groan. The worn wood creaked as she stepped up the ramp clasping her hands behind her back as she looked over her ship, walking the deck seeing what repairs would be needed. The young woman was taking full advantage over the fact that she had the ship to herself without her first mate hovering over her shoulder to...oh wait...It felt like the wind had been knocked from her lungs remembering the light fading from her dearest friend's eyes and her hands reached out to grip the railing she was next to, steading herself though she was experienced enough to not need the railing. Nausea flowed over the woman as her eyes closed trying to both push down the bile in her stomach and the images that were crashing over her.

It had felt like eternity for the young woman though it had only been a few mere moments before she was able to collect herself and quickly moved to the captain's quarters, leaving the door open to her space to keep an ear out if any crew members arrived, someone tried to steal the ship, or heaven forbid, if guards showed up wanted to "inspect" said ship.

As Cleo stepped into the surprisingly inviting space, she pulled the scarf from around her neck, laying it on the desk along with the worn jacket that had been about her shoulders before rolling the sleeves up on her arms and walked over to one of the various bookcases. Her finger moved about the spines of the books, carefully taking in each title before she finally settled on one, plucking it from its little spot upon the worn shelving and headed back to the big mahagony desk that sat in the middle of the room. She sat down in the chair, putting resting her heels on the desk after crossing her legs. Her position giving a clear view to the door and ramp that she had been upon just moments before, though her eyes appeared to be focused in on the words on the pages before her.

It wasn't until the gentle sway of the ship and early morning rays danced across her eyes, that the female realized that she had fallen asleep propped up with her book lying open to the exact page she had been reading what seemed like only moments before. Stiffly she removed her legs from her desk setting the deadened limbs against the floor followed by the wave of stinging pain as blood made its way back through them.

"I shouldn't have fallen asleep in my chair." She muttered lifting her head hearing the sound of drunken sailors making their way back onto the ship. She wanted to greet her crew but as she stood, her legs while still mostly asleep gave way and she landed with a thud behind her desk followed by a few choice words that many would not repeat.

After pulling herself back up onto her desk, her gaze met the humored looks of her crew, some of which were failing horribly to not laugh before disappearing. "Those of you laughing will be with me in two hours cleaning the decks before going to find more members." She called out, earning a few groans.

By the time the groaning/complaining had lessened, Cleo had changed into a more fancy blouce underneath the worn jacket and she was walking down the ramp followed by her cook Daemon who still looked as though he should be sleeping off the booze still running through his system.

"I need to be checking the stores on the ship, Capt'n." His words slightly slurred as the shorter male struggled to keep up. "That is what we are doing Daemon. I know what we have, especially since a few of you lot thought it would be fun to try and experiment with produce. Which may I remind you is not easy to come by and not to be put randomly in one's shirt to be fake breasts." The male crashed into his captain after her abrupt stop and turn earning a low growl and he quickly tumbled backwards, falling to the ground.

"But 'twas funny. You even laughed...until they went flying over the edge of the ship." The man almost seemed to shrink under the heated gaze of the female but it didn't last long before she stepped into the supply store and began walking about. Casually she picked up a few oranges, lemons, apples, etc. that caught her eye before speaking up.

"Do you know of anyone that is looking to join a crew and sail the seas?" Her steps paused as she looked over to the shop keep, keeping annoyance from flitting across her features when Daemon once again stumbled into her back almost damaging the items that he was currently carrying. Normally the man could keep on his toes and spit back with Cleo but once he had a few too many to drink, his confidence disappeared and he was easily put back into line.

A snort left Cleo as she waited for an answer, part of her annoyance towards her cook was from the embarrassment of her fall earlier that morning and the avoidance of dealing with the pain of losing her first mate in the fight. There were rumors about the two, but many kept those thoughts for when they thought the captain wasn't close enough to hear.