LOG - The Escape Plan [Closed]

[has_a_map]

Who: Miguel has_a_map and Tulio needs_a_plan
What: The Escape Plan
Where: The Brig
When: Last night, probably late.

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[needs_a_plan]

Tulio was busy scraping together what bits of dry straw he could gather from the pile of moldy fodder that was presumably there to sleep on, in much the same way fruitcake was presumably there to eat.

"All right," he announced, relocating his bundle to a drier bit of floorboard and arranging it into a pile. "Give me the rock." He held out his hand, staring into the pile of straw as though it held the answers to their prayers. Which, to be accurate, it did, more or less. "We strike the rock against the bars," to which he pointed for emphasis, despite the fact that Miguel had been staring at them for what portion of the hours he hadn't been whiling away bothering Tulio, "until we get a spark. We have to be very careful to direct the spark to the straw, of course, which should catch fire..." He eyed it hopefully. "And once we have a fire, we let it grow a bit and shout to the guards for help. They'll have to open the door to beat it out, because they won't waste water throwing it into the cell, and once they're all good and distracted,

[has_a_map]

Miguel looked at Tulio for a moment as he revealed his plan, leaning forward first to look at the slightly less damp pile of straw, and then back up to regard his partner with what was possibly a skeptical look.

"So...you're planning on setting fire to the straw that we are sitting on, in the cell that we're currently trapped in...and hope that those bloodthirsty pirates will believe us when we start shouting."

[needs_a_plan]

"Well..." Tulio paused to think that over. "That's about the extent of it, yes." He grinned hopefully. "What do you think?"

[has_a_map]

"I think it's fantastic!" Miguel said, handing the rock over with a bright smile. He leaned forward on his elbows, looking at the pile of straw that would soon become their ticket to freedom.

"do you think we'll have enough time to get supplies while they're putting the fires out?" he asked brightly, glancing over his shoulder in case a few of the pirates decided to come below deck and harass them some more. He was torn at which was worse; Cortes' flogging and potential slavery, or death at the hands of vicious pirates.

It was a toss up, really.

[needs_a_plan]

"We'd better," Tulio said, setting about making a spark by carefully striking the rock against the nearest iron bar. "Not like last time...keep a lookout, will you? This might take awhile."

With those words, a spark leaped from the point of friction and landed neatly in the pile of straw.

"...Or not," Tulio said brightly. "Now don't move. Just...wait."

[has_a_map]

Miguel didn't move. He hardly even breathed, which was quite a considerable feat. He watched with bated breath as the spark simmered among the sad pile of kindling. It looked as though it was debating on actually sparking or just dying off.

There were several seconds in which their fate was completely in the balance; no one even dared to whisper for fear that the slightest touch of wind would dash all hope.

...It began as a tickle. Miguel tried to ignore it, tried to hold it off as best he could. But it was insistent, unavoidable and-

He sneezed suddenly, his entire upper half jerking with the sudden movement. He gasped and winced, looking over at Tulio sharply for what he was sure to be some sort of a berating-

WHOOSH.

Apparently, the guns were on the level just above the brig, and some of the gunpowder and oil from the cannons had slowly seeped and trickled down onto the lower decks, because suddenly, the entire cell to the left of them and half of their own (the half not covered in water) was ablaze.

[needs_a_plan]

Tulio was amazed. Just amazed. Not even surprised, necessarily - just stunned.

"Oh, for the love of--" He whipped around to glare at Miguel. "I hate you. Get in the corner." He pointed. Then he turned back to the roaring blaze, made a terrified little noise in his throat, and bolted to the bars. "GUARDS! Ow ow hot-- GUARDS! We're on fire! The cell is on fire! THE SHIP IS ON FIRE! GUARDS!"

[has_a_map]

Tulio didn't even have to tell Miguel twice. He was already in the corner furthest from the flames, rooting around for something that he could to possibly smash through the one wooden wall that had not yet caught on fire.

"Don't look at me, it was your plan!" he called over the roar of the fire, though he wasn't completely sure that Tulio even heard him. It had been an accident! How could he even think to blame this on him??

Overhead, he could hear the sounds of feet thumping very fast towards the stairs and down them, presumably towards the door. There was a loud crash as several of the pirates barreled through the doorway and gave a great shout of dismay.

"FIRE!"