Won't you come out and play with me?

Lover's and Onlookers

Boa climbed into the carriage next to Carrion, and travelled down to the docks again. She had come along simply because she was bored, and refused to be forgotten about when someone else, someone apparently 'important' arrived. Only she didn't realised Finnegan Hobb would be labelled as important under Midnight's standards.

Jumping out of the carriage before it had fully come to a stop, Boa raced over to where Finnegan was standing, along with someone else covered in a thick black cloak. When she was in speaking distance to them, the figure in black withdrew his hood, and Boa saw that it was her brother.

"Thought I'd come see you, and stop this young man from making a fool of himself," he said referring to Finnegan.

It was clear from the way they looked at one other that there was no love between them; in fact they looked at each other like sworn enemies.

"I wrote ahead," Finnegan said in his defence.

"Shouted ahead more like," Quiffin muttered. "Anyway, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I didn't come to eavesdrop, I'm here to see him."

Boa followed his eye and saw that he was looking at Carrion.

"Why?" Boa asked puzzled. "I thought you didn't like him, no wait, you do like him… oh I get so confused."

"Public relations my dear sister. You were right, why stop my island tour without ever seeing Midnight, it wouldn't really be a real tour without it, would it?"

"I suppose not…" Boa concluded.

"And now you're here, he can hardly refuse me. Why, I might take you away from him and that would never do would it?" he gave a knowing smile.

Boa refused to answer. She noticed how her brother was dressed in his best, and realised he was a bit of a dandy with his clothes. Dressed in gold, red and royal blue. He looked tactile, and there was a stark contrast between his colours and Carrion's appearance of 'touch me and die'.

Quiffin gave Boa a friendly shove on the arm and walked around her and headed towards Carrion, who was looking at them like he wanted to kill them all. Boa let Quiffin go without protest, and tried to ignore the people trying to take her picture from a forced distance away.

"Finnegan, what are you doing here? I thought this would be the last place you would want to be!" Boa said, trying her best to be friendly and not appear annoyed at his unexpected appearance.

"It's the last place I want you to be. Why didn't you tell me you were going away? If it had been anywhere else, or with anyone else I wouldn't have minded at all, but him! Why Boa?" Finnegan trying to keep her eyes on him, but they were darting everywhere else.

"I can't tell you why, but I need to be here. It was just convenient to leave instantly, and who better to see Midnight with than the Lord of the hour? I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but It wouldn't have changed anything. I have work to do, and I'm here to do it," Boa explained unable to look him directly in the eye, she couldn't help but feel guilty for something, yet she didn't understand what it was.

"I came here for one reason, and that was to take you home. Whatever you think you have to do here, I promise you, you don't need to do alone. If you just speak to your father you know he'll sort it all for you," Finnegan said not realising he was saying all the wrong things.

Boa gaped at him.

"Did my father ask you to come here?"

"Well…no…" Finnegan muttered.

"Then I won't return, and I don't want someone else to sort my problems for me, I can do it myself!" Boa insisted watching Finnegan's eyes darken in anger.

"Boa, just get on the boat. You are not safe with him, and you are not safe here!"

"No," Boa said shaking her head. "I wont do as you bid me, I can make my own decisions, and I'm staying here. You'll have to drag me onto that boat kicking and screaming because I won't be going!"

"Don't make me get angry with you!" Finnegan warned in a voice that made Boa want to jump backwards and away from him.

But she knew she couldn't draw attention to the fact that Finnegan was annoying her, because she didn't want Carrion interrupting them.

"Well go ahead, you can be as angry as you like, but I won't be leaving," Boa said stubbornly, folding her arms and making it as final as she could.

"Get on the boat now!"

"NO I WONT!" Boa shouted making everyone around them fall into silence instantly as they all tried to hear what was being said. "I won't leave, you can't make me. I'm staying here with Christopher and you can't stop me. I need his help, and I won't leave without it. You can shout at me all you like, and yes I know I'm taking a risk, but I'm not as stupid as you think I am!"

Finnegan didn't know about that, to him Boa was being the most stupidest of all people at that moment. What she was saying seemed irrational.

"You can't trust him Boa, you know what he did to you last time you were alone, he'll do it again however naïve you are! And as for your brother, well the less said about him the better. I don't trust you with him either! He's only here to suck up to Carrion and he's going to you use you to it. He's self-centred and won't look out for you in anything!" Finnegan said not realising everyone was listening to him.

Boa could feel Carrion's eyes in her back, and she knew he was only standing back from this because she seemed to be handling herself at the moment. If things got out of control he'd be at her side in a shot. She also knew she'd lost her chance to go home anyway, Carrion was aware of what was going on now, and she knew he wouldn't allow her to sneak off.

But never mind Carrion, her own anger was showing in her face.

"How dare you speak of my brother in such a way? At least he doesn't demand things from me, like dragging me away from places I want to be. Why can't you just get over yourself, yes I like you Finnegan, but you don't own me! I won't do as you tell me, running after you here, there, and wherever you say! Christopher never tells me what to do, he doesn't disgrace me by telling me I'm stupid and that my decisions are wrong!" Boa shouted much too loudly.

If the papers had been filled with pictures of her smiling today, they would be filled with pictures of her shouting tomorrow. As if Finnegan was reading her mind, he produced a clipping from his pocket. It was the picture from the front of the Midnight paper, showing her and Carrion waving to his people.

"So?" Boa couldn't help but ask.

"You look very cosy here, considering you don't like him that much!"

Boa snatched it out of his hand and ripped it half.

"There it's gone, happy now?" Boa asked with tears in her eyes. "Maybe you should just leave Finnegan, you've disgraced me enough today I think."

Someone took her elbow, and Boa looked up to see her brother by her side.

"Come on Boa, let's go," Quiffin said leading her away.

Boa tried not to look at Carrion as she walked past him, but she knew exactly why Carrion hadn't come to her. He'd heard everything that had been said, and wasn't going to embarrass her further by giving the papers something else to print, probably along the lines of "Princess Boa seeks comfort from the Lord of Midnight after lovers tiff." She was grateful for that more than she could say.