Fantasy Are you tired of sipping Crab Coladas? (Pirate RP) (Always Open)

[WayfaringWaaksian]

If only. If only they had just finished what they started, ended that mage's life before it interfered with theirs. If only they could have given him a more merciful death, spared him from being torn into a thousand pieces. If only his daughter hadn't borne witness to that bloody sight. If only she wouldn't have to make a decision, one that depended entirely on what Sebas answered with. If, if, if. It hardly mattered now.

Fergie continued to stare up at the purple-tinted ceiling, as solemn as she was before. Maybe she hadn't been reassured, or maybe the topic at hand was too serious to ease up the scowl burrowing into her forehead. She didn't feel ready to ask, but their time was short. "What will ye do?" A child changed everything. Whatever plans he had before, whatever his unfinished business was, would be put on hold for many years to come. She could only guess what he would do to accommodate. "Ye stayin' here, or movin' out?"

---

A "visitor", she had said. If only. Knowing that Orabelle was so naive regarding the matter weighed Bogrum with a heavy feeling, but he wouldn't dare shatter her innocence. He knew little of the story of how she got here, only the implication that she was orphaned and found after the escape. It wasn't his place to ask for information, or to give any that wasn't asked for. Better to encourage her to steer the conversation elsewhere.

He grinned despite the implications of everything Orabelle had said, fulfilling her request with a proud display of his curving tusks. "That's true. Though my family always found feats of strength and bravery more worthy of respect. One can be born with impressive tusks, but those hardly make the man, when he doesn't have to work and train for them."

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Sebas Deadeye
Ferg's Bedside​

Sebas had thought about it quite a bit what he would do concerning Ora. His unfinished business would indeed have to wait, if it could even come to pass at this point by the time Ora reaches adulthood and he fulfills his oath to completion. "A huge part of me wants to leave and start my own crew........" Knowing that he would need to run missions that Ora can't be anywhere near didn't sit all that well with him. However, it really wasn't a debate that the Black Sea Basenjis were the safest crew for Ora. Evangeline's provocation condition, harm to children, would ensure that Ora stayed safe on the ship. Pedos and innocent child murderers got killed by Evangeline the moment they stepped foot on that ship. That guarantee wasn't there if Sebas started his own crew. He could end up going on a mission and then getting his soul dragged down to the Deepest Deep in the middle of that mission because Ora got raped and killed the moment he left her sight. "........but I can't do it right now. I need something to guard Ora full time first." He sighed. "When I get that, I'm off this ship." Adonis was too big on toying with them. Sending Elaina in to do stuff she wasn't trained to do, not informing them of what could be found down there despite definitely having the capabilities, the envy that came from knowing he couldn't wield the Baroness Relics because those were bestowed on Sebas and Ferg specifically because THEY completed the challenge. "Until then, this ship is undebatably the safest place for Orabelle." Plus, the quality of life for a Basenji was much higher than on other ships. "My goal henceforth is to find a guardian for Orabelle and then look for an exit plan."

"But what are YOU going to be doing?" he asked. "If you used Adonis's favors, he expects missions out of you, one per favor." which meant that if Ferg used both favors, it was in her best interest to run 2 missions. It wouldn't be a good look to use a favor reserved for those who wanted to join the crew, only to leave shortly after.



---------------------------------

Elaina & Orabelle
Medical Bay​

"Really?" her eyes widened, "You're not like your tusks?" She held up her arm to show her arm fins. The fins were medium-sized for her age. "For us, we're grouped by fin size, which determines the school we learn with. For the Viperfish, theirs is their teeth. The bigger they are, the stronger they must be."
Elaina winced. That was a powerful caste system at play. Literally grouped by the range of fin size for their age. Elaina could only presume that while one COULD work pass how they were born, it took absolutely amazing feats to move beyond your defined class.........through the brainwashing it took to mentally limit yourself because of something like fin size. That's.........fucked up, she thought.
"I thought Orcs were also susceptible to a caste system, Bogrum. Most are." Probably the most progressive in that regard were the humans and even they had an extensively long history of implementing a caste system.


(A bit of character-building for Bogrum and world-building here)

"We are," Bogrum responded, "but some tribes, like the one I came from, recognize that an orc with tusks shattered from leading a charge is more worthy of respect than long and shiny who stayed back. A leader that wouldn't risk their own life with their soldiers shouldn't give marching orders, plus........" he snorted hard, kind of startling Orabelle, which made him chortle with amusement. "Biology dictates our women be born with shorter tusks. Surely we can't deny them worthy respect all because their tusks are smaller than men. This is why Scorchclaw reigns supreme in Kaer Lyon." He showed Orabelle a tattoo on his arm. A bloody axe lodged in a skull and in the center of the axe was a large engraved SC. "Warlord Sheris is the greatest strategist in the land, and marches to victory every order she commands."

(Return Bogrum to you)

The tattoo was morbid to Orabelle. The brutality didn't need interpretation. "Does Scorchclaw have tattoos that are a little less.......scary?" She asked Bogrum, thoroughly intimidated by the tattoo moreso than Bogrum himself

WayfaringWaaksian

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

What Sebas said made Fergie think. It really was the safest option at this time, remaining with the Black Sea Basenjis, even though it was an active pirate ship. As much as she disliked the idea of an angel being on the ship, let alone in a position of authority over them, her visiting Sebas cued her off that Evangeline might step in to protect Orabelle should Sebas fail. Not only that, but being right by the ocean, having almost every need accommodated for, Orabelle would fare better here than elsewhere. Aside from having to hide away during battles, skirting around the ever-present risk of capture or being sunk, she would be okay for now.

But it wasn't just about Orabelle's safety. Not even about Fergie's own safety.

"Seb..." Fergie groaned, letting a hand run down her face. "I gotta be level with you. I haven't been... completely honest." She never lied to him. But there were certain truths that tended to anger people when omitted, so she was preparing for the worst now. "Promise ye won't tell the captain, aye?" She might have to herself anyway, but she would rather that be on her own terms. It already was a bad look keeping info from him, even worse if someone tattled to him about her.

---

Trying not to think too much about how profoundly screwed-up the things Orabelle was revealing about her home were, Bogrum laughed, gentler this time as to not startle the girl again. "We do." He flexed his arm around to observe it. "This tends to get the idea across better, though." Needless to say, a floral tattoo in pastels didn't strike fear into the enemy like his. Though he supposed the difference hardly mattered when there was an axe coming down to cleave one's skull.

For the girl's sake, he set his arm behind his back, out of her view. "But as you can see, there are many ways of demonstrating strength beyond appearance."

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Sebas Deadeye
Ferg's Bedside​

Sebas's stomach sunk. What wasn't she telling him? Hopefully this wasn't something that made him realize WHY Evangeline asked him if Ferg were to be trusted. "Look, I won't tell them unless it's something that will get Orabelle killed or this ship sunk." The tricky thing was that Evangeline could tell if they were lying, so if she asked again if he trusted Ferg, this information could very well be the difference between giving Evangeline a truth and a lie. "If it's not literal life and death for ME, I'm not a rat." Sebas wasn't gonna risk his life on a secret, but he wasn't Gossip Girl either. The man already had a laundry list of secrets he would be taking to the grave. What was one more?

"We got 1 minute left," he said, seeing the purple barrier begin to flicker a bit. "Spit it out unless you want the whole bay to hear." All he could hope was that it was something that wouldn't be a big deal overall



----------------------------------

Elaina and Orabelle
Medical Bay​

"I hope so," Orabelle said, her eyes cloudy. "Cruelty as a method of survival sounds like misery."
"It is indeed, Ora." Elaina said, "But it's a necessary evil. For me, I prefer to help and not hurt. That's why I use my magic to benefit those willing to be cruel to protect me. They do it so I don't have to, so I make it easier for them when they have to. It's......complicated."
"So why?" she asked with a hint of desperation. "I heard landwalkers can just go make a home and never have to worry about danger again. So why do you instead float on these carriers and purposefully put yourself in danger? So you can be cruel?" Elaina thought about it. A part of her didn't know how to answer truthfully, as that's exactly what she did. She threw away her life of comfort to chase this life of perpetual danger, with no reason besides the philosophical, like higher purpose and one's calling.
The life under the sea was indeed a cruel one. One could be swimming about one moment and then end up in the pitch black belly of a whale the next, eaten immediately. A massive open sea with more hostile life in a square mile than humans can have people in a small town. From what Elaina read, death was so incredibly common that emotional attachments to anyone besides close family became hard for Pisceans as death was expected.

"SOME do it to be cruel. WE do what we do because cruel people do what THEY do. If you love something, you'll protect it," Elaina said gently. She wasn't exactly a treasure hunting enthusiast. Hers was the search for knowledge and the feeling of family here. They were pirates through and through, but she trusted this ship with her life. She was happy to do what she was paid handsomely to do, especially since she was arming her allies with information. "I protect my brutes by arming them with knowledge. They take that information and use it to keep us alive against the cruel."

This was.......a partial truth and her having to tiptoe around the fact that they infiltrated Orabelle's home and killed her people to get some treasure. Then again, Ora's people struck the first blow. and second and third and fourth through the 20th blow. If Ora didn't know why Bogrum and crew were down there in the Pockets, Elaina doubted Ora knew that her people were creating whirlpools with the sole intent to destroy ships and capture landwalkers to be bled for food
WayfaringWaaksian

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

"It won't. Yet. That be the issue." Fergie sat up and propped herself on her elbows, urgency making her restless again. She had to summarize things best as she could, and quickly. "Wasn't s'possed to wind up on Dead Man's Isle." Who was, really? "Some old 'friends' tried to put me under. Prolly think it worked." Considering how someone had to get to that wasteland in the first place, it had to have been pretty convincing. It was an effective way to fake your death, if you were willing to risk actual death by drowning, or spending years if not a lifetime on a trashheap with only crabs and coconuts to indulge in. Gods, if she walked into a pub and saw one more crab or coconut, she'd start committing arson. "Point is, so long 's they still think I'm dead, I can stay. But someone'll spot this ugly mug 'fore long." Remove the stupid ears, the funny hat, she still stuck out like a sore thumb. The seas they were cruising were far from her old territory, but it was only a matter of time before someone recognized her. "Capt'n can get one more mission outta me. But once that's done, I'm gone."

That had been her plan from the start. Stay with the Basenjis to regain her strength, learn new skills, gain more assets, repay their generosity with labor in the meantime. It was never meant for the long-term. The threat that would come her way was for Fergie to fight, to conquer or fall to depending on how Death was feeling that day (and in her experience, Death was a finicky fucker). She wouldn't have anyone else fight on her behalf, willingly or not. "Didn't say 'cause I won't let it involve any of ye's."

---

Bogrum frowned, pensive as he mused on what was being said. It was tempting to say that life on foot wasn't so easy, that many lands were tattered and barren from constant battles and warfare, how many places suffered cruelty and injustice under the reign of kings and warlords. Though it couldn't quite compare to the unending peril of life under the black flag. He supposed there was safety in conformity, but what life was worth living if it wasn't a free one?

"There are cruel people wherever you go," he decided to say. "It's a matter of knowing which cruel people you can defend against." Or in his case, who was worth fighting against. He had no issue holding up on land; enemies fell at his feet with little effort on his part. Why he left that behind was another story.

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Sebas Deadeye
Ferg's Bedside​

"Ferg," Sebas said, "We're pirates. Almost all of us got people out for our heads." Sebas could name 5 pirate captains off the dome who wanted him dead. The Basenjis just had vastly superior firepower. "Unless your old friends are stronger than this ship or you pissed off some aristocrat with access to a guild of assassins, there is no issue." The thing about bounties at sea is that to take on one, you had to take on the whole ship in most cases. Unless one of Ferg's assassins were on this ship as a Basenji, it would be more dangerous to go back to wherever she set sail from, not that Sebas would encourage her to stay on this ship. "From what it sounds like, it doesn't sound serious at face value, but I won't belittle it if you find it worth taking seriously to that degree."


Ora just sighed. "I guess it'll make sense when I'm older," she said. It gave her a headache as she almost thought herself to paranoia about who and who not to trust, who and who she couldn't defend against.
"Don't think about it too hard, Ora," Elaina said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We will all protect you. You see all these different kinds of Landwalkers. None of us are inherently more dangerous than another. Since you're with us, you're one of us. We will all protect you. Especially Sebas, as Mariana gave him the power to."


(You can respond as either before the barrier dissipates.)

---------------------------------------------------------


Barrier Dissipates

The barrier dissipated in a light purple haze and a velvety smell. Now the crisp white curtain was visible behind it. Ariel's voice piped up from another room. "If you want 5 more minutes, you know I double the price."
Sebas shook his head no. "It's fine. We discussed all we needed to," he called back and then opened the curtain

The barrier falling put an end to both conversations going on. "Ferg, I'm headed to the Mess Hall and then I'll be spending my time in the library learning about Mariana and Piscean people."
"Ooohh, can I tag along?" Elaina asked eagerly.
"Why are you trying to 3rd wheel? Don't you got nerd shit to do?"
"YOU'RE doing nerd stuff!" she exclaimed, "I get to learn from the horse's mouth instead of a book." As much as she loved books, the reference books were usually pretty dry and boring, even if she were interested in the subject.
Sebas sighed, already anticipating the annoyance that was sure to spew from her gob. "Sure. Just don't be annoying, Elaina. I swear I will throw you through a bookshelf if you start speaking in jargon."
"And risk the Thousand Year Curse?" she prodded playfully. The Thousand Year Curse was one of the many curses placed by the owner of the library, a brother/sister twin kitsune duo. It's been said that the duo can place 2 500 year curses that strike a person and every descendent of that person. Since no one has ever irreparably damaged their books and lived, it's impossible to prove. They wouldn't tell you.
"I'd rather take the curse than the alternative," Sebas retorted, "Look, if you wrap my arm in this bandage, I'll let you come with us."
"Deal."

WayfaringWaaksian

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

"... 'Ight." Fergie didn't know whether to be relieved or even more concerned. It was good that Sebas wasn't making this as big of a deal as she was, as that meant she wasn't likely to get kicked overboard over it. But it also meant that it wouldn't be taken as seriously. Sebas couldn't possibly know what she knew, and she had neither the time nor the desire to explain it all to him. It was better to leave it at that.

No one had to know about the danger it could present at any moment, when she planned to stop it.


While Sebas and Elaina had their banter, Fergie could be heard between the curtains, "You do that. I'll just be 'ere. Layin' around. Freezin' me tits off again."
"If it's any solace, I'll be right here with you, Fergie," Bogrum offered. Not that he had a choice, as the head doctor wouldn't let him leave until he sobered up, but it was something.
"Yer gonna watch over me while I'm under? Not creepy at all."
"It's the least I could do, after you saved our lives back there."
"Hmph..."

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

(Transition. Time to begin the next part)



"Is This What Landwalker Gods See When They Look Upon Their Creation?"

Over the next week​

Ferg and Bogrum both went into Stasis shortly after Sebas left the Medical Bay with Ora and Elaina in tow, being fully healed by the end of it but having a cold for next 2 days, a common side effect especially since Ferg used Earth Magic and Stasis required Ice Magic.

From there, Sebas and Ferg were all but broken up. They'd speak to each other when they wanted, but Ferg was put on missions with other people on the ship, including being paired with Bogrum to lead a raid on a merchant ship to capture a bounty. Sebas, meanwhile, was put on 3 missions underwater with Ora. All scouting missions to search for shipwrecks under the waves. The time swimming together was not only bonding for Seb and Ora, but as new territory to Ora as it was for Seb as she was literally DAYS worth of nonstop fast swimming time from her home at this point. Ora also found little treasures in places too big for Sebas to fit and recognized common writings when coming upon unnatural rocks

1 Week later
Time: 0730​

8 days after the mission was run, it was time to dock again to resupply and to drop off survivors who didn't have interest in joining the Basenjis. This entire time, they were either put on missions or they were used as janitors as compensation for room and board. The ship was running a bit light on liquid supply and munitions. Translation: Adonis was probably running low on fine wine, the crew was running low on alcohol and water, or Ariel was running low on supplies. Could be all, could be one of them. Didn't matter as they were all legitimate reasons to dock, though some were more legitimate than others.


As the sun began to rise, a goldish hue set a beautiful contrast to both the sky and the sea, inducing a perfect gradience against the sky and a shimmer against the sea as if the waters itself were a treasure chest opened and its shiny loot beholden. Besides the gentle rustling as the ship parted the waters to keep on moving and the occasional splashing of aquatic wildlife breaching the sea/air barrier for a moment, it was peaceful


----------------------------------------------


Sebas woke up with a sleepy groan. The man sat up with a grunt of effort that was more mental than physical and looked across his room to Orabelle, who was fast asleep in a large tank of water. The day after his conversation with Ferg, he made a tribute to Baroness to establish a large defense-magic-enchanted glass tank in his room for Orabelle to inhabit as she pleased. The tank didn't cost all that much as tributes go since was literally just an empty tank. Holy Water would've cost a fortune in that tribute, but the easy work-around is his Everquench Canteen. It took a MASSIVE amount of time, but nothing that just setting it upside to empty into the tank couldn't solve. Easy. Since the water was holy, it was always purified and it offered relaxation and healing to the young girl inside



Sebas walked over to the tank (trying to avoid looking at Ora too much) and knocked on it, waking her up immediately. It was weird having to get used to the fact that........well Orabelle was a Triton, and Tritons didn't exactly wear clothing underwater. Their modesty was lacking, which Sebas had been patient about, but it was still too weird a territory for him. He pointed up, and she swam up for Sebas to grab her and help her out of the tank. One of the things he did manage to get used to was her hands. Chilled a bit through the water, a bit slick as his fingers slid off the scales on top of her hands, yet more clammy in the palms. Regardless, while there was almost no warmth physically, Sebas spent a bunch of time over the week trying to gain Ora's trust, including a few excursions underwater. There was some emotional warmth through that cold touch. The girl's curiosity kept her distracted by the day, but by night was when the actual emotional labor started. Sebas had to play therapist and only 1 night out of the week was his shoulder NOT soaked trough with tears. That same night was the only night he wasn't awoken due to her nightmares. Still, his persistence, patience, and dedication to learning made her start trusting him and warming up to him on a deeper level

"We're planned to dock today," he told her, "While on land, I will get you some clothes so you can stop wearing my shirts."
"You don't want me wearing your shirts?" she said in confusion as she dried off
"I want you wearing stuff that actually fit your body," he responded. Under normal circumstances, the shirt would fall off her body every time she put her arms down. As a result, Sebas was tying that shirt around her waist like a sash for a dress and tying it around her arms, all with scraps of old torn shirt.

Blue lights started to flash and a low alarm sounded, the signature recognizable sound of a meeting being called for the whole ship.

WayfaringWaaksian

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

A ship underway never truly slept, and that was especially true for the Basenjis, Bogrum had come to find. As the tasks and missions piled on over the week, it left little time to process all that had happened. Even when they weren't conducting raids or uncovering underwater oddities, the crew still bustled with activity, whether it be tending to the vessel's many needs or drinking away their free time in the mess. Though Bogrum partook himself, lately he found himself too busy-minded to participate in the games and banter.

It were moments like these that he preferred. A glowing sunrise, a gentle breeze, smooth waves rocking the ship so minutely that he could scarcely feel her rolling, and above all, quiet. Standing here, looking over the taffrail out over the golden waters, Bogrum was free to pursue all those thoughts that had been placed on hold. Thoughts of his old crew, everything that had led up to this point, whether he should stay or go when they finally made port.

Unbeknownst to him, Fergie had similar thoughts.
"They're out feedin'."
Bogrum looked over to the woman where she leaned against the rail a few feet away, then followed her gesture to where porpoises were breaching out of circles of bubbles.
"Means we're gettin' close to land."
"Aye." He wasn't as enchanted with them as she seemed to be, but looking back at her, he could see that her gaze was far away and vacant, hardly as involved with the sight as her words claimed. It occurred to him that this was the first time in days that she'd been the one to speak to him first.

Bogrum hadn't known Fergie before their escape. He couldn't have known what the shipmates she frequented knew, that the eccentric and jovial demeanor she carried herself with prior had been dampened by a dull lifelessness ever since that fateful mission. It hadn't registered to him that something was off, when the woman could hack up a lung for two days straight from a cold and still bark out orders the very next day during the merchant ship raid. Her avoidance of the drinking games, and drinking entirely, that he had attributed to just a reasonable leeriness after having been rendered bedridden from it. But eventually he realized that it wasn't the alcohol she had been avoiding, rather people in general.

He didn't have to know someone well to see them growing distant.
"Some of the boys plan to head out once we dock," he told her. Though the bonds between the surviving crewmates had strengthened during their time imprisoned, most had little reason to stick around. The ship and captain was gone, with him his goals, leaving everyone with their personal matters. "For myself, I'm undecided. It's rather... boisterous here for me. But the crew is competent. Hardworking." And the ship less likely to be sucked into the depths by a magical whirlpool, but this he wouldn't say aloud. "I'm inclined to stay, but I suppose I won't know for sure until it's time."
Silence lingered between them. Fergie had nodded, but added nothing to the topic. Bogrum suspected what her answer would be should he decide to ask what her plans were.

The alarm sounding decided for him. "We'll know soon, won't we?" he said, pulling himself away and walking towards the middeck. By the sound of her bootfalls, Fergie wasn't far behind.

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Crew Meeting​

The crew gathered at the deck as usual to stand where the ship leaders would soon make themselves seen. They were chatting amongst themselves. Witty banter, hugs and shoulder punches, expletives galore. As Sebas emerged onto the deck and greeted some of his buds, Ora greeted them as well with a charming smile. Besides the fact that she was still having nightmares and sometimes crying herself to sleep, by day she was beginning to really open up, especially to her soul-bound guardian. Eternally curious, she captivated some of the other pirate crew though she wasn't confident enough to move about on her own because, unlike the crew, she hadn't seen all of the creatures on this ship on a regular. Lycans, Vampires, Angels, Demons, Half Angels/demons, Scyllas, Harpies, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Goblins, the works. As a result, she was seemingly in a state of perpetual star-struck delight. Most of them were very friendly to her. Those that weren't met with a terrible fist shortly after their first snide comment, so they dared not say anything further

Ship leadership made themselves seen in front of the crew. "Greetings, crew!" Adonis declared dramatically and a bit tone-deaf considering the time of the morning. He started off with a bunch on admin nonsense that Sebas tuned out. It was drool-worthy to anyone it didn't concern. "Moving on," he said, "We are tracking a relic in Merchant's Reef." The mention of Merchant's Reef got some murmurs going. Merchant's Reef was essentially the Silk Road of the sea. It was a highly important trade route and TONS of merchant ships pass by there on a daily. As a result, there are known to be a TON of Navy Vessels there to protect Merchant Ship. The last thing any country wanted were to get their merchant ships pillaged by sea dogs, so it was well known that there could be Royal Navy vessels patrolling the reef.
"Of course, for all the loot and plundering that can be done there, the issue is that we run the risk of a Naval Raid." Naval Raids were devastating. Heavily armed Royal Marines stormed confirmed pirate ships, capturing as many as possible with superior firepower, both individually and as a vessel. That was best case scenario. Worst case? They come upon a Royal Navy Warship or Destroyer, in which case the new best case scenario was Dead Man's Isle. "So we'll go the safe route. We will send this beloved vessel to the shop and we'll take on a market bounty or privateer bounty and go for that relic while on orders." The virtue of the pirate was that they were mercenaries. This included doing jobs for official companies who wanted to skirt stuff like tariffs, or who engaged in smuggling operations. It also included dealing in government affairs like sinking enemy ships while keeping plausible deniability.

"So what are we doing in the meantime?" One of them asked
"I was getting there," Adonis said with a broad grin, "We are tracking another relic in the sky, so we are taking the Basenji Air Ship." It got a very divisive mix of cheers and groans. Yes, the Basenjis sailed a lot more than just the seas. Where there was loot to be gained, the Basenjis were there. Sebas stayed silent. His concern wasn't for himself, but for Ora. Let's hope she wasn't scared of heights. Elaina was one of the ones cheering though. Flying was her LOVE
WayfaringWaaksian

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Airship?

The shouts of the crew faded to white noise in Fergie's ears as she looked back out at the water, gaze alert where it was formerly distant.

That would mean...

"That Adonis has more toys than a lord's heir."
Pulled away from her thoughts, Fergie scoffed at the look of awe on Bogrum's face. "Spoiled as one, too."
Much more a look of shock was what he bore after hearing that. "And with no shortage of serfs," he warned her.
She waved him away. "Send me on another scavenger hunt for 'is froo-froo grape juice, is all he'll do." In a stroke of good luck, she had found quite a few bottles of the stuff in the cabin of the merchant captain they had stormed. Though he considered it satisfactory, Adonis was adamant in letting her know that he expected "a much better year" next time, whatever the fuck that meant. She was still pissed.
"Better not to push fate..."
"Tch. Fate." Her hands shoved into her pockets, and she swung her head away. "We live, we die. Not some cosmic meanin' to it."
Bogrum raised a perplexed brow, unaccustomed to such philosophical talk from her, unprompted at that. "Touchy subject?"
"Say what ya want," she told him. "But I'll be doin' the same."
In the interest of focusing on the matter at hand, he dropped the subject anyway, quieting to continue listening.

(I'll be posting more often now)
Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Captain Adonis
Deck​

"The relic is called a Distortion Shifter," Adonis said, elaborating on their end goal for sky-sailing. "It allows us to basically enter the spirit world. The Void, The Aether, the Ghost Realm, Limbo, The Distortion World, The Upside Down. Whatever you want to call it. It's where demons shine and angels are but grime. The world unseen by mortals lest they're heading towards the afterlife."
It sounded to Sebas like Adonis wanted to sail the Spirit seas as well. If there were relics in the spirit realms, they wouldn't be accessible without a way into the spirit world. "So we're gonna be sailing to spirit seas in due time as well?"
"Absolutely," he said without hesitation, which made Sebas's stomach turn. He absolutely would NOT be going into the spirit world without a damn good reason. "I certainly wouldn't just throw my crew and my vessel into it though. I'll have to get a new ship built for it." Yet another ship? Sebas thought. Living mortals in the spirit world sounded like an offense to the gods themselves.

Ora sensed his apprehension in the form of a hand squeeze. While it was too tight for her comfort, it didn't hurt. Nevertheless, she double-tapped his foot with hers, breaking Sebas's thought with the gesture he taught her. When he looked down at her, she gave him a double-squeeze of his hand. With an exhale and a softening grip, he must've realized he was squeezing too hard. She then gave him a reassuring smile, which seemed to have worked as he gave her a small smile back. In every moment she spent with Sebas, she was reading him whether he knew it or not, whether she showed it or not. His face, his emotions, his body language and ques, his fighting style, his words, his tone and how his emotion affected said words and tone. She knew his ques quite well by this point by intense studying him, though it did cause quite a few incidents where he caught her staring intently into his face for the 19th time.

"The Distortion Shifter is in a cloud dungeon which must be summoned by a Storm Tear. Luckily, I don't feel like chasing one down so we'll skip the step of storm-chasing." At this point, Adonis could see a large amount of his crew tuning out. Sebas was one of them while Ora was more attentive. Just because Sebas could use a bit of magic doesn't mean he gave a damn. The only pure magic move Sebas even used was Aegis. His other magic was just there to enhance his weaponry. "Look, we will summon the cloud dungeon and take it on to get this Distortion Shifter. Just know we'll be sailing the skies. We all know how much loot tends to come from sky sailing." It did indeed. Sky-sailing was not for the faint of wallet. Luckily Adonis was like an aristocrat

Assignments​

Captain Adonis went into assignments. "Sebas! You will take Orabelle and command our escort ship, The Canine. Ferg! Bogrum! You will both be on that ship under Sebas's command. Since you two were the powerhouses in that merchant ship raid, I expect you two to be the main forces in any raid we engage in."
He called out a bunch of other names, but Sebas tuned it out. Fucking hell, he muttered. Sebas was fine with command positions. He was was just NOT fine with commanding a ship. It meant he had to send people out to get jobs done and he couldn't be on the frontlines WITH them. The last thing he wanted was for his crew to see him like he saw Adonis, as someone toying with their lives.

Since Adonis expected Ferg and Bogrum to lead raids. "Should Bogrum desire to leave when we dock, another raider will be assigned as your partner, Fergie." That decision was of course up to Bogrum

"Elaina! You will be on The Canine as well. I expect you to be utilized as the lead scout, as you are our preferred set of eyes." Elaina nodded and felt elated at doing what she was damn good at doing, and while flying nonetheless. "Aye!" she exclaimed happily. She seemed the most happy out of our assignments, Sebas thought. Ferg seemed to be seething at the world for the past few days. He opted to just give the woman space, a decision made easy by their differing assignments. Still, if she was still sulking after a week, there was something bigger on her mind. The issue is that Ferg is an emotional stone-wall.........but she DID open up to him. Maybe he could do something to at least get down to the reason why. After a week, Bogrum was about as effective as potatoes being thrown at a castle wall.

Adonis finished off the assignments, assigning the notable people to specific positions while the rest either had their same positions (like Laylah as medic and food workers being obvious) or were grunts so they were on standby as foot soldiers. Easy assumption that if your name wasn't called, your job didn't change. "With that, we will be docking near noon and spending 2 nights in that city. We will get up tomorrow morning and begin loading the airship. I plan for us to set off that next afternoon."

"If you have questions, come to my quarters. DISMISSED!" With everything said, he disappeared in shadows. The werewolf and angel started giving orders for specific groups, things that needed to be done in prep for docking. The rest dispersed.


(Now that the briefing is there, my posts should shorten back up)
WayfaringWaaksian

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

The spirit seas? So sailing the seas, skies, and sands wasn't enough for Adonis? "Yeesh."
"Yeesh indeed. Quite a ways away from my circle of expertise." Could spirits even be hurt by mortal weapons in their own domain, Bogrum had to wonder. Silver and sage only offered so much protection. "That man seems to have a solution for everything. I wouldn't worry too much about it."
Fergie made a noise. She didn't fear ghosts, but she had her own reasons against crossing that boundary. Mortal souls were already at risk enough under the whims of gods and divinity on earth, how much more would they be when effectively entering the tiger's woods? At least they'd be dealing with demons instead of angels, but it wasn't much of a solace.

The captain's orders weren't given a response by her. The first time he'd called her to lead a raid, it was met with much more enthusiasm on her part. After being judged at first glance, it was satisfying to finally have the respect she felt she deserved, the very least of that being an acknowledgement of her skills, with the added bonus of being placed in a position of authority. Now, all she felt was uncertainty. Adonis had already gotten more than a second mission out of her, payments for the two favors he'd offered her upon her rescue. There was no real reason to continue. She had plenty of funds, she'd paid back the crew in labor, so she felt she was in right to leave this ship behind should she wish it. And she did.

Or had. There were plenty of reasons to not leave, after all.

"Bogrum, I've got some biz to attend to."
"Alright, Ferg." He followed the direction of her face, finding Sebas and the Piscean child. "I'll leave you to it."
"Fergie."
"FerGEE." He stomped away, finally leaving her alone. She wasn't sure what it is that drew Bogrum to her, that kept him lingering around her space that she so adamantly kept as empty of bodies as one could on a cramped vessel. She never stopped him, though. It was easy enough to prompt him to leave when she couldn't tolerate him, so there was no need to scare him off entirely. It was confusing more than it was annoying. Sebas seemed to have caught her vibe, and they barely shared a word between each other since that mission. He could have been too occupied caring for the kid to seek her out, but she went with the former. He wasn't the nosy type.

Fergie approached him before he could stray far. "Sebas," was her simple greeting, extended to the girl as she craned her neck to look at her. "Orabelle."

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Sebas Deadeye
Deck​

Sebas's stomach growled. Breakfast. "Ora, are you a vegetarian?"
"What's a vegetarian?" she asked him
Oh right, can't assume she knows human language, he thought, "Someone who only eats fruit and vegetables. Why do you never eat meat?"
"Goddess Mariana says we can only eat flesh from the sea, yet never our own. We are able to eat food from the earth though." So a Pescatarian, stopping short of cannibalism
Sebas furrowed his brow. "But Siren eat humans, and Viperfish eat other viperfish."
"THOSE are subjects of Kaimana. He says they can eat anything they want.......even their own unless they follow Goddess Mariana." Cannibalism will never sit well with Sebas, but he found it curious that Kaimana followers could cannibalize their own if they also follow God Kaimana but COULDN'T cannibalize them if they followed Goddess Mariana. Seemed like Kaimana followers held Mariana followers in a slightly higher regard than their own
"Do subjects of Mariana and Kaimana get along?"
"GODDESS Mariana," she corrected him, "but yes. Goddess Mariana and Kaimana get along very well.........unless a Kaimana follower eats their own who is a follower of Mariana." Sounds complicated for no reason, Sebas concluded. Allowed to cannibalize other followers of Kaimana, but NOT allowed to cannibalize followers of Mariana. Still, they live in harmony far better than Christianity and Islam ever could, though he wondered if these two were more like Christianity and Catholicism than Christianity and Islam
"Let's go get some food. I KNOW we have plenty of fish for you."


Greeting Ferg

Before Sebas could head to the mess hall, he heard his name from a familiar voice. He turned to Ferg and nodded in greeting. "Morning Ferg," He kept using Ferg but never got a correction. Since she was absolutely willing to correct literally everyone else including Elaina and Bogrum, he could only assume she didn't have a problem with him using the otherwise banned name.
"Good morning, Fergie," Orabelle said to her, giving her a bit of a grin. While she hadn't talked to Ferg that much. "Nice to speak to you again."
"Aye," Sebas said in agreement, "and nice to be working together again."

He looked around a bit for Bogrum. "Guess Bogrum finally gave you some space." To Sebas, it was incredibly weird that someone would wake up in the morning and seek out someone to be around for extended periods of the day. It was one thing for Ora, as she was a child and they were literally soul-bound. It was another for a grown-ass adult to follow another grown-ass adult unless they were paid to stick by them. In fact, him sticking by Ferg was why he got thrown on the raid. It seemed, at least to Sebas, that the only time Bogrum WASN'T around Ferg was when he was doing menial grunt work as someone who hadn't joined the crew yet. Maybe it could be because Bogrum wasn't able to blend in? "Hey, we're headed to the mess hall though. Want to come with us? I'll pay." Food was free.........if you wanted to eat Chum and stale bread. Basically subpar food. Crab Coladas. If you pay, you get access to the whole menu. Meat other than cheap fish, fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh baked bread, wine, and undiluted alcohol. The 2-4 day old bread was free. The cheap fish and small fry were free. The fruit, vegetables, and meat preserved in salt were all free. Not ideal, but beggars weren't allowed to be choosers. Pay up or eat chum.
WayfaringWaaksian

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

When Orabelle smiled up at her, Fergie tried— emphasis on tried— to mirror it, though the strain made hers look a little too close to a toothy grimace. When looking at this sunny child, it was hard not to remember the child with tears running down her cheeks, her father's blood staining her scales. She was quick to return her focus to Sebas.

"Aye, imagine that." Fergie glanced over her shoulder to where Bogrum's head bobbed over the masses. "Tell 'im to sod off and he listens, at least." She had no reason to complain, instead growing rigid at Sebas's offer. "That's... not necessary. Thanks." She still felt bad for him paying her medical expenses from when she had drunk herself sick, and she wasn't about to let him pay out of pocket for her sake again. "I'll join ya's, though. Don't mind the chum." Never mind that she had more than enough funds to pay for a decent meal fifty times over, in her mind it wasn't worth spending on what she viewed as fine dining when there was free food readily available. Besides, last thing she wanted was getting herself spoiled. A worse fate for a sailor than death... almost.

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Sebas Deadeye
Deck​

He shrugged. Her rigidity didn't go unnoticed though. "Suit yourself." If Sebas could buy his food, he would. It wasn't like he needed to horde gold anyways. Plus, he would go crazy if all he ate was fish. "I assume you never sailed the skies before." he said, "It's kind of prestigious for pirates to ever take to the skies. Usually it's for the rich, the royal, or successful companies." That meant the loot had to be insane. "That also means we must go against the Royal Air Force should they recognize us." The Royal Air Force, like the Royal Navy, were fierce. Housing heavy air ships, war blimps, and the worst case scenario being what Sky Pirates called Swarm Ships which were essentially Wyvern Air Carriers, the Royal Air Force was worse than the Royal Navy. There was no Dead Man's Isle to go to for a second chance if you got shot down. "Luckily, they don't patrol the sky like they do the sea. They fly with nobility. We are much much more likely to encounter merchant air ships and their hired mercenary air ships." There was nothing keeping a ship afloat outside of that ship, not like water kept a ship afloat in the sea. That engine or that magic run out, you're screwed.



Mess Hall


They went over to the Mess Hall. The place was bustling with activity. Here though, it smelled as much like a tavern as it looked. Cooking food of pretty much all kinds. On a low-scale pirate ship, it would smell of alcohol, unwashed body, and intense fish. Here though, it smelled of a quality diner. Waiters and waitresses bustled around with food and drinks on trays, some of them floating or flying with wings. Others just walked up to a table and conjured the completed food on the table

Seeing one of the last corner tables open, the same one they sat at when Ferg got blackout drunk, they immediately took it. Pretty quickly, a cute waiter with bird wings came by while they looked at menus. There were 2 menus: one bigger menu both front and back. The other was only about half a page, centered in the middle of the page. This was the chum menu with a relative handful of options. Food was an easy choice for him. Water and a medium rare steak, half a loaf of bread, toasted. Orabelle looked at her menu, the words translated perfectly by her Trace Relic. "Do you have any fish?"
"Yes" the waitress replied, "We have cod, salmon, tuna, halibut, shark, and sea bass."
She thought for a second. "Can I have a sea bass?"
"Of course. Whole or Filet? How would you like it cooked?"
"Huh? I......I don't know....." It dawned on Sebas that, while Ora was searching for clarity in the menu, she probably only knew the definition of like 10 words on that whole menu, all of them being food she knew before coming on this ship. Even written in her
He stifled a smile of genuine amusement. "Ora?" Sebas put a hand on her shoulder. "How did you always eat fish?"
"I just........ate it. I'm not sure how else to eat it."
Sebas looked to the waiter. "She'll have a whole sea bass. Uncooked." Of course she ate it uncooked. How the hell COULD Pisceans cook outside of with boiling water?
"A-are you sure?" Rightfully so, the waitress was perplexed
"Yes. Whole Sea Bass. Uncooked, unaltered. Impossible to mess up."
The waitress hesitated, but wrote it down.

Next was Ferg's menu, which just had a few simple options. Sea Biscuits, Boiled Fish, Preserved Beef/Fish, Fish Stew with Pickled Vegetables, Bread, Dried Beans, Boiled Eggs. Since Fergie was familiar with this menu, she knew to expect sparsely seasoned food that required little-no actual cooking as much as heating to serve. Water and milk, though the milk was always borderline soured
WayfaringWaaksian

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Fergie confirmed him with a shake of the head. "First time." It never interested her personally, but she knew a handful of pirates who had paved their way up towards the skies, members of crews past. Likely they were still sailing up there, if they hadn't been shot down by the Airforce already. Unlikely that she'd encounter them, however, but in the event that she did... well, they weren't the ones she was worried about. Not for the same reasons as those who tried to do her in at sea.


When it was her turn to order, she was hiding a smirk behind her menu. It was hardly her first encounter with merfolk-landfolk culture shock, but that didn't make it any less amusing to her. What was going through the poor lass's head, she could imagine. Orabelle probably hadn't even known what fire was, prior to her coming aboard. It did garner just as much sympathy, so Fergie wouldn't make her amusement known.
Her order was as bare-bones as one would expect. Sardines, water, a side of preserved fruit, of which the specifications were "I dunno, surprise me". She fired it off in a fourth of the time it took for Sebas and Ora to order, as if she'd known what she was getting even before she sat down. More so she just wanted to get that out of the way, and get right to business.

"Gotta speak to the Baroness," she said once the waitress had left. No forewarning, no prompting. "Time to collect." A free favor wasn't to be rushed into. Long and hard she'd thought about it, mulling over her options the passing week until a decision was made.

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Sebas Deadeye
Mess Hall​

After writing down Ferg's order, the waitress took their menus, spread her wings and took off with a bow. "Are you waiting to hit land, or are you gonna summon her soon?" Not that Sebas cared all that much, but considering that Ferg told him she was about to call Baroness, it meant she definitely wanted him to know. Sebas used his favor to get Orabelle set on land and able to communicate.

It wasn't long before they came back with food. With a steak and bread to toast being the only food that needed to be cooked (as the sardines were already prepped), the order didn't take long to prepare in full. In front of Sebas was a perfectly cooked steak and toasted loaf alongside an ale glass full of ice water. In front of Ferg was placed a plate of fileted sardines, preserved and canned, and sliced pickled peaches and plums, alongside water. In front of Orabelle was that whole sea bass, completely in its most natural form

"The more important question is actually what are you gonna ask for?" Sebas said as he cut into his steak
Orabelle grabbed her Sea Bass and bit into its head. Sebas's stomach churned. Orabelle, the mad lass, crunched into that sea bass's head, taking eyes, brain, bone, spine, mucus, blood, everything. She took it absolutely without discrimination and chewed it all together in a murderous slurry, smiling in pleasure like she was eating gourmet ice cream. The sea bass, when not being chowed on was set to bleed into the deep bowl-plate it came in. Her pearly razor-sharp whites were now stained with fish blood, yet at seeing Sebas looking at her, she still had that innocent charming smile of gratitude. "Thank you for the fish, Sebas." The fact that she had absolutely no idea how she looked to a landwalker made him smile despite the utter horror bells ringing in his head.

"No problem. Can't survive on crab food, afterall." He gave her a smile back and turned back to his steak, his stomach in utter turmoil from what he saw. He was hardly squeamish, but good god. Seeing that gore and from an innocent child eating it like that was a bit much. Still, he didn't make this known to Ora as he didn't want her to feel looked upon as a savage. Sebas DID notice that he wasn't the only spectator though. There were others looking with uncovered disgust. This stopped when Sebas gave them a murderous look that told them it was in their best interest to mind their own plate.

Back to the subject at hand. "Are you gonna use it to get out of here faster? Wipe some hostile memories of your existence? Change appearance enough to duck recognition?" If she were on the run, Baroness certainly offered multiple escape routes and for free with no catch? Sebas could certainly see why she kept it in her pocket this long.
WayfaringWaaksian

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

"Today." No point in waiting, now that she was decided. "Soon as possible."

While Sebas was turning a shade paler at the unwitting spectacle Orabelle was making, Fergie watched on with apathy. Outward apathy, that is. Inwardly, she was holding back a cackle at Sebas's expense. It was barely noticeable, but Fergie recognized horror in one's eyes when she saw it. She'd witnessed this man slay fishfolk in bloody battle with barely more than a wince. What exactly was different about a kid chowing down on raw fish? Quite a few things, really, but it did make her quicker to see to her meal, just to stop yet another grin from creeping up her face. Had her sardines not been filleted in such a fancy way— in her mind, fancy meaning disembodied until one could forget they were eating an animal— she would have been inspired to bite into the head of one, just to help Ora not feel singled out by the many heads that had turned towards their otherwise hidden corner.

"Nah. Ain't gonna bother hidin' from 'em." Coward's way out, she thought. "Just need a tracker. So I can know where them bastards are, an' be ready for 'em." If she knew they were in vicinity, she could make the choice to fight or flee, depending on circumstances. Better to know when she might be seen than hoping she never will be.

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Sebas Deadeye
Mess Hall​

He nodded in thought. In his mind, there were about a thousand different ways to go about ridding oneself of potential bounty hunters. Having every single one drop dead, making pursuing her bounty cursed, altering her appearance in everyone's mind so they hunt down the wrong person, altering her own appearance to one not matching the bounty. Hypnotizing the one who called the bounty and making them call it off. A tracker though. Depending on the nature of the tracker, it could be used for assassinating her potential assassins. She could be looking at passive magic in general. "Careful of wording. I just asked for a specific relic so there's nothing to it. Not that Baroness will deliberately put on a catch, but if you don't word it correctly, it'll be up to her interpretation." For all Baroness was concerned, Ferg's tracker could be a sense of smell or numbness that hit as she got closer to a hunter. Ferg needed to be specific if she wanted what she was visualizing. Highly so


Newcomers

"♫Oh Sebas♫." The man turned his head to see 3 people. Elaina alongside 2 other people. A guy and another girl. It wasn't Elaina that called his name though. It was the guy, who said it in a sing-songy voice. This guy came to hug Sebas, his cat ears flicking and he gave off a bit of a purr as he hugged him surprisingly from behind.
"Oi. I told you if you're gonna do that kind of stuff, do it as a cat." Sebas wasn't gay, but this guy was. Sebas did like cats though. He was glad to overlook the gay passes and affection as long as he did it as a cat. It was kind of the only way Sebas would show the guy any sort of affection.
"Mornin'" the other girl said. Ferg could recognize this girl from that raid. This was Goldi, or Goldilocks. And yes, her abilities are in line with the fairytale. Goldi was on the frontlines of the Merchant ship raid, slaughtering mercenaries alongside her Grizzly Bear, who was padding alongside them. "Guess we're on it again. This time as a crew." Goldi was a hardened raider, hailing from a long lineage of vikings and sailing the seas since she was a child
"Yeah, it sucks to be at command instead of in the raid party," Sebas responded with a sigh of exasperation

"I'll provide overwatch as usual," the cat boy said. This guy was also part of the raid, but he was in the background, shooting targets from the Crow's Nest of Big Daddy. When Ferg needed cover from enemy fire, the ramparts that literally conjured out of nowhere were due to him. This was Avery, a fairly soft-looking effiminate cat boy, probably due to his being a neko beastfolk. That was all undone by the fact that, as Ferg could attest from the raid, he had zero problems putting bullets into heads with precision. He was still pretty soft though, telling by how he turned into a brown and white cat and jumped into Sebas's lap. Clearly he had affection for Sebas. Avery was an absolute crackshot, wielding a stolen Royal Navy rifle for long range, and 2 gun-knives for closer combat.

These three were very close friends. Goldi, when not putting her axe in peoples' sternums, was the ship's vet. She took care of all the animals onboard. Since Elaina had a Pegasus she rode on for scouting ahead of the ship, and since Avery was half cat, it translated perfectly that they became friends

Elaina looked to the group. "Good morning Fergie, Sebas, Orabelle," she said cheerily, though a bit formal "We are all on The Canine. I hope you know how to command a ship, Sebas."
"An airship isn't my ideal first ship command, but I'll manage. Good thing I didn't make any enemies during my time here." The last thing he wanted to do was explain to Adonis why he slayed a crewmate, even if they were trying to mutiny. Sebas had commanded plenty of crews on missions. This was his first time actually commanding a whole ship though

WayfaringWaaksian

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Fergie had to laugh, almost spit-taking after drinking a swig from her cup. "Oh, like hell she wouldn't! After how pissed I got her, I reckon she'll try to put a catch on it." Even more reason to be extra careful with her phrasing. That demoness was likely itching to get the last word in somehow. Appealing as the prospect of another verbal sparring may be, she didn't need anything interfering with her personal mission.

Upon hearing more familiar voices, Fergie looked up to see who was about to pester Sebas too. And she was already stifling another grin, with much less success as a snort almost forced its way past her lichen nose. Her gaydar had been pinging off the moment she and Avery met face-to-face, but she didn't expect him to nestle himself over Sebas, who was tensing in heterosexual disinterest. It was always funny watching a hardass like Sebas be forced into affectionate gestures, even more so since he reacted with muted annoyance more than anything. She supposed that was why Avery hadn't backed down yet, judging by Sebas's words, and Fergie couldn't really blame him. Her own feelings towards Sebas were simply platonic, just crossing the line between professional and personal since that conversation in the medbay, but she could definitely see what might draw Avery to him. A dauntless, battle-hardened fighter like him was sure to have men and women alike swooning at his feet (or rubbing, in Avery's case, maybe). Fergie didn't mind men, but she was generally inclined otherwise.

Taking care not to let her gaze linger on Goldi too long, Fergie watched her companion animal with interest as it guarded her side. It was a well-mannered beast for certain, unmoved by the loud chatter in the mess, but she remembered how easily those claws ripped into bone and flesh during the raid, paired well with Goldi's powerful and precise axe blows when they battled together. They were formidable, as was Avery sniping mercenaries from the crow's nest, so Fergie already had a degree of respect for them.

"Mornin'." Elaina had directly addressed her, so only she would get a greeting so far. Her and Sebas talking about his new position as a ship command made a sly look cross Fergie's face, one that was soon banished under an air of nonchalance as she said offhandedly, "First time's always daunting. Ain't that bad though, once ye get a feel for it." No one liked a braggart, so she wasn't about to explicitly say she'd captained ships before, but the implication was there. She would keep the topic centered on Sebas, further saying, "Captain did well pickin' ye, methinks. Got the right stuff for it."

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Sebas Deadeye
Mess Hall​

Spoiler: Avery and Goldi Description

Avery Valencia

Description: Don't let this effeminate gay cat boy fool you. Avery is an absolute crackshot. Armed with a stolen Royal Navy Standard issue rifle, and 2 gun-knives, Avery will ensure every bullet hits a skull, whether he's shooting point blank or from long range, morning, noon, or midnight


Ashlynn Caldera- "Goldilocks"

Description: A hardened Viking beauty, Goldi lives for raiding. Armed with a sickle, a battle axe, and her lovely Baby Bear, One will be hard pressed to choose between an axe to the skull or a massive bear claw to the skull

​

"Agreed," Goldi said, "Ya's trustworthy."

"Don't pile on the ego stroking all at once," Sebas said, "I'll do what I can to not be an idiot. Not gonna pull an Adonis and send inferior firepower to do shit they're not trained to do." Sebas was still salty about that mission, how Adonis expected him and Ferg to accomplish the mission. They DID, but only after getting backup. "Regardless........I'm glad to command the raider ship instead of the escort ship. We get to do actual pirate stuff. We get to plunder."

"Here here, woof woof," Goldi said in agreement.
"I'm gonna have a ship meeting after I get the logistics figured out," Sebas said, "Until then, Ferg and I were discussing something important."
"About being the raid leader?" Elaina asked
"Yes," Sebas lied effortlessly, not about to betray the secret.
Elaina bought it easily. "Ah, well I'll see you later Sebas, Fergie." Elaina said, not needing any more info. "If any of you need me, you know where to find me."
"Later, Fergs, Sebs. You too, Fish kid." Goldi said, clicking her tongue twice

Avery, however, was busy purring in Sebas's lap as he absent-mindedly stroked the cat's fur. "I think I'll stay here." he said in contentment
"No, you leave too." Seb said, tossing the cat out of his lap, who turned back into his human form to land on his feet.
"I will sleep on your chest one day, Sebas," Avery remarked
Sebas bit his ever-shrinking steak. "Meowing up the wrong tree." he said without looking at Avery.
"Maybe I should stop meowing and start climbing then." The implication was obvious..........
......but Sebas downplayed it. "Only as my pet, Avery." It was obvious, by how quickly Sebas responded, that this kind of dialog was common between the two.
"That isn't the punishment you think it is." The cat-boy wouldn't overstay his welcome. "You haven't punched me yet, so I'll see you later." Avery was cursed with being on a ship full of men who don't bat in his field, while having beautiful women on board. Best case scenario for him getting action is someone being desperate for anything, which ended with a blade to his throat swearing him to secrecy and ultimately being used for a moment then discarded. Though Sebas always made it clear he wasn't giving Avery any action, he was nice to him. Hanging around and fail-flirting with Sebas and benefiting from Sebas's soft spot for cats seemed to give Avery enough fulfillment to not be the ship's butt-boy for desperate ugly dudes anymore

Avery took his leave with the two ladies, more content at the tease more than anything. They went over to a different table in the Mess Hall.


Back to business

Alone as a trio again. Glad to know he had the trust of crew, Sebas did feel a bit relieved. "Seriously love the members of this crew........" But. "I was thinking about your predicament. How much is on your head?" If it were a super high price, Ferg could expect to be recognized in the sky. High price bounties were known to spread faster than low price ones. "And this isn't some official bounty, is it?" Official bounties were those pushed through official cities. In that case, the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, as well as city guards would also be out for Ferg's head

By this time, Sebas was done eating and it looked like Ferg was too, and a puddle of blood and blood-stained lips were the only evidence that Orabelle had a fish. He tossed some coin on the table, then a few more as a tip.
WayfaringWaaksian

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Fergie snorted into her cup. She respected Adonis as her captain, along with his goodwill of rescuing her from Dead Man's Isle, but his methods were... "I'd pick you o'er him any day, Seb. Don't mean disrespect, just the way it is." Well, maybe some disrespect.

Enthusiasm about raiding wasn't shown on her part. She still wasn't entirely decided on staying or leaving, but if she did choose to play her part in the mission, she felt in good company.
"See ya's," she answered back as they withdrew. "And it's Fer— ah, forget it."


Wiping that grin off her face, entirely too amused at Sebas's and Avery's back and forth, she answered, "Not a bounty." The Navy likely forgot about her by now, when there were far greater threats roaming the seas. "An' old enemy an' her lackeys. Got a score to settle with me, personally." If they knew she was alive, that is. "Then there's the others... eh..." Her nails drummed against the table. "How much do ye know 'bout the Bronze Ballasts?" Most who were sailing the seas ten years ago knew about the pirate fleet and their exploits in the more northern seas, terrorizing trade routes and plundering treasure sites. Other pirates feared entering their domain, as they were a force that challenged the Royal Navy itself, thus needed little effort to convince a mere brig into joining their ranks, lest they be blown into splinters by cannon fire from all directions. Though the fleet itself has long since disbanded, their unified flag left a mark on naval history.

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Sebas Deadeye
Mess Hall​

The man's eyes widened at the name. He leaned in and whispered with urgency. "Holy hell. You pissed off the Bronze Ballasts?!" The Bronze Ballasts weren't all that different from the Basenjis in that they were incredibly rich and successful while they were active. The key difference is that they weren't called Ballasts for nothing. While Adonis looked posh and wanted to sail as many seas as possible and reach every crevice of the planet, the Ballasts spent top dollar on ordinance. Superior firepower on a ship that could rival a Royal Navy warship. It moved like a snail compared to the Basenji Canine Raid Ship, but since a flurry of cannonfire from a Ballast would level a fleet, it didn't matter what side you approached on. Sebas leaned back. "We fought them before. The Basenjis and the Ballasts were hired blades from rival countries hired as ship escorts. They were hired to protect a ship carrying tide-turning ordinance from US. We accomplished the mission overall and sunk the ship, but not without a price. We suffered immense casualties and afterwards the ship was held together literally by magic. The mages that kept the ship intact enough to float to land died upon arrival as they used too much magic. We lost 35% of our crew, and 15% ended up in the waters. Lost either due to drowning, or died trying to survive Dead Man's Isle........or just got off however they could." Sebas's voice was somber as he remembered his lost crewmates. "We hold their names in the Chapel as they fought like warriors" If Ferg ever felt spiritual enough to go to the chapel, there were a list of names carved into a stone tablet on the left side wall. 30 names total, which meant there were 60 people aboard that ship at the time. While that in itself was huge, that was still small compared to the numbers on this ship now, which were about 110. ".......back to the story. While we lost the battle, we accomplished the mission and the country we supported won that war." If Captain Adonis, in all his infinite wallet, still couldn't beat the Ballasts, they were formidable. "I guess our win put a boot in their captain's ego because they decided to take over regions of the sea over the next few years. Their greed were their ultimate undoing. Their new lackeys attacked too many merchant ships in the Ballast name and Royal Navy came in and started blasting any ship flying the Ballast flag. On sight, no questions, no exceptions." While the Ballasts could take on a Royal Navy Warship, they wouldn't be able to take on a Royal Navy FLEET of warships. The ones they brought to their will by force were even less able to fight.

"From what I know, the Ballasts disbanded and went into hiding.........." His eyes narrowed. "but disbanding spreads members out. If they put a hit out on you before disbanding, it's probably spread wide by now." The waitress came and got their plates and the payment. Sebas didn't acknowledge her presence. The tip would be acknowledgement enough. "That is.........unless they changed names and fly under a new flag. There has been NOTHING about the fate of any of Ballast Mothership leadership." In other words, there was nothing that confirmed that any of them were dead. The mothership was important because that was essentially the king piece. There were plenty of ships flying the Basenji flag, but the mothership held the leader. Sinking that was cutting off the head of the dragon. It wasn't a hydra because at that point, pirates would kill themselves trying to become the next leader. This was why Sebas was commanding a ship. To raid on its own. More importantly, to help protect the mothership. "Putting on my tin foil, I doubt they're dead. One of the most accomplished pirate crews ever, not a single leader is confirmed dead. I think they're flying a different flag. Lest they end up blown to bits by the Royal Navy."
WayfaringWaaksian

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

"Er... somethin' like that." It hadn't been her proudest moment. Or... some days it was. She really wasn't sure what to think of what had happened, the conflict bringing her to bite her lip and scratch a phantom itch on the back of her bristling neck. Should she leave him to wonder, or tell the whole truth?

Sebas went on to describe his own personal experience with the Ballasts. As expected, it was nothing good. Fergie might have felt inclined to apologize on behalf of them, for the tragedy on the Basenjis' end, but while she was sailing under the Ballast flag, she was conducting raids and collecting hidden loot, not escorting government ships as a mercenary. In short, she had nothing to do with that battle. Still... "Me condolences." To survive an encounter with the Ballasts at all was a feat. To survive a direct attack was just short of a miracle. But never was there a case where losses weren't suffered. It didn't come as a great surprise that the Basenjis were able to hold out on their own against them, but the story did impress her, keeping her silent and attentive as he continued speaking.

Fergie could see the cogs working in his head, shifting uncomfortably in her seat while he attempted to pick apart the mystery. With a bit of a resigned sigh, she looked ready to divulge, but passed an anxious glance towards Orabelle. "It's... dangerous info." Information dangerous enough to get her killed on the spot, if certain eyes caught her. If Sebas wished to learn, that was his prerogative. But Ora was just a child. "Kid? Can ye..." She tapped below her neck, referring to the Trace relic hanging from Ora's.

Kylesar1