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

[Tulik]

Galdurr smiled happily as she returned his blade, quickly sheathing it behind his back. He looked at her with a curious glance. He had more questions, of course, but for now he could happily except that he now had a companion. He followed her surprised glance out to sea, though he barely heard her one word acclimation. He too saw the ship, and came to stand next to Elaera to watch the ship on the distance waters with her almost silently. “I’ve never seen where all this wreckage comes from. I wonder if they will wound up another casualty of this accursed place.”

 

[Short Round]

When he saw the ship approaching the island, Chen froze. His first emotion was elation; perhaps they were all getting off this deserted swathe of land? But his cautionary instincts soon kicked in. In his past experiences, would be rescuers could often be worse than clear cut enemies. Holding up a hand in apology for leaving so quickly, he scrambled to his feet. Holding his sheathed broadsword in his hand, Chen swiftly padded over the beach to stand next to Galdurr, spraying sand around him as he ran. Trying to ignore his wonder at the large green giantess the man had been talking to, he came to a stop. Chen gestured over the waves towards the ship, which was looming closer, having closed an impressive amount of distance. He could see the sails bulging as the wind carried the vessel towards them. His accent got slightly heavier as he spoke with a high sense of urgency.

"I'm guessing you two have already seen the ship. I see two options; #1, I need to make more food, #2, we need to find a hiding spot. What do you think?"

 

[Tulik]

Galdurr noted Chen, his weapon in hand. While his gave his two options the red coated man looked up at Elaera. She had a massive form towering over him. She could probably handle anyone in a one on one confrontations, since he had seen how fast the woman could move first hand. He then focused on his first friend he made. He doubted he would be holding the weapon as such unless he knew how to use it. Galdurr then looked to the woman he didn’t get to introduce himself to. He didnt know her particular skill sets, but between the four of them? Galdurr grinned at Chen. There was a third option.

he drew his cutlass, his hand encased by the spiraling black serpent as he looked at ship in the distance. Perhaps they were friend, though from his experience ships on the sea rarely found friendship in strangers.If they were foe? Galdurr was happy to have made a few acquaintances he could battle beside.

“I don’t suppose you would be willing to translate for me, would you?” Galdurr asked Elaera without looking at her. “This is Chen, though I'll let the kind man himself do his own introductions. He fed me, which is incredibly kind for someone who couldn’t know if a stranger would strike him down or not.”

Galdurr let the grin fade from his face as he stared at the ship. If they were enemies? “If you didn’t mind, would you ask Chen his experience in battle? For that matter...I hope it isn’t presumptuous of me to assume those muscles of yours aren’t just for making you look good?”

Lefic Short Round

 

[Lefic]

Elaera flinched when the dark-haired man seemed to address Galdurr and her. He did say 'you two', so she must have been one of the people he was talking to, but she had to look all around her just to make sure that there wasn't a third person that'd been there the entire time who he was talking to instead. Not seeing anyone else, she came to the conclusion that she was in fact being included in the conversation. Though Elaera was once more looking at the floor, her face was too high up to be hidden to any average-sized person, something she saw as one of the downsides to her height. The woman decided that she'd just let Galdurr answer the man's question, then was quickly reminded by Galdurr's request that he might have difficulty quickly expressing his opinions without words to the man named Chen. "Yes!" Elaera yelped in response to Galdurr's request, flushing when she realised that Chen might've taken that as an answer to his question which didn't actually answer anything. Grimacing, Elaera moved her eyes to stare at Chen's feet, her indication that she was now addressing him, however, aware that such meekness might look ridiculous in a woman her size, moved her head up to stare straight ahead, seeming to look at the space of air above Chen's head. Pointing a limp finger at Galdurr, Elaera, in a monotone voice, explained, "It's like... Ah... Telepathy."

When the white-haired pirate's voice once again sounded in her head, Elaera's jaw unconsciously clenched at his last remark, the bones prominently popping out in her head. 'Look good'? she thought, her stomach turning into a tempest. The Half-Orc wasn't used to being complimented; others were either too intimidated to tell her anything, or couldn't find anything in her to compliment in the first place. She started to get happy, in a confused way, then scolded herself mentally, shaking her head. That was probably sarcasm, she decided. That was what she had been used to, anyhow.

"He - Galdurr - asks... what your experience is. In battle," she relayed in an awkward, flat voice.

Tulik Short Round

 

[Short Round]

Chen looked up at the stranger as he waited for an answer. Although she was clearly a woman, she was also clearly not a human. Well, not completely, anyway. By all accounts, she fitted the description of a yao guai (demon) from the children's stories he'd been scared of growing up. Tall, huge muscles, pointed ears and intimidating tusks. But when Chen observed her body language, he could tell that she wasn't a child-eating monster. She almost seemed...awkward? In any case, he didn't have the luxury of being fazed by another mythical creature.

He jumped as she yelped, then cocked an eyebrow when she mentioned telepathy. Telepathy? Like mind reading? I've neither the time nor the grace to go asking about it at the moment.
Now that she mentioned it, it did appear that she was having a conversation in her head. That either meant she was telling the truth, or she was crazy. He hoped it was the former. Chen resisted the urge to cross his arms or show any kind of exasperation or impatience while he waited for her to continue. To be honest, he was all too familiar with her clear deficit in social interaction; she reminded him of himself when he had been a boy. Although he knew that she would probably not look him in the face, he smiled at her with as much radiance and good humor as he could manage before answering Galdurr's exported question.

"I've been fighting ever since I was just a street kid who lived in an improvised shack. Since then, I've carved up more bounty hunters and corrupt soldiers than you could shake a stick at. Trust me, if I didn't know what I was doing, I'd have ended up dead, face down in a gutter a long, long time ago. "

Turning back to Galdurr's mind-buddy he bowed respectfully from the waist and introduced himself.

"I'm Chen, but you can call me Smiles. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

Lefic

 

[Tulik]

Galdurr listened intently to Chen. Seemed he had a rough upbringing. It was nice to see it hadn’t hardened him. Galdurr looked up at Elaera, happy she agreed to speak for him. She didn’t know it, but it was a sign of great trust that he asked her to do. He was giving her his thoughts to sculpt her own way. Was it a trust built out of desperation? Perhaps. But Galdurr wasn’t one to throw that part of his curse to just anyone. So why not Chen? Well, his old crew was consisted of those the world hated, feared, and lashed out against. When he saw the giant green woman it reminded him of the people he called home. The outcasts that they world would rather cut down than give a kind hand to. He was by no means a kind man in his entirety, but he knew what it meant to be looked at with disdain. Maybe where she was from Elaera’s appearance was the norm, but if she had come from Calamity? Stones would of been thrown.

Coming back to the niche of Chen’s combat experience he looked at the cutlass in his grip, the dead magic blade a reminder of his bout with Renagog.He didn’t know if Chen would readily have his back if the ship that came towards them engaged them in combat, and he wouldn’t put either of these two in harms way if neither of them were looking for a battle. But to know that he was good with the blade in his hand was welcome...though maybe not so much if he decided to turn it on Galdurr. He smiled at that thought.

“thank you, Elaera.” Galdurr said softly. he would have to get used to how she spoke, and in time he was sure he would learn her mannerisms well. For now? He would try to make things simple for her. Not because he didn’t think she wasnt intelligent, but because it would be anew experience for anyone to have to cope with, an he didn’t want to become overbearing. “What about you? Do you fight a lot where you are from?”

Galdurr pointes his blade out towards the ship, giving both Chen and Elera a look before giving the weapon a flourish and drawing a literal line in the sand between them and the sea. They had all washed up here on this island.He was battered and bruised, and he doubted they washed up here just to be the victims of potential would be marauders.

 

[Lefic]

Elaera had to stop and look down at Chen to make sure he was directing the question at her. Was he expecting an answer from her, or did he want Galdurr to answer through her? Then, remembering that Galdurr already knew Chen's name, she came to the conclusion that they'd already been introduced. Still, though, the Orc-Elf glanced to Galdurr. Looking back to the man in front of her - should she call him Chen or Smiles?? trying to choose just made her anxious - Elaera cleared her throat, trying to buy herself time as she built up the confidence to introduce herself. She tried to copy his introduction template, to not much success: "I'm Elaera, but you can call me... Um... Anything you want really, I don't mind," she muttered, speeding up and trailing off before getting back on track, "To... you is a pleasure... Speaking to you is a pleasure!" She tentatively held out her hand for a handshake, accidentally going to the wrong hand, and, upon realising this, awkwardly tried to play it off by... Gods, how could she play this of?... Elaera's fingers slowly curled in, and her thumb stuck out, giving Chen a massive thumbs-up. I am stupid.

She was thankful for Galdurr's question, for it gave her something else to talk about to bury everything she'd just said and done. "Me--" she started, then interrupted to preface what she said with, "He asked the same to me," for Smiles' benefit. "Didn't grow up with Orcs, so less military training than'd be expected... But mother still trained me a bit... My dad was, uh, kind of... useless with fighting - he taught me other things, though. I'm strong, though. Don't need much skill with my weapon - I can just... uh... smash, I guess..." she muttered quietly, casting her eyes down to the bottom-right. Talking about herself was not something she enjoyed; it made her more nervous than any other topic.

Short Round Tulik

 

[Short Round]

Chen's eyebrows raised as he watched as the woman's pro-offered handshake devolve into a simple thumbs up. He laughed merrily and flashed a thumbs up back towards Elaera. Even though she looked like she could break him in half, she was almost cute. Anyway, it was the thought and effort that counted. Similar to Galdurr, Elaera's name was a foreign one to him, but he tried pronouncing it to the best of his ability.

"Elrea? Elerea? Elarea. Well, it's very nice to meet you, the pleasure is all mine. I hope we can all be friends during our remaining time together. Which might not be very long depending on what the motives of that ship are."

When she began answering Galdurr's question after prefacing it, he nodded in gratitude. Letting him into their telepathic communications was a polite gesture. So, an orc, whatever that was, that specialized in brute force? That could prove useful.

"Well, I for one would be interested in seeing what your mother taught you. May the goddess of mercy help the poor fool on the receiving end of your smashing prowess; I doubt there'd be much left to bury."

Turning, he faced Galdurr just in time to see the man draw his weapon, nimbly twirling it before drawing a line in the sand between them and the rapidly approaching vessel. Although he wasn't exactly sure what the man was trying to communicate, Chen guessed it meant that he meant to take a stand. Taking notice of the cutlass's ornate decoration and foreign looking engraving, Chen whistled. Now that he and Elaera had divulged some extent of their combat capabilities, he wondered about Galdurr. During Chen's stint as a pirate, he had robbed enough wealthy merchant vessels to note that most of their flabby, incompetent captains carried beautiful sabers and swords that they seldom knew how to wield. The weapon, in addition to the luxurious (albeit worn out) coat that Galdurr wore, started to make him curious.

"You know how to use that thing, right?"

Tulik Lefic

 

[Tulik]

Galdurr nodded at Chen’s question. It was only fair that he ask him in return. He DID indeed know how to use it. In fact, Galdurr would even pride himself on his swordplay, if he was a prideful man. The curse, the afflictions, and the battle with a deity that cast him into the sea had humbled him however. He turned towards Chen, though that didn’t mean much when it came way of communication other than allowing the man to read his face.

“we all have different skills, my large friend. I’m sure every one of those abilities under your belt are put to good use. if you’re not an individual who favors combat I will do my best to not stir up trouble around you, Elaera.”

Galdurr then proceeded to answer the question asked of him, though he did his best to not over complicate it. “I’ve wielded the blade for many years. Used to captain my own ship before...before winding up here. While violence isn’t my first instinct, I’ve never shied away from drawing blood.” Galdurr ran his fingers across the length of the blade, regaling the memory of forging the blade to attempt to take his vengeance on Renagog. That...went about as poorly as one might imagine.

“You will let me know if anything I say isn’t clear, won’t you Elaera? I’m not about making you uncomfortable.” He turned to look over his shoulder at the woman with a smile. “If you’re going to let me be a guest in your mind I want to be there on your terms, after all.”

when he turned back to Chen he patted the blade against thepalm of his hand with a wide growing smile. “Oh, and if you would tell our mutual friend Chen here that if he requires a demonstration of my skills I would happily oblige.”

Short Round Lefic

 

[Lefic]

Elaera repeated everything that Galdurr had to say verbatim as it came to her mind, starting to say, "You will let me know if anything I say isn't clear, won't you Elaera?" before realising that that probably wasn't something she wasn't meant to relay to Chen. To cover her face, the woman faked a cough so she could raise a large hand to her face, using it to shelter her embarrassment. With her hand still over her mouth, muffling her words, Elaera added, "Galdurr said that- that if you want him to, ah, demonstrate his skills, he'd happily oblige." Elaera herself would have felt awkward showcasing her own skills, and likely would have messed up due to the pressure. Such was the reason why she'd never sung or played a song for anybody outside of her immediate family, despite being a skilled musician. Her lute had washed up onto the island as well, perhaps half a mile down the beach from where she'd been deposited onto the beach, though it had been damaged.

The ship filled Elaera with nerves. She didn't yet know what kind of people were on board, and so could not know what to expect, and all the different scenarios she came up with in her mind for what could ensue stressed her out. She moved her hands behind her back so she could fiddle with them out of sight, her fingers writhing like the tentacles of a squid, each hand holding onto the other with an oscillating grip. Behind her back, the crack of a knuckle was heard. She could definitely put up a good fight; she was far stronger than most men, and her mother had taught her well. If Elaera managed to just get her hands around an enemy, or land a swing of her warhammer, they would be done for. However, at a distance she was quite useless, and an easy target to hit. The Orc could take many hits, but she had her limit.

Short Round Tulik

 

[Short Round]

Chen wasn't sure whether Galdurr had meant the line as a threat, or as a joke. Frankly, he couldn't read the man very well. The white hair, white irises, and overall silence were slightly intimidating, even if he didn't like to admit it. Regardless, he chuckled and returned the bravado with a grin, popping his sword out of the scabbard with his thumb with a faint click. "When we get all this sorted out, I wouldn't mind a little friendly sparring session."

Apparently, Galdurr's drawn line indicated that they would stand their ground and wait for the ship. Chen didn't mind. To be honest, he would prefer a straight confrontation or a fight. Falling silent, he watched the boat approach the shore, growing closer with every wave that hit the shore. Nervously, he fiddled with the red cloth he kept tied around the ring at the bottom of his sword hilt. He had tied it on before the first time he had fought on The Stone Monkey, and had kept it there ever since. Chen knew better than to place too much faith in spirituality and the goddess of luck, but the tradition of wearing red for good fortune had always stuck with him. Taking a red bandanna out of his pocket, he tied it over his head neatly. Taking a few deep breaths, he calmed his nerves. A loud popping noise drew his attention, but he saw that it was just Elarea cracking her knuckles.

 

[Kylesar1]

Asmund Adonis
Seas of Bermuda Island-----------> Bermuda Island Coast​

The ship pulled closer to the land. However, it didn't get close to the point where anyone could board. It was still a bit out there, to the point where people would have to swim a bit to get to it. It DID, however, drop anchor, which symbolized to everyone on the island that this was the intended location. "Alright, dogs. I'll need a crew with me, and I'll need the rest to stand guard with firearms at the ready. I want marksmen at the sides, my sniper in the Crow's Nest, and the ship cannons facing the island to all be manned. Shoot anyone who tries to swim to this ship." Adonis called over a woman. She was a beautiful woman. Dark skinned, bald head, with a body fully inked with runic and tribal tattoos. She was a Spirit Mage and one whose job in this case was pretty simple. The woman's eyes glowed purple and so did the tattoos on her body. The gathered crew and the woman herself all lifted into the air and floated over the salty water until they touched down at the coast.

Unlike most pirates they've seen, these pirates looked less like pirates and a little bit more like navy or royalty. They weren't in tatters or had bandanas on. They wore well-fitting clothes that looked like they were bought by a tailor for aristocrats. Their skin wasn't caked up with dirt or blood. They were actually groomed. Their blades shined in the sun and their firearms were a polished high-quality wood and shined steel. Maybe those firearms fired bullets made of pure gold. They looked refined to say the least.

Immediately, he was greeted by pirates who wanted his help to get off the island. What they got instead was firearms pointed at them for approaching the captain of the ship like that. Obviously. "I am Captain Asmund Adonis of the Black Sea Basenjis. Perhaps you've heard of me. Maybe not. Regardless, I'm here to find a treasure that likely washed up a few days ago. Purple treasure chest. Whoever can help me find it, I want to recruit to my crew." The Black Sea Basenjis had a reputation of being snooty.......by those who never encountered them, and that seemed legit by the way they looked. However, from those who met them, those that lived anyways, spoke of expert ship maneuvers and an almost siege-like raid of their ship, even if the ship was smaller than the victim ship. The crew? Merciless and single-mindedly operative at the word of the captain. The ship? Quick and armed to the teeth. The weapons? If you saw anything other than shine, it was blood. The captain? Damn good at getting what he wanted and just as good a fighter as the ones he recruited.

Just like that, he put a proclamation to the pirates on the island. Whoever found or helped him find that treasure chest, he would take under his mast and get them off the island as a new Basenji. Whether or not they were interested in joining the crew, everyone had a vested interest in getting the hell off the island and that ship couldn't carry the whole population.

 

[Tulik]

Galdurr had watched the ship close in close enough to anchor not too far off from the shore. Specks from that curious ship floated to the island a small distance away from them, turning out as people when they came close enough to the island to make out. Well dressed individuals with magic, it seemed. When a battle didn’t immediately break out between the pirates and whomever was the owner of said ship he sheathed his blade. Then the voice echoed slightly over the beach. It was hard to make out everything over the deluge of confusion coming from the gathered pirates, the main gist was clear. Find a chest, get off the island. Galdurr himself hadn’t caught the man’s name, but he didn’t really care about it. Not at the moment. He could ask questions later. Galdurr smiled as he looked up at Elaera. With some help from his friend of course.

he turned his gaze back to Chen, and then ran a hand through his matted hair. A bath would be nice. “So. A chest. What’s the best option here? Do you think we have a better chance of finding it together, or split up?” Galdurr had made this assumption that they would work together. He didn’t know why he did, but he trusted these two. He doubted that they would betray him, and if they did? Well he was bonded to one of them. He could hunt that betrayal to the ends of the sea.

“I don’t think I’ve ever once actually dig up a treasure chest.” Galdurr laughed within her mind, and silently from his exterior. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I didn’t bring a shovel. Would you like to see What Chen’s opinion on how we go about this is?”

Lefic Short Round

 

[Lefic]

"Find chest together, or split up?" Elaera relayed, gesturing with a hand to indicate that the question had come from Galdurr. She waited for Chen's answer. Elaera wouldn't have answered the question for herself - her plan would be to just go along with whatever the other two decided on. Then, with Galdurr's next message, she repeated it for Chen.

Running through her head what the captain had said, quietly, she let her voice out, "Umm... Lived here for few months, never saw any treasure, though I have I shovel back at my shack if, uh, it's buried under any sand or, uh, I guess sand is the main thing... Anyway, he said the treasure had been 'washed up' somewhere so... It might, maybe, likely be by the shore, somewhere? Lost amongst all the other items, or hidden under a layer of sand... Though maybe I'm wrong!"

 

[Short Round]

Chen cast a wary eye over the ragtag group of marooned sailors that had materialized out of the island around them. They were a mixed bunch. Chen didn't recognize most of their uniforms or their dress. Snatches of foreign languages drifted among the group as they pointed and gestured at the floating group of crew members that gracefully touched down on the coast. As several pirates moved forward, a bristling line of gleaming weaponry was pointed at them. A man, apparently the captain, gave them a challenge; find his treasure and get off the island. Looking around, Chen saw the greedy glint of hope enter most of the sun burned faces around him. He shuddered. Things were about to get ugly.

Chen turned to Elaera and Galdurr as the horde of individuals around them began to break up.

"I'd like to work with you two to get off this island. Normally, I'd recommend splitting up. But I fear that the hope of escape will drive many of our, uh, more unscrupulous comrades to desperate measures. I think sticking together will be our best shot of finding the treasure and holding onto it.

He turned to Elarea.

"Time is of the essence. I do not think we will have enough time to go back and retrieve your shovel. He mentioned that he lost the treasure only a few days ago. The chest we are looking for will most likely be fairly visible. What do you think?"

Lefic Tulik

 

[Tulik]

They were both most likely right in the fact that it wasn’t buried, but this place wasn’t exactly natural. For all he knew it was stuck in a tree somewhere. If someone else found it before then? Well. They were pirates. Stealing what they did best. Galdurr scratched at the stubble on his cheek before looking down the shoreline.

“you’re most likely right, the both of you about the treasure being buried. My imagination simply wandered. Forgive me.”

Galdurr watched the pirates diapering and he immediately wished he had powder for his flintlocks. A good round might scatter the horde, or draw their attention away from searching. he looked up to Elaera with a smile.

“purple will stand out against the golden sands fairly easy, yes? I do not want to assume the role of leadership here, so which way do you two think we should begin our search?”

Galdurr looked at the ship out on the sea. He wondered what was in the chest that was so important that those people would come to an island full of potential scoundrels? Even if they had magic? The number of pirates might of overwhelmed them. Not that it mattered. Speculation on other people wasn’t the order of business.

“let’s find some bounty.”

Lefic Short Round

 

[Lefic]

Elaera watched all of the pirates milling around, attracted to the beach by the ship - a sight none of then had seen for too long, quite frankly. All these people, she thought, and yet the first time I've had a conversation with someone since coming here was today, if that can even be called a conversation. She exhaled softly, her chest gently deflating of air.

“Purple should be easy to find againt yellow," she relayed, with a voice that wasn't as quiet, didn't falter as much, filled with a sense of urgency by the prospect of leaving the island. "He asks which way we should begin the search... And, uh, 'let's find some bounty'."

 

[Short Round]

Still fiddling around with the cloth tied to his sword, Chen grinned and pointed at the beach on their left side.

"The goddess of chance smiles upon us! In the last three days, I have done nothing but rigorously comb through the beach on that side of the island, and I never saw anything that resembled a purple chest of treasure. I found a spectacular pair of waterlogged purple pajamas, but alas, they were not my size. Other than that, my eyes haven't failed me yet, trust me. That makes the area we have to check much smaller."

Chen then pointed on the stretch of beach to his right.

"That frees us up to search that side. It's straightforward enough. Shall we begin?"

Tulik Lefic

 

[Tulik]

((Is the chest a thing that needs to be initiated by Kylesar?))

Galdurr blinked. Chen said a few strange things, but the most intriguing of them all was the he worshiped a goddess. Perhaps that wasn’t so strange. Deity worship was a normal routine where he was from. Though the only goddess he knew of was Renagog. She definitely wasn’t a kind person, or a person of luck. He would ask Chen about that at a time when urgency wasn’t a factor. Galdurr turned to Elaera.

“thank you for being my voice. It’s been very kind of you. When we are off this island I will find a way to repay you.”

Galdurr followed Chen’s pointing hand to the area he believed the chest to be in. He hoped he was right, and that it wasn’t nabbed by someone else when it first arrived. Galdurr sheathed his blade. If it was required he would find itfast as lightning once more, though speaking of speed? His curse was beginning to weigh on his mind once again, making his actions slower, with more deliberate movements. It was not the calculated course of a veteran that kept him steady from pace to pace, but the fact that his mind wasn’t allowed to rest. He could not sleep, the curse making it physically impossible. He sighed, silently of course, and began down the beach. The urgency of the matter giving him the energy to move at a quicker pace than his body wanted to allow.

Lefic Short Round

 

[Lefic]

At Galdurr’s thank-you, Elaera nodded quickly in his direction, almost hitting her chest with her chin. It’s the least I can do, she thought, thankful to have someone who might turn out to be a friend. She hoped they could all get off the island, but, if the odds were against them... and they were... maybe she could show them the little shack she’d built from trees she’d uprooted, and survive here; it might be less dull with friends... Elaera bit her lip and softly chided herself, muttering, “No stupid.” As she walked forward with her eyes trained on the sand below, with a start, seeing the two pairs of legs behind her disappear, Elaera realised that her large stride had pushed her a few paces ahead of the others. Abruptly stopping stiff, she allowed them to catch up, and, slowing down her pace, started walking again, this time keeping a better eye on the feet of her two companions. Oh! I should have told Galdurr that there was no need to repay me! Elaera thought with a start, the long-passed moment popping back into her mind. Should I say it now? But wouldn’t that look weird since I waited that long? I’d just look... She huffed angrily at herself. Oh no, no, no. Maybe I should have said something, at the very least! she fretted. With him on her mind, she glanced slightly at Galdurr, then analysed him more closely when she realised his movements seemed a bit... off — like they were being forced. She didn’t know what the problem was — maybe he hadn’t slept? — but she wanted to try her best to help. “Oh. Ah. You alright? I can carry you, if you want, it’s no issue to me — you look light! Uhrr...” Was that weird? Did she sound strange? The Orc ground her teeth, and her tusks lightly grazed against the skin of her cheeks.

Short Round Tulik

 

[Short Round]

Chen was in high spirits. Holding his sheathed broadsword over his shoulder, he hummed folk songs under his breath in his native tongue. Stories about heroes, virtue, high mountains, and great battles of bygone eras. Padding across the warm sand next to Elaera, he occasionally stopped to dig through a pile of flotsam, looking for the chest. Sure, he was in a serious treasure hunt that would would probably decide how he lived the next ten years of his life, but he had found a couple of new buddies! Strange as they were, he once again had comrades-in-arms that he could trust. Sort of. For now. He was confident that they would come out on top, mostly because he couldn't bring himself to imagine eating crab and coconut stir fry for the rest of his 20's.

As the three combed through the beach, he sidestepped a trio of chattering fish/pirate hybrids, dressed in rags and waving barnacle encrusted cutlasses. At this point, Chen was relatively unfazed by what he was seeing. Apparently, the oceans of the world held a lot more than what he had seen during his fight against the heinous merchant guilds who ruled the coasts of his homeland, and it appeared that the island was home to a great number of interesting specimens. After stopping to watch the three, he turned his attention back to the search just in time to see Elaera move ahead, then stop, waiting for them to catch up. He chuckled. It would appear that she was trying to compensate for their differences in stride by slowing down. He resolved to increase his own pace in order to lessen the gap and contribute his own effort.

He listened to Elaera's request with an amused expression. He looked over at Galdurr, who did indeed seemed to have slowed down. Cocking an eyebrow, he nodded.

"She's got a point, brother. Are you alright?"

Tulik Lefic

 

[Tulik]

Galdurr looked between the two of them, his sluggish behavior clearly drawing attention, unwanted at that. Though it may prove a good misdirection if they were set upon simply because a band of pirates believed he was weary. Well, he was, but that was his lot in life. He gave them both a warm smile that reached his eyes as he shook his head slowly.

“Thank you, both of you. You are very kind. No I don’t need you to carry me, though if I find myself needing carried you will be the first to know my well toned friend. Please tell Chen that you need not falter on my account. I will pick up the pace. If I fall behind? You may leave me and find the chest for yourselves. Do not throw away your chance of escape for me.”

it wasn’t that he was being selfless. Galdurr wanted off the island just as much as they. It was rather if the worst came to it? He didn't want to...maybe it was selfless? The curse had made him a caring pirate captain. For his own crew, and for these two strangers. He chuckled at the thought. Perhaps he should spill some blood to renew his ruthlessness. Or maybe it was alright to be caring when the need arises. He wasn’t heartless, after all. Galdurr doubled his efforts, shaking the weariness from his strides as he eagerly met the pace of Chen, though not quite the large gait of Elaera.

“Are you okay with being the front of the pack?” He asked her softly. “You’ll be the first to run into trouble if it finds us, you know.”

Lefic Short Round

 

[Lefic]

This time, Elaera nodded slowly, doubt sparkling in her narrowed eyes. She even contemplated picking him up against his will, before realising that that may not be the best course of action. “He says th-thanks! to us b-both... And that you don’t need to falter on his account, uh, Ch- Smi- mmmmmm...” she said, ending in a grumble akin to one that someone would make if their food was going down poorly, unable to choose between the jolly pirate’s two names. Elaera didn’t relay the last part, not wanting it to be true. It doesn’t need to come to that. Lowering her tone she said, “If you do need help... Please ask - we don’t want to leave you behind... Uhm, to me, you are like... A sack of potatoes! No trouble to bear the weight, and... Umm... Conducive to good health?”

When Elaera noticed Chen quickening his pace to catch hers, she cast a thankful look at his feet. He seems nice, she thought, though Galdurr seemed closer to him than she was. Scratching her head, the Orc tried to think of something to say to Smiles to get more acquainted with him, but her mind drew blanks, and, instead, she just stared at his feet for longer.

The next time Galdurr spoke in her mind, she didn’t jump as much - she was getting used to it. “I can handle trouble,” she assured in a timid voice that wasn’t quite assuring. She did prove effective in warding off some trouble, though, some would-be attackers steering clear after witnessing her bulky, towering body.

Short Round Tulik

 

[Short Round]

Chen cast a wary glance at Galdurr, then shrugged his shoulders. He didn't know the man enough to push the matter further, but he was willing to help if Galdurr clearly needed it.

"Suit yourself."

When Eleara spoke about handling trouble, Chen grew slightly confused before remembering again that she and Galdurr shared a telepathic link. Galdurr had most likely asked her about her position at the front of the trio.

Looking at Elaera, he started to get the feeling that she wanted to talk, but was unsure of what to talk about. He traced her gaze, and found that she seemed to be looking at his feet while deep in thought. Cocking an eyebrow, he resumed his search, biting back a joke about feet fetishes. Frankly, he had wanted to talk to her more as well; he found her fascinating. Crouching down, he sorted through a pile of driftwood draped with seaweed while he racked his brains for something to talk about but decided against actively pushing her for conversation. Whether or not they made it off the island, there would be plenty of time to for chit chat later. He didn't want to rush his large green companion, who seemed uncomfortable with talking to them in general. Hopefully, conversation would flow easier once familiarity set in.

After about an hour of searching, Chen straightened and wiped some sweat from his cheek. Turning, his eyes widened as he noticed a large red flare being shot into the sky from the direction of the unfamiliar pirate ship that had organized the hunt. The other pirates around him began murmuring and pointing towards it. Gesturing for Galdurr to look behind, Chen ran up to Eleara and gently poked her in the back, trying to get her attention. He flinched as his finger painfully bounced off her corded back muscles.

"They seem to be trying to get our attention. Do you think someone else has found the treasure?"

Tulik Lefic

 

[Kylesar1]

Asmund Adonis
Bermuda Island Coast​

No one found anything, much to Adonis's irritation. There was an off-chance that someone was hiding it, but it was worth fuck all on this island. The pirates put in an earnest effort with that in mind. A horde of treasure meant nothing if it could only buy you crabs and coconuts. The pile of stuff that washed up but hadn't been looked through yet? Nope. In a tree? Nope. Buried in the sand? Nope. In a cave? Nope. Purple was a pretty out there color, so the fact that purple didn't show up in ANY place meant that, if it was hidden, it was WELL hidden. More likely though was the possibility that the chest wasn't on the island. That island was searched up and down and it lasted for hours, into the mid afternoon.

"Captain, maybe we should return at a later date," the bald dark skinned woman said to him, "It obviously doesn't seem to be here."
Right......... Adonis sighed. Geeeeez. "I'm not returning to this island anytime soon. We got bigger fish to fry than this chest, despite the loot inside it." That left these pirates who put their best foot forward in helping him find the chest. "Guess we need to choose who's coming off this island with me." Certainly he wouldn't leave them ALL stranded here, since most of them put their best foot forward in helping him find that chest. Adonis ordered the crew to shoot off a flare from the ship and then waited for the lot of pirates to gather.



"Listen up, I obviously can't take all of you with me," Adonis declared, "However, I know who ISN'T coming with me." He started pointing fingers. "You, you........you, you.........you. If you didn't help me, you can stay on this island. I don't care." Given that some people had the mentality of "if you're gonna do it, I don't need to," Adonis wanted them nowhere near him. He waved them all off as if telling them to get out of his sight. "I don't do laziness."
That left the rest. "Look, give me like an hour or so to speak with my crew and we'll make a decision. I can't guarantee either numbers or people, but I do have some crew to fill. If I get you off this island, you are to join my crew and work for me. Anyone not interested in joining my crew, you're free to leave."
Lefic Tulik Short Round