Fantasy Feudal Skies-Tales of the Cloudcrasher.

[LostPrimarch]

Fire Season day 42, 138 miles east of Rocky mountains. Empty skies en route to Clear skies inn & Eats.

The newly renovated luxary cruiser would breech through the clouds emerging like a glistening blue gem and sending swirls in its wake. Standing on the bow captain Adam watched the moderately sized cafe grow larger and larger as they approached. “Alright you all, Get the docking procedures ready. we scoop up the last of our crew, grab a meal, then its off to New Miami, to meet our informant.” as he gave the order the captain himself would head to the helm to Do his own part steering and locking the grav engine. His crew was a little over half gathered. After all it had been a month since he put out the Ad’s all over the merc boards, and he had spent three weeks touring the local area making stops and picking up those who answered his messages. The magic of the Job boards was still lost on him, it was like each one was connected and anything written on one would appear on all of them, it was a brilliant form of communication though far less private than the speaking horns. As such he would only divulge the location of one of the more secure horns and then a meeting place would be set up. It was risky and he was sure someone had been listening in on this latest series of communications, which did make this a riskier stop than usual. Yet he was confident they could handle it, he hadnt made that many enemies yet…had he?
~~~
Clear skies Inn & Eats

In just under two minutes the Cloudcrasher was pulling up beside the giant old world oil tanker turned restaurant and Hotel. The large metal beast of an airship had enough hanger space not only for the cloud crasher but for half a dozen more like her and somewhere within her massive frame was the rest if his crew. He was so close to taking the first step in the most important journey of his life, part of him was scared, but another part of him was excited. Wether he succeeded or failed he knew he and his crew would change the world in the coming weeks. He turned the Crusier into the Docking bay of the Clear skies Inn & Eats and engaged the docking bridge connecting the cruiser firmly to the docks. A few seconds later a chime would echo out and their dock, dock 7, would lower and raise two halves of an oval shaped metal cage which closed around the cloud crasher leaving on single door in and out to the actual wooden docks. The door itself had a key protruding inwards from the lock so that the crew of the cloud crasher could take it. It was an old security feature, but a reliable one, any attempt to break this cage would trigger alarms not just in the entire docking bay, but also from the key so the owner of the vessel could come. This way the entire crew could leave the ship to eat, shop, or relax, and simply lock the cage on their way out. “Alright everyone, get what you need, then meet at the bar. Im heading straight there. The new recruits should be there. Dont get to comfortable though, i dont wanna be here too long.” Adam announced as he leapt the short distance from the ships deck to the docks below.​

 

[Selitia]

Kristina Haerlo​

Tags: anyone around​

The flyer Kristina snatched a few days ago said to meet the captain and his crew at the Clear Skies Inn & Eats today. She had flown the ship she stole a while ago, now just claiming it was her own. It wasn't very eye-catching or worth much. She'd sold it to some sucker who seemed pretty desperate for a ship once she had arrived at the inn. The last time Kristina stayed there she'd made a large sum of money selling crystals. She'd even paid for her meal with a minor one. The prophet wondered if the owner still recognized her. "It could be an inconvenience if anyone recognized me." She muttered to herself pulling the hood of her cloak on. She held a small bag in her left hand while a leather one was over her right shoulder. It held many books, bottles, herbs, and pots. A bow and arrow were slung across her back. A quiver filled with arrows sat next to the bow on her back. The small cloak she wore covered the top half of the weapon. A small dagger sat sheathed on her belt. Her raven sat on her shoulder. The brunette made her way to the inn hoping to grab a quick meal and maybe a drink.

The first thing she noticed was the amazing scent of food wafting towards her. Oh, how she loved food. Now she absolutely had to have something to eat. She could feel her stomach rumble the closer she got to the chattering below. The inn was bustling with people, just like the last time she had come. No one took notice of her as she walked past the tables in search of an empty one. She had quickly noticed one to the far left and made her way to it. She hastily sat down, she placed her bag onto the chair beside her keeping her bow and quiver on her back. I wonder what the crew will be like? She pets Cirec's head and the bird fluttered its wings. "I'll feed you after. Most of this food will give you stomach problems." She whispered to the raven petting under its chin.

A red-haired woman came to take her order. "What would you like hun?" She said smiling at Kristina.

"Something fast please, like a stew or soup. Oh, and some form of ale please." The witch replies, winking an amethyst eye at her.

"Anything for the pretty bird?" The woman cooed petting Cirec under the chin.

"Unfortunately not. She's on a special diet."

"I'll grab you something quick." The woman said flashing Kristina a sweet smile then turning on her heels and walking away.

"I do hope the crew will be fun." She said to Cirec who cocked her head in reply to Kristina. "I hope I don't annoy them much, and I hope they like animals." She rambled on talking to her Raven as if it would speak back to her. She was getting a few odd looks as she spoke to the bird. Though she did not notice. "I guess we will find out. They will have to get used to both of us." She continued to spew random things that came to her mind until the red-haired waitress came back with a glass of ale. The witch thanked her and took a long sip of it. Her hand shook ever so slightly as she put the glass down. She was a bit anxious. "At least they have good alcohol here." She mutters to herself. Cirec hopped off her shoulder and onto the back of the chair next to her. She reached out to her and pets her on the head. The ring on her finger glistens and Cirec pecks at it. "Cirec, you know you cant have these. Lady Levanna blessed them and she would not be happy if you took them." The raven looks back at Kristina as if saying "I know! They're just so shiny!" the witch chuckles and pulls a shiny green gem from her pocket. "Here, this one's yours." The raven takes the gem between her beak and sets it on the table. She pecked at it and moved it around the table as Kristina took a look around the Inn, curiosity evident in her amethyst eyes. She did not recognize anyone and the person who owned the Inn was nowhere in sight either. There was a good variety of people though. She wondered how many of them were pirates and why they became them. Suddenly the witch realized she had no idea what the captain looked like or who was already part of the crew. What if they were already here and she had no idea. She mentally hit herself for not thinking of this before and hoped it was be announced or something.

The waitress soon came with a bowl of stew and bread. Kristina thanked her again and smiled. It smelted and looked good. She was unsure what kind of meat the stew contained but saw some vegetables she knew she liked. She took a large bite of it and grinned. It was delicious and she couldn't help but shove a few more bites into her mouth. She grabbed the bread and dipped it into the stew. Her eyes were wide with joy.

Cirec played with the small green gem while Kristina forced herself to slow down. She wasn't sure how long she would be here and figured eating until she had some sort of indication the captain was here was a safe bet. She could always go back to shoving it down her throat again.

 

[Eccentric_Undead]

Jason E. Riley

Cook of the Cloudcrasher
Fire Season. Day 42, 138 miles east of Rocky mountains. Empty skies en route to Clear skies inn & Eats.

Spoiler: Arbor hounds and Sky Nymphs

Spoiler: Needler OA-13

Tags: Kristina Haerlo Selitia​

Jason was shuffling through the ingredients and spices he had in the kitchen just off the mess hall in the Cloudchaser. His hand moved through the spice cabinet, taking mental notes of what he might need. It had been a long while since he had the chance to restock. He had a few things, but no where near what was needed for his cooking to be up to his standard. Being quite proud of his cooking ability, he couldn't stand to have his cooking lack flavor or depth. He moved to the counter where his herbs were being grown. He ran his hands over the lush green plants, smelling from the mint and oregano. The smell of these herbs made his heart warm up. He loved the idea of making something beautiful with the multitude of things that grew and he could buy. He knew he had to plan around the new people when purchasing his ingredients, but that was fine. More people to feed was never a bad thing.

He heard a little whine behind him. He turned and smiled upon seeing the animals he kept. His four Arbor hounds sitting in a tight group, looking at him expectantly. To the side he saw that his two Sky Nymphs looked at him, one tilting it's head. He smirked as he turned to them "You guys are so needy." The dogs wag their tails, panting heavily as the Nymphs bob their head up and down. They were all excited and got even more so as he rolled his eyes and moved to the fridge. This sealed room was powered by several Freezing Crystals that kept the room cool. The crystals were common and lasted for about a year, so he didn't have to worry about it too much. They had no combat use, so it was easy to find. Opening the sealed door, he smiled at the racks of meat. They had whole, broken down carcasses of a few hunts, the innards and other such unpopular parts were saved as well. He hated waste and kept them for many other purposes. In the warmer section of the fridge, he pulled out a few small cuts of a heart from a massive wild oxen they managed to kill. He turned and smiled at the expectant animals. Seeing the ship dock from the window, he motioned with his head for the animals to follow and they happily did so.

Jason made a stop in his quarters, grabbing his rifle. He took a moment to check the weapon. Making sure it was clean and ready to use at a moments notice. He then made his way to the deck in time to hear the captain. Jason knew the idea, but he was worried about the animals. He tossed the meat in ways that made each animal do a trick. One dog simply leaped high to grab the food, another ran far to catch it. One ran into a flip and the other caught a short piece. Each Nymph did a little acrobatics routine to get their food. As they ate happily, Jason pets them all. Once they had finished he walked towards the Inn, his animals close behind. The Nymphs taking a seat on the back of the dogs. Jason, wasting no time as he made his way to the kitchen. He immediately walked up and inquired where he might purchase a hefty sum of ingredients. The waitress went off to make sure he could get all the stuff he needs.

His head turned as he saw a woman with a bird on her shoulder. He was happy to see that he wasn't the only one who enjoyed having his animals around. He took a stride towards her, stopping and gently giving little scritches to the bird's head. He was gentle and the animals around him simply sat, the nymphs grooming themselves in the dogs looking around curiously "What a lovely bird you have. What's her name?"

 

[VomitIcicle]

Larastek was a tad annoyed, to say the least. His trust in the captain was unwavering, of course. Reclaimer doctrine stressed the importance of the chain of command. Of the roles of the leader and subordinates. But a few of his choices proved rather... concerning. Specifically the rather steady drain of the ship's coffers over the past month and a half. No manner of questioning rewarded any results beyond deflections and frustratingly vague answers. The ship was well enough, to be sure. Retrofitted and ready for combat. But supplies?

The Reclaimer had spent the majority of the day below deck making count of supplies, not even rising to hear the  positively rousing speech the good captain was no doubt giving.

The basics were all accounted for, hardtack, fresh water, and the like. But the rest? Spare focusing arrays? Rifling equipment? Machine presses? In pitifully short supply, or simply not available at all. A correspondence with the chief mechanic bore similarly worrying results. A modest amount of spare parts for the most critical equipment, but not much else.

It seems a bit of a shopping trip was in order. A brief flutter of a thought, lab equipment? The artifact that was now regretfully stuck with him (quite literally) proved woefully understudied, at least by his hand. It was dismissed a moment later. With what meagre handful of coin he had left, such a purchase would prove enough to put them in the red. This place was a dump anyway, he'd be lucky to find a third of what was needed on his list here, let alone matrix analyzation equipment and other associated components.

Clad in robe and hood, the Reclaimer exited the craft with little fanfare, the heavy veil and thick robes obscuring any sense of what the man looked like beyond his stocky frame.

Purchases were in order.

 

[Selitia]

Kristina Haerlo​

Tags: Eccentric_Undead ​

Kristina was preoccupied with her food and did not notice the man who had spoken to her. When she heard a voice speaking to her she looked up and was face to face with a chest. She blinked a few times and looked a bit higher up. Her hood slipped from her head, her brown locks cascading down her shoulders. She saw a rather handsome man petting Cirec. She was both shocked that he could distinguish the gender of her bird and that he knew where to pet her. He was also pretty tall and it took Kristina a few seconds to process everything. "Her name is Cirec. I'm surprised you knew her gender." Kristina replies, her voice was soft and similar to tinkling bells.

She then realized many animals surrounded him. Her eyes grew wide with curiosity as her attention was now only on the hounds and birds that rested on them. "Oh my." She said and smiled. "How gorgeous. I've never seen species like this." The witch could not help but hold out a hand, palm up to the hounds as she studied them. After a few seconds, she looked up from the animals and found the man's eyes. They were a brilliant gold and she almost got lost in them. "What are your animal's names?" She asks. A small blush crept to her cheeks as she realized she did not introduce herself. "I'm sorry." She says an awkward smile took the place of the charming one. "My name is Kristina, who are you?"

 

[Shadowfall]

Evie Adams​

Thump thump thump

The sound of Evie's heart raced ears as she ran across the streets of the tanker, sprinting as fast as she could to break off the enforcers that were most definitely on her tail. Three, maybe four at this point? Maybe more. She could hear them calling out to each other as they chased her, relaying her position to try and get a better angle on her, cutting her off from alleys or getting other men of the law to show up ahead of her in a blockade. Never a good scenario, but always one that she prepared for.

Thump thump thump

Her feet pounded hard against the metal floor as she eyes up her next turn. She barged through a crowd as the road split off in two, leaving a railing to open city sprawl just up ahead. Two coppers left, another pair right, and there wasn't anywhere to go. She was surrounded, and if she jumped, it would be a long way down before she crumpled onto the metal buildings below. Her momentum brought her to a swift stop at the railings where the police began to corner her. The purse in her hand weighed heavily in it as she surveyed the situation one last time. Two left, two right, closing somewhat quickly.

"You're surrounded, drop the bag and put your hands up." They said, brandishing their batons.

"What, all over this?" Evie held the bag up in the air. "It's just a little bit of money, no harm done! Why can't I just keep it?"

"This is your last chance. Drop the bag."

Evie shrugged, and carelessly threw the bag behind her, over the railing, and brandished one of her golden knives. The officers were shocked for a but a moment, but that's all she needed to pull her stunt as she turned and threw her knife into the bag, nailing it as the two sailed down to the next level.

"Remember this day boys, as the day you almost caught Evie Adams."

That brought them out of their stupor. The four began to rush her as their comrades arrived, and in but an instant, she was gone with a flash of blue light and a giggle.

Evie however, was holding onto the grip of her knife that was still stabbed into the purse. That was still sailing through the air. There was only a split second for her to comprehend that as she landed onto the cold metal roof of a building, hard. Coins splashed across the roof as the knife stabbed through, and Evie struggled to get up from her escape. She looked at the railing a few stories up with a grin as the enforcers of the sky port spotted her and began the chase again. It'd be only a matter of time before they'd find her again. It was time to blend in, and she figured her plan was good enough to blend in.

-x-

Her stride hastened as she heard the voices of those searching for her round a corner. Perhaps, this may not work. Perhaps it might? She stepped into a nearby establishment and took a survey. It was bustling, but unfamiliar. She probably hasn't been banned from this place as far as she could remember, so that was a plus if the law decided to step inside and have a quick chat with the bargoers. The sound of glasses clinking, people talking, and music playing filled the room. There was a mixture of people and animals, surprisingly, and from what it seemed, a good number of them were from out of port. Perfect. If things died down, she'd be able to win back everything she had to drop back at her last little spot, and with what she had from the purse she scored, she was sure that she'd be able to cover her means if the need arose.

Panting from the heavy sprint, she stabbed one of her knives into the wooden doorframe, strut up to the bar, and took the first empty seat available. It was next to a pair of remarkably out of town spirits with their animals, but she didn't care. She blew a long whistle and leaned over the bar to call aloud for the barkeep. "Where can I get a good drink around here?!"

Her breathing still heavy, she warily scanned the room, her eyes darting back to the door, then to the pair, then to the empty bar. Movement was happening behind the bar somewhere, but she couldn't help but eye the door over and over again, waiting for the enforcers to come by and ask for somebody just like her. Anxiously, she pulled a coin from the ripped purse and began to flip it, catch it, then roll it between her fingers.

She eyed the stew and bread, then turned to the woman picking at it. "Hey! When did you get that, is the barkeep ever gonna come out?" She flipped the coin, then caught it in her hand. Heads.

Mentions: Selitia and Eccentric_Undead

 

[SomeRandomCanuck]

Lloyd Kingbird
Mentions: Selitia Shadowfall Eccentric_Undead

​

Sitting within the spacious building of the Clear Skies Inn a man with uncommon dark skin and white hair spoke to the red-haired waitress serving him a pitcher of what he could only assume is what they passed for ale around these parts. Not that he was complaining looking at the comely beauty serving it, the owner’s of the massive floating vessel definitely knew how to choose their staff. He purposely stared into the waitresses' emerald green eyes, as if he was dozing off into something.

“Is there anything wrong ser?”

Lloyd brought himself out of his stupor before flashing a charming smile towards the lady

“Oh no, I apologize I just couldn’t get enough of your fiery red hair and sparkling emerald eyes.”

He noticed the waitress blush slightly at the complement, her eyes trying to find anything interesting on the floor. He chuckled internally to himself before another patron called out to the waitress, demanding some drink or another.

“Well then I won’t waste anymore of your beauty entertaining this humble admirer.”

The waitress nodded her head before quickly scurrying towards the patron. Lloyd turned his attention to the pitcher in front of him, while he did drink he mostly ordered to flirt with the waitress which caught his eye. After all he was bored half to death waiting for his new employer to arrive, it was an odd request, one that usually the carefree Caribas man wouldn’t take. But after a certain… incident involving him and an influential noble’s daughter he found himself quickly taking the opportunity. He remembers finding some more morally dubious merchants willing to smuggle him out of the city towards another local settlement, there he would find a local willing to give him a ride to the old oil tanker turned into hotel and inn.

Taking a swig of the beverage Lloyd thought about his new employer, it was definitely an unexpected person to find pursuing this profession. The former “Arse of Normandy” as he and a few other pirates used to call him would hopefully have forgotten his little incident involving him getting a bit too close with a noblewomen and pissing off her father. Lloyd shuddered at the memories of being chased by the city guard before hightailing it with his old crew.

“Well, Que sera, sera” Lloyd spoke as he looked at the various other patrons across the inn, while most disinterested him there was a few interesting patrons including a cute brunette with seemingly amethyst eyes chatting with a man with the most peculiar gold strands within his otherwise black hair as well as a rather loud brunette ordering quite… how would he put it… off putting. He took another swing of his beer before finding the waitress and catching her attention gave her a small charming smile.

“Pardon me, but do you have any Norman styled wines in store?”

“Um I believe we have a few left in store, one glass sir?”

“Make it two.” He gave a wink to the waitress as she left to grab him the wine.

 

[SirNateUnknown]

sazh's theme

Masashi Hamauzu

location

Ship-Clear Skies Inn & Eats

interactions

the ship and his cat, but just watching the rest of the crew from a good distance.

A buzzing noise reveberated through the cluttered room, sparks light up the blowtorch he held as he mend two different compartments of what seems to be an abundance of intricate mechanism on the table. The colors illuminate the reflection on his goggles, setting down the blow torch on the table. He lifted the headgear from his eyes and let out a low whistle upon witnessing the very masterpiece before him, or at least it would have been the case when he finally finished it. He had made significant process after being stuck on the design, imagine they could have bigger guns to cause even more chaos! Jokes aside, this was supposed to be a prototype thrusters for his lifetime project.

With the Normandy gone, who could stop him from trying to build his own version of it? of course it would be far superior! or he hoped it to be, Imagine what he could do with a giant sky fortress! He could perhaps even start his own company of machinery, what a splendid Idea. The mechanic thought to himself as he proudly nod his head in satisfaction, oh but he could not linger any longer. For the captain's orders are much-much more important! Pfft..who is he kidding, he is pretty much useless outside of fixing things up, inventing stuff, modifying stuff, optimizing stuff, Making crystals, okay perhaps he isn't that useless after all.

Scratching the back of his neck, he gaze at his left which is filled with his own machinery that showed him the data of the cruiser's engine. All written and displayed, with codes that he himself knew all too well. Everything is in order, though he could always try to find a way in improving it's defensive system. If he is lucky then his contacts might have something good for him to purchase, turning to the secret comparntment next to his bed. He pulled out a small chest filled with valuables, jewelries and coins. His private treasury, one that he will never let anyone spend other than himself. It's true that this could aid the crew's coffers, but he find it saver in his hands where he alone who knows what the ship needs the best shall make the necessary purchases himself along with some deals he will have to pay upfront. Grabbing enough to fill his pouch, he returned to the monitors for the engine.

Tapping away on the pad to adjust the engine as they will soon dock into their next stop, the clear skies in and eats! well it was nice for a few months. Now, he just miss his family. Yet so far, any means of contacting them seem to come up with little result. Perhaps today will be his lucky day? or it'll just be the same thing over and over again. Uneventful as ever, oh bugger. Turning around to grab his beauty Cirin, he holster the craft onto the gauntlet of his right hand. Snapping his wrist to check it's mechanism and in an instant he had it in his grip, perfect. Snapping it back in place with ease, he felt something nudged against his ankles and a familiar purr echoed against him. Gazing downwards, a smirk plastered on his lips.

"Hey there buddy, ya want out? alright."He chuckled and exited his room, taking his sweet time to part from the ship. Tapping the wall lightly with his hand, "I'll be back soon, don't go cheating on me with some thief eh?" A small joke he uttered for his own amusement as if the ship could even speak. This would invoke a grumpy whine the white furred cat, he snickered and picked the feline by the back of it's neck or between it's shoulders. Keeping them still while he hopped off the aircraft and avoiding the cook's pets, lest they fight. Placing them down on the ground and proceeded to make his way to the barr where the captain is waiting for them, seems like the place is as crowded as he remembered it to.

He was quick to take a seat on one of the more secluded stool reserved just for this very ocassion, who hasn't heard of the "Red Merlin" round this parts? That aside, he had ordered a simple drink to relax a little after a day of hard work, with his cat climbing onto his lap and it stayed there while he pet them idly with his hand. A familiar figure that wore a dark coat with it's hood obscuring her features, she took a seat beside him. "Any news yet?" he uttered nonchalantly as he took a sip of the beverage, "Our people have tried their best to locate the aircraft, unfortunately we still gather no signs of their whereabouts." She spoke softly, ordering a drink for herself. Well same news as ever, perhaps it was useless to hope that he will find them after all these months. Sighing, he place a few coins on the counter. "Keep me posted." He uttered sipping away on his drink, The girl nodded and left after receiving hers. He stayed there, for he did saw his comrades and he swore the captain was here somewhere. But their spot were a bit too crowded for his liking, he'll be more than happy to watch from afar with his companion.

jace

♡design by sirnateunknown, coded by uxie♡

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

Elizabeth Pyres


Elizabeth had never considered herself bad with directions. She was always good at remembering landmarks in the scav-pits, you pretty much had to in order to know who's territory you were passing through. But after passing by the familiar looking guard station for the fourth time in the past hour much to the suspicion of the guard in the booth who was now glaring at her, she could admit that she had no idea where she was going. Although maybe it was less for her lack of direction and more of the fact that her spear was currently resting next to her on the bench. Regardless of which it was the flyer that she had stripped from the board was once again unfolded as though this time it would magically start giving her directions.

"This is bloody impossible. How is anyone supposed to figure out where anything is in this place?"

There was no response to her question, and with a heavy sigh she steeled herself for her fifth search for a place called the Blear Eys Inn & Eais. As she rose from the bench, a slow, horrific realization dawned on her. "Wait, hold on."

Opening the flyer again Elizabeth couldn't help but notice that the letters of the location were blurred and smudged, almost as if the paper had gotten wet. Wet with something like beer, which she had just so happened to be having when she had grabbed the paper and set it down on her table. The table that was already slick with spilled beer and stew from when someone had bumped into it earlier that night. Letting out a low growl that quickly raised in volume she believed that she could be excused for the absolute vile spew of curses that soon followed, although the frightened and shocked looks of those around her said otherwise.

It took some time for her to calm down, and even more time to find someone who could make sense of the nonsense location that she insisted existed on the ship. By the time she managed to learn that the place was not in fact the Blear Eys Inn & Eais, but actually the Clear Eyes Inn & Eats she was already late to when she was supposed to be there by. Cursing her stupidity and thanking the stranger in the same breath Elizabeth broke into a heavy jog towards the meeting location. To everyone else it must have been quite the sight, a woman with a spear and shield on her back rushing down the street as if it were the last shuttle off of an exploding airship. Such a rush she was in as she rounded a corner that she failed to notice the heavily robed figure until she was right upon them. Her left leg hit the ground, a jarring sense of pain flowing through it as she threw herself to the side to avoid hitting the person. Landing in a rolling pile of limbs and metal, Elizabeth groaned as a dull pain began to spread across her body.

"Fuck, sorry. I didn't see you there, you alright?" Although she was sure she hadn't made contact with the person, she was also sure that she had the right location an hour ago. So checking to make sure with the person seemed like the smart thing to do. They were clad in heavy looking robes that obscured much of their features, save for their height and stocky build. Getting up from the ground she got to her feet and looked between the person and the street. "I really don't have time to stay, I gotta get to some place called the Clear Eyes Inn. If you're hurt meet me there and I can see what I can do."

It was a solid six minutes of jogging before Elizabeth had finally arrived at her location, hard of breath and a bit banged up but here nonetheless. Opening the door, she was greeted by the sounds of people chatting and clinking glasses against each other and the heavenly smell of food. Her stomach growled at the thought of it as she made her way over to an empty stool at the bar. The only other person at it was a woman with brown hair who appeared to be agitated if her body language was anything to go by. Removing her spear from her back, she leaned it against the counter while her shield remained attached to her back. The bartender had risen from below the bar and shot her a dirty look at the sight of her spear being so casually leaned against his bar, although he didn't seem confident enough to do anything about it for the time being. Fishing out her coin purse she slid a few onto the counter unsure of exactly what she was supposed to do. Was the meeting already over and had everyone already left? Or was there some sort of code-word that she was supposed to say? She was completely out of her element here.

"A pint of whatever you have and an order of the stew and bread. Extra meat, if you would."

The bartender once again glared at her, but accepted one of her coins before pouring her a glass from the tap. The rest of the coins were taken by a confused looking waitress as Elizabeth was left with her drink. Turning to look at the room, her eyes wandered as she tried to spot anyone who looked important. There were a few people who stood out, especially a man with hair as white as marking chalk. How did one get hair so white? Was it natural or did it turn that way because of something. Her thoughts were soon interupted as the waitress arrived with a heavenly bowl of stew. For now her thoughts could wait, the stew was calling her and she would not be one to miss it's request.

"Ahh stew and beer, nothing ever beats you two."

VomitIcicle Shadowfall SomeRandomCanuck ​

 

[Eccentric_Undead]

Jason E. Riley

Cook of the Cloudcrasher
Fire Season. Day 42, 138 miles east of Rocky mountains. Empty skies en route to Clear skies inn & Eats.

Spoiler: Arbor hounds and Sky Nymphs

Spoiler: Needler OA-13

Tags: Kristina Haerlo Selitia
Mentions: Evie Adams Shadowfall , Lloyd Kingbird SomeRandomCanuck​

Jason was pleasantly surprised at the young woman's interest in his animals. Not many cared for them since the hounds were pretty massive and the Nymphs were four feet tall. Most steered clear as they were hounds bred for the purpose of large game hunting and the power in their jaws was enough to fear. Sky Nymphs were also notorious for being rather tricky and easily turned into a problem. In large flocks they were enough to take down a ship. These two were plenty to do serious damage to a human being. Even as he sat there, he could feel the eyes wandering over him. Staring down his pets and probably his companion as well. Of course he took notice of some loud mouthed brunette that was honestly annoying him and some guy flirting with the waitress. He sighed a bit, hoping those two weren't some of the new comers on the Cloudchaser. There was a strong chance he would shoot them or feed them to the hounds. After a moment, he smiled at the woman he was talking with "Oh, I have a knack with animals, if you couldn't tell." A chuckle escaped him as he turned to the animals. He saw that they were curious, so he snapped and they all sat down, the Nymphs moving to latch onto his back and their heads peaking over his shoulders as he spoke "These are Arbor hounds, a particular favorite of big game hunters. This is Breena.....Malya....Anwiyn....and Big Boss." After he spoke their names, each dog parked with their name, the last dog and only male was the largest and had the deepest bark. He moved his hand up and stroked the neck of one Sky Nymph "These are Sky Nymphs, common out in the clouds. This is Renalla and Melahna." Each nymph gave a light melodic tone after their names.

After a moment, he was touched by the waitress he spoke to earlier. He turned his head and the woman smiled "Yes, the kitchen has everything you requested, but they do ask for the payment in advance."

Jason gave a sweet and almost charming smile at the girl "Of course." He reached to his hip where his coin bag was securely fastened. He pulled it off and opened it. Taking the time to count out three distinct piles. Sliding her one "This is for the kitchen with a little extra for them to load it on the ship." The slightly smaller pile next "This is to pay for six raw steaks. If you wouldn't mind making it the best quality, it would be appreciated." A smooth smile as he slid her another small stack of coin "This is for being so helpful." The appreciative smile grew on the waitresses face as she bowed and collected all the coin before scurrying off. Jason turned his attention back to Kristina, another polite smile forming on his face "Forgive me, I am conducting a restock for my ship. I happen to be the cook and well, my people must eat." He finally took a seat and continued to scritch the lovely bird on its head, smiling at how expressive it was "She is a marvelous bird." He stopped as the waitress brought out the plate of steaks. His animals immediately turned to him, even the Nymphs taking their spots on the floor and holding their arms up like standing dogs. Jason chuckled at the obedient animals "Yes, yes, these are yours." His hand moves to take a steak. He could tell they were at least a B grade. Well marbled and clearly from the shoulder of the beast it was cut from. Perfect for his pets. Before he touched them, he stopped, giving a side glance to Kristina and smirking as he motioned to the plate "Would you liked to feed them? They knew most tricks, so give them a command and they'll do it for the steak."

 

[Selitia]

Kristina Haerlo​

Tags: Eccentric_Undead , Shadowfall ​

Kristina giggles a bit. She loved seeing unfamiliar creatures. They absolutely fascinated her. "Oh I can definitely tell. I've not met many people who can handle this many animals so well." She watched as each animal did something as their name was addressed. She really thought it was cute. "What lovely names." She replies while lightly petting the closest hound to her. "You're so pretty." She mumbles to the hound a goofy smile decorating her face.

She almost didn't realize a brunette woman was speaking to her. What did she say? She wondered a little lost. The woman was looking at her food and Kristina hoped that it had to do with that. "Oh. A waitress will come and ask for your order actually. I'm sure she will be here-" she scanned the area and saw the waitress pouring another rather handsome man with dark skin and light hair some ale. "Once she is done serving that man other there." She gestured her head in that direction.

She looks at the man who she still didn't know his name and smiles cutely up at him. She was once again distracted by the lovely animals and muttered something. "Arbor hounds and Sky nymphs. I must add those to my book." She looked back up to him, "do you think they would let me sketch them? I like to document everything I've seen and done. Like a journal." She asks.

Another waitress approached him. He must be purchasing supplies. I wonder what for. She watched patiently and curiously. Reaching her hand out to pet Cirec under her chin as she childishly spun her hair around her right pointer finger. Kristina thought he was rather kind and in his own ways charming. She was definitely distracted by the color of his eyes and how little they told her about him. He really was rather mysterious. The witch usually prides herself on reading people, but this man seemed to have nothing to tell or a rather thick wall he built. She had no idea which and really didn't see it necessary to find out which.

Once he spoke to her again, she was snapped from her thoughts and smiled. "Your ship? Would that happen to be the Cloud Crasher?" She asked."I saw a flyer to join that crew and was wondering who might be from that crew." She knew it was a long shot. He was probably restocking a more normal ship but she never knew. Though she wouldn't mind having so many pretty animals on one ship. He had gone back to scratching Cirec's head and it warmed Kristina's heart that someone would treat her raven like she did. "She appreciates the compliments and definitely likes the attention." She grins and coos at her bird. "Don't you, Cirec." The bird fluttered its wings moving a bit closer to the man.

The waitress came again this time with a plate of six steaks. Kristina definitely did not pay attention when he had ordered those. The animals all seemed excited and that made Kristina excited. She had caught him turning her head to her from the corner of her eye and turned to meet his gaze. She was met with a smirk and the ability to feed the animals. "Oh really?!" She gasped, her eyes visibly lightening. A large smile formed on her lips. "I'd absolutely love to." Kristina really didn't care for tricks. She thought it was wonderful that animals were so intelligent but she did not believe in making them do tricks for treats or food. "I'm sure they do."

For this instance, she only chose simple commands, speak, shake, and stand. After each command, she'd beam and happily pet the hound under the chins or on the head. She was unsure what commands you'd give a bird and looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "Do Renalla and Melahna do tricks too? I don't believe I am familiar with any. Cirec doesn't really do tricks. She is more of a familiar than a pet to me." A small blush crept to her cheeks. That could be taken as something rude. "Ah! Not that I meant yours were just pets! Of course not. It's obvious they are important to you!" She sputtered and rambled on awkwardly trying to fix her mistake. "Um, I still don't believe I know your name." She said still wondering who he was.

 

[Eccentric_Undead]

Jason E. Riley

Cook of the Cloudcrasher
Fire Season. Day 42, Clear skies inn & Eats.

Spoiler: Arbor hounds and Sky Nymphs

Spoiler: Needler OA-13

Tags: Kristina Haerlo Selitia
​

Jason watched happily as his hounds did as they were taught. He didn't force them to perform for treats most of the time, but he did enjoy seeing them some times. He was happy to see that she did as well. He chuckled a bit as all his hounds lapped up the attention given to them. Each wagging along as though they were puppies. When asked about his Nymphs, he chuckled a bit and picked up the last two steaks. The winged creatures both gazed expectantly as he showed them "Of course they do." He looked down at the pair and smiled "Can I get a song lovelies?" Without a moment of hesitation, both Nymphs do a solid duet. Harmony among them was magical and honestly quite good. Sounding almost like opera, but more animal like. Once they were finished, he chuckled and gave them both the steaks. They took them and happily started tearing into them. A sweet and dashing smile formed on his face. There was an air of calm to him. One that made his presence rather interesting and soothing. Noticing the raven move towards him, he smiled at the gorgeous creature "I'll pet you more later. As it would seem, we will be spending much time together."

He stood up, smiling at the woman with amethyst eyes. He leaned forward into a proper and accentuated bow "I am Jason E. Riley. Cook and Sniper for the Cloudcrasher. It is an honor to meet you." A smile formed on his lips. At the very least, one new crew member was interesting and caught his attention. Perhaps it was fate that brought them together? Mayhaps it was something else? Only time would tell. He turned his head to see the loads of ingredients he paid for being moved to the ship. Kitchen workers making easy work of the massive order. Smirking a bit, he stood up straight once more, smiling down at someone he just met, but felt a kin too. One who understood the animals he loved so much and seemed genuine. He turned and offered his arm for her to loop her own into "If you would like a tour, I would be happy to oblige. I need to put away my ingredients anyways." The animals stood up, the nymphs taking their seats on the hounds backs "Cirec can ride with them if she likes?"

This woman was a mystery to him. Strange and similar. How her eyes did gaze into his soul. He knew she would be a very interesting person and one he might come to enjoy spending time with.

 

[Selitia]

Kristina Haerlo​

Tags: Eccentric_Undead ​

Kristina watched in awe as the two nymphs performed a beautiful song. She'd never heard anything like it. Cirec would sing occasionally, especially if Kristina sang to her, but it was never as pretty as that. She could not help but smile when he did. This smile was much more dashing than his other ones. The witch could not help but laugh at her raven. "She really does love attention." She says scooping the bird up and holding her in her arms. "I'll give you attention for now silly girl." She smiles and strokes the bird's feathers. Cirec snuggled into her arms and watched the man who had just stood up. She followed suit, pushing her chair up and standing up.

She could not help but giggle as he bowed to her. How gentlemanly. She thought with a more shy smile. "You're the cook?!" Was the only thing she had commented on. "That makes so much more sense. I can't believe I didn't put two and two together." She laughs at her own cluelessness and took a dramatic bow of her own, Cirec lies in her arms unfazed by her behavior. "I believe the honor is mine, Jason." She replies, she knew now was not the time to be goofy but she could not help it. She tried and failed to conceal a goofy smile while placing Cirec on her shoulder. She was quite happy there would be other animals on the ship. As he began to speak again she looks up at him. Man, he is tall. She thought once again, or maybe she was just really short. She didn't know and didn't care enough to further think about it. "I'd love a tour!" She replied, picking her bag up and pulling a few coins from it. She placed them on the table and looped her arm with his. When addressing Cirec Kristina smiled and shook her head. "She feels as if she must stay close to me at all times. Lady Levanna gifted her to me and therefore she is my protector and I am hers." She says. "She will usually travel on my shoulder or very close beside or behind me. I do appreciate the offer though." Kristina smiles at him. "She may also take one of your shoulders. She does seem quite comfortable with you. If you don't wish for her to, she will most likely sense it."

She wondered if everyone was as likable as Jason.

 

[Shadowfall]

Evie Adams
​

This place was beginning to fill up quickly, which probably meant that the law probably wasn't on the street, making people to uncomfortable to get drunk in front of them. Good, this was good. She could probably get back to her antics as quickly as possible since she wouldn't be forced to look over her shoulder every other minute.

Then, the other woman seemed to remember the question Evie asked her. "Oh. A waitress will come and ask for your order actually. I'm sure she will be here-" They briefly scanned over the room. "Once she is done serving that man other there." She pointed out a white-haired, dark skinned man to her, and Evie immediately sighed. Of course she's distracted with the fucking flirtatious action figure of a man. If that's the reason why she isn't getting the well-earned drink she deserves right now, then...

She was going to come up with a plan.

"Nickit!" She hissed into her shirt pocket under her breath, prompting her long time companion to crawl out along her shoulder and race down her arm onto the table. Evie leaned in and whispered to the rat. "Check if they have any expensive kegs in their storage and let me know. We're gonna be drinking like kings! " She produced a golden monocle with a gem in the place of it's seeing glass and gave it to the rat, who fashioned the chain into a sling and wore it over his little rat shoulder before giving a salute and diving to the floor to carry out his mission.

While that was going on, the blushing waitress finally made her way to Evie who barely held back on speaking her mind.

"Hello, how can I-"

"Yeah, can I just get a tankard of that?" She pointed at one of the taps, some dark ale of some sort.

Whatever mood this waitress was in was brought crashing back down to earth as Evie reminded her that she was at work. "Sure thing." She said with the same practiced cantor as she did with anybody else she served.

Nickit prowled underfoot from the bar to the kitchen, very careful to stay out of sight. After all, rats in the kitchen never lasted long. Chefs raced back and forth to keep boiling pots of stew from frothing over, various meats and breads met their fate at the chopping boards, and plates were rushed to the line as they were finished. Trained thief as he was, Nickit kept to the bottoms of tables as he looked for the storage room, which was probably the pantry or set of stairs that was rarely used. Score.

With some careful timing, he zoomed for the open door and down the stairs, tumbling down the steps until he finally saw the towering kegs of beer barrels all around him, with little perishables and other bits of food on the shelves just above him. It was heaven, and it was time to eat, after all, Evie didn't feed him before sending him on this search, so he deserved to indulge himself a little bit. Right?

Now that Evie was finally free to keep her head off a swivel, she took the bar in. There was an awful amount of people looking like they needed to be somewhere, or were waiting for something, just drinking and waiting for somebody to show up and tell them that they needed to follow along or whatever, like a military recruiter. Stealing from this bar's patrons would have to wait until whomever that person was showed up, it seemed like most were on alert or trying to busy themselves with their food.

The waitress returned with her drink, and the thief set down too much gold in payment, which the barmaid took happily. Evie kicked back and took a long swig, slamming the metal keg against the counter and searching the bar for anybody that wasn't the two animal nerds right next to her. She turned to her left and she finally noticed somebody took up the empty seat next to her, a redhead with a spear. She made a mental note not to get into a fight in this bar. Whomever was recruiting all these people were out for warriors and fighters, and this only proved the point.

"Do you have any idea why all these mercenaries decided to show up to this spot?" She took a swig. "Some sort of draft, or witch hunt I haven't heard about yet?"

Mentions: Shotgunpenguin

 

[Eccentric_Undead]

Jason E. Riley

Cook of the Cloudcrasher
Fire Season. Day 42, Clear skies inn & Eats.

Spoiler: Arbor hounds and Sky Nymphs

Spoiler: Needler OA-13

Tags: Kristina Haerlo Selitia
​

Jason smiled at her, allowing her to hold his arm as any gentleman should "Cirec is more than welcome to my shoulder." He smiled at her, chuckling as the raven hopped to his shoulder. He gave a gentle aw as the sweet raven nuzzled his face. He heard a soft little bark from Boss. Jason rolled his eyes a bit, looking back with a smile "Yeah, you guys are still my favorite animals." He chuckled a bit before taking his first step. He walked her down and out to the docking bay. The animals follow in close behind. People stared at what they saw was an odd pair. Two people with shocking eye colors, walking arm in arm with their parade of animals. However, Jason was simply smiling. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like this. The last time he felt human and outside the darkness in his head. This girl was so full of life and looked at everything with such a wonder in her eyes. She was.....different. Different than any other person he had met before in this amazing journey of his. Despite only knowing her for a few minutes, he knew this woman was something special and he was interested to see what amazing things happened with this girl on board.

He followed the trail of kitchen workers moving crates of the wonderful food he ordered. Vegetables, spices, fruits and a few other things. He was so gentle with her, moving at a pace that she could easily keep up with. Each movement was smooth and he even twirled her into a dancing dip to avoid another kitchen worker. His golden hues even more exquisite in the open light as he gazed down at her in his arm "Can't have a lovely lady being bumped into, can we?" With a perfect twirl they spun onto the deck of the ship. He smiled at her, never taking his eyes off her as he danced with her between the moving workers. A carefree spirit that was the mask to a dark soul. His moves were perfect and poised. His younger years were spent practicing his dancing with his elder sister. Their family having been quite popular, so they were invited to parties often. It seemed stupid when he was young, but he was happy to know it now.

Eventually they had spun and swayed their way to his kitchen. He finished the movements by placing her in a chair and kissing her hand in a bow. His wondrous eyes landed on her, smirking with delight "Thank you for the dance." With a smooth movement he let Cirec take a place on his finger, placing her back on Kristina's shoulder after placing a single kiss on her beak "And you as well madam." The hounds and Nymphs went to their respective beds within the kitchen and laid down. A quick turn as he looked over the food. He started to put things away. He checked the quality to make sure he was happy with it, before placing each piece away. He stopped, seeing his oven and stove. What sort of host would he be without offering her something to eat? The question was, what to make. His hand moved to his chin as he thought. What would be good? Something easy and simply, but packed with flavor and would make a good impression. Probably something he could make a lot of for the entire crew. After a moment a bright smile formed on his face as he looked over to Kristina "Do you happen to like cookies?"

 

[VomitIcicle]

Mentions: Shotgunpenguin

Larastek's rather dull and uneventful tread across the station was interrupted when he turned a corner, coming face to face with a woman, her shockingly red hair being the only thing he can take in on such short notice. On instinct, he reached into his robes, moving his hand past layers of cloth to grip the derringer fitted snugly into a side holster.

...Only to remove his hand soon after as the woman careened to the side, fell in some detritus, spouted out some sort of half-arsed apology, and kept jogging.


Well.


Birth defects, perhaps? It was certainly possible. A significant portion of lesser developed skyships; even surface villages, suffered from a variety of rare, previously unknown genetic mutations. The high levels of exotic magical energy, even without direction, was enough to influence the human genome. Tales of animal-human hybrids, even those blessed with the long thought dead power of farsight, are not uncommon.


What is far more common, however, and far more proven, are countless examples of extensive physical deformities, in addition to brain damage.


The woman didn't seem to bear a gait or physical signs of extensive cell damage, however...


Maybe she was just in a hurry.

Perhaps he should do the same?

Larastek increased his gait slightly as he approached the modest bazaar. A quick glance confirmed his suspicions. Nothing useful. A more thorough search may prove more enlightening, however.

Hopefully the captain was having better luck.

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

Elizabeth Pyres


Elizabeth let out a content sigh, the warmth of the stew slowly spreading through her entire body as she followed it with a swig of her drink. It wasn't the rough and bitter sludge that she was used to back from her home, but that was probably a good thing considering that a bad batch of that stuff was likely to burn a hole in your stomach. It was a lighter drink, probably intentional so that people wouldn't get drunk off of a few drinks. Drunks rarely made for great customers, and given the fact that this place was more for having a meal than seeing how fast you could drink yourself into a stupor it they would probably cut you off before you got to that point. Dredging a piece of her bread into the broth, she savored it's taste before jumping in her chair a bit as a someone next to her asked a question.

Struggling to clear her throat and not wanting to be rude, Elizabeth grabbed her mug and drained the remainder of her drink before slamming it back onto the bar. "Mercenary? I have no idea what you're talking about. Aren't you here because of this?"

Pulling out the flyer, Elizabeth rolled it out between the two of them. "To be honest I'm not really sure if we're supposed to be waiting for someone or if there's a code I'm supposed to say. Don't want to go shouting it out if I can help it and draw attention to myself."

Just as she had finished talking two of the other people in the building had gotten up and made to leave. That part was not what drew her attention though. The part that drew her attention was the literal pack of animals that followed the duo as they left the building. Back from where she was from pets were scarce, and those who were well off enough to have one often bought the biggest dogs they could. Not only as a status symbol, but also for safety as most of those dogs looked vicious enough to tear an arm off if you were lucky. But not a single one looked anything close to the ones that were in the bar. Instead of fur and flesh it looked as though it was made entirely of wood and leaves. Like if someone had carved a dog out of a piece of wood and it had come to life. Not even mentioning the strange things on their backs, like some sort of flying lizard or something but a lot smaller.

"Okay," Elizabeth paused, blinking looking at the other patrons of the building. She turned to the man with white hair and cocked her head, silently asking if something like that was common enough that no one reacted. Shrugging her shoulders, she turned back to the brown haired woman "more attention that whatever that was. Tree dogs and winged lizards."

Fishing out her coin purse, she laid out coins for another drink and laid the pouch on the table. If she was going to be waiting here until someone showed up than it would be annoying to have to fish coins out of the pouch every time she wanted a drink. And if she did already miss whoever the person was because she was late, at the very least she could drown her sorrows away for the night. Turning to the woman next to her, Elizabeth gave her a quick once over. The knives on her belt were what she noticed first, partially because being this close to someone with a knife almost never went well, and secondly by the sheer number of knives. They weren't the flimsy and chipped kind that those in the slums would carry, each one seemed to be kept in good condition. In her experience, a knife like the ones this woman was carrying had two different meanings depending on who used them. The first were the grifters and thugs, people who needed an easily concealable weapon that people could miss on first glance. They used surprise and deceit to attack their targets, waiting until their guard was lowered to strike. The second were those who were confident enough in their skills in order to get within range of their enemies and slip out before they could be struck.

Turning back as the bartender slid her another mug, she spoke to the woman "Realized that I never introduced myself. Elizabeth Pyres. And you are?"

Shadowfall Selitia Eccentric_Undead SomeRandomCanuck ​

 

[Selitia]

Kristina Haerlo​

Tags: Eccentric_Undead ​

Kristina couldn't believe how fast Cirec had warmed up to Jason. She was already on his shoulder and nuzzling his face! It was a miracle! It made her smile grow. He must be a good person for her raven to like him so much. That or she had a little crush on him. Kristina snorted at her own thought, how ridiculous was that idea, her bird having a crush on a human man? She didn't even notice the other animal's jealousy as Jason gave Cirec more attention. The wandering eyes and blatant staring did make her noticeably uneasy. She tensed up ever so slightly only now realizing her hood had fallen off. Did they recognize her? Was it the animals? Was it the striking features they each had? Maybe it was all of the above. Kristina figured it was probably that, they were definitely an odd pair to see. Her smile had dropped from her face as she thought of everything. She looked back up at Jason to see a simple blissful smile decorate his features. It made a slight blush creep to her ears as she realized how obviously they had been flirting. Once again, a small shyer smile formed on her lips as she sensed how relaxed he felt. It was as if he was living for real for the first time in a while. She shook that idea from her head, thinking she was being silly.

Her eye's brightened as did her expression when various people carrying all sorts of boxes and such to the ship came into view. "That's a lot of supplies." She mumbled as they passed a few people. He was taking extra caution in avoiding everyone and she could tell. A joyous laugh was pulled from her lips as he spans her like they were dancing. "Woahhh." She had said trying to keep her balance. That didn't matter though since he was right there again looking down at her. The blush from her ears bolted to her cheeks and she grinned. "Your eyes look like gold coins." She chuckles. She had averted her eyes quickly looking to the left as he spoke to her, he really did know how to make her blush. They span again landing on deck and Kristina couldn't help but laugh. She was a bit clumsy and not at all elegant in her movements, she was however still graceful. He moved with such precise movements that he had to of had lessons. She knew only important people had lessons since they were the only ones ever invited to those galas and dances she had heard rumors about. She just looked around in awe at the ship and the many people aboard. The witch was very impressed that they hadn't bumped into even one person.

Kristina had managed to distract herself with sightseeing and her own thoughts and without her noticing, they ended up in the kitchen- and her in a chair. She shook her head to focus her thoughts her amethyst eyes watching him. He was kissing her hand and once again her face and ears turned rather red. "I should be thanking you," she says, "I don't even know how to dance that way. Everything is so meticulous and controlled." When he looked at her she couldn't help but smirk. He was already giving her lovely Cirec a kiss and thanking her too. He really did love animals. She watched as he put various items away and checked what he had received. "I've never been in a kitchen this large." She said, "the one at home we had was not even a fourth of this size." A very large excited smile sprung onto her lips as he heard the word cookie. "Oh, I absolutely adore them. They are actually my favorite." She replies. "You'll really bake some for me? That's very kind of you even though we have just met."

 

[Eccentric_Undead]

Jason E. Riley

Cook of the Cloudcrasher
Fire Season. Day 42, Cloudcrasher Kitchen.

Spoiler: Arbor hounds and Sky Nymphs

Spoiler: Needler OA-13

Tags: Kristina Haerlo Selitia
​

"Of course I'll make you cookies. As a proud cook, it would be an honor." Jason rolled up his sleeves, looking out at the now expanded inventory he had. What would be a good cookie to make for the new crew mates? After a moment of studying, he decided and got to work. He placed his Needler OA-13 in a case he kept in the kitchen and started his baking.

He started by prepping his oven and pans. He positioned a rack in the center of the oven and preheated the oven to 350°F, activating the heat crystals they ran off of. He lined two half sheet pans with parchment paper, taking the time to make sure everything was in it's place. The animals yawn, but all seemed to be in a calm state, like him cooking was just their everyday.

After that was all prepped, it was time for him to make the cookies! In a medium bowl, he whisked together the flour, Earl Grey tea he picked up a while ago and never used, lavender, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Each ingredient handled with such care and every movement so timed in a flow of cooking. Like his hands moved on their own, moved by the hands of the cooking gods.

In the bowl of a stand mixer that he built with a simple spin crystal, he fit with the paddle attachment, he combined the sugar and butter. He beat the mixture on medium-high speed until it was light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, for about 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. He reduced the mixer to low speed and added an egg.

Next he added the vanilla bean that he scrapped from the pod and beat until just combined very well. He scraped down the bottom and sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, he gradually added the dry ingredients and beat until the batter was just combined. He scraped down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on low for an additional 30 seconds. Once he was finished with the rubber spatula, he handed it to her and smiled as he returned to the baking "Enjoy licking it."

He used a 3-tablespoon cookie dough scoop to portion the cookie dough into balls. Placing the cookies at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans. Sprinkling the tops of the dough balls with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar for garnish before baking. He baked the cookies on one pan at a time for 12 minutes, until the edges have set but the centers are still gooey. The cookies looked puffed when he pulled them out of the oven, but fell and cracked into the perfect cookies as they cooled. He cooled the cookies on the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, until the edges and bottoms of the cookies set and felt firm to the touch. Repeating this process with the remaining cookie dough until he was finished, having made several dozens worth or cookies. He placed about a bakers dozen on a plate, decorating all the cookies with a few lavender petals.

A smile formed on his face as he handed her the plate, folding his arms with a smile that showed his pride and love for his skills in the kitchen "Tell me what you think. This recipe is an odd one I learned in the west a long time ago. Popular for its floral flavor and unique taste."

Spoiler: Lavender Earl Grey Cookies

 

[Selitia]

Kristina Haerlo​

Tags: Eccentric_Undead ​

The witch couldn't hold her excitement in. She loved food, maybe a bit too much. Her mother and father never had time to cook so she would visit the local inn and grab meals from there. The cook there always let her try new and odd foods and now she was able to do it again. She watched as he put his weapon away and rolled up his sleeves. "Is cooking something you've always done?" She asked curiously, "Or was it a hobby?" She lazily swung her legs under the chair since only her toes touched the ground. She watched in fascination as he set things up and preheated the oven. A floral scent drifted through the air and Kristina perked up at it. "Mmm." She mused. "Lavender." She sighed. She adored light floral scents and any kind of tea. She had brought an assortment with her in her herbalist bag. Along with some seeds, soil, and pots. She hoped to maybe learn something from Jason. She was dreadful in the kitchen and knew it.

He had gotten some sort of machine that spun and then put a paddle-like metal item on it. She'd never seen anything like it. As he put ingredients into the bowl her mouth dropped open. "It does it for you!" She exclaimed. "That's so much faster." She hadn't realized how silly she sounded and wouldn't have cared anyway. "You must teach me to do that!" She said referring to cracking an egg. She squinted her eyes and cocked her head as he scraped some weird black paste? Goo? She didn't know how to describe it, she wasn't close enough to really see the texture of it. "What is that?" She asked pointing to the black bean-like ingredient. She hastily took the spatula from him, bouncing a bit in her chair. "It's such a pretty color." She grinned and licked the batter from the spatula. "Earl Grey!?" She half asked half exclaimed. "I love adding lavender to my teas." She said while continuing to watch him. She got off the chair and made her way over to the table he was working at. She watched as he rolled the dough into balls and spaced them out. She was so focused on what he was doing that she forgot she was just holding a spatula in her hand.

When they came out of the oven Kristina couldn't help but smell the air around her. She looked pretty dorky doing it but it smelt fantastic. The witch went back to watching the chef decorate the cookies. When a plate was handed to her she grinned and took the plate. "They look beautiful." She said and picked one up taking a bite out of it. "Who knew this flavor would also be good in a sweeter cookie! They balance each other out well. The earl grey is a bit citrusy from the bergamot and the light floral flavor cuts the acid but also compliments it!" She placed the plate down while finishing the cookie. Kristina made her way over to him with a goofy smile. "Thank you for the show and snack." She winked, "How could I ever repay you." She stifled a chuckle while dramatically putting a hand to her forehead. "Ah, I know!" She kept her silly charade up and bowed to him taking his hand and planting a light kiss on it. "Something sweet in return for a sweet." She smiled, resuming a standing position and grinning at him. "I do think I'll come to visit you more often in the kitchen if you don't mind?"

 

[Shadowfall]

Evie Adams
​

The redhead seemed a little startled at the question before regaining her composure. She seemed the rough type, properly adjusted to the once ornate spear that rested on the bar's counter. Evie couldn't resist testing her finger across the tip, a sharp pain reminding her that yes, it in fact, was meant to kill, even when not magically charged like so many other weapons here. In a world where rifles and pistols existed, she always robbed a little less from those who placed their safety in the hands of swords, daggers, and in this case, spears. From the shield, she couldn't help but remember an ancient story her master told her during her training about the few against the many.

Spear in one hand, shield in the other, a few against a tide. She couldn't help but imagine this lady as one of those few with her back to the wall, gritting her teeth as the monsters from below came to finish the job. She couldn't quite remember the exact moral of the story (She was sure it was something about not getting caught or backed into a corner) but she was awed at the fighting spirit those few had.

In Evie's eyes, something of a halo grew around the warrior's head as she leaned back and finished her drink, before her fantasy was broken by the sound of the mug smashing back into the beer-stained bar.

"Aren't you here because of this?"

She pointed at the barely legible flyer she rolled out. It read something like an advertisement, probably? She'd never really taken a close look at the boards around town, she never wanted for official work, contracted or otherwise. At the very least, there was an explanation behind the amount of people here, and it wasn't to capture her and turn her in. Good.

"To be honest I'm not really sure if we're supposed to be waiting for someone or if there's a code I'm supposed to say. Don't want to go shouting it out if I can help it and draw attention to myself." The warrior admitted. Evie stroked her chin in thought, nodding to herself. Maybe, there was a good way she could twist this in her favor without getting roped into something like whatever this flyer was. Contract work was always tricky or so she was taught, and if she could weasel her way in, steal some stuff, then sneak out, then there might be some reason to look into something like this. Plus, she was sure this bar was the last place she could enter without getting kicked out or turned in. It was time to hop ship.

"Yeah, the flyer? Totally, I heard the captain slew a dragon on his own before!" She took a long gulp of her ale, her eyes stuck to the bottom of the mug. "Yup. Can't wait. I'm sure the captain will show up sometime soon, otherwise this bar would be a lot more empty."

-x-

The sounds of kitchen staff getting more antsy as they shuffled around brought Nickit's attention back to reality. He almost made it to the other side of a cheese wheel when the door opened, and his work was foiled.

"A RAT GOT INTO THE PANTRY!" They yelled, cueing the little thief that his time spent here was overdue. Quickly, he pulled the monocle over one of his eyes and glanced over the room from atop the cheese wheel, the chef rummaging around the door of the pantry for a broom. A quick scan indicated that there was exactly one barrel filled with golden liquid, the sign that whatever was inside was valuable, and a few glowing herbs that were probably exotic for the area. Nothing useful for the two thieves, after all, they weren't going to be selling off spices to a fence any time soon. With that, he slid down the wheel and into a mousehole he spotted earlier, leaving the frustrated and confused chef with the mess Nickit had created.

-x-

Evie's eyes stuck to the coin purse the redhead put on the counter as she ordered another drink, unable to help herself from trying to figure out a way to steal some of the coin before the warrior noticed. Perhaps she'd order a drink and take a few coins between gulps? Should she steal and book it again? She did leave her knife at the door as an escape route just in case, but Nickit wasn't with her, so she'd have to wait. Internal frustration at her companion's time consumption made her furrow her brow as the redhead got through to her again.

"Realized that I never introduced myself. Elizabeth Pyres. And you are?"

"Oh, you're right! You can call me Ava Moore." She turned to face Elizabeth to give her a smile and a wink, Evie's hand casually resting next to the coin purse. It was time to run a distraction. "Say, why sign up with these guys anyways? I'm sure there's a number of jobs here at port you could take, no?"

Mentions: Shotgunpenguin

 

[mysteryxio]

Calem tossed and turned. Flashes of his past were entering his mind. Memories of a life he never wanted to live. What was done to him...what he had to do...his breathing became heavy and fast. His eyes flew open and he shot up, sweat falling from his forehead to his shirt. His hands were shaking and he swallowed hard. As if on cue, Cy jumped onto him, looking up at with his ever curious eyes. As he pat the monkey, he felt his anxiety drop. Cy always seemed to know when Calem needed to anchor himself. He looked around then found himself laying on a couch in the captain's room. He wondered why he was there then remembered Adam his captain let him sleep here after keeping late watch and that he'd let him rest there. They must've docked, since he couldn't feel the ship move. He didn't have time to dwell on his dreams, not that he wanted to, both he and Cy needed food. A trip to the kitchen seemed pointless as Jason would likely be out getting more ingredients. He was also aware of how 'particular' Jason was when it came to his kitchen.

Calem walked amongst the crowd of people, happy that so many were out. When there were crowds, people tended to focus more on themselves and whatever they needed to accomplish. He passed by a few stalls and managed to steal some fruit for Cy who currently hid inside his jacket. Sure there were others with animals accompanying some in the crowd but Cy had a habit of 'exploring' when he they were off of the ship. When Cy was eating he didn't cause trouble so he often tried to make sure there were snacks for him. Calem also managed to sneak a few loose coins from some people he passed. He often tried to stop himself, it was a bad compulsion for him, something he was trying to break. At least this way he'd have money to eat something, as he realized he didn't have any money on him. A small wind suddenly blew a piece of paper by him and what was on it nearly made his heart stop. His picture, or at least him as a kid, with a bounty listed as well as the word 'ALIVE' in bold letters. Calem snatched it from the air, staring at it for some time. The bounty was still open and the reward was a lot more since the last time he'd seen it. His uncle hadn't given up...why not?

A movement in his coat brought Calem back to his senses. Cy scurried over him, looking for a way into the open. Calem had tried to catch and settle him but the monkey merely thought it was a game they were playing. Nimbly maneuvering around Calem, Cy grabbed the bounty and leapt away and onto a building nearby. As fast as he could Calem ran after him, trying to keep track of him as he jumped from place to place. He also tried not to call attention to himself. If this bounty was recent there was a chance for him to be seen. Eventually he climbed down and then into a place Clear Skies Inn & Eats. Cy stopped at a table and looked up at the person who sat. He had tan skin and white hair, with scar over one of his eyes. Calem ran in, somewhat out of breathe and managed to catch the white monkey's tail. "Caught you...oh sorry. Didn't mean to disturb you" now aware he was interrupting someone. As Calem made a move to get the paper, Cy jumped onto the man's shoulder's, scuttering from one side to the other as if the man was a friend.

Interacting w/ SomeRandomCanuck

 

[Firelie]

Clear Skies Inn & Eats

Code by Serobliss

•

Eternia Mk. IV

•

Optimistic

•

Status: Damaged

•

Unemployed

•

CS

Eternia

"Red Marlin... Red Marlin... What a strange nickname," Eternia mumbled, pushing open the door of the disheveled blacksmiths of the Clear Skies Inn & Eats quaint shopping district. The shops held mostly general goods that passing ships might be missing, not the specialized metals that the homunculus required. Luckily, Eternia got its hands on something far more valuable. The name of a supposedly legendary mechanic, who was apparently supposed to be on the sky ship right now! Eternia smiled as the door to the blacksmiths made a jingling sound as the entrance bell rung. Box of usable parts in hand, Eternia began towards the main inn of the ship with a jaunty saunter. The robot was used to the glances it drew and paid them no mind at this point. Nothing Eternia could really do about it. Cloaks got caught in the wire system that was suspended across the shoulder so hiding its appearance wasn't really an option.

"Ah! Excuse me!" Eternia chirped with surprise as it danced out of the way of a hooded man who had suddenly stopped in the street. "In a hurry, sorry! Nice robe by the way, very mysterious." Eternia nodded to the man and gave him a polite smile before turning and continuing on her journey. The bot began to hum a strange, out of rhythm song. "Hum hum... hum, hum hum hum..." It certainly wasn't pleasant to the ears, but that didn't seem to bother Eternia one bit.

It didn't take long to reach the ground floor of the skyship's inn. Wooden box of part's in hand, glowing blue irises scanned the crowded floor of the inn for anybody matching the description the blacksmith had given. When initial scans proved ineffective, Eternia hopped up on an empty stool and raised a metallic hand. "Hi! Hi, excuse me! I'm looking for a Red Marlin! Is there a Red Marlin in here?" Eternia scanned the room once again for anybody that could help, or if anybody was even paying attention.

MENTIONS: SirNateUnknown VomitIcicle

 

[Eccentric_Undead]

Jason E. Riley

Cook of the Cloudcrasher
Fire Season. Day 42, Cloudcrasher Kitchen.

Spoiler: Arbor hounds and Sky Nymphs

Spoiler: Needler OA-13

Tags: Kristina Haerlo Selitia
​

A smile grew upon his face as he heard her speak so eloquently about his cookies. She was a rare person that understood the reasoning behind processes and the complexity of flavors that he was trying to employ. It was honestly a refreshing take on what his crew usually thought about his cooking. He could tell that she would be quite a frequent site within his kitchen. And part of him didn't mind. Most people weren't allowed to be in his kitchen. The nature of pirates meant that they would try to steal something or they wouldn't respect his utensils and processes. This one was different.

"Well, I personally built the mixer. Some things I still hand mix, but I built that just in case I had to make large batches of something. It just makes everything a lot easier. Also, the thing I was scraping out of the bean is called vanilla. It's vanilla and its original form, without processing."

He turned and started to clean as she sampled the cookies, throwing things away and feeding scraps to the animals that were lying around "I can teach you anything you want. Though, I might get carried away, so stop me if I go crazy."he turned back to her just in time to receive the kiss on the hand. A chuckle escaped him as he watched her play up the theatrics. She was much like he was. Eccentric and beyond what most people could probably understand. After a moment of thought, he picked up a cookie and started to eat it himself. Taking in the complex flavors, taking pride in the fact that this was something he created "I think you are welcome in my kitchen any time. So long as you promised to maintain this marvelous company!"

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

Elizabeth Pyres


Elizabeth could hardly contain her surprise when the woman next to her mentioned that the captain they were waiting for had fought and bested a dragon in single combat. Growing up she had heard tales of dragons, how they were fierce beasts who only became stronger and more dangerous the older they got. A tale that her father had told a dozen times was of a fierce dragon with eyes of lightning that had terrorized the lands for years, destroying all who dared opposed it. But one day, spurred on by the loss of their family, a warrior emerged from the ashes to slay the mighty beast. The hero traveled the skies, seeking those brave enough to fight alongside them in their quest. In an epic showdown between the hero's crew and the dragon, the hero slew the dragon with a mighty blade and ended it's reign of terror. She had thought of them extinct, but if they truly did become stronger as they aged it wasn't impossible that a few survived.

"A dragon? Truly this captain must be a warrior of the highest caliber in order to best such a beast. It will be an honor to be a part of their crew."

The woman, who had introduced herself as Ava Moore, helped alleviate Elizabeth's fear that she had already missed the captain. While she didn't think much of it at first, the bar was filled with some interesting looking people. The group with their pack of fantastical creatures, the tanned man with hair as white as chalk, and even Ava herself with more knives on her person than any one person would reasonably have. While it may be a common sight for anyone who called this station home, in her town such presence would draw the attention of everyone they passed. Elizabeth could also be included in that category, considering the amount of looks her open carrying of her armaments had caused her. Perhaps it was a requirement to stand out in some sort of way, all the more easier to know who's who in a hectic situation.

Picking up her bowl, the rest of the stew was drunk leaving not a single drop behind. Finished with her meal, she pushed the bowl off to the side and turned to Ava. "To be honest, it is because I do not possess many skills outside of scavenging and combat."

Turning to her side, she grabbed the haft of her spear and continued, "My weapons were a gift from my master, the one who taught me how to fight and defend myself. I was a scrapper before-hand, although it was mostly for smaller pieces and trinkets. He told me that he could teach me nothing more by himself, and that I had to seek out strength on my own. I had never even left my home before that day, and now I was told that I would be left on my own until I was "strong enough" to defeat him. If this captain is strong enough to slay a dragon, than maybe I too shall grow stronger by learning from him."

Elizabeth was about to ask her new companion for her reason for joining, but was interrupted when a voice called out asking for someone called Red Marlin. The person, although she was unsure whether it was a person at all, appeared to be made almost entirely out of metal. It had a wooden box held in it's other hand as it continued to ask for the whereabouts of the person. Unsure of who they were, she turned her body away from Ava and towards the strange person.

"Uhh, would this Red Merlin person be the captain we're waiting for?" She paused, thinking for a second before adding "Also, what are you? You seem to be made of metal."

Firelie Shadowfall ​