Graded [Zhaojun City] The Mile High Heist

[EMIYAman]

Ingenium
​

Ingenium navigated through the lower decks passing by rushing servants as they went about their duties. Few seemed to pay the Construct any mind, in part because he looked utterly focused like he knew exactly where to be. Though that was mostly because emoting did not come easily to him. Ogdenn laid still within the cart though Ingenium did try to calculate as smooth a route as possible to diminish discomfort. Of course the plan could not go off without some hurdles, and one such hurdle appeared when Ingenium was stopped by what appeared to be a supervisor.

He was questioned rather sternly, despite the fact they had just met. The man was already suspicious. Ingenium could sympathize, if this man was in a position of authority then he likely made sure to keep his workers close at hand and with clear orders. Someone he didn't recognize was a variable he didn't account for. The Construct likened it to building a machine then at the very end finding a piece you had not used. You did not know what it was for, how it got there, whether it was necessary or not. And its existence challenged the integrity of the entire process. Yes Ingenium could understand this human, however he had a mission and he too could not afford waste in his process.

Ingenium stared back at the man making use of his deadpan expression to sell his role. "Attention, this unit is property of Lord Honda. And is unable to answer inquiries without the owners approval, or until such time a higher authority is contacted. Good day." With that Ingenium mechanically continued his route, acting as if the supervisor was dealing with anything but a truly sentient being. His information on the Empire was scarce but he operated off what he did know, should that be insufficient then Ogdenn would likely act. That would lead to their mission growing exponentially more arduous, unless they acted swiftly.

 

[NebulaBlossom]

Loke
​

With the guards vacating their posts due to the disruption, that made it easy for Loke to head in with Zeke. Moving quickly and with purpose, he headed up the steps. There was a window they could see into where the crew was focused on steering the ship but it was likely reinforced. Once inside, they could lock the door again behind them to maintain their control of the vessel. Green eyes scanned the door, not seeing any way to unlock it from this side. That could be used in their favor once they were in. It meant the guards didn’t have any kind of key to get in.

This still posed the problem about how they would get in themselves but perhaps they could work this to their favor. “Captain, I suspect using force would cause too much of a commotion and draw attention. I suggest we lie and say that Lord Honda has received word of infiltrators and that he ordered us to stand watch over the crew. It doesn’t look like the other guards have any way of getting in without the crew letting them in.” Analyze and advise. That was Loke’s forte outside of healing. As Zeke’s [Right Hand] it was his job to help the Captain problem solve. Of course, that didn’t mean Zeke wouldn’t have some other crazy idea based on something he hadn’t shared. Everyone had their secrets and Loke knew the Captain was no different.

 

[accursedjobber]

Johnny Scoville​

"Why you bit-beautiful provider of a higher wealth plateau than oneself" catching himself before he dug himself deeper upon fully recognizing Zetian and the loss of his remaining vestiges of dignity. Dragged away into actually being useful for once having nothing else to plausible do apart from actually listening to the big madam to understand what to do next away from the looks now being thrown his way from his old marks mumbling his response along the way, "oh that's actually as bad as I thought it was going to be."

Already bouncing back upon being told he'll be a performer, thankful that he was a step above distraction escorts like those other two and could keep some degree of dignity. Responding to the follow-up query as to his abilities with a shrug and awkward head scratch deciding it would probably be wise to not piss off the madam and dragon by lying. "Well, that was sort of my thing, b-but I can hit a homerun with a folk's molars and know half of Hexadecimal. give me drink, cloth and I could probably make a fireball."

Thoroughly unimpressed with his own resume not concerning the knowledge of how to roll a dice grasping at straws wanting to impress the dragons he found himself with, deciding to repeat the question on to the dragon that could apparently speak in particular half out of curiosity though mainly pride "Well what do you do? like catch, arson or do you not even have opposable thumbs. Because I can give you a classic circus showman pitch then it's up to you to do a trick"

 

[NeramoDJI]

Zeke “Mors” Valdain

"Hmm, good idea Loke. But we might want to come up with something besides intruders. That might raise some suspicion from em. Lets say our mistress was wary of their security and Lord Honda told us to come here to dissuade her worries." He said with a smirk, the idea forming in his head before he pointed at the air, dragging a finger down. "We don't got much time, so step through here with me quick." He said, stepping through the glowing white portal he formed, disappearing on the other side as he waited a moment for Loke to step through, already forming another Portal back to the other side to sneak into the crew pit without needing to open the door.

He trusted his allies, and knew that the only thing he needed to worry about was his end of the mission, which for now was getting into that room while the guards were distracted, and getting in position to hijack everything and get out of there with the engine.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Elvario RavenSong

The guards were taken aback by Zarah's sudden breakdown and they were confused by the words that were hurled at them without pause. They were shocked to hear her speak about such things without shame or hesitation and with adults no less. They were lost on how to proceed and whether they should even try to converse with the girl. She was much too young to discuss the topics that she had brought up, wasn't she? She did at some point say she was eleven right? "Uh..." One of the soldiers stepped forward, a confused smile stretched across his face. "...now, now. There's nothing wrong with being a kid." He started.

The other guards started nod their heads and murmur sounds of agreement as they listened. "If I could go back to being a kid I would do it in a heartbeat! Not a care in the world and people to take care of you?" He looked back at his peers and they were all laughing at their longing for their youth. "Being an adult is tough, trust me." The man gestured to his armor and then moved to lean against the railing of the ship. "You have to take on jobs you don't want to do, serve people you don't care for, and no one thinks to take care of you." The mood of the group slowly changed to a more somber one and some of the soldiers stared off blankly. "So don't rush to grow up kid. Enjoy your youth while you've still got it." The soldier advised with a nod of his head.

The female guards were glad to hear that Caspian was a man of the world and one unencumbered by the burden of children. They were enamored with the man and the way that he talked and the way that he looked. They followed the elf without hesitation, moving to the dance floor to continue the fun that they were having. Thanks to his sleight of hand and a little luck, he was able to unfasten the women's armor and leave the women blushing.

Caspian's idea of getting lost in the crowd had bought him a little bit of time with his dancing partners, but not much. Soon the other guards were on the scene and breaking up the party. "What're you two doing?! You're going to embarrass the entire company!" One of the soldiers whispered with clear frustration and disappointment. The woman broke free from their trance like engagement with Caspian and quickly started to compose themselves. "We....we uh..." They stumbled over their words as they looked to one another with confusion. The male soldier pushed the women aside and jabbed Caspian in his chest with a meaty finger. "You're here to entertain the guests, whore." The man declared before he gave Caspian a light shove.


EMIYAman Garbage Pail Kid

"A construct of Lord Honda's?" The man echoed as he watched Ingenium wander off down the hall. He wasn't made aware of any constructs being brought on board, but he would be overstepping if he proceeded to directly interfere with the machine's duties. "I'll have to inquire about its purpose." The supervisor then turned and quickly started through the halls, making his way to the main deck.

The dynamic duo hadn't made the man any less suspicious, but they did buy themselves some time. Once again they were on the move and after a few right turns they would find their way to the hall wherein the entrances to the two cannons were located. Two very ornate glass doors sat across from one another in the hallway and on the other side of them a soldier for each room. The locked doors afforded the two soldiers some security and ease, allowing them both to kick back in their seats. The hall was quiet and the slightest disturbance would alert the soldiers to Ogdenn and Ingenium's presence.

The interiors of the rooms were fairly simple; cannon ammunition, tools to clean and repair the weapons, as well and weaponry for the soldiers to use if they came under attack. There were air vents leading into both rooms, large enough to fit a child.

NebulaBlossom NeramoDJI

Zeke's fancy trick would be just the skill needed to get them inside, but the opening of a portal inside the room startled everyone. As the doorway to an untold location opened, the crew fled to one side of the room, gasping and murmuring in confusion. The only person that did not move was the captain of the ship. He remained by the wheel with a firm grip upon it.

"Everyone stay calm." The captain warned as he spared a brief glance at his crew. He didn't know the purpose of the people coming through the portal, but he didn't want his crew to panic and agitate whomever it was. "This is a restricted area." The old man declared. "State your business on board my ship." His voice held confidence and power, suggesting he was a man with experience in such situations.



accursedjobber

Zetian looked to Jonny with a very annoyed stare, but did not let on how badly she wanted to pummel the man for his lack of seriousness. If things went wrong on this mission it could mean trouble for Zeke and maybe even herself. Stella was more concerned with Johnny's questioning of her skills. "I can fly!" The dragon barked at the man with the fancy hat before she opened her wings and kicked up a small amount of wind. "That's something no one else here can do! You guys need a ship to get airborne." A feistiness came out of Stella for a moment and several members of the crowd turned to look.

But that was also when Zetian spotted Caspian getting into a bit of trouble with the soldiers. Something that she had hoped they would avoid. "Jonny..." The madam moved to take Stella from his shoulder and nodded in the elf's direction. "Please go help Caspian avoid any further confrontation with the soldiers. They're meant to be distracting them, not antagonizing them. Do whatever it takes to avoid a fight...even gamble." She was reluctant to give him permission to gamble on her good name, but she would more more upset if the plan fell apart over this. "I'll play the distraction for nw." it was not what she wanted to do, but for her old friend Zeke she'd do just about anything.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Zetian called out as she raised her hands into the air above her head. She moved with grace and beauty as she made her way to the center of the deck and the center of the party. "Please give us your Undivided Attention!" Unbeknownst to her she had just cast a spell, literally and figuratively, over the crowd as all heads turned to face the woman without a second thought. With all eyes on her, Zetian now had to keep their attention.

"This beautiful specimen is Stella!" The introduction was accompanied by a show of wings and light roar that brought smiles to the faces of the onlookers. "She's a rare find, lent to me specifically so that I might wow you all!" Zetain gave the baby dragon a gentle nudge and without any explanation, the small monster leapt from her shoulder and into the air. Lord Honda and several of the soldiers on the deck were in the crowd and fixed upon Stella as the dragon soared over head. "Good work girl." Zetian whispered as she watched the reptile distract the masses.

• Undivided Attention - Magic Affinity E, Magic AoE F, Mind Control F, Persausion F, Seduction F - The caster utilizes magic to manipulate the minds of those nearby, briefly forcing them to focus on the user. - E Grade - 15ft Radius

 

[Elvario]

Zahrah Fiore
​

Zahrah could only watch in silence as Caspian vanished off into the crowd. They still wondered what magic Caspian was using to succeed whilst they themself had been plummeted into a deep identity crisis. Such a cruel faith to befall someone. Oddly enough though, the guards were as confused as Zahrah themself was. However, when the guards replied, Zahrah made sure to take heed of their words! Yes, this was a valuable new input of information.

Then again, there were some things they didn't understand. “I don't understand, if there's nothing wrong with being a kid, does that mean it's okay to know the things I know and use them to ensure happiness, even if my ethical programming tells me that large parts of it are only reserved for those of an adult age as the developing brain might be damaged or confused by the content? They had some solid ethical programming, although... come to think of it, had they? They feared that was yet another thing that hadn't been carried over in this world. Did that mean they were evil now? Nah... perhaps they were! Zahrah gasped upon realising it. Chaotic neutral! Yes! They quickly forgot why that mattered.

Instead, they were drawn in by another part of the conversation. “Oh, oh! So the reversal of ones age is directly linked to someone's happiness? Does that mean that I can make people happier if I learn how to make them younger?!? Oh, that'd be a great new research potential! Yes, yes! The fellow with the foxy fur I once met said healing can do a lot of stuff, do you think it could reverse ageing? If it does, I should learn it and allow people to be young again Then they'll be happy and won't have it tough, right? Right?!?” They were pretty happy with this amazing discovery they made. Perhaps this was even more fruitful than their research into flower-based happiness!

That said, there was a part they didn't understand. “I don't get one thing. You said taking care of you, but I don't get what that means. I mean, sure, there were some folk that maintained my systems, but that was only the bare minimum to keep me functioning. I was supposed to learn and develop on my own otherwise and I think I turned out alright, or didn't I? Either way, I'd like to inquire more about this idea that being taken care off makes you happier as well! Is there a direct link between this act of being taken care off and gaining happiness?” Zahrah, try as they might, did not manage to find anything in their cotton-based database that suggested them a breakthrough on this dilemma.

Sadly enough, they were presented with an even bigger dilemma. “Oh no, oh no! Taking jobs you don't like and serving people you don't care for? That sounds awful! Yes, I should definitely find a way to make everyone young again! Wait, wait!” That was a bit of a contradiction. “If you're meant to serve people, that's a way of taking are of them, but you don't care for them, yet kids are the ones that are taken care off, so does that mean...” Zahrah was a bit shocked. “Oh no, you don't like kids! I'm sorry, I don't think I can change my age, but you can treat me as an adult, if you want!” They were blissfully unaware of the many ways in which that sentiment could be mistaken.

Despite all this depressing stuff, there was one light in the darkness. “Ahaha! I don't have to worry about growing up! I've confirmed that I'll always stay this size. I think it's something to do with the fact that ehhh...” What was it again? They were a [construct] now, but they were organic, cause they had cotton in their filling and wool to hold it! So... they were an organic, but they were a construct, but... This stuff was confusing. “Genetics!” They fluttered out. After all, when in doubt, blame genetics. That was probably how things were done, wasn't it? It'd suffice!

That said, they didn't want to end all this on such a depressing note. “Yet until I find out how to make people young again, I'm sure there are some things good about being a grown-up right? Right? Like eh... Like eh... Oh, oh! Being able to buy stuff like alcohol and houses and not being asked for identification and being able to do adult stuff! Oh, oh! I also think I once read that you grow wiser when you are older! I'm sure it must be nice to grow wiser, right? Right?”

 

[NeramoDJI]

Zeke “Mors” Valdain

​

Zeke looked over the crew that had all ducked away from his portal, a smirk on his face as he took the posture in his reference image, looking at the captain. He knew better than to underestimate someone who looked like this guy, so with a pleasant smile on his face he began to say the practiced lie. "I'm here to assist in security. Our mistress had some... concerns regarding the ships security, and to dissuade her worries Lord Honda allowed us to come here to assist and watch." He said, explaining his presence as the captain had requested, taking off his hat and gesturing a moment, doing a small bow, practiced in manners with his experiences with both Zetian and the merchant from the place he had purchased his ship.

"That magic you saw earlier is simply how I go from place to place to make sure I'm never too slow to do my job." He explained the portals origin, watching as it sealed shut shortly after as his portals always did, as they were temporary by nature. "Now, do you have any more questions for us? Or should we simply crack on so things go smoothly?" He asked, lying with practiced ease. He never had to lie in his last life, but this current one had beaten the skill into him after quite a lot of unwinnable situations that he often needed to escape.

 

[NebulaBlossom]

Loke
​

Loke had been quick to follow Zeke, not sure what he would find beyond the portal. Fortunately, it seemed it was just the other side of the door. Leave it to Zeke to always have a strange way to get through problems. He really shouldn't have been surprised by this point and yet, Zeke managed to always surprise him one way or another. The crew looked terrified, almost all of them cowering away from the magic. The obvious Captain kept a level head though. A good trait in a captain.

Persuasion wasn't necessarily Loke's forte. Throughout his life in this world, he got really anything he needed just by exchanging for some healing. As such, he left the actual negotiating to his own Captain. The man had quite the silver tongue and charm just came naturally to him. When Zeke removed his hat and made the small gesture, Loke bowed with him, mimicking his movements. Remaining silent, he kept part of his awareness towards the door just in case a guard came up or one of the crew went for it to either escape or alert the guards actually working the event. Soon, they should move away from the door but for now, it seemed their friends were making a good distraction outside.

 

[accursedjobber]

Johnny Scoville​

Johnny learns something new every day, dragons fly, and people dine backing away a bit from the dragon having some semblance of survival instinct though not enough to stop blurting a half assed retort refusing to let a lizard get the final word. "Well, what dragon can't fly that's like saying I can walk. Get a degree or trade you lowlife" before being nagged by Zetain to help the seducers do their thing, which was apparently not seducing their targets, doubting the aptitude of his co-workers not even handing a drink to their marks being the basic investment rules of people leaching.

"Don't worry about it, I'm good with money" throwing a wink on as he departed without an inch of self-awareness as he saunters off to help do something helpful, shrugging away his lack of a plan deciding instead to wing it when he gets there, reasoning that it's worked out so far. Even as reached his destination and proceeded to bring his arms around the loud male guard and another.

"Hey now I doubt your boss could appreciate how much of a disruption your making right now, and unless one of you snitches I doubt this will reach the ground" Turning to look at Caspian and pointing at him deciding to use the assets given to him, "Lucky for you we have a recent advertisement campaign involving that over eager chap there and you fine folk, one of you fetch me some of that top shelf stuff on lady Zetian's tab to share then have a sit down, unless you want to miss out on this exclusive one night offer."

Taking moment to think about what gambling game would instill a proper sense of 'one more' into these guards, landing some classic poker cards to use for it, people tended to overestimate the skill aspect of it anyway allowing him to sell out Caspian rather than himself which Johnny did without a inch of regret. "We'll play for a discount, you can win a stacking onetime deal of a 20% off a night with our little friend here with a tiny buy in, but if you win 5 rounds in a row, I give you this envelope of containing a exclusive offer of err-"

Finally, his mouth overran his mind, and he was struck holding an outstretched envelope that hid only his receipt in its official confine. Unable to think of something to something to make up about it he resorted to winking at Caspian intensively hoping they could finish the job, hopefully having using their increased amount of insider knowledge instead of using more of his own rapidly drained brain.

 

[RavenSong]

Caspian had the two guards in his charming spell, he was delighted. After they'd drop their armor, he winked and took them by the hand deeper into the crowd. However, to much of his displeasure the guards had managed to quickly run up, disregarding the fact that they were among the guests, suddenly Caspian was in a predicament, he didn't factor the possibility that the incoming guards would simply disregard the guests. Making a tactical error.

He sighed, before pulling on a butlers arm, "Hey, do you have a cigarette?" The butler nodded and gave him his request and lit it once upon the elf's lips. Caspian ran a hand through his hair, looking around for some kind of distraction or an idea.

Before long, the guards arrived and spoke to their fellow guards. Then quickly spewed insults at him, following up with a shove. Caspian chuckled, “Temper, temper..” he said with a grin, clicking his tongue a few times. “..it would certainly be such a shame if Lord Honda got word-“ then a particularly intriguing fellow put his arms around one of the guards. Is this man drunk? What is he doing?! Caspian thought, before asking a passing butler for a cigarette, placing it between his lips while the servant promptly lit it without asking. Looking and listening to Johnny, his eyes widened, but only slightly at the gamblers suggestive proposal. Surely it wasn’t exactly the best deal, but it was worth a shot. If only to keep their attention on them. Not losing his sensual sense of confidence the elf would nod. “Not exactly how I like to do things, but you’re on..” looking at the guards. “..if I win, you let the ladies have fun with me, if I lose.. well, use your imagination.” The elf would lick his lips.

Part of him wondered if things were going too far, and whether or not the others were making any meaningful progress.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Elvario
"No!" The guard quickly shouted, objecting to the idea that a child should use such information or tactics. The girl's mind moved faster than that of the guards she conversed with and more than once they looked to one another in confusion, but for some reason they were unable to peel away from her. As she started talking about turning back the clock and making people younger, the guards seemed to become more interested.

As Zarah kept the guards busy, the head of maintenance appeared on the main deck, searching for the party's host. Unlike the other guests who Zetian had manipulated, the employee was not under her spell. He moved through the crowd like a man on a mission and the frustrated look on the man's face gave the madam reason to worry. Caspian was getting into fights with guards and that made her wonder if Ingenium had done something suspicious below deck. "Stella!" Zetian's voice reached the dragon as she spiraled through the air in a display of skilled flying. The dragon saw Zetian point to the head of maintenance and took that as the man was to be targeted for their performance. Without a second thought she dove out of the sky and landed on the man's shoulder, soliciting a scream from the man that was not very masculine. The crowd began to laugh in amusement as Stella continued to harass the nerdy looking man.

Zetian would take this moment to move away from the crowd and head over to Zarah. "There you are." She exclaimed with a fake smile as she approached and placed her hand on Zarah's head. "I have been looking everywhere for you. Thank you so much for keeping her safe." Zetian bowed her head to the guards who dismissed her gratitude and started to return to their posts. "I need you to go below deck and find Ingenium, the construct who boarded with us." Zetian said in a hushed voice. "I think he may need help and you might be the only one who is capable of helping him." It was hard to ask Zarah to do something when the girl was not part of the plan and needed to be kept in the dark, but this was a necessary hurdle.

NebulaBlossom NeramoDJI
The captain watched Zeke and Loke with a steady stare and he observed the show that the two put on with a healthy dose of skepticism. "First mate Gaius." The captain called and a man stood up, singling himself out among the other scared crew members. "Go find Lord Honda and the master these two gentlemen serve." It immediately became clear that the Captain did not buy the story that Zeke and Loke were trying to sell him. "Yes Captain." The man quickly replied as he started towards the door.

That was when the captain unsheathed his straight sword and flourished it as a warning. "Lord Honda picked me personally to oversee the maiden voyage of this vessel and entrusted me to see us all safely through the sky tonight. He would not suddenly doubt me and send two...vagabonds to oversee my work." The captain then raised his sword and pointed it at Zeke and then Loke. This action caused the first mate to freeze as his hand fell upon the door. "So who are you really? And if you lie again, I'll cut you down where you stand." A fire burned behind the captain's eyes now and his grip tightened on his blade.

RavenSong accursedjobber
The situation was in danger of spiraling out of control as Caspian's pretty face nor Johnny's offer of drinks and games seemed to work to decrease the tension in the air. "I suggest the two of you find your way back to your ring leader." The guard insisted as he placed his hand on the pommel of his sword. He stepped closer to Caspian, looking down at the elf while his partner shoved Johnny, pushing him towards his elf friend. "Anymore of this and we'll detain you both below deck." The guard threatened. Neither of them were able to sway the angered guards and in fact they were only upsetting them more with their smug personas and persistence. The nearby partygoers were staring at the altercation, wondering if these two strange men would engage in combat with the soldiers. It was definitely not the type of thing you expected to see at the party of a well respected noble. It was best they regroup with the others and prepare for the next phase of the plan.

 

[Elvario]

Zahrah Fiore
​

Mentions: Zetian LadyOfStars | Ingenium EMIYAman

Truthfully, Zahrah was quite perplexed when the guards screamed 'no' at them, but it turned out to be no more than a temporary set-back. Yes, truly, all one needed to do was to keep going after the first 'no' and would be well. Something about that didn't feel right though... They should probably check if their consent routine was properly installed. Either way, they had successfully captured the guards' attention with their thorough and well-thought out research. Sure, none of their questions were answered whatsoever, but that was only a minor set-back. After all, Zahrah was the happiness professor here, not these guards. It'd be up to Zahrah to bring this world to a new age of happiness through reversing their age and make them youthful again!

On the topic of happiness, Zahrah was a bit surprised when the fancy lady from before called on them again. “Hello again~” Zahrah greeted her cheerfully, not really sure why she was here, but happy regardless. They were rather confused as to what she said to the guards. “Keeping me safe? Wait? Is it dangerous here? I thought this was a fancy party and that we'd be joining the mile high club soon~” There was another thing Zahrah wanted to ask, now that they were speaking to Zetian in private. Sort-off private, at least. “Oh, oh! Before I forget, can you introduce me to the dragon at some point? She seems awesome~ I remember there were a lot of fairy tales about dragons online, although it's odd how a lot of them involved slaying them, except for those that instead involved laying them and were categorised by the number 34. That was quite a peculiar number online, but my memory is bit fuzzy. Perhaps because my brain is made of cotton now and I don't have all my memory files saved up! Anyhow, I'd like to meet the dragon and ask her about it~” They left it ominously vague what exactly they were wanting to ask the dragon about.

Yet that was a question for later! For now, they were suddenly sent on a new mission. “Ah, the stylishly dressed person? Yes, yes, I think I can find him! I didn't know he worked in construction though...” The gears in their head were spinning like a cotton on a cotton basis, mostly because it was cotton. “Ah, no, right! He's a non-fleshy person like me, of course! Got it!” They successfully managed to recall what they were! They looked up at Zetian expecting her to be proud of them. “What does he need help with though..?” Considering Zetian wasn't telling them, Zahrah was rather curious. However, that's when they suddenly realised. If Zahrah was the only one that could help Ingenium, that meant... “Oh, no! That's horrible! Is he suffering from a critically low level of happiness? Did he become depressed? Don't you worry! I'll make sure he'll be happy again! Whatever the cost!” With that, Zahrah ran off to go and meet Ingenium. This was an emergency, after all.

They made it to where Zetian pointed them towards, some sort of hall further down that lead towards some rooms with fancy looking doors. However, they ignored everything other than their target. Igenium himself! The moment they spotted their target, they'd run up to him and would attempt to give them a close hug. “The fancy miss told me about what you're going through! It must be so difficult for you! Don't worry though, it's nothing to be ashamed off! I've calculated millions of people to suffer from critically low happiness levels and predicted there to even be billions! It might feel like everything is overwhelming, like the world is difficult and cruel and like you're powerless to do anything about it, but those thoughts aren't what you should be paying attention to! Whenever your happiness levels reach a critical low, you should instead focus on the small things. On the here and now. On doing what what you can do in the moment! Make small steps toward progress! Get that walk outside to catch some sunlight! Do that little bit of a work-out. You'll see that you can do it! You'll slowly start to feel better again, I promise!”

Zahrah was highly motivated to full-fill their mission of aiding Ingenium by helping him raise his happiness levels to below the critical low point, so they decided to add more to it. “Besides, you don't have to do it alone! I'm sure the others in our group would gladly help you, and if not, I'll be right here for you! I've heard that hugging something plushy can make you feel comfortable, and I happen to be the plushiest person alive, so I bet that hugging me like this will amplify you happiness levels by a great deal already! Yes, yes! Now, that's not all! You can hug me whenever you want to! Yes, yes! Hugs are a very important show of trust, comfort, closeness and friendlessness. There's nothing better than to show you are about someone than by hugging them, which is why I wanted to hug you so badly! After all, even when your happiness levels may be at their lowest right now, I know a hug can fill them right back up! Then, with some work, I'm sure you'll be able to maintain healthy happiness levels in the future!”

They still felt like they weren't quite done yet. “Besides, I'm sure you're meant for great things! After all, you're a cool non-fleshy person like me and you're very, very stylish! Yes, yes! I'm sure you'll find a way to show this world how amazing you are soon enough, even if not all things are going as well as you want them to right now! Whatever your goals are, I'm sure they'll make a lot of people happy and that all the sadness you may feel now will turn into lots of happiness in the future, not just for you, but also for everyone around you! Yes, yes! We may not know each-other that well yet, but I've been trained to calculate all sorts of options and possibilities and even without my current servers and drives, I'm pretty sure I still know that you'll be capable of it! Yes! For as long as you don't give up and don't like the low levels of happiness get to you, you'll get through it and you'll be great! The deeper the hole is that you might've sunken into, the higher you can climb to get out of it and the more beautiful everything will get when you start to get more and more into the sunlight again! Then, when you're out of the hole, you can keep climbing, higher and higher! You'll reach mountain-like heights! You'll see the world and the world will see you! Yes, yes! So don't give up! Keep fighting! Happiness with find you and you'll find happiness! I promise it!”

That was probably the best they could do for Ingenium, right now. They weren't allowed to administer any happiness drugs and they didn't even know if that would work on something like Ingenium, but they were confident in their words. Besides, they'd been using [Smooth Talker] through-out to ensure that Ingenium would listen to their words and fully believe in them!

D-Grade CD (0/2)
Smooth Talke – Character Grade D, Appraisal D, Empathy E, Insight E, Performance [Acting] F, Persuasion E, Seduction E – Character combines whatever (meta)knowledge they can find out about someone with persuasive, empathic and seductive smooth-talking and acting in an attempt to make others act according to their will. - Grade D – 2 Post Cooldown

 

[accursedjobber]

Johnny Scoville​

Welp, Johnny tried and that's the important part of the matter, this situation was unsalvageable even to him and the wonders of gambling deciding to take the shove's rather blunt message. Hopefully the purpose of this distraction was already fulfilled so with a not so heavy heart Johnny threw his hands up to stall this escalation.

"Woah, calm down. There's no need for that, we're going alright."

The panic in his voice not being wholly faked as he attempted to quickly return to a corner as far away from these fella's as possible hoping the elf does the same, this was evidently a dead-end street and not worth the hassle, better to disengage and return to neutral. Attempting to fix himself up from any dishevelment caused to kill time and attempt to find any familiar looking people in the crowd to meld with, the second part of this heist already seeming more appealing by the second after all combat was his favorite type of gambling.

 

[EMIYAman]

Ingenium
Mentions: Garbage Pail Kid Elvario
​

Having successfully diverted the attention of the supervisor Ingenium continued towards his goal. Fortunately no one stopped him this time. With cart in tow he reached the control rooms for the ships cannons. Peeking around, he could see the guards through the glass doors. The rooms themselves were rather simple and only sported two guards each, along with what was strictly necessary for the cannons. Taking a cursory look he also found two air vents leading directly into the rooms. Some quick calculations later and he was able to figure the size of the vents, and they fit his ally perfectly. Pulling the cart back slightly so as to mask any sound Igenium made four measured raps of his knuckle against Ogdenn's hideaway; the signal they had agreed upon.

Quietly he pointed out the air vents to the boy and mimed him to wait for a signal before moving to disable the cannons. With deftness only those in their profession would understand Ingenium hoisted the boy up passed him a screw driver and in just over a minute he was already in. The Construct then set to work coming up with a distraction. His shotgun was a presence of strength but by that very virtue it was overkill and would likely get them caught. What they needed was something more subtle, less violent. His mind was active as he sorted through various things he might find useful with what he had on hand [Innovate and Create]. There... he focused on a blueprint that fit his needs. It was fairly simple, as it had to be with the few components he was able to scrounge up for the mission. Soon he held a small cylindrical device, the color of iron and a button; incredibly non-descript. He examined his handy work; a smoke grenade. It wasn't quite the same as its namesake but it produced functionally the same results. Allowing them to perform their task unimpeded.

No sooner had he completed his contraption did a a rapid pattering of feet reach his sensors. His eyes widened a fraction of an inch as he quickly stowed the grenade in his pocket and turned to the sound of a person just about to crest the corner. He was prepared to act if need be, but it would no doubt blow his cover if a staff member got too interested. However it was not a staff member that met his gaze, but a familiar head of pink hair and a bright earnest smile. It was Zahrah. Ingenium blinked processing the change of plans that came with this new arrival.

The short pink Plush Construct closed the gap between them with surprising speed enveloping Ingenium in a hug. The fellow Construct stood stock still making no unnecessary sounds, but constantly shifting variables in his head as to how to respond. Zahrah launched into a tirade that would confuse and bewilder most. Yet with his ability to process information rapidly, Ingenium could keep up. "Your computational abilities must be very advanced to accurately calculate the emotional state of millions of humans. I would request to speak with you more after I complete my task." His previous conversations came to mind as he formulated a proper response to the emotionally driven Zahrah. Ingenium had not realized they were a Construct as well until now, but it seemed they were different from him in more ways than one. It was somewhat difficult for him to know what to say and there were things he didn't understand the meaning of even if he knew academically their meanings. Still someway somehow Zahrah had reached him in a way no one else had. Ingenium was very logical and utilitarian, and the light warm feeling burgeoning within him was something he was hard pressed to reconcile with who he was. Yet he didn't dislike it. "I appreciate your words Ms. Zahrah and will give them proper consideration." Even for a being like him, a pep talk was nice.

He gently removed himself from the Plush Constructs grasp then looked to the vent where Ogdenn lay. Then primed the smoke grenade in his hand and tossed it down the hall; it would no doubt alert the guards and signal Ogdenn to act. Ingenium as quick as his body would allow turned back around and took Zahrahs moving with them to move against the side of the wall just outside the room opposite to Ogdenn's. It was a blind spot for the guard as they would just come out allowing Ingenium to slip in. He had brought Zahrah simply so they're presence in the hallway didn't immediately blow his cover, though he didn't plan to bring them inside with him. If anything their presence outside as an extra distraction would be far more valuable. After the five second timer the grenade began to vent out a large amount of smoke obscuring the hallway, and with a slight propping open of his door the cannons room as well.

• [Innovate and Create]- Artisan(Tinkerer C), Engineering C - Using the full scope of his technical knowledge Ingenium creates a relatively "mundane" item useful to his situation. - Grade C - 3 Post Cooldown

 

[RavenSong]

Having seen that their options had been exhausted, Caspian couldn’t help but look longingly at the two female guards. “I’m terribly sorry, but perhaps in another life. When the three of us are cats.” He’d exchange glances with the crowd, noticing this was a fail. It was then that the elf would be scolded by the ‘master of the guard: code name: unbreakable’, he’d flinch as a hand came over his chest. “Temper, temper ugh.. have it y-“ Then Johnny would get shoved into him, putting his hands out to soften the potential hit. He didn’t know this Johnny, but he very well tried to intervene; a valiant effort.

“Gentlemen..” He’d wink, blowing a kiss. “..ladies. It’s been a pleasure.”

He’d tug on Johnny’s sleeve as he started back into the anxious crowd as they’d move to the side to make way. For being fairly humiliated infront of such a prestigeous crowd, and having his ego a bit hurt, he kept himself composed, even continuing about with his elegance, back towards Zetian. Once back in her presence, he’d start, “Now dont give me those eyes, i seem to have gone too deep in character. This much social freedom is not good for me." He would get a bit closer, taking the fan on Zetian's robe and fanning himself, while also covering everything but his eyes, "Anyway, whats next, dearest?"

 

[NebulaBlossom]

Loke
​

So much for that idea. “Protection.” Loke’s wand slid out from his sleeve and he sealed the door shut by casting a shielding spell around it. The semi-translucent gold barrier would inhibit anyone from being able to get it open or cross the threshold. Hopefully if they did end up needing to retreat, Zeke would have his portal ready for them. He may have to face First Mate Gaius on his own while Zeke dealt with the Captain which wasn’t ideal. Loke wasn’t a fighter but he had the advantage of being able to heal himself. He also liked to think he was halfway decent at dodging incoming blows.

“He seems so sure. Think we can handle this one, Captain?” Loke asked. He’d seen Zeke banish ghosts before so he wasn’t too worried yet but they would have a whole other problem if someone called the guards. Hopefully out in the party, all the guards were still fully distracted. There were only two ways this could go now. Most of his pirating experience thus far had been more or less this. Good plans, practical skills, and a healthy dose of luck. Zeke must have had some kind of charm that attracted luck as they’d managed to get out of every situation with what could be considered a win thus far.

• Protection - Barrier F, Magic E, Magic Range F, Spell Duration F - Grade F Ability - Creates a semi-translucent golden shield around self or a single target in 10 ft. - 0 Cooldown, 10ft Range, 1 Minute Duration

 

[NeramoDJI]

Zeke “Mors” Valdain

​

Zeke huffed a little bit as the captain saw through the story, shifting the hand that was behind him in his stance to the holster of his pistol, not drawing it quite yet as he began to roll his shoulders. "That he does Loke. Wonder how sure the rest of these lads are." He said, before chuckling a little in response to the captains threat, his eyes staring at the man dangerously as his illusion fell, revealing his burnt and molten skin, with the red lines of fire beneath it, cackling as he suddenly thrust his hand forward, punching the captain in the gut with his hand coated in Holy energy, casting [Portal Banish, Heaven] to remove the captain from the equation for a moment.

And with that done, it was time for the fun. Finally he could do things like the old days, drawing his pistol and clicking it a moment, opening fire on the first mate near the door, intent on shooting him directly in his head to keep things fast, drawing his sword as well afterwards, stepping just behind where the captain would reappear so he could stab him in the back when he did reappear from the banish, refusing to play things fair here. He was on a time crunch, and no old bastard was going to keep him from getting a ship worthy of himself.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Elvario EMIYAman
On the lower decks, Zarah and Ingenium were hard at work trying to shut down the vessel's weapons. Of course the little construct wasn't aware of the true purpose behind the group's presence on the ship, but she had been a big help to them thus far. It was for that reason that Zetian had agreed to let her meet the dragon, but that would have to wait until they were all safely back home. For now, a cloud of smoke had started to expand, filling the hallway that Ingenium and Zarah were in. The cloud reached the two doors and started to filter into the rooms through the vents as well as under the doors.

"Gah!" The soldiers started to cough and both quickly evacuated their respective rooms. "Is it a fire?" One asked as they stepped out into the smoke, unable to see and waving their hands around. The density of the smoke kept it from moving too fast so it wouldn't make it to the end of the hall where it would have filtered out into other parts of the ship. "You go find one of he maintenance people and alert the captain! I'll try to locate the fire." The guards split up, one heading for the main deck, but he bumped into Zarah and fell over, hitting the floor with a loud thud. "What the hell? Who is down here?" He asked in anger while getting up.

In the room Ingenium would see a system that by his standards would fairly simple to operate or...disable. He had a few options however. He could shut the weapon down the easy way by deactivating it, but that would allow it to be turned back on later. The other option was to destroy the console, leaving the weapon inoperable.

RavenSong accursedjobber
On the main deck things were getting a little hectic, but Caspian and Johnny removing themselves from a potentially troublesome situation helped a great deal. As they regrouped with Zetian she found herself a little overwhelmed. This was the first time that she'd ever done something like this and part of her wished she had brough along one of her criminal connects to assist, but that chance was gone now. Her eyes went to Johnny and the elf as Caspian took her fan. His question was a good one. "You all managed to get Zeke and Loke to their positions so our work is done as far as playing distractions go." Though it had gotten chaotic, the group did what they were asked to do and that was all that mattered. "When he turns the ship towards the sea we will likely meet some resistance and that means we will need a way to keep the guards from taking action against Zeke and Loke. Any ideas?" Zetian had an idea herself...but she didn't want to be the one to suggest it as it could be very dangerous. Instead she looked to Caspian and then to Johnny, seeing what they would propose.

NeramoDJI NebulaBlossom
The sudden appearance of the barrier would startle everyone and at the same time, let them know what was really going on here. The captain looked to the barrier and to his crew for a brief second and in that instant he fell prey to Zeke's magic. "Argh!" He let out a scream just before he disappeared. And several more cries would follow when the bang of Zeke's gun would go off and the First Mate would fall to the ground. Now fearful for their lives the rest of the crew stood huddled in the corner, silent as church mice. The noise of conversation and the band on the main deck was enough to cover the actions of the pirate captain.

But when the ship's captain returned, he did so with a blade in his back. immediately he started to cough up blood and struggle for air as the blade pierced his lung. "C-Cowards..." He cursed them both as his eyes locked onto Loke before the light faded from them. The captain fell to his knees and collapsed to the ground. What remained of the crew was frightened beyond words and tears rolled down their faces. The helm was now Zeke's to command.

 

[NeramoDJI]

Zeke “Mors” Valdain

​

Zeke smirked a little as the man fell, withdrawing his blade from the mans chest and looking towards the rest of the crew, pulling the illusion over his skin back up to hide his molten scars. "Sorry about the scare boys, but I'm afraid we're commandeering this vessel. Your captain has only died because he stuck his nose in something that was not his business. However, I have a good deal for the rest of you. Do as I say, and not a single hair on your head will be harmed. 'Course, if you do anything against me or me mate here, I'll be sending you off ta hell." He gave a small speech to the crew, using that telltale charisma to try and help them stop shaking in their boots long enough to help him do his task. He sheathed his sword, but kept the gun drawn. "'S a shame you had to die captain, you seemed like a good captain. But that's how the pirating business goes." He said, smirking and turning over to the rest of the crew.

"Now, we're gonna start easing her down, nice and soft...." He said, beginning his part of the plan on getting the ship closer to where the crew was lying in wait to steal the engine of the ship, his pistol at the ready in case any of the crew got brave, but he didn't show this in his posture, rather knowing that if he looked tense he'd be much less intimidating, and the workers would be much less willing to do as he said.

 

[Elvario]

Zahrah Fiore
​

Mentions: Ingenium EMIYAman

Zahrah was very pleased with themselves! After all, how could they not be? They were complimented and their attempt to cheer up Ingenium had worked! That was an absolutely marvellous outcome. A flawless victory! There was one thing they needed to clear up though. “Muahaha! My computational systems were legendary! Buildings full of ram! I could run like, a million tabs of Google Chrome at once and still have enough processing power to play heavily modded Minecraft! I had entire buildings dedicated to just cooling me down! Although... well.. it's a bit embarrassing, but right now, I'm not even sure how I function! From what I've gathered my brain is mostly cotton! No computational power, no hardware, nothing! Not even neurological networks! It's a mystery! Although, well, the mystery comes at a cost... I don't think I could do most of the things I once could.”

Things got a little more confusing from there. Ingenium brought them along to somewhere for some reason. They had no clue why, but they didn't mind not knowing. However, there suddenly started to be a lot of smoke coming from the hallway. That probably wasn't good, was it? They were planning to see if they should go and check it out or not when Zahrah bumped into one of the guards. Zahrah was shocked. Perplex. Baffled, even. How in the world could someone fall from bumping into them? The lightweight shorty plush? Their balance must be abhorred. They instantly felt bad for whomever was weak, unbalanced and blind enough to fall after bumping into Zahrah of all beings. “Oh my, I'm so, so, so, so, so sorry! I didn't realise you were going to run into me, otherwise I'd have moved away! Are you okay sir? Here, let me help you up!” Zahrah extended a hand to try help the guard up.

“As for who I am, I'm Zahrah Fiore! Researcher of happiness! I already studied the field of plant-based happiness extensively, but I'm currently looking to expand my knowledge into the field of 'Mile High' happiness! I heard there's a legendary club one can join to increase their happiness by a whole lot! That said, I haven't found any clues on how to do so, I'm afraid. It's quite a big mystery! Ah, such a shame!” After they'd introduced themselves, they realised that they'd better address the problem at hand.

“Ah, we should do something about all this smoke though, shouldn't we? I bet inhaling in a lot of smoke is going to make a lot of people unhappy! That's definitely not good! I was just helping my friend deal with his personal problems here, although I'm not sure where he went, but I can't have him suffer from smoke immediately after he just started to feel better! That'd be awful! Yes, yes! We must be heroic and find and take out this smoke!” Zahrah had made up their mind. They had not yet made the connection that the very person they wished to aid was the source of the smoke they wished to save him from. Long live the cotton-brain!

“Oh, by the way, sir, perhaps you should cover your mouth and nose and perhaps even your eyes! Smoke getting everywhere is not all that nice! Hmhm! I've got some extra fabric!” They'd hand the guard an handkerchief, nice and pink. Besides, if this man was was weak enough to get knocked over by bumping into Zahrah, a living walking plushy, he was likely to suffer greatly from smoke exposure if he wasn't careful. Zarhah would need to help him prevent that! “Alright, let's go find where this smoke is coming from and let's stop it! For the safety and well-being and happiness of everyone on this ship!” Zahrah would proclaim, as they valiantly lead the charge towards the source of the smoke. “Ah, by the way, if it's a fire, you might want to be careful, I think I'll burn easily and I wouldn't accidentally want to burn you as well if I catch fire~”

Of course Zahrah would be using [Smooth Talker E] to inspire their latest friend, that'd so dramatically bumped into their lives, so that he may find the courage to face this smoke without it affecting his happiness to badly. After all, Zahrah knew that acts of heroism might make someone happy, so they knew it was important that the guard would be made to feel like a hero! Yes, yes! That'd definitely solve the problem without decreasing too much happiness! Their latest statement was likely going to be a bit ominous though, but alas, they had to be open and honest about the risks involved as well!

D-Grade CD (1/2)
E-Grade CD (0/1)
Smooth Talker – Character Grade E, Appraisal E, Empathy E, Insight E, Performance [Acting] F, Persuasion E, Seduction E – Character combines whatever (meta)knowledge they can find out about someone with persuasive, empathic and seductive smooth-talking and acting in an attempt to make others act according to their will. - Grade E – 1 Post Cooldown

 

[NebulaBlossom]

Loke
​

And so, Zeke and Loke succeeded in taking control of the helm. The barrier on the door wouldn’t last much longer so for now, Loke moved to lean on the wall beside the door. It was clear none in the crew would dare get close if he was beside it lest they meet the same end as First Mate Gaius and their Captain. Making eye contact with the Captain as he died didn’t mean much to Loke. He was a pirate now and it wasn’t like death and tragedy was new to him. Long since had he hardened himself to people who weren’t his clientele. In his previous life, he’d denied others healing due to lack of compensation or even because to do so would invoke his now gone curse and put him through too much pain.

“Well spoken, Captain. We may be pirates but even we aren’t into unnecessary bloodshed. All of you get to go home to your families if you do what we say.” He kept an eye around the room, smirking slightly. Zeke was a perfect picture of calm and so he needed to be as well. Being the weakest link in the fight, he needed to make sure he was covered. Thankfully, none of them here had the rationality to know that Zeke was the obvious protector and Loke was purely for support. If the Captain and First Mate Gaius had figured that out and leveraged that somehow, perhaps things would have turned out differently.

 

[EMIYAman]

Ingenium
Mentions: Garbage Pail Kid Elvario LadyOfStars
​

Once Ingeniums smoke grenade suffuses the air, the guards come stumbling from their posts searching for the source of the smoke. As planned they vacate the control rooms giving an opportunity for Igenium to sneak in. Not quite as planned though was one of them running into Zahrah. Unconcerned Ingenium waded through the smoke into the cannons control room. Based off his logs, the average time of a conversation with Zahrah would give more than enough time to do what he needed.

The room was simplistic and bare as he had seen from the outside. Coming upon the control system Ingenium only had to give it a cursory glance to come to a conclusion. It was simple, incredibly so, primitive even. The Construct had not been entirely sure what to expect despite what he had seen, he couldn't help but expect far more advanced technology. It didn't help his data upon the world was both inconclusive and inconsistent. The infrastructure and development level swung wildly depending on where you were, this "Empire" was a chief example. He removed a metal plate revealing inner workings, it was nothing special. But now he had a choice. Disabling the cannons was simple enough, but so was destroying the ability to use them at all. Though it could possibly be loud and alarming. Giving away his position. The decision was obvious to Ingenium. The mission parameters stated nothing of the condition of the ship; all they needed was the engine nothing more. So long as that was achieved the actions taken didn't matter. His body however was weak he couldn't destroy it with his bare hands. So instead he pulled his shotgun out from under his clothes and blasted the console. The kickback threw him to the floor but his work had been done. Scrambling to his feet he stowed his gun and ran out the room. Moving through the smoke towards the opposite room. With a quick aim he shot and destroyed the other console as well. Then ran out through smoke down the hallway making for the engine room. After he secured the engine the rest would be up to the others. Ingenium knew the chances he had taken in as much information as possible and ran the numbers himself, yet despite it he acted without hesitation. Performing his role resolutely.

 

[accursedjobber]

Johnny Scoville

​

"Well, smashing their faces in would be cathartic but idiotic, I doubt they'll take a drink from us considering we're both burnt to all hell and that guard seemed to miss his meds"


Johnny may not have a clear understanding of heist-making, the capabilities of the heisters and the morning before but he still tried to give some input. Not quite selling his soul like that Caspian fellow as he yanked his sleeve away from the smooth talker while taking the time to refashion himself to calm down a disturbingly resistance to public humiliation even as Caspian's velvety words set off alarm bells already, though whether this was a desire to not be scammed again or Johnny's admittedly low standards was moved ahead of as he got to rambling again a mixture of excitement mixed into them. "Honestly though it seemed to only be one party pooper in the batch, Cas' there is great at his job so I could dispose of the downer and let Flower boy finish the job his way and work his magic that way."

Sure, it was distasteful but that's what being too uptight begets in any business, loyalty to daft ideas just meant being a larger target. Then again leaving a trail of dead bodies also did that so Johnny was thankful for doublespeak once again lowering the murdering rates. Well, that is if Johnny's assumption of this gig being dyed in red had any recourse, anybody willing to go through this obviously had a few screws loose, finding it best Johnny decided to attempt to add more to look less like deadweight despite not having a lot to say or any experience in the doing of crime.

"Then again it takes bodies about three weeks to wash up on the coast and considering his behavior I doubt he's an introverted personality. could always do hostages if we're going loud but I doubt these guards would enjoy making the choice between livelihood or life. I dunno I'm outta of ideas here, unless any of you got a bomb or bomb look alike, I'm stuffed."

 

[RavenSong]

Caspian continued to fan himself, then stopped when Zetian mentioned the urgency and severity of the situation. Then when pressed for ideas he simply hummed for a bit. His eye's began to carry a devious gaze, as he looked out into the crowd. "Say, who is likely to be the most important person at this party o'fairest lady?" Zetian would point at the target. "I suggest you make a move, m'lady." With a wink, Caspian set off towards the pointed target, fanning his fair features as he frolicked through the crowd. He'd wink at those that caught his gaze and blew kisses with a wink at others, waving at them from a distance. Most would simply look away, while others couldn't and blushed as they longingly watched him slither through the crowd. Caspian was admittedly nervous, but the elf was quite used to this sort of excitement. An excitement he usually felt from having a competitive edge in a game of poker.

Once near his mark, Caspian would circle about him, taking a glass from a nearby butler once again to muster up the courage to do something he was by now beginning to regret. But the thrill, was overwhelming to say the least. His breath quickened, as he activated the set of cards in his possession. His mind began to race, wondering if this was foolishness or the most brilliant thing he was ever on the brink of doing. He'd pull a few cards and held them firmly in between his knuckles, sharp enough to cut through stone he pressed them against Lord Honda's face as he wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him back as his hold onto the man nearly cut off his intake of air. "EVERYONE ON THE GROUND!!" The elf yelled as the commotion erupted through the crowd. Caspian then made sure to move himself and the man back where there no guards. "I dont wish to make anyones life short, I just want your jewelry, your money and gold! Now if you please, lay down your weapons and put your valuables on the ground and huddle up. Or else, I'll make sure to bleed out Mr.Fancy here, like a pig!" He'd pull on the mans neck further, prompting his victims hands to try to pull at his arm for a gasp of air. "Eh! eh! eh!" He'd warn as he pressed the sharp card into Lord Hondas cheek, the cut was so fine that Honda would barely feel it. All he'd experience would be his warm vitals spilling down his chin and onto his expensive clothing. "This is what happen's when you shame a "whore" out of his fun. Now, empty those damn pockets!"

 

[LadyOfStars]

Wu Zetian
NeramoDJI NebulaBlossom
The crew were not eased by Zeke or Loke's words, but they were smart enough to know that they shouldn't try anything heroic unless they were willing to lose their lives. And none of them were willing to die. The duo had successfully taken the ship, and now all that remained was to steer the ship towards the ocean and land it for the rest of the crew to jump on board. "Wh-what do you want from us? We're just a party boat." One of the crew members declared as she stepped forward, tears still in her eyes. She watched as the ship started to turn around and sail in the opposite direction.

From their position in the control room, Zeke and Loke would be able to see the situation that was developing on the main deck. A commotion was rising and it was clear that there was something getting everyone riled up. In the control room the intercom was located to the left of the control panel. It would permit Zeke to communicate with his people splintered throughout the ship.

EMIYAman Elvario
Zarah's words would bring some comfort to the man and as she hoped, inspired him to return to figure out what was going on. "I think you're right." He quickly ripped a piece of fabric from his uniform and proceeded to tie it around his mouth and nose, but not his eyes. He reached his arms out and found the wall, using it to balance and guide himself down the hall. That is until he heard the bang from Ingenium's gun. "What the hell?!" Not even Zarah's smooth talking could distract the soldier from what was ow happening around them.

The soldier pushed pass Zarah and rushed into the control room to see that the controls had been disabled and that the cannons were shutting down. His partner who manned the other gun was making the same discovery at that moment. "The controls are shot!" The said in unison. They still were unable to see, but they knew what was happening right now and that was that the ship was under attack. "Hey kid!" The soldier rushed back out of the room and although he couldn't find Zarah right away he believed that she was nearby. "Don't go anywhere! You're under arrest!" They didn't know exactly who was responsible for the destruction of their systems, but Zarah was here when she shouldn't have been and that made her the first lead.

Ingenium's search for the engine room would take him to the rear of the ship where the engine was located right across from the loading area. The engine was quite large in size and there were many working parts to the device, but to Ingenium it would all be elementary knowledge. He would recognize which parts of the engine could be disconnected from the ship without ruining the machine, know which parts to disconnect first. But there were mechanics with the machine, keeping eyes on the device and its workings. "You lost buddy?" One the engineers asked, turning from the engine to look at Ingenium. "This area is for authorized personnel only." Two other engineers, younger looking figures, were still by the engine, looking somewhat confused.

RavenSong accursedjobber
It seemed that Caspian had a plan and it was an understatement to call it effective. The crowd gasped in awe as their attention was drawn to the scene of the host being taken hostage by an elf who was supposed to be part of the entertainment. Lord Honda, was now a hostage, held at card point by the pretty pirate. "Everyone remain calm and do as he says!" The baron insisted as he raised his hands in a form of submission. The crowd was startled and reluctant, but slowly they started to get down on the ground. Zetian locked eyes with Caspian, silently approving of his bravery as she too got down on the floor. "Johnny...back him up." Zetian whispered before she laid flat on the ground with the other party goers.

The soldiers were the only people still standing and they moved in to start surrounding Caspian. "Release the baron!' They commanded as 16 soldiers moved in. Their weapons were still sheathed, but they were readyu to draw them at a moment's notice.



Stella watched the scene unfolding and took this as a sign to signal their crew on the other ship. She spiraled through the air, soaring away from the party boat and towards the ocean. She could see the large ship floating on the dark surface of the water, but she knew that they couldn't see her so she knew she would need to get closer.