RP Pirates of the Hard Nox 2

And back to the alley we go. Naveen could have fought his way out of it, but he was curious. He'd watched the crew during the days he'd been there, and this one stood out like a sore thumb. He didn't belong there.

"... Who's Emer again?" He asked with a cheeky smile. Of course he knew who he was talking about, not because he actually remembered people's names, but because there was only one person the giant lizard would ask about. "Oh… The feathery one. Cute, isn't she?" The sound of a shaky barrel made Naveen look behind the lizard, and at the woman he'd left behind. She was waking up. There was blood staining her cheap cotton dress, ripped apart at the collar to give him better access to her now injured neck.


***

"How about…" Caleb stuffed his hand into his pocket, searching for something. Perhaps the cat thought it'd be a treat, and Caleb merely recoiled his arm, trying to get away from it. Before he could make the fortune teller an offer however, a familiar voice he hadn't heard in years rang behind him.

"No shit." He smiled, looking back at the former cook of the Nox before Soren arrived, rest his soul. Last time they'd seen each other he was nothing but a cabin boy, and apparently he was still seen as such. "It's captain now. Is this place yours?" He asked, finally removing what he was searching for from his pocket and showing it to the aos gaotha. Not a coin, but a small jade. "Not for the reading, for your time. I want to take you somewhere to meet someone. Don't listen to Zadari, he used to be a pirate himself, if you didn't know."
 
Pumpernickel hopped up on the table, sparing Ruby only a condescending look, and then began to try to wile her way into the young man's good graces. And, somewhat predictably, Zardari appeared right after, with another bowl of soup for her. It would take a short while to cool, and Ruby decided to use that while to watch their interaction.

Pirates were not a new idea to her. One or two superstitious crewmates from probably illegal groups had slipped in to seek aid in finding treasures that were eluding them. She peddled her lies, and they did not see through her. She hadn't seen or heard from any of them since, so either they had found what they were looking for, or died trying. In her experience, pirates were fools.

He did not look like a pirate captain. He looked like he could be a pirate. But a captain? He didn't look old enough to be a captain. Her eyes went from his face to his hands as he produced the jade and made his offer. It made the feathers on her arms want to stand on end, but she maintained her facade with an even breath. She had been persuaded one too many times in her life to accompany strange, charming young men to meet people of interest. It was a mistake she would never repeat.

She looked down at the jade, then back up at the boy captain. "A cavern of such jewels would not persuade me to go where I do not wish, Captain Caleb. At least not with more foreknowledge."

Except her eyes, while apparently trained on him, flicked slightly up to turn to Zadari. She did not trust Zadari personally. She did, however, trust his instincts, even more so if he knew the captain. She also knew that her continued existence drew customers to The Last Meal, so her going off and being kidnapped or worse would be slightly detrimental to him. He had no reason to lie if he thought this was a bad idea.
 
One-eye was reaching into his pocket - curious, I thrust my face at his hand, trying to get a good smell. Sometimes, people kept tasty things in their pockets, and they'd take them out for me like offerings for a goddess. But no - one-eye pushed me away without any care - and I sulked away, shooting him a contemptuous glare. It was an old rock, anyway. A terrible offering.

My man-thing came over with soup for the tall-prey. The moment his hands were empty, he scratched me on my head. I tilted into the touch with a purr, rubbing my head and ears along his fingers, letting this newcomer one-eye know who really was the boss around here. Man-things had terrible noses in general, but surely even he could tell my scent marked every corner of this place.

Momentarily appeased with the affection, I turned my attention to the tall-prey's soup, sauntering over to it and leaning it for a sniff. Then - if unimpeded - I'd reach out a paw to dip into the bowl.
 
"Oh, no credit," Rielle stated immediately. "I work strictly cash." Why, if you started doing things on credit, then everyone wanted credit! That, and then people would start claiming they were owed something just because they'd given you half an egg once. And how much credit was half an egg? Well, Rielle supposed it depended on what sort of egg - now, a fairy egg, that would be worth something, especially since fairies weren't supposed to lay eggs. But if one did... ah, wouldn't that be a story?

And, more in the real world, she supposed the value of an egg also depended largely on how much one needed an egg at that particular moment, but that was hardly worth spending any time thinking about.

Now, what would be the most fantastical sort of egg she could come across? What an interesting question!

"Do you ever find any eggs?"
 
Alys left the clinic having gained a new, potentially aggravating hobby, and a little less pain and worry. By the time she left the ship, very few of the crew remained. Those who did remained out of sight; locked away in their quarters or holed up in cupboards and crannies, evidently uninterested in the cold smog beyond the ship. Of course, neither was the fae, who preferred sunny days and cool coastlines. But there was money to be spent and adventures to be had.

With her hood over her head, offering protection from the occasional drizzle, and armed with mediocre weapons she'd borrowed from the armoury, Alys made her way down the street, keen on finding the best blacksmith in town. She'd have to be blind not to notice the pretty blade Naveen had been strutting around with, her fucking blade, and having lost her cutlass and pistol in the mountains, she was in desperate need of new toys to play with.
 
Now the conversation was moving too fast for even Juniper to keep up with. "I'm sorry, eggs? Why are we- I mean, I suppose? But nothing fantastical, if that's what you mean." Their face was marred with confusion as they spoke, trying to parse exactly what Rielle had meant. "Why are we talking about this now? Are you looking to join us or not?"
 
"Captain." The chef repeated, touching a finger to his lips in thought. "Finally left the Hard Nox, then? You're a bit late, I'd say, but credit where credit's due, I suppose." A glance was spared along the man's outfit, though, and his lip quirked in distaste. "Might want to look the part, though."

And so the Cabin-Boy-turned-Boy-Captain gave his little pitch to the bird. Julian gave a roll of his eyes, then snatched Pumpernickel from the table as she sought to dip one of her paws into the soup he had just prepared. "Really, I fucking cannot with you, for the love of... augh." He scooped a hand beneath her belly and rested her against his chest, cradling her as one hand stroked the top of her head. "Keep touching my work and you'll lose that paw, darling. Final warning." With his threat delivered in a polite, nearly sing-song mutter, he gave another insistent stroke to her neck and scratched there for a moment as he looked to the bird.

"I wouldn't go, personally." Julian spoke simply on the matter. He had no reason to lie. Yet. "I used to run with them, you see. The key word there, of course, being used to. Ruffians, all of them. Not a thank-you for the meals, nor appreciation for my talents when your medicine woman was busy soaking her blends in poppy to get herself high." A disgusted little scoff fell from his lips, at that, and he stroked the cat's head to calm himself. "I've done well for myself, Caleb. This is my restaurant. Unlike you, I've retained the ability to function as a member of proper society."
 
"No, not usual eggs, I could get those in the kitchen. Something interesting. A cockatrice, perhaps - I'd love to ride a -"

Well, never mind that, it didn't seem plausible at this particular moment. Also, there were many other interesting adventures to be had!

"Very well! I shall allow your ship the honor of being my vessel for my next adventure. And you! You will be my sidekick. You can do the ah- wizardly stuff. As you do. And I will do the rest of it. So! That's settled, then. Where are we going?"
 
Look the part… Perhaps it was time for Caleb to get one of those big hats. Sinead wasn't the type to wear one, but unlike him, she didn't care if people misinterpreted her. It took some getting used to, but they all respected her authority as captain at some point.

"Good for you, man." Caleb dismissed Julian's comment charged with judgment and stood up, locking eye with the woman. "The medicine woman, she's like you. She hasn't met another Aos Gaotha in years and she'd be happy to get to know you." With a smirk he turned around, placing the jade back in his pocket and reaching for the folded parchment he'd taken from the board. Before heading to the exit, Caleb stopped at Juniper's table and put it in front of them.

"Get yourself some nice clothes, a mask and tell the others we're going." He smiled at the redhead. "You can bring a date."

After leaving the flyer to the ball at the sorcerer's hand and getting to the exit, Caleb looked back at the woman with a ruby on her neck and spoke loudly.

"Are you coming or not? The Hard Nox awaits."

***

As the song came to an end Ronan, along with the other people around him, clapped for the performer. He didn't notice when a small hand untied the satchel with gems from his belt and ran away from the crowd, but he noticed Alys walking past him.

"Hi!" He was happy to see her. He wanted to ask how coins worked, but didn't want to be made fun of by asking it in front of the crew. He patted the side of his hip and looked confused as to where his satchel was. "Did I leave it on the ship? I could've sworn it was right here…"
 
If Zadari had not snatched Pumpernickel out of the way, Ruby probably would have simply pushed her off the table. She was faster, though, and she was his cat, so she watched him take care of it without any visible satisfaction.

Her attention shifted forcibly when he said medicine woman. It did not have to mean a wise woman. Certainly not. It could have been any woman who dabbled in herbs, although more often they might be called a witch. But it did, as the young Captain confirmed by sharing the wise woman's nature as Aos Gaotha. She stared at him for what to her felt like forever, slightly widened eyes betraying her surprise but hopefully not her sincere hope that he was lying. But he was not lying.

How could she face her Folk, after what she had become?

She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She would not let him see the shame in her eyes. She wrestled with it. There would always be that part of her that yearned for a family, for Folk. A part that dreamed long of soaring among the stars in the dark of the night. But the part that felt shame, and was a liar herself, was stronger.

"There are no others like me." She said it with the gentle force of someone convincing herself the hope was a lie. Her eyes reopened, and they were cold and unreadable once again. Her mouth remained a firm, dark line, as she watched Caleb go. "I do not go with strangers, especially those who make false promises. I am not coming."
 
The sound of distant singing had drawn in a decent-sized crowd. People of all sorts gathered in the street, blocking the path of those who cared more about the small, clustered shops rather than the music. Weaving through the horde, Alys almost immediately noticed a familiar face; a face that seemed entranced by the entertainment. His towering height and red hair made him easily recognizable, and apparently, an easy target. So high up from the ground, Ronan didn't notice the short figure that'd lingered by his side, their tiny hands untying the bag that housed his earnings. By the time Alys reached him, the figure was bounding down the street, running as quickly as their legs, and the crowd, could take them.

"First pick-pocket, huh?" the fae said, nodding and pointing towards the thief. Her gaze wandered back up to meet Ronan's. Gods, she had to go after them, didn't she?

"Well, come on then," Alys sighed heavily, launching herself forward after the figure. For a moment, she was forced to weave through the thickest part of the crowd, but as people began to grow sparse, her long legs began to pick up the pace.
 
Without warning, I was lifted away from my rightly-sought spoils, hoisted above the table as if I were some - sack of cloth. Indignant, I squirmed and let out a light yowl, but as my man-thing's grip tightened, I settled, simply accepting my predicament. Oh, would I have choice words for him when we were alone. I was already thinking of all the different terrible things I could call him.

But - for now - this was comfortable, and so I purred.

Begrudgingly.
 
Based on the way she'd looked at the jade with sparkles in her eyes, Caleb thought she'd be easy to buy.

"My promises are not false." This one wasn't at least, even if his track record wasn't the best. He shrugged, lifting up his hands. "Everyone's a stranger at some point, right? Pity. There are more where this came from." He picked up the gem again, tossed it in the air and put it back in his pocket, leaving the restaurant.

It was fine, he'd just have to bring Emer to her instead. And remind himself not to mention Julian would be there.

***

Ronan had been having a lot of firsts, and this wasn't one of the good ones. He chased Alys down the street while she chased the thief, trying not to bump into people, which was quite hard due to how big he was. Eventually, he lost sight of the fairy and the hooded figure she was chasing.

***

The small goblin didn't need to look back to know he was being chased. He made sure to go past big groups of people, sliding down carts and making sudden turns to hopefully get them off their tail. He could still hear the footsteps, though.

The young thief pushed down a pile of barrels that would block the way between him and the person behind him who he then discovered was a fairy that could easily fly over his attempt at a distraction.

"Shit," he cursed under his breath and kept running until finding himself on a dead end street.
 
Lucien was almost surprised by the mutt’s bravado. There were some who would threaten the vampire to his face, vowing to end his life, but seldom if not none of them would simply ask how he could be killed. Lucien could count the number of times that had happened in his decades of living on one hand. Of course, as usual, the mutt disappointed Lucien by backtracking, explaining he simply wanted to learn how to kill vampires.

“Very well. Enter.” Lucien let out a tsk as he turned on his heel, beckoning Leo to enter his lair. Leo would not find much that fit the vampire’s macabre reputation, save for the bedding being black. Everything else was unassuming, fairly standard for a navigator’s cabin, although perhaps the cabinet full of unlabeled ceramic bottles was a touch questionable.

“You mistake my lack of immediate action for hesitance and fear, pup.” Lucien closed the journal that lay open on the desk, picking up the glass that lay alongside it and swirling its crimson contents before taking a sip. “Falmouth and I had worked out an arrangement to finish the vampire during our next encounter, but plans changed.” Lucien stared into his glass as he recalled the fight under the mountain, the one he had been absent from, the one where his Captain had fallen. He flicked his gaze up towards the mutt, standing there holding a ridiculous shield.

“I know how to kill another vampire, yes. But first, how do you suppose one is killed?” He took another sip as he waited for an answer.
 
Had it not been for the sudden ache in her torso, where the scorpion tail had stung her, Alys might’ve relished in the thrill of the chase. But the pain slowly crept in as she hurled herself through groups of people and leapt over pesky obstacles. Finally though, relief appeared in the form of an empty alley, a dead end.

Hearing the figure curse to themselves, Alys slowed to a hesitant walk near the opening, quickly assessing her surroundings. As much as it was a relief, the dead end could just as easily be a ploy. Ronan was gone, no where to be found, and she was alone, seemingly isolated. Fortunately, she has confident in her abilities and always had an easy escape route - up, up to the sky.

Besides, she didn’t plan on loitering. Pulling out one of the knives strapped to her body, Alys stalked forward, eyes trained on the small figure. Her fingers slid against the handle and then released, the blade flying through the air and embedding itself into the wooden barrel just to the right of the thief’s head.

“That doesn’t belong to you,” she drawled.
 
Shit. Shit. Shit.

The young goblin turned around in time to almost have his ear cut out with the knife tossed in his direction, and the woman made it clear that wasn't her only weapon. He started to lift his hands in defeat, when a third person appeared behind the threatening fairy. A person with an uniform.

"What do we have here? A couple of thieves." The tall fae asked. He had tanned skin, a big mustache and wore the symbol of the Leimor guard on his chest. His hand was raised, while the other rested on the hilt of his rapier.

"Give it to me."
 
She had him, arms raised and practically trembling, ready to return the small satchel. But then the voice behind her boomed, causing the fae to grumble unhappily to herself and slowly turn around, back pressed against the wall so that she could watch both the guard and goblin.

A couple of thieves? For once, she was very innocent, a mere bystander to a crime. A good samaritan.

Deciding to ignore the accusation and play the part, Alys slowly raised her trembling hands. "Oh thank the gods that you're here officer. He stole my friends money. Can you help me?"
 
The satchel fell to the ground.

"Please don't arrest me! I'll give it back, I promise!" The scared goblin cried, eyes widened as he watched the guard wield his sword and point it at him.

"Go. Before I change my mind." He pointed it at the fairy, who also had her hands up in the air. "Turn around, hands on the wall." Expecting her to obey his command, the man walked over to the satchel to pick it up and allowed the goblin to escape, keeping his eyes at the pair of blue wings. He remembered those wings. "I know who you are."
 
An act of feigned gratitude nearly began, had it not been for the sword that was now pointed at her. To match the trembling in her hands, Alys' eyes widened, confusion taking over her facial features. "Officer, I think you're mistaken. The thief is getting away." Her body remained still, refusing to comply with his orders, shaking hand just itching to take hold of one of the weapons beneath her coat. For his sake, she hoped he'd move on, but a part of her also dared him to keep going.
 
She'd refused to turn around and was clearly trying to come up with a way to either escape or attack him. The guard put the satchel in a pocket inside his coat, walking carefully towards her.

"Let him get away." The tip of his blade slowly brushed over her shoulder and his mustache began to shrink until it was gone. His skin turned lighter, hair longer and the jacket around his arms became a little bit tighter. The wings behind his back, gone. "You've grown, Alys." Sky said, looking the same way he did five years ago.
 
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