Closed Pirates of the Hard Nox [archive]

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FANG

The hat might have been a mistake, but the feather was so nice and long and fluffy that Leo couldn’t leave the thing alone. He wasn’t a moron, he knew hats go on your head. But the fluffy soft feather bounced so much and he couldn’t see it up there. After a few moments walking he had decided it was far more entertaining in his hands.

He also decided that boots were awful. They were heavy, and with his feet all covered up they were hot and couldn’t feel the grass and sand, the timbers and the dirt. Caleb had insisted that pirates wore boots and Leo was a pirate, so the boots stayed on. Fluffy soft feather was a nice distraction.

There were times Leo simply followed Caleb, or set about the tasks he assigned and zoned out. Usually Caleb would call Leo’s name to break the spell, but this time the spell was ended by another name entirely. As Caleb called out to the feathery doctor Leo’s gaze shot up from the feather, eyes widened and pupils dilated to nearly consume the gilded irises. There was little cover, no tree wide enough, no bush thick enough to hide Leo’s frame.

So he stepped behind Caleb, uselessly. He tensed when the Doctor spoke, then relaxed at her soft, vulnerable tone. Leo had seen how much Emryk enjoyed the Doctor’s company over the last few days, and though their initial meeting had been jarring perhaps, he thought, she was not so scary as she had seemed.

In fact, she seemed a little sad.

Leo stepped around Caleb and stooped toward the feathered woman suddenly, bringing his face level with hers. Almost cautiously he sniffed the air between them. ”Emryk is not with you. What did he do?”
 
QUIRBLES

Solitude made for awful company. To be alone with one's thoughts was hardly to be alone at all; no, the insistent chorus of doubt in his ears, intrusive and vulgar, made sure he was dutifully accompanied. Uncertainty and angst fell in lockstep with his stride, and only served to grow louder with each pace upon the dirt. Louder, louder came the overwhelming fear, until it drowned out the bustle of the festival and the jeers of the crowd.

Bloody creatures--

Fear turned to frustration, as he pushed through the tide. One hand held his jacket tight to keep it safe from pickpockets, and the other pushed out as if wading through water.

I said no, Emryk. I feel unwell.

Frustration, naturally, soured into that ever-familiar anger.

"No." The Baron murmured, shaking his head. "Never again." He needed to hit something. Someone. He needed a stiff drink. He would have none of these. None. Earth below, he needed to stop pitying himself. It had been his fault, and he was hardly destined for a pirate's life regardless-- what, would he simply invite her back to the Vakaan Estate when he'd fully recovered and paid his debts to the Nox? What a foolish thought. He'd seen the way Sinead regarded him, the venom in her tone. The pair were quite obviously close, and for the Captain to depart with the ship's primary doctor... no.

Stupid, stupid man.

Longing as he was to ruminate upon the situation, it appeared thoughts of Emer would have to wait. A voice had cut through the crowd, seemingly directed at him. Emryk's head craned to find the source, and when the first of her inquiries was thrown his way, his brow furrowed. The Baron took one step towards the booth, then another, stopping a pace or two away from the shorter woman behind the table.

"Ah. I beg your pardon?" He murmured, one hand rubbing at the nape of his neck. "No. I do not shed." By the earth, when was the last time he'd molted? Certainly before the Truth Teller, of course. Malnutrition meant he'd gone a long while without dropping his coat. Ponderance of his schedule, however, only delayed the inevitable follow-up.

"... why?"
 
KATPRIDE

Oooh, she’s caught a big one. The scaly fella towers well over Lula and even over her booth, and she whistles a low note as she cranks her head back to meet his stare. Half because he’s way up there, and half to call off Knobby before it can peck off more than it can carry. A real multitasking sound.

She gets all the way up onto the table and still isn’t anywhere near his height, so she starts hovering. Everyone’s too tall these days.

“Darn.” Doesn’t shed, that’ll make things harder. Her voice is as high and excited as ever, as she never quite got the hang of ‘not sounding like she’s on a sugar high’ like her mentor wanted. Something about scaring away potential customers. Eh.

Then he asks why, which is a silly question. Lula pulls a silly face in response, which she figures is only fair. “Because you’ve got real shiny scales, mister.”

Something tells her that isn’t enough of an answer, though, so she continues. “I make shiny things. Which means I need shiny things to make them from. Got any spares I could buy off of you?”

Scales are detachable, right? She’s not gonna, like, test it out herself, but maybe he has two layers of them or something. She’s a tinkerer, not a lizard doctorer. And she does like the way they catch the light.
 
DELFI

Leo assumed Emryk had done something to Emer, Caleb expected it to be the other way around, knowing how nosy the wisewoman could get. Instead of addressing her swollen eyes, Caleb figured a distraction would help lift her up much more than questioning the reason why she looked so upset behind her fake smile.

"You're not planning on having Mal's nutrient paste for supper, are you?" He raised an eyebrow. "We can find somewhere quiet with tea and a proper meal, let's go." The quartermaster touched both of his crewmates' backs, pushing them forward and away from the stand they'd been in line for. Perhaps the place he had in mind wouldn't have tea - or quiet, now that he thought about it. But it'd be better for Emer than being alone in that carcass of a ship.
 
ANNASIEL

Emer blinked at Leo. Did he just - sniff them?

"What? No, I - Baron Emryk is staying out a little longer," she explained. "I simply wanted to head in early."

Caleb pushed at her back, talking about finding a quiet place with food and tea. The wisewoman made quiet sounds of protest - she'd made her wishes quite clear, and she was thoroughly through with the day - but she felt too exhausted to make a scene. What, would she snap at someone else, too? Instead, she simply folded her arms beneath her shawl and muttered.

"I'm quite fine, Caleb, truly. I don't need - I just want time alone - please."
 
QUIRBLES

Despite having the sheen of his scales complimented, the Baron was no closer to parting with them. Festivals were often perfect nests for the eccentric; tourists were common and rules were few, which meant plenty of odd merchant folk could set up somewhere without much recourse. Emryk wondered if he had become the unfortunate visitor harassed by a peddler, but that seemed unfair to the woman, so he afforded her the benefit of the doubt. Still, his patience was tested as she made queer expressions at him, arms folding against his chest to signify a distinct lack of amusement.

Luckily, he was very patient indeed.

"While I appreciate the appraisal, I'm afraid I don't collect the remnants of my dead skin. That seems insanitary, don't you think?" The question was rhetorical. He suspected it would be answered regardless. "What sort of craft do you practice? Shiny things is a broad category."
 
DELFI

Caleb raised his arms up, respecting the woman's wishes.

"If you change your mind, we'll be at the Blue Lagoon." The shadiest tavern in town. Emer would be familiar with it, as they'd been there a few times before. It was the less respectable place in Allegria, the perfect pirate hang out. "Put that hat back on, Leo. It'll get the ladies' attention." He smiled at the wisewoman, put his hand down on the taller man's shoulder and guiding him away.
 
FANG

He knew those red rimmed eyes, the sky of her gaze still cloudy enough to belie the rain she tried to hide. Emer’s voice, her protests as Caleb shoved the both of them toward a tavern he apparently frequented, sounded as hollow as the breeze. Leo blinked at her as he submitted to Caleb’s prodding, his head cocked slightly to the side. As they began to part ways and Caleb led him away from the saddened Doctor Leo pulled away from his grasp.

”There is food everywhere,” he said as he pulled the fluffy soft feather from his hat. ”I want to find things, too. I will come back to the ship when I am done and scrub the deck.” Leo nodded to Caleb and slapped the featherless hat onto the fairy’s head. ”Get the ladies’ attentions.” Leo grinned at Caleb and darted away, running down the street at full tilt until a side alley offered him a chance to turn. Emryk never lied, he would tell Leo what was wrong. And if he was sad too Leo would cheer him up.
 
ANNASIEL

Shrugging off Caleb's hand, Emer hesitated - then, with a slight stomp in her step, headed back in the direction of the ship. He didn't try to stop her, at least, and didn't push any more.

She didn't want to deal with this right now. She needed time to think.
 
KATPRIDE

Lula sets back down on the table with a huff. Everything on it has kind of gotten pushed to either side over the course of the day. She can’t imagine why!

“I would clean them,” she mumbles, almost offended. It’s forgotten in the next moment as she hops back into the space behind her booth, tugging a rack of necklaces closer to the center of the table. Ah, but she’ll have to move it again once she wants her stage.

Maybe she can design something to move it for her. It’s so much work to shift everything around all the time. Lula ducks under the table, pushing aside the cloth to root through her toolbox. She pulls out a strange-looking gun, glances at it, and tosses it to the side. The same happens with a medium-sized wrench and a multitool with too many arms.

Finally, she hefts a small sheet of metal onto the table and starts drawing on it with a piece of charcoal. “I’m a jeweler. Are you in the market for some jewelry?”

Another glance at his scales - it really is a shame that he doesn’t seem willing to part with them, she could already picture the little lizard-automaton she’d make. Maybe she’d give it suction cups to go up walls. Oh well. Maybe she can find some smaller scaly things that aren’t so stubbornly sentient.
 
DELFI

Caleb's first reaction would be to command Leo to obey him, but the words died in his lips. Not today, today he was in a good mood and besides, Leo promised he'd be back on the ship later, and despite being an idiot, he was an idiot with a sense of direction, completely capable of finding his way back. The lack of coin would probably be a problem for him, but that would be up to Leo to manage.

With Leo's new hat on, Caleb barged through the double doors of the Blue Lagoon. He sat down at a booth and ordered a cup of ale before choosing what he'd have to eat.
 
GOLDEN

Alys thought she could handle it - chit-chatting with the Captain - especially in Nessa and Juniper's good company, but she'd overestimated herself. She also underestimated the Captain's ability to intimidate, and her ability play with her prey, like a fun game of cat and mouse. Although she greatly preferred being the cat, in this situation, she was the mouse and it felt like Sinead was closing in. First, there was this whole rather unfortunate situation with Caleb (and the earlier knife to the chest comment), and now, she was listening in on a conversation that stemmed from the Captain's hatred of the fae. Yes, she happily engaged in a lifestyle that completely contradicted the fae aristocracy and belief system, but she was still a fae. Still had her pretty wings, and still used them to flutter around the Captain's face.

The faerie stuck around as long as she could, trying to enjoy the water, and even draining her cup of tea - which did absolutely nothing to soothe her. She should've gotten a couple shots of rum instead because this, well, it wasn't enough to get her to stay. "I think I've pruned enough for one day," she said suddenly, inspecting the wrinkles on her fingertips. "This has been lovely, we should do it again sometime." And then she took her leave.

Dressed, refreshed, and a little less anxious, Alys strolled through the heart of the city, a woman on a mission. Tomorrow, she'd return to do some shopping, perhaps play some games, but for now, she wanted to find a decent place to eat, and get herself one or two or three drinks. Above all else, she wanted to find out exactly what Caleb planned to do with her secret. Their secret. So, she asked herself one very important question: where would the quartermaster go?

The Blue Lagoon was the third tavern she stuck her head in, and for the first and last time in her life, she felt relief upon finding the specific man in the question. She sauntered over and sat down across from him, a smirk etched clearly across her lips. "You are so goddamn predictable. I hardly know you, and yet I knew you'd be in the shittiest tavern in this city." A couple days ago, she would've simply taunted him with the word boss, but after everything, after he'd kept his mouth shut, she thought she could get away with speaking her mind. "Enjoying yourself?" She asked, crossing her arms and watching as a nearly half-naked whore walked past the table.
 
UMBRASIGHT

“Oh, is that so? Best keep a finger on your pocketbook then, my dear.” Nessa said, leaning in Alys’ direction as her lips split into a jagged grin. The smile lingered a little longer than most before Nessa sank back into the water. She reached out and pushed away a slice of orange with a tap of her finger. Might be fun to go dancing for a while, she hadn’t been for quite a while, though the thought of getting disastrously drunk and making bad decisions didn’t quite sound like her bag. Her amber eyes flicked to Juniper and the smile returned. ”Well, sounds like someone might be in need of a wingwoman if you’re looking to get drunk and make bad choices.” She said, bumping her elbow against the side of the sorceress under the water.

She leaned back again, once more letting the water run over her as she ran her fingers along her shoulder. The slice of fruit returned, and she pushed it away again. Nessa cracked an eye back open as Sinead spoke, giving word to some thought she was attempting to work through no doubt, and it took Nessa a few moments to figure out who Sol was.

“Ah, was that what you two were talking about? That sounds like a right deal with the devil if I’ve ever heard one.” Nessa’s brow scrunched, “why’d he even ask though? Looking for another crew to throw away if things went south?”
 
DELFI

Not long after Caleb's drink had arrived a familiar pair of wings approached his booth. Just the person he'd eagerly waited to have a private conversation with.

"Alys." He smiled, taking off his hat and putting it aside as the woman let out her bottled up anger. She'd never spoken to him that way, not even during their brief conversation at the Truth Teller.

"Enjoying yourself?" She asked. Caleb noticed her damp hair and the smell of jasmine, strong despite her being all the way across from him. Before he could respond, a woman with one of her breasts hanging out walked up to them, running a hand over Caleb's shoulder.

"Not now love, thank you." He slipped her a coin before adding: "Can you bring us another cup? We don't want to be bothered, I'll wave if there's anything we need." As the prostitute walked away, Caleb looked over the menu again.

"I'm sure you are. How did the bath with the boss go?" He asked, clearly amused. "We've got a lot to talk about, but I'm starving. How about a meat pie? The ones they serve here are delicious."
 
ILLIRICA

"Oh, I told him exactly what I thought," Sinéad answered Juniper, in a way that left no doubt how that conversation had gone. She gave a nod to Nessa at the girl's assessment - the young thief had the right of it. "I imagine he figured if we were 'working together,' he would have access to my crew any time he needed a corpse or a sacrifice. He'd probably be the sort to pitch it as if he were doing me a favor, getting rid of an unwanted nuisance or something." She studied her fingernails, which were scrupulously clean for once. "The trouble with people like that is they have a way of getting you to think they're actually doing you a favor, and by the time you realize how uneven the scales are, there's nothing left on your platter."

Alys rose, citing the inevitable water wrinkles. Sinéad gave her a single veiled glance as she walked away, saying nothing. Alys was a challenge to her. Caleb as well, of course, in exactly the same way. The poor boy thought it was something else, with him, but it never had been. Alys' wings glistened with the dampness, a hint of a sparkle. Sometimes Sinéad tried not to look, other times she just tried to pretend it didn't bother her. In close quarters, the first was more or less impossible, so she had needed to become rather good at performative ennui.

Lemonade was irritating. She wasn't nearly drunk enough for this train of thought. Sinéad raised her glass, shaking it a little and tipping a cube of ice into her mouth, holding it on her tongue for a moment, letting the chill linger, then tucking it away in her cheek to melt slowly. "I wonder if she's off to find Caleb. Seems those two can't take their eyes off each other, lately."
 
GOLDEN

Alys watched the exchange without a word; noticing the hand glide across his shoulder seductively, the way his eyes brightened at the sight of the woman, and the glimmering coin that slid into her hand. It should've nauseated her, caused her to scrunch up her nose in disgust, but it didn't. For some women and men, prostitution was the only way to survive, the only way to bring food to the table. She had a few personal connections from her past who had to resort to such work - knowing those people, knowing their intentions, well, it made her a little more open-minded than most.

So no, it wasn't disgust that she felt inside or expressed on her face. It was pity. He wasn't a bad looking fellow, even with the eye-patch. Some people probably found him even more attractive because of the eye-patch. Looks weren't the problem. No, it was the shitty personality and smug attitude that made it difficult for him to find even an ounce of a personal connection with, quite literally, anybody else. She wondered if he'd even been with anyone who he didn't pay for - well that'd be a sad, lonely existence, wouldn't it?

"On the contrary, quartermaster, I think I've just lost my appetite," she said, despite the grumbling protest her empty stomach made. She wasn't planning on staying long - as long as she got what she needed out of this exchange, she'd be on her way, eager to spend her hard earned coin at a more... established location.

"The bath was glorious, thank you," she said curtly, glad that he had at least brought up the Captain in his innocent line of questioning. But now it was her turn, and she was diving in deep. "Did you tell her? Did you tell anyone?"
 
DELFI

"All the Whore of the Horizon knows…" He started, putting the menu down, leaning forward and lowering his voice. The walls often had ears, especially in a place like that. "... Is that you saved my life. And that's all anyone will ever hear from me."

His eye searched for truth in Alys'. It was clear by the way she looked at him that she didn't have the best opinion of him. He hoped that'd change, but honestly? He couldn't blame her. His hand reached to the dagger on his belt. He put it down the table slowly as not to startle her, turning it's handle and the sapphire towards her.

"Figured you needed a replacement." His eye didn't leave hers, and the smug smile finally left his lips. Despite his recent good mood, there was a reason for concern on the back of his mind: Sinead and Lucien were onto him, and he should be more careful from now on. "I need people on my side, you know?"
 
GOLDEN

All the Whore of the Horizon knows... is that you saved my life.

Silence fell over the booth. Alys stared at Caleb intently, at his one eye, trying to determine the truth behind his words. Caleb returned the same stare, likely trying to get a read on her. On her reaction. Despite the tension in the air and the lump in her throat, she was inclined to believe him. He looked sincere, his words sounded sincere, and he'd done nothing (that she'd seen) that contradicted that statement. But the memory of her earlier encounter with Sinead and the uneasy feeling she'd had all day remained, preventing the last sliver of doubt from completely disappearing.

Then he reached down and placed a dagger on the table. White, ornate handle with a sparkling sapphire at the hilt. It was beautiful, and nearly matched the colour of her wings too. She stared down at it, truly shocked by this strange turn of events. A gift? A reward for cutting him or for saving his life after?

I need people on my side.

Did that mean...? She looked back up at him, eyes wide, gauging his level of seriousness. And when she determined that he was being sincere for a second time, Alys laughed. Not a gift or a reward, but a bribe. So he had to be telling the truth, and whatever happened between her and Sinead had to have been a coincidence. Because he wouldn't be stupid enough to allude to something like this without being dead serious. "Your side?" She mused.

Her right hand reached for the dagger and she brought it closer, running her hands along the handle, and then skimming the fatty part of her thumb across the side of the blade. As sharp as it was pretty. She approved.

Blue eyes met his again and she rose an eyebrow, lips pouting slightly. "And what'll you get me if I spill blood with this one?"

Who's blood she spilt was yet to be determined.
 
DELFI

Caleb wasn't used to this. To speak up about something that could be used against him, especially with someone of the crew was a gamble, but despite the uncomfortable feeling that came with it, he knew it had to be done.

Her laugh hit like the twist of a knife to an open wound, but his expression didn't falter. The question that came later relieved some of his tension, bringing that signature smirk back to his lips.

"I don't need blood spilt - not yet. I need eyes and ears, and someone who won't stab me in the back." Caleb didn't have much to lose. If Alys turned on him and told Sinead about the conversation they were having he'd be just as screwed as he already was - plus, he had a feeling she wouldn't do that. "In the future I can offer you more than a pretty knife. Or do you expect she'll allow you to be more than an expendable weapon, with wings as pretty as yours?"

Surely Alys would understand what he meant by it.
 
HIGHVOLTAGE

Lucien ground his teeth slightly as Caleb and his pet left, focusing once more on the blacksmith and his wares. Both blades were a fine quality, the simpler designs allowing the craft of the blade to show. He wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the second blade, one that the smith clearly cared about.

“Oh I believe he will need several lessons before he has learned.” Lucien tested the blade’s weight, checked its straightness, slowly moving the blade around. “I tend to stab and thrust more than cut or slash. I wonder if such a fine point will vanish quickly, and how much honing such a blade would require.” He glanced back at the craftsman expectantly before returning to testing the blade.
 
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