Closed Pirates of the Hard Nox [archive]

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KATPRIDE

There are shiny things everywhere. Wobbly is supposed to collect the shiny things. It has one. One shiny thing on its back, tucked between its wings. But one is not enough, it is supposed to gather.

A shiny thing! It pecks at the ground, but this shiny is too tiny. Still, it sparkles. It pecks again, but its beak colliding with the ground wobbles its neck. That is why there are cloths wrapped around it, it thinks. It is not good at remembering explanations.

A shiny thing! Wait, that’s the same shiny thing. It keeps walking. Surely there are others, somewhere. It is very good at following directions. It is the best, prettiest, most well-behaved bird.

There is someone watching it. Wobbly considers the man. He has shiny eyes, but it has been told not to collect eyes or rings-on-fingers. It is also not supposed to be watched, it remembers. It scurries away when the shiny-eyed man jumps, its fluttering wings shedding feathers as it flaps them to hasten its retreat.

It will return with its one shiny thing, even if it is not enough shiny things. Its creator will know what to do.

---​


There’s a small dent in Knobby’s side, Lula determines. That’s no good, she’ll have to deactivate it and remove the plate to hammer it out, and the birds always get a little uppity when they’re restarted.

Speaking of birds, movement draws her eye and she watches as Wobbly scurries across the cobblestones and toward her booth, pursued by a stranger. Lula half-stands out of her chair, a hand on the table as she tries to determine if her first creation has been harmed. Knobby still refuses to leave her lap, digging its talons into the fabric, so she’s a little stuck.

It’s still up and moving, at least, and it reaches the safety of her booth before it’s caught. She hears it clank into the coin chest before there’s another pair of sharp talons crawling up her leg. She looks down. Wobbly looks up. It is very pitiful, and it is such a pretty bird she can’t stay mad at it. She sits down again, and then she has two birds in her lap. She thinks there’s a saying about that.

“Hello and welcome. Are you looking for a jeweler, or were you just chasing birds around for funsies?” Poor things. She might have to beat a hasty retreat soon if things continue in this way, and she likes this town.
 
SHODDYPRODUCT

Frustration gave way to an odd kind of relief following the captains words, the anger melting away slowly. They dropped their gaze, letting out a long, controlled sigh, an attempt to rein things in, before they felt a hand on their shoulder. Their eyes raised from the water to the face of Nessa, a smile more gentle than they had expected on her face. The changeling relaxed somewhat, nodding along with the statements made by the others, taking a moment to think. Of course the captain wouldn't work with that monster, why would she? Sinead was better than-

'Why didn't you want Poppy aboard the ship, then?'

The thought surprised Juniper more than the reaffirming words from Sinead. They froze for a moment, mind racing. The captain was better than King, surely. The Truth Teller was a place of nightmares, full of death and decay and disease. The Hard Nox was... Different. It was home. Their mouth opened, as if they meant to say something, but words did not come, and quickly they shut it once more. A moment passed, with a bit more thinking between, and they nodded again.

"I am very happy to be back," they said, looking to Nessa with a small smile. Their eyes dropped back down to the water, watching as a slice of orange floated leisurely towards them, as they continued, "and I would love to turn that ship into a bonfire."

By this point, the sorceress was mostly certain that they had soaked and scrubbed enough to be clean once more, a feeling they were quite happy with. Not wanting to waste their entire day soaking in a warm bath, as nice as that sounded, they stood. "Sorry to cut things short. I would love to stay, but I have need of a new pair of glasses and repairs to my clothes." With a mock half-curtsey, and a small smile, they began to walk back to the changing room, before stopping and looking over their shoulder. "Oh, and Nessa? I might take you up on the drinks and bad choices later. If you're still offering."

And with that, they were off, mind wandering to the prospect of an earring or new necklace to go with their new outfit they were already planning in their head.
 
DELFI

Caleb hoped she wasn't having second thoughts about this, watching while she chugged her ale. The quartermaster finished what was left of his, placing the empty cup back on the table as she voiced her preferences.

He shrugged. Her comment on his pitiful love life had been voiced so many times amongst the crew, he no longer felt shame about it. He'd rather pay someone than force a woman to be with him, and didn't see a problem with that. It was honest work, more honest than the one they performed.

"If you're that intimidated about my room, fine. We'll meet somewhere else." He searched his satchel for enough copper coins to pay for the ale and stood up. They'd laid the terms, and it was best to end that conversation right there before someone familiar walked in and saw them together.

"There's a map, taken from the Teller. I'm sure it has something to do with Sol's plans." He spoke quietly. "Wait a couple minutes before you leave. We'll meet again soon."

And with a final smile, Caleb picked up the feathery hat and walked out of the tavern. Now to find Leo and his bag, if he still had it.
 
ILLIRICA

It seemed that Sinead and Juniper had found a topic that they could still very much agree on. Sinead was still concerned over the shift in the pyro's behavior, but she recognized that whatever was going to fix that was going to be something that didn't come from her. Captaincy had its disadvantages as well. She had just learned that she had to check up on her people through others - in this case, she'd see if Emer could talk with Juniper - at least, if Sinead was able to pry Emryk out of the room for five minutes.

Come to think of it, she did need to talk to him about a few things. Not at the moment, though - for now it was enough to be hedonistically clean.

Well.

It wasn't, but she was going to have to continue pretending it was. Just like always.

Sinead waited a few moments, finishing out the last of Nessa's mead. She didn't generally like mead - it was far too sweet for her tastes[/i] - but it was better than the nonalcoholic alternative at this point in time. Besides, taking up those few moments gave Juniper the time they very obviously needed to collect their own thoughts and get themself ready for whatever happened to come next.

Presumably, from Nessa's assay, some very bad decision-making. Sinead considered the young woman for a moment longer, then set her glass down and stood up. "If Lucien isn't around, I have a bottle of his mead in a cabinet in my room. Yours if you need it, before the evening. It's in the locked cabinet. I won't insult you by implying you need the key."

No, if Nessa couldn't pick a simple cabinet lock, then she wasn't who Sinead thought she was at all. "Don't do anything I'll regret," she added, with an amused glance, then parted ways to go find her own way into something resembling clothing, and wander off to look around the fair herself for a while before sunset, assuming she could probably find some good company to pass the time.
 
DELFI

"Sinéad Oíche." A voice called behind the woman's back.

Almost a week had passed since their last encounter, and despite not getting her name from the fae herself, Crow asked around not long after he got to Allegria, a couple days ago. He was in between jobs at the moment, enjoying the festivities and was happy to spot a familiar face through the crowd. He'd be lying if he said the couple of copper pennies weren't still fresh in his memory.

***

By the time Caleb left the tavern it was already night time. There were less children on the street, more drunks and despite some stands closing, most of them would continue until dawn. He could hear music coming from the stage set up by the fountain, and a crowd began gathering around it. He hadn't spotted Leo or anyone he knew thus far, but intended to continue his search.
 
ILLIRICA

Of all the people that Sinéad expected to come up on her from behind, she had to admit this one had been rather low on the list of possibilities. She half-turned, facing the caster from Fen Manor with the idle indolence of someone who'd acquired the strands of flowers and seashells around her neck in the traditional way rather than just buying them from one of the vendors on the street corners.

"You again, hm? Here with friends, or alone?" It was a question of both personal and professional curiosity. "And, ah... did you want to call a truce for the festival, or pick up where we left off?"

By her tone, she would have been perfectly content with any answers that he chose to give to those questions - one way, or another.
 
REYN

"The cannon." They said, "I want you to take it apart."

Mal was a little blunt with their request, as they often were.

"I'm not in the market for whole machines, just... parts."

As if that wasn't obvious by the... well, by all of them. The contraptions on display looked complex, far more complex than anything they had seen from other vendors- hell, from other mechanics. Of course, looks can be deceiving, especially when it came to technology. They might be... ah, how did she put it? All sparkle, no spark? That was why they wanted to see the insides, rather than merely a demonstration. It was hard to hide imperfections when the entire mechanism was on display. That and, ah... well, they were curious- no, why would they be curious? They just had mechanisms on the mind, that's all-

Oh, god, was this that hare-brained janitor?

Mal tried their best to ignore Leo, folding their second pair of arms in response. That seemed to be just about the only greeting he would get.

For now.
 
GOLDEN

Intimidated. Alys held back a scoff, opting to bite the inside of her cheek instead. She wasn't intimidated by him the slightest, more like uncomfortable with the idea of being alone with him in his chamber. And the assumptions that would come with the territory if she was seen. Still, he had considered her opinion, albeit without offering an alternative. Guess she'd have to find a suitable meeting place by herself.

Finally, Caleb took his leave, his parting words describing some sort of map. In response, she gave him a dismissive wave before shifting her focus to the remaining liquid in her cup. Once she was alone, occupying the booth by her lonesome, Alys began to reflect on what the hell had just happened. Gods, what a mess.

The faerie waited a couple minutes, as instructed, and maybe a couple more, slowly draining the rest of her glass. Her gaze drifted among the scantily clad waitresses and the growing crowd of boisterous drunks, while also avoiding the watchful gazes of men she found more intimidating than the quartermaster. Before the feeling of discomfort got too strong, Alys stood and maneuvered her way to the door, slipping the new dagger into the corset belt around her waist. She'd need to purchase a new holster - the one she'd left in the clinic wouldn't accommodate the length of this one.

Outside, darkness had enveloped Allegria, though lanterns and lights illuminated the streets, ensuring that the joyful energy remained despite the nightfall. Alys spent some time roaming the booths, quickly finding one that sold leather holsters with buckles that passed her high standards. She spent her coin eagerly and took a moment to find a quiet place to slide and secure her new purchase around her thigh. That tightness around her leg brought a sense of comfort, a silent reminder of added security. All that was left was to find a place to eat and drink and dance the night away.
 
FANG

Leo’s greeting was met with expected silence and a passive aggressive fold of Mal’s second set of arms, a new addition since the two had met before. Leo dismissed her as easily, turning back to the bird he had chased and the fairy that was it’s protection. Birds caring for birds. It made a sort of sense.

His eyes settled on the jewelry, however, a simple necklace with a wire wrapped gemstone pendant grabbing his attention as the proprietor of the stall asked about his intentions, joking with him about chasing birds or buying jewelry. Leo pointed to the pendant that caught his eye.

”How did you do this?” he asked expressly, ignoring her jab about his activity and question of purchase. Despite his work on the ship and his attempt to gamble Leo still held no more coin than he had when he escaped the Truth Teller. Of course he wasn’t buying anything, but the pendant still held some value to him.

Caleb’s bag hung from his shoulder, Leo’s blade shoved into it and haphazardly tilting in its folds, threatening to fall to the ground. As he listened to the jeweler’s response to both Mal’s suggestion and his own query he lowered the bag and removed his sword, pulling the fabric of a burgundy shirt that had wrapped around the blade free before stuffing it back down into the bag. Had Caleb packed an entire change of clothes for his trip into town? Leo looked down to his bare chest. That was apparently a very good idea.
 
SHODDYPRODUCT

Once dressed, and with all of their trinkets and accessories reapplied, Juniper left the bathhouse, thanking the man behind the counter for allowing them and their friend in earlier. They left soon after, and made their way into town. Walking through the crowd of Allegria's Spring Festival felt comfortable to them, being able to be lost in the crowd. They didn't stand out here, and could move through the streets unnoticed. If they had any real desire to, they could become truly lost in this river of humanity, changing shape to fit the flow and vanishing from those who knew them, but alas, they had made connections aboard the Nox, and felt they had obligations to fufill.

Instead of abandoning their post and living a new life, they instead went to the tailor. They were there for longer than expected, getting clothing replaced and repaired, but after a bit of time, their outfit was restored to its former glory, and with looks restored, it was time to fix their sight. Finding a place to replace a lens or even sell them new glasses would have been difficult most places, but thankfully, the beautiful Allegria held much in its city limits, and she was being kind to the changeling today. The lens would be replicable, though it would take the night to have it ready. The sorceress promised to return the following day, and then embarked on a quest to find something to eat that wasn't prepared by Alys or Emryk, as good as they had done in the last three days.

Speaking of the faerie, that is exactly who Juniper bumped in to while prowling the city streets. "Oh! Alys! I didn't expect to run into you so soon again. At least, not out here. I was just looking for a meal, if you care to join?"
 
GOLDEN

The hunt for a suitable dining option reaped little results at first, until Alys managed to stumble into Juniper, and this time, without Nessa or Sinéad in tow. Of course, she'd be quite alright if the former joined them rather than the latter.

"Absolutely, I'm famished," Alys replied, a bright grin appearing on her face - her natural response to the unexpected opportunity of dining with a sort-of friend. "I wouldn't mind finding a place close to the music, if that's alright?"

Regardless of Juniper's answer, Alys steered them towards the upbeat sound, closing into the main square and the fountain within. "I have to say, you are glowing." Perhaps it was the bath, or mended clothes, or maybe both? Either way, it was nice to see Juniper in higher spirits than they'd been in a couple nights ago.

"How about this place?" Alys asked, pointing to a lively tavern just a stones throw away from the music, with outdoor tables and benches lining the side of the building.
 
DELFI

Crow stepped forward, his hands in his pockets and a charming glow to his purple eyes.

"I'm no longer on Fen's payroll, I've got no reason to fight you." He shrugged. Unlike the others who'd fought the Nox, he didn't hold any attachments to the town or the residents. He for sure wasn't the only person to travel from Fen Manor to Allegria since the incident, but it just made sense those who survived would find refuge at the nearest town.

"I'm alone if you are." One of his hands left his pocket, hoping Sinead would take it. "Do you dance? There's music playing by the fountain."


***

In Allegria one would find all sorts of people, from ogres to faes, to humans and goblins - but most of them only had one pair of arms.

Caleb spotted Mal first, and only then the brown haired human with his bag and his shirt in hand.

"How are you half-naked already?" He asked while approaching the group, removing the hat from his head and putting it on Leo's. Only then did he notice they were talking to a third person. A woman.

"Hello." He greeted, cracking a smile.
 
SHODDYPRODUCT

Juniper gave a wide smile and nodded along with Alys' request. Falling in step beside her, they responded, saying, "I absolutely do not mind. The music is lovely and it's been too long since I've gotten to just sit down and listen." They followed alongside the faerie, having tucked their festering frustration away for the night, determined to enjoy it.

Following their companion's compliment, they smiled and looked away slightly, unsure of how to respond initially, though the words eventually came to mind. "Thank you! I should say the same to you, though. It's a miracle we've made it this far without someone asking for a dance from you," they said, as they approached the tavern. The music was loud here, enough to drown out the talking and elated yelling from the festival goers, but not so much that is was overbearing, at least not to the changeling. With a nod of agreement, the pair made their way over.

The sorceress took a direct route to one of the outdoor tables, wishing to be able to breath fresh air and listen to the music, having spent most of their day in and out of buildings. The atmosphere of Allegria was intoxicating, something that reminded them of home somewhat, though on a larger scale. It was comfortable, and as the two took their seats, a barmaid, much more conservatively dressed than the ones typically frequented by pirates, approached, asking what they would like.

Juniper hadn't planned this far into their night, and so they turned to Alys. "Any suggestions?"
 
UMBRASIGHT

“I’ll find you later then.” Nessa said with a grin as she raised a hand to wave goodbye to Juniper. She spent some time on her hair as Sinéad finished off what remained of the mead, though it didn’t seem that she truly enjoyed it. Well alcohol was alcohol and today was a day to get drunk. Sinéad was the next to head out, offering up an interesting little proposition before she went. One of Lucien’s bottles in her cabinet? Hard to know if she should be more surprised by the offer, or curious about why she had one to begin with. Maybe for drinks with Lucien or perhaps just curiosity? “Mm, I might take you up on that, thanks.” Nessa said with a quick laugh as the captain took her leave.

The young thief spent a few more minutes dealing with her hair until she could run her fingers through it without catching knots before she finally stood up, enjoying the coolness of the air against her skin. ”Suppose I should get my errands taken care of as well.” Nessa said to the orange slices bobbing in the waters below before making her way back to the changing room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nessa didn’t get to everything she had planned to do, but she got the important things dealt with. A bath done, the letter sent off, though with fewer coins than she had hoped to send — there was only so much trust she could put in the imperial postmasters, and a few new clothes to replace what had been gifted to Hester. She had returned to the ship with her gains and dropped them off at her bunk before swinging by the captain’s quarters. The lock didn’t offer much resistance to her pick which was fine enough, there wasn’t much reason to have a lock be worth more than the container, even if it didn’t offer much of a thrill beyond the odd feeling of being in an unnatural place.

The time of day was far more proper by the time she reached the streets of Allegira, lanterns glittering like polished stones and banners quivering in the springtime breeze. Music and laughter drifted through the reveling city, carrying with it the tinge of fine spices and woodsmoke. Enticing, if she still had the taste for those sorts of things. Nessa followed the music, as that seemed the best way to find a little fun. Her trek took her past a tavern, as lively as the city proper, and more importantly a glimpse of a pair of sparkling wings though the surrounding bustle.

Nessa didn’t call out, instead she trailed behind the duo, picking her way neatly through the flow of bodies in the streets. She found her way behind Juniper as the waitress was taking her order. She looked first to Alys, with a quick flash of teeth before leaning in close to Juniper’s ear.

“Depends, looking to get drunk first or fill your stomach?” Nessa asked.
 
PAPERWORK

It took Hester a distressingly long time to reach the stall. More than once, she was thrown off-course by the flow of the crowd and forced to make her way back in the right direction only some time later. By the time she finally broke out, she felt more like a piece of driftwood than a person.

Speaking of driftwood, there was the bottle-warrior. And the patchwork creature who had the run of the lower decks. And the quartermaster, as well. Caleb was smiling in a way that he very clearly thought was charming, and probably would have been if she hadn’t seen him flee the room to vomit shortly after promising to help her with a construct. She'd been hoping to speak to Mal at some point today, but this was hardly the time for that. And the deck-scrubber was… Oh, now he was brandishing an incredibly shitty sword at the jeweler! Lovely.

“What’s going on here, then?” she asked, irritation and curiosity winning out over a desire to see how this went without intervention. “I thought this lady was the one robbing people; did I miss something? What were you busy screaming about a moment ago? And what happened to your shirt?” She glanced over at Lula; the faint smell of preservative and old rot coming off the necromancer seemed to intensify, briefly. ”Love your work, by the way. How do you get them so dextrous so far from the stall? Must take a lot of concentration." Her gaze shifted again. "Hello, Caleb. And, um... Creature. Never caught your name.”
 
GOLDEN

The atmosphere was far more pleasant here than in the Blue Lagoon. Music and laughter lingered in the air, as did the smell of freshly seared meats and other savory goods. A closed-mouth smile was permanently etched onto her face, and merely widened thanks to Juniper's compliment and observation. Yes, no one had been bold enough to ask Alys to dance yet, but the night was young. Besides, she had her eyes set on the very same table as Juniper. A hungry faerie was hardly the best dance partner.

As she flipped through the menu, having found a comfortable position in her seat, Alys pondered out loud. "You know, I have a sudden craving for a meat pie." It wasn't something she had often, nor a meal that was typically made on the ship. Just thinking about the spices and flakiness of the crust made her mouth water.

Suddenly, her gaze flickered up to Nessa, who had seemingly dropped out of thin air. "Nessa!" She exclaimed, slightly startled by her bunkmate. "Glad you could join us. Please, sit. I don't know about you two, but I need a little bit of both. I'm thinking a glass of wine with dinner..." Wine always made her feel so sophisticated, and what the hell, she had coin to spend. "But I'd love to split a bottle of something with you two." A devilish smile appeared on her lips. "What are your preferences? Rum? Whiskey?"
 
ILLIRICA

I'm alone if you are.

"Always and never." That was the way it went, being Captain. Getting too close to anyone was a mistake, and not watching her back was another mistake. Sinéad couldn't afford either one. She took his hand anyway, when it was offered, with the quiet admonishment of "Try anything stupid and I'll hang your ears from the maypole. No bets on whether they're still attached."

It was best to establish these things right away, after all, before he started casting something that would put her out of commission. Of course, his being a potential enemy just made things more interesting. Sinéad drew a little closer, watching him for tells. "So if you aren't working for the Manor, who are you working for?"

Hopefully, anyone but Solomon King. Sinéad felt that the Truth Teller had ruined enough of her days lately, and she wouldn't mind going one without.
 
SHODDYPRODUCT

"Gyah!"

Juniper, so lost in the moment in the festival, had failed to notice the arrival of Nessa (as if they would have in any other circumstance). They nearly jumped from their seat, but once they realized who it was, settled back down, clearly still flustered. Placing a hand against their chest, they let out a nervous chuckle in response to the girls smile, with their heartbeat in their ears. "Gods, hello, Nessa. I think I'd like to eat first," they said, between laughs, before turning their attention back to Alys.

A great question, their preference. They hadn't drank anything alcoholic in a good while, considering their magical inclination and the fact that it was so tied up with their emotions. Losing control was always a scary prospect, but today was different. It was a psuedo-vacation. They were all meant to be relaxing and enjoying their selves, not stressing over what they could and couldn't do. "I'd love to share, but... Well, it's been a while since I've drank. Whatever you two like, I'll have some, as well," they said with a decisive nod.
 
DELFI

Crow chuckled at Sinead's threat. He was sure she meant every word of it, which revealed a bit more of her cautious personality.

"I'll behave, I promise." He said, kissing her knuckles. He guided the pirate closer to where the music was being played, thinking carefully before answering her question. "Right now I'm only enjoying the festival. How about you? Raiding this town as well?" He placed his free hand around her waist, pulling her to his chest when they got closer to the band, but still far enough to not get entangled by the crowd.
 
KATPRIDE

Lula considers the stitched-together person’s request, leaning forward to look at the cannon where it hangs just outside of her peripheral vision. “The cannon isn’t for sale, unless you’ve got a pretty chunk of change to fork over for it. I’d take it apart, but, well…”

She gestures to the other people arriving at her booth. Business is booming, as much as she feels the itch to talk shop with another inventor. “Oh- I’ve got a great alternative! You can take one of my prototypes, if you leave some insurance that I’ll get it back, and we can talk more after I close shop for the day. If you like what you find, I can tell you where I get my parts, even if I can’t, hehe, part with them.”

Should her offer be taken, she’ll hand over a halfway finished mechanical hand, entirely useless as a prosthetic but with beautifully articulated joints.

Meanwhile, her wares have attracted the attention of the man who was chasing Wobbly. She leans an elbow on the table, angling around the display to see the necklace he’s pointing at. “That one? I got the gemstone practically just like it is, and then I molded the wire around it. Those wires are pretty easy to bend, but if they’re thicker sometimes I have to break out the pliers.”

She watches as he adjusts some things in his bag, eying the sword with slight disappointment. It’s so… boring. Needs more sparkle. “The trick is to give it enough support without making it too obvious. And then the chain goes through the loops. Took a couple hours, maybe? If you’ve got something to trade I’m not too attached to it.”

Another person approaches the table, a man with an eyepatch. She grins and waves her fingers briefly in response to his greeting. Another customer! And one who looks like he appreciates ornamentation, at that. “Hello!”

Wow, the sunset crowd sure does like her table. Maybe it’s the way the fading light catches on the jewels. She’ll have to see if she can emulate the effect some other way.

Someone from behind the others seems more disgruntled, though she can’t see the source of the voice. “Robbing people? I don’t rob people. If anything, with these prices, people are practically robbing me.”

She smiles easily, quietly closing the chest under the table with the toe of her boot. The people shift around, and she can see the newcomer. Knobby presses against her stomach, its beak poking her, but she just leans further forward so that her birds are more hidden. “No clue what you’re talking about, sorry!”
 
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