Captured Sea [1x1 private]--Story Complete

[ZahraMoon]

☦Ҟȃʑυҝɨ Ⱦѳφȃʑ☦

ʛoɗ oʄ ℭɧɐoϨ and ℳɩȿϲɧɩeʄ

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂ ☠☠☠ ▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

Long lost words whisper slowly to me.
Still can't find what keeps me here.
When all this time I've been so hollow inside,
I know you're still there.

Ven could easily tell that Adrienne was doing a lot better. Her complexion was back, some of her aging wounds had faded making her look far younger than when she'd reappeared on the ship after being gone within Elsper, and now Kaz's, world, and even though he wasn't anyone special himself he could practically feel the power emanating from her body in the way of a warm glow. She wasn't back to tip top shape but she was clearly on the correct road to recovery.
Leaning forward a bit he could tell that Adrienne wanted to ask something of him that she wasn't quite sure what the answer was going to be. He waited patiently until at last she explained herself and the request.

Hearing that Kanu had her sight surprised and delighted Ven. He remembered the little girl as one to cling to her big brother tightly but with so much curiosity that even though she was nervous and shy she couldn't help herself from asking questions to his adventures and escapades. Kanu had a sweet demeanor and it had upset him to see that the young girl was blind and unable to live out the life she wanted. Life wasn't kind to those with disabilities, especially not as debilitating as being unable to see, but he hadn't thought there was much of anything that could be done about it.

Nodding back, he smiles, "It's good to know Kanu finally got her wish." he states back before looking over his head to where the upper deck would be finally he nods, "Yea, we could take the Selene. Besides, it'll be good to get the new guys trained for Captain Kaz before he returns." he admits before looking down at Neda, "And I need to get some strength back. I can't do that sleeping all day." he says in a soft voice.

Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back
Dreaming of the way it used to be
Can you hear me?

[RubyMoon522]

Adrienne
Nerissa, Goddess of the Sea

Adrienne waited patiently as he seemed to think things over, tilting his head back to look up above his head, through the ceiling of his room, to where the helm would be. She smiled and gave a slight nod as he noted that he was glad Kanu had gotten her wish to see at last. The joy on her face had been wonderful and she was so glad to have put it there. She hoped she was getting along well and exploring Nottingham the way she'd always wanted to until she could join them on the Selene and see more of the world. She was relieved when Ven agreed to take the Selene from Tortuga's harbor for more than one reason, one of those being so she didn't have to question whether or not she'd be able to make it on power, alone.

Agreeing with a nod, she said, "True. Just don't strain yourself, all right? I know you're probably sick of hearing that, but I have to say it, too, simply because I care." Following his glance down to Neda, she gave a nod and smiled a bit. "In the morning then?" she confirmed before getting up to leave them the rest of the night to have to themselves. So Neda didn't have to get up (Adrienne was sure she'd had a rough past few weeks with Ven in the condition he'd been), she finished off cooking the stew and distributed it to Dorian, two servings to Ven's room, and brought bowls to the rest of the non-shadowbound crew, which was few in numbers.

After taking a bowl for herself above deck toward her room, she glanced toward the darkening horizon, a soft exhalation parting her lips. Her eyes turned toward Helena and Sapphronius, both marveling over Neda's cooking with steaming bowls of stew in their hands and then toward Shiva, sitting at the rail of the upper deck, where Adrienne had perched so many times before. As Adrienne was walking by en route to the cabin, taking a bite of stew on her way, she heard Shiva speak to her. "The winds are changing. Can you feel it?"

Adrienne paused and swallowed, listening to the air around her; she'd not been above water or deck for any amount of time since earlier that day. She was right though; things were different. When Shiva turned to look at her, Adrienne nodded and they locked gazes a moment until Adrienne walked to the cabin, feeling strange to be carrying only one bowl rather than two bowls and a small plate of whatever Topy would be eating that night. Closing the door behind her, she looked over the silent room and paused, glancing toward the bed and then to Kaz's desk. For a moment, she was appalled at the thought of disturbing even the chair to sit down, but she found herself shifting the seat back and sitting down, if only to feel like she could be close to him somehow.

Her eyes traveled over the maps and tools on his desk, noting the distinct positions of everything as he'd left them, only touching them with her gaze. Adrienne ate quietly, taking her bowl back down to the kitchens before reentering the cabin and taking off the long black dress she'd come back from Elsper's realm in, exchanging it for the white nightgown in the wardrobe. Swallowing the soft lump in her throat that was only okay to have when she was alone, she slipped under the blankets and snuffed out the candle she'd lit earlier, the habitual act giving her some comfort before she succumbed to sleep.

Dressed in this.

[ZahraMoon]

☦Ҟȃʑυҝɨ Ⱦѳφȃʑ☦

ʛoɗ oʄ ℭɧɐoϨ and ℳɩȿϲɧɩeʄ

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂ ☠☠☠ ▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

Long lost words whisper slowly to me.
Still can't find what keeps me here.
When all this time I've been so hollow inside,
I know you're still there.

Somehow, despite being among the only ones who hadn't been injured Neda had been the one to sleep not only through dinner, but well through the night. It was the best sleep she'd had in weeks; with her boyfriend being unconscious and her two closest friends gone she had been reduced every single night to a bundle of tossing and turning fits. While everything back into place she way she wanted it to be, at least two of the three people she had been worried sick about were on the road to a painless recovery. Rousing quite early from what she could tell of the sounds of the birds crying outside, the female pirate stretched her arms and yawned widely before running her eyes and looking around. Ven was already gone from the bed, and she could smell the last remains of a stew already eaten the night before. Covered by a top rested her own cup on the nightstand cold by now since she'd never woken up to eat it down. With a deep exhale the woman touched the cold floor of the ship and approached her chest to get dressed while wondering where Ven was. She could hear that something was going on above the deck, although she was weary to call it preparation. What was there to prepare for? The Dark Selene hadn't been on a voyage since a month past and with no Captain or destination in mind even now why should anyone be moving about the sails and supplies to prepare to leave shore? Fully dressed Neda put some porridge on the hot stove for breakfast before going upstairs to find out what was really going on above deck. As she lifted her head up and towards the blue skies, the woman blinked and blinked again to discover that her initial instinct that been dead on; The Dark Selene had the newer and some older crew members preparing her to leave. Walking in the midst of them was Ven double checking their progress.

At first light, Ven was awake with a light fluttering in his chest. Anticipation? Excitement? It was like meeting an old friend after being away for too long. He hadn't been on the sea for such a long time and his heart knew this even if his body wasn't completely aware. Even through his eagnerness Ven was taking it easy on his body. He wasn't getting into the physical activities that he usually would've preformed such as helping the boys lift the sails and adjust the masts. Instead he contented himself with supervising their work and making sure it was done right while shouting out the next list of directions. As he circled back to the forecastle deck, he spotted Neda walking up to him looking around unsure.
"Ven? What's going on?" she asks

"We're going to pick up Kazuki's little sister in Nottingham." He explains briefly to his girlfriend. Neda listened to the tale not entirely convinced it was a good idea, "But are you going to be okay steering the ship and playing Captain? What about the shadow crew?" she asks
Ven shakes his head, "Neda, I can't lay in bed forever. I have to work my muscles back into shape. Neda, myself and you are all going to split up the steering." He shrugs his shoulders, "There's really nothing we can do about the shadow crew right now. The best approach is to just ignore them and let them do their own thing until we can get Captain to change them back." he responds easily.
Neda listened to her boyfriends easy responses to all of her concerns with a desire to smile but need to hide it with a frown. Ven always had been an excellent first mate, his talents only not as well seen because Captain Kaz was an excellent Captain. Where she and Dorian had been lost to what their next step was, Ven easily picked up the reigns and kept on riding. Slacking her shoulders she nods back, "Aye First Mate." she tells him before leaning up and kissing his lips, "Don't tax yourself."

"I'll be just fine." he reassures one more time with his usual easy going grin. As Neda explains that she's going to finish making breakfast, Ven glances up to Adrienne seeing that all of the initial preparations were in order, "We're good to go! Pull her out Adrienne! Lift the anchors!" he shouts across the ship.

Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back
Dreaming of the way it used to be
Can you hear me?

[RubyMoon522]

Adrienne
Nerissa, Goddess of the Sea

Adrienne had gotten up early that morning to dress and make a few checks on the Selene before leaving the ship to go inform Captain Red of what their general plan was. She didn't feel the need to leave out that it was Kazuki's sister they were going to pick up since she'd very obviously be on board the next time they saw him, but she did not disclose the location purely because Kaz had trusted her to keep it under wraps. With a tight hug and an enthusiastic greeting to "his wildfire," a short exchange of news regarding Kaz and where they had been ensued.

He took it rather well, surprisingly, believing her immediately. Then again with all the strange happenstances over the past month, she wasn't sure how he could discredit what she said. When she broached the subject of Kaz's sister and going to get her, his face lit up immediately, at which point Adrienne felt the need to set him straight.

Soon enough, she was getting up to leave, being swept into another hug, and told to take care and that she'd be sorely missed, along with Neda, and to pass that message along. Even so, as she left the Hot Shot and went back to the Selene, she could tell that he'd been a bit disappointed at not being included. Adrienne was happy to find Ven already up and making preparations upon her arrival and, smiling at him before slanting a glance toward the helm, pursed her lips very slightly.

She tried to ignore the still-listless, moping crewmembers enveloped in shadow as she approached Sapphronius, who met her halfway. "You look troubled," he murmured, a pink-flushed rose sprouting slowly from between his fingertips until, long-stemmed and full-grown, he handed it to her with a flourish.

Smirking, she took it and could almost feel the pulse of life inside it as she replied, "Not really. But I must ask a favor of you." When he gave an arch of his brow to show he was listening, she smoothed her fingers over the thornless green stem of the rose in her hands and murmured, "Stay here. Keep an eye on the Dutchman and the Hot Shot for me. Keep everyone safe and contact me if anything happens." Sapphronius nodded seriously and with a slight salute, disappeared into his signature swirl of leaves.

Adrienne looked to Helena and Shiva, where they stood at the rail, both watching her, one composedly and one excitedly. Smiling a little, she walked up the ramp to the helm and let the noise dull into a familiar murmur in her ears, looking down at the wheel with a sense of reverence. Skimming her fingertips over the polished wood, she looked up as she heard Ven call up to her. Nodding, she repeated Ven's orders for good measure and wrapped her fingers around the notches Kaz's once occupied, soon, with the help of the crew, taking the Selene out to sea once more.

It was strange. While her heart ached to have him back, the real Kaz, she didn't feel so hollow and lonely with the ship softly rocking around her, the sea-spray-infused wind in her face, and the familiar sounds of voices below. The ship had felt like a memorial, tied up and anchored in one place for so long, stagnant without its captain, but now she was back on the seas as she was meant to be. The Selene had regained her former glory, her former spirit and Adrienne could only long for the day that Kaz could do the same.

Dressed in this.

[ZahraMoon]

☦Ҟȃʑυҝɨ Ⱦѳφȃʑ☦

ʛoɗ oʄ ℭɧɐoϨ and ℳɩȿϲɧɩeʄ

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂ ☠☠☠ ▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

Long lost words whisper slowly to me.
Still can't find what keeps me here.
When all this time I've been so hollow inside,
I know you're still there.

It felt amazing finally being able to feel the wind against their bodies again with a light taste of salt in the air. Ven leaned against the railing as they got further out when land was only a mere spec in the distance. Closing his eyes he inhaled and smiled almost feeling like the strength would just return to his weakened muscled if all he did was sit there against the railing and enjoy the sea. The sea for him, like it was for many other sailors, was his home even though he hadn't been born onto it. He didn't feel as comfortable at port as he did drifting against waves whether they were calm or harsh. After a while he felt Adrienne taking up some space beside him, she also leaned out and breathed in deep with her eyes closed. A smile graced her features, "This is nice." she admits, "It's been a long time. I didn't realize I'd miss the sea this much being away from it." she admits aloud. Neda was what everyone called a 'land-lover,' she had been born and raised on land and she knew it far better than she knew the waters of the ocean, but after spending so much time on The Dark Selene and then learning how to sail she could understand, if only a little bit more, how Ven and the others felt about being beached for a long period of time.

Turning around, Neda glances in towards the ship looking at how much of it had changed. In the past, she could've predicted where each sailor would've been standing at that exact moment. At this time of the day, Ven would be bustling around if he had the extra energy, otherwise he would be below deck asleep while Captain Kaz steered his precious ship. Adrienne would leaning against the railing right beside Neda who had just finished making breakfast and serving everyone. They would talk about the weather, funny things they had heard, their pasts and fashion and sea life, pretty much whatever came to mind that day. Topy would march below deck to finish his daily task of catching a mouse or else he'd waste away a little time on Captain Kaz's shoulder or in Adrienne's arms. That was the typical picture of their lives up until Elsper's death.

Now when she turned around everything was completely wrong: Sailors walked listlessly around the deck around new crew members she didn't know who were trying to learn the routine of The Dark Selene, a ship they weren't familiar with, Adrienne was steering and along the railings she stood in her rightful place but beside a weakened boyfriend, new beings were also present gods who were friendly but didn't belong, and Captain Kaz and Topy were no where to be seen. Resting her hands against the wood, Neda lay her head upon it, she wished everything would go back to normal more than anything, back to the life she was familiar with and loved dearly. She was afraid to imagine it might never be the same again.

After some time against the railing, Ven finally pulled away and joined Adrienne against her side. He looked out to the clear blue waters impressively inviting and willing to allow them to slice through. With Adrienne steering he was sure they were going faster than they ever had before the only rival perhaps being Captain Kaz on a perfect day.
"With all of the commotion regarding Captain Stephens death, we probably shouldn't port in Liverpool this time." he explains to the woman against the wheel, "I think we should consider Hull port just to ensure we don't have someone who recognizes our ship and calls in the Navy." he explains.

Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back
Dreaming of the way it used to be
Can you hear me?

[RubyMoon522]

Adrienne
Nerissa, Goddess of the Sea

Adrienne watched the waves be neatly, gently cleaved at the bow of the ship, heard the soft roar of their parting, the gentle click and plunge of dolphins riding the surf. She was home, doubly, on the Selene setting sail into the seas. And yet, she remembered those words she'd said to Kaz, that her home was where he happened to be, and recognized the absolute truth of them. Her fingers flexed gently and she could almost feel the memories nudging at her, willing themselves back to her. They were so nearly tangible, so complete, she almost wondered if they were real before she remembered that, not only was that impossible for these past events to repeat themselves, Kaz was gone. He was in Elsper's realm. His realm. Or somewhere in-between.

She felt Kaz's hands take hers and gently move her to take his place at the helm so he could watch the Northern Lights, mentioning how Zekeal had been right about their beauty. She heard the smirk in his voice as he decidedly told her she'd be steering through the night before tossing a "goodnight" over his shoulder that had been the equivalent to laughing in her face. She felt the chill in the air just before the stole hit the top of her head and the cup of warm rum and honey was pressed into her hands, the surprise when she looked up and saw Kaz, not Neda, Ven, or Dorian. She felt the covers slide over her frozen body and Kaz's arms wrap around her, his heat diffusing to her and tempering her tremors. And now what Adrienne felt were the notches of the helm that Kaz should've been holding. She had the skeleton of her dream now, the furs and warmth removed. She was the Selene without her sails.

Adrienne was snapped out of her pensive thoughts when she heard Ven's footsteps on the ramp, glancing over as he joined her. They stood in companionable silence a moment and although it wasn't uncomfortable, it wasn't like it had been with Kazuki. It had nothing to do with romance, it was simply the fact that she heard the silence stretch around her and Ven. With Kaz it had been as if they had never stopped talking, as if even silence couldn't manage to force a wedge between them.

Her gaze turned thoughtful as she leaned against the wheel and listened to Ven's suggestion, another memory, that of Kaz's obnoxious harmonica-playing, swamping her ears. Adrienne nodded. "To be honest, I didn't even think of that," she noted truthfully, looking out over the sea. She wasn't precisely sure where Hull port was, but she'd check a map when Ven or Neda took over. After a moment, she murmured in a slightly quieter voice, for once not bashing herself for feeling a little weak in front of someone, "Ven? He'll be all right... Won't he?"

Dressed in this.

[ZahraMoon]

☦Ҟȃʑυҝɨ Ⱦѳφȃʑ☦

ʛoɗ oʄ ℭɧɐoϨ and ℳɩȿϲɧɩeʄ

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂ ☠☠☠ ▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

Long lost words whisper slowly to me.
Still can't find what keeps me here.
When all this time I've been so hollow inside,
I know you're still there.

Ven nodded back to Adrienne's admittance that the idea of a possible dangerous situation arising from appearing at Liverpool port after the death of Captain Stephan hadn't crossed her mind. Ven had always been among the more cautious type with Captain Kaz being more outgoing and daring. But where Kazuki was willing to take a chance he only did it after he considered the odds and liked what he saw. It made for the two to compliment one another very well even in the beginning when they first met. The memory was thick in his head of being behind iron bars in a storage-like room aboard The Moon Dust. He hadn't eaten in over two days and wasn't expecting to receive any sort of kindness from the crew who he had attempted to steal from. He had been actually debating whether or not he would rather die or hanging, or dehydration, or starvation when he noticed a shadow against the wall. A young man his age peered down with red hair darker than his own but not any less brilliant. He held in his hand two healthy plates of food and balanced two mugs between fingers. Their eyes had met a moment and then Kazuki had looked away but placed one of the plates and mugs on the floor beside him.
"I don't like the idea of anyone starving to death." He explained evenly with eyes focused on the ground, "Just hurry up and scarf it down before someone comes down here and I get it for giving the prisoner food." he orders quietly. Ven had smiled then for the first time in awhile and accepted the kind gesture gratefully.

It had began a swift friendship: everyday Kaz would risk a scolding and bring him a meal a night. Finally his father discovered him but instead of punishing his son he gave him formal permission to feed their prisoner. Over breakfast, lunch, and dinner they started to talk and bond. Until finally his father was killed and Kaz asked about becoming a pirate.
It was odd, but from the start Ven had faith in his best friend. Kazuki had no pirating experience to lean back on and his expectations were more dream-like than realistic, but the young orphan had been drawn to follow along curious to see just how far Kaz's ambitions would take him. He had always been honored that Kazuki would let him tag along for the ride and offer his advice, even taking it against the opinions of far more aged members of the crew. He would always simply shrug and gave Ven that look showing his complete trust in his first mates decisions.

Ven glanced to his side and out of his memories hearing a fragile question from their ships once-prisoner then musician and finally lover of their Captain. There was no reason to give any false sense of hope and security, and with the way the situation had been going there was no proof that things were going to get better as opposed to worse. And yet still, Ven couldn't help but place a warm hand against her own steering The Dark Selene. His curved lips show deep trust, faith and confidence in his Captain despite everything that had already happened.
"Kaz is going to be just fine. Trust in him. He's never let us down before right?" He points out lightly and encouraging. He knew his best friend, and even though he'd been injured he still believe in the old friend he knew and followed.

Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back
Dreaming of the way it used to be
Can you hear me?

[RubyMoon522]

Adrienne
Nerissa, Goddess of the Sea

Adrienne had been watching him as he contemplated the answer he would give her, not seeming to for very long. Even so, she didn't see a trace of doubt on his face, even for a moment. Especially not when he turned to her and covered one of her hands with his, telling her that Kaz would be fine and that she should trust in him.

There was no undertone of uncertainty and, Adrienne had to admit, it was reassuring. While it didn't dispel her missing him, it made her hope for a good ending to all this. She smiled faintly and gave a slight nod in reply to his question, murmuring, "Right. Thank you, Ven," before giving his hand a light squeeze and gently turning the ship a notch when it met some rougher waves, still less than inclined to waste any amount of power on trivial things.

Her gaze fell on the listless, meandering crew members on deck, some sitting down at random locations and some ambling along still, like they knew they should be working, but couldn't put the thought to action. One dragged itself too near Helena and she jumped onto Shiva with a shriek, which earned her a rather stoic glance, but little else as the shadowbound crewmate ambled away. Adrienne's eyes then fell on Dorian as he stepped from below deck with two familiar cups. Adrienne felt her throat work a little and must've made a face because the Selene's medicine man shot her a rather paternally scolding glance.

Handing them both their own servings of the purple concoction, Dorian stood and waited, watching Adrienne and Ven to be sure they followed protocol. Blowing out a breath, Adrienne looked down and sighed, drinking it down as fast as she could before wrinkling her nose and thrusting the empty cup back at Dorian, who chuckled good-naturedly.

Dressed in this.

[ZahraMoon]

☦Ҟȃʑυҝɨ Ⱦѳφȃʑ☦

ʛoɗ oʄ ℭɧɐoϨ and ℳɩȿϲɧɩeʄ

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂ ☠☠☠ ▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

Long lost words whisper slowly to me.
Still can't find what keeps me here.
When all this time I've been so hollow inside,
I know you're still there.

Ven was glad to see that his reassurance seemed to reach Adrienne, he smiled and nodded back to her before looking again out to the sea. It was going to take them at least a three day journey to get to where they wanted to be, and then it was going to take two more days upon land to go and pick up Kanu. Ven glanced down as he noticed Neda rising from below deck balancing plates of food. With a cheerful smile she was handing out portions to the working pirates who took their breakfast gratefully. She was also offering out plates to the shadowed crew but while they did seem to stare at her for a moment, the beings continued to lumber past her causing the pirate to shrug her shoulders and continue on to the next person. From what he had been told, they never ate nor did they sleep. The beings only walked about the top of the ship seeming to be trying to remember what it was they were supposed to be doing. Ven couldn't figure out why Kaz hadn't taken them with him to his dark realm. Had he forgotten? The thought made him frown back, if he were anything like the Kaz he used to know that wasn't possible. Kaz never forgot about allies.

Neda passed out her final two plates before going back below deck and getting some more food for everyone. When she rose the third time she had reached the gods standing on the ship, "Hey are you hungry?" she offers while holding out two plates to the Ice goddess and the Love goddess. She glances to her side just as Dorian passes her with two cups of his medicine for Ven and Adrienne, "You're plate is in your clinic Dorian." she calls to him before refocusing on the two before her with a smile. As another shadowed crew member walked just behind her, she turned and held out a plate, "Some breakfast?" she asks but the man didn't even seem to notice she was there as he continued to walk. She sighed remembering him to be one of the more cheerful men on the ship before this happened. She turned back around hoping that soon all of the crew was returned back to normal.

Ven looked down to see Dorian walking up the stairs holding two cups which he held out for himself and Adrienne. Ven blanched while taking his own, "This again?" He asked with a nervous laugh before looking down at the slimy purple. He cringed recalling the taste the last time. It was almost like being punished. Glancing to Adrienne once before looking again at the cup, he took a deep breath and again tried to finish it all in one gulp. After three swallows at last there was no more and Ven lowered the cup while making a face. The terrible taste was still on his lips. Handing the cup back, he shakes his head, "How long do we need to keep taking that?" he asks.

Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back
Dreaming of the way it used to be
Can you hear me?

[RubyMoon522]

Adrienne
Nerissa, Goddess of the Sea

Dorian looked over his shoulder as Neda called over to him, smiling and calling back, "Thank you, Miss Neda!" before taking the purple potion he toted up to Ven and Adrienne, who already looked less than willing to partake. However, they pleasantly didn't argue much apart from a few light jabs and Dorian was glad for it. They needed it to keep them healthy and it had likely been one of the few things that had kept Ven alive while he was unconscious. Then again, he hadn't been awake to taste it most of the times he'd needed to ingest it. "Depends. This will probably be the last time," he reassured them as he headed back down the ramp to go to the infirmary and take the breakfast left for him there.

Down on the main deck, Shiva and Helena were sitting idly as they had the previous day, Shiva sitting with her back against the same rail Helena was lying, stretched out, atop. They both looked over when Neda approached with bowls of steaming porridge and Helena was the first to speak up, sitting up and grinning. "Yes, please!" she said happily, holding out her hands to take one of the bowls Neda offered.

"I love your cooking, by the way," Helena added as she waited for her breakfast to cool a bit, even while bouncing lightly with anticipation. Shiva smirked a little at Helena's antics, but when the dish was offered to her, she gave Neda a politely apologetic smile and told her, "Thank you, but I don't do very well with warm or hot foods." Even the Caribbean air had been making her a bit uncomfortable, but now that they were heading north, she was starting to ease up some.

Adrienne's features were still a little strained from the acrid bitterness of the drink she'd just gulped down with mild complaint, but she was counting on the morning porridge to steam the taste from her mouth. She glanced toward the shadowy pirates as Neda offered them breakfast to no avail; they were listless, not understanding what she wanted of them and soon mindlessly ambling along when they gave up or simply forgot about what they were trying to decipher. Adrienne sighed; everything was so wrong right now. It was unnerving.

Dressed in this.

[ZahraMoon]

☦Ҟȃʑυҝɨ Ⱦѳφȃʑ☦

ʛoɗ oʄ ℭɧɐoϨ and ℳɩȿϲɧɩeʄ

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂ ☠☠☠ ▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

Long lost words whisper slowly to me.
Still can't find what keeps me here.
When all this time I've been so hollow inside,
I know you're still there.

Ven couldn't resist the sigh of blessed relief to hear that this would be the last time he'd need to drink down that strange mixture of herbs and medicine. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the gesture, he was grateful that Dorian cared enough about him and Adrienne to make something that he guessed took quite awhile, but the taste was too much. It was sour and bitter and overwhelming. Ven's taste buds had always leaned more towards things of a mild taste, not being too much of anything particular, this potion was too much of everything. As Dorian returned to his quarters to get his breakfast, Ven glanced to Adrienne, "I think I'll get our porridge." he suggests not wanting to wait to get the taste out of his mouth. He had a feeling that Adrienne was eager to start eating as well.

Neda handed a bowl over the bubbly girl with a light smile and a blush at the compliment, "Thank you." she says back before nodding her head as she realized she hadn't introduced herself yet, "I'm Neda. The ships cook and part-time dancer. If there's anything you need in the kitchen just let me know day or night." she explains before looking to Shiva. She looks down at the porridge, "Only cold stuff? I'll keep that in mind, do you want me to put some ice in it and cool it off?" she offers. Thinking on it now, it made sense for the goddess of ice to not be too crazy about hot foods, Neda realized. When she cooked she was just going to have to make the woman something a bit different to cater to her taste. The idea of a new challenge fired up the woman a bit. She hadn't had any real challenge to her cooking since Aliah. After the aristocrat had left she was reluctant to admit that she'd missed the opportunity to real show her talents. The crew never had any complaints, and Captain Kaz and Ven were easy enough to appease now that she knew their habits over the years. It was a way to not only keep her mind busy and preoccupied but sharpen up her skills.

The day continued forward in relative peace and quiet along with the next day and the one after that until at last the lands they desired to come towards came into view. Ven was at the helm steering when the announcement of land came from overhead. He was looking quite a bit better in the last three days; some of his strength had returned along with his complexion. While he was still thinner than he was accustomed to being and got tired and sore doing things that used to be daily chores, every day he had been able to hold out for just a bit longer before needing to call it a day on the activity. He knew it was only a matter of time before he got back to top form.

Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back
Dreaming of the way it used to be
Can you hear me?

[RubyMoon522]

Adrienne
Nerissa, Goddess of the Sea

Adrienne laughed softly at the sigh of relief Ven blew out at hearing that this would likely be the last time they'd have to choke down the medicinal concoction Dorian had presented them with. It had helped and she was sure it had kept Ven alive for all the days he'd been unconscious, but it was vile. And she had a suspicion that Dorian got some sort of amusement from watching them choke it down. Shooting an affectionate glare toward the top of his head as he went back below deck, she looked over and smiled, "Sounds great."

Helena smiled and bounced a little more, excitedly swallowing the bite of porridge she'd popped into her mouth before exclaiming, "Ooh, you're a dancer? I'm Helena, Goddess of Love." Shiva smirked down at the girl as she continued to half-shovel her breakfast and noted, "And not of manners." Looking up at Neda, she listened to the woman's suggestion and blinked. She'd expected her to just give up and take her polite refusal.

Looking back at the bowl, she gave a nod. "I suppose I could've done that to begin with... I suppose I have a lot on my mind," she said absently as she gingerly took the bowl from Neda's hand with an added thank-you, careful not to brush hands with her simply because Shiva, being the Ice Goddess, was freezing to the touch, despite the furs she wore. Those acted as good barriers, but skin-to-skin contact would give the human woman a case of shivers, possibly even frostbite, depending. Adrienne could give a good description of what that was like.

Leveling a glance up toward the Sea Goddess at the helm, she smirked, remembering the ice castle she'd put too close to the Arctic coast. Shiva knew she should've seen it coming, but for whatever reason, she'd not even considered the possibility of Adrienne causing her more mild personal havoc. She smiled and shook her head, looking down at the bowl as frost began to branch from where her fingers wrapped around the base. When steam ceased to rise, she took a bite and found that Helena was right. Neda was quite the cook.

The rest of that day and the following two passed with no trouble, which everyone was grateful for. When the pirate in the crow's nest announced their progress toward land, Adrienne was slowly stirring from another night of deep sleep, which had become her only escape from memories and the mild anxiety that hit her at times. Before she woke fully, she reached over to Kaz's side of the bed, some part of her mind intending to make sure he was awake so he could give orders and the like for their docking. However, her fingers grasped cold sheets and she got up and changed into a navy tunic dress she'd found in her chest the previous night with black leggings and boots.

Adrienne was starting to bronze up again and get her figure back. More than anything, she was still just a little weak and looked a bit tired, very faint purple shadows under her eyes. As she walked out to stand next to Ven at the helm, she frowned slightly. She didn't look sickly anymore, but she did look noticeably different than she had just a month ago when visiting Katherine and Kanu. At least different enough that Katherine would notice. She didn't want the woman to worry, but she had to go get Kazuki's little sister.

Dressed in this.

[ZahraMoon]

☦Ҟȃʑυҝɨ Ⱦѳφȃʑ☦

ʛoɗ oʄ ℭɧɐoϨ and ℳɩȿϲɧɩeʄ

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂ ☠☠☠ ▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

Long lost words whisper slowly to me.
Still can't find what keeps me here.
When all this time I've been so hollow inside,
I know you're still there.

Neda enjoyed Helena's company, the woman was optimistic and always encouraging. It made for a warmer atmosphere on a ship which could've easily been depressing. When one looked at it from the outside there was really nothing to be cheerful about; half of their crew had been turned into strange creatures which took on the literal meaning 'shadow of themself' and merely wandered around all day, the rest was still learning the ropes although quickly getting the hang of it with Ven's careful direction. Their leader was gone and the two taking his place were just recovering from their own near-death experiences. Despite this there was an air of determination and heart. Smiles weren't as frequent and didn't come as easily as they used to, but everyone was trying and that just served to make the journey a little bit better. Shiva, was good company as well however she was quiet and reserved. Neda often found herself without words really for the goddess of ice whose only concern really seemed to be protecting Adrienne. Still, Neda couldn't say she wasn't at least civil and sometimes she did happen to be a bit humorous at least in her slight insults directed to the goddess of love. The younger looking woman never seemed to notice them though, like water off a ducks back.

Now Neda was again up and distributing food around the ship for the crew, this time in the form of flapjacks and sausages, something she usually would've had to use up a lot sooner but was able to preserve a little longer with Dorian's new method of freezing. As she passed the plates around, she finally came to stand beside her boyfriend looking over at the shore in front of them, "So, I'm assuming that I'll be watching the ship right?" she asks after a moment of silence.

Ven was lost in his thoughts about their destination. It had been years since he had seen Kazuki's little sister, and she only knew him by the sound of his voice which had been well over eight years ago. Was Kanu even going to be able to remember who he was? Or even recognize him for that matter? Shaking his head he figured it would be fine if she didn't, Kanu had been much much younger when they first met so it wasn't too surprising to imagine that she would forget who exactly he was. Ven was just looking forward to seeing her excitement and her new eyes which would be able to look into the blues of the ocean and the silver of their sails.
As Neda joined him and asked whether she was watching the ship it occurred to him that he hadn't exactly thought about whether or not he'd be going to pick Kanu up. Ven hesitates, "Hm, I guess so. Since Captain Kaz isn't here this time I guess I'll have to accompany Adrienne." he realizes. The thought made him wince a little behind his smile. This time around he was actually going to have to let himself be seen, which meant encountering Mrs. Katherine, Kazuki's mother. He remembered the woman never being too fond of him...she said something along the lines of him being a 'bad influence' and 'not raised' right. She'd even scolded him on his table manners and that had been when he was on the floor of his prison cell! He sighs a little, at least with all of the scolding Kanu might then remember who he was.

Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back
Dreaming of the way it used to be
Can you hear me?

[RubyMoon522]

Adrienne
Nerissa, Goddess of the Sea

Adrienne gratefully accepted breakfast as they neared Hull port, still mulling over their situation (or rather her situation) as she nibbled on a bite of sausage, thinking things over. It would be strange if she didn't show up, especially when Ven did, and she wouldn't ask him to go by himself. If she showed up with Ven, Katherine would ask why Kaz hadn't come instead especially the second time. It wouldn't make sense for her to bring Ven with her rather than Kaz. Yet she was still unsure of whether she could simply transport herself there. That would be ideal; she could come from anywhere with that power.

More than anything, she didn't want to have to lie to Katherine. She wanted to avoid telling the truth though, too, simply because it had escalated so much from what it had been just a month ago. She couldn't fathom her reaction: the disappointment, the fear, the probable anger. It was intimidating if only because Adrienne knew how much Katherine cared about her and didn't want to endanger that. Taking a small bite of flapjack, she gave a small sigh. It was doubtful that she'd be able to transport herself there and then both Kanu and herself back. She could try, but it would be a risk with no backup plan. Glancing toward Ven, she found him looking not-so-keen on the idea of going to the house, likely because of Katherine. She remembered the harsh look on the woman's face when she'd first looked at her, thinking it was the first mate under the brown traveling cloak.

She frowned a little sympathetically. "I can try to get there myself if you'd rather not go?" she offered. She'd try it first rather than relying on it immediately, but she might be able to pull it off.

Dressed in this.

[ZahraMoon]

☦Ҟȃʑυҝɨ Ⱦѳφȃʑ☦

ʛoɗ oʄ ℭɧɐoϨ and ℳɩȿϲɧɩeʄ

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂ ☠☠☠ ▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

Long lost words whisper slowly to me.
Still can't find what keeps me here.
When all this time I've been so hollow inside,
I know you're still there.

At last they were close enough to begin moving on to procedures to port. Ven shouted out for the men to prepare themselves before explaining aloud how exactly they were going to steer The Dark Selene into land. Usually he just shouted out what needed to be done, but with many being first timers on the Selene, he wanted to be sure there was no confusion as to how exactly things were done under Captain Kaz's command. Many things Kaz didn't mind turning a blind eye towards, and there were many more things that Ven could easily let go of, but for both of them that The Dark Selene and anything having to do with her general care was not upon the list of things they took lightly towards messing up. When Kaz returned he was going to go right back to being as particular as he always was surrounding his home. New or not there would be no room for mistakes.

Ven looked back to Adrienne lost in her thoguhts while nibbling on a flapjack. The men seemed to understand well enough and were quickly getting theri tasks done. Just as Ven adjusted their speed and direction he turned to see Adrienne now out of her thoughts and addressing him. At the offer he realized she must've guessed through his epressions that he wasn't particularily looking forward to running into Mrs. Katherine Topaz again. He shrugged his shoulders, "No, it's fine. You would prefer to save your power anyway right? If you went by yourself and Captain Kaz found out later he'd have my head." he chuckles before thinking again about the older woman thoughtfully, "It's just...well, Katherine has never been fond of me. She's really strict and just acts like I'm an overall failure to humanity. It's nothing I can't handle. I just have to grin and bear it. Besides who knows? It's been eight years, maybe her opinion of me has changed by now." he supplies with a hopeful smile.

Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back
Dreaming of the way it used to be
Can you hear me?