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Painted Moose rolled 1 20-sided dice:
10
Total: 10 (1-20)
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 Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2022 1:19 pm
6 - 10: Mudslide It has been a dry few weeks, and many were excited about the rains coming in. But alas, it seems that too much rain has caused a mudslide. The damage isn't bad, but there might be a few people missing that need to be tracked down.There was nothing Xenia enjoyed more than the shores of Matori. The feel of a chilly, Autumnal wind drifting up the sands filled her heart with a warmth that didn't come easy aboard the ship. For the moment they were docked in a smaller port town for business that she'd rather not think about for the time being and just enjoying a bit of downtime. Xenia being Xenia was always looking for an angle to use against Indra so she'd taken Illapha with her to investigate a local village. It was close enough to the sea to produce more than a few fisherman, but pressed back against a set of harsh cliffs for safety. The drier weeks made for less fishing so she was hoping to use that to her advantage. Unfortunately, it took a few days to reach and over that time the rains had settled in.
Never one to let nature best her, Xenia pressed on, but the rain never stopped. If anything the terrain got harder to move in and now that she was this far she felt foolish for trying. "Are you still holding up?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2022 3:44 pm
(1/7) As Xenia had promised, life aboard the ship was a different experience this time than it had been the first. While it was still an awful, miserable place thanks to Indra, he was on the lucky side of the fence this go around. Being in Xenia's esteem didn't make him immune, if anything he had a target painted on his head, but it at least afforded him a measure of care and scrutiny. He wasn't merely cannon fodder anymore, but a point of contention. He was loyal to Xenia, by virtue of her actually having a soul to speak of, but they'd both agreed that Indra didn't need to know that. So he'd allowed himself to become something of a mystery. The hope was that, eventually, Indra might fall for the bait and try and recruit him as a double agent, but she hadn't made any such moves just yet.
So, for now, he was something of a body guard. Xenia had more skill than he did, but he had his fists and a large frame, and that generally seemed to be what people worried about most in their line of work.
Now, however, he was soaked through, wet and unhappy, and when she called back to him he scowled at her - an expression that looked murderous, but in reality was toothless. "Better than you, I'm guessing." He said, pointedly looking at the mud that threatened to steal her boots from her feet with every step. "Thinking to stop soon?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:34 pm
At the moment Xenia's wet mop of hair weighed more than the woman herself. Her glasses were absolutely useless in the downpour so she'd opted to take them off and stuff them into a satchel at her side. So, when she caught sight of Illapha, she couldn't really see him, but tone was everything. "As soon as we find shelter, yes." Pushing any further would just wear them out or worse - end in one of them falling ill.
The petite pirate brushed sopping curls out of her face and surveyed the scene. "I think if we go up to the right a little there should be something-" A noise to her right caught Xenia's attention. It was loud, even above the rain; line logs hitting against once another, but what would make that kind of noise?
"We need to move."
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2022 1:43 pm
(2/7) Illapha didn't have to ask why she'd stopped talking. The sound of wood crashing into wood was cacophonous, loud enough to knock an echo into his very bones. His breath seized, and with a single nod he hastened after her. Through the rain, it was impossible to tell what was going on, but when smaller rocks began to scatter down from the rockface above, he no longer had to guess.
A few such rocks, large enough to bloody their heads or break their shins if they were unlucky enough to get hit by them, tumbled past them, further raising his alarm.
Shelter - was there even such a thing here, along this rocky mountain path? "I'll carry you?" He shouted above the rain, massive hand braced at her back, larger body half bowed over her as they quickly moved.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 2:13 pm
In any other terrain Xenia would have had an advantage. She was a small, nimble fighter who could outrun any opponent, but she very well couldn't outpace a storm; much less a mudslide! Her pulse was absolutely thrumming in her arms, causing every whip of her head to send spikes of anxiety through her. She had a clear path - knew which way to go even if she couldn't see it - but...
...then the first of the large rocks barely missed flattening them and she backed into his hand.
Pride fought against Xenia's better judgement. She didn't want to be carried like a small, waif of a woman, but dammit she was. If she couldn't see far enough ahead to avoid death then she wasn't much use to either of them so with a pinched lip she consented with a nod. "Do it! I'll keep my ears open for more rocks! Just remember; up ahead and to the right!"
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Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 9:40 am
(3/7) It wasn't that Illy thought she couldn't handle it; far from it. She was older, and more experienced than he was. But the fact was his legs were longer, his muscles bigger, and if he had to hesitate to make sure she was keeping pace with him, one or both of them could pay for his inattention.
Better he be their legs, and her their eyes, right? And worst case scenario, he hoped he'd have enough wit and energy to fling her forward if they saw some unavoidable obstacle coming at them through the storm.
When she agreed, he didn't hesitate to lift her - wrapping both arms around her torso and LIFTING, so his cheek was against her stomach, her upper arms flung over one of his massive shoulders. They ran - his legs slipping against muddy ground, his ears ringing with the massive, cacophonous rumbling above them that promised WORSE than just boulder sand raining rocks.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 11:50 am
The last time Xenia had been lifted with this much gusto she'd been a little girl. For a moment it was unnerving and she couldn't help the gasp that slipped out. Once she was up, Xenia wrapped her legs around as much of his torso as she could to hold tight and held on.
Nothing she'd ever heard in her life could compare to the all consuming catastrophe barreling their way. Xenia brushed her wet curls away from her face with a hurried, anxious hand and held them so her vision free. "JUST UP AHEAD, MAKE A RIGHT OFF THE PATH AROUND THAT ROCK." A new sound, one much closer, made Xenia whip her head around. "TREE LINE'S GONIG DOWN. RUN, ILLY!"
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Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 12:34 pm
(4/7) Later, he was going to take a very long look in how he'd gotten in this position. Choosing to live at sea with pirates shouldn't have put him at risk of death by crushing, yet here he was--
His legs burned with the effort of running, uphill at that along the incline of the path, but he forced himself to keep moving - until finally, above the noise, he heard Xenia's orders. He snapped his head up, squinting through the din where she was directing him - and with a final push of adrenaline, he turned off the path.
Behind them, the booming thunder of trees slamming into one another made his ears ring; it sounded like the gods had pulled the heavens down onto them, and for a second he considered planning a trip to visit his father's monastery again to personally apologize for ever doubting.
Two earthlings shouldn't be able to outrun an act of nature like this, but - something in the terrain, whether it be the boulder she pointed out or just sheer luck, guided the mudslide onto the path they'd just been on. He kept moving, regardless, unwilling to stop just because HE thought it was over.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2022 8:12 am
This was - Spirits above - this was amazing! It was horrifying in a way she'd never thought possible, but the moment Illapha whipped off the mountain path all of her fear shifted into a sense of shaky thrill. She placed her hands on the large expanse of his shoulder blades and used the angle to push herself up. Not only was this a good vantage point to watch his back when Illapha inevitably started to move again, but Xenia could watch it all.
By all accounts they should be DEAD. Yet this boy - this beautiful, strong, powerhouse of a hybrid - saved them both! Xenia let out a surprised laugh and an elated 'f--- yeah!' before placing a chaste kiss to the top of Illapha's head.
"You're getting a raise after this, Illapha! You'll never worry for gold again!" But now she had to focus and focus she did. With the adrenaline giving way to new purpose, Xenia pointed out as many obstacles as she could to him, as well as potential new ones should this side of the mountain decide to go as well. When they were close enough to their quarry she shifted in his hold, then leapt to the ground to finish up the last leg of it the journey herself.
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 4:05 pm
(5/7) You'd be surprised, what a body could do when pumping full of adrenaline. Illapha wasn't the fasted man, by virtue of his size, but his height had given him something of an advantage here; he couldn't explain, otherwise, how they crossed so much ground in so little time. His lungs ached with the exertion, the cool, wet air making his throat and nostrils burn with every desperate inhale. He was, apparently, beyond words because when his charge shifted in his grip he made some sort of guttural, nonverbal growl, and vowed to himself that if her tiny frame managed to slide free of his grip, he wouldn't go back for her!
But he didn't, somehow, and her new vantage point allowed her to point out obstacles he probably would have blindly broken his ankle on before - so he forgave her for it, eventually.
The thunderous sounds were gone now, just the thrumming of his pulse in his ears and the natural rumbling of the sky was left behind, but even then Illapha couldn't make himself look behind him. He could only trust that Xenia was right when she finally saw fit to slip free of his hold and to the ground again.
He was... 'afraid' was probably a ridiculous understatement. He was shaken, and though he'd lived the last few years of his life like an adult, he very much felt his age right now, and wanted nothing more than to just sit down and close his eyes, like that near death experience would go away if he did so.
If THAT didn't kill them, he couldn't imagine Xenia's 'first mate' would manage it.
For the next few minutes of walking, his chest heaved as he fought to catch his breath, his pace now much more sedate compared to before. Then, blinking, he turned to her and arched a brow. "Did you say I was gettin' a raise, or did I dream that?" Not to mention a kiss on the top of his head, but he was much too embarrassed to bring THAT up.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2022 2:04 pm
Even with the mudslide now seemingly behind them they still had to contend with the rain. At any moment the rest of the cliffside could give way so as much as he wanted to provide a place for Illapha to rest she kept a lead. Luckily it wasn't much further; within a few solid minutes of trudging through muck and rain she turned into the large, cave opening.
Well, large to her. For him it would be barely taller than he was, but at the very least it was dry with plenty of stones to sit on.
"My word's true." She reached up to grasp her hair midway of it's length and give it a hearty squeeze. The sound actually echoed a little in the cave which felt odd to her considering the cacophonous horror they'd just run through. "You'll have it, but the terms are the same as the rest. She's not to know." As far as Indra was concerned he was paid the exact same as any other crewman, but Xenia added to it from her own coppers for his aid. The raise would be much the same, though he needn't know that.
"Spirits be damned, that was something." There was a little laugh after that; and whether the tinge to it from fleeting anxiety or adrenaline she couldn't say.
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2023 11:38 am
(6/7) Well, thankfully Xenia managed to pick out some shelter among the rain and mud. Illapha physically wilted in relief when he spotted the cave, forgetting for a moment to compose himself like the tough bodyguard he was meant to be. Together they scrambled inside, with Illy slumping to sit between Xenia and the cave exit, propping his elbows on his knees as he continued to catch his breath.
Xenia looked positively drowned by the rain, her normally thick curls plastered to her face and neck, until she fought with them to squeeze them dry. Illy wasn't much better, and after a moment he went to mimic her motions with his own ponytail.
It felt somewhat strange to accept a payout after surviving something so ridiculous with someone, but Illapha wasn't too proud to accept it. He cracked a smile though, laughing a bit breathlessly at her words. "My dad's a monk. Always thought all that was ridiculous." He said, pausing for a moment. "But that might just make me think about it!"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2023 11:52 am
She couldn't help getting a little closer to the lip of the cave to survey their surroundings. Not only was it a vain attempt at perception (without a dry cloth her lenses were useless), but what was she hoping to see other than a sheet of rain and a hillside covered in debris? "Haven't heard anyone else; don't think I could have, anyway, but at least we're the only ones out here." When she turned back to look at him Xenia's excitement drooped like their ears. Illapha looked positively exhausted and her heart ached for him. "Here; let me help."
It didn't take much for the sisterly aspects of her personality to pull through and Xenia found herself standing as close to Illapha as she could get. She reached up to carefully start plucking through his hair, working her fingers through soaked curls so as not to form a knot or pull, in order to free them from the tie.
"Your dad's a monk?" Xenia let out a little whistle that ended on a laugh. "It's not too late to shave your head and go home. You'd be a lot safer that way."
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2023 8:43 pm
Illapha hesitated at her offer of help, but found that after a run like THAT he couldn't make himself say no. It was difficult to gauge their friendship - he'd been on the ship with Xenia for a time now, and yet there'd been a facade of strained alliance. It had paid some dividends - while her enemy hadn't approached him directly, there'd been a few crewmates poking at him to see if he was loyal, and the notes he and Xenia passed back and forth suggested it was best to keep up the illusion that he wasn't loyal.
Still, in her shoes Illapha would always be worried about being double crossed, that something Indra did might actually sway her few precious allies, so now he leaned down and let her attend him with a patient, if a bit embarrassed look on his face, smiling softly in away he didn't allow back on the ship.
"Might just shave it so I don't hafta mess with it." He groused, in regards to the knots.
They'd survived the mudslide. He hoped they would manage to survive life, back on that ship, too.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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