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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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 Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2023 11:01 am
[via Moose on Discord]
Xenia had spent the better part of the morning top side running through drills with Indra. While the exercise was meant to test the abilities of their entire crew her ‘first mate’ seemed particularly aggravated. Something must have happened when they docked yesterday that alcohol couldn’t clear from Indra’s system. Every one of her strikes were aimed towards her favorite target and Xenia met her, blow for blow, though admittedly with more of a struggle. As skilled as she was becoming with the blade she couldn’t compete with Indra’s experience and ferocity. By the end of it Xenia was wheezing with more bruises than she liked to admit but she’d made a mark.
Indra bore a long, thin line along her neck that trickled blood down her top and she was pissed. Before she stomped off below deck she’d made sure that Xenia knew exactly what kind of punishments she could look forward to later, albeit in hissed whispers that the crew couldn’t hear.
Xenia slid her swords back into their hilts and sighed as she hobbled over toward the side of the ship. What she really wanted was something cool to drink, but right now she would settle for something to lean on to take the pressure off her ribs.
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2023 11:02 am
(1/10)
As a member of the crew, it made sense that Tavihe would be present for drills as well. But they were a scout, at best, and being put through their paces with a blade quickly left them trounced. The fingers of one hand felt bruised, unwilling to flex, as they'd stubbornly held on to their sword even as their opponent tried to kick it away, but in the end they'd conceded defeat and been sent to nurse their bruises.
When joining the crew, Tavi had somehow been allowed on board as a... lookout? Presumably for night times. Yet here they were, being forced to scrape about during the day, where their eyes barely wanted to see.
That was how they found themselves flopping down beside the captain, of all people - not that the green crewmate would know that. Tavihe's other hand pat over their hip for their flask, which was definitely not full of water or anything a whelp their age should be drinking, but no one on board this ship was about to scold them about it.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2023 11:03 am
[via Moose on Discord]
Xenia leaned back against the railing with an exaggerated exhale. She could tell a lot about Indra’s mood just from her sword swings, and on days like this the smaller Yaeli was left a breathless, sweaty mess. She’d closed her eyes for all a second before she heard a body sit down next to her and Xenia cracked open the closest eye to see who it was.
She recognized the face, but a name escaped her. Crewmates came and went, especially the younger ones, so half the time she didn’t bother with details beyond ‘Hey, you!’. Still, it wasn’t often that they hired Kahi, especially those from the depths. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Xenia held her hand out and motioned for the younger Kahi to share. She wasn’t about to lecture the kid on what was in it so long as it was cold.
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2023 11:04 am
(2/10)
Tavi's hip propped against the railing and they took a long drink from their flask, reveling in the burn of alcohol. It was a bit watered down, but that spoke more of their budget than their taste, that and while it was nice to keep their body warm, they didn't want to be that crew member who was caught drunk while working. It took a moment for Tavihe to notice the older crew mate beckoning, but once they did they let out a huff of a laugh, eyes crinkling a bit as they passed it over. "I don't think I learned anything from these 'drills' other than how to get beat."
It was less about 'drills', most likely, and more about the crew letting off steam; but Tavi would still much rather do so against a hapless merchant vessel than each other.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2023 12:15 pm
Xenia didn't so much as pause at the taste. Even watered down as it was it had some flavor, which was a far cry from the swill her usual sparring partner inhaled. "You were just lucky enough to come aboard when our drills got some flavor." The yaeli couldn't keep the bite out of her words, even if she did give a sigh a moment later. She passed the drink back to the younger crewman, but not before thinking it over in her in her. If this was one of her younger siblings would she...? "What's your name? I haven't seen you around much." May as well build better connections with the crew; especially if she wanted to try to construct her own coupe in the future.
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Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2023 11:18 pm
(3/10) ... Huh. Tavihe crinkled their eyes at the older crew mate but accepted the flask back, capping it and tucking it away again. It was reassuring to see some unease with other crew members - at least then Tavi wasn't the only one annoyed with how things were going. Of course, they were also newer to this ship, and had been playing it safe as they could, not wanting to step on the wrong person's toes.
"Tavihe. Came on just a few weeks back." They answered with a shrug. They'd needed 'a good set'a hands' and 'extra eye or two', but so far they'd mainly been put to work swabbing and cleaning things. "What about you? You look like death warmed over." That is to say, the older crew member looked like she was nursing quite a few knocks and bruises, and somehow looked worse off than Tavi themself.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2023 8:36 pm
A few weeks? It was wild to think that the crew kept such differing hours that they could miss each other like that. At least, she hoped that were the case. If the poor sod was on dayshift then she was just an oblivious jerk apparently.
"I'm Xenia." She settled her blades beside her on the deck and crossed one leg underneath her so she could get comfortable. "Otherwise called Captain Wolfsbane but I'm trying to ditch the moniker." It had been for Indra's benefit anyway; a surprise tactic meant to throw her enemies off balance. If you were expecting someone terrifying, but got a small yaeli? What a shock! But now that Xenia was a fierce fighter in her own right she wanted to go under her own name.
Which was what pissed Indra off the most.
"Hmm. That bad, huh? It's what I get for proddin' her." She smirked, not apologetic in the least. "What about you? You're Kawena, right? You're bound to be tired being out in this much light."
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Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2023 3:10 pm
(4/10) Xenia. That name was familiar, but Tavihe couldn't quite place where ... but then the woman elaborated, and immediately Tavihe's head snapped to stare at her. Captain Wolfsbane. THE captain of this wretched ship that had hired her. And wasn't that a kick in the teeth? It sure was fun, to not even be recognized by the captain - but wait, why was this Yaeli so grumpy about the training then? Because one of her crew had beat her, was that it?
"It's a bit pretentious, yeah." They drawled, flashing a toothy smirk. Was that the sort of comment that would get them chucked over the rails? Maybe, but there was a reason they were here on a pirate vessel, and not back home growing... seaweed or whatever it was their parents liked to do these days.
"Not my favorite thing, the sun." Tavi confirmed with a grimace, flinging their forearm over their forehead to try and shade out some of the light. "Was told I had to be 'ship shape', so here I am. 'course, you're the cap, maybe you can give me a pass, yeah? One friend to another?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2023 12:18 pm
When his head whipped around to face hers Xenia's maw split into a s**t-eating grin. "Surprise." Even if she didn't particularly enjoy being tied to this ship there was no denying the devilish rush that moments like this brought her. Intimidation had it's purposes, but...well, Xenia preferred good hearted teasing. That was more her speed.
"Pretentious? Yeah, I can see that." A tired chuckle slipped out as Xenia once against leaned back against the railing. Even when the ship crested over a particularly harsh wave her body just naturally moved with it as if she had spent her entire life at sea.
"Yeah, I'll give ya a pass; for now. After you've had some rest we'll get you set up with someone who can teach you after the sun sets." The sun was murder on her own eyes so she couldn't imagine how it felt for them. "And if no one volunteers I'll teach'ya myself. One friend to another."
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2023 12:25 pm
(5/10) Don't get them wrong. Tavihe wasn't somehow immune to the fact this person was captain; there was mistrust there, now, suspicion. Because it wasn't as if they waltzed onto the ship without having heard about its reputation before, and this person... well. There was plenty on board alone that would give any crew mate with a soul reason to be concerned, let alone what they'd heard of done to other victims. The toothy smile that split over the captain's face promised no mercy or kindness, and so jumping immediately into insulting the title, and trying to get a favor was the last thing any smart person would do.
Instead... the captain agreed without blinking, and Tavihe would've taken a moment to observe her had the cresting wave not sent them clutching to the railing, much more green to this life than the woman beside them.
The next bit though... that was unbelievable. Tavihe doubted it was true, it felt more like an empty promise to appease a whining deck hand, but they grinned brightly anyway. Even if it didn't come to pass, it was a delicious fantasy, to be favored by someone powerful. "Hm. Taught by the captain herself? What an honor! Though...maybe... after those bruises clear up, love."
The last thing they needed was other people thinking they'd somehow caused them. For one, it'd give them far more credit than they deserved, and Tavihe never wanted to appear 'capable'. That was how you got too many people looking at you, expecting things.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2023 3:13 pm
You're slipping. Xenia had to catch herself from time to time when she was being too 'genuine' with the crew. If she wanted even a shred of respect from them she needed to be as tough as they thought she was, even if she couldn't muster the cruelty Ilyndra so easily mastered. The ship buffeted through the waves, jostling the yaeli just enough to make her sweat laden curls bounce, but not much else.
"It's Xenia, not love." She answered with a brow raise and a stern look that shifted into a 'casual' smile. "Say it again and it's Captain." It felt wrong to be that mean, and it left Xenia's stomach tight, but she'd practiced for so long that the words just slipped out naturally.
"What are you good with, Tavihe? Wouldn't make much sense to get you trained on blades if you're better with something else."
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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2023 1:26 am
(6/10) There was that dose of reality they'd been waiting for! Tavihe wasn't some easily chastened child, ducking away at the presence of a stern tone and admonition. Instead, they pulled their flask out once more and tipped it towards Xenia, almost as if to say 'I see you there' before taking another small sip from it. They managed to get the cap back on in time to prevent making a mess as the ship bobbed once again, but the reminder that the seas were rough today once again sent the flask back to its hiding spot.
"Knives, I suppose. Never made much sense to carry anything else, and I use my knife to cut plenty on the job. I get a fancy sword like some of you lot have, I'd just be tripping over it."
They tilted their head a bit then, looking over the captain again. "Clearly, I need practice with fist fighting though, those're even more available than knives in most fights."
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2023 8:40 am
Xenia gave a 'hmm' of agreement. Knives and swords were all well and good, but that sort of thing could get knocked overboard in an instant. "Maybe I should have you train with Illapha, then. If you can toss a brute like that over your shoulder then you won't have any trouble taking on anyone else."
The hybrid was skilled for his age, but still had plenty room for improvement. The two of them could work on hand to hand combat together with some of other younger recruits. More to the point she could use Illy to judge Tavihe's character and see if they were a potential ally.
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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2023 9:44 am
(7/10) Y'know, they meant it as a joke. A joke!! Because they'd both got the crap beat out of themselves, and that wasn't something Xenia would be able to teach. Yet, Tavi's sharp tongue seemed to have gotten them in some trouble, because the petite captain took it seriously without even blinking.
Or, maybe, she understood Tavi's joke and was striking back by even suggesting they train with THAT behemoth of a man. Tavi had never bothered to think his age, but with that full red beard and large stature they always presumed he was much older, and often thought he was so large it was amazing the ship didn't tilt with whatever side of it he stepped on.
Fist fighting with THAT thing? Tavihe tried not to look horrified, but probably failed, as their sclera-free eyes always managed to make them look somewhat stricken anyway. "I could try, but I think I'd end up squished into pulp on the deck." Tavi commented, tone strained at the very thought of it. "I thought you were my friend, lo -- err... Xenia. My pal, even!"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2023 9:53 am
"I've heard a few rumors in Matori that crushed Kawena horns can boost a ship's sails. So, squished or not, you'll still be plenty useful." She grinned, perhaps a little too devilishly, before taking the small respite in the waves to stand. "Though do try not to die. Introducing myself gets tiring after a while."
She brushed off the backside of her tunic, then gave the linen fabric a brief ruffle so that it laid just right over her leggings. Xenia had so few pleasures in this life of hers, but keeping a 'tidy' appearance was one of them. "Are you questioning my orders, Tavihe? From one pal to another I think training with Illapha will do you some good. Besides, with your lovely complexion you'll hardly notice the bruises."
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