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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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 Posted: Mon May 05, 2025 7:51 pm
4/7 Why that little- Tavihe grit their teeth to keep from shouting, only barely restrained by Illapha's reassuring touch. If anything though, Illapha's words to Endellion were heard by Tavihe too. Breathe? Listen. Just listen. Tavihe inhaled deeply through their nose, narrowing their eyes at the captain as she spoke. It all made them want to laugh because - no interest in harming children? As if! The ship traded children as cargo sometimes; they worked them to the bone in various jobs on the ship, traded them. Illapha himself conceded as much, and yet here he was sitting as happy as a clam, unaffected by their enemy sitting in front of them. ... Not only that, but Xenia said he had a contract with HER. Not just the ship, but HER. " You're not here to bring us back?" Tavihe said, slowly, doubtfully. She wasn't just giving them advice ... to stay away from the sea, but she was even suggesting she'd take a 'punishment' for Illapha. She was offering him a path out on a silver platter, and Illapha-- He didn't even blink and reach for it. Tavihe gave him a scornful side eye, but their mind was turning in circles, desperate cartwheels as they tried to puzzle it out - Xenia wasn't here to bring them back. Xenia said she didn't want the kids - the question here was, who would dare punish the captain in the first place? " He said our contracts are with the ship. Or... whoever controls it." Tavihe said slowly, locking eyes with Xenia. They wanted to see her face when they asked their question. " You're alive so you should control the ship. But our contracts aren't with you, just Illapha's. ... Who are you? If you don't wanna harm kids, who's doing it on that ship?"
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Posted: Mon May 05, 2025 8:08 pm
Xenia - 5
If she hadn't thought that Endellion would bolt - or possibly shoot them - she might have put a hand on their leg. Anything to sooth the panic bubbling under their skin. The hybrid knew their way around a ship better than most, but they'd never been keen on situations like this. No one was, though; not until they had to be.
Take the out, you idiot. She would have missed him terribly, but this was his chance. Possibly the only one he'd ever get, but Illapha - that stupid, stupid man - was staying. For the first time all evening Xenia's expression softened. "Gods I hope your children are smarter than you." A father. He was going to be a father and on this hell of a ship - Focus.
Xenia didn't pull her mask back when she turned to Tavihe. As the pieces started to click for the Kawena she made herself open so that Tavihe could get a good look. Everyone at this table had a choice to make and they deserved the truth, so it was up to her to lead by example. "No, I'm not." Xenia said softly. She looked directly into Tavihe's eyes over the rim of her glasses. "...In a lot of ways, I'm like you. I'm under a contract; with the true Captain of the Witch." If it weren't for the din of conversation and music around them she never would have uttered those words. Xenia might have written them, as she had to Illapha all those months ago, but once the words started it was as if Xenia couldn't stop them. "I was taken from my home and trained to be a figure head. Indra's face was known; the ship was growing and gaining a reputation she couldn't hide from. She needed a scape goat and that's when she found me. I'm the face people know, my name is the one they curse, and it is my head they'll have if the Witch is ever caught."
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Posted: Mon May 05, 2025 8:16 pm
Endellion - 5
The tap on their foot was enough to jostle Endellion and they jerked in their seat. It brought a confused look from a passing waitress, but he didn't stop long enough to question it. Dell, though, could only swallow thickly and nod. "Sorry," They murmured, turning their eyes toward Illapha. He was...much less frightening, now that they were seated together. Still large, still imposing, but no less so than Nifo. After the Moakai had nearly killed Endellion they'd become close friends so maybe that was it? Just a veneer that needed to be cracked?
For a moment Endellion closed their eyes, took a calming breath and did that; just listened.
Loose ends...contract to the ship and not her... That part didn't make sense to them. Everyone who worked aboard their father's ship would have gladly served under him, even if he changed vessels so why not here? What was the difference? He's earned their respect; no one aboard The Whispering Witch has even heard the word. Or...Xenia wasn't their Captain.
And to have it all laid out for them like that....to have Tavihe start the questioning, then to have Xenia confirm it...
"...There were little things that never added up, but I never imagined..." Because father never would have been so cruel. How could one dream of a Captain so vile when the only one they'd ever known had been fair and just?
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Posted: Tue May 06, 2025 3:35 pm
(5/7)
Illapha rolled his eyes, but didn't argue with Xenia. As it was, he expected she'd want to talk about it more on their way back to the ship, but they were already pushed for time here with Tavihe and Endellion. So he let the topic go, and instead turned his attention to the kid, watching as Xenia's words filtered through the panic. When understanding finally flashed in their eyes, Illapha gave a small nod, his expression approving. True, Xenia had all but spelled it out for them, but making that final connection... it meant letting go of the image of Xenia that was inherently untrustworthy, brutal and cruel, and instead allowing a small amount of trust that she was telling the truth.
It was hard to find on a ship like this. There was no proof for Tavihe or the kid that Xenia wasn't just pulling their chain just for fun. Only the severity, and exhaustion of her face made her words convincing.
Illapha himself... he'd only believed it, back then, because he'd had the luck to meet her before all of this, in a place where she'd either not had her mask firmly on yet, or had simply let it fall to enjoy that festival. He was cynical enough that he probably wouldn't have believed her, if not for that.
After he gave them a moment to take in Xenia's confession, Illapha turned to Tavihe and gave them a meaningful look. "I'm not leaving Xenia to deal with this herself. The best way to make sure no one chases you is to take them out ourselves."
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue May 06, 2025 4:02 pm
(5/7) This was insane. But ... it made sense. Tavihe agreed with Endellion, so many things on that ship didn't add up, and now...? Now they did. Like how Indra was the one to give out punishment, not just that time Tavihe got lashes but to everyone Tavihe could remember getting in trouble. So many of Xenia's orders came from Indra's mouth... all this time, they'd just assumed Xenia was too high and mighty to speak to the masses, but that shouldn't have made sense given how she never shied away from training with the crew, or hanging around deck. Either Xenia was a walking contradiction, or she was telling the truth. Slowly Tavihe turned their head to look at Illapha, lips pursed. Then - they smacked him upside the back of the head. It was a gentle cuff, but hard enough the big lug jolted and rubbed at it, pouting. " She's right. You're an idiot staying tangled in this mess! She even offered to take the fall for you!" Tavihe seethed, jealousy simmering. He was staying on that ship out of some stupid sense of loyalty! Ugh! This was the sort of hero-BS that they just couldn't understand in other people. NORMAL people put their partner first! Their KIDS first. Tavihe slumped forward a little, propping their head in their hand as they mourned their situation with the tiny amount of grace they could muster. " ... So even with all that, you came out here to try and help?" Tavihe asked slowly, finally meeting Xenia's eyes. They looked annoyed, but - not as angry as their fussing at Illapha had suggested. " ... He must be an important ally for you then. So what can we figure out? I need a new place to stay. I thought I could make it work here but..." Their face screwed up in annoyance. " I don't know what good I can do for you. I'm not inconspicuous. But having someone else workin' for you on land could be some good, right?"
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Posted: Tue May 06, 2025 4:50 pm
Xenia - 6
She knew she was asking a lot of everyone at the table, but Xenia had no other option. With as methodically as she covered her tracks the Yaeli had only her word to give and hoped it was enough. At least, enough to give them the confidence to make their own judgments. Xenia was not an innocent person; ignorance by omission could only get her so far. She'd committed her fair share of atrocities to mitigate larger scale struggles, but she could only hope that was good enough.
"Keeping you close was easier than watching them destroy you, Dell," She turned to the hybrid and waited for them to turn their honeyed eyes her way. "But it's selfish; so if you want to stay out of this I'll let you go." Having a sharpshooter at her side certainly would make things easier, but Xenia wasn't stupid. Keeping the kid would do just as much harm as letting Indra have them and yet -
"Ooo." A surprised squeak slipped out of Xenia as Tavihe cuffed the big lug. She couldn't help the little chuckle that slipped out - it was so out of place with the severity of the conversation that it put her off guard. "He's an idiot, but he's yours now." Xenia offered a tentative smile.
She reached to her side, making sure to be as obvious as possible about it so no one at the table got antsy, and pulled a satchel off her hip. When Xenia plopped the large, girthy bag onto the table a heap of gold spilled from it's top as well as a slip of paper. "That should be enough to cover supplies, rent, food; whatever you can think of for a while. Think of it as an advance for the work you'll do after you've recovered." She personally knew there was more in that satchel than anyone, including herself, would make in a year so the possibility of Tavihe going without food or medical attention was off the table.
"Until then I have a list of contacts on that paper that can help. I put notes next to each one detailing whether they're good for transport or a spot to stay on a more permanent basis. All are at ports - none we frequent, but close enough that Illy can slip away - so you should be fine. I didn't know if you'd need it - or would even want my help - but there it is."
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Posted: Tue May 06, 2025 5:04 pm
Endellion - 6
The lowered their eyes to the table and exhaled slowly. This was so much more than they were expecting. Not only was Xenia - the dread pirate they'd been warned time and time again to stay away from - not a harbinger of doom, but she was so giving she was willing to let Dell go? "So...you're saying if I wanted out of my contract, you would do that? Take my punishment and let me go back to my family?" There was nothing in her eyes to suggest otherwise and Endellion didn't know how to take that. They didn't want to see anyone punished; it was why they'd taken the stance to defend Tavihe, not even half an hour ago!
You could go home. They would chase you, but the Maiden could hide you- You could go home-
Then Illapha spoke with such conviction and Tavihe - This was just so surreal. Between the Kawena speaking and then the yaeli, Endellion started to fiddle with their own coin purse and put their measly earnings up next to Xenia's ungodly hoard. "It's not much, but some of mine are Kahikinan coins so they won't draw as much attention while you're here." They didn't mention they were keepsakes from their travels with their family; it would only hurt to remember. "I'll stay too." Dell look from Xenia to Tavihe and then to Illapha. If he could do this then so could they. "The faster we get rid of the problem the quicker we can all go back our lives."
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Posted: Thu May 08, 2025 3:12 pm
(6/7)
Ow! Illapha ducked away from Tavihe's smacking hand, making enough of a fuss compared top the 'calm' measure of their conversation that one of the barkeeps finally took notice of them, and had already moved in their table's direction before Illapha shook his head, smiled in a 'friendly' way, and waved the Kahi off. It was a miracle they'd been left so undisturbed, but they had the somewhat unprofessional, family-focused atmosphere of the place to thank for that.
He almost told Tavihe to just calm down, but he shut up when he recognized saying that would probably end up with their dagger in his leg, right after the poignant moment of Xenia finally warming up to them. ... So he wisely shut up, and instead pouted at Xenia, allowing himself a bit of expressiveness now that they were reasonably sure they weren't being watched.
It helped that he was facing the door, and hadn't seen any familiar faces come in.
The gold, though - that sobered him up quick. "Xenia." He said, stunned, as Tavihe slid the bag towards them. Her calling it 'an advance' did little to settle the nerves such an amount of money brought up in his gut.
"I... Thank you. That's - that's a big help." He murmured, then shot a look at Endellion when they added to it. In their line of work... with people they couldn't trust, just willingly giving hard earned coin was enough to bring a sense of loyalty, and gratitude that nearly bowled him over. This wasn't the seemingly naive generosity of the monks and worshippers he grew up with - this was from people who'd learned not to trust, to be stingy and careful. This was for him, for Tavihe, for their baby - (babies, if Tavihe's complaints were to be believed).
He laughed, hugged Tavihe tight into his side, as he looked between the other two across from them. "Having more souls dedicated to this fight can only help."
Beyond that, in some ways, the fact Tavihe and his child's safety were tied to the success of their coup meant, he hoped, that it would only give him more conviction to do the job well and right.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu May 08, 2025 3:25 pm
Tavihe shared a smirk with Xenia, enjoying their jokes at Illapha's expense. And his pout! He really was such a precious, big lug of a man! It was on the heel of that shared joke, and exchange of smiles, that Xenia went for her hip, and it must have been a sign of how much value Tavihe placed in Illapha's judgement that they didn't jolt at the possibility of being betrayed. ... Then again, Xenia knew her audience and made a show of it, so that went a long way in keeping the others calm and jovial. Tavihe's smile faded into a wide-eyed, slack-jawed gaping at the heaping bag of gold. They shot a quick look around, and hurriedly pulled it off the table and into the safe space between their and Illapha's hips, fingers trembling as they plucked up the note and took a glance at it. That one look confirmed what Xenia explained - information. That was all that Tavihe had expected, a point in the direction of aid or a safe house or ally. Money? This much of it? There was a baser instinct, the Tavihe that had first walked onto that ship, that itched to take the bag and disappear with it as soon as the others left. What sort of fool would pass this much gold to a near stranger? Tavihe wouldn't be the first to use their pregnancy as a bartering chip for pity and support, and they wouldn't be the last. But a sidelong glance at Illapha showed him floored, inarguably emotional, and Tavihe had to come to terms with the fact that because of this idiot they simply weren't the same as they had been when they joined Xenia's crew. Oh, they would still stab a random stranger on the back. Would still exaggerate the pain of their back and legs to weasel money out of a stranger on the street. But the woman who Tavihe's person trusted so deeply, whose generosity almost brought the guy to misty-eyed gratitude? The impulse to take it and run was swept away like an irritating gnat, and to Tavihe's surprise it stayed away - not even hovering as a temptation to keep at bay. They simply had no reason to abuse it. ... It helped that Xenia was expressly saying that Tavihe had open permission to use it for whatever they saw fit in their survival, of course. " Aw kid..." Tavihe leaned in to carefully scrape the offered coins from Endellion, jingling them gently in their palm as they gazed at the offering. They had half a mind to return it, out of the sort of magnanimity borne of sudden good fortune, but they had the same recognition of the meaningfulness of this moment, so they didn't dare. Instead they carefully sifted the earthling coins into Xenia's offered bag, then pocketed the Kahi coins safely in their gaudy dress pocket. " Now don't go expecting us to name the kid after any of you. ... But it's a good deal of help. I thought this place would be an option but..." Tavihe glanced between them all, then leaned in towards Illapha to theatrically whisper, " My pa wants you to abandon the ship and make an honest wife out of me. If I stay here I might actually do a Murder. Or - well. Another one." A little levity felt welcome, after such an intense conversation.
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2025 4:52 pm
Xenia - 7
Xenia held up a hand to Illapha and shook her head. Having someone openly thank her was such a rare occurrence that it didn't settle well in her stomach. She would have almost rather he just took it and moved on, but...Well, maybe her heart did warm watching the slightest bit of stress move off his shoulders.
She wasn't naive, though; everything about Tavihe's posture told Xenia what she alrady knew. That at any moment, any turn of the tide and they would disappear. Would it count as a knife in the back if she knew assailant? It wasn't as if she would blame them for it, though; not if it was to protect their child (or children, given the size of them). She meant what she said; if it ensured their survival, Tavihe was free to use it. Even if that meant fleeing.
"Aww, not even a middle name?" Xenia cooed. "A little carving with my likeness in the crib?" She reached for her drink - realized all too late that it was, indeed, Endellion's and instead waved her hand to get the attention of a server.
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2025 4:58 pm
Endellion - 7
More souls dedicated to this fight...
Endellion should have been bolstered by the statement, but a pit dropped in their stomach. They had an idea that even after their contract was over they wouldn't be returning to the Maiden. Any thoughts of bunking down with their brother again, holding his hand as the waves rocked them to sleep, seemed to fade. So much had changed - was still changing - but that was okay, right? As long as it was for the best.
And this....this felt right.
"I don't know what a kawena wedding dress looks like, but it can't be any worse than what you have on," Endellion murmured, a little smirk on their face as they raised their glass. An honest wife? That was like putting rouge on a keldari.
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2025 6:20 pm
(7/7)
Xenia looked so uncomfortable at his emotional reaction that Illapha sobered up quickly, laughing fondly as he did. For a moment, with his friend across from him joking with him, and Tavihe warm against his side, he could almost forget the harrowing situation they were all in. He did bite the inside of his cheek at Tavihe's joke though, mostly because he hadn't shared the names he'd been considering just yet for if they had a girl. Er... a baby who decided to grow up to be a girl?
That was another piece he'd need to talk to Tavihe about - what was the cultural understanding for when kids decided what they wanted to be, given the ah... unique situation of their sex? Ah well.
He did blink and twist to gawp at his partner though, "Wait, parents? You have parents - since when did this happen? We need to talk more." He gestured between the two of them, mirth bright in his eyes.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2025 6:23 pm
(7/7) "Heyyy, the kid gets it!" Tavihe teased. They would have smacked at the blonde's hand in camaraderie but their belly made it impossible to lean over the table in any way, shape, or form, so they just slumped in their seat, looking pleased. "I know, this thing is hideous! And nah - Illapha's already obsessed with you enough as it is, don't want it to become a family tradition, Cap."
Then, in regards to Illapha's oddly playful rapport, Tavihe laughed heartily, shoving at his arm good naturedly. "Hey - s'not like we've done a lot of talking so far in general." They gestured cheekily at their belly, smirking.
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