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 Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 1:23 pm
Lucind Varhetel Leading him over the ramp, they landed on the middle deck, after a harmless jump down behind the railing - the second part of the ramp on the other side, which made it easier to bring the barrels aboard, had already been removed. Affectionately snuggled in between the higher bow and the much higher quaterdeck, the middle deck provided more protection from wind and water than other types of sailing ships usually did. Tagis turned around and, making a somewhat clumsy gesture, she watched Sun following. "Welcome to the Fairuza." Behind the woman, on the other side of the ship, three men hove a large, woodden grating off the ground to close a hatch, through which all the goods must've vanished earlier. One of them, standing out against the other two since looking clean, almost neatly dressed and, well, much less piratey, turned his head and nodded when Tagis herself asked if everything was okay. This man was nearly about Sunstrike's height, though extremely thin, making you want to offer him some food - and all in all, he was one of those persons whose appearance invited you to look twice, even though every corner of this planet hid all kind of fantastic, wonderful - or repulsing races: His hair was of a light blond, as good as white, not longer than three inches and hold back with a dark head band; with his pale complexion and even features you wondered why he didn't work as a male model. Those eyes, however, gave you a hint why: it was impossible to tell where the pupil ended and the iris began, there was just a pool of darkness, contrasting with the white part around. "By the way... Prishazan? This here is Sunstrike, our cook this time. Chances are we don't have to go on diet again, haha...!" "....ah." The white haired gazed from his captain to Sunstrike and back. Tagis walked over to Sun and grinned loopsided. "Fine man, excellent mate. But not a trace of humour." She sighed theatrically and winked. "Alright. Here we go." Turning right, the woman entered the room protruding from the quarterdeck ((I.b 1)) - and led Sunstrike right into a small area stuffed with two computers, several screens and control desks, all of whom could've been found on a modern, high-tech yacht, for example. The galley, conference, common and captain's room didn't burst with luxury but still created some confusion after the ship's rather old-school, worn out outer look. The lower deck on the other hand apparently had had a lot feet running or shuffling over the planks. Yet, there were no leaks, rats or strange...odors. The question thus was: Had this ship been designed according to the 'used look', just like young people loved to wear their jeans nowadays - or was the Fairuza really an old lady that had undergone some plastic surgery? "Impressive!" There was a lot of awe in his voice as they went through on the impromptu tour of the ship. It truly was a beautiful place and kind of self contained, like it's own little world stuck in a bigger one. "I think I'm looking forward to the journey a lot more now!" There was a cheerful quality to his voice though it didn't quite reach his eye, the goggles masked that quite nicely for him, but he couldn't keep them on forever. "Should I set up what I have in my room and get to work, Captain?" He tried out the word and found that it came easily when spoken to the very strong, if slightly small woman who was now the obvious leader.
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 8:38 am
Her almost poisonous cheerful disposition always had the habit of making him feel a bit uncomfortable. Like a pervert caught looking up school girls skirts... As if there was something he should be ashamed of.
To tell the truth, it was probaly her innocence, and the fact that he was quite not so innocent himself. The two aspects clashed and ended up with him feeling like he was doing her more harm than good.
But he had made a promise, and was going to see it through.
"Just stay close to me now."
Finding the pub in question, he stepped in, ready for the worse kind of bilge rats that sailed the seven seas to be inside.
He fairly surprised to find nothing of the sort...well, nothing like the sort of places he attended.
He wondered why he'd never been in here before.
"Well, this place seems lively."
Stepping forward, he turned his head to the side, yellowed eye focusing as someone came striding right up to him.
"Vahn?"
"Eh.. yea?"
"Vahn from the Stadium?"
"Unless there's anoth---"
A harsh slap across the face as the woman scowled, and turned away without another word.
"OW. What the he---" Blinking, he just stared out, wondering what the hell just happened, when she turned around again, fuming even more when she saw that he genuinely didn't remember her.
This earned him a second slap.
"Ok.. I probably deserved that one."
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 1:29 pm
Tagis laughed out loud, hearing Sunstrike's comment about feeling safer now, showing something like a warm smile for the first time. "I love the sea, but you can't trust her - so, I'd never face her without having a decent ship under my a**... So, man, no sweat. This baby here holds some surprises I can tell you." Then the woman nodded at his question. She had just shown him his cabin - he would room with the ship's mate Prishazan, once again telling him that, no matter how grim the man seemed to be, she trusted him more than any other person - and the storage (no.10), where Sunstrike could find all the food he'd need: various kind of vegetables and fruits, some loafs of bread and those things you needed to make more, spices, herbs, salt meat, ham, rice - and a refrigerator held even more stuff to create wonderful meals. All in all, the food would last for about a month, opulent dinners couldn't be afforted, but with a crew of around fifteen men they wouldn't actually have to starve for that time. * * * * * Thwack.... Thwack!!Even though Duncan's Hole was well frequented on this afternoon those slaps could be still be heard echoing throughout the first floor. At least, a pair of Siren ears wiggled lightly. Vahn would hear her chuckle right next to him, even though the Half-Siren hadn't left her place in the corner and was also resuming her relaxed postion. "It seems...I would've done good to choose another place to meet." Lucind's power allowed her to bring her whisper technique nearly to perfection these days, making it hard for anyone to locate her. But right now, there was absolutely no reason to hide here whereabouts. Also, the pub wasn't that big and Vahn would've found her soon after anyway.
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 5:56 pm
T'aka nodded, sticking as close to Vahn as she could without stepping on the heels of his greaves. Following him into the pub, she lingered a moment in the doorway, gaping wide eyed at everything she saw...
Thwack!
"Hey!" Tiamika shouted, running up behind Vahn with anger on her face.
Thwack!
She looked at Vahn's face, noticing he was just quietly accepting it. Tiamika fumed, but took her cue from him...if he didn't do anything about it, she wasn't going to, either.
---
Owle had given up on walking, and was now flapping her little wings as fast as they could go towards Latent. Across the plains, she could see the gates rising in the distance.
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 7:39 pm
He raised a hand, gently placing it atop T'aka's head, as if reassuring her that everything was well.
"I wouldn't worry about that-- I just happen to have the charming disposition that is unappeasable to the female creature."
Smiling something wicked, he faced the voice after speaking, turning neatly on his heel. "Well now, and what would be the reason for this meeting? Is there a damsel in distress--- or perhaps a distressed damsel?"
He stood there, making no effort to hide the young girl he was with.
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 4:28 am
"Neither damsel, nor distress.
As it happens, I just felt like organizing a not so ordinary holiday trip.
Trouble, traps and treachery included.
Booty, I suppose, will there be, too. Well, as long as you know how to take...or where to find it, you can sure come back with a lot of...shiny things."
She grinned back, greeting the girl next to him with a nod and took another mouthful off her dark beer.
"Wanna hear more?"
As soon as Vahn stepped closer, she would stop using her whispering skill.
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 1:47 pm
"Sounds like my kind of trip." He grinned and gestured with his free hand. "Although my friend here is hoping for more than something shiny to put in her pocket."
He pushed T'aka forward a bit, so she could properly greet the Siren.
"I'm hoping there's room for one more."
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 2:30 pm
"Oh sure." Lucind nodded again, gesturing towards the empty chairs around the table, silently asking the two to sit down.
"I have to point out however," she went on, now addressing Tiamika,"that we're really going to enter dangerous regions. Of course, we can have an eye on you - but everyone could feel safer if we knew you were able to look after yourself up to a certain degree."
She didn't mean to be prissy or bossy. But Lucind was the one to coordinate this travel. Thus she had to take everybody's strengths and weaknesses into consideration. And if she wanted to be shown repect, she couldn't afford bringing someone in danger.
Granted the two of them came with her.
"Owle should arrive in a bit. Then you'll get to know what all this here is about. - Drinks, anybody, until then...?" A nearly cheerful smile spread over her face.
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Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 3:27 pm
"Hello," T'aka greeted, somewhat uncertainly. A trip? Traps and treachery? What was all this?
But she sat down, looking the siren up and down, as if Lucind's face was a clue to decipher what was happening here.
"I've never been trained," Tiamika answered immediately. "Not to fight, not to defend myself, or anything. That's not to say I won't, just..."
She shot a worried look at Vahn. He hadn't warned her about this.
----
Huff, puff...
Huff, puff, huff puff huff puff...
Owle stood outside the pub doors, panting. This...was the place? Oh, yeah. She could feel Vahn and Lucind inside. Oh, gods, her wings...the pain...
A sudden stiff wind had caught her up on her way to Latent, catching underneath her wings and sending her barreling towards the town at speeds the like of which she should never have been forced to go. Her hair was everywhere, twice the mess as usual, and her wings...oh, gods, she wished they'd just fall off already and get it over with!
She stepped into the pub, her eyes meeting Lucind's almost immediately. Though her body was sagging from fatigue, she lifted one hand in a tired wave, forcing a ragged smile to her face.
T'aka turned round at the sound of the door opening, and without warning her face changed. Light honey eyes went blank, unseeing, as the girl's body sprang into motion. She leapt out of her chair and hurled herself towards Owle, snatching up a bottle from a nearby table on her way. Wielding it like a club, she made to smash it over Owle's head...
Owle didn't even know what the hell was going on. One minute, she was wondering who that chick was sitting next to Vahn, and the next the girl was hurtling across the pub towards her. Owle found herself staring into a face disturbingly similar to hers, with an expression far too calm to be doing what the girl was doing...
At the last moment, Owle shifted into that protective ball of scales, causing Tiamika to stumble forwards over her. The pangolin girl recovered quickly though, and turned round, assaulting the little armored ball with a vengeance. First the bottle got shattered over it, then the girl just started beating it repeatedly, without rhyme or reason...
She didn't seem to be doing all that much damage, but she was sure as hell trying her damnedest.
((For simplicity's sake, I'm hoping that Tiamika gets left behind as the others go to Azum. No need to drag things out.))
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Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:34 am
"Eh... well I'm sur---"
He had caught the double meaning behind Lucind's words, as well as seen the look Ta'ka had given him--- and it was just as he was in the process of speaking that she apparently acted, leaping out of her seat and moving with a speed Vahn had never known was possible with the female.
He became increasingly alarmed, when he felt Owle's panic and bewilderment run through his own head, that unspoken slight connection between the two, perhaps empathetic in nature, that was only rearing its head about when the two were in proximity.
"Ta'ka!!" He bolted out and went to restrain the girl.
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Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:30 am
Tiamika was beyond listening. As long as she could see Owle, the girl would continue to attack her by whatever means possible. She didn't even seem to recognize Vahn, flailing viciously against him as he tried to restrain her.
"Help!" Owle sent out to Vahn and Lucind, unaware that Vahn already was springing to her defense.
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 12:53 pm
"...?"
First, Lucind didn't react but first wondered why she hadn't felt that Owle was already so close - but looking at the woman's wings she realized she had forgotten about that special ability. Thus, when the Half-Siren had checked Owle's location once she seemed to be at least fifteen minutes by foot away.
Anyway.
"...??"
Cocking a brow, Lucind then put her beer back on the table, blinking and musing to herself what the hell was going on.
Standing up, she strolled over to where Vahn did his best to stop the furious girl.
Her lips opened and an intense melody escaped, directly wounding itself into Tiamika's ears. Vahn would hear it as well, Lucind's voice, sonorous and a bit dark even, unrelenting - he'd knew what it was about, even though he couldn't understand a word: it was a well meant, but irresistible order, a sweet, deep going persuation to calm down. Now.
Less then ten seconds later, the girl would numbly sink into Vahn's arms, her eyes still open but unfocussed.
"Well, taking her with us would be some challenge, I'd say."
Grinning at the man and helping up Owle, the Half-Siren suggested to carefully lay T'aka down on a bench next to their table. Her state wouldn't change until Lucind sang the final, releasing chord.
She got Owle something to drink and took place herself again.
"Now, where were we?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 7:05 pm
Tiamika did have some mental barriers, but they were untrained, weak, and easily enough overcome. She never knew what hit her.
Owle felt the pounding on her outside stop at last, between the efforts of Vahn and Lucind, and waited. Maybe the girl had just gone searching for a better weapon and would be back momentarily. Maybe she was just poised, waiting for Owle to shapeshift into something more vulnerable. Owle didn't have eyes in this form, so she couldn't see to be sure.
"...is it safe to come out now?" she sent timidly to Vahn and Lucind. Once she was assured that yes, it was, she'd resume her usual form.
"What the hell was that?" she demanded, staring at the zonked out girl. Her eyes traveled up to Vahn, then Lucind, and her shock melted somewhat. "Um...hi."
The woman waved feebly, then poked at the drink Lucind had ordered for her. If it wasn't something obviously nonalchoholic, she would slide it a little away from her without sipping it.
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 10:54 pm
((@Owle: Thought you were on vacation an unable to post - else I wouldn't have godmodded that much in my last post^^°))
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 7:38 pm
((I'm on vacation, and should be assumed unable to post. I managed to find some free wireless the other day and snuck off to post here before my battery ran out. Right now my father paid for some internet access in the room, so I'm connected again.
I'll be able to post once in a while, maybe. Until the 10th, though, don't expect me to post...but if I can, I will.
biggrin I actually appreciated the godmoding. Less work for me. But Owle don't drink alcohol.))
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