Pirates of the Hard Nox [Open]

As far as first impressions went, the giant appeared... childlike. The way he'd attempted to hide, how he'd closed his eyes as if that would make the crew magically disappear. She'd done exactly that as a child; when she'd clamber onto a new ship, or come face-to-face with a Captain or Quartermaster, or any other superior for that matter. It'd gotten easier over time, especially when she'd learned to stand up for herself, but it was likely that the giant didn't come across living, breathing folk like them very often. It certainly didn't make it easier that half the crew was bombarding him with questions - including her. Well, shouldn't she be asking the questions here? So called leader of the find a way out group? 

Gently placing her trunk down on the ground, including her sword, Alys shot Juniper a look, observing how on edge and almost... inpatient her friend was. What was going on with them? 
Then she took a step forward, one hand slightly raised to quiet the rest of the voices, even for just a moment. Then the second joined, both slightly outstretched to show that she wasn't armed, eyes settling on the giant. "No one wants to hurt you, we just want to go home." She paused, taking another step forward. "You can call me Alys - what should I call you?" If the childlike behaviour truly meant that the giant was... a child, then a singular, patient voice might be the best option. 

Ronan opened his eyes, relaxing his shoulders just slightly after the group's words and introductions. He looked from the one with the staff to the one who called themselves Hester Falmouth and finally Alys, who slowly approached him. Perhaps they weren’t dangerous after all, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to be careful. The one with the eye-patch did say ‘no one shoots.’

“Name’s Ronan.” He said, keeping his eyes on the fae, noticing her every move. “I don’t know where your home is but… I can take you to the surface. The tunnels are that way!” He said, pointing at the hole he came from. He was the one to carve that entrance, guided by his moles.


***

Juniper was extremely talkative today. Caleb wondered if it was the high of their new weapon or there was another reason for it, perhaps it was because she wasn’t there. People wouldn’t talk over her if she was.

Alys made her move, a bold one, choosing to leave her sword behind. He pulled the lock of his pistol but didn’t take it from the holster, letting her handle this one unless it got out of hand. He then proceeded to crumple the blanket on a ball and throw it at Beck.

“Second change of plans,” He tilted his head to the side, towards the rocks with shiny stones.

***

Beck was a little surprised, catching the blanket before it hit her face.

“Seriously?” She muttered, letting out yet another sigh and following in the direction pointed by Caleb. Hopefully that guy was telling the truth and would take them back to the ship soon.

***

Like Hester, Vena rambled when they were frightened, and like a lion stalking their prey, Naveen slowly circled around them, getting closer with each step. Once again the question of why King had left him behind came up, and the vampire pretended not to care about it. Instead, he focused on the smell and the different aromas he picked up coming from his blood soaked crewmate. It was everywhere, from his hair to his shoes, masking the scent of Vena themselves.

“You are right, Vena.” He said in a whisper, reaching to pinch one of the spikes of his hair. How much of the blood would come out on his fingers, he wondered. His eyes trailed down to the exposed skin of their neck. “I can’t stay here for too long…”

There was silence after the tailor’s reply. Leo didn’t understand the words, not having even owned a rocker to be off of, but he could tell they weren’t meant to be kind. It was a judgement, similar to how he had been called a beast before. Leo slammed the cabinet closed at Vena’s question, straightening as Caleb’s voice echoed through the halls. Answer enough for Vena, it seemed, as they offered a vague gesture and left the kitchen.

Leo was more hesitant, his head slightly tilted toward the door the tailor had left through as if searching for an answer to question he couldn’t ask. With a throaty growl he scuffed his foot on the crystal floor and returned by his own means, slipping into the hidden halls once again. Something about the limited space made him feel calmer, less full of the flame that chose when to burn and when to whither but somehow weaker for it. The perspective was different without the body of a child, though, and left him with a sense of bitterness by the time he had slipped back into the sitting room where everyone gathered.

A new face appeared, or half of one as it were. Leo had stayed close to the hidden door, keen to keep his entrance as inconspicuous as he could as Caleb issued his orders. Leo’s name wasn’t mentioned, and he wondered whether it was due to his apparent absence or because there was no clean this thing party or a kill these guys group. Perhaps the faerie was still upset about their scuffle. It really didnt matter as everyone filed out of the manor and through the portal.

When the room was empty Leo retrieved the shield, blackened on bottom but otherwise undamaged as he sloshed the water inside onto the floor. For a moment he was tempted to use the starchy liquid to scrub the crystal, but the rest of the crew were leaving and there wouldn’t be anyone to appreciate its shine if he did. He settled for cleaning the soot from his new prize before tying it to his back again, enough warmth still trapped in it to spread soothingly.

He had hoped everyone had gone through the portal, more than content to be the last through and the last called upon. Unfortunately he was not so fortunate. The half-face and the tailor stood near the glimmering vortex, the tension between them almost palpable. They were just out of earshot, and too occupied with their conversation to notice him walking up the street. At first sight of the white robe Leo was forced to bury the flames, push the rage down into his gut as he took strained steps toward them.

“You are right, Vena. I can’t stay here for too long…”

The masked one reached out in what seemed an almost loving manner as Leo drew near enough to overhear. The tailor was hardly his friend, was in truth barely less than an enemy, but something about the way the half-face touched them sent chills up Leo’s spine. It was no help for Naveen that he still wore his cultist robe and lauded his allegiance for everyone to see.

”Then you should really get going, Ice-Face.” Leo let his voice echo the venom Alys had given to the crew while under the poison’s effects and did nothing to dull it’s edge. ”We really do enjoy killing people, and the last time we were on the other side of that portal it was your people that we hunted. If you waste too much time here they might forget that you’re not still a target.” He stepped next to Vena confidently and made to slap Naveen’s outstretched hand away from the tailor.

In preparation for the bite, Naveen’s mask evaporated, revealing the gums of the right side of his smile and the window to the insides of his mouth. He stopped halfway when, as expected, someone showed up.

“I remember you.” He said, after conjuring his mask back on. Naveen stepped back and pulled his hand away, before Leo had a chance to smack it with his ordinary human reflexes. That human had managed to scratch the great Solomon King’s face. It made no sense.

“So… Normal.” He thought aloud, examining Leo with his eyes. It didn’t even make his mouth water.

***

Things seemed to be going well, with the young giant showing them what, according to him, was a way to the surface. Caleb leaned down and picked up Alys' chest and sword, giving Hester the weapon.

To dig a tunnel this large, a tunnel he claimed led to the surface, well, it was certainly an impressive feat. So impressive that Alys had a difficult time believing it. After all, there'd been no evidence of a second tunnel yesterday, but then again, perhaps she'd been too preoccupied to notice. Or, maybe he hadn't finished it yet. What an interesting coincidence that they'd stumbled upon him now. 

In the looming darkness, Alys remained focused on Ronan and his movements. He seemed innocent enough; awkward yet somewhat sweet, but she didn't trust him, not even for a second. So when he offered her his hand, large and stained with soil, the fae didn't take it, instead opting to place her palm against a nearby rock to remain balanced. She followed slowly, placing one foot in front of the other, careful not to step onto loose debris. "Of course I can. Have you never met a fairy before? Am I the first?"

His hand passed through air, the retraction of Naveen’s own a blurred motion beyond normal capabilities. Leo’s lip curled instinctively, a disgusted look coloring his face. He should have seen it earlier, as he had with the Lord of Scraps. This half faced acolyte to King was a vampire, or perhaps something similar. Nessa had been harder to spot as well, though she seemed to still be finding herself in the beast she was, while Lucien was the beast refined and condensed. Naveen seemed to be somewhere in the middle ground of their two extremes.

Leo spat at the vampire’s words, jaw clenched before Vena spoke. The clenching only grew tighter at the tailor’s words, and Leo’s flames slipped loose from his tongue. ”Who counted you among us?“ he shot to Vena as they made to leave. His hand itched to pull his sword free, the flames inspired by Naveen’s depreciative gaze and Vena’s flippant dismissal calling for blood. Between the three; flame, leech, and tailor, there might not have been enough blood to go around.

”We have two vampires of our own, and by ‘we’ I mean the actual crew of the Nox.” Leo shot a withering look back toward Vena before returning the heat of his gaze to Naveen. ”And neither of them are so ugly to need hide their face. Maybe King left you with us so he wouldn’t have to look at you anymore.” Leo offered an insincere smile, a sardonic grin with his barb. ”Or maybe it is your whole presence that disgusted him. It definitely turns my stomach.”