Post by ShoddyProduct on Sept 10, 2023 0:28:18 GMT
Their brow furrowed at Alys' question. The way she asked that question implied things, in the exact way Caleb would have tried to. Maybe he was rubbing off on her a bit too much. "I don't know, twenty minutes? That's all we've been here, and we had to replace who we- who we lost. She has a weapon, and is willing to use it. Better than some people we pick up." Instead of taking a seat, Juniper stood firmly by the door, crossing their arms as they leaned back against the doorframe.
"That doesn't seem like something you'd pull me aside about, though. Is something wrong? You seemed upset earlier." Nevermind the fact that this whole set of circumstances were extremely off-putting for them.
"I, well-" Ciaran tried to protest, but she was already wrapped around him with her arms pulling down his jacket. He chuckled as he pulled his arms from the sleeves, revealing his prosthetic underneath. He'd worn his stately coat, a recognizable piece of his outfit and as much as he didn't want to part with it, there had to be no harm in it - right? Besides, she was a Fir Bolg. He surely wouldn't be robbed by one of his own kind. "To just retrieve my coat, of course," As it came off, he pulled a parcel from the inside pocket.
Ciaran wrapped the coat around her shoulders - broader than most women he'd fancied. "What kind of gentleman would I be to deny a lady warmth on a night as cold as this?" He gave her a pleasing smile, "don't stray too far now," he said before he turned to leave.
. . . I could never hold enough of you in my hands . . .
Twenty minutes. Good, that was good. That meant it couldn't possibly be Sky. Not yet anyway. "No, no, it's good that you found her," Alys murmured absentmindedly, as though it were an afterthought.
Because it was - especially after Juniper asked their question. A small smile appeared on Alys' lips. They certainly didn't miss anything. "I ran into someone in town. Someone I used to care a lot about." The truth for a friend, albeit minimized. But Juniper could read between the lines. "Let's just say it wasn't a pleasant reunion."
"He's unpredictable. And wild, and loves playing stupid fucking games. When we leave Leimor, I want to make sure he stays too." Alys paused, shifting her weight on the bed.
The magically healed scar. The complete lack of any scars. The strange fae ancestry. Or lack thereof. Caleb's nudge in their direction.
"He's a changeling - that's why I asked about Rielle."
Sky waved and smiled until the Fir Bolg was no longer in sight to only then change into self proclaimed Ciaran, captain of the Lucky Bones. It was time to find out if any of what he said was true.
The changeling wasn't capable of reproducing the prosthetic so one of his arms were missing, but he was sure he'd come up with an excuse if anyone asked about it. He hopped on board the ship and slowly inspected the deck, trying not to attract too much attention to himself. Before talking to people and possibly giving his fake identity away, he wanted to discover as much as he could by observation alone, and what he observed were the names carved to the base of the mast. Some were familiar, of people he either met or had heard about, but the one that truly caught his eye was one that seemed to have been carved quite recently.
Sinead Oiche. Which meant that Alys' new crew was that of the Whore of the Horizon and the famous Hard Nox.
Post by ShoddyProduct on Sept 10, 2023 3:03:57 GMT
Someone in town. Someone Alys used to care for a lot, that liked to play games and wasn't nice to see again, after a presumably long time apart. "Alys," they said, a half groan, "you have terrible taste in men. Is he just a regular asshole, a pirate? What's going on with-"
For a fraction of a second they stopped, stumbling over their words following what Alys said. Who she said this guy was. He was like them, then. A changeling, who could be anyone, at any moment. Maybe that's why they felt the way they did before bringing Rielle aboard. Some part of Juniper knew there was another one nearby, or maybe it was a lucky coincidence.
Either way, it- wasn't good. Alys had sought them out, saying they were exactly who she wanted to see. Someone she hated meeting again was here, looking for her, and was just like them. Worst fears were being realized, but it was out of their control right now. All they could do was try to mitigate the damage.
They picked back up after that fraction of a second, which felt like an eternity in thought. "Ah, so he's the every kind of asshole then. Well, I was talking to Rielle whenever you met him, I think, so... not her, right now anyways. Shit, should've stayed on deck, she could get replaced at any point and I don't know her well enough to say otherwise." Internally, they felt as if they were withering. Painting theirself, and their people, in this light hurt, but-
It wasn't inaccurate. They'd done the same. It was how they left home safely, and survived since. "Do you think he's going to try to follow after you like that? If he's going to, we need to get him now, and warn everyone. The less he learns about us, the easier it is to spot him." Juniper hesitated on their next words for a moment, before saying, "They can only work with what they know. They can't read minds, from what I know, but they're good at reading people, figuring out how they think. Knowing he's around helps stop him. What's the name he gave you?"
There wasn't a hint of acknowledgement that confirmed Alys' suspicions about Juniper and their true self. The fae didn't feel the need to force her friend to confirm nor deny, so she remained ignorant, tucking that knowledge away for another day. If it ever even came. A large part of her hoped it would; there was such freedom in sharing and being accepted - as she'd recently been forced to find out. But if Juniper chose to keep it from her, well, that was ultimately their decision.
Running a hand down her face, Alys quietly groaned as well. "I know...I-," -can't help it, she wanted to say.
"He was always Sky to me. I think he'll follow because he's curious - fucking nosy bastard. He's not any more dangerous than the rest of us, but it's been five years." Who knew what he was capable of now.
"You're right though, we need to spread the word. I'll get a couple of the crew to stay behind all day. Make sure they screen whoever comes on board." Gods forbid he managed to get on, see how well they'd done in the Ice Lands, and lead his own raid on the ship... Shit - how was she supposed to go to the ball now? She supposed the ship was always at risk, but it felt different when you were partially responsible for it.
Rising somewhat abruptly, Alys strode towards Juniper, meeting them by the door. "If you could... just explain to everyone you see, that'd be a big help." It wouldn't take much to get the word out; the crew liked to gossip as if they were all prim ladies at tea.
"I haven't gotten a chance it ask - how's the shoulder?"
It did not take long before someone noticed Rielle, which was exactly as it should be. Why, she was extremely noticeable! This was all quite fitting. If it had been anyone else, she would have questioned the lack of security, but why wouldn’t people want her around? She was a professional adventurer! That was almost like being a hero, except she wasn’t contractually restricted from having fun. Ha! Sorry for them, right?
She quickly hopped over to the rather grouchy looking man who’d called for her to come make herself useful. That would be easy! Rielle was most excellent at being useful!
”Certainly, my good sir or madam or respected personage! Best not to assume, right? Anyhow, I am here to render assistance! What would you like skewered today?”
Heading her way then, by the sound of it. They were tall, that was clear enough once they came closer, though they didn’t have that smell of a killer. That was… like a touch of blood lingering in a scabbard, musty and dense. This one though, perhaps simply needed a bath. Winter stepped to the side to allow the man to pass, though he slowed to a stop instead. Winter raised her head with a tilt to show she was receptive to listening. It helped, she felt, to let people know she was aware. This one’s request however caught her a touch by surprise.
He didn’t have the smell of a sailor, not of one by the sea at the least, salt was a hard scent to miss, but of one by sky?
“To the sea? It would be that way my good fellow.” Winter lifted her cane and pointed it to her left, tapping the end lightly against the side of the building. Not enough for a clear face, but it helped. Worry had its own sound about it.
“If you wouldn’t mind the company, I can take you, I have my own business to attend to there.” She said, with a smile. “And a pair of eyes would help put me at ease in a city like this.”
Last Edit: Sept 11, 2023 18:34:24 GMT by UmbraSight
//... into the dark she stepped, but never did she feel free of the gaze...//
”You know what, Lucien?” Somehow he made the vampire’s name sound more insulting than calling him a stray. A quick glance toward his shield, a casual resting of his palm against the hilt of his dull blade, and Leo’s smile turned wolfish. ”I think you are a liar.”
”First you tell me that you could, and would, slaughter the entire crew if you wanted. You made it a point that we were ants beneath your boot.” Leo turned his back to Lucien then, returning to the corner where he had set his shield. ”And yet, the only ones who have lost their lives have been to their fellow ants, or to this other vampire’s friends and desires. Sure, maybe you didn’t want to kill us,” Leo turned back with the shield in hand, sardonic grin still twisting his features.
”Then you tell me I am too weak to fight against your kind; ants and boots again. You say you aren’t afraid, that you aren’t hesitating…” the grin fell. ” You say that you and the Bone Witch were planning to take care of Naveen, and yet its your Captain that has fallen while you are still sitting in your cabin telling everyone how terrifying you are.” Leo spat on the floor, a pointed gesture made all the more potent for the fact that these floors were his to clean.
”Now you tell me that I don’t stand a chance against a vampire, and in the same breath suggest, what did you call it? ’Practical experience?’” As he spoke Leo began threading his rope through and around the shield to tie it to his back. ”I am done falling for your games, Lucien. I think you’re scared; scared of something though I couldn’t possibly imagine what. Whatever it is I hope it was worth losing Sinead over.” Leo wrenched the door open, the effort in the motion derivative of the effort to ignore the vampire’s bait.
”I also hope you can overcome that fear before anyone else falls prey to your hesitance.”
Leo walked through the door before he could falter, before Lucien could retort and the knotting in his stomach drew him back into the verbal fray. Lucien had vexed him so long already with his venomous words and haughty threats. Despite the adrenaline that caused his heart to beat wildly Leo was done letting those words affect him. Let the vampire do whatever pleased him; Leo would be sure to do the same.
As Naveen called Emer cute, the baron's hand was already cocking back with an instinctual response-- and it was before the vampire even finished speaking that his closed fist moved to slam into the man's uncovered cheek, right upon the jawbone.
His right foot stepped close, directly beside Naveen's left. Shifting his weight in a more rooted stance in case there was retaliation. His attention was decidedly unfocused upon the woman in the alleyway, though it registered in the back of his mind; dimly, he registered the coincidence with a growing horror, but restrained himself from further anger lest he beat this man into the ground. Emryk had not reached that point. Yet.
"Answer... the question, you degenerate." He growled, his grip shifting northward to wrap around the vampire's throat and push him back into the wall. "Or, earth help me, you are going to be lapping up blood from a bowl like a mutt after I've knocked your damned teeth from your skull."
Julian had suspected that Captain Caleb meant to bring back the old crone, though he'd left before the chef could properly tell him off. Now, they were both here, tracking mud into his restaurant. All to talk with that Gods-damned fortune-teller in the corner. He was beginning to regret letting her sink her little talons into that table-- though if he threw them out now, it'd probably earn him twice the damned squawking. Lovely.
His gaze fell upon Emer with no small amount of judgement, though it was paired alongside a mirthful smile like a fine vintage. Pumpernickel was in his hands, purring idly as he stroked her from neck to tail. The circumstances of his departure from the Hard Nox had been less than amicable, but it had been ten years! Surely, it had been far too long to hold a grudge. It was a decade ago, after all. A blink of an eye in the life of a brunaidh.
"Why don't you two have a bite to eat while you wait? You look like you could use a hearty meal. Baggy clothes can only do so much to hide a gaunt face, Caleb." His gaze shifted to Emer, next, his smile dropping somewhat as he looked her over. "Maybe a salad for you, though."
The screechy lady only listened to one command - one of two. Tirras wasn't a mathematician but those certainly weren't good numbers. Perhaps she was half deaf? That would make sense, wouldn't it? One command for each functioning ear?
His yellow eyes tracked every inch of her as she approached. She was quite nice to look at, wasn't she? They were in desperate need of new women, with the loss of their former captain and that mousy-looking girl. But this one opened her mouth and ruined it all. Half deaf and half blind? Surely she could see the tall man, almost every inch of his off-grey skin covered in black ink. Surely she could see the sides of his shaved head, the thick braids that were woven down from the top of his head, the elongated canines that stuck out between his lips. More man than orc, but still very clearly man.
Tirras snarled at her, and jutted his chin towards one of the bales of hay. "Come wi' me." A single command for her one ear. Grabbing two other bales, one in each of hand, he began to descend below the deck.
'Do you know where I can find the sea' was a stupid question considering they were on an island, Ronan knew that, but it was the only way he could identify where the ship was. Asking a blind lady for directions wasn't his brightest moment either, but he spoke before thinking as he often did and didn't want to offend her by asking if she was sure, instead opting to offer his arm as walked towards the sea. "Thank you! Someone stole my diamonds and coins, we were chasing after them and I got lost. I should get back to the Hard Nox and ask Emryk for a new bag. They have a lot of it, so maybe he won't mind..." He was mostly thinking out loud, something Ronan often did when he was with his moles in the galleries. Perhaps it was because she was like them that she made him more comfortable. "I didn't introduce myself, how rude of me! I'm Ronan, from the Ice Lands."
***
Emryk's fist would meet a thick block of ice that just as quickly as it appeared broke into pieces from the impact, leaving the pretty side of Naveen's jawline untouched. He was no longer smiling.
"Let go of me." He said with his back against the wall, and the knife he'd found on the ice lands held up to touch the lizard's neck. He pressed it lightly, as if to test how thick his scales were and how deep he'd have to go to draw blood. One swift motion and he'd be bathed in it. "I didn't touch a feather out of that bird and the only thing you're achieving here is making her sound more appetizing. Step back, I don't want stains on my cloak."
She caught his eye, and he came to her table. Her hands gently worked the tarot deck as he did so, her face hovering between neutral and a faint smile just barely noticeable. A very, very practiced expression, and luckily one that didn't look like it. It did warm a little more smile-ward when he commented on the crystal ball, as she remembered the misfortune that had befallen the last one.
"It is both," she admitted, her voice deeper than most usually expected by her face. Then, to clarify she was speaking of the object, "much like the future itself. But, yes. This is my livelihood. A palm reading is one coin. Tarot, two coins. Crystal ball, three coins."
Exactly as she had told the impetuous young captain, who she was trying not to think of. No specification of the type of coin, only the number expected.
To tell the truth Alexander wasn't interested in fate. He did what he did and what happened happened. He did, however, not much like when someone else tried to usurp his place in any line. So when a man came up shouting about his fortune Alexander changed the action he planned on taking. He slid a hand into his pocket, bypassed the cheaper coins, and selected three of his best instead. He held them up so they'd catch the light and slid them across the table. "I was curious if I might find transport and a place to work," he said by way of conversation. "I like this city, but I think it time I put my sailing skills to good use somewhere." He smiled, shifting his hat on the table. "No need to rush anything." If the guy was going to be shouty about it.
For a moment, just a moment, her customer was forgotten as someone else stepped into the restaurant.
Sirideán did not have to move her eyes away from him to look behind him. To see the woman who stepped through, a woman with a soft face and thick shawls and blue plumage. A woman who was Folk. Folk who smiled at her, not knowing what she really was, what she had become, and suddenly-- suddenly the world was tight, the pull of gravity too strong. She had Kin here. She was not Sirideán's kin, but she was, because they were all kin. And she smiled because she did not know that Sirideán had abandoned her kin as a stupid girl and had not looked to return to Folk and Sky as a stupid woman--
The woman looked away. It had been less than a moment, as if the world had not spiraled out beyond the careful control that Ruby songbird had created. She did not even have the chance to nod in reply to the woman, for out came Zadari, and in came who else but the pirate Captain Caleb. He had told her the truth. She did not have time to let her tongue grow sharp before Zadari intercepted, maybe not on her behalf but to save her nonetheless. She would thank him, later, not with words perhaps but maybe by ordering more food and complimenting him directly to give him an excuse to strut about like the peacocks they kept in the gardens here. She hoped that would make up for the unhappiness she had inadvertently brought, instead of trusting the pirate captain.
Something brought her focus in again, and she stopped looking over Alexander's shoulder to meet his eyes with more clarity. He had pulled out coins. Three coins. All three gold. And then told her he was looking for work. Immediately, she was able to distract herself. It was a response, she knew, a reply to either her hesitation, which made him desperate, or to the bold interruption of Captain Caleb and the Aos Gaotha with him, which was more likely. She could breathe again, although unless one was watching the ruby at her breast for the ebb and flow of breath one would have missed that she had stopped.
Maybe fate did work, in a sense. Leimor was boring, and he wanted to sail. And who had walked in behind him but a pirate captain?
But she did not make her fortune to draw attention to the obvious. Or, what was obvious to her. Instead, she nodded gravely, slid the coins across the table to herself, and moved the cards aside. She hummed softly in a low, deep croon as she began to move her hands around the crystal ball, eyes closed as if calling up power and not listening intently to the conversation near the front doors, to see if Captain Caleb the Pirate was open for hiring.