One Less Stowaway

[Epsilon]

Tobais Adamson is THE professional stowaway. Traveling the world as he pleases in ships that fly to the vast areas of the globe. His place in this victorian era is to run. To flee from all that chase him, never been caught, and never will be. Tobais then finds himself aboard the infamous Lyrebrid. Only then does he realize this ship and its encounters will change his life.


Steampunk Era


The setting is in victorian England, the largest airship port and popular tourist location in London. The most magnificent ships come here to dock and restock their supplies to continue their journeys and treks all across the globe. Smokestacks and make up the skyline, but a very enthused populous below, adorning the city with many shops and display all that England has to offer. The legendary Lyrebird is a ship that is responsible for all of the aristocratic needs to travel the world. The risk and the danger excite them, but they would like to remain safely in their quarters and watch from above, or in a small city. The Lyrebird fulfills those needs, responding to those with (or without) the money to travel the world. Trafficking is a busy business these days, which often lead to skirmishes and aggravation between the many competing ships. The Lyrebirds main enemy, being the Aurora of Mystic.


Background information


Not too long ago, there were rebellions going against parliament in the English oil refinery colonies. Feeling that they didn't get enough attention, that they needed and deserved in their eyes. A small flotilla was sent out to deal with the issue, but the revolutionaries knew how to agitate, and soon a battle broke out. It was promptly dealt with, and the colonies never had another uprising since then. But many, like Tobias' father, were lost in the battle that took lives from both sides.

 

[Battleworn]

awesome, ok, I'll go ahead and make my character sheet

 

[Epsilon]

The sound of sturdy rubber could be heard as the Calico's crewmen piled onto the streets. Their hair billowing as they raced full speed, padding after the young man that fled their grasp. Boots landing hard on the ground before them as their lungs burned and heaved to bring in the cool air, burning their throats as they gasped and continued to bolt after the fleeing man.


Your typical no-good, thieving, dirty stowaway. Garrett thought to himself as his knees grew weak and the pain in his lungs from sprinting, giving out loud cat calls to the one in front of them, making serious headway. This was supposed to be a nice evening in the control room, not some high speed chase! Garrett grew aggravated at the thought that this stranger was ruining his night.


"Get back here you no-good stowaway!"


Garrett and his fellow engineers called after him as the man ran up to a brick wall. Not even looking at it for more than a second before he began to scale it with a running start. Rubber boots clinging to the brick beneath them, long enough for the dastardly fellow to grasp the top, knuckles white to keep his grip as he heaved himself over with seemingly no effort at all. The man paused at the top of the wall, looking down at those beneath him, the moon creating a silver lining around his silhouette, streams of white light running through his hair, like the moon had taken her fated hands, and settling them on his windswept mop of kinks and knots. He was crouched, and looking down with pale blue eyes that only few could see.


The band of engineers stopped running at this point, drawing in deep breathes and exhaled wearily, looking at the man with scowled expressions.


The young man laughed. Heartily and smiled as broad of a smile that he could.


" No good stowaway? I'm a GREAT stowaway. A no good stowaway would've been caught. "


He cocked his head up in a proud manner, as he turned on his heels and jumped off to the other side of the wall, running off into the streets of London.


Garrett peeled the goggles off of his head and threw them swiftly onto the cobblestone underneath him. He placed his hands hips, trying to regulate his heartbeat as he and his men decided it was a good point to turn back as well.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Tobias chuckled to himself as he sat atop the steeply slanted roof on the outskirts of London. Biting into the small loaf of bread he had 'acquired' on his ever-more interesting travels of the evening. Grabbed it right off of the shop's stand out front. The poor woman manning the station didn't even notice a thing as he was gone faster than the breeze that had swept through there many times before.


First I get chased off the Calico and now I have a decent meal. I mean, bread's a meal right?


Tobias pondered to himself as he ripped a piece of the loaf off with his teeth.


He sat with one leg hanging off of the roof, dangling just out of view, while the other propped him up on the steep slant and shifty shingles. Where he sat he could see all of the airships docked, just about in the center of the city. Gently bobbing up and down as the tether's pulled them taut, smoke billowing every now and then to block the view. The smokestacks constantly producing steam and excess gasses.


I hope London stays this interesting while I'm here.


Tobias decided to himself that the next morning, he would adventure around, silently agreeing that he needed to find yet another ship to stay on. Preferably one that went somewhere out of your typical English colonies. If he was going to get anywhere, he'd need to find a way in with all of the aristocrats. The rich, the snobby and the 'adventurous'. Those who want to SEE danger. Never to go near it though, NEVER. I mean, they have a life to live up to don't they? An aristocratic ship would be just fine, somewhere that will take Tobias to see the world. When they dock, he could be free and keep up the chain.


Sounds good to me. Time to find a nice aristocratic ship.


Tobias idly fiddled with his timepiece. Hearing the gentle click of clockwork in the dead of night. Nothing but ticking was heard, and the golden pocket watch glistened in the bright moonlight that cast over this polluted city.

 

[Battleworn]

"What the hell! I said 'steady'!" Captain Valentina yelled impatiently as one of the crew members working the ropes continued to let the rope slip from his hands, causing the airship to become crooked or drift off over the water. "What the hell's the matter with you...?" She mumbled to herself as she began to walk off and supervise the other members. Her metal boots clanked on the wooden and cobblestone dock. As she walked around, she tipped her hat to several other captains and maybe having a short conversation. Valentina looked up, not noticing night had already fallen. She turned back to address her crew. "We leave first thing in the morning! So get plenty of rest, food and strength. We've got a long day tomorrow. Take five minutes to finished doing whatever you're doing and then head to the cabins."


"Yes ma'am!" All the crew replied back in unison. A small rise of individual conversation began to Stir as the men and women. Man their way to te airship with their companions. Valentina couldn't help up smile to herself. She was proud of what she had made. She looked as the ladder dropped from the flying ship and dropped down. One by one, the crew members of Aurora of Mystic clambered up and into the airship. While Valentina let them do that, she thought she could use a little walk. "Damn... My back has been," she stretched her back with a groan and continued," killing me..." She looked around, a small frown on her face. 
(I had no idea what to put at the end xD )

 

[Epsilon]

Tobias finished off his bread, tearing off the last of it with his teeth, and throwing the crust on the street below him. Chewing slowly to relish the last of his 'meal'. He grasped the timepiece in his palm, and forced it down, to dangle within his wife beater. The cool metal stinging his warm skin, making him cringe till it slowly began to warm from his heat. Tobias brought up his legs from the edge of the roof, bringing them to hoist himself up, dusting off his hands on his oil stained pant legs, the belt at the top slowly loosening from the rigorous run those engineer had put him through.


He raised his hands over his head and stretched, back cracking from prolonged sitting, disks popping until he rested his hands on his waist.


A flat roof would be a good place as ever to sleep. I'd rather not fall to my death today.


Tobias scanned the surroundings finding a suitable place to rest for the night. To the right of him, two tall smokestacks stood on a roof, that was of course, a sturdy flat place.


He slid down the slanted roof and launched himself over to the next building, jumping rooftops to make his way to that manufacturing facility. The Grypon airship repairs factory.

 

[Battleworn]

As Valentina walked along the cobblestone roads, her eyes began to wonder, soon catching a glimpse of something rather peculiar. A silhouetted figure hopped from rooftop to rooftop. She stood there for a second, observing it as his landings were followed by the clicking of the tiles beneath his feet. Curiosity tugged at her heart and naturally, she followed to figure to see where is headed to. With a running start, she ran towards the brick wall that lined the street and scrambled up with a boost of her foot.


Alright, Val. Ain't got long...





Soon, Valentina heaved herself onto the first rooftop, then to the next... then the next... and the next. Finally, she began to get and idea of where the man was heading. By the looks, it was to the Grypon Airship Repairs Factory, but most believed the place was long deserted. But since the smokestacks continued to puff, some had other ideas. Valentina paused and pulled out the watched she kept in her boot. It was about 12:30 and dawn was glowing nearer. "Fuck..." Frustratedly, she turned tails and headed back to the airship docks.

 

[Epsilon]

Tobias leaped and planted both of his feet on the roof of the building, making an audible thud as it hit the factory's rocky flat roof. He shifted his weight as he felt the small pebbles making up the gravel that coated the roof beneath his feet. Feeling the stones bring uneven levels to his appendages. Tobais shrugged and began to sift around the rocks that layered the roof, extending his leg in all directions to make an adequate circle, free from any potential discomfort.


He got down on his hands and knees, dusting off any remaining pebbles with the back of his hand and proceeded to lay down on his right shoulder. Legs entangling themselves he began to recount all of his plights, and all that has showed up in his life. He laid there looking ahead of him, breathing in the cool air, inhaling deeply and exhaling in the same nature. He hmmed quietly to himself, smirking when he remembered something in particular.


Oh man, those aristocrat snobs never saw it coming. Tobias thought to himself, smirking, and slowly beginning to close his eyes, playing the entertaining memory all the while. I'm sure they felt that they didn't need to complain about the cold weather, since ya know tea on your new dress tends to be warming.


Tobias pictured it so vividly. Replaying the scene, he would practically smell the strong teas that had been in their hands a moment before. He could see the way the woman of unflattering shape in the tight purple Victorian dress's lacy hat had been drenched. Dripping onto her pale fact, causing the red on her lips to dribble onto her chin. That look of utter disrespect, but the succulent memory of her fright. Class couldn't protect her from a splash of lukewarm tea. The shocked expression of those around her. And of course, the way Tobias fled like the wind, letting the rich ones remind themselves, that class didn't mean much to the scum of the streets. Before they could have a second thought about the encounter Tobias has fled, moving with the breeze and coursing through the alleyways, without a trace for anyone who had thought they could follow, to catch onto his tracks.


Tobias had chuckled to himself as shifted in the slightest in his dreary state. Lifting his head to rest it on the back of his hand, and his breath evening out, listening to the quiet gears within the belly of the building beneath him turn, and groan.


And then he was out, asleep while the world around him spun. Indulging on his sense that he could never be touched. 
( Also I love the slow burn of this all. Are you ok with the fact that this might end up a book? xD )


( P.S HAPPY BIRTHDAY RP BUDDY )

 

[Battleworn]

(Thank you! I had an awesome day! I'll explain it to you in a pm!)


It didn't take long before Valentina scrambled over the same brick wall he had come from. Once retracing her steps, she ended up back at the docks. Her crew members greeted her with respectful salutes as she made he way to the ladder. Halfway up, she paused and looked out onto the city of London. Part pf her heart broke as she knew he would have to leave the grand city. The sun peeked over the roofs of the buildings and shed light gold rays of light upon everything it could reach. She smiled as it warmed her skin as a gentle caress. "Alright Crew! Today's the day! Our battle worth Lyrebird will go down and I'm not loosin' to the likes of them. Let's go!" She yelled, grinning at the encouraged cheers of her crew members. They all made tier way to the ladder and quickly filed in after each other until each individual were aboard the Aurora of Mystic.

 

[Epsilon]

Tobias awoke with a groan. The light had pierced his eyes before he had even opened them. He laid his arms out next to him, stretching himself to lay on the pseudo concrete roof below him. He let out a drawn out and dramatic sigh, before slowly opening his eyes, squinting them shut once he stared into the brightly lit sky. He decided to lay there for just a little while longer, before coming to the conclusion that he wasn't going to get anywhere at this rate, just splayed out on his back like a fish out of water. Tobias inhaled deeply through his nose before putting his palms on the ground beneath him by his waist. He pushed his torso off of the roof, pushing all of his weight on his palms before he finally came into a standing position.


Tobias looked around drowsily, sinking in the warmth that the sun gave and squinting at the sudden change in light. He thrust his arms into the air, stretching, cracking his back in the process. The popping of spinal disks into place. Before he considered himself to be awake, he cracked all of his bones, and all of the discomfort that the hard rooftop seemed to give him the night before seemed to melt away. He sighed as he finally opened his eyes wide, much more awake now than before.


Tobias appreciated the much needed aerial view he was given. He encroached on the edge of the high factory rooftop before looking out onto the River of Thames. The port that dealt with all things London, exports or imports. The trading ships, and voyage ships all tethered there, ready to make a profit for the good of themselves, or the good of the country. The ships swollen with hydrogen and helium all bobbed and pulled the ropes they were tied down with taut. Like giant balloons almost, held over a huge body of water, inviting boats and airships alike.


Tobias' eyes scoured the landscape, his dull blue eyes flickering as his surroundings became clear to him. He spotted a ship off at the end of the port. Sporting a name, beveled and golden, shining in the sun; The Baron.


The Baron... If I remember correctly, that ship flies from Germany to Scotland. Purely for tourists sake. Sounds like a good enough place to start as ever.


He looked around at the surrounding ships, one with a name plated in silver, and the other in aluminum dyed bright red; The Lyrebird and The Leviathan .


Tobias cracked his knuckles before setting off to the ships at the port. He padded over to the rooftop's edge before springing down to the small, sloped apartment complex. Landing with a hard thud as his rubber boots connected with the hollow ceiling. With not a second to spare he began launching himself from building to building, landing with feather-light grace, as the buildings didn't even seem to sense he was there. Faster than the wind, he reached that port in no time.


Finally reaching the downtown area near the ports, he decided it was a good place to make headway on the ground. Tobias slid down the steep gable peak of the small shop he was climbing on. He kneeled down, his platinum hair sweeping into his face as he slowly was met with the edge. Coming to the corners where the two Victorian peaks came together. Without looking down he leaped from the two story building, and collided with the ground, continuing his jump with a roll. He spun back onto his feet and pushed himself off the ground in one fell swoop. Tobias brushed his untameable mane back once more, leaving the stray locks to sit by his ears, and caressing his cheeks. He took his gloved hand and dusted off his pants, coated with a film of dirt and other things.


After he was finished he was on his way, the audible click of his shoes and the cobblestone below following him as he strode away. Before he had gotten much further, he heard a boisterous call. Female by the sounds of it.


" Alright crew! Today's the day! Our battle worth The Lyrebird, and I'm not losin' to the likes of them... "


It was a woman, fairly fit and with bright red hair flowing down her back. She called up to the crew that was exiting her ship. Tobias looked over for a minute, wondering what she had meant, before he attention span ran thin. He shrugged when he could find no more clues as to anything on the topic. He strode towards The Baron and didn't look back. His golden timepiece bouncing against his chest with every stride, and his hair slowly becoming more and more out of place as he continued on.


( I AM SO SORRY ITS BEEN A WEEK. I was at the hospital D: )

 

[Battleworn]

((Aw... Sorry to hear that! Hope you're okay! D: Oh, and by the way. Incase you didn't get the notification, I changed my character's appearance because i found it weird how she looked a lot older than tobias. She has white hair, ice blue eyes, and majority of her clothing is metal... yeah, i changed it on my character sheet as well, so you can look at it from there. And I meant *with not *worth xD ))


The doors were closes and every crew member headed off to their designated places. A few of the females crew members stopped by Captain Valentina and began chatting in friendly conversation. The young ladies headed off after a spell and Valentina was left standing in the middle of the deck. She knew her airship wasn't like the others, considering it had no blimp attachment. Instead, it had wings. Beautiful they were. They almost looked fish-like. In the center of the deck, was a square of stained glass that allowed you to look down into the lower level. Valentina smiled to herself as she took her time walking up to the Captain's deck. She confidently took hold of the wheel, sat in her seat, and put the airship into motion. As the wings began to move and smoke billowed from the pipes below the ship, Valentina could feel the energy of her loyal crew members building up, never abating in the least. Below, the workers on the dock had finished untying the airship from it's place and let it drift up into the air. And until it was a safe distance away from the ground below, the Aurora of Mystic began it's trek to meet The LyreBird in battle. About an hour had passed and they had flown about 50 miles from the London Dock and Valentina was bursting at the scene, restless to show LyreBird who's boss. "Alrighty..." She sighed, not addressing anyone in particular. She began to slow down the Aurora of Mystic as she believed they were nearing their stopping point. Eventually the airship came to a stop, and nothing but the whistling wind crossed ears. Valentina readied her musket that sat beside her chair.

 

[Battleworn]

... So... You gone reply....? Or naw

 

[Epsilon]

Alright so I'm finally back from all of that testing and everything on my heart


Takes up a lot of time D:


I'm going to find time to respond in school, after school I have so much to catch up on after being away

 

[Battleworn]

Ok that's fine, take your time. And I'm glad you're back! Hope you feel better!