Fantasy Starborn

[Goonfire]

Quel whipped around as the entire building shook. He raised his weapon once more, narrowing his eyes as the spied the lad among the debris. “Better question: is it still breathing?” he gurgled inquisitively, sauntering over. He stared down, remaining perfectly still for a second. The devious thoughts immediately came flowing. “Yes, it’s alive... Best question now: would we need a scapegoat?” Quel’s head slowly cranked a freakish 150 degrees as he posed the question to Brala.

Naberius SilverFlight

 

[GasglowJones]

"Of all the odds..."
Jack mumbled as he saw the monstrous armored being enter the warehouse and fire their rifle at an automaton sending it flying across the room.

Jack recognized them from some of the bounty hunts he went on with his step father. Quel was one of the few debt dodgers that they could never capture purely because of the being's sheer strength.

Jack silently prayed that the slimy brute wouldn't recognize him. Or at the very least didn't hold grudges...

before Jack could complete his thought he was startled by a large gorilla smashing one of the mechanical wolves.
"Must've escaped from the circus..."
Jack said with a chuckle.

As he was imagining the craziness the ape must have caused in its escape the automatons shut down and fell to the floor followed by a shadowy figure coming out of hiding.

"So that was all a team building exercise..."
Jack said as he slipped off his goggles and turned to face the figure who'd just revealed themselves. "Gotta say, that's pretty darn clever ma'am. Er, I assume you're a ma'am given your appearance."

Suddenly a loud crash sounded as a pile of crates collapsed.

"Good lord, Now what?!"
Jack exclaimed as he dashed over to help Reaper pull the newcomer from the mess. After seeing the boy had pale skin and pointed ears jack began to seriously suspect his new employer's work and upon hearing Quel's question to them something inside Jack snapped.

"Look Lady, I've worked for some
shady scumbags in my years but I still have morals!"
Jack said turning to Brala.
"I swear if you turn out to be a slave dealer, you've just gained an enemy for life!"

Naberius Lioness075 andujarprime Ghostiiys GamerCarrot InsanEleven SilverFlight CryptedCourt Feywild

 

[SilverFlight]

Brala toed the ruins of one of her automatons and sighed. "You certainly did a number on my pets here." She lifted the mask from her face to reveal kind eyes with an intelligent sparkle.
She laughed at Jack's ( GasglowJones ) words. "Make up you're mind, are you gonna lick my boots or insult my face! 'Cause doing' both will just confuse me."
She kicked the crate by her foot over to him.
"Take a seat and let me explain."
But before anyone could take a seat there was an almighty crash against one of the warehouse walls and a skinny youth came tumbling into their midst. Brala nearly had to dive out of the way.
She and a few others approached the pile of person slowly.
"Quel ( Goonfire ) , Jack ( GasglowJones ) dear, don't go saying anything that could give us away before we start." She cautioned in a motherly tone, but there was warning in her eyes.
Don't say anything that would mean we need to silence a loose end.
She did not want the kid becoming a casualty before they'd even set foot in the palace.
"On your feet son ( Naberius ). Now, you want to tell me what you're doing crashing an angry Beruune right up our asses."

But they didn't have any time for answers, there were shouts from the street as the authorities were being called. The Imperial guard was on its way. Brala swore, then looked down at the youth, who was undoubtedly going to face charges for the destruction wrought by the rampaging beast. Brala could see the trail of mayhem through the cracked and broken window.
She knew what the Imperial guard would do to him, and she looked at the others, communicating this.
"We can't just leave him. Come on."
She grabbed Elnaril roughly by the collar.
"We're relocating." She said shortly, and started for the door. "Promptly."

Brala lead them down an alley and up several flights of stairs, through a dark passage and over a bridge or two, navigating the tight, labyrinthine streets of the middle town as if she had been born to them.
She stopped close to the docks, where a solitary ship lay by a near pier apart from the others. This ship had blue sails, and looked as regal as anything, three masts, energy canons and the finest solar sail cloth ever made.

"Hey!" one of the deckhands called out as he spotted Brala, as if he had been expecting her. "You're late! get your crew up here!"
Brala seemed a little put out that her plan had been accelerated.
"Listen," she told them all quickly, "I got us hired onto that ship as a cleaning and maintenance crew. As soon as the fireworks start it'll fly us straight into the palace grounds. Get on the ship and do whatever they tell you. I'll meet you in the engine room when the ship takes off for the palace. Then I will have exactly ten minutes to explain the plan...and for the sake of all that is holy, watch your attitudes. This boat is crawling with wonderworkers, the empress' favourites."
To Elnaril, whom she still had a tight hold of she said: "Listen boy, you are in a heap of trouble, if you'd like to stay out of the guard's hands, get on the ship with my team. As soon as the ship lands in the palace square you get off, and I don't want to see your face again, do you hear me?"

Naberius Lioness075 andujarprime Ghostiiys GamerCarrot InsanEleven GasglowJones CryptedCourt Feywild

 

[Naberius]

The last thing Elnaril remembered was sailing through the air. The impact itself had knocked him around so hard, the poor boy had actually been rendered unconscious by it. The next thing he knew, he had been pulled free of the detritus and was surrounded by a group of...singularly unique individuals, none of which happened to be the one he was looking for. He wobbled on his feet, and his balance threatened to fail him and send him tumbling back to the floor. After an unsteady few moments, he seemed to take stock of the situation he found himself in and blinked, rather taken aback. He began to speak but stopped when he noticed his bag was no longer hanging from his shoulder as it always was and without further ado, spun on his heel and began digging through the debris. He had just managed to find it again when he was hoisted up by his collar and spun around to face someone new. Then, it hit him all at once. The pain, the shock of being surrounded by strange, and honestly quite intimidating, individuals. It was all a little overwhelming after what might end up being a mild concussion.

"Wait who-"
He never got a chance to finish speaking before he was rather suddenly dragged off by the much stronger woman. He refrained from speaking as he was haphazardly lead to their destination, a rather impressive and majestic ship docked at the same port he had arrived at himself sometime earlier that morning. He tried to squirm free and look around for the ship he had come in on but couldn't see it anywhere and was nowhere near strong enough to slip out of his captors' grasp. She stopped him when they got close, and the daggers in her eyes made him tense up and quiver slightly as he tried to shrink back in very obvious fear.

"Y-Yes Ma'am..."
His voice shook with the same fear and intense anxiety as his entire body.

SilverFlight Lioness075 andujarprime Ghostiiys GamerCarrot InsanEleven GasglowJones CryptedCourt Feywild

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Larassa Sovna	Nickname: The Raven
Race: Khoelian	Home Planet: Khoeli
Occupation: Bounty Huntress	Equipment: Knapsack, Bow, Quiver of Arrows (18/20 Normal, 1 Grappling), Twin Daggers

Just as Larassa thought things were calming down again, a reverberating crash echoed through the warehouse and she flinched before watching a young boy fly inside and crash into some crates. She could not even pretend to act as if this was normal and blinked several times before muttering, "What now?"

Alaric and another of their team members approached the fallen boy and Larassa furrowed her brows when the swashbuckling type joined them only to exclaim that Brala was apparently some slaver type. It made absolutely no sense to Larassa and she was more than happy to pretend it had never been said when Brala seemed to ignore it entirely. This day just got weirder and weirder.

As Brala manhandled the youth, Larassa sighed and whistled for Luness to fly above the group and help keep watch. Seconds later, the group was expertly winding through side streets and alleyways, crossing a number of bridges along the way, until they finally came to a docked ship. Larassa could not even begin to remember the directions they had taken to get here, but that was a sure sign they had lost any guards on their trail.

Looking at the ship, Larassa admired it for a moment, briefly reflecting on the first time she had seen Alaric's Kraken. It felt so long ago and Larassa wistfully wondered if she would ever get a chance to travel with him again. She stole a glance at her old friend, but quickly looked away before he noticed. She still had no idea how to approach him after everything they had been through. A pang of guilt shot through at the memory of why she had left him in the first place.

Brushing past the young and frightened elf, Larassa said with a growl, "Keep yer head low and you'll be fine, kid." She then continued along the dock and onto the ship. Best that they helped get the ship ready to sail sooner than later.

Once on deck, Larassa glanced around and waited impatiently for someone to give her a task. She could care less what needed to be done and just wanted to get on with the heist already.

SilverFlight andujarprime Naberius Feywild GamerCarrot InsanEleven Ghostiiys GasglowJones Goonfire CryptedCourt

 

[Ghostiiys]

Ayala did not even have a chance to introduce herself to her team. Nor did she have the chance to fight , it was almost like once there was even a minuscule sign of danger, the people she was with reacted in a split second. Automatons , guns shooting , parts being sliced , arrows being shot. Ayala had almost no time to react to almost anything. But she did get to see some of there fighting techniques , impressive to say the least.

Then a woman , the one who seemingly set the robotic creations upon the group came out of no where. Ayala sighed , this really was going to be a long night.

Her and the group followed the woman leaving the warehouse. It only felt like they where walking for a moment as they walked up flights of stairs ,alleys, and streets. A ship coming into view. Ayala only really understood the gravity of her situation, She couldn't lie to herself she was feeling a little bit nervous her whole career was just protecting rich men and woman.

Once on the ship she awaited her orders. Things where going to get intense fast, it was only a matter of time.

 

[CryptedCourt]

The automation was crawling back to her, flashing its metal fangs when its eyes lost its glow. The creature slowed until it appeared to be turned off, or dead. Cora took a deep breath through her animal nostrils. Across the room, she saw the other automations turn off simultaneously.

A masked human stepped forward. Cora felt the adrenaline in her body ease, but she was still tense from the fast ending fight. Now that everyone wasn't busy fighting off the automatons, she felt some curious eyes land on her. Cora glanced at one man across the room, narrowing her eyes as he muttered something under her breath. Cora listened to the woman and followed them all out of the warehouse, through the alleways and streets to the dock.

In her experience, learning when to transform back into a human after transmuting can be a delicate choice. You don't want to transmute back before you no longer need that animal's ability, but you also don't want to expend too much energy staying in animal form. Cora has also learned that some find it disturbing when she transmutes rapidly from one animal to another or when she shifts back into a human. She also didn't think this newly formed group would be comfortable with her dressing openly and unabashed. So Cora stayed in her animal form while they walked with the child to the dock. She carried her boots and backpack in one fist and galloped on the other.

Once they reached the boat, the woman explained what they were to do. "Sounds good to me," Cora commented in a deep and raspy voice as she lept and swung her way onto the boat. "Be back in a sec," Cora said to a tall winged alien that was standing idly on the deck. "Holler if I'm needed." With her belongings in hand, she opened the hatch and climbed down the ladder to the lower decks. In the dark and damp quarters, she found a secluded corner and transmuted back to her human self. She slipped on a shirt and pants, careful to save the clothes she had ripped when she first transmuted. Cora kept several pairs of clothes, just in case she needed to quickly transmute to a large animal as she had in the warehouse. Cora sat on one of the many crates in the dark lower deck and carefully tied her boots back on.

 

[andujarprime]

Alaric stood up soon as Brala came over. His mind wandered a bit as his eyes passed over the unlikely crew gathered in the warehouse. He sighed and began following them shaking his head and muttering about what a hassle kids would be on a job. He was tall, lanky, like a wiry teenager. But the lack of experience, in life or otherwise shown on his fresh face. Alaric looked mainly at Larassa for a short while as they walked. Keeping his thoughts to himself, and finally turning his attention to the road they were taking. He realized after a short while that if he didn't pay attention at the pace they were going he'd lose the group, and a payday. He wasn't keen on throwing money away this easily.

Once they reached the dock Alaric smiled. The docks were like a second home to him. He enjoyed the sounds, the hustle and bustle, the familiarity of it all. He appreciated that he wasn't wearing his normal clothing, and that his ship wasn't docked at this port. He followed the rest of the crew aboard the ship. Simply nodding to the instructions he took off on his own. He set to inspecting the rigging for the solar sails was checked, and the cargo strapped down. Going through the same preflight checklist he kept for his ship. He was careful to keep his head down, and his eyes to himself. He smiled as he looked over at Larassa briefly before continuing his work. Thoughts of past times surfacing then buried as he shook his head. Work to do, and a big job, gotta keep focus.

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Larassa Sovna	Nickname: The Raven
Race: Khoelian	Home Planet: Khoeli
Occupation: Bounty Huntress	Equipment: Knapsack, Bow, Quiver of Arrows (18/20 Normal, 1 Grappling), Twin Daggers

Larassa turned to look at the biological transmuter who had joined their team and immediately scowled at her, even though she had already turned away and headed to the lower decks. She angrily stared at where the transmuter had been a moment before and then sighed before looking away. Had she known a biological transmuter would be on the team, Larassa might not have shown up at all. She could still remember how her home planet and people had shunned her, an abomination because of her eye. She clenched one of her hands at this memory and felt her palm grow damp from the blood drawn by her own claws. The pain and damage was very minimal, just enough to distract her from the painful memories. She closed her eyes for a moment and then took several deep breaths to calm herself once more.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Alaric was now on the ship and already at work helping prepare the ship to take off. She released her clenched fist and took another deep breath before walking over to join him. She had no idea what to say to him and so she focused on helping him prepare the rigging and sails for departure. Unintentionally, she left some faint blood marks on some of the ropes and she quickly tied off the ropes in sailor knots against the mast to avoid it being noticed. This was hardly the time to already be having any kind of mental breakdown.
She had a heist to focus on and Larassa put her mind to planning out how this might go and what she may need for the mission. She realized belatedly that she may want to try and put together an explosive arrow before they headed out. Those types of arrows seemed to always have some kind of use sooner than later.

andujarprime Naberius SilverFlight CryptedCourt Feywild GamerCarrot InsanEleven Ghostiiys GasglowJones Goonfire

 

[GamerCarrot]

Uvri looked up at the automaton that was now protecting her, she hesitated for a moment before taking the gun out of his hand. She hated guns and that displeasure showed on her face but she did what she was taught to do and raised the gun at the enemy automatons. However before she could fire however it seemed like everything was an over reaction and that the person that just scared them was actually the person who had asked them here. Uvri handed back that Automatons gun and smiled "Thank you, you can have this back now sir." she said before slowly coming out from behind him and approaching the rest of the group with her hands behind her back. She quickly followed the rest to the ship they were going to be boarding, she was unsure of how she was going to help those already on board the ship. She didn't exactly know much about ships or how to maintain them but she was always keen to help, she quickly ducked aboard and wandered around a little in awe before quickly snapping out of it and looking to see who she could help.

andujarprime Naberius SilverFlight CryptedCourt Feywild Lioness075 InsanEleven Ghostiiys GasglowJones Goonfire

 

[GasglowJones]

"Yes Ma'am."
Jack replied to Brala's somewhat parental correction as she gave a look that was universal language for "shut your mouth before we get in trouble" to which Jack humbly obliged.

Suddenly Jack heard people outside shouting followed by the distant stomping of military grade steel toed boots. A sound that any Artemian crook worth their salt can identify as trouble.

Luckily Brala had the same idea and jack followed the her lead down the alleyways, up stairs and over walkways down a path that if he recalled lead straight to the docks. As the group rounded a corner Jack noticed his feathered companion was missing.
"Where the devil has that bird gone?" Jack muttered before his question was answered as he spotted Accipitis flying above them with what looked like cloth in his beak. Proudly waving it around as he flew like a child with their toy kite.

Once they reached the docks the bird returned to his master's shoulder and happily presented him with the sleeve of an imperial guard's jacket that was dripping fresh blood.
"Go play with the seagulls or something..."
He whispered to his predatory pet with a sigh before turning his attention to brala who was now giving orders to the team as well as to the young lad who'd now joined them.

"Aye aye captain." Jack said as he jokingly replied to Brala's orders with a sailor's salute before boarding the ship.

"Did that gorilla just talk?" Jack asked in disbelief as he watched the large ape disappear below deck.


"Well, it's official. I've finally gone mad..." Jack said with a laugh as he tried to shrug off the oddity He'd just seen.

Noticing the young lad who had joined the group standing on the deck somewhat bewildered Jack decided to try and strike up a conversation and make sure he was alright. First attempting to greet him in Artemian before stopping mid sentence when he saw the boy had relatively human like eyes.

"Whoops, sorry lad. I can never tell you Nevvath apart from Artemian without looking at the eyes." Jack said awkwardly in apology.
"The name's Jack. What's yours?"



Naberius Lioness075 andujarprime Ghostiiys GamerCarrot InsanEleven SilverFlight CryptedCourt Feywild

 

[Naberius]

Elnaril tried, for the most part, to simply stay out of the way. He wasn't physically strong enough to help with loading or unloading cargo, wasn't quite sure how to tie any sort of useful knots or repair anything onboard a ship. After a short while, he finally settled in with a mop and other assembled cleaning supplies and set about trying to make things tidy, his relative clumsiness only rarely setting him back very much.

He had set about a good working pace cleaning the railings and other freestanding surfaces when one of the others approached him, one of the ones from the warehouse he had so ungracefully crashed into. The man was older than he was from the look of him, the well-traveled look he had seen a few times on the rare opportunities he had come into contact with hardened exploratory types. He had similar features to native Nevvath but very distinct differences when one knew where and how to look for them. The language was strange, not something he had ever heard in person before though he rarely left his homeworld, or even the city he grew up in save for educational trips and the occasional vacation.

"Oh, uh. Hello! I'm...I mean..My name is Elnaril, sir. And yes, the physical features are similar in certain regards. Mother nature does love her designs well enough to use them more than once, on occasion." Elnaril's naturally cheery, sing-song voice rang like a silver chime, obviously not one who had ever seen hardship of any sort, much less worked on a real ship.

His reply was hesitant, almost as though he expected some sort of retribution from on high for speaking so freely. He was always bound by rigid structure and rules while attending the University, every move monitored and measured to ensure model student behavior.

GasglowJones Lioness075 andujarprime Ghostiiys GamerCarrot InsanEleven SilverFlight CryptedCourt Feywild

 

[SilverFlight]

The crew of the ship were all too happy to have the extra hands, there was a lot to prepare for the Thaumaturgy show the empress herself had commanded from them. There were props to move, costumes to finish, the students to feed and nobody seemed to ask many questions about where these new hands had come from.
Brala herself began picking up boxes from the dock and hefting them onto the ship with little effort.
She overheard Jack's ( GasglowJones ) comment,
"You haven't seen a transmuter change before?" She asked, genuinely puzzled. "Boy you need to get out more often!" It was a good-natured barb and Brala grinned at him.
"See you in the engine room before long."


Anna knew she should have found the first ship leaving the port and gotten on it. If she ever wanted to have a hope of getting away from the city. But she had overheard a group of excited youths talking: The blue-sailed ship, her ship, was docked just at the end of the pier rows. She had to see it again.
"Zark!" Her red companion chastised as they caught sight of the academy ship. It was even more magnificent than Anna had remembered.
"Don't worry Zark, we'll just sneak on and look around quickly, before it takes off."
"HHMMMmmmhmmm." Zark groaned, and even Anna could hear the criticism in his tone. Sometimes words weren't needed at all. Reluctantly the creature followed her onto the ship.
Everyone was busy, and Anna tried her best to make it look like she belonged there: she grabbed a box of tools and carried it about with her as she toured the ship. Zark was in tow, crouched low and trying to stay inconspicuous.
She walked up to Elnaril ( Naberius and Jack ( GasglowJones ), assuming they belonged just as much as she didn't.
"Excuse me!" She called in what she hoped was a casual, friendly tone, and not at all conspicuous. "I'm just here to check the engine, making sure everything's all ship shape!" She was speaking a bit loudly, Zark looked around with a nervous huff as she attracted attention.
"I'll just go down there then, um...don't mind me!"
With that Anna made for the steps that lead below deck.
"Nailed it." She whispered to Zark, who only stared at her in disbelief.
"Oh what? I think it was good, nobody stopped me did they?"

Naberius Lioness075 andujarprime Ghostiiys GamerCarrot InsanEleven GasglowJones CryptedCourt Feywild

 

[Goonfire]

“What have you been eating?” Quel questioned his boss in surprise. He was clearly accustomed to humanoids being fairly weak. Glancing at the other pirates filing aboard, his eyes fell upon Jack and narrowed. That fellow seemed familiar, but why...?

Quel’s thoughts were interrupted by a rather loud girl and some... thing passing them. He immediately grabbed one of the crates Brala had placed down, in order to blend with the rest of the crew. He made a beeline down to the cargo hold, figuring any more time spent in the open would draw too much attention. Small panels on the walls allowed him to get his bearings fairly quickly. Finally, he checked his stopwatch, playing the waiting game. It would take them several minutes to filter down to the engine room, and he preferred to not be the first one down there.

SilverFlight GasglowJones

 

[InsanEleven]

While the events had unfolded, Xavier had watched each and every one of them. He was quick to pick up on the subtle cues between Jack and Quel, and Larassa and the shapeshifter: it all appeared to be trouble. But at the least they were strong, and capable of fighting - that couldn't be said about Uvri, or the Navveth for that matter. The way the girl had held his gun had told him as much, and seeing the boy struggle with the mop made him shake his head and let out a long huff of smoke from his pipe. Until finally he couldn't bear the sight any longer.
He doused his pipe and put it away, tapping out the ashes over the rails of the ship.
"Ye look like ye've never seen a ship, yet alone took a proper sniff of the aether." As he stepped away from the edge, he shook his coat off of his shoulder, folding it up and laying it on a nearby barrel, placing his hat atop it. Underneath the long coat, he wore a loose white linen shirt, tucked neatly into a pair of high waisted brown pants.
"Don't hold yer mop like that, yer supposed to work, not look like a virgin having her first tug!" He grabbed the scruff of Elnaril's shirt, and made him put his back into it.
Undoing his sleeves and rolling them up, he moved over to Uvri, not intending on sparing her.
"Come on lass, we'll secure some boxes. Teach ye how to lay a proper knot - it might save yer life." Grabbing a few ends of rope, he gestured towards some of the boxes that the crew needed secured. "We'll put them in the corner."

Naberius GamerCarrot

 

[Alonthra]

Yon loved to see the city during festivals. The lights, the smells, the girls. He grinned to himself as he took a quick look over the bow of the ship. The highest ranking students of the Imperial Military Academy had been assigned as security in place of actual soldiers who were working on the castle grounds. The Thaumaturgy Academy was in charge of the ship and the people who were allowed on. The three military students were just there as a formality and as a half measure to ensure things went smoothly.
Still, Yon couldn't complain. This would be his last festival before officially graduating, and shipped off in a ship not much unlike this one. He might never again enter this city as Yon, and he was determined to give the student a grand send off. What better way than to get a bird eye view of home, and take it all in.
-
Yon's moment of quiet contemplation was interrupted by shouts from the docks. He looked over at a rag tag group that were most certainly not students or staff of the Academy. And the crew just waved them on board? This was not protocol. "I beg your pardon sir," Yon appoched the lead organizer for the event. "The new crew, have they been properly vetted?" The captain glared at the overly confident pup that dared to question him. "We are Wonderworkers boy. One of our students equals fifty of you military brats. How dare you question my abilities and authority! Go to your corner and stay out of our way!"
Yon did as commanded and continued his watch while doing his best to stay out of the way of those getting ready. He let out a heavy sigh as he watched the new crew board. He took mental notes of faces. Yon's gut told him the old man might be eating his words.
-
There were only two other military students assigned to the Academy ship. They were in the galley helping themselves to the food and drink provided. "Hey Yon! Davis here brought a flask. Wanna join?" Yon scowled and pushed his glasses back. "No, and you two shouldn't be either. There will be plenty of nonsense after our job is done. Get back to your posts. The captain has enlisted some civilians. You should be keeping and eye on them."
"Relax Yon," Davis spoke up holding out the flask. "this is our last festival as students, and we are surrounded by wonderworkers. What could possibly go wrong?"
Yon took the flask offered to him and poured its contents out on the floor. "A hundred things off the top of my head. Now stop slacking off! At the very least set a good example for the military." He tossed the empty flask back. "Now clean that up and get to work." Davis mockingly saluted and the two laughed. Utterly useless. They might be good on paper but ridiculous in the field.
As he opened the door of the mess hall to leave two blurs whipped by him one a bright red the other... "Why was it here?" he thought to himself. He did not see the girl's face but the red creature... He did not imagine this proverbial wrench in the gears. He composed himself giving no hint that he had noticed anything. Calmly he made his way to the engine room. Nothing wrong keeping an eye on the ship's weak point. He took off his military coat and wrapped up his sword in it and tucked it under a grated walkway and pipe. Some soot stuck to his gloves in the process and he used it to mess up his hair and get it dirty. On the last flight of stairs leading to the engine room Yon grabed a random wrench from a near by tool box and rolled up his sleeves. Trying to blend, he found a spot where he could watch the hallway and door to the main engine room with sufficient cover should anyone approach.

 

[Feywild]

Pistols were an old friend on Fran’s. Together they were both unreliable, the mix wasn’t meant to be. But she’d take missing some shots over punching metal any day. The fight was over quick, she’d rolled into cover, her mouth agape as she spied the others flying into combat and the dramatic entrance of another after it’d finished. She stayed silent, listening to the others speak to gauge what they were like and who she’d be working with. Most of them seemed okay, only one struck her as questionable and another a slight liability. Overall they seemed fine.

Then they were off, leaving the warehouse with the new straggler in tow. Fran sniffed her clothes gingerly, hoping they weren’t tinged with the whiff of cheese from the warehouse just after she’d gotten the stench of smoke out of them. Lady luck must’ve been on her side, there was no smell and they were boarding the ship. She hadn’t expected it to be so easy, but was grateful for the lack of a challenge. It felt familiar seeing a crew, people with tasks that unite to form one goal. No matter how reassuring it was to be back on a ship, the wonderworkers that would be lurking certainly didn’t contribute to her consolation. All she had to do was help maintain, no one was about to go brandishing their powers and neither was she. Ropes could be an easy distraction, her slender fingers finding their home in the heart of the ropes as she tied knots, waiting for takeoff in her content silence. People came and went, the crew bustling around with the assembled squad thrown in the mix. Her attention only shifted when a voice too loud to be casual snapped under her gaze. How peculiar, you didn’t need to announce to the crew what job you were doing if it was your role. Fran’s brows furrowed, her fingers brushing her chin idly. She smelt bullshit, a lousy excuse of it at best.

Hopping down from her perch, Fran slid over to the people the strange girl had approached. Catching onto Xavier’s blunt words to the others a smile cracked across her face. “Don’t traumatise the kids, they’re new."

Naberius GamerCarrot InsanEleven

 

[GasglowJones]

Jack was about to ask what Elnaril how he had managed to find himself in the warehouse when a girl marched aboard with some sort of red creature behind her.

Before he could reply to the girl's odd statement she had already left and the automaton had taken off his jacket and started showing Elnaril how to hold the mop in a more efficient manner.

"Huh. I've been holding a mop wrong my whole life."
Jack replied with a forced laugh. something about that engineer seemed off.

Jack turned to the red haired woman who had just walked over and tipped his hat in greeting.

"Pardon me Ma'am, Did that girl seem off to you as well?" Jack asked. "Surely if she were the ship's engineer she would recognize that we weren't actual members of the crew."

Jack stroked his mustache thoughtfully before continuing.
"I'm going to investigate and I'd be much obliged if you'd provide backup if you aren't busy. Last thing we want is a saboteur on our hands..."


Naberius Lioness075 andujarprime Ghostiiys GamerCarrot InsanEleven SilverFlight CryptedCourt Feywild Goonfire Alonthra

 

[GamerCarrot]

Uvri stood near the edge of the ship, looking out and staying out of everyone's way while they handled the ships maintenance. She was happily enjoying the view when she heard the automaton she had hidden behind make a comment about someone handling a mop incorrectly, she turned and let out a small chuckle but it didn't stop there. She was immediately called out by Xavier, her eyes widen a little but she quickly walked over to him not wanting to be yelled at for not hurrying up. She looked at the two pieces of rope in his hands and then over at the boxes, a little confused about the type of knot he wanted her to learn. "Is it that obvious I don't belong here? I've never been on a ship before I don't tend to travel very much." She said with a smile whilst rubbing the back of her neck before realising something very important. "I'm sorry I don't think I caught your name earlier, my name is Uvri. It's a pleasure to meet you sir." she spoke politely.
InsanEleven

 

[Naberius]

The sudden gruff tone calling him out shocked Elnaril back into reality for a moment, having gotten lost in his own thoughts in the process of his work. After the initial shock wore off, however, he felt.. Strangely at ease. The university was always strict and structured and it was a familiar experience, being brought in-line. It reminded him of one of his favorite teachers. Always blunt, always looking grumpy, but underneath the huff and puff and grump, he actually cared very deeply for his students and their wellbeing. Elnaril found himself grinning ear to ear, someone managing to relax a little.

His smile only grew that much brighter when a red-haired beauty came to his defense. He was not used to anyone willingly backing him up and it was a strange but wonderful feeling.

When the gruff individual began lecturing one of the others, he not-so-subtly tried to inch his way closer just for the company, regardless of who it was. He overheard the others confession about ships and not belonging and couldn't help but relate.

"I've only ever left my own world 4 times, personally. Not precisely used to this myself though I suppose that's pretty obvious... This isn't exactly something they teach you at the University."

GasglowJones Lioness075 andujarprime Ghostiiys GamerCarrot InsanEleven SilverFlight CryptedCourt Feywild Goonfire Alonthra

 

[Feywild]

Fran paused, her smile slipping as she glanced over to where the girl had headed. “She sure did seem a bit off, I don’t think she’s trouble but I can’t say I’m not interested.” She replied in a low tone, eyes shifting to rest on where the strange girl had headed. The engine room, how coincidental. Though if there was something to worry about this girl, Fran doubted she would blindly announce that fact to the group aboard. It could just be a mistake, the pale man could just be overthinking, but it was always wise to be on the safe side.

“Well I ain’t one to turn down a lil job when I got the time,” Fran shrugged with a flicker of a smirk dancing upon her lips. Casting a light glance to the grinning mop boy and another, more wary, to the automaton, she sniffed before turning back to the man who’d spoken to her. If the smile was anything to go by she was sure that he’d be okay, the automaton would make sure he didn’t cast himself overboard. “Offering backup isn’t my speciality, but I’m always willing to learn and I’m sure you can teach.”

Making her way over slowly, Fran paused midway to turn and look over her shoulder, “Oh. For your sake and my own, please don’t call me ma’am, I hate it.” Fran scrunched her nose in light disgust as she spoke, her voice steely as she internally cringed. “It’s Francesca, Fran... even Frankie if you’re feeling funky. Not Ma’am.”

SilverFlight Naberius Lioness075 andujarprime Ghostiiys GamerCarrot InsanEleven GasglowJones CryptedCourt

 

[InsanEleven]

Xavier didn't give Fran's comment much mind, but did make a mental note of her preferred name just to prevent any conflicts over it. He too had noticed the strange girl, but believed that if she was trouble, it would be for the main crew of the ship to figure out. Instead he took the opportunity to teach Uvri and the Navveth some basic knots and ship knowledge - they certainly appeared keen enough, and it couldn't hurt.
He had pushed one of the boxes against the corner, and gathered the ropes, when Uvri introduced herself.
"It's cause I never introduced meself to begin with lass. Can't catch what's ne'er spoken. The name's Feighton." ( GamerCarrot ) He pulled the ends of the ropes closer, and showed her how to lay a simple knot. "See, one end goes over the other, under, tighten it, and ye got yerself a flat knot."
While he showed her, he heard both her and the Navveth talk about their limited experiences on ships. It frightened him that they'd only ever been tourists.
"Ye'll be in for a shock then. Crew's hardly anything close to ye tourists and travellers; ye'll be seeing parts of the ship ye didn't even know needed to be scrubbed. And I'll be making damned sure ye'll scrub 'er right. Now how 'bout yer name boy, got anything I can shout when yer about to get yerself killed?" ( Naberius )

 

[GasglowJones]

"Thank you Ma'am- er, I mean Fran."
Jack replied somewhat awkwardly.
"Apologies, I usually dont use first names much in my line of work. Regardless, all you'll have to do is be an extra set of weapons if for some reason it gets ugly..."

Jack quickly reloaded his pistols and pulled out his long almost sword like hunting knife. Heaven forbid it lead to a fight but in case did he preferred to use the knife and disarm an opponent without seriously harming them

"Alright, let's go see what's what..."
Jack exclaimed as he turned and made way below deck and headed towards what he assumed from his experience with ships would be the engine room.

"Oh and I've got some coin on me if you require payment for this."
Jack said as it hit him the woman might be expecting something in return for her help.
"And if for some reason I don't have enough you can get up with my boss Harmu De-Silijic later and he'll take it out of my paycheck. Unless of course you don't like to deal with smugglers. "



Naberius Lioness075 andujarprime Ghostiiys GamerCarrot InsanEleven SilverFlight CryptedCourt Feywild Goonfire Alonthra

 

[Feywild]

“That’s fair, you never know whose listening.” A knowing smile tugging across her lips at the thought of names. It was wasn’t that Fran was reckless or carefree with the supposed sharing of her name, more so that she had an act to maintain and a truth unwilling to give. Pretences were always easier to handle than facing reality.

Studying him carefully, she was half surprised he pulled out his weapons so easily in the thoroughfare. Sparing a slight look around to check on any strangers reactions was required, but he was off before she could offer a quiet questioning. All she did was follow, slipping below deck and sticking a few steps behind him at least. To be frank, Fran hadn’t expected any payment but she wasn’t going to say no when she just loved to earn. “My mere presence alone demands payment.” She exaggerated, voice exuberant as she grinned. That didn’t last for long as the man mentioned his criminal profession and then his boss to Fran’s horror. “Pipe down lad, this isn’t the place for that talk.” Fran hissed at him, eyes incredulous as she stared at the fellow smuggler. She didn’t like to deal with others in her questionable career, it was all competition and deceit. Alias’s were needed, as were connections and alliances, the weak and loose lipped didn’t stand a chance. All Fran could hope for now was that no one had heard, or at least that the name mentioned remained as unrecognised. The chance the job name fell on unknowing ears was nonexistent.

SilverFlight Naberius Lioness075 andujarprime Ghostiiys GamerCarrot InsanEleven GasglowJones CryptedCourt Alonthra

 

[andujarprime]

Alaric fixed rigging, and checked cargo. It was on his mental checklist prior to any departure. He had moved well enough away from the rest of the crew, opting for spreading out and not drawing attention to the growing concentration of new faces. Not too long after he secured the first set of sails he felt a familiar presence. He smiled to himself a little bit but didn’t turn. Instead he held down a set of ropes out to the person following him. Expecting her to grab them and fasten them. “Aayyy, it’s been a while but I’m sure ya remember the checklist.” He said through his smile as he moved away leaving her with the last bit of rope to fasten. “Gonna head to the bow, quite a bit of cargo ta fasten down. If ye’re of a mind ta keep helpin.” He said in a rather low voice. Hints of amusement escaped through his words and he finally looked back at Larassa and nodded to where he was going. “I don’t know just how much our new crew knows, but in case they know zilch I’m not lookin ta get caught up in that. One run in with wonder workers per 10 years. That’s my limit.” He sayid as he chuckled and moved away. He looked towards the rest of the crew left on deck. Towards the automaton, the teen and the female that the automaton was helping. “Tho I guess it wouldn’t pay well ta lose half the crew either. So we should keep an eye out.” He said with a slight sigh as he moved towards some of the crates across from them. Not too close but at least within earshot.

Lioness075 InsanEleven Naberius GamerCarrot