Fantasy The Ship of Horrors - Roleplay Thread

[dazzling]

-Honor's vision-
Honor woke, staring straight up at a periwinkle cloudless sky. She sat up, brushing her hands lightly among the petals of the many poppies that stretched far beyond the horizon. She inhaled the sweet scent of the crimson flowers, and felt a small trickle of water on the back of her neck. Turning around, she saw a version of herself. Robed in black, she was kneeling and holding a small flask, tipping it gently as she took deep breaths.
Honor felt the water on the back of her neck burn, and she gritted her teeth, trying not to scream. She frantically grabbed at her arms, her scars turning a deep red.
Suddenly she was sinking, dark blue water surrounding her. Coughing and choking on the salty water, she saw her hair float up above the sides of her face as she sunk rapidly. Looking down, eyes stinging from the saline, she saw ropes wrapped around her legs, pulling her down. She coughed on the air she was holding in her cheeks, drawing in water, and everything faded to a comfortable black.
-end vision-
Honor blinked several times, looking to the side and seeing the ship before pursing her lips. Furrowing her brows, she absentmindedly said, "Mhm..." Walking away with nothing more to say, she sat on a crate on the other side of the ship. Leaning her elbows on the rail, she lost herself in the sea's rhythm.

 

[Satanic Nightjar]

Spoiler: OOC

I'm going to change August's age from 19 to 21, and push up some events in his life so far. He's still young, but not, like, a child ;P

August stared after her in concern, not wanting to be intrusive, stayed where he was. Confused, unsure of what had just happened, he walked off in the opposite direction, still going over it in his head. The entire day so far had been unpredictable and strange. On a new ship for the first time, seeing his sister, meeting Honor and the rest, the strange way both the captain and Brummet seemed to act, like they were hiding something . . . . He came to his quarters, stepped inside, and locked the door. August laid down on the bed and closes his eyes, allowing the rhythmic motion of the ship to send him sailing into unconsciousness.

 

[LittleBearii]

After climbing up the steps to meet back the beautiful yet salty air, his ash-like eyes gazed back to Honor seating a bit further from the others on the ship. And blinked in confusion to watch August stomp off into the lower chambers. 'Didn't she say that she was a navigator?'... Perhaps asking her about this small trinket would definitely make his days. He took a moment to gently place the mop and pail aside the firebuckets on the side point and paced his way beside the silent auburn woman.

"Excuse me, do you think you can read this scribe?" He softly mumbled, reaching the pocket in front of his chest between the thumb and forefinger. Mutt revealed the small globe and held it out for Honor to see. "..I still can't seem to figure it out whatsoever, is it some different language." Taking his gaze from the small artifact, and instead fixed it to the Navigator in curiosity.

 

[mothspit]

In no time at all, despite her slightly-tipsy stupor, Gwendolyn had crafted a delightful, tasteful soups for all to enjoy. A pleasant aroma permeated throughout the lower deck of the ship, undoubtedly signaling to those nearby it was time to eat. Tucking the half-empty bottle into the pocket of her apron, Gwen began carefully ladling the soup into several bowls, one for everyone. Small chunks of cooked veggies floated around in the broth, and raising her own portion to her lips, she was confident that this had earned her a spot on dry territory. If there was some kind of tray she could use to carry all of these bowls, naturally that was ideal, but Gwen wasn't confident enough in her level of sobriety to attempt such a feat. With a deep inhale, she bellowed hopefully loud enough for those nearby to hear..

"Food's ready! Get it while it's hot!"

Who didn't love soup? Idiots, that's who.

 

[LittleBearii]

Those simple words was all he needed to hear, widening his eyes just to go a complete 180 and quickly stepped down the stairs into the hallway. Immediately the sweet yet a bit spicy of some sort of roast flooded his whole mind from just a light whiff. Finding the way to the kitchen with a wide grin and eager belly to fill. His sight gazed instinctively to the cauldron but patience was a virtue. Taking one of the steaming bowls of appetizing soup for his pleasure just to discover a small chair to take refuge as the first large bite almost made him melt in pure joy. The essence of the vegetables and sweet pork made him muster his best to not run over to the other bowls laid upon the wooden tables and slurp them down as much as he could.

"Such a blessing..!" Mutt manage to sputter out between the overbearing spoonfuls of the soup

 

[LadyLuckTakeTheWheel]

Carnage immediately hopped down to the lower deck, winding his way around the rooms, looking for something. He found it. The Ballistae. He grinned, sauntering over to one, running his finger along it, “well you ain’t a gun but I sure know how to use you!” He turned and gazed at the quivers. He couldnt help but explode in euphoria

 

[Magnar]

While the others went about their business on the decks, Brummett made his way below just at the point that Gwen had finished the soup. The aroma as he came down was delightful, and a wide grin split his face as he approached her, gathering a wooden bowl from near to her. Bowing to her, his eyes sparkled with mirth as he chuckled.

"Well it certainly smells good."

Several of the crew members joined him, partaking in the soup themselves as he went and sat opposite Mutt. Lifting a spoonful, Brummett took a sip of it and nodded his head, looking up to Gwen.

"I guess its not rabbit stew, but its certainly tastes great. Better than the last cook we had so I guess it can't get better than that."

Brummett took another mouthful as he glanced over to Mutt. "I don't suppose you have any idea where the others went to......actually no I think its better I don't know," he said with a wry smile before continuing. "The contract is that we have to make a delivery to a wealthy merchant in time for his daughter's wedding in seven days. If the winds are even partly cooperative we'll make it with little trouble. We are however, short on crew and we have to leave in the next hour. After the delivery we'll speak and decide whether the arrangements and being on this ship are still appropriate for both parties."

With a small smile, Brummett continued to ladle up the remaining soup in his bowl. After it was finished he even went back up for seconds.

***​

An hour later and the ship set sail, and behind the good ship Endurance, the port city of Vost grew ever more distant before disappearing from sight entirely.

The morning passed without incident. Overhead, the sun rose high into the sky, shining over the bright blue ocean below. It was beautiful here, there was no doubt about it, the sort of beauty untouched by humanity. The sort of beauty that only the unspoiled ocean could provide. As the morning progressed, Captain Garvyn came out of her cabin and stood on deck for a while. She took in the sights around her, from the ocean to her crew at work.

And for a moment, she almost looked peaceful.

Below, the crew were kept busy. Various tasks needed seeing to, from assisting the lookout, to mending sails to helping in the galley. The stronger members of the crew were put to work manning the sails, working eight to ten hour shifts before being given the rest of the day for recreation.

The weather was fine with a brisk wind. It was, in fact, perfect conditions for sailing.

Below, in the water, numerous schools of fish could be seen swimming by, with flocks of sea gulls and schools of porpoises and dolphins. So far, the day was passing without incident and all was good.

 

[Satanic Nightjar]

When August's awakened, he jolted upward, knife in his hand, prepared to face the evil from his nightmare. Slowly, he relaxed, remembering the ship and the grand adventure that lay before him. He returned the blade to it's sheath and leaned his head against the wall behind his bed, deep in thought. The thick walls of the Endurance creaked and groaned softly in protest of moving; they must have set sail. Raising his eyebrows, August stood and slipped into his boots and jacket, then climbed up to the uppermost deck, where he found the majority of his crew mates.

He nodded to them as he passed, acknowledging each and every one of them with a tilted smile. He passed the sails, unfurled now and gracefully imitating the movement of the unseen wind, and stared in admiration. It was magnificent, the view, the fresh breeze caressing his face, the smell of the ocean. Suddenly he wanted nothing more than to have someone to admire this with him, to see the same beautiful world he saw.

But the days when he would dare invite someone to do so where long past, and his ability to care about someone--enough to want to create new memories with and love with his entire existence--had unknowingly slipped away. His fragmented heart ached at the solitary experience, and there was no consolation for the emptiness he felt. August reminded himself that this isolation was for a reason, that he was locked inside this prison for a purpose and to fulfill a promise he made to himself. Don't get hurt. Don't get attached. It'll all go up in flames in the end. But it was all so confusing, so hollow. So fucking useless.

After a moment, he heads to the Galley. Once inside, he spots Gwendolyn, and shuffles over, eyes downcast. "Excuse me? Gwen?" She turned and gave him her attention. "Do you have any alcohol? Anything works . . . ." August silenced the voices that were screaming in his mind, the internal war being waged. You're just like you're father--selfish, weak, worthless. But he ignored it, and focused on the one thing that could diminish the pain he felt.

"What the hell," he murmured.

 

[LadyLuckTakeTheWheel]

Carnage whistled as he checked the catapults. He yanked on the ropes a few times just to be sure. He nodded, content with it. Pulled out a bloodstained pocketwatch. He whacked it a few times on his hand. When August passed he nodded, smiling that maniacal smile. He had gotten used to the crew by now but wasn’t entirely sure the crew was used to him. After another few hard whacks, he checked it again, “Damn, got to check me kids!” The pocketwatch had broken years prior but Carnage had somehow convinced himself it still worked.

He hopped down the stairs and waltzed through the decks to check up on the ballistae, each of which he had names for and talked to, “Oh Anastasia,” he sighed, “so damn dusty.” He wiped the giant bow with his sleeve, “sometimes I think you do it on purpose!”

 

[dazzling]

Honor shifted her sitting position to look up at the man who had approached her. He asked her a question, but before she could respond he ran down at Gwen's call to her meal. Honor tentatively followed him, padding softly to the kitchen and grabbing a bowl of piping soup. Though she was ravenous, she took her time, savoring each and every miniscule sip.
She gingerly rolled the globe away from Mutt, picking it up and carefully inspecting it. "Yeah, it's handwriting. Not the neatest, and heavily abbreviated, but still somewhat legible. See, here's an ocean," She said, shifting the globe so he could see where her finger was. Continuing to name locations, she soon rolled it back and continued eating her soup without another word.
Looking up as she saw August walk in, she noted curiously that he looked nervous, and almost like he felt someone was watching him. She tuned out the noise filling the galley and listened attentively as he asked Gwen for alcohol. Squinting her eyes, Honor was surprised but not too much. You've pulled that one before, Honor~ The voice chimed in, even sweeter than before. She looked back at the table, focusing on the wood grains as she felt a slight blush go to her cheeks.

 

[LittleBearii]

"Mn." Mutt could only reply, lifting the empty wooden bowl away from his lips with a soft lick to swill up the broth at the droplets .

The young male pondered about the certain ways time works on the seas, only hinting from the past observation it may take weeks or months to go from one destination to the other. But Brummet beat him to the punch about it's arrangements it seemed like the first voyage was peaceful, no random screaming or blood to soak up just yet. "I sort of gave up hope with keeping up with them Sir Brummet it's like their in a different world, but heed my tongue I've lived as a beach hermit most of my youth." His ashen eyes twinkled at the small joke.

Mutt's gaze switched to 'Average August' shaken as pure usual, standing up right behind the co-captain for perhaps another re-fill and other empty wooden bowl when the other male asked for alcohol. Heeding his absolute best to not comment with speaking out of all these odd events with his apparent new crew. In success both of the youth's hands were filled by two wooden bowls of stew to the brim, claiming back the small chair and finish up the prize with pride. But his eyes widen in remembrance, He has no fucking idea where everything was within' the Endurance from the lack of tour! Abandoning the empty wooden bowl but clutched on to the half filled other one. His pace quicken up to the steps-- To see Carnage pulling at the dangerous contraption, already can feel the future accident that'll come up. "..Did you know where Brummet, I don't know where the other chambers are." His ashen eyes dulled when stepping up to Carnage. Sure, the young man seen the bloody watch but should he really question it? After the earlier statement about dead bodies? He's good.

 

[Satanic Nightjar]

August spots Honor, and strolls over to her table, drink and lunch in hand. "Hey, may I join you?"
He raises an eyebrow at Mutt, who seemed rather . . . passionate about his food abandon it and rush out of the galley. Many of the other crew members are there as well, enjoying the wonderful meal Gwen had prepared for them.

 

[LadyLuckTakeTheWheel]

Klarion squinted at Mutt, "Its rude to interrupt a conversation y'know." He stroked the deadly weapon, "Bye anastasia." He turned to Mutt, "Okay now that I've finished my conversation we are going to try this again. What do you want." He talked slowly as if to an infant. The voices in his head nattered on and he absentmindedly rubbed his eyebags, the result of another sleepless night. He hated his curse. He could never sleep and will never sleep until the day he died. During the night, he was left to fight the moon with no way of escaping it, the moon the controled him.

 

[dazzling]

"Sure!" Honor said, habitually tossing her hair out of her face as she flipped her shoulder back. "I can't believe we're really out on the sea." She said breathlessly. However, as she talked, she felt her hand inching toward the bottle strapped to her thigh along with an assortment of other weapons. Felt, as if she wasn't doing it herself. She quietly heard murmuring, and looked to the side as she recognized the woman's voice in her head. Ya know, it woulda been sooo easy to just tip that lil bottle into someone's food, even yours-- The voice whispered, mocking Honor's style of speech. She snapped her hand back, trying not to let the sheer terror that overtook her in that moment seep into her eyes.
Honor looked down at her hands, neatly folded in her lap, twiddling her thumbs. The calling still pulled at the back of her mind, urging her to do something she knew she would regret. Stoically, she slipped the dagger out of it's sheath under the table and twisted the curved tip into the crevice above her knee. Nothing too painful, but enough to break the trance. The only way anyone could notice was her smile momentarily faltering as she gritted her teeth.

 

[mothspit]

Gwendolyn returned the bow, dramatically removing the bandanna tied around her head, waving it around with an exaggerated flair, "Thank you, thank you. Believe me, I'm far from finished-- This is just lunch, after all." She saddled up next to Brummett, happily eating out of her own bowl. Now that she was closer to him, there was a familiar look about her eyes; Glossy and distant, as if she had been drinking. She carried herself well enough though, swaying softly back and forth in her seat. She opened her mouth to speak again, but was met with August approaching her abruptly inquiring about booze.

She frowned, her hand subconsciously drifting over to the spot in her apron where her bottle was. After a small pause, she met his eyes, "..'Fraid not, my friend." She spoke almost as if.. she were pleading with him not to take it. She knew the look on his face all too well, and similarly, he undoubtedly recognized hers. We all have demons. It's nothing personal. And just like that, he was gone. Well, at least Mutt seemed to be enjoying her food. She passed him a small smile across the table where the three of them sat, and returned to her food.

***

When the ship set sail, Gwen had little to do. She was coming down from her tipsyness now, and after scrubbing most of the kitchenware clean, she hid the half empty bottle in her belongings. She took a moment to sit against one wall of the Galley, wistfully staring at the portrait of her mother in hand. That was it, then. Another closed chapter, another town away from mom.

 

[Satanic Nightjar]

August returned her smile and took a seat in the chair opposite her, running his long fingers through his hair almost unconsciously. "Yeah, I keep expecting myself to wake up, and realize I'm back on the streets." He forced himself to adopt a lighter, more conversational tone than he typically does, refusing to show weakness. The swirl of thoughts in the back of his head were equally stubborn and relentless, driving him to bring the bottle to his mouth. Everything screamed at him not to take a sip, but the pain was too much. It couldn't hurt, right?

Despite being distracted, he noticed Honor's smile fade momentarily, saw the flicker in her eyes he caught a glimpse of previously. He frowned, then dismissed it. Everyone here had secrets, and he had no right to intrude on hers.