Pirate Age: The Golden Era

[Mizos]

Also Oz and Emil!​

"All right! Thank you for gathering everybody!"
Within a reasonably sized room sat four people with the last two standing near the round table the group had been placed at. The circumstances that led everyone there was the same though the process of their destinations was different. This was true especially for the red head currently sitting at the table.
"All right so I'm sure there are a few questions, don't worry I'm here to answer them for you. Your trustworthy guide/assistant Kaim is here to help."
Kaim pat himself with a grin before motioning to the people in front of him.
"We all know each other but since Emil is not acquainted and Luro's memory is terrible let's do a reminder!'

Kaim motioned to each person as he went around the table.
"We have one of Luro's top mistresses and a genius the Cutthroat Ozzy! Called Oz by our resident redhead. Next to her we have the apprentice of the Nova Pirates, Risa Passano! She's a talented and up and coming inventor already making her mark on the world! Next to her we have her mentor and Nova Pirate himself Caleb! I have no idea how he got here but he's here. Standing next to me we have Emil our own resident inventor, he's not that important."
"Hey!"
"Last but not least! We have Luro Makachi the one who summoned everyone here through various means."

Luro clapped after the introductions and Emil put a hand over his face.
"According to the letter we got Luro has asked a favor of all those present, promising not only to help you in any future endeavor you may have but pay you for your time as well...should you want it."
Kaim motioned to four treasure chests on the other side of the room, Emil seeing this scoffed and walked over to them.
"I know Nikos is hurting for cash after Airi destroyed a part of the ship….which now that I think about it happened when you made a comment about her weight."
Kaim averted his eyes, grinning a little.
"There's no way these chests are-" Emil kicked open a chest and fell silent once he looked inside.
Within the chest was an assortment of gold and other objects of clearly high value, Emil had to hold his hand up at the shine before shutting it, he immediately turned to the redhead who tilted his head at him.
"...you could buy two ships with this kind of money...maybe more," he said pointing down.
"Really? That's only about 843,250 rum bottles," Luro said.
"....your sense of math disturbs me…"
"Anyway yeah if you want it. Otherwise Luro is going to buy 3,373,000 rum bottles. Well minus ours cause we're absolutely taking ours."
"Captain said I'm not allowed to buy that much rum so it'd be half that."
Kaim motioned to Luro as additional clarification before looking back at the others.
"Anyway as mentioned Luro needs assistance with a project and has called some of the smartest people he knew here. There were more but they couldn't make it so we're it. I'm not helping though I'm just here to assist and keep an eye on Emil."
Luro turned to the others.
"You guys are some of the smartest people I know, I felt bringing our minds together could fix this block I'm having. I'd appreciate your help. I didn't talk about what it was for reasons."
"Which he'll explain to any that choose to stay, otherwise you can just take the money and be on your way."
"For coming all this way," Luro said grinning at the group.
"...seriously who pays you," Emil said nudging their chest.

Risa, already flattered by introduction, pressed her hands against her cheeks in embarrassment. "Oh that's awfully kind. But I would also love to help." She gave Luro a reassuring smile and thumbs up. "Anything for Lu- the Stardusk!" Risa had taken a peek at the chest as well and went a little wide eyed. "...And that could definitely fix up some stuff around the shop… and I could pay for a couple of new parts for some projects… But anyway!" She quieted her rambling when Oz sat up and gave a slightly intimidating (to her at least) look.

"Yeah, the money's for Saff. She'll have a field day with it. I'm here for the promise of future assistance." She looked over at Luro. "That's for anything right?" Her eyes narrowed, looking even more serious than before. "Even if it's murder?"

"W-Why would you need him to murder?" Risa interjected.

Oz blinked and leaned back in her chair. The seriousness faded near instantly. "Oh. I don't. I just wanted to know if he would. Besides, if he's gonna keep calling me his mistress, I can ask him to murder for me. It's an even trade I think."

"That's not…" Risa decided against arguing with a Worst Gen pirate with the number one title. Instead, she nodded at Kaim and then Luro. "S-So… what's the project?"

Luro clapped his hands together with a grin hearing Risa's response.
"I can always depend on ya Risa, know that I'll return the favor," he said with a firm nod.
His gaze went over to Oz at her own response and he tilted his head slightly as she confirmed what he would help with, his eyes moved to Risa then back to Oz before he gave the mean faced woman a thumbs up.
"Sure Oz, long as it's not someone in Stardusk, cause the Captain said not to, just point at em', least I can do."
Emil had serious reservations considering how easy he agreed to that but put it aside as Risa mentioned the project, he was curious what it was himself. He stopped however noticing one person in the room hadn't responded, his eyes went to Caleb who looked up from the small cube he was working on.
"I will be helping too of course," he said simply. "Considering your recent accomplishment I have a few questions as well anyway."
There wasn't a doubt he would help in the pursuit of any invention but Luro felt more comfortable hearing his agreement, his eyes moved to Emil who offered a shrug.
"I like having a Stardusk owe me a favor."
With a laugh Luro stood up placing his hands on the table and leaned forward, he beamed at those present as his eyes shone with an almost childlike wonder.
"You guys are the best! I know we'll figure it out together."
Kaim stepped forward at this and set a small satchel on the table.
"All right everyone is in agreement, now we can share what's going on."
Kaim set a few spheres on the table, multiple lines ran around the circular objects dividing them into mini sections that ran around the tiny objects. Each one was a different color and they were clearly made with Brass Cape materials along with a few other items the redhead had gotten hold of.
"These are spare L.A.D.S. I made. They're a generator that does stuff," Luro said. "Somehow the L.A.S.S. or maybe it was my L.A.D. managed to accomplish something not too long ago."
Luro picked up one of them and twisting a section the top of the sphere opened.
"Oh good that was the right one, I almost blew us up."
"Wait what?" Emil questioned before Luro looked over at Kaim.
With a nod Kaim slipped a glove on and tapped it with his other hand.
"When one of these is placed into the proper catalyst it allows this."
Kaim flexed his hand and fire erupted before hovering over the glove, with a single movement it switched to ice, the element circled around the man's body hugging his form before returning to circling his arm.
Emil's eyes slowly widened as Kaim dispelled the ice, Luro went on to explain what the L.A.D. especially combined with the L.A.S.S. could do. He spoke about the elements and everything involved to the best of his knowledge, of course because it was impossible for him to fully explain his invention a lot of it was gibberish but Kaim who had messed with it, filled in what blanks he could from what he figured out himself.

Essentially, the generator could harness different elements and reshape them to an extent.
"Recently though my invention did something different...it changed me apparently. If you all are still okay with helping me I can show you an example. This is a pretty dangerous thing after all and I don't wanna put you guys in danger without you knowing. I was told that's rude."
Emil glanced at the chest at the mention of danger, Caleb had already set his cube to the side showing he was committed considering the risks and seeing one person fine with it stopped any hesitation the Prophet had.

While Risa had similar worries as Emil, they were quickly dashed away with Kaim's display. The idea of them being put in danger- or at least being put into it willingly did make her hesitate for a moment, but seeing Caleb still interested made calm her own resolve. And then thinking about how Caleb probably wasn't the best for that judgement made her a little nervous again. But instead of the back and forth, she focused her attention on Luro. "The generators alone are fascinating and could power entire towns! But… to harness the elements, mimicking what devil fruit users can do… that's incredible. Especially with innovation alone… And with each element, it could open up so many different avenues, even create-"

"It could also cause a lot of damage." Oz at this point was leaning forward while Kaim showed off how they worked. She still held a frown, but she couldn't say she wasn't interested. "Cause a lot of damage against enemies like the navy or other pirates." Had Luro not mentioned nearly blowing them up, she would have picked one of them up to investigate it further. "Won't deny this is pretty intuitive. You're certainly putting in the work. Kudos given where it's deserved… I like it."

"R-Really? Because you sounded uh, threatening?" Risa shifted a little when Oz raised an eyebrow at her.

"Trust me, if I was being threatening, there'd be a lot less talk." She rolled her eyes and gestured to the orbs on the table and looked at Luro. "Before you go showing off these… changes, and believe me I am curious, is it safe for this demonstration to be in closed quarters? I'm all for danger not for explosions happening that I could have easily avoided."

"She… has a point." Risa added quietly. It was better to be safe than sorry. After all, unlike the rest she wasn't really much of a 'fighter' or at least tough enough to handle the aftermath of an explosion.

Luro grinned glad to see everyone was so interested, it did take a long time to get them to this point so he was glad he wasn't the only one who saw the potential in them. Of course Captain and Jack enjoyed them and that made him happy but he wondered if they were the only two, seeing the others saw something in them brought him a bit of joy.
"Entire towns….hmmm that would be interesting," Luro said crossing his arms. "They can use a lot of energy….and I was inspired by you in that Risa so you have my thanks. I would have stopped at Ice originally."
Luro looked over at Oz as she brought up another valid point, smiling a bit he gave her a thumbs up.
"I am a pirate after all. It's natural I cause a bit of damage, it's only fair."

At Oz' explosion question Luro grabbed his rifle and with a small click popped out one of the spheres.
He tossed it forward and Caleb with a surprising quickness snatched it out of the air while inspecting another, paying little mind to the 'explosive' warning.
Holding the other one his eyes glanced over to it his brows arching slightly.
"...this is the original?'
Luro gave a nod.
"It's heavier," he said tossing it to Risa. "These are lighter."
He motioned to Oz when she was done looking at it, Luro let the others inspect it before putting it back into his gun.
"I had the Captain and Jack help me out a lot with making them work, because killing your own friends is considered a bad thing I made different less 'dangerous' versions."
Luro pointed at the spheres.
"These are those. They're still dangerous but wayyyy less dangerous than the original. A lot of the kick was removed from them, easy to add back in though."

Luro picked up one of the spheres and tossed it between his hands.
"Right now they're like a gun without a bullet though. Once put into the gloves they'll become dangerous but I'll be showing you the basics on how to not die and thanks to my 'tests' I've learned how to stop the explosions."
"After being caught in them yourself," Kaim added.
"Only twice and that was with the first few versions. I got it down...probably."
"Probably?!"
"It's fine," Caleb said picking up a sphere. "Risks come with being an inventor."
He set the sphere back down his blank keeping his hand on it, his gaze shifting ever so slightly.
"Innovation comes from taking chances with what should be impossible or even dangerous, mixed with a bit of imagination.
Caleb's eyes raised to the redhead.
"If you can't blow up the entire room I see no problem with it. Anyone bothered is still free to leave correct?"
"Sure. You can leave at anytime," Luro said smiling. "Kaim will help you carry your chest."
"Since I get a reward for this as well," Kaim said grinning. "Just consider me your personal assistant as I said before."
"....these...can't blow up," Emil said picking up one of the L.A.D.S.
"They can but the chances are very low," Luro said causing the man to flinch. "They'd blow up in the hands of an amateur but everyone here is good at this kind of stuff."
Emil stared at the sphere in his hand, with a sigh he spun it on his finger.
"I mean...I am pretty good," he said with a smirk. "Still deciding if this kinda thing is worth my time though."
The ball slipped and Emil quickly caught it with both hands panic crossing the man's face for a moment, Kaim stifled a laugh and turned his head when Emil glared at him.

Caleb was already juggling three in one hand writing with his free hand, drawing calculations concerning their mass and current velocity.
"So? You still wanna go through with it?" Luro said smiling at the remaining two. "I don't mind either way, not gonna force ya into anything after all. Haha not that I could."
"Choose quickly I want to get started," Caleb said flipping the page. "The third one seems especially volatile, fascinating."
"Could you stop juggling the possible explosives?" Emil questioned still gripping his with both hands.
Luro smiled and sat patiently staring at the two women, Kaim was slipping the glove on ready to show whoever was left in the room.

"Weren't you the one that nearly dropped it?" Oz quipped at Emil.

Both women took their turns examining and expecting the orbs, both finding something that intrigued them and both coming up with their own possibilities of how it could be used. Risa was the first to respond after the others, though she was curiously looking over Caleb's writings. "Yes. It'd be a lie to say I'm not interested in what you've created. It'll certainly be… at least enlightening. Like Caleb said, "Risks come with being an inventor and all."

"Aye I'm in." The green haired woman leaned back in her chair. "Lot more pros than cons, a show, and it's no use for me to go back without something new. Would be a waste of a trip. Plus a new weapon for me to learn." She waved a hand at Luro and Kaim. "Show us what you got."

Emil narrowed his eyes at Oz but a hand on his shoulder seemed to be a silent warning from Kaim, Luro meanwhile was beaming after hearing the two's response, clapping his hands together he jumped up.
"Great! All right I'll show you what I'm trying to solve," Luro said.
Caleb pushed his notebook a bit closer to Risa before raising his gaze to Luro stopping his juggling to pay attention to their project.

Luro walked over to Kaim and slipped a glove on, Kaim flexed his hands a few times.
"I'll handle most of explanations since Luro's tend to be….gibberish," Kaim said.
"Show them the Crow's Sword Kaim," Luro said grinning.
"...right. I heard Cow's Membrane but I assume you want me to demonstrate."
Haki exploded off Kaim, immense energy flowing from him before a wave of concentrated Haki filled the room as Kaim's body shifted his hair and eyes shifting into a bright white, both glowing as he fully changed. Emil jumped a bit forgetting about his comrades transformation.
"This is my ascension form," Kaim said. "It's a form I harnessed through a lot of work and basically is impossible to replicate without intense practice. Well without killing yourself."
Caleb's eyes narrowed a bit as he eyed the man.
"...you forcibly changed the flow of your natural Haki," the man said crossing his arms. "You may as well be walking around in Full Armament with that much energy...but the output is substantially less. I can say for certain I can't force the flow of my own Haki into a whole other state."
"I can't either," Luro said holding up a hand.
"...I can't yet," Emil said crossing his arms.
"Anyway you can consider me a little stronger than most Logia in this state," Kaim said. "We're not here for me though, I only changed to show this is not a form that can be replicated by normal people. With that being said-"
Luro hand twitched and Haki exploded off the redhead, his bright red hair shifting into a bright white and his eyes matching Kaim's, white lines ran along his skin before shifting into mini spiral's that glowed slightly, in a moment Luro matched Kaim's energy.
Caleb crossed his arms his eyes narrowing a bit more as he focused, a moment later his eyes widened a little.
"...it's not perfect but Luro's Haki is resonating with Kaim's."
"Exactly," Kaim said dismissing the form. "That form is the culmination of decades of pain and practice and Luro resonated with it within a minute."

Luro seemed to maintain the form as Kaim changed back and stared at his glowing spirals.
"You can imagine my surprise when Luro managed to imitate my technique. At the bare minimum being able to use Armament would be needed to even attempt this. Yet here we stand."
Kaim motioned to Luro.
"The L.A.D. allows the holder to 'borrow' the power of another person, in doing so it seems to shift their body as you saw, I believe by altering their natural Haki, the kind all have around their body. I fought him while like that and it doesn't match the user in power, it's more of a appearance change than anything, no increase in power."
"I'm aiming to change that," Luro said his voice echoing a bit. "I accidentally borrowed Alicia's fancy power twice, and it mixed with ice completely changing me. Kind of like this."
Luro snapped his fingers and fire erupted from the glove surrounding his body, when it faded a flaming Luro stood in its place, his hair growing longer and flaring upwards, his hair shifting into flames themselves the edges breaking apart as they crackled behind him, red and white lines running along his torso from top to bottom.
His shirt had shifted slightly growing into what looked like a desert poncho, with a hood attached to it, the ponch covered upper torso, falling over most of his form, it appeared his normal shirt was resting under it but the poncho and the shirt were made completely of flames, with even the fire taking the shape of the hood.
Looking closer his clothes had imitated Kaim's a bit, the man dressed in similar clothes.

"....what the hell," Emil said taking a small step away.
"It's really strange," Luro said crossing his arms. "I don't get why it happens."
The fire surrounded Luro as he waved his hand and he was back to his normal self as the energy faded from him.
"The objective is to figure out either why this phenomenon happens or figure out how to harness the power in a different way," Kaim said.
Caleb raised his hand and Kaim pointed at him.
"Does this work for Devil Fruit Users as well."
"Yeah I tried it with Z and I changed as well. You guys can try it too if you want."
"If you're more of a 'feel' kind of person I can go into the form at any time so you can come to understand it better."
Kaim said this before tapping the table.
"Oh right extra part, the other reason we called you here is because Luro's invention makes absolutely no sense."
Kaim offered a shrug at this.
"He can't explain it without it sounding like gibberish and looking into the thing it's a mystery how it functions. It's like staring at a glass of water on fire, a ship sailing upside down. It shouldn't work but...it does."

Caleb picked up one of the spheres and twisted it as Luro had the top opened, he peeked inside his brows arching slightly, Kaim was right. It was like someone put a single piece of wood in the water, stood on it and by pointing forward made it sail like a normal ship, no sails or anything.
"Interesting. People in the alley are like that," Caleb said. "Their inventions only make sense to them and having made their own language it's impossible to replicate without the source."
"I'll do my best to explain it should you ask though," Luro said raising hand.
"I wouldn't though," Kaim added raising his own hand.
"Anyway you can start looking at them anytime. Tinker with the L.A.D. break it if you have too we have extra, we'll try them out and see what your tinkering has done."
"I'll of course work on it too."

"Incredible…" Risa stared at the two in awe and bewilderment.

"Yeah just enough crazy rattling there to make this work." While Oz didn't look impressed, she did look a little more attentive at the display. "Full armament is a pretty impressive feat and takes a hell of a lot of training. I've witnessed a lot of crazy feats, but borrowing something near impossible? Now that's something to brag about." She tapped her cheek looking between Luro and Kaim and then over at the spheres on the table. "This is some conundrum you put yourself in."

Risa had taken the time to study one of the spheres a little closer. "By the sound of it, the only way we'll figure out a way to make this make sense is to… understand the source of the invention." She had pulled a pencil from one of the many pockets on her and pointed at Luro. "We figure him out, we can get a proper translation." She scribbled a few idle numbers on the table. "Though, problem with that is…"

"It would take longer to do that and I wanna see this through before I'm dead." Oz raised a hand and Risa handed her the sphere she was holding. "Treat it like your favorite weapon. Take it apart piece by piece and build it back up again. But this time, there's someone else around t'note what the hell's going on."

"But if it's as confusing as it looks, there's not really a way to take it apart." Risa added, pointing to Luro and all of his fiery form again. "Doesn't make sense like a normal weapon would… but I s'pose we don't have many angles so any option is helpful… Luro you make very little sense, but I think you should explain just how you did… all of this." She rummaged through a bag on her hip and pulled out a notebook.
"You're gonna fry your brain before you even start."

The inventor laughed a little. "Well, I don't expect this to be easy… And also Caleb's here so if I get, uh, hurt he can take me home." She gave a thumbs up though hesitantly added, "I'd appreciate… not getting hurt though…"

"...Well you've got the dedication of an inventor that's for sure. Or the craziness of one" Oz decided to stand and move closer to Kaim and Luro to get a closer inspection. "And the other half of this group project is to make this," She gestured to Luro's entire being. "Stronger." Oz crossed her arms and continued looking Luro over. "Yeah, why not. This'll be fun."

Caleb watched his apprentice work crossing his arms, his eyes moving between the two women as they considered different angles, he gave a small nod in agreement here and there and though it didn't show on his expression there seemed to be a shine in the man's eyes during the discussion. There was just something about gathering minds together to build new things and challenge the impossible, it had a certain excitement to it.
You couldn't tell from his blank stare though, but the shine in his eyes was there.
Luro seemed to flicker between normal and ascendant as he tried to adjust the glove slightly.

"I would also prefer my apprentice left somewhat unharmed, at least enough to continue inventing," Caleb added. "Luro you've carried her around before, which method is better for moving her."
"Hmmm she seemed to prefer like a princess when I kidnapped her."
"Like….a...princess…" Caleb said writing it down. "Now there's nothing to worry about Risa, I will carry you back should you get hurt in the most efficient way."
Emil sighed and motioned to Luro.
"I think both ideas are worth a shot, let's try an explanation first. Kaim sometimes blows things out of proportion it can't be that bad. Luro explain this thing to us, and remember that you don't make sense."
"I make perfect sense...but fine I do remember Z passing out when I tried explaining it to her...but I still believe she was tired."
"Wait passed out, hold on-"
Emil was cut off as Luro went forward with his explanation, Kaim turning and plugging his fingers with his ears as the redhead started his explanation.

Apparently the L.A.D. was able to work because the happy rooster did a jig on the table of justice, wearing the labrador's cloak of solitude. The power of the jig would create a shower of marsupials and would provide nourishment to the moca-moca's of pillow valley. However it was important to note that the Quail would always punch the Peacock on the days the sun moved backwards in opposition to Mr. Velvet Moo Moo."
Luro finished his explanation and Emil stared straight ahead, his wide eyes twitching sightly as horror danced across his face, he blinked a few times seeming to regain himself.
Caleb opened his eyes seeing the man was done and looked over at Kaim who unplugged his ears.
"Any luck?" Kaim asked.
"I...uh….I saw...my old friend," Emil said bringing a hand to his head.
"Oh...that's ni-"
"He's dead," Emil added lowering his hand.
Reaching towards himself he tapped below his nose only to pull away seeing blood, his nose apparently started bleeding at some point. Kaim tossed him a handkerchief before looking over at the others.
"Well that went about as expected, what about over here?"
"Thankfully those in the alley sometimes mutter incoherent things, if you listen between the lines you can sometimes find the sanity and a general understanding. Luro said Sphere, Haki and explosions in there somewhere."
"....that's all you got," Emil said.
"I passed out during it so I missed bits and pieces.
"You passed...how?!"
"I was listening pretty intently...or perhaps I almost died...I'm not sure."
"I forgot my last name for three hours last time I listened," Kaim said with a chuckle.
"Ladies what about you?"
"Hold on! Before that I don't accept this," Emil said holding his hand out. "Luro write it down."

Kaim chuckled seeing Emil clearly didn't want to not understand it while someone else did.
"Okay," Luro responded.
Getting a piece of paper from Caleb he wrote his words down and pushed it towards the others.
"All right now we'r-" Emil cut himself off seeing it was exactly what he just said.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and seeing Kaim was on his other side and the others were in front of him decided to do his best to ignore it.
"Okay draw it instead. I've read your schematics before and was able to replicate it."
"Consider it done."
Luro drew the schematics and set them in front of everyone again.
"Ah ha! Now we're-"

Emil cut himself off noticing the picture was of a whale and tiger riding on sharks, clashing swords in the middle of the ocean, with three suns and four moons overhead.
The shark was in a top hat and waistcoat wearing a monocle, and the tiger was in a tunic with oval glasses and a powdered wig.
"Oh that's the Sphere," Caleb said pointing to the shark's sword. "...or is it the Haki?"
Emil leaned against the nearby wall his shoulders slumping as Kaim made an extreme effort not to look at the piece of paper, not wanting to forget some childhood memory today.
"....before we move on to Oz's idea can anyone translate that?"
Emil had apparently given up trying to be the first to discover it, more concerned about the tiny version of his dead friend currently dancing on his shoulder.

Like the rest, Risa looked a bit rattled with her hand pushed through her hair. For a while, she had been rubbing her temples. The pencil she had and four others she had produced from her bags were snapped in half or broken in some way or the other. There were random words in her notebook, but they were just as random as Luro's explanation was. Some of the words, she wasn't even sure he had actually said. Instead of looking at the mess, Risa shoved it away from and groaned. "I feel like I flew too close to the sun and now my brain's melting out of my ears." Risa blinked rapidly and touched the sides of her face just to make sure that wasn't the case. When the picture was drawn she was hesitant to even try and look, but she did. "Maybe the sphere is the sharks…" Even saying it made her rub her temples. When Risa sat back, she looked over at Oz who was meticulously dismantling a bunch of guns she had stashed on her person. "How are you so calm right now?!"

"Huh?" Oz looked up and blinked. "Oh, I'm not. The moment Luro started explaining made me want to kill him…. No offense." She gestured to the parts scattered on the table and the bullets in a neat pile. "Consider this my happy place." Oz ran fingers through her hair and stood up to take a look at the drawing. "If I don't remember how to assemble these guns back after this, Luro I will punch you. It will hurt." It was an empty threat but a threat nonetheless. Oz tilted her head left and right staring at the picture. She turned it upside down at one point, placing a few loose bullets on different parts of the picture. "Don't suppose it's something that'd we'd have to create for real in order to make it work." It was as ridiculous out loud as it was in her own head, but at this rate nothing was impossible. "Or who knows, maybe the reason Luro's the only one that understands it is because we're just not meant to. Whatever gods are out there could be trying to save us from whatever's going on in there." She pointed at Luro as she spoke. "Hm. Respectfully… I s'pose."

"This is an...oddly well put analogy Passano," Emil said bringing a hand to his head.

"Thank you, I hate the feeling." Risa commented right back.

Luro looked over at Oz and offered a grin at her comment.
"None taken. Some of my closest companions want to kill me."
Kaim raised a hand at this and Luro pointed at him as example.
He picked up one of the parts and grinned as he turned a few over inspecting them, he only looked back at Oz at her follow up comment.
"That's fair, I'll help ya out if that happens," Luro said. "Still got the touch as always though Oz."
The woman's following comment brought silence to the three men, Luro looking over the ladies work in the meantime as he turned Risa's notes around a few times.

Emil narrowed his eyes and slammed his hands on the table causing a few of the parts to pop up.
"I don't accept that, I admit Luro is….Luro but we should be able to figure this out….I think the taking apart idea is a good one. That's the closest to creating it for real anyway," Emil said. "Let's do that."
Emil grabbed one of the objects and twisted it akin to Luro only for snow to pop out and smack him in the face.
"....how?"
"Oh you twisted it .3 degrees you have to do it .5 for it to work. .4 it explodes," Luro said reaching over and opening the sphere.
"...maybe you should open them Luro," Kaim said.

After Luro opened the spheres for each inventor there he proceeded to put the object back together in front of everyone. At first it seemed like a normal method but somewhere along the way things stopped making sense again. Luro managed to shove a square slot into a circle one and Emil jumped a bit at the action, he connected two pieces together that were basically straight lines, yet turned into a four W and E shaped cogs by time he finished. It took him barely a minute to put it all back together and he set it down completed with a smile.
Emil looked down at the square object and circle slot in his hands and tried to put them together, sure enough as logic would dictate it didn't fit.
"...this is impossible," he said dropping the pieces. "None of that made any sense."
He motioned to the sphere before throwing his hands up.
"There's no way that thing should work, it was like fitting an actual Man O War into a bottle."

Emil laid his head on the table and Caleb stared at the pieces in front of him, he brought a hand to his chin as Kaim rested a hand on his hip, his eyelids lowering a little.
"Wish I could help you guys out more but…" Kaim said before offering a shrug. "Think Oz may be on to something..."
"Perhaps we're viewing this incorrectly," Caleb said.
Luro, Emil and Kaim looked at the man as he stared at the dismantled sphere in front of him.
"I believe my apprentice is right, there aren't too many angles...and Oz is also correct in recreation….so why don't we just make one?"
"Pardon?" Emil said raising his head.
"This Sphere has a history to it. Luro would you mind sharing it?"
"Hmm oh sure," Luro said smiling. "The L.A.D. came to me while I was using L.A.S.S. the L.A.S.S. was inspired by when I first saw one of Caleb's generators. It was when Elliot visited the Cutthroats that one time. The idea of utilizing multiple elements came from my conversation with Risa. It was only a passing thought at first but she reignited the possibility. How to connect the L.A.D. to an object came from my time with Oz, putting things together and taking them apart, and watching her do it, the actual design of the glove came from some of Emil's schematics."
"...I question how you got my schematics but what you're saying is…" Emil said trailing off.
"This Sphere came forth because each of us inspired Luro," Caleb said crossing his arms. "In a way we're all in this object."
"Pretty much. It wouldn't be that far off to call you founders or something like that," Luro said shrugging. "You all inspired me and the ideas just came flowing out, next thing I knew I made it."

Emil stood up at this and bringing a hand to his face turned his chin upwards as he turned his body taking a weird but clearly narcissistic stance.
"Well I mean it's not surprising that someone of my genius magnitude inspired you. I make sure to be kind to my lessers after all so I won't claim ownership."
"...I mean Luro still 'made' it though and you're only part of the inspiration," Kaim added.
Emil narrowed his eyes at Kaim and Caleb folded his hands on the table.
"Instead of trying to make it like Luro, let's just make the Sphere's how we normally would. Instead of relying on logic let's just...build. That's what Luro did. For a moment tap into the joy you found when you first took something apart, and the wonder of putting it together again."
"So...just...make it how we want too."
"Essentially. If it turns out as a sphere or a cube...a triangle it doesn't matter. If parts are missing who cares, just build it. Luro seems to be someone who has his own way of looking at things, we can't mimic that."
Caleb motioned to Risa.
"There are things I don't tell my apprentice to do because I want her to do it her way. Sometimes it's more efficient than my own methods...sometimes it's not but either way she gets it done. It's the same concept. Let's just make the sphere with the parts, let Luro watch and test them and with any luck that will undo his block."
Caleb brought his hands back together and Kaim offered a nod.
"Sounds good to me. Just do what you do best and let Luro watch you. Why don't we try that everyone?"

"I'm glad we're all in agreement that I have good ideas, and I'm on board with Caleb's alternative." Oz was piecing a few of her guns back together, but purposely leaving some of the parts to the side. "That aside, I'm making a bet Emil drops first. Mostly because it's funny." She broke the straight face look and gave him a smirk. "Unless of course you can prove me wrong." She gestured towards the parts she didn't put back together. "Consider these extra parts free to use. I can always replace 'em."

Risa took one part and then another, the gears already turning in her brain. "Yeah, that does sound like it could work. Takes the stress and uh, damage of losing my smarts." To emphasize, she tapped the part to her head. "And it would be fun to just… build something randomly. Well, with intent, but a mysterious one." She started scribbling a few notes for a plan. "It's like making a mystery box, or sphere in this case, and hoping that it does what you want it to do. Exciting!" She looked around the room. "And all the pieces of the puzzle are here… and it's much easier understanding something like… Emil's schematics and how Oz works… or even how Caleb and I harness the elements. So if we need any of the inspiration for it, we could just ask each other too. The process would be similar to how Luro figured it out too- with… sense."

"Full of enthusiasm and a team player, Captain Al would adore you." Oz's attention was already on creating something out of nothing, but she caught Risa's flush of embarrassment. "And here I thought Caleb would be the life of the party. You sure do know how to pick 'em, Luro. Let's just hope your taste holds merit and we make something outta all this."

Emil

 

[Mizos]

Also Kara yay!​

A letter had been left in the Captain office, written by the doctor of the ship. She had requested the Captain time later. After the crew had docked Zilia had chosen to stay behind to watch the ship, leaving Luro with the task of retrieving what she needed. She didn't expect to get everything but she knew as long as she was 'very' clear about what she wanted she'd get enough at least until the next town.
Zilia was nowhere to be seen however when the crew returned, Luro had gone off in search of her himself saying he'd find her, meanwhile the doctor had left a note for the Captain to locate her, mentioning it was urgent and only 'she' should come to the designated location.

Getting a note to go to the doctor's office felt like trouble in the making. Runali couldn't help but go over the past few hours to make sure she didn't forget about any stray injuries she might've caused. When she didn't remember any, it left her more curious than anything. "The mystery deepens…Alright doctor, what's so important that you're luring me away from the others?" Runali mumbled her comments to herself as she walked along to find just where Zil told her to be.

The door to Zilia's office opened and a hand gripped Runali's wrist before pulling her inside, the door slamming shut immediately after. Her 'kidnapper' released her once she was in the room before leaning against the wall once again.
"You beat the guest of honor here, Runali Lev."
The owner of the voice was Seliria and her eyes rested on the Captain before moving past her, within the room were multiple women.
Isari and Mari were also in the doctor's office the two offering a friendly wave to the Captain, all three women were on good terms with Zilia in some form so their presence made sense.
The woman holding one of Zilia's bottles a bit further away, who clearly wasn't on good terms with her was another story.
Kara looked over at Runali and raised her hand slightly holding the bottle, a small smile present on the woman.
"Captain Runali, good to see you again. Nikos sends his hate."
"I'm not sure why a woman who wants to kill her is here either," Seliria said closing her eyes.
"I was talked into it," Kara said the smile leaving her face. "After I received a letter as well."
The Prophet glanced over at Isari who smiled at her, Kara almost dropped the bottle she was holding but managed to catch it, calmly setting it down she pulled Isari into a tight hug.
"Aggggh so adorable! Why won't Nikos let me keep you!"
Mari gently split the women up with a sigh apparently used to doing it at this point.
"...this has been my life for the last hour...I think. I'm not sure how much time has passed at this point," Seliria said. "She explain to you what she needed or was it 'mysterious' like ours."

Runali didn't look surprised to see four women crowding Zilia's office, although in hindsight, she should have been. Instead, upon seeing the four women the captain of the ship placed hands on her hips and raised a brow. "If she wanted to throw a surprise party there were plenty of places on the island she coulda chose." It was neither here nor there because the group was already gathered. With a nod to Kara she greeted her with, "Nice to see you too Kara, make sure you tell the redhead that I said hello and hope he's not getting into trouble." To Mari, she gave a small salute and grinned. "It's not often the Navy gets to roam this boat freely. S'pose I can make an exception. Although Isa here is always welcome!" She waved at her and looked over at Seliria. "You're more enthused than usual." Runali teased as she pulled out her own note.

"I know as much as you do. The doctor is skilled in keeping things quiet after all." Now that they knew Zilia could talk, Runali wasn't planning on letting her live that down. Ever. "Y'think it's some sort of intervention?" Runali shifted away from the door and towards another wall. "Or maybe she's got a few years worth of complimenting she's gotta do since she obviously likes everyone in this room." She couldn't help the small snort. "Whatever it is, can't wait to hear it from the 'guest of honor' herself."

"I will say those exact words even knowing the consequences," Kara responded with a smile.
A sigh escaped from Mari at the salute and even more so at Isa out of habit saluting the Captain at her presence, reaching over she lowered the the girl's hand.
"I don't intend on adding this visit to my report, or maybe I will just to piss him off…"
Mari considered the possibility for a moment causing Isari to offer a small bow to the Captain.
"Thank you for the warm words Captain Runali, I appreciate you letting me impose."
Seliria remained silent until the Captain spoke to her, she arched a brow at her words.
"I'd get your remaining eye checked Lev," was her response.
There did seem to be less venom in her tone however but she went silent after that to listen to the Captain answer.
"Surprisingly adept at it," Seliria said closing her eyes. "Shoulda just been honest about the Devil Fruit thing however."
"...you knew?" Mari questioned looking at the woman.
"Been around long enough to recognize the signs, didn't know what it was but easy to tell with a few tests. They get naturally uncomfortable around Seastone for example."

Mari had a few questions on what Seliria had done but put the matter aside as the door opened and Zilia entered, the black clad woman taking a small step to the side away from said door once their guest of honor arrived.
"Thank you all for coming," Zilia said to the group.
Mari's eyes went to the ring on the woman's exposed hand, her other hand still gloved. She arched a brow wondering if that was the item mentioned in her letter.
She still seemed tense but she was making an effort to speak to the group.
"...perhaps I should use my paper just in case...this is a tiny room right now," Zilia said looking at each of the faces within.
"I wanna hear your voice Zil," Isari said raising a hand slightly.
"Yes permit us to hear your voice Zilia, the one you apparently have," Kara added doing her utmost not to say it through gritted teeth.
Clearing her throat Zilia took a spot near her supplies deciding to speed it along.
"Allow me to explain why I called you all here, and thank you especially to those who were a little bit further away."
"I was in the area, get on with it Zilia," Seliria said.
"Right. I'm sure some of you know but I used to live in a temple as a monk. I followed it's teachings very exactly. Due to that there was something I couldn't do while with Stardusk. After talking to the head monk within the circle I found I was being...especially harsh on myself."
"I have multiple questions especially about you being a monk but continue," Kara said.
"It's a long story, anyway I couldn't participate in a certain ritual because of my own observations. Generally one shouldn't mark anything on their body that isn't in reverence of the All Mother….but that's not true, so long as it is something precious and held in reverence it is an exception."
Zilia rolled her sleeve up slightly revealing the writing on her arm.
"I do not engage in the act lightly...thus why I had trouble originally accepting the proposal...but now I'm going to fix that."
Zilia pulled the sleeve fully back down.
"I need you all here for my Stardusk Tattoo."

"It's my ship." Runali smirked at Zilia's welcome. She ended up leaning against the door with a curious gaze. Meetings were always held to some level of importance for Runali no matter the circumstance- even if it was an odd hodge podge of people in it. Hearing snippets of Zilia's home life cemented that this meeting was definitely important. It wasn't often Zilia was eager to share. When Kara spoke, Runali nodded in agreement, mostly because she was interested in that 'story time' with the doctor. The more Zilia spoke, the more the captain started to lean forward in intrigue. She had gotten to see snippets and peeks of the writing but never for long, so she couldn't be faulted for being curious- so Runali would say. "Oh?"

There was an immediate starry eyed gaze hearing Zilia request a tattoo. An all too familiar grin of over excitement was on Runali's face. In one moment she was leaning against the wall and the next she was by the doctor's side. "Now that's music to my ears." She laughed and placed a hand on Zilia's shoulder. "Can't believe you said you cared about us in front of… not the crew. And way to be dramatic too! I think you'd rival Sara in drama. I hope you know I'm 100% going to tell them right?" She continued beaming. "Not that a tattoo won't do the trick. But where ya gonna get it? Are you gonna get it fancy or the original like mine?" In her eagerness, she took a moment to breathe and then gestured to the rest. "But do explain this part. The… choice of witnesses. I suppose I understand their importance, more or less, but might as well clear up confusion."

Zilia sighed a bit as the Captain touched her, she expected such a response from her and she smiled a little at the Captain's excitement. She brought a hand to her face at the mention of telling the others before lowering her hand.
"That's fine. I intend on having the other participate as well. The men can't join for obvious reasons and I would have invited Alicia but her culture frowns on tattoo's so I didn't want to put her in an awkward position. I still hope she can participate in some manner as well."
The other three women seemed surprised by the purpose of Zilia's request, Seliria was the only one that didn't show surprise, her eyes only narrowing slightly.
"Also I dislike drama…I am not as proficient as Sara in that regard," Zilia added before looking over at Seliria.

Reaching in her pocket she held up a piece of paper with a drawing sketched onto it, handing it to the silent woman who broke it upon receiving the paper.
"I suddenly understand why you were so intent on me coming. You need me to ink it right?"
Zilia nodded and opening a drawer revealed what the Nova would need.
"Can you handle the design?"
"I've done more complicated ones," Seliria responded. "You sure you want me doing it? I'm positive your Captain could find a tattoo artist."
"No…part of the reason I called you all here is because any mark made on skin needs some form of symbolism, it can't be wasteful."
"…most tattoo's have some form of symbolism Zilia," Kara added.
"Beyond the actual piece of art Kara. It needs to be treated like a ritual, the act itself needs meaning which gives the actual mark upon the skin a proper place."

Seliria turned the paper towards the Captain so she could take a look at it since she seemed curious of the design.
On it was the Stardusk Symbol but a piece of cloth was circling around it, it seemed different than the usual ribbon, a bit wider as if it was on a piece of paper.
"Each one of you will leave a mark on my skin, or in this case you'll write something on the paper circling the star. I'll of course have the rest of the crew do the same, save Alicia who I will discuss it with."

Zilia content with her explanation of the ritual, offered a small nod, she turned to each person in the room.
"To Isari, a person very precious to me who is always close to my heart and somehow grew past me without realizing it…You remind me to be a better person and are more than likely the reason I didn't fall into the dark at some of my low moments.
"Zil…" Isari said folding her hands in front of her.
"Mari…one of my closest friends. You've always supported me and have done more for me than I can ever repay…we walk different paths and I know one day we'll meet not as Zilia and Mari…but as Pirate and Marine…this tattoo is also to show you my resolve in what I've chosen to be."
Mari ran a hand through her hair at this closing her eyes.
"…I knew from the moment you called yourself Stardusk I'm afraid. A tiny part of me hoped but I know how you are. Even if you become my natural enemy that won't stop you from being my friend."
Zilia nodded at the smiling woman and turned to Kara.
"We disagree on a lot of things Kara and one day we're going to end up going at each other properly. With that knowledge always hanging over me it reminds me that I need to be better, and reminds me how precious my convictions truly are, especially with them challenged by another. You're a reminder why I can't let myself slow down."
"…how rare, we're actually in agreement on something. I don't intend on slowing down either."

Zilia turned towards Seliria and stepped closer to her, she reached forward and took hold of her arm with both hands.
"Seliria…a person I made a promise to. You remind me so much of someone dear to me, I find great comfort in being near you. You're strong, considerate and you always look out for me in your own way. I appreciate the little time I get to spend with you and having you around is reminder of the person I aspire to be, the person I need to be to stand as your equal one day."
Seliria blinked and leaned back a little as Zilia stared at her, it was like staring into the gaze of a puppy she had nursed back to health, calling it uncomfortable was an understatement.
"…uh-huh…move onto the next person," she said gently removing her hands.
"Ah right and of course last but not least my Captain, Runali Lev."

Zilia stared at Runali for a moment before her eyelids drooped a little.
"I need a reminder of who to blame for my many dances with death."
"Zilia….be honest," Mari said putting her hands on her hips.
"I am being honest," Zilia said glancing back at her friend.
"The other kind of honest Zil," Isari said mimicking Mari.
Kara's legs almost gave out and she had to grab the counter to keep from falling.
"Are you okay?" Isari said turning towards the trembling woman.
"I-I'm fine. J-just seeing you trying to look tough…was too much cuteness. I'm fine."
Mari made a shooing motion towards Zilia who sighed and looked back at Runali, walking forward she took hold of the Captain's hands.
"You gave me a chance to honor my Mentor, and showed me how to enjoy life in new fascinating ways. You gave me a second home, and another family, and you put yourself on the line to save the one I had…I will forever be grateful to you for that."

The captain had calmed a bit as Zilia answered her question, mostly so she didn't miss anything important. The smile remained and she nodded in contentment afterwards, satisfied with the answer. It made sense even without Zilia's explanation just based on guesses alone, but hearing it from her helped Runali get a sense of the gravity of the request. It was a big deal- a pirate tattoo carried meaning after all- but it was different getting to see Zilia more relaxed and more personal. Her writing could never translate just how she felt as much as her expressions and voice did. There was no reason for her to… hide behind pen and paper so Runali thought. There was even a slight change with how she spoke to each of them. Each of the women had some place in the doctor's shielded heart and the captain couldn't help the small chuckle. Now more than ever it was easier to tell, but Runali wouldn't say that out loud.

When Zilia finally got to her, Runali grinned and offered a small salute. "You certainly are getting better at dancing." She suppressed her laughter as both Isari and Mari prodded her to speak further. She would have started to mention that it was fine and that she didn't need any more words from the doctor, but what she didn't expect was for her to hold her hands. As much as Runali invaded her personal space she was well aware of her usual touch aversion. It's why she never invaded too long. A surprised expression echoed the sentiment as her gaze went down to their hands and then back to Zilia. Runali gave her hands a gentle squeeze and gave a much softer smile than before, not too bothered by the eyes on them. "So long as you know I'd do it a thousand times over. As your captain and as your family." Runali ended it with an affirmative nod. "And not to mention, the tattoo looks great, so I'm sure it'll look great on you." She looked over at Seliria, the playful look returning. "And who better to do it than a Worst Gen pirate. That's a high honor, especially since you've got a soft spot for my doc."

Zilia offered a smile to Runali and took a small step back, she would have to speak to the others as well and tell them how much they meant to her, but that would come later.
Mari in her own way understood this kind of ritual, though different it was an 'acknowledgement of preciousness'. She shut her eyes pushing back memories of her past crew, sometimes leaving things unsaid hurt the most, moments like this was a good time to avoid that, she smiled a little as it was very 'Zilia' to do something like this.
Seliria glanced at Runali arching a brow at the Captain.
"You really should get that eye checked. This one just has manners so I return them."
"It's weird hearing pirates have manners."
"Wait till you meet the 'Matra Dame Pirates'
"...I'm sorry who?"
"You're a marine you'll encounter them one day. Dressed in posh garb, powder makeup and wigs. Not important, you ready Zilia?"
Zilia took in a deep breath and offered a nod, Isari took her hand and smiled before Zilia noticed she was trembling a bit.

Seliria wasted little time getting to work, Zilia laid face down on the table, her top folded neatly to the side along with her cloak. Seliria had recommended removing her whole top when the doctor initially refused, she buried her face into her arms to avoid looking at the others as Seliria worked on the doctor's tattoo.
Kara stared at the currently defenseless doctor and reaching forward traced a finger over her back.
"Hih!"
Zilia flinched Seliria thankfully raising her hand in time to keep from messing up, both women looked up at Kara who held her hands up.
"Couldn't help myself, was just curious," she said before lowering her hand.
"It's very smooth," Seliria said. "She clearly takes care of it. Warn before touching next time."
There were a few faded marks on the doctor's skin, clearly from her past fights but for the most part it was clear her hair wasn't the only thing she took care of.
"...if you're going to take care of yourself this much at least show off a bit of skin," Mari said.
"Mari!" Zilia exclaimed looking up at the woman.
"I'm just saying it's a shame. If you grew your hair out a bit, wore your glasses and showed just a tiny bit of skin you'd be a force to be reckoned with. I mean I understand why you don't but...still."
"...I keep my hair short in respect of the tenants and I hate showing skin, my outfit is fine," Zilia said lowering her head again.
"You can be lighter on the tenants though right? You're not at the temple anymore."
"....to a degree. The head monk did say I was being harsher than need be. Since I was following the tenants similar to the old sect."
Mari motioned to Zilia.
"Captain don't you think Zilia would look better with longer hair. I know she messes with Luro's a lot so she clearly wants it. I'm sure you've caught her just randomly staring at you, only to look away when you meet eyes. She does it all the time."
"I do not do it all the time."
Seliria stopped for a moment, she blinked a few times as if replaying a similar scene before shaking her head and getting back to it.
"Can we not discuss this?" Zilia questioned sighing.
"I say we leave it to the Captain, you can't refuse an 'order' from your boss right?" Kara said before looking at the Captain. "Runali do you wanna discuss Zilia's time as a monk or do you wanna talk about how we can fix…"
Kara motioned to Zilia overall being.
"This."
"How about neither?" Zilia said raising her head. "Seliria please say something."
"I'd prefer silence but that's an impossibility, so I don't care," the woman responded curtly.
"I hate this, I immediately regret asking you all to be here."
"Or pick one yourself Miss Captain," Isari added. "I got a bunch of stuff I want to ask Zil myself."
"I prefer the ones that make her uncomfortable but sure I got questions too," Mari said smiling a little. "You can go first either way Runali Lev."

"No, no, Kara's right. My ship, my rules." Runali took a seat near Isari, watching as everything got set up for the procedure. For a moment, she looked at all of them and couldn't help but be amused at the hodgepodge of personalities in the room. "Besides, not like you've got any better conversation topics now, do you doctor? And silence doesn't really last on Lady." She leaned forward on her legs to get a look at the tools and at Zil's back. "They're right though, if you're gonna have a cool tattoo might as well show 'em off. It's… part of… honoring the meaning of tattoos and y'know it's symbolic natures." She fumbled around an explanation that sounded meaningful and fancy, only to end it with a small laugh. "Plus, this is the first step to you actually living a little! Fresh tattoo, might as well don a new look all together. Long hair would look pretty on you doc. Especially with how much you take care of it." She gave her own hair a light tug. "How about this. You grow yours out and you cut mine later. I've got no use for long hair like you and Alicia."

She looked between the three women that were observing the process. "Dunno about you guys, but I'm thinking the monk life is part of why she's" Runali mimicked Kara's gesture of Zilia's self. "Like her being so harsh on herself about hair that she obviously likes. What else are you telling yourself you can't do, doctor? The life of a monk is long past and you're amongst pirates now- and a marine that's a traitor to the navy. Also whatever the Prophets are lately… So pirates and some other criminals." She paused and nudged Isa. "You're a part of the pirate group, but ssh don't listen to Mari or Zilia tell you otherwise." Runali gave an innocent look before turning back to Zil. "So? What was monk life like? And in turn how can we use that against you to make you lighten up?"

Zilia's eyes narrowed but no immediate topics came to mind, and she could only stare with slightly narrowed eyes at the idea of changing her outfit, much less to 'honor' her new tattoo.
Though she seemed to hesitate on a response, mainly at the Captain's offer. She stared at Runali's hair for a long moment before lowering her head, hiding her face from the rest of them.
At Runali's choice Kara offered a small shrug.
"That was one of my questions so I'm fine with that," she said.
The two friends seemed to have a general understanding but showed no desire to change the subject, Isari and Mari even moved a bit closer more than likely curious to learn more.
Seliria didn't seem to care just focused on the tattooing.
"I am not a traitor," Mari said sighing. "It's more like...being grounded unnecessarily," she said. "Aside from that I agree with Runali Lev...minus you being a pirate Isa."
She noticed the shine in the young ladies eyes at the mere suggestion and brought a hand to her face.
"We're technically mercenaries but also bodyguards...and assassins….and cat-finders….mercenaries is just the easiest explanation we do pretty much everything, " Kara said crossing her arms. "....yeah mercenaries works...I think...probably. I'll ask Nikos later."

Zilia sighed but raised her head slightly as Seliria continued her work, to stop the Captain from moving closer than need be she had pushed the tools closer with her free hand before returning to her work. They were basic tools, she seemed to be using a woodcut style but seemed to be doing some of the personal work herself, whatever her method it was slow but proficient.
"My time as a monk…" Zilia said deciding to ignore the second part of the Captain's question.
"Where do I even begin…"

Shortly after the monks found Zilia they gave her random tasks to do, they didn't force her too much just a few optional things to help out with while she was there. Almost as if they knew the pain she was suffering at the time, they offered simple distractions. Cleaning around the grounds, tending to the garden, polishing the practice weapons. She didn't realize until much later but the monks had only asked her to help out once, and hadn't any other time she had done it of her own volition. After she broke down while pulling weeds one morning she seemed to realize they were giving her time to fight whatever was troubling her.
Afterwards she explained what had happened and at her request was given more to do, she was taught meditation, joined in their training sessions, ate with them and repeated this process for years.
"I found a comfort in the patterns I did. I suppose to some it would be tedious but it brought me peace. I'd wake up and do my exercises, meditate for a bit, train with the other monks, complete my other tasks, rinse and repeat. That was my life. There were a few days when it altered, when I would train the new monks, when I would have tea with the head priest just to talk. It wasn't as if we didn't have free time to ourselves, you were asked to contribute since we were each the All Mother's Children, past that you were free to do as you wished. I was just harder on myself. Before I knew it years had gone by."
"That where you learned how to fight?" Kara asked. "I thought that stance of yours was strange."
"I was taught martial arts from them yes, the rest came from my own polished technique. There are numerous stances I was shown but I'm most comfortable with three."
"I've never seen the third one," Kara said.
"That's good, it's one I hope to never use," Zilia responded simply.
Kara sighed and made a motion with her hand to continue.
"Surprised Monks taught you an 'Aggressive' Stance."
"The Sect I was with held different beliefs then the other sect, though I named it that myself, the actual name is hard to translate into common."
"What were their beliefs?"

The question came from Seliria, she apparently realized they weren't going to stop talking and made her peace with the conversation.
"Hmmm my Sects were the All Mother's Children, the other Sect was the End Mother's Children. The End Mother is her oldest name, it's what I used to call her. The End Mother's are far more stricter believing the tenants should be followed in absolution, beyond absolution if possible. The All Mother's believe that's not the case and that there is more than one way to honor the tenants and that's the point of their existence."
"....I guess you followed the End Sect's tenants," Mari added.
"Yes...but it was all I had. After speaking to the Head Priest he informed me I wasn't required to follow the End Sects way if I didn't desire too, he knew I was just using it in a way to control myself, my vow of silence was part of that….but after travelling for a bit and meeting people...I started to question it. The Head Priest told me at that point that following the All Mother's will is what we aim for not the will of those who follow her."
Zilia sighed and hung her head.
"...he told me to 'lighten up' with a laugh."
"So do so," Kara said placing her hand on her hips.
"I have lived a certain way all my life. I can't just 'lighten up', I'm still adjusting to following the tenants more loosely."
"The tattoo being part of that," Seliria said.
"Exactly."
"So we just have to make you do other things that follow the tenants...but loosely," Mari said crossing her arms.
"Miss Captain and everyone are apparently really good at breaking rules Zil," Isari said. "You should ask them to help you break some."
"Pass," Zilia said lowering her head.
An 'ow' escaped from her as Seliria pressed a little harder causing her to raise her head.
"Change isn't easy. You don't gotta start slicing off heads today but if you're trying to 'lighten up' then ask for help."
Kara opened her mouth to say something but when the easily irritable woman's gaze moved over to her and the glass next to her shattered she closed her mouth.

Runali couldn't help but snort at the story told. "She's the one making all the rules of course it'd be hard to break 'em. She was given the option to either live freely or follow self imposed rules and she thought the latter was easier." Runali made a 'tsk' noise. "It's like being given the option to walk free or put seastone cuffs on yourself and walk to a navy base. But, I s'pose it's what made you feel safe." She nodded at Seliria's addition and offered her own. "You said you followed those rules because it was all you had, yeah?" Runali gestured to the room and then pointed to herself. "Well, that's not all you have now. New life, New friends, new rivals, new family. Don't you think that requires a bit of... adapting? Can't follow old ways in new times cause at some point they're doomed to y'know, not work. Or explode in your face."

She fiddled with her eyepatch to adjust it. "I'm sure actually yelling at Luro would be faster than writing it down." Runali snickered. "Maybe it'd stop us from getting into trouble before we did it." It wouldn't. But the idea of her yelling at them before they could even get off the ship was too funny not to mention. "And since you're on this new path, means Cedric has a new project. And," Runali snapped her fingers before pointing at Isari. "The crystal pirate is right. I was born breaking rules. I could help you do that with one hand tied behind my back." She raised one finger. "However, I'm not doing anything until you say it right here and right now that you need the help."

Zilia listened to the Captain, Isa and Mari smiling and nodding in agreement. Kara didn't do so until she heard 'rivals' not really keen to being part of the other parts. Zilia rested her chin on her arms, her eyelids lowering a bit as she remained silent at the Captain's words.
"I of all people understand the need for order," Mari said moving her hand to her hips. "However there is such a thing as stifling oneself. You're own monk also said it was okay to let loose."
"Yeah Zil, you're always tense when it comes to things...I want you to have more fun…" Isari said.
"Couldn't hate you more," Kara said with a small shrug. "Probably."
"...so long as you don't become disrespectful I see no harm in you following your own path either."
Zilia closed her eyes taking in everyone's words, catching Mari's comment that Isari is not a pirate as she let her thoughts fade back to the Head monk's words.
"Do you know why the All Mother only gives us a few tenants to follow Sister Zilia?"
"...No Head Monk."
"It is because she wants us to find our own way. A mother who stifles her child also stifles their growth. She provided enough for us to start but leaves us to find answers of our own."
"...are these not my answers?"
"You've chosen the answers of another as your own. Were you not taking a vow of silence?"
Zilia flinched a bit at this and she remembered the head monk's chuckle.
"We are a strange sect to say the least, at least to our brethren. We do not forbid sensual pleasures or the evil within us...but that is because we must understand it. If you do not know your rage then when it comes how will you make peace with it? if you wish to touch another's skin yet you restrain what of the jealousy that may root in your heart at another's freedom to do so? For those in the End Sect they have chosen their path and that is fine...but you are under no obligation to do so. The hesitation you feel, that doubt is proof of your desire to find your own truth. The All Mother's tenants are always there to guide you back on the right path. We are but children, learning is part of your duty….you need not bind yourself with chains of sin unnecessarily Sister Zilia. Consider what you must be now that you've learned a bit more...and loosen up a little. You could crack walnuts with how tight your clenching"
"Head Monk!"
Zilia leaned back a bit as the head monk pointed at her.
"There...that feeling, that honesty with oneself. That is what the All Mother cherishes."

Zilia opened her eyes and looked over at the Captain.
"I need help Runali...within reason," Zilia said narrowing her eyes at her. "I want to change...but I have no intention of abandoning all of my tenants...but I suppose I could be a bit more...rebellious."
"...the fact you think living more freely is rebellious says a lot," Seliria said.
"Just help me out a bit...but I reserve the right to decline things that I believe are too much...and the crew still needs someone else aside from Alicia to pull us back when it's necessary. Which includes yelling at you all...when needed."
"A bit of rebelliousness is fine Zilia," Mari said. "If I didn't have it I'd be working under that bastard as a 'yes' woman or something. You can be yourself, follow your code of honor, but do it your own way," Mari said.
"Yes you should open up a bit more Zil," Isari said a small gentle smile resting on the young woman's expression. "Seeing you smiling and enjoying yourself is what I enjoy the most."
"...Isa…" Zil mumbled.
"You could take the stick out your hindquarters a bit," Kara added.
Zilia narrowed her eyes at Kara who smirked at her.

"Mari's got real low standards if being a pirate isn't already disrespectful. No wonder she's a traitor to the navy." Teasing aside, her eyes lit up when Zilia finally admitted what she probably needed to admit years ago. "Yeah, yeah. Within reason…. Pirate reason." She stuck her tongue out for a second and laughed. "And if I follow your reason we'll get nowhere and you'll learn nothing. Don't worry doc, you can count on me to show you the ropes of being… the bare minimum of a pirate."

She patted Isari on the shoulder. "Yeah! See? You've got people who wanna see you actually have fun! What're you gonna do, disappoint?" She pulled Isa closer and smirked. "You'd really wanna disappoint this face? Even Kara wouldn't want to disappoint this face!"

"I make it a habit to judge people by their actions not their titles, I am proud of this fact and I said before that I am not a tra-"
Mari stopped as a hand was placed on her shoulder.
"She's messing with you," Kara said.
"Ah….I don't get her humor."
"Are you sure it's not humor itself?"
Kara raised her hands at the woman's glare and smiled taking a small step back.
"….that pirate reasoning is just going to make my job harder...and the 'bare' minimum Captain," Zilia said. "I'll forsake the End Mother's tenants, but I'll keep the All Mother's...far more lenient."

Her eyes raised to Isa who smile was close to blinding her at this point, Seliria seemed to raise a hand not pleased at the positive energy emitted from the young lady. Kara on the other hand seemed to be sketching the scene as quickly as she could, Mara clearly accustomed to it had looked away.
"...I mean she's not wrong I wouldn't," Kara said looking up from her book.
"....I will have a little more fun," Zilia said lowering her head. "I'm still doing my duty as doctor of the ship so nothing like shark surfing."
"Zil that's not a-"
"Luro did it a week ago," Zilia said interrupting Isari.
Seliria let out a small sigh and moved away from Zilia.
"All right Zilia's going to try to be less Zilia, we got it. How joyous, the tattoo's done," Seliria delivered with a proper monotone.
"Ohh this is some fine work," Kara said leaning over to look. "Where'd you learn this?"
"At a place called none of your business."
The tattoo was a surprisingly detailed star, shaded in precise areas, with a cloth circling around it that resembled drapery slightly, a bit of shading added to it as well. Bits of light smoke also hovered around the star, filling a bit of the negative space creating a surprising balance that worked out well giving the star a bit of a mystical vibe.

Seliria held the pen towards Runali.
"You're her Captain so you get the first one," Seliria said.
She raised the pin before the Captain could fully take hold of it however.
"Don't be that person that writes all big, we and the rest of Stardusk have to write on this. That goes for everyone," Seliria said before releasing it to her. "I'm not doing it twice."
Kara seemed to avert her eyes at the warning and Mari could swear she heard a small click of the tongue.
"Miss Captain would never do that."
"General rule of thumb kid is not to trust a pirate fully. You don't cover your bases complaining ain't gonna do you much good when they act as a pirate should."
Isari seemed to take out a notebook to write the woman's words down causing Seliria to bring a hand to her face, shaking her head slightly.
"How will you be able tell what we wrote?" Mari questioned.
"You can either tell me now or later. I can just have someone read it to me as well," Zilia responded. "I'm ready whenever."
"I'll go last, go ahead," Seliria said leaning against the wall.

"It is real nice, Sel. Good work." Runali had taken the pen with only the slightest nod of acknowledgement that she wouldn't write too big. She examined the detail of the tattoo while she thought of a single word that would fit with it. Something that would be symbolic enough to fit amidst the Stardusk symbol, something that would fit the ritual that Zilia put so much weight on. And the moment she realized she was starting to overthink it, she gave up and wrote the word that came to mind. It was something that Zilia needed to remember and something Runali was sure she could show her a bit more of. "There's more to piracy… to life than just survival. Surviving isn't living. Freedom to do what you want is." She underlined the word with her finger. It was written in her native language, making it feel more personal to her at least. "That's the great thing about being a Stardusk pirate, y'know? You get to do what you want… Even if it means yelling at a buncha pirates and the trouble that they get into." She handed the pen back to Seliria. "I think it fits. Proper for a Stardusk tattoo."

The constantly mad faced woman offered a nod to the Captain, offering little more due to the nickname as she closed her eyes.
Zilia didn't move much less respond at first as the Captain wrote on her, the room fell silent as if acknowledging what was taking place, as Runali finished Mari only offered a small sigh.
"Well she's not wrong,"
"Says the navy officer," Kara responded.
"You pursue freedom your way I pursue it mine," the woman said resting her hands on her hips.
Zilia chuckled a little as Seliria caught the pen and opened her eyes.
"Mentor would have liked that….though she'd find a way to complain anyway," Zilia mumbled before speaking up. "I don't want to yell at everyone all the time."
"Yes you do," Mari said. "It's instinctual."
"I do not-"
Zilia cut herself off realizing her voice was raising and lowered her head.
Seliria tossed the pen to Isari who almost dropped it and motioned to Zilia.
Each woman took their turn writing their own phrase on the doctor, Kara glancing at Seliria on her turn as the woman narrowed her eyes at her.
Finally Seliria approached and took the pen up, Zilia glanced back at her and the woman grabbed her head and turned it back around.
She wrote something quickly and Mari smiled realizing the woman may have gone last to find the right words.

Seliria finished not speaking what she wrote aloud and checking the remaining room gave a small nod.
"That's everyone," she said. "Only people left are the remainder of Stardusk and anyone else you'd like."
"Stardusk is fine."
"What about Noram?" Mari asked.
"What about Noram." Zilia responded almost too quickly.
Once she was dressed a small sigh escaped from her before she turned to everyone in the room.
"Thank you all for this. I wanted a way to put everything to rest...in my own way," Zilia said looking at her uncovered hand, and the ring on it.
"I have good friends, a great family….and by some miracle we're all still alive," Zilia said. "I couldn't ask for more."
"That won't do," Mari said smiling at her. "Be a little more selfish, sure your Captain can teach you that."
"Ask for more Zil...we want to give you more. Your happiness is our happiness."
"Speak for yourself there little one," Kara said.
Isari looked over at Kara, tilting her head slightly as confusion played across her face, Kara caught herself and brought a hand to her forehead.
"One day we'll finish our business, until then you need to stay in good health."
"It's fine to ask your friends for more," Seliria said moving off the wall. "You give up a portion of your sanity for them as the doctor, you can get a little extra back. Just continue giving what you already are. If they care about you a little selfishness here and there is fine. Part of what it means to be family."

Zilia stared at Seliria for a moment before quickly hugging her, the woman blinked a few times clearly confused her hands going up at the doctor's sudden embrace. She seemed to recover quickly and putting her hands on her shoulders moved her away.
"Too much selfishness," she added.
"That's not fair I want one too," Isari said hopping off her stool.
"Ah no...I just...that was in the moment," Zilia said holding up her hands. "Miss Seliria's not normally that nice I ended up moving without think-"
"Group hug!" Isari said pointing at Zilia.
"Wha no-"
Zilia didn't have time to respond as Isari wrapped her arms around her, light laughter escaping from her.
"I got you Zil!"
A moment later Kara's arm wrapped around Isari.
"Aaaaaahh you're so cute! What am I going to do with you!"
The woman's ecstaticness faded quickly upon realizing she was holding Zilia.
"Ah I moved without thinking," Kara mumbled.
"Too late," Mari said joining in. "I'm getting mine in since we won't see each other for a bit."
"Please stop," Zilia said trying to squirm out of it, red covering the woman's face. "I get the message please release me."
A hand fell on her head and she looked over to see Seliria in front of her.
"Just deal with it, it'll be over soon. You'll get used to it, just think about how to hurt them later."
"I-I don't know if I wanna do that."
"You will eventually."
"Miss Captain get in on this!" Isari exclaimed.

"Yelling at us is just another language you know, but it's okay. We accept you as you are." Runali teased. "Plus, I'm still gonna hold it over you that you can even talk so feel free to yell any time." Said captain watched the hugging display with a raised brow as if unsure what would happen if all of them got too close. "Join in on the group hug, tormenting my doctor and the Nova chef? Or leave them be for the sake of a token of appreciation and also since she just got a tattoo. Hm… Tempting, tempting." Runali gave a shrug. "Yeah alright sure, I can't say no to festivities." She walked over, joining the group hug. "Besides, when am I gonna get this kinda opportunity again?"

 

[Mizos]

​

Zilia ran down the road, breathing heavily as she made her way down the crowded street. She eventually came to a stop as she found what she was looking for, running up she drew the attention of a female naval officer.
"Excuse me! Did you arrest someone by the name of Luro Makachi? Tall redhead."
"Luro….Luro…" the woman said. "Oh yeah I recall someone mentioning a tall redhead was brought in, I think that was his name. We only have one base on the island and we rarely bring in a pirate, much less one with that kind of bounty. Marcus can probably retire early."
Zilia felt fear grip her, she had been reading a book at a cafe when a random couple's conversation caught her ear sending her barreling down the street. She wished at the time it wasn't true but reality cared little for the hopes of those within it.
"Where's the base?!" Zilia said grabbing onto the woman's clothing.
"It's on the northern side of town," the woman said gently removing her hands. "Look I don't know your relationship with him but they're not going to free him. Whatever your business with that criminal I'd leave it be, I can understand being worried about him-"
"I'm not worried about him!" Zilia said before running past the woman towards the north part of town. "...I'm worried about everyone around him."

Within a small jail cell at the top of a naval base was Luro Makachi, his arms were pulled and wrapped behind his back, completely covered in chains, said chains attached firmly to the wall about him, with an additional chain connected to the collar his neck, keeping him from lowering his head. A blindfold had been put over his eyes and his rifle had been taken, set at the far side of the room.
The rest of his body was also wrapped in chains, his torso having two with small spikes running along them across his chest, tightly pressing against him, a deterrent on moving more than need be.
There were a little over forty navy officers in the room, with five on standby constantly watching him with their guns trained on him, circling every now and then when they got tired.
This would seem a lot for a single prisoner but after finding he was apparently a Worst Gen they chose to take extra precautions until he could be taken to Kane'Arteum.
"...he's been oddly quiet," one of the men said.
"That's fine. The reason he's been silent is the only reason we haven't gagged him."
The response came from a man sitting at a table with other officers, his outfit had cloth pauldrons on them and a few extra medals lining his chest, it was clear he was the highest ranking officer there, a Commander from what it seemed.
"We're just waiting for his guards to get here. He's sedated as well so he's not moving at all."
"...isn't this a bit much sir?"
"Apparently you haven't read this one's record," the commander said. "Captain said not to take risks with him. He's murdered, that's enough reason to ensure he can't do it again...besides...if this is the one with the stories, then honestly we should gut him now and be done with it."
"Stories?"
"It's not important. I don't want you trembling," the man said smirking at the officer.


Within the place that's name changed recently and the group forgot

Lai sat at the table with his fellow Luro's, Lo sat peeling an orange, Maka was humming and leaning back and forth as he poured rum, Banana was flipping through a book with no words or pictures, there was another but she had excused herself moments earlier.
Adjusting his glasses Lai sighed and took out his pocket-watch, they may as well get this meeting started.
"So...we have an issue," Lai said standing up. "We're currently contained pretty well and we can't move."
"We already got captured once and since to Kane'Arteum. I'd prefer not to go back," Lo said.
Maka gently shoved a glass of rum towards Lo who caught it.
"I don't get it. We asked them not to arrest us and they didn't listen," Maka added. "We even let them know we'd kill them and they knocked us out."
Lai squeezed the bridge of his nose and leaned forward resting his hands on the table.
"Banana you want to add anything?"
"I'm in the mood for chicken today," he said looking up from his 'book'.
Lai went to say something only to sigh and throw his hands up.
"We're not doing this," Lai said. "Hah...if we separate from Stardusk…."
Lai trailed off not wanting to finish his thought, up until someone else did it for him.
"We'll lose ourselves again."
The Luro's flinched as a pair of footsteps echoed behind Lai, the glasses wearing Luro not turning around even as a hand touched his shoulder causing him to twitch.
His eyes moved over slowly to see the visage of Imposter Lina, he opened his mouth only for his neck to snap, his body falling to the ground.
Barely a breath later he was sitting next to Lo as Imposter took the floor.
"We all know the importance Stardusk is to Luro. What would happen goes without saying."
"....can I get a recap," Banana said closing his book "I haven't really been paying attention. We're engaged to Jack right?"

Imposter only smiled at the question before looking back at the others.
"Your company is so welcome in my domain my friends."
The group knew very well what they were to Imposter but didn't say anything. None of them had any memories of how they came to be or why they existed, the only one who probably knew was Imposter, and unnerving as he was he generally held the answers...when he wasn't lying anyway.
"A review couldn't hurt anyway," Imposter said. "So let's go down the list."
Imposter would raise a finger as he started going down the list of Stardusk.

"Mikchail Arcadius, our wonderful Navigator. Luro holds a good amount of respect for him over his skill alone...but aside from that the man seems to understand the need to find oneself. That struggle, and due to the...strange nature of his own search, we share a kinship in a way. He's a good listener and shot as well."
A chuckle escaped from Imposter and he continued.
"Zilia Vilimar….the one I was stopped from killing. Our relationship with her is a very complex one. She has patience for us and for all her complaints is alway there. She is the only one among Stardusk that to an extent understands why we are the way we are. Due to that perhaps we feel comfortable acting out more around her, we can't explain why we do the things we do but Zilia understands without words. She also always listens to us, she's a comfort in our life we more than likely can't do without anymore."
Lo gave a small nod at this and Imposter continued.
"Jack Kunal….our wonderful brother. He's a man who understands what it means to carry a great sin, and the price of dishonesty. He also has the desire to protect someone dear to him. Luro wants him to succeed, with everything he has he wants Jack to hold onto the person he cares for, to not lose them to foolishness as we did. He understands the desire to protect someone and the desperate measures you'd take to ensure it."
Banana shut his book and raised his head as the countdown continued.
"Cedric Langely, he's a complicated one. In a weird way we have a few things in common with the young man. It's not something Luro understands or Cedric will ever notice, to do that it would require opening his heart fully to us...something he will never do and shouldn't. We want only to see him with his brother safe and sound, living a happy life. Luro understands the preciousness of a sibling after all."
Maka stopped pouring the rum as Imposter held up another finger.
"Alicia Tashigi….oh she's a fun one. One of our oldest friends and our...counterbalance. You see we know what we are, we know what we can do. Alicia would stop that with every ounce of her being, and if Luro lost himself...he'd know Alicia would stop him and that gives him more comfort than he can put into words. You see people like Alicia need to exist, to be the opposition to what we are, same as we have to exist to give those people purpose in a way. I wouldn't call it something as simple as Light or Dark, or that we're opposites, but there's a relationship there with a careful balance and Luro finds comfort in having her around for that. It's like Order and Chaos but again not something as simple as opposites."
Lai swallowed heavily his glasses falling onto his nose at the man's smile.
"Last but certainly not least is Runali Lev. The one who touched the true Luro, with even my Veil over his eyes. Her existence may have rekindled the purpose of the drifting shipwright. Her presence may be what maintains what 'sanity' still remains. Perhaps it was that moment, when she touched the shattered Luro that birthed you all. Pieces meant to offset the delicate shattering of the illusion created for himself. In a way she may be your mother."
Imposter gave a small shrug at the list of possibilities before continuing.
"Put together Stardusk is the only place Luro can call home. There is no other place he can stay. So it should go without saying...in this situation. It's no different than robbing him of it."
"...and what's that mean again?" Banana asked.
"If Imposter is being honest….It means anything outside that little bubble doesn't matter to us," Lai said. "There are no witnesses either."
"I don't follow," Lo said arching a brow.
"It means something fun is going to happen...especially since we're sobering up."


Within the Naval Base

"Pardon me."
The Naval Officer's including the Commander looked up at Luro spoke up for the first time.
"Would you mind letting me go?"
The Commander chuckled and waved a hand that couldn't be seen by the shipwright.
"Yes we'll just let a criminal walk free because he asked nicely. No you'll stay in there until your escort gets here. Till then if you try to escape we'll speed up your execution."
Luro's mouth twisted to the side a bit before he spoke up again.
"Um...you're currently threatening my life and keeping me from my crew correct?"
"That I am."
"Ah right...okay then I'm allowed to kill you then. Captain said not to murder needlessely and I'm trying to be better but if you don't let me out, when I do get out I'm going to slaughter every person in the room."
The redhead's words gave pause to the light jabber in the room, each officer's attention moving over to the easygoing captive's harsh words spoken in the lightest of tones.
"...that's a bold claim, and throwing out threats isn't advi-"
"It's not a threat. I'm just letting you know what's going to happen cause that's fair," Luro said. "If you let me out now though I'll just leave and that doesn't happen."
The officers looked over at the Commander and he sighed before standing up.
"We follow the law around here Pirate. You committed multiple crimes and we have a sense of honor and duty to follow through on the code we all agreed to uphold."
Luro didn't respond for a moment before his gaze moved over to one of the men holding a rifle, the man flinched a bit as it seemed Luro was looking straight at him.
"Do you have a family?"
"Pardon?" the man responded his grip tightening on his gun.
"Do you have a family?" Luro asked. "A wife or kids, parents...do any of you?"
"We're not answering-" the commander said but Luro spoke again.
"Just tell me, there's no harm in it right? Or are you actually worried I'll escape?"
The Commander's eyes narrowed a bit and the officer glanced over at him before responding.
"I have a girlfriend...no kids."
"Husband," another said. "
"Older parents," one more said.
A few more spoke up sharing that each one had someone precious to them in some form or fashion, for reasons beyond their own understanding.
"Thank ya for telling me," Luro said before looking at the Commander. "I'll tell you what Commander. I'll kill everyone in this room except you. Then you can tell the widows and orphans that the people they love didn't come home because 'honor' had to be upheld."
The Commander's jaw tightened, his hand moving to his saber, he regretted not gagging the man's mouth before.
"I'm going to ask one more time, because I'm trying to be a better person," Luro said. "Let me out of this cell and I won't kill anyone."

The wall to the room burst open as red energy slowly faded and Zilia ran inside her hood over her head, she tried to catch her breath after running up the seemingly endless flight of stairs only for it to get caught in her throat.
Red was smeared across almost every surface in the room, bits of meat splattered across the floors, walls and ceiling, the only proof it was once a person was the misshapen pieces sticking out of the piles. A sickening scent invaded her nose leaving a terrible taste in her mouth that not even Jack's meals would get rid of anytime soon. The bits of fire in the room revealed what the smell was, a familiar one she knew all too well and wanted no reminder of.
In the center of the 'mess' were two figures, a man in white pants, parts of it black at this point and a single man coated in his 'act' from head to toe.
A severed head was held in his right hand, Luro tossing it into the man's lap, the commander screamed and scrambled backwards throwing it away from him.
He stared up at Luro who stared back in silence before a small smile formed on his face, a gentle smile before forming into a toothy grin.
"I gave ya fair warning so don't be mad okay," Luro said before walking past him.
He noticed Zilia and waved at her.
"Hey Z. I thought you were going to drink at that one place," Luro said grabbing his rifle.
"...I thought you were going to a wood shop."
"I did but there were wanted posters in there, then the navy walked in. Horrible timing right?" Luro said laughing a little. "I think I got some of Kadi's luck today."
Zilia opened and closed her hands a few times trying to focus on Luro and not the room.
"We should go Luro."
"Hmmm okay. Guess I shouldn't kill the people on the other floor's huh," Luro said. "They haven't done anything to me."
"That is true," Zilia said. "Let's go."

"I can't believe you," Zilia said, dumping a bucket over Luro.
"What'd I do?" Luro said looking back at Zilia.
"Do we really need to talk about it?"
"I asked politely," Luro said.
"Asking politely does not mean eradication after," Zilia responded grabbing another bucket.
Zilia decided to wash Luro at the river before returning to the ship, she didn't want him tracking blood and...people onto the ship. It was also not the way she wanted to explain what had happened, which was going to be a fun conversation later.
Regretfully this happened sometimes when he was left alone, most of the time he came back fine but sometimes, somehow like a Stardusk he got into trouble.
She had folded his shirt neatly to the side and was getting pieces of 'people' out of his hair as she had done before
.
"....what's your thoughts on what Alicia said?"
Zilia eventually broke the silence between them after some time.
"At the meeting?"
"Yes. Considering what she shared with us. I know what you said but I'm curious of your full thoughts on it."
"Don't really care."
"Wha-"
Zilia stopped for a moment causing Luro to look back at Zilia smiling at her.
"You stop caring who's stronger when everyone is stronger than you Zil. Ain't a day that goes by I don't think I'll die."
"Luro that's-"
"Not saying I think I will but I'm prepared for it, just another day for me."
Luro looked forward again and closed his eyes as Zilia continued.
"The Ravens learned each of us as well and prepared for us. Only difference is they were in the middle of a civil war when they came at us...and we had a lot of help. On our own….who knows how that might have ended."
Zilia remained silent thinking back to their previous fight, they had half of the organization backing them up then and barely came out of it alive. Even now she didn't think Stardusks knew how many assassin's and attempts the Prophet's had stopped attacking them and their family.
Nikos had met Daya herself while protecting the Captain's hometown.
Even now Emil was watching over Alicia's family and Yula Fei as Lily wandered around with the former ravens still trying to rid of the world of the organization.
"No civil war this time though, just a really strong lady," Luro said.
"....I think she's a real threat Luro."
"Anyone that attacks Stardusk is a threat," Luro responded. "For me it's just another strong person that may kill me or my friends, ain't nothing changed."
"...she could be really powerful Luro."
"Probably is, especially if Alicia's worried.
"We could die."
"We can die in any fight."

Zilia went silent and took a small step away from Luro, tossing him a towel as he went to dry off.
She stared at Luro for a long moment, a small smile resting on her face.
Sometimes she envied that simplicity of his, to Luro a threat was a threat. Whether that was Irukia, Jones himself or a thief with a dagger all were equal to him. He treated them with the same regard. If they died they died, if they lived they lived. It mattered none to him who was in the way or what they had, he'd face it with all he had as always.
She understood the weight of Alicia's warning and she was sure Luro did but he confronted it as he always did, she decided to do the same.
"Still I'm disappointed," Luro said.
Zilia tilted her head.
"Expecting to lose isn't how a Stardusk does things. Always a possibility but never an expectation," Luro said returning his rifle to his back. "She's the first mate, that should be common sense by now."
He said this heading back towards the ship as Zilia followed after.
She was reminded of the chaotic element in front of her mixed with the order of the swordswoman, a small chuckle escaping from her. She wondered if Luro would be the one to give Alicia a light 'bop' on the head this time.
"We'll have to ensure she remembers that then."
"Of course, we're her family after all. Nothing to do but do it."

New 'Addition'

The story below has nothing to do with the main story...well kind of...for the most part...anyway read at your own discretion and all that jazz.

also Kara and Tari Yayyers!
​

"So how do we handle this?"
Kaim stared at Nikos as the group had returned to their base with Isari.
Tari stood next to Nikos who was currently staring at Isari who sat on the couch with a Kara who had pulled her into a tight embrace, the young woman's head buried into the woman's chest as she cuddled her.
Nina and Ria were somewhere close by, Nikos wasn't sure but he could feel their gazes.
"U-um K-Kara?" Isari's muffled voice came out eventually. "Y-you haven't let me go since we got back."
Not sure what else to do Isari had returned the hug and Kara showed no signs of releasing her leading to the small group meeting. Nikos clearly didn't want anything to do with this situation, instantly reminded why he turned down the idea of getting any kind of pet. Kara's smothering would force it to run away, regretfully Isari wasn't smart enough for that yet.

The group had been searching a place for Isari with no real luck, each one they went to she didn't seem comfortable staying in. She always apologized afterwards but the group understood, getting her back into normal society wasn't going to be easy. She had lived most of her life alone after all, only in the company of one or two people, expecting her to suddenly live in a crowded village was asking for too much currently.
Nikos did have to tell her to be honest if she wasn't comfortable as she had remained silent at four different places, thankfully the girl was bad at hiding her feelings.
"The Cutthroats would treat her well but…" Kaim said.
"I'd rather not leave her with pirates if possible," Nikos said.
Kaim sighed as that was Nikos' thoughts when it first came up, though Nikos holds a mild disdain for pirates Kaim knows the man doesn't hate the Cutthroats but he wanted Isari to get used to being around chaotic elements, a bit of uncertainty to help her adjust to things better. He felt the Cutthroats weren't the best option for that.
"She...could stay with us," Kara said looking up at the others. "I mean she's used to us anyway. Besides with Emil gone I need more adorableness here!"
"I'm okay with that," Nina said.
"....Same here."
Nina walked off with Ria still hanging onto her and Nikos ran a hand through his hair.
"Kara we're mercenaries. We take lives and live dangerously. We can't expose Isari to that life."

He looked over at Tari expecting her to follow up in his defense but she remained silent, he arched a brow at her and she steepled her fingers together understanding what he wanted.
"...I'm sorry Nikos…I agree with you...but thanks to Isari's presence she hasn't treated me like a teddy bear in weeks...permit me a bit of selfishness in this regard."
Nikos brought a hand to his face as Isari managed to turn her head sideways taking in a deep breath of air though Kara's grip on her didn't relent.
Kaim chuckled at the sight before snapping his fingers.
"Oh where are you going Mister Kaim?" Isari said causing Kaim to stop.
"I'm going to negotiate with a client. Nikos sometimes gives off a very….'don't trust me' vibe so I meet with most clients," Kaim said ignoring the glare from his leader.
"You were in charge of cleaning today though," Nikos said crossing his arms. "Tari's handling papers and I'll be out scouting, Kara, Nina and Ria also have their own tasks to deal with."
"Was that today?" Kaim said bringing a finger to his chin. "Completely forgot."
Nikos started to step forward at Kaim's grin when Isari managed to break free.
"I-I can help clean. You guys have been helping me so much. Let me return the favor," Isari said. "My Golem's can help around as well. Just till we find a place for me I want to help you out, Zil always said to repay favors after all."
Nikos stared at Isari, his eyes narrowed slightly before Kara hugged her once more. He stared into the young lady's eyes for a long moment before a heavy sigh escaped from him.
"Fine...you can help," Nikos said. "We're short on hands anyway."
Everyone cheered at his relent causing Nikos to glance at Tari who averted her gaze to hide the red in her cheeks, ashamed at joining in, Kaim gave a two finger salute before running out of the door.
"Time to have fun!"
"You little-" Nikos said before bringing a hand to his face.
"Right after you finish Isari we're going clothes shopping. I'm going to find the most adorable outfit to double this cuteness!" Kara said taking her face into her hands
"Ah I haven't gotten clothes in a while. Thank you Miss Kara."
"Call me Big Sis."
"O-okay uh...B-Big Sis Kara."
"Ahhhhhhh I'm going to die! This is how I die!" Kara said pulling Isari close again rubbing her face against her.
Nikos sighed and turned away from the two going to return to his duties, though Tari couldn't help smiling seeing he looked a bit more relaxed than before.

 

[Capt. Blu]

Collab Between Capt. Blu and Ryver

Part I: Frost at Yulemas
Location: Lady Luck

Letters to Ru (A Much Needed Preface)

Letter 1: Day CP Arrived

Capt'n, Saf promised this letter will arrive in your hands so I will write what I need to.

I heard your crew got you out of Kane'Artem and you are sailing on a new ship. I'm glad my information helped with the mission. I told Saf about the Thieves' and the one man, a Cedric Langely, who could help her steal the maps. I had my doubts but he delivered the maps as promised.

I won't return to your service at this time. My son turned two a month ago and he is not ready for the trouble you get into. One day we shall sail together again.

Keep in touch. I'll send info about the Navy to keep you out of more trouble.

Ben

Letter 1 Response (After Finnegan Island)

We're back out at sea better than before. Thanks again. The Navy has been littering the seas more and more since Kane'Artem. Cedric's a part of our crew too! He's pretty trustworthy I think just like the rest of my crew.

Can't wait to see this kid of yours and for you to come back! Make sure you tell him about all of our adventures and how I'll be the Pirate Lord.

Don't worry Coral (the bird) is an excellent navigator. She makes sure letters get where they need to be.

Lev



Letter 2: After Theatre Pirates

The medical notes your doctor wants is attached to the letter along with the recipe you requested. Figures you'd remember something so random. I thought I lost them long ago.

Levon sends his regards to his godmother. Thank you for the toy. No idea how you figured out how to send it. I bet it involved Saf. You must keep a number of things from our friends, eh?

Have Jack check the next page. He and your tailor should know what it means. Won't say more but it is a surprise. Try to ask how he does it and learn to read such pages yourself.

Ben

(2nd page (coded): lists the current naval bases in the area Ru is in and their patrol schedule. It also lists a few ports she should avoid.)

Letter 2: Response

Glad you could help with the med stuff because I couldn't begin to help with that stuff. I stuffed the notes in one of her books but I'll tell her eventually that it was from you.

Oh yeah no problem! Nah, just called in a favour from a friend, sending stuff's easy.

I'll let them know eventually! It's dangerous for you, you know. Though I've told them that you have written. Alicia and Luro send their regards, they miss you as well.

Boo, making me learn how to decode stuff. That's what I have spies for.

Lev.



Letter 3: Between Trovale and DJ Meeting

I wrote this letter again after I heard about Trovale. 'Ru, The Revolter' is another name they added to the growing list. She is the mastermind behind the economic collapse of one of the Four Royals. Listen to the rumours if you can. I believe you will be amused.

Send the two my regards and try laying low for a bit. There are a few places that would welcome someone of your status. I included a few extra pages to give you more practice. Don't say no.

Ben

PS: I wonder if you mentioned my son to them. I received a mysterious box recently. My thanks to whoever sent it.

(Page 2: Coded list of pirate friendly havens)
(Page 3: Coded list of royals Navy is courting)
(Page 4: Bounty information)
(Extra: Photo of Levon cuddling his bear)

Letter 3: Response

Good to hear my reputation's out there! All of it's 100% true probably. Maybe. But there's a lot of weird magic I've never known about. Cedric tells me about it sometimes. It's confusing so I leave it to him. (Extra: Stuff that happened in Trovale)

Not giving me much of a choice here. It's decode or ask the others for help… By the way, here's our uh approximate location. Can't give you the exact- y'know Navy and all. Can't have them finding secrets. (Extra: An almost accurate coded location, maybe off a few degrees of latitude/longitude)

Oh, yeah I mentioned the tiny Stardusk to them. I know nothing about extra gifts though.



Letter 4: Between Trovale and DJ Meeting II

(several lines of code)

This one should be easier to break. Ask your spies if you struggle with it still. Your area is empty as far as civilization goes. Generally, no surprises save bad weather and sightings of Jones.

Referencing my own notes, I believe we sunk around that area. I suggest you watch the weather closely. The waters there are even more treacherous where you are at the moment. A good reason they avoid the area.

Keep sailing in this direction and in 8 months you should reach my home. 8 months minus detours you choose to take. There are plenty that way. Some places I imagine your crew will like.

Ask your chef if he knows Isla Belena. He would have heard of it if he loves food that much.

Ben

Letter 4: Response

No worries. We'll be fine. I'll make sure of it. Rough seas will keep Coral from travelling for a bit but keep an eye out.

If we get the chance we'll visit it and I'll keep a memento from there.

Lev



Letter 5: Post Z Chap

Your letter and bad handwriting left me with so many questions. We'll talk more when you pass by. Tell your doctor to take these herbs. She sounds like she needs some healing.

(medical notes behind)

I found records of the illness you described in an abandoned Trovalian mining town dating twenty years ago. The town no longer exists today. Let's see if your doctor and cook can make better use of it. Most of it is in Trovalian.

(several lines of code)

The usual information about the new areas. Activity has heightened in the past two months. I heard rumours that the pirate hunters are getting active again. Many former pirates and their families have been slaughtered in their homes.

Do not trust any foreign ships. These crews often hijack pirate ships and use them to pull closer to you. Tell your cook to listen out for news on them. Ask the sick man to get information from the Thieves'. That's all I can tell you.

Ben

Letter 5: Response

Apologies for the late response. It's been busy here and a lot of resting. Thanks for all the info. We're laying low a bit for the sake of recovery. And gotta patch up our ship.

PS: Decoding these has gotten easier.



Letter 6: Isla Belena

I would hope it has gotten easier. I spent time trying to make you rely on yourself more. You have some ways to go. Try this new set for practice.

(several lines of code)

Your navigator would have fun helping you with them. Watch how he does it.

Ben

Letter 6: Response

Gosh Ben, I have a crew because of their skill not for nothing. Besides, you make it sound like I'm not capable. I know what I need to know when I need to. Who's got time to learn everything when you could just make friends with people that know it?

Yknow like you and your navy secrets.
Or the others and codes.

By the way, I told them about you giving info. Kinda hard to not say after all the random letters of helpful info. And cats that like to wander about.

Lev



Letter 7: Isla Belena II

What do cats have to do with my letters? I can't believe it took you this long to get a few. Your bird might be a hunter but she'll find it hard to mouse below deck.

I never said you weren't capable. I said you needed to learn. Your crew will grow and you will commandeer a fleet. That's what I'm preparing you for.

(several lines of code)

This message is for our two oldest friends. It's a Jaipuran cipher. Enjoy!

Ben

Letter 7: Response

The more people I have, the less work I should have to do! Others can do it for me!

(Answered in code)

But at this rate I'll just be able to do it too I suppose. And I'll relay the message. They've appreciated the help.

P.S. Also the cats came with Cedric. They were a packaged deal so yes the ship has cats now. And they're always sneaking about.



Letter 8: Near Op Die Fiet (2 weeks ago)

Capt'n, my friend, a former pirate, told me that his daughter has been kidnapped. We suspect that pirate hunters are involved. I would like you to help me investigate, because I can't break cover with the heightened security.

Ask your sick man about the southern harbour. He should know how to get to Bonifaas safely. I will meet you at Reinout Herdenkingspark on your chosen date and time.

Ben

(written in invisible ink)
PS: This man is also Will Carabis's friend. I'll tell you more when you get here. He promised to shelter you during your visit.

(Read this first spoiler to find out what your characters are supposed to know … )

Grey kaki skies and coal black seas conjured up images of Yakone. Uitibuken, the town closest to the southern harbour, sat on the same latitude although the two places were half a globe apart. The crew's misery multiplied when Njord, God of the North Winds, belched constantly, chilling all to the bone. Sid clasped his steaming cup closer and inhaled the bitter steam rising from Jack's tonic. His frail body looked extra puffed up thanks to the layers of coats loaned by the crew, but he felt a lot less fragile when he spied Runali shivering with her hands held over a bucket of crackling coal. He flashed her an impish grin as he sank down opposite her.

"Lovely weather, oui? We should see snow in two days. You can feel that dry itch already crawling down your skin," he commented with sardonic glee. "On a more serious note, M. Navigator promised we'll see land in an hour."

Chaos mewed with her head poking out from inside Ru's signature red coat, one barely visible under the thick fur coat the capitaine was wearing. Hating how the winds bit her bat ears, she darted back into the warm cloth cave and curled into a ball. Her tiny body turned into a living muffler against the insidious draft.

"You don't have to accompany M. Navigator and me, mon capitaine. Everyone else would rather you join them for a piping hot breakfast." He gestured vaguely in the direction of the hardening sandwiches and cold cups of tea. "A much better meal is downstairs, rest assured. None of us want to see you collapsing," He admonished lightly because he promised to do so. Personally, he welcomed the company. Kadi wasn't the most talkative person by anyone's standard.

Runali didn't hate many things, but when it came to cold weather she was never pleased. Born and raised in heated climates made her adapt as such, but sailing seas and exploring new places never prepared her for the cold. The only solace was Cedric getting her an actual coat. Speaking of, when the man settled next to her, Runali sunk deeper into her coat, unbothered by the cat inside. "S'not my favorite but I'll live." She commented after a moment. At some point, she'd find Luro and steal warmth from him but there were matters to attend to first.

"It's fine, I snagged food beforehand. Bothered Jack before he served food." She straightened up some, tired of being hunched over and added. "Besides, it's important and I'm the captain. Only right I accompany if you don't want all of us going." She shrugged. "Either get everyone or me. Dealer's choice."

"Make sure you tell that to Alicia and Madame Doctor," Cedric grinned after swallowing a third of his drink. "I've been meaning to ask about this 'Ben' we are meeting. What's he like? You, Alicia and Makachi don't seem to realize that there are three people on board who never met him before."

After leaning forward to pass Ru his gloves, the SD tailor shifted to a stool closer to the captain and the coal bucket. "I'm not sure," he resumed. "If you are more excited about meeting him again or finally meeting your godson in person. I mean," he waved absentmindedly. "Aside, the current situation."

If he had a choice, he would prefer talking about the pirate hunters. But, knowing l'capitaine as well as he did, he needed to nudge her in that direction. He hoped she wasn't taking the potential threat too lightly. Not all pirate hunters were a joke like Hoshi believed. "Why don't you tell me more?" he encouraged.

Runali wondered why Cedric was giving her his gloves when she had some of her own, but decided not to question it too much. "Ben's a lady. Think… Z but if Z was upset about our injuries all the time." She snickered. "And if Z made bad soups for the purpose of keeping us alive… then again I don't know if our doctor can even cook..." She pushed the question aside to carry on. "Hmm… we met her- well, the crew met her and her husband in Yakone. Alicia told me most of what happened. I had gotten sick and had been unconscious for most of the trip. Her husband was the one doing the doctoring for me…" She began to tell the story of what happened in Yakone through a lens of what Luro exaggerated and what Alicia explained. Not to mention what Jem herself mentioned. It was a tale that was best explained by someone that was there, but nonetheless she tried her best. "She's a good person. Definitely a surprise to know she's got a kid, but it's her life to live, y'know?" She shrugged and shifted the cat in her jacket. "Sure I'm happy t'see her again. Never been a godmom before either, but we've gotta have our priorities in order."

Runali idly waved a hand. "She gave us info. Can't ignore that." She leaned forward on her legs. "Especially if there's people out there targeting pirates. We've got the Navy for that, no need for extra troubles."

Cedric sipped his drink while listening to Ru. He was relieved to hear she was aware of their problems at hand. It was different from his initial impression of her; he wasn't sure if she had always been this way or she had matured considerable. In any case, he was starting to see glimpses of the future pirate lord she could become. "Trouble stalks us it seems," he grinned. "It made me appreciate moments like this even more."

He finished up the last gulp with some reluctance. This tonic Jack passed him was always the most bitter at the end. And, no amount of sugar or mint leaves would ever change that. He set the cup aside and pressed a fist to his hand as he started coughing. Swearing between bouts, Sid's face turned paler when it stopped. He folded into himself on the stool. "There's so much to dislike about this biting cold," he jested to try and lighten the mood. "The only thing I really like about this period is Yulemas. It's a very important holiday for me."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a present with a glittering purple ribbon. "I considered hiding this in your room but I think you'll find it useful against whatever greets us on shore."

"Ah yeah, Yulemas." Runali didn't say anything about the cold, instead just nodded. For a moment she kept an eye on Cedric as he coughed, making sure she didn't need to jump and grab the doctor. Though when he carried on, so did she. "Never celebrated, but I hear it's fun." One of her arms slipped into her sleeve to pet Chaos. "What's it about- well, to you at least?" Her question was halted when Cedric gave her a present.

"Yulemas reminds me that I have a family who loved me," Sid answered sincerely. "I will always remember how Jack hugged me and called me his baby brother during our first Yulemas together. And, it was the first time I called him my fère." He gripped his right wrist tightly and his voice turned into a whisper. "The crew has become an important part of my life so I wanted to share this special holiday with you."

"Ah, I see." Runali spoke softly, acknowledging the way he shifted at the mention of Stardusk celebrating as well. She cracked a smile and nodded. "And you're just as important in ours." Runali left it at that, letting her attention be drawn back to the present he gave her.
"Gosh Cedric, you've given me more gifts in the short span of time I've known you than the first mate." Runali couldn't help but tease. "You tryin' to get on my good side for something?" Runali slipped her arms back in her sleeves to collect and unwrap it. She was quick to pull the ribbon undone and open it thanks to the chill of the cold. What she picked up made her look… confused.

She pulled the contents out to reveal two metallic triangular devices that looked like they should be clipped to something. They fit comfortably in her hand like her chakram and when she looked closer there was a shimmering blue orb sunk into the base of each triangle. She shuddered at the cool touch of it and slipped it back in the box only to find a black pair of gloves. She wondered if gloves would be a recurring style choice for her now that she had gloves from her shipwright as well. She didn't mind it.

"Alright… I'll bite. What exactly is this? Well, the gloves I can see clearly. I know what those are. But, these?" She pointed into the box now on her lap.

Cedric raised an eyebrow when she talked about biting. He drew back just in case she was seriously thinking of sinking her teeth into him. "Please don't bite, capitaine. It's not very appropriate for an adult to do that."

The captain couldn't help but snort. "No, it's… a saying. It just means," She drifted off to find the right words. "Just means I'll entertain the topic… or something like that."

"Ah, pardon, capitaine." He apologized before he scooted closer to Runali and pointed to her chakrams. He demonstrated how to clip the devices onto them after she passed them to him then he tapped the crystal surface. "These were inspired from what the Navy learned about our Pour d'Reveux, or the Summoning Arts. Victoire said the orbs stores energy from your movement and converts it into a coat of flames. All you need to do is press this switch." He took one of Ru's hands and helped her locate the switch on either triangle.

He started shaking the chakrams and the dull orbs lit up. "I figured," he elaborated. "This will fit your fighting style, capitaine. You tend to move around a lot. There was one problem, I can foresee. You like getting close to your enemies so you'll struggle against enemies who fight from a distance. I hope my gift will solve that problem." He stopped talking and handed her the chakrams. "Put on the gloves, capitaine, before you activate the orbs. After that, throw your chakrams as far as you can and make them crash into one another."

Runali's interest piqued when he made the connection that these were for her weapons. The best gifts were the kind that she could fight with. And with each upgrade, that was starting to become a fact. "So…" She began putting the gloves on, finding familiarity in the process. She couldn't help but test her haki with them, but they were regular gloves upon inspection. She stood to her feet. "These work with me moving… and then with impact?" She hopped onto the edge of the ship, careful to keep her balance with the extra coat weight. "S'a little dangerous to have these crashing in the middle of the sea. Just in case they don't come back. But," She spotted a large chunk of ice at a safe enough distance and tossed one and then the other towards it. When the two collided, it caused a rippling shockwave that shattered the ice and created waves strong enough to rock the ship a little too far to one side before evening out again.

Excitement was in her eyes when she caught one chakram and then the other as they came back. "Hah! And this one doesn't take up haki…" She had tumbled onto the ship when it rocked, but she was still on her feet. Her mind raced with fighting styles and possibilities. "If I can use this without haki… and the other gloves with…" She mumbled in thought while she figured out tactics and plans for imaginary battles in her head. Eventually, she turned to Cedric and grinned. "This is a pretty cool gift. Hah, I feel bad I don't have anything to give in return." She pressed switches to keep them from exploding again and walked over to sit by him. "This will surely come in handy."

"D'rien, mon capitaine," Sid responded from where he was leaning against the railing. His voice was still raspy from a new fit of coughing but he managed to walk back to Ru. Facing her, he pressed his right hand over his heart and bowed. "I'm honoured you love the gift. Also, you almost missed the best part." He straightened one of her arms and made sure the chakram was held tightly. "Hold steady," he warned as he pressed the switch. (trans. you're welcome)

Heat licked their freezing skin. The mantle of relief turned into something less comfortable as the flames burned on. Ru's chakram looked like a smaller version of the fiery hoops they used on stage in Treya. Sid watched the light reflecting in his capitaines eyes and his lips split into another grin.

"Brings back memories, non? I admit I already know what I wanted to gift you before Treya and I couldn't resist giving you a hint."

Chaos popped her head out from under Ru's many layers and she purred happily when warmth trickled down her furry face. She puffed out her chest after hearing her master mention Treya and tried to roar. Sid rolled his eyes but he decided to humour her. When he snapped his fingers, the kitten mews turned into a panther's deafening shout.

"Ohh… this'll be perfect." She twirled the flaming chakram for a moment before switching off the flame. She looked down, wondering why Chaos kept moving about, but decided not to question it. Though upon the loud roar, she patted Chaos and quietly shuffled her back into the coat. "You're gonna make me deaf, cat."

He chuckled when he took in Runali's reaction. "Unflappable as Jack said. I'm amazed your hands kept steady and we're not stamping out flames."

The captain went back to admiring the chakram, but paused at Sid's chuckling. "Psh, I happen to have mastered using flame based weapons. Luro's gloves helped with that. Cept it's powered by my own haki. I have… no idea what this is powered by." She examined it for a bit before letting it go. "You should show it to him though, you two could make something even more dangerous." She shrugged and placed the chakram at her sides. "I can use the same techniques, but with this I could probably save some of my own haki energy… Using his gloves and this new upgrade... That or accidentally create an even larger explosion. Either way, damage will be done and I'll blame either of you."

Sid sank back down as his strength faded. He hunched with his arms pressed against his knees and the sounds of laboured breathing came from his lips. He curled his fists tightly in case he started coughing again. "Promise you won't tell the rest," he wheezed. "It's a secret I'm not ready to share with the others."

"Cedric you're not going to be able to keep that hidden for long with how bad it's getting." Runali watched, debating on going over to him. But she wasn't too sure how she could help. Zilia would have been better for this… And secrets weren't really her forte…

He sputtered and started coughing. As it dragged on, his face lost more colour and his hands became even colder to the touch. "I'll head downstairs to warm up. Sorry to abandon my post, capitaine."

Cedric didn't even get the chance to leave when huge pillars of stone appeared from the horizon. Kadi steered them expertly through some of the narrowest passages they had ever seen. The walls pressed so dangerously close that Ru didn't even have to lean over the railings to feel the rough surface. Sid watched quietly as the rest of the crew streamed onto the deck. He flinched slightly when he felt a familiar hand land on his shoulder.

Touching it with his icy hand, Sid tilted his head back so he could see his brother's face. "Welcome back to Bonifaas."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-​

Part II: They Came To Uitibuken
Location: Southern Harbour

The southern harbour Jem mentioned was located inside a cave. A potbellied watchman - possibly a retired pirate - looked at the incoming ship over the top of his novel. He rolled onto his feet and shuffled towards the pier as Lady Luck was anchored. He bobbed around excitedly, waving his arms. "Hoi mijin lads and lasses! Been far long since we saw brethren come to the far north." (trans. Hi my lads and lasses!)

He peered into the crew having spotted an extra familiar face. Immediately, his face split into a rotted, yellow grin. "I see a lief (little) Norjan among ye. Hoi Jackal! Madame Du Vontiago sent you back here on business?" His eyes twinkled with mirth at his own little joke. Naturally, he knew of Jack's new allegiance. In fact, he knew he was standing among one of the Worst Gen. "Nah, I see you've gotten yourself a crew."

Cedric, still coughing, activated the anti-intruder wards on the ship before stepping on shore. He frowned at the watchman not liking how friendly the man was trying to be. "And you are?"

"Smid. Caretaker of this place and guide, sorta. I doubt you need more info seeing that your crew mate … or two," he added as he squinted in Sid's direction. Again it was a familiar face but he was sure this young man never offered his name. "Yeah, two of them can show ye around Uitibuken. Make the most of the last three hours of daylight. It'd be pitch dark by fifteen past five."

"Well," Runali walked off the ship with the rest, keeping herself tucked into her coat. "No use wasting an opportunity to explore a new place." She watched her breath form in front of her. "No matter how cold…" Looking at the rest, she added, "Consider it a moment of reprieve before we actually go helping Jem." She started to walk forward, glancing over at Smid. "Say, any recommendations you have?" She didn't acknowledge his earlier sentiments about her crew, deciding not to acknowledge that he may have known any of them. After all, if he knew they were pirates with status and didn't run in fear then there was no need to press about it.

"M'lady attracts attention where she goes," he nodded in Ru's direction. "Haar (her) companions - this woman and man right here," he pointed to Zilia and Luro. "Fits in with us. Tall gingers are in spitting distance everywhere you see. Ash haired people too. Empire people, y'know, just not Bonifians. Reds were here since yonder."

"Rest of ya," he nodded at the brothers and the silver haired sweetheart. "Best you keep your hoods up. You are what we call Sjords or Southerners. All eyes will track you if you gives them a chance."

Having settled the most pressing of problems for the curious lass, he politely answered her question. "Vreemdelings (foreigners) like hen (them) freeze ta bone faster than fish crisping in hot olie. Stop by the inn, back door please, and warm up. Tell the good ma'am 'Een Bakje Troost' and that Smid sents ya. She'd know what to do."

He cricked his neck. "There's ol' Niek in the tobacco. T'was a bard in his day and tells a good yarn still. Heard he has a puppet show fer kinderen (children) today. Always a treat that is, aye. Me thinks the Feian lass will enjoy the badplaats in this weather. Madam Akemi welcomes all and she is fondest of people from her land. You can find her about two half miles in the opposite direction. Place's among the pine trees."

"Right… yes… of course." Runali said as he finished. Looking at her crew, there was a slightly teasing expression of 'I have no idea what he just said', before she stuffed her hands into her pocket. "You heard the man, we've got exploring t'do, and only three hours t'do it."

**'in the tobacco': in the tobacco/smoke shop**
**badplaats: translation of the Feian word onsen into Een Taal (the local language)**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-​

Extra Information (Optional)

Uitibuken

A farming community located on a tapering peninsula battered by the sea. Windmills stretch as far as the eye can see; they churn tirelessly throughout the year to grind wheat into flour and press oil out of seeds. The main town is a narrow street consisting of an inn, a tobacco shop, a clinic and several makeshift stalls. This street runs perpendicular to the main harbour, where the Navy barracks and the ferry terminal are located. Across the gulf, and within view from the ferry terminal, lies the capital of Bonifaas.

Op Die Fiet Empire

The northern continent is arguably one of the largest in the world. Covering more than two-thirds of this continent is an empire built by nomadic warrior tribes of old. Their descendents remain a hardy people who tried overcoming their icy hell through technology.

Bonifaas is one of the many kingdoms that make up the empire. Since it is located on the western shore, it is the main port of call for the empire. Few visitors have ventured further east because of the biting cold and treacherous terrain.

Important NPCs

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-​

Omake: A Very, Merry Stardusk

T'was the days leading to Yulemas. A single man snuck around while his crew dreamed of sugar plums …

[Zilia]

Orange light flooded Cedric's work table. Chaos yawned widely and shook her head. The black kitten lowered it back onto her crossed front legs as her eyes watched her master's hands move. "Mew?" she questioned sleepily. The three of them were waiting for him to get into bed but he was busy doing his muse's bidding.

"Almost, cherie," Sid reassured. His hands pausing long enough for him to ruffle the fur between her ears. "I want to finish this for Zilia."

He spent his entire sick day on this secret project. Often hiding it whenever the doctor brought him his medicine. He had a sneaking suspicion she knew he was working on another all-nighter, because she was positively frowning when she bade him good night. And, he wished to add, passive-aggressively lowered the flame of his work station lamp. Cedric studied the comb he carved out of bristlecone.

He adored the deep waves of purple dancing across the amber; such colours were only seen in wood this old. The shopkeeper told him it came from an ancient giant that pre-date written history but a particularly bad thunderstorm felled it. Saddened by the loss, the villagers decided to sell the wood to artists so that its magnificence would be remembered forever. It was a story that would resonate with Z. He remembered, after all, that she was fond of ancient things.

Sid pulled his coat, a thoughtful replacement from the woman herself, tighter around his shoulders and picked up his gouge. He started carving a large star on top of a flowing ribbon.

"Yes, yes, wooden combs are back in fashion and I think it fits our doctor very well." He retorted while glancing at a nodding Chester. The ginger cat must have woken up and realised he wasn't heading to bed yet. "Go back to sleep," he told his familiars firmly.

He smoothen the comb using sawpaper and started painting the Stardusk symbol with the crew's signature yellow and blue. Once the paint dried, he lacquered the comb to bring out more of the wood's natural colour. He beamed as he studied the piece under the lamp light. Setting it aside, he pulled his half written note over and resumed writing.

Your gift comes in two parts -

First, a decorative comb which I hope you will wear proudly. I hope it reminds you that you are a much beloved part of the crew. The wood I used came from an ancient tree that was said to pre-date written history. It was a large towering tree with many stories to tell. A little like you, oui?

Second, while not as old, is a device from Brass Cape that will be in a museum one day. Victoire told me that it's called a stethoscope. I ordered you one with the tubing in your favourite blue. They say it amplifies the sounds of a beating heart making it easier to check a patient's pulse. Use it to remember to listen closely. Often what we say we say comes from the heart even when we aren't asking the right questions.

Also, thank you for all you've done. I appreciate being alive to celebrate this holiday with you.

Wishing you peace and happiness this Yule season,
Cedric Langely

Stifling his own yawn, he placed the comb into the small, square box. He shut the box gently and packed it into a larger box. Next, he added the stethoscope, packed neatly in its own case, and the folded letter. He replaced the lid after that and tied Zilia's present up with a blue ribbon. He prayed she wouldn't roll her eyes at seeing so much blue.

"Rrrrrao," Chester snickered.

Sid hissed. "Shush!"

He was about to head to bed when he remembered something. He went to the clothes rack and retrieved Zilia's new winter gear: a pastel blue hooded capelet coat lined with white, baby soft fleece, a pastel rainbow scarf made from wool he dyed himself and snowflake patterned mittens she could slip over her gloves. There was a pair of boots as well. They were dark blue and trimmed with the same fleece material used to line her coat. He packed them neatly at the bottom of the present box and placed the gifts and letter on top. Finally satisfied, he re-tied the bow.

"Oui, let's go to bed."

----------------------------------------

[Luro]

Chester judged his summoner as the man slammed an old wooden crate onto the floor. His sarcasm turned into worry when he saw Cedric slid onto the floor while coughing violently. The ginger cat teleported over and started nuzzling Sid. "Mrrraow?" he questioned.

"Bien," came the roughened voice. Cedric leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. "I don't know how I'll carry the packed gift if I can't manage an empty crate. Asking Jack to help feels like I'm imposing."

"Rrrrrr."

The tired man rolled his head to the side. He swiped at his eyes after feeling cold sweat wash into them. "Non, Jack will want to help. I think it means more if I did this myself."

He continued coughing into his soiled handkerchief as he curled up tighter. He didn't expect his body to react this badly to the cold snap. It was the first since he was very young. Pressing a hand against the wall to stabilize himself, he slid upright again and stumbled towards his table. He swayed drunkenly then slumped into his chair.

His hand reaching out for the first piece of Luro's gift. He rolled it over and sat up straighter to inspect the craftsmanship. He nodded with satisfaction as he kept his handkerchief pressed against his lips. Victoire kept her word and found him the best metalsmith in Brass Cape. Through her, he ordered 24 pieces of steel parts. He had them made exactly to Luro's specifications in the scattered drawings. They were, according to Chaos, the parts the red head needed to finish his projects. Sid was a little surprised the man never asked him sooner. He might not be the friendliest person but he wouldn't have refused.

"Mao!"

"Non, I won't leave a gift unwrapped. That's rude, Chaos," Sid scolded.

"Meow," both familiars answered back and Sid found himself outnumbered two to one.

Blinking slowly as their reasoning finally took hold, Cedric's frown cleared up. He was a little embarrassed he never thought of their solution before this. He could have asked the man to come collect his wrapped present. Doing that wouldn't cause him to strain his ailing body any further nor would it incur Zilia's wrath.

He accepted his notepad from Chaos and began writing a short note to Luro.

I planned to hide your Yulemas gift in the armoury closer to the actual day but my current health wouldn't allow me to carry anything this heavy. Could you please stop by my room?

We could talk a little over tea and rum as you open it.

Cedric

He folded the note into a tiny origami bird and passed it to Chaos. "Take your time delivering the note. I want to finish packing before he reaches," Sid instructed. "Play hide and seek with him if you must."

After she left, he packed the gift piece by piece with lots of help from Chester and Jackie. He added Luro's new garments - a thin hooded jacket, a pair of fingerless gloves, faux fur trimmed ankle boots and a scarf - at the top for an added surprise. He felt the assortment of reds, greens and blues gave the drab gift some holiday cheer. Last to be added was a bottle of spiced rum. He made sure the black glass bottle was securely nestled among the Feian silk clothing before sliding the lid over. He knew Luro was a human furnace but he felt the additional layers would help him preserve his natural body heat a little better.

He started painting the box as he waited to hear that familiar knock; his mind drifted naturally to scenes from their latest adventure. On one face, he painted Luro's performance in Treya, on another, he painted Vai's floating tent, on the third face, he painted Isari's crystal city with Ajynax guarding the tower and, on the fourth face, he painted his illusion of Priya scaring the bodyguards. Finally, he started painting the lid. He decided it would show a battle-worn Lady Luck flying over the islands in the Circle. He didn't know why but he felt that this particular scene was very fitting of the crew's inventor.

By the time he finished, the early morning sun had matured and disappeared into the horizon and dinner was many hours past. Sid only realised it when he blinked away his tiredness. He assumed Jack had snuck in earlier, because a gentle flame was burning in his usual kerosene lamp and a covered tray sat beside it. The small pot hanging over his unlit fireplace probably contained a soup or stew. A meal he would be grateful to have on such a chilly evening.

As he walked over to the fireplace, he did a double take. Sitting very patiently on a stool beside it was Luro himself. Sid blinked. "Oh … right," he began. "Sorry I took so long. Good tidings and lots of happiness this Yule," he said tiredly. "Care to join me for some dinner?" he offered.

TBC ….

 

[SilentxChaos]

Collab bet'w @Fox of Hearts and @SilentxChaos
​

​

Location: Bom Smoke Shop, Uitibuken

Children ran around the snowy streets playing an impromptu game of catch. A little boy barely taller than Jack's knee slipped by, yelling for his sister to wait. Adults, mostly grandparents, hung around. The women chatted merrily about their Yulemas preparations while the men smoked newly purchased tobacco.

Sitting in the store's shadow were a couple of makeshift stalls. Bubbling vats of spiced rum, sizzling oliebollen and roasting chestnuts provided an enticing pop and crackle over muffled conversation. A rotted tooth granny waved to him and flashed him the blackest smile he had seen in awhile.

"Hoi, laddie! Care for rum on ta house?" she greeted. "Warms an old woman's heart to see a handsome one visit."

As the stallholder offered Jack a steaming cup of rum, he noticed a woman, maybe a serving wench, running from the inn and joining a group of women. They were whispering excitedly and before long the group dispersed as the women darted around to share the juicy tidbit with the rest of the people gathered there.

He caught snippets passed around in Een Taal which roughly translates as "The princess is here with her Norjan fiancé. The man looks nothing like what we imagined. He has Bonifiaan red hair."

"Th-thank you. It warms my soul to meet a charming woman in this… winterscape." Jack took the rum with much relief, afraid his teeth would chatter out of his gums if he didn't get warm soon. Shoulders sagged as the first sip burned his tongue. "Absolutely heaven." He winked at the woman as he trained one ear to the gossipers' congregating nearby.

"I heard about the princess's engagement," he said as he sidled closer to her and the rum pot that breathed relief from the bitter cold surrounding them. "But I haven't been in town for a while. Who's the lucky fellow to get the royal family's approval?"

The old woman winked cheekily and ran a wrinkled hand up and down the firm bicep. "A handsome man like yourself I heard and Norjan as they're whispering. Your accent tells me you're from the same place." Seeing that Jack had drained his cup, she ladled more rum into it. Her other hand pushed a plate of steaming oliebollen towards the eye candy. She retracted her hand soon after since she didn't want the lad to be uncomfortable.

He accepted a refill with gratitude, this time sipping it more slowly. "Norja? That is surprising." He leaned closer, clearly interested in what she had to say. "There's no nobility from where I'm from. Who is this fiance?"

"Paul Neuman they said in the papers. I read that he's a magnate of sorts. Widower too. He sells steel ores? Can't remember. Only recall his sprawling wineyard. We don't have that here because of the weather and salty soil. My son told me there are plenty further west and even more near our capital." Her watery blue eyes held a faraway glaze as she fantasized about travelling west. She wished to see the massive cities of rock and ice her son described in his letters. He said the fanciest of buildings - homes and offices of the nobility - were often found underground. "Aye, our underground capital has developed so much in the past years. A collaboration with the best brains from Brass Cape you can say. Even Bonifaas has changed but I'm waitin' on them wonderful machines to come to Uitibuken."

"Nothing stops progress. I'm sure you'll see them one day." Jack paused for a drink.

The tobacco shop's fumes drew him with their sinful aromas. His own supply ran out three days ago; his fingers twitched with desire. But he couldn't be rude -- his mothers taught him better than that. He switched the mug between hands to cover up his shaky fingers, and cleared his throat.

"I know of Paul Neuman. He's a reputable merchant in Norja, and is a good friend with all the guilds from what I understand. Isn't he a bit old for the princess though? Considering she's next in line for the throne."

"She wraps her Papa around her little finger that one." She shrugged. "She doesn't ask for much from what I see. Guess the Baron agreed to the union because of it. You gonna buy smokes or you're here to mingle?"

"I can't do both?" Jack played his half-smirk at her.

Children stopped their games and hurried towards the shop when a man fading red hair appeared. He beamed and waved. "Kinderen, gather round. Gather round. Old Grandpa Nieks has a story to tell."

Adults pulled away from their friends. Their excitement was as real as their children's. It appeared that the local bard was quite the skilled entertainer. The old stallholder tapped Jack's arm lightly and she flashed him an even wider, rotted smile. "You're in for a treat. Not every day he comes now that he's pushing eighty-five. Says it's too cold for his old bones. Ta, today is a pleasantly warm day compared to most." There was that devilish glint again. "Sjords don't seem to appreciate such days as much."

Jack shivered, his Norjan heart withering at the thought this was considered a "warm day". He covered it up by turning his attention back to the crowd. "I think I'd like to listen. Thanks for the tip."

He handed her some money in gratitude for the hot drink and jovial words, then slipped inside the tobacco shop. Even though he meant this to be a short stop -- he did wish to hear the bard outside, he froze the moment he stepped into the hazy atmosphere of calming smoke. Jack took one long inhale and deflated. His shakes dissipated along with his tension and woes. Heavenly, came the thought as the pirate drifted to the counter and placed a pouch of money before the shopkeeper.

"Good day, sir. I'll take your finest blend please," said Jack. He took the moment to finally look around the shop, his eyes adjusted to the dimness.

"Aye, laddie. I can tell you haven't had some. Take a few sticks of my own rolled smokes." Those knobbly hands slid a bulging pouch with several cigarillos on top towards Jack. "Need a light?" he asked.

The children sat eagerly in front of a large puppet theater. Nieks scanned the crowd before pointing at Jack. "Young man, would you be my helper for today? I'm performing the story of Saint Agony. Your accent would be most wonderful for the lead."

The adults didn't give their visitor a chance to refuse. Hands pushed him forward and the little ones scooted to either side to clear the way for him. Everyone shouted words of encouragement or clapped as their eyes fixed on the Sjord among them. There was no trace of hostility on their faces although the young Navy cadets smoking outside the display window frowned. One threw down his cigarette and attempted to leave but a elderly man hobbled over and started speaking to him. That same cadet shrugged and lit a new cigarillo.

Tall men blocked Jack from view as one of the women tied a scarf around Jack's neck and added a shawl over his jacket. She whispered. "Keep hidden, laddie. Don't worry about the boys out there. They thought you were someone else."

"Who?" Jack whispered back, a new cigarillo forgotten and lost in the throes of the crowd. His new pouch was quickly shoved into the interior of his coat. Nothing changed about the man as he was pushed to the forefront of the puppet show. Save for half-hearted attempts to stop from being on another performance stage, Jack went along with it -- especially at the moment when he realized people weren't watching him so much as the Navy soldiers he'd failed to notice. His attention immediately shifted; he broadened his gaze to beyond the surrounding crowd, wondering what else he'd missed.

Settling down next to the old bard, Jack gave him a quirked smile even as he kept his attention on the woman who'd spoken to him, still expecting an answer to the question.

"If you're really wanting me to play along, you should know I don't have the slightest idea on who Saint Agony is or their story."

Nieks laughed and clapped Jack on his back. Rather than shouting, he dropped his voice to the softest murmur. "Not to worry, Jack Kunal. I'm honored to tell you a tale you haven't heard of before. Please let us call you Mr. Spicer. A playful reference to your famous products. Ironically, even the Navy cooks have been buying them without realising they tied back to Star Enterprises and you in particular."

Raising his voice, he addressed the crowd. "It appears Meneer Spicer has the case of the nerves. Someone please get him a drink while he reads the script." Nieks clapped his hands and two puppets walked out from behind the curtains with a battered book hefted between them. They offered it to Jack as the old man wink. "As you can see, you only need to read out loud. My puppets move by themselves."

How does he know my name? Jack dipped his head in gratitude, and began glancing over the book. But his thoughts ran faster. He cursed Belvedere for the thousandth time, as now it seemed he couldn't tell the difference of when someone knew his name because of his life or past, or that accursed business. Suspicion tensed his shoulders; his hackles rising like a jackal's. Better to assume the bard wasn't the only one who knew him, despite his telltale hair and tattoo being covered by his hood.

A mental rundown took stock of the weapons on his person and their most effective use. It would be ironic if I was the one who forced us to leave prematurely, he thought, semi-amused. Usually it was Luro's antics that led to Stardusk being chased back to sea.

He nodded to Nieks to signify he was ready. Even as he did, his eyes strayed back to the puppets. An eye twitched when he saw they were, in fact, moving on their own. Threats or foes? It was too early to tell.

"Ah, Meneer Spicer is ready. Let's begin," Old Nieks announced over the cheers and clapping. He stepped behind the stage and raised the curtains. The backdrop showed a small fortress town built right next to the sea. In the night sky was a crimson full moon. "Long before unification, Bonifaas was a small kingdom by the sea … "

Story of Saint Agony

Our story begins during the Winter Solstice. A demon moon walked the skies and she brought with her an impending doom. The sea levels were dropping quickly and the sailors warned that a great wave was heading their way. It would tower over mountains and wipe their existence.

There were too few boats and people had to choose who lived and who died. Families were torn apart as fathers shoved their wives and children towards the docks. A mother and daughter pair hung back, knowing they would be denied safe passage. You see, the two came from a distant land. Zigeuners, we called them, or gypsies in Common.

Not willing to let her daughter die, the mother pulled her girl to the temple to make one desperate plea to the Goddess of the land. She prostrated herself before deity and promised her anything so that the town would be spared. The Goddess agreed since she was promised any she desired.

A shield of purest light protected the city as the waves descended upon them, saving everyone from a watery death. Cheers reached the temple where the mother and her daughter sheltered. And, the two hugged each other to celebrate the miracle.

Alas, their happiness was not to be. The Goddess demanded her price, the daughter's soul.

The mother threw herself at the Goddess' feet and begged her to spare the girl. "Take me instead" she cried over and over but Goddess wouldn't relent.

"You asked for a miracle in exchange for what I desire. Step away or pay for deceiving a god."

Realizing her words fell on deaf ears, the mother drew out a knife and attacked the Goddess. She was swiftly put in her place and turned to stone. No one knows this woman's name but her statue sits in Reinout Herdenkingspark. We refer to it as the statue of Saint Agony.

It is a special statue, because she will weep before disasters strike. However, if she wept tears of blood, our end is unavoidable. Until that day comes, don't forget to stop by the statue and pay your respects to this brave woman whenever you visit Bonifaas.

Applause erupted when the curtain fell. Nieks walked out from behind the set and pulled Jack to his feet. He made both of them bow. "Echt heel erg bedankt (many thanks). You've been a wonderful audience! But, please, give a bigger round of applause to Meneer Spicer! Today's show wouldn't be the same without him."

Jack looped an arm around the old bard's back, bowing along good-naturedly. The crowd soon after began to disperse but he hovered a little bit longer, taking time to roll up a new cigarillo while watching Nieks pack up.

"So… mind sharing how you know my name?" He asked while lighting a match. His shoulders sagged with euphoria at the first inhale. It was like a breath of nirvana.

A group of puppets waddled around Jack's feet, carrying doll-sized boxes. Nieks would occasionally tell the Stardusk to lift up his feet so the dolls could take a shortcut. By and large, the bard's attention was fixed on the costumes and curtains he needed to repair. He glanced around to make sure the Navy cadets weren't within earshot before answering Jack's question. "Many of us have ties to the sea, Mr. Spicer. Pirates for generations and we still are. That's why you don't see many young men and women in Uitibuken. Not all of us, mind. Just the old bloods from Bonifaas."

"Do you know my crew then?" Asked Jack with a frown. Hoshi North had connections in Bonifaas, but he didn't — not yet, anyways. His face could've been known to them by bounties, otherwise he couldn't fathom how else the crowd recognized him.

"With the trouble you get into, aye. Far too many stories and, of course, embellishments. Our best source is young Will Carabis. He stops by before heading to Bonifaas by ferry. Not recently but often enough. I had the pleasure of speaking to him on one of his visits and he mentioned your bounty picture was the most accurate. The others not so much, especially your Captain's. Maybe today we'll find out what the rest of your crew looks like."

There was a small twinkle in his eyes as he leaned forward and whispered. "I heard Cedric Langley is your brother but his poster …" Nieks waved vaguely to the wall behind the counter. "We've always wondered if 'he' was a lass who is trying to be a lad."

Jack looked at the wall, covered in bounties, suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "Wouldn't be the first time it's been mentioned," he muttered and smoked, "Guess you'll have to decide for yourself over speculating, won't you?"

Fish Knives

Location: Lady Luck, Out at Sea

Cedric gasped. His eyes flew open and he surveyed the room in a panic. He swore he intended to sleep for five minutes among the finished coats. He was - where was he? He bolted up and regretted it. The darkened room spun out of control. He wondered if the ship was sinking and the crew left him to his swirling doom. He screamed as his body hit the hard floor. He curled up protectively with the blankets closing in on him and intensifying his sense of doom.

"Mew?" Jackie asked timidly. Her blue eyes searching Sid's face for any sign of calm. She had been left to guard the summoner as her siblings ran off to fetch doctor lady and other master respectively. "Rrrrr?" she hummed and started nuzzling him.

Sid flinched but he was no longer gripped by terror. His purple eyes, almost black in the low light, assured him that he was safe. He had merely rolled off his bed. Someone - or someones - moved him from the floor to his bed. They had even changed him into Z's usual patient garment. He sighed. It felt like unnecessary work for a short nap.

He pulled up against the bed, feeling weak suddenly and ravenous. He was puzzling over these sensations when Jackie climbed into his lap with a note clamped in her mouth. Accepting it, Sid unfolded the sheet and recognised Jack's handwriting. His brow furrowed. He what …! He had been asleep for 3 days!? He stared at the message in disbelief. He considered walking off to find his fére but the note stated explicitly that he was to remain there for now.

Sid slid towards the floor so that he could pillow his spinning head against the mattress. He bobbed the white kitten on her nose and she blinked. She scampered under the bed to retrieve the case as he requested. Sid smiled and ruffled the fur on her head when she re-emerged. "Merci, cher. Do you think your other master will like what's in here?"

"Mew?"

"Oui. Guess we will need to wait for him to come," he grinned as his mind consolidated the messages from his cats. "Madame Doctor is fast asleep. Not surprising given the hour but Jack, mon fére, is bringing food and medicine."

He grimaced at the thought of the "medicine". It was a worse tasting tonic compared to his cough relieving one; the main ingredient, which he detested, was a beef bone broth boiled for 36 hours to extract the marrow. He swore each bite reminded him of blood. A mockery of his debilitating illness.

Wishing to forget the impending stomach torture, the tailor popped the case open and admired the butterfly swords he commissioned. The two silver blades, customised to Jack's height and arm length, glowed with an icy blue sheen. He whistled. If these were really made of shimi steel, then they were worth every last copper he spent on it. Jack wanted such blades for the longest time.

"Sears with each slice when heated and hardens into a diamond-like substance when cooled," Sid quoted from memory. "I wonder if fére would use them for carving perfect sashimi," he added with a snicker. His mind calling up Jack's crestfallen face when he realised the salmon sashimi he served refused to stay chilled.

Sid hummed. "I believe if cooled to the right temperature the blade creates a thin layer of frost over whatever it cuts. Definitely the best set of sashimi knives," he concluded as he tested the weight in his hand.

He was still holding one of the swords when a shadow fell from the doorway. Sid's nose twitched upon getting the whiff of that much dreaded broth. He cuffed his nose quickly. "Cognac too, Jack? I hope it's for you."

"It is. How do you think I function at this hour?" said Jack, his voice still slurring with sleepiness.

Wearing his smirk, Jack entered with two steaming mugs in his hands and gently closed the door with his foot. He folded down onto the floor next to Cedric, moving awkwardly… or more like an old man. One arm kept close to his stomach as he winced, a little bit of hot brown liquid splashing onto his skin. Once he was settled, he placed one mug next to Cedric's knee. A twisted aroma of beef and medicinal herbs tickled his nose. The other mug nestled in Jack's lap, perfuming alcohol fumes, sweet caramel and apples into the room.

Jack raised it to his lips. "So… what's that?"

He gestured with his eyes to the blade that Cedric held. He shifted slightly, and something rustled under his shirt.

Sid gave his cup the stink eye. The smell was as bad as always. He replaced the sword into the silk covered indent in the box on his lap and picked up the cup; he could feel Jack's expectation already weighing down on his shoulders. Grimacing after each of his three measured sips, Sid leaned back and enjoyed the warmth flooding his insides. Bon, it's cold! He exclaimed internally unaware that Jackie was passing that thought to Jack.

"It's still one of the most vile things I've tasted besides Vulepecula's cooking and that's saying something. That woman loved an impie (unholy) amount of sugar in everything she touched including soup l'crème." Sid shuddered. "I don't know how Scorpiox could tolerate that disaster. But, I'm reconnaissant (thankful) all the same. You and Madame Doctor really care."

"I'd make a poor brother if I didn't," Jack teased.

Leaning against his groggy brother, Sid placed his head on a broad shoulder. It was a sacred moment respected by his furry trio. All of them looked utterly satisfied as their tongues reached for their cream moustaches. Sid snickered. "I see someone has been bribing trois familiars, oui? Now it's féres turn to be spoiled. Don't you recognise this blue sheen on steel?"

"I do. It's shimi steel, isn't it? Taking up dual-wielding, little brother?" Jack asked lightly, but his eyes took on a hungry look as he stared at the weapons like they were prime cuts from Norja's best cattle stock. One pound of the succulent meat cost a small fortune. "Tell me about them."

"And they are yours," Sid confirmed while pushing the box closer to Jack. "I'm surprised you'd think I want such close ranged weapons. Why don't you test them out?" He suggested. His mind waited eagerly for a yes because he wanted to see that unbridled joy on Jack's face. He couldn't remember when was the last time they shared such a moment. "There have been many counterfeits flooding the market lately and … well, someone will be losing more than his reputation if he thought of cheating me."

His brother's eyes widened with a watery sheen at the announcement of the gift. Hesitant hands reached out toward the gleaming blades. The metal beneath his fingertips made a soft sound, almost like a sigh, their pre-destined owner finally arriving. An excitement, a dormant bloodlust that only stirred in the heat of battle, sparked in Jack's face.

Giving the shimi butterfly sword an experimental slash, its blade sang with pure joy. Jack laughed. "It's perfect! You always were the better gift-giver. Here."

Two burlap-wrapped gifts were pulled out from Jack's shirt. He dumped them into Sid's lap, being careful enough that the man didn't spill his medicinal broth. One was a drawstring bag, its contents clinking together like cut stones. The other was a thick and heavy bundle with the width of Sid's hand, if he spread his fingers.

Hearing the sound of gemstones rattling in the drawstring bag, Cedric grabbed it immediately and poured the contents into his open palm. The colours of the universe glinting in those stones brought out Jack's hunger in his eyes. He flexed his palm and watched the fire topazes roll around. "Gift of the Kunal," he joked, remembering a Yulemas staple that Jack read to him when he was a child. "I gave you the chain and you gave me the comb. Both of us spent more than our monthly stipend on each other but we couldn't care less."

Jack smirked. "If you think I'll ever miss another Yulemas again, you're mistaken. You can thank Adelaide for the books, though -- she pilfered them from Charlotte's office during the revolts that stirred after we left."

Sid poured the stones gently into the bag and shifted his attention to his bigger gift. His heart hammered as he anticipated another wonderful gift. Usually books would get him excited but nothing compared to his love for shiny things. 'Magpie Syndrome' Ma Lily called it after she caught him opening Ma Zhi's jewellery box to play with the jade and pearl ear earrings. Sid disagreed. He was, and always would be, a lover of all things beautiful.

Three books were arranged in an uneven pyramid inside the sack. The two below, spell books based on the peeling titles stamped into the spines, were of the same size. The third book was barely a quarter of their size. He eyed the crest stamped on it and set it aside. He didn't find it as intriguing as having Madame's "forbidden" spell books. She had promised them to him when he was ready but the "when" never came.

He sighed as a drunken smile crossed his lips. "I've dreamed of flipping through the Du Vontiago tomes since I became a senior apprentice. The family was noted for their skill with shadows and light. In the latter they are second only to the Beauregards, a noble family famous for their talent with illusion and flames." He flicked the tiny book. "This is their crest. Not sure why Adelaide snatched this one," he murmured as his eyes sank back to the pages in his lap.

He paused briefly and passed the small book to Jack after catching the curiosity in his féres eyes. "Even Felix's family can't compare to them. Did you know that de Rusoville excelled in defensive spells? They went down in history as shield bearers to great kings or respected healers. It was Felix who managed to turn the family techniques into deadly attacks. Madame honored his achievements by adding them to De Lumiere." He closed the first spell book and ran a finger lovingly down the spine. "These are worth more than the swords I placed in your hands. Imagine the centuries of wisdom falling from the yellowed pages. C'est magnifique! (It's wonderful!)" He exclaimed and waved the book of light spells over his head.

Jack grinned at his brother's excitement. It'd been too long since he'd seen it.

Standing up, Jack took the second shimi blade and activated the Armament glove he wore. It had become habit to always keep one on -- for training, Jack told himself. He didn't want to admit his growing reliance on them. His arms burst into flames, then shuttled down to the virgin weapons. He was positive it was just his imagination, but he thought the blades grew lighter as they took to the fire. Carefully, given the small space, Jack gave a few practiced swings.

"They're powerful," he whispered. They were effortlessly a part of his body; a perfect extension of his killer instinct. A shiver ran down the length of his spine, and he didn't know whether to feel giddy or terrified. He settled for respectful awe.

"Try slashing this," Cedric suggested as he handed Jack one of his blankets. "I want to see those searing slices. We'll need the ice gloves from l'capitaine to see the frostbite cuts. It'll be a demonstration she'd want to see after you tell her all about these swords," he jested with a slight eye roll. "She focuses so much on others and never on herself. I hope her Yulemas gift will change that."

"She does," Jack agreed as he considered the sacrificial blanket. The blades' fire dimmed to a glowing amber sheen. He wanted to see what the heated shimi steel could do without the haki power behind it. With a smirk, he shifted into his natural fighting stance and nodded to Sid.

"Throw it. Let's see what these new blades can do."

 

[Capt. Blu]

Location: To the Inn/Tavern

Roars of laughter and the sound of clinking glasses filtered through the backdoor. Runali stood on the step waiting for the serving boy to return with the Innskeep as promised. As she waited, she and her red haired companion enjoyed flagons of warm spiced rum offered by the cooks working in the kitchen.

"Why'd I decide to follow instructions again…? We could be inside…" After repeating Smid's instructions both her and Luro were left to stand waiting outside to wait for some sort of approval. "This place better be worth me losing feeling in my-"

"Hoi ... oh, m'lady!" a young barmaid walking pass curtsied quickly. "Please forgive my rudeness. I didn't expect to see you so far from Bonifaas."

Runali blinked and looked over at Luro in confusion. Usually, that wasn't the reaction she'd get when people realized she was a pirate captain from the Worst Gen. Usually it was met with fear or as a threat… which was still fear. This was new. "Well… yes. I do like to, uh, stretch my legs and meet new people. See new places. We were bound to get here eventually."

A look of understanding flashed across the bar maid's face and she smiled. It seemed she arrived at a different conclusion. "Ah, I'll find ma'am for you. Don't worry, we'll be discreet. No one will know you stopped by, m'lady."

Luro took a small step closer to the Captain as she mentioned losing feeling but remained mostly quiet during their journey, minus a bit of small talk. He would occasionally rub his wrist and his gaze would move around on occasion. His thought seemed more focused on the ale inside the tavern than anything else, being this close to drink and not going in was taking a toll on him. Probably akin to dangling food to a starving man in a hole.

His met the Captain's look of confusion with a smile and looked over at the woman, his scarf somehow managed to flutter behind him unabated, with or without the wind. He would reach over only to adjust it slightly.

"Goedenmiddag, m'lady." A woman in her forties hurried over. The innkeeper, Mrs. Baltes, curtsied when she finally stood in front of the two new arrivals. "Tis an honour to have you drop by. As Fenna said, we promise discretion during your visit. Please, would you and - "

Her eyes flicked over to the red haired man beside Runali and a slight frown crossed her face. "M'lady, would this be Meneer Neuman? We heard your fiancé is Norjan but he looks Bonfiaan with his height and red hair." Her cheeks reddened by the time she realised what she asked. She simply couldn't stop that insatiable curiosity. "Many apologies, m'lady! Twas rude of me to ask of your guest."

Was it a common practice here to curtsy to pirates here? Runali wanted to ask but the biting chill and the woman's talking distracted her from it. Surprise colored her face at the notion that they knew the two were even engaged but it quickly turned into confusion when the Innkeeper spoke names- only to quickly apologize after. "Uh huh, pardon me a moment… ma'am." Runali pulled Luro down to her height and turned to have a brief aside. "I dunno who she thinks we are but wanna play along to see if we get more free stuff? Last time I did this, Jack and I pretended to be Navy officers it was fun."

Luro scarf seem to fall back down once they were inside, he wrapped it a bit around himself as they entered his eyes immediately going to the nearby drink. The only thing that stopped him was being spoken to by the strange woman, he stared at her and offered a smile to her.
"Ain't nothing wrong with a bit of curiosity," Luro responded with a small smile.
He offered a nod as he was pulled aside and leaned down to listen to the Captain, he offered a small nod and grin at her suggestion.
"I pretended to be seven people a few days ago but never with someone. That sounds fun let's do that," Luro spoke back.

Runali turned back to the woman, linking an arm with Luro's- mostly an excuse to steal extra warmth. "I... will pardon the interrogation, miss. Me and my, uh, guest were just looking for a warmer place to get drinks before I have to get back. There won't be any trouble with that, yes?"

"Mrs. Baltes, m'lady," the innkeeper supplied in a differential tone. "Please, follow me. We'll be happy to be at your service as long as you need. Will it be a suite for two or will there be others?" She stepped aside and allowed Runali and Luro to step into the bustling kitchen.

"Let our esteemed guests pass," she cried over the hub bub.

The reaction was immediate. Her staff paused, turned around, gave a start and bowed or curtsied as the Stardusk captain was ushered towards the staff entrance.

"I apologise for the improper passage, m'lady. It is nonetheless the most discreet way to the suite. Fenna and the lasses have the room ready and the fireplace roaring."

Runali blinked at the name 'Mrs. Baltes' but committed it to memory for the time being. She wondered who she was and why she was so important, but that was set aside when she was asked another question. "Oh," She gave Luro a gentle nudge. "Just us for now!" Before they could press on, she added. "But I'll be having others a bit later. A small… celebration if you will." She gave an innocent smile, suppressing her excited surprise as the staff stood to attention.

Runali could get used to that. "No, no it's fine. This was sudden notice… I'll make sure to give the Inn an exceptional review." Her voice was a little more preppy and posh just to show she was happy with it. Upon passing a tray of drinks, she took one with a smile and handed it to Luro. "Looks like you need it more than me at the moment." It was a quiet tease as they walked up to the room they'd be inhabiting for the time being.

The room they walked into was a large central room with two smaller rooms linked to it via connecting doors. The two smaller bedrooms were pretty self-contained. They looked like they were for the servants of whoever was staying in the suite. Within the central room there was a piano, but the thing that caught her eye the most was the large king-sized poster bed hidden in a curtained off section and there's an ensuite toilet.

"Ooh." Runali grinned. She moved over towards the fireplace, shedding off her coat and tossing it on a chair. A dumbwaiter caught her attention besides the fireplace and from what Ru knew, it was where food and drinks were sent up. "This is the fanciest room I've ever been in- besides the one time we saved that one kingdom. They had fancy rooms but I didn't get to stay in them long."

There was a tray of drinks left to the two as requested and Runali took one and sank into a cushiony couch by the fire. "This is… the only good thing about the cold." She patted the space next to her, ushering Luro to sit. "Though I guess it defeats the purpose of exploring for a few hours." She murmured behind her glass before taking a drink.

Before she could lower the glass, there was a new weight on her lap that startled her into a coughing fit. Large eyes were staring up at her, waiting patiently for the captain to acknowledge her. "Ah… Chaos. Nice to see you too." She gave the cat a gentle pat and realized her being here was probably for the best. "Oh right, relay the message for me." Runali told them the Inn and room number they were in and quickly added "Say, you're the guests of… whatever nobility I get to play." She looked over at Luro as Chaos mewed at them both before disappearing. "So, she's gotta be a fancy noble… someone important to have her engagement in the papers… You've been around fancy people more than I have Luro, any guesses?"

Luro seemed to straighten up a bit when Runali moved closer, remembering nobility liked to stand up like planks for some odd reasons. He wasn't sure he could get his 'noble face and voice' just right so he left it to the Captain while he dug in his memory. Wasn't he supposed to stick his chin out and comment about his greatness, or wasn't he supposed to brag but not make it look like bragging? Alicia wasn't like that though, most days anyway, so his best option was to imitate Alicia.
"Our appreciation for your hospitality, birds swim at dawn and you have clearly shown that," Luro said doing his best Alicia voice. "My thanks."
He was sure he got the gentle and calmness right, adding a bit of manliness in there as she always did.
There was a shine in his eyes upon receiving his drink, but right now had to be civilized, so he stuck out his pinkie, like a proper noble, and walked with Runali.

The moment they were in the room Luro quickly downed the drink, a content sigh escaping from him, he relaxed a bit glad to finally have his nourishment courtesy of the Captain.
"...being surrounded by all that drink and not being able to take part in it...that was really hard. How does Jack do this all the time?"
Luro's eyes moved around the room they were in, his eyes widening a bit as he really took it in.
"Oh yeah the people at Waterdeep, they were really nice. I've stayed in a few places like this, I always got chased out when they realized I was there though."
Luro happily took a seat next to the Captain holding his new drink in his hand.
"Defeated? It went great though exploring is fun with good company, we got something out of it too. This room is probably worth….."
Luro paused for a moment.
"A lot."
Giving a firm nod pleased with his explanation he stared down into his empty mug, the only acknowledgement of the cat next to him was the glance he gave after she had poofed away.
"Hmmmm lemme think of the fancy words for them," Luro said grabbing another drink. "She could be a baroness, if we're lucky a queen in hiding that'd be funny. Hmm she came from someone else so she could be a fancy person providing a certain kind of aid to the country, she could be going through a political marriage for fancy secret reasons…perhaps a rival house secretly helping another thus why she doesn't want to be seen."
Luro reached up and scratched his head.
"...nobles are really complicated….she could be anything," Luro said lowering his hand. "...maybe the estranged wife of a former lord who only used her to cement his position and once there threw her aside and took another woman as his wife. Dishonored she decided to climb back up the ranks and exact revenge and thus aided one of the rival houses throwing away her former name in the process and became a close ally, but due to her past and being a member of the hated household she has to keep her identity mostly secret as she works to destroy her former home."
Luro took a drink from his mug and pointed at the Captain.
"That's the one that sounds right."

"You're not wrong… Nothing has been damaged yet. Guess this could be considered a successful exploration. And good question, Jack likes to pretend he's fancier than being a pirate." Runali laughed at the explanations Luro gave her, tapping the now empty mug in her hand. "I mean that sounds right to me. I like that one last one." The captain nodded and reached out to exchange mugs for one that was full. "Wanna be a part of the rival house I'm aiding while I secretly destroy my former home?" She snickered. "And then I reveal my true identity but instead of you being shocked we've become betrothed! The scandal! The people will riot, it'll be in the papers for months." Realizing their fake story was going to get out of hand if she continued, she laughed and leaned back into the seat. "But for now, the free stuff is fine."

 

[Capt. Blu]

Post by Ryver​

[Femke Beach]

Strong winds blasted from the freezing seas, drowning Sid and Zilia's voices. Adenin sucked the end of his pipe before shoving it back into his pocket. Now wasn't the time for a quick indulgence it seemed. "Gemini, there you are," he crooned to new weight settling on his right shoulder. His familiar had returned with updates. Capitaine d'Templier would be arriving in the morning. There was no news of Madame Rêveuse. Wasn't she supposed to stay with the Baron over Yulemas? He guessed he would find out soon enough.

The jet-black Gris whistled his response and the summoner reached across his chest to stroke that feathery head. "Cedric learned to trust again, but we can't have that now, can we? Not after all we've done to drive him to the brink of suicide," he sneered. "I'll forever regret not slitting his throat when I found him completely humiliated in Norja."

A sickening emotion flared up in his chest as he recalled his aunt speaking so fondly of Cedric. The boy was slum brat, basically human trash. Dear Sid's place was, and forever will be, crushed beneath his heels. Summoner or not. Adenin thinned his lips while staring at the spot where Sid and Zilia faded from sight.

Adenin pried open the pouch suspended from his belt. Clasped between his fingers, and glinting forlornly in the setting sun, was an ornate brooch. The glow of the aeter was masked by a flaking maroon film. "Make sure he finds this, livret. We'll sow seeds of discord by poisoning Cedric's mind."

----------------------------------------------​

[J Krekel Inn]

Mrs. Baltes flitted around the kitchen checking on the food to be served to the princess's "suite". "No, no, not so rough. Cut the onions in fine strokes. Jacob! The other plates not those. And you two," she pounced on an unsuspecting Jack and Kadi. Chester, who was hidden under the hood, hissed his displeasure. "You must be my new errand boys. Where are the boxes of the Kunal Spices I requested? Cook can't make the stew without them."

The angry flames dimmed only after she spotted two young men creeping through the door with laden boxes in their arms. "Ah, 'pologies laddies. You Sjords look the same under hoods. You, Dieter, more rum. Get a new crate from the stores. Our lady is expecting six more guests. We shouldn't put her hospitality to shame."

Fenna the maid laughed nervously. "Sorry about that, Jack, Kadi. Mrs. Baltes has never had the honor of serving royalty before. It's a real honor to have you and your gracious hostess dropped by. I'm sure everyone will be talking about it by eventide."

"Mom! Mom … " A boy around thirteen screeched over his mother's shouts in Een Tal. Catching her glare, he quailed and switched into Common. "Mrs. Baltes! I've sent the pigeon to Mevrouw Hawk. I said in the letter we wait on her answer 'fore doing anything."

Clearly, it was a message meant for his mother only. The rest of the staff wisely held their tongue and feigned deafness as she chastised him for his carelessness. Fenna simply shrugged when she glimpsed Jack's expression. She turned around and tapped Kadi's arm to get his attention. She indicated that the three of them should make a hasty exit.

**Meneer means mister and mevrouw means miss/mrs**

 

[Capt. Blu]

Post by Ryver​

Occupational Hazard
Location: Uitibuken (J Krekel Inn)

Maids streamed in and out of Ru's fancy room. Velvet curtains were hung up, bed sheets changed, fire stroked and two long tables brought in. A silky table cloth was thrown over the tables and Mrs. Baltes's best plates and bowls were laid out with extra care. On either side of each plate were gleaming cutlery and buffed, albeit mismatched, wine glasses sat within reaching distance of the plates. Sitting in the place of honour, at the center of the table, was a Yulemas themed arrangement, a wreath of fir, pinecones and red candles.

"We can ask Jens to come up and play for you," a nameless maid offered. "He plays the piano beautifully and sings as wonderfully. Would m'lady like that?"

As she waited on Runali's decision, the other maids laid out the cold dishes - two plates of assorted kelp salad, herbed sticks of butter sitting in gleaming silver dishes, a wooden board of hard cheeses, dips and crackers and a second board of charcuterie meats - the spread, without the hot dishes, already rivalled Jack's usual lunch spread. The VIP and her "partner" were left to enjoy what was laid out as the maids hurried to the kitchen to bring more rum and the rest of the food. They didn't wait too long; Cedric and Zilia were escorted into the suite by a maid carrying a polished silver wine bucket filled with snow. Two wine bottles were barely visible under their icy blanket.

"Capitaine, I didn't expect you to be treating us to such luxuries on our first night. How would you afford the rest of our stay?" Cedric teased. His smile came reluctantly as his mind stayed on Femke Beach. Quickly, he shot Zilia a look to remind her to not say a word about Adenin.

The doctor and tailor were seating themselves at the end of the table closest to the fireplace when Kadi and Jack arrived with a gaggle of swooning maids trailing after them. It wasn't clear who was the bigger hit amongst the ladies. Sid's bet - which he voiced - was Jack. That Sjord admiration ran deep in the empire so he claimed. He scooted one seat down so Jack would end up closest to the fireplace. From where the Stardusk gathered, they could see the maids bringing in a steaming cauldron, piping hot baskets of bread, baskets of fried potato batonnets and a mysterious covered serving dish. Sid eyed it suspiciously.

"Fish, mussels or version, what's your bet?" He asked Jack and Zilia. "I can't tell because of the crazy amount of garlic and parsley." He shuddered. "I really detest that green herb. That's why I'll never understand why mon fére overloads his Jaipuran dishes with these d'savon ("soapy tasting") leaves. The dangerous amounts of chili is bad enough."

"Gods of four winds, m'lady, please, please begin. The food won't taste as good once the winter sets in," Mrs. Baltes herself came to insist the crew sit themselves at the table and tuck in. All eyes swivelled to the empty seat at the other end of the table. "Don't you worry about your last guest. We'll make sure there is piping hot food, maybe a second round, when hen (they) arrives."

"That won't be necessary, Mrs. Baltes," a husky feminine voice came from behind the innkeeper. "Lady Tashigi has arrived."

The speaker was a very blonde, very green-eyed Venus. Leggy and nubile, she appeared to draw Kadi's eyes as she skipped into the room. Or, maybe it was her questionable outfit, it was hard to deduce. She wore an outfit better suited to Norja's hotter temperatures: beige fawn shorts, a long-sleeved cropped top, ankle boots and a cowgirl hat angled so far back that the brim formed a halo around her head. "Kia Ora, y'all!" she bobbed on her feet, waving so rigorously eyes flitted to her cleavage peeking beneath her plunging v-collar. Her modesty was spared by the white camisole peeking beneath the red gingham shirt.

She pranced over to the group and flitted from one person to the next. Curiosity made her eyes burn in a hawkish manner. Her cherry lips parted slightly. "Gosh, y'all are shorter than I expected," she exclaimed. Her accent became more marked with each word.

Sid, who had been deliberately looking at his feet, raised his eyes cautiously. "You're second to Luro in this room," he stated with eyes widening slightly. He assumed Kadi would be taller than her but that was far from the case. His eyebrow twitched when she tackled Jack and him. "Cass!" he choked and slapped her arm repeatedly. That same fear on Femke Beach coloured his eyes and he began hyperventilating. He hated being grabbed like this without his explicit permission.

"Awww, aren't my brothers happy to see me!" she squeed. Releasing Sid upon sensing his discomfort, she wound her other arm around Jack as well, pulling the shorter chef into death's hug. "Biiiiiiiiiiig brother! I missed you so, so much!" she thrilled. Her voice rose to a grating pitch.

Some words must have been whispered into her ear because she released Jack immediately and spun around to face the rest of the crew. "Oh, I almost forgot! I'm Cassidy, Jack's little sister but Sid's much, much older sister. Amaiya knows that already, right? We met at Madam Akemi's." She winked at the First Mate. "One of their sisters anyway. Betcha Jack never talked about us," she added with a fake pout.

Then, with the same flurry of energy, she leaped in front of Runali and bent forward. Silky strands of gold flowed over her shoulders as her eyes searched the one-eyed captain's face. Cass' lips rounded into a very pronounced 'o' before she reared back laughing. "Fair suck of sav," she gasped, wiping tears from her eyes. "The Navy won't even know what hit them. Gosh, Captain Lev, you sure don't look like your wanted poster at all!"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-​

Omake: A Very, Merry Stardusk

Yulemas draws ever closer. Cedric continues doing Santa's work while his crew dream of sugar plums …

[The Animal Brigade]

Jackie padded around in her new cat-booties. She lifted one foot closer to her nose and studied the strange knitted sock. She rubbed her nose experimentally then stopped; she didn't like how that felt. Meowing her displeasure, the youngest familiar scampered around trying to get Cedric's attention. Chester's baleful eyes peered from behind his leg. He curled into a tight ball to block out the tinkling from the tiny bells adorning Jackie's scarf. His own booties peeked contrasted nicely with his fluffy orange fur.

"Rrrrrrrrrao!" Chaos hissed, batting the wooden comb with her shod paws. Her fangs peeked from behind vanishing lips and she gnawed the edge.

"Non, mon petite," Sid scolded, rescuing his precious cat comb. He paid good coin for the horse hair bristles so he wasn't going to let Chaos ruin it. Not yet, at least. This comb was less than a month old. Sighing, he smoothed the fur on her head and slipped a scarf around her neck. "There, done! Let's go find Coral."

The crew's self-appointed stylist stretched his legs from under his body and flexed his toes. The tingling down his leg signalled the end of his pins and needles and Cedric stood up confidently. He grabbed the box on the table on the way out. An upbeat Yulemas tune, Jack's favourite, added to his cheer. He had a good feeling about Coral's present although it would be the second Yulemas gift he was giving. Jack's was the first.

"Capitaine, bonjour! I see I won't need to find Coral Pearl as she's perched serenely on your arm," he greeted after emerging from below. "I sewed you a coat so I thought she should have an outfit to match," he hinted as he opened the box.

Fishing out the first garment, he lifted one wing gently then the other wing, slipping them through the holes in the sleeveless sweater. He wound a bird-friendly collar scarf around her neck next and finally pulled a beanie over her head. He grinned. "Now we won't have to worry about l'faucon getting cold. What do you think, mon capitaine?"

TBC ….

 

[Capt. Blu]

Even for the short amount of time, Runali enjoyed the playful life of luxury. It was one thing to have nice things, but to be given nice things freely was pretty good. "Y'know, I don't see why Tashigi left princess life." Runali commented at some point while snacking on fruit. She had been advised by a waiter to be careful not to ruin her appetite since food would be brought with the rest of the party. It reminded her to play the part, giving polite nods and other gestures she picked up from being around nobles- even if that was rare and few. There was no reason to ruin such a fun time so soon. Besides, this was much better than fighting around in the cold for being a pirate. Not that it wasn't fun, but even pirates could appreciate a day off.

"-while I'm all for the challenge of it, I just don't think we'd have a lot of room for a sea monster if we catch one. Even if Alicia cuts it into pieces, the ship would smell like fish for months." She was in the middle of a conversation with Luro about the possibility of fishing for sea monsters when the door opened once more. Runali sat up, grinning hearing the voices of her all too familiar crew. Leaning over the couch, she mused. "Ah, only the finest for my dear friends. I do love to spoil." She bit back a laugh as she got up to join the rest at the table now adorned with food. Everyone trickled in with their own stories to tell, but the most peculiar was the one that tagged on with her first mate.

She would have started to say something, but the woman's presence was larger than life and very vibrant. The word 'brothers' got Runali's attention and for a fleeting moment, her gaze flickered between Cedric and Jack. There were explanations that needed to be had but Cass was suddenly in her face. And in the next moment, laughing away.

"Aye…? Nice… to meet you too?" The captain stared for a minute, unsure of what to say, until she finally cleared her throat and gestured to the woman. "Cass is it? Do you live here… or is this a happy accidental reunion?" Gaging Sid's expression and reaction towards the woman, she wasn't sure happy was the proper term to use.

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Not GM Post/Regular Post​

"Any get-do is a happy one, Captain Lev," Cass spoke while wiping the tears from her eyes. "Bonifaas was the last place I thought they'd drop by. I'm working close to the edge of the world, you can say." Tucking her hands behind her back, she tilted her head to get another good look. "Your face gets one reaction and your name gets another. I'll stick around and see the trouble you're gonna cause. It'll be fuuuuuuun … can I?" she asked with her eyes sparkling.

She crossed her heart. "I promise y'all nothing but more mischief and larks. More than what Ma Lily will allow me. Oh and Cedric about your Madame Du Vo - … little brother, are you feelin' alright?" Cassidy whirled around after catching the colour vanishing from Sid's sallow face. "You look sick as a horse."

The summoner kept a hand clamped around his mouth and nose, shook his head and shot up from his seat. He lifted his foot then crashed to the floor, kicking his vacated chair over himself. Cass abandoned Runali and rushed over. By the time she reached, Sid's blood smeared face stared back at her. Blood, warm and wet, flowed from either nostril and the veins in his right eye reddened in prominence.

"Cedric …" she grabbed a napkin off Zilia's unattended plate and offered it to him. "Stay still - "

Slapping her hand away, the little brother shook his head vigorously. "Non, no time for this," he croaked. "Capitaine, Amaiya, someone broke the wards. We have intruders on the ship!" he shouted.

"That must be that rogue summoner and the like that Ma Lily wanted me to track!" Cassidy exclaimed. "Oops," she trailed off, realising she'd owe her brothers the biggest explanation after this.

 

[SilentxChaos]

​

The first thing that came to Jack's mind as he entered the lavish suite, Kadi looping at his side, was the news of Paul Neuman and his princess bride. Did I hear that they thought royalty was staying in this room? His lips twitched as he watched Runali and Luro. The idea of those two being from such gentry was ludicrous.

"I'd say you've outdone yourself," said Jack to Runali as he accepted his seat with a grateful glance at his brother. He sagged closer to the flames. "All of this and you didn't even have to try? I should just pack in -- clearly, my secondary job isn't needed anymore."

The food came in, capturing the cook's attention. His mouth watered instantly -- he was famished. Less concerned about following the rich life's protocol to wait for guests (he'd noticed Ali- Amaiya- was missing), with the whole situation being more amusing than warranting his spy sensibilities at the moment, Jack got up and helped himself to the warm sustenance.

He'd just sat down when a high energetic voice shattered his contentment.

"Fucking hell," Jack muttered and tried to sink into the fireplace the moment Cassidy entered the room. Even with his hood up, it was to no avail. She spotted him instantly right next to Sid. He'd just stuffed a spoon of hot broth into his mouth when she plowed into them both. The bowl in his hands spilled and seared his skin through his pants.

"Spirits damned, Cass!"

Wriggling out of her hold, he tried to pat down his soggy lap while glaring at her… and keeping an eye on Sid. He'd noticed, too, when his brother stiffened at her touch. The fear that flitted through his eyes. Jack made a mental note to ask about it later.

Drying himself off in front of the fire, and watching Cass flounce about the room, gave him a space of breath to think -- if it couldn't be said the same for everyone else. His eyes drooped. He leaned against Luro, the closest to him, and glanced at Runali. He drew a little closer to whisper into her ear, "Back in Norja, my family has 'adopted' a few… lost souls, over the years. Cassidy came around when I was 15, with another sibling in tow." Jack's teeth worked as he recalled those early years. Regardless of Cassidy's reaction, it was clear his relationship with her wasn't the same as it was with Sid. If anything, he looked annoyed that she was there; he hadn't stopped watching her.

"It was just before I left to become a pirate so… it was a while before I got to know her. We never really got along. But you could say, I suppose, she's fami--"

Jack snapped up, seeing the blood on Cedric's face a half-second before Cassidy. He rushed to his brother's side. "He must have gotten a rebound from the wards being broken," Jack said to the room, and then cursed under his breath.

He grabbed the front of Cassidy's shirt -- not harsh, only to get her attention. "Who's the summoner you've been following? And what were you about to say about Vontiago?" He couldn't help feeling there was a connection between those two things. Something started settling in his gut. Something off. Whether it was a premonition or paranoia, it was too early to tell.

A dozen more questions tumbled into his mind -- Why are you even here? How did you know where to find us? Where's Lily? -- but he shoved them down. There'd be more time for questions when the threat was neutralized.

To Runali, Jack said, "We should head to the ship. Or I can take a few people with me." He added with afterthought. Was it wise for Runali to go through town being mistaken for someone else? The confusion, amusing at first, now left him wary. He looked at her, conveying his caution at a glance.

 

[Mizos]

​

"Okay but hear me out...what if I made an extension on the ship and-"
Luro was pulled from the conversation as the others entered, he raised a hand and waved to them before motioning to the laid out food before them. Each time the maids left a majority of the rum was gone and judging from the mostly empty one in his hand he was the cause of the back and forth. Luro's eyes moved to the piano for a moment at the suggestion, his gaze lingering on it for a moment before he was pulled back to the others.
"Doing stuff like you is hard Jack so don't quit," Luro said. "I don't wanna do it all the time."
Luro immediately rebutted the idea that Kadi wasn't the one bringing in the lasses, he gave Jack fair credit of course but he was singing Kadi's praises as everyone else filed in.

When the woman came in with Alicia, Luro tilted his head a bit but grinned at Cassidy seeing her energy. He clapped his hands together and looked back at Cedric and Jack.
"They didn't tell us they had one. Guys why didn't you say anything? Did you forget like I did?" Luro asked motioning to Cassidy.
He looked over at her as she spoke to the Captain, Luro brought a hand to his chin.
"Hmmm more mischief is nice and all...." Luro thought but trailed off as Cedric fell out of his seat.
He stared at him for a moment before grabbing one of the fruits and tossing it in his mouth earning him a glance from Zilia, the redhead tilting his head slightly at her as he munched on his fruit as the others rushed to his aid.

​

"What did you do?!"
Zilia's note was raised to the two the moment she entered the room, she had a varying amount of questions, a ton of them rising from their earlier instance at the beach, which she wasn't pleased Cedric didn't want to talk about. The only thing that caused her to keep her silence was a lack of understanding, she disliked keeping secrets from the crew but she trusted Cedric to speak of it, if he didn't she wouldn't hesitate to do so herself later.
That thought was put aside however at the present question of how these two were in this room and after hearing Runali's 'name' called, the doctor's eyes narrowed and she brought a hand to her face. There was so much she wanted to say but it was interrupted by the appearance of the new woman, her eyes glued too Cassidy, twitching slightly as she observed the woman's exposed garment.
Zilia was dressed in the outfit Cedric had given her but she had worn clothing under it still keeping it from exposing her skin, especially in this cold weather, she wasn't sure what to think of the woman even after introductions went through.
Just as she was turned her page to admonish the two for stealing someone's identity Cedric fell to the ground prompting Zilia to move to his side, her eyes moving to Cassidy and Jack as they approached. She didn't touch but stayed near him, her gaze moving to Luro who seem to stare without the slightest care.
Her eyes narrowed seeing something in the man's gaze for a moment, it was passing barely a blink but she understood what was conveyed for a moment before he returned to his food waiting to see what would happen.
Though both their eyes widened as the information about the ship was given to them.
"Of course...all of us here, why wouldn't anyone take advantage of the opportunity," Zilia wrote squeezing the bridge of her nose.
She looked at Luro who didn't seem too shocked by the information but had already strapped his rifle to his back again in case they decided to move.

She remembered before they docked Luro was messing with something on the ship, she didn't see what it was but he had closed one of his hidden panels before they docked. She supposed Luro, who set countless booby traps around his things, wasn't concerned about them being stolen but her extremely rare books were another matter.
"I'd prefer the ship not get stolen," Luro said. "I can fix and replace stuff. Especially after it explodes but the ship is another matter. Especially that thing in Alicia's room right now."
"...Luro are you...talking about that really dangerous thing I told you not to put in someone's room."
"Yeah that one," Luro said pointing at her. "Oh right you did say that."
Zilia shook her head and raised her book to share her thoughts.
"Whatever we're going to do we should decide it quickly. I'm concerned about these two going with us considering the circumstances...but leaving them alone is also concerning. I'd prefer someone responsible with them in case something happens. If we decide not to go together."
"I'm responsible," Luro said pointing at himself.
"Cassidy was it? It's ultimately up to my Captain but we don't take freeloaders around here. If you're going to travel with us you have to pull your weight in some manner. Sharing what you know would be a good start to that...and a good first impression."
Zilia mentally sighed at the height of this woman, she already had to crane her neck to three people in the room, now there was a fourth.

 

[Capt. Blu]

Devils In The Land of Snow Part I
Location: Uitibuken (J Krekel Inn)

Collab Between Capt. Blu and Fox of Hearts

"Spirits, Jack! You don't grab a girl like this," Cass smacked that offending hand. "It's rude even if we're brother and sister." She pushed out her lower lip in a childish pout when he held on. "Fineeeeee, I'll be nice since it's the Yuletide. I'll answer your questions if you let go," she tried again.

She put Runali between them the moment she was free. Or rather, Runali and a barely conscious Sid. He leaned heavily against the captain as blood flowed down his chin in an ever thickening stream. Cass pursed her lips then turned away not liking to see family in such a state. Her eyes focused on Luro because he was the furthest from the scene. His reaction to Sid's plight intrigued her on some level and she decided to ask Jack about it later. If anything, her big brother was a gold mine of information when you ask the right questions.

Resting her hand on the Jaipuran's free shoulder, she began addressing Luro and the room at large. "The two are separate things really. Like Charlotte Du Vontiago, I remember Sid being quite fond of her. Like really, really fond," she paused to vaguely acknowledge that gurgled denial from her little brother but pressed on. "Okay maybe not. Anyhow, a month ago, Trovalian hunters captured her on a nearby island. Caracas, yeah that's the name! She was with Scorpiox but he escaped. Then," she paused dramatically.

Her green eyes failed to find Jack's so she captured Amaiya's silver ones instead. "She vanished on the way to Bonifaas. You know, poof! It's really mysterious since they bound her properly and all. She couldn't have escaped herself so there must have been an accomplice. And, that's why Ma Lily was called back from Trovale. She's our best bounty hunter and she's been heading the search effort with yours truly as her scout. I'm supposed to investigate rumours, if any, of Charlotte…"

She broke off suddenly when she saw Sid struggling to get up. "Capitaine, please. We need to go. Now!" he protested without a care for his current state. "I need to know who. Let go!" he shouted, straining against that grip as the start of a fever began warming his skin. His agitation appeared to be brought on by Cass' tale.

Cassidy's arrival wasn't as warmly received from what Runali had seen from the brothers' reactions- along with the up close and personal one sided interaction she had just received not too long ago. For a moment, she was stuck on the comment of her face, wondering what she could have possibly meant by it but it was brushed aside as both brothers added their own… drama for lack of better words.

Runali had moved from her seat towards Cedric upon him having a coughing fit and was helping him up, looking at Zil for help. After all, she didn't know how to handle whatever sickness this was. "You can't fault us for needing answers to questions you've posed. It's only fair." Even though Runali was talking, most of her attention had attuned to the fact that someone invaded her ship.

"Oi, this is why you should let me finish," Cassidy cut in. She didn't want the Stardusk running blindly towards an even bigger threat. "I'm here to investigate rumours regarding a new Trovalian bounty. Lady Gerin-Lajoie was seen - "

"Lady Templier?" Sid whispered as he slumped back into Ru's lap. His face covered with a veil of sweat from his futile struggle. Fear crept back into his eyes as he recalled the burnt letter. "Wait, why a bounty?"

Cass shrugged. "Some hush hush thing must have happened. She was tasked with eliminating summoners loyal to Charlotte but she abandoned her post for some reason. Some say she went mad but others said she got possessed by the spirits of those she slain. Not sure what to believe to be honest. Then, three days ago, Ma Lily received intel about a woman matching her description in Uitibuken. I've been searching for clues ever since but haven't had any luck yet."

Her cheeks turned a dusky rose now that she finally admitted to having an ulterior motive. Plans, which she knew Jack wouldn't approve, since they involved using their baby brother as bait."I'm guessing she might have heard the Stardusk are in town and we all know Sid was Charlotte's prodigy. What do you think, big brother?" she asked but her eyes flitted slowly from face to face as if inviting the rest to come to their own conclusion.

"Absolutely not." Runali commented before Jack could. Her brow furrowed at Cassidy but she turned to Cedric and Jack. "You see him coughing up blood and you think the best idea is to send him towards people trying to kill him? I'm reckless but I'm not just gonna give someone an open target to shoot." She shifted Cedric into a nearby seat so she could get off the floor. To Jack's question, she answered with, "We should head over to the ship. Luro can make sure nothing's been damaged just in case it's some trap to get Cedric. And if it's some trap to get him by himself," She pointed to Amaiya and Zil. "You two can keep an eye out for him. Jack can do what he does best and find out whatever we need to know." Her moment of reprieve from the cold was gone and she was once again back to her duties as a captain. She didn't mind her 'job', but what she did mind was getting into trouble she didn't ask for. And Cassidy was definitely bringing trouble she wasn't thrilled to be in.

"Unfortunately, we'll have to cut this delightful dinner your favorite nobles," She gestured to herself and Luro as they were the ones that got the room. "Managed to get together." It then occurred to her that the not so carefully crafted persona she created would be ruined if she just ran out, but that probably wouldn't be the worst situation in the moment.

"We really must go, it's an emergency." Runali said as the group began to leave. She found herself caught up with the woman whose name she forgot, managing to keep up her appearances while the rest of her crew hurried off.

"But your Highness, it will be dark soon," Mrs. Baltes warned. The stubborn set of Ru's jaw dissuaded her from begging the princess to reconsider. She figured she could offer the woman the next best thing. "We could have warm beds and a fire ready when you return. At least, take a few lamps and Balto with you. He'll know the way back if you get lost in treacherous dark. Remember, my princess, don't respond to voices calling your name when in the woods. Restless spirits are waiting to pull you underground."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-​

b]Devils In The Land of Snow Part II[/b]
Location: Southern Harbour

Balto sprinted alongside Jack. His black and white fur blended perfectly with the purples of the night. He panted and shook his furry head when Jack finally pulled to a stop. A colossus rose in the distance, signalling that they were near the cliff they docked at three hours earlier. Save for the sound of muffled bangs and the smell of burning coming from the cave, everything was eerily quiet. Cassidy started searching the cliff line and nearby trees.

"See anyone?" she whispered to the three behind her, Cedric, Amaiya and Zilia. "Sniper Man," she turned to Luro. "Those eagle eyes of yours see anything?"

"Cass, how many summoners did you say are in the area?" Sid rasped. His clammy hands were clenched tightly as he felt a surge headed their way. The energy far exceeded what flowed from Alicia in her transcendent form. He swallowed, glancing at his mentor. "They are exiting the cave. Headed this way," he reported. His mind closed to his cats' messages because the stark blacks and whites of the images aggravated his headache.

Their canine companion appeared to be as perceptive. He bared his teeth, getting into an anticipatory crouch, as a lone figure approached. Strange winds on an otherwise still night whipped her cloak and skirts. Eventually, a pale yellow orb burst in her upturned palm, illuminating the lower half of her bloodied face. A pink tongue poked out from her smeared lips and she lapped the passing droplet. The lips spread into a hungry grin, all teeth and no warmth.

"Hello, Ruie-poo, was that your itty-bitty ship?" she mocked. "I love the many surprises my prey found. It was such a thrilling ride." Allowing the orb to hover in the air, she brought her other hand into the light. Her fingers clutched a handful of bronze feathers. "Your bird tried her best to win our little game. If you hurry, you might get a chance to say goodbye, no?"

"Ruie-poo," the siblings echoed. Their heads whipping around quickly to fix on the intended addressee. Green and purple eyes were wide with shock. Sid asked the first question that came to mind. "Capitaine, you know this … person?"

The voice Runali heard made her react faster than seeing the figure approaching. Her hand coated with armament instantly. Not many things managed to rub the captain the wrong way- and not as fast either- but the way she was instantly ready to attack made it clear that this figure was no friend of hers.

He wanted to say summoner but he couldn't. Her energy signature didn't match Madame Du Vontiago's nor Lady Templier's. Both were, unfortunately, familiar to him. "Capitaine, your face says you recognize that voice."

Hearing Cedric made her frown deepen at the figure in front of them. "Kane'Artem housed all kinds of criminals… It was also a place a lot of criminals got executed too." Runali gritted her teeth while she attempted to keep calm. "I'm just a little surprised that this one wasn't a part of the latter half." She straightened up and flexed her hand, testing to make sure she had the proper gloves on. They didn't ignite, but she could feel the warmth in her palm. "Pirate hunter." She announced. "But that's the only… normal thing about, Lebov. Had she not been a serial cannibal, the Navy might have actually liked her." She moved her hands to her side, giving the others the faintest gesture to be ready, and spoke. "Do you want to explain why you invaded my ship or are you ready to die knowing the last thing you attacked was my bird?" As much as she wanted to run past the woman to get to Coral, she knew it was dangerous to let her roam freely- especially not while they were around.

"Oh no, Ruie dear. I was on death row, remember? Your lovely crew set me free when they sprung you from Kane'Artem." She chuckled. "Me and so many of your other friends."

Lebov clenched her fist, extinguishing her orb and shattering every single lamp held by the group. Darkness reclaimed the area as Balto barked warningly. Runali started to take a challenging step forward, but paused when Luro's hand went out to stop her. A bullet sailed past where she would have stepped. It occurred to her that at that moment, she didn't hear if Luro had actually answered Cedric's earlier question.

"Ah, thanks." She was pulled a little more into her senses and she sighed finding some semblance of calm. "Z, Jack, Kadi head to the ship. We'll meet you there." While Z could find Coral, she figured Jack would have a better idea of what to search for- without putting Cedric in harm's way and if there were any of them close by, the rest could handle the offenders. Her hand caught fire and she looked and listened around. "Careful… she bites."

 

[SilentxChaos]

Collab between SilentxChaos, Mizos and Fox of Hearts

Location: Southern Harbour (Lady Luck)

"Big brother, wait! I'm gonna come with you." Cass shouted. Her long legs bending at the knees as she took off after the fleeing three. She was pulling into the middle of the group, besides Zilia, when she heard the shot. "Shoots! Snipers!" she groaned.

Ma Lily would chew her out for sure if she let either brother get shot. Cussing in a way Ma Zhi would never approve, the guild secretary whirled around. "Don't hate me, ok?" she warned. Her long hair flaring out and whitening at the tips. Icy winds sprung from her feet, expanded and whipped around the area. Her green eyes bled to white. "Snow Storm!" she bellowed.

The winds closed in, dragging along a fine, powdered flurry. The flakes meshed closer together forming a translucent veil. Vision was narrowed to an arm's length at most. Apologizing profusely for the inconvenience, the cowgirl pulled her hat tighter over her head and sprinted again. "Keep going in ta direction," she encouraged. "Lest we needn't worry about them getting shot."

"Raaaaaaow?" puzzled the lump that appeared in Jack's pocket. Jackie, the kitten, poked her tiny head out and purred adoringly. Clasped in her mouth was Sid's fixed bead earring. The message was clear. Sid wanted Jack to have it so they could stay in touch.

Jack picked up the little cat and tucked her into his breast pocket, inside the coat. The earring was fixed to his newly pierced earlobe as they headed toward the ship. He merely gave a glance to his sister, Cassidy, as she caught up and did her thing. In a normal situation, he would've gotten waspy at the increase of cold. He conceded the need of it here, however.

Before the fog and snow concealed them completely, another shot rang out. It hit Jack against the cheek and glanced off as Armament Haki coated half of his face. It dissipated, and he glanced at Zilia.

"You might want to stay close. I'm the best shield we have right now."

​

Zilia didn't need to be told twice to stay near Jack, she took a small step over to him slipping in behind him as they made their way to the ship. She was still uncomfortable leaving the others alone but Alicia was with them, they should be relatively fine. She worried for Cedric however, leaving a sick patient side still didn't sit well with her. She hoped to rejoin the others as soon as possible to give him more than a quick examination.

She was forced to pull herself from these thoughts however remembering that woman in front of them had summoned a snowstorm and they were still being shot at.

"...I may be getting too used to these things. I 'almost' didn't feel bothered seeing someone conjure a blizzard."

Based on where the bullet hit him, Jack had a vague idea of the shooters' direction. He had the rest of the party congregate behind him as they moved toward the cave that sheltered their ship and the harbor that it was in. Jack kept glancing at his sister, nonchalantly stealthing next to Kadi in her inappropriate clothes for the cold, and couldn't get rid of the awkward feeling building in his stomach. Never thought I'd meet her outside of Norja… guess I felt the same about Zhi, too. He scoffed, then laughed silently at himself. They were crawling onto a ship attacked by a notorious cannibal, and this is what he was thinking of.

The realization brought with it a horribly familiar scent. They reached the gangplank of Lady Luck, and as Jack laid a hand on the deck's railing, he felt a wetness soak into his glove. He brought it to his face and saw it coated with blood.

Cassidy's cover shifted to reveal a scene that made his stomach turn over itself. "By the spirits," he breathed.

A gruesome scene splattered across the deck, helm to stern. Pools of blood, remains of corpses, covered their ship wherever they looked. Jack's teeth bared. He unsheathed a butterfly blade while motioning everyone to stay quiet. "There may be more here," he whispered.

He gestured for Kadi to check the captain's cabin, and was about to send Zilia toward the helm, when a weak squawk caught their attention. He carefully made his way farther until he spotted C.P. -- wounded, horribly, and lying in blood that he didn't think was all hers. The sight tugged at his heart.

"Zilia, go to her. Do what you can but be careful." Jack gestured to Cassidy. "You and me, below deck."

Before the siblings went, however, Jack paused to toe around one remains of a poor dead man, looking for signs of identification. "Do you have any idea who these people are?" he asked his sister.

Cassidy hovered behind Zilia hoping to block out the bloodbath on deck. She sucked in her breath after spying bones poking out of the broken wing. "Is the poor thing going to be okay?" she asked. She could tell the hawk was weakening from blood loss and the cold. "I could make it warmer …" she offered.

She nodded in response to Zilia's request and stepped away. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she exhaled. The tips of her hair turned to a shimmering gold as warm air washed around the deck in a steady stream. She gagged slightly as the stench became more obvious.

"We'll bring you medical supplies after we find Jesse," she cried as she made her way to Jack's side. Her face grimacing as she laid eyes on the cleaved head.

"He's the oldest of a group known as Zeewolves. A group of boys who hoped to sail together one day. Ma Lily warned them to be careful because the pirate hunters have grown bolder. Those outlaws started breaking into homes and slaughtering entire families. You should see the number of bounties flooding in. All of them posted by pirates at sea who lost loved ones."

"Pirate hunters?" Jack muttered under his breath. He knew of them, even ran into a few groups back when he sailed with Hoshi North. Being what they were, it was almost impossible not to. But the behavior Cassidy described to him also sounded overtly aggressive. They were few in numbers; little more than bounty hunters with one type of prey, but still for money. Going after families? That sounded like prejudice.

Cass counted under her breath. "Five. Three are missing including little Jesse. This dead lad's 10-year-old brother. Not sure if the kid was caught up in this mess … " Her voice trailed off as a child's shouts came from below. It was so faint that they missed it earlier. "Jack!" she snapped.

The two dashed towards the door leading to the lower deck and Jack almost pulled the door off its hinges. He took a step inside but tackled Cassidy before she could follow. Gouts of flame burst overhead accompanied by thick clouds of smoke. Cassie was picking herself up when she was thrown off her feet by a loud explosion.

Chunks of wood flew from the sides of the ship. More flames fanned out like phoenix wings from the gaps making the cave harbour brighter than a Norjan summer. Cass accepted Jack's hand with a groan. Her ears trying desperately to pick out the child's voice as the ringing dissipated from her ears.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she managed to hone in on Jesse's cries. She gripped Jack's hand even tighter. "What now? Down the side of the ship?" she demanded. Her desperation was getting more visible by the second.

Zilia's fist tightened slightly as a familiar scent hit her, at this point and from seeing it one too many times she found it impossible to lie to herself. Upon making it to the deck her eyes narrowed slightly as she recieved confirmation. For a moment her body tensed only to relax at the scene and that was the most response she could offer. She shut her eyes and lowered her head slightly to pay some kind of respect to the dead, this manner of murder shouldn't be imposed on anyone, even criminals.

The moment passed too quickly and she opened her eyes and raised her head, she had seen Luro's murderous rampages and had chased after people who made scenes a daily thing, she couldn't say she was used to them, but she disliked how they didn't bother her as much anymore.

The only comfort if it could be called that is this killing at least had some purpose, even if it was twisted.

"Coral…"

Zilia quickly moved over to the bird and knelt down observing her, she tried to be as gentle as she could offering a small nod to Jack.

"I got her...and thanks Miss Cassidy. If you could whatever comfort will help."

Zilia wasted little time getting to work on Coral, she was a member of the crew same as any other she had to do all in her power to help her. She was suddenly grateful for Isari's many 'pet's'. She had picked up how to treat animals during her travels just to keep her little one's alive longer. She had even bought books on birds to help keep an eye on Coral.

"...my job is to treat every member of Stardusk...you're no exception...I hope my research is enough."
With a broken wing she wasn't going to fly again anytime soon but with luck that would change.

She raised her head as the two left and started to call out to look out for traps but they were long gone, she turned back around knowing Jack knew to be careful.

"Damn it, Cassidy!" Jack coughed and staggered to his feet. The explosion left dirt and ash streaked across his face as he rounded on her, eyes flashing unnaturally bright against his darkened face. "You don't think I know the traps on my own ship?"

He swallowed down the dregs of his anger enough to help her to her feet. "If Luro asks who exploded part of the ship, I'm blaming you," he told her flatly while checking to make sure nothing was broken.

Satisfied, Jack told her to stay put and ventured back down, this time with more caution. Knowing Luro, he wouldn't put it past the carpenter to have traps within traps within traps. One being set off may have primed a second one. Armament Haki came at his call, protecting him from the fires that remained, as he did a quick sweep of the stairwell and verifying no attackers were awaiting them, Jack very gingerly -- very carefully -- disabled what traps he feared Cassidy would trigger by accident, and noted which she needed to avoid. He called her down, reminding caution and to avoid the third step down.

Only then did he drag his attention to the new bloody scene that awaited them.

"I don't have armament, you jerk!"

Cass put her hands on her hips and glared at the raging flames. She muttered darkly under her breath and clapped her hands twice. Rain clouds slipped down the stairs, mingling with the smoke. A single snap quenched the heat with a small monsoon. Jack's cries of "Damn it, Cass" made her giggled.

"That's what you get for bullying a girl! Be glad I didn't send thunder after your ass."

She shut off the waterworks before skipping down, avoiding the traps as instructed. She lingered on the last step and her eyes widened with horror to see the red waters and charred flesh debris floating around. "Spirits," she breathed. "May those poor boys rest … easy … in the afterlife." The word "peace" didn't feel too appropriate given the circumstances.

The older Norjan merely grunted, already exploring the deck's rooms, trying to determine what was left.

Jesse's croaky shouts came from down the hall. Cassidy didn't manage to get a word in; Jack was gone. She was left threading her way through the nasty flood waters. "You'd think it'll drain out given the blast holes buuuuuut nooooooo … now my new boots need fixin," she grumbled.

She quieten down considerably the further she ventured. The smell was getting to her so badly that she was worried she might puke. Leaning heavily against the dining hall door frame, she stared at Jack cradling an ashened face boy in his arms. The tufts of ginger hair peeking through her brother's fingers as he patted the child's head confirmed it was Jesse.

Sensing the turmoil in Jack, she waded close but stayed a respectful distance away. Her clenched fist pressed snuggly against her painted lips when she finally saw the boy's injuries. Jesse had been sliced open from chest to stomach and it was his caked hand that kept his insides from spilling out. His lips were starting to turn cyanotic from his poor breathing.

"I … be okay?" Jesse asked pleadingly. His eyes struggled to keep the kind man's face in focus. "I'm scared … "

"Rrrrrr?" Jackie crooned. She bounded down the chef's arm to nuzzle the teary boy. Shifting slightly, she rubbed against Jack as well. She was worried that the man was unusually quiet.

"Shh, you'll be okay," Jack spoke soothingly to the young boy in his arms. He swept back the ginger hair, and fought down the growing black hate stirring within his stomach.

Jack spoke to his sister without looking at her. "Cass, go to the kitchen -- over there. Cabinet to the right, top row, vial labelled 'citrnus'. Get it and come right back here."

Laying the boy gently down on the ground, he took off a glove and instructed the boy to open his mouth. He assured him, quietly, gently, that everything would be okay as he twisted his other hand -- the one adorned by Luro's haki glove. It burst into flames.

When Cassidy returned, he instructed her to dampen the cloth with the vial's clear liquid contents and put it under Jesse's nose. Whatever happens, I'm not subjecting him to see this. Jack thought as he watched the boy's eyes close. He then had Cassidy cradle the head to keep the glove in his mouth. The fire gathered to the center of his palm to form a concentrated shape. He breathed in deeply. "I'm so sorry."

*******​

"Zilia!" Jack's voice permeated his and Cassidy's return to the upper deck. In his arms, he cradled the boy, who was unconscious and wrapped in bed sheets to staunch the wound on his chest -- but alive, for the time being.

"We need to go. Now." Until they knew more about the situation, he didn't want any of them to be caught on their blood-soaked ship. He looked at C.P., face twisting for a moment, then shook his head. "If Lily is here, she can tend to our feathered friend. I'm sorry, Zilia, but you have a human patient to tend to as soon as we're safe."

Jack eyed Kadi as the navigator approached, holding their jolly roger flag beneath his arm. The cook nodded his approval. "Give it to Cass. I need your pistols out right now."

As the flag was transferred, Jack herded them down the gangplank, talking to Cassidy as they went. "We need to collect our crew, and then you need to take use to the nearest Guild safehouse. Can you do that?"

Cass nodded. "Follow … Woah! What's that?"

She shielded her eyes against the glare. Tears kept forming in her eyes and she was forced to look away. She blinked until her vision cleared. "Whatever that was it isn't good news. The Navy would have seen it too," she informed the Stardusk. "Let's go already!"

Zilia let out a small relieved sigh being able to stabilize Coral, but she was far from better. She didn't exactly keep everything she needed to treat animals on her, she was able to at least deal with the wounds and wrap her wing. She wanted to do more, she needed to do more. She stood up about to move towards her office when she heard Jack's voice call out to her, noticing the boy in his arms her eyes widened a bit at his condition, but they lowered soon after, now wasn't the time for surprise.

Zilia's eyes seemed to narrow at Jack for a moment at his words towards Coral. "I dislike 'If's when it comes to patients Jack," Zilia said adjusting her gloves. Her eyes moved to the boy and her fist clenched as she seemed to bite back what else she wanted to say, she saw the look on Jack's face, this wasn't a good situation and now wasn't the time for discussion. "...however you're right...he clearly needs assistance...and there's not much more I can do for Coral anyway. I hope you're right or you're explaining to the Captain why we're down a member later."

"I'll take responsibility," he agreed grimly.

Her eyes moved to Cassidy and she nodded. "Let's hurry. The longer we wait the less likely I'll be able to do anything." She looked back at Coral. "....forgive me for leaving half-finished...please survive just a bit longer."

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Collab between Winter, Capt. Blu, Mizos and Fox
Location: Femke Beach

She had to admit she felt a degree of guilt and responsibility for the situation. Perhaps if she'd been more careful in her assault on Kane'Artem she'd have mitigated the risk of this kind of problem happening, but then hindsight was twenty twenty and there was little she could do about it now.

Her eyes shifted towards Cedric for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly as her lips parted briefly to consider warning him about getting involved before deciding against it, preferring to give him the benefit of the doubt after their lengthy discussion before about him risking his life unnecessarily. Closing her eyes briefly her hand tightened upon the hilt of her sword before withdrawing it to her side.

"I won't be able to engage them without knowing where they are first. Lighting the area also isn't an option, it'll require me to use my ascended form and doing so will paint me an obvious target." she finally spoke, detailing her thoughts out loud before glancing towards Luro for a moment.

"Luro is our best chance for the moment, if he can manage to deal with the snipers we'll have more freedom to move on our enemies. To that end I might offer at least a little assistance."

With both hands meeting to take hold of Shusui she inverted her hold on the hilt before sinking the tip of the black blade into the ground as her left eye ignited into an aura of white. After a steady inhale she'd exhale a deep breath, "Tenzu Inia Tsuki" the words spoken in Feian caused a patterned circle of white light to spread outward beneath them from the tip of her blade embedded in the ground.

It expanded outward, the pattern detailing a crescent moon partially surrounding a full moon with various glyphs adorning the outer rim of the ring itself. Immediately those stood within it would take on a white aura not too dissimilar to the one emanating from her eye, a feeling of serene warmth enveloping the depths of each individual.

"So long as you remain within this circle, you should each receive an enhancement on your abilities courtesy of the moon. I'm afraid I don't know the extent of it, but till we know more about the whereabouts of our opponents this is the best I can do for now."

Each person of the group would have their independent abilities buffed. Runali would have her physical attributes enhanced such as speed, strength and endurance while Luro would receive an increased sense of clarity, allowing him a greater degree of perception and dexterity with his rifle. Cedric would be able to tap into a larger deeper pool of energy to both increase his summoning prowess with greater effect while suffering less exhaustion as a result, the others however would be departing from the circle and thus would be unable to benefit from Amaiya's boost.

Winds gushed from the direction of the fleeing group. The source was made clear when Cassidy's voice sliced through the gale. "Snow Storm," she bellowed, revealing her powers in full.

Visibility was narrowed to an arm's length. Cedric squinted as he fought to see beyond that chilly veil. Nothing. He gritted his teeth while trying to console himself that at least the enemy snipers couldn't see them either. The flipside, though, was that Luro would have to take several blind shots. His sighing turned into a harsher fit of coughing, one that brought him to his knees. Sid curled tighter with his hands against the ground, hoping it was enough to keep himself from kneeling over.

"Mao!" Chaos cried worried. Her green eyes scanned the other members of the crew but everyone was too busy. Giving up, she started nuzzling her summoner. "Mew?" she kept quizzing.

Maddie's smile reached further up her cheek when the snowstorm began. This was the type of prey she enjoyed. The pink tip of her tongue ran along the top of her lip. She crooned again and reached for her weapon. "Oh Ruie-poo, do I hear coughing? One of you is sick… weak….. so easy to kill. Shall I play with them first?"

Her mind narrowed down her target to either man. Ru and the other lady appeared too vital to be coughing this wetly. She inhaled the mouth-watering scent of blood. "Ruie, answer me?" she teased.

While Lebov taunted the four that stayed behind, the hidden sniper kept up their assault. Bullets hit the area they were standing in. The gunfire paused. Before they could catch their breath, a single shot was fired. The bullet whizzed towards Cedric's hunched back.

"Mao!" Chaos panicked.

Faint movement was picked out of the corner of Runali's eye. Lebov's laugh boomed from overhead and that was the only warning the captain received. The curved head of a massive scythe slammed into the sand mere inches from her. Maddie's bloodied face was on the other end of the weapon. "Getting careless, are you?"

Runali had offered a nod to Amaiya, wanting to be intrigued by the new knowledge but knowing that the problem at hand needed more of her focus. Her attention was towards Lebov's voice, her head turning each time to catch her in the dark, but ultimately failing. The sniper was another problem, but she trusted Luro to the task without calling out orders. "Cedric," Her voice was low, as if warning him to move closer. But when the bullet rang out, she froze and turned to call him again, only to be pulled by the sound of Lebov's laughter.

"...Careless? Never. I've just been waiting for you to show that nasty face of yours." Runali's eyes were narrowed and she grabbed the hilt of the scythe with an armament palm. "I'll admit though, you've certainly gotten… faster since I last saw you." She closed her grip on the scythe planning to break it and if not yank it from her. "Still not that bright though."

The smile never faded from those vulpine lips. "You sure, Ru-ie? I got you right where I want you."

Maddie tightened the grip around the handle and yanked Runali off the ground. She kicked up clouds of sand as she spun wildly. She batted skyward, loosening that stubborn grip, and sent her opponent hurtling towards Amaiya. The sound catching up seconds after the women collided. Maddie slammed the end of her scythe against the soft ground.

Gesturing with her other hand, she crooned. "Come get me, Ru-ie. You're not the only one who has grown," she taunted as her arms darkened with armament and it crept up her weapon.

The swordswoman side stepped Ru as she was sent flying in her direction, still remaining at a distance without moving to engage since the snipers were still out there making it difficult for her to get involved just yet. It was frustrating but patience was a virtue she couldn't afford to ignore just yet.

Luro didn't seem to respond to the sudden presence of the woman, even when asked the question of who was around he remained silent for the most part, mainly because he felt that bloodlust long before the question was asked. During the conversations Luro casually adjusted his gloves, humming a small song to himself as the Captain caught up with the strange woman. There was also someone in the tree's, he wasn't sure how many yet but it didn't matter, they shot at the Captain and that meant he was allowed to shoot back.

"There are multiple steps from different directions," Luro said, providing what information he had at the time.
Something pulled at the back of his mind but he was drawn from his thoughts by Alicia, her words and the strange energy she provided. Luro flexed his hands a few times, his brows lowering a bit at the sudden feeling, he felt…refreshed.

"It's been a bit since I've actually had to deal with a fellow shooter on my own," Luro said, rotating his shoulder. "Thought it'd be that weird lady with the Red Pirates or Rin, but this works."

He paid no mind to the shots hitting around them, his gaze was focused forward, the bullets were coming from multiple directions, once over there, then over there he crossed his arms tilting his head for a moment.

A bright grin formed on Luro's face as he removed the rifle from his back, clicking the switch and letting a bullet fall into the chamber, he could feel excitement course through his body. It had been so ages since he's had a good fight with a fellow marksman, no additional interruptions and at a disadvantage.

Luro's grin only widened as the blizzard roared around them, it reminded him of his fight in the north while he was away from the crew, he had to grip his rifle tighter to stop his trembling excitement.

A hand grabbed Cedric's arm and pulled him out of the way of the bullet, moving him in front of Luro.

"Careful Cedric don't want you gettin' hurt," Luro said smiling at Cedric. "I don't want Jack to be sad."
Luro released Cedric raising a hand to him for being a little rough, and shut his eyes. The world around him grew dark and bit by bit the sounds around him faded away, the fight between the Captain, Alicia, Cedric, the blizzard all faded into darkness as Luro took a few deep breaths. Perhaps because of Alicia's strange moon thingy he felt he could think easier.
Luro's mouth twitched to the side and he took a few steps back until he was outside the circle.

"There we go, gotta make it fair," Luro said nodding. "I want to use this ability of yours later though Alicia."
He tuned out the blizzard and quickly raised his rifle and fired, the shot moved dead center towards his target a moment before their feet could crunch the leaves below.

"You got killing friends too huh Captain?"

"Aye, something like that. Friend is a stretch though." The captain called out, ducking and dodging attacks alongside Amaiya.

The bullet burst into a scattering of fine powder once it whizzed past the first tree. Luro's opponent smirked at him from several trees away. His hand cocked in a mocking salute as his lips moved. Given their distance from each other, they shouldn't be able to hear each other.

"Thank you. I never thought pirates could be honourable," the man responded to Luro's words on fair play.

The reason he knew what Luro said sat close to him. The sniper turned his head, with most of his face hidden in the shadows of his hood, towards a branch on his right. Gemini ignored the man in favour of preening his black feathers. The sniper shrugged as he took aim. "Ask Adenin whom I should target," he instructed.

Three shots were fired in rapid succession. Two aimed at Luro's feet and the third flew towards Amaiya's dominant hand. He clicked his tongue when the shots missed as predicted. Seeing the combatants moving out of his zone, the man reached into his pocket and vanished.

He reappeared in a tree behind Amaiya and he fired. The gunmen traded shots with many close calls between them. Luro's last shot grazed that chin and the sniper was confident his hit as well. Score one-one, he thought to himself. This game proved more thrilling than duelling with his bodyguards.

Luro's brows arched a bit as he realized the man was very much alive, he was positive that show was dead on but he got the answer to his question relatively quickly. The man's smile widened a little as he loaded another shot, so this was the situation then.

"Gahahaha. Well my version of my honor miggght be a little different," Luro said raising his rifle again. "Got one with powers Captain, this might take a little longer."

Luro moved keeping a lock on his opponent's position which wasn't easy to do given the situation, for some reason he still avoided stepping into Alicia's circle, shot after shot, continuously shifting his steps as he searched for openings. His shots though close never found their target, he leaned his head to the side feeling the kiss of the other man's bullet a grin adorning his face. Equal footing, one mess up meant the end.

Not wanting Runali and her first mate to get away, the man teleported again. Adenin's familiar winked into view where he landed. They were back in the original tree Luro spotted him in. The message Gemini conveyed made the man's lips pull into a scowl. "If Lord Vontiago insists, then we must. Pity it's been awhile since I had interesting targets."

He threw out his left hand to intercept the incoming bullets. They disintegrated before they reached the tree in front of him. He returned his rifle to its holster and remained crouching on the branch. His eyes were fixed on a shadowy spot close to Cedric. He would check on Luro's position occasionally and intercept every shot. He felt his fingers twitch. He wanted to resume their little duel, one he bet he would win eventually.

"Let's see if Adenin can persuade Lebov to leave Captain Lev. She's obsessed with the woman for some reason."

Back on the battlefield, Madeline blocked the captain's and first mate's attacks with a wide swing of her empowered scythe. Kicking off from the sandy ground, she attempted to pull the women closer to her. "Come closer Ru-ie and Ally-poo. It's no fun when you're far away. Come, let me slice you open."

Black tendrils slithered up the women's legs before they could leap away. It wasn't long before they were waist deep in a sticky mess of writhing shadows. The sensation was like quicksand.

"Capitaine! Amaiya!" Sid shouted and tried dashing to their aid. 125 unsheathed and its tip trailing in the sand. He thought he could intercept the attack but he was so far away. His heart skipped several beats when he realized he might be too late. "Luro, shoot Lebov!" he yelled in desperation.

Luro marked something on his bullet and fired before he watched them disintegrate, he lowered his rifle arching a brow, before looking down at his rifle then back up at the man.

"Well that answers a few questions," Luro said.
Luro loaded another shot but seeing the man put his rifle away didn't raise his own, something bothered Luro and as he went to turn to try and see what the man was looking at when Cedric's words reached him and he noticed the Captain and Alicia. He wasted little time and answered Cedric's request immediately.

Lebov's scythe crested the tops of their heads instead, taking a few strands of hair. Maddie's tongue poked out from between her teeth as she locked eyes with Runali then Amaiya. "Whose head should I - "

Blood splattered when the bullet penetrated Lebov's head. She staggered into the handle of her weapon and leaned against it. Red aura flowed over her skin as Lebov recited something under her breath. The shattered skull and torn skin around the bullet wound knitted themselves together leaving her face pristine like before.

Her attention switched to the man whom she believed was responsible. "Yours," she breathed. "Don't let me catch you, Luro." She grabbed her weapon and made a beeline for the Stardusk gunner. Her murderous intent oozing from her pores. She quickened her step and vanished from view leaving drifting clouds of dust. Luro could see the gleam of her blade less than a second later. Maddie grinned widely as she bore down on him. Her eyes glowed a vivid red.

"Man everyone has 'not gonna die' powers nowadays," Luro said eyeing the woman as she seemed to repair herself. "There has to be some club for it right?"

He met eyes with her and blinked a few times raising a hand as she spoke to him.

"Quick question did it hur-"

Luro cut himself off as the glint filled his vision, he moved narrowly dodging the blade, bits of red hair falling to the ground as he immediately turned his rifle on the woman.

"Oh I like that look!" He exclaimed as a toothy grin formed on his face. "I should let you catch me!"

Cedric flung 125 aside temporarily as he worked to free the women from their prison. By now, the shadows have reached up to their chest. He slapped down four light cards on the sand and ignited them. "Close your eyes and look away," he yelled as he shielded his own with his arm.

White light flew to the skies and swirled into a tight orb. The night skies turned bright as noon with the mini sun hovering among the clouds. Ru and Amaiya could feel their bindings loosen as the shadows shrank to a small puddle beneath their feet. When the three opened their eyes again, they saw the enemy summoner sitting on a boulder at the sea's edge. He cradled his chin in his hand looking very amused.

"I see De Lumiere serves you well, little thief. My Aunt wouldn't be happy if she knew you took our family heirloom."

"Adenin," Sid whispered. His mouth felt dry all of a sudden. He couldn't believe the man attacked them. Not after he told Zilia not to worry about the Du Vontiago son.

In a blink, the man appeared in front of Cedric with his rapier drawn. He lunged for the tailor. Sid dropped to a roll, swiping 125 along the way. He parried Adenin's attack, barely, as his mind started blanking out. He struggled to control his breathing as he dodged each attack. He appeared reluctant to kill the man.

"There's Lebov and there's me. Let's see if your crew cares enough about you now that another is in danger," he mocked. "I can see your illness sapping your strength. You're going to die." He dropped his voice so that neither Ru nor Amaiya could hear him.

He side-stepped suddenly and ducked below Sid's blade. A sharp jab to the gut was all it took to fell Cedric. Adenin stood over the younger man pressing the tip of his rapier lightly into the shirt. He pushed a little harder and blood coated the blade. "Non, this would be too slow. I won't take any chances this time."

Adenin withdrew his rapier and aimed for Sid's heart. Without thinking - almost - Cedric kicked the man in both shins and rolled away. Sara's voice crowed her approval in his head but that was probably wishful thinking. Channeling that gladiatorial spirit, he scraped up a handful of sand which he tossed in the man's face. Sid reclaimed his weapon and he pressed the tip into the hollow of Adenin's neck completely reversing their position. His hand trembled as he stared into the face of his never ending nightmares.

"Is this new, Siddy? You've never been this aggressive. It doesn't suit you at all," Adenin purred. His hands strangled Sid's wrist and he leaned forward forcing Sid to draw blood. "Go on," he goaded. "Kill me. I owe you, non?"

He stroked those whitening knuckles. "Your fére isn't here to bail you out."

Reality rushed back when Cedric heard the shots. He felt the bullets bursting through his chest. His hand clutched his heart as blood bubbled out of his lips. He gurgled, falling to his side. The sand moulding around him. He reached desperately in Amaiya's direction. "Amaiya," he gasped.

Adenin smiled in the sniper's direction. Turning back to his former partner, Charlotte's nephew kicked Cedric in the chest repeatedly. Each kick splattered ribbons of blood across the sandy ground. He stomped on the man's head. "I need to go. Rest assured, mon chou, you'll never leave this place alive. Jack or no Jack, I'm sending you to the pagan god Jones."

The lord's left hand disappeared into his coat pocket and out came the blood-crusted brooch. He dropped it into Sid's slack hand. He could see that the tailor was struggling to keep awake. "For now, let's see how your mind breaks, oui? I'll enjoy watching your crew turn on you like the pathetic dog you are."

Sid screamed. His mind overloaded with pain the moment the aeter contacted his hand. He shuddered violently as his eyes rolled back. Then, he stopped moving altogether. The sluggish rise and fall of his chest showed that he remained on this side of the veil.

Adenin tossed his rapier into his free hand and rounded his thumb and index finger. He whistled. Lebov frowned as she delivered one last kick. That aura sucked back beneath her skin. It was obvious that she didn't want to stop. Adenin scowled. His arm flung out so that his familiar could land on it.

"Leave them. The Navy is almost here. Cedric's spell attracted their attention."

"But …"

"Later, my dear. You and I have tasks to complete. He's expecting it done."

"Fine. For Captain, it is."

Lebov reached into her pocket and she teleported away. Adenin waited until he had the Stardusk's attention. He bowed. "I too bid you adieu." He announced before sacrificing his rune card and disappearing.

Darkness fell like a heavy curtain. Aside the stars and the orange waxing gibbous, dots of light winked from the lanterns carried by approaching Navy soldiers. Their voices grew louder by the minute. Cassidy pulled to a stop at Runali's side. Her hand pressing firmly against her stitched side. Crushed under her arm was the crew's Jolly Roger which she subtly called to Ru's attention with a wave of her hand.

"Cap'n Lev, we should go. You don't want to be caught and accused of the murders on the ship. Follow me! I'll take you to Akemi's. She's a friend of the Thieves."

Too many things happened at once for it to have been over all of a sudden. Even though it grew dark, she continued looking left and right expecting one of them to show up again. But what she last saw of Cedric caused her to run over to his side. "We need to get him out of here." Her voice was low as she made quick work removing her scarf to use it as a faux bandage for Cedric. It wasn't enough to stop the bleeding, but the pressure at least would slow it down.

Cassidy's approach didn't make her look up while she inspected Cedric as best she could in the darkness. She heard the soldiers but paid them no mind, her real concern was getting Cedric safe and finding the ones that injured him. But then, she realized what Cassidy was holding and her frown deepened. "We need to regroup… yeah." She looked between Amaiya and Luro. "Lebov's a pirate hunter… but from what I learned in Kane'Artem, she wasn't alone. I don't know much about them but I know she's dangerous and she'll be back."

Luro had to take a moment to regain himself as he rubbed his side where Lebrov had kicked him, there were a few tears in his outfits from a few close calls, and a little blood where the scythe had met skin but even from a glance the wounds weren't too deep. Fending off the woman's attack had taken pretty much all he had, and he was pretty sure she wasn't going all out.

He put that though aside however as he looked over at Cedric, he returned the rifle to his back and crossed his arms. "Out of curiosity do any of us have family that don't want us dead minus the Captain's?"

His gaze remained on Cedric, he had seen the man aim his gun at him, watched him line up the shot and made a few decisions when he witnessed him pull the trigger.

"That works," Luro said in response to the group's return. "I want to finish my conversation with their rifleman anyway."

He held up his sleeve looking at the bullet holes through it before his gaze returned to Cedric.

 

[Fox of Hearts]

The Gris's Song

Location: Pine Forest
Dodging the Navy

Cassidy refused to summon another blizzard. Her reasoning, as she explained in a series of whispers, was that it would make their footprints easier to see. She couldn't manipulate the winds too overtly either or it would be too suspicious. She faltered after noticing that Jack's patience was wearing thin.

"Luro, watch your head, ok? The forest is filled with low branches," she called behind her. The cowgirl wasn't sure how the group avoided tripping on the exposed roots but she was glad they did. There wasn't enough strong 'uns to carry anyone with a twisted ankle. She continued leading the way with Amaiya beside her. Shhhhh, she'd hissed sporadically. It was usually accompanied with her motioning for them to hide among the shadows of the trees. She was surprised that the crew didn't attack the passing soldiers head on. That was some A+ restraint for this group of troublemakers. Ma's label, not hers, she might add.

"These cats are familiars, right? Any chance that they're smart enough to run ahead and let Madam Akemi know we're reaching soon?" Cassidy asked the group.

Chester rumbled throatily. He gazed at Amaiya for some confirmation if he should accept the task. He didn't have that many fond memories of Cassidy so he was reluctant to help. Chaos pawed at Runali's cheek from where she was draped around the woman's neck. She appeared to be wondering the same thing. Which of the older cats should go?

"Best you give her a heads up. She'll make sure there are enough medical supplies and a hot meal. Y'all look dead on your feet." She refrained from mentioning the enemies on the beach seeing that it might be a sensitive topic at the moment.

She gave the crew time to respond and once they settled down she took the lead again. A glance at Sid's face was all the motivation she needed to speed up. She'd never be able to look Ma Lily in the eye if their baby brother died. "This way now. We'll be crossing a shallow stream up ahead. Hopefully that fallen tree is still there. We can use it as a bridge."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-​

Location: Madam Akemi's Ryokan
What Next?

The backgates of the inn were opened and servants waved them in. Once the last person stepped inside, the gates were shut and bolted. Emica bowed before the group and told them to follow her. She led them down a series of corridors. Eventually, they found themselves inside a spacious triple room. The warmth was a relief after the plunging temperatures outside.

"Madam Akemi will be with you shortly," the young maid informed the group. She waved for Amaiya to follow her outside the room as other servants streamed in with hot tea and warm sake. Some came with boxes of medical supplies. When they were safely out of everyone's way, the girl spoke in Feian. "Forgive my rudeness, Lady Tashigi. Madam Akemi would like to know if your crew would require extra medical assistance. We know a Feian healer who is discreet."

She allowed her eyes to survey the corridor behind Amaiya. A number of servants exiting the room had stopped to stare at the legendary Sakura's daughter. "Do let us know if you need anything else. Right now Madam is helping to prepare dinner. She apologizes that it would be simpler than what we served you earlier. Our cooks have already gone to bed." She bowed to acknowledge Amaiya's reply. "I'll take my leave now, Lady Tashigi."

Madam Akemi appeared an hour later carrying a tray filled with steaming bowls of fragrant rice porridge. Emica's tray held plates of grilled saba and stir-fried vegetables. The other girls trooped in after them with more trays of food. The owner of the establishment bowed once she was relieved of her tray. "I humbly welcome you to our ryokan, Captain Lev, Lady Tashigi and, of course, your wonderful crew. Please enjoy this humble meal I've prepared for you. I regret not having my kitchen staff at this hour or it would have been more elaborate."

Those who were capable of sitting at the table were served their meal there. Others who were incapacitated, or in Zilia's case busy, their meals were brought to them by attentive maids. One girl offered to feed the doctor as she worked. Two other girls came forward as well and they asked if they could assist her. Madam Akemi, on the other hand, swept across the room towards Jack. The sleeves of her silver and blue kimono trailed elegantly behind. Perhaps obvious to only Amaiya was her family crest inlaid in her golden comb. The lady inclined her head politely to the chef. "Mr Kunal, would you prefer having your meal here or at the table? I'd be happy to bring your food over if you so prefer."

A serving girl poured more alcohol into Luro's wine glass after checking on Runali's cup. "You have a very healthy appetite, sir. You can drink more than any guest we ever had." She smiled. "I assume you are fine with sake. Madam has wine to offer but no rum I'm afraid."

Cassidy waved away the maid who approached her. She continued pacing in front of the opened shoji doors as she waited for Lily to arrive. The cold air from the outside didn't bother her one bit but she frowned whenever she peered into the starlit sky. Shrugging, she picked up where she left off in her conversation with Runali. "I'm afraid that's all I know. You'll need to ask Ma Lily when she arrives. If she doesn't know much about Lebov's crew then we'll ask Grandpa. I'm sure he'd know lots. Right, Jack?"

Her brows furrowed as she observed him. She wasn't sure if Sid was the one she needed to fret about. Cass sighed and tucked her hands behind her back again. "Yes, Luro? Mind repeating what you said? Sorry I was thinking about something just now."

Drifting back to the table. She sat on the side closest to where the injured were laid. It felt like a good vantage point since she could speak to everyone comfortably. Her eyes followed the cats as they investigated that strange brooch Adenin left in Cedric's hand back on the beach. She wanted to take a look but someone - maybe Jack? - warned them about touching it with their bare hands. At least, they shouldn't until Ma Lily had a look. She had become quite an expert aetherium and summoner artifacts.

"Captain, didn't you say one of your crew lives in Bonifaas? What do you plan to do about her request?" Cass enquired. There was something about that name that tugged at her memory.

Runali's words were interrupted by the sound of rushing wings. Cass shot to her feet but her excitement died quickly. She found herself staring at a huge gris standing boldly in the gap between the paper doors. Gemini fixed his intelligent eyes on Runali's face and whistled his melodic greeting. Before anyone could react, the familiar flew over and perched on her shoulder. He dropped the letter he was carrying into her lap then went back to observing her with ill-disguised curiosity.

Chester shattered the silence with an angry hiss. The maine coon teleported onto the table in front of the captain and crouched low. The tensing of his muscles telegraphed his intentions. He wanted to attack the enemy familiar! Kadi swooped in as soon as he leaped. The cat yowled angrily and tried biting himself free but the navigator tightened his hold.

"Oi! Jack, do something about him," Cass yelped.

Chaos replaced her brother immediately. The black cat proved more agile than Chester and she barreled straight into Runali and the bird. Feathers flew in the air accompanied by a pained squawk. The familiars rolled around then popped away in wisps of shadow. Chester taking the cue from his sister vanished in a burst of amber light.

"Should we go after them?"

 

[SilentxChaos]

Collab bet'w @Capt. Blu and @SilentxChaos
​

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Location: Snow to Akemi

After sending Chester to go find the others, she ushered Cassidy to hurry and lead the way. Runali stayed at Sid's side, taking on most of his weight to get him where they needed to go while she requested the others to keep their eyes out for anyone that got near. Fortunately, the only ones that crossed their paths were the rest of the crew.

"Please tell me your search was…" Runali remembered the torn flag she had taken from Cassidy. "Never mind." It was then she saw Coral wrapped in Zil's arms and she had to steel herself from going to grab the bird while she still held Cedric. When Jack fell in step with her, to help quicken her pace, she spoke unprompted with her eyes still forward. "A pirate hunter named Lebov. More cannibalistic criminal than pirate hunter. She was in Kane'Artem, managed to slip out when we destroyed the place." Runali gestured over to Cedric, between them. "The guy that did this to him though… Cedric called him Adenin I think." She prattled off a quick description from what she could see in the low lit area. She wasn't sure who he was, but he seemed to know Cedric. And if he knew Cedric, maybe Jack knew something about his brother that she didn't. Whoever it was, he was yet another enemy on the list.

The moment they made it to Akemi's she brushed off all of the servants' offerings until she was sure Sid was helped and then up until the others showed up.

Adenin's name, when it left the captain's lips, knocked the breath out of Jack's lungs. He stopped -- long enough for her to walk several paces before realizing he was no longer by her side. Glimpsing back at him revealed a change; a deadly aura pulsed around the chef that darkened his expression. Just for a moment, he reminded Runali more of Luro when possessed by Imposter -- or Will of the Red Pirates, at his most dangerous.

It passed and Jack double-timed back to her side. He didn't say anything, except to glaze over the state of Lady Luck, only listened and clutched little Jesse to his chest until they got to safety. He then relinquished Jesse -- and Cedric, with an agitated stare -- to Zilia and the healers available to their host. Jack twitched restlessly.

"Captain," he finally croaked. He coughed, started bringing his hand to cover his mouth, when he noticed the glove soaked in blood. Jack looked down and found his clothes stained near black. He looked back at Runali. "Can you tell me anymore about Lebov? Why is she fixated on you, or this crew?"

Runali had been lost in thought for a bit, staring off to where Coral was being helped while fiddling with the torn fabric of her flag. It took going through hell and back to get that flag sailing again and she wasn't taking it so lightly that someone tried to tear it down again. Jack, mixed with the cold weather, pulled her thoughts back. It was easy to notice his distress but she said nothing about it. Instead, she finally took a warm drink offered and sat where she could get warm. "There's not much to tell, because there's nothing that this crew has done to bother her." She took a sip of the drink, her eyes cast downward. "Lebov's just wrapped in her own fantasy of murdering pirates for pleasure… and food I guess." She looked a little confused and disgusted saying it but continued. "She wants to kill me, but I imagine that's just because she met me in Kane'Artem. If anything, she should be grateful we accidentally let her out…" She started to say something else, but the sudden appearance of a bird that decided to make her its perch pulled her focus. She didn't react initially, but when the note fell and the cats began to fight, she looked inside to see what was given.

Inside was an old wanted poster of Jemima, the previous doctor of the crew and now navy official feeding them secrets. There was a stain, no doubt blood, across her picture and scrawled on it was written: "You're next Stardusk. Come to Bonifaas if you dare, Ruie-poo."

Runali closed her eye and sighed, handing the letter off for the others to see. "Hard to say what exactly her tactic is, if she even has one. But most important thing to note: She'll put up a fight and she's got some weird power too. If she bites you, she's going to have something… similar to your own abilities? Or something like that." As she spoke, Runali heaved a sigh and slouched into her seat.

"It's probably a trap, yes." She answered the unspoken question. "And yes, we're going to walk right into it."

 

[SilentxChaos]

​

Location: Madam Akemi's Ryokan

"No," Jack answered Cassidy, staring at the spot where all three familiars had vanished. His hand brushed against the pocket sheltering the shivering Jackie, abandoned by her siblings. Sighing, Jack raised his eyes to his adopted sister. "I'll know if they'll need us. Let them hash out their fury."

Just don't be idiots and get caught by him, he thought darkly.

Could they go anywhere without someone on the crew almost dying?

The situation went from bad to worse in the blink of an eye. Jack worried about Stardusk being accused of the murders and hunted by local authorities -- it'd shackle their movements from now until they could flee. It left their enemies with a high advantage, with the potential to plan against them. Not that they already need one. Lebov's escape, a sniper whose skill paralleled Luro's, and Adenin du Vontiago. The mere thought of the name made Jack want to bare his teeth and taste something bloody.

Runali first told him of the summoner's involvement on their way to Madam Akemi's, first telling him what transpired in that fight, and then him giving her a report of Lady Luck's status, sparing her the worst of the grisly details. C.P.'s and the boy's precarious states were evidence enough. And Cedric....

Jack tiptoed the line of being sick with anxiety and unspeakable rage. After conversing with the crew, assuring their health, he paced a small space of the room they were currently sheltered in, wearing down the elegant carpet with every turn in his restlessness. His eyes never strayed far from his brother.

On the sixteenth turn, he looked up again and froze mid-step. A red hawk, unnaturally vibrant and elegant, perched above Cedric's head. Its head cocked to the side, observing the boy with one unblinking yellow eye. Feathers stood on end. It made soft squawks and noises, almost like a human talking under its breath. No one had noticed where or how she got in.

Cautiously, Jack approached the bird and placed a hand on her back. It looked up at him; blinked slowly.

"Did you see C.P.?" he asked.

A rumble vibrated her throat and she expanded her wings. Jack retreated as she made one hop towards the ground -- and immediately transformed in a whirlwind of feathers and color. Landing quietly on her feet, Lily Rose of the Lotus Blossom stood before them. Orange and white hair, cape and weapons settled around her as she gave the Stardusk crew and Cassidy a sad, dimpled smile.

​

"Yes. Our feathered friend will heal. It's good to see you, Jack." They made a quick embrace between mother and son, and when they parted, it was spymaster and Guild mistress. Warmth and fire never left the woman's eyes, but her solemness was oddly business-like.

"Tell me everything that's happened."

"Mama!"

Cass flung her arms around Lily and pressed against her mother tightly. She stayed in that warm embrace, letting her stress wick away. She whispered gently, "Adenin Du Vontiago showed up earlier. I think we need to keep an eye on Jack."

She pressed a finger to her lips as she pulled away. Ma Lily would know how to prevent that problem from escalating. Filled with more confidence, she gave a detailed summary of the fight on Femke Beach and their gruesome discovery on board Lady Luck. Cassidy breathed heavily towards the end. Her rushing meant she never paused to catch her breath. She sucked in enough to quell the burning in her lungs.

"The Navy arrived shortly after we fled. By now, I'm sure they've discovered the ship and impounded it. Depending on what the Stardusk want to do next, we can help them reclaim the ship or we can be their guides. I believe they came to Uitibuken because a former crew member needed their help." She recalled.

Her eyes flicked to the chef's face. Peeling away, she studied Runali and Amaiya next. Finally, she focused on the letter Gemini left behind. Cass's lips puckered while she scrutinised the envelope closely. "You have some hard decisions to make, Stardusk. Bonifaas is a Navy Headquarters and many of the elites are gathering as we speak. Our spies haven't gleaned any information about their agenda. We might in a few days and with the right people."

She returned into the background and let her mother and mentor take center stage. As she waited for Lily to sieve through her verbal report, the sister clapped Jack on his shoulder. "You haven't asked any questions, big brother. Don't you think you should be putting those spy skills to use?" she teased. "Ade does a much better job whenever she blows through the area."

Eyes flashing, Jack shrugged off her hand. "I can't glean all the information from whispers on the wind. And I wasn't totally inert." Jack glanced at Runali, reflecting on their conversation before Adenin's familiar made its appearance.

A cigarillo came out and was lit as he, with Lily and Cassidy, went to sit with the rest of the crew. He puffed on it a few times before glancing at his mother. "Is the Lizard here?"

Lily's lips twitched into a smile. Jack grunted, confirming that as a yes, and looked at a wall. Hands folded on his belly as he kicked his feet up on the table. A trail of smoke curled from his lips as wayward as his thoughts.

"What will you do?" she asked at length.

He shrugged. "That's up to the captain. We can't go back to our ship… not right now, with Cedric as he is and the Navy closing in. Even if we could, it wouldn't solve anything. If Adenin's dogged my brother this far, I've no doubt he'll just catch us later. We need to deal with him. The crazy one too."

Lily made a bird's nod. "I agree."

"So, the question is: why is he here? Is it just for Cedric or something more? And with Lebov and that sniper? And whose was this?" Jack took out the brooch from his pocket, protected in a handkerchief, and carefully unwrapped it.

"Why are you keeping it wrapped in a handkerchief? It's just a pretty brooch," Cass puzzled, reaching over Jack's shoulder to touch it.

Jack grabbed her hand. "Don't. It's tainted with the trauma of its owner's death. Scarred, broken. Touch it and you'll feel nothing but its pain." He gave her a gentle squeeze, then released her. His eyes stayed on Lily but his questions were directed to her secretary, too. "Considering what it did to Sid, I'd rather no one else touch it unless there's no other option to learn more information. I was hoping one of you would have more information on what summoners were here… they don't venture out of Trovale often."

Cassidy looked at Lily. "An aeterium, huh? I wouldn't have guessed these stones are capable of storing something so dark. Then again, we don't know much about the stones." She leaned her chin on Jack's shoulder so she could scrutinise the brooch. "Three other summoners passed through the area in the past two months. That's what our intel gathered anyway. There was Charlotte Du Vontiago, Lady Templar Gerin-Lajoie and Vulepecula."

"You'll have to ask Mama about Charlotte and Gerin-Lajoie. They are her bounties."

"There haven't been traces of Charlotte or Vulpecula in the last week," Lily supplied, "for the moment, I believe they've left Bonifaas. Gerin-Lajoie, I'm not sure of. She's a templar. Wanted alive. But her crimes aren't noted… there was little information given to us on her."

Jack frowned, taking in this information and cataloging it for later. He was surprised a templar -- those summoners who were powerful and known for extreme loyalty to Trovale -- was being hunted like this, but it also didn't seem to pertain to them. For the moment. "What about my other questions regarding Adenin and Lebov? The captain told me about her -- I want to know why she's here."

"I can answer about Lebov. She's here to recruit, well re-recruit, people for the Pirate Killer's crew. Their top sniper hails from Op Die Fiet. Aaaaand we have reason to believe she is in the process of acquiring two other members while causing as much mayhem as possible. Oh damn!"

Cass's eyes lit up as she realised something. "I think, Mama, she's trying to recruit Adenin Du Vontiago and Lady Gerin-Lajoie. That's why the templar hasn't left and Adenin was seen with them. Yeah, Adenin makes sense. He is currently serving as secretary to the templar captain so if anyone can help her evade capture it'll be him. No wait! It doesn't explain the bloodstained brooch so I could be wrong." She wrapped a finger around her chin as her frown deepened. "Not unless Vulpecula has an aeterium brooch."

Jack responded. "She didn't. Her aeterium is in the pommel of her sword." He stared at the tainted stone, wandering if it could be the Lady Templar's, could Adenin have killed her for an unknown reason? Jack wouldn't put it past the man, but the motivation was missing. The one who knew….him…. is the same one he mortally wounded. His eyes wandered to where Sid was being tended. The planes of his face hardened, and the cigarillo's smoke puffed out in a small cloud.

"Jack." Lily's voice pulled him from his thoughts. She studied him with the smallest frown, and he shifted awkwardly.

"Sorry," he mumbled. He pushed the moment aside. "Tell me more about the pirate hunters. Why would they show interest in Adenin or the Lady Templar?"

"Jack, you never change," his sister teased as she leaned forward on the table. Holding her own sake cup aloft, and oblivious to her scandalous posture, Cass took a hearty swig. "First, tell me what you know about Lebov."

She nodded. "Yes, Lebov had teamed up with Pierce Kellerway and they formed a crew. That's what we believe given how the notorious twelve were captured." Pulling up, she bowed playfully in Ru's direction. "Oh sorry, I forgot. It's the Kane'Artem Thirteen now. Captain Lev, you've finally entered big leagues. Wouldn't be surprised if you're giving the other WG captains a run for their money now that these posters are out. But yeah, let's wait and see."

She chuckled. "Ya-aaah, you're one nasty pirate. A maximum security escapee. Some even embellished further and said you were on death row too."

"The Navy might consider capturing the twelve a major victory but the Guilds never felt the same way. Kellerway was getting too much notoriety as an international terrorist. We, especially Mama Lily," she paused to point at the guild mistress. "Believe that he had a small army under him at that time. It was largely disbanded until he escaped."

Cass waited for her cup to be refilled so she could wet her throat. All this talking in the dry air was tiring even for someone with her powers. "Mm sounds like a lot but it ties in with your next question. Why Adenin and Lady Gerin-Lajoie are interested? It's the opposite actually. Kellerway is attracted to power and he'd want to have as many summoners as he could recruit. Summoning is regarded as "devil fruit powers" without the drawbacks."

"Yeah, sounds pretty strong to me. You should see how the Navy has been trying to acquire young men and women with the talent. You can't imagine the resentment building up in Trovale. Ma reported that sympathy for Charlotte grows by the day. Soooo does that answer your question?" She winked, tweaking her big brother's nose."Now you owe me a biiiiiiiiiiiig favour. Giving out info shouldn't come cheap."

"Sympathy? For Charlotte?" Jack scratched his nose with a worried frown, ignoring his sister's comment about owing her.

"We can talk about that later," Lily said as she shifted in her seat, "For now, you should focus on your crew. You all have to decide what your next move is."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

​

He was back in this strange place. Trapped in the same nightmare. He panted loudly, feeling his chest burn. There it was. The sound of hooves against polished stone floor. His pursuer was gaining on him. Realizing there was no way out, he turned around and raised his arms over his eyes in defeat. For once, he wished to see that face but the fog was too thick.

He took a step back. Ended up on the floor. He heard the rustling on cloth and smelled a sweet scent. It was nothing he ever encountered. Alluring yet deadly. He gritted his teeth. His arms were down and a white gloved hand was reaching for him ….

Again, the face was hidden from view. This time by a hand too close to his face. His insides froze. No, no, no … No!

"Va … ten!" a man's voice yelled. (get away)

Who was that?

Sensation was returning. It came from that phantom body that beckoned to his consciousness. A familiar scent, earthy underscored by spice. His nails raking skin, drawing blood. Cedric fought harder against the person restraining him.

"Va-t-en!" he gasped.

His eyes burst. And, he grasped the elbow tightly. Where was he? This room was thick with dissipating energy. He made a soft keening sound not recognising that it came from him.

This alien body was not his own. He was supposed to be dead! Crying as the shock faded away, he swiped at the tears, apologizing. The other memories - his deceased self - was fading and he was desperate to get them back.

"Rends le," he demanded in a gruff voice. "My brooch."

Gentle but firm hands pressed on his shoulders, keeping him from trying to get up. A warm, familiar voice cut through the memories. "It's not yours, Cedric. You have three aeteriums -- remember? Chester, your first, Chaos and Jackie."

As he spoke, Jack's face clicked into focus. He wore a worried frown beneath three scratches marks that inflamed his cheek, the thin trickle of blood already drying, but carried a resemblance to the scars that Adelaide Summers had. He held his brother by the shoulders as Jackie jumped from his pocket onto Sid's chest. She mewed and licked her master's cheek.

"Three stones? I … no, I have …"

He shook his head. His mind insisted that his fading self was real. He must have survived somehow. He gritted his teeth again. Those licks were jogging a distant memory.

"How did you save me from dying? I felt someone tearing me apart. I was alone." He murmured.

Jack's eyes widened. He leaned closer, looking deep into Sid's eyes. "Who am I? This is important, Sid, who am I?"

"The Jackal, Jack Kunal, Lady Du Vontiago's little spy."

His expression went blank. Jack retreated, but didn't let Cedric go, as his intensity melted into cool observation. Walls came up behind those golden eyes, his familiarity shifting toward guarded caution. There was a slight tilt of the head as he said, "Not many people know that, and I'm sorry to say you have me at a disadvantage. Who are you?"

"A lot of information is privy to the Council, Mr. Kunal. Are you sure you want to speak so casually to your superior?" There was a touch of impatience in the voice coming from Sid's mouth. "Give me my brooch before the rest of my memories fade away."

The expression turned into one of grudging respect. "It's quite clever of you to trap me in your brother's body. I wondered why I kept thinking I'm Cedric Langley." The hand stretched out. "Now,
s'il vous plaît."

As if responding to this unknown summoner's request, a grey squirrel popped out of nowhere and scampered down Jack's arm. It chittered angrily at Jackie, making her back away. The stranger's purple eyes narrowed into a watchful gaze. "You recognize my familiar, yes?"

He glanced at the chittering familiar. "I do," and then slapped Cedric across the face.

Sid's head turned to the side. Vacant eyes stared off to the side with life ebbing back. A shaking hand drifted to his stinging cheek and a hurt expression crossed Cedric's face. "Fére?" he whimpered.

Hurt and betrayal stained his face as he shrank into himself. He looked away when he noticed the slightest flicker of Jack's hand. It was like he was afraid of what would happen next. He had, to his knowledge, awoken drenched with cold sweat and supported by Jack. And, for some reason, his brother struck him. The man had never done it before.

He wanted to retreat into the dark corner but his body was so weak. He turned his body slightly to put some distance between them. "Why did you do it? Have I done something to hurt you?"

The squirrel hopped to the floor and streaked into Sid's view. It stood up on its back legs, staring intently into those purple eyes. It nattered angrily once it was clear the other summoner was gone. The fluff-tailed rodent decided to retreat and teleported away.

"Mew?" Jackie asked other master. She was very confused as to why the strange familiar was laying claim to her summoner.

Jack's hand inched its way back to his side, afraid of triggering a fear response from his brother. He could already see it blossoming -- that pained him to no end. His voice was quiet. "I'm sorry. You were lost in the thralls of Gerin-Lajoie residual memories from her aeterium. I needed to snap you out of it. Besides--"

The crooked smile flashed as he pointed at his scratched cheek. "You did get me pretty good. Take comfort that I'll now be subjected to the good doctor's wrath." He grew more serious. "I need to ask you something, and I'm sorry to do so the moment you awake but… do you know who killed the Templar?"

Hesitantly, Sid rolled back and looked at his brother's smiling face. There was a pleading look in that stare but he didn't need to say what he wanted. Jack knew. "I couldn't see their face but I heard the sound of hooves. She was pursued by someone on a horse. Someone who wore white gloves."

Giving Jackie a few pets, Jack stood up and backed away. He left the familiar with his summoner; no doubt Sid would discover soon enough that his other two were missing. He paused at the doorway.

"I'm glad you're awake… I was afraid we'd lose you this time." The smile he gave was sad and wan. "I'll get Zilia. Let her know you're awake."

"Come back later, fére. I want you here with me."

"Always," Jack promised and left to fetch the doctor, along with telling the others what he'd learned from that moment.

​

 

[Fox of Hearts]

A Murder is Announced

Location: Castle Jensen
Winter Solstice Day 39 (1 Week to Yulemas)
9:45 PM

The low light caused the shadows to stretch endlessly against the wall. Soft coughing came from the man sitting in front of the fireplace. Baron van Vries pushed harder against the back of his seat as he reached across his chest to check on his rolled up sleeve. He added two more folds simply because he needed a distraction.

His mind was a sleep deprived mess. It was obvious to everyone who glanced at his face that he ought to surrender to Hypnos' sweet embrace but he couldn't. Not until he received the reassurance he had been seeking. There was simply too much at stake.

"You're sighing," Jemima stated brusquely. "I can tell that you haven't stopped worrying about your daughter."

The lord of the castle chuckled weakly in response. "Jem, you have a child too. Tell me if you'd be able to stop worrying if Levon was kidnapped. I know you wouldn't. He's your everything."

A hardened look crossed the doctor's face; her hands balling tightly. "I'd like to see them try. Over my dead body they will. Much less snatching him from under my roof."

"Jemima!" the man exclaimed. Anger peeking from the depths of his soul. Jem's words had cut deeper than she'd intended.

"Aye. You and I are ex-pirates. It's shame if we let anyone snatch our own from the nest. There's no hiding facts," she defended. "Nor do I apologise for what I've said."

Baron's shoulders sagged lower as he exhaled. His body lacked the will to stay angry. Even if he argued with her, she'd never change. Her frankness, which bordered on rudeness, seemed to the cornerstone of her personality. A culmination of her lived experience as a pirate from birth.

Jemima watched those puffy eyelids meld together and tutted. Part of her focus was on the needle in her right hand. She was filling the syringe with a clear liquid stored inside a glass vial. "I have a half mind to give you a sleep shot along with your medication. You're past useless to everyone around you."

"Mayhaps. I continue to wait anxiously for news of your old crew. You vouched for them so earnestly that you've given me hope. And, I've been counting the days leading to their arrival. The 'morrow you told me last."

"Aye."

She cleaned the area under his elbow and leaned forward. Her steady hand guided the needle into the vein effortlessly, sparing her patient unnecessary discomfort. Not that she expected him to complain. He still had an old sea dog's pride in him and that's why she could tolerate him all these years.

A blonde maid placed her master's evening tea on his table. She curtised and took her leave without uttering a word. Jem glanced at the retreating woman briefly. She gritted her teeth unable to explain why the maid's presence made her feel so uneasy.

"That's a new maid? I thought Bethany or Nellie served your tea in the evenings."

"Lottie? She joined the household a month, month half, ago. Polite, efficient but quite sure of herself. I rather that manner than a skittish girl. Those sort of maids make me bark at them like I used to as First Maid."

"Well now, I best be going. Enjoy your tea and try to get some sleep. You'd want to be at your best when you meet them."

Baron smiled fondly over the rim of his cup. He took a hearty sip of his favorite tissane and returned the cup to the decorated saucer in his other hand. "Have Alfonse's boy ... "

Porcelain shattered on carpeted floor. And, Jemima was back at his side. Worry marring her face for the first time and it frightened him. Baron grasped feebly at her arm. His strength dwindling with each breath he failed to take.

"Baron!"

The doctor felt the man slacken in her arms and she laid him down. Her fingers pressed quickly against his neck for feel for a pulse. Nothing. Swearing to high hell, Jemima's hands flew to his chest and she started compressing. She worked at it. Never stopping even when her arms started aching.

Someone screamed. Female. Young. Bethany! Jem's mind processed.

Wait, she wished to say but the maid fled down the hall. Swallowing dryly, Jemima acted on instinct. She checked for pulse again. The absence proved she had been on a fool's errand. Baron's lips were turning blue and his skin was losing heat.

Jones be damned!

Jem's heart thundered in her chest as she tried to gather her wits. She rose to her feet when guards flow into the room with their swords raised. She fought back the urge to reach for her pistol; she raised her hands over her head. Her eyes taking in the shocked expressions on the faces at the doorway.

"Look, I can explain," she began.

She knew no one would believe her.
They thought she killed Baron van Vries.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x​

Castle Jensen Staff

Bethany, Maid

Lottie, Maid

Nellie, Head Housekeeper (mentioned)

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Collab between Capt. Blu and Fox of Hearts

Echoes of Winter
Location: Heading to the Western Harbour

Darkness hadn't lifted when the Stardusk set out at eight the next morning on horseback. Tension mounted with every patrol they evaded. According to Cassidy's informant, the Navy had been on high alert since they seized Lady Luck and realised she belonged to the Stardusk. Their already slow progress was further hampered by Cedric's condition. His coughing caused rivulets of blood to dribble down his chin -- how much was due to his illness and how much due to his injury was hard to say. As he removed the stained towel from his lips, the summoner turned around to check on Zilia. He felt guilty for adding to her workload.

Closing his eyes, Sid leaned against Jack as the brothers followed behind Runali, Lily and Cassidy. He was about to drift off when he sensed someone pulling alongside them. He forced himself awake and stared at the person. "Capitaine?" he wheezed. "Can I help you? I can answer questions about the place if you like." He said with a wane smile.

Cassidy pulled up to her brothers' other side. "You should focus on staying alert. We'll be reaching the western harbour soon. Ma Lily arranged for a friend to meet us there and smuggle us into Bonifaas on his fishing boat."

She preferred leaving her little brother with Madam Akemi but that was the riskier option since Adenin was targeting him. She guessed they could figure out the where's and how's later. At worst, the entire crew could stay at the Guild. Few people wanted rooms at the headquarters anyway.

"Captain Lev, how does it feel to be labelled as one of the Kane'Artem Thirteen?" she couldn't resist bringing up the topic again; the gloom was getting too suffocating.

"It begs the question if they are after capitaine or the Stardusk," Cedric pondered. "Most of the newer wanted posters showed portraits of the K-13. I'm surprised the Navy started distributing them three years after the break out."

Cass smiled. She was glad someone finally made the connection. Although, she was a little disappointed Jack hadn't been the one to step up to the occasion. Grandpa said she should take every opportunity to test their budding spymaster. "There were rumours Kellerway, like I explained to Jack, formed a crew shortly before his arrest. No one knew so many numbered among the notorious thirteen."

Something occurred to Sid and his misgivings grew. "I'm assuming … " he began. "The escapees threatened the Bonifaas headquarters that's why many of the Navy elite have gathered here."

"A bomb threat," Cass supplied. "The Guilds have been recruited to help foil Kellerway's plot. It's hard since we don't know when and where. Maybe you'd like to help, big brother. You and your crew."

"The Guilds? Sounds like the Navy is trying to avoid a backlash. It has to do with the five unnamed individuals, doesn't it?" Sid interrupted.

"Names and faces omitted at the request of their families, yes."

"Nobility."

"Yes. Well, Kellerway too. We've been requesting more information about him but the Navy has been extremely tight-lipped. I guess they prefer being the ones to take him down."

"We came at the right time, no? Madame Doctor, Amaiya … Luro? Trouble stalks us around the world." Sid's voice was thick with sarcasm. "Can't believe we are caught in the middle of a fight between the pirate hunters and the Navy."

"We can't assume that, baby brother. Not until we've enough evidence to back that theory. Have you forgotten what Grandpa taught us?"

"Bomb threat, Cass."

"No, I think there's more to it. And, Grandpa agrees. He is waiting to discuss it with Jack and Mama."

Runali never went in too much detail about her time at Kane'Artem, not even when her crew asked. She'd give them brief bouts of the guards she had to deal with and occasionally the criminal or two that would seem lively enough to talk to, but ultimately she kept her mouth shut. It was an arduous time at what was practically a hellscape, only made bearable when she stopped fighting back so much. And barely then. So hearing Cassidy, still declared as an overly friendly stranger, prod about it didn't make her very eager to share. She wanted to say there were more things to be concerned about, like Cedric and Coral's health, or the fact that her ship was taken over by the Navy, or the fact that the note she was given by some random bird said that 'they were next', or-

Runali felt her horse quicken its pace into a trot and she loosened her grip on the reins. She sighed when she realized the mental storm cloud over her and straightened up. "Labels are labels. It's what you do with them that makes you memorable." It was stated in a matter of fact tone. She offered Cedric a glance. "I was placed in some… part of Kane'artem," She gestured vaguely as her memory jogged. "Where bigger threats were placed. The only reason I wasn't there when my crew rescued me was because I was on my best behavior." The last part was obvious sarcasm, but she pressed on. "I had the misfortune of having to talk to some of the twelve. Lebov the most, against my will because she wouldn't leave me be. She seemed eager to kill me in prison, so she may be after me, personally. The other eleven are a mystery, but I wouldn't put it against them if they were working together in some capacity."

Listening to the two banter about information she didn't know or really care about made her shrug. "If it's not one bit of trouble, it's another. That's how pirates live. Though after we find Jem you and Coral will need to sit this particular bit of trouble out. Preferably somewhere safe… wherever that may be."

"You wound me, capitaine. You know I hate feeling useless."

Sid's coughing forced him to stop talking. The frail man curled up under his blankets as his skin dampened with sweat. A fevered blush crept up his cheeks and he melted against Jack. He sucked in a hurried breath before he coughed again.

Cass nudged her horse forward. "Best we get out of the cold soon. Follow me," she cried as she nudged her horse to the front.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-​

Location: Bonifaas (Kanaal Centraal)

There was constant movement around them the second they entered the massive sea gates. Ships of all sizes sailed past them and in the distance they could see the city folk rushing around like ants. Thick metal cables crisscrossed the skies, forming paths for the sky gondolas. Their journey often accompanied by pneumatic hissing of steam escaping valves.

Cass smiled as she stood between Zilia and Kadi on the deck of the fishing boat. "Yes, it reminds you of Brass Cape, doesn't it? A number of their engineers have been helping modernise this fort town." She nodded as Kadi spoke. "That's right! Bonifaas is home to the five best universities."

Sid roused slowly from his fitful sleep. He was barely making sense of what Cassidy was saying but he knew Jack was by his side. He removed a hand from underneath the blankets and threaded his fingers between his brother's. "Where are we exactly?"

"Look over there!" their sister exclaimed. Her loud voice drowned out her brothers' conversation.

She pointed to the people zipping through the canals. "Water bicycles. They are unique to this place. You got to try them sometime. Well, only if you can swim. They tend to sink the moment you stop paddling. Oh and, er, devil fruit users should avoid them too. The canals are filled with brackish water."

Sometime after Zil and whoever else helped Coral, Runali fashioned a sling out of the large scarf she had from Cedric. The last thing she wanted to do was leave her bird with strangers so, tucked away and inside of her jacket, the bird was safely stored. She was bandaged and her wing was on some sort of splint, but Coral was resting and that was good enough for now.

"I… appreciate you trying to keep high spirits playing tour guide… I guess." Runali started while she looked around the town. She pulled her hood down a little more to fight the cold and watched the water bicycles for a moment. "But, I'm not really here for sight seeing anymore. Should usually clear out the threats before you go relaxing, y'know considering Cedric is injured and being targeted. We may also be targeted- my ship's being watched by the navy," Runali waved her hand dismissively, not needing to repeat what they already knew. "I'm gonna go find Jem to see what else we can find out. I'm sure she'll appreciate a familiar face," Runali looked over at Amaiya. "You're gonna be with me." Looking over at Luro she continued. "I know you'd wanna see her too but I need you with Jack. He's on info gathering and you're the best one to sense danger if it's close. And the bigger the group," She gestured towards the rest, "The easier it is to make sure Cedric isn't, well, snatched into the crowds."

"I - non! I'm much better." Sid's cheeks glowed a deeper red at the thought that he needed minding. He crossed his arms and glowered. "Captaine, I can stand on my own," he grumbled, staggering to his feet.

He danced around before collapsing back onto the ground. His face completely soaked from his exertion. He clamped a hand over his mouth as the vertigo spiralled out of control. "Give me awhile. I should be fine," he insisted.

With her hands up, she added. "No offense Cedric but you're barely standing on your own. You don't get a say on whether or not you get help. Captain's orders." The hustle and bustle caught her attention as she gave out instructions and she made a face for a short moment. "Actually, Cassidy, you'll be with us too. We don't know this place. Finding a Guild is easy. If we can't find Jem, we'll need someone to direct us back."

Cass cleared her throat politely, saddling closer to the petite captain. "Not that easy. It's hidden behind a coffee shop. But, don't worry! I'm one of the best scouts in the guild. I'll get you where you need to be."

She whistled to a couple of men standing on the pier ahead. "Amaiya, Captain, we get off here. Rest of you can relax first. This boat can take you all the way to Juriaanplatz. Ma and Jack can take over from there."

Hopping onto the pier, she spun around and waved animatedly to her family. "Tell Grandpa I can't peel his eggs for him today, big brother! Bet he'll ask you to help. Those eggs have been soaking for four months and he's eager to taste them."

As the crew parted ways, Gemini materialised among a murder of crows. He pressed his wings closer to his body so that he appeared the same size as his feathered friends. Once Amaiya blended into the crowd, he spread his wings and took off after the fishing boat. He kept hidden to his best ability -- darting behind chimneys or blending in with the local birds -- his master warned him to be wary of Luro Makachi. If that man spotted him, he may alert Jack and that would ruin master's plans.

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Welcome to Bonifaas

Bonifaas (disambiguation)

• The kingdom on the westernmost shore of the Op Die Fiet Empire

• The capital of the Kingdom of Bonifaas. Originally, the kingdom was a small fort town sitting on the cliff. It has expanded to include the Uitibuken peninsular since joining the empire.

More Information:

The capital remains true to its seafaring roots. It has a total of 72 island districts separated by over a hundred canals. In total, there are 18 major canals, of which Kanaal Centraal is the largest.

Since there are more canals than walkways, boats and water bicycles are popular modes of transport. This often leads to congestion during certain hours. The royal family decided to address this issue by commissioning Brass Cape engineers to build the sky gondolas.

All the districts are arranged in an anti-clockwise spiral, with the vital districts, e.g. the royal family's residence and the newly built Naval Headquarters, found in the center.

Bonifaas is considered one of the warmest places on the main continent. The highest recorded temperature in summer was 55 F. In early winter, the average temperature is slightly above 32 F.