MISSION: GOLD SAILS, RED SKIES

[ximilian]

● ● ● M I S S I O N   1 6 . 1

ROCK THE BOAT • SINK OR SOAR • ALL HANDS ON DECK • TRIM YOUR SAILS • FYI

// INTRO. ROCK THE BOAT  

As the day draws to a close, the Orbers will hear the tell-tale ping of their earpieces, alerting them to a new mission file — just a few days after their arrival back on the station, just as Viveca and Degar promised.

// VIVECA

Hi all, I’ve sent all of you your next mission file. The orb is somewhere on the continent of Hhial, and based on my research the best way to find it will be to infiltrate some of the sky pirate crews there. On the file, you’ll see which crew you’ll be working with. For those of you who don’t have humanoid forms, Degar’s got a familiar potion for you. In Hhial, you’ll find a humanoid form is enough, you don’t have to look human unless you want to. You’ve got until tomorrow morning to prepare.

With the relatively short time frame to familiarize yourself with the available information and gather all supplies you need, a suitable set of clothing included, the night may prove a little bit harried for you… or perhaps you’re one of those who makes it a regular habit of having everything ready to and can thus have a decent night’s rest regardless.

Whatever the case may be, as soon as the morning arrives you’ll be expected to join your fellow crewmates at the teleportation platform. And when you get there, Viveca and Degar will be standing by already, the latter handing out humanoid potions for those needing them.

// VIVECA

Right, I think everyone’s here. Good luck, everyone.

// DEGAR

This mission sounds like a pretty fun one! You’ll do awesome; good luck, guys.

The hum of the platform will finally grow almost too loud enough to make out the last of Degar’s words but they sound optimistic at least. Soon enough you’ll feel a familiar tug at the pit of your stomach and be whisked away from the station and towards your destination. But for a moment that seems to take no time at all while also seeming to stretch out into the forever, you hear it: whispers, echoes, voices that speak to you in several tenors at once, all providing you with a goal in exchange for their help.

Before you have a chance to answer, your surroundings clear and you notice that perhaps someone who had been standing next to you on the platform isn’t there anymore. Whichever of the three ships you’ve been sent to … that’s where you’ll be.

Welcome to Hhial.

TOP

// PART I.SINK OR SOAR  

You find yourself instantly land-bound, on your way to boarding one of the three ships — The Blue Dawn, The Hawking or The Silent Plunder. The first mate of the ship never pauses in their explanation of what you ought to expect from life as a pirate; indeed, it seems as if some magic is at play, and they will treat you as if you had always been there about to join the crew. Maybe it’s best not to ask too many questions though, to avoid giving anyone a bad impression right off the bat.

1.0   On The Blue Dawn, Jilleh Rahtar seems like more of a force of nature than a woman in her thirties; the crew’s feelings towards her range from gratitude to admiration, as all of the women on board have her to thank for their current favourable change in life circumstances. Among the crew, asking someone what they used to do or who they used to be is taboo — “let your old life die and your new one start” is a phrase often heard from the captain’s mouth, or echoed by her first mate, Lai. Everyone on the crew receives equal treatment, and no one is mocked if they don’t know how to do something. Jilleh herself is frequently seen showing the ropes to the newer arrivals.

Meanwhile, Bess and Bowin run The Hawking with a firm yet gentle hand: those on the crew all share a love for knowledge, history, and what they all call “the truth”: searching for whatever exists in history that the current world may be trying to hide. It seems as though the twins have ended up with a career in piracy less because of a love for working outside the law, and more because what they are searching for seems to be easiest to obtain while working as a pirate; this is reflected in the crew members that they choose, and strategy games and philosophical discussions are a more common form of entertainment over drinking and dancing during the evenings. This isn’t to say that Bess hasn’t been known to play a sparkling tune on her violin every now and then, with Bowin’s deep singing voice accompanying her, but it isn’t a frequent event.

If life on The Hawking is nearly free of violence and attacks on other crews, that hardly seems to be the case on The Silent Plunder. Greybeard is an imposing figure and an unforgiving captain, but he inspires confidence in his crew, and often leads them through successful attacks on other ships, pirate and merchant alike. The crew often enjoys the spoils of these skirmishes, wine and fresh food and gold for everyone to share. Pulling your weight has its merits, too, as you often receive more, the more work you put in.

2.0   Once you’ve been indoctrinated onto the ship Viveca has assigned you to, you’ll be shown the ropes as it were: where to eat, where to sleep, the rooms in which you have no access to (the captain’s private quarters, for one), as well the rooms that you do. You’ll be given clean water to drink and stale bread and dried fruit to eat, and you’ll be set to work almost immediately. This may include: ship maintenance, scrubbing the decks, hoisting the sails, preparing meals, and tending to the washing. After all, no matter what ship you find yourself on, every person on the crew is vital in keeping the craft running.

But there is some downtime too. When the wind picks up and fills the sails of your ship, there are moments in which you can rest and admire the scenery that moves past you. The cloud cover is cool and a little wet and refreshing; you can make out the very tops of the tallest towers and darkest lakes. The tops of the trees if you sail over a forest are deep green and lush and feel impossibly small from where you stand. The days are predictable and filled with hard work and laborious tasks, but the sunsets are unspeakably beautiful, and depending on which ship you’re on, the nights are often filled with drinking and singing and maybe a little dancing.

This is your home for the next little while, and you may find that even during the times when your ship has docked on land for a job, you’re welcome to spend the days in the city and return to the ship at night – it’s completely up to you. The only caveat they will reiterate here is that you’ll be sworn to secrecy on the exact docking place of the ship as their way of life is and must remain separate from that of the regular land-loving folk.

TOP

// PART II.ALL HANDS ON DECK  

Once you settle into daily life onboard the ship and crew you’ve been assigned to, you’ll be immediately whisked into the world of what makes each ship and crew tick. Whether you’re on the hunt for new artifacts and tidbits of history, or more riches to share amongst your crew in the midst of your captain’s ultimate goal to look for Dracness, eventually your travels will take you in and through the three countries of Hhial. You might look forward to the destination, but the journey to get there makes up a large portion of the adventure and it’s best to embrace the routine and the travel.

3.0   Your captain may send you to Kellir on the hunt for a specific treasure, a clue that may have ties to a source with knowledge of Dracness or a direct lead to the mythical island in the sky. Either way, you’ve been assigned a task and allowed to leave the ship with some of your fellow crewmates, you will enter Kellir and be allowed to explore the country as part of your job. But before you leave the ship, you’ll be warned by some of the captain’s crew that you’ll need to exercise discretion and to keep your role quiet. Revealing the exact whereabouts of the ship will get you into some real trouble with the captain, or get you banned from the ship. There is no point in asking ‘why’ but you’ll quickly learn that Kellir has an especially unfavourable opinion on pirates and may even find ways to arrest you simply because you’re a pirate.

For centuries, Kellir has evolved its identity into a country of creative freedom and innovation, with its population largely made up of artists and writers, scientists and engineers in the arts and sciences. It begins with the architecture and the planning of the city: everything here is beautiful and intentional, each street and planter and building cohesively tied into the cityscape to lead its citizens and tourists in and out past its doors. The dead-ends have purpose; all roads lead somewhere. There are small parks and well-manicured trees and flowers that offer a picturesque snapshot of the building behind it. The fashionable are encouraged to look their best here with Couture Houses that encourage creativity and pushing limits in design made from all manner of fabrics available: from cotton and linen to chiffon and netting, leather and lace, and silk. Kellir’s regent, Lady Catryn Spiertower, is a large supporter of the fashion houses across the country and is always up to date on the latest trends.

There are advanced technological ‘factories’, and laboratories where the most intelligent minds are praised and celebrated, each sponsored by patrons that encourage them to run with their ideas to invent new technologies, and to enhance the lives of Kellirans on a day to day basis. These buildings are often situated near the schools and libraries (where the entire cataloguing system runs on steam-power and electricity, and the retrieval of a book itself becomes something of a performance) for easier access to resource material. Seeking knowledge, after all, is a thing to be celebrated and is accessible to all citizens of Kellir without restriction.

Some say that the best culinary experts get their education from Kellir before they move on to other parts of Hhial. Here you may find an abundance of test kitchens and eager chefs trying to work their latest dish on the locals. Try your luck with the latest spice, or sit down and dine on the latest fine wine. This is a country that bursts with innovation and redefining itself on a near constant basis.

4.0   Past the warm sands and the temperate country of Kellir, the clean whites and golds of the buildings barely visible through the fluffy cloud cover, your captain may steer you and their crew further towards the north where the weather is a little more brisk.The reason for this becomes immediately clear when you spot the looming snow-capped mountain range just behind the country of Muchter, where the colour of the cities is darker and heavier, more stone and lumber and warm glowing lights greet you before you land. Much like its regent, Lord Barrett Caron, Muchter is a country with a strong work ethic, and the abundance of natural, raw resources which allows the people to really put their determination and endurance to the test. While the people here seem a little rougher around the edges, they are wealthy and want for nothing and their disciplined manner means that they know full well that they reap what they sow.

Muchter isn’t all work and no play, however, and there are numerous venues across the cities to spend one’s hard-earned coin. While not as delicate and even intricate in its design, Muchterites have cultivated a pastime in whittling wood and stone into statues and carvings of various sizes. They love to drink in Muchter (but do so responsibly), and have alehouses established almost as frequently as they do factories and lumber yards, and the clothing here is thicker and made from simpler fabrics: there is more use of cotton and wool and leather.

In Muchter, the people don’t care either way for the pirates that often visit, preferring to maintain a distance from their dealings and to avoid them when they can. They may not be open to letting a loud-and-proud pirate into their place of business but they will not turn someone affiliated with a pirate away so long as they remain respectful.

5.0   Unlike Kellir and Muchter, Zefindam almost appears to be a country whose only purpose is seeking personal pleasure. As any local might tell you, Zefindam (before it was called Zefindam) was believed to have once been the glorious, and affluent capital of Hhial when it had been united as one kingdom under the High Queen. The nobles and their families made their homes here and while most of the architecture has been built on and replaced, new buildings sitting on the structure of the old ones hacked away, there are numerous traces of its complicated origins in the bones of the infrastructure.

Old, crumbled statues of noblemen and women fill the corners and crevices of several buildings that are badly in need of repair, some that may seem familiar to those who have rifled through the history books and studied the portraits depicting Kalain-like features. That said, its tumultuous history as a network for the most powerful politicians has been smudged away into the indulgent lifestyle of the country’s present-day citizens and is a sure escapist paradise for those who want to forget about their responsibilities for a day or two … or three. Zefindam’s regent, Lord Orwen Deeplake, only has a mild hand in the political affairs of the country, preferring that his citizens live with as much freedom as they desire.

Zefindam is truly the city that never sleeps with a myriad of activities to indulge oneself in. Much of its economy relies on its restaurants and pubs, serving some of the absolute heavenly foods and alcohols; but the backbone of Zefindam’s rocky wealth sits on the gambling parlours, substance dens, and brothels. The establishments here have mild opinions on pirates and piracy and so long as there is coin to be made, most will turn a blind eye on one’s affairs. The same can be said of anyone with magical abilities, of which the judgments seem to be lax here for more reason than the easy-going nature of the people who live here. While those with magic are not encouraged to flaunt their powers, they may be seen just a little more frequently in the streets of Zefindam’s cities. People may offer you a knowing glance or offer congratulations for ‘surviving death’ and ‘coming out of it the other end’ – whatever that means.

TOP

// PART III.TRIM YOUR SAILS  

The place that you’ll find your crew looking forward to the most, however, lies beyond the continent of Hhial — and perhaps you do, too, for that is where you will find it the easiest to rendez-vous with your friends from other crews.

6.0   When a hard day’s piracy is at an end, your captain may direct the ship towards the Golden Haven, an island just past the southernmost shores of Hhial. It’s the sight of the single dormant volcano that marks its presence before you note the lush, hilly landscape that surrounds it. Each ship will land by air, or if your captain has decided to sail across the ocean, it will dock by way of the water and then you’ll be welcomed to roam the island until your next assignment. Walking along the path of wood planks elevated over swampy trenches and deceptively deep swales, you’re led into the main town where there are several low-storey structures that surround an open square. Here there are temporary residences for pirate-folk just like you, and trading posts for those leftover trinkets you may have managed to pilfer along the way. At the centre of all things are the drinking holes serving up all manner of cheap alcohol that’ll do nothing more than get the job done, and surprisingly fresh, clean water. And if you have a little bit of excess treasure, you can always join a group of other like-minded pirates in the gambling dens to boost your fortune – or lose it all in one poorly timed hand.

The Golden Haven is generally a little more quiet during the day, but at night it feels like an all-hours party. There is dancing and singing and copious amounts of drinking. Down by the beach you may come across bonfires, with lit torches stuck into the sand to light your way while also welcoming any pirates arriving late.

There is an assumed agreement, the moment you step onto the sands of the Haven, that so long as you’re here you abide by the pirate’s code: you respect everyone else here, you keep to yourself, and under no circumstances do you sell anyone else out. There is no killing in the city (duels can be had on the beach), and there are no discussions on Hhialian politics; every pirate here is seen as an equal and your wealth is what you bring with you, and is yours to do with as you please. Anyone caught breaking a rule will meet a violent (and bloody) end to serve as both punishment for a betrayal and an example of the seriousness of these codes.

7.0   Though discussion of politics is forbidden, you will find that pirates love a good story, and there is one story above the rest: the story of the Kalain line, the High Queens who used to rule over the once-unified continent of Hhial. If you show your ignorance, you will find an abundance of people willing to regale you with the tale.

“Nine hundred years ago, the first High Queen, Zefira Kalain, came to Hhial and unified all the different tribes and nations into one. That’s why they called her the Unifier, see? Anyway, the Kalain line went on to rule Hhial for 400 years… until the Uprising. Three leaders rose up against the High Queen of the time, Lloria Kalain, and she fled. Only, there was nowhere to run on land… so she fled into the sky. Took all her riches with her, too, to Dracness. All she left behind was an artifact that’d show the way there. That’s what all of them are looking for, ain’t it? All the crews, looking for a way to find it. And all her riches.”

Whether you believe the story or not … it seems that if nothing else, your captains do.

TOP

F Y I

• The events in this log take place during the month of August.

• If you have questions about any of the prompts or the mission in general, please direct them HERE.

• To explore a specific location or speak to any of the NPCs, please submit your search request HERE.

• And finally, your soundtrack for this log: ♪ ♪ ♪

TOP

▶ NAV

Comments

QUESTIONS.

[ximilian]

For any questions regarding the events or information on this log, ask them here.

[bindsthedead]

How are magical abilities seen in Kellir and Muchter? And how are they seen among the crews? Can we handwave having minor encounters with magical NPCs?

[rehandle]

Building off of Sarah's question about magic, with a specific focus on the Hawking - if Stephen were to use magic casually and often in the course of living his life and carrying out his daily duties, will this cause him any trouble assimilating with the crew, or are pirates in general/our sky-faring academics & knowledge-lovers specifically more at ease with those who aren't as reserved with their magic as the land-locked citizens of the countries below?

Just doing a vibe check before I dive in

[oiorpata]

what kind of substances are in the substance dens?

and what are some of the other pirate ships like/how many are out there? are any as notorious as the big three? or are they all just too mid?

[oiorpata]

hi mods! question about the timing re andy's search request and the next log! is it going to be directly after the lai encounter and jumping ship? is there wriggle room for andy to interact with the network/in logs after she leaves with lai and cian for the blue dawn?

for example, i'd written a starter for her on the ship post defection, plus trying to figure out how/where to share what she can publicly, etc

SEARCH REQUESTS.

[ximilian]

Speaking to an NPC? Exploring any of the locations? Poking around for information? Tell us what your character is doing to gather information and we'll let you know what they happen to find out.

To limit the mods' workload, each character has one (1) search request. Please remember that multiple characters can combine their search requests and form a mini-team to be able to search areas or speak to people that one character would not be able to. For those doing a search in a group of 4+ characters: in case that the search will yield no results from the start, you will be given a chance to re-do the search.

Note that not every search request will necessarily yield a point of plot relevance, and some of these search requests will wind up with dead ends. Despite this, the mods take care to try and give everyone something to work with. In the event of a search request yielding no further results, the mods will clearly explain this during the search request exchange.

More info on search requests can be found HERE.

Search requests will remain open till AUGUST 17, 6PM GMT.

yennefer & the captain;

[choicely]

Yennefer, being quite aware of the personal goal she’s been assigned to get information using seductive means, is going to set her sights high — that said, her approach to gleaning more information from Captain Rahtar is actually going to stem from a place of honesty, i.e. needing assistance completing various tasks on board the ship, or asking Jilleh personally to offer hands-on help in a way that could certainly be viewed as flirtatious. She doesn’t want it to be some sort of empty, manipulative seduction, though, even as she tries to find increasingly intimate ways to engage the captain in conversation, especially opportunities that would give the two of them some one-on-one time, with limited interruption from the rest of the crew. (Whether that actually gets her into the captain’s quarters or not as a result remains to be seen!)

Naturally, she’ll be seeking information on the orb’s whereabouts, but she’ll start by making gentler inquiries — how long Jilleh has been captain, when she began commanding her own ship, that sort of thing. Nothing that pries too deeply into past lives, as that seems to be off-limits, but nothing that rouses suspicion about a deeper motive as of yet. Beyond seeking information, though, Yennefer will actually hold Jilleh in deep personal regard due to the respect the rest of the crew displays for her and the role she seems to have played in freeing them from previous circumstances, especially any less than desirable ones — so that will inform her genuine approach overall. The more frequently she can get some face time in with the captain (potentially even with a few rounds of ale to help loosen lips), the better — although if one thing happens to lead to another eventually, that wouldn’t be so terrible either…

Natasha Romanoff | MCU | OTA + Closed

[deaddrop]

[Open and closed starters to come! Hit me up if you'd like something personalized.]

PART I.SINK OR SOAR - Open

[deaddrop]

1.0

[Natasha isn't one to openly play favorites about missions, but she'd be hard pressed not to admit she likes The Blue Dawn's atmosphere immediately. Maybe it's because it hardly seems like it could be a better fit for her cover. Her plan to start with was to be as vague about her backstory as possible—she and Yelena are sisters getting away from their past, and that's all anyone needs to know. It just so happens that's all anyone is inclined to ask, too.

While she's not without her suspicions, the crew's unspoken mission statement, providing a fresh start for women who might not have many other options, resonates with her too.

She sort of hopes they won't have to betray Captain Rahtar before this is over.

As she and the other new crewmembers, orbers and otherwise, board the ship, Natasha nudges a familiar elbow and flashes a smile:]

Should be fun, huh?

[There's a little bit of a feral twinkle in her eye as she says it. It's not an entirely honest expression. Natasha figures their time on the continent is going to throw them some surprises. They always do.

Still, as starts go, they've had worse.]


2.0

[Both at work and at rest, Natasha makes herself at home up high, in the rigging or the Blue Dawn's crow's nest. Natasha's never been bothered by heights, which is a good thing because they're up very, very high.]

Hell of a view.

[She comments, wedged against the mast, her legs wrapped around one of the spars as she watches the clouds and the treetops as they sail past. She pulls out a bag of something that might be strips of dried mango, or some similar fruit. Natasha can't taste much of it, so she might be forgiven for not being entirely sure.

Either way, it's chewy and sweet, and the color is similar to the sky where the sun is starting to sink into the mist.]

Want to stay up here a little longer before we go back down?

joric | original character

[drawsblood]

PART 2
4.0

[ It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows Joric that he will gravitate towards any mountains he hears of during a mission and Muchter is no exception. When The Silent Plunder docks, he disembarks with a knapsack on his shoulder and prepares to explore. Right away he comes across the statues and has to look into the whittling culture here since he's just picked the hobby back up himself and brought his tools with him. He can be found sitting pretty much anywhere whittling away after receiving some tips from locals.

That isn't all he does, of course. He frequents the alehouse to listen for gossip about this strange artifact and though he knows he doesn't have the time to go hiking up the mountains, he finds a good vantage point to sit and admire them quietly for some time. ]

5.0

[ Zefindam feels familiar not for its ancient statues and history of nobility, but for its taverns, brothels, and gambling parlors. It's like the makeshift villages that appeared behind the front lines when he was fighting in the war. And Joric takes full advantage of it. He frequents the restaurants to have some of the best food of his life. Before this, only Patty's Diner came close. And he doesn't mind gambling since this money of his was assigned at the start of the mission and not earned. He's old enough to know when to quit so he doesn't go into debt and get roughed up for it.

He indulges enough in these activities that one might think he's forgotten all about the mission, but what better place to listen to people who let down their guard than the gambling tables or the tavern? And even though he doesn't head to any of the brothels, both women and men are pretty friendly with him at the tavern. He merely smiles and rebuffs them with the same phrase: ]

I have a woman who would break all your bones and mine if she sees you trying to get with me.

PART 3

6.0

[ Landing at the Golden Haven immediately feels different from the other countries, but not because of its landscape. The atmosphere feels like he's hardly left the ship at all. This is the place pirates are meant to be and finally he doesn't have to measure every word he says so as not to seem like a pirate. His first stop is the trading post to see if any of this stolen treasure can be traded for something useful. Playing along and plundering ships hasn't sat right with Joric. It feels similar to the invaders at home trying to come into the mountains to steal their resources instead of paying his people. He doesn't like being on this side of things. But he does it to not blow his cover while considering if it's worth switching ships.

After that he heads to the gambling dens once more to see what the pirates are talking about. Surely the artifact has to be a topic of discussion, right? At night he hits up the beach and walks around the bonfire with a drink in his hand. No one will get him to dance, but he'll set down his drink and clap along to any music being played to provide a good rhythm for the dancers. ]

WILDCARD

anytime, anywhere

[ If everyone's been searching for this artifact to no avail, it's either an orb and someone has it (maybe that story about the Queen has some merit), or it really leads to Dracness and the orb is there. So Joric starts exploring the countries' less traveled spots. Caves, wooden glens, anywhere he can think that some special item might have been left but it seemed too out of the way to venture to. He has to, of course, take into account when the ship will be setting out again so he doesn't get left behind, but he can be found out and about exploring places. ]

misc.

[ Hit me up with a place or scenario and let's do the rp thing! PM me or message me at contessas if you have any questions first! ]

Bonfire

[morethan084]

[As Daisy enters the space the bonfire is being held at, it’s hard not to notice Joric. He easily towers over a good amount of the people here, and a smile immediately comes to her face as she makes her way over to him.]

Enjoying the music?

[She asks as she takes a seat next to him, clearly happy to see him in person after what feels like far too long.]

alucard | castlevania

[ananym]

( ia. the silent plunder — a pirate's life )

[ alucard was a warrior. he always had been. for all lisa loved the sciences, he was still dracula's son. that demanded certain skills, certain talents. at the time, he never cared. life balanced itself out with the warmth of his mother's embrace, the quiet smile on his father's lips. and the world was a dangerous place.

on this ship, a pirate ship, fighting was the norm. it was part of the mission, to fit in. raid the vessels, defeat the sailors. at first, alucard didn't think about it too hard. he could bend. he could commit to this. he's committed atrocities before. his sword sang as it whizzed through the air while alucard calmly tossed men aside like they were rag dolls. nothing too extreme, nothing too much. until he was finally pressed in battle. within a flash, the heat of battle was upon him and he forces a man against the mast with a vampiric snarl, nails drawn back to rip out his throat.

until he saw the fear. the wide-eyed, quaking fear. alucard freezes. ]

( ib. the silent plunder — is not for me )

[ after his little freeze during battle and his reluctance to kill, the captain decides that alucard needs to cool his heels in the brig. alucard reins in his temper and lets the crew toss him into the dank hold. he's not bothered by this, though he can't help pacing around for a bit in frustration. finally he sighs and sits down, leaning against the wall. there is a little light from the ceiling from the grate which lets him hear what's happening above. it's fine. the other members of the station will handle it.

but what of your conviction?

he pushes his hair back, thoughtful. when there's a knock on the door, alucard responds dryly. ]

You're making a mistake.

( ii. golden haven — drinks and bonfires )

[ this is quite the atmosphere.

it is fascinating that with roving pirates that this world seem remains relatively peaceful. not without violence or pain. there are certainly things he must be missing. everyone chasing this artifact is bound to have a long and bloody history. and yet, it is so divorced from the way life was on wallachia. people can live in peace, they can find a corner that belongs to them. alucard tried that and it hadn't worked out. he hopes the people of danesti find peace but who knows if it'll happen again?

if something will come around the corner, chasing the big evil, demanding a return of —

alucard puts it aside, taking another sip of his wine. ]

Does anyone have any stories to share around the fire?

[ perhaps the drinks and the fire will loosen lips. and give him a lead to chase the artifact. ]

( iii. wildcard )

[ got a prompt in mind? alucard will be around muchter, whittling small wood carvings and visiting alehouse for info or doing modeling work at kellir. he's also assigned to the the silent plunder. you can reach me at timmtams / hit up my plotting comment. ]

ia + b combo

[rootlessly]

[Vash has made many mistakes in his life, and his refusal to blend into the culture of the Silent Plunder may well be another, but Vash is nothing if not stubbornly committed to his own ideals. He'd happened to have been nearby when Alucard had his crisis of conscience; unfortunately, so had Greybeard, and he'd been of a mind to make sure his newest recruit wasn't quite so hapless as he looked.

On the one hand: he wasn't. On the other, losing out on treasure because said recruit was not only unwilling to kill but indeed prepared to actively defend their target's life is not exactly the kind of thing that puts a pirate captain in a good mood. When Alucard speaks up, some crewmate growls: letting you idiots onto this crew was the mistake, before the door opens and another blond man is all but shoved through, and he has to brace himself against the ground before he tumbles right into Alucard.

Once he's on his feet again, he smiles a little sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his prosthetic arm.]

Guess we're cellmates, huh?

nikolai lantsov — grishaverse (all open prompts)

[ravkas]

— THE SILENT PLUNDER — darkness.

cw for suicidal ideation.

[ he’s no stranger to high-flying ships, having designed and crafted them himself — and crashed a few dozen in the process. oddly enough, the crashes never deterred him from soldiering on to perfect his inventions. the sea might be his first love, but the skies offer just as much freedom, an azure map of infinite possibility.

until… well. until he’d fallen straight out of the sky and plummeted to the gray sands of the fold, saved only from sure death by zoya’s winds. nikolai has never been afraid of heights before, but standing at the rails of the silent plunder, all he can think of is the deathly weight of no weight at all.

if he fell now, he would hit either land or sea. in either case, he would likely break every bone in his body. would his shadow die, too? hard to say. impossible to test without dramatics. he does know that something about the skies makes the monster yearn for freedom, and nikolai clutches hard at the rails, feeling the pulse of darkness beneath his gloved hands, and refuses to let it out.

— THE SILENT PLUNDER — captain’s quarters.

[ he can drink anything, really, but his preferences lean toward unnecessary indulgences, and he knows he saw their intrepid captain claim a bit of loot for himself that nikolai was eyeing — a fine bottle of aged cognac that would look more attractive in his hands and taste even better on his tongue. ]

I know there are certain places off limits — [ nikolai leans over, already sneaking away to the stairwell leading to the lower bowels of the ship. ] But I don’t think that applies to me. Do you want a real drink?

[ and it isn’t more than five minutes later that nikolai has let himself into the captain’s private quarters, picking the lock with ease and spying the bottle in question. he finds two glasses and pours with a practiced hand, steady on his feet as he holds out the other glass. ]

We should do some pilfering while we’re here. [ he’s glad to be away from the ruckus above, the rest of the crew and their captain celebrating their latest pillage. while he’d usually be the first to partake in such revelry, he has not been sleeping lately, and the noise is bothersome at this point. much better to have the company of good liquor. he sprawls out on the bed, one hand behind his head. ] Or are we calling it respectable investigation?

— THE SILENT PLUNDER — skirmish.

cw for blood & death.

[ nikolai does not take pleasure in killing — though his demon feels uproariously, disturbingly alive — but he also suffers from a permanent bout of terminal heroism that places him in the most reckless situations possible. when he sees one of his fellow crewmates from the silent plunder bleeding badly and caught within killing range of an enemy’s blade, he doesn’t think twice about aiming his revolver straight between the eyes of the unlucky attacker.

he does think that perhaps he could’ve aimed with a little more tact, once more blood sprays (very lightly) onto the person he’s saved. ]

Sorry. Things get chaotic during a skirmish. [ skirmish is an understatement — greybeard has just felled another skyship, which will be plunging to a deathly fall shortly after their crew ransacks it for treasures. nikolai does not want to think about all the lives lost today, focusing instead on the one in front of him. he ignores his own injuries — not serious, just irritating, at least he thinks — and kneels, his gloved hands reaching out to assess the wounds. ] This is a terrible resting spot you’ve chosen.

— ZEFINDAM — substance den.

cw for drugs and very dubious consent????

[ after long days of taking orders on a ship that he could have captained with far more finesse, he’s glad to lose himself in the seedy streets of what he starts to think is just ketterdam by another name. his intention is to prowl for information, and it’s never the ones that look like they have it that actually know anything, which is how nikolai ends up in one of the substance dens, flirting heavily (with a precise agenda) with a raven-haired beauty who must have, at some point, waved her magic fingers and put something in his drink.

he had a plan here, but can’t quite remember it. warm hands in his hair soothe him, and those hands travel lower, though it sort of feels like someone is going through his coat pockets. who can blame them? it’s a very fancy coat. ]

I’m actually taken. Finally. I think. [ he smiles, comfortable with a warm body in his lap. ] Sorry to disappoint.

— GOLDEN HAVEN — gambling den.

[ nikolai doesn’t care much for trinkets or the petty cash that a good swindle in the gambling will win him, choosing instead to have a drink and listen in at the tables for any mention of the orb. the drink is cheap swill that goes down rough with each swallow. Nikolai sorely misses the absurd but necessary luxuries he insisted upon during his own captainship.

a sudden crash distracts him from his woes, and he gravitates toward the sound, startled to find a familiar face at one of the gambling tables — a familiar, but very drunk face, and one clearly with a losing hand and currently out of money. ]

You’re awful at this. [ nikolai reaches into his pocket and then holds up a fat diamond pendant, clearly picked off of a necklace. ] I’ll give you this to waste at the tables again if you stop being an ass for a moment and come with me.

— WILDCARD.

[ ooc: will default to brackets. lmk if you want nikky for something else! ]

captain's quarters

[rootlessly]

[As a man with a 6 million dollar bounty on his head, be it due to mistaken identity notwithstanding, Vash is generally at least somewhat on board for shenanigans at any given time. However, he does have a slight concern with being quite so obvious about it. He grins a little sheepishly as the other glass is extended out to him, but does not immediately reach out to take it.]

I wouldn't mind. But maybe we shouldn't...enjoy the fruits of our--investigation--in the same place we...ah, investigated them?

Shuntaro Chishiya | Alice in Borderland

[dispassioned]

[A few open starters below and I can write up closed prompts on request. Wildcards are also welcome. If you want to plot something specific hit me up in PM or at etceteras]

—OPEN

[dispassioned]

The Hawking

[If there’s one thing Chishiya doesn’t know much about it’s ships. Any kind of ships, flying or otherwise. He’s also not one for heavy manual labor. Not in the sense that he’s unwilling to do it, he’s willing to try if he needs to. But honestly he’s not very good at it. Not in his own opinion. It's just not where his talents lie.

Fortunately, what he is good at is still pretty useful on a ship. He still has his medical skills and ends up leaning heavily into those, offering his skills as both a doctor and a surgeon, if necessary, and helping with things like laundry and kitchen clean up when he has nothing else to do.

He also made a point to pack certain things before leaving. He makes a point of getting the word out to Ximilia crew members that he has a stash of nausea remedies, like peppermint and ginger candies, crystallized ginger, as well as actual medications such as dramamine. He also has some sedatives just in case anyone has the kind of fear of heights or flying that could lead to a full on panic attack.

He has some hangover remedies, too. It’s his understanding pirates drink a lot. He likes to be prepared.

If anyone wants to talk to him, about medications, injuries or anything else, in his idle time he can often be found observing or playing the strategy games that seem to be so popular on the Hawking. He seems to have a knack for picking up how the games work and becoming competitive quickly.

If you don't have any medical issues you could always challenge him to a quick game or two. He seems to enjoy it.]

Fun and Games

[Now in Zefindam he’s more in his element. The hedonism reminds him of the Beach which isn't necessarily a good thing, but it's familiar, in the same way playing games is familiar, and he's generally in the mood to fuck around and find out, looking for distractions.

He takes to frequenting the gambling parlors almost immediately. In a place like this he feels more comfortable being ruthless. Playing dirty and aggressively. Cheating, if he feels like it.

He has talent for card counting, which he uses at the blackjack tables when he's looking for a few easy wins. When he wants something a little more challenging he hits up the poker tables, taking his time to get to know how each opponent plays the game before starting to run the table. He doesn't actually need to cheat for this. Not in any traditional way. He just does it by reading his opponents, doing or saying things that rankle them and then playing aggressively when the time is right.

But if there’s another orber at the table he'll take it easier on them, folding more often, reining in his competitiveness a little in the name of teamwork. Though if they seem to be any good he might hit them up via their ear pieces to ask if they might want to team up and collude a little.

If you aren't sitting at a table with him, maybe you catching him tapping out for the night at some point, looking pleased with himself as he counts his winnings.]

Well, not bad.

[Feel free to bug him or call him on being a filthy cheater if you want, he won't mind.]

Pirate Party

[In Golden Haven, Chishiya doesn't frequent the gambling dens quite as much. He's less interested in swindling other pirates than he is rich hedonists. So while he might stop by and check things out, what he actually ends up doing here is his usual people watching. Sometimes in the gambling dens, sometimes at the seemingly never ending party. Another reminder of the Beach, if he's honest.

While he's not much of a drinker in general, he decides to occasionally indulge here, especially if no one seems to be talking about anything interesting or relevant to the mission.

He orders some rum and finds a chair off to the side to slouch in while he wallflowers. If he sees a fellow orber, especially one he's spoken to before he'll raise his glass, and say dryly:]

Yo ho ho.

[When in pirate land do as pirates do. Or whatever.]

Daisy Johnson | OTA

[morethan084]

THE BLUE DAWN

Let’s get this show on the road

[After being shown where everything is, they’re immediately given tasks to do. The one Daisy is left to do with others is hoist the sails.]

They make this look way easier in movies.

[Daisy says in passing to one of the Orbers as she pulls at the ropes, having to stop for a second to shake out her hands. She’s definitely going to get rope burn from this.]

Unwinding

[Daisy sits around with others, eating her dried fruit after finishing her stale bread. Which she had dipped into some water to make it at least a little easier to chew.]

That was beautiful. What’s the name of that song?

[She compliments after one of her crew mates finishes their song.

People gather around one side of the ship and Daisy follows, taken aback by the sunset.]

That might just be the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen.

Bedtime

[It’s well into the evening before Daisy finds she’s tired enough to actually go to bed now, and follows the last few stragglers back to the crew’s sleeping quarters. Only to find that there’s only one bed left.]

…So, big spoon or little spoon?

[Daisy asks jokingly, but it’s also not a joke at all?]

GOLDEN HAVEN

Drinking Hole

[Daisy has been nursing on a drink for a little while, eavesdropping on others conversations to see if she hears anything interesting. She perks up when a fellow orber comes in and waves them down.]

Can I buy you a drink?


Bonfire

[Sitting by the fire, Daisy scoots over when she spots an orber.]

Sit down.

[She offers by patting the spot next to her in the sand. Her eyes wander towards the volcano.]

Think we’ll have a repeat of the last time we were on an island with a volcano?

[It’s murmured quietly, so no one who might be eavesdropping can be heard.]

WILDCARD

[Have something else in mind? Feel free to write it below or send me a PM/message on morethan084!]

Bedtime

[deaddrop]

Is that really a question?

[Natasha asks, unbuckling her belt as she disarms for bed. The look she gives Daisy is playful, almost teasing, like she's challenging Daisy to argue.]

Big spoon.

andromache | the old guard | ota

[oiorpata]

PART I. SINK OR SOAR
2.0 🗡 THE SILENT PLUNDER
cw some stabbing and violence

[ it quickly becomes obvious that andy is familiar with the machinations of a ship. it's different given the aerial component, but she adjusts as needed - it's easy to adapt when you already have the basics understood. sailing was never her preferred method of travel, but she slots in like a natural. ]

[ she's at ease raising the sails or climbing the mast, but a lot of her downtime is spent appreciating the views, with a snack. she's more inclined to help other orbers than local crewmates, sidling up beside you if you're struggling or looking a little lost. ] Not really into that dog-eat-dog bullshit, let me help.

[ the raids on other ships will find her falling into volatile stride alongside most of the crew of the plunder. like most weapons, andy wields her cutlass like an extension of her arm. ]

[ her cuts are precise, vicious without bloodlust, and though she does try to minimize any killing, it happens. it's the nature of this captain and this ship especially. she cleaves through a man's gut from behind as he stands with his own intent to kill over a pirate felled, the sword clattering to the deck. if someone is going to die, andy would much rather save her own crew. especially an orber. she turns immediately and blocks a second blow, because battle is second nature even when it's in the air. there is something in her face that's both fearsome and old, a tiredness that's no less effective. she disarms the second pirate in moments and kicks his sword away before slamming his head into a wall and knocking him out. she takes no blows, the crewmates start to murmur, because she never seems to succumb to injury. ]

[ she can do this. but does she want to? ]

[ when a skirmish is over, she can be found cleaning off her sword with a more pensive look, though she remains seemingly oblivious to the bloodspatter across her face. ]

PART II. ALL HANDS ON DECK
5.0 🗡 ZEFINDAM
cw minor drug use

[ garbed in browns and orange striped pants with her shirt unbuttoned far too low, andy takes a liking to the zefindam, happy to follow some of her more hedonistic urges. she is living a pirate life! why not? ]

[ she slides into some of the gambling dens, content to rip off the wealthy but trying not to be very obvious about it. any winnings she'll take to treat herself at a fancy restaurant, with fancy alcohol - she's gotta stock up before boarding her ship again. if she runs into someone remotely familiar outside such an establishment, she'll invite the company. ]

[ she's just as at ease in the substance dens, too keen to try a little bit of everything. the couches are comfortable enough for her to lounge on as she gets a little high and uses someone's lap as a pillow. she doesn't seem too concerned about whose it is - maybe it's a local woman, who starts idly playing with her hair. she'll wave over any familiar faces, even in the midst of languid rest time. ]

[ or maybe it's a surprise orber she's commandeered, oops. she's blissfully unaware, for now, but she's ill likely to move without asking. ]

PART III. TRIM YOUR SAILS
6.0 🗡 GOLDEN HAVEN

[ andy decides she very much enjoys golden haven the most. she happily indulges in the cheap alcohol, though it does very little for her. it just means she needs to consume more of it, which is ultimately never a problem. there's something about this little pirates only cove that comforts her, whether it's a kind of nostalgic familiarity or just reunions with familiar faces, she's here to have a good time. ]

[ catch her easily in the taverns or bars at night, unashamedly throwing herself into sing-alongs or drinking contests. she cannot sing for shit, but she can outdrink most - and she has no qualms about swiping a bottle from a fellow orber, simply to be a jackass. ] You'll get it back after a dance.

[ two empty bottles sit beside her on the table, a third halfway done as she holds up her arm and clasps hands with a local pirate. some of the onlookers countdown from three, and andy slams his arm down barely moments after the last number is called. the man groans and shoves his meager pile of gold at her. ]

[ to the nearest orber, with a grin: ] Next round's on me. Unless you want a go?

[ later, she's a level above tipsy as she wanders down the beach barefoot, carrying her boots in one hand and a half empty bottle in the other. the fresh air is pleasant on her face, and her expression is settled. she looks out towards the dark ocean but ultimately decides to plant herself near one of the bonfires and take a very large swig from her bottle before flopping over in the sand. hopefully you don't mind a party crasher if this fire pit's already taken. ]

[ or perhaps you'll join her instead, and her warning upon hearing someone approach from outside the torchlight is nearly singsong. ] A bottle in the right hand can still be a weapon.

8.0 🗡 THE BLUE DAWN

[ it's not an escape from piracy, but perhaps it's something of an escape. andy leaves golden haven one day and does not climb aboard the silent plunder this time. she makes for the blue dawn instead. ]

[ there are familiar faces and unfamiliar ones - orbers and a woman she flirted with just the other day at a bar - though she tries to avoid attention with too much overt recognition of the ximilia team. she does not expect anything less when it comes to the act of piracy and stealing on this vessel, will likely bloody her hands all over again, but from the way jilleh runs her ship, andy welcomes the choice of it. she's wanted to leave herself behind plenty of times. ]

[ the ship prepares to leave and andy makes herself as useful in the work as she was on the silent plunder, falling into the habits easily. she helps with the sails, the literal ropes, she offers assistance as needed like before too - but it feels different this time. as the ship launches, andy finds herself at the railing, leaning over the edge and looking as contemplative as she feels. she doesn't know how much more useful she'll be here, but she feels closer to quỳnh and closer to herself - the latter of which is necessary if she comes out at the end of all this with quỳnh. ]

PART IV. YO HO HO
0.0 🗡 AND A BOTTLE OF RUM

[ wild card! lets plot. you can reach me at communism or romanitas @ disco if you wanna chat more specifics! andy's defection to the blue dawn lady ship occurs later in the mission, after a few long bouts of existentialism and piracy elsewhere. pls also appreciate she apparently has her own pirate theme song 😌]

GOLDEN HAVEN

[deaddrop]

So we're going to have a whole dance with you holding my bottle of beer over my head? That doesn't sound like a great idea.

[Natasha smiles at Andy as she pushes off of a barstool, her head cocked to one side.]

Just logistically, it's probably more fun to dance with your hands free.

vash the stampede | ota

[rootlessly]

🏴‍☠️ give no quarter ( the silent plunder )

[A crew that's made its reputation attacking other ships for their treasures is, of course, eventually going to be on the receiving end of one of those raids -- either from other pirates seeking to even a score, or ones seeking to make a name for themselves by targeting one of the more dangerous crews. Either way, the main deck appears to be largely deserted this particular morning, most of the crew still sleeping off another night of copious drinking and dancing, when the other pirates begin to board the vessel. They'd had it planned well in advance, assuredly, but they didn't happen to count on someone being awake and doing some minor maintenance with the mainsail.

Maybe the sounds of a commotion wake you up, or perhaps you were heading up to begin your daily tasks around now anyway, but either way, Vash's voice can be distinctly heard as you come toward the stairs:]

I would really, really appreciate it if you'd be willing to leave. It's a little early in the morning for fighting, isn't it? Come on, let's be reasonable about this. We can all go back to bed and pretend this never happened.

[This does not go nearly as well as Vash hoped, clearly, because the pirates laugh right in his face with sharp hyena cackles.]

...Please, you're only going to get hurt if you do this. It's not worth it, I promise.

[No dice. The laughing continues, followed by the click-action of someone's rifle, and Vash sighs.]

Sorry about this. I can't have you waking up Greybeard.

[Maybe you'll want to hustle to support your crewmate ASAP, but by the time you've reached the top of the stairs, it's over. About ten adult men lay unconscious on the ground, as Vash begins to bind them at their wrists and ankles. He'll give a cheerful little wave when he meets your eyes, as though this is all perfectly normal.]

Oh, good morning! Do you happen to have any extra rope on hand? I'm not sure if I have enough...I'll really owe you one!

⚓ dead men tell no tales ( kellir port; cw: blood, death )

[He can't protect every other pirate from the rest of the crew, though. The battles happen, and there's only so much he can interfere. It's an ever-present ache, more corpses to add to the mountain he's already carried upon his back for the last century and a half, a pile that grows larger and heavier every day. Some days he wonders if he will eventually find his shoulders ground down to nothing.

It makes the assignments on land feel like something of a relief. He doesn't have to pretend to be a part of the violence when they're docked and he can escape to the city during the day, and he can eat and drink and gamble and tell stories like things are normal and fine. He's so eager to leave the Plunder behind he nearly trips on some driftwood on the beach in his haste -- except it's not driftwood at all, it's a body; a living one, still breathing shallowly despite the bullet wound soaking through his side, the trail of reddish-brown leading back to the ship behind him clearly marking his involvement in one of the crew's recent skirmishes.

Vash kneels by him immediately, both hands pressed against his wound in an attempt to staunch it, as though he doesn't already know it's too late.]

It'll be okay, [he soothes, all the same, not even sure if the pirate can hear him as his life spills out over Vash's hands, staining his nails and cuticles crimson.] Just stay with me, alright? Don't go to sleep. Please try to...

[It's too late. The faint choking gurgle in the man's throat fades. It's over, but Vash doesn't release the wound for another few minutes, denial taking over good sense for a time until he caves to reality and reaches up to close unseeing eyes forever. Vash won't cry; he doesn't have the right. Yet he can't bring himself to get up and walk away either, and he sits bowed over the corpse on this beach until someone else interrupts him.]

I know they don't like pirates here, but there has to be something we can do, right? To find where he came from, at least...

🌊 soon may the wellerman come ( golden haven )

[Back in No Man's Land, the terrain made impromptu graves an unfeasible venture. If the ground wasn't steady enough under your feet to dig into, a marker would simply sink into the endless sand, to be lost forever alongside the corpse it meant to signify. And so Vash does what he has always done, tucking this little moment of tragedy in with all the others, into the corner of his heart where he keeps over a century of these little unmarked graves, to never forget those who had nobody left to remember them.

He buries them in a plot there with his grief and his guilt and digs up his smile to make room, before he takes it out to the warmth of the campfires and camaraderie, and laughs at the tall tales brightly enough that most could never tell the difference. He doesn't miss a beat when it's his turn, either. He lowers his voice almost conspiratorially, speaking with a theatrical hush:]

It's not quite a giant whale, but I was swallowed by a sandworm, once!

give no quarter

[greenpower]

[Ivy doesn't make it on deck in time for the fun. Or, you know, to help. She'd be helping. She is a helper.

She is there in time for some light bondage though, apparently.]

Unfortunately, I don't have any rope on me.

[She usually uses vines for her immobilization needs.]

We're on a boat, though, right? I'm sure we can find some.

Phoenix Wright // Ace Attorney // OTA

[servesyouwright]

1.0 - Departure, open to Hawking crewmates

[ Phoenix can't deny that the concept of this adventure is an exciting one. Dressing like a pirate, but without all that plunder and violence, and travelling the world in search of secrets and history. It's exciting enough that he hasn't thought much about the fact that the ships are flying ships. Not until they've all got their introductions and they've spent some time up in the sky. That's when he walks too close to the edge of the ship, drawn by the view, and finds himself looking down--

And he suddenly feels sick, stumbling back with his face looking a tad green. ]

Oh no. Oh no. How-- How long are we gonna be up here? How far up are we? What happens if we get in a fight and-- What happens if we fall?

[ Definitely panicking.

Doesn't matter if he's fallen through a burning bridge into a deadly river in the past. Heights still suck. ]

5.0 - Exploring Zefindam

[ This city is pretty weird. He's been in many very old cities, especially in Europe, and a lot of Zefindam reminds him of those. There has just been seemingly little to no effort to preserve it as it is, which he has to admit hurts the artist in his heart. But he sees the remains of the old architecture easily, and he sees several familiar statues.

The story about the High Queen sure sounds suspiciously orb-related, if it's real at all. If he's understood the job right, though, myths and legends like that are a pretty good place to start.

As he walks the streets, he perks up when he notices anyone from the Ximilia crew, and smiles and waves regardless if they've spoken before or not. ]

Hey! Fancy seeing you here!

6.0 - Gambling in Golden Haven

[ Although travelling with the Hawking's crew means you don't make as many riches as many other pirates seem to, he still has some riches to spend. After all, searching for artifacts and history still requires funds, and crew still needs to be paid. He's also been missing his regular poker games now that he's got his badge back and spent the month or so here, so he's eager to see if his luck will hold here too.

He doesn't leap in immediately, though. The games seem eerily similar to the ones he's used to, but he wants to make sure there's nothing he misses. Finally, though, he sits down, and pretty easily makes quick work of a few tables.

By the time he calls it a night, he's increased his earnings, and plasters on a grin as he gathers up his coin. ]

Thank you very much, my friends! I'll be sleeping like a baby tonight.

[ Still got it, even without Trucy. At least for one night.

He can also tell that he's gathering less than friendly attention, so it's time to take his leave. ]

Wildcard

[ Not really looking to play out any gambling in detail, but if you do want to gamble with Phoenix, be my guest! Provided we're a little vague about it, haha. I'm also down to clown with just about anything. ]

5.0

[lightinside]

[ Since she had a little downtime, Laurel decided to take a look around and try to familiarise herself with her new surroundings. She hasn't been around as long as some people and she seemed to be the only person here from her world. There were lots of things she was still trying to wrap her head around, but that will probably take Laurel longer than she likes. The funny thing is, she's already experienced something similar back home.

The greeting from Phoenix stirs Laurel from her thoughts as she looks in his direction. ]

Uh, hi. [ Laurel offers him a small smile in return, lifting her hand in a wave. She's pretty sure that they have never met before, but she's not going to be rude. ]

Sorry, I don't really know anyone yet. My name is Laurel. Laurel Lance. It's nice to meet you.

[ Her smile becomes warmer as she offers a hand out to him. ]

dante | limbus company | ota

[durante]

2.0. - the hawking.

[Dante flatly is exhausted, the toil of the work on the ship none too kind to someone who isn't used to enough physical labor. they hurt in a bone deep way, and if they could manage it, they'd sleep for a full day. but even so, while dragging their body back to quarters at any given point, the sights still leave them in awe. it's a human instinct, that moves their path into walking to the edge, gazing over at the land below - the scenery dazzling when one's used to city walls and being earthbound. sagging a little over the side, their tiredness is clear, but it doesn't take away from the glory of the view. trees carpeting some areas of land, the clouds and mist, the steady movement, the humbling radiance of a sunset seen almost in panorama.
hearing someone else's footsteps, they don't turn, but Dante ticks out a greeting all the same.]

< It's the kind of thing that makes a person poetic, isn't it. >

[not that they have any talent there, but an artist would probably be overwhelmed by it.]

3.0 - kellir.

[it's in this city where Dante starts to perk up a little. part of that may be that instead of being viewed as an eccentric, in this place their unusual appearance becomes an immediate asset. fashion on the cutting edge as it is, there are a few deeply inspired to have something brand new walk by. the "mask" they wear becomes an object of fascination, and there's a group of those that truly wish to be the trendsetters who latch onto them in this place. not that they mind having new friends, but sometimes the strain of dealing with them, of having to maintain their cover, starts getting to them. and then, the face of a fellow orber, and a message shot off to them with a thought.]

If you can get me out of here, I'll owe you one.

[or maybe they're in one of the libraries, perusing the stacks, softly ticking as they go. they're intent on this mission, not caring if they never get to return these books, but they want to read some new titles. that said, they're going to be forming quite the pile to put on a table to be able to really figure out what they want to bring back with them. swipe a book from the stack at your leisure, or try and nab what you have your eye on before they bring it under their consideration. the choice is yours.]

5.0 - zefindam.

[the city would be easy to get lost in, really. in a way, Dante does, letting day blur into night when they briefly take shore leave. while the statues are entrancing, they do get swept away into the heartbeat of the place, and for someone unused to it, they get almost overwhelmed. but it's not a bad thing, when you're chasing rumor. and once they adjust, there's something almost too familiar about the gambling parlors.

briefly, they wish that Rodya was there to take the bets, but they try to keep her advice in mind. confidence. it's how they wind up at one of the tables, learning a version of roulette with strange symbols and calls, looking at the coin that's exchanging hands. seeing another orber, if they look interested, Dante sends them a message with a purpose behind it.]

How rigged do you think the table is?

[else, they can be glimpsed in other places - going in the substance dens to pretend and listen in for more rumors, letting the atmosphere exist around them, or at least once slipping away from a house of less than stellar repute. information can be found anywhere, after all.]

6.0 - golden haven.

[it's not the freedom that the station would bring, being able to be open about their mission, but it's still a relief to not have to hide the piracy aspect. one lie at a time, to balance the weight of it all. and so it is that Dante can be found mostly in the evening hours at the bonfires, finding one to stare into or just watching the stars above, mostly quiet save for that faint ticking, drowned out by the crackle of the fire or the crash of the waves.

occasionally, they might be standing in the water, just on the edge where they have their shoes in hand and waves around their ankles. it's peaceful. soothing. gives them room to think about everything that's happened - all the new memories that felt injected into their case, to settle in the gears and be processed. and the light of their own fire is like a small beacon atop their head, a peculiar enough sight.

that said, it's not all brooding - there are times they're going to be passing through one of the drinking holes or looking to trade with what they managed to get from their travels. they're doing their best to fit in this world, even if it's a strange one.]

wildcard.

[ooc: have an idea for anything else? i'm up for it! message me, or hit me up on the plotting meme to talk about it. happy to write action or prose!]

2.0 the Hawking

[singlelogbridge]

[There's something different in the way the translator conveys the words to him, though Wei Wuxian can't quite identify it. He lets it pass and focuses on the words instead, humming in agreement as he makes his way to rest his arms over the side and let his eyes pass over the sun bathed landscape below. Even with all of the beautiful sights he's seen in his time aboard the Ximilia, he'll never not allow wonder to fill him when he encounters a new one.]

Mmm. You're right about that. Though I'm not sure any poet or artist could do it justice. [He's certainly tried his hand at capturing the views in a sketch and found everything falling short.]

Are you? A poet?

Finn Mertens | Adventure Time

[heroooic]

I. THE HAWKING (OPEN TO CREW)

[ Finn's experience with ships and sailing (in the sea, or sky, or otherwise) was scant. He'd been on a boat a few times, but never one of this size and grandiosity, requiring a whole crew just to maintain and run. His knowledge began and ended with a host of terminology learned from, of all palces, his brother's (oddly specific) fascination with nautical navigation. None of which translated to any practical or usable skills here.

Luckily, the expectation of experience for a recently hired seventeen year old crew member was relatively low and Finn was quickly put to work, skill or no. And while swabbing decks didn't quite live up to his swashbuckling ambitions, Finn didn't dislike having a task: and there was always a task. Cargo that needed moving from one deck to another, potatoes that needed peeling, sheets that needed detangling. There was perpetual use for an extra set of hands.

Or, in Finn's case, an extra hand.

If there was one thing to be said about a crew of pirates; they didn't have any fewer expectations of him for the simple reality of being short half an arm. A fact that Finn found strangely refreshing, after choosing not to wear his prosthetic on this mission. It hadn't even been a 'blending in' choice - although there had been some concern about his prosthesis not quite matching any local tech.

Really, he was just sick of wearing it. The back to back missions had given him little break from the weight, and his residual arm and shoulder were tired and sore from the continuous strain.

Not that doing chores and tasks one handed was without its own set of exhausting challenges. It made most things twice as hard and (until he got the hang of things) twice as long. Taking breaks on a pirate crew wasn't exactly encouraged, so Finn stole his moments where he could get them.

One such moment floated into reach that morning, as Finn was halfway through shining up the stern deck. His mop slows as he takes a furtive survey of the nearby crew. Satisfied that nobody in any position of authority was nearby, Finn tucks his mop under one arm and sidles up to the taffrail.

Leaning far over the railing, Finn can't help the smile that spreads across his face. The forest below was an emerald sea of trees, stretching endlessly in all directions. The air was sweet and cool, pleasant, even this high up. As the breeze ruffles lightly through his hair, Finn feels a thousand worlds away from the mop and bucket that waited for him on the other side of this rare moment of real freedom. Grinning, he glances over at anyone familiar who might be taking a moment to catch some of these sights as well.]

Hey, you wanna see who can spit the farthest?

II. THE HAWKING (OPEN TO CREW)

[ The weather wasn't always so ideal, though. And skyships, much like their oceanic counterparts, were highly susceptible to the meteorological moods of the continent. So naturally their first storm was a particularly fierce one, violently rocking the decks while wind howled and lashed against the lacquered side of The Hawking. Luckily, experienced hand guided them, and as per the instructions of their twin captains, the sails were quickly furled, the doors latched and the windows shuttered; the whole thing neatly buttoned up and sealed against the rains.

Below decks, the crew made the best of the situation; settling in for some of those 'strategy games and philosophical talks' The Hawking was so known for. The still-raging storm felt further away within the ship's belly, buffered by the friendly sounds of conversation, music, and the crackle of a warm stove. The scene should have reminded Finn of the treehouse, which also swayed and groaned in the grips of a strong wind. No matter how bad things got outside their home in Ooo, things inside were always better. Inside, there was a threadbare blanket wrapped around him, a piping hot cup of Jake's Special Rainy Day Cocoa in hand, the smell of a hearty stew drifting languidly from the kitchen. In the memory, he was warm. Safe.

But this wasn't the treehouse, or Ooo, and none of those comforts were here. Here, Finn was wet. Soaked through to his skin with icy cold rain, hair dripping cold water unpleasantly down his back, his hand numb from tying down cargo in the frigid gusts of wind. Peeling off his drenched jacket, he sits on a bench close to one of the burning stoves, glowering at the fire, wishing it were bigger and burning hotter. He wished Jake were here. ]

This blows. [ It comes out in a huff, not directed at anyone in particular. ] Some pirate ship! We don't even have anything cool to do...

[ Whether Finn is grumpy over his assignment to the nerd ship or just grumpy in general, the sour energy radiating off him is palpable. Now and then, even a boy raised by dogs could find himself deep in a wet cat moment. ]

III. GOLDEN HAVEN (OTA)

[ Finn finally finds the pirating lifestyle he was looking for when they dock at Golden Haven. Unlike the extreme egghead energy aboard The Hawking, the atmosphere here was lively, the music bombastic, and the pub-goers rowdy with stories. Everywhere you looked, there was laughing and dancing and cavorting. The smell of sweet ale, and smoke, and old wood wrapped around the room like a song. It was impossible not to get caught up in the atmosphere, and here Finn seems in markedly better spirits.

Amid the frivolity, it wasn’t uncommon to spy gatherings of sports-minded individuals set around tables with dice and card games of all kinds. Here, the matches tended to remain friendly, the stakes never too high. Of course, there were always exceptions.

Finn, in all his unsupervised glory, had found himself a place at one of these tables. He stuck out like a sore thumb among the group of heavily-bearded men, shouting and clinking glasses over a simple looking dice game. Finn was playing, but his distraction was notable, his gaze repeatedly drifting toward a trio of laughing young women near the bar.

It's only someone he actually knows crosses his line of sight that ]

Yo! You should try this! [ He speaks loudly above the din, smiling brightly in the Orber's direction. Finn has his eyepatch upturned against his forehead, seemingly unaware or unconcerned with the slip of disguise. ] The rules are way easy, it’s mostly just luck.

[ He assumes, anyway. He tosses the dice across the red clothed table, barely paying attention to how they fall. He wasn't very invested in the winning, just in the playing. His fellow players cheer and groan on cue, jostling Finn's shoulders in good-humored sportsmanship as they push several shots of brown liquid in front of him. ]

See? Piece of cake! [ He holds up one of the shots in offering, still wobbling a little from the very enthusiastic (and very drunk) shoves of his game mates. ] Want one? They're way cray gross, man, you gotta try it.

[ And the buzz wasn't half bad either. ]

IV. ZEFINDAM: The First Rule (OTA)

[ Zefindam was truly a sailor's delight. Or, a pirate's. Or, a teenage boy with too much free time and a desire to outrun his own thoughts. A new world and a new city with nearly endless entertainments to explore and (of course) an orb to track down.

At first, the strange hours Finn adopts aren't very notable. Unless an Orber already had good reason to keep an eye on him, it would be easy to miss how much time he was spending on his own, and not with his crew mates. How quickly he diverts his path from the others once ashore. Mealtimes brought most of the crew back to the well-trafficked restaurants, pubs, and markets near the docking port...emphasis on most of the crew. Even the smell of roasting meat and salty-sweet confections weren't enough to coax an appearance out of wherever Finn had run off to. But again, one would have to be looking closely to notice his absence at all.

They'd have to be looking less closely (though still looking) to notice that he was staying away from the ship for longer and longer periods of time, only returning in the early morning hours and sleeping as late as was allowable by the captains. Which was never as much as he needed.

And despite an overall sunnier demeanor, Finn wasn't only showing up with dark circles under his eyes and a big appetite; he also had a regular crop of fresh bruises, scrapes and other small injuries. New contusions joined the healing ones each morning and any questions about their origin would earn a grinning shrug and the same non-answer: whatever, mom, I fall down all the time!

And maybe that's where the story would have ended, if Finn hadn't made the mistake of forgetting to douse the light in his quarters the next evening. The vaguely Finn-shaped arrangement of blankets and pillows in his cot wasn't all that convincing without the cover of darkness.

And once an enterprising member of The Hawking's crew manages to notice that, they might also notice the sound of a certain Finn-style sneaking across the deck above. From that point, following Finn into town isn't exactly a challenge.]

---

[ Whether Finn led you here or you found this place on your own, you now stand in front of a dilapidated shopfront about a mile from the docking port, down a narrow, and crooked street. Burly tattooed gentleman and grinning gold-toothed lasses mill around near the entrance, talking in gruff tones amongst themselves in between bursts of cruel laughter. There were plenty of words for a place like this, and seedy was definitely one of them.

But before there's any more room to muse on that subject, a certain scuffed up kid is suddenly all up in your grill. ]

A. To Hawking Crew Members
Are you kidding me right now? [ Finn asks, sour crease between his brow as he glares at his crewmate. His unhappiness to see them here is obvious. ] You seriously followed me all the way out here, bro? For what, bro? To snitch? Are you a snitch, bro?

B. To Other Orbers Who Just Showed Up
No way. [ Finn grins, looking somehow both out of place and like he belonged. Must be all the missing teeth. ] Dude! I had no idea you come here, too!

Are you on the roster for tonight? [ Finn's eagerness is obvious. He wants the answer to be yes. ]

I

[servesyouwright]

[ It's difficult to avoid the urge to step over to the edge of the ship, even for someone who knows very damn well that he's terrified of heights. When he's a bit further away and vehemently avoiding any tasks involving sails, this is mostly okay. So long as he doesn't think about how far down the ground is.

So, of course, when Finn suggests the spitting competition, he's ... really not sure about that. Seriously, how can anyone just hang over the railing like that? He shivers just thinking about it.

Rather than say anything about that, though, he's going to be snarky. ]

How would we even be able to tell?

ciri | the witcher (netflix)

[heyciri]

( feel free to wildcard her, or hit me up for specific prompts; i'm running her through a non-plot related side-quest for the fun of it, parallel to people doing the important stuff in game. )

for thistle | muchter, the heights

[heyciri]

( Ciri adjusts her coat tighter around herself, checking the fastenings with a grimace as the wind gusts past. Their guide, hanging back with her pack animals, gives them a cheery wave before turning 'round and heading back to the lumber shelter half a click down the mountain. Half a league? Her sense of distance is all hazy here.

Her glance to Thistle is with squinting eyes against the wind and flakes of snow not so much falling as being blown down mountain. )

I can take point.

( And she's making her way over to the thin, dark ledge marking the beginning of the narrow pathway out to the Order of the Molting Shrew. Puzzling over the word, muttering: )

I still think molting's just for birds...

Yuri Egin | Blue Exorcist | OTA

[deadanimemom]

2. chores aboard
[Yuri is everywhere on board The Blue Dawn, hard at work with washing and mending at first (her assigned chores, done with a smile and friendly chatter), then moving on to helping everyone else. She'll wash pots and pans, scrub the deck, haul ropes, help with any tasks that need assistance. She's very cheerful, chatty, helpful, but she's also the sort of person who doesn't know how to take a break.]

3. kellir
[While she isn't really much for fashion, Yuri can appreciate some kinds of art. She lingers by potter's studios and peers in at the doors of ceramics workshops, offering friendly compliments. But if you're watching her, it's pretty clear that she's looking for someone or something as she moves through the shops and in and out of bookstores and libraries.]

5. golden haven
Over here! [Yuri says, waving at a stranger.] Come on over, throw some coins in the pot!

[As short as she is, she's commanding this table, a mug of cheap beer in one hand as she offers a pair of dice to the newcomer with the other. The various pirates at the table scoot over to make room. Whatever the game is, it's fairly low stakes and cheerful.]

text | un: Tamer
[It's early, just after sunrise, right as most people should be waking up and getting ready for their day. There's a text gently pinging into the minds of the other Orbers.]

Hello! Is anyone else here a summoner of some kind? I had a quick question about powers.

wildcard
[[ooc: just hit me up at hydok or hydok on discord!]]

text. un: Aleksander

[cruelyethuman]

I am.

Ask your question.

Yelena Belova | MCU | ota

[laviny]

The Blue Dawn

[Honestly, Yelena is into this whole pirate business. She’s vibing. She’s having a good time. The Blue Dawn is like the anti-red room. A bunch of women out here living their best lives, doing whatever they want.

Absolutely idyllic, if you ask her.

She takes it upon herself to help wherever there’s a need, but she particularly likes hoisting the sails and anything related to that. It feels the most piratey.

In her down time she spends a lot of her time on deck, enjoying the open air. And if she sees anyone struggling with their hair in the wind, she will pipe up:]

Hey, do you want some help? I can braid your hair, if you like.

[Her own hair is neatly braided, she knows what she’s doing.]

Going Shopping

[Yelena has a personal goal that involves shoving people into outfits they may not be entirely comfortable wearing. So if she’s shopping and she happens to see a fellow orber she will approach them and offer to help them pick out some clothes.]

What about something like this?

[Whatever it is, it’s probably brightly colored or boldly patterned. Or possibly a vest with a whole lot of pockets. Or some combination of all three.]

The Spice is Flowing

[Okay, so Yelena knows they hate pirates in Kellr. Or at least that the woman in charge hates them, and that’s enough. However, she doesn’t care. She’s a trained spy, she’s not worried about drawing unwanted attention.

Besides, she has more interesting things on her mind. Namely, food. She’s real interested in some of these experimental dishes she’s been hearing about. Especially the spicy ones. So she can almost certainly be found in one of the fancy, cutting edge restaurants happily chowing down on some of the spiciest dishes they offer.]

Oh, this is amazing. Really. It’s perfect.

[If none of these appeal, feel free to hit me up with a wildcard option! You can reach me via PM or at etceteras for plotting]

{ going shopping }

[drawsblood]

[ Joric's wardrobe pretty much consists of blacks, grays, and blues so those are the types of clothes he's looking at when Yelena appears out of no where holding a bright orange top. If he knew what a traffic cone was it's probably what would spring to mind. His nose crinkles in distaste. ]

I'll pass. I don't need to stand out any more.

[ Seeing how he usually towers over everyone else. ]

jake the pirate | adventure time

[doooooog]

(( closed starter dump, PM me or hit me up on plurk safelybeds if you'd like to plot something! ))

closed; this is a stick up (zefindam)

[doooooog]

[ Night may have fallen over Zefindam, but that hardly meant darkness. Most streets remained lit up with the pinks and reds and blues of phosphorescent signage, advertising any number of illicit services. The streets remained packed too, some even moreso than during daylight hours. Whatever it was about the illusory nature of night, the people here seem more eager than ever to get into some trouble.

That goes double for certain dogs-turned-pirates, looking down on the busy streets from one of the higher rooftops. It was quiet up here, easier to think and much easier to see. The brightly lit main streets cut through the city like glowing arteries, their light dimming outward with each connecting intersection. From his high vantage point, Jake was in prime position to watch people peeling off down those darker side streets. Some of them stumbled, some looked hurried, others simply looked like they didn't want to be there. You could tell a lot about a person from watching them, even when they were just a far off smear disappearing into darkness.

Granted, one of the things you couldn't tell was what they looked like, or if they had a headset in their ear, or if their entire vibe screamed Orber. But that mattered way less to Jake than it probably should have. ]

closed to thistle;

[ If Thistle's eyes are sharp that night, he might notice the new and strange darkness enveloping the street he'd just turned down. No moon or stars illuminated the path before him, no light from behind him. Just an eerie, all encompassing shadow .

Or maybe he doesn't notice anything at all until the poke of something sharp presses into the small of his back. ]

Ah ah ah. [ A gruff voice chides, sounding friendly enough despite the circumstances. ] Don't get squirrelly on me, now. Just the wallet, if ya please.

closed to gamora;

[ Gamora finds herself caught in Jake's sights only a few blocks off from the main drag, sounds of revelry still bouncing off the walls and down corridor-like streets. They follow her into a side alley, arrived at either purposefully or through happenstance wandering.

This time, Jake takes advantage of the alley's dead end and drops down from the roof behind her, stretchy arm hooked around her shoulders like especially firm silly putty. ]

Easy, easy! [ He warns, preemptively. ] I'm just after that bag there, hon. You drop it and you can be on your merry way.

closed to iris;

[ Thistle and Gamora, two people Jake barely knew, were perhaps easy mistakes to make. But Iris? Well, Jake can only blame so much on his lack of canine nose. Still, there's something to be said for being suddenly robbed of your strongest sense... being without it made even the most basic tasks of recognizing the kid you've come to care about strangely complicated.

But also, that kid wore so much black. I mean, that was at least partially on him. ]

Heh, hold up, buddy. [ Jake instructs, voice oddly friendly even as he covers Iris's mouth from behind. ] Just be chill and you'll walk away from this fine.

[ He didn't normally like to get so physical, but it was honestly just easier. And during his time on the Plunder, Jake found himself slipping backwards into a time in his life when easy was justification for all manner of terrible acts. Not like he'd ever see this stranger again anyway, right? ]

I'll just take that bag or... satchel or whatever you're carrying and be on my way.

The Darkling / Aleksander Morozova | Shadow and Bone. ota

[cruelyethuman]

Part 1.
2.0 The Silent Plunder. clear skies

[As the wind picks up, Aleksander stares at the blue sky, slowly eating the dried fruit from his pocket.

There are other ships, sailing across the blue sky and it's still a marvel to behold. The first steps on to the ship had made his heart skip a beat - it wasn't fear, he tells himself, not after bullet trains and space stations. After war waged in the vast emptiness of the night sky or the cities glittering beneath the sea. But it was something.

But this morning finds him enjoying a rest, the wind ruffling through his hair.]

Part 2
5.0 Zefindam. all pleasure, no play

[Walking past the crumbling statues and the ruins of past wealth, Aleksander doesn't stop until he reaches the brothel. A brothel, the city being the host of many and this one doesn't stick out in any way except this is where he will look for information first.

Nothing loosens a man's (or woman's) tongue like liquor and sex. Passion. Heavy breathing and sweat-slick skin, secrets whispered in the dark.

He waits by door, seemingly counting the coins in his pocket, but watching those who come and go with tiny flicks of his gaze around the room.]

No. That's fine, I'm happy to wait. Go ahead.

Part 3.
6.0 Golden Heaven. sunset

[Boisterous voices roar through a song about wine, whiskey and Winter- the name, not the season. And Aleksander sits through it, foot tapping to the tune and a tankard of cheap beer by his right hand.

The sun sets just beyond the tavern and he goes to it, leaving the room and firelight behind as the warm orange giving way to cool violets and purples as the night closes in on the island, painting the sands on the beach as bonfires start to burn further down along the shore.]

Touch me, and you will regret it.

6.0

[rehandle]

[ Stephen and Golden Haven are not the best matched pair. He finds himself here more often than he'd like, lured by the more raucous of the Hawking's crew and the promise of solid ground, and almost every single time he wishes he'd thought better of it. It's not that he hates fun - it's just that he doesn't very much enjoy people. A room full of rowdy strangers? It's a no.

Some days find him better primed for it, but today as he trudges up the beach it's with the air of a man who has set the date of his own execution and must now walk himself politely to the gallows— and it's enough to make even this familiar face seem like welcome salvation.

With the sun almost set at his back it's mostly by accident that he approaches Aleksander unrecognised until he's close enough to earn a firm warning, and with it Stephen raises both hands in the universal gesture of peace. Over-dramatized, paired with a wry quirk of a smile. ]

Easy, sailor.

Sabriel | OTA

[bindsthedead]

Kellir | Shopping

[Sabriel's task is is to dress and present herself as she normally wouldn't. And do so for a week.

So when their ship first docks in Kellir, Sabriel takes her money and goes shopping- with clothing the first thing on her list.

Maybe she's with one of the Blue Dawn's crew. Or perhaps she's simply run into another of the Ximillia's crew. But in either case, Sabriel holds up an article of clothing- something that is some combination of skimpy, pastel, ruffly, floral-printed, or dyed some eye-searingly bright hue- and asks for input with a nervous smile.]

This isn't my style at all, is it?

[Later on, Sabriel can be found in a ruffled, pastel-pink dress... with a straw hat festooned with pastel silk flowers shading her face as she looks over the books. Sabriel spends several days in the library, immersing herself in this world's history and folktales, and trying to learn what she can about this world's magic.]

Blue Dawn | Windsong

[Sabriel settles in easily to the rhythms of pirate life. She helps in the galley preparing food, she sings and plays the lute in the evenings to help pass the time, she helps out in any boarding actions against merchant ships and rival crews, and she spends much of her time on deck, working the weather.

It's not her specialty, but she's getting a lot of practice- calling up the winds to blow them towards a merchant ship, or whatever luckless pirate crew is Jilleh's latest target. And not just manipulating the wind- sometimes the captain has her raise fog to conceal the ship's movements, or clear away clouds when it seems a storm is coming in.

It's exhausting at first, using magic she's mostly studied as theory, but it gets easier with time, to reach into the Charter for the marks she needs and whistle them out. And there's a satisfaction in seeing the effects of her magic, and being useful, in a way that isn't fighting or healing.]

New orders from the captain? Or did you just want to enjoy the view?

[Sabriel's perched in the crow's nest, the sound of her whistling still echoing in the wind. For all that weather magic may be useful, it's not at all subtle.]

Zefindam

[Sabriel might not be completely comfortable with all of the indulgence on display, but the acceptance of magic is nice, and the architecture speaks of a long history. So she spends much of her shore leave following up on leads for Jilleh, poking around crumbling buildings and chatting with contacts, trying to find... something. Some hint of the orb's power perhaps, or something else that doesn't quite fit. Occasionally, she'll stop in at one of the restaurants, savoring a meal and a glass of good wine before going on her way.]

Wildcard

[None of these work? Feel free to write your own, or hit me up on plurk or discord for a custom starter!]

leonard mccoy

[homeostatic]

( open to all; mind the CWs )

the silent plunder - cw for emeto, blood, grief, drunkenness, etc

[homeostatic]

1.0

( mccoy isn't having a good time.

before anyone thinks that that's just his regular vibe, what's the difference, they need only look for the doctor on the deck. is he scowling hatefully at the horizon, standing tall and defiant against his fate?

no.

actually he's groaning pitifully as he clings to the rail up near the bow, his tan complexion gone sickly green, only uncurling from his white-knuckled hold when it's time to heave into a bucket. despite the physiological impossibility, leonard is faintly sure he's purged everything he had to eat from last week. the only thing he seems immune to, perhaps, is the running commentary from a few of the crew, who drift here and there out of his orbit to levy critique both severe and smarmy on the doctor, with the occasional Comradely Back Slap™ for good measure. )

Don't say it, ( he actually whines to the latest pair of boots he spies out of the corner of his eye. bones wipes a thin stream of drool from his chin and hugs the bucket to his chest, miserable and glassy-eyed. )

I don't care. It isn't worth it. Just kill me already.

2.0 - A.

( remarkable how a fistful of anti-nausea meds, a few shots of whatever gut-rot a sailor's offered to him, and the full weight of a fucking stupidly neurotic workaholic nature can cure sea-sickness. air-sickness. whatever. leonard has turned a corner on feeling like a sad piece of shit, which means he's now gonna inflict himself on everyone else.

as he knows fuckall about rigging, about the ins and outs of sailing a tall ship, and his skills as a navigator are rustier than he'd like to admit, he leans into what he's good at: doctoring. or, well, hygiene practices for now.

crew can find him in the galley after meals, having bullied the cook out of his own space in order to set water boiling and soap spilling and scrub the fuck out of every goddamn thing he can get his hands on. turn around, before he sees you– )

Hey!

( too late. the air has the sharp tang of carbolic soap to it, as he looks up from his meticulous washing of a glass-bottomed tankard, up to his elbows in foamy bubbles. a stack of cleanly-rinsed dishes rest on the counter behind him, beads of water dripping from its edge in time with the faint roll of the ship. )

You busy? Come here and dry these.

B.

( the aftermath of a battle is familiar ground in a way he wishes it weren't, the stillness following the heart-in-throat rush as he trailed various members of the crew– not to maim or injure their enemies, but to curtail harm where he could, to administer aid to the fallen. mccoy is exhausted, stinks of smoke and other men's blood, and nurses a few vicious aches.

he's also cooling his heels in the brig.

turns out, exploding into a profanity-laden tirade at the boatswain over his tending to the other ship's wounded was a step too far. whoops.

he laces his sticky fingers across his chest, and keeps his gaze fixed on the ceiling. someone's there, and his pride's dinged, so he's gonna be childish about it. )

Somethin' on your mind, Nosy Parker?