Aether Shanties RP (PM if interested/Started)

[deathbydeath]

"... it appears James has finished his drink. But, once we're done, I promise I'm all yours."

Drustan accepted the result and took a step back from Ciel, sweeping into a light bow in the process. "Of course Ciel, I am eagerly awaiting it."

Heading away from the dance floor given the recent turn of events, Drustan tossed a nearby cloth napkin over the spilled alcohol as he walked by. [sub]"sonovabitch could have waited a second before snatching the bottle"[/sub] Returning to where Annis was loitering, Drustan began to loiter with her.

"You know, Miss Anastacia, I wandered over here in an attempt to break the surface of the rampant classism, and yet I clearly failed. Tell me, is such a thing possible, or should I just give up now and enjoy what there is to offer?" His question was nothing if not unusual and mildly confrontational, yet he hoped the informal setting and surrounding events softened up the woman so she would at least give him a straight answer.

 

[3quency]

-Isaac-
"Yes, I did. I know his name now, Izzy. Exeter St. John. And killing him is going to be more satisfying than I thought. He's the worst swine the Empire has churned out yet, I can tell, especially since he used to be a pirate himself, the filthy traitor."

"Well we used to be Imps, we can hardly talk." Isaac muttered, but nodded. He recognised that Sheska had found a nemesis in this man, and understood that his days were numbered. You didn't escape the Skulk-Hound once you were in her sights.
She carried on talking.

"But I'd rather not think about that. I spoke to Zach. Asked him about his family."
Isaac nodded. "He didn't seem very forthcoming about his past, that must have been a feat."
He didn't know what Sheska and Zach had talked abotu and frankly it wasn't his business. Of course he wanted to know, but part of his reasons for becoming a navigator was to stop learning everyone's secrets. Still, if Sheska wanted to tell him he wouldn't stop her.


-Annis-
"You know, Miss Anastacia, I wandered over here in an attempt to break the surface of the rampant classism, and yet I clearly failed. Tell me, is such a thing possible, or should I just give up now and enjoy what there is to offer?"

Annis blinked at the mercenary. What was his name again? She found it astounding that he was still talking to her.
"Miss Baker-Cromwell, thank you. And you are attending a ball for the social elite of the city, I do believe that breaking the "surface of the rampant classism" is both a little naive and a wasted effort."

She looked longing at the bar. How long had it been since she'd had alcohol? Vasco had never given her a firm answer one way or the other on whether she actually could and strongly suspected that the man just wanted her to avoid harmful vices for no reason other than personal well-being.

Still, no point in testing out the theory now, where he was without his equipment should things go wrong. She ought to find the doctor anyway, pester him about that new mask he had promised. Maybe in a few moments. She could spare some time speaking with this man if she'd have to be working with him.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

-Sheska-

She looked up at him sternly when she mentioned that they used to be Imps, and she promptly jabbed a finger into his chest. "You're wrong. Neither of us were ever Imps, not by choice. We were both enslaved, you more so. Then we escaped. We aren't traitors in any sense of the word. So don't you start on it, Izzy, you know better!", she hissed, before putting her hand back on his shoulder.

"Anyway, he told me about himself since I told him before about why I became a pirate. It was... harder to hear than I would've thought. He's lost a lot, and I don't know why I should care, but I do. He isn't full crew yet, and hell, I'm not even sure if I like the bastard or not.", she told him.


Then Sheska grimaced and shrugged. "Well, maybe I'm finally starting to go soft.", she said, before pushing that to the back of her mind.

"As it is, I think he suspects you of being part of the Ggun, Izzy. I'd be careful around him.", she warned.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

'Not a cat.' said thought to himself 'A dog. A cat will go wherever anyone's willing to feed it, but a dog will always come crawling back, no matter how many times it gets kicked out into the cold.'

"You met Eddie, Samuel, Issac?" he asked, as he finished his second glass of the seagull wine.

 

[hiei82]

[HEADING=2]Ciel[/HEADING]

As Ciel was pulling James toward the dance floor, she felt a sudden pull - with surprising force - in the other direction. Ill-prepared for the resistance, Ciel fell backwards. A moment later, she realized she had been pulled into a dip by James, evident by a grin on his face. "I believe I lead. Trust me, I'm a master dancer." he said, before pulling her back. "Someone thinks they're slick." she said with a slight grin on her face.

He led them to the dance floor then pulled her close for a waltz. "I believe we should get to know each other a bit better, right Boss?" James said, still smiling. Ciel - not to be outdone - responded in turn by putting her arm on his and swinging forward and forcing him back, thus initiating the dance. "Have something in mind?" she asked as they danced, raising an eyebrow at him and smirking slightly.

 

[Cybele]

"You met Eddie, Samuel, Issac?" Zach asked.

"Oh I've met Sam," Roy remembered, "He helped me take the measurements for Sheska's new arm but I didn't really get a chance to chat with him besides a polite introduction. I guess I haven't really been very social up until now," he admitted. He really should try and change that. Where's the fun in being on a ship if you kept to yourself all the time?

"So how did you end up working on the Mermaid?" Roy enquired.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"Seconded." Adrianna said in a straight forward manner, with a slight smile on top. Before Garrett could get a response in however, Adrianna suddenly took charge, and took him by the hand towards the food table; the rear admiral looking as though she was going to enjoy what was up ahead, given how meager things were going to be food-wise for a little while. Garrett was going to enjoy this as well, smiling as a result.

"Well, you certainly seem to have regained your spark, especially after such intense dancing." Garrett remarked, barely managing to stifle a giggle as they arrived at the food table. Whilst Adrianna appeared to be a bit more meticulous as to what she was going to eat; Garrett meanwhile was taking what looked best to him. A varied selection of spiced meat, some fruit; especially an apple after the last one was taken from him by Eddie, and finally some bread. If Garrett was being honest, he hadn't eaten stuff of this caliber in a while. His mind soon drifted off into other things.

"Hmm, tonight might be a good night to propose to Adrianna. It is a shame I left the ring on board the Invincible, safe and secure in my quarters; this occasion would have been the perfect setting to pop the question. However, I told myself to only ask once this forsaken mission was over. But, what if I don't get the chance to? What if we were to both fall between now and then? I must know, but then again, I don't want to ruin the surprise." Garrett asked himself as the questions played through in his mind. He then took a few deep breathes to calm himself down.

After a brief moment, they soon gathered what they wanted, along with some more wine, and headed out towards a nearby balcony which overlooked a part of the city along with a flower garden that was beneath it. Garrett noticed a table that was nearby, and gestured for them to sit there. He looked around and saw a few other couples out here, but they were mainly talking amongst themselves.

"Tonight has certainly been eventful has it not?" Garrett asked, trying to get some conversation going.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Zach shrugged. "Wanted to see what the world looked like from a few thousand feet in the air, so I started working as a lookout on merchant ships. Fighting pirates got boring after a while, so I decided I'd rather be one instead. Not much else to tell really." There was no lie in what he said, even if it was only the barest skeleton of the truth.

"And what about our esteemed Captain?" Zach asked last "Formed any opinions on her yet?"

 

[Cybele]

"What's with all these questions about the others?" Roy asked. He was starting to get a bit annoyed. What the hell did it matter what he thought of the crew? "You planning on collecting all the nasty things I say and then blackmailing me?" he joked.

"How about you tell me what you think of the crew," he suggested, refilling both glasses. There was more than two thirds of the wine still left. Roy wondered if there was an actual seagull stuffed into the bottle. Well, only one way to find out.

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

Beth

She shook her head when Eddie missed catching the fruit, but nodded absently when he told her to shoot him if he ever started acting like them. Beth leaned against a wall and watched the dancers, especially the couple who had gotten in an argument with Eddie. She would have guessed that they weren't of the same status, but they were dancing anyway. It struck her as peculiar, until she recognized the behaviour. It wasn't the first time she'd seen a couple acting like that. Beth laughed, and went for the bar instead, where she ordered something to drink.

Beth noticed the others sitting there, and heard Zach asking one of the new recruits about her. She took her second glass of wine, then turned to look at Roy, while she stood behind the neobeduin. "Yes, Zach, why don't you tell us what you think about the crew?"

She sipped on her wine, and turned to look around the room. She didn't care what either thought of the crew at this point. Newcomers might have opinions, but that wouldn't stop them from dying.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

'Well, Sheska thinks her temper is her biggest strength, when really all it does is make her take her eye off the ball at crucial moments. Probably how she came to lose her arm. Oh, and her attachment issues mean she'll keep clinging on to some notion that you care half as much about her as she does about you, no matter how many times she's proved wrong. Other than that, I think we'll be great pals.

Eddie's as mad as he looks, but smarter than you'd think. Potentially a dangerous combination, but not too hard to handle if you know what you're doing.

Samuel's a consummate professional. I can respect that, even if he does still have a little bit too much Neovictorian in him for my taste.

Issac's probably one bad day away from strangling us all in our sleep. Not that he'd mean to of course, but if he doesn't stop bottling up all the Ggun stuff still in his head, the cork's gonna blow at some point.

Roy here's a newbie, so no-one has his back, and his response to this is to get drunk at the bar, alone, in a room full of strangers, many of them Imperials. No offense meant, but I wouldn't put him down as the sharpest tool in the shed.

And finally, I'm inclined to trust you Beth about as much as you trust me at the moment. I have no doubt that you can handle yourself, and that you've got some nous when it comes to steering a boat under pressure, but I'm sure as shit not gonna die for you any time soon. Quite frankly, I'd be fascinated to find out how you earned such unwavering loyalty from so many others.'

This is what Zach would have said... if he was an idiot. He wasn't particularly scared of Beth. Cautious, but not scared. However, whether or not she gave a damn about his honest opinion (which was unlikely), giving it would still give her some idea of Zach's faculties. Something that he didn't want, not yet. So far, the only two people he was even beginning to trust in this crew were Samuel and Sheska, despite her recklessness. When it came to everyone else, Zach would keep what they knew about him to the bare minimum. As far as he was concerned, he was still on his own.

Instead, he smiled politely "Oh, it's all still a little up in the air for me. It's why I was asking Roy here for some friendly pointers, and I think he may have given me just what I was looking for. Now, if you'll excuse me Captain, I'm going to go and find Jason. We're yet to be acquainted, and I think I overheard a conversation involving him earlier that gave me a moment of inspiration that I really must share with him."

With that, he finished his third glass, which was as much as he was prepared to drink, and walked away. It was true he wanted to speak to Jason about something. However, he also didn't want his attention divided by the Captain's inquiries when he was still scanning the room.

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

Beth

Yeah, just run away with your tail between your legs. She thought to herself, as she sipped on her wine. Beth turned to the man who he had been talking with, and reached out her hand, which she wasn't holding a glass in, to him. "I am Captain Beth. I take it you are one of my new recruits, if you were talking with him about my crew."

She would start to question Zach's allegiances even more, if the man wasn't. Maybe even have to kill them, but for now she continued drinking and waiting for the man to present himself.

 

[deathbydeath]

"Miss Baker-Cromwell, thank you. And you are attending a ball for the social elite of the city, I do believe that breaking the "surface of the rampant classism" is both a little naive and a wasted effort."

Drustan sighed with a wistful tiredness as Miss Baker-Cromwell derided upon his misplaced optimism. "Very well then, thank you for enlightening me." The big man was clearly fatigued by the whole affair. Beyond the veneer of wealth and privilege was an undercurrent of conniving and passive-aggressive hatred, both of which continually irritated him like gnats buzzing around his head. He ran some alternate ways to spend the evening through his head, and then selected a few of the more interesting ones.

 

[Cybele]

"I am Captain Beth. I take it you are one of my new recruits, if you were talking with him about my crew."

Roy considered lying and saying that no, he wasn't a part of her crew, just to see what would happen but decided it wasn't worth it. It wouldn't take long for the captain to find out and there really wasn't ant reason to make enemies with Zach, even if he was annoying.

"Yup. The name's Roy. I'm your new gunsmith," he said, smiling brightly and shaking Beth's hand.

 

[hiei82]

[HEADING=2]Adrianna[/HEADING]

As they selected their food, Adrianna couldn't help but notice Garrett was being particularly quiet with an odd look on his face. She wondered what he was thinking about but said nothing - if it was important, he would tell her. She trusted him.

Thereafter, they made there way through crowds out toward the balcony. The area was mostly empty, save a handful of other couples enjoying the lightly populated area and the cool night wind. The lights of the city below them illuminated the large yard and flower garden. If nothing else, it looked beautiful.

Garrett gestured toward a table, far enough away from others for a sense of privacy. "Tonight has certainly been eventful has it not?" he said after they had seated themselves. "Eventful is a good word for it." she replied, remembering the conversation with Eddie. "There were a few parts that stood out though." she said, smiling at Garrett - their dance had been quite fun.

"I hope you've enjoyed the evening as much as I have so far." she said, keeping the conversation ball rolling as she took a sip of the wine she knew she'd regret tomorrow morning.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"Eventful is a good word for it." Adrianna said as she joined Garrett at the table, and they began to eat. He looked around the area, and had to pat himself on the back, literally, for choosing a location such as this. It was both beautiful, yet gave them a bit of privacy, away from prying eyes. Garrett was busy eating some of the meat he had chosen, which looked like some kind of spiced pork whilst Adrianna continued talking. "There were a few parts that stood out though." Adrianna then smiled at Garrett, with him instantly guessing what she was on about, the dance. He had to agree on it being a rather stand out moment, but also the most fun he ever had in a while.

"I hope you've enjoyed the evening as much as I have so far." Garrett stopped eating for a moment, wanting to take his time, but gave pause to drink some wine and wipe his mouth around with a handkerchief that was inside the coat when he found it. He then held Adrianna's hand for a moment, a smile crossing his face.

"Indeed I have Adrianna. But its been more enjoyable having you here." Garrett then let go, and looked out across the city.

"You know, I just wish that tonight was the last night we had to spend on the Invincible. I just want to wake up tomorrow morning and think, I finally get the chance to be with the one I care about, and I don't have to worry about the persecution. To just embrace you, and enjoy every second with you. But, I guess a man can dream, and the fact of the matter is, we just have to wait a little while longer." Garrett then put a hand to his head as he massaged it gently, in an attempt to change the subject, he looked out at the city once again.

"Its a shame you know, that they don't have a fireworks display tonight. I'd get the feeling it would make the celebration more magical, more memorable; but I guess its the guests that create those memories." Garrett remarked as he sat back in the chair, and took another sip of wine, then carried on eating.

 

[3quency]

-Isaac-
"Well, maybe I'm finally starting to go soft."
Isaac suppressed a snort of laughter.
"Oh, that'll be the day. Difference between feeling for a guy pulling his spleen out via his ribcage, and I think you can just about manage both."
Isaac didn't get why people felt that having an emotional connection with someone made you soft. He'd made a career out of manipulating people's emotional responses but he'd never seen his prey as weak. They just prioritised differently. Some things were worth dying for, he'd just made sure that those things were present. Caring about someone, anyone didn't stop you from doing your job properly unless that person was directly in the line of fire for your job.

They continued dancing, Isaac enjoyed the movement, the motions were relaxing. Reminded him of the woman who'd freed him.

"As it is, I think he suspects you of being part of the Ggun, Izzy. I'd be careful around him."
Hmm. Well that'd explain that rather pointed comment earlier. But Zach seemed to be willing to put some measure of trust in Isaac. How else did you explain confiding in him about their potentially being other spies here?

"I thought he might. I can handle it. I heard he didn't take your own... past well? Sounded nasty earlier."


-Annis-
"Very well then, thank you for enlightening me."

Annis crossed her arms and looked away, searching to see if she could find Vasco.
"It's simply a matter of common sense. We like the classism. Puts people in their place so to speak. The nobles get to have a good time and the workers don't bother them with trifling things like disease and social interaction."
There was a hint of derision in her voice now. She'd once been a part of that society. Then it had marked her as good as dead and tossed her aside. Any nobles here, even if they had been close personal friends some years ago now wouldn't approach her with a ten-foot pole. It gave one a horrific sense of perspective.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

-Sheska-

She had to narrow her eyes at him as she heard him stifle a chuckle. But, she took it as a good sign that he was in a good mood, so she let it go. Besides, it's not like being soft in some cases was all that bad. After all, she was soft on Izzy, and to a point to Beth, as well as Sam. Then again, they were full crew, and had been on that ship as long, or longer, than she had, and had earned her trust.

However, she was broken out of her train of thought by his reply to her warning.

"I thought he might. I can handle it. I heard he didn't take your own... past well? Sounded nasty earlier.".

She scowled and jerked her head up a little. "Asked me about my time in the Ggun, and how I killed people. So, I rammed my knee into his balls and set the record straight. Told him what I went through, probably more than I should have. Pretty much told him the short version of my life story.", she added in a mutter before she continued.

"He seemed to get it once I finished. Said he respected me, and that he knew me better than I thought he did. I'm betting that bit was to get under my skin though.", she said with a shrug.

Then she locked her gaze on Isaac's again. "Anyway, if he gives you trouble, come to me, and I'll keep him off of your back. You don't have to tell him anything about your past that you don't want to.", she reassured him.

 

[hiei82]

[HEADING=2]Adrianna[/HEADING]

"Indeed I have Adrianna. But its been more enjoyable having you here." Garrett said, holding her hand for the duration. "I doubt I'd have found it at all enjoyable if you weren't here." she said, smiling lightly before they let go of each others hands.

Garrett continued, saying "You know, I just wish that tonight was the last night we had to spend on the Invincible. I just want to wake up tomorrow morning and think, I finally get the chance to be with the one I care about, and I don't have to worry about the persecution. To just embrace you, and enjoy every second with you. But, I guess a man can dream, and the fact of the matter is, we just have to wait a little while longer." Garrett said, massaging his forehead. Adrianna smiled ruefully in response. "I know. There have been so many times I've wanted to just hold you and be held by you. So many times someone has said something about you where I wished I could correct their opinions. So many times I've wanted to spend with you and just watch the world float by." she said. As she did so, she reached out and lightly pulled his hand closer. She placed her hand atop it, lightly rubbing a the knuckles, honestly just wanting to be closer to him. Her face blushed slightly at what she added next. "Like this morning. I wanted to just sit there with you for hours watching the sun rise while kissing your lips. And each sun rise we don't do that feels like a waste." she said, more annoyed she couldn't do any of that than she had been at Eddie. Sighing, she recalled her hand and finished, saying "Just a few more weeks though; then it's just the two of us. No more silent judgements, no more persecution, no more hiding. If only the minutes could flow faster, calling forth that day." She stood from her chair and moved to the balcony edge between Garrett and the city, letting the light wash over her in a beautiful cascade of colors.

"Its a shame you know, that they don't have a fireworks display tonight. I'd get the feeling it would make the celebration more magical, more memorable;-" Garrett said, confusing her slightly. She was going to ask what Fireworks were - it was a term she was unfamiliar with after all, but Garrett continued and the moment was lost, save the look of confusion on her face. "-but I guess its the guests that create those memories." Garrett finished as he sat back in the chair, and took another sip of wine, then carried on eating.

"Well, I don't know about fireworks-" she said, standing from the balcony ledge, "-but I'm sure we can find a way to make some more memories tonight." She reached out and pulled Garrett up. She then grabbed her wine glass, and gestured toward a stair case heading down into the flower garden. A romantic stroll through a flowered field, illuminated only by the flickering lights of a city was just the thing to make a perfect evening as far as she was concerned.

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

Beth

"Yup. The name's Roy. I'm your new gunsmith,"

She gave him an honest smile, when he said that he was the new gunsmith. Beth couldn't remember if they had had a gunsmith before. At least not when she was captain, and she hadn't payed as much attention to the rest of the crew under Roberts.

"Well, that's good news, Roy." She said. "I hope you'll like it on the Mermaid. We can always use competent people, especially those with more unique skills. Many new recruits end up as nothing more than cannon fodder, but if you're good at your profession, then you might want to stay back during battle."

She'd rather not waste a good gunsmith, just like she would rather not waste her engineer, navigator or doctor. The rest of the officers were supposed to put themselves in harm's way, and she couldn't really make sure that they didn't.

"Have you worked on a pirate ship before?"

Wilhelmena

"Yes, I have." Wilhelmena answered someone's passing remark, before excusing herself and grabbing another glass of wine, from a waiter that passed by. She walked over to Remmington, and sat down next to her. The woman had taken a seat with a view of the balcony, where she now sat and looked at the stars above.

"It's a wonderful night for a party." Remmington said, when Wilhelmena sat down next to her.

[sub]"All these pleasantries are getting on my nerves. I wish I could just fucking leave, and turn my back towards it all."[/sub] She muttered, before downing half of the wine in the glass.

Remmington smiled for some reason.