Aether Shanties RP (PM if interested/Started)

[blaze96]

Samuel picked away at the food he had ordered from The Laughing Gull, he had tried to get something with a mix of Neovictorian and Skyfolk flavors to try and make it all easier to digest. He wasn't even ready to attempt Neobediun food yet, far too different from anything he knew. He had no desire for the high chance of food poisoning either. Though in the back of his head he knew by the end of the night he would be dipping into the ships supplies a bit to settle his stomach.

"A very fine night indeed Captain. With a good and successful day looking for new texts. Still find it liberating that I can actually read these in public without it being taken from me and lit aflame." He said with a smile as he read his book with his left and continued to slowly eat with his right. The tome dealt with using plants and herbs to do a multitude of medical procedures. It wasn't as revolutionary as the books which had desired to merge man and technology or the ones that posited major surgeries could be done without any pain and no anesthetic, but it was still really more radical than anything he had seen in college.

The king had chosen a man to dictate to all schools and doctors what procedures and treatments were allowed, and those were simply the ones that were taught. He briefly looked up to see if anything might have needed his attention before he was right back to looking at the book.

 

[Terratina.]

Vasco sighed, the sound accompanying the noise of the docks. for the all the work he had invested in keeping Annis alive, she would undo it all in flash, as she insisted on constant training, causing minor damage to the mechanism. Minor damage soon accumulated and became major damage, that was the one thing Vasco worried about and lectured about constantly to Annis, to her dismay. The whole affair reminded Vasco about the one time an experienced veteran lost his leg due to a particularly nasty compound fracture. Another one of fickle Fate's victims, the man boasted frequently that he had never broken a bone. The leg had to be amputated - Vasco's first operation in the field - and was replaced with a crude clockwork prosthetic. Yet the man insisted on refusing help, certain that he would go about his business normally. Just like Annis. It was useless dragging those two stubborn mules to water, they would die of thirst before even thinking about drinking it.

Even so, he was glad to see that the Invincible would set sail shortly. The recent pirate attack that had crippled the vessel that left three gaping holes in its side and many more holes in its crew. Many lives and limbs were lost that day, but with some patients, there was simply no hope, a man with a hole where his heart should be was pretty much D.O.A., but thanks to Vasco, most of the injured found solace and recovery in the med bay, no matter the rumours about his grim appearance on his so-called half-automaton pet, whose bark and bite were feared. True, he doted on her; true, she was his pet project; true, the mess of copper plate, wires and tubing made her look like one had tired to mix machine and man. Nevertheless, Annis was his patient, he had simply given her the treatment she needed like any other. Whether she would fully accept her condition or her treatment had yet to be seen though.

Vasco stood with a hint of unease. He didn't like the docks, nor the smells or the sights pleased him. Twice now, he had adjusted the filtration system to adjust for the many pollutants that were diffused in the air. His fingers drummed the top of his cane, he wanted the clean, sanitized to the best degree possible, and organized atmosphere of the sick bay. Not this dirty chaos of dock workers, goods and smoke-stewing chimmeys. Now that the daily maintenance of Black Annis' suit was done, he was done here. She was the quartermaster and he the ships doctor. Seeing that after the little incident that enraged Annis more that usual was over, she could take back control of the situation and do her job. Heaven help anyone, automation or not, that managed to ignite her temper would another incident like that again. He watched the Rear-Admiral's steam carriage arrive, then made his move.

He turned to her, "M...m...maintenance has been done. I'll be in sick bay."

 

[Texas Joker 52]

As the Laughing Gull's band played energetically, Sheska leaned back in her chair at the table The Mermaids crew often sat at, one foot up on the edge of the table, while the foot on the wooden floor tapped its claws to the tune of the song. She raised her bottle of rum to her lips and took another careful sip: She couldn't get quite a drunk as she liked, seeing as she needed to keep an eye on the crew.

The initiated were good men and women, doing their jobs well, listening to the captain, and were practically hellhounds in a fight. As First Mate, she couldn't help but feel entitled to not a little bit of pride in the crew, but even they got rowdy and prone to a brawl or two when they got drunk. Hell, she was one of the biggest offenders, so she could hardly blame them, but as First Mate, she needed to keep them in line. Thankfully, that wasn't too hard for the full members of the crew.

Looking at the seat next to her as the Captain sat down, Sheska raised her bottle. "Of course I'm feeling fine, Cap'n! I've got a bottle of rum, a loaded pistol, and a hold full of our take back at the ship. What isn't there to feel fine about?", she asked with a wicked grin, her sharp teeth glinting in the dim light of the tavern.

Then she glanced over at Samuel, who was having trouble with his food. She couldn't help but look at him with a combination of resignation and pity. "Sam, you need to eat. I don't understand why you can't stand the food here. It may not be hoity-toity city food, but its good stuff. You may actually like it if you give it an earnest try.", she told him quietly, shaking her head just slightly.

She didn't much care for the doctors methods, or the fact that he was a doctor in the first place, but he was crew. She just hoped he never had to work on her with his butchers knives.

After a few more moments, her attention was drawn back to Captain Beth, whose own attention was focused on a pair of girls who had entered in with another group. Then the eldest walked off, prompting the younger girl to follow after a moments hesitation. "Something wrong, Cap'n?", she asked softly, her free hand inching towards her revolver, simply out of caution.

 

[blaze96]

"The taste is fine, it is how it sits ma'am." Samuel replied as he took a bite and swallowed it. He knew most people wouldn't understand but really he actually liked the food he had found here. He just knew if he ate too much too fast he would probably end up vomiting over the side of the ship within the time it would take to leave port.

"Actually the Neovictorian food is too bland for my liking, but years spent eating it have made it all I can stomach. I'm trying to get past that though." He didn't want to offend as he had only spent a few months on The Mermaid, partly why the title of ma'am had come up. It was another hold over from his INS days and it was a hard to kill element of his speech.

 

[Arcanist]

The Laughing Gull. It'd been a while since Jason had been to this salty old place, and it hadn't changed a bit. Still loud, still full of obnoxious drunkards, and Frank still can't make skywing stew to save his sodding life.

Pushing aside his food with a grimace, Jason turned back to his rum, taking in a deep draught. 'At least the booze isn't all that bad. Not that it's hard to make rum...' Taking a wad of paper out of his coat pocket, he unfurled it to reveal a document with notes scribbled every which way. Underneath it all belied a drawing of sorts - incomprehensible scribbling to most. But to Jason, this represented years of hard work. Hard work stolen...

Deciding a seedy pub in High Tortuga wasn't the best place to reminisce on his past or to flaunt this treasure, he folded it back up and placed it back in his coat pocket. In its stead, he reached into his satchel and removed a thick tome, titled "Mechanics Stress Indexes, vol. 7". 'I may as well get the preparation for our departure underway. The sooner we get back on the job, the better.'

"The taste is fine. It's how it sits, ma'am." Jason scoffed at this, turning to the ship's doctor. "No need to lie, Sam. I'm a Skyfolk, and I can vouch to the fact that I wouldn't feed Frank's food to a starving dog."

"Oi! You take that back, you little shit!"

"Shut up, Frank! You know it's true!" The bartender and cook shot Jason a dirty look but let it go, turning back to his current customer. Jason rolled his eyes and returned to his book.

 

[Redryhno]

Eddie was as anxious as always, being in port always did. And to add insult to injury, he was in a seedy hell, close enough to the ship he could smell the tar holding her together, the gunpowder stored in her hold, and cargo they'd taken from that damned merchant earlier. They'd given up almost without a fight, and that was no fun. Ever.

In front of him stood his first tankard of the night, still more than half-full, and the best the place had to offer. The cheap stuff made his tongue turn, and since he had rarely drunken himself to that point on account of the fun missed out on being in that state, he may as well enjoy sipping at it. Not that their best was much better than their cheapest, it still had the consistency of turpentine, but at least it didn't cause him to regret the purchase as much. In his right hand he had a coin he'd taken off one of their victims, to remind himself that they'd be off again soon. His feet tapped out a steady rhythm on the floorboards of the Laughing Gull, again a normal occurrence while in port, the iron soles ringing after every tap.

"I hope everyone is feeling as good as I am."

"I'd be better if we weren't here Cap'n, We 'ave a set time of settin' off again?"

He sat forward, the ends of the strips he'd cut into his coat jangling a bit from their brads. His fist was clenched around that coin, it was just a reminder he'd be out of port soon, and his feet had stopped drumming the ground. Without noticing it, his chain of gold coins fell out of the front of his shirt, jingling on the table, which he then replaced inside his shirt without looking, eyes full of hope.

 

[3quency]

-Annis-
Vasco stuttered out that he was finished. Annis took a deep breath, drawing it in through the flesh of the mask and relishing the audible hiss of the newly-repair mechanism. And loathing the sudden sharp twang of pain as she swallowed that first breath. The pain didn't come often but once in a while the quill played up. And there was nothing Vasco or anyone else could do about it without killing her.

She frowned at Vasco.
"As if you'd be anywhere else. Begone, doctor. I'm sure I'll see you soon enough. Now if you'll excuse me-"
She stood and marched back out onto the deck, clapping her hands together loudly and shouting at the deckhands and automatons.

"Put your backs into it, you pieces of filth! I catch another of you dropping something and man or machine your skin'll be adorning my cabin!"

She looked at the doctor briefly as she was moving. He was a freakish little thing and that was for sure. The beaked mask repelled her, it reminded her too much of the misbegotten. And his behaviour... he reminded her of her brother. He was a weakling too.
And now Annis relied on this weakling to live. What did that make her? She tried to quash this thought by throwing her self into the work, yelling at the crew and directing the flow of materials, mentally toting up supplies as they were shifted.

And there, the Rear-Admiral's carriage. On top of everything. She quickly finished giving orders to a pair of automatons carrying a cartload of barrels and marched towards the gangplanks, before standing just short of them to welcome Adrianna back aboard.


-Isaac-
Isaac sat quietly as the crew chatted and laughed. He nodded along and smiled occasionally, but kept referring back to the map he'd brought with him. Whilst they weren't too sure of their next course yet, it couldn't hurt to make sure that the local sky-map was up to date. After all, a couple of narrow scrapes or small miscalculations could get them all killed.

He frowned at Eddie's impatience. They'd only just got back from a job, and it had gone swimmingly well. What was he complaining about? Issac would never understand thrill-seekers.

Then Isaac noticed the captain watching the two girls. A strange look was on her face.
Sheska commented on it. Isaac's eyes drifted away from his map and he concentrated entirely on the exchange. Was there something about those two? He wasn't sure. He glanced quickly at the rest of the crew, to see if they were being any more attentive.

 

[Tips_of_Fingers]

-Exeter St John-

A light breeze whipped at Exeter's dirty coat, sand from the vast deserts beyond Desolation sliding across the ground towards him. The Invincible's First Mate blinked away the grit and sighed heavily. It was probably time to return to the docks; Lanester hated tardiness and Exeter wanted to stay on her good side. Not out of fear but out of necessity for his duty to the Empire.

Turning slowly, with his hands clutched behind his back, Exeter headed towards the docks. He had enjoyed his time of quiet contemplation - away from the bustle of the airship - thinking about the desert and how the Empire could utilise it's vastness, if only piracy didn't enslave so many valuable resources.

As he walked thorugh the streets, Exeter smiled dryly at the deferential looks the inhabitants gave him. Despite it's shabbiness, his uniform still required respect, something Exeter especially relished. Two scruffy young boys were following him closely, a look of scepticism on their faces. They kept whispering to each other and laughing. Exeter was dimly aware of them but paid little attention.

Soon, the docks loomed above and Exeter stopped to stare up at the Invincible. It was a particularly fine ship, even after the repairs - one could barely tell there used to be cannon-holes only a few days ago. Shielding his eyes with a forearm, Exeter squinted up until he felt a light tug on his shirt. He turned to see the two urchin boys from earlier staring up at him. Before a frown could manifest, he put on his biggest grin, attempting to appear kind and fatherly.

"Hello boys," he said, crouching to their level. "What can I do for you both?"

The slighlty taller of the two looked defiantly at the other and then sniffed disdainfully at Exeter. "My brother here says you're a proper navy captain but I say you're a bloody vagrant!"

Exeter blinked, his mouth moving soundlessly. He wasn't quite sure how to process this information. "Well...what brings you to that conclusion, boy?" His grin never faltered although he had straightened.

"You smell," the little one said, holding his nose.

"And your clothes are almost as bad as ours." Snapped the other.

Exeter chuckled softly and scraped a hand through his greasy hair. "Good observation boys, but y'see... I'm working undercover on a secret mission. Yes I certainly am." He nodded emphatically. The boys looked uncertainly at each other. They didn't seem convinced. "Would a simple vagrant have a pistol as fine as this?" Exeter drew his flintlock and presented it to the boys. The older of the two scoffed loudly and waved the pistol away.

"Looks mighty old to me. You say what you like, but you're no navy man. Who would hire someone as dirty as you!?"

Exeter holstered his weapon and cuffed the boy round the ear. "Get outta here you filthy runt!" He aimed a kick at the smaller boy, narrowly missing as they scampered off down an alleyway. Exeter clenched his fists before taking a deep breathe and continuing on to the docks.

It was probably true what the boys had said; he hadn't slept in days and for months he'd been living in the same uniform... but there was just too much to do - map studying, note-taking and revisions of pirate tactics. Exeter didn't have time for trivial things like rest and hygiene, his mind buzzed with information that needed constant sorting, and puzzles that needed constant solving.

On top of all his regular duties, he now had an extra one - keeping an eye on Lanester. The Empire didn't trust her entirely - a wise decision considering the company she kept - and so Exeter was tasked with watching her. If the necessity arose, he would enjoy bringing her to heel.

With that thought fresh in his mind, Exeter soon arrived at the Invincible. He was keen to find out what Lanester had been tasked with and where they were going to be heading next.

 

[hiei82]

"It appears we have arrived m'lady." Garrett said, holding the door open for her. The day was still bright beyond reason, but her eyes were still adjusted so she hardly noticed. Glancing at her ship, she could make out the form of the quartermaster - Black Annis - reading the supplies and for her arrival. Lanester sighed a little; she was happy that Annis took her duties so seriously; she was easily one of the better crew members on the Invincible, but they were still at shore; she needed to learn to enjoy the fruits of Imperial life as much as the harsh duties by which they were earned.

Adrianna spotted another of the crew - Dr. Roque - disappearing into the lower decks; intent on getting back to his sick bay no doubt. He was another of the "good sailor, needs to take a day off" club. Though she knew his obligation to Annis kept him busy, Lanester couldn't help but worry the doctor would burn himself out before too long. Worse, doctors were hard to come by, and good doctors even harder. Either way, it was their choice what to do while off duty, so she would not intrude so long as it did not affect their performance. Thus far, their performance was astounding.

Turning back to Garrett, she uttered her thanks in the most "imperial" way she could. "That is quiet obvious, Mr. Corvus; but I appreciate your observation abilities." she said, as high and mighty as she could. The action of speaking to others like this used to be second nature to her, but now it seemed alien and wrong; she apparently spent too much time in the air. Now, she could barely keep her expression static; the ghost of a smile graced her face at the gentlemanly action - far from visible from the ship, but quiet obvious at such close range as 'Mr. Corvus'

She climbed from her vehicle, taking no help from Corvus or the Automatons that drove the carriage; she was an admiral, she could do some things herself. Glancing around, she spotted another member of her crew; her first mate: Mr. Exeter St. John. This particular encounter was no more a happy occurrence then a splinter, though she kept the feeling from her face.

The man was a strange sort of mirror of herself, though it pained her to admit it. They were both upper class, forged by battle into hard people, and absolutely dedicated to the cause of the Empire. He, however, seemed intent on doing all things by the book, despite - or perhaps because - of his ample time spent as a pirate. The man had no respect for anyone outside the Imperial family as far as she could tell, and insisted on using a misbegotten as a war hound. Still, he was skilled at his trade, and a finer first mate aboard the Invincible could not be found - save those disqualified from the position by race (Garrett) and injury (Annis). She half hoped he would take a cannon shot to the chest in the near future, but knew her luck was rarely so kind these days.

After escaping the carriage, she moved with a swiftness to the ship, then called out to Annis. "Permission to come aboard, ranking officer?" It was a formality, but she knew it was a formality that Annis not only liked, but insisted upon. The boarding plank soon sprang to life; reaching down to the dock.

"Now.. to determine what of our orders to mention" she thought as the plank hit the dock.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"That is quite obvious, Mr. Corvus; but I appreciate your observation abilities." Adrianna said in the most authoritative tone that she could. Garrett mostly figured that she said it in that way to keep up appearances, but she also had a right to do so; after all, he was lower in the echelon of command. There was however, a brief flash of a smile, it not even noticeable to those outside their radius. He calmly returned his hand to his side when Adrianna stepped out of the carriage.

It was then that he spied the first mate of the Invincible; Exeter St. John. Suffice to say, he and Garrett did not see eye to eye; mostly due to the fact that they were both different races, and Exeter had this look of burning desire to do things very much by the book, something which even rubbed Adrianna the wrong way on occasion.

'What an insufferable man, fanatically loyal to the Emperor, and no doubt wanting to usurp Adrianna's power at some point. Although, there is one thing I do pity; the Misbegotten he keeps on a chain. Poor thing, constantly being beaten by Exeter, and kept in a cage that is probably too small for him. He treats the boy as a mere pet, seeing himself as too high and mighty to care. However; apart of me thinks that he sees himself as the most valued. Oh how I would want to see you get yours.' Garrett thought to himself, as he checked Cerberus for any problems during transport. He then holstered the rifle onto his back, before making pace towards the gangplank, but keeping behind Adrianna, and watching the streets they came from.

 

[3quency]

"Permission to come aboard, ranking officer?"

Annis thought she could detect a hint of sarcasm in her commander's voice, but ignored it. Sometimes the woman could be quite insufferable, and her adherence to Navy regulations could leave something to be desired, but she was the commander of the ship.
If anything, Annis should be glad to even be serving aboard, she doubted any other officer she'd ever known would accept a crippled veteran in any capacity.
Cripple. Veteran. Scum.

"Permission granted. Rear Admiral on deck!" she bellowed the last part and any crew that had been serving for more than a few months instantly stopped what they were doing and saluted.

As the Rear-Admiral Lanester and her strange Sky-Folk, Annis fell into step alongside, as always filling her in on what she'd missed.

"The resupplying has gone well, Rear-Admiral. Save for a single incident - one of the automatons dropped a cannon. Minor scuff damage to the deck, I've had two of my mean clean and wax the location. I am attempting to track down the Automaton and have it reprimanded."

She frowned and looked off to the docks.

"Is that Mr. St John I see? He's late."

 

[Terratina.]

Annis didn't give the most polite of goodbyes, as usual, and dismissed him as he descended into the sick bay.

It was a cold, dank place situated in the belly of the ship. The grim atmosphere reinforced by the groans of the recovering patients and the chill of metal was everywhere. Metal beds, metal shelves, metal trays, metal tools. To an ordinary IAN officer, the sick bay was one of the worst places on the ship and stank of chloroform and death. But to Vasco, it was something of a home away from home. This was his own little country and he the little dictator. Here, he could order the Rear-Admiral to bent over for a shot or even present herself for medical examination with but a word from Vasco. With that thought, he smiled as the reached for a sulfa pack and was reminded about the Rear-Admiral's prosthetic arm. He would have to see her about that, yearly maintenance was imperative, but that arm was probably busy with other things at the moment. He would have to wait for an opportune moment to approach the subject.

He huffed over to one of the patients - an ensign that would go away with the scars of a veteran. A bit on the short side with blonde hair and a face that was once bearable to look at. Now a cast engulfed the lower side his face - the poor man nearly had his head split into four, one huge gash run down between his eyes, another down the jaw. Vasco took every measure to make sure that this lad still had a face. Even dosing him with chloroform when he had first woken up from the trauma and had tried to tear the cast off. Vasco turned to prepare the water-and-sufla solution to wash the wound and for the man to drink. Clean inside and out. The only worry now was how well the body would heal the wound, Vasco could only do so much. At least the man was not one of the few allergic to sulfa, then harsh ethanol would be used and morphine would have to be given for the pain.

A bellow from Black Annis reverberated around the ship, signalling that the Rear-Admiral was abroad. She would soon announce any orders or happening, as was the custom. She seemed to like customs, even humouring Annis with asking permission to come aboard deck. At least that would benefit Annis, as it would make her feel useful, even if she was apparently content with just being able to serve aboard the ship. A patient needed a healthy body and a healthy mind. Nevertheless, after at least a year, she had adjusted to the condition but didn't fully accept it. Vasco administered the sulfa solution to the man and moved on to the bookshelf, looking through for a certain book. A book about nursery rhymes, but with a section cut out and hidden to stash things in. He found it. Inside was a vial containing a small drop of the poison stuck in Annis' throat extracted during the installation of the apparatus. He had hoped to see other doctors and experts about it in Desolation, but his time was consumed with helping others.

Hopefully, other opportunities would arise...

 

[Driekan]

Jessie had been quick to get started once they got to the bar. Setting her gun at their table, apparently trusting the crew enough to leave the gun untended among them, she set off for the counter, inquiring about their drinks and them promptly getting some of the harder stuff.

It had been chugged down at amazing speed, eliciting more than a few mirthful cries from the rowdy crowd nearby. To some, it was a new drinking companion who apparently was willing to go in as deep and as fast as they were. To others, it was a girl about to be drunk.

Opening drink done, she'd set off, hopping between tables and over turned chairs and downed drunks to get as close to the band as she could. In what little room she could find, she got to doing what she loved best - singing along and dancing.

People had made a bit of room after the first few times she bumped into them, but she hardly needed that. In Neobedouin fashion, she spun, twirled and jumped, moving between tables, leaning on chairs and basically making that entire corner of the bar her stage. People didn't seem to mind, or perhaps they thought she was hired entertainment and dared not draw the attention of the guard automata. She didn't make the mistake of lingering too long near any one table - she'd been to enough of these bars to know that would be just inviting hands.

Eventually, she'd made her way back to the crew's table. She'd worked up quite the sweat, but the pure exuberant enthusiasm coming off her smile made it clear that she was more than ready for more.

"'Oy, boys, girls. Chief does choose her waterholes well, don't she?" She winked Beth's way, then leaned over Isaac as she reached around the table to where she'd left her gun, slinging it over her shoulder and then sitting back on the chair.

She took a moment to breathe and wipe the sweat off her forehead with a handkerchief, and perhaps for that reason didn't catch it when Beth's eyes first turned on the redhead. When Sheska commented on it, though, her gaze focused and shifted in that direction. There was a touch of a hunter's ice in the eye, which all the rum she'd had did nothing to defuse. "Trouble already, is it?"

 

[3quency]

Isaac did everything in his power to stop himself from blushing as Jessie leaned over him.
Ah, and here was the real reason he'd brought the maps along - otherwise he'd have spent the whole night staring at her.

He really didn't know what it was about this Neobedouin girl that had him bewitched. Between the rigours of his former life and his general lack of social skills when not actively acting out a role he'd never had much room for... romance? No, that didn't sound right. Just general involvement with the opposite sex. Sure, he'd faked infatuation as and when he'd needed to, but had never been actually infatuated.

But there you had it. Maybe if he just asked her out on... something. Just this once.
...Maybe when he was feeling a little better.

"Trouble already, is it?"

Her comment snapped him out of it in a second, and he was instantly back into professional mode. It looked as if the others were expecting a fight. Not a huge change in character - Sheska was almost always expecting a fight. Isaac suffered from the same sort of paranoia but where she reacted with readying to strike back he usually tried to slip away and disappear. But he couldn't do that anymore.

He felt in his cuff for the minute gravity blade. A tiny sliver of blued metal, perfect for sling across a room and into a throat. He hadn't used it in a long time but it paid to be cautious if the others suspected danger was afoot.

"We're not sure. Something cap'n doesn't like." he whispered to Jessie.
Why was it he could only talk confidently to her when they were potentially in danger?

 

[blaze96]

"Remind me to make you some traditional Neovictorian cooking, and not the stuff the family puts out to impress guests. You'll have part of the answer as to why so many parties are thrown all the time." Samuel replied to Jason before taking another bite.

"Trust me. If this is the worst the Skyfolk have to offer, I will die a well fed and happy man. Just as soon as I can actually keep it in my stomach." Samuel couldn't help but laugh a bit at that statement.

Once the conversation turned to the possible trouble Samuel raised his eyes from the book for a moment to scan the room just above the line of the book. He noticed the woman before looking back to the book.

"We're pirates, when isn't there some form of trouble brewing? One of the reasons I love this job, so many opportunities to practice new and old alike." He said just loud enough for the table to hear. He made sure to keep the book obscuring the woman's line of sight to his mouth as he spoke.

 

[Tips_of_Fingers]

-Exeter St John-

Exeter stood opposite the Invincible, admiring her beauty. It truly was a a fine airship, the best he'd served on for quite a number of years. He allowed a small smile as he slowly paced towards the ship's gangplank, weaving between the shuffling automatons, those useful - yet infuriating - homunculi.

As he allowed his eyes to roam, Exeter's smile dropped into a grimace when he saw Black Annis glaring at him. The woman was terse and easily annoyed, especially with regards to propriety onboard the Invincible. In a flash though, Exeter returned the smile to his face, making an effort to improve its size even more.

At the bottom of the gangplank, Exeter also noticed Lanester and her tame sky-pirate. He kept his smile fixed but couldn't help his eyes momentarily flashing hatred at Garrett. He thought back to the Lord-Governor's request - no, order - and wondered at the implications. If the Empire itself didn't trust her, why not remove her from command entirely? Why continue with the charade? Exeter was sure that the Lord-Governor must have his reasons but they needed rooting out... yet another task for Exeter to occupy himself.

Setting these thoughts aside for now, Exeter mounted the gangplank and took large strides until his boots felt the deck again. Exeter placed a hand on his sabre and gave a flourishing bow to the admiral, his smile dripping honey.

"Admiral." He intoned, voice sickeningly warm. "I trust you and..." Exeter hestitated slightly, eyes flashing to Garrett. "...And your, um, entourage had a pleasant trip? You have received our orders?" He stood at ease, hands clutched behind his back as the wind whipped at his hair and coat.



-Capricorn-

Faint sounds from above were keeping Capricorn occupied in the darkness of his lower-deck cage. The constant banging and echoed shouts of the crew reminded him of fighting. In his manacles, the young Misbegotten shuffled around his enclosure, occasionally sniffing at the bars of his cage and biting at various bits of metal found on the floor before spitting them out in disdain.

He didn't like that there was nothing to chew. There had been one time when Capricorn tried chewing his manacles but that had only earned him a beating. As resilient as he was - sword cuts and heavy blows didn't phase him - Capricorn was still fearful of his master's punishments; the blows needed to be heavier and for longer if Capricorn was to learn. He wanted to learn but sometimes he just couldn't do things right.

Capricorn stopped shuffling and peered through the darkness. His night-vision was extraordinary, a result of being confined in darkness often. He listened intently and heard something scrabbling close to the wall. He shuffled forward, eyes searching for the source of the noise. When he reached the bars, he pressed his face against them, grinning madly at the cool sensation against his scarred skin.

The scrabbling noise continued but Capricorn had found something else to occupy himself. He made satisfied moans as he rubbed his face against the bars of the cage.

 

[Arcanist]

Jason could see the the woman over which Beth and Sheska where worrying over the pages of his book. Another damn wannabe troublemaker. High Tortuga was full of them - newcomers to the piracy scene that had just cut their teeth on their first big haul. Brash and looking to pick a fight to stroke their growing egos. Well, they're going to be in for a rather nasty surprise if they continue annoying Beth...

He made sure to control his voice such that only his comrades could hear, keeping his mouth obscured by his book. "Beth, if we're to teach that lass a lesson, could we do it without too much blood? I just got this labcoat cleaned." He carefully made a motion to unzip his satchel, in which several welding sticks and a loaded pistol awaited...

 

[Texas Joker 52]

Sheska glanced over for just a moment as Jessie rejoined them, leaning over Isaac and causing just enough noticeable color to make her want to frown, thinking, Why is it that every other lass on this boat manages to get a man to look at them like that? World just ain't fair to old Skulk-Hound Sheska. Then she locked her eyes back on the direction the two girls had walked off to. "Don't tease the poor man, Jessie.", she said, before looking back at the Captain.

"You want I should go and check it out, Cap'n Beth? I'm sure Jess and Izzy here can keep a firm eye on the crew while I do.", she asked her in a hush whisper, drawing her revolver entirely from its holster.

She felt on edge, now that she saw that something had bothered the Captain, and she instinctively wanted to go after whatever it was that was responsible. Whether it was a thing so she could smash it, or a person so she could gut it. Something disturbed their Captain, and as First Mate, she needed to sort it out, right and tight.

After Sam's and Jason's respective comments, however, she spared them a glance as well. "It's not as much fun without blood. Still, it's up to the Cap'n now, innit?", she told them, just before motioning with the hand holding her bottle for them to go about their business so as not to draw more suspicion.

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

Winged Beth decided that the women probably weren't looking for trouble, not yet. Maybe they were waiting for reinforcements, but why would they be targeting her? She couldn't remember their faces, though she could still have angered another crew and captain with her actions at some point.

"A very fine night indeed Captain. With a good and successful day looking for new texts. Still find it liberating that I can actually read these in public without it being taken from me and lit aflame." The ship's doctor answered her with a smile and continued eating. She was glad to have found a doctor and nodded at him. Not all pirate ships were lucky enough to have their own doctor and those who did could stay longer out of port.

Sheska had noticed the captain observing the two pirates.

"Something wrong, Cap'n?"

Beth saw her reaching for her revolver. It was a weapon she wasn't that great with herself, but she could shoot one. Her chain sickle, fastened to her belt, was more effective when she used it. Besides, almost everyone in her crew knew how to use a gun to some extent.

"I do not think they want trouble." The two women weren't paying attention to her anymore. They were happily conversing over some rum at the bar. What was it then? Beth made a discreet gesture to Sheska, with her left hand, to let her know that she should leave the gun alone.

"I'd be better if we weren't here Cap'n, We 'ave a set time of settin' off again?"

The cannon commander was as impatient as he usually was when they were in port. She could relate, as she found flying more fun. They were technically in the air and she better not forget that, lest she take a misstep and fall off the platforms.

"We'll be leaving again tomorrow. When most of the crew has had some time to sober up."

She looked at her own mug of rum. The captain should also be given time to sober up, she thought, before finishing her current mug.

The ship's navigator was studying a map he'd brought with him. It was uncommon with pirates who preferred doing their job, when they could be drinking, but those who did was often better at it than those who didn't.

Beth heard Jason arguing with the cook and was about to tell him to stop, or they might not be allowed to come here again. She did like The Laughing Gull; it was one of her favorite taverns in High Tortuga.

<spoiler=House band>The band started playing another song at the same moment. The sound of it changed the atmosphere in the tavern from cheery to eerie. Maybe it wasn't only the song, but Beth felt cold all of a sudden.

"'Oy, boys, girls. Chief does choose her waterholes well, don't she?"

The woman had put on quite the show before. Beth gave a weak smile in reply to Jessie, when she winked at her.

Her feeling of unease remained. She was prepared to blame that on the rum as well, and stay off the liquor for a week or less, when someone appeared in the entrance. It was like looking at a mirror, which distorted reality, because Beth at the table wasn't as roughed up as Beth in the entrance.

The conversation at the table about trouble and the women continued, but Beth didn't listen to it.

Winged Beth at the entrance had relief written across her face, when she saw herself sitting at the table she thought she would be sitting at. The hell she had lived through had finally come to an end. She was bloody tired, her right hand was pressed against her stomach and in the left hand she was clutching a rolled up piece of paper.

She staggered across the floor towards herself, who stared at her with an expression of disbelief. Well, it's not every day you meet your future self. Beth looked at the rest of the crew sitting at the same table. It hurt to look upon most of those faces. So many dead, but that was one of the reasons to why she had come back.

She saw her loyal first mate; a part of her wished that Sheska hadn't been here this night. There was a lot left unspoken, but this wasn't the Sheska that she had known. If she succeeded tonight, they may never truly be the same.

Beth stopped in front of herself sitting at the table. She put the rolled up piece of paper down on the table.

"Get there first..." Her voice failed her. "The... consequences will be... dire."

That was all the energy she had left. She collapsed onto the floor.

Time's up.

It was, but hope had been lit again. She died knowing that, a puddle of blood from the wound in her stomach formed under her body.

Beth was speechless. She had just witnessed a replica of herself stagger across the floor and put a piece of paper in front of her, then collapse next to her chair. She opened the paper and had a glance at it. It was a map. She closed it quickly again, but now there were more than the two women staring at her in the room.

"Right." Beth took the tankard placed in front of Eddie, since she doubted he was going to drink it anyway. She downed it, as she found drinking the only reaction worthy of what had transpired. She put it down again. "Eddie, you'll have your wish fulfilled sooner than planned. I think we've overstayed our welcome"

She stood up too fast and felt dizzy.

"Every pirate under my command is to report to The Mermaid within the hour!"

The room was quietly observing her. She stepped away from her chair in the direction of the door, but she couldn't walk straight and accidentally bumped into someone. That was enough for a fight to break out. The man swinged at Beth, but missed and hit a pirate of her crew.

Beth turned back to her table, after noticing herself dead on the floor.

"Could someone carry me to the ship?"

She laughed and made a beeline for the door.

"Protect the captain!" More than likely the pirates of the other ships wanted to know what the paper she held was, because they were soon trying to get to her, but her own crew stopped them. The automata at the door couldn't throw all of the people fighting outside. There were too many.

 

[blaze96]

Samuel closed the book and quickly threw it into his bag before slinging it over his left shoulder. He quickly got out of his chair and checked the pulse of the captain lying on the floor, as shocked as anyone else he was basically on autopilot.

"She's dead Captain. If you wouldn't mind I'd like to perform a simple autopsy once back on the ship. It may get us a bit ahead of what killed you in the future." Samuel said as he hefted the body up. By the time he had looked up the Captain had already run out the door without a word.

"If I get lucky may even be able to find something telling us when or where she came from. Though the chances of that are...unlikely at best." He said more to himself than anyone else. Something like this was greatly irregular, but the chance to study the captain for possible future ailments was exciting to him. Luckily he had used most of his money on more than medical tomes. He had made a place for himself to work on the ship, and most of his cut went towards medicine stock and new equipment when the chance arose. Though with only a few months it hadn't amounted to much yet.

'I'll have to ask the captain about that autopsy once we get her future corpse back onto the ship.' He thought as he himself began to walk the body out of the bar.