In reply to Chance (msg # 100):

AJ smirked as she sheathed the sword while passing Roberts. The need for weapons was probably sea monster attacks or mobs of Good Lawful Folk demanding they be lynched upon arrival, and she pitied the fools that tried.

Then she hears Chance and she has to smile at his Sarcasm and shoots a friendly barb over her shoulder back at him, "As if anyone would trust you with pointy or sharp objects right."

Jack watched the exchange with disbelief.  His head shook at the dissonance, the venom, the raw contrarianism emanating from the scene unfolding in front of him.

He leaned over, picking up his suitcase, slinging his rucksack over his shoulder.  His cane was hooked in the crook of one elbow.  Carefully avoiding knocking elbows with his fellow exiles, he hurried through the gate.

He couldn't wait to be away from this forsaken place.

In reply to Jack White (msg # 102):

Gisela returns the smile from the giant man.  "As you wish," she replies, turning to locate Wolf and her bag among the other people embarking.  Given some of the characters, she couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for the bets placed to come into play.  Would there be a fight?  How soon?  Would anyone go into the drink?

How long before these pirates gave up and returned them to the island, pardon or no pardon?  Would her father be grateful if that happened?  It would be a guaranteed death sentence if it did.

Gi keeps her thoughts to herself.  She considers joining Wolf, since he was keeping a calm head in all of this.  She almost didn't even care if he was hanging out with G'mork's child.  After all, S'ulfr wasn't any more a threat to her than half the people on the pier.  But, just because he was being nice, didn't necessarily mean she had the right - or his welcome - to hang out with him.  Nor did the fact that he'd helped her once before give her any such delusions.  He was a child of the island and most of them didn't like her much.  Her quiet, bookish ways didn't help that, either.

No, she'd wait until Wolf was ready to dump her stuff and reclaim them.  Then she'd not overstay her welcome and he wouldn't have to put up with her.  Instead, she decided to make her way towards the ship alone, avoiding the bad attitude of her friend and the questionable antics of the rest of the people she knew.  At least, that was her goal.

The collected throng begins to board the vessel with varying stages of wariness. Mim and Phasma, for their part, skip merrily along onto the ship. Mim even curtsies to the pirate on her way up the gangplank. He tips his hat, causing Eva to eyeroll as she shoves past the girl onto the deck.

Henrik offers Gi his hand in escort up the gangplank as his attempt to offer it to Eva was summarily rebuked. Sang gives a rather nasty look toward Quinten as he shoves ahead. "I suppose you've got room in steerage for some of these... mistakes?" he asks of the pirate as he strolls aboard.

Roberts shrugs, his mustache bristling slightly. "The only thing going in steerage is the livestock, but I suppose since you insist on being a horses ass..." he replies smarmily, giving Quinten a wink.

Lola smirks and elbows Chance. "One point for the pirate..." she muses.

In reply to Her Majesty (msg # 104):

Drizz meows something akin to a cat chuckle at the fur searing hit made against Khan. He was languidly lying on a spar up in the rigging already. Since he had yet to actually fall asleep he idly watched the fluttering of Nyxia as if he was considering eating her when he woke up again..in a day or two..if he was dry...

In reply to Drizz (Cat) (msg # 105):

Wolf reaches over Gi takes the offered hand of Henrik instead and squeezes punishingly hard as he gives Henrik a "thanks" for helping him balance his way up the gangplank.  "Guy's a real peach," he says to Gisella, "Where would you like your bag?"

In reply to Wolf (msg # 106):

AJ, having reached the top of the gang plank hesitates before putting her foot on that gently rolling deck. She had gone around in row boats, even cobbled together some small sail boats, but her dream had always been a Ship of the Line like this one.

She sighed in pleasure and turned immediately to run hand down the polished railing and gaze up at the sheets. But even in her joy she had to flash an extra special grin for the interplay between her best friends. They were so oblivious!

She even had a smile for Chance as he came up onto the ship. She leaned on the rail and breathed in the air like it was somehow different on a real sailing vessel.

Chance responds to Lola by scoffing, "Pirate? ... Not sure he knows the like of the word.  A kinder gentler term has to be applied.   Privateer?"   He glances over at Roberts, "You do have the King's signature for this particular arrangement, don't you?"

Unlike AJ, he wears the same smirk he did on land.   There's little here of Mystery aside from a Masked man.  However, even that doesn't hold much interest... They are fashionably comfortable after all.   As it stands, his attention does turn to the previously mentioned teen with a grin, further commenting, "Starting to smell that Freedom?"

In reply to Chance (msg # 108):

"It is salty and cool. The wood and waves, canvas and breeze... they are calling to me," She waxes poetically as she smiles bigger and looks out at the sea they would be heading out towards. She slides over to touch shoulders with the young man she had been in a tumultuous relationship with for years now.

"I can...feel it in my bones, stronger right now than it has ever been before."

Something must have come over her because Aj was not an eloquent woman. Sure she tended to have that classic pirate vocabulary but usually she was not almost spiritual about it like this.

In reply to AJ Rourke (msg # 109):

_{Mine mine mine}mine Mine MINEMINE MINE MINE!

Drizz jerked his head away from watching Nyxia buzz about the ship. There was only one Horror on this god forsaken island that made that sound.

The Seagulls!

Near-mindless, voracious, selfish and downright nasty annoying winged plague beasts who travel in flocks along the island coastline looking for people (And especially cats) to torment! There they were... a cloud of white and grey flapping wings soaring towards the people who still dallied on the beach and that end of the dock.

Drizz hissed at them and in warning to the others!

In reply to Drizz (Cat) (msg # 110):

Their cloaca were full, the flock had just feasted on some poor drunk fellows entire bait bucket and crab catch. Now they just needed someplace suitably aggravating and embarrassing for some other poor lower lifeform (Lower Literally not simply in status) to empty themselves.

There on the beach, clustered around the dock and some big ship were a whole bunch of potential targets!

Mine mine mine mine ('Targets Acquired at 11 o'clock. Descend to optimal release altitude')

Mine mine mine Mine ('Mark the big one and that white cat looking one as your primarys'"


mine MINE mine MIne ('Begin your runs, good hunting')

And the Swarm of Gulls swooped down on the lollygaggers with the big cart... far out of reach and easily able to dodge projectiles they began a carpet bombing run upon their objectives.


The only shelter was the ship... and all who remained on the beach and dock practically stampede up the ramp to find a place to hide while the sky snows big thick sticky stinky drops!

In reply to The Seagulls of Severe Annoyance! (msg # 111):

The white cat looking one jogs up the plank and finds a spot out of the line of fire. She contemplates killing off all birds in the known world. Her tail flicks with annoyance.

Alameth quickly picks his chain off the cart and pushes it towards the gate. Once he reaches the pirate working on the fencing, he hands his over-sized chain over to the pirate with a hastily scribbled note ("Use this chain, old chain useless") before picking the cart off the ground and nearly jogging up to the dock. He places his cart against the rail, tying a short chain to it to keep the cart in place before leaning against the rail himself and sighing deeply. He looks to Alani and signs, "Don't need another run in with those monsters!"

In reply to Wolf (msg # 106):

Gi owed Wolf.  Again, apparently.  She knew that he wasn't harassing Henrik on her behalf, but he still formed a human shield between her and the perfect-appearance prince.  On an island, she could avoid him.  On a boat, she couldn't.  She also couldn't risk causing a scene with him.  Why had they given Henrik a free pass?  Didn't they realize how many girls on the mainland would be in trouble?

"I'll take it as soon as I get on board," she offers, as if just realizing she hadn't responded.  "I'd like to explore before I settle down for the trip," she adds, almost immediately realizing she didn't need to add that.

As if things couldn't get worse, she heard a sound that made her freeze in place.  She knew without looking that those were the evil bird-devils.  She knew it was foolish to be scared of some local seagulls, but given their hatred of her, it was reasonable.  She doubted that they'd risk approaching the boat just to get her, but that did little to reassure her.

Nor did the stampede of remaining young adults.  Wolf was bigger and more aware of his surroundings, probably because he wasn't frequently tormented by the fliers, and had a chance to brace.  At first, that worked in Gi's favor, as it kept her from being completely thrown off the gangplank.  Her general luck took precedence in moments, however.  Shifting to avoid being hit by the cart, she managed to get knocked over the railing.  A hand shot out to grab her before she completely flipped, stopping her fall, balancing her, then helping her regain her feet.  She grimaced and flushed.  "Thank you," she offered her hero's shoes, not quite ready to look them in the eye and admit to being the distressing damsel.

Jack looked up at the swarm in the sky, discomforted by their incessant honking.  Some primal part of him was disturbed by the shadows of birds.

He set down his rucksack, reaching in and producing a parasol, to protect himself from any resultant downpour...

But then there was a woman's scream, at least it sounded like a woman's, Gi might have thought it was her own catching up with her... but it was falling away at the same time that the strong arm of her rescuer pulled her up and roughly urged her up the gangplank towards safety before the birds got there!

A second or so later a big splash turns the scream into a gurgle. Wolf in twisting to grab Gi, had managed to throw Henrick off balance, the oaf tripping over his own feet, and plunging into the drink.

Luckily for Henrick, Captain Roberts did not have the same contempt for him that most of the other kids did and a rope ladder followed him into the water from over the rail.

He would never make it up that ladder though before the birds got there.  The rest of the kids though do seem to make it to enough cover before it snows birds shit for a few seconds all the way across the decks....

Chance comments dryly, "Oh, bother... Roberts, you really should leave the trash in the water... It might grow cleaner with the soaking."   This he says from the cover provided by a doorway to belowdecks.   He also quips, but more as an aside, "Well... atleast I was right that someone was going to find the water a might too close for comfort..."

The air is suddenly split by an ear-shattering boom that leaves the lot reeling. Roberts whips around to see Fezzick grinning ear to ear from behind a smoking cannon. Roberts jaw seems to just stay agape as he searches for the words. Fezzick, for his part, puts down the torch and yells "I got rid of the seagulls! Is everybody ok?"

Lola sticks a finger in her ear and swizzles it about as she tries to regain her hearing. "We are all going to die..." she mutters, electing to go lean on the other railing and just enjoy watching the 'rescue attempt'.

Roberts points a finger at the giant and takes a deep breath. "Fezzick? Go prepare us to sail." He turns back toward the group. "The journey will take a night and a day. We'll arrive sometime tomorrow morning, smooth seas willing. That means you get to bunk down!"

He gestures to a door across the deck. "Living quarters are below. We are running on a skeleton crew but they've graciously given up their accommodations for you. Hammocks are to be reserved for the ladies, if you please. We are pirates, not animals. Gentlemen, bedrolls are in the closet. Go make yourselves comfortable."

(OOC: I will start a separate group thread for everyone. Feel free to RP as you like. If you want to have a private convo, just indicate your character is talking to X person and feel free to start a private message thread should you wish to be uninterrupted. I will give you guys til Sunday night to wrap it all up. Monday is the next big move. Please also take this week to make sure your character sheet is inputted if you have not already done so.)

In reply to Her Majesty (msg # 118):

White Feathers flutter down as the birds scattered from the blast. It did not completely save Henrick... but it did manage to keep him from getting hit more than three times.  He scrambles the rest of the way up the ladder and onto the deck also wiggling a finger in his ear and working his jaw in the way deafened people do.

He does not seem to realize he got pooped on yet...

In reply to The Gulls (msg # 119):

AJ massages her temples and plugs her ears in a vain attempt to stop the ringing. But she shakes it off quickly and takes Chance by the hand as she races from the doorway they had hidden in and for the bunk room instead. Her other hand is full of Nyxia's lantern but she wanted to pick a good hammock out first!

In reply to AJ Rourke (msg # 120):

It was RAINING Cats...well one cat anyways as that cannon blast startles Drizz right out of the rigging and down upon Gi's head below. Given the distance he at least manages to keep his claws in on impact...but he IS a BIG cat!

In reply to Drizz (Cat) (msg # 121):

"Get... off!" exclaims Gisela as she's pounced by the feline.  "Weren't you off torturing some other innocent girl?" she asks, as if the cat could respond.  That doesn't stop Gi from giving the cat some pets before depositing him on the floor.  "You're going to get fur all over me," she mutters irritably at the cat.  Well, faux-irritably.

In reply to Gisela O'Cuinn (msg # 122):

Drizz rubs himself on her ankles, and well her knees too given how big he was, as cats are want to do and purrs. He watches the feline woman over at the cart get settled in...and then looks disbelievingly at the Giant who was insane enough to start stoking a fire and hammering hot metal while aboard a floating pile of kindling soaked in turpentine and pitch...
This message was last edited by the player at 19:51, Mon 29 May 2017.

In reply to Drizz (Cat) (msg # 123):

Gi overhears what's being said down below, mostly because they clearly wanted her to.  "I think that's supposed to be my cue," she says to Wolf, nudging Drizz aside gently.  "Here, I'll take that," she says, reclaiming her bag and heading down.

In reply to Gisela O'Cuinn (msg # 124):

Wolf mumbles something contradictory like he would carry it down but when her hand brushed his he quickly gave it up.  He cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly before reaching for the door handle to the lower deck for her.  It was unfortunately at the same time as her and both pulled their hands back.  That happened again before Wolf grabbed the handle.  He opened the portal but his own big boot was in the way so Gi could not get through.  He stepped back and Gisela was able to get the door herself.  To which Wolf said "thank you" for some reason.

He sighed when she was gone, shaking his head at himself.  He told himself soon they would be on the mainland and there would be plenty of room for him to never see another living soul again.  He turned to look out into the ocean and saw S'ulfr sitting just off to the left.  The wolf with too many teeth grinned and it looked sinister.  "That was smooth."

"Don't start with me."

"I especially liked when you thanked her for opening the door for herself."

Wolf face-palmed, "I mean it, S'ulfr."

"Maybe in ten years you might be able to muster enough vocabulary to ask her on a date."

"Well, hopefully you'll be dead by then and I'll have gotten a new evil dog."