darkSpyro

Rem covered a good amount of their path in ink. An escape route for her, a way not to get lost for the others, perhaps? She remained unsure as to how she’d wound up here. She assumed it was a situation similar to the Kamabo incident, but the unusual creatures populating the area told her that she wouldn’t be able to get out nearly as easily. This place was definitely not underground. The cave Mbweha was entering was, and she hesitated. She held her gun tight, less than pleasant memories from before Kamabo, still scrambled and barely decipherable, assaulting her behind her eyes. An Octoling boy she’d once known by name standing right in front of her, not responding when she waved a hand in front of his face, his eyes invisible behind shades adorned with flashing lights. A living tentacle- Octotrooper, her brain supplied- laughing beneath the whirling blades of another creature wearing a propellor on its head- an Octocopter- as her tastebuds exploded with flavour. More memories, all equally vague, all in domes deep under the earth with bright fluorescent lights that flickered and died periodically, all with the crashing of metal and the screams of her people as they were crushed under their own city... she could feel the tears running down her face. She was afraid. Afraid of the destruction she remembered coming to pass here, of death that awaited her. Taking shaky breaths, she sat down outside the cave, sinking into the ink she splashed on the ground.

(Pls forgive my huge internal monologue posts this keeps happening I don’t mean for this to keep happening I just go with what comes to me aaa)

As Mbweha delved into the swashbucklers' lair, he barely made it ten steps in before he heard... sobbing? Yes, that was unmistakably sobbing he had heard, however faint it was. A search led him back to the Octoling girl, just as she sunk down into her ink puddle. What was her problem? Was she afraid? Did something about this place remind her of something in her past? He hadn't gotten to know her- or any of his partners, really -and he felt a twinge of guilt. Coming here was his idea. He kind of just dragged the others along. Some splashing of water accompanied his return, as he sat by the puddle. "Eight?" he called, unsure if she'd hear. "Is- is something wrong?"

Oh. He... he was trying to talk to her. “Some... unpleasant memories,” she mumbled. As mature as she acted, she was only a child, where she came from. A child forced to fight for a cause she knew little about, especially now. She wasn’t about to let slip how fragile her state of mind was, fragments of memory she couldn’t grasp. “I have not had a pleasant life, sir.” Her soldier facade pulled back on, she emerged from the ink. Screams echoed in her mind though she couldn’t recall why the cave instilled such fear in her. “I am not fond of being underground, but I will come if that is what is required.” The soldier mannerisms were a front, to hide her confusion, her pain. She was not yet stable after everything she’d been through. She wasn’t sure how to cope.

Mbweha nodded solemnly, helping the octoling girl to her feet. "At ease, soldier. I know it's rough, but we'll make it quick. We'll be in and out before you know it. I mean, it's just a bunch of drunkards with some fancy boats, how tough could they be?' He gave her a friendly pat on the back. "I'm right behind you."

“Right. Thanks.” Rem took a deep breath and tried to ease her posture. “Thank you.”

OOC: Sorry to break it to ya, but I'm leaving this roleplay. I've got a lot of things to do, and this rp is not one of my priorities. Sorry to disappoint.

OOC: Bye Gengar Guy. Also, yeah I'm alive. *darknessdawn casts Thread Revival*
Star quietly slowed a little. Memories of a dark, half-forgotten past surfaced, and he found himself with a nearly psychotic smirk. Forcing himself to remain in the present, he grumbled something incomprehensible and then informed the others "I've had little trouble with most foes, but these are unfamiliar to me. I suppose you could say we're in... Uncharted waters." He giggled at his pun. "Joking aside, be ready... Especially for my attacks. I tend to go a little overboard." Dark energy coated his arms briefly before fading. He gave Diana a particularly unpleasant look, before looking at the others. "I'm curious what we could see in this fight. I'm still not familiar with this world - Ah, I mean area." He mumbled something else and tapped a button on his headphones to switch his music and then nodded.

(OOC: Oooooh man. I'm sorry guys, I've been dealing with a lot of personal problems lately, and generally felt like crap. I hope I can still resurrect this one, I'll try not to let this be a regular thing anymore.)
Mbweha gave a soft smile to Eight, then nodded knowingly at Star. "I'll take care," he assured him, disappearing beneath his cloak, the splashing of water betraying his footsteps as he ventured into the cave.

He had to give the pirates some credit: their interior was renovated into a makeshift harbor, with wooden decking built to facilitate travel over the dank cave water. Their mighty ships floated in their places, tied to the docks, ready to set sail at any time. The party arrived just in time to see a crew landing, hauling a bounty of treasure in a chest off-board. A couple pirates were bantering over some rum:
"Oy! I heard you and yer men had ta come shore 'cause of a tiny lil' hermit crab!" one laughed taking a swig.
"That wasn't a mere 'ermit, mate. The beast was fifty feet tall and had a thousand tentacles! It coulda torn the bloody ship in half if it tried!" Another retorted.
"Aye, we're lucky to 'ave survived. Thass what 'appens when ya go ta sea without givin' the mermaid goddess tribute."
"Mermaid goddess? You've had too much to drink, mate. Enough fairy tales, ol' Dreadstump'll keelhaul us if we don't get tha booty to 'im!"

OOC: It's okay, I have a bad habit of disappearing too. Need to work on it. Also, I literally just registered that Diana was Gengar Guy's character. I've been away a while LOL.

Star analyzed the pirates before telling the others "I'm going in." He used his Illusion to take the form of a pirate and approached in what he hoped was a 'piratey' fashion. He briefly readied himself for a fight in case he failed, then spoke. "Aye, Dreadstump is the dangerous sort, and ye don't want 'im mad at ye!" He grabbed some rum and took a swig, bracing for the decidedly unpleasant flavor. He preferred sake, but he was going to need a drink in a minute anyway if his disguise failed. "Say, where IS the Cap'n?" He braced in case the pirates caught on to his act. Hopefully they were too drunk on their disgusting beverages.