darkSpyro

Angora ate alone, though close enough to the group to hear their conversation. She wanted to make sure Latnok didn't say something bad about her, and was surprised when he treated Shade with enough politeness.

Maverick understood Ilasi's point of view. He wanted peace, but too much of it could become monotonous, and in an island, despite it's fair share of dangers, was a place that would be quickly explored, and the townsfolk seemed to have a very strict routine.
"I want peace, but... if we settle in one place, it could become... boring. And I loved my life as a traveling merchant. You could meet new people, experiment new cultures, see new and wonderful places... but of course, you can't have a life of adventure and exploring without dangers." Maverick contemplated, knowing that asking for both peace and adventure would be impossible.
"I did kinda travelled... on a ship, but it was all seeing water and water, and the only real places I visited were ports. But now, I'd like to see the land I missed. And now that I know there's a beautiful world below the sea... I want to see that too..." he added, wanting Ilasi help him make the hard decision.

Raclaw and Chester happily ate as they listened to the conversation. As Latnok mentioned Kasidra's having rode Icestorm-- a part of Raclaw thought about Latnok and how he rarely got to experience flight outside of the odd trip sharing a saddle with Sere on top of Veris. Chester got to experience flight, but Latnok had to remain grounded whenever he needed or wanted to stretch his wings. He then recalled how he had once rejected Angora-- but that was unwillingly and he had barely known her than. Latnok would be different. Latnok was a loyal friend and someone to whom he had already litterally given himself to. At the very least.. he wouldn't immediately say no to the possibility.

"Oh, there's much below the sea that you absolutely have to see!" Ilasi said, perked up. "It's the least I can do for how often you carry me around. You know, very few things would bother us in the sea..." Though Ilasi had a point, it was mostly wishful thinking; Maverick, not being amphibious, wouldn't be suited for a lifelong stay in the sea.

Maverick was doubtful about things bothering them at sea, like sharks and sea dragons like the ones they faced, but Ilasi was from the sea, so she was certain she knew how to handle all. He gave one of his silly smiles with the prospect of exploring the underwater world of the merfolks.
"Well, I liked very much what I saw the first time. I just wish I could breathe underwater so I wouldn't have to bother you with the bubble spell every time." he said, many times feeling guilty for putting her under that pressure. He didn't mind being a hybrid, but now he was starting to wish his other half could be a creature that could breathe underwater. Neither fauns or humans could breathe underwater last time he checked. Perhaps there was a spell in the book he gifted to Ilasi, but he didn't see anything like that in the times the book belonged to him.

Meanwhile, Angora was finishing her meal, glad that Shade was finally catching a break and being complimented for his lack of trouble making, but she was still very wary of the young Guardian. She opened her heart to him last time they spoke and thought she could trust him enough to vent, only to receive more pain and misery from his part, to the point where he even admitted he didn't care if she died. That was something Angora still couldn't forgive, especially after he was the one who decided to be kind to her before. Him returning to his old, cruel ways even after she decided to accept his attempts to change and have a better relationship with her was the worse kind of betrayal she could've expected from anyone.

Kasidra turned to Latnok as he warned her about riding such a small dragon. "I get what you're saying, but that was just something Icestorm offered me. I didn't have a harness prepared, because i didn't expect that. It's not like I own him or anything. He doesn't have to wear anything or carry me around. I just accepted his offer, because I thought I might not even get another chance to do something like that. He has no obligation to do that again," she explained.

Latnok shook his head. "That doesn't change the fact that that was unnecessarily risky," he warned. "A proper harness should have been found."
Latnok got up from his seated position to continue speaking, giving Kasidra a more direct look. "When you enlisted in this crew, you became one of ours," he said. "That makes you one of mine - and makes me obligated to see to your well-being, like all of the others. And I personally like having all of my own come back in one piece. So yes, have your fun - but don't take any silly risks because of impatience."

"Oh, I'm always happy to carry you in the bubble! Perish the thought!" Ilasi urged Maverick. Just like you can show me a world, I can show you a world. You can't be the only one doing things, after all! I still have to take care of you!" Ilasi had never had so much hope for the future before. She was always working, but never had a goal - but now, she had a light at the end of the tunnel, and someone to guide her.

Kasidra lowered her head, barely meeting Latnok's gaze after he finished his speech. "I understand, sir. It won't happen again," she promised. If the tiefling wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to fly again before, she had her answer now. It obviously wasn't a good idea to begin with and wasn't allowed without a harness. Kasidra didn't know if Icestorm had a harness already or not, but she figured that if he did, he would have mentioned it sooner. So without a harness, the tiefling figured she wouldn't be able to experience flight again.

Latnok was showing concern for an employee, nothing else. She believed that if it had been her, he wouldn't have cared. He hasn't even asked how well she had been doing with Veris, or if she has been injured during his care. But nothing mattered now. After finishing her platter, she took it back.
"I'll... do the dishes later..." she commented to Latnok, not seeing him in the eyes. She didn't like doing dishes, but the chores will keep her distracted for a while while she thought on what to do next...

Quote: A Guy

"Oh, I'm always happy to carry you in the bubble! Perish the thought!" Ilasi urged Maverick. Just like you can show me a world, I can show you a world. You can't be the only one doing things, after all! I still have to take care of you!" Ilasi had never had so much hope for the future before. She was always working, but never had a goal - but now, she had a light at the end of the tunnel, and someone to guide her.

Maverick nodded, pretty much the decision made.
"Well, then I guess it's settled then. We shall see the world. This place is beautiful, but of course, not a place to stay forever. We can travel everywhere we want... of course, we shall have to do some research on the places we'll visit, like rules, dangers and such. We want to avoid trouble as best as we can." Maverick suggested, knowing danger was inevitable, but the less they found then better.

Even Latnok could interpret Kasidra's gesture. "Keep your head up. You're not in any trouble," Latnok assured Kasidra. "Everyone under my charge is important to me. I won't stop you from riding, but find a harness next time, especially for a creature like Icestorm. Way easier to lose your balance on someone as small as he is."
Latnok was interrupted by Angora's offer. "Very well," he said indifferently. "Make sure you do a really good job of it." Angora wasn't going to be receptive to any sort of kind treatment - no point in offering it to her. That reminded him, he had to get the bread and water rations for the prisoners later...

As the others ate and chatted-- it wouldn't be long 'till Risar would show up offering a nod as he picked up one of the meatier plates. "Evening Angora. Evening Latnok, Raclaw.," he casually greeted recognizing the three in the order in which he saw them. "Evening Risar.," Raclaw greeted with a smile in return as he and Chester finished up their meals. The two furry companions looked quite satisfied with both the meal and joy earlier morning joy flight. The minotaur always seemed pleased that Raclaw seemingly remained in excellent health and happiness under Latnok's care. Chester looked happy as well no doubt spoiled by all the personal love and care the little Beagle would no doubt receive the rest for the rest of his natural life. They were both happy, which was a good thing. Raclaw's status as pet/friend/whatever made no difference to him-- the Fur Dragon being both willing and satisfied with his life.

Angora wasn't surprised or fazed by Latnok's indifference. It was too predictable at this rate, to the point Angora didn't shed a single tear, when in the last she would have. Latnok's concern and sentiments were for other people. The troll didn't know what Raclaw saw in him, but whatever it was, it was clear that Latnok had no intention of showing it to her. For now, she left the main deck and headed to the kitchen to get some late night snack for Veris while the rest of the crew finished their meal.

Getting various pieces of venison and some raw sardines for herself despite already having eaten, Angora headed to the wyvern's enclosure, as always announcing herself.
"Good evening Veris. Having a nice time? Here, I brought you a little late night dinner to help you sleep. I'll even eat with you if you want. Cheers to our friendship, and for appearing in my life, someone that cared for me from a very beginning, without insulting me, without judging me, without making me feel like I needed to prove myself. Someone that loves me for myself. Someone that loves instead of judging..." Angora commented, leaving Veris' dinner in front of him and sitting in a corner to avoid interrupting him. When Angora entered Veris' enclosure, she didn't greeted him with her usual cheerfulness, but did managed to give him a small smile. She sat in the corner, looking completely emotionless...

Latnok gave Icestorm a wary look. "If Shade is going on any flights, it'll be under supervision from myself, Laszur, or the captain," he said. "We are trying to teach him discipline, and him flying about doing whatever won't help that once he's in an environment where he can't do that sort of thing anymore. This isn't supposed to be easy for him. I'll take him on a practice flight when I feel he's ready." Latnok didn't even want to entertain the thought of a joyride with Shade being how he was, especially after recently threatening a crew member.
Latnok thought he was about done, but remembered something else. "Oh, and as for your other question - I don't. Ask Godfather Sere, he would probably keep one around."

Veris quickly ate his food, but was soon able to see that something was different about Angora. He slowly brought himself over, to avoid startling her. "What's wrong?" he attempted to communicate with his series of noises, as he lowered himself as much as he could to her level. "You should have more food. That will make you happy!"

Kasidra raised her head and looked up at Latnok. "Understood, sir," she replied. She was somewhat surprised he was being so lenient and kind about the whole thing. The tiefling was certain that if she had tried this stunt with past superiors, or broken any rules, they would be far less understanding.

She glanced at Icestorm when he asked about a spare harness. Kasidra was somewhat surprised that he was so willing to wear a harness just to give her another ride. Was he trained to be like this? Did these people own him? She noticed the dwarf kaiju wasn't collared like the others. Was he different? The tiefling really wasn't sure. Still, she wouldn't mind riding him again, with permission and a harness.

The tiefling glanced briefly at Shade when riding him was mentioned. Icestorm did have a point about the size, but she wasn't sure if it was the best idea. Kasidra at least had an idea of Shade's past and what he was capable of. He seemed fine now, but was clearly still working on improving himself and gaining everyone's trust. Would this even be allowed? She didn't have to wonder long, for Latnok quickly shot down that idea. Oh well, so much for Shade being able to fly.

"Let's just see if we can get you a harness, Icestorm. That is, if you don't mind me riding you," Kasidra said.

Kasidra smiled. "Well, alright then. Let's go talk to the captain," she said. She headed off to the captain's quarters.

As Icestorm and Kasidra soon left-- Raclaw looked at Latnok with a funny look. "You know-- Icestorm would be more suitable for someone his own size. More Angora-sized; less Kasidra-sized.," Raclaw telepathically spoke to Latnok via their mental bond finding the interaction odd to say the least.

"There's no chance in hell Godfather Sere signs off on that," Latnok telepathed to Raclaw in response. "Icestorm has a tendency to be a little reckless, from what I know of him. Best he get a direct order from the captain to not be trying that sort of thing."

Sere ,in the meanwhile, was at his desk, reading a history book of the oceans surrounding them. Perhaps he could find something involving the source of the storm - but just as likely as not, he could find nothing.

Kasidra walked to the captain's room and knocked on the door, waiting for permission to enter. She wondered what Sere would say about all this, whether or not he would give his permission, and also a harness for them to use.

"Agreed.," Raclaw began to respond. "One flight is one thing, but discipline would be essential should it become a more permanent arrangement. And they barely know each other, not exactly the most suitable partners in the air.," the fur dragon companion then said looking at Latnok and thinking of their own bond. In the context of dragon riders, they perhaps had a more suitable friendship for such an arrangement. There was Veris/Shade and Angora of course, but nether arrangement was exactly ideal ether. The former allowed for very little control on Angora's part and the later had landed the troll into a heap of trouble. He would've once never considered ever being mounted by an able human, but recent events did make him more curious on the subject matter.

After sightseeing the night town for a while, Maverick decided it was better to go to bed right now.
"I'm tired now. Although you can keep seeing more if you want to. I've seen enough for one day." he said with a yawn, ready for bed.

Quote: A Guy

Veris quickly ate his food, but was soon able to see that something was different about Angora. He slowly brought himself over, to avoid startling her. "What's wrong?" he attempted to communicate with his series of noises, as he lowered himself as much as he could to her level. "You should have more food. That will make you happy!"

Angora couldn't understand Veris anymore, yet she has gotten so used to his way of communicating that she could tell almost word by word what he was saying.
"Don't worry Veris. I already ate. This is just a snack." she said after finishing the last sardines.
"I have chores to do anyway, so I have to get back. I'll talk to Sere about what we talked. And to be your caretaker. See you tomorrow." Angora bid farewell, ready to return on deck and do the dishes so she could have a good night sleep and forget about the world for a while...

Sere got up and opened the door, wondering who could be bothering him at this time. To his surprise, it was the new hire... Kasidra was her name? With Icestorm.
"Good evening," Sere said, motioning for the others to come in. "What do you need of me?"

"Good evening, sir. Sorry to bother you this late, but we had a couple of questions," Kasidra said as she stepped into the room. "Icestorm and I were talking, and he has kindly offered to let me ride him. Latnok has agreed to allow this, but only if we use a proper harness for safety reasons. We were wondering if you had a spare that we could use."

Sere gave Kasidra a confused, wide-eyed look. "Latnok allowed what now? Are you sure that's what he said?" he asked disapprovingly, his dissatisfaction very clear on his older face. "Because if so... are you all out of your goddamned minds? Must I give a physics lesson on why that is a terrible, terrible idea? And you, Icestorm. You should know better. And why the sudden interest in giving the new hire a ride? Did you just suddenly feel like it, or did she entice you into this? No - you will not be carrying anyone in flight, Icestorm, unless it's an emergency, or I order it."

Kasidra winced at Sere's reaction. She should've expected as much. The captain's words made sense. Why did she think this would be allowed? What made her think this would be okay? It was all a crazy idea to begin with. She shouldn't have gone along with it, just because the dwarf kaiju had offered a ride. She should have told him no from the start and been done with the whole mess. Now the only thing she could do was back out as quickly as she could, and hope the whole thing would just be forgotten.

"Actually, I probably heard him wrong," the tiefling began. "You're right, sir. It's a terrible idea. We won't fly at all. Sorry to trouble you, we'll just be going now." Kasidra headed for the door, motioning for Icestorm to follow.

"I'll have a little talk with Latnok later so he himself can tell me what he said," Sere said. "Icestorm, I don't know what's suddenly gotten into you, but use some more common sense," he continued in his admonishment. "I am not having you risk my crews' life so you can have a fun time with them - in the end, it won't be you who falls off. It will be them."

Angora got to the main deck, pretending as usual that she didn't exist. She made sure everybody had eaten before taking the cart herself and start doing the dishes. She didn't want recognition or respect anymore from Latnok. With how indifferent he has been treating her lately, it was easier to ask for a vampire to exange it's diet from blood to potatoes. She pulled the cart to the stairs and straight to the kitchen, not looking at anybody, not even the nearby Raclaw.

With the evening turning into night, Ilasi stepped out somewhere reasonably secluded - though she was somewhat worried about the wildlife, she didn't want to disturb people with her violin practice, and was sure that those in the guard towers would be able to keep an eye out for any potential threats. With relative peace, she practiced as quietly as she could, not wanting to embarrass herself.
After some satisfactory practice, she returned to her room, presumably with greetings from Maverick. Her sleep that night was light and pleasant.

Back at the boat, Sere eventually called Latnok over to his office. A brief chat would reveal the nature of Latnok's approval of the flight; though Latnok at least encouraged safety measures, Sere felt he didn't do enough, and Latnok received a short reprimand. Latnok didn't bother himself too much about it - everyone got chewed out from time to time.
Back in the room, he would sleep comfortably with his two furry companions; his dreams tonight had something different, however. He seemed to be at... a cabin of some sort? When he stepped in, there was a food bowl for Chester, who greeted Latnok with a happy bark, while Raclaw was dozing comfortably in the corner. Was this what it would be like to live like a normal person? What did Latnok really want?

Latnok awoke early, and was up on the deck training by the crack of dawn, as usual. This time, he was doing some refreshers of his force magic on buoys he had tossed outside the water for target practice.

Despite the mess that happened last night, Kasidra slept well enough. She awoke early, but stayed in her room. She felt too embarrassed from last night to risk running into anyone right now. For the time being, she just wanted to be alone, and lay low until the event was forgotten. The tiefling felt like a fool for trying to get away with such a crazy idea. Why did she entertain it like that? It was obviously a risky and stupid idea to begin with. Kasidra could hardly believe she went along with it at first. What was she thinking? She hoped no one else had found out about it. Although, she more so hoped that no one got in trouble because of it. She didn't have to mention Latnok at all, but he had suggested talking to Sere about it. The captain clearly disapproved, though. Kasidra only hoped that Icestorm would just let it go and agree to the captain's orders.

Maverick opened his eyes when Ilasi entered the room that night, giving her a warm smile but sleeping immediately afterwards, being too tired to do more. He had pleasant dreams about the future that night, one where even Shade was loved and respected. One where Angora was happy, and he had a family with Ilasi. Everything was happy.

The night wasn't as pleasant for Angora. The dishes were huge. The ones from Maverick hadn't been done, so she had double the work. She was cleaning everything nonstop, a talk that took her almost two and a half hours to finish. She sobbed quietly from time to time. She kept telling herself she didn't want any of the Guardians' approval anymore, but deep inside, she was still searching for it, and hated herself for feeling that way. She also thought about the future, especially Shade's. What will happen when he returns to Redwater. Regardless on the result of his training, would he still be a permanent prisoner? A war machine perhaps? Angora was thinking very strongly about accepting Shepherd's offer, but decided to give the matter a little bit more of thought, and wait until she could overhear what his destiny would be. Still, thinking of everything was really depressing her. Distracted by such thoughts, she cut her hand with a knife near the ending of her task, and while she bled considerably, she replaced her scream with some rough grunting. She wrapped the wound in a used cloth, and finished uo the rest of the dishes, but before she knew it, she fell asleep right there in the sink, being too exhausted to even move from that spot.

Ilasi slowly began to rouse out of bed. It was earlier than she would normally wake up; but they would have to be back at the ship sometime in the morning. She wasn't quite sure what to do with Maverick; in the end, she settled for gently shaking him. "Wake up, sweetie," she softly urged him. She really hoped he wouldn't be irritated.

Latnok was still doing his training; he realized Maverick was still out in town. Latnok figured he might end up cooking breakfast this time. Laszur, preparing to turn in for the day soon, came up to him during training; the two hadn't had much of a chance to speak.
"Good morning, Latnok," Laszur said. "I am glad to have allies who take their job as seriously as I do."
"It's good to have you on board, Laszur," Latnok replied. "Your reputation precedes you, and you've shown yourself effective at your work. Say, what do you do in your free time anyway when you're not training?"
"Well... that is a good question. I've never been one to partake in the typical pastimes," Laszur admitted. "When I do have free time, I typically study. I'm a bit more reclusive than the typical galud - not deliberately, mind you. It's something that just seemed to happen over time."

As evening became night and night became day-- Raclaw would have a restful sleep. His dreams, in contrast to Latnok's own, would put him in a very different setting. He was soaring over an endless ocean, only something was different. His collar, harness ring, and tail band were all gone; the furs on his neck gently blew in the wind. It was a strange feeling, having nothing all-- and it didn't feel right. The collar served as a physical attachment confirming his link with Latnok, the tail band served a similar purpose to Chester, and the tail band served to represent everything that he and his two beloved companions had gone through. Suddenly... the setting changed and he was facing two forks in a river. He didn't know how how he knew, but the left form would allow him to continue flying in this dreamscape sans his beloved accessories. The right form would also allow him to continue flying, but with his accessories intact. It only took a split second to choose a path and to fly into the right fork. Suddenly, he could feeling the comforting weight of his collar, harness ring, and tail band. And then he would suddenly awake again...

He had slept in apparently or at least past Latnok's usual time, although not too long. The little Chester was snuggled under one of his wings and would soon awake himself. "Morning Chester.," Raclaw said still waking up. "Morning Raclaw!," Chester responded in a much more uplifting bark being one to almost always wake up with full energy. "Shall we see what our Latnok is up to?," he then asked the Beagle with a coy smile with Chester offering an excited bark in return. "Come on-- I'm sure he's out on deck training.," the Fur Dragon responded with a smile as the two furry friends would soon walk out on deck. It wouldn't take long for them to find Lantok doing some refreshers on force magic. "OOoo force magic! Hey Raclaw, here's a thought. What if you combined your fire with his force magic? Could you create some kind of fireball?," Chester then suggested as Raclaw looked at the little dog with a maybe look. The two hadn't yet approached the Guardian and were mostly talking to themselves, when they noticed that Latnok seemingly had company. They decided to approach without interfering, allowing the two to notice them on their own.

Sere made a note of Icestorm's seeming defiance. He would have the kaiju either shape up or dismiss him. Icestorm's recent actions had shown a lack of good judgment and respect.

Laszur and Latnok noticed Raclaw and Chester in short order. "Good morning, Raclaw and Chester!" Latnok said. "Day's coming to an end for Laszur, but we still have plenty of daylight to burn. Wonder what we'll see on this new island."
Meanwhile, a familiar creature, completely bending light around its form to render it invisible, floated above. Its many eyes and sharp hearing would serve to pick up some information, before it would have to leave - obviously aware that they could be detected if careless...

Angora continued sleeping in the sink, in a position that one would think she was comfortable even in that small space. She too had dreamed. Shepherd was there. And so was Shade. And Maverick and Ilasi were together as always. The dragolet didn't have his collar anymore. Everyone was happy... but they were... somewhere. Angora didn't know where, but the place was peaceful. Eerily peaceful. Shepherd had kept his words and returned her family to her, as well as her happiness. What's better, Ilasi was accepting her and she no longer seeked the Guardian's approval. Even though this looked too good to be true, Angora submerged in this pleasant dream, ignoring completely how and where she was sleeping...

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi slowly began to rouse out of bed. It was earlier than she would normally wake up; but they would have to be back at the ship sometime in the morning. She wasn't quite sure what to do with Maverick; in the end, she settled for gently shaking him. "Wake up, sweetie," she softly urged him. She really hoped he wouldn't be irritated.

Maverick opened his eyes, still clearly asleep but giving her a smile.
"Good morning my girl." he said gently, though rather nervous. He was always embarrased when his girlfriend woke up first, but the bed was far more comfortable than he imagined, and the town was so quiet and peaceful there has been nothing that could have awaken earlier. They had roosters in that town, or at least birds that looked like them, but they didn't do any sounds. The townsfolk woke up by other methods like alarm clocks.

Kasidra might have stayed in her room for a little while longer, if her stomach hadn't growled in protest. It was time for breakfast, her empty stomach insisted, which meant she would have to leave the confines of her room and risk running into people. Hopefully, nothing else embarrassing would happen. So the tiefling headed out of her room and towards the deck to see if anyone had cooked breakfast yet. Kasidra didn't smell any food yet, but maybe there was still something to eat.

Ilasi gave Maverick a quick hug as he began to got up. She was already dressed with her supplies ready. "We don't want the captain to throw a fit now, do we?" she said half-jokingly. They still had a reasonable amount of time to get to the ship, but Ilasi wanted to allow time for any distractions, accidents, or forced detours. Yesterday, she had managed to sell some medicine of her own for a good chunk of gold - in a way, the storm was a blessing for them in that regard, as the archipelago being rich in gold while being separated from those who most valued it drastically reduced its value on the island.

After a brief chat, Latnok and Laszur went their separate ways - Latnok headed to the kitchen, while Laszur was headed to bed. On his way, Latnok noticed Kasidra, just getting out; he would stop for a moment to talk to her about what happened the previous night.
"Hey, Kasidra! Over here," Latnok called out. Latnok still had subtle doubts - Kasidra had been the first new person on board since the incident with reading Angora's mind, and he prayed that Angora was a special case in how she felt.

Latnok gave Icestorm an indignant, furious look. "Did I give you permission to interrupt me when I'm speaking to someone?" he reprimanded. "Do you know your place on this ship? If you've been here for months and still can't figure out how things work around here, then maybe this isn't the place for you."

Angora continued dreaming, giving Shepherd a big hug... or as big as she could give them. He wasn't the first interested in her happiness, but he was the first to have given it to her. Shepherd didn't seemed to emotional, but was nevertheless pleased. Angora didn't know why he helped her so much. She would like to know, but for now, she didn't care for the reason. She just wanted to enjoy the moment...

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi gave Maverick a quick hug as he began to got up. She was already dressed with her supplies ready. "We don't want the captain to throw a fit now, do we?" she said half-jokingly. They still had a reasonable amount of time to get to the ship, but Ilasi wanted to allow time for any distractions, accidents, or forced detours. Yesterday, she had managed to sell some medicine of her own for a good chunk of gold - in a way, the storm was a blessing for them in that regard, as the archipelago being rich in gold while being separated from those who most valued it drastically reduced its value on the island.

"You're right. Tienes razón. Let me make you a big breakfast and we'll be on our way. I'm dying to know how the food taste here..." Maverick said, enthusiastic about the idea of new meal. If he could, he would get some of the exotic foods to go, sort of like he did with Alya's father. He still had a few of the bottles of milk he gifted him, and thanks to the hyperspace bag's time stop, they never expired.

Kasidra heard Latnok call out to her, so she headed over to greet him. "Good morning, Latnok." She partly hoped that he only wanted to offer her breakfast, but she already knew there had to be more to it than that. She just hoped that he wasn't mad at her and that no one was in too much trouble over last night's events.

Although, that didn't appear to be the case, as she watched Latnok reprimand Icestorm. Kasidra felt sorry for the dwarf kaiju, but they had made a mistake yesterday, and it was best not to do anything else that would upset their superiors.

With Kasidra finally around, Latnok turned to her to continue. "Don't mind me," Latnok said. "Just reminding Icestorm of his place. You see, you answer to me, and I answer to the captain. Yesterday, I went along with Icestorm's idea, figuring that a harness would be sufficient protection. The captain was having none of it.
"In the end, the blame for such an irresponsible decision falls on me. You aren't in any trouble - you were just playing along. Icestorm made the suggestion - which wouldn't have been too bad for him if he hasn't shown a history of poor judgment. I shouldn't have okayed the decision.
"So what I need you to do is to not sweat it. That's what I'm here for. Be respectful and do what you're told, and you'll be fine here. We'll take care of you. As for you, Icestorm - after your recent behavior and your disrespect of the captain to his face, on top of just interrupting me, I don't know what to say, except that there is no situation in which I feel okay working with you. I'd be surprised if you're still here by the end of the day. Now, I'm going to make some breakfast. Any questions for me?"

Kasidra nodded. "Okay, sir. I understand." She was glad that she wasn't in any trouble and that Latnok didn't even seem upset with her. It appeared that everything would be fine now, so long as she simply did what she was supposed to. "No, sir. No questions," she answered. Although, her stomach growled to remind her that she hadn't eaten yet.

The tiefling glanced at Icestorm while Latnok spoke to him. She was somewhat surprised, not because the dwarf kaiju was in trouble for his actions, but because he was essentially asked or told to leave. Kasidra expected to see some sort of punishment for his behavior instead. Icestorm apparently didn't belong to anyone here like the other dragons seemed to. If he did, that was no longer the case, as he was effectively released. Kasidra wasn't entirely sure if he deserved that or not, but she wasn't about to argue about it. She was still new and didn't know the full situation with Icestorm. It wouldn't be wise to stand up for him.

Back at Redwater, Huntress was in a hotel room, unable to return to the mostly empty headquarters of the Aelinon military. When she woke up, the first thing she did was get a piece of paper out of her pocket. It was the same wanted sketch of Maverick she carried the first time.
"How? How can you still be alive?" she said to herself, unable to believe he still lived and breathe. Last time she asked, some of the soldiers saw Maverick getting on the ship with the Guardians. So was he working with the show offs? And on a ship? Perhaps there were some ways of life people couldn't get out of.

Despite her disappointment, the sketch helped her feel... hopeful. She knew Aelinon was powerful, and she believed in victory, but at what cost? More soldiers and even behemoth seemed to be going to the war every week. It was so hard to think about it, but some incredible things happen, unexplainable things. Maybe there wasn't going to be such huge losses? She wished the war didn't have to happen, but it was. She trusted in Aelinon and it's soldiers, but Huntress wanted to believe that they were going to be successful without many fatalities on their part. She wanted Aelinon to return to it's former glory and have the Silvianestri wiped out. As cruel and extreme as it sounded, the once peaceful raise disrupted their peace with their constant attacks, so they had to pay.

His discussion with the two complete, Latnok once again headed for his destination in the kitchen. The moment he opened the door, he noticed a sight that was pretty hard to miss - Angora sleeping in the sink... with a band-aid?
Latnok walked over, shaking Angora to wake her up. "Get up," he ordered roughly. "This isn't the place to be sleeping."

"I would really appreciate that, Maverick," Ilasi said cheerfully. As much as she wanted to return the favor, her own cooking was nothing to write home about - she would only be doing Maverick a disservice. Instead, she would have to come up with some other ways to return the favor.

Angora woke up startled, seeing now where she was, where she slept and above all, who was waking her. The dream she was having had been indeed too good to be true after all. It was time to get back to reality, and her bad luck. Why couldn't it be Maverick entering the kitchen? He would've gently carried her to bed and wrapped her in a blanket before starting to cook. But she had to end up with Latnok. But it could've been worse. If it had been Sere, he probably would've thrown her across the room.
"Good morning..." she greeted sadly, almost saying to you too, but knew Latnok would've taken great offense to that. What a way to start the day! His face being the first thing she sees. He couldn't even congratulate her for cleaning the kitchen so well, and above all, voluntarily. He had to be the same, nasty jerk he was before. But Angora knew it was hopeless. Latnok made his point quite clear in that last conversation, so she was done trying to appeal to him. She could clean the whole ship and cook all three meals, and he would always disapprove of her. She now believed she was a fool to think Raclaw could change him.

With a sleepy face and a downed behavior, Angora climbed down the sink and headed to the door, her face showing no emotion at all. Perhaps because she was still sleepy? Or has grown so used to Latnok's treatment that it didn't sting anymore?

At the island, Maverick was invited by the blacksmith to have some breakfast with them, despite the insistence that he wanted to cook.
"Come on out Ilasi. Breakfast was already done for us." Maverick said, in part relieved that he wouldn't have to do the work, but embarrased and rather disappointed that he didn't get the chance to try exotic food by his own hands...

With Angora out of the way, Latnok started by setting up the cooking equipment he needed. Angora did a good job of cleaning the kitchen. At least she could make herself useful enough to not be left on an island. He wondered who she was doing this for, though - but then realized. She was doing it for herself. She *had* to be extraordinary after showing how little she cared about anyone on board who wasn't named Maverick or Shade.
Latnok returned to his kitchen labor. Maybe he should keep an eye on Angora. For all he knew, this was all some part of an elaborate plot to poison him or Sere. He wouldn't put it past Angora at this point.

Ilasi soon came rushing downstairs, eager to join the family in their meal. "Good morning, everyone!" she greeted, as she took her spot at the table by Maverick. The food smelled... different. A good kind of different. She could only wonder what it tasted like...

Angora left... but not before leaving with some meat for Veris... and herself. This time, she wasn't going to take anything from Latnok. She was either going to eat her food raw or accept Maverick's cooking, and his alone.

When she reached Veris' enclosure, she remembered the bandage and removed it at once, not wanting to worry the wyvern. Luckily, the cut wasn't as bad as it initially seemed, and it was healing very well. She entered the night colored mount's enclosure, announcing herself as always, and gently tossing the food in front of him.
"Good morning buddy. Breakfast. I won't bother you. I'll just sit in this corner and have my own food. I'll be talking to your master today to take care of you for as long as it's needed. Wish me luck." Angora commented, proceeding to keep her word and sitting in the corner, not even making a sound while she ate. Maverick had his girlfriend, and she was forbidden from talking with Shade. The tiefling was a golden opportunity for her to befriend someone new, but Kasidra seemed to be hitting it off very well with Latnok, so she wasn't even going to try anymore. Whatever impression she made to her the first time, it will most likely be the last now that Latnok was in the picture. Veris was the only pleasant company she had. She was so happy with him, to the point she gave a genuine smile when glancing at him. If it wasn't for him and his friendship, Angora had no idea how she would've been able to cope with everything that she's been through.

Maverick smelled the food. And indeed didn't smell bad. Just... different. Although embarrased, he needed to tell the family something.
"Yeah... um... I'm a vegetarian. Well, with the occasional fish..." he explained meekly, with the wife kindly offering him some of the vegetables and a piece of fruit that looked like a red pear. The vegetables were leaves and purple in color, very similar to a nasty poisonous plant Maverick once saw in action.
"Oh don't worry dearie. This variety isn't poisonous." the kind mermaid assured, almost as if reading Maverick's mind. She seemed to have vast knowledge in botany, judging by the plant books she had in her study. With everything settled, it was time to eat. It was... an interesting flavor. So unique, Maverick couldn't even find the right words to describe them...