darkSpyro

Sere gave a quick glance at Maverick. "We will get to you later," he said. He then turned his attention to the crew.
"You've heard it straight from the horse's mouth," he declared. "She thinks she's better than you. She thinks she should be exempt from following orders. 'Oh, I don't like that order. I'm not going to follow it! I. Fact, I'll do the exact opposite, right after I'm told that we weren't going to do it! Screw the captain! Screw the crew! Screw every person who passes here after us! They can all die, I don't give a damn!'"
Done addressing the crew, he returned his harsh glance to Angora. "That's what you're thinking, right? Well, screw you too. I'm sure a young troll is more qualified to make a decision on how to address monsters than a man who's been fighting them for well over a century." Sere waited for any sort of response before he would continue.

Maverick was outraged. That's NOT what Angora said at all. On the contrary, she was trying to save lives by preventing a battle if possible, yet there he had the galls to suggest she was just trying to risk their lives or be better than anyone else. She only wanted to help. Couldn't he see that? Or was it that he didn't want to? How petty was Sere to use Angora's sweet attempt to make her seem like this selfish monster? Didn't he listened to what she just said? Or was he trying to find yet another petty excuse to be cruel to her? Maverick was angry at this injustice, but Angora noticed him. She pulled his pants gently and looked up at him, shaking her head very slowly to beg him to remain quiet. As much as he hated this situation, he decided to listen to her, and returned to his calm, serene demeanor. He was just going to pretend nothing was happening, as he did many times on his father's ship.

Angora was eerily calm. If it wasn't for her breathing, one could even start to believe she was a standing corpse. She was so used to Sere's cruelty that the words didn't even stung anymore. She proceeded to answer him in an equally calming voice.
"I didn't mean to disobey sir. I just wanted to avoid any violence... if such a thing was possible. I was just giving a suggestion, not an order. Just a suggestion. I was ready to fight and follow your orders if a peaceful resolution turned out to be impossible." she expressed calmly, burying her depression deeper than an underwater volcano. How could a simple suggestion be mistaken as an attempt to be better than everyone else? And how could her attempt to prevent violence meant risking lives? Just what was wrong with this old man? Did his power and old age really made him believe his decisions were always the best ones? Was he blinded by suggestions? What was so wrong about what she tried to do?

"As I said - you felt you knew better than me," Sere reiterated. "You felt that you would solve things your way when you set out to do the very thing I said we wouldn't do. At the very best, your actions are short-sighted, simply an attempt to make the creature go away. What happens when it does go away - what makes you think that it wouldn't just attack us from below when our guard is down and it's out of our sight? And what about those who come after us? Do you care about them? I'll tell you right now - you don't. The only people you care about are Shade and Maverick, as your actions have shown, yet you attempt to pretend that you care about anyone else on this ship. Your actions were solely in their interest - no one else's. I've known you long enough to realize that.. At the very worst, your actions were pure cowardice - and I will not suffer untrustworthy cowards on my ship."
Sere gave Laszur a quick glance. "Just out of curiosity, Laszur, what sort of punishment would Aelinon give for such behavior?"
Laszur stood straight up as he gave his answer. "Insubordination on a ship would be classified under mutinous behavior, and it generally has harsher penalties than on land," he informed. "The severity of the punishment depends on the circumstances. A simple refusal to follow the orders of a superior in regards to a basic task like cleaning or weapons preparation would typically be punished by a fortnight in the brig. Disobedience in combat or when such an action would otherwise put others in danger would, in addition, be punished under dereliction of duty - and would come with a punishment of no less than one month in the brig, and up to and including execution. Acting in a way that is directly contrary to the orders you were given could, in addition, be punished under treason and/or sabotage - both which, in combination with mutinous behavior, would be punishable by death.
"With the actions I have witnessed, we would have mutinous behavior, and a case for sabotage could be made. If Angora was a citizen of Aelinon or otherwise acting on the nation's behalf, such behavior would be classified as treason. In this case, punishment would likely be between brig time until the end of the voyage and death, or a similar punishment such as marooning."
Sere listened carefully and intently to what Laszur had to say. He then turned to Angora. "Well, aren't you lucky that I'm not a citizen of Aelinon, and they have no jurisdiction on my ship except in regards to Shade's handling? I'll give you some time to relax and think about your consistently disrespectful and disobedient behavior in our brig. Your rations will be reduced and limited to bread and water. I'll decide what to do with you once we get there, or I'll let one of my seconds-in-command decide." Sere awaited for any further response before moving on.

It wasn't enough for Sere to be the only one to torture her. He invited Laszur to do the same. How original it was for Aelinon to consider such an action punishable by death, but then again, almost everything was punishable by death. It honestly surprised her that their society had so many people with laws like that.
"Just because I wanted to try a peaceful resolution doesn't mean I was lowering my guard. I never told you to lower our guards captain. I was more than ready to fight if the beast didn't leave us any other choice. And I was just trying to give you friendly advice, not prove that I'm better than you or anybody else. After all we've been through... I though you knew me better than that... sir." Angora said sincerely and ready to remain quiet, not hiding her disappointment. There was one time that she even liked Sere, but now there wasn't a being she hated most. She had some sisterly love for king Seraos when compared to this man. She hoped that this was the time she finally learned her lesson and never, ever make a suggestion to Sere ever again, no matter how reasonable it sounded.

Maverick wanted to hug Angora so badly. She seemed calm and submissive, but he knew that deep inside, she was emotionally crushed. There was just no stopping Sere. He kept targeting Angora over and over again for every little thing, and involving him just for being her friend. He was such a pleasant man before. What happened? He was the calm, reasonable while Latnok was the one with the short fuse, but lately, they seemed to have exhanged roles. Maverick couldn't understand it. As he waited for Sere to respond and praying that he treated Angora gently for once, he looked around, looking at the crewmembers faces. But he couldn't read them. What we're going through their heads? Were they feeling sorry for this little troll? Or were they supporting Sere even after all they have seen? The only ones who looked genuinely worried about Angora were his girlfriend and even the newcomers like the cyborg werewolf.

Star sent a death glare Sere's way but said nothing. He knew better than to say anything here. He would likely lash out verbally and worsen the situation. Instead, he turned his gaze to Angora, his usual cold expression softening for her. Anyone nearby could feel an ominous restrained anger coursing through the Illusion Fox Pokemon. Anger at a pack member being so harshly treated. However, he knew it could be far worse.
Djinn quietly mumbled something to himself.
Grace and Spike shivered, while Helen actually seemed to relish the dark emotions surrounding her. She almost looked... Happy? There was a hint of guilt over it as well, but she couldn't keep from allowing a single wave of her tail.

Angora's response made Sere wonder - with how much she has worked to oppose him, why would she expect him to think the exact opposite, based on what he knew? Was she truly just that ignorant and short-sighted? He often told her the reasons he made some of the harder decisions - but she never seemed to accept those reasons. So it couldn't just be a matter of not knowing. Interesting...
"Go find Risar," he ordered. "When this is all done, he will escort you to the brig. Now, Maverick - you can begin explaining to us the situation from your point of view. If you were truly not intending to be complicit with Angora's subversion of authority, then you will be free to go."

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Darkheart blinked, trying to figure out what Raclaw was referring to. She wasn't used to telepathy.

Raclaw could sense Darkheart's confusion on the matter-- and realised that the now mated dragoness had rarely if ever 'seen' his telepathy, unlike Latnok and others who were mentially linked to him. Although of course; such a link might be ideal given Darkheart's new status to him. 'Later though.,' he thought to himself knowing that Latnok would ideally have some say in such a decision being the primary one linked to him.

"Telepathy.," Raclaw began to explain. "There is a creature or rather creatures that Latnok and I have faced multiple times known as Masterminds. I.. can sense them. I can feel them. The battle seems to be over now though and people have moved into the lower decks.," he then explained hoping that the whole thing wasn't too confusing or too poorly explained. He then looked at Darkheart with an content look. "I.. I can feel you too. Your inner thoughts, your inner emotions.," he then said trying to describe the feeling of feeling his own love. It was a feeling that very much felt with Latnok although of course.. Darkheart was different.

Elsewhere-- Risar was on deck issueing orders to one of the former prisoners.

Angora left, without saying anything else. Earlier she had been thinking of saying something very important to Sere through telepathy, but she didn't believed he was worth the effort. All this time, she really had faith in a better treatment from his part, especially now that Latnok has changed and was treating her better, even if it wasn't all him. But as of today, that hope had vanished like dinosaurs in tar. Doing what he said, she went to look for Risar, searching among the crowd first to see if she could spot his giant horns, but avoiding eye contact with everybody.

A despaired Maverick could do nothing but watch as she left the table, feeling so helpless and useless. He replied to Sere in a respectful matter, wanting nothing more than to tell him off for his overbearing cruelty.
"Capitán, Angorita contacted me through that mind reading thing and told me that the creature wanted a gift. I figured it wasn't that different from the gate where Darkmatter was. If giving a gift meant passing peacefully, it was worth a try. I didn't know you were against it. I didn't know what your orders were. The distance and rain didn't let me hear your conversation." Maverick explained calmly, wanting to avoid punishment not only for Angora's sake, but for Ilasi's as well. He didn't want to make his girlfriend suffer because of him, even less leave her alone. It pained him so much to let Angora be the only one take the punishment, but he believed in the troll's strength. Angora didn't want him to take any of the fall, and he was going to honor that decision.

Sere nodded along as he listened - his demeanor seeming much softer with Maverick than it was with Angora. Despite the issues they may have had in the past, Maverick had proven compliant and very useful on the voyage - and Sere felt him trustworthy enough in most, if not all, matters.
"So you couldn't hear me, then... was the storm really too loud? Can anyone vouch for his claim?"
Ilasi, Laszur, and Latnok all raised their hands.
Sere looked at the three with curiosity. "Laszur. What do you have to say on the matter?"
"I had difficulty hearing you over the weather," he said. "I would not expect a human who was farther away than me to be able to clearly discern what you were saying."
Sere nodded, before giving Ilasi a look. "What about you, Ilasi?"
"Maverick was carrying me around the whole time, Captain... on account of it being harder for me to move around on deck in my current state," she said. "I couldn't hear you, and I would have been in the same position Maverick was when you stated... whatever it was about the situation."
Sere nodded, before looking at Latnok. "What about you?"
"I was next to you and had to focus to make out what you were saying," Latnok said. "Maverick was further away, and I doubt he would have been paying special attention at the time."
Sere nodded once more. "Hmm, this all seems reasonable - and there's nothing to suggest anything to the contrary. Very well. Your actions are excused, Maverick. Continue with your duties as usual - after Risar is done with Angora, get him and come to my office. There are other matters for me to discuss with you two."
Ilasi, who was sweating bricks until then, breathed an audible sigh of relief - she wanted to jump up and hug Maverick, but he wouldn't be free for that right now, not to mention that she would have difficulty jumping in her current state. The rest of the crew didn't seem to have a strong reaction to all that had happened one way or another. On one hand, many felt legitimately bad for what Angora had to undergo, and wondered if she really needed to be punished in such a public manner. On the other hand, they could understand exactly where their captain was coming from - they were all obedient to him, and it wouldn't be fair to them for him to tolerate disobedience from her, especially so openly. It was reasonable that the captain would want to demonstrate that such a thing was definitely not acceptable.
"The rest of you are dismissed," Sere said. "Those on duty, continue with your jobs. The rest of you, get rest, and do try to be sober when it's time for your shift. Things are only going to get rougher, so don't be surprised if you're suddenly pulled back on duty." Everyone got up at once, and the crew present were all speaking amongst themselves about what just happened.

Star left the room, returning to his previous position on the deck. He stared out into the depths of the storm, unflinching and unafraid.
The spirit of the Prison Bottle watched the proceeds silently, and made another mental note of what to tempt each crew member with. Especially Angora, who was already bitter and broken by Sere's harsh treatment, whether justified or not. Once alone with Sere again, he noted It seems she's lost any capacity to care what happens to her. Such an interesting individual, honestly. I'm genuinely curious: When did you first meet her?

Sere answered the spirit as he began moving to his office. "I first met her when her selfish actions nearly resulted in Latnok's death in his gambit to stop her from callously killing many innocent people. Though Latnok understandably had little faith in her, I believed there was potential in her that she could realize; however, over my time with her, I have learned that I was far too idealistic with that thinking, and that Latnok was right about her. In the end, she only cares about herself and two others, and someone who will not cooperate and will not trust their own captain is someone I cannot trust - and someone I cannot trust has no place amongst those I can. Now what do you expect to do with this information? Sympathize with her? The only way she or anyone else can get you is by pulling you from me, and I can guarantee you that no one in the crew will be capable of doing that." Regardless of the spirit's intentions, it was quite impotent from where it was, and nothing short of Sere's own death would give anyone access to the bottle.

Since Angora didn't spotted Risar among the crowd, she left the cafeteria and searched for Risar, beginning with the main deck. She would be on the brig eventually, so she didn't want to search there. Luckily, there he was, his horns giving him away all the time.
"Mr. Risar? Se... captain Sere, requested me to find you so you could escort me to the brig. Please don't ask." Angora begged, looking down at every moment. She didn't want Risar to start asking questions, especially since he would find out eventually. She just wanted minotaur to just throw her to the prison like the trash Sere made her feel like.

Although Maverick would've been happier about being free of punishment, he still felt too awful for Angora. With everyone dismissed, he gently picked Ilasi and proceeded to escort her out of the cafeteria.
"Gracias Ilasi... for that. Do you want to go to your cabin to transform? Or are you fine this way?" Maverick asked, not knowing if Ilasi wanted a rest of if she wanted to keep working in that state. He tried to smile for her sake, but it was too obvious that he was faking it.

Despite Maverick being free from any punishment, Ilasi was still very distraught, and was void of the inspiration to continue.
"I... I think I'll just go back to the cabin..." she said, with a tinge of guilt in her voice, finding it hard to even look at Maverick after what happened. "I've done my major tasks for the day. They'll come find me if they need me." The worst thing about the situation for her was that there was a part of her that was happy that Angora would be separated, and she would have Maverick to herself - she tried to dismiss those feelings, feeling extremely guilty for even considering such a thing. Maverick was just separated from someone he essentially considered his little sister - and him feeling miserable was the last thing Ilasi wanted. This time, she doubted that she would be able to sneak Angora any food...

The spirit laughed at Sere. You assume much. I have noticed that there are other unusual guests of interest. Particularly Star. The Timetwister. NeoNoctus King. He has many titles. I am curious... What do you think of him. I assume you knew him before he Evolved into a Zoroark? That fox pup has faced off against a being far worse than I, and emerged victorious.
Star's ears twitched.

OOC: Just a reminder, but I left a post for Darkheart above. Just let me know if she has nothing to say.

Risar gave a nod and proceeded to lead Angora to the brig, not askng any questions.

Before Risar would escort her to the brig, Angora stopped by Shade and untied his tail, patting it and giving a small smile to him in return. She didn't say anything, not wanting her voice to betray her. If Shade asked a question, she would ignore it. Along the way, she begged Risar not to tell the dragolet anything about where she was heading, although she figured he would find out sooner or later through the sailor's gossips. All she could do was pray for the big lug to keep his promise and not beneficent and disobedient because of her predicament.

Quote: A Guy

Despite Maverick being free from any punishment, Ilasi was still very distraught, and was void of the inspiration to continue.
"I... I think I'll just go back to the cabin..." she said, with a tinge of guilt in her voice, finding it hard to even look at Maverick after what happened. "I've done my major tasks for the day. They'll come find me if they need me." The worst thing about the situation for her was that there was a part of her that was happy that Angora would be separated, and she would have Maverick to herself - she tried to dismiss those feelings, feeling extremely guilty for even considering such a thing. Maverick was just separated from someone he essentially considered his little sister - and him feeling miserable was the last thing Ilasi wanted. This time, she doubted that she would be able to sneak Angora any food...

"Ok..." Maverick said, leaving Ilasi at her cabin just like she asked. He tried to keep his forced smile.
"I'll go check on Dahlia and then find señor Risar. See you later." he commented in a rather trembling voice, willing to stay with Ilasi for a little while if it wasn't for Sere's order, not to mention he didn't want to cryin front of her again. He would take just a little while to check Dahlia, with the dirt buffalo sensing his overwhelming distraught and wanting to do something, but Maverick dismissed her very quickly.

The dirt buffalo was very confused and depressed. When Maverick closed the door, she mooed in anguish and kicked at the door with her front hooves.
"Stop that Dahlia! I'll come back later! I promise!" he said, leaving her to find Risar before she made him cry too...

OOC: Sorry Redwes. Doing a dozen things at once.

Darkheart responded calmly. It was the dragon equivalent to a nod before she resumed her affection.

OOC: It's fine. Understandable.

Upon leading to the brig-- Risar would let her enter at will before locking the troll up. He wouldn't ask questions, but was sure that Sere or Latnok would fill him later.

Raclaw happily resumed the affection, while Chester had laid down near the entrance of the pen. Raclaw had no ldea what the others were up to, but he was currently too *distracted* to care.

Angora looked at her new space, and reminded herself of all the prisons she has been in. Orcford. Redwater, a castle, and now the ship where she has worked for many days, it seems that no matter what she did, whether it was good or bad, she was destined to be mistreated and locked up at some place like a criminal or an animal. Looking at her enclosure, she could see she wasn't alone. It figured she wasn't going to have any peace. She glanced at the other prisoners with a frown, wanting them to indicate she didn't want any trouble. Looking for a corner as far away from them as possible, she fell down face first to the floor to wallow in misery. But despite her despair, she wasn't crying. She has sobbed so much lately, her eyes felt dry. At least, she had her orb, and Risar treated her decently all the way. A hefty minotaur treated her much better than a human. Having nothing else to do, she talked to the red sphere, putting her cloak over her head so she could have privacy and tone down her whisper.
"Well, how about this? I try to do a good deed, and look at my reward. Honestly, I don't think Sere will ever stop. It seems like bringing me misery is the only thing that makes him happy. I try. I make mistakes, I get punished. I try to do good things, I get punished. I actually do good things I get punished. I save lives, and... guess what? Punished!" Angora said sarcastically before continuing.
"I don't know why you're even bothering with me sir. I'm nothing but a disposable creature who was born to suffer and be hated, no matter what the Galaxy Dragon himself says. I don't know what else to do... except, still believe. Your interest in helping me I will never understand, but... I thank you. Your desire to help, it's the only thing that's keeping me hopeful at the moment. Heh, ironic that I have to rely on someone I barely know over someone I thought knew me. Someone I... liked before. But what matters anymore? I'm making my way to you sir. Just pray I don't rot and starve like the captive monster he so desperately wants to see..." the little troll finished, continuing to sulk face first on the cold floor. He didn't know if the stranger heard her or not, but for now, she just wanted to try to sleep to make time go faster. Hopefully, the other prisoners would leave her alone...

Maverick was waiting for Risar near the brig, imagining that's where he was going to be. Luckily, he managed to catch him just in time.
"Oh señor Risar. Good thing I found you. El capitán requested out presence at his office." Maverick said, wanting to get out of that step as soon as possible. Seeing Sere disgusted him. He hasn't felt this way about anybody since his father.

Quote:

Maverick was waiting for Risar near the brig, imagining that's where he was going to be. Luckily, he managed to catch him just in time.
"Oh señor Risar. Good thing I found you. El capitán requested out presence at his office." Maverick said, wanting to get out of that step as soon as possible. Seeing Sere disgusted him. He hasn't felt this way about anybody since his father

"Ah-- lead the way.," Risar responded with a minotaur-like nod. He didn't know why Sere wanted both him and Maverick, but he wasn't one to disobey orders. He didn't say anything about Angora being in the brig and suspected that the troll's imprisonment had some part in their being called.

The orb would glow in response to Angora, as it had before. "Your faith and determination will be rewarded," the voice said in her mind. "For those who seek a world where all can be accepted, where all can realize their potential - we will always have a place for you. You need only reach it. Stay strong, child, and you will live to see that world."

Sere waited patiently at his desk, in the meanwhile. With some ink, he was busy writing something...

It wasn't long before Maverick appeared with Risar near Sere's office, knocking on the half closed door.
"We're here capitán." he called, his voice so calm and polite, nobody would be able to tell the hatred and disgust he felt for the old Guardian right now. Maverick knew he had to return to the times of his father and just keep his emotions and opinion deeply bottled up. He had a lifetime of experience with that, so it was easy for him to hide his true feelings.

Quote: A Guy

The orb would glow in response to Angora, as it had before. "Your faith and determination will be rewarded," the voice said in her mind. "For those who seek a world where all can be accepted, where all can realize their potential - we will always have a place for you. You need only reach it. Stay strong, child, and you will live to see that world."

Angora smiled at his response, her spirit shining despite the dim light that still remained within her. To think there was someone out there that wasn't Maverick, Shade, or maybe even Raclaw, someone that wanted her and saw her as someone with potential and worthy to help and life rather than a monstrous burden, it made her despair much more tolerable.
"Thank you..." she said once again as she put the orb in her pocket again, still hiding her face with her cloak, and wondering if the stranger knew how grateful she was for his desire to help, even after he already helped her once before by having Shade restrained during the blood moon.

Sere had been expecting the two, and nodded as they came in. "Now Maverick, Risar. You are probably expecting that I called you here because of the disciplinary incident today - but that would be incorrect. I am here for the matter of your contract. Risar - I have drafted a new contract for you to acknowledge your leadership position on this vessel. With this will come the pay appropriate for such a role, pay to be backdated to the time you started working here.
"As for you, Maverick - I don't believe I've heard a single negative word about you from anyone since you've been aboard this vessel. Everyone considers you kind and courteous - they look forward to your meals, and, according to Leoquin, and from what I've seen, you are adept at navigation. Therefore, I am offering you the opportunity to sign a contract, which would make you a full-fledged member of the crew, with pay to be backdated from the time you started serving aboard the vessel. Now, you two can tell me what you each think about the offers." Sere rested his chin on his clasped hands, supported by his elbows on the desk, as he awaited a response.

Maverick couldn't believe what he was hearing. Under different circumstances, he would've been flattered by the positive feedback, but he was still emotionally shattered by what the little troll had to go through. She was practically a sister to him, so naturally, he was hurt by her predicament. However, he maintained the very same demeanor, not being rude or disrespectful to Sere once. He could use some money now that he had depleted much of it at Redwater. But he had just one question.
"I'm interested. But if I may bold to ask first capitán, how long does this contract lasts?" Maverick asked, only interested in signing for the money and be with Ilasi. He wasn't looking forward to another lifetime of voyages when he had more than enough on his father's ship. He didn't know yet how would he get Angora out of her predicament, but now he got thinking that if he could earn some respect and recognition from the crewmembers and change their views about the troll, especially now if he became an official sailor, perhaps he could have some success.

Meanwhile, Angora remained with her face hidden behind the cloak, dozing off. She was already getting hungry, but she would ignore her stomach. Nobody seemed interesting in bothering her so far, so that was some relief.

"The contract will last as long as this voyage does," Sere said. "After that, your services will no longer be required. Here is a draft of the contract, should you wish to read it." Sere handed over a paper to Maverick, with his own signature - the contract had the same details and stipulations as all of the other contract, essentially providing pay based on the skills of the employee on a regular basis, provided they serve. Maverick, having navigational skills, would be getting paid more than the average crew member.
"Do we have a deal?" Sere asked. He looked at Maverick expectantly, waiting for any further questions or requests.

Risar looked at Maverick-- curious asto the hybrid's response before providing his own answer.

And upon hearing Maverick's response, Risar would immediately accept the new contract. He would have no questions and had appreciated the new role.

Maverick's heart raised. This was a sadistic choice for him. If he chose to stay, he would be bound to the contract, and if Angora was marooned on an island, there would be nothing he could do. He would have to remain on the ship and let her be completely alone. But after pondering very hard, to the point of getting a headache and reading the contract, Maverick decided to sign. He was a man who always wanted to look at the positive side, and wanted to have faith that Angora would be alright, and believe that Sere wasn't evil enough to abandon her on some dangerous island like a pirate would. Even if the worse did happen, he trusted that Angora would be able to take care of herself. She was very resourceful after all, and she also had Orion, who chose her for a reason and truly loved her. He couldn't be there for him given he was a busy deity, but he knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her. There was also Ishulgu, who heard his praying once before and may do it again if he asked. Despite wanting to maintain a positive outlook, it was still hard to pick that pen and sign. Nevertheless, he had the courage for it and went along with it, choosing to be bound by the contract. Not only would he be paid, he would be more useful to everybody, maybe even Angora, as an official sailor.

Sere received the contract from Maverick, glancing at his signature before putting it down. "Good, good. It will be good to have you on board as a crew member - and I will take this decision into consideration when determining Angora's future aboard this vessel. Glad to have you with us." Sere stuck his arm out, offering Maverick a firm handshake.

Maverick's stomach turned at the sight of his hand, still feeling disgust for Sere and his horrendous strictness. Nevertheless, he lived with the fact and presence of his father, probably one of the worse pirates, and likely human being to ever roam the world, so a simple handshake would be easy. The only thing that made him prevent himself from hesitating was what Sere said about his decision benefiting Angora. That in itself was a step forward, so Maverick accepted the handshake, feeling Sere's hand very cold. Was it really that way? Or was it just him? It didn't matter. Maverick took his decision and was going to do whatever he could to get his little sister out of that terrible predicament.

OOC: By the way guys... I have Discord on my phone now! Yays!
Star left his usual spot and quietly walked nonchalantly towards the brig. He silently peered in, not saying a word to anyone. This... This would affect his plans for tonight. He moved away, and took his previous spot while watching the door Maverick would inevitably walk out of.

OOC: Congratulations. Now you can talk more with us

Since Angora was covering her face with her cloak and away from the door, she didn't noticed Star. She did hear something outside, but simply assumed it was Risar doing his usual patrols. As for Maverick, after finishing what he felt like a poisonous handshake, he left the captain's office, and was surprised, although not startled, to see Star there.
"Oh, hola. Need to see the capitán? Let me move out of the way..." Maverick said, believing the only reason why somebody would be in front of Sere's office was to talk to him specifically. He didn't know he was the one requested. Maverick wanted to thank Star for his support back there, but he wasn't in the mood to talk to anybody, and under the impression that Star wanted to talk to Sere only, he was getting ready to get out of the way and leave...

OOC: Um, I don't have the chat area for this yet, guys.

Star shook his head. "Not here for Sere. If I speak to him now, I'll say something I know both Angora and I will regret. I won't do that to a packmate." Star would have questioned the Spanish Maverick kept sprinkling in, but he didn't have the time or the need to find out. "Angora seems to trust you. Therefore, I will trust you as well. I'm Star NeoNoctus. I've adventured with Angora before, and taught her a little about my technology. If you wish, I can try to teach you as well." The Zoroark's offer was unusual. However, he had made a similar offer to Angora before, and she accepted. It was how they bonded. He hoped for the same result with this friend of Angora's.

Meanwhile, it was almost time for Angora to be given her bread and water. Latnok, he and Risar being the only ones authorized to see her, would have to bring her food this time, on account of Risar likely being occupied.
Bread and water... bread and water...

Angora was in the same position as before, looking like a beggar off a street. The prisoners were staring at her. She could feel it. But at least they were leaving her alone and not taking advantage of her misery to bully her. She tried to prepare her heart and mind for the ordeal ahead, not only for her new obstruction of freedom, but also for the little food would be provided. Bread and water... no meat, not even a sugary juice. Trolls needed mostly meat to have the nutrition they needed, though she had hoped that her stomach was strong enough to tolerate the malnutrition like she had done in her other prisons. But while she wanted to endure this predicament and reach the stranger, she almost felt like giving up. Not only was Sere considering leaving her stranded on a treacherous island, he even listened to Laszur's option of excecution, and Sere almost seemed to be considering that as well. Was that what the Guardian wanted? Would her death finally bring her happiness? It was no mystery how much he hated her, but this was his worse offense yet. Punished so horribly, for trying to do a good deed...

After about half an hour, the door to the brig would abruptly open - revealing Latnok, carrying provisions. A stick of bread and a canteen, clearly for the prisoner on limited rations. He slowly stepped to Angora's cell. He laid down the tray so he could grab the keys to the opening on the door to pass food through. As he did, the smell of freshly baked bread could barely be detected wafting into the cell.

OOC: Did you guys just... IGNORE my post or something?

Quote: A Guy

After about half an hour, the door to the brig would abruptly open - revealing Latnok, carrying provisions. A stick of bread and a canteen, clearly for the prisoner on limited rations. He slowly stepped to Angora's cell. He laid down the tray so he could grab the keys to the opening on the door to pass food through. As he did, the smell of freshly baked bread could barely be detected wafting into the cell.

Angora sniffed the bread long before Latnok opened the door. Time to feed the lowlife prisoner her food it seemed. There with a bunch of smelly looking scoundrel, no doubt former pirates, and she was being treated on the same level. Angora avoided eye contact with him, already recognizing the younger Guardian from feet to knee. She took the food.
"Thank you..." she said quietly and meekly, still avoiding eye contact. Latnok was the better person now, but at the point of her despair, she was expecting even him to kick her. Even with the better treatment, Angora was melancholic enough to believe he still hated her also, deep inside.

Quote: darknessdawn

Star shook his head. "Not here for Sere. If I speak to him now, I'll say something I know both Angora and I will regret. I won't do that to a packmate." Star would have questioned the Spanish Maverick kept sprinkling in, but he didn't have the time or the need to find out. "Angora seems to trust you. Therefore, I will trust you as well. I'm Star NeoNoctus. I've adventured with Angora before, and taught her a little about my technology. If you wish, I can try to teach you as well." The Zoroark's offer was unusual. However, he had made a similar offer to Angora before, and she accepted. It was how they bonded. He hoped for the same result with this friend of Angora's.

"Techinology?" Maverick mispronounced, knowing he heard the word before, but he didn't know if it was the same or if he was confusing it with another.
"Maybe later. It's nice meeting you Star. It's cool of you to think so well about Angorita. My poor little amiga has gone through so much pain..." Maverick said, wanting to say so many bad things about Sere. But he and his office were right behind him, so there was no way Maverick was risking badmouthing him, especially after signing such vital contract.
"Anyway, I thank you for your offer. It's not often we meet kind beings. Gracias indeed, but, maybe another time. I need to clear my head. Perhaps later today... or tomorrow on my break." the hybrid said politely, very grateful to finally meet somebody who had good things to say about Angora. The troll was usually hated or not given a chance. Seeing this werewolf like creature thinking so highly of her to the point of even calling her a pack member really made his day.

Star bowed respectfully. "As you wish. Just tell me when you wish to learn about technology." He emphasized the pronunciation slightly, a gentle way to correct Maverick's error.

Once Angora accepted the food, Latnok began to leave. "When you start eating, make sure you eat the whole damn thing very quickly," he warned, before stepping out. What wouldn't be immediately visible was that there was chicken meat cooked into the bread, which would be exposed once one bit into it.
Maybe a little morale boost would help encourage Angora to keep trying. Or so Latnok thought. He would have a talk with her later when she was more receptive.

Angora wasn't willing to obey Latnok... if it wasn't for the fact that she was very hungry. When Latnok left, the other prisoners eyeing her seemingly simple piece of bread. She took one bite, and realized now why Latnok left so soon. Was that... chicken? Did Sere authorized that? Or Latnok? No, couldn't be. Perhaps Raclaw convinced his friend to give it to her? Yeah. That must've been it. It was a lucky break... or so it seemed...
"You know, that bread looks quite delicious." the biggest prisoner said. He wasn't very muscular, but he was tall and with a considerable belly, and one ugly beard. When Angora saw the brute approaching her, she devoured the remaining bread in a single bite, managing to swallow before the bully approached her. He was very angry.
"You know my little abomination, there's only one rule in this hellhole. You get to share your food... with ME." the man said, trying to get the bread from her mouth, but she had swallowed it already. So he stole food from the other prisoners? It would explain why he was the only one of them who looked well fed. Mad at Angora, the brute started to beat her up, with Angora almost using her magic and her own fists to defend herself.
"No no! Sere will only take the human side if I hurt him. He'll only use this as another excuse to be cruel to me." Angora said in her mind, firmly believing Sere to be evil enough to take this prisoner's side of the story and punish her even further if she injured him. So instead of defending herself, she instead curled into a ball, tolerating the minutes long beating without doing anything to defend herself. Once the prisoner was done, Angora was swollen at some parts of the body and bleeding from the forehead, nothing serious, but still really painful. Now it felt like a hellhole.

Quote: darknessdawn

Star bowed respectfully. "As you wish. Just tell me when you wish to learn about technology." He emphasized the pronunciation slightly, a gentle way to correct Maverick's error.

"Muchas gracias." Maverick said full of gratitude, bidding this nice creature goodbye and heading to Ilasi's cabin to tell her the news about the contract. While he wanted to be happy for meeting someone as pleasant as Star, he still felt miserable for Angora. A prisoner, yet again, and like those other times, he couldn't do anything to help her, at least not yet...

Meanwhile, in Ilasi's cabin, she laid on the floor, not exactly feeling comfortable with fins on her bedcloth. She was patiently reading a book on the care and nurture of various medicinal plants. If she could grow these in her room, she would have the means to produce the medicine she needed more often. All to distract her from what she just witnessed...
As a citizen of Aelinon, Ilasi knew how harsh discipline could be - but it was never something to revel in. It was a means to an end, nothing more.

Unaware of Angora's predicament (not that he could visit her), Maverick made his way to Ilasi's cabin, knocking on the door before entering.
"Hola Ilasi. Mind if I... join you from a while?" he asked from behind the door, being unlocked but still wanted to be polite about the matter in case she was too busy or not properly dressed. His voice still sounded sad, but it had a certain shine to it. It wasn't as depressing as before. Talking to Star was a really positive experience to him. It managed to raise his spirit, even if just a little bit.

Ilasi, despite her mood, was more than pleased to have Maverick visiting her. Shimmying on over to the door, she opened it without any delay.
"Hey, Maverick," Ilasi greeted. "How goes it?" Ilasi didn't even know why she bothered asking - it would be really obvious how he was feeling. He seemed to feel a little better, at least - at least by the sound of his voice.

Maverick nodded before answering.
"Well, been better. But this werewolf individual with the metallic things came to me, and he was very friendly. He even invited me to teach me about techni... something. It's a complicated name, but I don't think it's some kind of magic. I can see how it is and see if it's for you. The more skills the better." Maverick commented, certain that Star would invite Ilasi too whether he asked or not. Maverick still didn't know whether to ask Ilasi what she talked with Angora that day or tell her about the contract. He!ll decide what to do first after hearing her reply...

At the prison, Angora remained on the same corner, with the other prisoners along with the bully ignoring her now. She cleaned the blood on her forehead with her cloak, seeing that it wasn't a big wound, but one that stung nonetheless. This was a time where she would talk to the orb once again, but she wasn't in the mood to talk to anybody. If the stranger was seeing her, he would see the terrible challenges she always have to face. It wasn't enough to be locked in that prison like a despicable criminal, she also had to tolerate a savage beating all because she was afraid Sere would take the human prisoner's side. To make matters worse, eating the chicken bread so quickly gave her a stomachache, but knowing nobody would help her, she curled into a ball and rubbed her belly, praying for the mostly emotional pain to go away...

Ilasi was curious now. She knew the creature that Maverick was referring to - even if she didn't know what exactly it was. But another useful tool for her? She would never decline an opportunity to make herself more effective at the job.
"Well, it certainly couldn't hurt, could it? Well... I hope it doesn't, anyway," she said. "We can head to him. I was just reading up on plant life."

Meanwhile, the ship continued to rock about as the waves began to intensify, and lightning relentlessly struck at the lightning rods. Laszur headed to the source of the grounding magic within the ship; he was taught the spell to reinforce it, though he never imagined he would have to use it under these circumstances.
Leoquin looked in awe at the pure chaos in the sea. It was absolutely breathtaking to behold - the only problem was that it would be highly lethal to get caught out in and ti was an impediment to their journey. Nothing big, though.

Latnok, meanwhile, was gathering some writing utensils. Typically, the laws of war allowed prisoners to write to their families - even if Maverick couldn't visit her, he figured that allowing them to communicate wouldn't hurt too badly.
Back to the brig he headed, as the sound of the waves could faintly be heard through the hull. Some on-duty crew members stood at various parts of the ship ready to patch up weak points in the hull.
Once again, the door to the brig opened - revealing Latnok once more, with ink, pen, and several papers. He would come over to Angora's cell...

When Latnok arrived, the big bellied prisoner turned his back on Latnok when he approached Angora and whispered very quietly to the others, to the point of practically mouthing the words.
"If anybody asks, she did that to herself." he mouthed, though he wasn't very worried. Angora looked more like a goblin, but he has overheard Risar and some other prisoners in the past about a small troll who apparently causing trouble, and he correctly guessed Angora was this creature.

When Latnok approached, Angora quickly covered her head and forehead with her hood, not wanting him to see her in such a deplorable state. She also rested her elbow on the wall so that Latnok wouldn't see the bloodstain. The cut was well hidden, but some of the swelling was still visible.
"Hey..." Angora greeted meekly, once again avoiding eye contact. It confused her so much why Latnok was visiting her so often, but again, she attributed it to Raclaw's concern.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi was curious now. She knew the creature that Maverick was referring to - even if she didn't know what exactly it was. But another useful tool for her? She would never decline an opportunity to make herself more effective at the job.
"Well, it certainly couldn't hurt, could it? Well... I hope it doesn't, anyway," she said. "We can head to him. I was just reading up on plant life."

Maverick didn't have the heart to tell her he wasn't in the mood right now. She seemed very exited, so he decided to bury his sadness and please her.
"Want to go now. Ok then, but we'll have to see where he's staying. Last time I heard, the cabins were full." Maverick stated, not knowing where any of the newcomers were staying at.

OOC: Star seems to spend all his spare time out on the deck. Also, can someone please invite me to the Discord server?
Star was absolutely unfazed by the storm, and indeed pulled out his handheld and started inputting data.
For Helen, the combination of the ship rocking and the wet conditions resulted in a very sick Houndoom on the verge of vomiting.

OOC: Add InsertANameHere#5014 to your friend's list.

As soon as Angora tried to hide from him (which she didn't do last time), Latnok knew something was up. He did not, however, know if Angora was trying to play something funny or simply depressed.
"Look here," he ordered Angora. "What are you trying to hide from me?" He put down the writing utensils.

"Well, uh, if the cabins are full, then he would probably be on deck," Ilasi said. "Although the storm is brutal right now and is only going to get worse. He might also be in the wyvern pen. I'm ready to go when you are." Ilasi didn't mind getting wet, but knew Maverick might not feel the same way.