darkSpyro

Maverick was a little relieved that he could have various excuses to avoid going outside.
"Well, we can go later. The offer is unlimited as far as I know, or at least through the time we're on the ship. I would like to avoid the wyvern pen. I know Veris doesn't mean any harm, but I still kinda don't trust him. And... well, I will like to avoid the rain also. You have no idea how much this hair weights when it's soaked. It's like having inserted barbells on you arms." Maverick said jokingly, hoping Ilasi would be willing to wait for the lesson and continue her book. All he wanted at the moment was do nothing and clear his head.

Quote: A Guy

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.

Despite Angora desperately wanting some comfort, she still had her pride despite the overbearing misery she was feeling.
"It's... no big deal. I... I thank you for those. Does that mean I can write a letter to Maverick?" she asked with her hood still covering most of her face, wanting to avoid the original subject. Why would Latnok care? Even with Raclaw's help, she didn't think he would show this much concern. Was the bond really that strong? Behind the wall, there was a small bloodstain from when big belly kicked her, though it was mostly covered by her body.

Even as Angora answered him, Latnok could still see that she was hiding something - she had no reason to be wearing the hood. "Take the hood off. Now," he ordered firmly. "You won't hide anything from me here. When I see what it is, then you can write your letter."

Ilasi never really thought of how much water Maverick would actually retain in the rain. "Okay, that's fine," she said. "Wouldn't want you to go through all that bother, anyway. I'll be shifting back soon." Ilasi grabbed her book again - but hesitated. She felt it would be incredibly rude to just start reading while Maverick was in front of her.

Maverick intended to let Ilasi read in peace, but seeing how she looked uncomfortable reading at his presence, he decided to do some talking first.
"El capitán gave me a contract Ilasi. I'm an official member of the crew now, and what's better, I'm getting paid." he said with a small smile, deciding to begin with that subject. He was very curious as to what he talked about Angora earlier that day, but knowing his girlfriend didn't like very much when he looked way too concern about his troll friend, he decided to begin with the news first.

Quote: A Guy

Even as Angora answered him, Latnok could still see that she was hiding something - she had no reason to be wearing the hood. "Take the hood off. Now," he ordered firmly. "You won't hide anything from me here. When I see what it is, then you can write your letter."

Angora grumbled with her mouth closed, seeing that despite his slightly kinder demeanor, he was still the same, stupidly stubborn man he always was. Why did he cared anyway? He has seen her face before, but knowing Latnok wouldn't leave her alone, she took off the hood. What Latnok would see was a scratch a little more above than between her eyes. It was quite small, but it was slightly wider than what a cat's scratch would be. She also had a bump above her left eyebrow. The troll looked up a Latnok, though not to his eyes. She kept her line of sight between his nose and mouth. She almost said something to him, but knowing it would come off as rude, she remained silent.

Ilasi considered that Maverick would probably want to discuss a contract with Sere; he wasn't expecting Sere to actually come forward and offer it to him, however. This was absolutely amazing; his spot in the cre was now firmly secured, on top of the extra income. This was a lucky break for him.
"Oh, Maverick... I'm so happy..." she barely made out in her excitement, as she gave him a hug as best she could in her aquatic form. She soon pulld back, however, as there was one thing on her mind.
"...so what happens with Angora now? What happens if she's left on an island? What... what will happen to her? To you?"

Though there wasn't much to see - just her face - Angora's suspicious behavior caused Latnok to analyze it where he would've just glossed over it without a second thought. Recent wounds (albeit not in the past few minutes) were visible; a scratch and a bump. He knew where this was going...
"Where did you get these wounds?" he demanded to know. "Tell me right now. Don't lie to me, if you want a chance to stay on this ship." Somewhere, there was a lack of discipline, and such a thing would need correcting.

The troll gave a less than a second long glance to the man with the belly, who had his back turned on them. Angora shivered. She didn't want to accuse the man, at least not directly.
"There's only one with the strength to do this..." was all Angora replied, wanting Latnok to figure it out for himself. If this prisoner was spared, she knew he would make an enemy out of him, and she had enough suffering as it was. Now that Latnok has seen her face, Angora put on her hood again, leaving Latnok with only that clue.

The prisoner already had the other goon's support, and all of them were ready to lie if the occasion called for it. The large man was nervous nevertheless. Once Angora was fed, he didn't expected her to be visited again this soon. He was hoping the wounds would heal by the time she received another visit, particularly her next meal...

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi considered that Maverick would probably want to discuss a contract with Sere; he wasn't expecting Sere to actually come forward and offer it to him, however. This was absolutely amazing; his spot in the cre was now firmly secured, on top of the extra income. This was a lucky break for him.
"Oh, Maverick... I'm so happy..." she barely made out in her excitement, as she gave him a hug as best she could in her aquatic form. She soon pulld back, however, as there was one thing on her mind.
"...so what happens with Angora now? What happens if she's left on an island? What... what will happen to her? To you?"

Maverick choked when Ilasi came with the question, clearly not expecting such a thing. He avoided mentioning the little troll for her sake, but it was the mermaid herself the one who brought the subject.
"El capitán said that my decision might make him change his mind. And with my new position and influence, I'll make sure I change how everyone in this ship views her." Maverick assured before continuing.
"You have seen her Ilasi. I even spotted you talking to her not so long ago, and neither of you seemed upset. Angora isn't bad in any way. I know her. She really was just trying to do a good deed. She doesn't deserve any of this! The beast left, didn't it? One would think that was the most important thing, but no! She just had to receive such cruel punishment." Maverick expressed, evidently holding back the tears. He avoided badmouthing Sere directly, but it was clear that the hybrid believed his punishment was way too unfair.

Latnok was able to follow Angora's quick glance, and it was rather evident who the biggest prisoner was. Angora had become rather timid in her time with the Guardians since Darkmatter's defeat - she was scared, and it was clear. Turning away from Angora, he began slowly walking up to the corpulent prisoner. "Hey you, fattie..." he growled out as he advanced menacingly. "You might want to start explaining to me what happened - it would be in your best interest to give me the truth."

The actual disciplinary ation made Ilasi uncomfortable. Though Angora had good intentions, she did contradict an order in front of others. It was a sad situation where there didn't seem to be any really wining move, or so Ilasi figured it would seem from Angora's perspective. "I... I honestly don't know what to think..." she admitted, as she began looking at the ground once more, as she typically did when nervous or embarrassed. "I know there was a good reason for the punishment - but I also know Angora didn't mean any harm. Punishment is generally handed down to discourage behavior in those it is used on, or those who witness or otherwise know of it... Angora felt that she had to make her move to save the ship, and the captain felt that he had to make his move to keep order. Something was bound to go wrong..."

Maverick had a slightly calmer demeanor now, but was still quite upset.
"I know she disobeyed an order, and I can understand about punishments, but that? Why couldn't her punishment be, I don't know, less free time, or maybe mop some of the ship after the storm, but prison? Treated as a criminal for a genuine attempt to do good?" Maverick said gloomily, wanting Ilasi to understand it wasn't the punishment in general he was upset about. It was the form of it that was so unfair.

Quote: A Guy

Latnok was able to follow Angora's quick glance, and it was rather evident who the biggest prisoner was. Angora had become rather timid in her time with the Guardians since Darkmatter's defeat - she was scared, and it was clear. Turning away from Angora, he began slowly walking up to the corpulent prisoner. "Hey you, fattie..." he growled out as he advanced menacingly. "You might want to start explaining to me what happened - it would be in your best interest to give me the truth."

The man maintained a bit of eye contact, trying to look respectful.
"Nothing sir. We've all been here all the time. It looks like she did it to herself." the bellied man blatantly lied, looking at Latnok directly in the eyes to make it sound more convincing. People that lied usually avoided eye contact, but he has trained himself to lie convincingly by looking at the eyes without stammering or fidgeting. The others behind him nodded slowly, too afraid of him to stand up and tell the real version.

Ilasi nodded along, understanding what Maverick meant. "I vet where you're coming from..." she said. "It would seem that the captain feels that there is a trend of that behavior. I think he might just be misunderstanding things - in his eyes, Angora has shown to be unmanageable, so he does what he feels will help fix that. From another perspective... it's excessive, and seems to be a harsh punishment for the sake of it. I think that's it... the captain has no faith in Angora. If only there was something I could do to restore it..."

"Hmm... so she did it to herself then." Latnok nodded along. "Oh, well, I guess that's that. She just decided to beat herself up." Latnok turned around and began to leave...
...before pivoting right back and punching the fat prisoner square across the jaw. "Just how stupid do you think I am?! What made you think that I'd fall for that pathetic excuse?" Latnok had all of the details put together, and was able to deduce most of what had occured. A simple lie wouldn't deter him.

The man turned around and fell to his knees, having a low guard at that time and losing his footing. He got up quickly, wanted nothing more than to retaialate, but he knew who Latnok was, so he was smart and patient enough to avoid responding with his own violence.
"Sir, we all saw it. That thing is a troll, isn't it? Creature's like her can't stand being locked up, can they?" the fatso commented, making things up in his mind almost immediately to slip out of this one. He couldn't believe such a respected member of the Guardians seemed concerned about what happened to that horrendous little beast.

Angora felt very insulted for being called an it, making her feel like an animal or a thing. But given how Sere had been treating her, she shook off the feeling quite swiftly. Angora hid it, but she was actually very glad to see the bully receive a taste of his own medicine. Angora was smaller, and refused to defend herself, and there was nothing more despicable than beating someone smaller than you and even when they were already down and giving up.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi nodded along, understanding what Maverick meant. "I see where you're coming from..." she said. "It would seem that the captain feels that there is a trend of that behavior. I think he might just be misunderstanding things - in his eyes, Angora has shown to be unmanageable, so he does what he feels will help fix that. From another perspective... it's excessive, and seems to be a harsh punishment for the sake of it. I think that's it... the captain has no faith in Angora. If only there was something I could do to restore it..."

Maverick shook his head slowly, proceeding to cross his arms afterwards.
"Well, that's just it, isn't it? No matter how small the offense, he seems to want to give the most horrible of punishments. El capitán doesn't have faith in her, and I can't convince him of anything! He doesn't want to see the good things in her. Everything disappoints him! He seems too keen on punishing Angorita for every little thing. I can't understand it! He traveled with Angorita even long before I found her again. He treated her decently in those times. I don't know what has gotten into him. I can't... fathom the idea of somebody treating another one so horribly over something so minor. Angorita is just a young little thing. She wants love and acceptance, just like everybody else. She has made mistakes like all of us, but at the end of the day. she's really a good lass who just wants to do good things! And yet look at the pain she has to endure!" Maverick vented, almost pulling out the hair from his sideburns. He then looked apologetically to Ilasi, hoping she could forgive him for expressing himself so intensely.

Latnok was waiting for the fat prisoner to stick to his claim. "Well, well, so you're still going to keep feeding me that BS? Now... listen here," he snarled as he took an aggressive posture. "First - the wounds. Those aren't wounds you get by bashing your head on something over and over again. Those are fight wounds. Next - Angora. I've known her for a long time - she will sulk and try to hide her worse emotions, but she has never hurt herself even in her worst moments. She has become docile as of late -it doesn't surprise me that she didn't even try to fight back.
"Then... you. Do you think no one has noticed how you seemed to get fatter after coming here? Funny, the other prisoners seem thinner. I thought you were just naturally fat or something - but you're obviously getting more rations than you have been issued, and seeing how cowed the prisoners are, it seems there is a trend of bullying here. I wouldn't be surprised if taking their meals was part of it - which would explain why this happened after I handed Angora her food.
"Lastly, the other prisoners - none of them seemed rather enthused to defend you. People who are sure of themselves wouldn't be reluctant to speak up like they are - and I know they don't answer Risar like that when he asks them questions."
Latnok finished with his conclusion, disapprovingly shaking his head. "On this ship, we enforce order and discipline - no matter who you are. You had your chance when you surrendered to us and ended your life of piracy. Now you have the nerve to come here, intimidate and harm others, steal food, and lie to those keeping you?" Latnok grabbed the axe from his belt, now wielding it firmly in his right hand.
"It seems you're committed to a life of crime, no matter where you go. Those who are a threat to order and discipline and make no attempt at redemption have no place here or in society." Perhaps some had forgotten about why they were here in the first place. This would make a good lesson.

Ilasi pondered for a few moments, as she began to shift to terrestrial form. "He won't listen to her... he also won't listen to you... and I'm not quite sure he will listen to me, considering how close I am to you. But maybe we can convince someone he trusts more? What if we could convince Latnok or Risar to observe her and give their opinion on her to Sere? They generally seem to speak to him very freely..." Ilasi wasn't completely sure about Latnok - last she knew, he and Angora weren't on the best of terms - but Risar seemed more neutral.

As the storm raged on, the rain seemed to pour down even harder than it did before, somehow. Sere opened the door to the deck, shutting it manually behind him to minimize incoming water.
He headed for the wheel. "Go rest up, Leoquin," he ordered. "I'll take it for now."
"Captain, I can go on a bit longer," Leoquin answered. "The weather doesn't bother me too much."
"Trust me - get some rest," Sere said. "Hang about a bit if you must, but we will need you well-rested for later."
"Aye-aye, captain," Leoquin responded, and dutifully slithered away. As he moved, there was one hard-to-miss sight - the Scourge of Redwater, his silhouette illuminated by the lightning. From what he knew, there would be no space for him in the wyvern pen. Hmm...
Leoquin came over, purely to sate his curiosity. "You having fun?" he asked sarcastically.

Maverick went deep in thought, pondering what she said.
"Well, I have noticed señor Latnok has been kinder to her lately, and señor Risar has treated her decently. I've never seen him say a bad thing about her, so perhaps there's a chance." he analyzed, not sure about Latnok either, but the minotaur could indeed be a great option.

"First priority though is to prevent Angorita from being marooned. Remember the last time we were in one of those islands? It's horrendous! Espantosas! Honestly, I can't believe el capitán is even considering such a punishment! That's something a pirate would do!" Maverick said indignantly, knowing very well that that, and other kinds of punishments were used by the seafaring thieves.

Quote: A Guy

Latnok was waiting for the fat prisoner to stick to his claim. "Well, well, so you're still going to keep feeding me that BS? Now... listen here," he snarled as he took an aggressive posture. "First - the wounds. Those aren't wounds you get by bashing your head on something over and over again. Those are fight wounds. Next - Angora. I've known her for a long time - she will sulk and try to hide her worse emotions, but she has never hurt herself even in her worst moments. She has become docile as of late -it doesn't surprise me that she didn't even try to fight back.
"Then... you. Do you think no one has noticed how you seemed to get fatter after coming here? Funny, the other prisoners seem thinner. I thought you were just naturally fat or something - but you're obviously getting more rations than you have been issued, and seeing how cowed the prisoners are, it seems there is a trend of bullying here. I wouldn't be surprised if taking their meals was part of it - which would explain why this happened after I handed Angora her food.
"Lastly, the other prisoners - none of them seemed rather enthused to defend you. People who are sure of themselves wouldn't be reluctant to speak up like they are - and I know they don't answer Risar like that when he asks them questions."
Latnok finished with his conclusion, disapprovingly shaking his head. "On this ship, we enforce order and discipline - no matter who you are. You had your chance when you surrendered to us and ended your life of piracy. Now you have the nerve to come here, intimidate and harm others, steal food, and lie to those keeping you?" Latnok grabbed the axe from his belt, now wielding it firmly in his right hand.
"It seems you're committed to a life of crime, no matter where you go. Those who are a threat to order and discipline and make no attempt at redemption have no place here or in society." Perhaps some had forgotten about why they were here in the first place. This would make a good lesson.

The prisoner was very startled, but nevertheless tried to maintain his cool. He usually got away with many things, but he never in a million years would've expected a Guardian, who were know to exterminate monsters like trolls, would come to the defense of one. Was it the size?
"With all due respect sir, this is just how my body is. I'm naturally big." the big prisoner said, effortlessly coming up with lies as fast as a row of dominoes fell.

"As for the creature, I don't know for how long you've known it, but it may not have hurt itself in your presence before, but it was free in those times. Perhaps being locked up made it crazy or something." he concluded, sounding very convincing, something that Angora noticed. Not that it surprised her though. If this guy was a pirate, he had that innate talent. She worked long enough with them to know their MO. She was very surprised to see Latnok axe on hand. Was he seriously considering murdering the prisoner right there? Or was it just intimidation? She almost couldn't believe that Latnok of all people was coming to her defense. She wanted to believe he cared, but then she started to believe this event was simply him doing his job of establishing strict discipline and nothing else...

OOC: Once you add A Guy and you're in the group-- we can all talk anytime!

As the storm continued to rage on-- Veris, Chester, and the 'busy' Raclaw/Darkheart would remain dry/secure in the wyvern pen. As Raclaw had now discovered.. the black dragoness had quite the affection stored up in her after so many years of not having an proper dragon mate to show it to. And now this tamed, collared, and owned fur dragon would happily be on the receiving end of that affection. He wasn't exactly the ideal dragon-- he had pre-existing loyalty towards a human in a less-than-safe field of work, he was more docile than most other dragons, and he was (technically) owned and influenced by the same human that he held loyalty to. And yet -- Darkheart had chosen him over all other dragons. 'Fur and all.,' he thought to himself as he considered how lucky he was. As the two dragons showed affection, Darkheart would find that his collar would make a handy grip to pull him closer... not that he needed the 'pull' or encouragement. Chester briefly considered asking for his ball before closing his his eyes and briefly beginning to daydream.

---

Meanwhile, Risar was making his rounds when he had noticed that the imprisoned Angora seemingly had a visitor. "Latnok, Henry..." the large minotaur spoke as he entered the brig. It didn't take long for him to notice was going on and the scared bruised Angora trying to stay as far away from the other prisoners as possible. Upon Risar's presence, many of the prisoner's attitudes would no doubt settle on account of just how intimating having a seven foot minotaur as a jailor was. "Hmm... Hmm...," he grunted as he visually picked on some of the details. He was sure that Latnok would no doubt fill him in.

Ilasi slightly recoiled at Maverick's new statement on Sere's discipline. "Marooning is... also used in Aelinon, based on the crime committed. Granted, I've never heard of it being used for pure insubordination..." So much of what Maverick ended up saying reflected badly on her home, which she considered a strong part of her identity. Nevertheless, she would learn to tolerate it, with time. She could see how an outsider would have such problems, especially if they were introduced by kidnapping and being thrown in jail.

Latnok didn't even slow down as the fat prisoner attempted to dissuade him with more lies. With a step forward, he raised his axe and brought it down between the prisoner's neck and collarbone - a fatal blow, though not a decapitating one. As the fat prisoner fell to the floor, the bright red of arterial bleeding could be seen. Latnok pulled his axe back up and looked at Risar as if he was just having a conversation.
"Oh, hey Risar," Latnok said casually. "Nothing to see here, just taking out some trash." He then focused back on the prisoners. "On this ship, we enforce strict order and discipline. I know Risar here has worked hard to keep you guys in line. We're not stupid - you might think you're sneaky, but we catch things you don't think we can. You have a chance to redeem yourselves here, just by following orders, working hard, and showing your value. If you have the nerve to steal, assault others for their food, and lie to our faces here, even after all of the chances we've given you, then come find me and I'll give you a quick dismissal from our crew. Since none of you had the integrity to tell me the truth, you're all on reduced, bread and water rations until Risar here feels you've earned regular food again."
Latnok then grabbed the corpse by the leg and head before picking it up and placing it on his back. "One of you guys clean that up," he said without looking back, the prisoner's blood being the obvious object in question.

"The troll is with Risar because she flagrantly disobeyed the captain and was sent to the brig," Leoquin answered. "The captain is considering just leaving her there. It would serve her right. At least her buddy is actually good to have around. Shame he taught her jack all about what to actually do here." Leoquin spoke casually and stayed in a casual stance despite the storm - the boat was big enough to mitigate many of the effects of the more severe rocking, and he was experienced enough in the sea to be more comfortable. There was much more lightning than he was used to, but the lightning rods installed on the ship did a good job of protecting it.

"Ooh, threatening me. I'll make sure to report that," Leoquin said smugly. "Well, you're the one who asked." Leoquin began to slither away, intending to make good on his word. Such a creature shouldn't even be on the ship.

Leoquin would respond to Shade, his voice being difficult to distinguish in the storm. "She's had her chance," he said. "She just can't help being rude and disrespectful. Good riddance."
Leoquin moved over to Sere by the wheel, who would have been able to witness that he briefly interacted with Shade. "Captain," Leoquin said, "The scourge asked about Angora, and I told him what happened. He then threatened me, telling me to watch what I say about her. That thing is a danger to all of us. Can we get rid of him already?"
Sere's mood, initially recovering from his anger, began to turn into frustration. As much as he would like not to have to punish Shade, the dragon was already a big damper on the crew's morale, with many of them feeling very uncomfortable with him on board. Word of him threatening others could be the push that would make many more of them inclined to demand Shade off the ship.
"I'll handle this," Sere told Leoquin. "You stay at the wheel for now." Sere left, beginning to walk towards Shade, lightning framing his silhouette as the storm raged on. "Shade!" he called out when he was close enough. "You have some explaining to do!"

Angora recoiled at the sight of the execution. She did imagined Latnok was considering it, but to do it right there in the brig in front of all of them was quite the shock. She figured the barrel bellied pirate would be thrown overboard now, or maybe fed to Veris. He would have plenty of meat there. How would Latnok explain that to Sere now? The event surprised her quite a bit, but she was going to be in even more awe when she saw the other prisoners. They were... smiling? One of them stood up with some difficulty and saluted.
"Yes sir." he said in response to Latnok's orders, getting out a piece of cloth from his moth covered pocket and beginning to clean to the stained floor, with the others shortly joining in. Why were they smiling? It didn't take long for Angora to realize they were happy to be free of that greedy prisoner's tyranny. They didn't even seem to mind their smaller food ration. They were free of him and that what seemed to matter the most for them. Even with the shorter rations, Angora figured they would still eat more than before now that the bully wasn't around to to steal food from them any longer.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi slightly recoiled at Maverick's new statement on Sere's discipline. "Marooning is... also used in Aelinon, based on the crime committed. Granted, I've never heard of it being used for pure insubordination..." So much of what Maverick ended up saying reflected badly on her home, which she considered a strong part of her identity. Nevertheless, she would learn to tolerate it, with time. She could see how an outsider would have such problems, especially if they were introduced by kidnapping and being thrown in jail.

Maverick scratched the back of his head and went red, realizing he accidentally badmouthed Aelinon again, although he wasn't particularly surprised to hear they did those kinds of punishments.
"So sorry Ilasi. I don't think very well when I'm this upset. It's just that... everything is so unfair! Angora is no criminal! She has done so many good deeds, and still tries to. But to be treated like this for her good intentions..." Maverick stopped, unable to finish the sentence. He heard what Ilasi said about marooning not being used when insubordination was involved, yet Laszur said something like that at the cafeteria. Was he lying about Aelinon's laws so that Angora could be kicked out of the ship? Or did he misinterpreted the galud's words? He wasn't going to question that to Ilasi, but he had some serious research to do later on.

Meanwhile, on the deck, Latnok opened the doors to the cabin and shut them with a back kick, the torrent of rain coming down harder than before. He managed the trip to the wyvern pen, dropping the corpse and opening it. Pushing the corpse in with his feet, he shut the door to the wyvern pen, a noticeable, if not significant, amount of water having come in with the door being briefly open.
Coming in, Latnok once again could feel Raclaw's own feelings, having become inured to them while he was gone. How ironic it was that he was bringing a corpse to be eaten here.
"Hey, Veris!" Latnok called out, with the corpse on his back once again. Veris turned his head and could see him carrying the clearly dead human - it was limp, and one wouldn't carry a live person in the matter Latnok was carrying it. "Food!" Latnok tossed the corpse to Veris with his strength.
It landed squarely in front of Veris. "Wow, this human must have been really bad!" he said, before picking up the corpse with his mouth and briefly chomping it before swallowing it. He rarely got to eat humans - Sere wouldn't let him eat the dead ones, except if they were bad. Veris didn't quite understand what was wrong with the bodies of good humans, but he was fed at the end of the day. The blood from the corpse now tainted his maw.

Ilasi could see that her mention of Aelinon in regards to the action deeply upset Maverick. "Oh... uh... I mean, it is - and it seems to be caused by a big misunderstanding, one that won't be easy to correct. The prison I met Angora in was far worse, at the very least - I know she can manage. But what's the captain going to do? If he wants to keep you on board, then he would probably tolerate Angora - unless he feels that she is a threat to order on the ship."

Not wanting to be upset any longer, Maverick took some time to breathe deeply before continuing.
"Well Angorita is no threat to anybody. I'm very sure that once el capitán takes some time to cool off, he won't resort to such a thing. For now, I'll be spending some time trying to improve her image and befriend señor Risar and convince him to help me. Maybe even encourage him to get to know Angorita a little more." Maverick commented, returning to the calm, pleasant demeanor he was so well known for.

"Thanks for listening to my mumbling Ilasi. I feel so much better. Angorita has faced far worse predicaments than this before and she always remains victorious. It... still pains me everything she always has to face, but... well, I still have faith that she... that all of us will finally find happiness someday. One of these days." Maverick concluded, kissing her and finally returning to the Maverick that was known to everybody.

OOC: GUYS I DON'T HAVE THE CODE TO JOIN YOUR DISCORD!
Star seemed to glance back at Latnok, but it was impossible to tell. From Star's viewpoint, Sere was lucky to be associated with Latnok.

OOC: THERE IS NO CODE. YOU NEED TO ADD ONE OF US SO THAT WE MAY MANUALLY ADD YOU. SEE A GUY'S POST.

OOC: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT EVEN MEANS
Darkheart crooned lazily. She was starting to drowse despite the storm. The alcohol likely helped.

OOC: I made an Imgur album with steps.

Shade's excuse served to do nothing but outrage Sere more. "Can't blame you? CAN'T BLAME YOU? Are you completely incapable of controlling yourself? Or do you feel that you have the authority to censor any talk of Angora you don't find to your liking? Either way, that is pathetic.
"My men are wary of you as-is. Do you want me to have to get rid of you because the crew will mutiny otherwise? That is the path you're headed down with that sort of behavior. Maybe you should learn to control yourself better. We're skipping your next meal - use that time to think about what you just said."

Ilasi turned sightly red, still not used to being kissed. "Oh, uh, I'm always glad to listen," she said. "Do take care of yourself... I know Angora is going to pull through. Just like we have to go through this storm for now - it won't be pleasant, but as long as we work hard and do what we need to, we will survive." From what Ilasi knew, the storm was only going to get worse from here - she hoped that they wouldn't take too long to go through it.

As Latnok opened the pen door-- some water got on Chester, who was quickly awoken from his brief nap. He watched in slight awe and tireness as Latnok threw a *body* to quickly be devoured by Veris the Wyvern. He looked at the Guardian with a look that read 'What did he do?'

Raclaw looked up between coons and noted Latnok's actions as well as Veris' thoughts. "Trouble with one of the prisoners?," he correctly guessed knowing their bodies would receive no special treatment. And as Darkheart began to tire, he was prepared to offer himself as an giant living pillow similarly to what he once did for a drunk Latnok.

Elsewhere-- Risar would stick around a little longer to make sure that no one else had any other bright ideas. He would leave only when he felt satisfied that Angora wouldn't be at further risk for another beating. At the very least, troublesome Henry would be no more.

But as if was, nobody meant to cause any trouble to Angora. The remaining prisoners cleaned the blood without any objections. Nobody was mourning the bully, and neither of them seemed interested in being mean to Angora either. It was that man the only one who had beat her, and even though they were aware that they were at fault for that, that wouldn't be the case anymore. They knew of Risar's presence, yet they weren't afraid of him, and showed great amount of respect.

Angora on the other hand, was a little worried that one of them was going to retaialate as soon as the minotaur left. There was always one in every crowd who was loyal to the abuser. But even if that was the case, she wasn't going to fight back. She wasn't going to risk Sere giving her another punishment, and the more she got beaten, the more he will see what he was doing to her, not that he cared. That much he knew. He was too heartless to feel anything for anybody.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi turned sightly red, still not used to being kissed. "Oh, uh, I'm always glad to listen," she said. "Do take care of yourself... I know Angora is going to pull through. Just like we have to go through this storm for now - it won't be pleasant, but as long as we work hard and do what we need to, we will survive." From what Ilasi knew, the storm was only going to get worse from here - she hoped that they wouldn't take too long to go through it.

Maverick was satisfied now, and Ilasi seemed genuinely concerned for Angora. Before deciding what to do next, he suddenly remembered something.
"I know Angorita will be fine. She's very resilient. And someone with the most noblest of spirits you can find, even if it's not obvious at first. You know that, right? I saw you two talking not too long ago. What were you talking about anyway, if I can ask of course? Neither of you seemed upset. Looks like you were having a very polite conversation." Maverick said, only having seen them briefly, but everything looked well with what little me managed to catch. He still believed it was Ilasi the one who started the conversation, and the two of them really seemed to hit it off at last. It made him so happy the possibility of his girls getting along at long last.

"Yes, you could say that," Latnok said, as he watched Veris down the entire corpse. "Chose to continue his life of crime with disobedience, stealing from other prisoners for apparently a good while, assaulting Angora, and lying to me about everything. He had his chance. Good riddance." Latnok would wait in the pen for a while, as he waited for Angora to finish writing a letter, if she chose to do so.

Sere's harsh stare did not become any softer. I don't care if a crew member says something you don't like. You are not in a position to decide what people can and can't say around you. You don't threaten anyone on my crew, ever again, or there will be more than a missed meal. I don't care if someone says that they don't think Angora's hair is as pretty as you think." Sere walked away, now out of earshot of Shade, not willing to listen to any more of his excuses.

"Oh, the conversation!" Ilasi picked her head up. "She actually came up to me. We talked about some personal issues, and everything went well in the end, even if things were initially rough." She was deliberately vague about what exact personal issues were discussed - she feared that Maverick would judge her more for how long she held on to her resentment.

Maverick thought very hard about it with a small frown, but them smiled one of his goofy smiles. It didn't matter who initiated the conversation.
"Well, baby steps, am I right? Angora is not easy to comprehend, and I do admit you need to have a lot of patience with her, but at least you two talked well. She is very nice, just a little rough around the edges." Maverick assured, wanting Ilasi to try not to judge Angora so harshly. As good as that little troll was, she could still be rough and bitter, and obviously rub many people the wrong way.

At the cell, Angora was left with the he pen and paper to write to Maverick, but as she did, her mind was an emotional turmoil. A man was just executed because of her. What would've happened if she had defended herself and injured him? Would Latnok has taken his side and still be alive now? Did she not defend herself because she wanted to prevent punishment and let another one take it? She wanted to feel sorry for the pirate, but she wasn't. He was the one who started it, and seeing the other prisoner's more cheerful demeanor, she was beginning to think she did them all a favor. What future did a man like that had? It was clear that being in a prison didn't change his ways, and was still a thief even under captivity. Was it a good thing that he died?

As Angora pondered everything, her thought soon drifted to one single person... Sere. What would he think of all this? Would he be angry at her for causing the death of a prisoner for not defending herself? Or if she had defended herself and injured him, would she still have been punished for injuring him? No matter what scenario she thought about, all roads seemed to lead to the same thing; Sere scolding and punishing her and treating her like a criminal or even an animal who didn't deserve his patience or help. Behemoths weren't part of her nightmares anymore. He was.

Latnok stayed in the wyvern pen for a while, keeping Chester company - Raclaw, however, seemed to be way more than occupied. After a decent amount of time, he would leave, opening and shutting the door to the wyvern pen again before entering the cabin. The storm seemed only to intensify from here, and a faint groaning sound could be heard from the lightning rods.

Stopping by his own room to grab a scroll case, he made it back to the brig, with a threatening look on his face to show that he wasn't playing around. Finding Angora, he brought his scroll case and squatted as close as he could to her level, his face softening somewhat.
"Hey Angora, are you done with the letter?" he asked gently. "Or do you need more time? I have a scroll case here."

As the time passed, Ilasi would eventually have to head back out on deck, with Leoquin being told to retire for now (though he wanted to be woken up should anything happen.) She would ideally be able to stop a fallen sailor from drowning. Whether they could get back on the boat or not would depend on how effectively someone could toss something for them to grab.

Angora was finished with the letter a few seconds after Latnok entered. She left out everything about the beating and the prisoner's fate, writing to Maverick positive things like she was fine, and that she missed him, and even that he was happy about him and Ilasi together.
"I'm just done." she said, quickly putting on her hood to prevent Latnok from seeing her wound again. She wasn't looking at his face, so she wasn't noticing his soft expression. She extended her arm to give him the letter.

"Here. Deliver it to Maverick. And... t... thank you... f... f... f... for... everything." she stammered in a shaky voice, clearly expecting even Latnok to be upset with her for indirectly causing the execution. She then lowered her head even more, with her arm starting to shake as she waited for Latnok to take the letter. It wasn't enough for her to hide the scratch anymore. She didn't want Latnok to look at her entire face. She felt too embarrased. Too ashamed. Sere has treated her badly before, but putting her away in this hole like some disgusting criminal really broke the mold. She didn't want Latnok to see her this way, as nothing but a creature who seemingly deserved all the cruelty in the world.

Latnok was expecting little from Angora, and was surprised to even get some gratitude. Maybe there would be hope for her yet.
"You're welcome," he said as he took the scroll case. "In the future, look at who you're talking to, and speak up. Godfather Sere will hate seeing you act that way." Latnok stood up and began to walk out. "And if you felt bad about what happened - don't. Some people aren't fit to breathe the same air as everyone else."

Latnok would have to find Maverick now. Where would he be? Latnok decided to check Maverick's cabin.

Angora was pleased to hear Latnok being so kind, to the point of saying you're welcome. And even saying to her not to feel bad about what happened was a big bonus. Bonding with Raclaw was certainly a good thing after all. She still wished however, that Latnok could understand why she refused to lift her face. She was in such an emotional state right now that she feared that if she had looked at him, she would sob uncontrollably, venting with him of all people. Still, she tried to lift her head to follow his advice, but couldn't. She didn't want to make a scene.

Maverick wasn't in his cabin however. He left Ilasi's cabin and walked around the hallways looking for Risar. He wanted to befriend him, and in the process know what he thought about Angora. If he could be friends with him and established some sort of companionship, it will do wonder for both the troll and himself.

After Latnok left, Angora returned to her corner to sulk in misery. She was expecting herself to have enough bad luck to encounter somebody in that cell that was loyal to the bully and want revenge... but nothing happened. When she lifted her hood above her eyebrows to look at what was going on, and found out to her surprise one of the skinnier men beckoning at her and smiling. She was ready for a whirlwind of abuse anyway, so she approached him instead of waiting for someone to drag her. The men was with two others, and she was expecting the worse... when all of the sudden, the one in the middle grabbed her hand and shoot it in greeting.
"Hey there little dudette. It's not healthy to just sulk in a corner with no company. Come on cutie. Join us for a game of gin rummy?" he asked, taking some cards from his pocket. Angora didn't even want to ask how he got those.

When she remained silent, the middle man spoke again.
"Come on little lady. Are you still upset about what happened? You heard the Guardian. Don't be. He had been asking for it for quite a while. He was quite evil..." he said, but when he realized that wasn't making things any better.
"Listen, allow me to introduce you to the guys. This is Opium..." he pointed to the left man with the long, bony head.
"This is Random..." he pointed at the right man with the very thick eyebrows and long collarbone.
"And I'm Sand Dune. Please to meet you... Angora was it?" the middle man asked, having overheard her name earlier. Angora didn't speak, and simply nodded. Knowing it was probably going to take a while to get her to open up, Sand Dune sat along with the other two man and offer a set of cards to Angora.
"Ok. You don't have to talk then. We can still play games, right? I'd offer you a drink, but... well you know." Sand Dune commented, trying to be funny. Angora was still too shy to talk, but gave him a little smile, which he returned.
"There, that's better, isn't it? See? Those are some cute little tusks. Now come on. Take off that hood. Don't feel ashamed about that scratch. It'll heal in no time, but even if it turns into a scar, it'll have a story to tell." Sand Dune saying kindly, dumbfounding Angora but convincing her to show her head and face. She was still silent, and very nervous. She couldn't believe what was happening. We're these man being... kind to her? These strangers? Someone showing her kindness that wasn't Maverick or Shade was too much of a foreign territory for her, so she still didn't know how to feel exactly...

At the hallways, Maverick was still walking, growing a bit desperate about not finding Risar. He took a little detour near the brig, but knowing he couldn't visit Angora, he avoided the temptation of entering. He was making his way to the main deck when I'm his hurry, he accidentally crashed with Latnok.
"Oh! Oh! I'm so sorry señor Latnok. Perdón. I was in a bit of a rush." he apologized politely, hoping that the now seemingly kinder Latnok didn't get too upset about the clumsiness. He was still in shock on how the younger Guardian spoke on his defense in the cafeteria, but was also slightly disappointed that he didn't try to do anything to get Angora saved from the harsh punishment.

As Latnok left the pen once again-- Raclaw noticed Darkheart's eye's closing and her dead dipping as the alcohol began to sap the dragoness' energy. And upon having to catch her after briefly falling, the now mated fur dragon would offer an suggestion. "Shh shh.. it's alright. Come-- lie down next to me. Or on me if you would prefer. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. Just lie your head down and rest...," Raclaw said with slight coon as he positioned himself into a comfortable resting position. Darkheart could ether just lay down next to him, against him, or could even lay her head down on him depending on what she preferred. He gently encouraged the dragoness via their still partly coiled up tails, gently leading her to the chosen spot.

Chester, meanwhile, would lay down in his previous spot and resume his previous nap unless otherwise interrupted. He saw what Raclaw was doing and wondered if he could sneak in a comfortable resting place on top of or next to the beloved fur dragon. Raclaw was oh so comfortable, but now he and Latnok would not be the only ones to have experienced that comfort. Darkheart would now share in that comfort and would perhaps want more of it for herself. Only time would tell what sleeping arrangements would be made now that Raclaw was a mated dragon in addition to a claimed dragon.

Elsewhere-- Risar was making his rounds somewhere. A part of him wondered how Raclaw was doing, knowing how the fur dragon felt about the rain.

Darkheart essentially flopped onto Raclaw, her expression contented as she leaned most of her (admittedly slight) weight onto the fur dragon, allowing him to lead her wherever he chose.

As Maverick crashed into Latnok, he stood his ground, not being particularly startled. Instead, he tossed Maverick the scroll case.
"Letter from Angora," he said. "Write a letter if you want, and I'll give it to her when I have a chance." He was certain that Maverick would be surprised by such a gesture, but didn't much care to answer why - he would instead start to leave, heading back to his cabin to leave Maverick to read the letter in peace.

Maverick wasn't expecting Latnok to be so cool about it, even less to have a letter from Angora. He knew he couldn't visit her, but he never figured he could write her letters. It wasn't the same, but it was better than nothing.
"Oh? Well, um, gracias. I'll go to my cabin to write a reply. I'll look for you later señor Latnok." Maverick said, proceeding to leave as well. From where he was, his cabin was closer than Ilasi's, so he would go there to read the letter comfortably and write a reply. It would be difficult given how much the ship was moving around with the storm, but with such a long life in voyages, Maverick wasn't prone to seasickness anymore.

At the brig, Angora started playing gin rummy with the trio of former pirates, without saying a word. She only played rummy before, but gin rummy wasn't that different. She started to think only the name was different. But it wasn't the added word that got her thinking. It was this trio's name. Random? Opium? Sand Dune? Those couldn't possibly be their real names. They had to be nicknames. No surprise there, since many pirates chose nicknames instead of their real names, with very few keeping their real ones like captains or the lowest ranked crewmembers.

Star blinked at the golden light. What? What was that?! He rubbed his eyes and looked closer at what he'd seen.

With the ship moving forward, the storm continued to intensify. The more radiant lightning made Sere extremely wary; he set a course to avoid it as best as he could. Though the torrential downpour limited visibility, Sere was still barely able to make out a landmark which helped keep him on track.
Ilasi had shifted again on deck. "I'm here, captain," she said, reporting in.
"Stand by," Sere ordered. "The lightning rods - it seems the wind is starting to wear on them. We may need some emergency repairs if this continues."

Maverick went to his cabin ignoring the movement of the ship. To be more comfortable, he laid down on his bed to read Angora's letter.

Hey Maverick.

How are you? I'm doing my best here. It's actually more spacious here than I thought.
At least Risar is the guard and treats me very well, better than the other prison I've been in.
Don't you worry about me. I'll be fine. Just keep an eye on Shady from the distance and enjoy
your time with Ilasi. It's cool that you could find someone after so many years, and a mermaid
no less. Just keep doing a good job and don't be sad. I've been through far worse than this.

With love, Angora.

Maverick brought the letter to his chest, really missing Angora so much. A single read from anybody who didn't know her and they would never imagined she was a troll. He didn't know if she was telling the truth or if she was writing that to make him feel better, but whatever the case, it did gave him a little peace of mind. With his new position, he hoped he could visit her very soon, or better yet, get her out of that infernal place.

Quote: darknessdawn

Darkheart essentially flopped onto Raclaw, her expression contented as she leaned most of her (admittedly slight) weight onto the fur dragon, allowing him to lead her wherever he chose.

Raclaw led Darkheart to a spot that not far from where they had been previously making out. It was a Wyvern pen and certainly wasn't his relatively cozy bed in his cabin, but it would have to do. As Raclaw laid down and allowed the tired dragoness to rest on him-- he offered his wing as a blanket covering part of Darkheart and offering some warmth/comfort.

As the ship continued to rock back and forth, the lightning illuminated a monstrous wave in the distance. Though Sere doubted that it could capsize the ship, it would certainly sweep away anything on the deck.
"All non-essential personnel, in the cabins now!" he ordered via telepathy, to allow those on the deck to listen to him even if they couldn't hear him over the roar of the storm. "Ilasi, you stay behind me. With water magic and force magic, we should at least be able to keep ourselves on the deck."
"I'm ready, captain!" she yelled out. They would have to brace themselves...

As the parted wave missed Sere and Ilasi completely, they were left wondering exactly what it was that just happened.
"Uh... Captain..." Ilasi began, not quite sure what to say.
"I have no idea what that is," Sere answered, preempting her question. "It seems to be creating a safer path for the moment, at least, and we can maintain our bearing in that direction for a while. If it wants to engage us there... well, it would probably have done so regardless." Sere steered the ship, setting a new heading to follow the creature.