Ray blinked. It was all over and he missed it, and it took him a moment to register that it wasn't because he blinked. He would have figured it out eventually, but the announcer

Announcer said "L-...Ladies and Gentlemen. It appears we have a unanimous decision... One that has never happened in the history of our tournament.... But, um, Luro Makachi has forfeited his chance at the prize. He gave up $20,000...to go get rum!"

The announcer continued, but Ray didn't hear it over the disappointed shouting from the fight fans; the most virulent of it was coming from his own throat. “Luro, you pigeon-eyed, stripey, nimtopsical snake seeing tosspot! I wanted a fight you vulcanized sot, and instead you bugger off to get phalanxed, you poleaxed, potulent, pickled, palintoshed, piss-eyed, paggered peelywally! Pah!” Ray sat down in his seat, exasperated. Nolan asked him if he wanted to join him for treats. Calmed down now, Ray shrugged. “Eh, why not, though I'd prefer a drink.” He rolled his eyes and thought, Maybe Luro had the right idea....

Luro sat on the steps of the stadium a few drinks at his feet that he had gotten from the various shops around him, he admitted that some of the things he was drinking was certainly interesting. He could acquire a taste for whatever this 'sake' stuff was but none of it lessened his love for rum though it did make him a bit more curious about the many lands out there. He put a few of the bottles, gourds and jugs he had purchased in a medium sized bag before throwing it over his shoulder a few clinks coming from it.
Alicia hadn't appeared so he assumed she didn't want to fight, if that was the case he was going to take the opportunity to check out some more of the stalls. He stood up and started making his way towards a vendor he had passed early on when his eyes immediately shot to a musket sitting horizontally on another stand.
Luro immediately made his way over the stand and looked the middle aged mustached salesman in the eye as he dropped his bag and slammed both his hands on the stand causing the gun and stand to shake a little.
"C-can I help you sir," the man said putting on a nervous smile.
Luro reached forward and gripped the front of the man's shirt before pulling him closer their faces inches from one another, the man's panicked eyes met the narrowed eyes of Luro though a wide grin was on his face as he spoke the next words in a very low voice with a bit too much enthusiasm and desire behind it.
"Give me this gun and every interesting one you have," he said before holding up a pouch where he kept his money with his other hand. "I want to inspect all of them them...thoroughly"

The vendor gave a wide wave to Luro as he walked away carrying a large sack full of the man's guns over his shoulder along with a few flintlock pistols on his belt, his smaller medium bag was placed within the large one as he couldn't both.
Luro hoisted the bag up over his shoulder and started to make his way back to the ship wondering if everyone was already there, he moved away from the stands not wanting to weave through crowds and instead walking along the roads since where there was less people to go through.
However before he could even make it halfway back to the ship a figure stood in his path, when he saw who it was he grinned and dropped his bag on the ground.
Mary stood in front of Luro a intense glared pointed in Luro's direction, if not for the visible shaking and tear stung eyes that Luro couldn't help but chuckle at she'd look a bit serious.
"Well look at you," Luro said crossing his arms. "You look like you've been through some heavy stuff there."
"....why...."
The words came from Mary in a quiet voice at first but she lowered her gaze to the ground for a moment trying to calm herself before looking at him again.
"Why did you do this?!"
"Cause I could."
The simple answer took Mary by surprise but she did her best not to show it, she just continued to stare at him not satisfied with that answer. Realizing this Luro let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.
"Are you angry at me for what I did? I mean you probably believed in her didn't you? She told you everything would be alright didn't she? You wanted to believe that it would be that simple and you two could continue to be together sharing even more happy memories forever...and you did up until I shot her that is."
Mary's hands gripped her skirt but she bit her lip trying to keep herself calm but staring at the droopy eyed gaze of this man who just didn't seem to care was testing every fragment of her being.
"You're a monster...I don't understand...why you did all this..."
Luro's eyebrows arched a bit at her words but a small smirk slid onto his face and when Mary met his eyes again she felt a chill run down her spine seeing his expression. Luro grabbed one of his pistols and she felt her heart stink as he readied it his gaze never leaving her, the smirk widened just a little bit as he raised the pistol.
"Here."
Luro tossed the pistol causing it to land at Mary's feet, she stared wide eyed at the loaded pistol before her gaze moved back to Luro who stood with both his arms extended.
"Kill me, if I'm such a monster than go ahead and shoot me one less one in the world right? You could even take revenge for Lily, you'd feel better if I was served 'justice' right, so do it then."
Mary stared at him a look moving between confusion, surprise and anger all appearing on her face one after another, reaching down she grabbed the pistol and raising it pointed it at Luro who didn't move his arms still held out. There was an uncomfortable silence between the two for a moment and Mary's hand started to shake the longer she pointed it at him, Luro grinned watching as she lowered it the pistol falling from her hands and hitting the ground.
"That's what I thought," Luro said lowering his arms and picking his bag back up. "If you don't got the conviction to kill me then why are you in my way? If I'm such a threat to you, if I'm such a monstrous human being then do something about it, don't just stand there and spout your meaningless opinion at me. I'm not going to change just because you lost something and you blame me. If you want to blame someone blame Lily for being foolish."
Luro walked over and grabbing the pistol messed with it before putting it back on his waist.
"If you'll excuse me I have to find my fellow crew mates, don't make the same mistakes Lily did or I'll regret not just ending your life now and saving someone else the trouble."
Luro walked past her not bothering to look back as Mary fell onto her knees dirtying the dress Lily had gotten for her even more.
"I don't understand you...." Mary mumbled. "You did all this...and yet you..."

Runali ended up buying a few miscellaneous things. She couldn't help it. They were so convincing! And the performers on the streets were rather entertaining as well, so she gave them money as well. "I need to get out of here before they end up sucking all the money out of me." The captain hurried off, only to be stopped by a wide eyed little boy. "Pardon me kid, I'm trying to-"

"What happened to your eye?"

"Huh? My eye? Oh, right that...Where's your parent kid?" Runali glanced around, not too far away from a familiar red headed male. The curious kid looked to the right and then to the left before pointing off to one of the vendors, where his mother was chatting away.

"What happened to your eye?"

Runali crossed her arms and sighed a little. "You really want to know? Fine." She leaned in close, as if about to tell him some secret and smirked a little. "As a child, I didn't listen to my parents. So I got my eye ripped right out. Lots of parents do it...Heh, hope you're a good little boy." The boy gaped in horror, shock by such an answer. Next thing she knew, he was crying and running off to his mother- probably to go apologize for a few wrong doings. Runali chuckled and hurried off to meet Luro. At a glance, he noticed some child running off, and his first thought ran over to the Lily woman. 'Must've been her child...' She thought before falling in step next to Luro.

"That's a lot of guns you have there."

- - - - - -

As Nolan, Danny, and Ray walked to get cotton candy, they too were coaxes by vendors of all kinds. One of the dancers managed to swoop in grab Ray's hand for a dance, while Danny and Nolan were tempted with a few exotic finds as well.



Coincidentally enough, as they were dragging themselves away from all the temptations, Runali caught sight of them and waved them down. "Look at that, the gang's all here." When Danny walked up, she handed the girl a pinwheel. "I don't know, it seemed fitting. You know, navigator and all?" She gave a small smile and then a shrug. "Oh, and here Nolan." From the other things she carried, a chef's hat was one of them. "Now you can look official."

As they all spoke, a softer unknown voice called to Luro. As tall as he was, Runali moved from his side to see who was talking. "Oh, it's Tashigi." For a moment, she wondered what the woman would want. But that was soon answered. She was giving him the money? When Runali looked a little closer, she realized it was just have. Which, was pretty fair. Looking between the two, she crossed her arms. It was his decision to keep the money, so she waited. "Nice to meet you Miss. I'm Runali. Captain of this crew here. StarDusk pirates, to be exact." Normally, there was a tip of the hat after her greeting, but since she didn't have that, so she gave a nod. "You're swordsmanship is pretty good. Sucks I couldn't see a fight between you two. So, what's a supposed legend doing walking around a tourist island?"

Meanwhile, the day grew dim and lanterns were lit, causing a rather pretty sight through the island.



"Later tonight, the fireworks show will begin!"

Utsukushī was one true tourist town alright. "We'll more than likely see them as we sail off." She mused as the people spread the news.

Candy clouds? He never thought of it that way. Nolan laughed, "i guess you can say that. Who knows," he titled his head back a bit and watched the sky, "the clouds up there could taste just as sweet." And soon enough, Ray had agreed to join them.

The trio went from stall to stall and Nolan ended up buying a new apron and a giant stuffed bear that was too cute to ignore. He'd keep it safe then give it to Annie, she loved stuffed animals and before he left he promised he'd come back with souvenirs.

If he returned empty handed, well, it wouldn't be a pretty sight. Nolan laughed at the memory.

* * * *

"So...you're really going, aren't you?" Annie jabbed a finger at his chest, eyebrows drawn together and lips pulled into a pout.

He kept his eyes on his feet. "Only for a little while, I'll be back, you know I'll be back."

"You're just going to leave, and I'll worry everyday!" She threw back her hands but instead of yelling some more, she quieted down and sighed. "You'll be extra careful, won't you, Nolan...I swear, if anything happens to you I will kill you!"

He laughed at the last part then placed an affectionate hand on her head. "Of course I'll be careful, Annie. I'll be back with souvenirs and everything, and I promise you, I'll be back in one piece." He drew an x over his heart and beamed.

"You better though," the corners of her lips quirked up into a smile, "I wouldn't mind battle scars here and there."

"Oh, wow..." The cook arched his eyebrows.

Annie smirked, "what? They're kind of sexy, Nolan. You have to admit that." She laughed when his ears went red. He fumbled with his collar for a moment, mumbling about souvenirs and she leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek.

* * * *

Gosh, he really missed home. Nolan was snapped out his thoughts when they ran into the captain and Luro. His mood dampened the moment his eyes landed on his crew mate, and it didn't help that it was starting to get dark out. He was thankful that Luro's opponent arrived and began talking to him. It meant he only had to focus on the captain. She gave him a chef's hat and he beamed. "It matches the apron I bought," he pulled the captain into a thankful hug.

Most of the crew mates were starting to become like family. Like brothers and sisters from far away.

He took a bite out of his cotton candy as the others talked and soon it was dark out. They mentioned fireworks and the thought of watching them from the boat was nice. "Hey captain, I saw one stall with a bunch of pirate hats, I thought you might like to know about it." He nodded at Alicia's direction in greeting. "Congratulations on winning, your sword skills were very impressive."

Luro walked at a slower pace than usual multiple thoughts swimming through his head as he tried to make sense of a few of the things he had seen and done there, he found some serious thoughts starting to surface in his mind and he brought a hand to his head as another headache came on. It had been some time since he had actually been completely alone, he was normally with one of the crew at some point in time, except at night but even then he was normally on the ship and they weren't too far away. His eyes drooped just a little as he started to realize a few things as he weaved through the crowd, things were starting to surface that he had to promptly push back down, fears for the most part that ate at him and took effort just to force away.
He couldn't afford to let these thoughts effect him, not right now, he needed to get back to the ship and get ready to leave the island, so with a small smile he picked up his pace and sped up a bit.

A familiar voice called out to him and he turned to see Runali, he grinned and pat the sack with his free hand quite proud of his purchase and soon enough the captain noticed the others and chuckled a little as they came over, he did tilt his head a little when his eyes landed on Nolan, something seemed...off about him but he couldn't really place what it was. He started to ask but hearing his name he turned to see Alicia walking towards them, Luro dropped his bag of guns and turned fully towards her wondering if she was coming for that duel but when she spoke to him he ended up staring at her his brow arching a bit as he listened.
When she held the money out Luro couldn't help but laugh a little though he covered his mouth to try and conceal it with little success, he didn't expect something like this, but it was a pleasant surprise to say the least.
"I told you to keep it," Luro said shaking his head. "I won't pass up free money though."
Luro reached forward and took his half the earnings before putting them in a small pouch where he kept a majority of his money, after a few satisfying clinks the bag looked much heavier and full.
"Glad I could offer you some enjoyment, I had fun too," Luro said before looking back at the small town.
His eyes seemed to narrow for a moment as he took another look and with a small smile he turned back towards the others since he wanted to speak with them as the captain spoke to Alicia, at least that's who he heard.
"Did you guys have fun, did you see the fights, all of them were entertaining well except for that first fight," he said referring to the one with Lily. "It was kind of fun but it was more of a bother then anything else, didn't think I'd run into anyone I'd know here though I suppose it was a bit of good fortune on my end. I got to rid the world of that annoying harlot, I'm kinda said I can't kill her twice...though that did raise complications since I wasn't allowed to do that. I can't explain how satisfying it was to see that look on her face in those last moments."
Luro's eyes narrowed a little as a small smirk formed on his face, for a second there was a hint of malice and hate behind his gaze but it vanished as quickly as it came and he clapped his hands together his wide smile returning as he returned to his normal self.
"Ah my apologies I got lost in my world there for a moment, and sorry to use such a word in front of you young lasses, anyway that matter aside what did you all do, it seems like you have some souvenirs."

The crew went into town with a twofold purpose: to find Luro and enjoy everything the town had to offer. And it certainly had a lot. Though Ray was eager to make fun of Luro's forfeit for a variety of reasons... What's the matter Luro, had enough of hitting girls? Or were you getting too sober to shoot straight? ...he was rather easily distracted by the sights, sounds and tastes of the festival. And the beautiful young dancer who roped him into doing an unfamiliar dance. It certainly wasn't a waltz, but Ray got the hang of it in record time, swaggering his hips in time to the music, much to the amusement of his crewmates. They only stayed for so long, and Ray reluctantly left the dancer with a gentlemanly kiss to the hand.

By the time they found Luro, all Ray's rancour towards him for being cheated of a fight had evaporated. He was with Alicia, and she was sharing the prize money. Ray was rather touched by her magnanimous gesture and smiled. He stepped forward to introduce himself. “Miss Tashigi, I must say its as much a pleasure to meet you in person as it is to watch you fight in the arena.” He put his good foot forward and bowed in the formal Lendrian style. “I am Raymond Skalter, a companion of your former opponent Luro, and singularly impressed with the way you handle a blade.” He flashed a debonair smile and would have continued chatting her up if he hadn't noticed something sticking out of Luro's sack of guns.

“What. Is. That?” He asked with a disgusted look on his face. He reached in and pulled out what he feared he saw. “Is this a duckfoot? You actually bought a duckfoot pistol?” He shook his head. “I... Just....” He struggled to find the right word. “It's just so... ugly. And dumb.” He tossed it back into the pile of weaponry. He reached into his coat and pulled a bottle of rum out, took a swig and tossed the bottle to Luro. “Anyway, congratulations, you sot. Here's your consolation prize for second place.”

Danny laughed as Ray was pulled into a dance by a dancer wearing the least amount of clothes the navigator had ever seen a girl ever wear. all the same, it was amusing to watch Ray try to pick up the steps, which he did quite well. as they continued on through the stalls, she kept her eye out for one specific object that was close to her heart. she almost completely ignored the two men whom she was with in search of it, and when she did spot it she rushed off without a word, giggling loudly. when she returned to the boys, she proudly showed the various jars of coloured liquid.
"I got coloured ink! My maps will be that much better! I can add to the ones I have! I am so excited! Look it blue! And this one's green, also red! these are so cool! I bought all the coloured ink the stall had! I can die happy." She said the last part suddenly and completely straight faced, her eyes in a far away state.she shook her head, placing the jars in her bag, her usual grin back on her face as she noticed that they had found the others. the captain handed her a pinwheel, prompting Danny to let out a squeal, jumping.
"I love these! We had a few of them back on the island. a ship left them behind! but they all broke! yes!" she continued to bounce, staring around at the people around her.
"I love this place, Its so fun."

~"I laid broken at his feet, yet still he demanded I rise again. I dared not to defy his order"~

Alicia had remained as calm and serene as the moment she'd stepped into the arena, even as Luro laughed at her gesture before taking the money. It mattered not whether he valued the gesture or not, only that he received what was fair for his part in her final fight. As he took the money her hand drifted back to her side, resting upon the top of her sword as Luro's other crew mates appeared to arrive one by one, allowing her to observe them individually with moderate curiosity. Pirates had always been of interest to her, especially as they always seemed to tell great stories. It was then that the would be captain spoke, causing Alicia to give a small feminine chuckle as she mentioned the legend, "Nice to meet you Captain Runali, It seems even visiting pirates can't escape the rumors of the mysterious and ridiculous" she said with a soft smile before continuing, "And thank you, but I'm also visiting. I heard of a man naming himself a champion swordsman and felt I had to test his metal for myself. As I thought, his sword was merely made of hot air" she said with a slight expression of amusement at her own slight silliness. "I hope this doesn't offend you Captain, but you seem very young to be in the command of a pirate crew. However if your friend Luro here is any kind of indication to the strength of you and your crew, I do not envy your enemies" she said with a polite tip of her head.

It was then that one of her crew interjected with his introduction, introducing himself as Raymond Skalter. She noted his movements and smiled warmly, "You're from Lendrian?" she said semi rhetorically as she recognized the bow before she replied in kind, "Alicia Tashigi, it is a pleasure to meet you too Mister Skalter" she said as she placed her hand on her stomach, over the yellow band of the bow which held the rich blue fabric tightly around her waist, bending forwards slightly as she drew her other hand gracefully to her side, simultaneously bending her knees a little and sliding a foot behind the other so it all transitioned into a curtsy with a small bow. When she stood straight again she continued, "I'm glad you enjoyed my style, the sword is an art of which I've dedicated allot of myself too" she smiled, "So it's always nice to receive a compliment regarding it" she said before watching as he pulled out a rather ugly pistol, needless to say it looked ridiculous and clumsy. But then she thought that of most projectile weapons. As she watched the pirates converse among themselves she couldn't help but notice they were rather different to most of the other pirates she'd met along her journey. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was though.

Runali simply nodded towards Alicia's thanks. She would have said more, but Ray began to greet her as well. Of course, he had to add his gentlemanly suave, making her wonder if he'd cause the woman to swoon. Though, that didn't seem like her style. And surprisingly enough, she knew how to respond. What an interesting 'legend' she was. The odd pistol Ray pulled out was what she looked at next. It definitely was odd, but Luro bought it so had to be of use....Then again, it looked as if he bought the entire stand. More toys for him she supposed.

Her attention turned to Dani and Nolan as they happily received their gifts. "Awesome, now you're a complete chef. A pirate hat doesn't sound that bad...Maybe I could-" She shook her head, making the hood fall off her head. "I might end up buying more than just a new pirate hat. And I'm glad you like it Dani. I guess I should have gotten two for you." She lifted her hood back over her head. Runali was about to turn to Alicia to speak, but her eye flashed to Luro.

The way he spoke of killing Lily was rather casual. There was something different about him in that moment... She wasn't quite sure what it was, but it wasn't the normal Luro they were so acquainted with. She figured, if he wasn't attacking his own crew then things should have been fine. His reasons were his own, and his past was his past.

Alicia said "I hope this doesn't offend you Captain, but you seem very young to be in the command of a pirate crew. However if your friend Luro here is any kind of indication to the strength of you and your crew, I do not envy your enemies"

The captain crossed her arms and gave a slight smirk. "Believe it or not, I'm the youngest one in the crew- heh, but Dani's the shortest." It came to her realization some time ago when Dani was made official. Now she wasn't the only one that could make use of having Luro as a stool. She looked at her crew and then gave a nod. "We're pretty tough. Small, but a sturdy crew. I'm proud of them." She motioned towards the sea, signalling for them to move it to their ship. As she followed them away, Runali turned on her heel, walking backwards. "You know, someone with your skill would be a great addition to our crew. I wouldn't mind a new face." She looked up at the lanterns that began to light the island. 'A female swordsman. She's good at what she does.... It's kind of sudden to just add more members right after losing one, but...I think she'd fit in.'

"You know, we have another crew mate skilled with a sword. He's on a...temporary leave at the moment. But his name is Kai, most knew him as "The Leviathan". It would be pretty cool to see that fight." Runali was more so rambling to herself at that point. Realizing her crew was walking off, she saluted the swordswoman and hurried to follow after them. "Alright guys, let's try not to get caught up in more vendors." She hopped forward and snagged the last of Nolan's cotton candy. It grew darker and a person stepped out in front of them. Not in confrontation, but because the pirates were technically in the way. Ray would probably recognize her as the woman who snatched him up to dance.

She was in much different attire this time. Runali moved her way to the front of the pack to see what was going on, only to see a woman's dress light on fire. Before the people that were visiting could panic, the flames controlled and died down until her dancing could be seen.



"Whoa..." She watched on in awe for a moment until the woman danced away. "This place is amazing." She mused and then lead the crew to the ship. They had spent the entire day at Utsukushī. Any longer and the crew would be sucked dry of all the money they had. Then again...a few- just a few stops wouldn't hurt as they walked off to the Coral Pearl.

A weird looking pistol and colored ink. This place really did have everything and for a moment, he thought about buying more souvenirs.

"Now, the maps will look a lot more eye-catching." He chuckled then turned to look at Alicia. He had to agree with Ray, Nolan hadn't focused much on the fight, but the parts of it he had seen were definitely something. This swordswoman, she moved with finesse yet struck hard and quick, almost like lightning. "It was a very impressive fight indeed, your mastery of the blade is really something special." He flashed her a grin but when Luro began mumbling about Lily the smile on the cook's face faded and he quieted down, unsure of what to say next.

Still, he didn't want to dampen the mood so he looked to the side and watched an old man play a flute.

The woman that had danced with Ray was back as well and this time with bright flames around her clothes. He flinched when he first noticed the fire but the worry ebbed away when he noticed that she wasn't flailing--she was dancing beautifully.

"Yeah, this place has everything." He ignored Luro for the most part but gave the rest of his crewmates a smile. Nolan had never seen anything like this back in his hometown, so it was definitely a site to behold.

Eventually, they returned to the ship and as they boarded fireworks erupted in the night sky. "Wow, would you look at that." He dipped his head back and squinted his eyes, both hands pressed onto the ship's railing. "It's absolutely breathtaking." He couldn't tear his eyes away and he wished they would stay until the end of the fireworks show. It would have been a shame if they missed it.

Danny hopped circles around the group, grinning wildly as she stopped beside Ray, now that the captain was talking to Alicia.
"We should come back here, yeah? Its a fun place. so much to do." she continued babbling on incoherently to herself, her mind racing a mile a minute. The tiny being was excitable before, but now there was almost too much stimulation and new experiences around her, add that on top of the sugar she had consumed it was a recipe for even more energy. She moved with the group as they went towards the Coral Pearl, but was once again intercepted by a woman, although Danny couldn't see, being at the back of the group. she didn't mind at first, as there were enough people around for her to stare at, but when there was a bright light, her interest was peeked. Quick thinking, She jumped onto Ray's back, with him carrying the least amount of stuff. gazing over the heads, the navigator's eyes widened to almost comical sizes, her breath stopping in her throat as she stared at the fire twirling around the girl. she couldn't decide if the sight was beautiful or terrifying. she didn't get off Ray's back as they started to move again, enjoying the extra height for once. eventually, her eyes started to droop, her head resting more and more on Ray's shoulder. she didn't truly fall asleep, but the girl definitely was dozing off. Danny let herself drop off of Ray's back when they reached the ship, her head snapping behind them as the fireworks started to cross the sky. wide awake again, she rushed to beside nolan in a panic, pointing.
"The city is under attack! We should prepare a counter!" she exclaimed, waving. "We need to do something! there's so many people in there!"

Ray began heading back to the ship, eager to 'acquire' more gifts for the crew. He already got the bottle for Luro and another for himself, and figured he could use his talents to get things for everyone else. His task was momentarily interrupted by the dancer from before, now performing a fire dance. Ray was impressed, enjoying the seemingly dangerous dance. Danny, excitable as ever, now possibly more so, if it was possible, spontaneously leapt on his back, throwing Ray off-balance for a moment. He winced, expecting her weight to be pushing into the bottle of booze he had stored in one of his many jacket pockets, but she missed it.

When the dancer finished her performance, she playfully caught Ray's eye, daring him to try. Ray inclined his head to her and said, “I don't expect to match your skill and grace in this dance, much less your courage in trying it. I must concede you are by far the better dancer, milady.” He bid her farewell with a blown kiss, smiling with the same playfulness she exhibited while Danny waved goodbye from atop his head.

Danny stayed on his back once they moved on, and Ray sighed. Looks like his plans for pickpocketing gifts would have to wait, possibly until another day. Besides, he had absolutely no clue what to get for the Captain. He sighed in place of shrugging, smiled, and enjoyed the sights with Danny, who slowly began to drift off.

Once they got back to the ship, Ray gently let Danny down and fished out from his jacket the bottle of wine he stole, relieved to see it intact. He took a swig and grimaced. This is definitely not the vintage it says it is. Then the fireworks started, a sight Ray was familiar with. Many nobles on Lendria opened their balls and parties with fireworks; they were extremely fashionable a few years ago, but were recently beginning to slightly decline in popularity, if only because they had become cliched.

“I used to live a life of leisure with occasional bouts of excitement,” Ray said to no one in particular, savoring his cheap wine and enjoying the fireworks. “Being a pirate isn't so different, except that the leisure is replaced with boredom and the excitement is replaced with terror, so it was nice to have a day where I could have some of that leisure back.” He said with an introspective smirk.

Breaking from his reverie, Ray noticed a new crate on the ship addressed to him. He smiled as he opened it: the tailor had delivered. Inside was a dashing red suit reinforced with iron plates and leather padding: a modern suit of armor. The tailor had to work with a blacksmith to get this ensemble done, and it alone cost Ray over half his prize from Waterdeep to get it done in a single day.



He held it up proudly and said, “With all the fighting we were doing, I figured that if we ever had the chance to prepare for a fight, I could wear this.”

Alicia watched as the pirates walked away, losing herself in thought as the lanterns for the festival illuminated the streets from above. She began to walk away before she slowed down, taking another glance at them before continuing on again, losing herself among the crowds which began to fill the beautifully lit streets. All kinds of vendors began to line the sides of the streets as people came dressed in themed representations of mythical creatures and deities. It was truly a sight to behold and anyone who was there to witness it would tell you that the colors witnessed were some of the most beautiful. Even some of the fireworks burst into shapes and images which caused people to roar, cheer and laugh as music began to fill the streets.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the crew of the Coral Pearl would board and prepare to leave, a shadow would appear at the end of the docks blanketed by the night and caught briefly by light of the booming fireworks. The figure would gradually get closer before the light from the ship would cast a glow over the figure, now seen to be Alicia. She appeared to be carrying a bag which seemed to show the same exotic patterns as her dress. Inside of it were all of her belongings which she'd taken since leaving home. "Captain Runali!" she'd call, and wait for her to appear at the edge of the ship before giving her a small smile, "You made me an offer back at the arena. I'd like to accept it" she said in her soft tone as she awaited permission to come aboard. She hoped the offer was still there, she had no other plans of getting off the island and it could be months before another pirate crew appears who she would consider traveling with.

Luro grinned a little when Ray pulled out the pistol, he figured he could use some of the parts for another of his guns he did admit it looked funny though. He kind of wanted to show him the other funny things he had in his bag but when Ray tossed him the bottle everything else became meaningless as he took a quick drink from it.
"It's a grand prize to me, thanks Ray," Luro said beaming. "Ah I'm going to cherish you...for the next three minutes maybe two, actually make that thirty seconds."
The captain seemed to hand out a few gifts to the others and he was positive he heard conversations going on around him but Luro's was lost in his own world drinking from the bottle, he only came back when he noticed everyone was heading back towards the ship, not wanting to fall behind he quickly finished the bottle and tossed it in the large sack before adjusting it on his shoulder.
He was a bit hesitant to go but he was starting to miss the calm quiet of the sea, everything was rowdy and loud here which he enjoyed but nothing beat the serenity of sailing on the Coral Pearl.

"The only way to find the good people in this world is the meet the bad one first. Isn't that right Luro?"
Luro came to a stop on the way back to the ship finding words being directed at him from a nearby person, he turned to see a small grin on what was once the crying face of the woman he had shot mere moments before.
Lily stood a few feet away a hand on her hip with Mary standing next to her clutching her dress her attention focused on Luro, with a small chuckle Luro set his bag down and turned fully towards her.
He glanced back to the see the others were still going which meant he had a few minutes to spare, he looked back at Lily who shook her head and raised her hand bringing it to her chest.
"Either you're a really good shot or I'm just lucky," she said reaching in her shirt pocket and pulling out the pocket-watch holding it by its chain.
In the center of it was a large indentation where Luro's bullet had hit, a small smile slipped onto Luro's face as he gave a small nonchalant shrug.
"Who knows," he said chuckling a little. "I was pretty sober could have been a miss on my part."
"Oh stuff it, we both know the answer already. I'm getting really tired of you playing the bad guy for my benefit, you did enough of that when we were younger."
"Someone's got to do it," Luro said with a firm nod before he watch Mary step away from Lily.
"That's what I didn't understand," Mary said speaking up. "...you had to know I knew Lily was alive...yet you were still acting like that."
Luro brought a hand to his chin at this not really sure if he should say anything, but if it was already out there he didn't see the point in keeping it to himself anymore.
"I wanted you to feel the hopelessness that comes in believing in something, or someone and then losing it right in front of your eyes. When you experience a feeling like that, it makes you want to hold onto what you have that much tighter. Besides there are evil people in the world who will take things from you just cause they can, figured you should meet one sooner rather than later."
Lily squeezed the bridge of her nose and shook her head as Mary moved back behind her, she seemed to understand but knowing he was capable of that wasn't much comfort.
"This is why you have so many enemies, you know some of your crewmates had to see that, what would you have done if some looked at you differently? I mean that Nolan guy watched us argue, did you even see the look on his face when you said all that."
A weak chuckle escaped from Luro at that, his gaze ended up moving to the ground as it was something he had actually anticipated a little.
"Even I fear being judged by people I care about Lily...I was curious...what if I did this, showed this other side to myself I wonder what the response would be. I can't fully trust others without showing them the bad side of me too you know...I don't think Nolan's ready to see more of me yet which is okay, it'd be weird if he just accepted it all of a sudden I wouldn't know what to do...as for everyone else I imagine with time we'll see more of each other eventually. Strange enough even with all of that I'd still take a shot for each one of them, especially Nolan, he has a lass to go back too I couldn't bare the idea of him not returning to a loved one. He's really lucky there's no place for me to return to...well aside from the Coral Pearl which is my home."
Luro raised his gaze and rubbed the back of his head smiling at Lily who returned one back at him, she looked at the pocket-watch before holding it out towards him.
"Do you remember when you got this for me, you opened it and showed me that it was ticking...that it never stopped no matter what I did. Then you told me...that the world doesn't stand still for you, so you have to stand up and keep going else you'll just get left behind."
Luro held the pocket-watch close to her chest with both hands and Mary glanced around her body at her.
"Thank you Luro, I needed this reminder...how could I do anything for Mary when I couldn't even confront everything in front of me. I shouldn't smile because it's the right thing to do...I need to do it because I want to. When I'm sad, when I'm afraid, when I'm happy, no matter what I have to smile because I have to face despair with confidence no matter what happens."
"Exactly," Luro said grinning at her. "I think Mary's dealt with enough right? No need for her to go through everything we did, she's in good hands if she's got you Lily."
Luro glanced back at the crew to see they were watching some lady dance with fire, he arched a brow at it and even Mary's attention was drawn to it but he quickly turned back around remember something.
"Oh yeah here," Luro said before tossing his pouch of money at Lily.
Lily caught it her eyes widening a little as she felt the weight of it, she looked at Luro shock and disbelief clear on her face but Luro shoved both aside with a shooing motion with his hand.
"There's a little over 100,000 in there, that should be enough to hold you over right?"
"L-Luro I'm thankful but I can't take this much, we only need 20,000, I don't-"
"Lily I'm a pirate, if I want something I just steal it that money's basically useless if I just take what I want. I was just going to spend it on rum anyway, besides-"
Luro held the palm of his hand out then showed them the back, he spun his hand once before a small sliver coin appeared between his forefinger and middle finger before he made it move along the top of his knuckles.
"I got enough to get me a bottle, I'm content."
Lily stared at the pouch for a moment, with a small nod she put the pouch in the pocket on her side fastening to make sure it was safe. She pat Mary's head who seemed just as shocked and looked at Luro who had made the coin vanish again before having it reappear in his other hand.
"Thank you Luro, really I appreciate it," Lily said. "I became stronger so I wouldn't need your help anymore but I ended up still needing it anyway, guess I'm not quite there yet."
"Silly," Luro said letting the coin fall into his sleeve. "Of course I'm going to help you, you're my friend. You can be the strongest woman to walk the west or eastern continent I'm still gonna help you."
Luro smiled at Lily and started to leave but he felt someone tug on his pants leg, when he looked down he noticed Mary staring up at him, he knelt down to eye level to show he was paying attention wondering what she had to say. To a bit of his own surprise she just pointed at his long sleeve, his attention moved back to Lily at this and she offered a small nod of the head.
"You wanna see?" Luro said grabbing a hold of his sleeve.
Mary only offered a nod and Luro responded with a shrug.
"She told you more than I thought, you two must be really close."
Luro rolled his sleeve up a bit past his wrist and Mary's eyes widened a little as she stared at his arm, she immediately averted her gaze causing Luro to roll it back down.
"Sorry...I didn't meant to stare."
"It's alright," Luro said standing back up. "I'm a horrible monster remember, that's just the mark of a sinner, I told you before that I was a bad person."
"You're not a monster," Mary said as Luro went to pick up his bag. "You're still a pirate but...you're a different one."
"Hahaha plenty of people would say differently but...I appreciate the thought, make sure to keep an eye on Lily for me."
Luro threw the bag back over his shoulder needing to catch up with the crew, he was taking too long they were probably back by now.
"I'll catch up to you eventually Luro," Lily said as he turned his back to her.
"Give yourself more credit Lily," he responded glancing back at her. "You've grown more than you think, oh yeah this conversation never happened. I'd rather my fellow crewmates not see me like this."
"Never happened," Lily said before looking at Mary who nodded in agreement.
"Aye that'll do fine then. Oh yeah do me a favor, in every town you go to from here on make sure to spread the word of Nolan the puppy killing maniac Fischer,"
"Nolan...oh that blond haired guy, the Crimson Monarch."
"Yeah him by the way he gained the nickname because whenever he drew his weapon he ends up covered in the blood of his enemies, and the blood always get's in his hair making it look like he's wearing a red and gold crown. They call him the puppy killing maniac because he's so evil they figured he'd just kill puppies if he met one which he would. Make sure everyone you meet knows the dangers of this man. That's not to say he's a bad cook though, he's really really good, just you know...kills puppies."
"I'll tell everyone in my travels Luro, I promise."
"Good good, he's a legend really but people don't realize he actually exists, make sure you let them know he's a real person, don't forget puppy killing maniac. Nolan Fischer, great cook but you know...puppies."
With that Luro turned and jogged off as Lily and Mary waved goodbye.

Luro made it back to the ship and tossed his guns on the deck before wiping some sweat from his forehead, that took more effort then he thought still he was glad to be back on Coral.
He reached into the gun sack and pulled out the medium sack full of drinks before pulling out a bottle of rum, by time he made it back the fireworks were already staring pulling his attention towards them.
He smiled glad he could see them on the Coral Pearl, it had been years since he last saw fireworks though he still disliked them greatly he couldn't help but watch taking a drink every now and then.
He looked over at Ray seeing him pull out another outfit, he rubbed the side of his head positive he had changed outfits already, that or he was just imagining things again.
"Being prepared for battle, you think of everything Ray. I normally just wing it," he said with a shrug.
His attention was pulled from Ray's outfit his gaze moving to a somewhat familiar voice, he looked over to see Alicia standing nearby looking up at them, he caught her words and his eyes widened and a wide grin formed on his face.
"Captain there's no way you're going to say no right? I haven't gotten to share a drink with her yet we gotta bring her aboard...oh and she's good at fighting that part too."

She walked with the crew to the Coral Pearl. Seeing how hyperactive Danny was being made her raise an eyebrow in curiosity. Ultimately, it made her smile a bit. At first glance, there was no way they could be thought of as a pirate crew. They were an odd bunch. Only two of them, being Luro and Ray, had a true reason to be on the run. Runali was deemed a fugitive once she decided to be a pirate. Nolan and Dani were as innocent as ever. Well, maybe not now because they probably were wanted pirates as well. The StarDusk pirates had riled up a few people in a few places, so she could only assume that their faces were on a few wanted posters now. The idea of having her own wanted poster made her smirk. She'd definitely have to collect that as a souvenir.

Right as they boarded the ship, the fireworks started. "Right on time." She glanced over at Ray's armor. "Better use of money than what the rest of us bought... Though a chef apron and hat is pretty useful. And hey, being a pirate isn't so bad." She patted Danny's head playfully, mainly because she was short, and walked to the edge of the ship. "Relax Danny, it's not under attack. It's a light show." She sat on the edge, watching it all. It was a really nice ending to a wild and enjoyable day. It was a nice change of pace after them somehow causing mayhem in Waterdeep. She noticed Luro had arrived a little late to the ship, but she just assumed he was lagging behind probably for more rum.

"Hey, Danny, take the wheel and let's set sail. It's time to get out of Utsukushī and-" She paused and looked down at the docks. "Alicia?" Her head tilted a little before she smirked. "A little late aren't you?" She looked over at Luro and smirked. "Of course I'm going to turn her down Luro." She disappeared off the edge of the ship and then tossed a rope over. They couldn't lower the bridge right after they pulled it up and while the ship started moving. "Hey, you guys help Alicia on board. It appears she wants to be a StarDusk pirate." Once they pulled the girl on board, Runali looked over at Danny. "I saw the map. The next place ahead is called Brass Cape. Head that way."

As Alicia climbed aboard, Runali saluted her. "I don't think you need much of a formal introduction. Just know, as a StarDusk pirate you're going to have to get the mark of one." She lifted her sleeve to show the StarDusk symbol on her arm. Runali then looked around, giving a small shrug. "Well, welcome aboard the Coral Pearl. You'll fit in just fine. There's also a free room so you don't have to share with....them." She pointed to the males of the ship and gave a short laugh. "It was for Danny, but she took the book room."

With a nod, she walked back to the edge of the side of the ship and watched as the island departed farther and farther away. "Bye Utsukushī and hello to Brass Cape." She looked over at Ray. "Care to play us off? Might as well show Alicia your talent. And dinner for the newcomer might not be bad either."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The trip to the next island was going about four days. The crew all got well acquainted with Alicia and just as the captain predicted, she got along just fine with them.

Runali was lounging in the Crow's Nest when all of a sudden, a shadow flew over head. She tipped her hat and looked up. "A large bird if you- whoa." She stood and hurried down a rope. She whistled for the others and pointed up at the sky. "Unless there are some strange birds near Brass Cape... That isn't all that normal." As she pointed, the figure in the sky seemed to falter and then come crashing down towards them. "...Incoming?"





"AAAHHHH- Oof! ...Ow..." What fell turned out to be a none other than a woman with...odd mechanical wings. The captain had seen many uses for machinery on her short travels with her father, but never had she seen someone trying to...fly. "My- My apologies! My control busted- I didn't mean to-" Her eyes loomed over the one eyed girl, the crew, and then the black flag. "PIRATES!? DON'T KILL ME PLEASE! I DIDN'T MEAN TO- I JUST-"

Runali rolled her eye when the woman started panicking and stepped forward. With a huff, she flicked the girl's head causing her to yelp and cover her forehead. "Stop. Yelling. It's really annoying. We're not going to kill you. Calm. Down." The girl looked at the bent wing and then sighed in relief. "And...mind telling me what those are about?" Runali sat on a barrel and pointed to the wings she had.

The young woman took a deep breath. "S-Sorry. My name is Risa... I'm uh, one of the inventors over at Brass Cape."

"Inventors. How interesting. Well Risa, we're the StarDusk pirates. I'm Runali, the captain. We're heading towards Brass Cape, so we'll drop you off there since...you sort of crash landed." She glanced over where Risa had hit the deck and she noticed the large crack her wings made.

"Oh my- I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. Don't worry! You can get your ship fixed in no time over at the Cape. They can even touch it up to have...better material. You know, a little touches of armor here and there. Probably better weapons and the likes. It's a very innovative place- o-oh and thank you for taking me there."

"Well Luro, ship repairs are your expertise. You can make that decision. An upgrade does sound pretty cool though. Well," Runali looked out to the distance. "Continuing to the Brass Cape...as planned."

The city, under attack? He tilted his head back and laughed. If this were an attack, then it was the most beautiful one he had ever seen.

Nolan leaned against the railing, it was a shame they couldn't stay another day or two. The captain began to talk about leaving, Luro arrived a little late, and a figure appeared at the docks. He narrowed his eyes then finally noticed it was Alicia. "Haha, it looks like she took you up on your offer captain." He waved at the girl then grabbed at the end of the rope. He was caught of guard when it started moving but held firm and pulled, when it was over, Nolan was wiping his hands on his pants, a grin plastered to his face. "Welcome to the family, Alicia, it's nice to have you on board the Coral Pearl."

The cook nodded his head then chuckled. "Aye, aye, captain! I think we have some left over apple pie. I'll go and get it." Soon enough, he returned with plates balanced expertly in one hand and the pie in the other. The cook placed it on the table then told everyone to dig in.

The night was still young and while his friends ate he looked up at the fireworks and thought of home.

* * * *

The past four days were peaceful and relaxing and, Nolan spent them catching up on books and fishing. He managed to catch a giant trout and last night had turned it into a pretty good soup. He hadn't spoken much to Luro and after Utsukushī pretty much avoided him. The cook wasn't as angry now, but he was wary of the carpenter so he kept his distance and hung around the others instead. If Luro joined them then he'd head to the kitchen or to the other side of the deck to read. He also cleaned the kitchen and now it was absolutely spotless! He puffed up his chest in pride, the dishes were shiny and everything was spick-and-span, just how he liked it.

"Perfect!" He slid the last dish in place and that was when he heard the captain calling them.

Nolan made his way onto the deck then gaped at the sight before them, "are those...wings?" He rubbed at his eyes then pinched himself on the arm. Ha, it really was a pair of wings. "That's some really impressive technology..." he paused then scrambled towards were the captain and Risa were. "Are you alright?" She didn't hear him over her panicking and in the end the captain had to give her a good flick to the forehead. Oh well, it looked like she was doing okay.

She talked about the brass cape, and the cook lit up a little. He'd ask her questions later. "Are you, okay?" He offered her his hand. "Those wings look heavy, if you're hurting anywhere, there's a medical box on board. I can got get it."

Luro watched as they sailed away from Utsukushi a small smile on his face as he turned around and grabbed his sack of guns happy to hear Alicia was coming aboard, it was going to be even more interesting without a doubt.
"I think we're perfect gentleman, or at least Ray is I can't promise anything honestly," Luro said grinning at her. "Welcome."
The moment they set sail Luro wasted no time talking to Alicia asking her questions, nothing that ever touched on her past, normally what her favorite drink was, what time of day she enjoyed, if she'd ever ridden a horse to the setting sun questions of that nature. He also shared his drinks with her showing his now large collection informing her she could take a pit, he also took the time to mention two places on the ships, the rum room and the rum room while sitting on the throne chair since to him they were two different places. He pointed to his own tattoo of the StarDusk pirates to show it as well.
During the night Luro took out some parchment from his box and wrote a letter, he made sure to meet the news coo in the morning and gave it the letter handing it a piece of silver.
Luro spent two of the days taking apart every single firearm in the bag putting them back together until he understood every little mechanism in each and every weapon, he took breaks every now and then taking the time to share a drink with Ray and attempt to chat with Banba about random things, he also handed her a bottle of rum each day letting her do with it what she wanted.
He took the time to stare out at the sea as he was kin to do, mostly for the serenity and calmness it brought him but he'd return to the guns shortly after surrounded by bottles of all manners of drink.
By the third day he had gone through all the firearms and put them in the weaponry, as interesting as some of the guns were he no longer needed them so he figured he may as well put them aside for use at another time.

On the third day Luro received a response to his letter, the sender being Lily and Mary. He paid the news coo and opened it before reading it to himself, he smiled a little hearing they had used some of the funds to buy a merchants ship and were off on their own. They had taken refuge a few towns over and this was actually where she sent it from, they spoke of their time together and everything going on as he had inquired in his letter.
Something within the letter actually caught him off guard, the item being Lily's pocket-watch with the indent still inside it.
He smiled seeing she wanted him to hold onto it for the time being since she didn't need the reminder anymore, she still wanted it back though for the sentimental value. Though he knew that was just an excuse to see each other again.
"Silly as always," he said putting the letter and pocket-watch into his small box.
Luro couldn't help but feel happy hearing the two of them were doing alright, a part of him wanted to share this information with a particular person on the ship, Nolan Fischer.
For the last couple of days he seemed to be avoiding him, Luro didn't say anything since he felt he brought the thing on himself for not being completely honest but for his own reasons he decided to remain silent about the whole matter. Luro did make an effort not to complicate matters too much when he ran into him, if he saw Nolan talking with someone he wouldn't join the conversation and waited until he finished to keep him from walking off or ignoring him, he still smiled at him whenever he saw him but aside from that he made no effort to speak or interact directly with him.
Aside from a bit of distance from his friend the days passed by peacefully and lazily at least that's what Luro believed...least for a little bit.

Luro stared at the young lady he had just witnessed falling from the sky, he had been staring at the clouds taking the occasionally drink from his bottle as he contemplated a nap but when he heard the captain mention a bird he watched the woman whose named seemed to Risa fall and hit the Coral Pearl.
Luro stared at the crack in the ship before ruffling his hair a small sigh escaping from him seeing the damage though he did smile a little hearing her apologize to show he wasn't upset.
"I can repair something like that before we get there so it's no problem," he said looking over at Risa.
He noticed Nolan was speaking to her and normally he'd walk away but something about what Risa had said struck a chord in him, Luro's eyes fixated on the young woman his eyes seeming to sparkle with wonderment and curiosity.
"Go get the box if you feel she needs it Nolan but let her stay here," Luro said walking over and moving in front of Nolan to get closer to Risa. "I need to speak with her right now. Risa was it my name is Luro Makachi and the Coral Pearl is a fine lass so I don't know if we need the upgrade...but I'd be more open to it if you do one thing for me."
Luro reached forward and grasped both of Risa's hands in his own before staring deeply into her eyes his gaze seeming to seek something deep within the young woman, he squeezed her hands a little as she spoke, his voice low yet soft as he used every bit of soberness in him to focus his attention and thought into this one moment.
"I need to know everything about you."
Luro's eyes moved over to her wings before he smiled.
"Well not you necessarily but those wings!" He exclaimed his voice and regular casual mannerism returning immediately. "I mean you made them right? So I need to know you to know how they work, tell me everything about them. Every.Little.Minuscule.Detail. I need to know, I'm sorry but I won't let you go until you tell me."
Luro looked over at the captain before releasing one of her hands still holding the other one before pointing at her.
"Captain I need permission to keep her as a prisoner, I really want to know how her wings work, I mean she can't really run away but I need to be near her at all times or I'll miss how they work."
He turned back to Risa releasing her other hand before standing up and moving behind her touching the wings slightly.
"They actually made you fly through the air, what made them do that? Inform me of your mystical nature woman of the sky."
A bit of Danny might have rubbed off on Luro...just a little bit in this particular moment.

Alicia quickly and easily got accustomed to the lifestyle that was amongst the Coral Pearl. Often, she questioned if they were even a real pirate crew. They never acted like such- but maybe that was for the better that they didn't. Dani happily showed her around the ship, and showed her the room she occupied, vast with books- just in case she was interested. Ray took up the normal causal activities. Playing for the sake of playing and occasionally drinking with Luro. Of course, never to the extent that it could kill him, or make him lose his gentlemanly manner.

All in all, everything was normal...until a giant creature crash landed on the ship. "Oh my goodness! The bird is human! But she has wings! How does a human have wings!" Alicia and Ray also had an amount of shock, but kept quiet to listen.



Risa sat there for a moment, still a little dazed about how hard she fell until someone spoke up. Force of habit caused her to flinch when he put his hand out, but she sighed and took the offered help, lifting herself up. Her shoulder stung a bit, but she ignored it assuming it was just a bruise. "No, no, I'm fine. A little sore and probably a few scratches, but in fine. I've crashed like this a couple of times." Risa turned a gear on the mechanic belt-looking piece around her stomach. A few clicks were heard, but it opened and she took the wings off and sat them down. "This is a heavier model. My dad told me to fix these. It's able to withstand bullets to a degree, but it's still not ready for flight."

Her eyes widened when Luro moved in front of her. He was insanely tall... "W-What would you need?" Instantly, her face lit up like a tomato- Why would he need to know about her!? And then he explained himself making her heave a sigh, putting a hand over her heart. "I-I can tell you I suppose. It'll be a little difficult so-" Her eyes were wide as saucers as Luro asked for permission to imprison her.



Runali had went back to lounging about. All Risa wanted was a ride back to Brass Cape. The inventor couldn't cause them trouble, especially if the island was approaching. Besides, if she did, they could just throw her overboard and make her swim home. Hearing Luro, with hat in hand, she saluted him and set it on her head. "Sure, go right ahead. She's not going anywhere." This made Runali wonder why he wanted to know how the wings worked so bad. So, she paid a little more attention to the two.

Risa looked a bit terrified, but eventually relaxed, realizing Luro was just curious about the invention.... Still, it didn't mean she had to be imprisoned. She rubbed her sore shoulder and sat down, laying the wings flat. Her hands smoothed out any 'feathers' that had slid under another. "Alright, but listen carefully. As I told your other, um, crew mate, these are our combat wings. They're heavier than are other model wings." She opened it up, showing all the gears and doohickies that made the wings. "Well in simple terms, we use steam powered machinery. For most things. Others just require a lot of machinery, like this." She continued explaining the ways they crafted things, stopping every now and then to make sure Luro was still following. When she figured he was (or wasn't and had to re explain) she continued.

"Land ahead!" Dani yelled, making Risa jump to a standing position.

"Oh, dock your shift that way! My family's shop is over there. He can fix your ship right up! And I need to go there myself." Risa looked at the captain with hopeful eyes and Runali looked up to Dani.

"Aye, aye captain! To the docks!" Dani turned and just as instructed, docked right in front of the shop.

"Whoa this place looks...cool." Runali stood from her seat as they got a better look at the approaching island.



"Let's go guys, off the ship!" Runali commanded.

As they got off the Coral Pearl, Risa scurried with her wings, calling out to whomever was in the store. "We have, um, company!"



A male walked out, putting gloves back on and he blinked. "Uh...Risa, you know they're pirates ri- dude, you busted the wing again? I told you to let me fix it! Even if you're older than me, I'm still a better mechanic than you are." The two had a minor spat about who was better at what. It ended up with Risa being the better inventor and her younger brother the better mechanic..... But Runali didn't know the difference.

"Oh, sorry. This is my younger brother Simon. It appears our father is out again, and he's the only one who works on ship repairs... So, if you don't mind, I'd be happy to show you around...It's the least I can do since you helped me back home."

"Well, we planned to roam the place anyway, might as well have a guide around. Alright crew, following the bird girl around- unless you find something interesting and stray away." She shrugged and put her hands in her pockets as Risa led the way past the store, leaving the wings in the care of her brother.

Without even taken more than a couple of steps, there were amazing sites to behold as the crew and their new tour guide started through the streets. "These robots are nothing. Just wait till you see the the transportation. "



"And we haven't perfected many, but..." Risa pointed upward to show the flying ship in the air. "We're working out a few kinks, but really, it works like a charm!" She grinned proudly and, for Luro mainly, went on to explain the mechanics of it and how the ship worked.



"This place is...wow. You guys...we should get a flying ship some time. Let's just keep that in mind."

Ray was somewhat surprised to see Miss Tashigi joining them as they left. He hadn't any idea why she'd want to join their crew, but felt it best not to inquire. Besides, anyone that tough certainly didn't need coddling, and looking back at the shore and it's lack of angry activity following them, Ray assumed her departure was voluntary. He cracked out his viola and began playing a tune to see them off, just as the Captain ordered.

“Our 'prentice Tom may now refuse
To wipe his scoundrel master's shoes
for now he's free to sing and play
over the hills and far away

Over the hills and o'er the main
To Treasure, Friendships, Drink and Gain
The Captain barks and we'll obey
Over the hills and far away.”

Aside from the nightly drinks with Luro, most of the trip was utter boredom, so he played or polished the cannons, not that he needed to, it was simply something to do. However, the more and more he polished them, the more the basics of seafaring his uncle taught him came back to him, and the more he remembered them, the more he came to realize that the ship's cannons weren't that good. They were in decent condition and worked fine, but they were old and worn, and from what he remembered from the fight with Captain Pars a week ago, had lost about a third of their original range, and without serious repair or replacement, were likely to lose even more. He made a mental note to let the captain know whenever they reached port.

He also spent time wondering what he wanted from life. He had signed on with the Captain for the long haul, so he figured he may as well have a goal in life to aspire towards.

So, what do I want? Drink?
Yes, but I have that regularly.
Good drink?
Okay, fair point. What else?
To go home and live the life or leisure I had before?
Yes, but that's quite off the table. There's no use wishing for things I can't have.
Fine clothes?
I just got some. I don't exactly need more at the moment. What else?
Good drink?
I already said that. Damn, a bit of Luro might be rubbing off onto me.
How about women?

Ray was jolted from his reverie when something crashed through the deck above him. He poked his head above deck and saw an- an- angel? I highly doubt this is how prayers are answered. It wasn't an angel, but a girl wearing a curious winged contraption. He quickly thought, Wait a minute, I was thinking about what I wanted, and then... I want a thousand gold dubloons! He was a little disappointed when no treasure fell from the sky, but certainly unsurprised. Ray overheard her offering to upgrade the ship and was relieved that they'd have the option at Brass Cape. He quickly busied himself with finishing the cannon maintenance and ran back to his cabin to change, as they now had company.

Dressing in his outfit he dubbed his 'subtle ensemble', Ray emerged from his cabin and introduced himself to the young lady in his typical suave manner and stuck up a conversation. However, as Brass Cape grew closer and closer, his attention kept drifting towards the sights. “I have never seen anything that huge. Vrelance Keep comes close, but, just... wow.” Gathering his composure, he smiled sheepishly at Risa. “Apologies, milady, I'm not often at a loss for words.” Usually, its the other way around.

When they docked, Ray watched everything with fascination. Never had he heard of a place like this and never had Lendria seen wonders such as these. If he was still welcome back home, he'd definitely suggest setting up an exclusive trading contract with Brass Cape so the Skalter family, and by extension himself, would have sole access to all these fascinating gizmos which would definitely become the new fad among the nobles.

And then they saw the sky-ship. He unconsciously gulped when Runali suggested getting one for themselves. “Umm... no. I haven't really told you that I don't do heights, have I?”

“But you've been up in the crow's nest before.”

“Well, that's a different story. Look, all I'm saying is that if man was meant to fly, we'd be born with wings, right?”

Risa chipped in with a smile, “Well, that's why we made our wings.”

Ray rolled his eyes. “Nevermind. Just, no sky-ship.”