Luro took a sip from his drink his eyes focused on the tavern, his eyes scanning the room for the man from earlier, he eventually stopped as he felt he was slowly starting to forget the man's face or at least what he remembered of it. He tilted his head trying to think back to the crowd but he stopped as Danny mentioned something about punching the man, Luro rubbed the back of his head not entirely sure what she was getting at, he looked down at the man who was currently asleep on the floor looking back at Danny as she lectured him, he chuckled a little glad the captain said something. He figured he was being polite and following the custom, he'd teach Danny it another time.
He watched as Nolan brought drinks which Risa took, Luro gave a small shrug glad she got something, it was a shame to enter a tavern and not drink something. He looked back at the captain seeing her mention the customs which he gave a firm nod in full agreement with.
"It's out of respect the captain should drink as much as she wants then get into a fistfight with a random stranger, it's another way of saying hello...well with violence anyway."

Luro wasn't sure where Alicia ran off too and he didn't have a chance to look as the captain answered his question about the man, so he was a judge then. Luro closed his eyes taking his information in, he wasn't sure what to think about that, most of his experiences with judges were bad ones so he didn't really want to meet any more. Though this guy had murdered someone so did that make him a different type of judge?
Luro brought a hand to his chin not sure what he should do, his confusion almost matched with Risa's for a moment but he decided it didn't really matter, if the captain wanted to meet him then Luro was fine with whoever he was, thankfully the captain found the judge though Luro just looked in the same direction Runali did making sure to get a good look at his face.
He tilted his head a little seeing he was drinking with everyone else, he smiled a little seeing it actually. It was a shame most judges didn't share this guy's attitude.
At the idea of starting a fight to get his attention Luro grinned and slammed a fist into the palm of his hand all for the idea but when Risa and Nolan showed their dislike of the idea his shoulders drooped and he lowered his arms to his sides.
When the captain walked towards the judge and Risa commented on the danger Luro gave a shake of his head though he did watched Nolan go in her direction.
"The captain will be fine because the captain is the captain....at least that's how I see it. Besides if anything happens we'll all defend her, just trust in the captain. Also rushing in is the best thing to do Risa, if anything goes wrong just wing it so no problem."
Luro offered a firm nod before kneeling down next to Risa bringing his hand to the side of his mouth while Nolan and Danny were gone.
"By the way don't let their appearances fool you. Nolan is actually referred to as the Crimson Monarch, he's one of the most feared men on land. They also call him the puppy killing maniac because of his evil nature so don't let his endless blue gaze draw you in too much. Danny's no different either, I've heard she's called Dream Breaker. I've heard the sea itself turns dark when she's near and she shatters the very essence of hope in all being she encounters. All the tattoo's you see on her were apparently made from the 'Ink' of her victims. She really loves color ink especially which she takes from living people, ask her about her love of it later, I'll tell you how she gained her name later."

Luro stood up when he noticed Nolan walk back over and tilted his head a little when he spoke to him and Ray though he did smile glad he was at least talking to him again. When he mentioned drinking Luro grinned and placed both his hand on his hips puffing his chest out a little.
"There's no loser in a drinking game, I'm more than willing to do one with him," Luro said before he caught what Nolan said about being brash.
Luro waved his hand in front of his face at the mere thought of it before he reached over and gave Nolan a small pat on his chest before pointing at himself with his thumb.
"I'm as gentle as they come Nolan you can depend on me."
The man Luro punched groaned and held his face as he slowly started to regain consciousness, his eyebrows were drawn down and he was in the fetal position at the moment.
"I'm as soft as a blanket on a warm starry night."
"Ah who punched me...I think my nose is broken. It hurts so much."
"You have nothing to worry about."
"Ah there's money in my pocket but why am I in pain? Who would do this?"
Luro pat Nolan on the shoulder before turning and reaching forward grabbed Risa's hand before pointing at the Judge.
"I don't want to leave your side so you have to come with me so I can watch over you properly," Luro said. "Come on we have to meet the judge."

Instead of an answer, the man introduced himself and wandered off in a drunken stupor. "Shouta the Rookie Judge." She made a mental note of it and watched him go off, watching in a slight confusion. She saw as he got on stage and entertained the crowd of drunken taverners. The captain overheard Nolan's idea to out sing and out drink Shouta and let out a short laugh. "What a fun idea. Luro, how about it? Share a drink with the guy! I think he'll enjoy it. And Ray, I think these guys do need to know how a real musician sounds." The idea alone sounded as if it would have been hilarious to watch. Everyone seemed lighthearted and jolly in their drunkenness, none at the point of violence- not yet at least. Might as well enjoy it while it lasted.

The captain stood, only for Danny to pass by, bouncing along and pulling Shouta towards the tables. She was really a bundle of energy.. She didn't understand why Nolan worried about her so much when Danny was randomly grabbing men. What if he impulsively attacked or something?

Risa was listening to Luro, believing every word he said. "W-what, really? But they seem so...so nice!" She looked over at Nolan who was still near their captain. He was the kindest one of the crew! How did he just kill puppies? He had to be really twisted to do something like that. And Danny was the smallest in the group, but she was dangerous too? Looks were really deceiving... When Nolan had returned to talk to Luro and Ray about contests, she looked a little uneasy around the chef.

"Soft as a blanket? Hah, yeah right Luro, you're like a robotic teddy bear. Soft on the outside, but probably deadly and cold on the inside... Hey Risa, do those things exist? Teddy bears with mechanics inside?"

Risa blinked and looked between Luro, Nolan, and then the captain. Nolan was the one telling Luro to be careful... But Nolan was also the one who was a crazy murderer. Maybe Luro wasn't telling the truth... Or maybe it was an elaborate rouge Nolan was pulling off. "Um- Uh, yes. We do have stuffed animals that are stuffed with gears and mechanics. They can move around by themselves, and some- like ones my brother made, have mini weapons. But they're small so pretty harmless." Suddenly her hand was grabbed and she looked up at Luro in surprise. At the moment, she wasn't sure how to feel about him. First she was his prisoner, yet he had been fascinated beyond compare by all of... well the island. Now, he was her bodyguard and wouldn't let her leave his sight. "B-But I don't want to go meet the Rookie Judge guy." It was too late for that one though. Luro had already began to pull her away from the table.

What was up with him?

Ray had decided to play and sing a jolly tune, familiar by most, making the crowd sing along. He rose men's spirits if they were having a bad day, and prompted some to even dance- but they knew better than to cause too much attention to themselves like that. As his song was over, he joined the others who were now posted near Shouta.

"Sorry about my friend here, she gets a little excited sometimes. I think she was just helping a drunk get to his seat." Runali pulled Danny out of arm's reach, just in case the male had enough sense to get too upset. First impressions had to be good after all. The captain sat directly across from the Judge while the others hovered behind her, whether standing or in chairs. As Luro walked over, Risa was standing more behind him than next to him. He was tall enough to hide behind, and she was sure she wanted nothing to do with this pirate interaction.

For a brief moment, as her crew gathered, Runali wondered where Alicia had left to. But in that moment, the swordswoman returned, feeling content about her quick examination of the tavern. No one looked too dangerous, and no one had a vendetta against any of the StarDusk crew. When she returned, she kept a reasonable distance, not wanting Shouta to feel more crowded than he probably was. Luckily, with so few of a crew, it wasn't too crowded- still, it would have been safer to assume that giving him space was the best idea. Ray was one of those of her crew to give the man his space, standing next to Alicia as he grabbed another drink.

"Wonderful song by the way. You've made these fools remember their happiest days in their lowest hour." Before she continued, Ray decided to be the one to hand the two, Shouta and Luro, drinks from the bar since he had not seen the two drinking as it was. "We didn't start off appropriately. It's an," Runali was going to say honor, but she didn't know if it was quite an honor yet. She still had to figure that out. "Well, hello to you. Wouldn't want to lie and say it is an honor or nice when I know you not. The name is Runali. This is my crew, the StarDusk pirates."

At this point, if he was a marine, they'd know for sure... and they'd probably have to hightail it back to their ship.

"You all talk a helluva lot," Shouta said in his slurred speech. He wasn't aggressive nor did he really sound rude. Despite the obvious poor choice of his words, his light tone made it sound more like a request to slow down. He was, after all, fairly intoxicated. The amount these people spoke was getting too him, and he was hardly in decent shape to effectively communicate in a more poetic manner. He could sing, sure, but these were drunken sea shanties, not some eloquent introduction. Most of what both women said slipped right through his drowned ears, aside from a few select phrases. Before he added anything, however, he grabbed a bottle of whatever spirit he had, then allowed his hand to glaze over a black sheen before cracking it open - literally. Shouta guzzled down the half-filled bottle with a far wider opening, somewhat debuting his abilities while mostly just getting even more intoxicated.

"Ne'er heard of any Stardusk pirates. Guess that's what chur after," Shouta said with a somewhat melancholic tone. He wiped off any remaining liquor from his mouth onto his sleeve before he continued. "If youse want'n judged, you'll have'ta wait," he explained, "there be three whole crews waitin' before ya. An' yes, I killed that rat. Half's crew tried ta pull a mutiny on's ship. Whadn't none of my business 'til the idiot almost sunk the damned ship. I probably busted four'r five other skulls, too, jus' gettin' that wreck back here. I'm sure youse can piece together the rest a that story." Shouta popped off the cork to his other glass, looking around at the small crew. As drunk as he was, he saw a band of merry murders, sure, but he didn't see any collective goal. They didn't seem like criminals on the run, and aside from the captain they didn't seem like kids trying to play pirates. They were an odd crew, if anything.

"If youse ain't familiar with how this goes," he began explaining while pouring his drink, "I'll tell youse what I can without ruinin' my drink. Name's Shouta Takan, but most know me as teh Rookie Judge. Most Rookie pirates lookin' to make a name seek me out after dey hear teh rumors, then I spend a whole month in their crew learnin' about'm." After he explained the very basics, Shouta took another swig of his drink, but it was apparent by his quick paced body language that he wasn't quite done. "Now see, ya basically can't kill me. I haven't met a Rookie in six years that could e'en hurt me; I bet that sword he's got won' leave a papercut," Shouta added. He spoke as if his words were absolute fact, and to him there was little room for deviation. "I publish my judgments once a year in November. About ten or so. It goes out to other crews, some employers, smugglers, the Navy. Can getcha nice jobs, can getcha killed. But teh point is, it gets ya out dere. Ain't nothin' in this whole world more valuable than that."

A small did slide onto Luro's face seeing Risa's reaction to the information but it faded as quickly as it came though it just returned at the mention of the robotic teddy bear, he brought his free hand to his mouth at the idea for a moment. He actually liked the sound of that a little and hearing Risa mention that they existed immediately piqued his curiosity, that was something else he would have to question her about later, for now seeing the rookie judge was important.
"That may be actually," he said lowering his hand speaking more to himself. "A robotic teddy bear, that's a good one."
Luro sang along with Ray's song to the best of his ability and when the captain sat with the judge he started to sit down but noticed Risa was behind him, he blinked a few times before glancing back at her and offering a small smile.
"It's okay Risa, worse thing that can happen is we get hurt or die," Luro said before taking a seat. "Relax and have a seat, I'll protect you so don't worry."
Luro thanked Ray for the drink before opening it as the rookie judge started to speak to them, he offered a nod seeing Alicia was back before turning his full attention to the man.

Listening to the man a few of Luro's questions were answered which made him a little less confused, when Shouta drank from his bottle Luro smiled seeing he was a healthy drinker and brought the bottle to his lips drinking half of his own, he didn't have another nearby and he didn't want to drink all of it since he wanted to share with this Shouta guy so he decided to take small swigs every now and then.
"So you're not a judge judge," Luro said nodding. "I misunderstood then that's confusing though so I'm going to not think too much about it."
He continued to listen to Shouta, arching a brow at the notion that he couldn't be killed but aside from that remained silent for most of it only a small smile resting on his face as he spoke of himself and his purpose.
When he finished explaining everything Luro reached up and ruffled his hair a little bit at the idea, so this guy judged rookie pirates then and did something to help their reputation if he heard correctly, at least in summary that made some sense then.
"Hmmm I don't really see the point of being judged but that's up to the captain she handles all the complicated stuff," Luro said before taking a drink from his bottle. "I just want to drink with you, if you can't be killed then you probably have all kinds of stories of defying death then, probably some with a few lasses and all that."
The captain seemed pretty curious about this guy and far as Luro could tell he seemed interesting enough at least he wanted to know more.
"Oh I'm supposed to introduce myself I forgot that part, I'm Luro. So you wanna share a drink with me then we know each other's names that's more than I normally know before I drink with someone. We can drink, laugh, talk about things lasses needn't hear, argue, fight, then drink some more not necessarily in that order."
Luro looked over at Risa needing to make sure to clarify something about what he just said.
"You can just cover your ears when we get to lass part Risa, the captain, Danny and Alicia should be okay. You can also join and talk about a few lads if you want it'll be fun."
Luro patted the table for anyone not sitting grinning as he returned his hand to his bottle.
"No need for all the business stuff let's sit and drink together, we can call someone over for drinks and the like. The best way to quickly get to know someone other than a good old fashioned brawl is with a drink, least that's how I see it."

"Danny wait—" before Nolan could do anything else, the girl was up on stage with the rookie judge. The guy looked rather tipsy, but luckily he didn't lash out or anything. The last thing the cook wanted was to charge into a bar fight to keep his friends out of trouble.

Luro tried to assure him, and the pirate began comparing himself to a blanket on a starry night. Nolan arched an eyebrow, but he couldn't help but crack a smile. Staying upset at his friend was going to be hard and he let out a sigh, "alright, alright, you win, Luro."

He trusted them, he really did, but he couldn't help it. Maybe it was the result of growing up with two hyperactive younger siblings. He was a mother hen through and through and he didn't like how he was constantly worrying. The captain pulled Danni out of the rookie judge's reach and soon she was talking to the pirate. He listened intently, eyebrows crossed together in curiosity. Like Luro, he managed to get the gist of it, but he was still confused. Why did pirate's want to be judged, was this guy a legend like Kai? He doubted anyone could match The Leviathan, Kai was definitely something else, and for a moment, he wondered how the man was doing.

Luro suggested drinks, and he took a seat. Yes, he didn't want to be here, but he was curious about what Shouta meant by the judging. The cook flashed Risa a reassuring grin...wait, why did she look nervous all of a sudden. "Are you alright?" He asked, he kept a kind smile on his face as he listened to Shouta speak. Whatever he meant by rookie judge, Nolan was sure of one thing, he didn't exactly trust this man and if and he'd be keeping a close eye on everything.

Ray initially didn't trust Shouta. He still needed to keep his head down, and if this guy's rumored Navy connections were even partially true, they should keep their distance. So when the Rookie Judge called for people to join him in song, he stayed back, refraining from the metaphorical and literal spotlight, despite the suggestion from the Captain otherwise. However, once he started berating the crowd for cowardice, something in what he said resounded with Ray. Hiding wasn't his forte after all, and he was infinitely better at getting into trouble than avoiding it. Why should he hide? Ray decided to show him up by hopping on stage and singing a jovial tune. He felt pretty swell bringing some life back into the seemingly dead tavern. Once he finished, he joined his companions who had crowded around the Rookie Judge. Now that the tavern had a bit of rowdy spirit again, he was in the mood to drink and snagged a pair of drinks from the bar, handing one to Luro.

Ray decided that Shouta definitely had a way about him that commanded respect, if not fear, something he could see even through Shouta's drunken stance. The things he said about his resistance to injury prompted Ray to laugh. However, the way he said them, Ray noticed, caused him to stifle his coming jibe on empty boasting. He wasn't sure about getting his name out into the world, but more money from well paying jobs could definitely be useful, not to mention the connections they would foster were the need to flee arise. He would go with whatever the captain said regardless; he could go either way.

<VOID>

~"As the tears ran down my cheeks, I managed to release one last smile, just one. Only latter on did I realize I had been holding that smile for so long, just for him"~

Alicia had done her checks on the local area and aside from a few rather strange looking characters, everything appeared to be fine. Not that she'd really know what fine looked like in a place such as this; some of the things here pushed way beyond her imagination already. She sighed a small breath as she walked out from an alleyway which ran down the side of the tavern, walking out into the street where the breeze gently caught her hair and the strands of her skirt, the air cooling the parts of her thighs not concealed by her sapphire thigh socks which served only to complete her outfit. Eventually she pushed back into the tavern, taking up a spot beside Ray as she continued to observe the interactions between her new found friends, smiling at some of their more endearing traits and habits.

It wasn't until the gentlemen who spoke to them, 'Shouta' she thought she heard him say, mentioned about being impossible to kill. She only picked up a little of the conversation but it certainly intrigued her interests. Alicia was always searching for a challenge, a swordsman who could potentially give her a reason to improve her skills to a greater power, a goal and a purpose to strive for once again. For probably the first time in a while, Alicia spoke, her tone soft with an air of complete serenity but punctuated by the edge of her refined demeanor. "I have met many along my travels who claim to be so skilled; each one I have tested and seen fall either by the will of my own resolve or the skill of another who would become his better. If what you say is true then I would ask you pass judgement on me, and receive mine in return". Her words were directed solely at Shouta, her eyes observing him with reserved interest.

Risa huffed and looked up at Luro. "Gee, that made me feel better..." She decided to trust the pirate, as crazy as it sounded, and sit by him even though he was not much help in the comfort department. She had grabbed her cup before Luro pulled her off and was now quietly and slowly sipping the drink Nolan passed around while the others took care of their business.

He judged new pirates to see if they were worthy of their title... It was amusing in a sense. One person being solely dedicated to seeing if a new pirate was even worth the time of other pirates, and even the navy. Runali got the answer she wanted and was content. Though, it still seemed like there was something else that she wanted to know. Not knowing exactly what it was, she decided not to prod into the idea. About the notionof handling complicated 'stuff' Runali leaned forward against the table. "There's nothing for me to handle. If this Rookie Judge decides to judge us, then who am I to stop him? The only thing I can do is make sure we're presentable and all."

"Hm? O- Oh, I'm fine Nolan." Risa stammered and nervously smiled. The last thing she wanted to do was get on his bad side. Not after what Luro explained. Risa was weary around Nolan, but his smile seemed so genuine... She noticed Danny pondering over Shouta's words with a slightly confused expression and gave a curious look.

"Wait, if you're not a judge judge like the Navy and you're not a pirate- wait, are you a pirate? Because if you are, shouldn't the Navy be going after you too? Last time I checked the Navy doesn't like pirates regardless of what they do. I mean that's what the wanted posters and the dead or alive cost and the-" Danny was about to continue rambling on, but Runali tapped lightly on the table making her stop for a moment.

"Danny does have a point...Pirates and the navy aren't the best of friends." Before they could further that conversation, Alicia spoke up after who knows how long. She was really good at keeping silent and to herself. Not only did she speak, but she practically challenged Shouta to a battle. That didn't sit very well with the captain, but she decided it was best to see how it played out. It would give a little more insight to the male as well. Would he fight her while he was drunk? Well, Luro did that 90% of the time so that wouldn't be very surprising. Even so, Runali felt it a little needed to remind them of Luro's earlier suggestion. "There's also being merry and drinking together."

While that was being settled, Risa leaned over to Runali and quietly whispered. "I'm sure my father is back at the shop. We should go check on your ship... Um, I'll let you guys test out our wings?" She mentally sighed when the last part caught the captain's attention. This was no setting for an inventor like her. That, and she was sure her brother didn't like the idea of her going off with a group of pirates. Just to be sure, she leaned over to Luro in order to bribe him as well. "If you take me back to the shop, I can show some of the other gadgets...l can even show you where to get a bunch of spare parts."

"Using those wings of yours does sound fun. Alright, we can go after I make sure our swordswoman isn't doing something...ridiculous." Risa seemed please with that idea and nodded, sitting back in her chair and waiting to see what would happen.

Shattered by a Judge
a collab between Prince and Winter

Although there were plenty of comments for Shouta to reply to, the only that stood out significantly was from Alicia. He hadn't caught her name, but he didn't need it. She spoke as if he needed her judgement. She spoke as if his abilities or his title came from his skill, and although that was true to some degree, it was also false to a far greater one. Shouta was no swordsman. Aside from the ocassional bladeplay and the basic thrusts, Shouta knew very little about swords and their art. He never claimed to. Yet, oddly, this girl wanted to challenge him. Anyone with common sense knows that challenging a drunken man to anything is a terrible idea, but challenging a drunken pirate...

Shouta stood up, steadier than before. He was drunk, sure, but he was equally focused. His glowering eyes hit Alicia, as if his will were a stone wall. Shouta rolled up his sleeve and offered up the bulk of his toned forearm, then told her, "take yer blade an' try tah cut me. Try'n cut my whole arm, if ya can. Yer judgement will mean as much tah me as your blade will tah my skin, so go on. If youse gonna speak big, act big."

She maintained her calm and curious nature as the man would rise from his seat before proceeding to walk towards her, the young women seemingly more curious than afraid as he stopped in front of her while rolling up his sleeve. His words caused her to raise her eyebrow, having not ever received an offer quite like that before. Never the less her curiosity was still not satisfied and she would happily oblige with the man’s request even if she did suspect his drunkenness may be convincing him of being invincible. “Very well” she replied softly before her right hand shot to the side like a bullet, blade in hand before she slowly and gracefully brought it over to rest on his arm, her other hand holding his arm from underneath to support it gently.

"Stop pretendin', girl," Shouta told her. He wanted her to swing. To chop. To slash. He wanted her blade to graze his skin and do nothing, or at best a cut as deep as a papercut. What she did, instead, was treat him like some pampered princess. Shouta lifted his other hand and grabbed her blade, then pressed it into his skin deeply, slowly cutting down his skin with enough force he might as well have been half jerking the sword from her hand. Yet, there was no blood. A red line down his skin, a light tear, but no blood from his fingers or his arm alike.

"This ain't a bad blade, girl," he told her, holding it firm. "Ain't teh best, by far. But it an' you ain't enough to hurt me. Matter a fact, I'd you don' even deserve a blade like this yet," Shouta told her. He kept her blade firm in his hand, a harder grip than stop. "I can stop a cannonball with jus' mah hand. I bend steel like twigs. Ask yerself, girl, why are some of teh most feared pirates swordsmen if just a Judge can do at?" His glare was almost hot with its intensity. "I's called teh power of destruction. A great swordsman can channel their will into their sword, an' that be were you find their power. It ain't jus' the sword an' it all 'bout technique." @

Alicia watched as he gripped her blade before he began to press it into his skin in a sawing motion, both her eyebrows raising before coming together in a slight confused frown as the skin refused to break or tear to the blades bite. Her mind told her it was a trick and that it was impossible, yet here in front of her lay evidence of something beyond the realm of simple logic. She listened as he spoke and although she didn’t fully know this man, his words stung her; as if she could feel all the times her bones had been broken from her training or her muscles had burned from the consistent stress they’d been put through.

This blade was a culmination of four generations of masters, each of their swords having been melted down and forged anew to embody the blade she wielded now. And yet this man, this random man met in a strange land told her with certainty that she was undeserving of such a beautiful instrument. The hurt was in her eyes, though she never allowed it to show across her expression. “I see…” she replied, taking a moment’s pause, “It appears what I thought isn’t quite as it seems… thank you” she paused again, “You’ve shown me that there is more that I have yet to learn” she said and inclined her head respectfully. She’d been humbled by this man and although she felt hurt and slightly ashamed, the determination to improve had ignited within her, burning as bright as the day she’d started her training those many years ago.

"I see it in you, girl," Shouta told her. "Youse know yer not ready, but you value this blade..." Shouta allowed an almost malicious grin to dart accross his face. He gripped her blade with his second hand, then glazed over his arms a deep, carbon black. With a quick twist, one that couldn't be stopped as he held two focal points of the blade, he snapped it. The clang of the blade and its warped metal made a bigger noise than any words he could have said. Then, it was a moment of dead silence.

"You do not deserve it, girl," he told her, almost completely voiding his tone of his drunken slur. "You will practice day after day with swords of weak steel, you will break a hundred of them before you return, and you will train every day, every night - every waking hour - as if every slash were to kill me. But you will not swing this blade again until you can cut me with one," Shouta instructed her. His voice had finality. He sounded like a mentor, albeit a harsher one. He took the broken piece of metal in his hand, merely holding it. It was bent and it was in two parts, but it was not beyond repair. "An' I'll keep this 'til you can," he told her.

Time had almost appeared to slow down, becoming nonexistent as the sound echoed the tavern causing many of the inhabitants who weren’t already observing to turn and watch as they halted their conversations. Her eyes watched in disbelief, her hands shaking as her heart almost broke, her stomach tightening in knots as words refused to find her lips. Four great eras of some of the worlds most powerful and world renown sword masters having been shattered before her eyes which left her with nothing but a sense of disbelief as a sharp chill ran up the length of her spine. She could never return home now, not until she restored this blade and won back her honour as one of the greatest swordswomen to ever walk the mortal world.

Alicia fell to her knees as if she’d been beaten relentlessly in the stomach, her hands finding the floor as she began to comprehend the situation and everything which had been done to her over the last couple of minutes. Her hands eventually found the hilt, a small bit of metal twisting from it where the blade had once been. She held it in both her hands, her thumb sliding along the insignia of her families crest which had been marked on all four of the legendary swords it had been forged from. She looked up from the hilt and into the eyes of the man who had brought her such torment, her gaze burning with such intensity that it would melt that stone wall. Her eyes glistened as two streaks of tears ran down her cheeks, though her expression was of pure loathing for his being.

“I swear by the name of my family, the next time we meet I will cut that piece from your body and restore what you have stolen from me today…” she said before standing, the hilt of her sword clenched tightly in her hand. “Remember my face, for It will be me that brings your end” she said, her words dripping with hatred concealed behind her grace. She then turned, walking off towards the taverns exit which she pushed open before disappearing into the night.

"I swear," Shouta said as he slid the warped piece of metal into his small side satchel, "all youse Rookies talk to much. Dun' know how to let a drunk man enjoy his booze." Shouta allowed the metallic sheen on his arms to fade before he looked back to the other pirates claiming they were part of the Stardusk crew. He didn't even care enough to watch Alicia leave or even catch her name - he'd have twice his fortune now if he had a gold piece for everyone that ever promised to kill him. "Now, praytell, who be yer captain? I be needin' word wit' dem," Shouta added at the very end of his rant, needing to make another point to the rookies.

He thanked the Gods for Risa's suggestion and hoped that Luro and the captain would agree. Nolan smiled though it revealed a hint of nervousness. "I couldn't agree more. Flying sounds a lot more interesting than all of this." He would have wrinkled his nose in distaste, but Luro and Ray seemed to enjoy the whole tavern scene so he simply nodded his head. "I bet the Coral Pearl is just waiting for you to see it, Luro—nodon'tdothat."

From out of Nowhere Alicia appeared and out of all the things she decided to do, she challenged Shouta to a fight.

Why was everyone so reckless? Nolan sighed, but figured this was what he had signed up for when he had chosen a pirate's life. "Aren't we going to, uh, stop her?" He looked at Danny his partner in crime? No, more like partner in inexperience. It didn't look like anyone was going to stop this, so he prayed it wouldn't end with someone stabbed or with a broken nose. This Shouta guy was drunk, so maybe it would be a quick fight.

And it was quick fight, but it wasn't what he had expected. Alicia's sword was snapped in half like it was nothing, and the usually stoic woman had run out of the tavern with tears in her eyes. He let out a sigh and hopped off his stool. Nolan didn't know her well, but she was a fellow Stardusk Pirate and he'd feel bad if he didn't check on her. His little brothers and sisters called him a 'mother duck' for a reason, and even Annie agreed with them.

"Hey, captain, I'm going to head outside and check on her. I'll be there if you need anything." Nolan walked out the doors and looked for Alicia. He walked up to her but didn't talk for some time. "Alicia?" He spoke carefully. If she wanted to be alone then he would give her some space. "I'm sorry about your sword." He took a couple of steps forward. "Do you want some company out here? I understand if you want to be alone," he tried to diffuse some of the tension, "but I wouldn't mind staying away from a bunch of drunk brawlers either."

It had been the longest walk of her life, time seeming to drift by as if it were one of the many strangers she'd passed on the street as she made her way towards the docks. She needed to be away from people, away from busy areas with noise and disturbances. She felt cold as if her blood ran with ice, though her eyes burned from the soreness brought by the tears that had graced her cheeks. The sound repeated in her mind over and over, metal popping like a miniature explosion as it was forced to give under the strain of the power the man wielded. A Meito sword, an instrument of art forged in beauty, infused with the history of four great eras of masters who had fought in some of the most notorious battles and wars known to history. But now the blade lay broken, it's achievements stomped on as if they were mere tales of a drunk man, something that a person would barely afford the time to listen to,

Alicia sat herself upon one of the log posts that ran along the docks in order to keep the platforms raised above the water. It was quiet here, most people either indulging in drinking or sleeping for the new day tomorrow. Some people were at the docks, although it seemed they were maintaining the ships which rocked gently in the waters, groaning gently as the wooden vessels creaked to themselves. Alicia merely listened to the sound as she tried to come to terms with what had happened, trying to form some kind of understanding for why and what she could do about it. She let out a sigh, looking out to the horizon as she tried not to think of the disappointment and the shame she'd brought upon her home, knowing full well that she'd never be able to return home until she had restored the blade and won back her honor.

"Alicia?"

Her head turned slightly as the sound of her name broke her from her thoughts, startling her for a moment before she relaxed. She listened to him speak and allowed only the smallest of a smiles to grace her features, "Hello mister cook" she said in her usual soft tone before she motioned to the log beside her for him to take a seat. After a few minutes of silence she would talk again, "I'm sorry Nolan. I didn't mean to ruin everyone's evening" she said as she continued to look out to the many various ships that lay docked in the port. Despite that Alicia was seeming to be the same calm and serene person she usually was, the red around her eyes combined with the somber expression she wore was enough to tell anyone who noticed that she was hurting inside.

Luro's small smile extended just a sliver as he noticed the reaction from Risa around Nolan but it promptly returned to normal as he stared at Shouta tapping the drink in his hand with his finger. It seemed he wasn't going to drink with him from the way it looked, that made him a little sad but at the very least he could stay in his company for a big longer. A small chuckle escaped from him as the pirates and the navy was brought up but he didn't agree or disagree only turning his attention from Shouta to look at Alicia who had for some reason challenged the man.
Luro wasn't sure why she wanted to fight him but he was all for seeing the two of them go at it, if he wasn't trying to protect Risa he'd be tempted to join in with her but he decided to watch this time, he'd seen Alicia's skills up close so he was curios to see what would happen.
Though the moment Risa mentioned wings Luro's attention immediately focused on her, when she mentioned more gadgets and spare parts Luro moved in his seat almost standing up and dragging Risa away but hearing the captain's words on waiting for Alicia he relaxed his body and sat fully back in the chair.
"I'm holding you to that," Luro said grinning at her. "Soon as Alicia and Shouta do their thing we'll get going and nope we're not going to stop her Nolan."

Luro stared at the scene in front of his eyes and folded his hands in front of him around his drink as he watched the interaction between the two. He wasn't sure what Shouta was trying to do or understood most of what he said but Luro did understand what happened as he noticed Alicia's blade do nothing against the man's skin. His eyes widened and a wide grin formed on his face as he stared in astonishment and slight confusion at what just transpired.
This was utterly amazing, how was he doing something like that?! His earlier mention of his own strength seemed to have even more validity now.
He watched as the two conversed for a moment as it seemed Alicia learned something from the experience, he smiled a little seeing it but his large smile immediately moved to a smaller one as he noticed the malicious smile on Shouta's face before he snapped the blade.
What happened after kept Luro's attention glued to Alicia.
The look in her eyes was painful to watch and made it extremely clear that she valued her sword greatly but rage seemed to follow shortly after and standing up she left the tavern, his eyes went to Nolan as he stood up to go check on her almost immediately after.
Luro didn't say anything as he left but he was very thankful Nolan was here, he had no idea what to say in a situation like this. Alicia had willingly engaged Shouta so what transpired was part of her responsibility...but it still didn't sit well with Luro, that was still his friend that just left with tears in her eyes.
This man was like a judge, in the worst kind of way least that's what Luro thought as he took another sip from his drink.
"Please wait a few more minutes Risa," Luro said rubbing the back of his head. "I really really really want to see what else you have but I don't want to leave the captain and the others alone."
Luro pointed over at Runali with his free hand before speaking to Shouta.
"That's our captain, Run...ran....hold on...Runi...Runali...that's it."

The intense gaze of Shouta fell on Runali. This is why he was the judge. Even drunk, his will was indomitable. Even if she could bare the weight of his will, no one alive would fight off the pressure that one could feel through his gaze. He was the judge. He wasn't judge evaluating, either. He was the jury and executioner, and it was visible from his gaze alone. He wasn't just going to pass some opinion onto her, that was made obvious by the fact he asked for her alone. He hadn't even judged them. No, this was different. He was passing verdict. What she would do, as Captain - as a good Captain - to make up for Alicia. The girl had failed in her 'challenge' so miserably, but more so she challenged a man and his word for the sake of her pride only to accomplish nothing. What did that merit? Not just for Alicia, but how would that reflect onto the Captain and crew as a whole?

"Runali, you will stand before me," he told her, a declarative sentence. Disobeying him might result in something as drastic as a crushed skull, if he caught her. Even if he didn't verbally communicate, the atmosphere he created wouldn't fail to. "That woman represented you and yer crew, but she failed to even leave an impression dat could make me remember'er name... what does 'at say of teh Stardusk? -- Don' answer. Don' waste yer breath; I know, but you don' seem to. I broke her sword teh break her will so she may build it back up stronger. As weak as you all are now, you won' make it long in this worl'. You will die a sailor's death, an' ain't no one gonna save ye miserable asses," Shouta spoke to Runali, almost speaking down to her at this point.

Ray was unnerved by Shouta's show of strength and resistance. He looked on with horror as Alicia's blade dug into his flesh to no effect. His mind raced, trying to come up with some explanation. This is impossible! It he not actually pushing? No, he's even sawing with the blade. Is it an illusion? A trick, it must be a trick? But it was not. Ray reached for his drink to settle him down, spilling a bit as his hand shook. The closest he could come to explaining it were the tales the crew told on his uncle's ship. They spoke of steel-skinned devils whose flesh was the color of unpolished iron, who couldn't be scratched by blades or gunfire, who would wade through warzones and emerge unscathed. Ray had put it down to tall tales to frighten the young passenger and ignored them. They couldn't be true. His skin is pink and fleshy, but why doesn't it tear? Then his stomach sank as the Rookie Judge's skin darkened to a metallic sheen.

His horror erupted into full-blown terror as the blade snapped in two. It was a sensation Ray hadn't felt for ten years, during his first duel. He was 14 at the time, his opponent 3 years his senior: Hugh Scarthane. The had gotten into a petty argument, something about one bumping into one another and, both being hotheaded and willful youths, refused to apologize. Ray was startled when Hugh slapped him with his glove, but was incensed enough to accept the challenge. It was only after Ray's blood had cooled that he realized he had agreed to duel one of the most sanguinary, deadliest shots in Lendria. He had no hope of apologizing, since Hugh was unforgiving and had more than once simply shot unarmed men who refused to fight or beg. That fear nearly paralyzed him, but he pushed through it and practiced his shooting for the next two weeks while Hugh did nothing but brag and mock and taunt.

The duel was over in half a second from when they took their ten paces. They fired simultaneously. Ray took a lead ball to the shoulder, Hugh took his to the eye, though by luck or skill he did not know. The first man Raymond Skalter killed was dead before he hit the ground. The duel was legal, so no murder charges could be filed. However, the Scarthanes from then on always treated the Skalters with a cold, curt manner, never fully forgiving them. Hugh Scarthane was the first man Ray had killed, but he wasn't the last. By the time Ray had left Lendria, 18 men had perished from his blade or shot: 11 in duels, 5 in self-defense in an unexpected brawl, but only one murder....

Ray had begun to calm once he realized that Shouta was just like Hugh: a challenge to overcome, a duel where your life and honor were on the line, only on a far greater scale than Hugh ever was or could have hoped to be. Ray smiled, his pirate pride, though youthful, had begun to flare. While the Rookie Judge looks down on our accomplishments in scorn, we will prepare, practice and improve so that one day, either by luck or chance, we can prove that we are his betters.

So when Shouta asked for the captain's sword, Ray stepped forward. He offered his rapier to the Captain once again. “I swore my life to you on this sword. It is, for all intents and purposes, your sword. My life will still be yours, regardless of what happens to it. And don't worry, I'd rather have this blade break again rather than you lose an arm.” He smiled to emphasize his sincerity, but his face hardened once he turned to meet Shouta's gaze. He looked long and hard into his opponent's eyes before nodding slightly, conceding to Shouta's judgement... for now.

Her idea, well Luro's idea went unheard as Shouta stood from his seat. Runali sat up, eyeing the two carefully. Any sudden actions that happened, she felt that she'd probably need to intervene and pull Alicia out of whatever trouble she put herself in. However, this was no fight. Just a man giving her permission to slice into his arm. Surely he was drunk. It was a risky move to just let someone slice through their arm. What was the trick? As suspected, there was one- not necessarily a trick, but another skill. His arm turned completely black as the blade cut through. It managed to leave Runali with a surprised look. Even more so surprising to know that a technique like that was still even used. She racked her brain over the countless stories while she was a trader with her father. The captain had met many people and many had stories to tell.

One particular story was from an elderly man, a retired navy veteran, who told her stories about few who managed to master the techniques of a talent called Haki. There was no doubt about it. No one could just harden their skin like armor like that unless they had some special ability... But Devil Fruits were long gone...Like hundreds of years gone- just a myth to younger generations... Weren't they?

It couldn't be dwelled on too long though. Alicia had ran out, with Shouta holding her now broken sword, and Nolan had followed right after her. They were definitely lucky to have someone like him to be their comfort when they needed it. And then Shouta planned to address the captain.



Nolan quickly shook his head. The last thing he wanted her to feel was guilty. It was unnecessary. Especially guilty for the crew. She did nothing wrong or detrimental towards them, so he thought. "No need to apologize! Not at all! None of us were prepared for what we witnessed..." It was true. The way his arm hardened into a blackened state was like nothing he had ever seen. What on earth was that!? He planned to see if the captain, or any of his crewmates new the answer to it.

The cook could see the hurt look in her eyes and he sighed softly. "I'm... I'm sorry about your sword. It must've been really important to you... If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask, alright?" He gave his best reassuring smile so she could cheer up just a little. Even in the silence, he stayed by her side. Not only did he want to comfort Alicia, but he also wanted to get out of the stuffy tavern.

~*~*~*~*~

Risa was deathly silent the entire time. When Luro addressed her, she merely nodded and waited a little bit more. Who knew how long she had been waiting by now, she could probably wait just a tad longer even if she was itching to leave.

Runali raised an eyebrow when Shouta wanted to speak to the captain. Luro fumbled over her name and just in case he didn't catch it she repeated. "Runali. Captain of the StarDusk pirates." But he did it hear it. Not only did he hear her name, but he casted his gaze her way. She didn't look away though. Letting her eyes, or eye, cast downward would've been a sign of submission, a sign of weakness, and she managed to bear his will until he spoke. Her expression held no malice, it remained in its neutral state as she looked down for a brief moment and slowly stood. She moved around the table and stood in front of Shouta, taking the place where Alicia had once stood and waited for him to address her.

Her hands hooked behind her back and she held her head up, looking to the Rookie Judge. She wasn't doing this to impress him or even try to make herself seem like someone of high power. These simple and subtle movements were just being done to state that she was paying attention to what he had to say. He didn't let her speak, but she didn't really have much to say. When he asked for her blade, she was fully prepared to give her hidden dagger to him, but Ray stepped forward with his rapier. She looked at him and flashed a smile. Instead of taking the sword, she pushed it back towards him.

"I will not take this blade from you. You swore an oath, and through this sword you planned to protect my life. How will you be able to do that without a weapon? No," Runali turned her gaze to Shouta. "As captain, I have to make sure my crew learns from their mistakes and make sure we grow as a crew. A blade of my possession is to hold the shame of the StarDusk crew." She slipped the rather new looking dagger from her person and handed it to Shouta, holding it sideways for him to grab. It wasn't new, but it was a family gift that she held dear. "We will make a name for ourselves and prove that we are better than you think, no matter how long it takes." The captain of the StarDusk crew accepted Shouta's challenge to them.

After her dagger was broken, she waited for whatever Shouta had to say or do before nodding and finally turning to her crew. She looked down at the two pieces of her dagger that were once called 'a sturdy weapon' and held them in one hand. Before she left, she looked back to Shouta, "And I'll get that sword too." She turned, with the others and walked outside the tavern. Runali took a deep breath, inhaling the much fresher air compared to the staleness of the tavern. "You guys go ahead, I'm going to go talk to Alicia."

Risa looked between the pirates, wondering if they would want to explore the town still. The meeting seemed to put a damper on the mood... She didn't want to butt in, so she waited for one of them to speak as the captain of the crew walked off towards their ship. Even if they didn't want to go see the sights and technology, Risa was fine just going back to the shop. It was her original plan before Luro decided to kidnap her...

Regardless of what the captain might have said, Shouta was quick to grab the rapier with his bare hand and simply warp it through raw strength. A blacksmith could fix it, sure, but it would never be perfect again. Such was the nature of the blade. Shouta said, "I shall talk to youse in a moment, boy, but all I can say to'er is that if'n a man be willin' to 'imself an'is blade on the line for ya, it be the rudest gesture to turn'm down. You best learn tah value those aroun' you, Runali." Shouta was just as quick to let go of the rapier, leaving it with long stretch marks and portions of its formerly coherent steel warped and bent. Shouta felt as if his words had instantly made an impact, however, as Runali darted off after her dagger was broken in an attempt to comfort the one they called Alicia. Maybe it was just her priorities. Maybe she was just sexist. Maybe, Shouta pondered, Runali did not value acts of valor like that of Ray when she could visibly see that Alicia was upset. The tendencies of a woman... just his thought.

Shouta slid his hand into the same satchel he put the longer blade portion of Alicia's now-broken blade into. He pulled out a small sack of coins and threw it on the table, skidding it across the surface. Had he been sober, this might have worked, but in his drunken stupor, Shouta slid the bag a little too hard, knocking it into the floor and spilling out a few platinum coins. The bag was small, sure, holding no more than fifteen or twenty coins, but it was worth more than five bags of gold the size of Ray's skull. "Take it, son, an' get yerself a new blade. We're pirates, sure, but livin' by honor ain't wrong. Get yerself a better one. Get yerself whatever youse like, actually. Protect her, 'cause she's gonna need it if'n that's how she acts all the time." Shouta sighed, mostly because he felt like a softy, but at the same time he felt sympathy for he who seemed disregarded when acting honorably. Granted, he was a pirate. He was also drunk. Shouta was a lot of things, really. And, it wasn't about to stop. Shouta grabbed the bottle of whatever spirit he had ordered; actually, he wasn't even for sure if it was his bottle. He then downed a big gulp of it, spilling from the sides of his mouth as if he were parched.

"Jus' be doin' me a favor... talk less, an' act more."

Hearing Shouta's final words made her sigh under her breath. Now she was even more in the wrong for not taking Ray's sword? She must have been more inexperienced with this captaining thing than she thought...It made her think of back home. She could've been a part of some crew, passing up the leadership role. But here she was. She took her hat off, the one she normally wore, and held it in her free hand. 'How on earth did I convince these guys to join up with me?' The captain could only sigh and keep walking. There was a lot of work to be done.

It made sense for Alicia to go to the docks rather than get lost on the island. Runali followed the path back to where their ship was docked. It was easy to pinpoint her two crewmates sitting at the dock together. When she got close, Nolan stood and smiled, but his smile faded as he sensed something was wrong. Before he could speak, Runali looked over at him, and he quietly nodded, moving away. He decided to go find Banba and the others in order to see what he missed.

The captain stood at for a moment before sitting at Alicia's right side. Her gaze stayed out to sea, mainly because the swordswoman was on her blindside. The silence stretched on until she placed the broken dagger in between them, and tossing her hat on to the ground in front of them.

"'You will show it to her an' you will keep it as a token of yer shame', he said. 'That woman represented you and yer crew, but she failed to even leave an impression.'" She repeated the words Shouta told her, feeling that Alicia needed to hear them as well. "We've got a long way to go in becoming anything representable. I'm no perfect captain either... I'm not even qualified to lead a crew. Probably one of the most impulsive decisions I've ever made too." She paused, picking up the hilt of the broken dagger.

"My mentor gave me this. A gift to start my travels. At the time, I thought it would be easy. Get a few people, sail the seas, see different places and things...But it's so much more than that. There's a lot of things we've never seen." Another pause went by and she shrugged. "But hey, who says we can't get better? I mean, we have a world in front of us, and a sturdy crew. We can both improve right?"

A soft laugh escaped her and she shook her head. "But, what do I know? I'm just some kid after all. You guys have years of experience ahead of me."

Alicia gently nodded after Nolan spoke, offering another soft smile in appreciation for his gesture. In the silence that followed she began to think of the future and what lay ahead in her journey towards redemption, the words which had been spoken in the tavern now imprinted upon her mind as if the experience had been burned deep within her. Willpower is what he spoke of, a force of which could not be measured by any known science, tested by hardship and the resolve of one's being along with their persistence to carry on. Alicia had seen examples of this and had read stories about great fighters, not just swordsmen, who had fought against insurmountable odds and walked away breathing, devastation left in their wake. Nothing but pure willpower to continue moving ground beneath their feet. Hakairyoku also known as 'The Power of Destruction' had been mentioned a few times throughout these stories and various legends. But then she'd always took that exactly as it was, a legend and nothing more. This Shouta had changed everything, warping the reality she'd once thought was certain and opening her to the concepts of the impossible.

She said nothing as Runali took a seat beside her, deciding it was better to await the words of her captain before explaining herself should she be required to. However, it seemed Runali was more interested in lightening the mood, favoring to accept what had happened over the lament of what they'd lost. Her eyes looked down to the dagger as Runali explained about what had happened and what the dagger had meant to her. It brought Alicia more hurt to hear that her arrogance had not only brought her own misfortune, but had also brought a similar fate to a friend. When Runali had finished talking Alicia finally spoke, "Yet here we are, following your orders" she replied in counter argument to her last statement, "You may be young Runali, but your mental age and maturity extends far beyond that. And I think a part of you is quite aware of it" she said, giving a small smile and a pause before she looked away from her and back to the horizon. "But yes, I believe we will improve. In fact, it is not even a question" she said with confidence.

After a long pause she spoke again, taking a deep breath as her tone asserted in a seriousness she hadn't shown in the time they'd known each other. "Runali, I allowed my arrogance and eagerness for a challenge to cloud my judgement. Because of this, I've lost my honor and caused you to give up your own. It is paramount to my family that what he's taken from me is returned and restored and to do that I will eventually have to defeat that man in a fair duel. If I do this and win, you will be unable to restore the honor of this crew. So in light of this, I have decided that I will take the insignia of the StarDusk pirates on my skin, so that when I defeat him... I can restore the honor of this crew as one of it's members and my own simultaneously. That is if you're still content to keep me of course" she said. stating the man's defeat as an inevitability.

Luro watched Shouta address the captain finishing off his drink and setting it aside, he was pretty sure the captain wasn't going to be physically harmed since he didn't do the same to Alicia, though the opportunity was certainly there but better safe than sorry.
His head tilted a little watching the two's exchange, Shouta's expression changing once again right before his judgement, it was a strange thing to witness. It was if his whole aura seemed to shift in that one moment, it was something Luro saw before, though it was normally murderous intent in his case but this seemed like an...authoritative presence. Not like one he saw from the navy but a different kind, he couldn't really find the words to describe it.
He smiled a little seeing Ray step forward with his own blade, he was one of the few nobles he could stand to be around, he was an honorable person and it showed in the way he carried himself and his actions, even now he was standing up for the captain. Wait...was that why he attracted all the lasses? Luro put it aside deciding it was a question for another time, for now he kept an eye on the exchange watching as the captain took out her own dagger and watched as Shouta broke it, he broke Ray's rapier as well. Luro felt a tad left out of the exchange...but thinking about it he's destroyed this rifle more times than there were stars in the sky, he wondered if that meant the meaning behind it would be lessened. Feeling a headache coming on he shook his head deciding not to think about it.
When the captain stood up to leave Luro stood up as well looking over at Risa before pointing towards the door.
"This might be the best time to leave for you, so why don't we get moving."
Luro turned to Shouta and offered a small nod smiling a little before turning and walking away from the table, his thoughts did wander to his mention of one person representing the crew, the idea of it crossed his mind once before but he put it aside and kept walking, all this complicated stuff just made his head hurt.
Luro ended up stopping when he heard the clatter of coins, he glanced back for a moment to see Shouta gesture towards Ray, he blinked a few times seeing it a little surprised but he just grinned and kept walking.
From what the captain said they would probably see this man again, Luro would share a drink with him then.

Once outside Luro stretched his arms out and rotated his right shoulder before looking in the direction the ship was docked and where the shop was.
"I just left the tavern but I still feel like I need a drink," Luro said bringing a hand to his chin with a small nod. "First things first though."
Luro turned to Risa and adjusted the rifle on his back a little, mostly just moving it a little to the side so it was pointing towards his left shoulder than his right, he reached forward and put both his hands on Risa's shoulders needing her undivided attention.
"Risa I'm not sure if you can keep up if I start running so I'm going to kidnap you now since it's easier."
Luro didn't wait for a response and immediately moved his hands down before picking Risa up and throwing her over his shoulder, he gave her bottom a firm pat before pointing in the direction of the ship.
"Here we go! Let's hurry back!"
With that Luro turned and sped off in the direction of the ships laughing to himself as he put some distance between himself and the tavern, though he would commit Shouta's face to memory. The captain wanted to prove themselves to him, so he figured it'd be a good idea not to forgot the guy, not that he felt he could anyway.

Luro came to a stop as they neared the shop and promptly set Risa down pounding his chest a few times with a grin.
"I've run from the authorities so much I have pretty good endurance, if I may so."
His eyes widened however as something clicked in his head and he pulled out his notebook before flipping a few pages stopping on one and putting his finger on the page.
"Thank you for your involvement in being forcibly moved from one place to another, if you did not want this then it is too late to regret so now so please bear with it, if you are so...inclined direct any complaints or swear words to the end of my gun you insufferable sod," Luro said before closing his book and putting it away. "Someone told me to say that each time I kidnap a person, said it was polite and very formal. Don't know what half of it means though, anyway your shop is nearby right let's go."
Luro started to walk but stopped seeing the captain and Alicia together in the distance, he stopped a fair bit away so he couldn't hear them but that was fine by him he didn't like the idea of eavesdropping on the two of them especially right now, however as he watched the two his eyes narrowed a little as his attention landed on Runali.
"Much as it bothers me to say it that judge guy helped me figure out an answer I've been looking for, at least understand it a bit more. One day I'd like to tell the captain but I can't yet, since she's the question in the first place. If she wants us to improve and prove ourselves I'm all for it...thanks to you though I've made some progress. I appreciate it since I've been stuck for a bit now."
Luro offered a smile to Risa before giving her a small thumbs up, the knowledge he gained here was definitely going to help in the future.
"Anyway enough seriousness it's bad for your skin, spare parts and all that?"