[IC] Pirate Age

[Prince]

Fight!

Fate, she is a cruel mistress. The sister of chance and mother of fortune.

Fight!

Fate, she has her witty ways of weaving those threads she sees fit for her desires.

Fight!

Fate, so powerful yet so subtle that she can make the roar of a crowd watching a brawl into destiny for so many.

As the Coral Pearl docked in the harbors of the Brass Cape, a loud chanting from a large crowd echoed from the streets nearest the docks. Hundreds of people, some more metal than flesh, roaring around in a circle, all chanting "Fight!" as a spectacle was unfolding. Not far off from them was a ship, not terribly unlike their own, but with a broken mast of three, chunks of splintered wood barren of finish and lacquer with entire planks missing and shattered. It was unsightly, so much that the fact it was afloat was left surprising. The only notable fact about the ship was the drastic contrast between it and essentially every other man-made, mechanical thing the immediacy of Brass Cape offered. It would be hard for any mind of minimal common sense not to assume a brawl was related; most sailors, after rough voyages, threw blame at those that performed poorly, and brawls, if not outright murders, were common among criminal or even gruff crews. This spectacle was likely no different.

Despite the decent distance between the Coral Pearl and the actual crowd itself, the crowd not only made itself heard, but was drowned out at times by the terrible sounds of screeching metal and warping steel. As if nails on a chalk board made into were sounds that rang out with a sense of lethal intent, the noises and clatter from the arena made by a crowd of spectators were enough to insinuate that whatever "fight" the chants and awe of the crowd implied had more destruction and drama than finesse or technique. All the while, the sounds from this conflict alone weren't the only spotlight that could draw attention to it. From its pit, near its core, something had an aura. Something shot out a feeling, to those more 'connected' with natural world, that something less natural and more forced was happening. Something no one in the StarDusk crew had encountered as of yet.

[Banba]

Danny was in the crow's nest with the captain, going over more of her maps and keeping a lookout for the land that was soon to be approaching. The girl was quite cheerful until the girl fell to the ship's deck. staying where she was, Danny stared down at the girl and her crew mates, confusion and a bit of fear across her face. she didn't move until she spotted the island. she stared for a second, the sight of it strange to her inexperienced eyes, but she snapped back to reality, quickly gathering her maps while shouting her discovery.
"Land ahead!" she let herself drop down a rope, moving to the wheel, alternating between super focused on docking, to staring at the things on the shore. once docked, Danny was the first one off the ship, running to and fro, trying to take everything in at once. she wanted to see everything at work, just to see what it did. it took her a moment to realize that someone new, the bird girl's brother, had joined the group. She grinned, suddenly in front of him, shaking his hand vigorously.
"Hi, I'm Danny, I'm a navigator. what does this do? how about that? that looks cool, did you make it? who made this?" she proceeded to point at various things, her smile growing sickeningly wide. and then she spotted the airship. Danny's jaw dropped, her eyes bugged, and she froze, unblinking. She only moved after Ray made his point about heights, snapping over to his side.
"Aw, come on, ray! We'd be unstoppable!" she stated, her hands in fists and shaking in excitement. she tilted her head, a noise reaching her ear. "anyone else hear a fight?"

[Mizos]

Luro grinned happy he could keep Risa close to figure out what was going on with those wings of her, the moment she started explaining he pulled his box out and grabbing a notebook starting writing down any information she revealed, he was able to keep up for the most part though he had to ask her to repeat things a few times. Steam-powered technology permitted them to do something like that.
His attention was only pulled from Risa as they came across Brass Cape, Luro's jaw dropped as he stared at the approaching city, his eyes wide and his whole body trembling at the sight of the city itself, it was a marvel like nothing he had ever seen before and it took all his willpower to pull himself from it's allure to focus back on the captain hearing her speak about getting off the ship.
His gaze did drift back to the city eventually, especially that huge blue arc over a smaller blue circle attached to that huge tower, what in the world was that and why did he want one so badly.

When they stepped off the Coral and made their way into the city Luro's gaze seemed moved at everything around him, his attention moving to anything in the area, he could feel the heat from the steam tickle his skin, watched as it erupted from all manners of mechanisms that seemed to draw his eyes one after the other.
When they walked into the shop Luro barely had time to register that another person was nearby as his gaze immediately went to all the trinkets in the ship, his eyes trying to take apart everything around him and put it back together.
Even as they kept moving every time he turned he seemed to see something new and amazing, but it was when Risa pointed up to the flying ship that Luro fell to his knees, though he still took notes from what Risa was saying though his gaze was focused on what he considered a miracle of creation.
"I think I'm in love," Luro said reaching a hand towards the flying ship. "I would make sweet tender love to her if it was possible....don't tell the Coral though she might get jealous."
Luro climbed back to his feet and he flipped a page in his book before furiously writing something down in his to-do list.
Stuff ta do in case I forget

1. "If opportunity presents itself get airship,"


2. "If the opportunity doesn't present itself steal airship through any means necessary,"


3. Take apart to fully understand how to make one myself,"


4. "Get more rum, then steal another airship for personal use,"

Luro finished writing in his book and stuffed it in his pocket before looking over at the captain remembering she commented on the ship.
"Aye captain we should get one, Ray will be okay once he flies in one he'll want two of them before you know it."
Luro turned to Ray and gave a firm nod before he looked back over at Risa not really keen on the idea of leaving her company.
"I'm fine staying near Risa, I need to learn everything there is to know about her and this world, I'm not leaving her side.Ever"
Luro's gaze locked onto Risa but his attention was pulled from her as the sounds of fighting reached his ears, his attention immediately snapped to the crowd, there was a good old-fashioned brawl going on over there, this city really did have everything!
Luro's fist trembled as excitement poured through his body, he could feel his blood pumping from the chants themselves, nothing was better than a no holds barred fight he admitted he was extremely curious what was going on but his desire not to move away from Risa kept him from investigating.
"I hear it Danny but there's something more important that needs to be said."
Luro immediately turned back to Risa before pointing at her.
"Is there a place to drink around here...also where do the ships dock out of curiosity."

[Winter]

Alicia had been made very welcome once she'd come aboard the Coral Pearl. As the ship had been pulling away she'd taken a run and a jump to the side of the ship, her hands catching the rope before bracing her feet against the hull, climbing up and over a moment later. When Runali motioned for where her room would be she gave a smile and bowed her head a little to her, "Thank you Captain, I look forwards to traveling with you from here on out" she said in her soft tone before she'd take her things to the aforementioned room, returning latter in order to mix with the crew a little to get to know them, which she had done over the next days it took them to reach the Brass Cape.

When the girl had fallen from the sky she'd gripped her sword tightly, not drawing it but merely remaining at the ready in case something happened. However when it seemed the girl was harmless she eased her stance, taking in a deep breath as she observed the girl speak with the others. Though Alicia remained calm and serene in her demeanor, it was the sight of the Brass Cape itself which caused her to stare in awe, her eyes feasting upon the beauty of the land in front of her with all it's tremendous wonders. "Simply amazing!" she said with a smile as she leaned herself forwards against the wood rail on the bow of the Coral Pearl.

In all her travels so far she hadn't seen anything quite like this and she had to wonder what kind of people live here, as well as what kind of life they lead. When Ray spoke about the Crow's Nest she cocked an eyebrow, giving him a slightly amused smirk, "I don't know Ray, I think a pair of wings would suit you just fine" she said with a small grin before looking back towards the island. When the Coral Pearl docked she'd remain relatively close to the captain, although she wasn't her guard she was interested in learning more about how the captain acted and portrayed herself to the world around her.

[AkiBlue]

Well that was new. She didn't know Ray had a fear of heights. "Well think about this. If not a sky-ship, then an upgrade for the option to have a sky ship?" She raised an eyebrow when she looked at Ray.

Risa couldn't help but giggle. "We could do that here, but that kind of upgrade takes months." She was starting to relax around the pirates as she gave them a tour. Risa assumed the whole prisoner idea was just a joke... Runali wasn't willing to wait a few months to get their ship back. That meant they'd have to get a new ship or sit in an island for awhile.

"Alright Ray, I guess you win this round. Only because I'm not willing to trade Coral for a few months, and I don't want to be stuck here for a few months."

All heads turned to Luro as he dramatically fell and Risa laughed softly. Runali looked around, still rather impressed before gesturing for Risa to move on. But there were two things wrong with that. One, Risa was once again being stared at intensely by the tall pirate as he spoke about needing to be need her. She was once again red in the face from embarrassment. There was also two, which was the fact that the crews' attention turned to the sound of violence. Of course, a pirate's instinct was to always go forward. And of course, check out the local threats. Runali planned to keep going, finding more interesting stuff than a fight. They were pages, they'd see plenty of that.

Surprisingly, it was Risa who left ahead in curiosity. "We don't normally have such vicious brawls... Well, any at all. We ate normally too busy to have such petty wastes off time. But of course, since Risa walked to the crowd of course the crew was going to follow. Luro already said he wanted to stick by her side. Runali didn't want to get lost in a place she knew little of, with gadgets that she wasn't aware of either. Risa looked over at Luro when he spoke of 'more important things'. Sheepishly, she answered the first question. "I'm not exactly sure where any taverns or places to drink are sorry. As for normal ship docking, that would be on the left side of the island. Far left. That's where most of the shopping centers are. You guys came in and went to the right, where my dad's shop is."

Even her attention turned to the chaos before them. Runali stared through the mass of bodies cheering or just plain yelling. She watched and waited, unmoving until the crowd spread out some to give the fighters room. It was her chance to see what was going on. Something about it was different. She didn't know what it was, but it pulled her back every time she thought it was a good time to go. She didn't know what interested her. A feeling? The occasional sparks that flew up from the clashes? Or maybe it was just the piratical nature that she had grown use to.



"I don't think it's a good idea....to be around here." Pirates or not, they didn't have to spend their time sticking their nose in violence. There were so many other interesting creations around this island. They could find violence anywhere! "Captain-"

"Don't worry Nolan, don't worry. We'll leave...in just a second..." Nolan wondered why the captain was even intrigued by this fight. It was only making him uncomfortable. Hopefully Risa would start escorting them again.

[Prince]

Fight!

Fight!

Fight!

The crowd surrounding the brawl grew in volume two-fold; not only was it increasing in size, but it was growing louder by the moment. The odor of iron seeped into the air as blood was shed, to such a degree that an arm was thrown what seemed like hundreds of feet back into the harbor, splashing down as violently as it was ripped from its socket. It was as if an entire crew were fighting, not just a scuffle between a few disgruntled sailors. A mutiny? Was it a coup? Most sailors looked down on traitors and mutineers, so why would a crowd of hundreds circle around a group of mutineers chanting fight? It didn't matter. Almost as quickly as the violence increased, a deafening silence echoed from the crowd. It was sparked by a single, unmistakable sound. A sword clashing against metal, a shield or rail perhaps, but nevertheless, it was a blade. A blade followed by silence and finished by a quick shock wave that knocked back half the crowd, shoving them into the harbor itself.

"Anyone else?! Will anyone else raise a blade to the Rookie Judge?!

The crowd and its silence were like a plague. It spread throughout the entire portion of the dock, even to those not interested in the fight itself. It was one of those tense moments where a small situation - an anthill of all things - had grown into a mountain, and it was blocking far more roads than necessary. While the scene may have caused havoc and even a brief pause to the entire Brass Cape harbor, that name should have echoed within the pirates. The Rookie Judge was a famous pirate, one of the legends first learned by even beginners. His word, his "judgement" would dictate how dozens of other pirates, including the biggest ships and even those that called themselves the Red Pirates, would look at you. His word, like his hammer, were rumored to have sealed the fates for countless pirates... while his approval had bestowed fortune onto others.

After a few moments of silence, a path was cleared in the crowd. It wasn't clear if this was instinctual or by his instruction, but its purpose was made real clear, real quick. From the very heart of the scene, a body was hurled back into the half-sunk ship. Pinning it was a gnarled sword, the wielder of it spewing blood and struggling against his impaled chest cavity. "If any man has the BRASS BALLS to fight me again, I'll be at the Glimmering Tin Tavern," the man shouted, albeit almost inaudibly to the StarDusk crew.

[Fox of Spades]

The airships above them were amazing. Nolan had never seen anything like them before, and he hadn't thought ships were capable of flying. After all, they were heavy things made of wood and steel. He wondered what it would be like to ride one, to lean against the railing and look down at all the cities below, at the people that would probably look more like ants then anything else. The cook made his way towards Risa, like Luro, his interest had been piqued, though he was less enthusiastic and simply grinned from ear to ear.

Before Nolan could ask his question they heard chanting and soon they were walking towards the scene of a brawl. The cook scrunched up his nose in distaste, but he followed after the others. Knowing his friends, it would only be a matter of time before they themselves got into trouble, and he wanted to be there to keep the peace if Luro upset anyone, or if Danny got a little too excited around irritable people.

Nolan turned to look at Alicia and shook his head, a small smile creeping up on his face. "A day without any shenanigans would be wonderful. It feels like trouble follows us around," the man chuckled then strolled after the others, but upon nearing the circle of chanting people he backed away and shuddered. It was the smell of blood and sweat. He couldn't see what was happening, but when the people surrounding the brawlers made way for someone called The Rookie Judge, Nolan gaped.

A bleeding man had just been dumped into a ship. If no one helped the poor man, he would die.

Nolan's didn't even pay attention to the swordsman, instead he turned to the crowd. "Isn't anyone going to do anything?!" Were they really going to let him bleed to death? Maybe trying to save the impaled man would be pointless at this stage, but just watching and not doing anything...that was cruel. "Is anyone here a doctor?" He was pushing his way into the crowd now, muttering frantic 'excuse me' as he went. Nolan scanned the crowd for the captain and someone to help the bleeding man.

[Banba]

Danny scrambled up Luro's back as they approached the fight, eager to see the commotion.
"Is it a fight? I wanna fight. can we fight, captain? oh, I can smell the fight." She took a deep breath, her smile fading as a body was tossed to the side, Nolan surging forward. she dropped down from her perch, following the cook. she easily moved through the crowd thanks to her small stature, and caught up to nolan just as he reached the sinking boat. jumping to the body, Danny began to rip the bottom of her shirt into strips, tightly tying them around wounds.
"apply pressure here, it'll stop the bleeding in that side. we can't do much here, and I wouldn't know where to get the supplies to start stitching him up. even then I don't think he's got a very big chance, he's lost a lot of blood." she stated, looking around at the crowd, focusing on looking for the rest of the crew. She didn't want to state it, but she knew the man wouldn't make it unless he was in a clinic with properly trained doctors within a minute. She didn't want to discourage Nolan.

[Grothnor]

Ray ran his hand through his hair and gripped the base of his ponytail in unease, growing ever more frustrated with his lack of solid arguments against getting the airship as everyone either ribbed him for his fear of heights or urged him to reconsider. He turned to Luro for help, but instead, all he got were words put in his mouth and Danny pestering him at his side. Even the new girl, Alicia, was teasing him. He simply gave the captain a pleading look and hoped for the best. The captain asked about retrofitting the Coral Pearl to fly and Ray's stomach sank. Fortunately the modifications would take several months, and Ray breathed a silent sigh of relief when the captain declined.

A fight, or rather the aftermath of it, caught his attention as he heard someone shouting about Judges, Brass Balls and going to a tavern. The last part caught his attention, and Ray turned to Luro and nudged him with an elbow. “Hey, I think that guy's headed to a tavern, wanna go?” Before he heard Luro's response, he turned back to see the man rounding a corner. “Crap, he's getting away,” Ray muttered and started jogging after him, trying to keep up.

He started following the man rather openly. He had some experience in tailing, having surreptitiously followed some of his illicit lovers or assorted rivals before in Lendria, but felt no need to hide from this person; if he was confronted, he'd simply explain that he's following him to the tavern. He did, however, feel a need to acquire some money for drinks, having spent almost all his money on Utsukushī, so he lifted a few wallets from passersby along the way and relished in the freedom that piracy gave, whistling the tune of a sea shanty with a smug smile on his face.

[AkiBlue]

Following the wave of the crowd, Runali and Risa stepped back to create a path for the mystery person. They were at the end of the newly created path, so they got to see him off- and hear some very useful information. "The Glimmering Tin Tavern, huh..." Was she really going to see who this random stranger turned out to be? It was possible.

"You couldn't possibly want to go there. The man just killed someone! Are you insane!?" Risa pointed out the damage the stranger had caused. She further pointed out how terrified some of the others looked.

"Well. I'm a pirate. So...it's an occupational hazard." Risa merely sighed at the strange comment. How in the world did she get tangled up with some pirates. Then she thought about her quite 'majestic' fall from the sky and rubbed her shoulder. "Found that tavern you were looking for Luro." She mentioned, even though he would probably end up following Risa if she didn't tag along with them. She had a slightly smug look on her face as Ray mentioned it right after. Before she could go, Runali turned to Nolan and Danny trying to save a dying man. "You two," She called out to them. Her voice was empathetic, but the look she gave was blank. "You can't save them all. We're pirates remember? And that's not our business." She gave a final nod before following Luro and Ray to the Glimmering Tin Tavern.

Before they could go off too far, Risa mentally whined but hurried with them. "You guys don't even know where that is. I'll...I'll show you a shorter way to get there." Something about the StarDusk pirates made her want to stick around. It was that, or Luro's odd eye contact every time he spoke to her caused some weird hypnotic delusion that she had to stick around him until he said she wasn't needed. She changed their course, heading East as the Rookie Judge went forward. She whistled as a vehicle came close, resembling an open shuttle bus. "It'll get us there faster than on foot." The driver oddly enough was robotic, fixxed so it only tipped it's blue metal hat at every stop and drove off after a few seconds of waiting.

"This definitely beats walking everywhere." Runali stood on the bus, holding on to a railing. "Why hasn't this tech been shipped to different islands yet?"

Risa had taken a seat, watching as they admired the sites. "Well. As my father told me. It has to be approved useful by the government. When it is, we have to show their teams how to make them and- well it's a long process, but it's slowly coming around. How do you guys think those communicators got on to the ships?" The captain had seen many of those devices before, but she never felt the need to get one for their ship. Maybe they would one day. Maybe they could even add it with the repairs to the ship.

It took no more than five minutes to get to the Tavern. "I don't think I really want to go in there.... They're normally full of drunken riled up men." As the captain hopped off the bus she walked past and casually pushed Risa along with them.

"Don't worry. If anything happens. Luro can be in charge of protecting you." Risa didn't know why this caused a faint blush to appear on her cheeks, but she followed the crew in nonetheless. "You know...the last few times I've been in a tavern, a fight broke out." Runali crossed her arms. "When I met Kai there was a bar fight, and even that time on Hara island- oh if I never mentioned that one to you guys. Heh, I may have started that fight. Let's hope that isn't some curse of mine."

When the crew entered the bar (unless they decided to venture off elsewhere), there was a handful of people inside, drinking away and being rather loud. But that was normal for a drunken group of people. The captain plopped into a seat at the bar, ordering a drink. She didn't drink very often, and all the rum and sake and other various drinks on the ship was left to everyone else. Now, they were left to wait for this mysterious person. It left Runali wondering in amusement, why the three of them specifically were so interested in seeking out this Judge- knowing little to nothing about him.

[Prince]

"An' so e'haaanged..."

It wasn't a merry song that played when they entered the tavern. Far from it, in fact. T'was the Ballad of Ivan Williams, a slightly less-common but still well-known tavern song reciting the ill-fortune of a man named Ivan Williams. To anyone that knows the history of the tune, Ivan Williams wasn't a pirate at all. He was shanghai'd and forced to row oars on a smaller ship. He was a tiler before that, so he knew nothing of the open sea. The song has plenty of variations and verses explaining why he took to the sea, and in some he even becomes a pirate, but for the most part Ivan is a sailor of misfortune that is ultimately framed for the crimes of another pirate wanting to escape his life on the seas with his treasure. It was an odd song to play in an tavern trying to be merry, and it made the atmosphere lousy for drinking and being rowdy, but that sure as Hell didn't stop people from trying.

"...From an Ivan rope...
...thick of hemp...
...but held no hope...

...So drink, me 'earties,..
For Sir Ivan the Bold!

Youse see:

He hung for our sins...
...and gave us the gold!

Put a'round on'm, old Ivan of the sea...
For the beggars an' sailors, an' even the thieves...
For tomorrow we sail, black flags up high!
A scoundrel's life, we know
For williams, you see, we're pii-iiigh.. rates!
The lowest of the lowww...."

While this less-than-merry tune was playing, Shouta was sitting in front of the stage with two large whiskey bottles beside him, and a tall glass full of ice that he refilled when he finished his drink. Shouta wasn't exactly happy about slaughtering half a crew or making a scene; he was even well-aware that there was a chance several people would be after him tonight, for whatever reason. Revenge. Irritation. Or, maybe someone knowing his reputation. In any case, he wanted to be drunk if he was going to meet more people, and he was doing a fine job of it. Singing off key with the otherwise-talented bards of the tavern, Shouta wasn't causing as much of a distraction as much as he was just acting like your regular tavern drunk. There was a significant chance no one in the tavern even knew what he did or what he just announced not terribly long beforehand. For all intents and purposes, Shouta blended right in with a room full of drunks.

[Mizos]

Luro rubbed the side of his head as something was posed upon him that pulled him in two different directions, oddly enough he was alright with the soon to be death of the man, though he admitted the method was certainty different but there was something more important to focus on right now.
There was an opportunity for the consumption of ale, Ray had made that very clear also the man who had just walked off as well by mention the tavern. However if he went to get the rum he'd have to leave Risa's side, he didn't really like that, but he wanted rum...but there was Risa.
Luro closed his eyes trying to figure out what he wanted to do, Risa knew the wonders of this new world and with her help he could further his knowledge, but if he got rum...he'd have rum it was a dilemma.
Thankfully Luro didn't have to choose as it seemed everyone was going to follow the man that had just left, which meant he could have both which made him smile as he followed Risa who seemed to know the way there.
While they climbed on the vehicle Luro marveled at how many interesting things were in this town, he chuckled a little finding himself surprised at each new thing, there was so much to learn here it brought him an almost endless amount of joy, and Risa lived in a place like this, she was lucky to be surrounded by this all the time.

Luro zoned out through most of the conversation about why the inventions weren't in other places, he did catch it had something to do with the government and teaching but for the most part he was too busy looking around at the sights, though his attention returned to Risa in-between only to move back out to the city.
Once everyone reached the tavern Luro stepped off and stared at the building for a moment, he only pulled his attention away when the captain mentioned something about being Risa's bodyguard.
"That works for me captain, means I don't have to leave her side. If anything happens just stay behind me," Luro said smiling at Risa.
At the mention of a bar fight breaking out in the past and the possibility of it happening again Luro gave a small nod bringing a hand to his chin.
"A tavern without fighting isn't really a tavern, it's a collected gathering of like minded individuals seeking the comfort of drink at least that's what a sailor told me once. If you think they're riled up now little bird, just wait until they see a lass. Oh if a fight does break out don't forget to rob anyone you knock out, it's considered common courtesy...I think..."

Once inside Luro took in a deep breath taking in the rowdy but surprisingly comforting atmosphere at least to him, his entire being seemed to relax once he was fully inside, a wide grin finding its way onto his face as a sense of calm filled him, it seemed like he had returned home after a long leave and it was a feeling he never tired of.
"Ah it's been too long since I've been in a tavern," Luro said. "You smell that wondrous scent, that's the smell of dri- actually I'm not sure what that is....or that...I know what that is...what was I saying again. Oh yeah the smell of drink and hushed memories...I think, that or rotten fish one of the two."
Luro looked over at a man stumbling a little carrying a bottle of rum and smiled at him, he reached over and put a hand on the man's shoulder to draw his attention.
"You seem like you've drank enough, did you pay for that?" Luro asked pointing at the bottle.
The man offered a small nod and Luro then questioned how much, once he received an answer Luro gave a nod and calmly gripped the bottom of the bottle causing the man to arch a brow at him before he slammed his fist into the man's face sending him falling to the ground leaving Luro holding the bottle.
Digging in his pocket Luro took out two pieces of silver and kneeling down put it in the man's shirt pocket before offering a kind smile.
"Have a few on me for the trouble mate," Luro said with a small nod before taking a small drink from the bottle. "Sorry to get rough, hope you don't take offense to it. It was violence out of potential comradeship, when you wake up if I'm still here we'll share a drink."
Luro looked back over at Risa before pointing to his bottle. "Did you want anything? Might want to drink know before we talk to that guy, might not get the opportunity while we're talking to him. Actually where is he in here? Anyone remember what he looked like?"
Luro looked back at anyone who was still nearby as he hadn't been paying that much attention to the guy's appearance, which he realized would have been a good idea since they were trying to find him.
"He said something before he left...I can't remember what exactly it was though. I think it was a name, maybe if we call it out or something."
He was positive the guy came here, he even left before them so he had to be in here somewhere, Luro squinted his eyes trying to find his location but he only got a glimpse of the guy he wondered if he could pick him out in this crowd.

[Banba]

Danny looked from the departing crew to the very near dead man to Nolan, making a deep noise in her throat. She didn't want to get left behind in an unfamiliar city without a clear map, but she didn't just want to leave Nolan, especially since the man just died in front of him. sighing as she stood up, she calmly and gently gripped his hand, ignoring the blood on the both of them.
"The captain's right. there's nothing we can do for him. he'll have some friends in this group that can properly take care of him." pulling the cook after the group, the pair just made it onto the vehicle before it sped off, causing Danny to lurch. she didn't like the moving sensation, and it was worse looking outside, so she sat down where she was and buried her face in her knees, gripping her stomach. she only looked up to check on Nolan, and occasionally to view quickly out the windows at the marvels of the city. but she was glad when the vehicle stopped, and she could make it back onto the comfortable solidness of the road.
"I tell you, the sea is one thing, but that ride made me feel sicker than when I had the spots." she stated to noone in particular, quickly finding her way back to Nolan's side. She'd stick by him as if they were attached at the hip, and it'd stay that way until the navigator could make sure he was okay again. it wasn't the first time Danny's used the tactic, and she didn't think it'd be the last. entering the tavern, she saw Luro talking with a drunkard, grip his drink and punch him. her mouth dropped open as her brow furrowed.
"Who cares about the guy from earlier! why'd you punch this one out? You wouldn't like it if your drink was taken, so don't do it to others. plus you can go a total of five steps to the bar and payed the same amount!" she knew that the drunkard would be fine, if a little woosy from the drinking, but that didn't stop the thought of putting a leash on Luro. it crossed her mind that the others may have had the same thought about her, which made her feel like a hypocrite. she quieted down, her mind comparing her behavior to the carpenter's, curious as to how much they were actually alike.

[Winter]

Alicia followed silently behind the captain throughout their trip into the Brass Cape. She seemed content to observe and merely listened in to part of the conversation which either intrigued her or she felt would be noteworthy for latter. The place was certainly interesting a carried a degree of character she found charming. When they entered the bar she was momentarily reminded of the.. situation which happened back at Utsukushi. She quickly cast the thought aside as she followed with the captain, observing the many others which sat in their seats as they drank their earnings. After Runali took her seat Alicia would approach her from behind and gently rest her hand on her shoulder, leaning forwards just enough so her words could only be heard between them. "I'll be within range, it would be prudent if I checked to ensure this place is as it seems" she said before moving back, seeming to disappear a few moments latter.

[Fox of Spades]

They couldn't save the man. The captain was right, they couldn't save everyone and it wasn't their job. But still, it left a bad taste in Nolan's mouth, and he spent the entire bus ride questioning his choices in life. He could see his parents shaking their heads and Annie calling him a 'goshdarn idiot' or a 'rotten potato'. It almost made him laugh and for a moment, he considered packing his bags and heading home.

He had had his fill of adventure, had sailed the seas, and had even participated in saving a town. It should have been enough, but it wasn't. Nolan wanted to see the world, to set foot on every harbor in the continent, and the answer finally came to him. This was why he had become a pirate and it was this wanderlust that made him sign up for the Stardusk pirates, that threw him into this crazy yet wonderful adventure.

He shook his head and laughed a little. He couldn't leave these people even if he tried.

The cook made his way into the tavern and scrunched his nose in distaste. How Luro and Ray managed to spend hours in places like this was beyond him. He noticed what Danny was doing and gave the girl a smile, he really appreciated it. "I'm alright now, really. Thanks Danny, I appreciate the concern." He ruffled the girl's hair affectionately, she was just like his little sister and it made him feel protective of her in a brotherly way. "Don't go drinking or anything, the stuff here looks really strong--ah, there's the captain." He noticed Runa and Alicia by a table and waved.

"Let's go join them, I'm just going to get something for everyone." He ordered a pitcher of grape juice and balanced a few glasses on a tray. Slowly, he made his way back to the table, passing by a chatting Luro, Risa, and Danny. "I bought enough juice for everyone, just head to the table if any of you want some." He plopped the tray beside the captain just in time to see Alicia leaving. "Oh, there's some juice here if you like..." he didn't know if she had heard him but he poured some into a glass and passed it to the captain.

He raised an eyebrow when he saw she already had a drink of her own. "Um, not to offend or anything captain, but aren't you a little too young to be drinking?" He chuckled then poured himself a glass of juice. "Then again...you're a little to young to be a pirate as well," his tone was playful and friendly. "So just ignore the cook," Nolan flashed her a grin, he still didn't like the place or the thought of not being able to save the man by the peer, but he shook the thoughts out of his head and swallowed a mouthful of juice.

[Grothnor]

Ray found the idea of a horseless carriage quite novel, even if it stank of engine smoke. However, Ray found the scent of smoke less offensive than the smell of horse dung, and whatever waste it made was simply dispelled straight into the air rather than into an unpleasant pile.

The Glimmering Tin Tavern was a sight dingier and grayer than Ray would have liked from a drink house. Taverns were supposed to be places of joviality but this place seemed like it was a place to drown in regret; there was nothing glimmering about the Glimmering Tin. Ray took a glass of juice that Nolan had bought for everyone, sipping it sourly. He figured he'd purchase one of their finer bottles of wine before they left, though he doubted they had anything of quality behind the bar.

[AkiBlue]

Risa took a seat at a table that Nolan took over. She looked over at Luro when he offered to get her something to drink. "Oh, um, no thank-" Nolan had brought drinks for them, drinks that weren't alcoholic. "Oh, this is better. Thank you." She realized Nolan was probably the safest one in the bar, so despite having become Luro's 'hostage', she decided to sit near him. The least amount of trouble would probably go his way. After the random attack, she was sure she would be way too close to Luro when the time came that the guy... well, woke up.

Once again, she witnessed the oddity of the pirates. One of them, Danny if she recalled correctly, was was nagging Luro about attacking someone randomly. But they were pirates...Wasn't that something pirates did? Whatever the case was, she just hoped it wouldn't cause too much of a problem as she sat quietly, wondering if her father had gotten home and had gotten around to fixing their ship a little.

The captain walked right past Risa, not bothering to worry about her. She had Luro for that. For a moment, her attention turned to Danny's reaction to Luro attacking someone. "He did pay the guy. Give him some credit Danny." She wondered if she would have to continuously remind Danny and Nolan that being a pirate came with a price. Sometimes, being a little violent was that price. Feeling the hand on her right shoulder, the captain glanced over to see Alicia. The only reason she didn't tense up at the random touch was because she could see her right side. More often than not, ones who attacked he tried going for her blind side which resulted in a mild paranoia. She listened to the woman and nodded. If Alicia wanted to go off and make sure things were safe, Runali wouldn't stop her. Instead, she turned her attention to Nolan who had brought a tray to the table.

His comment made her smirk and look down at the drink in her hand. "Eh, I don't drink often. But in a tavern, why not respect the customs?" She set the now empty cup down and traded it out for what Nolan had brought. One to be nice and two because she didn't plan to start getting drunk anytime soon. Besides, there was a mysterious figure they were looking for. It was a bit crowded, making it a little more difficult to spot him. She stood from her seat, wandering over to Luro before speaking up. "I think the name you're looking for is Judge a Rookie Judge to be specific." She scanned the room in the midst of the drunken men and women.

"Rookie Judge? Judge of rookies? What does that even mean? You guys, what if he's the navy? Then what will you do? Do all pirates really just rush into things without thinking? Sheesh...I couldn't be a pirate...How are you two even pirates? You seem so, well nice." Risa rambled on partially talking to the others, more so talking to herself, until her ending questions to Nolan and Danny.

"Well if he's apart of the Navy I suppose we'll be hightailing it out of here. But then again, we're fairly new around here... We haven't caused that much trouble." She paused for a moment, remembering Waterdeep and all of the hell they managed to raise. But they had Kai to blame for that one considering they were just helping out a fellow crewmate... Still, what possible trouble could they have gotten into for saving a royal family? Surely they would cover for them.

"Aha." Despite the exclamation, the sound came out very monotonous rather than surprising. "Target spotted somewhere around the 2 o'clock area...unless it's the other way around. Then that would make it 11 o'clock if you're facing that way." She shook her head, realizing she was rambling on much like how Luro or Danny would do. "Now, how would I go about approaching a potentially dangerous person- that could also be apart of the navy?" Runa tapped her hat in thought. "There's starting a random fight, buying a drink- nah, that's a waste of money, casually mentioning him-"

Risa interrupted the captain in a slightly panicky voice. One would think she was apart of the crew. "Is starting a fight really necessary?!"

"Don't worry, don't worry. It was just suggestions. I planned on just walking over there anyway."

"Isn't that a little dangerous too!?" But as she said that, Runa wandered off towards the male drinking away. "Shouldn't someone stop her??"

Runali pulled up a seat in front of the 'mysterious figure' that managed to cause such a crowd and pull half her crew's attention. She pulled up a chair and turned it the opposite way, sitting on it backwards. Her arms rested on the back of the chair and she looked at him for a moment, examining him. Without an introduction, she adjusted her hat and spoke. There was no reason not to be bold, and there was no reason to beat around the bush.

"So, what does the Rookie Judge title mean? Sounds important... Care to explain?"

[Prince]

"Yeah, yeah," Shouta replied to Runali with a definite slur in his voice. Not just slurred, but nonchalant. It was as if he had no care for her in the world. Somewhat rude, but a common trait among both young pride and veteran wisedom, albeit for varying reasons. It was hard to tell with this guy; he wasn't terribly old but he was far from her age. He appeared in his early thirties, maybe late twenties if the sea was just rough. "It's Shouta," he added before standing up, "youse can wait a moment."

Shouta walked up to the stage and began climbing onto it, mumbling, 'this'n's my favorite'. The front of the stage had a bucket full of gold coins. A high value for what was normally meant for tips. A more veteran drinker, like Luro, might be able to deduce that Shouta had been intentionally purchasing the songs for the evening, paying for them through tips. The song had already started and the band playing were waiting for the now obviously and more so moderately drunk Shouta to climb on stage. It wasn't clear if they were just open to the idea of a customer singing with them or if they didn't give a damn due to the gold he paid, but in either case, they were utterly willing to let him join in. Some taverns were a bit strict with their performers, as fights could lead to damaged equipment, while others encouraged whatever antics brought in customers. New place, new rules - it was hard to tell.

♫ Is it... whiskey or wine, for which we dine!

♪ Drink up, me earties. Yo ho!

Or be it rum for a bum on the streets of the night!

♪ Drink up, me earties, Yo ho!"

Or a swig for a sailor on a cold lonely night!

♪ What drink be in his mug?

Spiced ale, maybe rum, or be he a man, a hard liquor straight to gut!
Do you drink from the bottle or a boot like mutt?

♪ Doesn't matter if you're here an' can paaaaaay! ♫

Although Shouta obviously knew the words and sung under the actual singer, his slurred tone somewhat botched the song. At the same time, that botched tone is what made this drinking song the type of song you would expect from a tavern.There was a brief pause in the song to which Shouta took the time to yell out, "A drink for anyone who'll get'is ass up on stage and knows teh song wit' me!" Irrelevant of if anyone listened, and the band did slightly draw out the pause to allow anyone whom wanted to join, the song wasn't going to stop if no one else wanted to join. Just stall if they were bold enough to sing, or attempt to, in front of the crowd.

♫ Pick up the bottle and drink it all down!
Then pour you and yer mates a whole 'nother round!

♪ Drink up, my friends down below!

Yo ho! Yo ho! Is that a tavern wench I see?

Yo ho! Yo ho! We've all been too long at sea!

Hold your drinks up high, then slam them straight down!
It ain't a good night if it on the morrow we can recaaaaaaaall!

So...

Drink for your father, your mother, your sister your brother
Hell just drink one for each 'an them all!

We drink for those we still have, those we will lose an' those we have lost!
We drink on the hot summer nights and in the cold, frigid frost!

We're men of all ale and brew!
We drink for our captains, our ships and all of crew!
A tavern is lucky if its not dry when we're through!

♪ Drink up, me earties. Yo ho!

So, I'll ask again! Is it whiskey or wine for which we dine?
An' if we done' dine at all:
Pick yer poison ye curr! Ale, rum, gin or be it clear?
Drink 'til ya can't see at all or ya see like a seer!

Let's all drink together, so we don' drink alone!
Ne'er a sailor on the seas left all on his own!

♪ Drink up me earties. Yo ho!

Drink up, damn I said; we'll drink 'til we're dead:
There's no better way to go!

♪ Drink up me earties. Yo ho!♫

[Fox of Spades]

Why did he become a pirate? That was actually a pretty good question.

Nolan turned to face Risa with an amused expression, "to be honest, I don't really know either." He laughed softly, "I guess I wanted an adventure, and I've been getting a lot of that lately. Trust me, trouble follows these people wherever they go. It's quite amazing—wait what?" The smile was wiped off his face and he nearly tumbled out of his seat.

The cook had to agree with Risa, the Rookie Judge was dangerous. Sure, he trusted Runa, she was their captain, but it didn't change the fact that she was a kid in a tavern full of drunk and potentially dangerous people, and he didn't want to see her or any of his friends get hurt. So when she suggested starting a fight he leaped to his feet and stood at his full height, "no, no, we're not doing that here...and she's off." He shook his head right and left then sighed, "you're right, I'm going to follow her."

Nolan made his way towards the captain and the drunk Shouta, but the latter didn't stick around, and instead, he made his way towards the stage. He sang for a bit then began bellowing challenges at the crowd. Nolan arched his eyebrow then looked to the captain. Was she really that interested in getting the Rookie Judge to talk? He looked again, she probably was, wasn't she?

Fine, okay, as one of her crew mates, it was his duty to help his friends. Nolan walked up to Ray and Luro and clamped a hand down on each their shoulders. He still felt a little awkward around Luro, but this fight would have to end eventually, in the end, they were still crew mates. "Ray, I reckon you can sing a lot better than him. Want to liven this place up?" He nodded slowly in Luro's direction. "And I've never seen anyone drink as much as you can. Maybe if you both beat him at his own game he'll be interested in talking?" Nolan waited for an answer then laughed nervously, "just don't do anything dangerous or brash, please."

[Banba]

Danny grinned at Nolan.
"Sure, its dangerous, but that doesn't mean we can stop her." she commented, sitting on her knees on a chair around the table, leaned forward so her elbows were resting on the tabletop. staying where she was, she watched both the captain and Nolan move towards the shadowy figure. it didn't take long for him to move past them, and to the stage. she giggled as the song started, clapping along to the beat. when he declared the trade of a drink for joining the song, she jumped up, moving swiftly to the stage. she actually knew the song from Ray's playing. while she was sure that Nolan would disapprove of her drinking, she just wanted a taste. she's feed it to Luro afterwards. when the song finished, she started giggling again, pulling the stranger to their table.
"Hey, you killed a man right? I have to, in the process of saving an island. remember that guys, remember that? I got attacked by a fish that attacked the princess. It gave me a scar, but then we ate it so we're even now. scars are bad ass, too, so I guess I won in that exchange. hey, you've killed a man, right?"