Blackfridayrule

In Dark Seas We Sail

"It's not about that!" Rohaan's sharp tone warped into an uncharacteristic, high whimper by the end of the sentence and he clamped his mouth shut, opting to throw the lime he'd sucked dry blindly across the little galley, too. It bounced off the vent of the stove with a soft plunk. "Wheel could eat a storm and I could burn every last one of them myself!" This, too, seemed just a little out of character for the boy. He never enjoyed strangers, and when they had shore leave, Rohaan often stuck close to Berlin in taverns and spoke to no one besides the crew. Even when Hana came aboard, he'd been surly and distant from her, but he'd never been violent. Now, every inch of him looked like he was capable and willing of backing up that threat. The boy was trembling slightly, his limbs pulled closer to his body like a hermit crab pulling protectively into his shell. In one moment, he was explosive and harsh. In another instant, he was withdrawn, and shifted back and forth between the two juxtaposed emotions as quickly as he could change the shape of his body. Evidently, he did not fully know how to feel at the moment.

Rohaan tried, but he couldn't hold back all of the tears that welled up in his lapis lazuli eyes. A few escaped, and he wiped them away with force. "Berlin's a traitor..." he sniffed, not meeting Pieter's eyes. "He knew who they were. He knew! And he says to 'em to stay and have lunch!" He continued shouting, though in his native tongue, and at a speed that might have vexed even Berlin. Whatever he was saying, it was evident by the intermittent snarls and extra emphasis on a few words that he was giving their guests topside some serious and vile names.

Rohaan quieted, out of breath. In his heart of hearts, some part of him understood what Berlin had told him about individuals, despite belonging to a group, being separate and different from said group. Rohaan's friendship with each member of the crew was testament to that. And he never would have bothered with the blood oath if he hadn't on some level recognized that Kaga Met and his crew were not responsible for the damage done to him, and sought him no harm. But right now there was just anger and a fear that had little to do with Kaga Met, or Yawar, or Millie specifically. He didn't want to be in his natural shape at the moment, and his soul yearned for his favorite dragon form. That form would keep him safe. With that form, he could protect himself and his home. But the galley was too small for such a creature as a cyradan, and shifting in there would either do damage to himself, the ship, or both. Instead he just vibrated with an anger he didn't know how to direct as he sat curled on top of a barrel, trying to sort out whether or not he wanted comfort, solitude, or destruction.

__

Uban blinked in momentary surprise as Hana's slender arms coiled around him, but after only a brief stagger at the sudden shift of balance, he chuckled and returned the hug heartily. The man smiled devilishly as she looked up at him with a wily expression. "I was hoping you'd say something like that," he said with a wicked, roguish glint in his green eyes.

Uban had the look of a naughty child about to do great and very entertaining mischief. Hana's knowledge of runes and magic opened up a whole new world of possibilities for Uban and the exploration of his magical ability, and he felt giddy at the thought of really letting loose with everything he had. It was...freeing, in a way. There were few rules of decorum to fret over on the open ocean, and he had quickly warmed up to the idea of boisterously being himself instead of adhering to small-hamlet expectations and traditions. But it had taken him a longer time to be comfortable with showing his magical power so openly and casually. When he'd first joined the crew, he'd been a little self-conscious about it, and Berlin had to actively encourage him to practice with it. To be able to explore it even further than he thought possible, and to let loose with it without reservation or hesitation was immensely liberating in a way that would be difficult to express to a younger version of himself.

Uban held a small, delicate arc between his pointer and middle finger, admiring for a moment the soft blue line.

This was way more fun than farming.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

sorry once more for the delay. partly I'm trying to figure out what I wanna do in the next post, and partly because as of two weeks ago I started actually going back to work after 3 months! woohoo! It's been going well, though I'm usually pretty tired when I get home so I haven't had a lot of time to devote to writing. As it turns out, going from sitting around for 3 months, and then suddenly working 40 hours doing manual labor is a hard adjustment haha. Worth it though, I love my job. I'll get you a post soon!

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Ridahne almost blushed, but she hid it well. At least, well enough for the general public; she would not fool Darin, or Ajoran. "You flatter us," she said. "It certainly is deadly...Ja'heil, when you complete your apprenticeship, and the time comes for you to select a partner to work by your side, you ought to dance with them, first..."
Ja'heil blushed even harder, looking a bit embarrassed. "You don't mean...that I have to like...be in love with them, do you?"
Ridahne and Ajoran both laughed and shook their heads. "No lad!" he said. "Though I've got to say, it does help...though truthfully we were never partners. Trained together a lot, sure, but not in an official capacity."
"Really?" Somehow Ja'eheil had thought they were. How else could they be so attuned to one another? "Who was your partner then, Ridahne? If you don't mind me asking?"

Ridahne went quiet, and debated answering at all. Ajoran took her hand underneath the table and gave it a squeeze. "Do you...do you not know?"
Ja'heil immediately sensed his question had not landed the way he'd hoped and picked up on some kind of tension. He wished he'd never asked. "No...I'm...sorry if--"
"No, it's alright. It's no secret. I assumed you already knew...but perhaps you came here after, and Salei shielded you from much of the drama...probably for the best." Ridahne sighed, her expression turning sad. "Takhun Haralti was his hame. We were partnered for several years. He was not my first--she was much older than I and retired--but he was my last." She took a deep breath, steeled herself, and looking straight into Ja'eheil's eyes she said, "I killed him, Ja'heil. It was part of my betrayal, and was perhaps the greatest sin I have yet committed. Your Elaitih knows the full story. Ask her sometime." And with that, she signaled she was done with this conversation. She had decided that she would not shy away from it and would face it boldly when it came up, but she did not want to dwell on it, either.

Ridahne nodded and smiled softly to Darin, and though she tried hard, that dark subject left a cloud over her still. "Good night, and good luck. Go easy on them, we can't afford to have all new government overnight!" she teased. Ridahne did not worry about Darin--she'd be surrounded by Taja, visible and hidden, who would protect their Sols and her if the need arose.

----

The Sols sat in waiting, stately as statues, for Darin to arrive. Hanasa-Sol, Khaltira's replacement, tapped her finger impatiently against the arm of her chair. How long had they been waiting? She was not accustomed to waiting for anything, here. Nor should she. "This is ridiculous...are we to wait upon the whims of others? Of foreigners?"
Amaiera-Sol's head swiveled smoothly and slowly, and yet with an edge that made her appear stern. She glowered at Hanasa-Sol. "Silence, Hanasa. You do not know of what you speak."
Hanasa-Sol frowned, considering. "Hm. Enlighten me, Sota-Sol."
"We do not wait upon the whims of just any foreigner, nor common person. She is a Sol, as we are. But she is Astra's Sol, not just Azurei's. You will show her the respect that title deserves."
Realizing her mistake, Hanasa-Sol nodded solemntly and was quiet after that. She had much to learn about her new station, and was grateful that the Sols collectively sought to teach her. Most Sols generally just had their one predecessor, but she had four mentors.

At last Darin arrived, wearing a stately bird on her shoulder. Yes, that seemed to be her way. It was a bit uncouth to bring animals before the Sols in an official meeting like this, but...she was Astra-Sol. It was only to be expected that the creatures of Astra, large and small, would find kinship with this human. And if she deemed to bring them into an audience chamber, then so be it. Amaiera-Sol welcomed her with a polite dip of her head, and listened to the human's announcement. "We are strangers to rain in this land," she said, her voice even and cool. "But we welcome it when it does arrive. I will have word spread so that my people are not caught unawares. But I must ask...is there a reason you perform such an act, Seed-Bearer? Is there some purpose you hope to achieve? If I may be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to ask."

The Sota-Sol was certainly a force, and she was intimidating and not one to be taken lightly, but despite the checkered history she had with Ridahne, the leader seemed to have a reasonable head on her shoulders and was not unkind. Evidently, she had great respect for Darin and her title, or she would not have offered her services to her.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Ja'heil nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, it's much like a parent, though you can get away with talking back to a parent..." he chuckled. "My Ma would never hit me, or my Da. But Elaitih-Rajenni...? I don't think she'd ever openly strike me, but I know the times I've behaved poorly, she was extra harsh in our training session the next day." He shrugged. "I deserved it anyway."
"Lucky you," Ridahne said. "My Elaitih was harsh. She was relentless in training, and if I ever embarrassed her, she always found a way to return the favor." Ridahne cringed, but then mused, "I wonder how she's doing...she retired many years ago. Maybe we'll run into her in our travels, eh Darin?" For all that her former mentor was hard on her, the two of them, like most eija and their apprentices, shared a bond. It was an odd relationship, not quite the same as family, but Ridahne still cared about her deeply.

Of course, Ridahne did not miss Darin's expression. Evidently, some thought came across her mind, though she wasn't yet ready to talk about it. She knew Darin would tell her later, though she distantly wondered what she was thinking about. She'd whispered something, but over the general din of the dining hall, Ridahne missed it.

"Oh, it's pitiful," Ridahne supplied. "I tried teaching her what I know of basics--you know, balance and such--and she did learn some, but not enough to make her much of a dancer." Ridahne laughed. "Human dancing is..." she paused for a long time, trying to figure out what exactly to call the difference between her native dance and the human style. Finally, she decided on, "Spinny." She twirled one finger around in the air. "They do a lot of circles. Very intimate partner dances are slow and they kind of...just sort of spin around but slowly while holding each other. And more casual dances are bouncy, but also still in a lot of circles. Like imagine you link arms with someone, and skip around and around, and then detach and find another partner and skip the other direction? I don't know, I know I've seen something like that more than once."

Ja'heil clearly did not know what to make of that, and sat there puzzling out what that would look like. When Darin asked if he'd be allowed to demonstrate the Azurei style, he snapped to attention, though he looked a little uncertain. "Right now? In front of everybody? There isn't any music..."
"That could be arranged..." Ridahne said, a mock-threatening smirk on her face.
"I'd need a partner..."
"Good thing I'm an excellent dancer, then. Come, if Salei is displeased with you, you can tell her Taja-Torzinei and Astra-Sol made you."

Ridahne got up and called for music, and as players entered with their instruments (mostly drums and other percussive instruments, though there was one large but thin stringed instrument that was played with a bow), the general assembly turned to watch with passing interest. The music began, a slow but powerful rhythm, and Ridahne began to lead Ja'heil, who relaxed a little more with each passing second. The dance itself felt heavy, grounded, and the drums were accented by the rhythmic slapping of the dancers' bare feet on the cool stone. The only moments they touched each other was when they brought their arms up in front of them and crossed their wrists delicately. Otherwise, the two stayed equidistant from one another as they moved, giving a sense of choreography where there was none.

After a while, Ajoran stood and, between songs, quietly asked Ja'heil if he could cut in. The lad bowed to him and went to sit back down, offering Darin a smile. As Ajoran took his place in front of Ridahne, the air of the dance floor changed. Before, it had been easy and lighthearted, almost relaxed. But as Ajoran looked into Ridahne's eyes, and she into his, there grew an air of focus and intensity, of passion and precision. The musicians seemed to sense this mood shift and played a much faster, thunderous beat. The dancers moved equally as fast. Once again, they generally kept their same distance apart regardless of how they moved, but Ajoran had far more control than Ja'heil, and the two of them knew each other far better. Their dance was aggressive, passionate, and warlike, but it was poetic, too, like the honed edge of a blade. Beautiful to behold, but intense also. Watching this display, it wasn't difficult to understand why the Azurei terms for sparring and dance were similar, and colloquially were used interchangeably. Both were about precision and control. Both required reacting to the other's movements with equal measures of speed and accuracy. Their skill drew the attention of most of the people in the room as they looked on with a sense of admiration. With Ridahne's red clothes, and Ajoran's blue ones, they looked like spirits of fire and water battling for supremacy.

Finally, the music stopped, and the two shared a quick but passionate kiss before returning to their seats, out of breath and glistening with sweat. "I have been waiting to show him off since we got here," Ridahne said with a grin, hooking a thumb over her shoulder at Ajoran. "Next time, we'll show you actual sparring. It's just as beautiful."
Ja'heil's mouth was open. "Wow..."
"You should dance more with Salei," Ajoran suggested. "If you can dance together in harmony, you can fight together in harmony."

Descriptive Male and Female Rpers Needed

Hey! I'm mostly into 1x1's but I could tolerate having one additional person (maybe, if people were all committed to actually sticking it out for a good while and post with some semblance of frequency). I consider myself an advanced writer. Not into romance or sex, also not into tropes of angels/demons/zombies.

You'd mentioned sort of a fantasy type adventure thing where two people kind of band together to do stuff, and you'd also mentioned you like to play OP characters, and I've got one that is so delightfully broken and I would love to play him against another equally broken character :D.

The character himself is a shapeshifter who's favorite form is basically a particular breed of dragon, so he's not at all shy about lighting people/things on fire, or tearing an enemy apart. He is capable of transforming into any humanoid or animal that has sentience (so not coral or a jellyfish, for example). Society is afraid of (and therefore hates) his people, so he and other shapeshifters are not generally welcome in polite society. Raised as a thief, has a penchant for arson, delights in flouting authority/is a little bit of an anarchist, reckless, cocky, has a particular hatred of slavery and has a heart for the orphaned, the hated, or the seemingly dangerous. Has a bit of a reputation, like a more violent and less virtuous Robin Hood. Alignment is somewhere between chaotic good and chaotic neutral.

Perhaps one of our characters has a quest in mind and recruits the other in a partnership, or maybe they're both captive somehow and they help each other break out and decide to stick together for a while, or some other scenario. I was sort of thinking about having it be urban fantasy, because I feel like I haven't done much with that and would like to. I'm picturing magic, dwarves/elves/orcs/unicorns/dragons etc etc etc, but in a modern/futuristic tech-level setting. Guns, high rises, HUD's, cars, etc.

What do you think?

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Ridahne heard Darin tell someone that she wanted to speak with the Sols, and that they’d essentially need to wait on her whims without any real sense of timing. Some part of her, culturally conditioned to respect the Sols at all costs, was a little horrified. But a larger part of her, the part that had let go of some ceremony and the rigidity of her society in some ways, chuckled into her drink. She approved of that. It was such a small thing—not a direct insult, not anything grandiose or attention-seeking. But it was a power play, and considering Ridahne’s history with feeling unable to have any power or much autonomy around the Sols in the past, she thought the whole thing delicious. She didn’t mention it, though she did sneak a sly grin at Darin from behind her cup.

Ja’heil was a reserved lad, but he liked Darin and offered a soft smile at all her questions. He was still a little in awe that he was sitting across from a person who could command the forces of Astra with a whim, and some part of him warned himself to be extra polite. Still, he felt like he had something of a friendship with her and let his guard down a little. He didn’t relax completely. Ridahne could see that much by the way he held himself and the way he kept his voice only just loud enough to be heard by his present company and not the whole table. He was technically off for the night, but apprentices were rarely ever fully free of their duties. Even if he wasn’t actively working, there were manners to be upheld, and as a Hama—an apprentice, he did not have the liberty to dispense with formalities as much as his more veteran colleagues.

“Well…” his yellowish gold eyes flicked momentarily to Salei, his master, who was seated further down the table and loosely watching her charge. They made eye contact. When she looked away, hiding a soft upward twitch of her lips, he spoke a little more freely. “It’s…a lot.” He allowed himself a little laugh. Ridahne laughed too, a little sardonically, knowingly. That was an understatement. “I spent most of my time with Elaitih-Rajenni. You know her by her first name, Salei. I learn from her. Everything. How to speak with people from other classes, or areas, or lands, how to speak with Sols or behave around them, how to deal with the regular people that come in here for their business, and of course, how to fight.”
“Have you chosen a specialty yet?” Ridahne asked.
“I think so. I really like the spear, and how it can be used as a tool as well as a weapon. But I’m also training with a smaller knife, too, as a a backup because spears aren’t good in close quarters. I’m…” he smirked, looking over at his master again. “I’m sort of owned by her. When an eija decides to become an elaitih and they pick their hama, once you accept you kind of resign yourself to belong to them until your training is done, or until they decide you are best off with someone else. But the word…’belong’….in your culture it is mostly used to speak of items, of ownership. This is not that sort. A hama has a responsibility to learn and obey anything their elaitih says, but the elaitih has a responsibility to keep their charge well, and train them properly. I don’t have much freedom right now, but I am well cared for, and learn constantly.”
“It’s part of what makes eija so highly trained and sought after by other peoples. The training process is long, strict, and consumes your life for a few years,” Ridahne supplied. “As a result, we’re the best.”

Ja’heil nodded. “It’s very hard work, and I miss my family. I have not seen them in months. But I know my family is very proud of me, and I get treated very well here. An abundance of good food, nice clothes, the best gear. But I get to travel so much too! Last month I just returned from a trip to the Siren capital city. Very interesting place! I don’t travel as much as you, though.”

He thought for a moment. “Something people get wrong…? Hm. Well, I am not a slave. I do not know if such things exist since the Tree’s first blossoming, but there is often whispers from foreigners when we travel. They think I am not there willingly because I am quiet and obedient. There is a rumor that eija raid villages and find their successors that way, but that is not true. We are selected, and sometimes picked out of a crowd for some talent or trait, but we have every right to refuse. Many do, and respect is given to them for their honesty. It’s a great honor, not a thing to be forced. And,” he added, as an afterthought, “I’m not shy. People think because I am quiet, I am shy, but I am not.” He lifted his chin as if in pride. “And I’m still allowed to dance, or sing, or play games. Just not when I’m on duty, not unless Elaitih-Rajenni asks me to or permits me. I actually really like to dance. And sing. I’m not good at it, but I like to anyway. Do you dance and sing in your land?”

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Please do, I’ll take all the prayers I can get right now.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Not yet. More or less, I gotta see how it plays out over the next month and the doc will either decide to do surgery or they’ll call it “maximum medical improvement” or whatever and release my case (aka I won’t get any more care and I don’t have health insurance so if I don’t get work comp I can’t get any additional care and my career would be destroyed). Seeing as how in the last couple days it’s gotten inexplicably worse, I haven’t been doing well mentally.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

I'm okay. Not spectacular but okay. Here's to hoping I won't need surgery, I'll probably figure that out by Friday, though it's hard to say.

I've been meaning to get a post out to you soon though!

In Dark Seas We Sail

Pieter brought up Hana, much like Berlin had, and the boy's answer was much the same. He shrugged noncommittally and his gaze drifted to the floor. "Yeah, she's okay. She can stay," he admitted, as if it was ever up to him whether or not she stayed. It might not have seemed like much to be called 'okay', but from Rohaan, that meant something. She really had been nice to him, and he was beginning to understand that she was probably more afraid of him than he was of her, though unlike other stagers, she at least understood that he was a person. Most others feared him and his kind and were cruel for it, but she had never been, he realized. And he had to admit, he did find her very interesting. Hm, maybe it was time he granted her use of his second name. He'd try and remember that once he decided it was time to go back up topside.

Rohaan wasn't exactly in a great mood, but he'd been willing to leave the bulk of his ire topside and just exist in this space for a bit with Pieter. He'd hoped for a quiet refuge and had found one, but Pieter's final comment soured that in an instant. Still sucking on the lime, he'd been absently studying the patterns of wear in the wood floor planks, but Pieter's words made him look up at him sharply, looking suddenly just a bit more animal than boy. It had been a long time since Rohaan had laid hands (or more accurately, teeth) on Pieter, or anyone in the crew, outside of sparring or some other game. His assimilation into the crew had been rough for everyone involved, but since then he'd never meant to do harm to anyone. It was extremely unlikely he would now, but he had that same look about him. A defensive stiffness in his posture and a lack of his usual relaxed fidgeting. A dog showing warning postures before a bite.

A fresh, painful wave of anger bubbled up within him, but it melted away into an expression of betrayal. Not you too...His eyes watered for a moment before he wiped them with the palm of his hand and looked away. "Yeah, and if they do one bad thing I'll get two meals out of it," he snarled darkly. He didn't care if it made him puke, he would sooner eat every last one of them, tentacles and flies and all, before losing his home and his family again. "I made him swear on blood," he said, glancing down at his bandaged hand. "But I don't want them here. This is my home...I can't be in a lot of places other people can 'cause I'm not wanted there, and they come in here to the one place I get to be, like having the rest of the whole stupid world isn't good enough!" His hand shot out and grabbed the first thing on the counter within his reach, which happened to thankfully be a rag, and he threw it with all the force he could muster at the opposite wall.

--

Berlin studied the Swift, wondering what kinds of speeds it was capable of. It worried him a little, sending Rohaan out alone to herd the ships towards them, but he was confident the boy could manage himself if things went wrong. For one thing, he wasn't going to drown, and he was more capable than anyone of escaping a bad situation if one arose. He just hoped he could keep his head. That wasn't something he worried about usually, but this was a different beast, now. After a while he nodded, slowly at first and then with more gusto. "Aye, I think that sounds like a good plan. We'll have ourselves a good meal and get right to work on preparations. Rescuing any prisoners is a priority to me, and I'll see what can be done about determining which ships have human cargo and which do not. Take Uban with you, I think I'll keep Hana and Pieter aboard the ship to manage it, the guns, and provide aid to any rescued prisoners. Wheel and I, I think, will focus on boarding ships. I've got a feeling his friend Millie might do well to come with us, too, but I leave that to your discretion."

--

Uban tried not to laugh, but he did anyway. Not at her necessarily, but simply at the sheer absurdity of the very thought of going through legitimate channels for something like this. He actually stopped playing for a moment as he barked a sardonic laugh. "Authorities? No no no noooo. For one thing, the moment we step foot anywhere near the authorities, it won't just be the slavers we gotta fight. You gotta remember we're just as much of a menace in their eyes, criminals all the same. And maybe Berlin could use his magic," he wiggled his fingers, "to convince somebody to deal with us decently, but I know what the local navy is capable of. Taking down one of their ships for us is a walk in the park, but can you imagine what the slavers would do to em? They'd get shredded. Now, I don't really love the local law, but most of those poor lads got pressed into service, I don't want 'em dead. Those poor suckers have no idea how to deal with weird supernatural anything on any level, but we do. I mean, that's what we do, you know? And yeah, I guess there's always the chance someone lands a lucky shot. The whole reason we even met you in the first place was 'cause someone got one off on Rohaan. But it sounds like they're talking some good strategy, that will help." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder at Berlin and Kaga Met.

Uban put his lute down and faced her squarely, placing one hand on each of her arms and giving them a reassuring squeeze. He offered an easy smile. "It's gonna be alright. This is what we do."