[IC] Pirate Age

[Fox of Spades]

It was a shame that Marcos wouldn't be coming along, but the life of a pirate wouldn't be without its hardships, and after all their new friend had endured, a nice break from it all would be for the best. Nolan wished the man luck.

The night was filled with pleasant surprises. The queen took him to the kitchen and gave him all sorts of expensive goods. He was a bit hesitant, but they insisted and he couldn't refuse. Ah, the rest of the crew would appreciate all this come meal time. "Thank you very much for everything," he gave a bow before they said it was no big deal and ushered him back into the main room.

Everything about the evening was lovely and in a way it made him miss his family and Annie. Ha, if only he could make it up to her with a dance when he returned home. Nolan ate to his heart's content then watched as some of his friends began dancing. If he had never left home, he would never had experienced anything like this. They had saved a town and it had been amazing, though a part of him felt rotten about the man he had shot.

For once, he decided to get drunk.

Most of the time, Nolan would have been the sober one, but he wanted to get his mind off things so after three bottles of rum, he was wasted. The man's tolerance for alcohol was no where near as high as Luro's.

The drunk Nolan shuffled towards the drinking contest that was taking place between Luro and some guy and he raised his glass cheerfully before tapping his friend on the back. "Heh! Thish guy 'ere is gunna blow yah away." He was red in the face and grinning from ear to ear. "Show 'em whatchu got there Luro!" And with that he crashed into the nearest chair and began cheering.

The rest of the evening was pretty much a blur, but near the end he recalled the captain leaving and a couple of chefs showing him to his room. As soon as his head hit the pillow, Nolan fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

[Banba]

Danny was sat down at the table, a load of food set in front on her. She did her best to try everything, taking small bits here and there. She couldn't pack away nearly as much as ray or luro could, but she didn't want to miss any of the new tastes she was experiencing.
"This is all so good!" She said around the food in her mouth, bouncing where she sat. "This is so good I mean I've never had any of this stuff! Like whats shrimp? Who knows? Does it fly? It looks like a bug. And this stuff its dipped in. My lordy that dip. I love dip as it is, but the stuff at home pales in comparison to that! I could drink it its so good!" She stopped talking, returning to stuffing her face. She soon was full past capacity, having eaten nearly everything put in front of her. She groaned softly, rubbing her stomach and resting her chin on the table. She was utterly content, knowing she could dance some of the food off and then come back for more. And then she was told the crew could take some of it with them. Danny's day could not have been made better. Catching glimpse of the captain dancing, Danny bounded up, joining her energetically.

It wasn't long before danny was back in her seat, standing on her knees to pour a golden liquid into her glass. Sipping from it, she blinked, running her tongue through her teeth. It tasted like a better version of what she had taken a swig from Luro earlier that day. She still didn't particularly like it, but She kept drinking it, not wanting to look rude. Danny downed it as fast as possible, shivering when she finished.
"Bleehh~! Weird taste." She stated, reacing for more food. She distracted by Luro, however, and she wandered over to the group around him and another man. She didn't completly understand the point of the game, but she cheered anyways, clapping and jumping where she was. The crowd's energy was contagious, and Danny's energy fed back into the crowd. It was a neverending circle of energetic cheering.

As the party died down, so did Danny. She stopped getting up to join the dancing, and really stopped everything but talking, which she did with anyone beside her, the last one being a red haired soldier.
"So I used the grenade. Blew up the dock."
"That was silly. Docks are useful." Danny giggled, her words slightly slurred. Weather it was from any alcohol she had consumed or just tiredness, it was hard to tell.
"Yeah, well. I think it all worked out well in the end."
"If you think so..." She yawned, her eyes drooping. The soldier smirked, standing up.
"Your cook is down and out, I think. Drank too much. I'll bring him to a room and then return to show you to a room of your own." Danny waved pathetically as he walked away, laying her head on the table, her arms under her ear.
"Naw, man. M' cool. I'll show merself to a room. I gots it, no problm'. Just gonna rest here a while, is all." She said slowly, unaware that she was still speaking. The remaning din of the party started to fade, still present but dulled, even more in the background. The tiny girl was asleep, arms under her head on the table, her foot curled under her on the chair.

[Mizos]

Luro's night only improved at the man's challenge it had been far too long since he had been challenged to a drinking contest so he agreed without a moments hesitation, seeing as neither of them had to pay for the drinks made it better, it was an challenge between men who loved the drink he couldn't be any happier.
Luro grinned and grabbed the whole bottle of wine shoving the glass aside before slamming it on the table grinning at the man, he watched him grab a bottle before both of them downed the bottles and yelled for more.
Luro ended up glancing back at Nolan smiling at him as he offered words of encouragement, though Luro's eyebrow did raise seeing he was pretty drunk but it was a celebration so he figured it'd be strange if he wasn't. He noticed Danny in the crowd shortly after and he grinned not really used to recognizing faces in the crowd, he wasn't sure if anyone else was in it as he was already downing the next round that was brought, he had heard the news of Marcos and though he wanted to speak with him leaving the table was equal to giving up and he couldn't afford to shame not only his name but that of the StarDusk pirates at least that's what he believed but that may be the alcohol over anything else.
Thirty bottles in and the man was starting to lean back and forth his gaze not leaving his opponent, Luro was a little red in the face and his body was getting surprisingly warm but he had already finished his bottle and was reaching for the next one, he offered a smile to the man who returned it and down the drink in one go before falling backwards in his seat and hitting the ground.
Luro blinked before the crowd exploded which he assumed meant that he was finished, he actually felt a little sad to see it that meant their time drinking together was over then, he held longer than some of the others he drank with, not as long as a lass he met in a tavern a few years back, too bad she was trying to kill him or else it'd be a happier memory.
"There are no winners or losers in a drinking contest, since you get to drink and all that," Luro said standing up. "Well unless you gotta pay for the drinks, once he wakes up tell him I had fun oh and get him another drink too."

Luro walked away from the crowd deciding to find a young lass to share a dance with, however as he made his way there he noticed Danny was asleep in her her chair, he rubbed the side of his head looking around before motioning to one of the maidens from earlier, once she walked over he pointed at Danny before speaking.
"I can't exactly leave a young lass asleep and defenseless out here, we have rooms right I'd like help taking her to one. This chair makes it hard to move her though but if we put our heads together we can figure something out."
"Um...sir why don't you-" the woman started but stopped as Luro slammed his fist on the palm of his hand.
"I got it, I'll lift the chair up and pull it out then we can take her to the room."
"Her head is on the table...she'll just end up falling."
"....you're right that won't work then why don't I just turn the chair sideways, her body will move with it then removing her head from the table then I can just straighten it and she'll be fine."
"She'll more than likely fall out when you turn it sideways."
"Oh...yeah that's right too, it's a good thing you're so smart. Maybe we should get a second chair and-"
"Sir please hold on moment maybe you should just forget the chair and just carry her or I can have someone else do so."
"Oh...Oh! Yeah I could do that do you mean like a princess or a kidnap victim."
"I...I don't understand what you mean."
Luro nodded and held his arms out deciding to show her, he held both out mimicking carrying someone in his arms then moved his hand pretending to hold an invisible person on his shoulder for the latter before lowering both his arms.
"I'm afraid to ask why the last one is called that but I won't press the-"
"Oh well it's one of the easier ways to kidnap a person, unless they have a dagger and stab you in the back, but if they don't it's faster and you can feel their bum, it's better if their bound though then you can just toss them in your dingy and leave, oh their mouth as well so they can't call for help."
The woman stared at Luro doing her best to keep her face as expressionless as possible as he smiled at her his attention returning to Danny, alarm bells seem to be ringing in her mind about this man but she shut her eyes regaining her composure before noticing he was pointing at Danny again.
"Hey Danny's asleep out here that's not good, we should get her to a room but what can we do about the chair? Maybe if we switched chairs with another we could move her."
The woman brought a hand to her face as Luro started looking for another chair, though thanks to her intervention and telling him the same idea again he ended up just carrying Danny to her room, piggyback style at the recommendation of the maiden.

The celebration seemed to continue on and Luro walked outside wanting to get away from what was inside, he noticed that the people in town seemed to be enjoying themselves as well and Luro couldn't help but smile seeing everyone happily dancing and merrymaking, if this happened every time they saved a town he could see how tempting it'd be but he still didn't like being near high society it just made him uncomfortable. He didn't mind these royals though they seemed like decent people but he still decided to step outside anyway, at the very least to try and clear his head.
He sat down on a nearby set of steps before a small yawn escaped from him, he chuckled seeing he was more tired than he thought, he would probably sleep on the ship tonight as he was sure they had fluffy beds, he always felt like he was sinking in one and that he'd eventually get trapped.
Luro glanced at the castle then back at the streets before he dug into his pocket and pulled out the small black container, he'd had this thing for as long as he could remember, even when he first met the captain and everyone else though he kept the contents to himself for the time being.
Opening it Luro pulled out a piece of parchment a small smile forming on his face, no matter how many times he looked at it he always felt content on the parchment was a younger Luro his hair stopping at the base of his neck, the tattoo wasn't on his face but a wide grin was as he held onto a tricorne hat staring at nothing in particular. He chuckled as it seemed so long ago now, he was just lad then still learning about the world.
The parchment itself was a wanted poster with the words "Wanted for Murder in big bold letters. He even smiled seeing the bounty though it was only 3,000 back then, he remembered the pride he felt first seeing it and other mixed feelings but those weren't important, though back then he was only known as Makachi.
"We aren't murders, we're pirates."
Luro brought hand to his head the captain's words resonating in skull for a moment, he gave it a little shake before putting the parchment away, he reached into his pocket grabbing the wanted poster he ripped off earlier.
It was a recent bounty of him with the bounty being set at 35,000, the picture was a bit more accurate since the tattoo was on his face but his hair was still shorter than before ' Murder, Piracy and other heinous acts' had been added to the bounty. They really didn't want to let that first thing go he couldn't help but laugh a little at it.
"I don't think they'd agree with you captain but I'm glad to be a pirate," Luro said to no one in particular.
Luro stood up before folding the parchment sticking it under his cartridges and powder, he didn't think there'd a wanted poster this far north but he was positive he wouldn't see anymore so it didn't matter, the one thing he enjoyed about being a pirate was the past of the crew didn't matter, it didn't mean he wasn't curious but in the end what they had now was more important. Now that he thought about it he wondered what Kai's looked like, and Ray's actually Nolan probably had one too and Danny would soon enough if she didn't already, he wondered what their expressions would be when they look at it.
"Alright better get back to the ship if I'm going to catch the captain's sleep face, I didn't see Kai so I won't have to sneak past him...I don't think Ray would stop me but just in case I'll hurry."
With that Luro picked up a light jog and made his way back to the ship, however he realize moving quickly was a bad idea and walked instead.
"Oh man I forgot to seal the throne chair....ah that's alright stealing during a celebration seems pretty mean. I'll do it tomorrow when we're all enemies again."

[Grothnor]

Ray laughed and clapped along to the music from his seat. He was too full and too tired to dance; only the energy of the crowd and his wine seemed to be keeping him going. He was rather thankful he left his viola on the ship; he was too full to sing and too inebriated to play with any skill. Over time the party began to wind itself down as people began to leave. Ray was feeling almost ready to settle in for the night on his bench when he spotted Lisset Hester leaving the feast. He struggled to gather his blades and belongings from across the room, and a bottle of wine, and hurried after her.

He managed to catch up to her in the Royal gardens. He was caught off guard when she hugged him on sight. Tearfully, she thanked him. He was about to ask what for when he remembered, and so kept quiet, finding no words appropriate, allowing Lisset her catharsis. After about a minute, though it seemed much longer, Lisset looked up, chuckling, and said, “In all the excitement, I never got your name.” Ray flashed a debonaire smile and cleared his throat before taking an overly dramatic tone.

“Milady, I am Raymond Skalter, once a gentleman of Lendria, now but a lowly vagabond of the seas and a victim of cruel fate.” He took an exaggerated bow, causing Lisset to giggle. She fully burst out laughing when Ray's bow took him off balance and he tumbled onto the ground. Ray laughed too, and the two of them began walking together once Ray picked himself up and dusted off his clothes.

“So Raymond, why do you carry two swords?”

“Ah, well, the saber is a replacement for my rapier, which was broken before I came here. I had been hoping to get it fixed while I was here.”

“Well then, you're in luck, oh victim of cruel fate. My father happens to be the finest swordsmith in Waterdeep, and I think he'll be more than glad to help you after all that you've done for us. I left Starla with him when I came to the feast, so I was headed there anyway.”

Ray thanked her and they talked as they walked together. Ray talked about his adventure that day and before, mentioned how Arthur and the grenade she gave him saved his life, and how he was embarrassed by his filthy attire and sincerely wished for a clean outfit. Lisset talked about her children, her husband who had passed away a few years earlier, and her family's struggles under the rule of Captain Fenn. Her father was one of the men imprisoned by Captain Fenn for refusing to make blades for the Captain's pirates. Ray wanted to tell her his whole story, but felt it was a private story, and held back.

[AkiBlue]

Morning rolled along, and the captain woke up in her hammock on the ship. It looked perfectly unharmed when she boarded that night. Although the night before she was pretty tired, so she couldn't be sure what she saw was accurate. The screeches of the News Coo caused her to yawn and climb off her bed, going up to the main deck. The night before she was sure she could hear the sounds of footsteps on the ship, one being oddly close to her room. But she didn't bother to open her eyes to check if it was an intruder. Thankfully it wasn't...or she would've been in some trouble.

Kai had left the party only a few minutes after Runali. He still had his job as a bodyguard to fulfill, and even though he thought this was a safe town, one couldn't be so careful. It was probable that a pirate could've slipped away in the commotion. An entire ship of the former Kraken Skull pirates had escaped, but that ship was going straight for a few Navy ships... Obviously, that wouldn't end well. "Morning Captain." Kai turned and nodded to her, before turning to look back out at the ocean. The captain stood by him, adjusting her eyepatch before looking out with him.

"Morning Kai. Hope you had fun at the party." He gave a silent nod in response, not a man of many words. Runali grew to accept it, so she didn't try to pull responses from him. "So... Where did it happen? Do you think we'll find the flag?" Kai stayed silent for awhile, until finally he sighed and stood straight.

"Right here. I can see it all as if it was happening now... The last I saw my flag was it floating down to the bottom of the docks. My ship was destroyed completely and was washed away with the bad weather."

"Hm...Well, it doesn't hurt to look for it don't you think?" It didn't sound too possible that after a few years a flag would be left in the same spot. But, anything was possible. "Besides, a morning swim couldn't be so bad." She took account of her injuries and paused as she sat on the rail. It wouldn't be wise to irritate her wounds, and she didn't want to meet another one of those sharp fanged fish she encountered before. "Of course, the more people searching, the faster we'll get through with it all."

Runali could admit she was still a bit full from being stuffed from last night, so she could miss breakfast. Now, she decided to lounge around for the time being while the others accomplished what they needed and then returned to the ship... The original plan they had before the fiasco happened. She wandered into the treasure room, grinning to see three chests of treasure now in their stock. A pleasant surprise would come to Luro, when he realized they even restocked the rum room for them. "Heh, too bad we're pirates. Things won't always be handed to us like this." The captain spoke to no one in particular as she roamed the ship, eventually ending up sitting in the crow's nest and looking out to the city.

From where she sat, everything looked much more lively. It was like nothing out of the ordinary ever occurred.

[Fox of Spades]

Nolan woke up to a pounding head and a dry throat, the result of last night's drinking.

Unlike Luro, the man had less tolerance for alcohol, but then again, it seemed as if everyone had less tolerance for rum when compared to Luro. That man, ha, he was practically a drinking machine.

The last few events were a tad hazy, but a smile crept onto the cook's face. Simply enjoying the evening with his crewmates, it felt wonderful. He allowed himself a few more minutes of lying about before he finally got to his feet and fixed up his bed. Nolan made sure to tidy up the room and as soon as that was done he exited and made his way to the hall.

There, he was greeted by a young chef. The woman had on an impeccably white apron.

"That queen told us to prepare some recipes and ingredients for you," she gave him a smile. "We appreciate what you've all done for Waterdeep, so it's the least we can do." She noticed the embarrassed look on Nolan's face and laughed. "No buts! We're sending you off with the best vegetables, meat, and spices this place has to offer." She began waving a spatula in his face, her expression almost devious. "Like I said, orders from the king and queen so no buts!"

He laughed. "Thank you, but are you sure? And, will they throw me in the dungeon if I refuse?"

"Aye! The dungeons." She narrowed her eyes. "You can't disobey the king and queen."

"Aright, alright, this is too kind of you." Nolan lit up and despite his throbbing head managed to give her an energetic bow. Despite his love for traveling and the ocean, cooking had and will always be his first love (Aside from Annie) and he was ecstatic. Experimenting with new ingredients would be fun and he was sure his friends would enjoy the new recipes as well.

He was led into the kitchen and bags of groceries were stuffed into his arms.

Nolan returned to the Coral Pearl like a mule that had been overloaded with all sorts of items, but despite that, he had on a huge smile that was a tad too big for his face. "Captain, Kai!" He greeted them cheerfully from afar, swayed to the left a bit, before making his way up the ramp. "They gave us all sorts of expensive meat and vegetables, there's even an entire pouch of spices! Order anything and I'll have the best meal cooked up in now time."

He noticed how the captain and Kai were looking out at the sea. "Are the others here?"

[Banba]

Danny yawned, curling up into a tighter ball. If it had been anyone but the girl, it would have seemed to be impossible, she was already in a tiny enough ball. Her knees were practically at her ears, her hands wrapped loosely around her feet, blankets weaved and tangled around her wildly. All at once, Danny sat up, throwing the blankets every which way, effectively tangling herself in one even more. Sitting still for a second, she needed to register where she was, remembering only the party last night and a sense of being moved.
"Ah! Thats right I fell asleep at the table." She muttered, carefully removing herself from the sheets and to her feet. "Someone must have moved me. I hope it was one of the crew, because some random person carrying me would be awkward. Eh, I'll ask over breakfast." She stretched, moving into the hall. She hadn't left anything in the room, as she hadn't brought anything off the ship before the chaos began. Moving down the hall, Danny looked through the windows to map in her head where she was in relation to the front door, and found her way to the streets quickly. The streets were lively now that the danger had passed, and it crossed Danny's mind that she still needed the tattoo. She quickly found a parlor, doing a sketch of the star she had shown, was was done just over an hour. Wandering the streets once more, danny gazed at the new marking, pleased with how it turned out.
"Its a great way to start the morning." She mumbled, giddily. she found her way to the ship, seeing Nolan already there with Kai and the captain. She noticed the bags of foodstuffs Nolan had, seemingly weighing him down, so the girl took a few, quickly moving them to the kitchen before running back to the three, excited for the next adventure.

[Mizos]

A small sigh escaped from Luro as he couldn't help but lament a little at last night, he made it back to the ship and still a little worried about the damage he checked the ship before deciding to turn in, at the very least the ship had been repaired and he admitted they didn't do a half bad job, he still pouted a little that he didn't get to do it but he let it go as he set forth for his other objective for the night the captain's sleeping face. Nolan was knocked out, Danny was gone, Ray had wandered off somewhere and Kai was nowhere to be seen so Luro felt extremely confident. He couldn't help but grin at the possibility of catching another side of the captain, when a person slept certain expressions couldn't be hidden away, he noticed that with Nolan but he wouldn't say it out loud, if he found out he was watching him it would be very awkward to explain why.
He was really curious about Kai as well, he wondered if that serious expression on his face vanished but it was too risky, and he didn't seem the type to be defenseless even when he slept.
When Luro did reach the door what common sense he could muster in his current state kicked in, he put his hand on the captain's door realizing two important tidbits of information, the first being this was the captain's quarters, coming in here without permission was probably not permitted and could result in a painful response, the second the captain was still a lass his previous experiences with sneaking into a room under similar circumstances didn't end well and ended painfully.
However he was more than willing to take that chance being able to tease the captain, he already had one reserved for Danny and Nolan but that was for later, however as he started to open the door a chill ran up his spine as he realized the last thing.
Kai was on the ship.
Luro knew he should have ran back to the ship first but this feeling, it was if Kai was exerting his influence even though he couldn't see him, Luro knew this feeling it was similar to being at death's door and would probably have the same response if he chose the wrong course of action. Even if he could sneak in if Kai came and did his duty...he wouldn't be able to get back out, if Kai saw him leave the room...he shuddered a little at what might follow and he couldn't say in the room the whole night he'd have to get on his hands and knees to apologize to the captain properly.
So with a heavy heart Luro walked away from the door and sighed, the opportunity would present itself again but for now he'd strategically retreat and clean his rifle before throwing up over the side of the side of the ship, not necessarily in that order either.

Putting the previous night aside Luro walked through the town pushing a large wheelbarrow with an object placed in it covered by a large cloth concealing the item, with a small spring in his step and humming one of Ray's songs to himself he made his way to the ship.
He felt much better after getting some air, all that drinking caught up to him later on but if there was one thing he could it was bounce back, he ended up waking up early as the sun came up and left the ship to conclude some personal business figuring it was the best time for it.
Once Luro made it to the ship he noticed the captain and the others, but the captain wandered off somewhere before he had a chance to say anything so he headed towards Nolan, Kai and Danny needing to put a little bit of effort into getting the object on the ship.
"Hey everyone good morning!" Luro exclaimed. "Last night was so much fun, true bonding is done over drinking and celebrations in my opinion, oh and situations of life and death but that's another thing, is Ray not here yet I wonder if he was in the company of another for the night?"
Luro grinned a little at the thought before he reached up and grabbed the cloth removing it, under the cloth was the throne chair from the castle, Luro grinned and pat it a few times proud of what he considered treasure.
"I got this chair for the ship, can you believe they just let me have it. I mean it was after I explained I shot a man point blank on it and splattered his blood all over it. I'm feeling pretty lucky today I'm going to put it in the rum room and clean it later. Oh and they restocked it for us too so if you want anymore feel free to get some, these people are really nice aren't they?"
Luro picked the chair up and dragged it towards the door and though it took a bit of effort he got it inside and placed it on the right side of the rum room, he gave a nod of his head at the fully stocked room before turning and heading back towards the main deck.
"So what's the plan then? I'm up for anything, fishing, drinking, killing, more drinking you name it."

[AkiBlue]

Runali peeked out from the Crow's nest and noticed her crew piling in. Nolan had way more food than he could carry and she laughed silently. "Well I know he's happy. Food for days. Awesome." Danny helped him out and she smirked when she saw the new tattoo. It was pretty easy to spot since it was so new. "Nice, she's official now." Next who came rolling along was Luro...with the throne from the kingdom. She literally face palmed and laughed. "That dope...He actually stole the chair." Ray was last in approaching the ship, and that's when everyone gathered on the main deck. That's when the captain jumped out of her hiding spot and took the untraditional route downwards by sliding down various ropes.

"Alright! Let's get to business." She pointed to Danny first. "Danny is now an official, official StarDusk pirate." She motioned for the girl to show off her tattoo, clapping in the process. "Next for announcements?" Whoever had something to say, she let them speak. It wasn't like they were on a schedule- actually, they were on a schedule. By tomorrow, the navy would be close to Waterdeep and Runali was in no mood for a back to back war. Besides, the navy was a lot stronger. The pirates wouldn't stand a chance. "Alright. Next, for the real reason we came here. Kai says his flag sank somewhere around here. I don't know if it is still there, but it doesn't hurt to look right? It's important to him, so it's important to-"

"Actually. Pardon me captain, but I do believe I should do this..." Runali gave Kai a curious look before stepping to the side to give him the floor. "I think I'll be taking this minor mission on my own. It's my honor I'm trying to regain, so it would be best if I did this alone." The captain crossed her arms.

"Well I understand you're trying to regain your honor, but you have stopped the ones that hurt you. And I'm sure it would be faster if we all searched...But if you want us to hold tight, we'll wait on the ship until you're ready."

"Not quite what I meant Captain. I'm going to search for my flag...and you guys will go to Utsukushī. I overheard those servants just as well as you did. The Navy will only bring us more trouble, trouble we don't need right now. It's something I have to do." Kai's voice was stern, and ultimately 'matter of fact'. He wasn't planning on taking no for an answer. It was just something he had to do. That, and he wanted to help rebuild Waterdeep. It brought him fond memories, and he hated to see it so badly beaten down.

There was a silence between the pirates as the all stood on the deck of the ship. The only sounds around were the sounds of the crashing waves and the occasional bird that flew by. Runali stared at him for awhile with a disappointed expression. Finally, after the intense silence, she spoke. "You made an oath you know...You said you'd stay and help me become a legend. You said I was destined for greatness....But now you're leaving?"

"It's true what I said. And I hold to that word. I will fight for you and help you to the top. But as selfish as it may seem, I have to complete my own goal first. I have to end one chapter before I can begin another." Seeing the disappointment still on his captain's face, he continued. "This isn't a goodbye forever. Merely a leave of absence. When I am done, I will return...if you may have me."

This caused a small smirk to appear on Runali's face. She saluted Kai and nodded. "I'm going to hold you to that Kai. You better come back. You're the best bodyguard I've ever had." This produce a light chuckle from the male, something new to the crew. They normally saw the straight face and intimidating looks.

"I've been your only bodyguard." He looked at Luro, Nolan, and Ray with a stern look. "Protect our captain while I'm away. I'm holding you three to this. If any harm comes to her, you will be to blame and you will be dealt with by me...And good luck on your adventures." To Danny, he simply nodded. His expression wasn't as intimidating towards her. "I trust you will lead them in the right direction."

With their final goodbyes, Kai got off the ship and watched as the Coral Pearl began sailing off. He didn't stay long. He walked to the kingdom to ask if he could help in anyway- and as a favor helping him find his flag.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She gave one final nod as he walked off and then looked at the flyer in her hand. "Alright crew. Our next stop is Utsukushī!" She handed them the two flyers she had found explaining about the tourist island, along with the tournament and the prize money.

"I didn't plan on joining, but it looks cool to watch! That, and it's like a safe zone for everyone that goes there. No fights, no criminal activity, surprisingly just an attraction for everyone to enjoy. I've made up my mind, so Dani you can take the wheel and lead us there. We're setting sail."

And as one adventure ended, a new one began. Who knew what the next adventure would bring.

[Grothnor]

Ray was late in arriving to the ship. The reforging process was a bit longer than either he or George, Lisset's father, anticipated, but his rapier was repaired. The forging process wasn't the only thing that kept him. He had a very deep conversation with George, and it had affected him greatly. He would have to have a private conversation with the Captain about this, but it wouldn't be about leaving. Almost all the doubts he had when he arrived to the island were gone.

When he got to the ship, he was surprised to see Kai leaving. He was a little disappointed, but understood his reasons. “I've been getting an itch to spar with you, Kai. We should do that next time we meet.” As the ship started setting off, Ray found his viola and started playing along to a song. After finishing, he approached Runali.

“Captain, I'd like to say something. When we first met, I swore an oath to serve you, but I didn't fully understand what that entailed. My mind was on other things, and I had already sworn an oath, a foolhardy and impassioned oath, but my word nonetheless, upon my sword,” He drew his rapier to illustrate his point. “The sword had been broken and reforged, and thus my old oaths have been broken, and they must be reforged. I hereby pledge my life and service to you, Captain Runali Lev, for as long as you see fit to hold me. This I swear upon my sword and my honor.” He raised the blade to the captain and then sheathed it.

[Mizos]

Luro clapped along as Danny was welcomed as a fellow member of the StarDusk pirates, he chuckled a little glad it was finally official now she wasn't just a stowaway or Danny but a fellow comrade in full. At the mention of announcements Luro just shook his head as the only thing he did was take the chair and a few other things and he didn't think that was worthy enough of announcement.
His attention moved to Kai as he spoke when his flag was brought up, Luro's eyes widened a little hearing he was going to stay behind in Waterdeep, he wasn't entirely sure why he was but he guessed it had something to do with the city, it was his home or something like that. Thankfully Kai explained he was only temporarily departing which relieved Luro a little, what came next however made Luro's whole being shake.
Kai just smiled the serious expression vanished completely this was nothing short of a miracle of nature, Luro held his hands up as if the smile itself was blinding but he was grinning behind his hands only lowering them when Kai addressed him. Instead of speaking he just grinned and offered a nod as a response, he watched him go raising his hand and waving as he walked off the ship, still now that he thought about it last night was a wasted opportunity if Kai was staying to take care of business here.
Realizing this Luro sighed and lowered his arm as Ray came aboard, his attention returning to the captain as she mentioned where they were going next, taking the flier he couldn't help but smile seeing where they were heading, he wasn't sure of the place but he noticed the mention of a tournament.
"I'm definitely going to join in on this," Luro said. "I've never fought a merman before much less met one, I can't pass up the opportunity to fight them and a bunch of other people, they'll probably be really strong too I'm getting excited just thinking about it!"

Luro had grabbed a bottle of rum as Ray played and sat on the edge of the ship listening to him only getting up to get more bottles. Thinking about it he never boring to go out to sea, the smells that invaded his nostrils, the sound of the waves and birds cawing above them, and the company of everyone else just made him miss it each time he stepped foot on land, it was almost like a whole other world in a way but before he could think further his head starting hurting, his thoughts were starting to get too complex again. He was pulled from his bliss when Ray stopped playing causing him to open his eyes and looked over in his direction as he addressed the captain, he arched a brow before swinging his legs to the side of the ship and setting them down.
When Ray finished speaking Luro's eyes widened in astonishment at what he just heard, his mouth hung slightly agape and after a moment he spoke standing up from his seat with a clenched shaking fist.
"Wow.....the captain's name is Runali! I knew I'd remember it eventually," Luro said crossing his arms and nodding. "Thank you Ray I was trying to find a way to ask without it being awkward though it's not fair you get to look cool in front of the captain we're a part of the crew too you know. I'm not much for oaths or obligations myself a bit too binding but if it's about service to the captain I'm right there with you. I'm willing to lay down my life too though I'd prefer to stay alive."
Luro turned and promptly pointed at Ray with a grin on his face.
"Now stop acting all mysterious and cool only two people are allowed to do that, the captain and Kai, Nolan has a kind nature with the endless eyes that remind me of the ocean and stir up uncomfortable feelings, Danny is the energetic one with that amazing skill of reading those map things and you're the gentleman musician with the devilish smile that attracts the lasses."
Luro stopped and lowered his finger bringing a hand to his head, he closed his eyes for a moment his brows furrowing as something seemed to come to mind.
"Wait I might have that mixed up somewhere....actually where was I going with that?"
Luro shrugged deciding to just drop it and walking back over to the edge sat back down before taking a drink from his bottle, he closed his eyes and grinned a little returning to listening to the waves hit the ship.

[Banba]

Danny grinned, stepping forward to show off her new tattoo to her now official comrades.
"I have never felt so excited about a tattoo, and I've known y'all less than a week." She commented, still grinning as she looked towards the captain. Her smie faded when Kai spoke of leaving, but she couldn't really blame him. Waterdeep was his home, and it was in pain. Danny understood how he wanted to help, even if it meant leaving the ship. she smiled meakly when he said the part about leading the crew.
"I'll try my best, and I'll be sure to find where you are when you wish to return. it won't be the same without you." she nodded, trying to seem adult like and serious, but the smile that crept onto her face gave away her true nature.

when the ship was sailing off, the navigator waved until she couldn't see Kai anymore, and then waved some more. when she stopped, she rushed to her maps, selecting one that would be most useful on the trip to Utsukushī. consulting her compass, she set the course, taking a mental note of where they were headed, the conditions of the waters, and the weather patterns coming up. straightening up, she wandered to where Luro was, still staring at the map as she listened to his ramblings. distracted by his voice, she grinned, brows furrowing in disbelief.
"You're always getting mixed up. Its from all the booze you consume, it's gone and softened your brain." she smiled wider, giggling at the tall man.

[AkiBlue]

The voyage was a quiet one at first, with the exception of Ray playing traveling tunes to fill the silence. Luro made some sort of declaration that he was joining, which meant they'd probably stay a little longer than originated- unless they just ended up staying for the whole tournament. "Well, if you go, hopefully you win the money. And you know, prove you're an epic fighter."

"Let us drink and be merry all grief to refrain ~
For we may or might never all meet here again~"

She sang along with Ray until the song was over and he stood up. She was sitting on the ledge over the main deck, and looking down at all of them. When he walked towards her, she hopped down. It looked important so she decided not to be so high up. She listened to him explain himself and merely nodded. He did swear an oath- though she only knew the bits and pieces as to why his mind was all over the place except with them. He swore a new oath and Runa saluted. "Well, as I told you once, I shall tell you again, it's good to have you on board. May we have many adventures together."

Luro spoke up again causing Runali to shake her head. "You mean to tell me all this time you didn't know my name? Luro your head is stuck in the clouds." The one eyed girl then saluted him for being in board with what Ray said. "Who said you guys were allowed to die any time soon?" Runali smirked and then turned back to the ledge she was on and got comfortable.

The trip to Utsukushī was a three day trip...

The crew did their normal activities while on the ship. The captain helped Nolan clean the kitchen and watched him cook dinner. She was interested in how he managed to be such an extravagant cook, so it didn't hurt to watch. Another day, she got Dani to show her the different maps she gathered from the trips. It was good to know what her crew enjoyed. It brought them all closer as a 'pirate family'. Of course, she sang songs with Ray and attempted his viola, and found it much more difficult than she thought. Instead of the nice music Ray made...she managed only certain notes that didn't sound like screeching animals. With Luro, Runali knew she couldn't drink with him. It would end up in her death or something. So she merely enjoyed the silence and the scenic view of the ocean with him- until she ended up falling asleep.

The third day rolled by and the captain decided to sit on the edge of the ship and go fishing. For awhile, there was nothing and Runali sat with a bored expression, occasionally even falling asleep.

No fish

It was silent for awhile.

When the captain woke again, the island came into view.

Utsukushī (Much prettier and tourist like inside the town)

She abandoned her fishing post and whistled yo her crew. "Utsukushī, dead ahead!" She was on the main deck once more, waiting for everyone to gather. "So, I say we enjoy the town and see the tournaments. And if Luro joins, we have to cheer him on."

[Fox of Spades]

"If ever I should meet you by land or by sea
I will always remember your kindness to me."

Ray's song made Kai's departure even sadder than it already was. Nolan nodded his head and mustered up a smile, "we'll take care of the captain and each other, promise." And before he could stop himself, the cook shuffled towards the veteran pirate and pulled him into an awkward but sincere hug. "Don't kill me," Nolan joked as he raised his hands and backed away. Kai even gave them a chuckle and it was such a rare occurrence that it lit up his face. "Kai, you take care of yourself too, alright. We'll see you when we see you."

He watched as the man walked off then turned to face Danny. "Welcome to the family." He grinned at the shorter girl then gave her a pat on the head. The longer they spent travelling together, the more they felt like a family of sorts. He was growing attached to all of them, Nolan couldn't wait to introduce them to Annie, now that would definitely be an interesting event.

The next three days were calm and he spent it chatting with the others. He had even asked Ray to teach him how to use a sword, unfortunately the cook was a clumsy man and in the end he decided to simply stick his trusty rifle. As the days marched past they grew closer and closer to Utsukushi and he found himself excited. He had heard about the tournament from Luro and while he didn't want to participate, he wanted to cheer his friend on.

"Utsukushī, dead ahead! So, I say we enjoy the town and see the tournaments. And if Luro joins, we have to cheer him on."

Nolan gave the captain a salute. "Of course, we'll be cheering him on until the very end." The cook leaned against the railing and took in the sight of the town. From afar one could tell it was a pretty place. He could only guess it would look much better up close. "Ah, it almost feels like we're on a vacation." As soon as the ship docked, Nolan scrambled to get the piece of wood they used as a makeshift bridge of sorts. He looked very excited and grinned at his friends from ear to ear. "Where are we going to go?"

[Mizos]

Luro grinned at not remembering the captain's name but since she didn't seem upset about it he just laughed a little and waved it off. He decided not to admit that when Runali told Luro her name he was too busy staring at her eye-patch wondering how he'd look if he got one to catch most of what she was saying.
The days seem to pass by slowly to Luro but he was alright with that, having the others around was still entertaining even if he was just watching them. He always enjoyed seeing Ray play his violin and though he couldn't always keep up with his songs he tried at least and seeing Nolan trying to use a sword made him chuckle a few times. He was tempted to ask Danny to show him how to read a map but remembering his previous experiences with them he avoided it and offered her a drink instead along with some light conversation.
He spent a majority of the time messing with the guns as he always did, drinking rum and watching the sea which always calmed him, having the captain join him in doing so just made it all the more enjoyable especially when she fell asleep, Luro made a victorious fist as he accomplished his personal mission but returned to gazing at the sea immediately after not wanting to be caught staring.
He didn't pay that much attention to age but seeing the captain's sleeping face reminded him that she was pretty young, granted he considered it strange that of all things this reminded him of that fact, still some things showed on a sleeping face. He wasn't that old himself so he didn't see the point in thinking that much about it, to his knowledge Nolan was older than he was though one wouldn't think so while looking at him and if he remembered correctly Ray was older, in the end they were all pirates on the Coral Pearl and that was most important.

When they reached Utsukushi and the captain spoke to them Luro grinned and sat on the edge of the ship leaning over to see Utsukushi, the island looked wonderful and he was getting even more excited the closer they got to it. He had never been in a formal tournament before he couldn't wait to get signed up, and he was probably going to fight some mermen, he had heard plenty of rumors but being able to not only see but personally exchange blows with one made today a good day already.
Once Nolan put the bridge down Luro grinned and put his arm around the shoulders of his comrade and pointed towards the city.
"Whatever we want it's going to be so much fun!" Luro exclaimed before bringing a hand to his chin. "I've never been here before so I'm looking forward to it, especially the lasses, this is a tourist town so people from all over the world have be here right? Actually I should get to them before Ray does if they fall in love with him I won't have a chance, come on Nolan you can be my wing man since you already have a lady. I gotta sign up for the tournament too."
Luro grabbed Nolan's wrist and immediately ran into town laughing as he sped down the road in a random direction.
"I'll see you all later!" Luro exclaimed waving at everyone before fading into the distance with Nolan.
It wouldn't be until a few minutes later that Luro would realize that he has no idea where the tournament is.

Luro stopped in the middle of town bringing a hand to his chin as he let go of Nolan, just as he thought the place was filled with all manner of people but he couldn't find any mermen. He saw plenty of shops selling all kind of items and trinkets, he noticed one item in particular it was orange and had a strange oval shape to it, from what the man selling it seemed to be saying the strange item was a delicacy in a foreign land. Luro was a tad curious about it and started to question how to eat it when he saw the orange object move causing him to change his mind.
"Hmmm....I think I'm lost Nolan, we should find out where the tournament is being held first, I'll find a lass later I'll be sad if I can't participate."
Luro continued looking around for any sign or notice indicating where the tournament was being held, he was considering asking someone when he noticed a small child sitting on the ground between two buildings. He lowered his hand from his chin and stared at the child as she hugged her knees to her chest her eyes staring into the distance at nothing in particular, it didn't take much for him to realize this child was homeless.
Luro eyebrows narrowed a little at the sight, not necessarily because she didn't have a home most towns had at least one and Luro had grown accustomed to seeing them but because she was wearing a very fancy dress, granted it was covered in dirt and grime but it wasn't something a child could afford on their own, her long hair even looked made up though he could see traces of dirt in it as well.
"Nolan get ready to use your Nolan...ness," Luro said looking back at him.
Luro took a few steps forward toward the child, weaving through the crowed until he eventually reached her his shadow covering her entirely which drew the child's attention. The girl's eyes looked up and met Luro's before widening in fear for a moment as he noticed she was being stared at, seeing this Luro promptly knelt down on the ball of his feet to get on eye level with her before smiling at her.
"Hello there," Luro said. "My name is Luro Makachi, it's nice to meet you."
Luro made a motion with his hand for Nolan to come closer though he wasn't sure if he had already or not.
"Are you hungry?"
".....yes...."
The girl's voice was quiet and she still seemed defensive shrinking back a little as Luro tried to talk to her, he pat his person to see if he had anything to eat on him, at the very least it would help continue the conversation.

[Banba]

It was fun, spending time on the ship with the others. Danny passed the time she wasn't checking their course chatting with the crew, sharing a couple drinks with Luro. The liquid was groowing on her, slowly but surely. Whatever the case, the navagator enjoyed listening to his drunken rambles. Luro could and would change between topics faster than Danny could register them.

Danny grew excited when she realized they would be getting closer to the island. She kept glancing off to the horizon, only to see nothing but water. Growing impatient, she dropped down the the bookroom, recatorgrizing the maps to pass the time. She had just finished when Runali declared they were approaching the tourist island. Running up on deck, Danny jumped around in excitement, waiting impatiently to arrive. Once docked and Luro ran off with Nolan, Danny followed suit and got off the ship with her bag, looking back to the captain and ray.
"What do you say, shall we go take a look? Be tourists in a town of them?" She grinned, continuing to walk. She had a mission for coloured ink. If the other two joined her or not was up to them.

[Grothnor]

The journey to Utsukushī was remarkably uneventful, considering what the past few days had held. Ray enjoyed the quiet days, playing music whenever the occasion took him, even giving Runali a brief trick at his viola. She played it about as well as he expected, trying his best not to snicker at her 'music.' Each evening he joined Luro for a drink and each day was continually blown away by Nolan's cooking. And then, they had arrived. Ray quietly wished the trip lasted longer.

As soon as they arrived, Luro grabbed Nolan's wrist and ran off, shouting something about the tournament. Ray was intrigued by the event, but had some slightly more pressing matters to attend to; his green jacket was in terrible condition. It was covered in stains, scuff marks, tears and reeked to high heaven, and made him terribly uncomfortable wearing it. Ray needed new clothes, so when Danny suggested a trip into town to sample everything on offer, Ray jumped up. “Sounds like fun. I'll follow you. Let me know if we come across any tailor shops.” Besides, it would make a nice change of pace to be a Tourist rather than a Pirate for a day.

[AkiBlue]

Runali walked off the ship in a new outfit. (Just without the bows). It was a little chilly so she thought a jacket was in order. The hood was over her head, and one of the pointed cat ears tilted to one side while the other stood straight. She didn't mind too much considering the jacket didn't make her look too much like a child, and it was the only one that wasn't preparing her for the northern cold that would come up soon.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm heading to watch the tournament." Though, as she said that, Luro bolted off with Nolan in tow. "Tch, well that was interesting." She glanced over at Danny and Ray. "As I was saying, I'm heading to the tournament. You guys can go ahead and have fun." Seeing the other two of her crew mayes go off, she left on her own adventure.

The trip to the coliseum was pretty far, but Runali managed to get a ride from a friendly gentleman who was going in the same direction. It wasn't hard to spot the coliseum, it being one of the largest buildings there. The second was a building she wasn't aware of, but it didn't matter at the moment.

"Thanks!"

"It's no problem at all, glad to help!" Runali walked the rest of the way to the coliseum.

* * * *



When the captain got to the gates of the coliseum, she bought her ticket to get inside. The crew had plenty of money to spare and the tickets weren't expensive. But, that didn't mean Runali wouldn't buy food to watch the show! Of course that didn't cost too much either..... She had already missed the first round, and it appeared that Group B had just started. Luckily, Runali had a good seat. Not too close, and not too far.

The announcer began to yell out to the crowd as the next two contenders walked out to the ring.

"Here we have Elise Khan, our current champion! And his opponent, Alicia Tashigi! Both are competing in order to be contestants in the final round for the prize of $200, 000! Will it be the reigning champ or will it be a new swordsman- excuse me, swordswoman to take his place?!
As I've told you before. The rules are simple!
1) This match isn't to the death! So, no need to kill anyone.
2) Good sportsmanship obviously.
3) Winning can go three ways: 1. The opponent falls in the water. 2. There is a forfeit or resign from the match. 3. Or you knock them unconsciousness.

The crowd cheered and roared, obviously excited for the next match. Runali was quiet and observant, interested in the skills people from around the world would have. In her observing, amongst the roars of the excited crowd she caught a few whispers as well.

"Is that her? Bow Black?"

"I don't know...It could be. To be going up against Elise, something's gotta be up right?"

"You idiots that can't be Bow Black! That legend is older than the both of you!"

This little 'legend' or rumor was heard a few more times before she could really pay attention to the match. "Hm...let's see what this Bow Black can do..."

- - - - -

Danny and Ray

As they walked through the town the two would more than likely see hundreds of shops selling all types of things from food to magical trinkets.

On the far end of one street sat a small tailor shop. With a few people leaving out holding bags of clothing. Inside, one young woman was being tended to by the workers there.

"Do you think this is too much? Too outdated?"

"Don't worry, you look fine."

"Besides, you have three new sun dresses you could change into if you want. If you want, we can try this one."

Customer

On the other side, there were two women organizing some of the clothes that were already set out.

~ ~ ~ ~

On a cliff, with what looked like a large telescope built in the top pointing at the sky was a old looking place that an elderly man lived in. He sat around all day making maps and pinpointing the stars. Some considered him rather odd, or more like crazy with how much he spoke of the stars and 'things being out there in space'. So, most of the time he was secluded with his pet cat and owl.

Map Maker

[Winter]

~"We can never see beyond the choices we don't understand, because it's choices which make who we are. Only when we understand the choice do we know ourselves for how we truly are"~

The young women walked casually across the bridge as the crowed roared loudly in response to the announcer who demonstrated his use of showmanship. She had to admit she was surprised to see herself involved with such and event, usually opting to observe rather than be involved. But were it not for the current champion boldly claiming himself a champion of the sword, she'd have no business here and would likely be one of these spectators. She'd spent the best part of her previous afternoons practicing, tuning her skills and recalling the lessons her father had bestowed upon her as a child. She was confident about this fight, she knew her skills well and the presentation her opponent showed wasn't one that filled her with doubt. But then she decided not to underestimate him, as that was the mistake of many talented fighters which often lead to their fall.

She inhaled a deep breath as she took her spot opposite her opponent, closing her eyes briefly as the cool air filled her lungs before she exhaled deeply. "This is what they have to challenge me with? is this some kind of joke?" commented Elise Khan as he looked to the announcer who merely shrugged nervously. Elise was a large muscular monster of a man, a rugged beard and a bald head adding to his rugged appearance. He carried two large swords in each hand which would require some strength to wield properly, likely more a statement to his opponents then actual demonstration of skill. Some of the audience nearest the newly arrived pirates began to joke, "That girl is toast! Elise will eat her for breakfast!" they jeered. The most observant in the audience would notice one subtle move, one which could be easily missed if you weren't paying attention.

Alicia pushed her thumb up along the scabbard of her sword, pressing it against the guard which caused the blade to click forwards slightly. When the announcer rang the bell she began walking forwards casually again. Elise had braced himself for her to run at him, so looked confused when she began to walk as if it weren't a fight. "What? hey! don't you know this is a fight!" he yelled before charging towards her, raising both his swords to take her down in a single attack. Elise Khan stopped the moment she walked past him, letting out a gagging sound as blood spit from the corner of his mouth. The giant fell forwards onto his knees before collapsing onto his chest, both his swords clattering to the ground.

It had been fast, so fast that it had taken a mere second for her to make her move. Her sword had struck both his swords away from her, the blade twisting in her hand before she delivered three blows with the back of her sword, incapacitating him in an instant. Her blade was already back in her scabbard before his body hit the floor. Those who had been paying attention would have seen three flashes of light where the rooms lights caught the metal of her blade as it arched through the air and the audience itself was silent for a minute after his body hit the floor. The announcer's jaw dropped as he stared down at Elise before he shook his head to regain composure. "Ladies and gentlemen! Alicia Tashigi wins and will be going through to the final! Elise Khan has been defeated!!" he said with excitement, the crowd roaring in response. Alicia simply turned and began to walk back down the bridge from which she'd came. The fight was over.

[Mizos]

A young woman ran through the market staring at a golden pocket-watch as she ran weaving through the crowd of people as she rushed to her destination. A small satchel was attached to her waist and her brown ponytail fluttered in the wind as she tried to speed up. Her legs were burning and she almost crashed into a few people but she continued moving forward her attention staying on the watch as she watched the seconds tick by.
Unfortunately she didn't see one particular gentleman and ended up slamming into him stumbling as she did so, she placed her foot down and with what dexterity she had kept her balance and avoided falling.
She turned to the gentleman she had crashed into only to see a young woman with him, the girl seemed covered in tattoo's and she notice the gentleman had a scarf on and had a long blond ponytail.
She had crashed into Ray in her rush and promptly bowed realizing her mistake.
"I'm very sorry sir please excuse me!" the woman said before lifting herself up. "I'm sorry for interrupting your outing together."
She bowed once more before turning and running off again, she turned once more and waved to the two still in a rush but not wanting to seem rude.
"You look very cute together! Sorry again!"
With that she faded into the distance looking back at her pocket-watch.

Luro stopped patting himself realizing he didn't have any kind of food on him, he was tempted to ask Nolan if he carried any food but he figured that would be silly, just because Nolan was a cook didn't mean he always had food on him...did it?
Luro shook his head realizing he could pursue that thought later, he started to speak again but stopped as a young woman came running his way carrying a pocket-watch on her person, he arched his brow as she slowed to a stop a few feet from them and closing her pocket-watch put it back into her shirt pocket.
Her gaze met Luro's as he stood up, her eyes widening as she stared at him her mouth slightly agape as she watched scratch the side of his head.
"Lily?" Luro questioned.
"Luro...is that really you?"
"It is you Lily! How are you?"
Luro walked over and the two shared a brief hug before he backed away, her gaze went over to Nolan and she offered a nod to him before looking back at Luro.
"I've been fine but what about you...well I've seen your wanted poster so I have an idea but I mean aside from that what have you been up to?"
"Oh you know, got into trouble, got stranded, got found by the StarDusk pirates became a StarDusk pirate just regular things. Oh this is Nolan by the way he's a StarDusk pirate too. They call him the Crimson Monarch oh and the Puppy Killing maniac I'll tell you why later."
Luro grinned and watched as the young girl hid behind Lily gripping her skirt as she peered around her and stared at the two.
"Mary there's no need to be shy, he's a good person I'm sure Nolan...is too....I think."
"....really..." Mary said looking back over at Luro. "He's a pirate...pirates are bad people and he kills puppies."
She wasn't positive Nolan wasn't a good person and didn't fully believe Luro was so she stayed behind Lily who just smiled and handed her a piece of fruit from her satchel.
"Remember how I told you that I lived in the streets with a bunch of other children when I was a kid, Luro was our leader back then, he was the oldest one among us so he helped us survive. He was the first one of us to discard his name and begin anew, though he threw away his entire name while most of us just got rid of our first. Still not sure where this Makachi part came from honestly as we just called him Luro."
Mary took the piece of fruit and stared at Luro, her eyes moved to the symbol on his chest as did Lily's and for a brief moment she felt as if she had seen that symbol somewhere, looking over at Nolan she noticed he had a similar one on his pin which meant it was probably their pirate symbol.
"Well I didn't want to be the leader, I was more than willing to give it so someone else," Luro said shrugging.
"You always said that, but you never stepped down either."
"I didn't have much of a choice anyway Lily I'd love to talk more about back then, but I'm in a hurry do you know where the tournament is being held?"
"You're entering Luro? Well I suppose that's not too surprising it's that way just keep going straight."
Lily pointed in the direction and Luro nodded and thanked her before he reached for Nolan and started to run.
"Hey hold on a second," Lily said holding her hand out. "If you're entering the tournament you'll be trying to get the cash prize right? I know this is a bit much to ask, especially after we just met again but...if you win would you mind sharing the money with me? I'll do the same for you if I win of course."
"You...want me to share the prize money?"
"Yes...Mary lost her parents some time ago and I've been caring for her but there's only so much I can do with what I have. I figured that if I could earn that money, or even a quarter of it I could create a life for us, or at least a start of one."
A small smile formed on Lily's lips and Luro's eyebrows narrowed slightly as he watched her, he smile seemed to shrink at little as he watched her.
"If we both aimed for it our chances would be better, you can even keep a majority of it 20,000 would be enough to at least do something, so what do you say?"
"No."
Luro's answers blunt and without a moments hesitation Lily's eyes widened and she felt her stomach knot as she stared at Luro who looked back at her with a small smile on his face, for a moment she wasn't sure if she heard him correctly but as he continued speaking she could feel her heart slowly sinking.
"I don't really need the money, we just got a bunch of treasure from Waterdeep and I still have some gold left over from when we took out that ship. I'd only spend it on rum and spare wood anyway. That being said if I win it I won't share any of it with you, and if you get in the way of me acquiring it I will kill you."
Mary's face even paled at Luro's harsh words, especially since he said it all with the kindest smile on his face.
"Luro...you...you don't mean that...you wouldn't kill a friend...you're not that kind of person?."
"I've killed plenty of my friends before this is no different, I'd kill you right now just to avoid the slim chance of having to bother with you later if there weren't guards around."
Lily's gripped her skirt her eyes narrowing at Luro who just tilted his head at her, eyebrows arching slightly seeing she had something she wanted to say.
"Did becoming a pirate change you....Luro you were nothing like this. You were a good person who helped others."
"Hahaha that's a silly notion Lily."
"Is it?! You weren't like this before you were a pirate-"
"Oh no not the pirate part," Luro said interrupting her. "What made you think I was a good person in the first place? I did what I had to nothing more."
Lily entire being almost seemed to shut down at those words, she could feel her eyes watering and something grip her heart as Luro casually walked past her a small smirk on his face and a low chuckle escaping from him, her words caught in her throat and all she could was stand there and wait for him to walk away.
"I'm going on ahead Nolan oh and Lily you won't win the tournament so I'd recommend withdrawing, if I don't reach you someone else will no need to throw your life away, that'd be unfortunate especially for Mary....hahahahahahaha!"
Lily kept her gaze to the ground as her fingernails dug into her skin as she listened to Luro's laughter until it eventually faded in the distance.
Feeling a tug on her dress Lily looked over to see Mary looking at her clearly concerned about what just transpired, Lily closed her eyes regaining her composure and looked over at Nolan.
"If this is the company Luro keeps we want nothing to do with you or any of the StarDusk pirates," Lily spat at Nolan before grabbing Mary's hand and walking off.
"I won't let him take away our only chance."
"Lily...you don't have to enter the tournament...we can find another way...I don't want anything to happen to you and that guy-"
"I won't run away," Lily said her grip tightening a little. "Not from this...and I promised you didn't I, I'd never abandon you. I'll get that money and we'll be fine."

Luro reached the tournament just in time and ended up joining group C, he was a bit of a late entry but according to the man he wasn't the only one. Luro couldn't help but smile as he had a feeling Lily was the other person, after a few questions the man confirmed her appearance and Luro tried to find out what group she was in but the man didn't share it with him, it was a guess but he assumed she wasn't in his which he thought was a shame.
Lily would come Luro was aware of that and he wanted to see Lily in front of him in the arena, he was curious what her facial expression would be when he pointed his gun at her, though he was told killing wasn't necessary. He tried to inquire what would happen if he accidentally killed someone but he was just moved along.
Luro went to what he believed was a waiting room and sat down, taking his rifle off his back he took a small cloth out of his pocket and started cleaning it, a small smile rested on his face as he couldn't wait for his name to be called.