POOHEAD189

The Sinful Stars

"None, my lord." Orion said without skipping a beat. He had driven past kneeling before the Duke after the fourth time he had been told to rise. Orion now stood in the central palace chamber with a man far above even his liege's status, speaking almost as equals. Ragnar looked particularly unimpressed, but he suspected the Vuldrok was simply ignorant of the honor. The barbarian stood there, picking his beard of crumbs from the small feast they had been given earlier.

"Sir Pentecost, I must insist I grant you a boon. Please, do not dishonor me with a refusal." The Duke intoned with a smile, placing a hand on Orion's shoulder. The Knight felt as if he was taking advantage of a confused man, as no one knew what he remembered or truly believed of all Mobius had told him of Engel's treachery. He considered what it is he could want. To serve the Emperor directly was certainly his greatest goal, but he had not earned it yet. To see Annika up and about, with the bright glint in her intelligent eyes rekindled was what he most wanted in the immediate future.

And then he realized just what would be a good wish to have granted. He cleared his throat. "My lord, may I answer to you rather than my current liege, and may Annika become my permanent confessor until I am no longer in need of one?" He asked, fairly certain they had only been placed together for this one mission. With a Duke who enjoyed his skills and a guarantee of Annika at his side, he was certain he could serve the Pancreator to his fullest. Even nearly a head taller than the Duke, he felt very weak at that moment with the man's face clouded in thought.

"I can perform the former request." He said finally. "But as for the latter, I have no control over the clergy. Brother Mobius on the other hand..." The aristocrat gave the priest a hard look. One that made the priest quell in fear for a brief moment, before he sighed. "Well, she is a witch. But a useful witch. It is not my decision, but I do have friends in places that can arrange such a contract." He tried to regain a bit of dignity, placing his robe sleeves together in a semblance of holy consideration. "Consider it done."

Ragnar cried out in triumph, and Orion looked satisfied and relieved. At least the Vuldrok didn't call out to his pagan gods. Orion regarded the Duke. "May I see the sister, my lord? I do wish to see how she is."
@Penny

Cinnabar Forever! (RCN)

Kaiden had heard better.

Normally such a disgraceful thought wouldn't pass through his head, but Sabatine and his drinking made him lose his composure in his thoughts. He breathed in deeply and realized he needed to curb himself before he began to speak in a similar manner. The Commodore was, of course, right. If the Alliance dared attack, they would be thrown into the void. Kaiden called nearly as loud as the others with their cry of victory, though he didn't stand up in excitement. Instead, he took another drink, knowing he needed it. Sipping, he saw Sabatine and Captain Micha were a trite more reserved than the others, and he followed Sabatine's suspicious gaze to the Captain. The man did seem a bit squeamish. Odd, the food here was finely cooked.

Despite his initial approval, the continuing platitudes and calls for mobilization were going through one of Kaiden's ears and out the other. It was getting all rather droll, and one look at Sabatine was enough to get him to make a few sisyphean excuses of why he needed to leave, not giving anyone a second look. He drank the last of his tankard dry and left it on the table, striding out of the room and through the compound. He decided his excuse of "fresh air" would turn out true, and he found the night was pleasantly warm.

Among the sea, he saw distant lights of gigs and other, larger vessels moving slowly along the horizon line. Most wouldn't be able to differentiate the sea from the sky, but he had spent many nights watching the sea. It helped him relax on this strange, beautiful world. He wished he could appreciate it, but at the moment he was, as the spacers called it, pissed. He headed off the walkway towards the center of the island, where the Vicount was set up above the hanger on it's hydraulic legs. If he was going to be the Lieutenant of the vehicle, his muddled mind decided inspecting it would be a valuable use of his time.

Normally he would often play the rebel, sneaking past the guards even if he had full access to the area. But he didn't know this island near well enough and wanted to flaunt his position, so he waded through every checkpoint with a princely manner and a barely complacent wave of his hand. It was a few minutes into his inspection of the underside that he realized he truly was in no condition to inspect the underside. Not only for the drink, but his mind dwelling on Sabatine. Bloody woman!

"Excuse me?" Said a sultry voice, as smooth as freshly woven silk. "You're a Liuetenant for this Corvette, yes? Might I-" And the shapely woman gasped when Kaiden turned. Even in the dimness of the night, she could recognize his face from countless photos Tilda Savari had seen. "You're Kaiden Caladwarden."

The prince regarded her. Normally he would be thrilled to meet such a delectable woman, but at the moment he was in no mood and she was clearly a reporter. The only reason he didn't immediately tell her to buzz off was that she was not supposed to be within the perimeter after hours and yet here she was, speaking to in the thick of RCN security. He respected talent, particularly in women. "Yes, I am. And I am not taking questions at this time. You should go before I call the men to escort you."

"Wait no!" She said, somehow loudly within a hoarse whisper. "Look, I was already thrown out by that bi-...the female Lieutenant earlier. I'd just like a few questions."

Kaiden blinked, looking at her directly. He gestured with his hands to halt her speech. "Hold...did this Lieutenant have her hair in a bun, a workman's uniform and a harsh disposition?"

She raised an eyebrow, playing with her hair as she wondered whether or not he was asking a trick question. "Yes?"

Kaiden gave her a courtly bow. "Madam, you may ask me whatever you would like. Shall we go to the bar on the east side?"
@Penny

Cinnabar Forever! (RCN)

Kaiden had finished his wine and decided to take a mug of what the others were having. He couldn't exactly remember who could drink more between he and Sabatine. He recalled that was a fun game between them and they usually passed out or made love before either could claim victory. He felt a ping in his chest and decide to shove that memory aside to enjoy, if one could call it that, the draught that had been provided. On the third sip he decided it wasn't so bad.

"Most would think so," He said with faux congeniality, swallowing the taste as best he could. He turned to the ensign next to him and nudged him with his elbow, giving him that winning smile that had people engage with him so often. The ensign laughed and they clacked mugs together as if they had won some great triumph. "Good stuff," He told the lad, who responded with "Better than one thinks. Good for two things, greasing engines and killing brain cells!"

"Very good," Kaiden said to him with a grin, regarding Sabatine once more. He should have had more of the soup, but right now the liquor would do fine. He did munch on some crackers they had provided. "So what have you been up to since we last saw each other?" He inquired, clearing his throat. He had to yawn, and despite his hammered in manners he decided to indulge himself. "You're still a Lieutenant, which is surprising."

He sipped his mug comfortably, his infuriatingly blue eyes watching her.
@Penny

The Searchers: The Sword of Kings Interest Check

*enters thread*

Cinnabar Forever! (RCN)

Well the food wasn't too poor in quality. He'd gotten used to military cooking early in his career, and by the standards of his previous experiences, this was certainly adequate. What he found issue with was his seating arrangements. The two officers beside him were in the midst of their own conversations, and he and Sabatine seemed to have begun a private contest on who could keep quiet the longest. He didn't feel like much of a victor when she broke her silence.

He almost laughed out loud at her words. For a brief moment he knew she was giving the equivalent of a kidney shot and he almost admired it. But the good humor quickly fell away. Kaiden was arrogant enough to not bother with acting, but he decided to play along for now regardless. If she was going to be a bitch, he could be a right bastard.

"Last I checked he was doing wonderfully." Kaiden said, his fingers gliding over to his glass he'd filled with wine and downing half of its contents in a single gulp. He would have downed the entirety of it, but he didn't want to cause more of a scene as of yet. "It's so kind of you to ask. Which reminds me, when was the last time you spoke to brother? The oldest brother who got you into the navy. I know you were attached to the hip, given how much he used to dote on you."

Of course he used ambiguous wording, as 'sending' her in wasn't necessarily bankrolling her. But it was just vague enough to let her worry over others overhearing. "Have you tried the wine, by the way? It's sweet and tart in all of the best ways. I should have been transferred earlier."
@Penny

The Sunday Group - Bumps in the Night

@Penny Are we going to show those demons our peaceful ways by force?

The Sunday Group - Bumps in the Night

When Ellie realizes she only has a finite amount of employees:

Hider

Damned to the Depths

The bulk of the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, and what was left was blocked by the towering palace and the myriad of clay buildings beneath which gave the streets a shadowed and ill look. It was the perfect time for a raid. In their black hearts, even the pirates weren't for raping and murdering civilians, but the chaos of scared citizens did help keep the sultan's guard off them in an organized fashion.

Markus and Calliope had gone south with a few of their crew, while the rest had traveled west to distract the majority of the Sultan's forces. What remained of the BloodAxes that landed on the shore had run screaming into the city, cavorting and killing without care or conscience. No doubt when all was said and done, if any of the royal family was still alive at the end of the night, they would no doubt blame the Weather Witches crew for any atrocities against the unarmed populace.

The scene transitioned onto the ground in a lesser known street beside the bazaar as Mumlaks and lesser guardsmen ran in, in a staggered, disorganized fashion. Had they come in all at once, even Markus and Calliope would have a difficult time surviving. Now they crossed swords with the soldiers of the Sultan, having been cut off from the others in the chaos of the urban fighting.

Markus' blade crackled with lightning, lopping the head off of an unfortunate guard with baleful ease. He moved like a hunting cat, fluid but brutally, spinning to meet the next scimitar aimed at his back. His blade hadn't stopped moving, knocking the sword aside with a loud 'clang'. The soldier backpedaled and survived Markus's counter thrust only to attempt a strike at the Captain's head. Meanwhile, a flash of eldritch energy erupted a dozen paces away as four men were immolated by a spell from Calliope.

As he'd learned in training, he let the opponent's blade get in close so the enemy couldn't feint, subtly parrying the blow before shoving his point into the fool's neck, blood gushing forth into the sand. Suddenly Markus vanished, blinking across the street to cut down another Mamluk, arriving beside Calliope who slid her rapier out of another assailant. While she wasn't perhaps on Markus' league in terms of swordplay, she was practiced and deadly and more than made up for it with her spellcraft.

"You would have made a decent warmage," Markus said, his back to hers. They both dispatched a guard, Calliope with her rapier and Markus with a strange spell that shined white in a black flash, utterly disintegrating a Mamluk before he could scream in terror. Now wasn't the time to ask about the spell, and it wasn't nearly as devastating as Calliope's incantations. Instead she laughed, freezing the blood of anyone who heard it.

"And work under the rule of some king? I fight for no one but myself." She declared, dueling with mustachioed guard wielding a spear. Markus and her both spun, changing opponents mid fight. Markus' magical blade cut through the spear's haft as Calliope transformed the two soldiers he fought into asps who slithered away in anxious fear.

"You fight for me, don't you?" He asked.

"That's different." She chuckled, and he wasn't certain on what she meant. All the same to him, he realized. When he looked about, he saw the Sultan's forces had halted and organized, now streaming in from all sides like a wave of myth. Calliope began to chant, but Markus had different plans. He slid his arm around her waist and incanted quickly, both of them disappearing to the normal eye.

"Find them!"

"Curse you for fools, go after them!" They called below as the Captain and the Sorceress watch from the roof above, hidden within an alcove of torn fabric that waved lazily in the last breeze of the waning day.
@Penny

Cinnabar Forever! (RCN)

Kaiden had to endure another run in with the Commodore by this point, who explained to him for, what is it? The fifth time, perhaps, of how he would receive no special treatment on this rig. It truthfully enraged the young Lieutenant more than nearly anything else. He had never received special treatment from his birth in his life. It was why he loved the military, because he had to work for his position. Hell, the only time he'd received special treatment in the service was when he slept with his superior officer during his training as a cadet (before he met Sabatine), and all he received from that was the pick of the meals in the bloody messhall. His family was no exception. Certainly not his father, who used him as an extension of his own will.

By the mercy of the Gods he found the room he had been assigned, and after Harwen had received his equipment for him he unpacked his things, as little as he had. It was a spartan room as to be expected on a cruiser, but it suited him. As long as he could sleep comfortably he wouldn't complain. Among his possessions was a picture of his mother, and the officers' badge of his eldest brother. Both were deceased, and still it was hard to imagine living in a world with such a truth.

Kaiden was already dressed smartly, though it wouldn't hurt to iron his military jacket. It was times like these he missed Ferbose, his old servant back on the estate. Perhaps one day he could send an offer for hire, but at the moment he would make do without. He searched around the room, and with a relieved sigh he found the ironing board behind a cabinet. He opened it from the top, letting it slide down to touch on the floor gently.

He wondered what his father might think, seeing him do such a mundane activity as ironing a jacket. Halway through the chore, there was a knock at his door. Three knocks in quick succession indicating the newcomer was of inferior rank. He didn't turn around when he called "Come in!" Hoping to God it wasn't Sabatine. There was indeed a feminine gasp that accompanied the opening of the door, but it wasn't her voice thankfully. He turned from the ironing board to see one of the local spacers, a cute young woman with short, black hair and green eyes.

Kaiden wasn't indecent, wearing his white button down closed. But without his jacket and with his sleeves rolled up, he had the look of the romantic lead on the cover of one of the classic romance novels. She looked around, clearly not wanting to admit she had been the one to gasp even if there wasn't another human for about 60 meters. Clearing her throat, she saluted him. "Spacer Burke, sir. I've been commissioned by the Commodore to present you with your standard issue firearm."

In her offhand was a black box he took, and opened it to find the Mig 52 Sidearm he was expecting. He grinned openly, having awaited such an honor for four years. Finally, he felt as the ranking Lieutenant should. Placing the box near the photos of his family, he turned and gave the spacer a salute, who returned the gesture. "Thank you, Burke." He said to her. "You're dismissed. Oh and if you're impressed with me now, perhaps once my position here is secure I could make you gasp again after a few bottles of wine. Far louder I suspect."

She left the room with her face as red as a cherry, one part embarrassment, two parts shyness.

He didn't suspect he would ever make good on that offer, but it was fun to tease sometimes. Lord knows it was the only time he felt he had the control of any situation, at least recently.