POOHEAD189

Grim Galaxy: Shots and Chances

Neil grinned, emboldened by his theatrics and Junebug's approval. The fire from the detonations were a sheen off his glasses, and he turned to follow his girlfriend and superior officer, hefting his gun and reloading three grenades in it. Junebug had more hands on experience than Neil in ground operations, but he was still a veteran compared to most his age, and if there was one thing he knew, it was explosive devices.

Behind them, Saxon snorted. Though Neil guessed it was a huff of complaint, the big xenos stamping his hoofed feet in the dirt of the wasteland. "Do you suggest we leave these men here?" He growled from deep within his throat. "Once we start shooting, they'll turn on us and be at our flanks!"

Neil and Junebug turned back at him simultaneously, Taya jogging past him to get as far away from the annoyed Hex and the gangers now looting the drugs as she could. It was only the mutants that had stayed at the vehicle that kept her from leaping in, though Neil had to admit he was surprised the three hadn't driven off. He guessed they were afraid enough of Junebug's armor and Saxon to really mess with the group. Neil also had to admit Saxon had a point when it came to the group they had just worked with, as they'd betray them on a dime once the real shooting started. Though the pilot also knew Saxon's real reason for giving such sound logic: He was impatient for action.

"Well, I don't see the problem with Saxon taking out this group while we move on ahead. Do you, captain?" Neil asked aloud. With the glare of the fire, he couldn't read her face. But she turned, her voice echoing out of the speakers of the suit. "Fair enough, just kill paco quick. He was a funny one." She quipped, now moving forward again. She added a last addition as she stepped past the vehicle. "And don't take long! We'll probably need you soon."

A Hexanagallion's smile was a disturbing sight, even to someone who was more learned in their physiology like Neil. Saxon craned his head high, stretching his neck as he overlooked the area, before lowering it and turning his hulking, saurian form towards the warehouse, just as the men began piling packages of drugs and other goods into the trucks. Neil made a sign to Gideon, then ran to catch up to Junebug.

"What about us!?" The lead mutant asked, but Junebug had already marched out of earshot. That or she deigned not to acknowledge their presence. Neil halted at the aircar and shrugged.

"You fellas were good set pieces, but now we kind of don't need you anymore. If I were you I'd get the hell out of here, or keep Taya safe in the aircar." Neil casually let his grenade launcher rest on his hand, the barrel pointing straight at the vehicle to showcase just what would happen if they took any advantage of Taya while they were gone. "In fact, you're going to guard her. Taya, get in the driver's seat and keep the aircar out of sight until we call."

As if he had plucked the beacon out of the air, Neil planted a small device on the hood of the vehicle. It gave a small light that flashed every other moment, softly enough not to be seen at any great distance. "If any of you three don't keep her safe and unharmed, we'll follow you to the ends of the galaxy and buttfuck you out of existence, sound good?"

"No need to threaten us." The head mutant said, visibly shaken. "We'd cross Stinger before you guys, even if you weren't holding us at gunpoint." Neil believed him. Their group was pretty intimidating and fairly technologically advanced for such a backwater world. With that, Neil jogged after Sayeeda, ready to take on both gangs at once.

We mourn the passing of Polymorpheus

I know Poly would have loved to see all of the people who enjoyed them on this thread, saying how they'll miss them. I'll miss us talking about politics a lot, tbh.

We mourn the passing of Polymorpheus

For those who weren't on the discord or haven't spoken to them for awhile, they were Catchamber.

I'll miss them. They always supported me in my projects and faced their sickness with a bravery that I could never hope to meet. I pray they're in a better place.

Gold & Glory: AU thread

"I'll give you twenty crowns each." the fellow said; a lowdown fast talker if Markus had ever seen one. Slick backed hair and sporting a coat he must have cheated a rich merchant out of. He was a lanky man, slightly taller than the Captain, likely uninhibited by fleeting emotions such as "empathy" and "compassion." Markus had already spoken to a few men on prices, but in the market square he suspected to find some more established men with the coin to actually be able to pay for such a rare trove of arms and armor. While his hopes of being paid had yet to be met, this man here did tick every disreputable mark of a truly successful sartosan salesman.

"Two hundred each," Markus replied, his manner calm and his tone matter-of-fact. At this reasonable proclamation, the man guffawed incredulously. Even Markus laughed, though there was no mirth in his He was either a fool or trying to pull a fast one, and considering where they were, the latter was not only the most probable outcome, but the objective truth. The fellow stepped closer and whispered, as if they were committing a truly surreptitious affair.

"Forty crowns for a new partnership, eh?" He said, peeking over his shoulder as if he expected people to be dropping eaves. He didn't notice Markus' hand closing about the hilt of a knife, cautious as always. "I can see you'll be coming back a lot. Any man what can bring druchii arms is one to be rightly feared. If I were you I'd get rid of them quickly, before others start gnawing at your heels, eh?"

It was Markus' turn to lean in, and he said softly. "It's a big island. I'll find another buyer."

The look on the man's face as Markus turned to walk away was a mixture of contempt and shock. "Hold you damned pirate bastard!" He snapped, losing the facade of the trustworthy and magnanimous merchant. "Ok ok! A hundred and twenty crowns for each, and you'll not find a better deal on this Gods forsaken island! Go and find out if you think differently, wretch!" Markus turned back to see him red in the face, a pleading in his eyes. This time Markus did have some mirth.

"Sold. Was that so hard?" He asked as the salesman straightened his coat, smoothing his hair again to bring back the pleasant disguise.

The two conversed for another minute before the transaction took place, Markus receiving the sum he had hoped for. He knew the leech of a man would get double that when he sold it, but he had contacts and Markus did not. He had the money he and his crew needed. Raising the small chest of coins in appreciation to the man, who had given him the name Gilderoy, he turned back to see something his crew didn't need.

Emmaline spoke to what appeared to be a new manservant. Someone he wasn't entirely keen on having aboard his ship. Her blue eyes brightened when she saw him approaching, introducing the Ind man Rajad with a showy bow and wave of her hands, as of presenting a gift to Markus.

"No." said the Captain, nearly tripping up Emmaline's supposed grace. As she caught herself, he continued. "I never said you could have a manservant, and we don't have room or the provisions for another crewmember."

Emmaline opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. Huffing, she whispered. "I bought this man with my own counterfeit money and promised him passage on our ship. I am a woman of my word!" He waited, letting her realize the cognitive dissonance of that statement. He watched her face contort through the five stages of grief before she clutched his jacket, fluttering her lashes. "Please? Please, please please?"

He looked away, sighing. She begged further and he raised his hands. "Ok, ok! Blessed Gods of the Old World save me, yes ok he can come with us. But he's your baggage until he proves he's of worth. And you-" Markus stopped, having noticed a strange, alien stillness in the air. He looked around and saw half of the people who had congregated in the marketsquare had fled, the rest now quiet and stepping back. At first he thought it was because he and Emmaline had made a scene, but when his dark eyes looked passed her golden hair, he saw six men standing in a line, straddling one of the lanes that connected to the square. At their head was who he could only guess was Von Roberts, watching both he and Emmaline like a wolf on the prowl.

"Let go of me and find cover." He told her, his eyes not leaving the men.

Grim Galaxy: Shots and Chances

"...Did I give you that suit?" Neil asked, trying to drudge up a vague memory of an early gift he had gotten her. It was before they had even started dating.

"You gave me the prototype of the prototype that served for the basis of this model, only in the loosest sense I guess." She replied casually, her smirk beaming through the reinforced glass of her helm. Neil sat there, marveling at Junebug in her powered armor, giving him cheek while he was her unarmored designated driver, within a stolen vehicle surrounded by conscripted mutants, a young aristocratic stowaway, and a giant lizard alien. After hesitating, he shook his head and muttered. "I'm going to marry her, I swear." As the vehicle cranked to life, the engine thrumming with power as the thing began to wobble from the sheer weight of the party, particularly Saxon and Junebug in her armored state. Checking the meter of the weight limit, he saw the bar nearly at the tipping point.

"Try not to move around too much! We're only going a short way, but one big lurch and we'll bank into a building!" He warned. Taya clenched her teeth, feeling hot breath on her cheek to see the hyena-mutant smiling at her, though whether it was because he thought she was attractive or just something to devour, she wasn't sure. Thankfully, Saxon sitting head and shoulders above the rest kept the mutants in check as the aircar sped off out of the hanger and over the causeway that clung to the diameter of the town. Even as they rode, the streets were all but deserted as if from a natural phenomenon like the calm before a vast storm, and the men and women who they caught out scattered into their homes as first sight of them, clearly thinking they represented one of the two gangs.

The town was now to their right, the lights dimmed by the bulk of the buildings, though they still served as a beacon of civilization. It wasn't long before they wound through some of the dead hills right outside where they promised to rendezvous with Stinger, the hills giving good cover to them so her embittered rival wouldn't see them despite his plans to bypass her and attack her base, courtesy of Junebug.

"So, we have a few options babe." Neil started, wind whipping his dark hair. "A few of us could jump out and we go and surround a perimeter, we could all stop at a single place and sneak in, report to one of the bosses or just ram this aircar up their asses. What do you think?"

Discord vs OOC

<Snipped quote by POOHEAD189>
I see your point but I wanna ask you this--how is it all too different from when we used mIRC or Skype or Chatzys or Titanpads/Etherpads/etc?

@TGM

Well, I never used skype for roleplays. As for the others, they were for roleplays exclusively and only for posting collabs in my experience.

Discord vs OOC

Honestly I'm in so many discord chats, I don't want another. It takes a lot for me to ever join an RP now that doesn't have an active forum OOC. I've been in dozens if not hundreds of roleplays that have collapsed and I got tired of joining and leaving discords.

Dungeon Builder Monster Extraordinaire

@MaeCan you give me my options on what I can do during downtime one more time, please?

Gold & Glory: AU thread

The next day

---

The sound of the clinking coins would have pleased any pirate, so it was fortunate Markus gave most of the lads the day off. The closest person that would perk up would be a certain golden witch Markus knew of, but she was far too busy at the moment. Morgan let the last bit slip into the large sack before tying it up as tight as a noose, handing it to Markus on the aft castle. Below, the elderly prisoner turned crewman and Brod were hauling off the last of the spices they had gotten from that Estalian ship they had yanked Emmaline and the cook off of. It did fetch them a pretty penny, and Sketti had come back with a good lead on where to go and sell the ornate arms and armor from the Dark Elves. All of it would go save a few hauberks and a sword Markus kept to himself.

Sartosa was strange looking in the daytime. The buildings were far less large and intimidating, and the castleships that rose twice as high as the largest brigantine Markus had ever seen had an almost comical quality to it. Not that he would underestimate the mangy dogs that dwelt here. He had heard enough legends about them to not take their fleet or savagery lightly. The keep and the buildings further up the rise in the land were formidable in stature and loftiness, to their credit. Coconut trees dotted the coast streets and tufts of grass burst out of any ground that wasn't covered with wood or stone.

"Might want to get a cat." Morgan commented, being able to partially determine Markus's thoughts. "Might get some vermin on the ship if we stay too long."

"We'll leave soon. Just keep the ship steady, old friend." The Captain reiterated, tying the coins to his belt. Below them, the carriage all of the barrels had been hauled on suddenly kicked up as the mule team began their canter. The tradesman had a kind face compared to what Markus had expected of a Sartosan resident, but he didn't let his guard down in their negotiations. Everyone here was as shrewd as a Tilean whore when it came to business. "Witch! Take a break. You're coming with me so I can keep an eye on you."

The Captain stepped down the stairwell to the main deck, amused at Emmaline's bedraggled appearance. Maybe next time she would keep him privvy to her sudden bursts of inspiration. With the men gone, he had her scrubbing every bit of the top deck, burnishing the windows and even sanding the masts. She wasn't finished, but he decided she'd had enough. The woman looked positively miserable, not used to working at anything except a way to keep herself from working.

Markus took the rag out of her hand, nodding to his cabin with authority. "We'll leave in ten. Get yourself cleaned up." She could hear the grin on his face next "Oh and wear that dress you came in on. We want the buyer to be suitably impressed in all aspects."
@Penny

Gold & Glory: AU thread

A fat rat scrambled out of the ruined pile of what Markus could only guess at to scamper down the alleyway, fleeing from his approach. If looks could kill, the vermin's heart would have seized on the spot. Fortunately for it, Markus looked at everything in a similar fashion at the current moment, though he didn't exactly know why. Yes Emmaline ran off, and Sketti had too just before he'd made it within a mile to the docks, claiming he would go and try and find good deals on supplies tomorrow. However, on the bright side, he hadn't been killed or thrown out of the council. Indeed he and his crew had been given the chance of a lifetime! A slim chance, but still a rare one. Maybe he'd feel better after a good rest and a bottle of rum in his cabin.

The dockmaster gave him a wide berth as soon as he saw Markus, the Captain striding determinedly with his sword out to deter any would-be thieves. Markus didn't acknowledge him, instead turning down the wharves that led to The Hammer contentedly swaying on the soft swells of the sea. A distant call of 'Cap'n ho!' was answered by the same call further aft, and the gangplank was hurriedly lowered for his arrival. Markus looked up to find Morgan standing there, hailing him with a smile, clearly glad to see Markus still alive. It was why Markus trusted him. The man could be Captain in a heartbeat were Markus to perish, but he clearly did not wish it.

As Captain Flintbrook stepped onto the Maindeck, Morgan clapped him on the back. Halfdan and Holdman were topside as well, moving the last of the barrels into position to be better hauled tomorrow.

"Either the negotiations went well or they didn't happen at all." The Quartermaster commented. Markus did not wish to go into too much detail yet, but he wouldn't lie either.

"They...happened. We have a shot, but it's a long one. Tomorrow I want to sell everything, and then buy back as much provisions as this ship can carry." He replied in a whisper, walking with him towards the stairs that led down into the gallery. "I don't care if we sell the last of our coffers. Everything goes save the men's wage."

Morgan raised a bushy eyebrow at that. "I suspect there's something of a story there. The golden woman didn't tell us a word." The older man shrugged and would have gone downstairs had the Captain not halted in his tracks, simply looking at him. Morgan gave him a strange look, clearly perplexed and almost concerned. "What?"

"Emmaline is here?"

"Aye, she got here a bit ago. Had the lads draw her a bath-" Markus blinked incredulously. Bath water was taken from the drinking water, that might actually cost them! He thought of the fat rat that had scampered in front of him not a mile away, strutting out of the filth to scavenge some more elsewhere. "-She's in your cabin now...I thought you knew that."

Markus turned, the venom dripping from his words. "Must have slipped my mind." As Morgan watched him stalk toward his cabin, he shook his head.

"You sure she's worth this, lad?"

Markus didn't look back. "I'll handle it."