Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars

[Bluemask 96]

It seems their new friends, or friend and acquaintance, were attracting a number of eyes tonight. "The you are bear cub, I was just talking about you. Cinead, this is Miria, another one of ours. A little less shy than Renais, and just as adorable." She hoped that would give the girl enough courage to at least say hi. "And that earlier comment was a jest, we have a number of folks in our crew with a rainbow's worth of personalities, but they're all good people."

"As for your second question, yes we're all women here at the Iron Tigers, so you'd be the first guy actually. The eloquent elf from earlier is actually one of our clients, but we can fill you in on that after we talk to Tasha. Oh probably best to call her Natalya first, and save the Tasha until after she gives the ok." Tasha was friendly and welcoming to a fault, but it wouldn't hurt to be professional for their first meeting.

At this point the most boisterous one of the group called over. "We went over that this after noon Nyx, you're in my room!" That way we cut down on some of the future chaos. "Pay no attention to the whining adult Cin, is it fine if I call you Cin?" Aegean had a tendency to shorthand peoples names, and if her dragon buddy here was gonna to stay for the foreseeable future, he'd be no exception.

But enough standing around, she needed to find and introduce the boy to Tasha before they set off. "Miria could you show Renais to the room you two will be sharing, I need to go take our newcomer to our boss and make proper introductions, and don't worry about Nyx I'll come find her in a bit once this is done." The Other performer seemed to be returning, so she gave a wave to Chris before turning and heading towards the back of the ship and onwards to Tasha's Room with Cinead with her, giving a simple "Good evening" to the Evoker couple as she passed by.

Once she reach Tasha's Room, she gave a quick but firm two knocks to the door. "Hey boss, it's Gean. I have a potential new recruit I'd like you to meet."

Edited January 5, 2022 by Bluemask 96

[Nanami Touko]

Ingverd was rather surprised at the captain's frustration over a few other people. He didn't raise a fuss; it wasn't hiss boat, but he felt genuinely bad about Maria's situation. Returning her hug as long as she was willing, not wanting to extend it any further to make her awkward, he, unfortunately, awkwardly followed after her. "If you don't mind, miss Maria... I am interested in meeting your traveling companion, as well as speaking with you more. We'll be sharing the same boat, and should it come to it, fighting the same enemies." He gently placed a hand on the hilt of the sword he was now carrying, smirking at her. "Surely we should all get to know each other before it comes to that, yes?"

Speaking of companions, one of them seemed to be leaving. What looked to be a rather tall dragon... He wasn't bad on the eyes, but any more would depend on how much brain was behind that brawn. The other one, though... What a beautiful man. Definitely worth getting to know. "Greetings~!" Ingverd extended a hand for him as well, still holding his wide, wide smile. "My name is Ingverd, Ingverd Klir. I'm currently working with the Evokers and miss Natalya, of the Iron Tigers... Since we'll be sharing the same boat, and your lovely companion Maria met my company, I figured it would be best for us all to get to know each other... I hope that isn't too forward of me~"

[Ursali]

Alriana had perched herself upon one of the many railing of the ship, her tail wrapped around it lest anyone worry about her precarious position. The current target of her curiosity was the waves as they crashed and splashed against the nearly in motion boat. She'd never had a chance to see them all those years ago when she'd come to Glacias, taken below deck to her and Grelbiria's room in record time. Now she was free to observe everything as she pleased, so long as she didn't get in the crew's way. Maybe she'd scale the crow's nest at some point to truly get an amazing view...

Before that, there appeared to be a commotion on the approach. This group was never quite without one, was it? Three newcomers had boarded at the last moment and the woman among them made the mistake of approaching Alvira, asking about something. Ingverd was quick to intervene but not fast enough to stop hostilities from rising on either side. Aly hadn't missed the look Maria gave Alvira and had tensed, prepared to jump at the woman if she'd moved to act against the dragon. However, something stopped the woman at the last second leaving Aly to turn back to her waves. Or would have, if the lizard hadn't spotted the dragon inbound.

"Only been on ship once. When came here long time ago. And, don't know. Never swim before. Could probably... Maybe. Depends on how sharks swim." She paused to properly turn herself around on the rail, legs now hanging over the deck instead of the water. "Why ask? Do you know how swim? Do you want swim?"

Edited January 5, 2022 by Ursali

[Nanami Touko]

"Are you... Safe, up there?" She seemed stable, despite the gentle rocking of the boat. Alvira wouldn't press her on it, Alriana seemed secure enough to not cause any problems. "Mmm... I can swim, yeah. I think I'm pretty fast. The tail helps me a little... I don't really enjoy it, though. It doesn't hurt me more than anything else, but water and ice, especially cold water, they make me very uncomfortable to touch... It's... It's why I never touch my, own magic. Always have it floating just out of reach. If I had to hold it to cast it, I'd probably hurt myself eventually." She sighed, feeling better opening up to Aly just a little, even if the other end of her emotions was still angry at her for getting even closer.

"Do you... Wanna try? Before we shove off? I'm sure you could crawl back up..." It wouldn't be too dangerous... If anything in the water tried to attack Aly, they'd have some new food for their travels... Or maybe any sea creatures would stay away from her, their natural instincts telling them just how dangerous she was.

[Billy12510]

"Well, this is done, now to just find a way to send it once we're in Hecatia."  Syndra had decided that she needed to contact Ryfia and Alistar to get help for the Iron Tigers when they were going through Islexia. I think it's worth the risk. The envoy's most likely dead, and simply using the same paths Glacies' always have is suicide. Still how am I even going to get this message sent to them... maybe Nyx could help with- her thoughts were interrupted by the commotion happening above deck. Probably Alvira again. "*sigh* That girl is going to get herself killed before her talent can develop. I guess I should go see what's going on for myself." She tucked the note inside her suit jacket and headed for above deck to see what all the fuss was about.

[GoldsbroTSG]

"Cinead..." A moment to take in the name, "O-Okay... H-Hello," and she gave a wave. Then suddenly, a rush to get this new addition to Natalya. Miria nodded, but then had to process... She was bunking with Renais. Well, it could’ve been worse. Aegean could have bunked her with Alvira. This was fine.

Turning to Renais, she walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder, and gave a small smile, "Hey Renais, you ready? You look like you could use a little rest."

[JakezuGD]

Their business had gone smoothly enough, and thankfully for Elisa and Tio, it seemed the Iron Tigers had gone around their business more or less as smoothly. Then, of course, there was a new ruckus right before departure, and one that seemed to be rather interesting for multiple reasons. One was the speed at which the rather beautiful lady had discovered how sour Alvira was, somewhat reminiscent of their first encounter earlier that day, really not giving her any reasons to believe the dragon had more than a few people's interests in mind. Of course, Ingverd was always the mediator and sweet-talker.

The other was how Tio was observing the arrivals. She rarely looked that serious when just looking at people, unless she recognized them from somewhere important, or she was sensing particularly interesting magic. "What are you feeling, Tio? It's the... Man? That is a guy, right?" Elisa asked quietly, not having much particular interest herself other than getting to rest with her wife again. On being greeted by the passing Aegean, she gave a simple smile and nod in return.

---

Natalya had had a time, first getting things settled with Almira, and then... Hoo boy.

Mild Disciplining

Spoiler

Alvira pushed into her room with an angry huff. “Stupid, Evokers, stupid, magic, stupid, everything…” That Tiora woman had set her off something fierce, the air growing colder around her, as she fished out a case and began to pack it with clothes. Skirts, dresses with slits, longer shirts, cloaks, robes… Things that wouldn’t get in the way of her moving about. She reached for a small necklace on one of the dressers and clutched it tightly, quickly tying it around her neck. “Fomalhaut, watch over me in my time of need. Let your fire be the guiding light for the path I must walk, whether it be treacherous or clear.”

Small prayer said, she slipped the icon under the top of her robe, knowing better than to leave symbols of the old Gods out in the open. Worship was no longer organized, anywhere, even Lufiria where the dragon clans remembered their names. “Hhh… You make it through this and your whole life changes. For the better. This is all you have to do…”

Meanwhile, Natalya had gotten things settled with Almira about their new job. Understandably, it had taken a bit to actually convince her that this was all for real, given how out of nowhere it had come, but reliable as she was despite what some people might have thought, things went smoothly enough. Then… then would be time to address the other problem that had arisen, or rather almost arisen, during their briefing.

After a brief sigh, she gave a hard knock on Alvira’s door, expecting the dragon to be inside. “Alvira? We need to talk.”

Alvira shuddered. She closed her case for the moment and stomped towards her door, the ice still slowly forming around her, visible now, either unnoticed by her or not enough to bother her yet. She opened it all the way, giving Natalya the same scowl she’d given Tiora… Before realizing she was still doing it, her look softening into a more neutral stare, suddenly looking away. “I… I’m. Sorry. I know what I did wrong. You’re… You can still, tell me, if you think I need to hear it. I probably… need to hear it.”

The dragon’s scowl was met with Natalya’s own, though hers didn’t quite abate just from the admission. “Good to know you do, but just like you said, I’m still going to say it,” she said sternly, continuing after a short pause. “We can’t have you intentionally pissing off our clients, and especially not the strongest mages in the whole damn country. You take enough steps in the wrong direction, you’re not just screwing us out of the 300 000 gold job, you’ll also probably lose your head for it. Or maybe your entire body, with what they’re capable of.”

“If that’s meant to scare me, it doesn’t. Maybe I’ll understand once I see them in action, but living in Lufiria has really killed my sense of power for individuals. I’ve watched tornados form from clear skies. Thunder strike up from the ground. Fires start spontaneously on plants, no source, no mage… Living there is horrifying. So, some fat chested woman? I can’t… Bring myself to take her seriously. Not when this country has doomed me so much. Not when she’s one of the faces of the people that run it.”

Alvira felt her ice, finally, glancing around herself and closing her eyes, dissipating it slowly. She walked back into the room and sat on the bed, folding her arms. “I won’t… I won’t, talk to her at all. I won’t even go near her… I just… Al, Alriana, is… Is, my…” My precious opal. “My friend. Don’t, you dare tell her that I said that. I don’t want anyone with a position of power to look at her and get any ideas. She’s not a ‘monster’. I know she’s some, magical creature. I don’t know who made her, what made her, if she was even made, or just born of, some mess of magic… But she’s not natural. If even I can tell, and this Tiora is as strong as you say she is, certainly, she can tell, can’t she? And what does that mean for Aly– Alriana? What happens if they cart her away? Do horrible things to her? Send her back to Lufiria, and let them have their way with her– Creations, are ILLEGAL, Natalya, and terribly so.”

Alvira felt herself starting to panic, shutting her eyes again, taking deep breaths. “This is why I didn’t want to get close to any of you. This is why I don’t make friends. I’m a fucking dragon, in every sense of the mythological word… and I can’t, stand, my things, my possessions, my friends, being taken from me. Being harmed. Being hurt. It, makes me furious. I might’ve been lucky enough to have avoided confronting the Lufirian government first hand, but I know, what they do. I’ve heard enough of the stories, and some of them have to be true. It’s… I don’t want, anyone to hurt her. I’m sorry. I won’t fuck this up, but… Just, please, keep them away from her, if you can.”

Natalya was prepared to go and retort the first thing Alvira went with, but shut herself up to just listen to her. This was the first time the dragon had really opened her mouth about her own feelings, and it was definitely a lot to take in all at once, even if it made sense through and through. A deep sigh and the blonde finally allowed her own expression to soften, stepping in further and closing the door to give them some privacy in the matter. “It’s okay, Alvira. Thanks for telling me. I’ve had the feeling for a good while, since nobody can seem to be able to tell what Alriana is, but it doesn’t matter to me in the end. Illegal, created, whatever, she’s a person the same as any other, as far as I’m concerned. That’s how I’ve always ran the Iron Tigers. You know that probably better than most of the others, even if you haven’t been here for that long yet.” That much was easily evident just from their first encounter, and only reinforced after she met the whole group. “I won’t let anyone take Alriana against her will, even if they’re the Evokers. I’ll just have to convince them that her life is more valuable than the law if it comes to that. But suppose that Tio’s interest is out of wanting to figure out what exactly she is, wouldn’t you want Aly to get that same knowledge, if she wants that herself?”

“I know you won’t. I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about them, and her. Is Aly even worldly enough to know that they won’t harm her? Did she even know who they were? I know she’s smart. I know she’s intelligent. She’s not a beast. She’s a person. That scares me even more… Because creations, just get put down. They aren’t intelligent. They aren’t, cognizant, they’re all animals at best. She isn’t… She isn’t and I don’t know what they’ll do to her if they ever find her.” Alvira shuddered a little, holding herself. Experiments would probably be the last of Alriana’s worries if the Lufirians got their hands on her again.

“... If you can, explain to Alriana, what this all entails and means, and if she decides, that Tiora has good intentions for her… Then, then fine. But I won’t accept any less than that! Even if it hurts me. Even if I risk my life. This is what you get when I start caring about you. Take it, or leave it…”

“She’s learned a lot since coming here, and having more people to be with. I’m sure she’ll understand the gravity of the situation if I grab her for a one-on-one,” Natalya replied confidently, nodding to Alvira, even if she wasn’t looking at the moment. It felt very unusual to have her pouring her heart out like this, but it was all very relevant to their situation. “And you can bet that I’ll stop you from doing any recklessly stupid shit that could get you killed. As much as you might care for the people you do care for at the risk of your life, you can get used to the idea that others might feel the same way about you too.” Alvira seemed genuinely scared for Alriana just from the chance of there being someone around them with interest in her and the power to do something about her… It might not have immediately taken when she mentioned her ‘dragon-ness’, but it started to make sense.

“... We’re alone. Right?” Alvira finally looked at Natalya, sniffling back some tears. “This, is going to be a long journey. I don’t want any regrets.” She sat up… stared at Tasha… And sighed. “I’m here, because a magical storm, ruined my magic. I can’t cast fire anymore. I can only use this ridiculous ice. I was surviving as best as I could with my younger brother and sister… I would use my fire for camps, to cook, to keep us warm, to fight… And almost all of that disappeared in a blink.” Alvira bit back a sob, shivering a moment, looking away from Natalya now.

“They’re waiting for me in Lufiria right now. I spent everything I had saved to come to Glacies. Everything. And no one at the school, could help me… I couldn’t control this ice enough, to get the grades they wanted. No matter how well I understood the theory, I couldn’t put it to practice… And that’s, that’s all they wanted to see. If I hadn’t found you, Tasha, I’d still be in the woods trying to find animals to kill, to hopefully scrape up the money to go back to Lufiria… Empty handed.” She’d started crying at some point, quietly, without any noise, the tears streaming down.

“You’re all… My, precious gemstones. Alriana, is an opal. Syndra is a sapphire. Even, Nyx is, a smooth, well kept rock. And you’re, my brilliant topaz, that saved me, and gave me the chance to keep on living. I well and truly had nothing. So I won’t… I won’t, screw this up. I won’t. I can’t… I promise.” No regrets. Not with her. Not with Alriana. You just have to survive the rest. That’s all. That’s all…

Much as the comparison felt a bit awkward, the tiger couldn’t help herself upon seeing Alvira’s tears. Call it her motherly instinct or whatever, but just a short moment later, the dragon would feel the embrace of a firm yet soft body against hers. “I don’t know if I can say I get it, really. But you’ve got people who care about you here. And far as school’s concerned? You can whack a pirate hard enough to knock ‘em out with that ice, I call that passing with flying colors.” Shortly, Natalya recalled their first meeting not long ago, and one thing from it specifically. “I know you said no hugs, but I’m not letting go until you’ve gotten it out of your system.”

Alvira felt herself flinch, felt her body tremble. For a moment she’d started pushing against Tasha, an instinct drilled into her over the last decade. She had to focus to stop the motion, only able to stop herself from shoving the woman off, unable to bring herself to hug back yet. “It’s, it’s, okay… It’s okay… It’s, you, so it’s okay…” Alvira was doing her best to talk quickly and quietly, not wanting to break into a full sob, letting the tears and feeling run their course.

Not that Alvira would’ve had the strength to push the somewhat imposingly built tiger anyway, even if Natalya would have acquiesced if she put actual intent into it. While she just let the dragon let it out on her shoulder, giving some gentle pats to her back, she also had something now in mind that Alvira should know before they parted back to work for the moment. Even if she was aware of the Evokers’ status, she might not have known why they had that status to begin with… for real, that is, not just the obvious explanation. Something Natalya knew rather well for having been around Iseria around the time it happened.

“... When…” Alvira sniffled, slowly wiping her face with a claw– carefully. “When, we’re alone, can… C-Can, I call, you mom…?”

Natalya had the urge to joke about being in a hurry to get adopted, but felt that was more than a bit out of line with someone who seemingly was opening up for one of the first times ever. Instead, all she gave that train of thought was a soft chuckle, moving a hand up to pet Alvira’s head. “You can call me what you’d like, Alvira. And I have the feeling you’d be the more embarrassed party if you did say that in front of everyone.”

“I would.” Alvira sniffled again, managing to stop her tears. “I’m sorry, for vomiting all of this on you. You’re the first person in years that’s tried to be genuine to me… And not been dead within the next few days, disappeared, or turned out to be lying… At least, you don’t seem like it. If you’re lying, you’re too good at it for me to tell, so I’m fucked anyway… M… Mom…” Alvira felt herself blush. It was difficult, even when they were alone… Alvira hadn’t known her own parents very well. She knew what they looked like, vividly, but they’d never been close, and moved around a lot. She’d never had proper parents. Natalya, in this short time she’d known her, had been every bit what Alvira had thought a mother was supposed to be. If the tiger was fine with it, she was going to take it, like the selfish dragon she was.

“Would be one hell of a liar if I could convince eight wildly different people over four years of being together that I’m someone who I’m not,” the blonde said a bit jokingly, giving Alvira a bit stronger a pet before letting her go for the moment. “I might’ve lived a downright cushy life compared to you, but all the more reason for me to care for you the best I can. You’ll see your siblings again someday, even if I have to dedicate my retirement years to it, and you can make a bet on that.”

“Hmh… I don’t know what made you the way you are… But I’m really glad, Tasha. Thank you… For caring so much. I won’t mess this up for you. For all of us… I won’t… Mom.” It got a little easier to say, but still not enough to ever say in public.

“Hehe.” Natalya gave her a big smile, happy that Alvira would have that level of trust in her despite how short the time they’d been together was. If anything, this journey would most likely end up making that much deeper still, at least if nothing catastrophic were to happen between them, which she’d definitely try her best to avoid. Still, even with her smile, the briefest flash of a wistful look down came to the tiger before she’d stand up. “Glad to have things settled for my part too. I’ve got everyone else’s equipment to check still, so I have to get back to work pretty soon.”

She turned to the door, but before she’d go out, there was that one thing. “One more thing… Even if you hate the idea of interacting with the Evokers, they might know something that could help you. You mentioned a magic storm being the cause of your problems, well, guess what actually got them together their title? Outright dispelling one of those that was unusually happening outside of Lufiria.”

Their perfect moment was soured by a note of reminder, but it wasn’t a terrible one. If they possibly knew something… It wouldn’t hurt to at least… Ask. Ask neutrally. Once. Alvira huffed. “I’ll… Try. Okay, Tasha? I need to finish packing the last of my things…”

“Yep, we both still have our jobs to do. Besides, try’s better than no, so I’d call that a good thought to end on.” Natalya quickly strode over to the door, and gave one last look behind her before departing for the armory. “See you in a couple hours, Alvira.”

“See you later… M-Mom.”

As good as it had ended up being, that was before she'd done any of her actual job, but with how well their gear was maintained overall, getting everyone's weapons nice and sharp, armor clean, and medical supplies settled was easy enough. Still, that wouldn't excuse not giving everything a thorough look. It would be an unforgivable stain on an armorer's pride if anyone was performing below their standard because of inadequately maintained equipment. Not to mention she liked some of the Tigers like her children, some in some other ways... She'd do her best for all of them even if it was unnecessary. Yes, even Nyx.

Now, she was going over the events of the day in the black book she used to record job progress, in her room in the ship. The style of writing was very concise, to make sure only actual information was to be found in it. Took job from the Evokers on behalf of Iseria. Objective: find out what happened to previous envoy, escort Evokers to Lufiria if dead. 30k payout per member. Secured ship for travel to Eibar, Hecatia. All members including Evokers and Iseria's envoy on board. Satisfied with that for now, the tiger was about to close the book, when Aegean showed up with a knock on the door. "New recruit, off the ship? Unexpected, but I'll see what I can do about that, so just bring 'em in. Door's not locked." 

[mcd900]

Laniva was dimly aware of what was happening with the latecomers. Alvira's frustrations, which were starting to feel rather familiar, were plain to see, though she personally didn't fully understand the reasoning behind it. Renais was performing her clerical duties, healing one of the new faces' injuries, and some of them had gone off to meet the captain and the chief.

Of course, it was rather hard for Laniva to see any of this, as she was facing out to the sea, with a white-knuckle grip on the ship's hull, her face turning a rather uncomplimentary light shade of green. Boats were... one of her greater adversaries, to say the least. It was going to be a long ride; hopefully she wouldn't be disturbing her roommate too much during the journey. She'd been assigned with... Who was it, anyway...? Damn, can't even... think properly with this nausea... Syndra. I'm with Syndra. Right, that was right. They weren't particularly familiar with one another... illness was a poor way to make an impression.

Maybe Renais has some remedy for this...

[scorri]

Cinaed gave a wave to the second seemingly shy girl who had approached him before turning back to Aegean. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure, Cin is fine. Iron Tigers, huh? Well, I suppose being the first guy would be an interesting distinction. Though first we need to talk to your commander. After all, she could still say no." He knew he was talented. He could fight well, his control over his magic was stronger than many, but he had no proof of his ability beyond the fact that he had graduated from one of the stronger schools in Glacies. It was no Solara, sure, but he still had a strong academic resume. And his father had trained him well as far as fighting went. But unless this Natalya wanted to spar, he had no way of proving it.

Still, he followed along behind the other Clouded, glancing around at the group as he did. It was an interesting mix, but he would hopefully have time to get to know them later. For now, he had to focus. Natalya... To be the commander, she'll have to be strong. I hope that I can convince her to take me on. And there she was, her voice coming through the door. He still waited behind Aegean, hands nervously flexing as he did. A small flame danced around his fingers for a few seconds before he caught what he was doing and flicked it out. It had been a while since he'd last let his nerves get so high that his fire magic came out. It wouldn't do to let it show. Not now.

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Maria chuckled as Ingverd followed as she returned to Chris's side, "Sure, I doubt Chris'll mind. He seems distant, but he's actually pretty talkative and sweet." A bright smile on her face as she spoke, almost as if she'd completely forgotten all that gold that she just had to foot. "Hopefully, it doesn't come to that, but in the event it does..." Maria allowed herself a quick twirl, forming a neat ring of shimmering ice around her, before she came to a stop facing Ingverd with her deep blue fan covering her mouth, "I'd say I'm pretty capable of handling myself, if need be." She hadn't quite noticed that Ingverd had already gone to introduce himself to Chris. 

---

"...Maria. You really shouldn't be burning any of your magic right now. I'd not like to have to carry you after just getting my leg taken care of..." Chris turned to Ingverd with an confused glance. He was the elf who had a hand in making sure that the dragon girl and Maria didn't get into it. He had little worry that Maria would have dealt with the dragon; it was what would have followed that concerned him. From what he had gathered, this was a mercenary troupe of some sort. He knew personally: a good mercenary troupe wasn't going to let something happen to one of the members. Maria might easily had the edge in a short engagement, but the moment multiple people were involved... The brightest stars always burn out the quickest, or so the saying went. "I think the pleasure here is all mine, considering that you helped keep Maria from doing something she'd very quickly regret. I know your aim was to protect the dragon, but thanks all the same." Chris replied, taking the elven man's hand. It was incredibly rare to see an elf outside of Lufiria, especially one that seemed as high brow as this one did.

"...Wait, did you just say that you're working alongside the Evokers? They're here?" Chris blinked a moment. The Evokers were the most powerful mages in the entire alliance. Some said that the two of them were on par with the best mages in Lufiria; a near otherworldly feat with how much further Lufiria's understanding of magic was. Then it hit him. The two women from before, the one that was staring at him. "Aha, it seems like we've stumbled onto something rather interesting. Well, we have time, so... I don't see an issue with learning about each other. Oh, right, I'm Chris. I'd prefer to go by Mark, but I'll respond to either." This quickly became something to keep an eye on. The elven man was already someone to keep tabs on, at least somewhat due to the rarity of the situation. But to be also associated with the Evokers, and for them to be here... Something was definitely going on. 

"...I wasn't burning that much magic. I use so much more than that for our performances, Chris." Maria chimed in with a pout on her face. Both from being chided, and from being ignored. 

"Yes, you do, and you still haven't recovered all of it. I'd like for you to be able to show off, and not immediately collapse afterwards because you used too much magic. Again. Please."

Maria flushed brightly, "Chris! You don't need to say that out loud! Geez, fine..." 

Edited January 6, 2022 by Mercenary on the Winds

[MRDRHAWK]

Finally through griping about her current course in life - that being to Hecatia - Nyx found herself at a bit of a loss. The dragon fella may have left with ‘Gean to go meet up with the boss, but his compatriots didn’t, and Nyx was finally getting a look at the duo. The pretty boy wasn’t much to write home about - she never did care much for someone that looked like she could use them like a toothpick - but the other one… hot damn. She was drawn in right away, and for once, it wasn’t with her vision tinted with a bit of ale.

So, naturally, Nyx did what any normal person would do. She shouted across the boat at her.

”Oi! If yer a performer, ‘d like t’see yer fancy footwork!” Nyx shouted with all the tact of an axe to the testicles, and probably embarrassing poor Ingverd along the way. Thinking about it, if Nyx made too much an ass of herself, maybe she could get this pretty little number together with elf boy? Nah, probably not. “Is yer buddy ‘ere a singer or somethin’? Betcha he makes ya some good coin wit’ yer shows. Wait, shit, d’ya even do this for money, or…”

Oops, she’s losing herself already. Looking over at Ingverd for a brief moment, Nyx practically pleaded with him with her eyes. Help a girl out here, elf boy!

[Bluemask 96]

"Well Cin, time to meet the boss herself." Aegean said to the dragon. He looked a bit nervous, maybe he had trouble before in finding a proper crew to belong to. "I think you'll do just fine, just take it slow and easy. I'll even start the conversation for you." Aegean tried to reassure him before opening the door. Her captain seemed to be completing her daily log as per usual. Clapping her hands together she exclaims "Congratulations, it's a boy!" allowing the dragon boy to enter the room before continuing. "Cinead, meet Natalya Liberia. Leader and Armorer of the Iron Tigers, and all around wonderful mother figure." It had been a while since they had a new recruit, so Gean had felt the need to put on a little bit of theatrics. Hopefully Tasha wouldn't mind.

"I think I'll stand back now and let our tall and chiseled friend introduce and sell himself, but in my honest opinion, we could use a little more male company in our group." Having had her fun, Gean stepped back and let the two properly speak. The ball was in Cin's court, the rest was up to him and his abilities.

[Nanami Touko]

"Mark it is, then," Ingverd responded with a gently raised eyebrow. He was about to say more, but their second most troubling member started yelling, leaving him sighing. "Well, for our first getting to know each other... That's Nyx. She's a capable fighter, and she means well, but... She's got her lips tied to a bottle at all hours." Hopefully she wouldn't cause further issue with them, and she wasn't aggressive like Alvira. Still...

"You don't need to humor her if you'd rather not, Maria. As for our little dragon... Alvira means well, she does, but she's... Got a lot of issues that need sorting out. I am glad that you didn't get into an altercation, though, especially not over me. If you'd attacked her, I would've had to, ah, intervene. Let's put it that way." Ingverd's smile curled into something more sinister, his hand still on the hilt of his sword. "So, glad we're all still friends... I must say, I am rather interested in miss Maria's performance, but if your magic reserves are low, then... Best to hold off for now, yes? We'll have plenty of time, taking this boat all the way across the ocean."

Magical dancers were few and far between, so he didn't want her to force herself when she was already tired. Apparently, anyway. This Chrismark fellow's words surely could be trusted. "Worry not, Maria. Should you still wish to dance, if you tire yourself out, I will be sure you catch you. So long as this burning of magic isn't detrimental to your health, yes?"

[MRDRHAWK]

Rude! She wasn’t drunk all the time - she had to sleep at some point, after all! Even still, Nyx couldn’t muster up a proper comeback to Ingverd’s snark, instead concentrating instead on the whole ‘magic dance’ thing he’d mentioned. Nyx hadn’t seen anything like it before… was it magic in terms of luring people in, or could she actually cast spells like that?

”Huh. ‘m pretty sure I’ve never heard’a some’un dancin’ t’magic. Did someone teach ye, or‘re ye th’self-taught type?” Nyx asked, genuinely curious - and trying to keep her composure about her. “Offer’s still open, m’not mind in’ a lil’ payment fer a show.”

Nyx gave a little wink, but schooled her face back into a neutral one for her next question. “N’hey. Don’ overdo yer dancin’ if it takes a lot outta ye, aye? S’not a good idea if ye end up crashin’ n’ burnin’ cuz y’went too hard. Gotta relax sometimes, y’know?”

Maybe not the best advice to give with a bottle of ale in hand, but Nyx figured it was advice she was nonetheless uniquely qualified to give.

[Ursali]

"Hmm? Why wouldn't be safe?" She tilted her head with the question. "Balance easy. And tail tie to railing even if slip." It was good to have a backup plan, especially so considering she didn't know how to swim. It was also meant to reassure the other mercenaries that she was safe, but it seemed that Alvira was committed to worrying about her regardless. Though what the dragon revealed to her had the lizard worrying a little herself. "Using magic fine, even if water and ice feel bad? Does drink water feel bad too?"

Alriana paused to consider Alvira's proposal, bringing a claw to her chin and bowing her head in thought. "Hmm... Maybe later, at next port. Think we supposed leave soon. Not want to rush first swim attempt." There was also the fact it was still May. The water was bound to be cold and much like her dragon friend Alriana didn't care for the cold. She was fairly well insulated with her bizarre leather-like skin, but she was still quite susceptible to lower temperatures. "Also, not like cold either..."

[Nanami Touko]

"Not good with cold either, huh...? That's kinda surprising, with how well insulated you seem, especially with your armor... Mmm, drinking water is fine. Maybe not too cold of water, but just normal drinks don't cause problems. My ice... It's, why I never touch it when I cast, Aly. It hurts to the touch, eventually... So I just let it float around me, and I've got enough control to toss it about without having to hold it. I guess that's the nicest part about it..."

Alvira had an idle thought about the idea of taking a swim, in warmer water... Swimming with Alriana, at the beaches, like it was a vacation. The thought was a pleasant one, but it wouldn't be warm enough for her to try swimming for a few more months now, and they'd be far away from the water by that time. "Mmm... Maybe a bath or, something..." Thinking too far ahead, and too close. Back up, just a bit, Alvira. You're getting too excited... "Are you... Ready, for all of this, Aly? You're a capable fighter, but... This is gonna be dangerous. I'll do my best to keep you safe... And you'll, keep me safe too, right?"

[scorri]

Cinaed followed Aegean into the commander's room, eyes quickly darting around for a split second, taking in his surroundings, before focusing on the tall tiger woman in front of him. A generously deep bow, not so deep as to be mocking, helped give him a moment to make sure he had his thoughts all in line before he began to speak.

"Good evening Ms Natalya. My name is Cinaed Astuikami, though as I have told Aegean here Cinaed or Cin are perfectly fine. I cannot claim to have come here specifically seeking your group, however fate seems to have led me here anyways. I was planning on taking a ship to the mainland and trying to find a mercenary group to join there and instead I find a group on a ship I did not have plans to take in the first place." Wrap it up. No one wants to hear babbling. "I am a close range fighter, most comfortable using my own fists over any other weapon, but I have some skill in fire magic as well, thanks to my mother. Though I am untested, I promise I would be a strong asset to your group." There, hopefully that was enough of a sell. If he tried too hard to sell himself it would end up like every other time. He could prove his abilities when push came to shove but no one wanted to hear bragging.

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Maria heard the shouting from behind her and looked over her shoulder. While she sounded like a lot of the sailors that she'd met, her attire didn't match. She did look like she wouldn't have any issue with the rigors of being a sailor. The intrusion into the conversation was a tad rude, though, "It is nice to at least introduce yourself before asking something of someone else." Maria replied with her eyes narrowing. "No, Chris, isn't a singer. We both dance. Though, he's not doing anything of a sort right now."

Fortunately, Ingverd handled introduction informing her that the woman was called Nyx and had the tendency to be sloshed more often than not. Probably was right about now. "Well, I have no issue humoring her. There's no 'if I'm a performer', I am a performer." If nothing else, Maria took a lot of pride in her work and abilities. "I don't need to use my magic to dance; it's really just something I use to enhance the performance. But it's--" Maria paused a moment, bringing a hand up to her chest. "...Aha, oops. I'm... okay, maybe not." She took a deep breath before righting herself, "I guess the excitement is wearing off a little..."

Quickly, Nyx's demeanor turned, surprisingly so. Her question was more inquisitive, and precise, and then was followed up with a degree of concern. Maria felt like she owed a bit of an explanation, since she wasn't going to be able to show it in action. "I'm a self taught dancer, same with Chris as far as I know. The type of dancing I do to perform isn't too different from casting spells, really. I use my light and ice magic in tandem with my dancing to create effects, mirages, glittering snow, that sort of thing. It doesn't sound too strenuous, but uh..." Maria shuffled in place, "As you saw just now, any usage of magic takes a lot out of me, and can be pretty detrimental to my overall health. I'm fine if I don't push myself too far, but I tire easily using it, and well... I've used a fair bit recently. Mana storms in Lufiria can really mess a person up..."

The wind appeared to be out of Maria's sails, "Ha... yep, there's that now. Sorry, as much as I would like to, it'll have to wait until I've rested some. Sorry again." 

"Probably best for us to over to our room for now, Maria. Seems like the both of us could use the rest." He turned to Ingverd, "Sorry about cutting our meeting so short. Like you said, we'll have plenty of time to talk, and once Maria is deadset about a promise, she'll meet it." 

Chris took the pair's bags, and then slowly strode over to Maria, "Oh, one more thing. Ingverd." Mark's gaze fixed on the elf-ish man, "Don't think I didn't catch that." Perhaps the only time that his gentle blue eyes were anything but. The pair slowly made their way towards the quarters. Leaving Nyx and Ingverd on the deck. 

Edited January 7, 2022 by Mercenary on the Winds

[Nanami Touko]

Ingverd had instinctively moved to catch Maria, were she to fall over, but luckily the woman managed to catch herself before any accidents could occur. What she explained next had him narrowing his eyes a bit. It's a good thing Alvira left. Ice and light and a mana storm... What are the chances? She hears any of this and she'll be harassing this poor woman for any details. Maybe I see if k can get them to share before she does... I can at least be subtle about things. 

It seemed they were going to go rest, Ingverd waving them off... though Chrismark's final comment was amusing. "I wasn't hiding anything. You were meant to... Just keep it in mind, and keep her in check. We'll have nothing to worry about~" Business smile on, Ingverd waited until they were out of sight to let it fade. "I should speak with Tio and Elisa..." He gave Nyx a wave before approaching the buxom pair.

"So. Noticed you giving that Chris fellow a good stare down, Tio, and I can't imagine it was due to any physical interest. Pardon me, I'm a lot less magically inclined... Would either of you mind telling me anything about the pair, before I see them again? And..." He quieted himself a little, look more serious. "The woman has the same affinities as our lovely little firework. Mana storm as well, to boot. Might be worth looking into." Tio, at least, had been informed of most of Alvira's situation from Ingverd's reporting it. Hopefully she had some input.

[TheRoon]

She was quite grateful that Aegean had pulled away their new (and incredibly hot/possibly scary) dragon friend, she took a silent sigh to herself. 'Goodness...will I ever get past this?' Miria approached her, probably one of the easier members to get along with. If Renais had interest in that sort of thing anyway. But at the very least she could accept bunking with her, so long as she doesn't peak at her belongings. Especially her notebook. "...yes, I do need some rest." She looked over at Miria. "We have a long journey after all. Lead on."

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Tio almost didn't hear Elisa as she continued to ponder on what exactly it was that she was feeling. "It's... I don't really know how to explain it really. It's... unlike anything I've ever felt." She'd need more time to put it into words, and even more time to figure out what it even was. The best she had was pure energy attuned to light. It resonated with magic but it wasn't magic either. Though, it was about that point that the silver haired man realized that she was staring. Tio turned and looked at Elisa, "Things just continue to get more and more intriguing..."

Things took a more jovial turn as Ingverd and the Ice blue haired woman returned. She was certainly a showy one, and quite skilled; putting together two different schools of magic together so seamlessly. Although, Ingverd appeared more interested in her companion. The elf had already started proving that his place at Iseria's side was no joke; he'd already laid out valuable information about the Iron Tigers. More specifically, Alvira. Dragons were a talented bunch when it came to magic, but using the affinity opposite one's native type was near unheard of. Until he mentioned a mana storm. She and Elisa had dealt with something similar, but it was apparently only a fraction of what Lufiria deals with constantly. Mana storms were the result of a location's mana flow becoming disrupted, and all sorts of phenomena became possible. Most notable was the ability to alter a person's magical affinities; blocking them from what they knew and opening new avenues. It tended to be crippling for most mages.

Tio's thoughts were interrupted by Nyx's request for an impromptu performance from the dancer. Admittedly, Tio echoed Nyx's request; the woman's style was intriguing. But no sooner had the woman stepped up to perform, she wavered. They were far enough away that it was a bit difficult to hear when they weren't shouting like Nyx had. But whatever occurred had been bothersome enough, that both she and her companion were ambling in their direction.

"Are you alright?" 

The woman looked up, a bit dazed as the pair passed by, "Oh... yeah, I, I'll be fine with some rest. Don't worry about it."

Her partner offered a smile, "Sorry, I'd talk more but I should really get her to our room."

Tio spared the group one more look before they disappeared. Then Ingverd followed, and it appeared he had the same concerns. Tio's opinion was turning bit by bit. "Well, the woman is quite magically adept. I'm glad that things managed to stay civil, mostly. But the other... Well, I'd explain it to you if I could explain it to myself. But something about him is... off." Then Ingverd leaned in close, almost whispering. It was almost cosmic that she had just been thinking about mana storms, and Alvira. "Really... given the randomness of the storms I wouldn't be surprised if it was a coincidence. But... I think it could help Alvira, I'll keep it in mind, Ingverd. Thank you. I'll keep you in the loop should we figure something out." He really was continuing to impress.

Tio turned to her darling, seemingly not all that amused with anything that had occurred. "Alright... I think that's our cue as well. We've got some things to discuss, Elisa." She added a wink at the end and turned to follow after the newcomers.

[GoldsbroTSG]

"Alright, no problem," She gave a smile, as she subconsciously took Renais' hand and started walking to where the bunks were under the deck.

As they were walking, "When Gean and I were looking, we had to figure out who we thought would bunk fine together. I um... I hope you don't mind," she explained, finally realizing she took her companion's hand. "A-Ah!" She let go, "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to just grab you... U-Uh," She had to act quick. "Over there," she pointed to the hall of doors in the boat. "The second one to the left, that's ours."

Edited January 7, 2022 by Silver Gallade

[Billy12510]

Upon reaching deck Syndra was more surprised to find out that the commotion she had heard earlier was apparently Nyx shouting across the deck towards a pair of elegantly dressed people talking with Ingverd. So I guess we're taking stowaways then... whatever. As long as they don't interfere with our job. Syndra could feel some magic coming off the new arrivals but her ability to sense it wasn't that well-tuned compared to others at her academy, much less either of the Evokers.  Either way, she did catch the tail end of Ingverd backhandedly insulting Nyx, and she wasn't about to just let an outsider insult one of her fellow mercenaries like that. She gestured towards Nyx, winked,  and began making hand motions, and with a snap of her fingers attempted to make a hail cloud appear over the conceited elf-like man.

[MRDRHAWK]

Well, that could have gone better. A part of Nyx felt sick, like a pit in her stomach was forming at seemingly chasing these new folks off. On the other hand, that may have just been whatever was left of the booze in her system bugging her stomach. Either way, it wasn’t a very fun feeling.

Not that she particularly had the time to ruminate on that, or the lovely lady she’d just seen take off in a tired heap; not when there was the burgeoning crackle of something in the air nearby. That something seemed to be… a cloud? Or, at least, the start of one - right over Ingverd’s head. Poor guy - she liked him, even if he did kinda insult her there, albeit with just a hint of truth.

Only question was, who would… oh, that’s who - their other other resident hot girl, Syndra, giving her a little wink as she was starting to cast. As Ingverd went one way, Nyx went the other, and waved Syndra off, hoping to keep her from casting her spell - given that her hands at least stopped for a moment, it seemed to do the trick. “Oi,” she whispered in a low hiss, “y’tryin’ ta get us canned from a thirty thousand job? Why’re y’even tryin’ t’piss ‘im off, anyway?” She… had a feeling that she knew the answer, but it was still one she needed to her from the mouth of the babe herself.

[Billy12510]

Syndra had stopped her incantation only due to Nyx's request. "It's the arrogance of that man and his company that I can't stand. He's known you for all of what, a few days at most? I'll bet anything the man things he walks on water and can get away with so much because of his connections. I've seen enough of that back home. *sigh* I suppose though if you were fine with what happened I'll let it slide this time. But you'll let me know if he gets to be too much of a bother and I'll help him chill out a little, won't you Nyx?" Eventually though I may have to put that pompous oaf in his place regardless...  and I suppose pissing off our client before we leave isn't the best of ideas.