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Jan 24, 12:10 PM
#1
| The dream of going to the bathroom and pissing into a urinal for fifteen minutes straight was a sign of urgency that Ashton was slow to pick up on. Eventually, though, his body managed to wake itself up, and him along with it. Unsure of what time it was besides dark, the still heavily inebriated young man fell out of bed and hit the floor with a heavy thump and a long groan. The world was spinning, and from somewhere in the dark he heard his girlfriend snoring loudly. "Fffffuck, where..." Ashton muttered, struggling to get to his feet, slamming into the wall and leaning heavily on it as he groped around in the darkness for something to hold onto. In the distance, somewhere within the houseboat, there was laughter. "Sounds like Goldilocks is finally up." More laughter. To Ashton, the words were distorted and even more distant. "Pisser. Did it move? Shoulda been right..." Ashton stumbled around in the darkness, unable to find his way to the toilet. He'd drunk a full two-six of Captain Morgan's spiced rum, taken two Jaeger Bombs, and seven tequila shots. All of that wasn't even counting the constant hydration with water and fruits that he'd been taking in throughout the day; it had been a miracle that Ashton managed to hold onto the contents of his stomach, let alone make it to the bedroom. More than likely, he had his brother, girlfriend, or friends to thank for that miracle, as he could barely stand by the time they put him to rest, something still evident as Ashton crashed out onto the deck of the boat, once more falling onto his face. "Ahh, fff...fuck! These...th, thhh..." He crawled towards the edge of the boat, pulled himself up to his feet using the low railing, and once he felt he was steady enough, pulled his dick out and began to relieve himself into the lake. His eyelids fell closed as relaxation spread throughout his body. Or was it cold? Suddenly Ashton was feeling very cold...or was it warm? Something was enveloping him, and he could have sworn he heard the distorted voices of his friends calling his name... Since when did he begin to feel weightless? There was a sound like wind. A chill was in the air that hadn't been there moments before, and it bit into his skin. The world was still spinning. No, that wasn't quite right. He was the one spinning. Ashton opened his eyes and saw a moonlit sky above him. He looked below him, and he had to blink a few times. Light reflected off the water's surface, which he was rapidly approaching. Ashton's mind hadn't worked quickly enough to rationalize anything, and his body's reflexes took over. He put his hands above his head and straightened out, staggering his legs and stiffening his body. It still hurt as he broke through the water's surface. Pain lanced through his hands and up his arms. Even when drunk, his form was pretty good. How high had he fallen from to hit the water so hard? Was his form off? Ashton peered down into the depths. Blackness. He looked around and could see almost nothing. Looking up yielded similar results, but it was up he needed to go. He began to kick his legs, but his arms weren't cooperating. When he focused on them, all he could feel was a dull pain. Luckily he was a skilled swimmer and could rely on his legs to surface. Gasping for air, he got a taste of salt. Panic instinctively took over. Why was he tasting salt? Where was the houseboat? Why was the water so fucking cold?! "Help!" Ashton couldn't think of anything else to say in that moment. He was certain both of his shoulders had been dislocated, at the very least. A dull pain throbbed in his fingers, wrist, and forearms. His feet could keep him above water, but he wouldn't be able to swim anywhere reliably without his arms. Not that he saw anything he could swim toward. Where was he? Where was everyone? There were so many questions, and it didn't appear as though any answers would present themselves. Panic rolled over into terror. He would get tired eventually, and he knew he was too physically dense to float in water. He'd sink and drown... Then he started thinking about what was below him. He couldn't see anything. He wasn't thalassophobic, but he'd never been stranded out in the middle of an ocean with two broken arms at night before. His imagination began to take over, causing rolling waves of fear to course through his body and tire him out even quicker. "Please! Help! Someone!" His pleas were ineffectual, the fear evident in his voice as tears began to well up in his eyes. He didn't want to die. Ashton continued to struggle for what felt like an eternity. Between the cold, the fear, and his legs having to put in double the effort, his strength was quickly sapped from him. His legs began to cramp. The realization that he wouldn’t be able to remain above the surface for long began to dawn on him. His life raced before his eyes. Thoughts of his parents. His older brother. His girlfriend. He was going to propose after the tournament next month. Use the money from the winnings to retire from sports. Start a bike shop. Tears were streaming down his cheeks by that point. He'd stopped calling out for help, and stopped screaming. His legs were giving out, and he was sinking. "Oh God." Something swam by him beneath the waves. He could feel the currents. "I..." His legs gave out, and he sucked in a deep breath as his head fell below the surface. His heart was still racing, using up too much oxygen. Something was swimming around him, no doubt waiting for him to be too tired and helpless to fight back. He didn't want to see it. Didn't want some sea monster to grin at him with a mouth full of teeth. Would drowning be worse, or being eaten alive? A slender, feminine hand slid against his jaw, a soft palm cupping his cheek. Ava? Ashton thought, opening his eyes, expecting to see his girlfriend. Maybe he was hallucinating. Had he already drowned? The woman before him resembled his girlfriend, and he thought for a moment that she might have been. Ava's hair was black, and though the illumination from the moon and stars above wasn't enough to get an exact picture beneath the lapping waves above, he was sure the woman was a brunette. Something about her captivated him, snapping him out of his despair. "You just had to fall on this night of all nights, didn't you?" Her words were like sweet honey and creamy smooth like milk, her musical voice so clear underwater. She had a conflicted expression on her face that Ashton was able to make out when she moved her face closer to his. Her rich brown eyes locked onto his, her brows furrowed. "I'll help you. You just have to hang on a little longer." She pulled back and whipped around out of sight with a speed and grace Ashton hadn't expected. He felt her hands wrap around his waist, and he felt himself being pulled upwards. He breached the surface of the water and took a big, heaving gulp of air. He still couldn't breathe without getting saltwater into his mouth and began a bout of coughing as the mysterious woman held him aloft. Once he had taken a few tumultuous breaths, the woman spoke again. "This might hurt. I'm sorry." The woman pressed her back against his midsection and draped his arms over her shoulders. "AH! Nnnngghh...." Ashton yelped in pain, gritting his teeth and groaning through them as the woman positioned him across her back, his arms held in place across her chest. He was in too much agony to give the positioning of his limbs any thought, especially since the adrenaline was wearing off. Her skin was warm against his, though, which was nice. It sent a different kind of shiver throughout his whole body as they made contact, though it wasn't cutting through the pain or numbness enough to distract him from his situation. "Stay with me! Hey! Stay awake," she ordered, her voice as gentle as it was stern. "My name's Anvi. What's yours?" She asked as she started to swim forwards at a blistering pace. Ashton wasn't a professional swimmer, but he was definitely no slouch in the water. Even so, the woman was not only moving at speeds beyond anything he'd ever seen before but was also doing so while carrying him on her back. "How are you doing this? Who are you?" Ashton asked, more than a little stunned. "Must have hit your head a little too hard when you hit the water, huh? I told you who I am." "R-right, yeah. Anvi. Ashton. I mean, I'm Ashton." He was stuttering, still in a state of confusion. "I meant, how are you doing this?" "Doing what? Saving your life?" She asked. Ashton couldn't tell if she was giggling at his question or if she sounded indignant. Maybe it was both? "N-no. This! Swimming so… effortlessly! And where are we, anyway?" "That's good, keep talking. Don't fall asleep on me now," she cautioned, ignoring Ashton's first question. "We're in the Wise Lord Michiko's realm, roughly three days sail off the shelf of the Frosthaven Archipelago." What the fuck? "Three days f-from shore? So we're in the m-middle of the ocean?" Though it didn't quite register at first, he didn't recognize any of the names Anvi was referencing. "The middle? No, we're far from the middle. There are a number of nomadic tribes out this way that occasionally head inland to trade with the Valkyries to the east or the Sunken City to the southwest." As if that explained anything. Ashton went silent as he started to think more about what she was saying. It was all foreign gibberish to him. She was talking like some sort of DnD nerd in fantasy land, but at the same time she was swimming with greater skill and speed than an Olympic athlete. None of it made any sense. "Hey, hey! Keep talking; don't go silent on me." "What? Y-yeah. What do you want me to say?" What could he say? He had so many questions and didn't have any time to even consider his situation. "Actually, wait. If we're in the middle of the ocean—" "Not the middle," Anvi interjected. "W-whatever. We're far from l-land, but you're heading somewhere. Is there a b-boat out here?" It was Anvi's turn to go silent. "...Anvi?" "Yes. There's a boat." "H-how do you know where it is? I c-can't even see anything." "I've been following it since it left anchor along the coast." Another bizarre answer to Ashton's question. He frowned. Or at least, he thought he frowned. It was getting harder and harder to tell. "Y-you make it sound l-like you're out in the m-middle-" "Not the middle." "-of the ocean without a b-boat of your own. L-like you've b-been sw-wimming f-for this w-whole t-time." "I have been. I can't very well stalk a ship stealthily if I'm aboard another ship following them directly." "Th-that d-doesn't-t m-mak-ke any s-sense." He was getting worse; he could feel it. Despite the heat from Anvi's body, he felt like he was constantly getting colder and weaker. "I suppose it wouldn't to you. Not yet, anyway. You'll see soon enough, Outlander." "Out-t-tlander?" Before she was able to provide any further answers, Anvi stopped swimming. "W-what's h-happening? W-why'd you s-stop?" Anvi sighed. "We're almost there. I need you to take a deep breath and hold onto it for as long as you can." "What? F-fuck th-that! J-jus-st k-keep s-swimming!" "I'm going to count to three." "Wait, s-stop!" "One." "N-no!" "Two." "AH, fuck!" "Three." Ashton sucked in as much air as his lungs allowed him to as Anvi dove below the surface of the water. He still couldn't see anything, but he could tell based on the drag he was feeling that Anvi was rocketing through the water like a torpedo. It was unbelievable how fast she was moving, and the sudden spikes of pain in his arms nearly caused him to open his mouth and scream. His lungs started to burn not long after they dove down, his jaw clenched and his eyes fluttering. Were it not for the sudden pain and the burning in his lungs, the weakness and cold he'd been feeling might have dragged him into unconsciousness by that point. His body began to spasm. Come on Anvi, what are you doing? Surface! Air! I need AIR! Ashton's thoughts were racing. He did his best to hold on but found his fortitude wanting. His mouth eventually opened, and he choked on water. He snapped his mouth shut again, but the damage was done, and he began to choke up the first breath of water he'd taken in. His mouth opened again, and another painful rush of water filled his throat and lungs. His eyes rolled into the back of his head. Just as he felt like he was about to lose it, he surfaced once more, water spilling out of his mouth and nose. He tried to suck in more air while it was happening, and for as painful as the process was, he had been getting bits of air here and there. Choking and coughing loudly as he thrashed around, he could hear Anvi's voice calling out. "Hey you! Help us! This man needs help! I don't have the spell to give him breath!" Ashton wasn't sure who Anvi was talking to, and at that moment, He didn't care too much. He just needed air. Whoever was above them clicked their tongue, and...water began to rise? There was a strange pressure around him, and he could feel some sort of lift. Anvi turned around to face him, wrapping her arms around him with one hand cradling his head and the other holding onto his waist. The water disappeared out from beneath them, and Ashton felt a hard surface beneath him. "What did you do to him?" A stranger's voice, belonging to another woman. Younger than him? "He fell from the sky. I saved him, brought him here. Just help him." Anvi urged. "He's lost so much blood." What? Blood? Was that why he felt so cold and numb, and not the ocean? "What's the commotion over there?" A voice called out in the distance. "What was that noise?" Ashton couldn't see very well by that point. He was so tired, his eyelids like anvils. He felt Anvi hand him over to another woman, his head resting in her lap. "I was never here." Ashton heard Anvi say, her voice moving further away. "Please." There was a short pause, and Ashton opened his eyes to look up and see a beautiful young woman with blue hair and pale bluish skin looking hesitantly off towards where he'd heard Anvi's voice. "Please." The woman looked down at him, her eyes glimmering like sapphires in the moonlight. Ashton felt a sudden tightness in his chest as she looked down at him. Even as his eyelids grew too heavy to remain open, the image of the girl's eyes had burned itself into his mind. Before he fell completely into darkness, he'd heard the girl's unsteady voice. "Fine. Go." There was the sound of a barely audible splash of water below, and then? Nothing. |
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Jan 24, 1:18 PM
#2
| Very intriguing start. Makes one wonder how exactly he's been losing a lot of blood. Not much to say yet, plot wise, other than that, but I'm looking forward to seeing how it continues and where exactly Ashton ended up. |
Jan 24, 8:03 PM
#3
| Good to see another story starting up! And I believe this is the first one to begin at sea. If not, it's the first one in quite some time. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
Jan 24, 11:48 PM
#4
| Woah, was Ashton lured to the edge of the boat? It's breaking through the water at such high speeds that caused the bleeding right? It seems like a cruel start to fall from so high. The shtick with the middle was pretty funny. At first I wasn't sure what happened in the last part, but I think they dove deep into the water and then went up into a chamber with air? Then Anvi left to continue monitoring the ship she said she was investigating? |
Jan 30, 10:59 AM
#5
Reply to YummyLunches
Woah, was Ashton lured to the edge of the boat? It's breaking through the water at such high speeds that caused the bleeding right? It seems like a cruel start to fall from so high. The shtick with the middle was pretty funny. At first I wasn't sure what happened in the last part, but I think they dove deep into the water and then went up into a chamber with air? Then Anvi left to continue monitoring the ship she said she was investigating?
| @YummyLunches @mugen91 Diving from heights can be dangerous, but diving from ridiculous heights can be debilitating! Lethal, even! Until you break the surface tension of water, it's going to act like a solid, and the energy transfer goes both ways. I was a *bit* excessive, but I wanted to make sure he had a reason to be messed up at first. XD As far as the diving part, I suppose I could have written that a bit clearer, but coming from Ashton's perspective, it was probably just as confusing. She didn't want to be seen above water on approach to the ship, so she dove beneath the waves and surfaced right beside the ship, essentially. |
Jan 30, 11:13 AM
#6
| Chapter 2 Pain. It's the first thing Ashton became aware of as he emerged from a deep, dark slumber. The sapphire eyes he saw just before he lost consciousness were burned into his mind's eye, and he felt as though they had been watching him all throughout the darkness. Slowly, he became aware of a dull, throbbing ache throughout his body, worse than any hangover he'd ever had in his life. He took in a deep breath. That hurt too. There was a pain in his chest it expanded and contracted. He began to focus on different parts of his body, flexing his toes, then his legs, his torso, his arms, and eventually his fingers. His fingers hurt the absolute most. As he was focusing on his body, he felt an unusual warmth beside him along his left side. Eventually his eyes slowly fluttered open. He was on his back, and above him was a wooden ceiling, illuminated by the warm glow of flickering candlelight and slivers of daylight peeking in from somewhere out of his immediate line of sight. Ashton craned his neck to the side and saw the sleeping form of a girl with pale blue skin snuggled up to his side, her head resting in the crook of his shoulder. So it wasn't a dream. Ashton took a few moments as he observed the girl to run through what he could remember before he fell unconscious. The last thing he could remember was waking up in the middle of the night to take a piss on the houseboat, and then...nothing. Nothing except the girl's eyes. Everything else was fuzzy. He turned his head to the other side so he could take in the rest of his environment, even as his mind raced to figure out where he was. He was inside of a boat alright, but it wasn't the one he'd been in the day before. It looked like he was inside an old-fashioned vessel of some sort. There were numerous barrels and crates and ropes in the small area he was in, walled off with a pair of thick woollen sheets. A woman unlike anything he'd ever seen before was sitting on a nearby crate with a book in hand. She had long, platinum blonde hair that turned deep, dark blue nearer to the ends, which hung down to just below her knees. She was of fair complexion for the most part and had numerous blue hair ornaments that blended in with her white and blue attire that could only be described as something a pirate might wear. Her distant silver eyes were slowly meandering across the pages of the book in her hand, appearing lost in whatever story she was reading. How can someone look so beautiful? Before he could find his eyes trapped staring at her, Ashton decided to test how mobile he was and tried to sit up. The dull aches throughout his body became more pronounced as he moved, letting out a groan as he slowly extricated himself from his place beside the pale blue girl. She frowned as he pulled away, and Ashton got a better view of where he was laying. He'd been atop a pair of crates with thick linen sheets piled up beneath him, a single blanket laid overtop his body, and with a quick glance found that he was naked beneath the sheets. As he swung his legs over so his feet were touching the floorboards, pulling the blanket over to cover his sensitive bits, he caught sight of his arms. A gasp escaped him as he stared at his hands; dozens of scars crisscrossed his arms, all the way down to the tips of his fingers. "You're finally awake." The pirate-looking woman with silver eyes had such an alluring voice; it was low like a distant rumbling of thunder and as gentle and breathy as lapping waves. Ashton found himself surprised at how much the woman's voice drew him away from the shock he felt at the sight of his arms, and he looked up to see she'd set the book aside and was staring at him intently. A faint smile graced her full, mouthwatering lips. "How do you feel?" The question gave Ashton pause, and he looked back down at his hands. "Everything hurts." He looked back up at the woman. "Who are you? Where am I? What happened to me?" The questions were rapid-fire, and the woman nodded along as she rose from her seated position. "I'll answer as many questions as I'm able. I'm sure you have quite a few of them to ask. I have many to ask you as well. First, you should have something to eat and drink." The woman hopped off the crates, set her book down, and grabbed a wooden bowl that was sitting nearby before making her way over to kneel in front of Ashton. She offered him the bowl. "Here. Take this." Ashton reached out to take the bowl, and he realized upon grasping the edges of the bowl with both hands that he couldn't feel it very well in his grip. It felt heavier than it should have been too, something which the woman seemed to take note of. She said nothing as Ashton set the bowl in his lap. Dried and salted meats, dried fruits, and some nuts were inside the bowl, all finger food. He looked up at the woman again, and she provided an encouraging gesture for him to dig in. He picked a strip of jerky and tried to bring it up to his lips, but it fell through his fingers and onto the floor. "It looks like you sustained some nerve damage. I did my best to repair as much of the damage as I could, but it might take further rehabilitation to get you back into tip-top shape. Here, I'll feed you." The woman took the bowl and sat beside Ashton, picking a nut out from the bowl and bringing it up to his lips. Ashton ignored the offering and pushed her hand away. "Nerve damage?" He asked incredulously. "As I said, I'll answer any and all questions you have. I can do so while you eat." She said, leaning towards him, giving him a slightly admonishing look. She brought the nut back up, though she held it away from him, awaiting his acknowledgment. With a heavy sigh, Ashton nodded, and she began feeding him, bit by bit. "You're aboard the Scuffed Hoof, a large cargo vessel out of Dreg's Rest in the Freebooty Islands. I'm the resident cook and surgeon of this vessel, Persephone Erikson. The girl lying behind us is Zoe, a passenger of this ship. It was she who found you in the waters below and brought you aboard, and she hasn't left your side ever since. You had sustained severe injuries to your arms, head, and upper torso prior to being rescued, including numerous compound fractures in your arms and hands. Based on your injuries, it appears to me that you had attempted to dive into the water from a great height. You were unconscious, dehydrated, and anemic by the time Zoe brought you to me." Ashton looked behind him at the still sleeping girl as he chewed on the food. She looked so peaceful. "So... I fell into the water... and she fished me out of the water, and you patched me back up..." Ashton repeated between bites. He looked back towards the doctor. "How long have I been out?" "You were asleep for seven days. I suspended you in a minor coma using available herbs to prevent you from moving too much during your recovery. You were lucky it was me who was hired on as ship surgeon. I doubt too many others would have been able to save the motor functions of both your arms as well as I did, even with the assistance of mermaid's blood." Wait. Did she say mermaid's blood? "What?" Ashton asked, frowning and pulling back from Persephone. "Is that some kind of joke?" Persephone quirked an eyebrow up. "I assure you, there are no jokes to be had. You might very well have died had it been anyone less skilled than myself tending to you." "No, back up. You said mermaid blood was used? What's that supposed to mean?" A look of understanding flashed across Persephone's face, and she nodded, turning to look away from Ashton. "Ah, well. That answers that question then." She pursed her lips and set the bowl aside, turning to peer into his eyes once more. They were as kind as her general demeanour had been, and Ashton couldn't help but feel drawn into their silvery depths. "What I tell you next is going to come as a big shock to you, but it is imperative to your recovery that you remain as calm as possible. Do you understand?" She asked, placing her hand gently on top of Ashton's. He looked down at where they made contact and noticed for the first time that the woman wasn't wearing a long blue glove. What he thought was a glove was actually her hand, her touch soft and warm. He blinked a few times, trying to process what she was saying. "Is...is that your hand?" Ashton asked, surprised. Persephone nodded, her voice somehow dropping even lower and growing even softer. "Yes. This ties into what I'm about to tell you." She provided a sincere smile. Seeing the shock and confusion in his eyes, she attempted to guide him back to a calm present with a question. "What's your name?" Ashton was a little stunned. There were still so many questions racing through his mind, and his heartbeat had picked up its pace ever since he'd sat up. It took him a few moments to answer. "Ashton. Ashton Oakley." He uttered in a low tone. He looked up to Persephone. "So... why are your hands and legs blue?" "I'm a Nereid." Persephone smiled once more and was about to answer him further when the sound of a heavy, repetitive Thok-Thok-Thok-Thok started up from behind the fabric veil. It grew louder and louder as the sound came closer, and Persephone rose from her place beside Ashton. "Stay with Zoe. Don't go anywhere." Her voice was as stern as the expression she gave him, and she hurriedly jogged towards the curtain, passing through a part in the fabric. Ashton looked back at the sleeping Zoe as he listened in on what was happening behind the curtain. He couldn't help but find himself smiling down at her, thinking she looked kind of cute, even if she was an odd color. "Is he awake now? You said he would wake today. Can I see him?" "No, not yet. Patience." "I want to see him. I am not the only one." "Yes yes, I'm sure the whole crew would love to, but he has yet to adjust." "When can we see him? I want to see him." "Soon, Judy, soon. Just be patient. Can you do something for me?" "I will be patient. What do you want done?" "Good, very good, Judy. Go inform the captain that my patient is awake and that he should be able to receive an audience later this evening. Please and thank you." "You are welcome. I will go alert the captain now." The sound of numerous heavy impacts hitting the wooden floor started up again, moving further away into the distance. Ashton noted that the Judy woman, whoever she was, spoke in a very monotonous, almost emotionless fashion. And what was that weird knocking sound? Persephone re-emerged from behind the woollen veil and made her way back to where she was seated before. "As I was about to say, you—" There were more footsteps beyond, rapidly pitter-pattering towards the veil, and with an annoyed look, Persephone shot back up and raced towards the sound, disappearing behind the curtain. "Judy told us the man is awake! Can we see him? I wanna wanna see him so so bad!" "So, so bad!" A second voice echoed. The new voices were fast-paced, high-pitched, and squeaky. "I said no. He's not ready to see anyone yet." "Pleasepleaseplease? We won't be like Melody." "Not like Melody! Pleeeeeeaaaase?" Persephone sighed and repeated herself, insisting Ashton be left alone for the time being. The pair of tiny-sounding girls voiced their displeasure but eventually relented, returning from wherever they came from. Persephone pulled back the curtain, giving her best apologetic smile to Ashton. She was halfway to him when more footsteps became audible, making their way towards them. Persephone scowled in annoyance, spun around, and sped back out beyond the curtain to confront whoever was on approach. While she was occupied, Ashton decided to test out his legs, and he pushed himself up off the crates. He was a bit unsteady, and he felt more aches in his legs as they began to take his weight, but he felt fine otherwise. He took the blanket away from Zoe to wrap around his waist and saw that she was also naked. Ashton blushed and immediately looked away, letting out a long breath through tightened lips. Well, that just happened. Where are my clothes? Ashton asked in an attempt to distract himself as he looked around, taking a slow, testing step forward. Foot planted firmly on the ground, he took another uneasy step, discovering that both of his legs seemed to work just fine, aches and pains aside. He continued to listen in on the conversations happening from behind the curtain as he began to shuffle around the room, looking for something to wear. "For fuck's sake, Seph, I haven't had a good dicking down in months now. It's not like we're sticklers for the laws like everyone else out here. I want some fucking action." What the heck? Ashton thought, frowning as he listened in closer to the conversation. "I said no. You and the others can threaten and bribe and beg all you want, but even if you were to somehow get past me, would you really want to deal with that mercenary? You saw what she did to Melody when she tried to assault my patient." "She doesn't look so tough to me. Sides, Melody isn't a fighter like the rest of us. If me and the rest of the gang go in all at once, she can't take us all." "Listen to yourself! He's not even fully recovered yet. What's more, he's an Outlander. I haven't even explained everything to him yet." Ashton had inspected a few barrels and crates, finding mostly foodstuffs as he went. Listening to the other woman speak, he'd stopped looking for clothes and began looking for a weapon to defend himself with. "Who cares if he's an Outlander or not? What part of me not getting a good dicking did you not hear? That's what I care about. If he's still too messed up to ride me, I can just ride him instead, minotaur style." "I will not let you jeopardize my patient's well-being so you can satisfy your carnal urges, Brorna. If you're feeling so desperate, go masturbate in a corner somewhere. Far away from Ashton." "Ashton? You're just jealous. You're trying to keep him for yourself and that fucking merc, aren't you?" "For the love of the Wise Lord, walk away right now, Brorna." "Or what? You'll slap your hands at me? I know you have no offensive magic, and you're a terrible fighter." Did she just say magic? What the fuck is even going on right now? Ashton could hear the desperation in Brorna's voice, and it set him on edge. He had no idea what sort of weird cosplay shit they were up to, but Ashton wanted no part of whatever was going on. He found a large cleaver hanging from the ceiling on a hook and quickly armed himself with it, his other hand still holding up the blanket at his waist. "Cazlyth will hear about your insubordination. What do you think she'll do when someone else explicitly disobeys not just my orders, but hers as well?" "Your orders don't mean shit, cook. Besides, I'm her niece. She'll overlook a little disobedience here and there." By that point, Ashton had heard enough. He turned to look back down at the pale blue girl and nudged her shoulder. She'd saved his life and apparently defended him against people who tried to assault him while he was unconscious. She didn't look very strong or intimidating and was a full head shorter than he was, but if she was as dangerous as the women behind the curtain said she was, it would've been better if she were awake. "Hey, Zoe? That's your name, right?" Ashton asked, nudging her lightly. The girl scrunched her face up and groaned. "My name's Ashton. Wake up." "Don't you dare—" Persephone was cut off abruptly as the other woman, Brorna, grunted. The nereid yelped in surprise, followed by the sound of wood groaning against a heavy impact, causing fear to shoot through Ashton's veins. He spun around and held the cleaver in front of him, breathing quickly as Brorna stepped through the curtain. Ashton wasn't sure what to expect, but a dark elf clad in revealing, sumptuous pirate attire was definitely not what he'd pictured. "Aren't you a looker? Wavy blonde hair, nice jaw, athletic. You have a big dick, Ashton?" Brorna asked, lunging towards him. Ashton was bewildered by her words and appearance, but he knew he wanted nothing to do with the woman. "Stay back!" He yelled, swinging the cleaver in a wide arc in front of him. Brorna stepped back, just out of range of the cleaver, and laughed as it slipped through his fingers and went flying into the wall. "Ohhh, isn't that precious? The man thinks he can fight back." She waltzed right up to him and pushed him up against a stack of barrels, one hand around his neck while the other grabbed at the blanket he had wrapped around his waist, pulling it away. "I'm going to have my way with you, and there's nothing you can—" Her words were cut short as a painfully high-pitched buzzing hiss cut through the air for half a second, followed by Ashton being sprayed with something warm and wet. Something hit the floor at his feet with a dull thud and a sickly wet smacking sound. He blinked and saw that Brorna was covered in blood. They both looked down at the same time, and they both gaped in horror at the same thing. Both of Brorna's arms had been cleanly severed off halfway down her forearms. Blood gushed out of the bloody stumps, and the elf let out a shrill screech as she fell backwards, landing on her back as she writhed around in pain. Ashton stared wide-eyed at the woman writhing around on the ground, his heart pounding in his chest. Her severed arms had fallen to the ground right in front of him and were slowly gushing blood out onto the floorboards. "Don't. Touch. Ashton." Ashton looked towards the source of the voice and saw Zoe pushing herself up from her position on the makeshift bed, an arm outstretched towards the space between Ashton and the woman who just tried to assault him. Her index finger was pointing out, the girl making a finger gun with her hand, water droplets dripping off the tip of her finger. Her sapphire eyes were staring daggers at the woman, and she hopped off the crates and stepped over the writhing elf, pointing her finger down at Brorna. "Zoe! Wait, don't!" Persephone called out, bursting through the curtains and sliding to her knees beside Brorna, shielding the woman with her body. Zoe glared at Persephone for a moment, but dropped her hand to her side. Losing interest in the woman she just somehow eviscerated, she stepped towards Ashton, her shimmering sapphire eyes softening. "Are you okay? She didn't hurt you?" Zoe asked, worry lacing her words. Ashton tried to back away from her and found there was nowhere to go. Seeing him recoil in fear, Zoe froze. "No, no, please don't be afraid." She pleaded. "Damn it, Zoe! Brorna's arms. Bring them to me; I have to reattach them!" Persephone called out to the pale blue girl. Zoe's eyes were glued to Ashton, however, and she didn't seem to hear the doctor. Between the heated words and the screaming of the elf woman, it wasn't long until more people arrived at the gruesome scene. It was a bit of a shock to Ashton, but none of them appeared to be human. Chitinous carapaces, feathers, scales, tails. One of them pushed through all of the onlookers, another dark elf. She was similarly dressed as the one on the ground and had a large tricorn sitting atop her head. "What the blazes is happening back—BRORNA!" The woman with the tricorn rushed to Persephone's side, and the doctor wasted no time giving instructions. "Hold her down!" Persephone ordered as she rose up to her feet. The Nereid brushed past Zoe to pick up the severed arms without fear or repercussion and returned to Brorna's side. "Gabby and Billy, get in here and help Cazlyth hold Brorna down. Everyone else, stay back! I need her to be still. Give her something to bite down onto!" It was chaos. There was too much happening at once, and Ashton was having a hard time processing everything going on. Zoe took another step towards him, and his hands instinctively shot out in front of him. "No! Don't come any closer." He said, frightened. "I'll never hurt you. I'll keep you safe, I promise. Please, you have to trust me." Zoe pleaded with a shaky voice, her eyes starting to water. "What did you do to her?" Ashton asked, his eyes darting between Zoe and the scene in the middle of the room. Blood was everywhere, and the elf, Brorna, was shaking violently as she was being held down by three dangerous-looking women. There were more women standing at the edge of the curtain watching with wide eyes. The elf wearing the tricorn, presumably Cazlyth, was offering reassuring words to the semi-conscious woman on the ground. Persephone was shouting orders to the women behind the curtain to fetch the mermaids. "She was going to hurt you. She had her hands on you, so I cut them off." Zoe said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "That's fucking crazy. How did you even do that?" Ashton asked. Zoe looked like she was about to start crying. "I'm sorry! I was worried about you. Please don't be afraid of me. I saved you! You have to believe I'd never hurt you." How could such a cute girl like Zoe be able to do something so horrific? How did she even manage to do what she did? She seemed genuinely concerned for Ashton's safety... "You fucking bitch!" Cazlyth shouted, standing up and drawing a sabre, levelling it at Zoe. The pale blue girl turned at the sound of ringing metal from the sword being unsheathed and took a step backwards. "Choking Melody out was one thing, but this?" "Captain, now isn't the time for this!" Persephone shouted. "Shut your trap." Cazlyth hissed down to Persephone. "I-I was just—she, she was going to hurt Ashton!" Zoe retorted. "Does it look like I give a shit?" The woman stepped towards Zoe, lifting her sword. Everything was happening so fast. What happened next Ashton didn't anticipate. "Stop!" It was his own voice. He had stepped in front of the pale blue girl, using his body to shield her from the captain, both arms held out wide. Zoe looked up at him, surprised. The captain sneered at the man, pointing her blade towards him. The crew standing at the part in the blanket were staring with interest at his then-exposed lower half. "Step aside, male." She hissed. Behind her, three scaled women were ushered into the room, and Persephone gave them instructions as she began performing a strange series of hand gestures above the fallen Brorna. "Your niece assaulted Persephone and was about to fucking rape me. She wasn't the only one by the sounds of it. I don't know what the fuck is going on here, but it's pretty clear to me your crew is seriously lacking discipline. If you attack Zoe, all you're going to do is make you and your crew look like you have no control over yourselves." What was he even saying? He had no idea what he was doing, nor why. Zoe was pressed against his back, and he swore he could hear her sniffling. Why was he trying to protect her then? The captain snarled at Ashton, and her eyes shifted to gaze at the girl hiding behind him. Cazlyth was breathing heavily, her free hand clenching and unleashing repeatedly, everyone's eyes on her as she debated what to do. After an uncomfortably long silence, Cazlyth lowered her sword arm and cracked her neck side to side. She looked back down at her niece, gripping the sword with white knuckles. One breath later, she sheathed the sabre and turned to look towards the curtain. "You heard the male. Fucking control yourselves. If anyone gets any more funny ideas, I'll have you keelhauled. Now get the fuck back to work!" She ordered, and everyone who'd been trying to peek through the curtain hastily retreated. She looked down at Persephone. "She'll live?" "If people quit disturbing me, yes. The cuts were perfect; she'll have full functionality in both her arms and be back up by evening." "Good." Cazlyth looked at the other women that had been helping Persephone. "Head back up top when she's finished with you." She turned back to face Ashton and Zoe. "You two are coming with me." "I haven't finished my diag—" "I don't care." Cazlyth said sharply, cutting Persephone off. "He's been nothing but trouble since he was brought aboard. If I'm not mistaken, this is my ship, is it not?" She challenged, her head turned to the side to listen for any dissidence. Hearing none, she looked back at Zoe and Ashton. "My quarters. Now." |
Jan 30, 1:51 PM
#7
| Things get spicy in chapter 2. Water seems to be a general hazard so far in this story :P Quite liked the chapter. Based on what came up here,Zoey is a mercenary and was not travelling on the ship originally? (Before Anvi handed him over?) I will be curious to see how things proceed. I imagine Cazlyth is not pleased. Even if Zoey appears very capable, taking on the whole ship might pose a challenge. Also, Zoey is an undine, yes? Based on your description, her body is not very watery though, is it? |
Jan 30, 6:29 PM
#8
| Yikes. Zoe knows how to make cutting water jets. That's more than apprentice-level hydromancy. One has to wonder how good she truly is. I'm already disliking Brorna, and I'm none too fond of Cazlyth. So good job on that bit of characterization. I suspect that Judy is a soldier beetle. We'll see if I'm right. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
Jan 30, 7:50 PM
#9
| Sweet. I'm pretty excited to see a story with water types in it. It seems I didn't fully understand the sequence of events in the first chapter, but my understanding of what happened is now that Anvi brought Ashton to the ship, and Zoe used water control to lift him up and aboard the ship. The person that was alerted to the noise at the end of chapter 1 was probably Persephone, and Zoe covered for Anvi, claiming to have been the one who found Ashton. It seems in the time that he'd been asleep, the ship had traveled quite a bit from where he was brought aboard. Also it seems Zoe is a mercenary? |
Jan 30, 10:24 PM
#10
Reply to YummyLunches
Sweet. I'm pretty excited to see a story with water types in it. It seems I didn't fully understand the sequence of events in the first chapter, but my understanding of what happened is now that Anvi brought Ashton to the ship, and Zoe used water control to lift him up and aboard the ship. The person that was alerted to the noise at the end of chapter 1 was probably Persephone, and Zoe covered for Anvi, claiming to have been the one who found Ashton. It seems in the time that he'd been asleep, the ship had traveled quite a bit from where he was brought aboard. Also it seems Zoe is a mercenary?
| @YummyLunches You're correct on all points meow! :3 @mugen91 Zoe (along with some other passengers) have been on the ship for a while, long before Anvi showed up. She is indeed a mercenary, but for who? :3 Zoe is an Undine, yup! And you're right, she doesn't seem too "watery" right now. A bit strange...(this ties into something Tyger said too...) ;3 |
Feb 7, 8:05 AM
#11
| Chapter 3 Naked. Crippled and aching. Far from home. No friends or family. An unfamiliar place. Surrounded by women sprouting feathers, fins, and body parts they shouldn't have. Apparently magic was real? Oh, and not to mention being covered in blood. That was great too. Ashton was marched through the ship, up onto the deck into the bright morning sun, through the crew cabins at the back of the ship, and into the captain's quarters just beyond. Or was it the bow? Ashton didn't know ship terminology very well, even before renting the houseboat that he was supposed to be enjoying with his friends at that very moment. He was supposed to have a bad hangover, his older brother was already up bright and early cooking a greasy, fatty breakfast for everyone. His girlfriend was supposed to be lying beside him, beating him with a pillow to wake his ass up. Instead, he was God knows where, on an old-ass sailing boat in the middle of the ocean— "Not the middle..." A memory. Ava said something to him. Ashton tried to hold onto it, but it quickly faded. "What was that?" Cazlyth asked Ashton. "Nothing." "Good. Take this and wipe that blood off, then take a seat." The captain said to Ashton, tossing a clean towel his way. "You sit too." The captain said to Zoe, the girl who had saved Ashton's bacon several times already. She was likewise marched up to the captain's quarters without the chance to dress herself, and it was all Ashton could do to keep himself from staring at her. Zoe, on the other hand, didn't seem to share any semblance of shame or shyness and had been very overtly drinking in Ashton's form. Catching the towel in his hands, Ashton tried to quickly wipe himself down. It was a bit of a struggle, his grip strength being almost non-existent at that point. Something he had yet to even stop to consider the full ramifications of, considering how rapidly things escalated from the moment he'd woken up. Once he was as clean as he could reasonably get, he looked at the captain and held the blood-soaked towel up. "Sooooo where do I put this?" Ashton asked. "RUNT!" Cazlyth hollered loudly. Moments later, a tiny girl with large mouse ears and a long mouse tail wearing rags scampered into the room from somewhere unseen and came to a stop in front of Ashton, holding her arms up. He was startled, and his free hand immediately shot towards covering his junk. "Gimme gimme." The little mouse girl squeaked. Ashton looked up at the captain, who angrily gestured for him to get on with it. He shrugged and dropped the towel into the girl's arms, and she scampered off into... somewhere. Ashton couldn't actually tell where she went. "What the fuck was that? She was barely two feet tall." Ashton asked, his other hand moving to help his first hand try to cover himself. "I'll be the one asking the questions. Now sit your ass down in the chair." The captain's quarters was a small, cramped affair, maybe twice as large as the room he'd awoken in at most. There was a small wooden desk near the back of the room with beautiful, intricate reliefs along its corners, the top covered in some sort of green velvet. It had a fancy wooden throne with thick green cushions behind it, upon which the captain seated herself. There were two smaller, basic wooden chairs situated in front of the desk, one of which hosted the naked Zoe. Ashton made his way to the second chair and seated himself, taking the rest of the room in as Cazlyth produced an old-fashioned tobacco pipe from one of the drawers in her desk. There were numerous chests lining the base of the wall to Ashton's right of various sizes and styles, some more fancy-looking than others. Behind the captain was a door that led out onto a small private deck of sorts. To Ashton's left was a comfortable-looking twin-sized bed, clad in a gold-threaded red duvet cover. Paintings of ships of various styles from different eras and ethnic groups adorned the walls, along with fancy tapestries depicting star charts and what looked to be a map of a large landmass Ashton didn't immediately recognize. "Alright dickweed, we're going to start with you. What's your name, and where are you from?" Cazlyth asked, blowing out smoke rings as she threw her boots up onto the velvet-topped desk. "Ashton Oakley. I'm originally from Montana, but my family moved up to Alberta when I was thirteen. The BMX scene was pretty slick, but it wasn't as hype out there as it was in British Columbia, so I travelled west and ended up in Vancouver. Been there ever since, though I've travelled around the world and spent time in a few different places. Took part in two Olympic events, managed to bag tenth on my first run and a silver medal on my second. That Kamikaze guy beat me both times." Zoe was looking at Ashton with a bewildered expression, the shimmering jewels that were her blue eyes marked by a deep confusion. Cazlyth didn't seem nearly as fazed and rolled her eyes. "Ahhh, Outlander." "Okay, that's the second time I've heard that word. Can someone explain that to me?" "Me too." Zoe piped up, turning to look at the captain with her hand held up as if she was in a classroom. "It means either you're a good liar, or you're not from around here. All that gibberish you just spouted—half of which, by the way, I didn't ask for—has no correspondence to no places I've ever been, and I've sailed aaaaall over these waters. A couple of words you said sound sort of familiar. Kami..." She gestured for Ashton to finish the word for her. "Kamikaze. It was the name of a guy I raced against. Back in World War Two, the Japanese called pilots who would suicide bomb American destroyers by that moniker. They'd fly their planes straight into the boats, hoping to sink them and kill everyone aboard. I'm not really good with languages, but I'm pretty sure when translated into English it means 'Divine Wind,' which I guess is pretty fitting. Kamikaze told me he got his name legally changed because it sounded badass, and I couldn't really blame him." "Sounds reminiscent of someone from Kioko." She took another puff from her pipe. "The other word. I've actually heard it before. It started with an O." "Olympic?" "Yeah, that's it. One of my sister's old husbands was one of those Olympics." "The way to say that would be Olympian, not Olympic." Ashton corrected her. If she'd heard that word before, and there was another someone around who knew what was going on, maybe he could contact them! Ashton leaned forward, trying to conceal his excitement. "What's his name? Where is he?" "Alkaios of Thessaliotis. He went missing about six hundred years ago, but girl, was he ever a good fucking lay. Probably the best I've ever had." "...I'm sorry, what?" "The word sounds like it was inspired by someone in the Karpethesian Islands." She muttered casually, eyes staring into the past. "Old boy Leo didn't settle there, though. Kenndar clan took him down in Kaori, but he fought like a Jinko. Killed seven of us with his bare hands before we took him down. I've never seen a non-incubus male do anything like that before or since. Wasn't very submissive even after we tortured and raped him for a month back home in Freebooty, so we just let him go. He had some fucking stamina, I'll tell you that much. Easily the most impressive male I've ever seen, physically speaking. Probably why my sister followed him into the wilderness." Ashton couldn't believe what he was hearing. All he could do was blink and repeat his question. "Sorry, but what? You're gonna have to clarify some of that. Did you say six hundred? Years?" "Yep. No idea what happened to him after he left Dreg's Rest." Ashton's heart sank. He wasn't exactly sure what to make of what Cazlyth was saying. Ignoring what she was saying about Alkaios, she was a self-admitted rapist and sex trafficker who abused a guy for a whole month. She was the captain of a ship? A ship he was currently stuck on, with God knows how many miles between him and land? His eyes fell to the floor as he tried to calm himself down. "You have a similar body. Too bad it got all fucked up before you were rescued. I'd have loved to see how you matched up to the other Olympian." Cazlyth's words sent shivers down Ashton's spine, goosebumps emerging everywhere. "Safe to say that won't be happening anytime soon, if she has anything to say about it." Ashton looked up and over at Zoe, who was glaring daggers at the dark elf. "Don't go thinking you can just blast your way through the whole crew either, chicky-poo. You kill me, the rest of the crew is going to want your head. Say you can kill every one of us—which I doubt in the first place—then what? None of you dumb bitches knows the first thing about how to sail a ship, and at least half of you would be fucked, stranded this far out from land. Make no mistake, you mercenary cunt, I'm the one holding all the cards here. Doesn't mean we can't be civil about our disputes." Though Zoe still appeared determined, there were flickers of doubt in her sapphire eyes. She leaned back in her chair, and it was her turn to drop her eyes as the full understanding of her situation dawned on her. A pang of guilt shot through Ashton's chest as he watched Zoe deflate. He couldn't explain why he felt like that all of a sudden and tried to shake the feeling away as Cazlyth kept talking. "Yeah, that's right. Now you get it. Course, I'm not looking to get carved up like what you did to my dumbass niece. She had what she got coming to her, but with Seph on board, she'll recover in no time. No harm, no foul. Same goes for when you choked Melody out. They brought it on themselves, but if you keep putting my crew out of commission regardless of who started it, ain't no amount of gold your leader can pay me to stop my Artillerist from blowing you into a million pieces and having your water droplets scattered across the ocean. Savvy?" Zoe scowled at Cazlyth defiantly, but eventually relented. "Fine. As long as nobody touches Ashton." "Seph has worked overtime this past week. She's gonna need a top-up to even think of cooking for the crew." "The healer lady is fine." "Brorna is gonna need some help recovering too, once she's up and able." "No. Hard no." Ashton cleared his throat. Both women looked at him. "What are you talking about?" "We're talking about who you're going to have sex with." Zoe replied with a big smile, once again as if that was the most normal thing in the world to say. "Excuse me?" "No, you're not excused. We still have business to deal with." Cazlyth said, turning back to Zoe. "Alright, you got me there. But the ladies aren't gonna settle till they get some action. I say—" "Fuck that. I'm not having sex with any of you." Zoe turned to look at Ashton, shocked and hurt. To him it appeared as if he'd told her he'd just run over her favourite dog with his truck. "Yeah, that's not how that works here, male." "My name's Ashton." "Whatever. My girls are thirsty, and you're the only cock around for weeks." "You can't just order me around like I'm part of your crew! I don't even know you people!" "Even with all those wounds, you still have some fire, just like Alkaios did. I wonder if you could last as long as he did." She grinned devilishly, puffing on her pipe a few more times. "The only reason we don't have you tied to the floorboards for public use right now is because of her." Cazlyth pointed the tip of her pipe towards Zoe. "She's taken a liking to you, and she has enough power to effortlessly maim my crew. You ought to be thanking her that you're getting off as easy as you are." Ashton was beyond shocked at that point. He was appalled. "I'm in a committed relationship already. I'm not cheating on my fiancé with crazy fish people I don't even know." "You don't mean that, do you?" Zoe asked, her voice shaking. Tears were welling up in her eyes, and Ashton cursed himself. He was outraged, and the words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself. If Zoe hadn't been around, he'd have been attacked already. If she abandoned him, he'd be in deep waters without a lifesaver, and he couldn't let that happen. Ashton glanced sidelong at the captain, who seemed to be enjoying the show. He frowned and looked back to Zoe. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say anything hurtful. I'm just... a little out of my depth right now." That didn't seem to console her very much, and the captain laughed at his feeble attempts at consolation. "Let's be real here, male. You can be part of my crew. Stick around, sail the high seas, and partake in all the pussy you could ever want. You'll even earn your share of the loot we gain from our charters. We take shore leave after every contract, and we earn a lot of fucking gold." She puffed out another smoke ring. "Or you can withhold that third leg you got there from us while this cunt is aboard. She belongs to a mercenary group that's chartered for a round trip. The moment we hit the docks, they leave. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Georgina isn't interested in men, is she? Not too fond of tag-alongs?" Cazlyth asked Zoe, a big smirk on her face. The pale blue girl shook her head. "No, I didn't think so. Why would a group like hers need a male?" She looked back to Ashton, pointing at Zoe with her pipe. "She leaves with the rest of her group, and they don't take you with them. You lose her protection. Then what? You think we'll just give you a sack of coins, a pat on the back, and send you on your merry way?" She let out a mocking laugh and slapped her knee. "Even if you had all of that going for you, where would you go by yourself? You're from Earth, right? Hate to break it to you, dickweed, but this isn't Earth. Your 'committed relationship' doesn't mean fucking jack-shit here. Not to mention that walking around by yourself without protection means you're going to get jumped worse than anything I could do to you. Do you know how many women out there haven't even so much as touched a male?" Cazlyth swept her boots off the desk and made her way towards the tapestry that featured a colourful map. She thwapped her pipe against it. "Let me give you a quick lesson so you have it drilled into that thick skull of yours, fuckwit. I'm a mamono. That stupid cunt beside you is mamono. All mamono are women. Mamono make up ninety-seven percent of this island's entire population. There are only two women on my crew that have met Outlanders like yourself: me and Seph. She and I are both over a thousand years old, and I've met a grand total of three Outlanders, and Seph has met one. Fucking one." Cazlyth sashayed her way behind the chairs, drawing the tips of her nails lightly across Ashton's back, causing him to flinch away from her touch. The more she spoke, the more a deep malaise grew within him and covered him like a shroud. "Every mamono wants a mate. Not all of them come from Earth. They exist elsewhere, of course. Born and bred in breeding camps, whored out in brothels, and preyed upon in the wilds. Which one of these places do you think you'll fit into? You won't last a single day without someone looking after you." She whispered into Ashton's ear, her tongue flicking out to lick his earlobe. He flinched away from that too, a look of disgust and horror on his face. "Sinking in how fucked you are now, isn't it? I can see it on your face. Might as well accept what's happening to you. We can make it worth your while." "That's enough!" Zoe yelled, tears streaming down her face. She'd stood up, knocking her chair over, and stomped her foot on the ground with a surprisingly heavy impact, causing the wood to crack. "Ashton is special. Stop hurting him." "Special?" Cazlyth leaned her head back and laughed. "How old are you?" Zoe frowned. "None of your business." "Sure. Tell you what, kiddo. I'm nothing if not a generous woman. I'll give you and your new pet till this time tomorrow to figure out an arrangement and bring it to me. If you can't come up with anything by then, I'll go to Georgina and work a deal out with her instead. Who do you think is going to be more generous and considerate? Me or the bitch with a cold, black heart?" Zoe was having a hard time scowling at the captain as she sniffled, wiping tears from her eyes. "Fine. Can we go now?" "One more thing. Seph gave me a very detailed report about his injuries. Said it looked like he'd tried diving into the water from a great height. Unlike you, I know what that sounds like. I've tossed more than a few helpless women off cliffs in my time, and when they hit the water, it makes a big fucking noise." Cazlyth punched her fist for emphasis and strode towards Zoe, bringing her face in close to Zoe's. "I didn't hear any big noises." She stepped past the mercenary and righted the chair she'd knocked over, moving back around the desk to sit in the big fancy chair of her own. "Care to tell me where he came from?" Zoe remained silent, clenching her fists together. Cazlyth took another few puffs of her pipe and blew a couple of smoke rings into Zoe's face, causing her to start a coughing fit. "I guess not. Get the fuck out of my office. Both of you." "Can we get some clothes first?" Ashton asked. "The fuck you think?" The captain retorted, looking annoyed. "Come on." Zoe said, still coughing a little. The tears were still streaming, and she was still sniffling. Nevertheless, she took hold of Ashton's hand and pulled him along towards the cabin door. Ashton shuffled along behind her almost like a zombie. He couldn't believe what was happening. Why him? What did he ever do to deserve any of what was happening? He could barely bring himself to care about modesty. Zoe tugged Ashton along through the crew cabins and out onto the open deck. When the door opened, it looked like a bunch of the crew had just gone back to work after a short break, some of them whistling to themselves as they glanced sidelong at the pair as they emerged from within crew quarters. Ashton was too engrossed in the dark and miserable revelations swirling around in his head to have really noticed. Zoe led him away from the leering crew up on the deck back down to the kitchen area, past the catcalls and lewd remarks of the crew, and back down into the relative privacy of the makeshift infirmary. |
Feb 7, 1:53 PM
#12
| An olympic athlete, eh? Guess that would leave him in much better physical shape than most other fresh arrivals. (If it weren't for a set of unfortunate injuries, of course) The captain is certainly painting a pretty bleak picture. If she's over a thousand years old, her statements would probably be a bit hyperbolic. Outlanders are certainly much rares than humans born on arcadia, but you'd probably have occasion to meet more than a few in that timespan. Unless, of course, she's spent most of her life in places with fewer humans. Though, if she plans to corner Ashton into giving in to her demands, she's probably picker her words very well. Looking forward to the next chapter and where Ashton ends up. |
Feb 7, 6:18 PM
#13
| Heh. Wrong kind of Olympian, Ashton. :) |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
Feb 7, 7:03 PM
#14
| Wow rough situation. Looking forward to the next one. |
Feb 13, 11:46 PM
#15
| Chapter 4 [POV - Persephone] Persephone was sitting on the ground with her back against the crates upon which her latest patient was lying. The nereid was exhausted from the expenditure of mana she'd been forced to use before she'd fully recovered from treating Ashton earlier in the week, and it had become too much trouble to keep her hold on her transformation. Both of her legs ended in strong fins instead of feet, soft spines having protruded out of her arms, back, and neck. Her scales were thicker, and her sclera returned to the dark blue colour that she'd been born with. She'd dismissed the other crew members once they'd laid Brorna to rest on the crates and applied the ointments, bandages, and herbs as Persephone instructed. Eyes closed, she let her head rest against the crates as she began to drift away to sleep. "Don't worry. You're safe with me. Nobody is going to touch you so long as I'm around." Zoe's voice became clearer, the sound of two pairs of footsteps coming closer to the stern of the ship's hold where Persephone's kitchen area was set up. Something about Zoe's voice sounded off. It was quivering and lacking the usual confidence her determined attitude usually had. The nereid opened her eyes as Zoe stepped through the curtain, pulling Ashton along by his hand, and saw her voice wasn't the only different thing. The undine had been crying. Ashton, on the other hand, appeared despondent and numb. An outcome Persephone had tried to avoid by restricting access to him and setting up the curtain. She wanted to drip-feed the information calmly and soothingly so that Ashton's adjustment to his new reality would've been as gentle as it could've been. The captain clearly didn't care as much about a smooth transition. "You're back," Persephone said, greeting the pair with a warm smile. It was the best she could muster given her situation. Ashton didn't respond, pulling away from Zoe and making his way to a corner to curl in on himself. Zoe winced as he pulled away, looking like she was on the verge of bawling her eyes out. She turned to Persephone and tried to put a smile on her face. "Yeah! He's fine. He'll be fine. I'm fine. We're fine." She said, sniffling as she choked down any potential tears. "You, um... you look like you've been better." "I could say the same to you." Persephone quipped, smiling weakly up at the undine. Zoe glanced between her and the patient on the crates. "You should have let me kill her." Persephone's smile faded. "No, Zoe. I don't think that would have been a good idea." "You wouldn't be so tired." "My fatigue or lack thereof is no comparison to the value of a life, Zoe." "She tried to hurt Ashton." "She did." Persephone said plainly. "What if she tries again?" "She won't." "But what if she does? You can't know that." Persephone sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "She was given the same herbs as Ashton. She'll be asleep for hours. What did the captain say?" Persephone asked, changing the subject. The undine scowled and punched one of the crates beside her, Zoe's fist going straight through the wood with remarkable ease, sending splinters scattering across the floor. Luckily it was full of linen and wool so there was nothing to spill, but the action caused Persephone to pay more attention. That wasn't something that would've happened under normal circumstances. Undines weren't known for their physical strength, nor their solidity. "She was mean to Ashton." "What did she say, Zoe?" The undine withdrew her fist and looked over to Ashton. His elbows rested across his knees, and he was staring off into space. Zoe clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly until she eventually walked over to Persephone and sat down beside her. With a quiet voice, she answered. "She told me that hurting any more of her crew was a bad idea. We can't sail the ship back to where we need to go on our own. I would be fine swimming back, but the others would be stranded. She said we have a day to figure out who he'll be sleeping with." Zoe's tone of defeat and frustration told Persephone all she needed to know about how the undine felt about all of it. What surprised her was when Zoe looked up at her with big eyes full of innocence. "You can! You should. I want him. But if you weren't here, I would have lost him. You're tired, and you need energy." She beamed enthusiastically, though her energy drained away back to its previous low when she turned away. "But he said..." She curled her knees up to her chest and buried her head in her arms. "He said he didn't want to. Not with you. Not with me." There was a sharp inhale. Zoe started sobbing in earnest then. Persephone wrapped an arm around the girl, struggling a little to lift it high enough to rest it around her shoulder. The nereid looked over to Ashton. He was a good-looking young man, to be sure, but unlike the rest of the crew, Persephone had no desire to take advantage of a confused man in emotional shock and turmoil. She surmised the captain had fewer scruples about such things. Regardless of what he wanted, he was going to be abused by the rest of the crew if she didn't think of something. She hadn't expected Zoe to be as dangerous as she was, and while that was certainly a useful deterrent, the nereid wanted to avoid violence as much as possible. "Your group is headed to the docks in Dreg's Rest, right Zoe?" Between sobs, the undine answered with a shaky voice. "Yeah..." "Do you want to make it there?" Zoe continued to sob, looking up at Persephone with a confused expression. "I suppose it all depends on how close you are with the rest of your group and how badly you want to help Ashton." "...well..." Zoe wiped the tears from her face and tried to be a little more coherent with her words. "I'm under contract. If I breach the contract, the girls will come after me like those girls in Frosthaven." Persephone frowned. Unlike the captain and her associates, Persephone wasn't clued into the full truth behind their voyage. It sounded like they were violent reasons. "What do you mean?" "I don't wanna talk about it." Was it a sore spot for her? Or was she under some sort of obligation not to talk about it? Persephone didn't know much about the mercenaries aboard, her only contact with any of them being through Zoe. Even then, it was only for the past eight days. Since she wasn't likely to get any answers from the girl in that regard, she tried a different approach. "Are you in love, Zoe?" The question seemed to cause the undine to freeze. Her cheeks began to flush a deep blue, and she looked away from the nereid, hiding her face in her arms. "Love at first sight. It's usually pretty common, especially among the younger generations. Even more so for those who've never seen men before. Have you seen any men before him?" "...no..." "Love is a funny thing. People do things they'd never thought they'd be able to do for love." Persephone looked over to Ashton, still speaking softly to Zoe. "He has people he loves. The more people an Outlander loves before they arrive, the harder it is for them to accept where they are. The longer it takes for them to adapt to their new world." She looked back down to the girl. "You can help him adapt quicker. You can give him a reason to live and feel alive in this world. You're already doing so; he stepped in front of a sword to protect you in his first few moments awake in this new world." She expended some energy to try and give the girl a reassuring squeeze. "For him, the connection isn't going to be overnight. He's still looking at where he came from, not where he is or where he could go. It's fine to be sad that he doesn't feel the way you do, but you have to be patient and give him some time. The more you try and force things, the more you'll harden his heart against you. Love is patience. Love is sacrifice. Doing what you never thought possible." As she spoke, Zoe's weeping slowed and eventually ceased altogether. "Can you do something for me, Zoe?" "Sure. What do you need?" "Gather some of the linens in that crate," she pointed to the crate Zoe punched a hole in, "and bring them up to the boatswain, Himari. Get her to make some clothes for Ashton. She'll ask for him personally, but I already have his measurements in that book over there, on top of that crate. It's the second-to-last page with writing in it; just rip it out and take it with you. She's likely to argue, so be stern with her. Can you do that for me?" "But what about Ashton? I can't leave him alone. There's nobody to protect him." "He'll be fine while you're gone." "But you're so weak right now. He can't even—" "He'll be fine, Zoe. And while you're there, have Himari make something for you as well." "But I've never worn—" "He'll appreciate it." Persephone said, up-nodding in Ashton's direction. "Trust me." "Are you sure?" Zoe asked, even as she started to rise, uncertain about Persephone's request. "Yes, child, yes. Now go." The undine rose and began fetching the materials, snatching the page out of Persephone's book as instructed. She took a look at Ashton, who hadn't moved since he'd sat down, and told him she'd be right back. When she disappeared behind the curtain and her footsteps became distant, Persephone looked over to Ashton. "Ashton." She called over to him. The man responded by curling in on himself even further, and Persephone sighed. The captain did some damage, and it was going to be even more work to undo it. "I'm sorry that things went the way they did. I was hoping to avoid everything that happened, but we're here now. This is our reality, and we have to deal with it, or we're going to be controlled by it. I would rather not see any harm brought to anyone else aboard this ship, you included." He didn't respond. Once again, she'd have to try a different approach. "What was her name?" She asked. Still no response. "I'm sure you heard everything Zoe and I said." She started, closing her eyes and letting her head roll back against the wood of Brorna's makeshift bed. "A long time ago, I was in Zoe's shoes. Only, I wasn't as kind as she is. I wasn't as gentle. I was... a different person back then." Something close to a morose disappointment tinged her voice as she recalled her past. "Samuel Benjamin Erikson. He was from Earth, just like you. He was a bit older, in his early forties. Like you, he was confused. Alone. Separated from his family back home. When I found him, he'd built himself a little hut on an island off the coast of eastern Amarante. He was a self-sufficient man. Humble. Brilliant." A smile crept onto her lips as she looked up to the ceiling, recalling her late husband. "He was a doctor back on Earth. He wanted to help people. It was his life's purpose, he told me. To help people." She could see him so clearly, even then. "He's the reason I took up my vocation. Before I met him, I was selfish. I was greedy and vicious and envious. I was a terrible person. I was lucky to have met him. He changed me. Taught me to love. He taught me everything he knew about how to help others." She looked back down at Ashton. He was still staring into the distance. "I never thought to ask him when we first met if there was anyone else in his life. I just knew I wanted him for myself. It was only later, much later, that I thought to ask him about his past. About his life before, and if there was anyone he missed." Her eyes drifted to the floor. "He said there was. He'd been happily married. He had two children, and a third on the way." She squeezed her eyes tightly together. She'd been so selfish and uncaring when they'd met, and she could still feel the sting of those memories as if they were fresh wounds. "He told me he missed them every day." Persephone took a few breaths to help her move on. "He said that even though he missed them, that it was just part of life. It's normal to miss loved ones. I never knew what he meant or how he felt until he died and left me alone. I've missed him every single day since then." She didn't go any further. It had been years since she opened up like that to anyone. She wasn't sure if she could go any further, and she sat there quietly for a while. When she looked back up, she saw Ashton was looking her way. "Ava." He said. "Her name is Ava. We'd been together ever since we were little. Our moms had been best friends growing up." Persephone smiled. "What a lovely name." "We were renting a boat together with my older brother and our friends. It was the last time we'd all be together in one place since we were all going our separate ways soon. So we were celebrating everyone's success. Jeremy landed his first big tour with a bunch of other comedians. Bennie got his dream job. Mallory opened up her first business. Quinton was going to travel the world. Donnie went ten-and-oh just last month. Ava..." He trailed off, smiling for the first time that Persephone had seen. She liked his smile. "She was going to dance. She'd been working hard on promoting her team and wanted to move to Vegas. I was going to leave everything behind to go with her. We were having so much to drink, that I passed out. I remember falling..." He frowned. "I saw her... but it wasn't her. It was someone else." Persephone had been watching him as he described his story and picked up on the confusion in his voice and on his face. "You saw someone?" "Yeah. She looked so similar to Ava, like they could have been twins. I was about to drown when she showed up. I thought I was hallucinating, but she helped me surface. A lot of my interaction with her is fuzzy and hard to remember, but I know for sure she was there." "So Zoe wasn't the first to find you." Persephone had a flurry of questions she wanted to ask but didn't want to get too sidetracked by the revelation and thought it better to save any questions she had about the mysterious girl for later. "While I'd certainly like to hear more about this look-alike, we have matters more pressing to address. Ideally, I would prefer you had the time necessary to adjust to your new surroundings, but I'm afraid we don't have the luxury of time, as I'm sure you well know. Deliberations will have to be made decisively. That being the case..." Persephone looked towards the young man, her silver eyes speaking to the seriousness of her next question as much as her words. "Ashton, do you wish to remain aboard this ship?" The answer was immediate and passionate. "Hell no! That woman, the captain, she's fucking nutso. Uh-uh. No way. Not a chance in hell I want to be anywhere near her." Persephone smiled inwardly. Decisive indeed. "But what am I supposed to do? I can't go anywhere. I'm stuck on a ship full of..." He appeared to take a moment to choose his words carefully. "Full of women who don't have my best intentions in mind." "Maybe, maybe not." With that statement, Persephone had his full attention. "Men like yourself can live underwater. Not intrinsically, mind you. It takes some work to accomplish. Typically, a spell is used to grant you immunity to the detrimental effects of prolonged exposure. Most of us—mamono, that is—who live in the water are capable of casting the spell. Of the crew, thirteen are capable of casting the spell, myself included. I'm very low on mana right now, unfortunately, so I wouldn't be able to unless I was able to access some spirit energy." "So I can breathe underwater if you cast this spell, is what you're saying." "That and more. But again, I cannot cast much else in my current condition. As you can see, I don't even have enough mana to maintain my terrestrial transformation." She gestured to her legs, which ended in fins rather than feet. "You said something about spirit energy. That it could recharge your magic reserves or whatever. Where do we find that?" Persephone smiled, laughing a little. "I'm sure you won't like the answer very much right now." "Come on. You can't tell me this much and leave me high and dry." "Very well." Persephone smirked. "Spirit energy is generated by humans. Mamono can convert spirit energy into demonic energy. Despite the name, there's nothing 'demonic' or 'evil' about it. The relationship between mamono and humans could be likened to the relationship between humans and trees. You breathe in what we breathe out, and vice versa. It's a mutually beneficial relationship. Only, instead of air, you provide us a life-sustaining and empowering force we're able to convert into either magical spells or inherent traits." "Alright." Ashton said, coming out of his spot to sit down right beside her and throwing an arm around her, much the same way she had with Zoe. Though she was a little shocked at his sudden closeness, she soon let that melt away and leaned into him. "Does this help?" "This is nice, but it's not quite what's necessary for the exchange to happen." She remarked, giggling a little. He was warm, and his arm felt good around her. It had been so long since she'd been with a man, and he was right there... "So...what do I have to do?" "Mamono can acquire spiritual energy from humans through the absorption of bodily fluids." The thoughts were enticing and stirred her loins to ache. "Oh. So, like, blood and saliva?" "Those work, yes, though life-giving bodily fluids like milk and sperm are the most effective." Ashton went silent and seemed a little tense. "No, I'm not going to ask you. I'll admit how tempting you are and how nice it would be, but I won't force you." He seemed to loosen up at her assurance. "Huh. So that's why Zoe wanted me to have sex with you." He said, the realization finally hit him. Persephone grinned at his words. "So... is that the same thing with the rest of the crew?" "It is the same for every mamono. Even the angels of Asgard are able to utilize the life essence you produce." "I'm sorry, what?" Persephone chuckled. "We'll come back to that later when we have more time to focus on teaching you about our world. What I'm trying to impress upon you is that it's possible for you to leave the ship." "Right. But I would have to..." "No. I can't right now, and I wouldn't suggest asking anyone else in the crew. Zoe, on the other hand, is also capable of granting you the spell. She seems to have an unusually large reserve of demonic energy as well, so it shouldn't be a problem." "Right. So it's possible to leave the ship. Where do I go?" "That part is reliant on the knowledge of the Master Navigator, a harpy by the name of Iris. I don't know where we are relative to where we could go. My best guess is we're closest to the Sunken City based on the time we've travelled from Frosthaven, but I wouldn't have the slightest idea which direction we'd need to travel to get there, nor for how long." "So I need to find that information first." "Precisely. However, there's more yet to consider. Knowing Cazlyth like I do, I find it highly unlikely she'd simply let you go. She'd send the mer out to find you and bring you back. Maybe the witches too." "How do I stop that from happening?" "I'm not certain yet. We'll have to work that out as we go." "You keep saying 'we'. You're planning on coming?" The question gave Persephone pause. She hadn't been actively thinking about it. He had yet to fully heal, and she needed to make sure he came to a full recovery. But that meant abandoning the crew. She'd been with them for only a few decades, but she'd earned quite a bit of gold working with them. The deliberation must have shown on her face, since Ashton commented on it. "Why are you with them anyway? You look like you're having a hard time answering that question, but you don't seem like you belong with them." "This is a bit embarrassing, but I took the job originally because it was very lucrative." "Really? I know the captain said she makes a lot of gold, but how much are we talking about?" "Over the course of my employment, I've saved up more than thirty times what I would have if I'd stayed at the university." "Is that a lot?" "...yes. I have a lot of money saved up." Persephone said, blushing. "I know it's not the most honest work, but I still get to travel and keep people healthy. There aren't many healers in the world, and while I'm not the best there is, my services are in high demand for high-risk endeavours..." "I'd say you did a good job with me. The captain told me about my injuries. I would have been laid up for at least six months if it wasn't for you." "One and a half years, more likely." Persephone corrected, enjoying the compliment. She looked up to him, and when he returned her gaze, she felt a tingling in her scales. His lips were so kissable... "Right. Ahem. So, you're coming with me then?" Ashton asked, blushing and quickly looking away. Apparently she had an effect on him as well. She smirked and closed her eyes, laying her head against his chest. "I may as well. I've saved up almost enough to accomplish what I was hoping to." She replied, struggling to restrain herself. It wasn't evident in her voice. Or, at least, she hoped it wasn't. "And I believe Zoe will come with us as well." "Speaking about Zoe, I overheard a lot of what you said." "I imagine you did, yes." Persephone said without shame. She did try to speak softly, but she wasn't trying to keep anything hidden. "Right. She said if she left, she'd be chased down. What's that all about?" "I don't know the details of her employment. I'm guessing based on the briefing Cazlyth gave the crew before we set sail that whatever work they were doing in Frosthaven was meant to be kept quiet. Based on the amount we're being paid for the job, I'd say whoever her employer is might not appreciate her going AWOL. She'll probably be on the run from people looking to capture her. Maybe kill her." "That's insane!" "Like I said, I don't know for certain. I'm just making an educated guess based on what little I've seen." "There's no way she'd want to help me that badly." "Love makes us do things we'd never expect ourselves to do." Ashton pulled away a little. Persephone opened her eyes and looked up at him, worried the comment might have made him feel uncomfortable. He was looking towards the curtain, and she realized she was too intent on listening to Ashton's soothing heartbeat to notice the sound of footsteps. Someone was coming. "Special delivery!" Zoe called out, appearing from the part in the curtain. She was carrying a stack of clothes for Ashton in both arms and much to Persephone's mirth, Zoe was wearing her own clothes. Sort of. A thin, white bra and a tiny, silken thong weren't exactly covering much, but it was more than she had before. Ashton seemed to blush even harder upon seeing her than he did when she was fully naked. He stood up, once more trying to cover himself as she approached. "Thanks." He said as she handed him his new wardrobe. She stared up at him, positively beaming. "Do you like them?" She asked. "I, uh, don't know? I haven't tried them on yet." "No dummy! Not your clothes, mine! Here, I'll give you a twirl." She lifted her hands above her head and spun around, her long blue hair whipping about. From the back, it could have been mistaken that she wasn't wearing anything at all. "So, what do you think?" Ashton was beet red, and Persephone could swear she felt more heat radiating from him. She snuck a peek at his nethers while he was distracted and noted that regardless of what he could've said, she knew he liked what he saw. "You look nice. It's a bit revealing, though." He said, gulping. Zoe smiled coyly up at him. "Good. I'll turn around so you can dress." She said, being true to her word. She turned around and waited. Persephone smirked as she saw she was wiggling her butt around. "Ah, right. Yeah. Thanks." He also turned around and started to get dressed. "Ashton and I have been talking. He wants to leave the ship, and I'm leaving with him. Will you come with us?" Persephone asked plainly. Zoe didn't answer right away, and her body language told Persephone she was nervous. "Um...I don't think that's a good idea." As she said the words, Persephone saw Ashton deflate ever so slightly out of the corner of her eye. "Why not?" Persephone asked, once more taking the straightforward approach. "Persephone, you're a good person." Zoe said, her words uneven and shaky. "You heal people. You protect them. I'm not a good person. I'm a bad person. I do a lot of really, really bad things to people." "You hurt people?" The question caused Ashton to pause. "...yes." Zoe said, sounding ashamed. "The others, they're just like me. But worse. They'll come for me. I'm too valuable to them to just leave without them doing something about it." Ashton turned around, fully dressed. Persephone would have preferred him in less, but he looked no less dashing for the attire. "How do I look?" He asked as if the conversation wasn't as heavy as it was. Zoe turned around, and her frown turned upside down. "You look really handsome." She said, stepping forward and evening out his vest. She patted him on the chest, smiling. "Do you like working with the rest of your group?" He asked casually, reaching out and placing his hands along her upper arms. Persephone watched as their eyes connected, and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that they felt the same way about each other. "Not really." Zoe replied. "But that's not the point. They'll come after me if I leave. If I go with you, that will put you in danger." "It's going to be dangerous no matter where I go. If you come with me, you can protect me from danger." "It's not that simple Ashton!" Zoe said, pushing him away. "You don't know them. You don't know how dangerous we are." "Then tell us. Help us understand." Ashton asked. "I... I can't." "When will you ever see him again?" Persephone asked. She had hoped to avoid using any underhanded tactics, but she wasn't going to let that look they both shared go to waste. "When will you get the chance? I can't keep him alive forever. I can't protect him from danger either. You might never see him again." Zoe was shaking, and she began pacing back and forth, her fists clenching and unclenching rapidly. She looked like she was working herself up to something. Eventually, she stopped and looked up at Ashton once more. "I love you Ashton. I know we just met. But when I looked into your eyes that night, I saw sapphires. Whenever I slept, I saw them in my dreams." Ashton seemed bewildered. "You... too?" Zoe's eyes shot open wide. "Me too? You mean..." "I saw your eyes in my dreams, watching over me." "No! You're not supposed to say that." "What? Why not? You just said—" "I wasn't finished! It just, it's taking a while to work up the courage to say what needs to be said. I have butterflies inside me right now making it hard to think straight. I just don't want you to hate me. You of all people can't hate me." "Hate you? Why would I hate you?" "Because I'm not a good person! I hurt people! I kill people! That's my job. My job is to hurt people for money." Ashton was quiet at that. "See? I knew you couldn't handle the truth. I can see it in your eyes. You hate me! You're afraid of me!" "No! That's not it. My brother, he's a retired soldier. I know what it does to people. I'm just... surprised. You don't look like someone who does that sort of work." "What? What's that supposed to mean?" She asked indignantly, her fists resting on her hips. "Well, you're a small, cute girl with a bubbly attitude." Zoe went from angry to surprised in a matter of seconds, her cheeks once more flushing dark blue. "You think I'm cute?" She asked. "Yeah. You are." Ashton replied, looking a little awkward in the silence that followed. It began to stretch out longer and longer, and Persephone began to wonder if she should have interjected. Luckily, Zoe took the initiative. "Fine. Fine! I'll go with you. Just..." She sighed, rubbing the palms of her hands in her face. "Just be aware that if I go with you that means looking over your shoulder all the time. Are you happy now?" She asked, dropping her hands and looking up at him with a determined expression. "I'm relieved, more than anything." He replied. Zoe looked angry at that reply. "No, dummy! You're not supposed to be relieved. You're supposed to be the opposite of relieved!" She said, pouting. "Whatever he is feeling right this moment we can unpack later." Persephone said, grabbing their attention. "Now that we know we're in this together, we only need to do two things before we leave." "What things?" Zoe asked. "We need to find the navigation data. Without that, we'll have no idea where we are or where we're going. Iris is our master navigator, though I don't know where she keeps all her information." Persephone looked between the pair. "We also need to ensure that we disable our potential pursuers. Zoe," she said, turning to the undine, "I'll need your help making dinner for tonight. We're going to prepare a special meal." Persephone still had enough herbs left over to sprinkle into the food. Enough to cause the crew to fall into a deep sleep for the night. She turned to Ashton. "In the meantime, it's up to you to find out where the navigation data is. |
Feb 14, 4:39 PM
#16
| [Mission Impossible theme starts] Hee hee... Ashton is about to have to do some heavy duty flirting with the harpy navigator. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
Feb 15, 10:46 AM
#17
| Mission Impossible theme starting indeed. Seems Ashton is the type to function better when he has a goal to work towards. Staying on the ship is certainly not ideal for him. Let's see how good he is at putting the moves on someone :) |
Feb 16, 6:35 PM
#18
| Cool, I wonder if Zoe and Persephone will be the main companions. |
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