sailing a new dawn [tag: Nalyra/Zen]

[tovaana]

Turn 2759, 10th Pass, 4th Turn

Fehloax

“No, like this, long motions.” He murmured, stopping briefly to correct one of the men who obviously hadn’t worked long in a carpenter capacity. He gently took the sanding tool from the man to show him, unbothered by any negative or annoyed emotions that might have come from the man being corrected. Felhoax didn’t give shells of what others thought about him; caring for the ship was priority in his mind. He stopped by a pair of men replacing a piece of wood that had broken in one of the many miniature battles that had gone on during the take over. In his minds eye he could remember clearly what had happened and with who. The man that had been run through that part of the banister had also accidentally (or maybe not so accidentally?) been backed into the edge of the boat and eventually tripped off the side of the boat… Even with a shout of, ‘man overboard!’ by someone who had cared, too much had been going on, and Felh was sure the man’s grave was the ocean.

He blinked away the scene and memory, trying to blur the faces in his memory, telling himself he hadn’t cared them. Deaths happened on ships on rare occasions, like during storms, and being too invested in lives meant too many emotions for the seafaring man.

When he was younger, one of the kids in the crèche had gotten sick and died. He’d been so young, but he remembered the tears burning his eyes for the first time that wasn’t because he’d fallen or scraped a knee. “What is this?” He had asked, trying to rub the tears from his face. He’d been told he was sad and it was natural. “To mourn testifies of the love that we feel for the person gone.” So he’d been told. It had been the first moment he realized how much he hated crying. The second time had been watching a fellow child cry because something had happened to their parent, another happened to a child’s older sibling rider… the more he saw others cry or mourn, the more he realized that perhaps it was better not to love, then one would never have to mourn.

He remembered that same feeling and thought when the surrender had finally happened. Fehloax had surrendered long before the fighting had actually stopped, and he had watched as people had uselessly fought and died, or got injured. Then they’d been given the option to either stay aboard and join their crew, or get tossed overboard...From Fehl’s perspective, and many others, it seemed logical and profitable to stay onboard, besides, he wasn’t quite ready to give up the ship he had spent so much time on. It was home, to him.

“Not so hard, we want some boat leftover.” His voice wasn’t harsh, and the humor wasn’t obvious – not as obvious that the younger boy was stressed. The boy flashed a nervous smile and chuckle. “It’s ready for oil and polishin’,” Fehl added on and walked away, picking up some cleaning and repair items that had been abandoned for some reason. He picked a wall with more minor scratches and started to get to work, focusing on damage that he could repair, rather than things in the past that he could not.

[Zen]

Nalyra

Nalyra stood at the helm, the ship’s wheel in her hands, feeling the pull of the sea and the wind against her grip. Her ship. It still hadn’t really sunk in yet. Of the men that put themselves forward for captain, she had won out. The crew had actually chosen a woman to lead. She had thought it had been a long shot, but she still wanted to let her wishes be known regardless. She knew her crew, they were her family, her brothers, a few of them lovers, and though she knew they cared about her she hadn’t known that they’d be willing to follow her, to take orders from a woman, a woman far younger than most of them. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was only because she was Treyjen’s sister, if it was more out of loyalty to him that they’d voted for her, but whatever the case it had granted her a ship, it had made her a captain in their little fleet.

She grinned maliciously as she gripped the wheel, thinking of her father. A woman as a captain. The old man would kill over if he knew. If only he knew. She could hear his words, words he’d said to her so many times. Know your place, Nalyra. She laughed, gleeful, I know my place, you hidebound old fool, and it’s right here at the helm. Let any man try to tell me otherwise. To be a captain like both her brothers had been given the chance to be, simply on the basis that they were men, was something she had wanted since she was a girl. To have her own ship, her own crew, to have no one to answer to… this was everything she had ever wanted, and she would let no one take it from her.

She glanced behind her at Krillish, a man Treyjen had assigned to basically act as her bodyguard as she ‘settled in’ and they waited for the newest members of the crew to prove their loyalty. Their newest recruits had been split between the three ships, keeping them all together was just asking for trouble, but the ones that knew the Bright Wing best had stayed with her. She didn’t enjoy the feeling of being babysat. “Krillish, take the wheel for me.” The man stepped forward to do as she asked, and then she turned and started walking away.

“Na-captain! I… I’m supposed to stay with you!” the man called after her, a slight panic in his tone as he was rather trapped keeping the ship on course.

She tossed a grin back at him, “Well then who would mind the helm?” He looked rather at a loss and she wiggled her fingers back at him in farewell as she descended the steps to the main deck. She made a slow circuit of the deck, her fingers trailing over random things as she passed, as if to further solidify in her mind that it was real, this was her ship now. Men worked to repair her where the battle to win her had caused damage. Most of the newer members of the crew had been put to work there. She watched a man pick up some supplies and set to work on his own and raised a brow slightly. Well, he was pretty, wasn’t he? A shame he was new. It would be a while before she could trust him in her bed.

She cast a quick glance back up to the helm where she could feel Krillish watching her and rolled her eyes. Shells but that was going to get old, fast. Treyjen hadn’t assigned Karosh a bodyguard when he’d taken over as the Sea Dragon’s captain. She could take care of herself, but Treyjen insisted on treating her like a little girl. She made a displeased sound in the back of her throat and made her way closer to the pretty new recruit, her hand sliding over the hilt of the knife at her belt briefly. She wouldn’t be caught off guard and prove her brother right in her need to be looked after.

“You, what’s your name?” her tone was expectant as she looked down at the man. She generally didn’t even bother learning the names of new recruits until after they’d proven themselves, but she supposed as a captain now, she would have to know. And if this man was going to remain a part of her crew, she would need to know him better than just his name. Preferably much better, if he proved loyal. Treyjen had questioned all of them when they’d agreed to join, to find out what they knew how to do, where they could best be put to use, and decide which ship they would join. But that was before the vote for the Bright Wing’s new captain and she hadn’t cared to stick around to listen.

They would have each been assigned their own babysitter, a man to watch them in case they got any stupid ideas, and the thought that she was in the same position, albeit for different reasons, was even more maddening. Needing an outlet, she decided to set to work beside him, still keeping a wary eye turned his way. This was probably driving Krillish insane, and that was incredibly satisfying to think about. Treyjen had personally assigned him to her and she was sure the man was terrified of letting something happen to her under his watch, how Treyjen might react. Everyone knew he could be rather unreasonable where her safety was concerned.

With a satisfied smirk, she looked over at the new man, “How long have you worked aboard this ship?” She had known the Storm’s Eye nearly as well as Treyjen did, but here on a new ship she would have to start over, and she could use someone who knew the ship well to speed things along. She wouldn’t mind working in a closer capacity with this man. He certainly was easy on the eyes.

tovaana

[tovaana]

Fehloax;

The sound of a feminine voice broke his reverie – and drew his attention more than the abrupt ‘you’ that had others turning to see who ‘you’ was. It seemed jarring to have a woman aboard the ship, let alone be the captain. His brown gaze lifted calmly to see her approaching and clearly addressing him. He studied her short lively form thoughtfully, especially as she started to work next to him. Well, that said enough to him – that she was willing to care of the Bright Wing, hopefully.

“Fehloax.” He responded in his quiet manner, not that he needed to be loud with her working next to him. With a controlled silence he added then for mostly respectful purposes, “…Capt’n.” He nodded in greeting with the word, the barest of smiles flitting to his lips. It was a strange situation. He wasn’t free – he was a prisoner, being watched and loomed over by a people who had taken over his home in a hostile manner. Though, his love of the ocean and the Bright Wing had nothing to do with who was manning the boat, the only thing it effected was the way he was treated… Instead of fostering useless anger, he chose to just pretend like he didn’t have someone hovering over him or watching his every move to see if it whispered ‘conspirator’.

“She’s been my home for five turns.” Another short pause before he added, “Capt’n.” with another respectful nod. He wondered with idle humor if he could ask her the same questions. Obviously he knew the answer to both, though he only remembered her name because it had been a surprise when a woman had been named Captain. He glanced over at the work she was doing, more interested in her skill than her questions. Then he glanced down at her – she didn’t seem… well, she was short, feminine… curves just didn’t seem befitting a respectable captain, it didn’t fit any molds in his mind... but then again, he didn't know her.

He then realized, as he finished sanding the scratches on his part of the wall, that as much as he didn’t want to know about her – that perhaps he should try to earn some ground, if he ever wanted to be free again. His hand ran over the wounded wood, sad that such a calamity had befallen it. He supposed it was lucky they should want to take the ship, instead of burn it or take it apart for the wood. “I do appreciate the opportunity you have given me and original crew.” His tone was simple and genuine, his eyes flicking temporarily on the brunette, then back to his work. It only occurred then that she had chosen him to speak to just then, but perhaps he just got lucky and she was making the rounds for getting to know the crew.

[Zen]

Nalyra

“Fehloax,” she repeated softly, more to herself, trying his name on her tongue as he introduced himself and she set to work on the wood. A smile pulled at her lips as he called her captain. She could get used to that. She’d never really had anyone’s deference before. Until now she’d been just another member of the crew, just a girl, a captain’s daughter or sister, defined by her relation to male relatives. On the Bright Wing she could finally stand on her own and define herself. Captain Nalyra. Yes, she liked it very much.

He called the ship his home, she didn’t miss that, and she studied his face briefly. No wonder he’d chosen to stay and worked on her so diligently. Watching him work for a moment it was clear he actually cared about what he was doing. He wasn’t just working because looming pirates had told him to do so. It wasn’t fear that drove him to obedience. Of the several new members of the crew aboard, he actually seemed relatively relaxed in comparison. Five turns aboard was a decent time to get to know her, as well. So he wasn’t just a pretty face, then. What luck.

She reached up to run her fingers over the wood, coming away with her fingertips covered in dust from sanding, “A ship has always been my home as well. It’s strange being away from her. The Storm’s Eye. But now that she’s mine, I plan to treat the Bright Wing every bit the same.” She went back to sanding, still keeping an eye on him as she worked, “So if you notice she needs anything, let me know. I won’t have her neglected.”

She blinked over at him as he told her he appreciated the opportunity that had been offered to the original crew of the ship and she laughed, “The opportunity to live? Aye, suppose that is something to be grateful for.” There was a touch of sarcasm in her tone. Treyjen didn’t normally allow that many new recruits at once. He usually only took men who would prove the most useful, men who he determined, on whatever merits he looked for, would fit best into their family, that truly would settle in and weren’t just choosing to join to save their own lives. A man had to have a better reason than that. He was more lenient with women, though the deadglows were generally so set on the idea that they’d be nothing more than bedwarmers for the crew they chose to die instead. Choosing wasn’t exactly the right word, the idiots rarely did anything but beg for their lives and freedom. It wasn’t like they had a use for such women anyway.

But men that worked aboard the same ship tended to already have a bond of sorts, and that bond was more likely to lead to trouble. The Bright Wing’s crew had been a bit of an exception to Treyjen’s general rule about new recruits. Keeping several men around that knew the ship would be beneficial as the rest of the crew learned of her. Of course some of them had chosen the sea over joining pirates, and a few more had had the choice made for them by Treyjen. They could only keep so many of them, and if her brother didn’t see any other reason for their joining than fear of death he wasn’t so inclined to let them live. She could see why Fehloax had been one of the lucky ones. His loyalty seemed more to the ship than the crew. That would have to change, however, if he was to stay.

“Allowing you to live and join us was more for our benefit than yours, you know. You were deemed useful enough to keep your life, for now,” she gave him a rather intense look, “But everyone on my ship needs to be able to trust each other. That is how we’ve survived this long. Trust and loyalty. My crew are my family. We take care of each other. If you can’t earn my trust and prove your loyalty then I’ll have no place for you here. I won’t keep anyone around that could be a danger to my family.” She wanted him to know in no uncertain terms just what sort of ‘opportunity’ he’d been given. He wasn’t safe yet. None of them were.

tovaana

[tovaana]

Fehloax;

He glanced over when she ran her fingers over the wood, a similar motion he had just done moments before. He paused, looking down into her face as she told him how she planned to treat Bright Wing. His eyes met hers calmly- taking in her words and digesting them. He turned back to the marked up wall; a once perfect slate marked from the battle. As much as she wanted to treat her the ‘same’ he felt like the words fell short, since so far her crew’s actions had only brought harm so far. Yet, at the same time, sanding the wood lightly, or replacing parts – he did appreciate this promise of hers… even if she only loved the boat because it was hers now. He had earned his way aboard the boat honestly, she had not… but he wasn’t going to point that out, it seemed a moot point, since what had happened – had happened and nothing would change that.

Her laugh caught him off guard, glancing down as she agreed with him. Being a lightly sarcasm user himself, he caught the undertones that led to her next threats quite smoothly.

Family. It was a foreign concept to him and so her words were slightly lost on him. They also struggled to make sense because he had seen how people would do whatever it took to protect family, so it made sense why

“Then why risk inviting possible wild canines into your fold?” Though, he knew they were not just any fold of ovine, not with the way they had taken over his home, it was why he had left 'ovine' out of his phrasing. “For hoping to add new members to your family, it sounds like you want me to be afraid. Either way, I think the proving will be on both sides. I’ve yet to see a family unit work flawlessly, but I’m open to being proved wrong.” His tone was simple, as if the matter they were talking about was light and airy – as if she hadn’t just threatened him moments before. He bent a took a dry cloth to wipe the dust from the wood, to prepare it for oiling. He brushed it off, staring at the wood, but also stealing glances like she did. Was she going to go around and threaten the whole crew like this? He knew some that had stayed aboard would not appreciate being spoken to so bluntly. The previous captain had been stern, but not harsh. He glanced back at a few of the members of the previous crew working nearby, but forced his eyes back to his work. The idle and tempting thought was to think about which members wouldn’t make it. Well, at least he would, he was sure of that.

[Zen]

Nalyra

Nalyra blinked at him for a moment at his phrasing, and then laughed, “I think you have it backwards.” If he wanted to use that analogy then they were the pack of canines. But a threatened ovine could still kick, rams had horns they could use in self defense. While ultimately futile, they had the ability to hurt a canine if they tried, before the rest of the pack ripped them to pieces.

She snorted, “I don’t want you to be afraid, actually. I just don’t want you to be stupid.” She glanced over at him. It sure would be a shame to have to kill him. It would be quite a waste of his pretty face. “That’s why you’ll be watched and sleep separate from the rest of the crew. It’s happened before. Some idiot tries to be a hero like this is some sort of children’s story. We’ve no reason to hurt you if you’re committed to joining us, but I can’t say the same for you and what remains of your crew. I even get it. We killed quite a few of you. I’d be angry. I’d want revenge. I doubt I’d join up with us if I were in your position. I’d sooner die fighting.”

She sat back from her work to fix a hard stare on him, “So you should understand that you all have a lot more to prove than we do. We don’t need to keep you around. We could very well manage without you if we had to, it’s just more convenient to keep a few of you around that know the ship well already. But I’m not opposed to doing things the hard way if it comes down to it.” She considered him for a moment, her tone mildly defensive, “And you’re expecting quite a lot if you expect flawlessness. Just what do you mean by that? No family is perfect, but we’ve got a pretty sharding good one and you’d be lucky to be able to count yourself among us.”

He was almost frustratingly calm. Most new recruits were skittish, sometimes a bit obstinate, but just… calm like this? It wasn’t normal and it threw her off. “I take it you don’t have a family, then?” she pressed on callously, considering how he had spoken of ‘family units’ and how they were all apparently flawed in his opinion, “Is that why you don’t seem to care, one way or another?” She waved her hand at him, “You just seem to be rather full of… apathy. It’s unusual, to say the least.” Her gaze narrowed, mildly suspicious of him and his odd behavior. He did at least seem to care about the ship to some degree, but besides that he just seemed… somewhat empty, if Nalyra had to pick a word to describe him just from their short interaction thus far.

“Just what do you care about, Fehloax? Why are you here?” she asked point blank, scrutinizing him. Why hadn’t he died with the rest of the crew and why had he chosen to join their murderers? Was it cowardice or a lack of loyalty? He’d been working aboard this ship for five turns. How could he not harbor hatred for her, for the rest of her crew, for what they’d done? She couldn’t understand it. She could never be so calm in his position.

tovaana

[tovaana]

Fehloax;

He glanced again at her laughter, a small smile touching his features for a moment. “Perhaps.” Relenting that perhaps he had it backward, except that while the crew on his ship had been close, he felt certain that they didn’t feel as united as this new captain made her people out to be. Which was why he still felt slightly certain that they were the fold – or maybe more like a pack. He then remembered that wild canines did form packs of sorts.

But she was already on to the next point, before he could amend his wording. So, he listened curiously. He paused working, looking at the smooth raw wood in front of him, and then turning to semi face the woman as she told him how she’d feel if she were in his position. The barest of smiles touched his features at the fire in her soul – she was definitely not any normal woman he’d come across. It made sense why she was out at sea, nonetheless voted in captain.

An eyebrow rose when she told him that they weren’t needed. What a fine welcoming, if he was to be ‘welcomed’ into their pack. As long as he didn’t do something they didn’t liked, anyways. She didn’t give much time for him to throw words in to add, so he just listened for the most part – looking down at his hands and fingering the dusty towel as she threw the idea of imperfect families at his face. He did his best not to smile as he heard the defensive lilt in her voice. She was getting worked up over… it seemed little. He didn’t quite understand why she was getting frustrated. It wasn’t like he had told her he was going to lead a revolt… he wondered how she’d act if he had said something like that… though it sounded like that was what she expected.

Then suddenly she was getting personal, and both eyebrows rose momentarily and he couldn’t help the small shake of his head and smile. He didn’t have family, but why did that matter to her? Because he had somehow insulted hers? Fehloax dropped the towel at his feet, thinking that the oiling could wait a second. He folded his arms slowly, a half smile pulling at his lips, letting a small silence fall between them before he spoke. “Do… I get to speak now?” 

His smile faded as he continued to speak. “From my experience, families tend to be… exclusive. Even when adopting members…” He shrugged, his arms falling from their position. “You just seem to be adopting quite a few… and doing a terrific job, by the way, at welcoming them into your… pack.” He chose the last word, amending his previous idea of them being a fold of any sort.

He then bent down and took the oil brush and can and then stood back up, staring pointedly at his new captain. “I care about my home. I’m here, because this is my home.” He turned away from her and started to brush the oil on and said one more thing. “Well, for what it’s worth Captain, I hope my convenience becomes…” He glanced back at her, then hid gaze trailed down to the ground. He had to have that moment to think about what he hoped to be in this new food chain. He didn’t want to fall to the bottom, but he wasn’t sure he could be what she wanted from him. “…significant.” No word seemed good enough for what he’d been looking for, so he shrugged and went back to brushing, doubtful she’d just leave it at that.

[Zen]

Nalyra

It seemed he thought she had run over the conversation, by his vaguely amused look as he asked if he was allowed to speak yet. Shells, but he was irksome. How could a man be so sharding calm? He really wasn’t giving her much of anything to read, anything to use. Even her attempt to get some sort of reaction with her blunt inquiry about his family had no effect. Instead he gave her mild sarcasm, but clearly wasn’t upset over the line of questioning. Her warm amber eyes narrowed at him as annoyance flared through her over her inability to peg this man down, “As I said, you’ll be welcomed properly when you earn it.”

Nalyra stood as he did because she wasn’t about to get caught sitting down if he wanted to do something stupid. He’d be stronger than her, it’d be all too easy for him to pin her down if she was already off her feet. And though she didn’t think he would try anything, with how oddly stoic he’d been for the most part she really didn’t know what to expect from him. So the ship was all he cared about? Not the people on it? What a strange man he was. She considered his statement about hoping to become ‘significant’ in some way. Even that came out sounding somewhat cryptic. She had a feeling it would take some time for her to be able to trust him. She’d definitely be keeping a close eye on him.

She had to ask, “Are you telling me you spent five turns living and working with your crew and you never formed any sorts of bonds with any of them?” That seemed impossible. If that was true, then surely there was something wrong with this man. Fehloax, she reminded herself of his name, studying him as he went back to work, his care for the ship all the more apparent as he continued to focus most of his attention on it. “Did they not treat you well?” She was trying very hard to understand him and having little luck.

Their crew drank together, gamed together, fought beside each other, grieved together, supported each other, sacrificed for each other… that was family. That was what family was supposed to be. Trust, love, and loyalty. She supposed on a normal ship, the crew might not be as close as theirs, but surely there was friendship? Camaraderie? Brotherhood of some sort, perhaps not with the entire crew but with a few at least? “You’ve never had someone you would die for, have you? Someone you would kill for? That’s what you get when you’re part of this family. Our loyalty runs deep. It has to. It’s how we survive. If you don’t think you’re capable of that, you won’t last. This isn’t just a job. This is our lives.”

tovaana

[tovaana]

Fehloax;

The softest of sighs exited his mouth as she continued speaking. What was it with women and talking? Why couldn’t women just leave a conversation at a good drop off? It seemed so especially in bed – he never wanted to be rude, but sometimes the best way to shut a woman up was to kiss her. Unfortunately he didn’t think that would go over so well in this situation. He imagined with her spunk he’d get a good slap or knife to the chest. Probably the latter.

He shrugged at her comment about earning his way to getting a welcome. “I just don’t see how one is supposed to earn trust, when given no opportunities in which to earn it. How can one prove loyal, when treated as foe?” He didn’t look back at her, using long stroking motions on the wood, enjoying the way the sanded color darkened under the oil's touch.

She really just couldn’t drop anything, could she? He regrettably stopped his brushing motion and glanced back at her, and then at his former crew members working around him. They were part of his home – they worked like extensions of the sails to make his home work. He knew he couldn’t deny that. It wasn’t like his crew members didn’t like him, he did his part on board, he helped others when needed, but he managed to slip away when there was much laughter, sinking into the woodwork, so to speak, when the real bonding was going on. He liked to watch them, sometimes, but it was just better his way. Why did she have to dig so to know how he felt about it? He also couldn’t tell the difference between her genuine questions and rhetorical. Did she really need to know every answer to every curiosity?

“Well, to be honest, Capt’n. I’ve never had to think about killing anyone.” He looked at her hard with his brown eyes, trying to convey the message of their strange situation. He was also trying to figure out what exactly she wanted from him, partly to get her off his back so he could continue working, and partly because he was obviously not meeting some need. Normally he wouldn’t care particularly, but she was the captain of his home, and as she said – if he didn’t adapt, he wouldn’t make it in this new environment. “We are tradesmen, not… thieves, pirates. The old crew of this boat have the backs of each other, what's left of 'em.” His voice was not bitter, but it was serious. There was a little thought that nagged him, would anyone have mourned if he had died? He wasn’t sure of the answer or if he wanted to know. It was better to spare others that pain, just as he spared himself of it. He hadn't really needed to think much about it before then either - not that there weren't risks of sailing the open seas, just... not quite as necessary to think about an accident verses a something forced upon him like a pirate invasion. 

He decided to try his luck, though perhaps with her flustered wasn’t the best time for it – or, perhaps it was. Or, maybe he'd try for subtle first. “I’m not sure what you want from me, Captain, but do let me know when you find out.” He gave her a small smile and nod, taking a back step as if to turn back to his work, but first waiting to see if she wanted to continue this conversation or move on... which he had an inkling for what she'd choose, but he liked to be proved wrong sometimes too. 

[Zen]

Nalyra

Folding her arms over her chest, Nalyra tilted her head in the slightest at him as he admitted to seeing little way to earn their trust, “Well that’s for you to figure out, isn’t it? If you value your life.” She waved a hand around them in general, “There have been plenty of men before you who managed to do so. It isn’t like your little group are the first outsiders we’ve allowed to join us. If you’re not clever enough to figure it out, that sounds like your problem.” She watched him work for a moment, “Though taking initiative is a decent first step.” He did seem rather dedicated to his work, at least. He wasn’t doing it out of fear. Sometimes fear got the better of a man and made it too difficult for him to fit into the crew. She doubted that would be a problem for Fehloax.

She wasn’t entirely inclined to help him figure it out, however. It wasn’t her job to help him earn their trust… though she did hope he figured it out quickly. Frustrating as he was, she still didn’t want to see him go to waste. Especially not before she’d figured him out. He was an odd little puzzle she was determined to solve. More than anything she wanted to see some sharding emotion on his face, something that would make him seem like a real human rather than… whatever stood before her.

She gave a soft huff at his statement about killing. She supposed not. In her experience, killing someone required some amount of passion, either hatred for the person or a desire to protect a loved one, or both. She wasn’t sure Fehloax was able to feel anything quite so passionately. Which only made her curious if he was as passionless in bed. Wouldn’t that be disappointing? Well, if he earned her trust, maybe she could teach him if that was the case. It might be a fun challenge finding his passion.

Casting a cursory look around as he insisted the remaining crew of the Bright Wing had each other’s backs, she raised a brow at him, “Do they?” She wondered. If she threatened to kill Fehloax right now, would any of them try anything to save the man? If she offered for one of them to take his place, would anyone volunteer? She doubted it, but she wasn’t going to test it either, as amusing as it might be, because she certainly had no intention of killing anyone and she did not make empty threats. She smirked at him, “Well, you’re pirates now, so you’d best start thinking about killing, hm? Unless you’d rather be the one with a knife in your gut.” It would be a while before any of the new men would be allowed to fight, but that just gave them more time to come to terms with what was necessary. If they even could.

She made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat as he told her to let him know when she figured out what she wanted from him. She knew very well what she wanted from him, but she wasn’t foolish enough to have it just yet. Perhaps that’s where some of her frustration stemmed from. When he took a slight step back she followed, against her better judgment, stepping in close to the man to reach up to touch her fingers to his jaw, “I want to trust you, Fehloax, but in order to do that I need to understand you.” She pulled her hand away and poked two fingers into his chest, “You’re keeping yourself locked up in there… but you should know, I’m quite good at picking locks.”

She let her hand linger on his chest for a moment before stepping back again, putting a safer distance between them and leaving that line of thinking behind for now. One hand came to rest on her hip as she tilted her head at him again, “Five turns… you must know this ship pretty well, hm? Her nooks and quirks? If you want to earn my trust, you can start by teaching me. I want to know her just as well.” She quirked a brow at him expectantly, wondering if it would bother him to leave a job unfinished or if he would try to refuse so he could complete his current task first. It wasn’t like she had missed how he kept trying to go back to work, though if she was annoying him he was doing a decent job of not letting it show. “So why don’t you be a good host and show me around your home. And don't spare the details.”

tovaana

[tovaana]

Fehloax;

She was as soft as a prickly tree, it seemed. It wasn’t as if it bothered him particularly, but she had a somewhat flippant attitude herself. Just moments before she had thrown the word ‘apathy’ to describe what filled him, and yet she seemed to have a degree of that too, the way she said she didn’t care if he or his previous crewmates made it or not, since it was their problem. Well, or she feigned apathy, because she tacked on a clue for him – initiative. That shouldn’t be a problem for him, at least. He wasn't the most outspoken, but he wasn't against stepping up when the occasion called for it. 

She posed her short question when he had turned around to face her and it had him glance at his other crewmates… there was a hollow fear that pricked him. Her raised eyebrow in challenge of his words had spurred the questioning in the back of his mind. It was true, for him, for the most part… There had to be a balance. He would defend his crewmates, but when boarded by pirates – he had not thrown his life in jeopardy to stop what had been a lost cause. A few near him had followed his lead in giving up – but not all of them had. He tried not to think about those with her challenging, ‘do they?’

He considered her smirk with a quirked brow of his own, then glanced down at his oiling tools when she told him the very obvious. He was a pirate now. He’d changed his occupation before, it wouldn’t be so different… except for the killing. He’d have to consider this on a later moment, the idea was so foreign and a waste of life, even if he avoided people, it didn't mean he ever had the desire to kill any of them. There didn't seem a reason - he couldn't imagine caring so someone so deeply that he'd want to kill to protect them, as she had questioned him earlier. Even more important, he could never imagine anyone feeling that way about him, so it merely made sense to not fabricate something that could never exist. 

The sound she made in response to his question and he couldn't imagine what it meant. Irritation because she didn't know? Or she did know, and wasn't getting it? Well, he could say the same, but he wasn't growling about it. She was kinda cute when she got flustered so. It wasn't like he was meaning to frustrate her, as tempting as the thought was to trigger her growls. 

There was a certain thrill as she followed his step backward and her hand touched his jaw. His jaw tightened as the thrill turned to desire, and leaned slightly forward at the touch. If both his hands hadn’t been occupied, he would have been tempted to brush her own jawline with a side of his finger. Her closeness made it hard to think about the feelings that she wanted to talk about and unlock. She and every woman before her, practically. All he really heard was, “I want… you,” which seemed all he really cared about in the moment. He glanced down at her fingers at his chest and he smiled and glanced up at her. There was still a light smile on his lips, but there was a tingling fear that perhaps she would try and beat down the door to his heart, or pick the lock open as she had worded it. Not that he thought she could actually do it. Usually the women who he had would realize after one or two times that he was not interested in anything serious and would either leave him alone, or come again… but the ones who kept coming were far and in-between. Wouldn’t it be unfortunate (or fortunate?) if his new captain was the type to not leave him alone?

She stepped away from him and broke the tension he’d been feeling, suddenly hoping desperately she was the type who would realize he was hopeless and leave him alone. Yet… there was the dilemma that she was his Captain, she was no lass in a seaside hold they were merely passing through. He wasn't sure how that would factor in either, it wasn't like female captains were a common thing, or even uncommon - they were... rare, or even a fluke. It did make him wonder again at how she'd been voted in. 

Fehloax glanced behind him at his work, half oiled part of the wall. It was a pity he couldn’t finish it now and had to leave it for someone to do a probably spotty job at it. But he could always go back over it later, it wasn’t like he hadn't planned on doing that with pretty much all of the ship when everyone said they were ‘done’. He promptly put down his oiling gear and wiped his hands on his legs and looked down at the firey captain. Well, there were plenty of places he could get her alone, though he wasn’t sure how that would go if she didn’t trust him. Perhaps on a later day.

“Of course, Capt’n.”

He wanted to ask her where she wanted to see first, but remembered quickly her earlier comment about initiative. But it didn't mean he couldn't poke some fun in the process. 

"Well, there's the helm up there." He motioned with all seriousness, but his eyes danced with humor as he moved on without a second thought or letting her dwell too long on his bad joke. "I s'pose we should head into her belly then, since I assume you know the deck well enough." Poking fun at his own joke. He moved past some of his past crewmates glancing at them with a small smile as they glanced back at him with varied muted expressions of curiosity. He turned to the stairs that sloped under the quarter deck and down to the next level of the ship. There really wasn't... much unique about the ship, but he did know a few tricks and tips. There was one thing he had found about the captain's room... He'd found the secret by accident and being an honest man, if anything, had told the captain. It would be of use to Nalyra, certainly. She'd certainly want to know how he knew, by the way she was nosily wanting to know every detail of his life including his family. 

He thought about this as he passed the stairs toward the captain's cabin and stopped at the door. She probably knew this was her room and had already staked her claim - and he wouldn't enter uninvited. He glanced back at her with a knowing smile. "I'd never enter the captain's cabin uninvited." He waited expectedly, standing aside to let her make her choice. There were people bustling by, it wasn't like they'd be terribly alone with the door propped open. 

Zen

[Zen]

Nalyra

She didn’t miss the way he leaned in slightly when she touched him. Well that was a good sign. Of course, he was a man, wasn’t he? It wasn’t like they’d ever turn down a woman’s touch. Unless they preferred men, she supposed. But Fehloax had been giving her so little emotion she hadn’t even been certain he could feel desire. Perhaps there was hope for him yet, and he wouldn’t prove as lackluster in bed as she had imagined he might. Shells but waiting was going to be obnoxious. She was a woman that got what she wanted, when she wanted it, and holding back was something she rarely did. She was determined to live freely, to act how she wanted to act, to do what she wanted to do, and to not give a single solitary shard what anyone else thought about it. So not acting on her interest in Fehloax was beyond frustrating, but giving in to that desire was also incredibly stupid at the moment. He had better prove himself quickly or she was likely to start taking her frustrations out on him until he did.

He seemed to contemplate his half finished work for a moment as she waited, but eventually he seemed to decide he would obey her order. She wouldn’t have forced him to, if he’d refused, despite how non negotiable her words and tone might have been, and likely would have sought one of the other men from his former crew instead. However he set his work down and wiped his hands off, agreeing readily enough. She really enjoyed how he kept calling her captain. He gestured up to the helm and she glanced at him as he began the tour by pointing it out. Though his tone seemed to suggest he was serious, his eyes told a different story, and she rolled her eyes rather dramatically. She did appreciate his attempt at humor though, even if it was terrible, because it made him seem more human.

She glanced toward the bow of the ship. “Well, you say that, but all ships have little quirks that you might not know just by looking, only from experience. They may seem insignificant, but I want to know every intimate detail,” she tossed back with a wry grin. “The Storm’s Eye has a particular plank on the main deck that squeaks when you step on it. It doesn’t matter how many times we’ve changed it out. Something about the ship’s skeleton must be the cause, but it isn’t problematic enough to delve that deep to fix it. Quirks,” she explained as an example, following him as he moved. He stopped before the captain’s quarters and looked back at her, and she heard Krillish call a mildly concerned ”Captain?” as she was no longer in his view. She ignored him, annoyance flashing through her again at the feeling of being babysat.

Fehloax stepped aside, waiting for permission to enter now that the room was hers. Shells but he wasn’t making this easy. She did like a good obedient man and they were quite difficult to find. She needed to keep her guard up, however, and keep in mind that it all could very well be a ploy. “Hm,” she considered him for a moment before pushing the door open, gesturing inside, “After you. I can’t imagine what you might have to show me inside my own quarters.” She could imagine plenty... plenty of things that were out of the question, shard it all. Had he started here to throw her off, now that she’d made her interest rather clear? Surely he didn’t think she’d act on it if he got her alone. She hooked one thumb into her belt, near her knife, and quirked a brow expectantly. She would not be caught off guard, no matter how pretty he was. She wasn’t a man, after all. She wasn’t so distracted by the idea of sex that she could be so easily manipulated.

tovaana

[tovaana]

Fehloax;

She… wanted to know about squeaky boards? Well, there were some of those… but a myriad of them weren’t bothered to be changed. Including in the sleeping quarters, perhaps he’d show her the boards the step on while sneaking through – he’d done that plenty of times. Being quiet was a talent of his, he avoided the quivering boards subconsciously now – it would be somewhat of a mind game to think of them consciously. He almost missed the sound of someone calling for ‘Captain’ in the background amidst his thoughts and he glanced at her as she eyed her quarters that he’d brought her to.

“Can’t you?” He breathed, with a small smile, and moved to pass her, striking him in that moment that perhaps it was not so thought out for him to start in her room. It had just been closest and the first thing that had popped into his mind. Perhaps he wanted to imagine a little the new room as hers instead of the previous captain’s. He really hadn’t thought too much about it until that moment. He glanced down at the movement around her belt, amused at the silent threat and simply moved passed her, brushing off the idea that she could kill him. He liked to think that she wouldn’t, that he could prove useful… in many ways… but he also didn’t quite understand her character yet either.

He glanced around with his eyes at his surroundings, but did not move his head to prove that he was actually being nosy. He turned and moved along the wall along the door they had entered, moving directly to an obscure corner near a beam in the wall and waited for Nalyra to get close so she could see what he was doing. “I suppose every ship has one. But I imagine I can spare you a few hours by showing you where it is.” He started to feel along the wood and work as he spoke. “When I was younger, one of my first turns aboard, the Captain ordered me to fetch something in his room. He told me to come straight away after getting it – and… I did. But I noticed a few nicks in the wood – around here.” He pointed to the wood – the spot had been filled in and fixed, unnoticeable by the untrained eye. “I spent a lot of time fixing the ship already when needed, duties of an apprentice, you can imagine. I have a hard time…” He paused trying to remember what exactly he had felt as a boy. Had he known instinctively? Or had he really just wanted to fix the wood? “I guess the perfectionist in me couldn’t just leave it… anyways, I didn’t go straight back, I tried to fix the spot… and came across this by accident.” He had wiggled a board behind the beam out of the way, and after a few other pieces of other wood followed and revealed a good size hole in the wall in which to store things. He stepped away, not wanting to think what had been left in the box by his previous captain, not liking to think about him and his fate… it seemed disrespectful to go through his things, besides – it was now Nalyra’s spoil, whatever it may be.

“I told the captain I found out about it, I think he ended up locking his door a lot more often after that. I think you would have found him overly trusting.” Would she kill him over a little detail like this? It was a sensitive detail about the ship. “Not sure if it would help – that I haven’t told anyone else about it. Or perhaps you'd kill me over knowing a small detail as such?” He glanced over at her to gauge her reaction, hopeless if she wouldn't be pleased with this detail. At the thought of punishment, he remembered the first time that had also been rationed food – and assigned many other punishing duties after that incident. As forgiving a man the Captain had been, he had also worked Fehloax to the bone, hardly letting him sleep until he had been found passed out on a lower deck will scrubbing. Well, hopefully his blunder from his young days would be worth it now.

[Zen]

Nalyra

Her gaze narrowed slightly and a suggestive smirk touched at her lips at his rhetorical can’t you? but she otherwise didn’t respond to it, following him after he’d moved past her, curious to find out what he might have to show her. Watching as he moved along the wall, she only stepped closer once he’d stopped, running his hands over the wood, seeking something. It seemed he had a whole story to go with it, which was somewhat surprising. It seemed like she’d done most of the talking so far and he hadn’t seemed terribly interested in sharing anything about himself. It was a start.

She gave a soft laugh at his explanation of how he had found it, compelled to fix an imperfection he’d found, “Mm, you seem to have quite the eye for detail… I can appreciate that.” She was a rather detail oriented person herself. The little hidey-hole he revealed was quite a pleasant little surprise. She wondered if Treyjen’s quarters had something like that built in. If there was, he clearly kept it a secret, even from her. She was slightly irked to imagine there might be a part of the Storm’s Eye she didn’t know about, but… it was no longer her home, was it? It seemed she had picked the right man after all, if she wanted to know just as much, if not more, about her new home.

He assured her he hadn’t told anyone else about it and she raised a brow as he asked if she might kill him for the knowledge. Shells, what had his former captain done when he’d found out about it? She couldn’t help the short bark of laughter, “Why would I kill you for knowing about a hole in the wall? Great Faranth, you say I would have found your former captain too trusting but I rather think the opposite. My crew doesn’t steal from each other. I’ve no need to hide things from them in secret wall compartments. Haven’t you ever heard that old saying? There is honor among thieves. We may take what we want from strangers but we divide our spoils fairly and everyone respects that.”

Maybe she had laid on the threats pretty thick, but she thought she’d made it clear that the safety of her crew was the reason for doing so. Unless he was teasing her. Shells, why was he so hard to read? She was usually so good at figuring people out. Surely some of her frustration with him stemmed from that as well. She waved her hand at the compartment, “It’s nice to have a little extra storage, but I don’t keep secrets from my family. I do appreciate you showing me, however. I’ll go through it later. What other fun little surprises do you have in store?” She glanced around the cabin briefly, wondering just how well he knew the room. He certainly didn’t seem like a man that would have gone snooping if given the chance. It was only dumb luck that had led him to his little find in the wall. She nearly asked him if there was anything particularly interesting about the bed she ought to know but bit it back. Shards, this was obnoxious. Why did he have to be so attractive?

tovaana

[tovaana]

Fehloax;

He glanced at her with a smile at the compliment. He’d take it. Something he had done right, even if it’d put him in a difficult position multiple times in his life. Not everyone appreciated when their things were randomly moved, especially if it was too close to his living space. 

He wasn’t bothered by her assessment of their previous captain, since her own view of mortals seemed too trusting of her own crew. As optimistic as he was in life, it was not with the human race necessarily. She said no one stole from each other or kept secrets, he’d believe it when he saw it. He was open to believing it, and a part of him hoped he was wrong about her views.

So, Fehl looked at her with mild skepticism. No secrets? …at all? “Marks aren’t the only secret one could hide away.” He said simply, still baffled by her words and thinking about what she’d said. The man also didn’t believe her when she said she had no secrets to keep away from her family. So, she’d tell the whole crew about the hole in the wall? There was honesty and then there was just… withheld information. He couldn’t believe she’d make a open announcement about a hole in a wall.

He looked at her blankly for a moment, thinking about what he could show her next. Everything he’d thought about earlier seemed to be out of reach with his confusion filling in the spaces between. If she wasn’t going to be impressed with something like this, he wasn’t sure what would impress her. “Hmmm.” He took a thoughtful step back and motioned to her bed. “Well, this would be your bed.” And then he turned, a small smile to himself as he moved out of the room and maneuvering to the stairs that would take them below. He couldn’t help but hope that perhaps it wasn’t the last he’d see of the room, but this thought still battled with the idea that she was ‘Captain’ and he currently trying to find his way in the new pecking order.

As they went down the stairs, instead of turning to the belly of his home, he kept going straight through the dining and kitchen and paused near a hardly important door at the end. “Men like to use this storage room to be alone, there’s a space behind where things are stored, where the bowsprit comes into the ship – a place to sit and drink.” He had never particularly used it himself, as much as he liked to be alone, it wasn’t the most pleasant places to be. He didn’t bother opening it, but paused near it, in case she wanted to look for herself.

“Hmmm, besides that. Plenty of squeaky boards to avoid. I could show you a silent path in the crew’s quarter’s.” He was sure there was more, things he knew about the ship subconsciously and couldn’t bring to his consciousness. “Am I passing your test yet?” He asked with mild humor and curiosity.

Zen