Posted by: Fortuna Jun 23 2008, 11:26 PM
The ship, when it came, hovered tauntingly just beyond the range of the Verplichting's cannons. Up close she was a tiny wasp of a ship with fourteen guns of her own, sitting high in the water--no match for the Verplichting in a straight fire-fight, but more than able to skim out of reach. She held herself back to keep even pace with the larger iron ship, as if she was watching them.

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 23 2008, 11:33 PM
Andre grimaced at the ship, holding a hand up to shield his eyes. "Hold your fire 'til she's in range. Can anyone see who's aboard?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 23 2008, 11:34 PM
"The hell kind of new bullshit is this?" Spider muttered, watching the other ship from the gulf of water separating them. "Are they escortin' or followin' or just trying to get us nervous enough to try something or what?"

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 23 2008, 11:39 PM
"I'd say the third option seems the most likely." Bastian said nervously, squinting in an attempt to see the ship better. "I can't see well enough to see anyone on board, Commandeur." He said after a few moments of trying.

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 23 2008, 11:52 PM
"Here." The girl passed Bastian Cara's goggles from where she had slung them at her hip. "It brings things up closer; you've got the better eyes for it. Just don't try to talk. She says that messes it up, for some reason."

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 23 2008, 11:54 PM
"Third," Andre agreed. "They want to be able to blame us if we open fire. She still hasn't run up any colors," he said with a frown. "Which any friendly ship would have done."

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 23 2008, 11:59 PM
Bastian put the goggles to his eyes and stared through them for a long time, panning back and forth over the ship. When he took them away from his eyes he said, "There's barely anyone on the ship. Doesn't look like they'd stand a chance if they tried to board us. Maybe that's why they're staying their distance." He frowned as he passed the goggles back to Spider.

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 12:02 AM
The girl took them back without looking. "And if they were distressed they would've done something by now. E'en a signal fire, something." She put the goggles up and tried to make out people, then lowered them, shaking her head. "Ship that size could run off just a little crew anyways."

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 12:05 AM
"They're below," Andre warned nervously, and he reached to put an arm around Spider's shoulders. "Don't trust what you see; they've got to have men below."

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 12:10 AM
"I kind of liked the idea that there were only a few men on board." Bastian muttered, frown deepening. "You think they're trying to trick us?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 12:17 AM
"It's what they did last time," Spider said in an odd, flat voice. "Levelled another ship then sat out of sight in the smoke to pick off whoe'er came to lend a hand."

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 12:19 AM
"And that one might be a decoy," Andre added, suddenly growing chill. "Has anyone set a lookout in the other directions?"

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 12:24 AM
"I think so, but I'll go make certain. Better we be sure than get lured into a trap for our lack of security." Bastian replied, trying to look more sure of himself as he hurried off into the crowd of Navy men.

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 12:26 AM
Olivier emerged on deck, wiping his hands on his trousers. He spared only a moment to scan the area for Andre and company, and then limped over towards them, drawing up behind them. He gave the other ship a little snort of disapproval and squinted at the thing, frowning.

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 12:34 AM
Spider went quiet, systematically cracking her knuckles, then shaking out her hand. "If it's a stand-off, what can we do? Wait 'em out and see if they'll follow us near shore?"

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 12:41 AM
"Aye, I think so," Andre agreed, nodding at Spider. "If they're truly following us, they have to let us know eventually. Ollie!" he called out. "Here, Pietri, give Ollie the glasses?"

He grimaced. "Where are the Nevy ships Moreau promised?"

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 12:48 AM
Sturges held out his hand for the glasses, tugging thoughtfully at his beard with the other. "Holding with everythin I know about bloody Navy promises," he muttered, lips pressed into a firm line. "She's holding course, then? Cheeky bastard."

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 12:51 AM
Spider passed over the glasses and crossed her arms against her chest, cupping her elbows in her hands, as if she was cold. "We can't hit her, she damn well can't hit us. Paugh! We don't e'en know if it's the right one! This is so . . . if she were within hailing distance I'd say warn her to present, but I don't know if she could hear us from here."

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 12:53 AM
"I'm going to have the men change course to sail alongside her, instead of away," Andre replied. "We can play the same game she is, and then we'll see if she's following or no." He gave Spider a squeeze before he started off.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 12:56 AM
Bastian returned in time to see the Captain heading off. "I've relayed the message to my brother, he's making sure there's someone watching all sides." He told the remaining two, nodding a welcome at Sturges. "Does the Captain have a plan?" He asked hopefully.

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 01:04 AM
Olivier was squinting through the glasses, bushy brow furrowed. He dropped them at last, his expression of disgust unchanged. "Beyond feeling her out?" he asked Bastien, shaking his head--he didn't know. "At best it's a scare tactic, at worst, a feint or distraction or something similar... Don't let it unnerve you."

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 01:09 AM
Spider shrugged at Bastian without unfolding herself. "He's gonner try to run alongside to see if she tries to get out of the way or what. I don't know either. It's already unnerved me, Sturges--it's feckin' eerie. It's got to be her. Anyone legit would've put up their flags when we did; anyone illegit would've turned tail."

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 01:14 AM
"It's hard not to be unnerved." Bastian replied nervously. "You see anything of interest?" He asked, indicating the glasses. "The Captain thinks there are more men than it looks, that they've got more hiding below."

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 01:18 AM
"A good assumption, I should think," Sturges agreed, eying the ship again. It was true, the crew was markedly scarce... "She's our worst-case scenario, is she not? We've been preparing for that, no sense going all cold and worried now that it's come."

He set a heavy hand on the railing, furrowing his brow. "Is there anyone else out there with a vested interest in this metal crate?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 01:23 AM
"Lots of folks," Spider said to Sturges, "but not a lot of folks with the gumption or the gunpowder to take her out from under us. We're thirty-two heavy and she's got naught but fourteen. Not to mention that we've got who-knows how many tonnes on her. We could go through her like a sheet of paper. Only thing she's got it speed enough to get out of our way. It's suicide."

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 01:30 AM
"Then we've nothing to be afraid of, really?" Bastian asked hopefully. "She gets out of our way or we take her down, and it's settled?"

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 01:40 AM
"Hardly, my boy, hardly," Sturges told Bastien, firmly. "We assume that, despite the evident odds, she's stacked things in her favor in some way we can't see just yet.... and count ourselves exceptionally lucky if all is truly at it seems."

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 01:46 AM
"I say we gut her, but that's just me." Spider dipped her head, not meeting the eyes of either man. "If there weren't just that one chance, that one little chance that maybe she's stranded or lost and can't raise a signal . . . " Again she scowled and shook her head.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 01:51 AM
"I figured you'd have to say something like that." Bastian muttered. "But I don't get it, we're clearly stronger, and we've got men looking out for other ships so she can't surprise us. What could she possibly have up her sleeve?"

Posted by: Fortuna Jun 24 2008, 02:07 AM
The Verplichting gradually turned her bulk to run parallel to the smaller ship. The other vessel reacted immediately by drawing out of range once more, pulling against the wind until she sat directly across from the iron ship's midsection, as if this were an open broadside. Still she kept silent, with only a flurry of movement on her deck as a number of men lowered down a square of white blanket or tarp to flutter at her side.

Posted by: Barbara Lang Jun 24 2008, 02:28 AM
"What the hell are we going to do?" said the woman who looked like she could be Spider's older sister with her collar starting shortly below her ears and wide trousers. "I can't shoot at that!" Lang said, pointing at the ship.

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 02:33 AM
"We're not shootin' anything yet!" Spider said; "look!" She pointed out toward the white tarp. "I say we shoot 'em if they think that passes for a truce flag."

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 02:36 AM
"Maybe they don't have a truce flag? Would you, if you were a pirate ship?" Bastian asked, shrugging.

Posted by: Barbara Lang Jun 24 2008, 02:40 AM
"It's not a truce flag." Lang said calmly turning to face the other ship. "They want us to get close enough, and then they'll storm us again." She said. "One should think that they would tire of these games. I want that ship to be splinters."

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 02:44 AM
"What the hell are they doing out there?" Andre asked, as he rejoined the group.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 02:48 AM
Declan wandered his way towards the group, brow furrowed as he looked across the way at the other ship. Then at the crew. Then at the other ship.

Then turned away, returning with his knife on his belt, holding up a hand to shade his eyes as he peered over at the ship.

Posted by: Barbara Lang Jun 24 2008, 02:52 AM
"Asking us politely to blow them up?" Lang replied to Andre, scratching at her high-collared shirt. "Laying out their final meal?"

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 03:04 AM
"Lang, we don't even know if it's her," Andre pointed out. "We can't just-- we can't blow up innocent people. I say we stay out of firing range as long as she lets us, just keep going our own way."

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 03:17 AM
Deck looked at the assembled crewmen (and crewwomen) before shrugging a little and being okay with looking like a fool, "So, uh... is the other boat evil or something?" He scowled a little, "Or an evil captain?"

Posted by: Fortuna Jun 24 2008, 03:21 AM
From the rear of the Verplichting came a ringing, hollow clang and the scrape of metal on metal. The large ship dipped, ever so slightly, then rose up, leaning slightly off-keel. Her speed decreased.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 03:27 AM
"Please tell me that's something that happens normally every once in a while." Bastian said, looking a little ill.

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 03:28 AM
Sturges swore. "This is what I meant. This is exactly what I meant!" he stamped a foot, then winced, limping towards the rear of the boat, one hand falling to the blade at his side.

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 03:33 AM
Andre grimaced. "Lang, get Knocks!" he shouted at the Bavarian. "The rest of you--" he stumbled slightly. "There's something under the ship. I say we..."

He gnashed his teeth, then looked to Spider. "Open fire?" he asked her, meekly.

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 03:35 AM
"That's what they did last time. They tore open the aft-follow lock to drag the ship." The girl's face went tight. She nodded to Andre. "Tear 'em up."

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 03:37 AM
"BRING HER AROUND AND OPEN FIRE!" Andre ahouted, this time, without hesitation.

Posted by: Fortuna Jun 24 2008, 03:45 AM
The cannonfire crunched into the small ship, sending up shards and puffs of dust. The unmarked vessal rocked to its side, barely able to swing upright as the volley went on. The mizzen cracked, then bend downward into a mass of screams.

And aboard the Verplichting, a slimy hand swung over the rail, and a bloated, violet-faced man hauled himself aboard, gripping his long knife between his teeth.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 03:53 AM
Bastian backed away, looking ill as he shakily pulled out his sword. This was something he was definitely not prepared for.

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 03:53 AM
Sturges let out a long hissing breath as the sickening figure dropped onto the deck, and drew his short sword. His limp disappeared as he closed the distance between them, sword at the ready. "HOLD THERE," he roared, loudly.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 04:03 AM
"Hell."

Deck took out his knife and followed Sturges towards the figure, looking around to see if/where more were coming from.

Posted by: Fortuna Jun 24 2008, 04:03 AM
The violet-faced man took the blade from his teeth and gave Sturges a sneer before spitting a large, sticky sea-slug into the older man's beard and swinging his sword around.

At the same moment, two more tumbled over the rail and onto the deck, both of them sodden to the skin, dripping slime and weed. One of them appeared to be a woman, scrawny, in the ruined remains of a green silk dress, with a pair of sabres slung on her back; the other one drew a belaying pin studded with nails and looked around the deck for on-comers, his eyes falling on Deck. He advanced, leering.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 04:09 AM
He brought..

Of course he brought friends. They're a raiding party.

Deck looked at the nail-ridden pin, then at his knife and felt suddenly quite inadequate. Still, he didn't fancy whatever it was these half-rotted things had in store so he dropped into a rough approximation of a fighter's stance and prayed quickly that he got out of this in one piece.

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 04:09 AM
"GET YOURSELF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN A GODDAMN KNIFE, DECK!" Andre shouted at the younger man, and he tripped over himself as he pulled out his own pistol and stepped in front of Spider.

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 04:11 AM
Spider pushed herself out from behind Andre and drew her own pistol. "Got one! Good neighbour!" She gave Andre a friendly clap on the back and eased her way down the wall toward the cabin.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 04:13 AM
Bastian gathered his courage, to the best of his abilities, and ran to Deck's side, sword drawn and at the ready. "You can have his weapon when I kill him." He suggested, giving the man what he hoped was a confident smile.

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 04:13 AM
Sturges brought his blade up to parry the man’s with a clang, expression disgusted. He paid the lump twisting in his beard no mind, sparing only the briefest of moments to mentally note the newcomers before cutting inwards with a low slice, meant more to test than damage.

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 04:15 AM
"Lock yourself in!" Andre shouted at the girl, swinging around to see where he could get a shot in.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 04:16 AM
"From WHERE?" Deck considered panic before looking at the big man again and running away like something that really didn't want to be on the business end of that pin, especially if there were bigger things around.

"Thanks, Bastian. I'll get something in the meanwhile, yeah?"

And began searching for something to use.

Posted by: Fortuna Jun 24 2008, 04:21 AM
Meanwhile a handful of others had oozed onto the deck, some of them pausing long enough to vomit out seawater. There was nothing quite wrong with any of them, save that they all gave the distinct impression of being . . . incomplete. Whatever they were, they were alert enough to fight back the oncoming sailors.

Sturges's opponent blocked the slice downward toward the deck and swung a bear-like paw at the other man's head.

The man with the studded pin, suddenly finding himself against two rather than one, sized them up only briefly before deciding that Deck was the easier mark and leveling a blow toward him.

The woman in green threw back her black oily hair and gave Andre a ghastly grin. "Hullo, lovey," she cooed. "That a pistol in your hand, or you just happy to see me?" She lashed out suddenly with the length of chain wrapped around her waist.



Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 04:24 AM
Andre staggered back just far enough that the chains only grazed his arm as he squeezed out a shot in the woman's direction. "Definitely a pistol," he answered.

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 04:25 AM
Sturges ducked the bare-fisted blow, dropping to his knees. He slammed one hand to the deck to brace himself and thrusted upwards at the other man’s gut with a grunt.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 04:31 AM
"Shit, shit, shit!" cursed Deck as he hurled himself bodily away from the blow, quietly wishing he just would have stabbed the man... thing.

He'd been ready for just... pirates. If you got there early enough, you could just kick them off the boat. But this?

When the big man pulled back, Deck shot his foot out and hoped a knock to the rocks would at least slow the thing down.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 04:33 AM
Bastian waited for the man to swing out before thrusting his sword at the man's chest and sweeping it down, hoping to gut him completely.

Posted by: Fortuna Jun 24 2008, 04:36 AM
The chain--and the majority of the woman's forearm--shot backwards in the gun blast. She struggled backwards, then righted herself. She grinned back at Andre. "And that my Sunday chapel dress too," she sneered. "You got to do better than that, Captain . . . " She sprang at him, grappling for the gun.

Sturges's hand sank into the pirate's gut . . . and went right on sinking. A thick, tarry mess latched around his wrist and began pulling as if to drag Sturges right into the other man's abdomen.

The pin-carrying pirate doubled over, clutching his groin. "Goddamn you! Dirty fighter! Who taught you t--" And then his ability to say much of anything was interrupted by Bastian's sword bisecting his face.

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 04:40 AM
Caught off guard by the shift forward, Sturges staggered, having the presence of mind to throw up an arm to protect his face as he went. He tried to right himself, or at least turn the fall into a half-tackle, but his left knee was shot through with pain, and he ended up stumbled into the man without much force at all.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 04:41 AM
Deck looked at the man's half-faces and made a grab for the pin as the man fell.

Not elegant, but it'd do.

He shot a look over at Bastian and was gladder than usual to be on someone's good side. "Thanks, Bastian!" Though taking a look at some of those things... He figured an extra knock in the man-creature's head couldn't hurt.

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 04:41 AM
Andre, glancing back and forth to see how his fellows were doing, then, rather than trying to wrestle the woman off, shoved the barrel of the gun forward and shot off another round into her chest.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 04:47 AM
Bastian took a quick look around, sword still pointed at his last target in case it decided to get up again, and spotted Sturges. "Need some help there, old man?" He called.

Posted by: Fortuna Jun 24 2008, 04:49 AM
The purple-faced man dropped to his knees practically on top of Sturges. His grin shone through his sweating face. "Not so much, are you, granddad?" One arm snaked under Sturges's beard and wrapped across his windpipe.

And the man-thing was just starting to get up again when Deck's blow convinced it it was better off sprawled on the deck.

The force off the bullet sent the woman's innards spraying backwards in a burst of slime and silk tatters. She raked her nails down Andre's coat as she fell to the floor, writhing and flipping and hissing . . . but the glop of entrails that had shot out the back of her were also still wriggling. They hit the ground and slithered, latching onto whatever they could find and climbing it. A clump stuck to Bastian's boot and scaled him like a snake on a branch.



Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 04:52 AM
Why did these things not want to stay dead?

Deck had a feeling that the sooner he got back home, he'd be a much happier soul.

So he rushed at the thing on Sturges and brought the nail-pin down on its back.

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 04:53 AM
Sturges let out a snarl and twisted, clapping his left hand over the monster’s face, driving both thumb and middle finger at his eye sockets. Then, with a wheezing, strangled snarl he shoved forward, adrenaline overpowering the pain in his knees, and shoved back with all his strength, face red and sweat-slick.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 04:56 AM
"What the fuck?!" Bastian swore, sticking his sword tip into the wriggling mass and trying to fling it away from him while heading in Sturges' direction as well.

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 04:57 AM
"Fire!" Andre shouted, watching in disgust as he pulled out his flint. "Someone get to the dwarves and take their damn flasks away from them! We need to set these monsters on fire!"

He reached for his powder, frowned, poured some into his handkerchief, lit the end of the cloth, and threw it.

Posted by: Fortuna Jun 24 2008, 05:04 AM
The purple-faced man roared when the studded pin hit him across the shoulderblades--and stuck tight there. In the process, he jerked his head away and concluded the shout by sinking his teeth into the fingers intended for his eyes, and by latching tighter across Sturges's neck.

The little bundle of snake-guts creeled and whined and split in two when prodded by the sword. Half fell away; the other half oozed upward, ripping a hole through Bastian's trousers before fixing a leech-like mouth on the skin beneath.

Andre's fire-bomb landed near the woman in green, who had recovered herself enough to rake some of her intestines from the deck and shovel them back into her hollow middle with her remaining arm. She shrieked aloud at the flare and flung another handful toward Andre.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 05:06 AM
Deck hated his life.

But while his studded club was stuck, he still had his knife.

So he took advantage of the fact that the choking thing had to tilt his head up to bite at Sturges' fingers to sink the blade into it, grimacing.

Where the Hell was he going to find fire right now?

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 05:09 AM
The Frenchman choked and sputtered, face gone ruddy, and slammed his right first into the man’s gut, over and over, though the strikes were growing both weaker and more desperate. He jerked the other hand away, bitten fingers throbbing, and scrabbled at the arm around his neck.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 05:09 AM
Still swearing profusely, Bastian tore at the snake guts with his free hand, determined to get it off of him so he could go help his friends.

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 05:12 AM
Andre swore as the eels glommed onto his arm, and he hurriedly struck his flint in their direction to try to scare them off. "FIRE, PEOPLE. WE NEED FIRE!"

Posted by: Fortuna Jun 24 2008, 05:17 AM
The pirate's arms slacked around Sturges's throat. At the rip of Deck's sword, the pirate's entire back split open as easily as an overripe pear, depositing a huge glort of smell, tar-like stuff onto Deck's shoes. The pirate itself screamed and collapsed--right on top of Sturges.

The snake-guts parted with a pop from Bastian's thigh, leaving a enormous dark-purple bruise and a tiny ring of blood droplets. The guts themselves lashed around his forearms and tried to sink their tiny teeth into his wrist.

The guts that had latched onto Andre squealed and fell away at the first touch of fire. They humped their way back across the deck to the woman, who scooped them up and stuffed them back inside.

And from the rear of the ship, groaning and echoing, came the hollow sound of rending metal.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 05:23 AM
"It never ENDS!" Moaned the man as he closed his eyes and tried to grab an armload of... of...

Deck fought back the urge to vomit and pulled the thing off of Sturges, hoping the man could recover and wishing someone would have just sunk the other ship as he made for the cannons, clutching his blade to him, his front covered in whatever rot was in that... THING.

He wanted fire? Deck'd get him a bloody inferno.

For once he was thankful the ship was made of iron.

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 05:25 AM
Sturges choked as he hit the deck, his body shuddering and going still for a moment beneath the weight of his attacker. For a moment he did nothing but cough and croak, then he rallied with a grunt and shoved the fallen figure off his chest, laboriously rising to his knees.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 05:25 AM
Bastian cut desperately at the guts with his sword, trying to hack them into so many bits they wouldn't be able to do anything but wriggle about while at the same time attempting to not cut into his own flesh.

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 05:26 AM
And Spider ran smack into Deck, her coming up as he went down, and nearly dropped her bundle of bottles. "Here! Lamp oil! He wants fire, it--feckin' hell, mate, what happened to you?" She took in the goop all over Deck's front.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 05:34 AM
"I have no idea. Today is bad." The man said to Spider, "But here's hoping fire'll keep it from happening again."

He didn't even want to know what was happening at the rear of the ship. This bizarre raiding party was bad enough.

Taking the bottles, he ran back towards Andre, throwing one at the snake-vomitting woman-creature.

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 05:36 AM
Andre, meanwhile, tore off a section of his shirt, made another little pouch, and tossed it at the man attacking Sturges. "What the hell is happening down there?" he demanded. "We've got to get full sails! The damn ship's being attacked from below!"

Posted by: Fortuna Jun 24 2008, 05:46 AM
The purple-faced man had only just gotten to his own knees when Sturges shoved him. It slapped away the bomb and lay on his back like a turtle, then rolled over crawl to the nearest mast and slowly, dripping, to drag himself up toward the sails. One of the men who had already mounted to man the pullies kicked at him; the pirate caught the sailor by the leg and flung him down to the deck, then carried on. He wrenched at the pullies until one of them parted and unspooled, sending a sail corner to flap uselessly.

The woman had just gathered all her snakes into herself when the first powder-bomb flared up and caught her skirts. She shrieked, slapping at the flames, and finally ran as fast as she could to throw herself over the side.

The guts grew more mouths as Bastian sliced at them. Soon his whole arm was covered with more bleeding bruises as the little bits finally fell away to hop like fleas at his feet.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 05:52 AM
"No, no, no, no, no!" Deck grimaced as the thing JUST KEPT GOING.

Deck awkwardly uncorked a bottle of lamp oil and hurled it at the mass of rot and filth and whatever the Hell the stuff on the front of Deck was, digging around in his pocket for some flint and steel for a second before producing it and running towards the hopefully oil-soaked thing.

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 05:53 AM
Andre, running out of things to throw fire with, shouted for men to attend to the sail, and then aimed his gun at the man tampering with the sails, and fired.

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 05:55 AM
Ignoring the leech-like, slithering creatures dripping from his front, Sturges reached for his sword and forced himself up to his feet. Not sparing Bastian or Deck a glance, he limped after the man Andre was firing upon, trusting the captain's aim and swinging when he drew near.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 05:56 AM
Bastian ignored the guts once the bits had gotten small enough that he could get rid of them and sheathed his sword, running to catch the loosened sail corner. "Get rid of that damn thing and I'll get this tied back on!" He yelled.

Posted by: Fortuna Jun 24 2008, 06:03 AM
The bullet struck the purple-faced man in the back of the head, blowing out his face. No matter what you were, that tended to be disorienting: he dropped like a stone and hit the deck with enough force to vibrate. And he splattered. Mostly on Deck.

The others were slowly gathering up their respective lost parts and scuttling back over the sides.

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 06:06 AM
"There's still someone attacking the ship from below!" Andre called. "Someone, get on that sail, we need to move faster than whatever's beneath us! Circle in on the other vessel! Everyone all right?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 06:06 AM
"It's the rudder, Andre!" Spider shouted across the mayhem. "They got down there and took out the follow-side rudder! We're feckin' lamed up! They're under the--what the hell?" The pirate-woman's arm, which Andre had shot off, had crept across the deck and, undetected, made its way under Spider's skirts.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 06:07 AM
Deck paused for a moment after the thing's head-bits made their money shot all over his face before keeling over and vomiting on the deck.

Once that was done, he set about to lighting the lamp-oil he'd thrown at the thing.

Just for good measure.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 06:09 AM
"I've got it, Captain!" Bastian called, climbing the mast with the loose sail in one hand and reattaching it with every bit of dexterity and force a hardened sailor would have and a Navy officer probably wouldn't.

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 06:13 AM
Sturges thrust his sword into one of the bodies' back, just for good measure, and sagged back against the mast, breath coming in short, hard pants as he struggled to recover his presence of mind.

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 06:15 AM
Andre went a bit ill. "FIRE AT THE ENEMY VESSEL!" he ordered, and he made a sweep at his fiancee's skirt grabbing at the arm. "YOU DISGUSTING, PERVERTED APPENDAGE, OFF WITH YOU!"

Posted by: Fortuna Jun 24 2008, 06:20 AM
And the last of Deck's purple-faced friend went up in an oily gush of smoke, while the man's torso dragged itself with sickening rapidity to the rail and hurled itself over the side.

The other ship itself, rendered into a splintered tangle of fallen rigging and clearly already gulping water, took another pounding under the cannons. If it were in any mood to limp away from the firefight, clearly, it was in no condition to do so. The Verplichting began to ease forward, listing slightly, under the power of its sails.

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 06:21 AM
"Let's turn those sails a little to the follow-side!" Andre shouted. "Try to balance it out!"

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 06:21 AM
Deck shook his head to clear it, making a note to get VERY drunk later, and made a few obscene gestures at the battered boat, looking towards the rear of the ship to see just what all that tearing-metal sort of sound had been about.

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 06:24 AM
Spider finally dropped down to the deck and reached under her own skirts to fish out the hand, which waggled its claws toward her face. "Stay there!" She slapped the forearm against the deck and drove her knife into it, pinning it still. Shaking, she stood up and fluffed down her skirt.

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 06:25 AM
And Andre promptly set fire to it.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 06:26 AM
Bastian slid down from the mast, straightening his jacket and fussing over the remains of his sleeves. "You all right, old man? Fight too much for you?" He asked Sturges, giving the other man a light punch on the arm.

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 06:35 AM
The look Sturges fastened Bastian with was thoroughly Not Amused, bordering on Quite Pissed Off. "You heard the captain's orders, get to it," he growled at the boy, dragging himself upwards and limping back towards Andre. "I thought we were chasing pirates," he glowered, "not bloody monsters. You alright, then?" He eyed Andre, then Spider, though the question was directed at them both.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 06:37 AM
"Yeah, I'll second that," said Deck, wiping some gunk off his face and chest, "What the HELL were those things? Did you piss of Satan?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 06:39 AM
"I'm all right," Spider assured the older man. "It tried to claw the wrong leg." She wrinkled her nose and cringed at the mess across the deck. "We didn't lose anyone, did we? It's . . . uh-oh." The smell hit her suddenly; she shouldered past Sturges. "Not all right, not all right!"

She almost made it to the side. So much for breakfast.

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 06:41 AM
Andre winced, and stepped forward to reach for Spider's shoulder. "Do you need to lie down?" he offered, before looking back at Sturges. "Last time, it was just pirates. I don't know what those things were," he admitted.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 06:46 AM
Bastian grinned proudly, deciding that antagonizing Sturges was fun... though maybe that was just the adrenaline thinking for him. It probably wasn't good to be mean to one of the people who knew his secret. "At least we've taken care of them, whatever they were. And we know fire's good to use if they come back." He pointed out.

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 06:47 AM
Spider tried to shoo Andre away so that she could bid goodbye to breakfast in relative peace. "Piyash," she moaned in reply. "Day piyash." She spat to clear her mouth, then waved a hand toward Andre. "M'fine. Go 'way."

Posted by: Andre Romain Jun 24 2008, 06:49 AM
Andre took a step back, but frowned, watching Spider worriedly. "Go back to the cabin when you're ready," he instructed. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to be out here."

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 06:52 AM
Sturges glared about at the group, making a halfhearted attempt to wipe the muck from his shirt and beard. It didn't seem to be going anywhere, though, and he gave up after a moment.

Mindful of Spider, he stayed back, certain that he stank. "What was beneath us?" he asked, darkly. "Did they come from that hulk, or from somewhere else? God damn it," he hissed, leaning heavily against the rail and lifting his left foot uncomfortably.

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh Jun 24 2008, 06:59 AM
Spider nodded once, barely paying Andre any attention. She was grateful to be given the excuse to limp off to the cabin, away from the smell, and to vomit in privacy.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 07:02 AM
Deck tossed a handful of muck off his arm overboard, sighing, "Well, at least we're all in one piece, wherever those things came from."

He looked over at Bastian then, "And, hey, thanks again. That thing was close to crippling me, I think."

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 07:08 AM
"Not a problem. I'm sure you'd do the same for me. Really though, you should have done better than a knife." The young man replied. He bent down to examine his leg. "Hope those damn things weren't poisonous or I'm really in trouble."

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 07:10 AM
"Yeah, well, I was thinking I'd have a little more warning." Deck smirked some and shrugged, "And that a good stab would make the bloody things stay down."

Deck kicked a few bits of dead, burnt thing in the water for good measure, "I'm just going to have to start making sure I keep a gun nearer-by, I guess." The man laughed some, shaking his head.

"Well, is your skin going black and puffy?"

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 07:16 AM
Olivier, still red-faced and short of breath, gave the two young men a tired look and straightened up. His knee was throbbing and he could feel that it had begun to swell and go stiff, but he'd be damned if he showed that outwardly, after Sebastian went and called him old.

He turned, a tight grimace on his face, and stripped off his filthy shirt and vest. He would have abandoned his mucky boots as well, but he was fairly certain that if he sat down, he wouldn't be able to stand again. "See these cleaned," he ordered Sebastian, sternly.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 07:20 AM
"No, it's just purple with little bitey holes." Bastian replied, pulling up one sleeve to get a better look. "Looks like someone's been sucking on me viciously, Beppe's really going to get a laugh out of this." He said, shaking his head.

"This is punishment for calling you old, isn't it?" He asked Sturges with a little laugh, "I'm an officer, you know. We aren't exactly used to doing the laundry." He reminded the man, but he took the clothes anyway.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 07:25 AM
"Well, then you're probably okay, Bastian. But keep an eye on it and douse it in some of the Dwarven alcohol. That'll kill anything that's not a Dwarf."

Deck chuckled some, looking at Bastian holding the clothes before looking over at Sturges with a smile, "Come on, now. He didn't mean anything. He's just yanking your chain."

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 07:29 AM
"You’re taking liberties," Struges growled at the boy. "and I don’t appreciate it. Keep a respectful tongue in that empty head of yours or you’ll be up all hours scrubbing this bloody deck clean, officer or not."

He looked dryly to Deck. "Shall I take that to mean you'd like to join him?"

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 07:33 AM
"Well, I was going to suggest helping--" the man tugged at his own sodden clothes, "--seeing as I'm in a similarly slimy state."

He offered the man a smile, "No offense, sir. But tempers are running kind of high, yeah? We'll get our clothes cleaned and get some grog in our guts, eh?"

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 07:34 AM
"Yes sir!" Bastian replied in his Navy voice, badly suppressing a grin. "Don't worry about it, Deck. I've cleaned my fair share of dirty laundry in my day, I shouldn't have any trouble getting this gunk off. I can clean yours too if you like."

Posted by: Olivier Sturges Jun 24 2008, 07:40 AM
Had the Quartermaster been in less pain, he would have boxed the boy’s ears. As it was, the agony in his knee was rapidly spreading, and it was all he could do to stay upright. “I’m glad someone here finds this amusing,” he frowned, then eased himself around and began picking his way across the slick deck. “I’ll be in my quarters,” he barked in Andre’s direction.

Despite his best efforts, he could not wholly disguise the severity of his limp, and that fact inspired a long string of muttered curses as he hobbled away.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 07:43 AM
Declan whilstled a little, shaking his head as the older man left, chuckling some.

"Well, you sure know how to wind a guy up, don't you?" He chuckled some, looking over at the man and shrugging, "And if you wouldn't mind, I sure wouldn't mind having this thing laundered, don't much care who's doing it."

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 07:47 AM
"I'll find out from my brother who was the worst fighter today, or better yet, who ran away as soon as the fighting began, and hand it all over to him to do." Bastian replied, grinning. "I think it'll take more than a washing to take care of my jacket though." He said, removing the article and adding it to the pile anyway.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 07:50 AM
Deck chuckled at that, "Well, that's more than fair. Do they get the lash? They should get the lash, too." Declan smiled, peeling off his shirt and wringing it out with a grimace.

With a smile, he chuckled a bit, cracking his neck a little. "And when we get back to land, we'll have to make him buy you a new one, yeah?"

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 07:56 AM
Bastian took Deck's shirt from him, "When we get back to land I hope to never have to wear one of these stupid Navy coats again." He said, unable to avoid giving the shirtless man a cursory look over. "Taking the laundry is fun, it means I get to see all the men half naked." He teased, lowering his voice just in case one of the Navy men or someone from the crew was nearby enough to overhear his regular tone.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 08:00 AM
Deck grimaced a little at that, absently folding his arms some. Somehow he'd managed to forget about Bastian's invert-hood. "Yeah, well, God knows in your shoes, I'd probably be pretty enthused, too," the man murmured a little.

Scratching at the back of his head, Deck, blew some hair from his face. "Still, I'm gonna have to take time out for a laugh at whoever decides to do it."

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 08:05 AM
"Sturges isn't much to look at but you're not bad at all, too bad you're practically the straightest man I know." Bastian said with a laugh.

"I'll make sure you know who gets the duty so you can go poke fun at them." He told the other man.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 08:10 AM
"Yeah, well... uh. Thanks--" Deck looked decidedly uncomfortable but, he'd decided, less uncomfortable than he'd be if he had to put that cold, slimy shirt back on. "--I guess."

The man chuckled some, "And I guess that'll be good to know. People who run from the sea-monsters..." Deck shook his head, chuckling, "And, seriously. The lash."

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 08:19 AM
Bastian laughed again. "You do know I'm just teasing, don't you?" He paused, "You're not that straight seeming."

"I'll go find my brother then. You'd better go find yourself a shirt to put on, it's not exactly warm weather out here. Any men who ran from the fight will get what they deserve, I'm sure." The idea of lashings always made him uncomfortable, but he wasn't about to say it.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 08:24 AM
Deck chuckled some, "Hope I'm at least fairly straight-seeming, is all I'm saying, seeing as I am." He scratched at his neck a little, "But that's how it is. I guess."

"Sounds good, though. We'll just have to start keeping things nearby. The fire stuff and all." He shrugged again, smiling, "And, hey, just remember, the lash isn't that scary after you've been under it enough. You just remember not to do whatever you did."

Chuckling, "But hey, that's me."

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 08:32 AM
"Don't worry, I wouldn't assume you were anything but." Bastian said, voice taking on a serious tone.

"And I'm sure you're right... about the lashings. I try to stay out of trouble to begin with." He said. He smiled, but it looked forced.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 08:37 AM
Deck looked over at the man for a moment, half-smiling, "Hey, come on. It won't be that bad. And when it happens..." He shrugged a little, "You just have to remember that what you got for it was worth it."

He shrugged a little, gesturing to his back which seemed crisscrossed in places with old lashing scars, "I guess... I don't know. Maybe it's just been something... eh."

He let his face fall a bit, "I'm sorry my advice put you under it, Bastian."

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 08:41 AM
"It didn't. The Captain's really easy going. I fight again though and I won't be so lucky." Bastian replied. He considered lifting up his own shirt and showing the man his own scars, but decided against it. That was a part of his life he preferred to keep private.

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 08:46 AM
"He's a good man." Deck nodded some, looking at the man, "Look, I don't mean to make things all..." He sighed some, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. There was more there. He knew it. But did he want in on it?

No. That was for Beppe.

"So those leechmarks still hurt? Or you think you'll be okay?"

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 08:50 AM
"I don't know what you mean." Bastian said, brow furrowing slightly.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me." He replied. "Get yourself inside, I'll go find my brother and somewhere to drop these off."

Posted by: Declan Callaghan Jun 24 2008, 08:54 AM
"Yeah, I'm not good at talking sometimes." Deck scratched at the back of his head and sighed before looking over at the door downward. "And I should get a shirt, yeah. You make sure Beppe's alright." He smiled some, "Make sure he's in one piece and not, like, covered in snakes."

Deck smiled and moved toward his berth.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jun 24 2008, 08:56 AM
Bastian watched Deck go, smiling slightly, then headed off across the deck to find his brother.