2018-10-16: Survivors

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<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

With the Ruby Empress back on the water, rumor quickly spread about the foreign-looking sailing vessel traveling the seas. It made sense that word would get out - as a Lunarian ship it was fairly different from the ones sailing Filgaia's seas so it was bound to attract attention. Not to mention the bright red coloration indicated by its name.

A while back, it had made a trip to Saint Centour - word of that might have already gotten around. For now, though, the ship is at rest - docked in the...well, dock, the Manydays pirates had constructed for it. A makeshift settlement had been built around it, where the crew could be found going about their everyday business.

Fortunately, they're fairly polite - they would be unlikely to turn anyone away out of hand. And of course the Captain herself wasn't too hard to find, overlooking it all from the deck of her ship. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise likes pirate ships! She's taken to spending a lot of time on the Ruby Empress. When she's not helping the crew with the various tasks of the day, she's been trying to procure a Chauncey-sized admiral's cap. It is, after all, the Company of the Fox.

But sometimes you've just gotta take a break. Those times include right now.

"You know, when I dreamed of getting back aboard a ship like this, I didn't think it'd be on the literal Blue Star in the middle of an interplanetary crisis," remarks a tank top-clad Talise, her hair swept beneath a green bandanna of the sort her mother used to wear. She leans back against the rail near where Layna's standing, absently swirling half the contents of a bottle of Old Man Ettlesbury's Olde-Fashioned Pirate Grog around its bottle. "But it's not a bad thing. And she's a good ship, with a good captain."

Talise cracks a little smile, showing pointed incisors as she glances at Layna. "You'd have liked the ship I grew up on. She wasn't as splendid as yours - the Lunabelle was sort of long and hungry-looking. Real shark of the seas. We had so many stories to tell, and I was just a kid at the time, too... even younger than Sephilia!"

<Pose Tracker> Ines Colina has posed.

    Speaking of sharks...

    As it so happens, word of the trip to St Centour has reached a particularly interested party. They have recently made their way to the encampment, looking down at the pirates at the entrance. Looking down partly because they are atop a massive black horse, but also because they themselves are more than seven feet tall. Severe words appear to be spoken, but after a moment, the giant grey woman dismounts, and starts walking towards the Ruby Empress. Her horse follows, entirely of his own conviction it seems, not needing to be led by the bridle.

    Ines Colina makes her way for the ship, and looks up at Layna and Talise. She's not going to step aboard without being invited. Not while she's not here collecting bounties, at least. Still, her voice is rather commanding regardless. "Your crew said you're the one to talk to." She doesn't quite yell, but her voice projects regardless. That said, she also doesn't really exchange pleasantries, jumping to the question straight away.

    "What happened in St Centour?" 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Someone else is there, too--a scholarly-looking woman, tanned from the road but still uncomfortably thin, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a duster that's getting a little more broken-in with each day. Beside her is a horse, a dapple-grey mare drinking placidly from a water trough set out by Layna's crew. The horse's reins are in the woman's hand; she was evidently in the process of hitching her to a post when Ines showed up.

    Ida follows Ines with her eyes a moment, then finishes tying Grey Lady's reins in place. She gives her mount an affectionate pat on the muzzle, and then follows.

    The stranger wastes no time. Whatever Ida was going to say to her dies in her throat. She stops in her tracks, glancing between Ines and Layna. Her face falls.

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

"Life's funny like that, aye? S'got a way of kickin' your expectations out from under ya." Layna comments with a chuckle, glancing back toward Talise. At the compliment Layna grins and stands up. "Well, a good ship and a good captain's nothin' without a good crew...and good folks standin' behin' 'em, of course!"

Talise talks about the Lunabelle and Layna nods, looking off into the distance.

"Aye, I wager I would've. I've 'eard tales, but woulda liked to see 'er in 'er prime." She remarks, then smiles. It's both wistful and sad at the same time. "That was me as well. Been sailin' on the Ruby Empress for as long as I can remember."

Before long, however, another voice joins in on this remniscience session - but for a different reason entirely.

"Aye, I'm the Captain." Layna says looking down toward the woman who had approached her ship. She studies her for a moment. She sends a glance toward Talise, then back at Ines. Saint Centour...it was a difficult subject, for many reasons. "Saint Centour, aye? That's a long story. What's your interest, lass?" 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Stretching her shoulders with a languid roll, Talise shifts her weight against the ship's rail. "I gotta say, it's been nice being able to play and tell stories again," she admits. "And hey, you're lucky. She's a great ship...."

She's cut off as someone starts shouting at them from below. With a blink, Talise tilt her head to look down towards the dock.

She does a double-take. Talise thought she was a huge lady at six foot two. Ida's muscular Hellion form was about her size, and that was about the biggest Talise had encountered outside of very large men or Quarter Knights. But the woman on the dock has a full foot and at least 150 pounds on her. "Someone you know?" she asks Layna with a blink, leaving it to her to field the question.

Largely because someone smaller but more familiar has just ridden up. With a broad smile, Talise waves towards the scholarly woman in the battered duster. "Hey Ida!" she calls down. "Long time no see! C'mon up and have something to drink!" 

<Pose Tracker> Ines Colina has posed.


    Ines makes note of Ida's approach, making a momentary threat assessment, but her eyes return almost instantly to Layna and Talise. Furacao- the giant black stallion- snorts briefly at Ida and Grey Lady. Still, when Layna asks what her interest is, Ines doesn't see any reason to obscure the truth, and responds with one word. "Familial."

    She gives that a few beats to sink in, before speaking again. "Your ship was the last one seen on the island. That leads me to one of two real conclusions, and I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt for the moment."

    Talise casually inviting Ida up during what might be a tense emotional moment is a little off-putting, but it does give Ines an idea of how much they consider her a threat at the moment. Unsurprising, given she is surrounded by the crew of the Empress. Still, she's here for information, not a fight. At least not now.

    "I ask again. What happened at St Centour?" 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Ida stands there a moment, and watches. A cold, hard lump forms in her throat, and when she answers Talise, her voice is soft. "Perhaps later." She steps forwards, and raises her voice just enough to ensure everyone hears her. "We... still don't know," Ida says. The look on her face says more than her words ever could. Grief, sorrow, regret, anger. "It did not look as though it was attacked." She knows more--heard more, from Aura--but the last thing she wants is to overwhelm this woman with speculation. "We wish to know as much as you do, ma'am."

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

"Well, I'm glad you've got a space for it." Layna replies with a chuckle. As for the person who'd come to visit...

"Nope, never seen her before." Layna replies with a shrug. And she was sure that she'd remember if she had - there was no way she'd forget a woman like that. Her attention returns to Ines as she answers the question. 'Familial'. Layna grimaces.

"...That so. I'm afraid I don't have any good news on that front." Layna remarks, straightening up she looks toward Ida and nods as she answers the question. "I was hired to bring a crew there to find out what happened. I swear on my ship that I'm not responsible."

If this were a less serious situation one could take that one of two ways, but...

"If you're sure you want to know what we saw, then you better come aboard. You'll probably want to be sittin' down for it. ...It's not a pretty tale, lass." Layna warns, stepping away from the gangplank to give her room to come up. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Only once the enormous stranger starts talking does it occur to Talise that there's a non-zero chance that someone in the immediate vicinity could very well get punched in the face. She arches her eyebrows and gives Layna a look.

"We honestly don't know," she admits in a less chummy tone, holding one arm out in a broad shrug. "We'd heard something happened, but all we really got when we went to check it out were unanswered questions. All we can really tell you is what we found."

She makes a little face, then straightens, setting her half-empty drink off to one side and hoping like hell that the huge person down there doesn't start drawing certain conclusions. 

<Pose Tracker> Ines Colina has posed.

    Ines looks down at Ida, and a pained expression passes over her face at her words. Her gills flare slightly. Still, she can accept the pain in Ida's voice. That is more revealing to her than Layna's comments. "I see." She says, but with her tone somewhat flat. A practiced flatness. Still, she nods at Layna's invitation on the ship. "Very well. I want to hear your entire explanation." She looks back at Ida again. "Yours as well, since it seems you were there."

    She nods to Furacao, and the horse walks over to the hitching post, where he waits. Ines, for her part, walks up the gangplank to the ship, briefly looking down to right her expression to something more neutral. 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Ida follows Layna and Talise up the gangplank, holding onto the rope with one hand. This is the first time she's been aboard the Ruby Empress while the ship was afloat, and it takes a moment for her to adjust to the subtle motion of the deck beneath her. Eventually, Layna leads them to the little cabin that's served as their meeting-place several times over. Ida sits down on a cushioned seat, and waits for the others to seat themselves before continuing.

    "We'd... heard tell that another group had decided to check in on the city, since it hadn't kept in touch with the outside world since it activated its ARM. They claimed it was empty, so... we decided to confirm for ourselves. We set sail, and moored in the harbor. There was no sign of anyone, living or dead, except old blood and scraps of fabric. The statue of St. Centour was desecrated--completely smashed. The... only living soul we could find was a young woman."

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna nods, agreeing with Talise's sentiments. Ines walks up the gangplank, with Ida joining as well. Layna leads them to the cabin and, as Ida, gives her explanation, Layna goes over to the side of the room where a few small tables had been set up.

On each of these tables was a set of bottles full of various types of alcohol. Layna pours a few glasses - one for everyone assembled here.

"Aye, that's the long and short of it. My story's the same as hers." Layna explains passing the drinks out. "...Sorry, it's not very hopeful. Wish I could give you better news, but..."

Layna shrugs. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise sighs as she takes up a spot against one of the walls, leaning back with her shoulders against the planks and her arms crossed loosely over her chest. She presses her lips together and lowers her eyes.

Remembering what went on in St. Centour isn't pleasant. She's more comfortable with problems she can beat with a sword or an ARM, or battlefields where the enemy's in front of her. Picking up after some monstrous foe is... unnerving, in ways she'd rather not deal with.

"And my story's pretty much the same. We got off the ship and all we found was an empty city with food rotting in the markets and a few pools of blood and flesh. A broken statue." When Ida mentions the young woman, though, the swordswoman nods quietly. "We'd heard the edges of a story.... People disappearing and then coming back with no memory of any time passing. Then monsters showing up in the middle of the night. But we don't know where they came from, or why." It's as factual as Talise can get; anything else would be speculation, and setting the large, tense stranger traipsing down a garden path would be tough to justify.

"Whatever did it," she adds quietly, "also took the bodies." 

<Pose Tracker> Ines Colina has posed.

    The descriptions of the city do nothing to reassure Ines. She takes the alcohol offered, and once Ida, Layna and Talise have told their tales, she downs it in one swift gulp.

    But there is mention of a survivor. "...How young? Do you know who she is? Her name, at least?" The questions come out at a rapidly increasing pace. She pauses, and shakes her head. No, better to be upfront. "My younger sister was still in St Centour, along with my parents. She would have been in her twenties." She pauses. "...They're all human." She clarifies. 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Ida downs her gin in a single, practiced swig, and wipes her hand off on her sleeve. It's wholly at odds with her accent, and with her otherwise-cultured mannerisms. "Her name is Aura," Ida says. "Perhaps in her twenties. She has blonde hair, and she cannot see." As she speaks, Ida's heart takes leave of her chest and migrates into her throat. It stays there as she looks up at Ines, uncertain if she's reunited part of a family or just given this woman false hope.

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna listens as Talise recounts what they heard from Aura. She swishes her drink around in her glass, quietly taking everything in. What hope was left? Not much, that she could see.

Ines says her younger sister was in Saint Centour as well, but...Layna's not about to give her false hope, either - or crush what little hope was left.

She listens quietly and takes a swig of her drink, waiting for Ines's answer. Meanwhile, she sends a glance toward Talise. She knew this wasn't pleasant for her, either. ...It was understandable, really. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

A slight chill races up Talise's back when Ines pegs her sister's age range. She glances sidelong at Layna, then towards Ida as she lets the very large Beastwoman know what's up.

Talise, the less-large Beastwoman in the room, pushes a hand up to slide her bandanna off, her fingers raking through her short, bleached hair. Feeling percolate in her gut but the words won't come out - a swirl of hope mixed with a swirl of sadness - but all she can do is wait to see what Ines says.

"We've been doing what we can to take care of her," is all she can add.

    ~

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the ship, the Fox Company is keeping a close vigil on Aura. They've been taking turns.

She's probably asleep now, but Benedict Greygust sits in a chair near her nevertheless, keeping watch over the traumatized girl. He's not much of a talker but he's a good man with big shoulders who can listen and sympathize - and if nothing else, his being there means she's not alone. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

    Quietly, two sparkling clean glass cups are set on a nearby table where Benedict sits, filled with clean, fresh water. There's no real ceremony or attached antics to it - just a few glasses of water. A portly drunkard takes their leave with uncharacteristic silence, to go stagger right back along to the kitchen where there are a few more glasses that are so pristine-looking as if they were just newly-made.
     That's one way to get him to clean the dishes, then. 

<Pose Tracker> Ines Colina has posed.

    All hope that Ida may have had crumbles away as soon as Ines shakes her head. "...That's not her. I'm afraid I don't know this Aura." The beastwoman merely grimaces, though it's not hard to tell she's supressing a stronger show of emotion.

    Ines looks down at her empty glass. She doesn't crush it, as tempting as it is. Just destroying things in a rage won't help. And unfortunately, she's left with little reason to disbelieve the people in front of her. They'd collaborated what few rumours she's heard. She lets out a defeated sigh.

    Ines doesn't look up as she speaks. "And you said the defences were active, when you investigated?" She'd seen them work before, preventing monsters from going past the gate. She'd even been forced to walk through them once, long ago. 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    "I'm sorry," Ida says. She doesn't meet Ines's eyes. She can't bring herself to. She looks into her empty glass, as if it somehow held the answers that have been eluding her since she visited the city. "They weren't. They were linked to the Statue--" And the way Ida says that word seems to indicate it was significant in more ways than one-- "and when it was destroyed, they fell. But however those monsters got in, they did so while the defenses were active. I... don't know exactly how."

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna had a feeling that was the case. She stands up and walks over to one of the tables. This time she doesn't fill up a glass - she just grabs one of the bottles and brings it back over, passing it to Ines.

It was the only thing she could offer at this point - offering condolences or sympathy wasn't exactly something she was good at.

Layna nods as Ida explains that the defences had been deactivated somehow when they got there, returning to her seat.

"Aye. That's one of the things we're still tryin' to figure out." Layna says. "Can't say we've made much progress, though." 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise's heart sinks. Lowering her eyes to her boots, she crosses her arms around herself a little more tightly. "...I'm sorry too," she says. She can't look up at Ines or Ida; the pall of disappointment in the air is too real. For just a moment, she can imagine a seven-foot Beastwoman standing on the edge of a dock, waiting for the Lunabelle.

When talk turns to the defences, Talise finally does clear her throat. "The defences didn't do anything to me... I'd been afraid of that." So must the huge visitor, she realizes grimly. In danger from her own town....

"When we found the Statue, it was rubble. We don't know how the monsters got in. I wish we could explain it." Finally, she looks up, bringing her eyes towards Ines with visible effort and resignation. "...Yeah... I'm sorry. I wish we knew more...." 

<Pose Tracker> Ines Colina has posed.

    Ines nods slowly. It was too much to hope for after all. She considers the bottle, but shakes her head and moves it away gently. "...Thank you for telling me what happened." She stands up from the table, and places her chair back.

    "If you find out anything, I want to know. But I'll have to see the town for myself. I might see something you didn't." It's a vain hope, but it's something to do. Something she can act on. If nothing else she can kill some monsters and maybe feel better. Or make sure her old home hasn't been looted.

    "If you find something out, let me know. Leave a message on a tree for the Grey Giant. It will reach me." She starts to walk away, but pauses before she does. "But my name is Ines. Ines Colina."

    She really should have introduced herself earlier. 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    "It was the least we could do," Ida says. She finally manages to look Ines in the eye, and when she does, the Beastwoman might just see the glimmering haze of unshed tears. "I--I'm Ida. Ida Everstead-Rey. And if we find anything more, you'll be the first to know."

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna nods.

"Name's Layna Manydays, but you might know that already. If you need a ride out there, my ship'll always be available - no charge. Just let me know, aye?" Layna says, and nods as Ida says they'll tell Ines whatever they find out.

"Aye. You've got the right, more 'n anyone." 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

When the huge woman moves to leave, Talise nod to her slowly and gravely. "We will," she promises, though there's not much by way of vigor behind her voice. She doesn't tear up, but she can't muster one of the smiles she's been so free with since Tethelle and Cecilia unknowingly dealt with her purple inner voice back there in Castle Rabenstein.

She raises a hand slightly as if to bid Ines farewell. "Talise... Talise Gianfair. We're usually here if you want some help finding out more."

She forces a smile she doesn't really feel. "...Take care of yourself."

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