[Last time on Seekers...] [The ship was on its way to Zaxon when it encounted a flock of ravenous harpies. Most of the harpies have been outdistanced or wounded, but 2 brown ones and 1 black one remains by the ship. The sails are going a little slack from the cuts in the rigging as Shan tries to control the boat. Meanwhile, everyone else is still fighting the winged menace.] [Order: Enzo, Nasira, Virgil, Black-tip, Shan, Brownies 1&2, Filis.] [Session Yarr! I mean Starrrt.] [Enzo's turn!] * Enzo turns around and faces the harpsi---harpy that got him, and takes a deep breath, holding out his weird-shaped knife. [Mist envelops Enzo's hand and fires out a stream of mist that envelopes the knife first then spreads to the black-winged harpy. The harpy takes the mist and starts flapping its wings to try and blow the mist away but is caught in a coughing fit. It's still up but seems a great deal more lethargic than it used to be, barely able to keep itself airborne. Eventually, its eyes droop and it falls unconscious towards the drink.] [Nasira's turn!] (Much enveloping.) ( I work for FedEx. ) (Okay, second one can be covers!) * Nasira looks up at the harpy she just wounded, grinning when she sees she's gotten its attention, then turns her one good eye to see the one she left behind, which is no doubt trying to catch up to her now. "Come on!" she yells, "I don't even need to fry you!" * Nasira absently catches her saif by the hilt with her right hand, her left still clutching the rigging. (And hold for harpies to approach.) ( brb ) [Virgil's turn!] ( Back ) * Virgil motions and focuses on one of the harpies, attempting to force it away from the the ship with... THE POWER OF HIS MIND! No, not really. And damn that sounds cheesy. But he still tries using the winds to push the bird-creature away. [There is a sudden howling of wind. The harpy that earlier had attacked Filis is blown out to sea. And how. The force of the wind sends her tumbling talon over beak.] [Shan's turn. She's got a floppy sail.] [Ahem. Shan's turn.] * Shan steers the ship, come hell or high water. Or both! [She may very well be in both.] [The harpy that still CAN fly looks very angrily at Nasira's taunting and flaps hard towards her, talons outstretched.] * Nasira 's grin turns vicious. "I said I don't *need* to fry you." She brings her saif around in a wide arc, the edge turning a molten orange and light briefly streaking the air as she slices for the harpy's midsection. [[Nasira doesn't need to fry her, but she sure does. The saif cleaves through the flesh of the harpy, chopping off her talon and leaving the smell of burnt feathers behind. The harpy shrieks as the saif carves itself up the harpy and it falls to the deck, lifeless.] Fastest meal I ever made. * Nasira looks up and yells, "You okay, lady?" [Filis looks off impressed. Enzo and Virgil, try to finish off the last one.] (Enzo gets a shot, then Virgil but it's pretty much a matter of who kills it, not if it gets killed.) * Enzo puts his knife away and shoots! [Enzo's cannonball arcs through the air and splashes nearby. It must have been blown by the wind.] * Virgil motions with his staff downwards, trying to force the air around the Harpy downards. [9:24:46] *** RowynWorkyn [And the final harpy goes straight downward with a squawk and a splash.] [Filis breathes in a deep breath and smiles at Nasira. "I'm great. Thanks to you. Thank you."] [The harpies that got left behind don't seem to be persuing.] * Nasira sheathes her saif, gives a salute, and starts scrambling down the rigging to the deck. Sure, she's bleeding, but who cares. * Enzo ambles over to the dead harpy and stares at it. "I hope it's not poison meat." There's also a brief whistle stairward (to the stairs that lead down into the cabins and hold.) "Yeah, that was some work, lady." The voice sounds young and female.] * Enzo looks towards the stairs, startled. "Huh?" * Virgil defocuses, visibly relaxing. He glances at the new voice. "Who's there?" * Nasira scoops up her knife and turns to look at where the voice came from. * Shan leaves the wheel and makes her way over there. She doesn't look happy. [At the stairs is a young girl, Maltese in appearance. She's got short red-brown hair, shorts and a vest. And she's also covered in flour at parts. She seems to be staring off to sea.] [Shan and Nasira recognize her as Marla.] * Enzo eyes the girl. * Shan walks right up to her. "What is the meaning of this?" You know, Kid, when I told you to maybe meet me on the ship, this isn't what I meant. * Nasira flicks blood off her knife and sheathes it. * Shan looks over her shoulder at Nasira. "You know her?" [The girl looks at Shan and visibly, VERY visibly, shrinks back into herself at Shan's approach. "Oh Hell's Beard..."] [She waves her hands. "Look look, it's on its way. I sent it this morning. I had no idea, NO idea, you were on this boat..."] Can someone tell me what's going on? * Nasira rolls her eye. "Yeah, I know her. She's a good kid." Pause. "I think." * Shan turns her head back towards the girl. "And now you do. And you'd better have a good explanation for this being so." So why'd you come here, then? [Filis just blinks and watches the conversation from the crows nest. Safe place, crow's nest.] * Shan turns her head again. "Enzo, see what you can do about that sail." [Marla sighs and deflates herself a little. "I just wanted to find out...which ship she was on. I figured..." She stops herself and glances up sideways at Nasira.] * Nasira folds her arms. Why yes, she does have a large, bleeding gash. * Enzo shrugs and goes to take a look at the floppy sail. I'm on this one. Why'd you hide? [She looks up at Nasira. "You said it. You're the one that said you found Pop. Now I want to know, I really want to know...and I figured if there's any chance of seeing him again, it'd be to follow you." She rubs her head. "Aah...sorry for all the commotion I caused down there. That girl musta been freaked, what?" Why'd you hide? And don't give me that. What about your sister? ["Uh...errm..."] [The girl blushes and looks down at the deck. Pretty deck!] * Nasira walks over to the girl, looking down at her. "C'mon, kid. Spill." * Shan folds her arms into her robe and looks down at her sternly. "Yes." * Naiya walks up on deck- she can be heard well before she's in view. Clink, clink, clink. She's fully armored and geared up, and the only thing visible on her- her face- looks slightly panicked. ["She's--uh--she's here too...."] * Nasira doesn't even blink. "Where?" * Enzo goes to fix the sail, rolling his eyes as he hears Naiya clank up late. * Virgil adjusts his glasses and sighs. "Stowaways. Lovely." [9:39:45] ["D-down in the hold? I told her to wait and hide there when we'd got spot--" She blinks and turns back towards Naiya. "Oh...hey..."] * Enzo calls back, "Well, at least they can eat the harpsichord meat." Right. I'll go find her. ... there's another one? * Nasira brushes by Marla and Naiya, going below deck. Harpy meat, Enzo. * Naiya looks around, noting a lack of living, flying, harpies pestering people, and relaxes. [Enzo inspects the rigging. He can probably juryrig (no pun intended) something but it's very debateable how long it'd actually hold. Still better than nothing.] * Enzo juryrigs the rigging! "Meat is meat." [Marla waves her hands. "I'll work! I'll do anything you want me to do! Just don't throw me overboard! That's what pirates do, right? I don't wanna be food for the fishes."] * Naiya then blinks at the girl. "You're up... the kitchen!" * Naiya eeps, and dashes back downstairs, looking fairly frantic. She clanks loudly as she outright runs. * Virgil blinks. "Pirates? I didn't think we were in the business." [Marla watches her go, staring at Naiya. "She's a little overexuberant, yeah?"] * Enzo slides down. "I didn't think so, either." [Filis sighs and settles back in the crows nest. "Odd words coming from someone who stowed aboard."] If we are, we're not doing a very good job of it, are we? No, we aren't. I mean, we don't even have a plank for people to walk. Let alone one leading out to sea. [Marla looks at Virgil. "No? You should. What kind of ship doesn't have a plank?" [Filis rolls her eyes at that.] We have plenty of planks! And you can't have any. We need 'em to keep the ship together. * Virgil chuckles. "Yeah. Just a bit of sarcasm." [Marla blinks at Enzo. "Waaaaaait a minute. Where would I take 'em?" * Shan scratches her temple as though considering that thought, but instead she refolds her arms. "Very well, you will work, as will your sister. I'm sure she can help out in the kitchen, or do similar tasks." Maybe we won't have a skeleton crew if we keep on getting people like this. Provided we can afford it. Well, if the harpsi--harpy meat is edible, they can eat that. (It's probably rotting already. Harpies are nasty.) ( Poison meat!) [The meat doesn't smell too appetizing, no.] Well, if we get some jobs to convey cargo while we do our own duties, we can likely do well. Or we can just do a bit of merchantile on the side. * Naiya clanks back updeck, looking worried- an old classic for her. [Marla stares at Shan. "My sister? But she's only 10."] That's plenty old enough to do chores. * Virgil nods. "Like cleaning. Has *anybody* been cleaning the ship?" Uh, just basic stuff. I've been busy. [Marla sighs, defeated. "Alright. I guess I got us into this mess. Just glad you're not throwing me overboard."] * Enzo , being Enzo, does not add "with everything ELSE to do with ship doings around here" to that. * Nasira comes walking back up to deck. Ah, good ol' injured Nasira. "Decide what to do with 'em yet?" Gonna make 'em work, I guess. * Shan nods to Nasira. "Yes. Here, let me see your injuries." She walks towards Nasira, reaching for her nee- medical gear * Naiya shakes her head, and stands a bit away from the rest, probably worrying about Maria. At least about something. ( brb ) [Marla looks at Shan. "I can work the sails a bit."] * Nasira shifts, giving Shan clear access to her injuries. It also involves moving clothes. Strip, Nasira, strip! [Cecilia comes up shortly after, timidly, and this is one you all recognize, even if you don't know the name. She's got her face cleaned up by now and looks farily pretty with her short brown curls, cream colored dress and deep brown eyes. She also called you all vampires and slammed a door in your face.] (Except me!) * Enzo grins, recognizing her. "Hi!" (Ah yes. Virgil wouldn't know her.) * Shan nods without looking at Marla. "Good. Enzo will assign tasks for you." She looks Nasira's injuries over and pulls out her needles, getting to work. Oddly enough, she fails to fall for Nasira's charm. * Enzo turns to Marla. "What d'you know about sails and stuff anyway?" * Naiya glances at Cecilia. * Nasira doesn't care about needles being shoved into her person. This must happen a lot. "Didja figure out where they're staying?" she asks her boss. [Marla looks at Enzo. "Well, a lot I learned from my father. He was a sailor. I also went on a voyage once. Not much but enough to cover the basics. I can climb the rigging and tighten it if need be."] Hmm, well, okay. I'm mostly rigging too, but at least that way I won't have to do as much. [Cecilia looks up at everyone shyly and doesn't respond to Enzo.] ["It's not easy to be on both sides of the ship at once when you need it."] * Shan shrugs. "I suppose they'll have to take the remaining beds." * Enzo points to the previously-floppy sail. "That one was floppy, but I sort of fixed it. But see if there's anything else you can think of to do. Don't break it, though." * Virgil nods. "We should have enough space for them." [Filis looks down. "They can stay in my cabin. There are still bunks available."] * Shan nods. ( "Very well, you'll stay in the NPC cabin with Filis." ) I was gonna volunteer mine, but yeah, hers would have less blood. ( "That way when we send out an away party we know which room to eject." [Filis: "Please, Nasira. We're trying *not* to scare them."] Well, she does speak the truth. * Nasira grins. "If they were scared, I gotta wonder why they *followed* me here." * Shan glances back at Filis. "In that case, perhaps we should turn right around and go back to the port. Otherwise, they'll have to get used to it." [Filis sighs and shakes her head. "I was just wondering if there were a way to be less...blunt. That's all."] [Marla snorts. "You worry too much, lady." She glances back at Enzo. "This rigging seems fine for what it'll do. Not much, we really need to splice the rope. But with my luck, that'll probably fray too. This'll hafta do."] It's pointless to try to hide the fact in sweet sounding words. * Enzo nods at Marla. "Yeah, that's basically what I thought." * Shan nods to the harpy carcass. "Speaking of which, someone toss that overboard." Unless someone's paying for harpy feathers. They might. * Virgil thinks. "Hmmm..." Aren't they like magic or something? [Cecelia looks at Nasira. "Are you really going to help us find buried treasure? That's what Sis told me!" Marla "erks" at that but doesn't turn around.] * Nasira focuses on Cecilia. "She told you that, huh?" * Naiya blinks. Blinkblink. Can any of you remove the talons from the Harpy? They can fetch a price in certain markets. Other than that, I'd toss the rest of the carcass overboard. [Cecilia tugs on Nasira's pants excitedly. "Yeah! She told me we're going to sail all around the world and see all sorts of pirates and treasure. Won't it be fun!?"] ... * Naiya laughs. "Kids." I will be in the kitchen. * Nasira says distractedly, "Yeah, Virgil." She focuses on the girl again. "Look, kid, if we find any treasure, it probably won't be buried 'cause we don't have any shovels." * Shan jabs needles into Nasira. "Yes. *jab* Fun. *jab*" * Naiya turns, and pauses. "I guess I will have to make food for two more." * Naiya then vanishes down the stairs. Clinkity clank. [Cecilia looks at Nasira with those big eyes. "Do you think we really *will* see vampires on our trip?" [Marla whistles innocently and keeps on inspecting the rigging. Filis mouths an "Oh geez" but doesn't say anything.] * Nasira laughs. "Maybe. But they'd eat you, so you'd better hope not." * Shan finishes her work and stands up. "There. That should do it." * Nasira tests the bandages. "Thanks, boss." She walks over to the harpy, cheerfully ignoring the smell and drawing her knife to carve off the talons. [Session, she has ended.]