Rolling Down To Old Maui

Home to the wildest breeds of flora, Ninraih's entangled jungles cover southeastern Khy'eras. Ajteire, city of the Fae, is situated in the middle. Here, an overwhelming amount of magic and unexplained phenomenon has materialized. Read more...
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Cirice Vaisha
Character
The Wildling Pirate
Level
03
48 / 48 HP
32 / 32 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 75c
Race: Kerasoka
Class: Ranger and Rogue
Posts: 70
Joined: July 14th, 2020, 3:44 pm
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Re: Rolling Down To Old Maui

Post by Cirice Vaisha »

He agreed to the night flight idea which prompted a hum from Cirice as she curled further into him. "I'm glad. That last flight was rather nice." she muttered. The silence that followed was pleasant. Cirice listened to the sounds of the town and the creaking of the ship. It was almost enough to lull her to sleep... then came the words she was hoping to avoid for a few more minutes.

His words were reassuring and it was certainly the opposite of what she expected. However her thoughts had a bit more nuance to it. She rolled over to look up at him for a few moments before a long sigh escaped her. "Your conclusion is a lot simpler than mine." she quipped with a soft smile. She rose from the bed and made her way over to the drinks cabinet with more sway in her hips than was probably necessary. She poured them both a glass of very expensive whiskey and made her way back to the bed. Unlike with the beer, she took small sips of the golden liquor as she handed him his glass.

"I also want to give this a shot, don't get me wrong. But I think it will be better for us if we leave our lives by the door when we are together. No piracy, no crime or anything. Of course if you ask, I will talk. But I know you are not happy with what I do. So if we are together, it's just you and me." she explained softly. She took another sip and leaned against the headboard, stretching a leg out along the bed as she studied him through her hair. "Don't worry, though. I'm still a sailor. I could probably entertain you for a very long time with all the stories I have. I just don't want to drag you down into cesspool where these animals roam." she continued with a nod in the direction of the town. "They might have looked fine now when you saw them, but it doesn't stay like that."

She looked away for a moment then took another sip. "You are still welcome to stay aboard, of course. I have business in Fellsgard, so I'm not planning on a hunt with this trip. As for my end of the deal... are you fine with it?" she asked, leaning over to rest against him with a gentle smile.

@Darius Goldmane
Word count: 406
Darius Goldmane
Character
Darius
Level
02
26 / 26 HP
19 / 19 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Human and Ue'drahc
Class: Druid and Fighter
Posts: 35
Joined: June 23rd, 2021, 3:59 am
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Re: Rolling Down To Old Maui

Post by Darius Goldmane »

"You're much more practically minded than I am." Darius took a sip of the drink. It was much better than the last drinks they'd shared. "Then again you have about 200 years of life experience on me, so that shouldn't be surprising." He gently brushed her hair back over one of her pointed ears so he could see her face clearly. "You're right, that would probably be better for trying to make this work. But it might be more complicated than you think. You spend long stretches of time out on the ocean where it's hard to find you. If I was the kind of person who stayed in one place, it would be easy. You could leave, and come back to find me whenever you wanted. But I'm not that kind of person any more than you are. He paused, getting his thoughts in order. It was only fair, he'd decided in his time away from her, to tell her as much of the truth as he could.

"I really didn't have a plan when I left home, but I had a goal. I wanted to see everything I could in this world, to expand my own horizons. But I also wanted to expand the horizons of my flight." He took a sip again. "Part of the reason why my home is so small is because people rarely stay there very long. It's in our nature to want to explore, to fly as far as we can. And it's also how our flight develops. We go out into the world, we explore, we learn, we see what can be seen and we bring that knowledge back home with us. Then we go out again and repeat the whole process. When I left, I was following in a long tradition, and I had every intention of fulfilling that tradition. It's how I can make sure the flight will continue to grow and prosper."

He slid his hand down her shoulder and arm to rest on her hand. "And then you came along and complicated the whole thing." he said with a soft smile. "Now I'm trying to figure out how I can fulfill my obligations to my flight and be with you at the same time. That's one of the reasons why I was so ready to stay here with you. I figured that traveling with you would be a way I could see more, including seeing things from a perspective no Ue'drahc has ever had the opportunity to see before, and that way I could add more knowledge and experience to the flight while giving this as much of a chance to grow as I can." He squeezed her hand. "I honestly appreciate you trying to keep me away from this. And you're right, it would have gotten complicated and messy, and we both probably would have times where we weren't happy with how the other did things. Your way will give us both the opportunity to keep being who we are. But it will also mean that we won't see each other for long periods of time. Are you ok with that?"

@Cirice Vaisha
Word count: 525
User avatar
Cirice Vaisha
Character
The Wildling Pirate
Level
03
48 / 48 HP
32 / 32 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 75c
Race: Kerasoka
Class: Ranger and Rogue
Posts: 70
Joined: July 14th, 2020, 3:44 pm
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Re: Rolling Down To Old Maui

Post by Cirice Vaisha »

Cirice snorted at his comment on her age, a smile greeting him as he brushed her hair out of her face. "You make it sound like I'm some grandmother on a porch when you put it like that." she teased as she winked at him. He then went on to give her insight on what it was that drew him out into the world.

She had to agree that it wasn't a calling that made for fantastic relationships... however there was something about it that didn't faze Cirice one bit. As he spoke he took hold of her hand. Her gaze drifted down as he spoke. For a moment she sat still until her hand turned in his grasp to hold his. "... You forget what I am." she quipped, downing her drink in one quick gulp and setting the glass aside. "A decade is a blink of an eye for an elf. And I will be very disappointed if you have dragon's blood in you and you don't even get a fraction of a dragon's years."

In one quick motion she straddled him and looked down into his eyes as her arms draped over his shoulders. "I don't think it will be a bad thing, spending weeks apart. It means that for the time we do see each other, moments like these will be that much sweeter." she muttered, planting a kiss on his lips. "I don't mind the time apart, Darius. And I think for people like us, where time isn't a concern, weeks apart may as well be a weekend apart." she spoke as she pulled back. "Now... how about less talking and more kissing?" she asked with a mischievous grin as she rested her forehead against his.

@Darius Goldmane
Word count: 292
Darius Goldmane
Character
Darius
Level
02
26 / 26 HP
19 / 19 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Human and Ue'drahc
Class: Druid and Fighter
Posts: 35
Joined: June 23rd, 2021, 3:59 am
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Re: Rolling Down To Old Maui

Post by Darius Goldmane »

Her comment about their lifespans was a good point, he had to admit. "Probably not as long as yours, but I'll be around for a good long time." Then she was kissing him again, stealing the air out from under all his concerns. Cirice had a way of looking at the world he could appreciate. Straight forward, not worrying about problems that had yet to happen. It was impossible to feel concerned around this woman. Particularly with that mischievous smile on her face. Darius smirked. "You're way too good at being irresistible, you know that?" He said, before flipping her onto her back and kissing her passionately.

**********

The moon was fully up now, and the sounds drifting out across the beach were finally beginning to fade. Darius glanced out of the window, seeing the last of the lights in the buildings winking out. He looked down at Cirice, still wrapped in one of his wings from where they'd ended their most recent bought of activity. "Well," he smiled, "I think things have quieted down enough if you still want to go for that flight." He reached out and traced the tips of her ears. "It will unfortunately mean getting out of this bed and getting dressed though."

@Cirice Vaisha
Word count: 209
User avatar
Cirice Vaisha
Character
The Wildling Pirate
Level
03
48 / 48 HP
32 / 32 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 75c
Race: Kerasoka
Class: Ranger and Rogue
Posts: 70
Joined: July 14th, 2020, 3:44 pm
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Re: Rolling Down To Old Maui

Post by Cirice Vaisha »

It was a perfect night for a flight, nobody could argue that. The town was growing quiet, the sky was clear and the breeze was barely noticeable. However in response to his gentle touch and soft words, a loud snore ripped through the air as Cirice rolled over to land against him. Her eyes were barely open as she looked up at him. "What... just... take the chicken off the spit for fuck's sake..." she grumbled, barely loud enough to understand, before tugging sheet and wing up to cover her further as her head buried into the pillows next to his head. The snoring luckily ceased for the most part but every now and then a grumble or mutter would escape her through the pillow.

The next morning the sound of the bell ringing stirred Cirice immediately. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up to glance around. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and brushed hair out of her face before glancing down at Darius. "I can get used to this..." she muttered to herself as she blinked a few times and glanced around.

From the sound of things, not many people were onboard which was about what she expected. Luckily the night's watch remembered to ring six bells.

She laid back and tucked the both of them in for a few moments longer. Nobody would be stirring already in the town anyway so a few minutes more wouldn't hurt anyone. But eventually it was time to get up so she gently nudged him awake. "Darius... time to get up." she said softly as she stirred him awake. When he was finally awake, she got out of the bed and got her clothes together. "Feel free to take your time, finishing up. I'm going to start getting my ship in order." she spoke as she got dressed. When she was dressed, she dropped back onto the bed to get her boots on.

@Darius Goldmane
Word count: 326
Darius Goldmane
Character
Darius
Level
02
26 / 26 HP
19 / 19 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Human and Ue'drahc
Class: Druid and Fighter
Posts: 35
Joined: June 23rd, 2021, 3:59 am
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Re: Rolling Down To Old Maui

Post by Darius Goldmane »

Darius had to fight to keep himself from laughing too loudly as the snore rippled its way through the cabin. She flipped over, muttered something indistinct about chicken, and pulled herself tighter under the sheet and his wing. "That might actually have been louder than a dragons snore, and that's saying something." he whispered. It was clear that she wasn't going for a ride anytime soon. Darius settled his arm around her shoulders, laid back, and listened to her breathing as he allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

He was woken by Cirice's gentle nudges. He groaned, and opened his eyes blearily. "What time is it?" he glanced at the window. "Is this what time you wake up normally? Why in the hell would you do that to yourself?" He buried his head under a wing with another groan. He could hear the occasional sound of boots from the deck above, but it didn't sound like that many people. He couldn't blame them. Slowly but surely he came to full consciousness while Cirice began getting dressed. As she sat on the bed to put her boots on, he finally managed to achieve some semblance of verticality. "Yeah I'm gonna be a bit." he gave a huge yawn. "Mornings and I don't get along."

@Cirice Vaisha
Word count: 216
User avatar
Cirice Vaisha
Character
The Wildling Pirate
Level
03
48 / 48 HP
32 / 32 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 75c
Race: Kerasoka
Class: Ranger and Rogue
Posts: 70
Joined: July 14th, 2020, 3:44 pm
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Re: Rolling Down To Old Maui

Post by Cirice Vaisha »

Cirice snickered as she watched him slowly manage to wake up. "You should sail on a ship for a while. After a few months you'll be hearing six bells even in your dreams." she quipped as she fastened a boot and gave his leg a light tap. She quickly got the second boot on and rose from the bed. "If you want to take a bath, feel free to ask the brothel or the tavern. Between you and me, the brothel's baths are better." she casually mentioned as she slipped her weapons around her waist and turned to face him. Leaning down, she planted a deep kiss on his lips and turned to the door. "I'll be in town." she greeted as she exited the captain's cabin.

She hopped over the side and made her way to the town along the dock. Following her own advice, she visited the brothel for a bath. The working girls were predictably unhappy about the lack of service but it was extra income. All alone, Cirice took her time in the bath as she thought over everything. This voyage shouldn't be an issue. She reassured herself that everything was going to be fine.

Once she was done she set out to round her battered crew up and chase them back to the ship. Luckily the mention of breakfast got them moving in short order. Soon the ship was a buzz of activity, with sailors scrambling up the rigging while others tended to other duties on the ship. Cirice was on the quarterdeck next to her quartermaster by the helm. "We don't need to brave the Narrows for this trip. We can sail around... hopefully without a karking hunter waiting for us this time." she explained to him. With a nod he walked off to relay the orders. They finally set off once everyone was onboard and everything was ready. "Eyes on the water! And get a barrel of repellent, just in case!" she called out to her crew. On both sides of the ship, a couple of men were watching the ocean while two others brought a barrel from below to the side of the deck. "We have business to attend to, so let's not get dragged down." she said to her crew.

Eventually they were out of the Bay and on the open ocean. The crew started with a shanty as they clambered along the rigging and got ready for the open seas. Cirice stood by the helm with her hands on a railing as she watched them work. The warship cut through the waves as her sails strained against the wind. She breathed deeply and closed her eyes as the wind and ocean spray kissed her face. All of her worries disappeared as she opened her eyes and saw the water stretching out as far as the eye could see...

@Darius Goldmane
Word count: 480
Darius Goldmane
Character
Darius
Level
02
26 / 26 HP
19 / 19 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Human and Ue'drahc
Class: Druid and Fighter
Posts: 35
Joined: June 23rd, 2021, 3:59 am
Has thanked: 29 times
Been thanked: 30 times

Re: Rolling Down To Old Maui

Post by Darius Goldmane »

Darius shook his head as the door closed behind her. "Just spent the night together, and she tells me to take a bath in a brothel." He muttered to himself as he swung his legs over the side and finally rose to his feet. She was keeping things interesting, that much was sure. He dressed, leaving his armor and weapons tucked away in a corner. He didn't think he'd need them here. Stretching one last time, he opened the door and stepped out into the dawn light.

Cetnisadel Bay didn't look any less beautiful in the morning than it had in the early evening. The sun was just beginning to peak over the tops of the trees, and it's rays lit up the water in dazzling green-blue color. The trees seemed almost to glow with verdant beauty, and he could see birds skipping between the trees or flying from one side of the bay to the other. Darius breathed in the fresh salt air and smiled. It felt good to be outside. He looked around the deck. There were maybe two other people out here, all looking curiously at the stranger who had appeared from their captains cabin. No doubt the news that a strange-looking individual was sleeping in there would spread like wildfire. He could only hope the curiosity would be contained to whispered side comments. Cirice didn't need any more reason to be worried about his presence on her ship. He flapped his wings and leapt into the air, gliding along the water until he reached the sand. First order of business was to clean up, and despite Cirice's recommendation, he wasn't sure how he felt about walking into a brothel for a bath. The tavern would do fine.

He was in and out in a few minutes, feeling much more awake than he had been before the bath. Across the beach he could see Cirice moving between buildings, and could see a few disheveled people begin slowly making their way towards the ship. Soon they would all be moving that direction, and it would probably be best to stay out of their way while they got ready to depart. He took to the air again, rising up until he was level with the tops of the masts. The crows nest was unoccupied, and seemed like a good place from which to observe while not being in the way. He alit in the basket, folded his wings, and leaned over the side to watch as the crew got the ship ready to sail. It was a bustle of activity, people tying and untying ropes, climbing all throughout the rigging, moving things across the deck and into the hold, and other activities he couldn't quite identify. Cirice stood up on the raised deck at the rear with the man who he'd met yesterday, Mercer. They seemed to be discussing something while looking at a map. Every now and then Mercer or Cirice would bark out an instruction to another crew-member, which would be instantly obeyed.
"Alpha and Beta" Darius said aloud as he watched them.

Maybe half an hour after the preparations had first begun, the anchor was raised, the ties were cast off, and the ship began its ponderous turn away from the docks and out towards the mouth of the bay. Darius was so caught up in the goings on, he didn't notice the sailor climbing the ladder up to take what was presumably his post in the crows nest. There was the sound of a clearing throat from below him, and he jumped, looking over the edge to see the man staring up at him with an expression that seemed caught between curiosity, uncertainty, and challenge. "Oh, right, sorry about that." Darius said, and quickly vaulted over the side of the crows nest, snapping his wings open and swooping out over the side of the ship, not noticing the gawking of the man as he took his post. He looked around for another reasonable place to perch, but everywhere on the deck there seemed to be some activity. However there was a forward mast, laid almost perpendicular to the others, that stretched out over the front of the ship. Darius banked around, flapped a few times to stabilize himself, and settled on the jib. His wings stayed extended, using the wind to keep his balance as he perched, looking out across the water. The ship picked up speed, passed through the mouth of the bay, and was out on the open sea.

Then a voice behind him started to sing. Darius looked over his shoulder, to see a man singing loud and heartily as he worked, seeming to move in time with the words. Soon the rest of the crew joined in, and the song rolled out over the water as the ship rode through the waves. It was a song with the bone-deep familiarity of an old tradition, and Darius could almost feel himself starting to hum along to it, though he'd never heard it before. Looking up towards the wheel, he could see Cirice looking out at the ocean. There was a new light in his eyes that he hadn't seen before. For the first time it seemed to him that the hard edged pirate and the softer kind woman came together into one person, fused by the joy of sailing. Darius turned, looking out over the waves and feeling the ship ride the swell. No it wasn't quite flying, but it was pretty damn close. He was starting to understand the appeal of this freedom.

@Cirice Vaisha
Word count: 934
User avatar
Cirice Vaisha
Character
The Wildling Pirate
Level
03
48 / 48 HP
32 / 32 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 75c
Race: Kerasoka
Class: Ranger and Rogue
Posts: 70
Joined: July 14th, 2020, 3:44 pm
Has thanked: 63 times
Been thanked: 56 times

Re: Rolling Down To Old Maui

Post by Cirice Vaisha »

Cirice caught sight of Darius perched up on the foremast, doing his own thing. She was about to make her way towards him when Mercer cleared his throat next to her. "Some of the men said that they saw him exiting your cabin this morning, cap'n. Is there... something between you?" he asked cautiously. He knew it wasn't wise to prod about her personal life. But she knew that it was simple curiosity. She smirked and glanced at him. "What, Mercer? Your captain isn't allowed to have a little fun in bed once every couple decades?" she quipped. "Fair enough, cap'n." he agreed and turned to tend to some other duty.

She looked back to Darius and walked across the deck towards him. "Enjoying the view on my mast?" she spoke up from behind him as she leaned against a railing. Her gaze drifted across the ocean as she took in the sights. "This is what I enjoy, Darius. The open seas, all for me to sail and explore. And with this ship, I can finally head north and even further. See what lies beyond the horizon, where nobody has travelled before." she spoke softly as she looked back to him. She motioned for him to follow and made her way back to the quarterdeck of the ship.

The rest of the day was uneventful. The sea was calm and the weather fair. Aside from a few minor things requiring her attention, Cirice kept to her cabin where she introduced Darius to her bookshelf filled with a plethora of alchemical recipes, charts, maps and history books on various areas. There was even a bestiary on sea creatures written by her. "This was something I started a while ago when I met a professor who asked me about the things I've seen on the waves. I still need to redo it, though. When my old ship got attacked, it picked up some water damage on some of the pages." she explained as she handed him the book. When night came, dinner was served for the crew while Cirice cleared her desk for the two of them.

Eventually their modest dinner arrived and she immediately dug in. "Hopefully the rest of the trip is as quiet as today. I don't want any surprises on this trip." she commented as she poured them both some rum and set the glasses on the table.

@Darius Goldmane
Word count: 402
Darius Goldmane
Character
Darius
Level
02
26 / 26 HP
19 / 19 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Human and Ue'drahc
Class: Druid and Fighter
Posts: 35
Joined: June 23rd, 2021, 3:59 am
Has thanked: 29 times
Been thanked: 30 times

Re: Rolling Down To Old Maui

Post by Darius Goldmane »

Darius looked back as Cirice came to join him. "Well it seemed the best place to be out of the way." He shrugged. "Besides, the view from out here is pretty spectacular." He listened as Cirice talked. There was that tone in her voice again, the conviction, that sense of belonging. He flared his wings, allowing the wind to scoop him up and set him back on the deck next to her. "That certainly sounds like it would be a fine adventure." He said, following her back to the cabin.

Throughout the rest of the day they stayed hidden in the privacy of Cirice's cabin. There were a few times when she was called out to attend to something, but it was only ever for a few minutes at a time. Darius looked through all of Cirice's collection of journals and books. The volume on sea creatures in particular caught his attention, as many of the entries in there were of creatures he'd never seen or even heard of before. "This is a labor of love, I can tell." He said, still leafing through it. He was careful on the pages with obvious water damage. "It's incredible. I had no idea how complicated life could be out here. I'll have to spend some time getting to know these creatures and plants myself one of these days."

Eventually they sat down to eat. Darius looked up at her comment. "Maybe this is just my impression, but I thought a voyage like this was almost never completely quiet." he replied, taking a drink from the glass. "I figured there were always things going differently than you expected. If they didn't you'd probably have gotten bored of this life a while ago." The rum was decent, but still nothing compared to...shit, he'd completely forgotten. "Hang on a second." he got up, retrieved his bag and started digging through it. "You have extra glasses around here?" After a few moments, he stood back up holding a large metal flask. It was wrapped in brown leather decorated with a pair of stylized dragon wings.

@Cirice Vaisha
Word count: 352
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