Harmony never sees her death coming.
Red light burns the air and bursts into vivid flame, which Polli's winds twist up into the sky to do minimal damage. The wizard looks back to see... she doesn't know... no... that can't...
'The enemy. Focus on the enemy. '
Her blue eyes flare with hate behind the blurring mist inside them. With screamed arcane words and gestures akin to a predator ripping meat, the wizard rises in the air, calling lighting to destroy the enemy.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Tessa is embracing the woman she plans to spend the rest of her life with. She has so much to talk to her about, these feelings that are swirling inside of her now that the Kraken is gone. She knows she needs to focus on the battle, but there is just something safe in the sanctuary of her lover's embrace. Just one more kiss for good luck...
Tessa is assaulted in the spray like everyone else, and it takes every ounce of energy she has to fight through it. She feels Harmony pulling away from her and diving to the ground to get out of the spell's range.
Once the spell has passed, she turns to Harmony, extending her hand to her motionless body on the ground before her. "Vi, c'mon get up! We need to-. Vi. Vi? Are you ...?"
Tessa's breath fails her as if she had the wind knocked out of her. Everything starts spinning around her as she looks down at Harmony's motionless body. She hadn't dove out of the way, she had been killed. In her arms.
"No." Tessa stammers, trying not to whimper and reaching out helplessly for Doni. "DONI! HARMONY NEEDS YOU NOW!" she calls out.
Realization that everyone else is going to die if she doesn't do something RIGHT NOW suddenly hits her and she takes one last look at Harmony on the deck before turning and running straight for the other ship.
She vaults off the Siren clearing the gap between the two ships and lands on Wyrmwood with Wayfinder in her hand.
She neglects the playful banter she normally would deploy at this particular moment, grinding her teeth with wild eyes.
Polli's sizzling arc of blue lightning strikes the enemies standing on the rear deck of the Wyrmwood. While Kipper and the captain manage to avoid the worst of it, Patch, Riaris, and the two musketeers are caught fully by the arcane energy. The musketeers fall to the deck, their weapons useless in the dead hands.
Tessa leaps the short distance without even a thought and lands on the other deck within striking distance of her foes. However, the woman that blanketed them in horrific magic is just out of her reach.
The enemy quickly changes their tactics as the red-headed swashbuckler brings the battle to them. Patch shifts position around the raging woman and attempts to stab at her with a shortsword, but Tessa easily parries the clumsy strikes and gives her two stabs in return that drop her to the ground. Riaris tries to catch her with her vicious looking trademark long boarding pike, but Tessa sidesteps the attacks. Kipper drinks a potion and vanishes from sight.
Donomsail, who actually managed to dodge some of the effects of the yellow electricity, moves towards the general melee on the Siren's deck and sends out a pulse of healing energy that revitalizes her crew.
The musketeers on the foredeck reload.
Round 2
Val's heart skips a beat when one of captains falls lifeless to the deck.
don't get distracted... there's nothing you can do for her right now... kill these pricks and make it safe for Donm to fix her... and keep an eye on Tessa, she'll be thinking even less clearly now...
The buxom slayer flies past the dangerous spellcaster and knocks an arrow. She wants desperately to blast the woman with a hail of arrows but restrains herself, knowing that stopping another spell like that is far more important than making her bleed, so she keeps her bowstring taught and waits...
Ignoring Valeria's arrow as it raises a line of red along her arm, the captain finishes her arcane gestures and vanishes from normal sight.
"Hide all you want. IT WILL NOT SAVE YOU!" Polli yells into the air, her eyes fixed on the captain who killed her friend. Lightning answers her scream, tearing once again through her and her crew.
Tessa's fury is evident when her strikes are full of fury, swinging wild without the poise she normally possesses.
Riaris fails to avoid both Polli's lightning and Tessa's blade and in moments she's nothing but a cooling, twitching body on the deck of the ship.
Kipper appears a moment later as two flaming arrows fly from his longbow to embed themselves in Tessa.
Finished with her healing, Donomsail directs her divine attentions to the rear deck of the Wyrmwood and calls down a column of fire to strike directly on the wheel of the ship, catching both the visible Kipper as well as the invisible captain in its area. While the nimble Kipper avoids the effects entirely, the hook-handed woman is not so lucky.
Round 3
Val focuses on the magic in her blood for a moment and her eyes begin to glow softly.
The commander of the Wyrmwood appears to Valeria's enhanced vision for only a moment before casting a spell and vanishing entirely.
With the rest of the officers either dead or having magically escaped, Kipper snarls in frustration before throwing his bow to the ground.
"Parley! I surrender!" he growls.
The wizard zips down, hovering above the deck and just outside of Kipper's reach. "NO" she hissed, with all the fury and loss burning inside her powering that single word.
Raising her hand bright red missiles erupts from her to slam into the man.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"YOU DO NOT GET TO PARLEY!" Tessa shouts, leveling Wayfinder at him as she steps up, her eyes wild and her anger flaring. "That moment passed when you killed Vi!"
She lets her rapier dance and thrust it towards the man.
Polli blasts and Tessa stabs and in a blink of an eye, Kipper joins his shipmates, bleeding out on the sun-bleached deck of the Wyrmwood.
With Donomsail spreading healing energy through the rallying crew of the Siren and the enemy crew's leadership having fled or no longer counted among the living, in very short order the Wyrmwood is yours!
Combat Ends!
Taking a wider view, you can see that the battle is winding down as well. The remaining ships of Harrigan's fleet are now raising sails, turning tail and running. The battle hasn't been without cost. Not a single battle group has avoided losing at least one ship. However, the count of captured ships outnumbers the lost, so in the end your fleet is larger. However, no captured prisoners make up for the lives lost. And that includes the dark-haired captain of the Siren, herself.
None of the captured enemy crewmembers have any real loyalty to Harrigan and are happy to take on new roles as directed. Questioning them, you can determine that Harrigan sent the bulk of the vessels he had at his disposal - fully expecting to crush the island's defenders. There are a few of his ships out pirating as usual, but the understanding is that there aren't any ships at all defending his home fortress where it's assumed that he has taken refuge.
Numerous prisoners are happy to relay the location of his fortress; A small isle located about thirty-six miles west of the Smoker called Gannet Island. They also tell you that a sea serpent guards the waters surrounding the isle and can provide you with a basic map outline of the fortress itself. None of them have been inside the fortress, though.
Polli remembers some entries about the fortress in Scags Rotgram's diary that you recovered from the Devilish Duchess. In fact, a study of the last few pages not only provides a - hopefully accurate - map of the first floor of Harrigan’s fortress, but also reveals the following key bits of information.
Harrigan keeps a “pet” witch — a foul, long-tongued man who keeps a trained sea serpent in the reef-maze surrounding the isle. Scags’s notes indicate that when Harrigan and his ships come and go through the treacherous reefs, they bang large gongs and drop a freshly butchered bull or other large animal over the side as an “offering” to the serpent. The monster’s been trained not to attack ships that use this ritual as they pass through the reefs.
A sea cave exists under the island that serves as an escape route. The cave is exposed at low tide, but even at high tide the tunnel that leads up into the island would provide a stealthy entrance, especially if a force were able to approach the island underwater and enter the cave at high tide.
Harrigan’s personal quarters are on the castle’s third floor — an attack against Harrigan from above would certainly be the fastest route, but Scags notes that such a foolish tactic would leave the entire complement of guards on the floors below available as reinforcements to aid Harrigan. Scags had planned on working his way up through the lower floors with several of his allies, hoping to use Harrigan’s cowardice and arrogance against him so that when the final confrontation occurred, there would be no reinforcements left to protect the man.
Numerous other entries throughout the diary provide smaller tips on how to infiltrate the castle, with notes on guard patrols, blind spots, and the like.
All that's left now is to lick your wounds and decide whether and how to deal with Harrigan.
While Polli and Tessa finish off the Wyrmwood's officers, Val flies up into the rigging and cuts down Harrigan's colors. As it falls, she glides to the Siren, using her bow to encourage the enemy sailors to surrender.
The winged pirate lord scans the Siren's deck again as she floats down to it and asks, "Where is Meiying?" rather sternly before the fighting as even fully ended.
Polli flies back to their ship, straight to Dony to make sure she is safe. The two hold each other briefly in the sea of chaos before they both are needed elsewhere.
As Dony sees to healing, Polli goes to be with Tessa. Kneeling beside the grieving woman and the brilliant soul held in her arms, she simply is there if needed. Her own knot of despair is held on tightly with glistening blue eyes.
"I still have a teleportation spell memorized. We can go to port peril now, seek out a priest and bring her back tonight or... wait until tomorrow, until Gozreh provides." she whispers.
The winged pirate lord scans the Siren's deck again as she floats down to it and asks, "Where is Meiying?" rather sternly before the fighting as even fully ended.
Barefoot Samms looks up from where she's tying a bandage around Rosie's arm. "The last I saw her was near the foredeck," she says, pointing towards the front of the ship.
Moving to the front of the ship, Val finds Meiying comforting Turpinia as she applies pressure to the woman's bleeding belly. "I'm fine, Val," Mei says in a strained voice. "Could you get Miss Lishoni? Otherwise Turp's gonna bleed out." The pale woman is not without injuries herself; there's a light gash above her left eye and blood trickles down for her to wipe away with a hand covered in Turpinia's blood.
Val breathes a sigh of relief when she spots her lover mostly alright. Her relief is tempered somewhat, however, by the discovery of whom she’s holding. Still, the winged archer doesn’t hesitate to draw her wand and heal both of them. Once they’re both patched up she helps them to their feet and remarks, ”my brave warrior, you’ve kept your bit of the crew safe once again… I’m proud of you, but mostly I’m just glad you’re in one piece.” She gives the white-haired woman a deep kiss before adding, ”I’ll make sure you’re properly rewarded for your bravery tonight, but for now I’ve got to check on the captains, and maybe organize the clean up and watch rotations…” When Meiying’s had a chance to respond, Val hurries back to Polli and the captains, but part of her attention remains on the woman who seems glued to her lover’s hip whenever duty pulls her away.
with all these new ships to staff maybe it’s time for our cook’s mate to graduate to a full-fledged ship’s cook, somewhere else…
Back in the sterncastle, she exchanges a glance with Polli and silently asks, [how’s Tessa holding up, and what did Donm say about bringing Cap’n Vi back?]
Once the battle is over, Tessa returns immediately back to Harmony's side, dropping to her knees. Sorrow washes over her as she takes her fallen lover's hand into her own. Tears stream down her face as she allows herself to process what's happened, dropping to Harmony's chest and sobbing. Squeezing Harmony's hand she says, "I'm sorry I failed you, VI. But, I'm going to fix this. Hang in there. I'll get you back soon, no matter what it takes."
When Polli approaches and says something to her, Tessa doesn't hear what it was and asks for it to be repeated. In fact, she isn't even sure how long Polli has been standing there. Looking up she sees Polli and Val and others nearby. Clearing her throat, she lifts herself off Harmony's body and asks "W-what?" in a small, tinny voice.
Once she hears it correctly, she wipes her eyes, clears her throat and scoops up Harmony into her arms and stands beside Polli. "We go now."
Polli was about to answer Val, when Tessa declares the intention. She stands with Tessa and nods "Val, watch out for Donosail, please." knowing her love will not abandon all the injured, and that one of them has to stay and command the crew.
Laying a hand on Tessa's shoulder, she casts her spell and the three of them are in the room Polli rents in Port Peril.
”We’ll see all three of you soon,” Val answers Polli and Tessa as she tugs her hat in salute. When they vanish, she immediately begins organizing the Siren’s crew and setting them to a variety of tasks, including: security patrols, bringing the injured to Donomsail, assessing the damage to the Siren, cataloging provisions and plunder from the enemy vessel, and visiting other ships in the fleet to request similar reports. Then she sets about interviewing the surrendered sailors to determine which can be trusted to remain on the Wyrmwood in a crew loyal to the Siren, which could be trusted if surrounded by loyal people on the Siren herself, and which will be prisoners.
A corner room overlooking the port, with light wood furniture, a big soft bed, and a porcelain tub. Some of the two's personal effects are on the desk and dresser showing they have visited the room quite often. "Stay here, and I'll bring a priest to you." the wizard looks stricken at the captains, both live and dead, wanting to say something, anything, but has nothing. Nodding more to herself than anyone she goes to the door, opening the many ones they had added and then hurries out.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The situation with Turpinia seems a little more complicated now. Where previously Val had decided the woman had an unhealthy attention to her lover, now it has moved to full-on hero worship. Val has even caught the woman referring to Mei as 'Mistress Meiying' on more than one occasion.
~~~~~
It's quite late in the evening when Polli returns with a man in a stained apron with a well-used copper mug dangling from his waist. He's well past middle-age and with a round belly that indicates he loves both his food and drink. In fact, the smell of ale is strong about him, though he seems clear-headed. His round face is partially covered with a week's worth of stubble.
"Captain Steele," he says with a partial smile. "I've heard a lot about you. Sorry to hear of your misfortune." He turns his attention the still form on Polli's bed. "And this must be your ... companion ... Captain 'Violet'. Both Tessa and Polli can hear the quotes with which he surrounds her name. "My name is Bardo Machie. I run The Mug And Barrel."
He reaches out and places his hand on Harmony's forehead. "Not gone long then I see," he says with a sigh. "Well then, let's see what the Lucky Drunk has to say on the subject."
Turning to Polli, he holds out his hand. "The item we discussed?" She hands him a large diamond. "I know it seems materialistic, but the gods require a sacrifice on our part to demonstrate how much we desire their intervention. Forms must be obeyed, after all." He sets the gemstone at the base of Harmony's throat.
The man lowers himself to his knees with a stifled groan and pulls a large flask out of a cavernous pocket. "My friend, this woman has departed our presence prematurely," he prays. "There is still so much life for her to live. So much to celebrate. So many mugs to lift. So many adventures left to have. So much love left to share. Please ... we beseech you to return her to us so that she may get a chance to raise a ale to your name once more."
He tips the flask, pouring most of the contents out on the wooden floor. The small remainder he empties into the copper flask he sets on the small table near the bed. Placing his hand back on her forehead, he stills, but continues to watch the mug. "Hold her hand," he says to Tessa.
There's an ongoing silence as everyone waits for ... something. Minutes go by.
"Ah, my friend has spoken," Bardo says with a grin as the mug now overflows with ale - the amber liquid running over the edge and spilling onto the stand. At the same time Tessa feels the hand in hers grow warm. There's a sudden gasp as Harmony draws a breath and her eyes blink open.
"Easy there," Bardo says in a friendly voice. "You've had a trying time, Captain. Slow breaths. There's someone here to see you." He pushes himself to his feet and stands with another low groan. He steps out of the way to clear the way for Tessa.
"Make sure she drinks the ale," he says to Polli, indicating the copper mug. "And if you could bring me the mug back. I'm sort of attached to it." He winks and makes way out of the room.
Anxiety is etched in every nook and cranny in Polli's face until Harmony's breath returns. She can't help but to give the round-bellied lovely man a hard long hug, along with a whispered thanks. "I... I think our family would have been shattered without her. No matter our intentions. So forever and always we will be indebted to you."
As the two captains look at each other, propriety says she should get out of there and let them be alone, but she needs to get Harmony to drink from the cup, and does not want to interrupt them. So she awkwardly stands at the door, holding the cup in both hands and looking ANYWHERE but at the two of them. Occasionally brushing away a tear of relief, and adding to the deep blush already on her cheeks.
Harmony returns with a gasp and her gaze immediately seeks out Tessa. Finding the redhead she pulls her fiancee in close and kisses her for all she's worth. Then Tessa feels her tense up and Harmony pulls back, scrabbling at her neck.
The cord she pulls out holds some of her most treasured possessions, including a lustrous black pearl. Except Tessa has seen said necklace before and the pearl was white before. Harmony looks up with a nervous grin. "Sweetheart... you know how much you like my parents..." Then she sees Polli standing by with a mug. "You're a lifesaver Polli!" She says with a grin, before draining the mug in two huge gulps. "Now if you'll take some advice... leave. Now. My parents are going to get here soon and I don't think being nearby is a good idea. Unless you really want to watch and get chewed out alongside me?"
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
As the reports come in, Val sets to writing a series of missives. To the captains who came to offer aid she sends thanks and the promise there will be a celebration on the island to show their gratitude once one can be planned. To the those captains who took an enemy vessel successfully, she grants authority to name their most trusted officer as captain over the claimed ship. Summoning Varun to the sterncastle, she hands the Siren’s sailing master his own note and explains, ”You’ve served the Siren well, and your efforts have not gone unnoticed. One of our allies took the Selkie’s Scorn but lost too many officers to staff it. I’m appointing you her acting captain. I’m leaving it to Vi and Tessa to decide what becomes of the Wyrmwood; if they’d like you to take her instead I’ll appoint someone else to the Selkie, otherwise you’ll captain her under the Siren’s colors until you’re recognized as a Free Captain, and hopefully remain our ally well after that. Congratulations, Cap’n Laghari.”
Next she has the cook’s mate brought to her. “Turpinia, you were, by all accounts, brave today. When other cook’s and cook’s mates hid away below decks, and in many cases died alone down there, you stood and defended the Siren. Your service will not go unrewarded. I’ve just given Varun command of the Selkie’s Scorn, and he is in need of a ship’s cook. You have learned much from Meiying and I have no doubt you will serve him admirably as you apply all those lessons. Congratulations.”
Finally, she calls for the riggers Surina and Ennia. When they arrive she tells them, ”you have both proven your loyalty in your time aboard the Siren and shown both your skill and mettle in the regatta and now in war. The Siren has been without a Bosun since Maheem was made captain of the Sea Witch, and now we are without a Sailing Master as I’ve just made Varun captain of a captured ship. So, I’m appointing you, Surina, acting Bosun and you, Ennia, acting sailing master. I don’t make final decisions on the Siren, so it’ll be up to cap’ns Tessa and Vi whether you’ll keep those positions once they return, but for now congratulations and get to work with the new roster.”
Once that work is done, she tracks down Meiying. After giving her a long hug and a deep kiss, she sighs and says, “I’m so glad you’re alright my love. I did not like seeing you covered in blood this afternoon… especially after seeing Vi collapse like that. I know you don’t like to fight but I’m glad you’re as capable as you are, it makes me feel slightly better about not being to stand guard over you every time there’s trouble. Oh, and while we’re on the topic of guarding: I’m afraid you’re going to have to train a new assistant… Turpinia has been promoted to ship’s cook on the Selkie’s Scorn which Varun will be captaining. You’ve done an excellent job protecting her while you trained her, but—as a personal favor to your worrisome lover—please consider training someone who could help protect you this time. I understand Owlbear has a lot of free time on his hands.”
Polli hesitates a moment before leaning down to find an open spot between the berry and Harmony. Her lips press against the raven-haired captain's forehead, with squeezed eyes and the occasional dripping of happy tears.
"thank you for coming back." she whispers, before standing and looking awkward again "This one would have been a mess without you." she gives Tessa a stern look with no heat, then hurries out of the room before the parents arrive.
Off to find the innkeeper with the hope of finding another room for the night.
Tessa is a bit of a mess through it all, tears running freely down her face as she's unable to control her emotions properly. The last day has been a doozy and she's yet been able to process any of it as one thing had been running into the next.
One he's brought her back and he steps out of her way, she dashes forward into Harmony's arms and squeezes her tight as she can, her right hand still trembling.
Continually wiping her eyes, she turns back to Polli to look at her in response to he comment. She nods her head and agrees with a small smile "It's true."
Once she's gone, she turns back to hug Harmony again. "I'm not going anywhere. It's my fault. I didn't protect you. I'll take any blame they want to throw your way. All that matters is that you're here." She squeezes her again and kisses her five times quickly. "They couldn't make me leave if they wanted to." she says defiantly, knowing that is not entirely true at all.
"I love you." Harmony replies, taking Tessa's hand in her own. The little finger on her left hand is missing, which makes her hand feel oddly small in Tessa's own. "Just remember, I'm fine and there's no need for them to worry. It's not their fault." She turns Tessa's pale, tear-stained face to her own. "And it isn't yours either! You hear me Lacey! What happened was not your fault and you aren't allowed to say otherwise. Or else you get no cuddling tonight!" She smiles but Tessa can hear the absolute seriousness in her lovers tone. "This is not your fault Lacey, and I will never blame you for any of it. I love you." Harmony repeats the magic words once more and then leans her head forward to rest just under Tessa's chin, enjoying the last moments of peace.
~~~~
"Owlbear would eat more food than he'd cook," Meiying says in an attempt to lighten the mood, but Valeria can easily tell that her lover is unsettled by Turpinia's transfer. "Are ... are you sure this is the best thing for her?" she asks before shaking her head. "Yes, of course. You wouldn't have done it otherwise. It probably is the best solution."
~~~~~
"Why am I not surprised to see you two?" he says with a chuckle. "She's fine. She's upstairs. Third door on the right. She's with Captain Steele at the moment, though, so I'd give them a few minutes."
"I will do no such thing. My daughter has just ..." the smaller woman barks before turning to glare at her companion. "Yes, thank you, Machie," she says finally in a defeated tone. Bardo gives a token bow and then takes his leave of the inn. The two women move past Polli towards the stairs, but not before the taller of the two - Melodie, if Polli remembers correctly - nods in her direction. "Miss Bog," she says, "So good to see you again. If you'll excuse us?" Without waiting for a response, they ascend the stairs.
~~~~~
Harmony feels the presence build on the other side of the door. It's one that she's been expecting, but to her surprise it remains just there ... waiting. A full five minutes passes as the anticipation rises before a restrained knock shatters the silence.
"May ... may we come in?" her kaa-chan asks meekly.
"I blame me." Tessa says, snuggling and trying to finally dry her reddened eyes.
When the knock and voices from outside ring through, she sniffs once more, wiping her eyes and nose. She wants to say No. Let us have some time together. but clears her throat and says instead "Yes. Of course. Please come in." as she takes a step back from Harmony's chest and moves to stand beside her.
Val chuckles softly at Mei’s comment about Owlbear. ”I was mostly joking about that…” she confesses, ”I’m sure he’d be fiercely protective of you as soon as you started feeding him, but he probably doesn’t really have capacity to learn to cook, I don’t think.”
Talking the cook’s hand into her own, she gazes into her amber eyes and offers, ”I know you and Turpinia have grown close, and I’m sorry that you’ll have to start all over with a new assistant, but she’s earned a promotion, and trained cooks are hard to come by at sea…” [plus, her crush on you is only getting worse… if you still want us to belong fully and completely to each other, the kindest thing we can do is send her out to find someone who can love her that way too…] “I honestly do believe it really is the best thing for her.”
“I honestly do believe it really is the best thing for her.”
"I know," Mei replies. "I need to get to work," she says after a deep breath. "No assistant and battle or not, these people still need to eat." She gives Val a quick kiss on the cheek before heading down below.
~~~~~
The door opens and the two ladies step inside the comfortable room. The shorter woman takes a hiccupping breath before pushing past Tessa and drawing Harmony into her arms.
"Oh, my sweet baby," she whispers in Minkaian as she holds the woman in her arms. "I was so scared." She releases Harmony with shaking arms and takes a step back, wiping her eyes. It's only then that she looks over the bard. Her eyes seem to note the scar near her eye and the missing finger. She gives Tessa a burning glance before looking back at her wife.
"We're here just to make sure Harmony is protected and well-cared for," Melodie says in a calm voice. "And now we know that's the case." Zhi makes a strangled noise, but doesn't say anything. "We're not here to interfere in your lives, nor are we here to lay blame to anyone," she continues. This seems to be directed as much towards her wife as at Tessa. "You've had a ... challenge ... and you've overcome it. This will make you stronger. We couldn't be any more proud of how you've been handling yourself." She looks at Tessa. "Both of you."
”I’m sorry to have made more work for you, my love, especially after the day we’ve all had already…” Val answers sadly. ”I’m not sure that Tessa and Vi would allow it to become permanent after everything that happened, but I saw Ambrose among the survivors, you can grab him to be your assistant for now if you want. He’d certainly be able to get you through dinner, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind a break from swabbing duties.”
"Hey kaa-chan." Harmony answers, her voice equally small. At some point in the last couple of years she's grown a few inches taller than her mother and now she can't snuggle into her mom's arms the way she used to. That thought provokes a moment's pang in her heart and she squeezes a little tighter, just to make sure, before she lets her mom step back.
She sees the glance and is about to retaliate when her mother steps in to calm the situation down. Harmony gives her mother a long glance, communicating in a way without words that they have always been able to. It's not the telepathy that she knows her parents share, just a deep familial bond, that comes from a shared heritage, the shared magic that runs deep in both their souls.
She reaches out, taking Tessa's right hand in her own, slightly shortened left. "Thank you mother. Thank you mom. It means a lot... what you've said. I know what you want, I know how hard this must be, and your trust means so much. I love you both - so much!" That's the point where her control breaks and she turns into Tessa's arms for comfort.
Then she feels another pair of arms creep around her waist, and a third drape over her shoulder, knowing that Melodie had embraced Tessa too. Inside that cocoon of love, from the three people who are closest to her in all the world Harmony feels something within her, something that had been broken ever since she came back, heal inside her. This is family. Her family.
"I love you." She whispers, and it's not clear who exactly she's talking to. But that doesn't matter either.
Tessa is ready to declare herself at fault to take the blame and potential heat off Harmony, but the moment never comes and she swallows the comment in silence and chooses to allow everyone else to talk. She nods at the notion of them growing from this, getting stronger and surviving though inside she chides herself for letting this happen.
She embraces Harmony when she turns to her, resting her head against her love, totally unprepared for the group hug. When it comes she stiffens and stands a little taller before relaxes and focusing on Harmony.
This is the time Tessa would normally make a wisecrack or a joke of some kind, accompanied by some flashing demonstration designed to provoke a response. The moment passes and she does none of that however, only able to focus on the fact that Harmony was alive and that she needed to do better in the future to ensure that she stayed that way.
Poilli escaped the family with a hesitant nod, then finds a place with soup. Lots of soup.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
~~~~~
Later that evening when Val returns to the cabin. She finds the woman penning a letter.
"I understand that you're doing what you think is best," she says, putting her pen down and sprinkling some sand on the drying ink. "And I'm sure that I will come to see it that way eventually as well. But right now it feels as if I'm abandoning her. I know that's not the case and that she'll be safe ... well ... as safe as one can be in the Shackles. I'm hoping to move a ... a friend onto the ship with her. Just to keep an eye on her until she finds her place again."
She rises from the small stool and approaches the slayer.
"I hope you're not angry at me or too jealous." She gives a playful smile. "I can handle a little jealousy."
~~~~~
Her choice of venue, however, indicates that her habits are predictable. No sooner has her bowl of divinity arrived and she's raised a spoon to it, does a known quantity take a seat on the bench next to her.
"Where's red?" Fina asks with a smirk. "Oh, don't look surprised. You've partaken of the nectar of the succubus willingly. I always know where you're at. So when you drop into port, I have to come by to say hello to my favorite хосттун f*#*er." She leans in close. "I know what you dream about. The real thing is so much better and I can make it happen. You just have to ask." The woman leans back and throws a wink at the passing serving woman who blushes and giggles. "Well, beg, really, but no need to quibble about semantics. That looks yummy, may I try some?" Without waiting for a response, she dips her finger into Polli's soup and draws it into her mouth with an obscene groan of pleasure. "That's good."
"You've got my candle. Don't be a stranger."
With that she literally vanishes leaving the scent that Polli has become familiar with. The scent that haunts her dreams and tickles the darker side of her imagination.
~~~~~
The mothers choose not to remain long and once tearful goodbyes are declared, they make their way out of Polli's rented room. As she leaves, Zhi gestures for Tessa to follow her out into the hallway.
Shutting the door, she turns to the red-head. "I know that we haven't ... that we're not ..." she begins before glancing at Melodie standing nearby, watching with an encouraging smile. "I've been a b#+*% to you, ok? I'll admit that. But she's my ..." her voice cracks and she has to clear her throat before continuing in a voice choked with emotion. "She's my baby girl and more precious to me than anything. Thank you for taking care of her." Before Tessa can respond, the small woman throws her arms around her for a tight embrace.
The hug ends as soon as quickly as it begins and Zhi wipes at her eyes. With a quick nod at Tessa, she takes her wife's hand and heads down the stairs. As they move out of sight, Tessa catches a faint, "Now was that so hard?" followed by a, "You have no idea."
~~~~~
- Day 341
The trio return to the island the next morning to find the port bay humming with activity. Ships being repaired. Crews being organized. Flags being crafted and flown. The fleet of Free Captain Tessa Steele has grown a fair amount since she left.
The other Free Captains have taken the opportunity to arrange gathering the resources for a celebration victory dinner. The only thing remaining is determining when it shall take place. The assumption of Barnabas Harrigan's defeat is already made, even though you all know that the man himself, while isolated in his keep, is anything but defeated.
Val smirks as the white-haired woman approaches her. "I am a little bit jealous," she confirms, "but when you're done sending that note wherever it needs to go I'm going to remind us both who you belong to..."
When Polli and the captains return, Val tugs her hat in salute and offers, "good to see you all again," before launching into a report on the state of the Siren and the fleet. As she explains the state of things, she hands over all the reports she got from the various captains then concludes with, "The Selkie's Scorn was taken but the crew that took it lost too many to staff it, so I made Varun it's captain and got him officers from a handful of loyal ships. The Wyrmwood is the only captured vessel that doesn't have a new captain yet, because I thought you two should decide it's fate personally. I did tell Varun, though, that if you wanted him to take it I would appoint someone else to the Selkie. Also, Varun had been doing Maheem's job since he got the Sea Witch, so with him gone I made Surina acting Bosun and Ennia acting sailing master--they've both been with us for as long as anyone we've got left, and proven themselves skilled and loyal--but I did stress that all final decisions on the Siren were yours, so it'd be up to you whether they keep those spots now that you're back."
The black-winged pirate lord pauses for a moment for the captains to process all that before asking, "so, how do you want to handle Harrigan? Polli and I could teleport there at night, flying and invisible, and kill him in his sleep if you like? Or, we can all go if you'd prefer the satisfaction of seeing him and his mage die firsthand?"
Harmony is rather tactile that night, holding Tessa close. At least once during the night Tessa wakes to tears soaking her night clothes as Harmony cries silently in the darkness.
The next morning however Harmony is the picture of composure and leads a rousing round of applause when Captain Steele returns to the Island of Empty Eyes.
"Set the feast for two weeks time!" She declares. "We will bring Harrigan's shriveled prick to give the sharks an appetiser!"
As Captain of the Siren, if not the fleet, Harmony immediately sets to preparing her ship. She confirms all of Val's promotions and sees to the backlog of paperwork that inevitably builds up when this many ships are in the same place.
A soft knock on their door wakes them before midnight. Opening it reveals their wizard in her nightgown holding a couple of pillows tightly to her chest with a few blankets trailing behind her. Shiny blue eyes, mussed hair, and a deep rose color to her cheeks might have anyone worried about where she is coming from and who she is doing that coming with, but this is Polli so worry not.
Eyes drifting anywhere but the captains "I can't sleep, not with them here." she bites her lip, shaking her head a bit "Her at least, I only saw one, but one is enough." she mutters, eyes still trying to lower "I can't be alone, she wants me to use the candle, but we don't have it, " she looks quickly up at Harmony before her eyes get angry at herself and she looks away again "don't answer that. I... I'll sleep in the corner here." she shuffles over to the tub, stuffing it with her blankets and pillows before crawling in. "and I don't like soup anymore."
At the ship, Polli continues to look distracted, much like a very forlorn teenage girl with dreams of a knight in shining armor mounting her... horse, yes horse, gods yes Horse damn it. Polli stamps away realizing her mind is a pit fit only for wallowing in wet dreams.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Tessa has nothing left to protest Zhi when she asks to speak with her. Zapped of everything physically and emotionally, she collapses into the woman when she offers her a hug. Letting her frame rest against the older woman, she lets herself be hugged.
Tessa being Tessa however, she can't let the moment pass completely without making light of the situation. With her head resting against the mom's, she whispers "I love you too. Mom."
---
That night Tessa's mind is a whirlwind of activity. Thoughts of striking down her arch-enemy blend together with her love dying in her arms only to be brought back to life and topped off with a visit from the matriarchy. Unsure what's a dream and what's real, Tessa does her best to comfort Harmony while bottling up her own emotions to be dealt with later.
---
Later, when she is about to find sleep, the knock on the door brings her to her feet only to find their wizard entering.
"Come in, Polli." she says, rubbing her eyes.
After Polli has spilled her thoughts, Tessa stumbles up to her and wraps her arms around her. No strength in her squeeze, she leans her head in and says "No need to be alone. Your family is here, come join us."
She takes Polli's hand and guides her to her own section of the bed and tucks her in, getting her comfortable. Half-asleep, she shushes any objections and repeats "Nonesense, sleep right here in my spot. You're safe here. I'll protect you."
Truth be told, Tessa adored Polli and wouldn't be alive without her. Hell, Harmony wouldn't be alive. No one would. But she couldn't come out and tell the genie what she thought of her. But this is different. She was vulnerable. And as her Captain, she had to protect her.
Once Polli is settled, she moves to the floor next to Harmony, watching over her. She reaches out to comfort her co-captain when she stirs until once sleep finds her once more.
---
The next day before departing, Tessa makes it her mission to visit each and every crew member she can find to help pump them up and remind them of who they are. What they stand for. And what they are about to do.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
If she's let in: Harmony pulls Polli into a hug. "If you want our help to hunt those two down, you have it. Seriously Polli, anything you need."
Polli mutters and sputters softly, muffled nonsensical complaints, before she melts into the one only berry in her life, she is just so tired her normal distancing is lost. Allowing herself to be tucked in, she drifts off almost immediately, but she tosses and turns in bed, making noises that make her dreams very obvious.
---
She stiffens at first in Harmony's arms, but then she wraps the other woman in as iron a hold she can. Side of her head to Harmony's she whispers hoarsely "If... they... break me, if they take me, if I GO willingly, PROMISE me... that you'll kill me." she stops for a moment, her chest heaving as she tries to control herself "Don't let me wake, don't let me see what it does to her... I'm not that strong. It's all I ask. Please." her whispered voice is desperate.
Polli lets the captain go, almost reluctantly "That's asking too much. I know." she seems to have dragged her fear and self loathing back under control (probably with sticks and lightning) and manages to give Harmony a minimal smile. "Forget I said that. We will defeat them, I am sure, before anything else happens." she then excuses herself and goes back into her room.
"It won't come to that." Harmony promises. "I will break them before I let them take one of my family away." She adds, with a flash of fierceness that bespeaks to her less than human ancestry.
"So yes, I'll do it. But it won't come to that. I won't let it."
Her voice drops lower. "I swear it."
- Day 346
After two days of repairs and preparations, the Siren sets out for Harrigan's lair. Five days after that sees her arrive at Gannet Island, the home of the man's fortress.
Gannet Island consists of rocky outcropping surrounded by smaller shoals and rocks that make navigating difficult to those unfamiliar to the territory. Past these shoals lies a small bay ample enough to harbor a small fleet, but is currently empty. With the information from Scags' journal and the harbor charts he copied, the ship maneuvers past the worst of the hidden perils.
The other major threat is also dealt with, having noted that the charmed sea serpent can be placated by a hearty meal. Announcing your presence with loud bells and gongs, the creature appears at the side of the ship, its gaping maw readily consuming the tribute of an entire cow in one bite.
The majority of Gannet Island is dense jungle — the island itself is home to insects and thousands of sea birds, but very little else. The shores of this U-shaped island consist almost entirely of ragged 30-foot-high cliffs, save for a small beach that lies near the northern shore inside the island’s natural harbor. No pier exists — travel to and from this beach from ships must be made via ship’s boats or the like. A stone staircase winds up from the beach toward the fortress itself, which is perched on the cliff edge and cut off from the island via a 20-foot-deep trough. A lowered drawbridge leads from the stairs to the inside of the fortress, itself.
Approaching, it's not difficult to detect that an alarm of some sort has been raised. Ballistae fire is your greeting. Although at this range they fall short. More troubling are the gathering dark clouds that both Polli and Doni can tell are not natural.
Whilst marching straight through the front door has a certain theatrical benefit, there is no audience so Harmony directs her crew to stay well out of range while the officers attempt Scragg's hidden entrance instead.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The wizard's heart thuds like a gong in her chest as she slowly disengages herself from her love. Waking her would be bad right now, if she fails especially, worse if... no... can't be... biting her lip until it bleeds to focus on her task, she pulls out the nearest fabric she can and...
... throws it over the candle. Some of the devouring want subsides when she can no longer see it. SOME. Only a sliver of her mind spends the moment to notice it is her own underwear that she used as a visual obstruction.
Should she go see dhe captains? They were supposed to hide it, keep it safe. Best case, Despite promises, they failed. Worst... shudder to think the worst, makes no sense, but no going to the captains, either way.
Should she burn down the cabin around the hateful thing? Might light it, might make them come... she hated the way the word they in her mind had shifted to a purr instead of spite... so no burning down the cabin.
Throw it in the ocean? Yes, that makes the most sense. Get rid of it! Grabbing a blanket she wraps herself up in it, as much decency as she is willing to put time into. Pinching the sides of the silky fabric so she didn't have to touch the hateful thing, she quickly and quietly makes her way to the deck.
Poised at the railing, she holds the bundle over and...
"Are you sure we shouldn't just have Polli drop us on top of them and let me stab them all in the face? Seems like a lot of extra works to hike through the seven planes and back to get here." Tessa complains as they make their way to the hidden entrance.