Waves peacefully lap against the ship's hull as the morning sun peeks above the horizon. A warm breeze blows gently out of the east. It seems another fine day for pirating is about to begin...
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Vadoma wakes and gets ready to join the rest of the officers for breakfast ready to share the crazy dream she had last night, then remembers it wasn't a dream; their Captain really had died. A slightly subdued woman goes to the deck and takes a deep breath of salt air. Smiling as she does, yes she will miss her former Captain but today she knows that somehow she will still see her own destiny fufilled.
"Larissaa! Get away from there!" Her mother called to her from the food vendor's cart where she was standing with her husband and two younger sons.
Larissaa had no interest in the greasy, sugary dough balls that her family had been eating, that was why she had wandered to the tent, that and she just felt called to it. With a frown on her face she turned away from the tent and towards her parents. "Coming Mama!" she said as she slowly started moving toward her family.
It wasn't until late that night, when Larissaa was supposed to be asleep alongside her brothers, Danior and Patrin. She wasn't. She had slipped out of her house and used the shadows to sneak back to the carnival. Her heart raced every time a dog barked, a sheep bleated, or a cow lowed in a field, certain that the animal was telling someone that she was passing by.
Once again she found herself standing in front of the tent, the light from the candlestick still fluttering even though there was no breeze. "Come in girl, I've been expecting you." Suddenly standing in front of the tent was a woman of uncanny grace and beauty, wearing a dark red dress and gold jewelry, necklaces, rings, earrings, all overly large and quite guady. But what made Larissaa gasp, nearly sent her running back to her house, was the spider standing behind the woman. It's humped back made it larger than the woman, looking into it's eyes Larissaa had a sense of intelligence inside them, indeed she felt as if it were studying her, no not studying she realized. The creature was taking her measure, judging if she were acceptable?, ready?, she wasn't sure but when the spider retreated into the tent she felt a sense of relief.
"Be not afraid, he will not harm you. You may call me Siolo." With that the dark haired, dark lipped woman turned and reentered the tent. "You may call me." Larissaa thought to herself. "Not can, or should but may, as if it is a privilege." She followed Siolo into the tent.
"What brings you here? No, I suppose that is an unfair question. It was your legs, and they were fueled by a young girls curiosity. No the proper question to ask you missy is do you know why you are here?"
Larissaa looked around the tent, trying to peer into the shadow-filled corners. Finally she asked the question that needed answering before all others. "Where...where is it?" She asked as she raised her arms and waggled her spread fingers. "It? Oh you mean Araidne, he is in the backroom. He knows better than to come out when I am with a customer."
"Oh I am not a customer, I have no money. I only came because I was curious about what was is in the tent."
"Curious? Curious brings people in during the hours that the carnival is open. Coming by before the cock crows is more than curiosity. Now sit I will do a reading for you. You know that there are mainly only two types of customers I get here. First are those that expect to much from me, they get upset when I am unable to tell them where where Grandpa Miller left his fortune. Then there are the ones that are convinced I am a phony, a fraud. They get a reading that lives up or down to their expectations. I do a simple reading for them, answer their questions as they ask them but give them nothing extra. But for you I shall do something more, after all it is not often that someone works so hard to be a customer of mine. Here now, let me get a good look at you." With that Siolo grabs Larissaa by the chin, squishing her lips as she moves the girl's face around. "Interesting, the things you can see when the light doesn't blind you, by the way that is why I keep it so dark in here." Siolo moves closer, leaning over the table so that her face is just a few inches away from the girl's.
For her part Larissaa wanted nothing more than to back away, Siolo's breath an odd combination of garlic, chili peppers and...is it rabbit that she smells? Whatever the meat it doesn't smell as if it had been cooked thoroughly. Fortunately the scrutiny doesn't last long.
"You have a very captivating look. Not quite what you seem, but don't worry, your secret is safe with me. At least now I know what deck to use for you." With that she let go of Larissaa's face and rose from the table, she then turned and opened a small trunk, reached in and pulled out a deck of cards wrapped in a blue-green cloth. Placing the bundle on the table between them Siolo unwrapped and placed the cards face down between them, splitting the deck into two uneven piles. Larissaa sees the nautical theme on the back of the cards, looking at drawings of waves and shells. "What do I do?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Choose seven, three for the past, three for the future and the last is for you. It doesn't matter how, shuffle them, hand them to me, you need to choose without looking at them." After explaining what to do Siolo pushed the smaller set towards the girl.
"All right." She said somewhat hesitantly, she chose the first three quickly, seemingly without thought, and put them into Siolo's outstretched hand. It took her a longer time for the next three and by the time she had chosen the first set was already laid out on the left side of the table. After handing over the next three over Siolo pushed the larger deck her way, laid out the second set on the right side of the table and waited for the final choice to be made. Once it was and the card placed in her hand Siolo placed it between the two sets.
"This is you, this card explains who you are now. It will influence all the other cards in the tableau." On the card is a man dressed as a pirate and standing on the deck of a ship, in one hand is a lance, against the rail of the ship lean eight more, the other hand is wrapped in a bloody cloth. "Interesting, the lances stand for energy. Energy and ambition. Your ambition in this case, do you have plans for your future? The nine is telling me you'll be able to see your plans through to completion, don't let go of them, but be warned that some might oppose you, their own jealousies and insecurities trying to stop you, for the lances also represent masculine energy and in case you don't know that can be both creative and destructive" Then Siolo turns to the three cards on the left, revealing first a picture of a blindfolded man walking the edge of a plank a crow flying nearby. Next card turned over reveals a picture of a skeleton without a skull, behind it is a flag with the typical Jolly Roger on it, in front is a woman pleading not just for her life but also the lives of the town behind her. Siolo chuckles softly as Larissaa lets out a gasp when that card is revealed. The last of the first set is turned over and a woman is revealed, wearing a magician's red robe, and a white shirt. Standing on shore and facing a ship she has before her a quartet of implements arrayed on a table, a small pile of gems, a flag fluttering in a breeze, also on the table is a flagon with a disembodied skeletal hand holding onto it, finally a lance is leaning against the table, the tip pointing toward the sky, the lady has one hand pointing skyward and the other down to the ground.
"The first is The Fool, he represents the start of a journey, very fitting for you I'd say. Next, as you so correctly guessed is Death, it does not mean a literal death as one might think. Rather it represents letting go of the past, moving forward in your life. Combining this with your personality card I would venture a guess that this card is telling you to not be dissuaded from whatever your plans for your life are. Lastly there is The Magician, holding her own against the invading fleet she is using everything within her power in both heaven and on earth to see that things turn out fine for those she has chosen to be with."
The room is quiet as Siolo turns over the last set of cards. The first card showed a woman wrestling an alligator, forcing the mouth of the beast open with her bare hands. Next card showed another pirate wearing the typical black and white shirt that was stained with blood and torn, wearing a tri-corned hat he was standing between two masts, looking down at his shipmates with a tapering one hand and a noose in the other. The final card was a lighthouse being struck by lightning the top being torn off by the force of the bolt and people either falling or jumping out Larissaa wasn't sure which, however the card was upside down the picture facing her.
"Does that mean something? Upside down like that?" Her curiosity causing her to speak for the first time since she had drawn the cards.
"Oh yes, yes indeed it does. In fact it changes the meaning of the card quite a bit." Siolo responded, for a moment she looked as if she might have more to say but then she closed her mouth, took a deep breath in through her nose and sat quietly as she exhaled. Finally she spoke again. "All things in their proper order, yes I know. So first Strength." She points to the picture of the woman wrestling the alligator. "Inner strength in this case. That great project you want to do? This card tells me that you have the ability to see it through, the patience to allow things to happen when they are meant to and the calm to wait when it doesn't seem to be going the way it should. Next is the Heiroohant, the make version of the High Priestess, no that is not quite true and lessens his importance. She represents duality and probably would have been quite fitting in this reading, the Heirophant is more of a mentor, someone to teach you what you need to know to see your purpose fulfilled. Finally the reversed Tower, it stands for change, a very specific change that comes from within you. This change will cause you to question all of your beliefs, the values taught to you as well as your purpose. Do not be afraid when this happens for it is important for you to be able to step into the newly evolved version of you that you are meant to become."
All that happened more than half her lifetime ago, it wasn't until her late teens that she finally left home to start the journey of her new self. She didn't pick out her new name until she had left the man who had become both her mentor and her lover. Vadoma, that is what she started calling herself when she left him two years ago. Since then she had been on the ship, working with the captain to see both their destinies fulfilled. Only now the Captain lay dead at her feet and she wasn't completely sure how her own destiny would work out.
Hedy woke with a start, head pounding, body aching, and WHERE THE BLAZES WAS SHE?!?!
"oh" the battle, the deaths... followed by a mad celebration to honor their fallen and to celebrate still breathing themselves. Too much rum and too much rutting meant a bad morning.
She pushed away an arm and slid out of the nook in the galley. It had been hers until she became quartermaster, so it made sense that when wasted to her gourd, she'd stumble back here. A one time home.
A few minutes later, after stretching and finding a disturbing little amount of her clothes, she was in her own nook again, pulling on a fresh set of skirts and blouse. Next comes her chain shirt, but she coos to her little owl first which is met with a cold disdain "Fish, fresh, once this business is done, I promise." the bird relents and the dried blood flakes off the gleaming links.
Her belts come next, pistol and rapier on her hips, bombs and potions on the back. Drink the morning's first bottles, a mild potion to ward off the heat, another to deal with the weight of it all.
Lastly comes the coat, deep blue and perfectly fitted for her curves. A captains coat.
"Are we ready for this? No, not in the least, but who in the hells is the alternative? The priest, the witch, or the rager? Oh my..." she chats with the bird, before clicking for it to get on her shoulder.
One deep breath, calming herself, before setting a teasing smirk on her face, and stepping out for War.
As Hedy steps out onto the deck, she comes face to face with Jordanna. The changeling glares at the undine through bleary eyes, taking in the captain's coat she wears disdainfully. "You will never be half the captain my father was," she growls. "Should you claim the position, I will defer to your leadership, but should you lead us to ruin, I will rip you apart myself."
Without another word, the bloodrager stalks off to grieve by herself.
Hedy's breath stops as Jordanna's glare stops her cold. She's seen the small woman rip a beefy man into nothing more than guts and piss. The chemist has worked hard to become a better swordswoman, boosting herself with all sorts of formulas but... if the changeling turned her rage toward her.
She'd Be Dead.
As simple as that.
Somehow Hedy manages the stones enough to hold the woman's gaze without flinching. She doesn't trust herself to speak, or squeaks might come out. Doesn't matter though, since Jordanna wasn't looking for conversation and walks off as soon as she's said her peace. The undine's heart slows down eventually.
'Did she just... Is The Daughter is not going after the captain's hat?' she wonders in the whirling mess of her brain. The rager could take anyone on the ship in a fair fight, and most anyone in a not so fair fight, but with the fury storming in those eyes all the flipping time, the ship would be a horror to work on under her care. Hedy had been considering poison to deal with the 'problem' but now...
Smile back in place, with a bit of hope that this just became possible.
Vadoma stood on the bridge one hand on the ship's wheel, not in an attempt to try and claim ownership she was perfectly happy in her role as Vizier but just as something to lean upon as she drank her morning cup of kaf, allowing its "magical properties" to clear her mind of its morning cobwebs. Hello all. She calls to the rest. Walking to them there is a look of surprise on her face as she sees Hedwig looking very Captainy. "It looks good on you but how does Jordana feel about it? Not only did she feel that Raïs was her father but I do believe she had planned on taking over, certainly many on board thought it would happen that way." With that she pours more kaf into the mug she has in her hand and hands it to the Quartermaster/Captain(?) "I will support you, if it matters. Better you than someone who is always guided by their anger, doesn't allow one to think. However if it stops a fight I will throw my support her way, there's been enough death on this ship already. Also I do believe that Jordana would miss you and she doesn't need that guilt on top of what she already has."
The ship's Master Gunner approaches Hedy and Vadoma, groggily straightening the turban that conceals his small horns. He scrunches his face a bit at the sight of the Quartermaster in a captain's coat then says, "well... we better at least make this official, if there's not gonna be a discussion... and if there is any disagreement, it'll be better to do that in private than risk splittin' what's left of the crew. Lief and Murillo are already in the captain's quarters. Why don't you two head there and I'll grab Jordanna and catch up."
As the two woman head off, the man trots across the deck to where the angry re-orphaned woman stares out at the sea in solitude. "Jordanna... we need to go meet with the officers... there are decisions to be made..."
The morning is quiet as the hungover crew is slow to rise. The smell of smoke still lingers in the air around what remains of the Icy Death and the Chelaxian vessel that attacked her. As the crew gather inside Captain Raïs' chamber, their conversation must take place around the fallen man's corpse, lying in state on his bed.
In the Captain's quarters she pays her respects to Raïs, then looks to the others. After waiting for the rest to also pay respect she then brings up the subject of the elephant in the room. "Not to be crass but who is going to take over the Captainancy? If we don't decide soon other ships will circle us like chum. This cannot be the end and I for one want this crew to stay together. My vote is Heddy, smart enough to make the wise decisions and practical enough to know when to ask for the help of the rest of us."
"Thank you" Hedy says to the kaf and the offer of support. If the witch believes her words of 'if it matters' she is very wrong. Her intelligence and power backing her would mean the world.
Two potential rivals down it seems... unless I misread our battle queen
"My head feels like it is being repeatedly sat on by an orge." she complains sipping the lovely dark liquid, distracting from having to answer the questions right now. And then their gunner is there is scrunched up disappointment. She sticks with a nod, and a raising of her eyebrows and shoulders to the Vadoma once he is gone "I guess it is time then."
"It ain't gonna be me, that's all I know," Azadi interrupts with an emphatic shake of his head.
"And, before any of you get too excited about puttin' on the hat, remember this... your first job as captain'll be overseeing Raïs' funeral, and you're second'll be deciding how we get back under sail- the Icy Death is in real bad shape right now..."
She gives Vadoma a smile of thanks for her vote.
Leaning over the table she'll say "Azadi, 'excited' is not the word I'd use for taking the hat, not in the least. Because the simple fact is that none of us, not a single one, can live up to Him" she pauses looking at the others "And we all know it. He brought us all together, a bunch of outcasts and wanderers and made us a crew. Something I never really knew before, and I'll be to hells and back before I'd consider giving that up."
She straightens, smoothing out her coat, "But to be plain, yes, I want it."
”I don’t want to be captain,” Jordanna says, staring at her father’s corpse. ”I want to be first mate.”
She does not elaborate, and her tone leaves little room for argument.
Murillo isn’t hung over in the least. Not due to any resilience or resistance to strong drink, but rather because he’s still drunk. Rather than joining in revelry with what remained if the crew, he’d spent all night drinking and brooding next to the Captain’s corpse, pulling from a bottle of holy rum dark as his mood.
Sink him down or light him up? *pull* Not right to burn him. Better to send him down below. *pull* It’ll be dark down there - blacker than the chambers of a dead nun’s heart. Not much to see. *pull* But it’ll be cold, too. Cold like ye could never feel above the waves. *pull* He’d like that.
When the others come in he ignores them until talk of succession springs up.
”You, Quartermaster? Captain??” Murillo sways to his feet, slamming his hands palms-down onto the dead man’s desk, nearly displacing the almost-empty bottle of rum. ”Running a ship’s more than reading lists and checking things are in place. It’s about making ‘em be in place.
“You think you got what it takes to bend rebellious souls to your will without snuffing out the flame that makes ‘em pirates? To make ‘em end their quarrels on shore, take their stripes when they’ve earned ‘em, and wait ‘til a ship full o’ fellow pirates makes the horizon before settin’ sail to sink it?” He leans forward and fixes her with his rum-shined gaze.
”Do ya?”
The bosun cocks the brow above one of his strange, whiteless eyes as the chaplain drunkenly questions the quartermaster. He quietly turns at the final question to see how the would-be captain replies.
ah, so it won't be that easy now, will it. The dear priest speaks. Hedy thinks. Crossing her arms across her chest, she listens to his words, or tries to, Is he slurring that badly on purpose?!?
"Yes... or at least I think, could you repeat the second part, oh nevermind, I understand the gist." sighing she looks to all "I've been in the thick of it time and again with each of you. I've talked down drunken fools who decided I should be theirs and bloodied plenty who couldn't be persuaded otherwise. I know each and every one of the crews 'special' needs, as I have been the one making sure they got it. I will make a damned good captain!" she snapped at the end, then softens "Does that answer your question, priest? Or do you think you can do better?" she cocks an eyebrow at him, and waits to see if his bones are hard enough to throw his foot in.
She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering to answer the words of the daughter, which she should have done first, just the Slurring took too much concentration, blast it!
"You deserve it." she says to Jordanna about her wish "You've lost the most, it's your father's ship, his crew, but that is not why you deserve it and we all know that. No matter what else is decided here today, we all should be able to acknowledge that. Correct, Murillo?" her dark blue eyes turn to his in challenge.
”Well...” Azadi interjects with a frown, ”not to muddy the waters, as it were, but you might not wanna go makin’ choices on connection to this ship... we’re gonna have to have a whole other conversation about that after this one’s through... Best we stick to who can lead the crew best, and wants to make a name for themself for now I think.”
”No one can appoint a first mate till we got a captain,” Lief asserts. ”I got no problem with Jordanna doing it, she killed enough men to earn the crew’s respect, but no one can appoint her till we have a captain, and then it’ll be up to that captain.”
”Although, so far Hedy’s the only one actually asking for it...” he adds as he turns back to the priest.
Hedy doesn't take her eyes off the priest, but her mouth quirks down for a moment. She keeps her own thoughts to herself about muddy waters and about anyone with a deathwish enough to tell Jordanna 'No' in this matter.
"Deserve's got nothin' to do with it, as the bosun says. And of course I think I can do better!" The inquisitor stands up straight(ish). "I'd hardly be a divine instrument of the Sea Banshee if I didn't think I have what it takes to run my own crew. I'm the one that gives 'em what they really need - a lashing when they're derelict, and a sewing when they're cut to pieces but still drawin' breath. Not to mention a moral compass so they can steer clear of the damnable things!
"Now the Icy Death ain't gettin' any more seaworthy nor Captain Rais any less dead the more we talk. I say we vote! Six is an unlucky number, but with Blythe dead it'll have to do." Murillo digs into his pocket and slaps a bloody gold coin down on the table.
"If it comes down to it, the coin gets the final say."
”I vote for the undine,” Jordanna says.
'our moral compass is a bit wobbly at the moment' her snarky mind comments to itself. And only to itself, since commenting on drunkenness would be a tad hypocritical given the black spots in her memory of last night's wake...
She looks away to Jordanna, at the other woman's vote supporting her., giving a slight smile for thanks and a nod of her head for respect. She then looks back at her opponent, waiting for the others to say their peace.
Lief absentmindedly fiddles with the holy symbol of Besmara that he always wears, then answers, ”I vote Murillo.”
Vadoma looks at the two possible Captains squaring off against each other and thinks to herself, "By the wind and waves, it is happening already. If this is not settled soon it will tear us apart. That would be more devastating than the death of Captain Raïs." She faces first one and then the other as she says her piece. "First and foremost I think both of you have qualities that would make you excellent captains. Augustus, you have the ability to make people work there is no denying that. That being said, your zealousness can be extreme and if you go too far when it comes to deciding who is no longer 'serving the code' the way you think it should be it could lead to a mutiny when we are out deep in the sea or in the middle of trying to take a ship away from its crew. Also there is the potential blowback from your past, as long as you aren't the face of our ship we don't have to worry about anyone who might want to continue an age old vendetta.
"Hedy, you have the brains and are quite capable of making the decisions that would continue to raise our infamy and living standards. You also have the experience of knowing the ins and outs of the ship. You also have the added bonus of having Jordana throw her ballot your way. In that regard it just makes sense to nominate you for the position."
"Murillo's right..." Azadi offers, "six is an unlucky number."
He looks at the two candidates and then the other officers before continuing, "like Doma said, you both could make excellent captains, and, as long as you both plan to keep me master gunner, it don't make much difference to me which one of you does it... so, I ain't voting. Five's a much more auspicious number. Sort it with five votes."
She considers Azadi with a measure of wariness Not voting? Is that intelligent or moronic? Or just lazy... so many potentials. she shakes her head, rustling her dark locks.
For a moment she closes her eyes and pinches her nose, feeling the sudden weight of command. Her bird pecks the side of her head, making her open and look at all of them, her crew.
"Then that is that. By the laws and our words." she spits into her hand and presents it to Murillo, holding his eyes and hoping this does not come to blood, but willing if it has to.
”Not to be a pain in the a$s, ma’am,” Lief says in a manner that sounds like he’s about to be a pain in the as$, ”but, you gotta vote for yourself, officially, or you still don’t have enough votes...”
Lief gave the woman pause, eyes widening,
then laughs.
Really laughs.
All in all, she has a good laugh. When it's like this, unexpected and uncontrolled. 'Bubbling waves from her gut with the occasional unladylike snort' best describes it. Coupled with a doubling over, holding her side, and dislodging her poor owl to the rafters.
After a few moments, she wipes her eyes "Aye, master Stoutspear. And thank you. I vote for me, Hedwig Bogg II, may my namesake be proud." a grin widens her face, knowing the sylph in question probably would call her something colorful for being stupid enough to want it in the first place, but oh well.
"Are we good, Murillo?"
"Never let it be said a Murillo kept quiet for fear of saying the wrong thing. You, on the other hand, are a miserable useless wretch, Freeman," Murillo growls. "Better the bird as an officer than you."
The inquisitor narrows his eyes at the grinning undine. "We're pretty damn far from good, Bogg." He snatches the rum from the table and drains the few fingers that remain before casually tossing the bottle over his shoulder.
"But at least we've got a new Captain."
"Aye, we do" she answers with a nod. "Our last had bigger boots than any of us could fill even if we all stepped in them at once, but we'll get on. One step at a time."
Now to business, she thinks, then telling the others all the bits at once. Those not still dreaming in rum.
"The two big steps we gotta figure now are the burial of Captain Rais and the decision about what will be our ship. Any thoughts on the matters?" Rais had listened, even to a former whore turned pirate, one could do worse than following in his wake. At least at the start.
”Useless for fixing the count?!?” Azadi scoffs, ”I’ll take Lady Luck on our side over having my say In the vote any day of the week!”
”Getting to the important questions though... our mast is cracked through, we got holes in the hull, and the framing is damaged in a lot of places. We need to decide what we’re gonna do, and we need to decide quick. Now, if we tear apart the Chelish ship we could get up and moving again—though we’d still need to talk about the name—but, well, that other ship is bigger and stronger than ours... or would be, it’s in even worse shape than ours right now. I could get it moving again, but we’d have to tear up the Icy Death to do it... Let it die with Raïs, as it were.”
”Oh, but you can appoint your first mate now, captain,” Lief points out.
"Lief... you have a desire for the obvious I hadn't grasped till this point. Jordanna had my vote even before my die was cast, and now that it has, there's no need to vote. She is the first mate." looking to Azadi "The Chelixian is bigger, are we in a position to crew her with our losses being what they were?"
”We’d have to pitch in,” the carpenter answers, ”the officers, that is... we’d have to cover some of the crew work, but we could get her in to port. Even with all we could do at sea she’d need repairs though, and a refit obviously...”
”But a refit might be in order even if we stick with this ship...”
Jordanna nods in satisfaction as Hedwig becomes captain and names her the first mate. The changeling steps closer to the undine's side, close enough to whisper in her ear. "Remember my earlier words. I won't hesitate to gut you like a fish."
Once talk turns of the next steps, she looks around at the other officers. "My father lived his life on the ocean. A burial at sea seems appropriate. We build a small raft, send it out, and set it ablaze. Let Besmara claim his ashes."
She defers to the captain's decision about which ship to try to salvage.
Red veins creep across Murillo’s eyes as his adrenaline subsides and his night-long rum binge finally catches up to him, his face betraying a hint of sorrow as he looks down on the old captain’s corpse.
”Burning him doesn’t seem right to me. His soul was touched by the sea; I say we sink him to the cold deeps, where the Queen’s monsters can guard him ‘til She calls him to serve on the Seawraith.”
”As for the ship...” The inquisitor slumps down to sit on the floor, back against the wall. ”Do you want fill Rais’s boots, or, or,” the man furrows his brow, the growing pulse of pain in his head making matching metaphors impossible, ”or a ship of your own, Captain?”
Jordanna nods to Murillo. ”Fine. You know Besmara’s ways better than I.”
The icy dread of the changeling's promise rides up the undine's spine, which is smoothed before it reaches her face. Or hopefully is.
She concentrates on listening to the talk of Rais. Burials are affairs for family and faith, only requiring any part of the new captain if the two 'f's couldn't come to an understanding. They seemed to manage fine.
Nodding once that is decided, Hedy lifts one hand "The Chelixian needs more work, leaving us with no plunder to speak of. Needs more crew which we are sorely lacking. It's a risk on several sides." she lifts the other "Our Icy Death is home. Familiar and a fine memory. It'll keep our crew small so we can weave in the new with the old. Without being overrun. It ain't nearly as busted in its gut as the other one, so we'd be left with something to sell. Leaving us an egg in cases but leaves us little room to grow."
Moving her hands up and down, weighing current as "Safety" with new as "Risk" She gives the others a chance to weigh in if they so desire, but she ends with Risk higher. "Besmara spits on the feint of heart. Which is what we'd f!%$ing be if we did otherwise."
"Suggestions on our new name?" she settles into a chair to pick at whatever grub is on the table. Feeding a hunk of something to Cream.
"I have a few suggestions, if we want to honor the Captain's memory I suggest The Raïs Dream or something similar. If we would rather show our determination to remain a ship to be feared we rename the ship after something that people fear, such as an Urchin, Devilfish, Lusca, or Seacat."
"Ripper. Tearer. Slasher. Gouger. Teeth in the Darkness. Talons in the Night," Jordanna suggests helpfully.
”I like the talons idea,” the raptor-eyed bosun answers with a smirk, ”maybe shorten it to the Night Talon?”
"If you wanna make a name for yourself, Captain, and for a ship, eventually we're gonna outgrew this one..." the master gunner offers as he looks around at his quiet fellow officers, "switching then'll mean a setback in spreading the ship's name... better to do it now, I think."
"Listen," the tiefling interrupts, "a name is important, sure enough, but we got at least a few days, if not a week, of work before we can be undersail. That's plenty of time to sort out a name. What we don't have a lot of time on is gatherin' up the crew to give Raïs, and the others, a proper send off."
He looks to the new captain and the downcast priest and points out, "Usually it'd be one, or both, of you sending him off... how do you wanna handle that?"
"Murillo is better fitted for that task, though we all should pay our respects in our own way as well." the new captain says knowing he would be better there.
"I like the suggestions. The Night Talon. Violent, intimidating, and elegant all in one." looking around to the other officers, "Any objections?"
Murillo shakes his head. "I'll just need a bit to gather chain and the like to weight 'em down with." He clumsily stands back up. "Is that all, Captain?"