The three unit members minus their Superior continued to follow P’welro down the bunk bay. While Eightyfive had a look or two beyond the straightforward direction the First Mate was leading her, and Fortythree barely glanced at all, Ryanti on the other hand was seemingly fascinated by the internal bowels of the ship that he would make home for the duration of the mission. It was beginning to become apparent which role each group member played. Fortythree was not interested in virtually anything besides the point in every conversation he took a part in, which tended to be a trend among magi of his kind. Eightyfive was rather impulsive and quick-witted; every matter in which she paid attention to was but briefly a moment in time. She seemed more adept for being in direct support of the rest of the group. As the least experienced one, it was the quickest manner to learn. Ryanti seemed to be the cataloger, the one that would gather information and handle the resources in which would be employed by the unit and also those things procured by the unit. He had the longest attention span, and the most curious of the three.
Even now, when P’welro told the group about how the bunks she was highlighting used to be an extra row of cannons, Ryanti had a hand upon a supportive wooden pillar close to the space she was talking about. His eyes became distant in thought as the fading sound of cannon fire and pirates shouting orders in what would have taken place in the recent last decades on the ship entered his imagination. It always seemed that the older the object, the higher of a chance it had served the purpose of both good and evil. Once it was a pirate ship, now it was a vessel of the Barracuda. Ideas were formulated in the minds of men, and objects were constructed to serve their purposes. Unlike men, objects had no free will. They just followed the orders of their masters – the truest of servants. It was why he believed that their recovery of marvels of the past would serve a more just purpose if it was acquired by them.
Ryanti’s daydreaming was interrupted by Eightyfive’s sudden confirmation. “Handpicked we are, absolutely. Though I’m afraid only half of it is because of merit, it is probably entirely merit on your crew’s behalf I would assume. Everyone here seems competent.†She recalled, placing a hand on her hip and twisting her waist a tad. “At least the Captain puts in her weight as well.†Fortythree remarked with his Ul’Dahn accent really showing its shine at his sudden surprise at the six-fulm tall woman that had just shown herself. “Oh my – how far must I crane my neck to look this one in the eye?â€
“Don’t be such a downer so quickly, Fortythree. She can always duck.†Ryanti remarked, one side of his lips curling into a smile. He was impressed by how well she had kept her weapon looking gorgeous. He was hoping to witness a sign in their night guard that would make him feel safe. Someone who gave a damn about their weapon was good enough re-enforcement. Ryanti gave a formal acknowledgement to Berasaem with a palm placed on his pectoral and a slight bow. It betrayed his knowledge of formality, but Ryanti did not care. Fortythree gave her a casual nod, moreso to her torso than her head. Eightfive gave her a little wave, with a laid back grin.
All three of them focused their attention upon the room when they were introduced to it.
The room was not much, especially compared to an average traveling inn. But besides that point, all of three of them sighed in what was apparently relief. They were happy to even have blankets. A mattress was a happy bonus. A pillow? Luxury. Both Fortythree and Eightyfive took one or two small steps into the room after being introduced to it. “Ah… this will procure much more efficient sleep than recently.†The Lalafell chirped happily.
“Ain’t that the truth..†Eightyfive said, and afterwords she briefly eyed the First Mate before continuing her statement. “.. We’ve been sleeping on a floating raft for two days. We had to arrive here anonymously so… no noise.â€
The Lalafell hmph’d when P’welro mentioned that he wasn’t the only smallfolk upon the ship. He was one of those Lalafells that sometimes didn’t like to be a Lalafell one minute, and loved being Lalafell the next. His reaction was a bit realistic at the inconvenience of wardrobe, though out of everyone else he was the only one not wearing a standard issue uniform as he was magi and had his own set of clothing.
Ryanti raised an eyebrow in a bit of a confusing “Huh?†When P’welro told him there might only be women’s clothing available. It did look like there were more women on this ship than men. Ryanti’s body was relatively easy to examine because their uniforms were rather tight and form fitting. He was slender in shape, a feature common in male Miqo’te. His muscular structure was slim, not at all bulky. However, what muscle did exist was as hard as any that could be found on someone. He was taller than average for a Miqo’te male, and he had something in common with Eightyfive and Sixteen: Their bodies were all toned as if designed for endurance, speed, and survival above all else.
However, there were some off-putting things about Ryanti’s body if one looked close enough. His leg muscles were not as powerful as a normal Miqo’te male of his stature should be, though stronger than a Midlander’s. However, his upper body was more defined than a Miqo’te male of his stature, yet still more slender than a Midlander’s. He did not utilize his tail or ears for balance; in fact they hardly moved at all, and while his walk was graceful and sly, his standing posture had no hint of feline behavior. Neither did his canines: they were dull. Yet still, he was youthful and well fed and well grown throughout his life, and it showed. A Midlander’s garb would be equally fitting to him as a Miqo’te’s would. “I … would hope you could find something. I am not in the mood to crossdress.â€
Ryanti snapped his attention afterwords in the other direction towards his two compatriots after hearing a laugh coming out from Eightyfive’s lips. “I think I will be turning in actually – I’d rather skip out on smelling like fish and the sight of –him- in women’s clothing.â€
A humming noise came from the Lalafell as he retracted his hood and removed the viel from his lower jaw. What was interesting about his now-revealed face was that right below his Auburn hair on the left side was a metal plate that was shaped oddly, and covered his left temple. There was another metal plate that covered a section of his lower jaw, also on the left side of his face. It would appear that he had parts of his skull blown off of his very face yet it was repaired by technology a slight step up from what could be accessed publicly. “I would rather turn in than continue as well. We have been through much already – we will need the rest.â€
Ryanti calmly placed both hands upon his hips, and nodded a few times in a slow, methodic manner at the both of them. “Alright. You both make sure you get some sleep then. I am going to remain with P’welro for a while longer – to see the rest of this place.†He turned around to face the First Mate, with a bit of a warm smile that sparkled his eyes to mimic the sun reflecting off of the water of the ocean. “I don’t ever sleep very well while on a mission. Besides, I need to acquire the case back from the Boss before we all retire. Oh, and… if numbers trouble you, you can just call me Sevy?â€
Eightyfive had undone her hair rather swiftly and shook her locks free of her loose bun, her hair falling to about shoulder blade length. “Taking advantage of every chance to be alone with the ladies, Seventy-Seven?†She said with a mischievous laugh. She was the unit’s harshest teaser.
“Do come back relatively soon.†The Lalafell added, not reacting to her tease at all as he vanished into the room. Ryanti certainly reacted though, with a sigh and a fold of his arms, shaking his head yet not looking too pissed off. “Her mouth is a living hell…â€
____________________________
We understand better than most. For some reason, Jonathan already knew she would say that. But perhaps his thoughts were not entirely found on intuition. This crew and this ship were chosen by the Overseers for a very good reason. Jonathan had no knowledge of whether this was the first joint operation in his unit’s short but turbulent history, as people of his position were not informed of other missions taking place for the sake of even further layers of secrecy. However, he did understand the Overseers were interested in having these joint operations run as smoothly as possible. The comparing to the Ironworks was a good enough comparison to make. The Ironworks was de-classified and everyone practically knew they were learning by reverse engineering Garlemald technology.
This was similar. Though they were not learning most of their knowledge from Garlemald, rather Amdapor, Nym… and the most secretive of all, ancient Allag.
Sixteen’s expression did not change as the Captain maneuvered herself from her desk to the wine cabinet. Though once he realized she was looking for fruity drink, his lips could not help but curl into a little smile. His lips corked a bit when she placed the bottle upon the desk. He could smell the aroma from where he stood.
“Of course.†He answered to her question of whether or not he would partake. Sixteen had a measure of respect for custom and ritual. His unit had some of their own, though they had not partaken in any yet. “You become a spiritual man after doing this long enough.â€
With that, he clasped the wine glass under his own fingers with a bit more of a sophisticated flare than his rugged self would have been capable of if someone had judged him on looks alone. He listened to her words intently, silently making his own prayer to the very God his unit tended to make prayer to – Nyemia – as she was quoting those ancient words. He participated in drinking the wine with her, even going so far to down it all at the same pace she did, so that they would present an empty glass evenly. He was quick to adapt like that, as it was necessary for his job. Whether it be a simple ritual, or a life or death situation.
His stare was powerful. Piercing. He had a presence about him that hid any flaws in his demeanor extremely well.
While Sounsyy was putting away the bottle, Jonathan spoke while looking through the wine glass to see his distorted image, spinning the glass ever slowly to catch the reflection of the moonlight coming in. “If you do perish upon the sea, pray it not be in the Indigo.†He replied after a bit of silence. He formulated a slight smile of his own, a bit of a rough smile. “Else one of mine may be a little disappointed.â€
Oh, he had known. He knew that one of his group knew her. They exchanged glances too often while they were in conversation. Jonathan was in the habit of reading everyone’s expression during conversation. He was almost always analyzing. He was watching her when she locked her eyes on Ryanti, and watching Ryanti keep his eyes on her as she turned her back to him.
“You should be proud that your crew is loyal beyond explanation. Having others place their faith in you is something many in the position of leadership take for granted. It has been a long time since I have had a courtesy sipping. We don’t get much of a chance to. Thank you.â€
With that moment of reflection gone, Jonathan placed the glass upon the desk facing Sounsyy’s. “It would be logical for us to be awake nocturnally to avoid detection upon your vessel. But if there is anyone who operates by logic, it is Garlemald. Therefore it requires we operate irrationally by proving we have nothing to hide when we actually do. So, my unit will be invisible within yours for the time being. I have previously informed my men to expect to be assimilated within your crew. It would be realistic to assume they themselves have already proposed such a thing to your First Mate. It would include myself, of course. We could disguise our actual task by claiming to be catching seafood for the soldiers of the Maelstrom or delivering Military Mail... I'm sure you can come up with something.â€
He calmly lifted the case that housed the ancient anomaly off of the desk, never tucking it within an arm or anything wreckless like that. Rather he kept his grip on both sides of the case, directly in front of him. "Seventy-Seven is the keeper of this artifact. However, I must also see to it that this case is stored in the most effective location you have on this ship in regards to carrying extremely important assets. If you may show Seventy-Seven this location before you retire, I would be grateful. Thus my duty comes to an end for the evening, and afterwards I will retire as soon as possible so that your crew can do their jobs, and we may set sail on schedule.â€
Even now, when P’welro told the group about how the bunks she was highlighting used to be an extra row of cannons, Ryanti had a hand upon a supportive wooden pillar close to the space she was talking about. His eyes became distant in thought as the fading sound of cannon fire and pirates shouting orders in what would have taken place in the recent last decades on the ship entered his imagination. It always seemed that the older the object, the higher of a chance it had served the purpose of both good and evil. Once it was a pirate ship, now it was a vessel of the Barracuda. Ideas were formulated in the minds of men, and objects were constructed to serve their purposes. Unlike men, objects had no free will. They just followed the orders of their masters – the truest of servants. It was why he believed that their recovery of marvels of the past would serve a more just purpose if it was acquired by them.
Ryanti’s daydreaming was interrupted by Eightyfive’s sudden confirmation. “Handpicked we are, absolutely. Though I’m afraid only half of it is because of merit, it is probably entirely merit on your crew’s behalf I would assume. Everyone here seems competent.†She recalled, placing a hand on her hip and twisting her waist a tad. “At least the Captain puts in her weight as well.†Fortythree remarked with his Ul’Dahn accent really showing its shine at his sudden surprise at the six-fulm tall woman that had just shown herself. “Oh my – how far must I crane my neck to look this one in the eye?â€
“Don’t be such a downer so quickly, Fortythree. She can always duck.†Ryanti remarked, one side of his lips curling into a smile. He was impressed by how well she had kept her weapon looking gorgeous. He was hoping to witness a sign in their night guard that would make him feel safe. Someone who gave a damn about their weapon was good enough re-enforcement. Ryanti gave a formal acknowledgement to Berasaem with a palm placed on his pectoral and a slight bow. It betrayed his knowledge of formality, but Ryanti did not care. Fortythree gave her a casual nod, moreso to her torso than her head. Eightfive gave her a little wave, with a laid back grin.
All three of them focused their attention upon the room when they were introduced to it.
The room was not much, especially compared to an average traveling inn. But besides that point, all of three of them sighed in what was apparently relief. They were happy to even have blankets. A mattress was a happy bonus. A pillow? Luxury. Both Fortythree and Eightyfive took one or two small steps into the room after being introduced to it. “Ah… this will procure much more efficient sleep than recently.†The Lalafell chirped happily.
“Ain’t that the truth..†Eightyfive said, and afterwords she briefly eyed the First Mate before continuing her statement. “.. We’ve been sleeping on a floating raft for two days. We had to arrive here anonymously so… no noise.â€
The Lalafell hmph’d when P’welro mentioned that he wasn’t the only smallfolk upon the ship. He was one of those Lalafells that sometimes didn’t like to be a Lalafell one minute, and loved being Lalafell the next. His reaction was a bit realistic at the inconvenience of wardrobe, though out of everyone else he was the only one not wearing a standard issue uniform as he was magi and had his own set of clothing.
Ryanti raised an eyebrow in a bit of a confusing “Huh?†When P’welro told him there might only be women’s clothing available. It did look like there were more women on this ship than men. Ryanti’s body was relatively easy to examine because their uniforms were rather tight and form fitting. He was slender in shape, a feature common in male Miqo’te. His muscular structure was slim, not at all bulky. However, what muscle did exist was as hard as any that could be found on someone. He was taller than average for a Miqo’te male, and he had something in common with Eightyfive and Sixteen: Their bodies were all toned as if designed for endurance, speed, and survival above all else.
However, there were some off-putting things about Ryanti’s body if one looked close enough. His leg muscles were not as powerful as a normal Miqo’te male of his stature should be, though stronger than a Midlander’s. However, his upper body was more defined than a Miqo’te male of his stature, yet still more slender than a Midlander’s. He did not utilize his tail or ears for balance; in fact they hardly moved at all, and while his walk was graceful and sly, his standing posture had no hint of feline behavior. Neither did his canines: they were dull. Yet still, he was youthful and well fed and well grown throughout his life, and it showed. A Midlander’s garb would be equally fitting to him as a Miqo’te’s would. “I … would hope you could find something. I am not in the mood to crossdress.â€
Ryanti snapped his attention afterwords in the other direction towards his two compatriots after hearing a laugh coming out from Eightyfive’s lips. “I think I will be turning in actually – I’d rather skip out on smelling like fish and the sight of –him- in women’s clothing.â€
A humming noise came from the Lalafell as he retracted his hood and removed the viel from his lower jaw. What was interesting about his now-revealed face was that right below his Auburn hair on the left side was a metal plate that was shaped oddly, and covered his left temple. There was another metal plate that covered a section of his lower jaw, also on the left side of his face. It would appear that he had parts of his skull blown off of his very face yet it was repaired by technology a slight step up from what could be accessed publicly. “I would rather turn in than continue as well. We have been through much already – we will need the rest.â€
Ryanti calmly placed both hands upon his hips, and nodded a few times in a slow, methodic manner at the both of them. “Alright. You both make sure you get some sleep then. I am going to remain with P’welro for a while longer – to see the rest of this place.†He turned around to face the First Mate, with a bit of a warm smile that sparkled his eyes to mimic the sun reflecting off of the water of the ocean. “I don’t ever sleep very well while on a mission. Besides, I need to acquire the case back from the Boss before we all retire. Oh, and… if numbers trouble you, you can just call me Sevy?â€
Eightyfive had undone her hair rather swiftly and shook her locks free of her loose bun, her hair falling to about shoulder blade length. “Taking advantage of every chance to be alone with the ladies, Seventy-Seven?†She said with a mischievous laugh. She was the unit’s harshest teaser.
“Do come back relatively soon.†The Lalafell added, not reacting to her tease at all as he vanished into the room. Ryanti certainly reacted though, with a sigh and a fold of his arms, shaking his head yet not looking too pissed off. “Her mouth is a living hell…â€
____________________________
We understand better than most. For some reason, Jonathan already knew she would say that. But perhaps his thoughts were not entirely found on intuition. This crew and this ship were chosen by the Overseers for a very good reason. Jonathan had no knowledge of whether this was the first joint operation in his unit’s short but turbulent history, as people of his position were not informed of other missions taking place for the sake of even further layers of secrecy. However, he did understand the Overseers were interested in having these joint operations run as smoothly as possible. The comparing to the Ironworks was a good enough comparison to make. The Ironworks was de-classified and everyone practically knew they were learning by reverse engineering Garlemald technology.
This was similar. Though they were not learning most of their knowledge from Garlemald, rather Amdapor, Nym… and the most secretive of all, ancient Allag.
Sixteen’s expression did not change as the Captain maneuvered herself from her desk to the wine cabinet. Though once he realized she was looking for fruity drink, his lips could not help but curl into a little smile. His lips corked a bit when she placed the bottle upon the desk. He could smell the aroma from where he stood.
“Of course.†He answered to her question of whether or not he would partake. Sixteen had a measure of respect for custom and ritual. His unit had some of their own, though they had not partaken in any yet. “You become a spiritual man after doing this long enough.â€
With that, he clasped the wine glass under his own fingers with a bit more of a sophisticated flare than his rugged self would have been capable of if someone had judged him on looks alone. He listened to her words intently, silently making his own prayer to the very God his unit tended to make prayer to – Nyemia – as she was quoting those ancient words. He participated in drinking the wine with her, even going so far to down it all at the same pace she did, so that they would present an empty glass evenly. He was quick to adapt like that, as it was necessary for his job. Whether it be a simple ritual, or a life or death situation.
His stare was powerful. Piercing. He had a presence about him that hid any flaws in his demeanor extremely well.
While Sounsyy was putting away the bottle, Jonathan spoke while looking through the wine glass to see his distorted image, spinning the glass ever slowly to catch the reflection of the moonlight coming in. “If you do perish upon the sea, pray it not be in the Indigo.†He replied after a bit of silence. He formulated a slight smile of his own, a bit of a rough smile. “Else one of mine may be a little disappointed.â€
Oh, he had known. He knew that one of his group knew her. They exchanged glances too often while they were in conversation. Jonathan was in the habit of reading everyone’s expression during conversation. He was almost always analyzing. He was watching her when she locked her eyes on Ryanti, and watching Ryanti keep his eyes on her as she turned her back to him.
“You should be proud that your crew is loyal beyond explanation. Having others place their faith in you is something many in the position of leadership take for granted. It has been a long time since I have had a courtesy sipping. We don’t get much of a chance to. Thank you.â€
With that moment of reflection gone, Jonathan placed the glass upon the desk facing Sounsyy’s. “It would be logical for us to be awake nocturnally to avoid detection upon your vessel. But if there is anyone who operates by logic, it is Garlemald. Therefore it requires we operate irrationally by proving we have nothing to hide when we actually do. So, my unit will be invisible within yours for the time being. I have previously informed my men to expect to be assimilated within your crew. It would be realistic to assume they themselves have already proposed such a thing to your First Mate. It would include myself, of course. We could disguise our actual task by claiming to be catching seafood for the soldiers of the Maelstrom or delivering Military Mail... I'm sure you can come up with something.â€
He calmly lifted the case that housed the ancient anomaly off of the desk, never tucking it within an arm or anything wreckless like that. Rather he kept his grip on both sides of the case, directly in front of him. "Seventy-Seven is the keeper of this artifact. However, I must also see to it that this case is stored in the most effective location you have on this ship in regards to carrying extremely important assets. If you may show Seventy-Seven this location before you retire, I would be grateful. Thus my duty comes to an end for the evening, and afterwards I will retire as soon as possible so that your crew can do their jobs, and we may set sail on schedule.â€