WHEN: 1943 April 8; early morning
WHERE: Callisto's sea docks
WHO: Dinah, Risley, a couple pirates, and the seas
--
[06:23] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske was not the only crewman on the ship but he was certainly the only VISIBLE one. Dinah could likely sense a couple moving around below deck, one rather large one with a bit more imposing of a presence and the other less so, their Aether mulling around like a sorcerer's might, latent until called upon. Risley himself seemed to be asleep, languid and lounging next to a large wooden chest with a massive padlock. He was armed, a pistol at his hip and several knives on the other, one of them clutched in a slumbering hand. Occasionally a serpentine tongue blepped its way out of his mouth in his sleep, tasting the air.
[06:27] Dinah (dollihead) had seen the ship and had promised herself that she wouldn't get involved. she would absolutely not get involved... but on her way to the shop one day she'd seen the chest, and she'd *felt* that there were magic items on that ship, and....
yeah she had to get involved.
Stupid-o-clock in the morning and Di had approached the ship, tilting her head to listen to if there was anything particularly intersting going on. She stepped out of her heels and approached the posts that the ships were moored to, standing on top of one and peeking over the bucket-top of the ship to see, blinking with amusement at the serpentine tongue.
*interesting*.
Di shimmied out of her dress, tossing it over the edge and lowered her glamour so she would at least have *something* of an element of disguise. How many people, after all, would recognize what she really was compared to what she usually appeared as?
[06:33] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske | The noises were banal, commonplace in a moored vessel. Below deck sounds of conversation could be heard, accented and sharp and with little regard for volume. There was an occasional THUMP, a guffaw, sometimes a clatter of metal on metal. If it was combat it was sparring - far too congenial to be a true fight. The rest of the crew was presumably out and about the town. They could be heard hassling nearby establishments for goods and services. They luckily did NOT harass the nearby Windgrace and Windgrace store, evidently deeming the instruments within not worth the hassle.
As Di lowered her glamour Risley started in his sleep, stirring but not yet sitting up. It was as if he'd felt or sensed something though not strongly enough to rouse from slumber. The shift of weaponry was audible, as was the shuffle of clothing against wood as he curled up around the chest itself and went back to dozing.
[06:38] Dinah (dollihead) cocked her head to one side as she toyed with the idea of how to get there. She could climb the ship, easily, but risk being seen... She could jump, and risk being heard... She was not the physical being of the Windgraces, probably arguably the most feeble of all three of them.. but she *did* have her magics, at least. Still, no time for such things. She slid herself down the post and with a quiet *bloop*, she dropped herself into the water.
Time to scale the side of a ship.
[06:43] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske | The water was familiar. Dinah had swum these seas before and found friends - and while dark shapes were visible beneath the water's surface they were certainly not the corpses and ghouls she'd met prior. These were creatures of the sea, smaller and faster and darting. A few of them paused to peer at her inquisitively before approaching, oddly seeming to avoid the ship itself and the area around it and soon enough it was clear why. She felt a current around the ship, swirling like a vortex that threatened to pull her in toward the hull.
[06:46] Dinah (dollihead) reached her webbed fingers out for the fish as they passed her. Often these days she found herself more in kinship with the ocean critters than many of the beasts aboveground. The swirling vortex though made her frown but she didn't struggle against it, following the current to head towards the hull. She needed to get to the ship, after all, and she spread her fingers wide to make sure she could steer herself the best she could with the current.
Part of her was, of course, mildly irritated that someone was daring to use magic in *her* bay. Filthy peasants.
[06:51] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske | The hull was, like any pirate ship, covered with barnacles. Rather than staying inert they seemed to open and clack together as Dinah passed by, either sensing her presence or reacting to her own power. Once the vortex pulled her close enough to touch the hull the 'barnacles' shot out, their natural chitinous structures coming together like a pointed peak as fleshy tendrils extended beyond them. They aimed to spear into any bits of Dinah they could reach before the hard tips opened like flower petals, acting like hooks to draw her in against the hull. If they hit.
[06:56] Dinah (dollihead) had gone from mildly irritated to *Extremely* offended when the parasites decided they wanted to try and take a chunk out of her. At least she was wearing her rings today. She extended the finger with the emerald ring on it and a few bubbles streamed from her mouth as she activated her protective ward, but that didn't stop her from reaching out to grab at a few of the barnacle hooks as they grabbed at her, aiming to flood them with the corruptive fleshcrafting magic she had started to use to manipulate her own flesh to wither the snagging tendrils, or remove the barbs to make them floppy and rubbery.
How *dare* they.
[07:00] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske | The parasites were arrested by the ward, coiling up as they ran into a wall of protective magic. It allowed Dinah to grab onto them and wither the poor things, leaving her with limp noodles of sea-critter flesh in her grasp. The rest of the barnacle wall seemed to shudder, collectively deciding not to try their luck and meet the same fate. Dinah was left to scale the ship unharassed, though by now she'd likely notice that the slumbering crewman near the chest up top was awake and upright.
[07:03] Dinah (dollihead) wouldn't wither too many; just enough to get the point across. she wasn't actively sadistic, after all, but she would just NOT let the insult slide of being used as food by *creatures*.
Climbing was easy enough when she was barefoot and slight, though she paused, noticing that her sleeping serpentine sailor was *Awake*. Handsome, too. what a shame. perhaps in another life, things would be different. She remained still where she clung to the ship, lifting a hand to peek around and see if anyone else had come up top, or if it were just the scaly one near to her prize.
[07:07] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske sat himself on top of the chest and propped his elbows on his knees. He hadn't looked at the water, nor had he seemed to alert anyone else onboard... the scuffles and conversation were ongoing below deck, the large one and the other crewman still engaged in whatever it was they were doing down there. The lower deck, closest to the water, was certainly clear to be clambered aboard.
[07:14] Dinah (dollihead) took the intiative and instead of hopping she slid on her belly onto the ships' lower deck. it would be harder to get up to the top without being spotted, but she'd climb around but not stick her head over the top. She knew she wasn't exactly stealthy like this, being either silvery pale or covered in nebulae. Slithering up to the top, she wedged herself between the little cabin and the barrier of the upper deck, though once she was there, she remained still and *listened*. Ideally, she didn't really want to hurt this man. not for something that effectively boiled down to 'messing with them for sport'
[07:20] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske seemed to sway back and forth as he sat there, humming to himself. It was some shanty, jaunty as it tumbled from his lips. Footsteps sounded a few minutes in as Risley stood and stepped towards the edge of the upper deck, bracing himself on the wood and leaning out over the water. He focused on the waves, latching onto one of the fish swimming by and... whistling. The thing jumped out of the waves and Risley threw one of his knives at it, a cord trailing from the end of the hilt. He speared the fish that way and reeled it in.... much like the barnacles had tried to do with Dinah underwater. But he didn't turn and look at where she was.
[07:25] Dinah (dollihead): Had he learned it from the barnacles, or had they learned it from him, she wondered. Either way, the barnacle man was awake and seemingly capable of calling the fish to him. Either way, she pondered the best way of doing things. Whilst he was reeling in the fish, she slithered over the top of the barrier to hunker down behind the barrels and crates.
Idly, she glanced at her rings. she WAS wearing the tanuki ring, but that might be somewhat...ill advised. The emerald was always an ever-present part of her clothing but nothing else she was wearing would work. She stuck her hand around the side, blinking the dark eye there as she tried to get a good look at where the key was. The last time she'd seen it, he'd been holding it whilst sleeping.
[07:27] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske was rather busy removing the fish from the knife. As he wiped it off on his pant leg the key jingled, hanging from one of the belt loops... behind him? Enticing. He lifted his head and dropped his jaw and dropped the fish whole into his mouth, where he'd take a moment to get it to slide down his throat. Snakes didn't chew, after all.
[07:33] Dinah (dollihead) straightened up as he seemed to be just...swallowing the fish whole. Odd, odd man. She lifted her fingers and made a 'squeeze' gesture with her fingertips to open the carbiner, twisting the ring just enough to get it seperated from his pants and just...tugged it backwards through the air towards herself. Hopefully she would manage to not have them jingle too much.
[07:36] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske was still getting that fish down his throat, soft movements of esophageal muscle pushing it down in a steady rhythm. He did not move as the key drifted on over toward Dinah, large and silverish and worn. It obviously matched the padlock on the chest behind him which -- unfortunately looked like it opened in his direction.
[07:40] Dinah (dollihead) snatched the key from the air with a triumphant little smile and she wriggled down inbetween the crates and the barrels. The chest was right there... right there! she was so close! She inched closer, bare feet sliding against the boards as she neared the chest. She tensed a little, unsure of how to proceed, until she decided with mind control.
<"see only the ocean"> was her command, uttered in a soft whisper, keeping one hand trained in his direction to keep an eye on him.
[07:46] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske had not expected that. Nor was he particularly resilient to such things. He seemed to stiffen up once the control took before relaxing into it, his eyes remaining trained on the sea in the harbor.
[07:50] Dinah (dollihead) beamed as the magic took hold and she slipped around to the front of the chest, keeping one hand up towards him. Making sure that she wasn't just focused on him; she had enough eyes to make sure that she'd not be snuck up on at least. She put the key into the lock, caaaarefully turning it. She didn't want to get reckless now, right when she was so close.
[07:53] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske flicked his tongue out. He was still SEEING the ocean but his serpentine ability to scent things through that tongue didn't exactly 'see.' The eye in Dinah's palm saw him tense up again and though he didn't turn he took a couple of steps back, ensuring he was standing right beside her as she unlocked the trunk. His eyes remained on the ocean but that tongue flicked out again, and a moment later he spoke quietly: "...how about we parlay?"
[07:57] Dinah (dollihead) paused as he tensed, right as she was about to open the chest. She narrowed her main eyes at him as he moved, but as he spoke, she considered his words.
"I don't speak pirate~" she whispered, though there was a playful tone in her voice. "what is it I can do for you~?" she withdrew the key again and took the padlock from its' position, turning it over in her palm so if necessary she could hit him with it.
[08:02] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske fiddled with the knife, digging under his fingernails a bit and running a thumb over the edge of the blade. "It means talk. Bargain. Make a... deal, yeah?" he explained, still quiet. It was clear he was trying not to arouse the attention of the others below deck. "You're wanting treasure aren't you? What else do people go for the chests for? I'll tell you what they are. Might be cursed for all you know. But I want... off the ship in exchange."
[08:04] Dinah (dollihead) chuckled quietly and she made a noise of agreement. "Curses aren't really anything that would be an issue for me" she whispered. But it WOULD cut down on the potentially risky experimental time...but his request had her tilting her head, studying him with interest. "...why do you want off the ship? Can you not just....leave?" she reached out her fingers towards him, touching a sharpened nail to the skin of his throat.
"....how do I know this isn't a trick~?"
[08:12] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske huffed, flicking lightly at the tip of his knife. "So people say," he answered but he didn't question her beyond that. The effect of her control had waned enough that he could turn, blinking the last vestiges of it from his eyes as he looked at her, brows raising. "...don't tend to lie to pretty girls," he said with another flick of his tongue. He didn't move as she put a nail to his throat, not beyond swallowing pointedly to swell it up into the point of it a bit. "I'm under contract. Swore an oath of service I didn't realize was a right true pact... and it hasn't been bad, really. But this last one... has me rethinking. You can... see a bit can't you? I can feel it. You'll see the binds of that oath on me. Break it and I'll tell you all about what's in that chest. And the real thing the Captain's hiding below deck."
[08:16] Dinah (dollihead) tensed as he turned, still holding the padlock as if she expected to clock him with it as he turned. But when he spoke of oaths, of contracts, of it being a true pact... she studied him intently.
"Why have you been rethinking?" she did give a slow nod when he spoke of her being able to 'see' and she lifted both palms so he could see the many, many eyes on her person.
"...there isn't much I can't see" she agreed. She considered his request for a long few moments but she nodded.
"I have to admit, I am not much in the *habit* of making binding magical contracts, myself. I consider it tasteless. Kneel, please. And give me your name" she set the padlock down, reaching her thumb to her mouth to chomp down with pointed teeth.
[08:21] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske was wreathed in strings of energy like ropes, coiled around his body and leading to the ship itself, one of them leading off - presumably in the direction of the ship's captain. He offered no commentary to her observations, instead reaching to undo the belt around his waist. Rather than -kneel- outright he shifted, thick coils of deep red and ruddy brown scales thudding heavily onto the ship's deck in place of his pants and boots. He hung the belt over his shoulder, undoing the bottom clasps of the corset to account for the slight shift in dimension the transition to snake-tail caused in his lower abdomen and hips. "That count well enough?"
[08:23] Dinah (dollihead) watched the ropes for a long moment, and she trailed a finger across the line that led away, down below deck. She hummed in thought. though looked back to him at the sudden appearance of a scaled tail and she beamed "well! isn't that splendid? Yes, that ought to do. And your name, please." she curled her hand around to squeeze her thumb into her hand, carefully reaching her finger across to paint a few runes across his forehead. "Now, now...where does this one connect..." she murmured, humming in thought as she tracked the rope to its' initial origin point
[08:27] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske cocked his head, listening for a moment. There were still that commotion below deck and when he heard it he nodded, relieved that whoever was down there was still occupied and not terribly suspicious. "Much comfier than the legs," he admitted with a shrug. "Risley Fiske. The crew says Rigger, the Captain says Riggs. Only names I've known," he answered, blinking when she painted runes on his forehead. "What's that now?" he asked with a nod upward at the runes. "And that... goes to the Captain. If he weren't planning what all he's planning for what's down below, I wouldn't be reconsidering."
[08:31] Dinah (dollihead) echoed his name in thought "Risley Fiske" she nodded, though she smiled. "I follow a faith that requires creation and destruction in equal measures for its' work. gods older than you can likely comprehend..." she painted her words around where the rope was hooked in.
"tell me what he's planning?" she coaxed, taking a step back and reaching for the contract rope. Her fingers moved, shifting and manipulating it like rising smoke, twisting it into a thick, non-euclidean knot with both ends still bound.
[08:35] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske watched her, and from the very specific way his eyes moved Dinah could be sure that he -saw- at least in some degree, what she was doing. "You need blood? Or flesh?" he offered, making sure to roll his sleeve way up a bicep and offer out an arm. The question about the creature below put a pause to things though. He huffed, flicking out his tongue as he contemplated the answer. "...you don't count on keeping a creature like that imprisoned for endless bounty when you got.... creatures aboard. Doesn't sit right with those of us that like moving freely," he answered.
[08:38] Dinah (dollihead) paused, both at what he said, and what he offered. She nodded just the once and reached out, those jewelled fingertips piercing his flesh just deep enough to stain her nails before she returned to manipulating the strands.
"Who is he keeping?" there was a quieter, somewhat colder edge in her voice. Dinah did not like cages. There was a reason that one of her first proper unfettered summonings to the Freedom, incarnated.
[08:43] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske winced when she pierced his flesh. It was harder than you'd expect from human skin, but it did give, spilling blood that dripped down over his limb to dot the already stained wood. "Don't eat that," he warned. "The blood. Unless you're as strong against venom as you are curses." He sucked in a breath as she asked about the prisoner, heaving a little sigh. "Mer of some sort. Golden scales. Don't know her name... Captain does. Only the Captain."
[08:46] Dinah (dollihead) laughed softly at the warning but she nodded. "i'd heal it fast enough." she agreed, but she hummed in thought. "...I don't like the idea of him keeping her captive like that. Don't worry, Dear Risley. I am quite sure that it shan't be a prolonged situation. Tell me of the man who would be captain after something *unfortunate* befalls the current one. Is he a decent man?" she returned to twisting the knot, ever tighter, ever tauter into a larger, more difficult knot, the blood on her fingertips leaving almost phospherescent red trails where her hands moved.
[08:48] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske nodded at her assessment of the wound. It would heal and quickly... his regenerative abilities were evident enough. "I don't want him dead," he said after a long beat of hesitation. "Been a good Captain beyond this. But the greed gets them all I guess." He watched the knot, frowning as it twisted, tighter and tighter as if stressed by the growing tension. "...Tzo. She is quartermaster. She'd take over. I don't want the ship. Crew respects Tzo... don't know if decent is the word."
[08:57] Dinah (dollihead) paused at the suggestion that he didn't want the man dead and she expelled a sigh. Surprisingly soft hearted, for a pirate. "Either way, he and I will be having a conversation when you and I are done here, I suspect, and that mer will be leaving the ship" she said thoughtfully, though she paused. "I am just ready to sever the bond. Please be ready... this might hurt. And it might somewhat draw his attention" she pre-warned him, before her voice lowered and she muttered. "Ch'nglui'ahog ehyeorr,, Yog-Sothoth Nafl-Ftagn. Your servant calls upon you"
Di pressed the knotted ball between her palms, pressing her poison-blood coated nails into the weft of the rope and *Tore*.
[09:02] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske was jittery, anxious when she mentioned speaking to the Captain. That was not a conversation he wanted to be around for, clearly... even if it did mean the Mer's freedom. There were more pressing things though and Risley nodded as she mentioned being prepared for the severing. He steeled himself, bracing - until she tore into those ethereal ropes and he seized, spasming as skin and the flesh beneath tore with the rope. He luckily did not scream, hissing instead as his human body and the top half of his clothing fell to the deck in pieces. A sea snake slithered from the pile and coiled itself near the chest, speaking with a voice disembodied. /"....that did hurt."/
[09:05] Dinah (dollihead) hadn't been expecting the snake to become more snake-ey, and shed his human parts entirely. she smiled though, reaching to pick up the shirt that had been torn to bits and give it a shake.
"Well now. you could have warned me that might happen. I suppose it is my own fault for assuming you were a land-beast of some description. Nevertheless, I daresay the captain will suspect something is amiss before too long, and so..." she pushed the lid of the chest open, reaching down to scoop up the sea snake with almost reverent care to offer him her shoulder.
"Show me what is worth taking. Curses are no trouble."
[09:11] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske seemed to prefer coiling around her forearm to looping around her shoulder. /"Didn't know it would. Might change back eventually... when less sore. Feels like a sunburn."/ Being an erstwhile bracelet was all the better for pointing at things with his head, it seemed. He jabbed his head at a small replica of a barrel with a set of levers on one side, a set of seemingly mundane horseshoes (that Dinah knew were quite magical), a small black sack of, and a talisman on a black metal chain with what looked like a skull holding an emerald in its mouth. He hissed at the last one. /"Cursed."/
[09:14] Dinah (dollihead) smiled and reached for his shirt, knotting it together in a semblance of a loot bag. she'd only been anticipating the attempt to snatch one and scarper, however, now she was taking one of each thing suggested. She was a little more careful with the talisman though.
"...interesting.... do we know what they do? Not that I wont be able to find out, but..." she pocketed the talisman too "...it certainly *looks* cursed. Now then. Shall we go and speak with the captain?" she offered with a friendly smile that was marred by far too many pointy teeth.
[09:19] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske was not terrrribly bothered by Dinah taking the loot though he did noticeably shift higher up her arm or generally away from the loot bag once the talisman was in it. It gave him the heebiejeebies. /"The barrel holds a ... creature. Metal creature. Like a crab. Haven't seen it move. The horseshoes... let the horses move on all terrain. Water. Mud. ...hot things. Ice. Without harm or hindrance. Sack has rings. Four... five? Rings? Different things... magic. Not cursed. just magic. That talisman. Powerful thing. Haven't looked too hard at it. Don't want to. "/ He let out another hiss and shuddered palpably as she mentioned speaking to the Captain. /"It can wait. He'll be back. Best to leave. Tzo and the Malley, down below. They'll be snooping."/
[09:24] Dinah (dollihead) swapped the hand she held the sack in as he wriggled away, though she chuckled a little and nodded. "...a metal crab creature? splendid. I am sure that Dorian will want the horse shoes... magical rings are never a bad thing. and powerful cursed talismans are practically a hobby, dear boy." she walked to the edge of the ship and climbed up onto the side. "Deep breath, old sport. you will be more than welcome to stay with my family if it please you and it keep you out of trouble. At least until the stinging dies down. There certainly shan't be any of your crew coming up to my home" she held the bag closer to herself, stepping off casually into the ocean, now she'd exploded the crewman and pillaged the chest for its shiny valuables.
[09:28] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske felt Dinah hit the water before coiling tighter as if afraid. He liked the water - he was a sea snake after all - but the vortex around the ship had not stopped. It was stronger, in fact, now that she had some of the treasure and the First Mate on her person, swirling around the lithe intruder and attempting to suck her down to keep her from getting back to the surface.
[09:36] Dinah (dollihead) had been expecting the water around the ship and she twisted as she hit the water. This time, she was ready.
<"Mgepr'luh ehye, n'ghftor dagon, mggoka'ai ya uln.
ymg' ah'f'nah mg r'luh ph' h'"> The words pulsed from her in bursts and bubbles from her fingertips, and she pushed herself. There would be no other magic but the Old Ones that held dominion over the sea, if she could see to it.
[09:39] Risley 'Rigger' Fiske || The Old Ones were particularly angry at mortal influence over the waves. As Dinah predicted, they were eager to reassert their own level of status quote over the harbor once attention was called to the Captain's magic working on the seas. The ocean roiled, angry and churning as the ship itself was buffeted back and forth, a storm rolling in to soak dock and harbor together. Dinah was borne by a swell of tide up onto the pier and deposited on the wood, the serpent that had been around her arm curiously absent.
[09:42] Dinah (dollihead) had no worries that she would have to limp-noodle the barnacles again. She fully expcted that she would be heard, though she turned back towards the water at the lack of snake around her arm. Setting her loot bag down, she drew her glamour back up over herself, then reclaimed her dress, reaching out with her mind.
<"I hope you are safe, Risley. Do not let them capture you again"> she searched the creatures of the sea bed, looking up towards the impending storm and she smiled, whistling to herself as she scooped up her loot and sauntered, soaking and barefoot back towards the house.