Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 2, 2020 8:37:20 GMT -8
Name: River Raiding Party Type: Episode Requestee: Condor Difficulty: 1 Significance: 2 Objective: Kidnap the master skimmer builder. Sub-Objective: Secure the plans to the new Wave Skimmers, projected to give the 61st Marine Branch dominance on the Dulan Rivers. Plot: Rigel, acting under Jukebox's orders, must orchestrate a kidnapping attempt that looks detached from the Underworld. His goal is to secure the plans for the Wave Skimmers, new boats meant to more quickly navigate the rivers of Dulan. The designer of these boats has promised to give their design exclusively to the 61st Marine Branch, which Jukebox wants to prevent at all costs, without making it obvious that he was the one behind the kidnapping. Wishlist: +Trait Points +NPC Coins Cast: PC: Rigel Larrat
Type: INPC Rank: D Name: La "Lord La" Baris. Underworld Alias: "Jukebox" Age: 26 Gender: Male Race: Human Height: 5'11" Weight: 140 lbs. Appearance:
Personality: Lord La is a results-oriented man with a keen sense for value and pragmatism. What something or someone can provide for him is where his values begin and end. He holds great stock in contracts and little promise in loyalty. To him, information is the greatest power one can wield in the tumultuous seas. Though he can appear laid back and laissez-faire about matters, this is just a front he poses. In truth, he's a very stressed man, often overthinking things and mentally exploring many different avenues and choices. This is also why he appreciates information so much, as it helps to alleviate his stress and worry. The more he can know about something and the more he can uncover about them, the less worry they bring him.
La has no hesitations about killing or hurting anybody in the way of his goals. He seeks his own happiness and will go a great ways to ensure that he gets that. By accumulating a net of safety through political power and allies, and surrounding himself in material pleasures, La is sure that he'll bring himself safety. He's also a very proud man, seeking out expensive foods and fine-looking company to better his outward image. Aspirations: Lord La wants to become the most powerful Underworld broker in the Four Blues.
Home Island: Targe Island
Faction: Underworld - Lips Background: La Baris was a poor young man in the South Blue before joining a gang of mercenaries, invited as a result of his cunning, ruthless nature. After first getting close to the Underworld system, he became completely infatuated. The Underworld didn't fight for high minded ideals or collective goals. Its members had each banded together to seek their own fortune and satisfaction. La wanted to be a part of that system and carve out his own piece of desperate happiness, regardless of the incidental cost to others. He quickly left the fighting side of the business, not eager to risk his own neck. Instead, he set up shop on the contentious Dulan Island with a very small group of spies. While their presence was initially thorny towards the BBG, their information network proved more valuable than the bounties on their heads. In a back alley deal, Lord La found protection for his information houses, safehouses and brothels known as Bird Houses on the island. His business has flourished under the protection of the island's rulers, and Lord La has become a popular success story among Underworld brokers. Relations: Underworld - 80 Barroso Bounty Guild - 70 Bounty: 10,000,000 Beli
Items: D-Rank Pearl Cutlass. Job: Underworld Broker Traits: Swordsmanship, Cooking Proficiency Attributes: S&P: 5,000 E&D: 5,000 S&A: 4,000 P&W: 5,000 S&W: 3,000 DF: 0 Encounter Price: 2 Condition(s): Must have something worthwhile to give him. Recruitment Price: 5
Type: INPC Rank: E Name: Meyye Cheihine Age: 16 Gender: Female Race: Human Height: 5'8" Weight: 111 lbs. Appearance:
Personality: Meyye is a sarcastic and easily annoyed person. She's cold and scathing in her words, often trying to put distance between herself and whomever she's with. She hates her job at the Bird Houses, but fears the Underworld too deeply to ever actively vocalize that. She holds and espouses a philosophy called "the current of the world," which she feels dictates the lives of all people. According to her, way back when, the first sentient life made the first real decision. Everybody after that has been a mere subject to the whim of that decision, caught up in the ripple that became an overpowering wave. People who fight back against the current that dictates their life are swept up and destroyed by its power. This thinking helps her to cope with the harsh reality of her life, even if she secretly hopes it not to be true. Aspirations: To break the current of the world.
Home Island: Dulan Island
Faction: Underworld Background: Meyye was born into crushing debt left behind from her parents. She's lived her life to pay back what they owed, working a broad swath of odd jobs from a young age. Even as a child, she was rather serious, and was trained to believe in the "current of the world" a force that pushes and pulls people along their lives. Meyye has never tried to escape this current. She goes with the flow of what seems most natural in her life. In an effort to hurry along the repayment of her debt, she found work with Lord La in the Bird Houses at the age of 13. She'd anticipated life as a spy or information gatherer, but was instead forced into a life as a prostitute for extremely unsavory clientele. Her parents tried to fight against this decision, but were punished harshly for their insubordination. The family was separated across the Four Blues. Meyye merely accepted her role in the world's current, taking her new, harrowing lifestyle with no push back. At the age of 16, she's still sixteen million beli away from buying her freedom from the Underworld. Relations: Lord La - 70 Underworld - 70 Bounty: N/A
Type: INPC Rank: D Name: Trick Saccharine Age: 25 Gender: Male Race: Human Height: 6'4" Weight: 183 lbs. Appearance:
Personality: Trick is a dispassionate and aloof marine. He's not a great believer in justice, vengeance or civility, as most marines might be. People with a great passion or a great drive typically only irritate him or drive him away. The only caveat to this are orders from his superior, Cadence Khouri, to which he is very obedient. Trick will typically employ other marines to pretend to be him in official meetings just so he won't have to attend them. Though he's talented with a blade, he doesn't have much of any pride there either. Though he wishes to find something that sparks his passion, nothing has really succeeded as of yet. Generally, he's quite depressed, which makes him an unpopular marine figure. He will get defensive about his father, but usually not worked up, just mopey over the subject matter. Similarly, though he does wish to retain his status as a marine, he's not very keen on getting promoted or accruing status in the job. Aspirations: To find a new passion in life.
Home Island: Utek Island
Faction: Marine Background: Trick was raised by a famous marine captain in the South Blue, literally raised on his ship as a chore boy from as early as he could walk. He was passionate about he and his father's life of justice, and from a young age showed talent as a fighter and arbiter of justice. His sense of duty was continually shaped by what he saw as a child on the ship, and he was let into the Marines exceptionally early. Before completely finishing his training, however, Trick watched his father die in the line of duty. He sacrificed himself to fight a crew of dangerous pirates and was killed as a result. Despite all the man's hard work, nothing had really changed in the grand sense. The understanding completely disillusioned Trick. He chose to continue as a marine out of a sense of obligation, but had lost all passion for it. Though his martial skill has led to him getting promoted time and time again, his lackadaisical attitude and negativity also leads to him getting demoted. That strange personality eventually led him to the strange 61st Marine Branch, where he's mostly enjoyed a more calm life of peacekeeping. Relations: Cadence Khouri - 75 Bounty: N/A
Type: INPC Rank: E Name: Murray G. Soden Age: 12 Gender: Male Race: Human Height: 4'8" Weight: 80 lbs. Appearance:
Personality: Murray is a very happy and social child with a prodigious mind for building ships. He's more passionate about lovingly repairing, restoring and remodeling boats and skimmers, but is perfectly capable of designing and crafting new ones as well. He thinks most people are weird for not being able to hear the inner voices of ships when they're trying to communicate, as opposed to him being the weird one when he's talking to inanimate objects. Murray hates ships created for violence and fighting, because the anger and grief of their voices scares him so deeply. For this reason, he usually isn't told what a new ship he's designing will be used for. Someday, he dreams of traveling the world on a trustworthy ship, endeavoring to hear the inner voices of every boat in the world. Murray imagines that collection of voices will give way to the perfect design. Aspirations: To speak with every ship in the world.
Home Island: Dulan Island Faction: Pay Mud Company Background: Murray was a genius child that was born with a sense of attachment to the water. His family were part of a small tribe of fishermen that sailed between the different cities of Dulan, selling their hauls to the markets. He always felt much more comfortable on the sea than on the land, even as a baby only stopping his bawling when he was on a boat in the water. When he was old enough to help catch fish, he worked hard, but couldn't help but notice the "voices" of ships, even on the small river skimmers. Murray even thought himself able to speak to boats and communicate with them. He was able to change and remodel his family's skimmer to hold more fish and move quicker through the water. When the new model was seen by a member of the Pay Mud Company, they demanded to find the designer of the skimmer. Noah was quickly hired and trained to work in New Friro at the age of 10. Since then, he's swiftly risen through the ranks as a secret genius of the company, producing many new developments for the people of Dulan, and getting his family out of poverty with his money. Relations: N/A Bounty: N/A
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 2, 2020 9:23:24 GMT -8
Rigel Larrat seized a Den-Den Mushi from under the bar counter. He already knew who was on the other end of the line, but the voice still sounded strangely to him. "My pirate, enjoying your accommodations~?"
Jukebox always sounded too much like every word was twisting some knife deeper into Rigel's flesh. It was invasive and disarming, especially because he knew his pleasantries were building up to Rigel's next job. "What can I do for you, Jukebox?" he asked. Rigel might normally enjoy the casual conversation, but he disliked Jukebox as much as he needed him.
"Poor form, Mr. Larrat~ Since you stole away Meyye from me, I have an open spot on my payroll." Rigel sighed. Every time the two spoke, he mentioned Meyye's departure with some level of animosity. "I'm hoping to fill it now. Not with another girl, but with a shipwright~ Think you could collect one for me?"
The question was as much a command as a gun to Rigel's head might be. "Did you have somebody in mind?"
"The Pay Mud Company has, in its employ, a master shipwright. But, the marines have found this out the same time I did." Rigel had come to catch on to Jukebox's information gathering. He definitely had ears inside all the major factions on Dulan Island, the marines included. It was no coincidence their information mirrored one another. "He's being escorted along the rivers to the 61st later today, my man should have the specifics for you~ I couldn't be bothered to keep it all in my head. Do not let him reach the 61st under any circumstances, Mr. Larrat~"
That aloofness was almost surely an act. It irritated Rigel, but not enough for him to risk speaking out. His real concern was the time frame. "Only the morning to plan a heist against the marines. Should I take that as flattery, Jukebox?" Rigel spied a small watch along the bartender's hand. It was nearly half past eight. Keeping track of the time would be pivotal.
"You should take it as necessity. I won't consume any more of your time~" Before Rigel could ask another question or respond in any kind, the Den-Den Mushi shut off and the conversation was already over. Rigel couldn't change that. He pulled a slim business card from his pocket and began working at the snail once more, the receiver still in hand. It rang for a short while for a young, lazy man answered it.
"River Spirit Guides, we-"
"I need Meyye at the Bird House ten minutes ago," Rigel interrupted his sales pitch with the request.
"Rigel... you dog! She doesn't do that kind of thing anymore!" Rigel scoffed and hung up. An escort across the island meant their route would take them along the rivers at some point. He'd need a good wayfinder to be able to intervene. He didn't need the dirty jokes. Rigel put his clothes together and walked from the Bird House. This early in the morning it didn't do too much in terms of hosting clients. It wouldn't matter if he moved in a rush to get his stuff together. As he walked out the front door, Jukebox's man greeted him.
The guy handed off a small parcel. Inside it were two green cylinders and a colored line running across a map of Dulan Island. Even with his rough understanding of the island's geography, Rigel recognized that one end of the line was the 61st Marine Branch. It was the escort route for the shipwright that the marines would take. The cylinders were clearly explosives meant to aid in the raid. It would be all the help that Rigel would receive for the mission. Rigel tried to thank the man and walk on, but he passed along another instruction.
"Please remember, if you're caught or seen. You are not affiliated with the Bird House. You're a rogue pirate with no affiliation."
"I get it," Rigel nodded. The directions were told to him on every outing, it was his worth to Jukebox. The freedom to act like a free agent while still aiding Jukebox's efforts to accumulate power. Ready for the mission, the tree roots moved at the end of the shallow river docks and Meyye's skimmer floated closer. All the pieces were set up for Rigel's latest operation.
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 2, 2020 10:12:21 GMT -8
Meyye's skimmer looked only a little different from when Rigel had first seen it. The slim boat was now decorated with the letters "RSG" like a little insignia. Rigel was happy to leave the Bird House and hop into its back, grinning at the girl that had picked him up from the building. They promptly left and slowly sailed down the river away from Meyye's old workplace. Rigel casually laid back against the hull of the boat, his back against the driver's seat and Meyye's back. He passed the map over his shoulder, waiting for Meyye to pull it from his hand.
"This is their route?"
"You recognize it?"
Meyye shifted her weight side to side. Her Dulan Hippo yawned with the slow speed of their travel, splashing water lightly. Rigel examined the two cylinders while Meyye read the map. The sticks were full of a green dust that Rigel quickly recognized upon a closer look. It was the explosive powder that he'd incidentally discovered with his first job with Meyye. 'Smokey Breath' would be perfect for a raid by a small group. If Jukebox was willing to give this much material up for the job, then it revealed how much he wanted this job to succeed. Careful not to get them wet, Rigel tucked them into his jacket, settling back into his place in the boat.
Rigel waited patiently to see if she could decipher the map. "Shamar's had me making my own maps of Dulan," Meyye explained. She opened a small wooden chest at the bow of the skimmer and pulled out a few more papers. Rigel's curiosity piqued, he turned towards her work and watched her overlay the escort map with her own drawings. The chest was full of dozens of sheets of paper. Some illustrated the whole island, some depicted specific sections, highlighting ports that were public and some that were more discrete. Shamar, the river guide that had once helped Rigel had taken Meyye as an apprentice for himself, expanding the business of driving skimmers across the rivers. It still wasn't perfectly honest, but it was much more agreeable compared to what Meyye had done before.
"Where's a good point to intercept them? Maybe a spot where they have to travel single file?" Rigel tried finding the answer out for himself. He generally understood the maps, but couldn't actually understand the specifics. When he needed to travel, he relied upon the navigation of either Meyye or Shamar. Meyye hummed along to the question, running her finger along the route copied onto her own map.
Her index finger paused at a single point, some ways away from the grasslands of the city. It was close enough to the South West Birdhouse that a getaway wouldn't be impossible. "Maybe not single file, but this is as thin as the river will get. They were smart picking out this route, it's not the fastest, but it's safe." Meyye marked the point with a pencil along the map, handing it back to Rigel. He took the map for himself, trying to see what had become clear to Meyye.
Even after a few moments of studying he was unable to see it and let out a frustrated sigh. He tussled the girl's ballcap, ruining her hair and thrashing her about to much protest from the girl. "Why weren't you this useful before?!"
Rigel was proud of the young girl. She'd rebounded and returned to a more normal life very quickly. Breaking away from the Bird House completely had given the girl much more independence. Rigel couldn't visit her much because of the price on his head, but that didn't matter when he needed her help on a job. It was one of the few things he actually looked forward to when working for Jukebox. Nothing else about it was very appealing. In fact, everything besides Meyye was extremely disheartening about it.
Last Edit: Jun 2, 2020 10:19:04 GMT -8 by Rigel Larrat
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 2, 2020 10:44:01 GMT -8
Meyye agreed to sail Rigel towards that choke point along the rivers so Rigel could prepare the raid, even though she felt compelled to do more. "I could be your getaway driver! Like that time with the spice!" despite her intention to do more, Rigel was adamantly against it, staying relaxed and low in the hull of the boat.
"You're not getting caught up in this," Rigel repeated, watching the clouds move along. "It was stupid of me to let you get close last time. And you're lucky you didn't get a bounty yourself." In truth, the pirate wanted the girl around, but she was lucky that she'd broken so many laws and earned no bad reputation. With Shamar, she could live a life that wasn't restrained by a wanted poster.
"How much longer are you gonna work for Jukebox?" Meyye switched topics. She'd learned not to try to break Rigels' stubbornness from past experience. "It's been a little while."
The question had been something Rigel had pondered in private. He wished he'd had a better answer for the girl. It was probably hard for her to watch someone else be stuck under the thumb of Jukebox when she'd just escaped. Especially cause it was as if their positions had switched with one another. Rigel couldn't ignore any feeling of guilt or obligation that Meyye may feel. "As long as I need his help, I guess. It's not like I like it."
"Yeah, you don't really seem like the kidnapping kind," Meyye responded. "You might be good at it, but I don't know if this path is good for you."
Rigel rose from his spot, wrapping his arm playfully around Meyye. "Cocky brat! Who are you to worry about me, huh?" She tried to escape his grip, shouting in between fits of laughing. "You're spending too much time with Shamar! You're soft, girl!" Meyye broke from the grip, collecting herself and catching her breath. Rigel had dodged the question, but again it wasn't the first time it had crossed his mind. Meyye was more perceptive than he'd given her credit.
Since Rigel had come under Jukebox's employment, he'd done nothing admirable. Rigel had stolen, robbed, raided, collected on debts and endorsed his criminal enterprise. Now he was kidnapping someone. Rigel had no love for the marines, but, the civilian that had decided to work for them hadn't done anything to him. It was a depressing thought that he would have to harm someone innocent to protect himself. The reality of his situation was that Rigel wasn't strong enough to protect himself from every threat in the world. He'd learned in Balloon Flock and on Ophidian Island, that the world required a certain level of strength in return for independence and freedom. Rigel had always leaned on others for that strength.
Meyye had found what she wanted to outside of the Bird House. From her cage, she'd found very clear direction. Rigel still hadn't found his. Without a direction, the will of Jukebox was more strongly pushing him towards what the Underworld broker wanted. It had worked.
Last Edit: Jun 2, 2020 11:54:35 GMT -8 by Rigel Larrat
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 2, 2020 12:16:16 GMT -8
Meyye had left what would be the scene of the crime a while ago. She'd tried to stick around and badger Rigel further, but he shooed her away after enough arguing, leaving the pirate to his own devices. His own saving grace from the depression of Jukebox's job settled in more fully. He tried to shake off the emotions and focus closely on the mission at hand.
The choke point that Meyye had helped him find was flanked by very dense fields of trees growing out of the swamp water. Trees had been cleared some time ago to artificially form a path between New Friro and the Western cities of Dulan Island. What had been left were high roots that made the water quite shallow, and each side of the river quite dark. Where creatures usually dwelled in every inch of the swamps, the trees and the pirate were the only signs of life in this choke point. Some insects annoyed Rigel, but were hardly present. Rigel tried to plan his raid in accordance geography of the area, trying to make use of his explosives as effectively as possible.
Rigel felt isolated and serene. It was a pretty kind of loneliness. He felt that it was possible to let go of his obligations. Plenty of vagabonds and runaways made a life for themselves in the dense fields of trees and untamed wilderness of the swamps of Dulan. Rigel could simply become one of them, eating the meat of scaly beasts and cleaning the water of his swamp every day. It didn't appeal to him at all. It was even more lifeless an existence than obeying Jukebox's will. Again, Rigel forced himself to shake off these feelings. They may ebb but they constantly returned to Rigel. The vision of a city overflowing with freedom had broken him from Balloon Flock. To even dream like that seemed far-fetched, let alone to achieve that vision.
Preparations made, Rigel pulled his body between two trees, where he'd manage to keep an eye on the river leading into the choke point and mostly obscure his own body. Against the in front of him, Rigel etched a simple drawing into the bark. The sharp end of a pencil scratched out a much less detailed version of the city of which he dreamed. He tried to recall all the details that others had suggested. It was fuzzy and unfocused. He remembered the broad strokes, but he kept feeling his hand stop. Rigel couldn't conceive of these things practically. He would remember some fanciful construct, but the reality of it obstructed his illustration. How could he afford to build something like that? How would he protect it? How would he escape Jukebox and Dulan? How would he reconnect with his friends from the prison?
It just felt like a frustrating, sick joke he'd played on others. The person they met was now just a thief and kidnapper. Rigel scratched out the drawing, pawing at his eyes. His tears could only be wiped away, and it was even more frustrating. Turning away from the drawing, Rigel couldn't stand to look at it. Coincidentally, his eyes instead met a train of three skimmers making their way across the river, each one populated by marines in uniform.
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 2, 2020 15:37:12 GMT -8
Two skimmers led the formation of boats, with one more behind them and a fourth bringing up their rear. A marine driver manned each Dulan Hippo, moving the boat at a moderate pace through the rivers. Each boat had at least half a dozen marines armed with rifles and cutlasses, all looking out and surveying for potential threats. The only exception lay on the central skimmer. Behind the driver of that boat was a cloth and wood cabin that Rigel more typically saw on river taxis. Rigel couldn't see within the cab, but a more serious, nervous looking marine stood at its door, hands at the ready with a long rifle. This was certainly the escort group, Rigel had no reservations about that.
There were more marines than he'd expected, but Rigel didn't let it phase him. He held tight to one of the green cylinders, the small bombs tied to a vine attached to the boughs of a tree above him. He'd practiced the timing with Meyye earlier in the day. From his place hidden in the dense field of trees, Rigel snapped off the cap to the bomb, and it began sparking and fuzzing. From the dark of the swamp, Rigel swung it forward, and the bomb on the vine swung towards them. The marines watched it, but didn't see the bomb until it was far too late. An explosion of fire, sound, force and green smoke detonated over one of the front boats, halting the escort procession. It immediately began to sink and the marines went to work searching for the source of the attack.
Rigel swung another vine, directing its arc towards the boat in the rear. His timing struck true once more, and the bomb was poised to explode over the rear boat and sink it, but the lead marine had acted fast. He shot at the vine and broke it, sinking the bomb harmlessly under the water. From its place under the swamp water, the bomb still detonated like a submerged mine. The bomb blew a hole in the boat and it began to sink, but no damage was dealt to the marines themselves. One of the boats was obliterated and two were steadily sinking, marines still looking around for the source of their attack. The plan hadn't been executed perfectly, but Rigel wouldn't have a better opportunity.
With the last of his prepared vines, Rigel swung towards the central boat, jumping from the axis of his swing into the boat. The sharpshooter marine had a full beard and a thin head of hair. He was clearly nervous, but held his gun perfectly still. Two grunt marines rushed Rigel, looking to catch him unaware. Rigel redirected one's assault against the other, throwing their weight to the starboard side of the skimmer and pushing them into the swamp water and tangle of tree roots. Another grunt pulled his cutlass against Rigel. So long as the pirate fought the marines, their combat brought them too close for the marine to take a good shot. That's what Rigel expected, at least.
Before he could do away with the cutlass grunt, the sharpshooter squeezed his trigger and drew blood against Rigel's midsection, grazing his chest. "You follow this guy?" Rigel asked the cutlass grunt, astonished he'd shoot at such close quarters combat. The marine didn't respond, hollering and bringing down his sword. Rigel sidestepped the slash and shoved the marine into the water. The boat totally evicted save for the cab, the sharpshooter and Rigel, both the marine and Rigel could fight freely. "Cepheus Law!"
The sharpshooter was thrown easily from the boat against a tree making up the dense swamp. Green clouds of smoke obscured Rigel's assault against the central boat, but only for a short while. He opened the curtain of the cab to find two men, arms raised in surrender, one another marine and one a small boy. "Ah, uh... I'm pretty sure I'm here to kidnap one of you."
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 2, 2020 15:58:49 GMT -8
The marine between the two let out a huge sigh of relief, dropping his arms to his side inside the shady cab. "Lucky... I thought I was gonna die." Despite his words, the marine didn't seem to care much whether he was going to live or die. He looked pretty apathetic towards the pirate boarding his skimmer entirely. To this, the young boy became very cross, kicking at the marine's shin.
"Aren't you supposed to protect everybody?! This guy just destroyed three boats! Hey, you!" He directed his yelling towards his kidnapper. Rigel waited awkwardly for the what the boy was going to say. It looked as though he was thinking deep about his words, but all he said was, "I hate you."
"Don't kick me..." the marine complained. Though he rubbed against his leg, he still didn't seem to care much that this little kid had kicked him. "Did you really sink the other boats? Scary..." Nothing about his face seemed to betray fear. Rigel wasn't sure what to make of the odd pair. Neither of them struck him as the shipwright he was meant to take. Outside the cab, smoke began to clear from the explosions. The marines from the sinking boats began to regroup and climb aboard the skimmer.
Rigel quickly reacted to the mounting attackers. "You, are you the commander here?"
The marine shook his head, waving away the responsibility. The young boy kicked his shin again, speaking up in his place. "Yes he is! That's Petty Officer Saccharine! He's the one in charge of taking me to the marine base."
"Hey..."
"Go tell your men that you're my hostage!" Rigel quickly tried to order. Three marines had already boarded the skimmer, drawing their swords and stepping towards the cab. "Now!"
"Are you sure you're a kidnapper? You don't seem to really want to do this..."
Rigel grimaced at this exasperating marine. The pirate couldn't break through his apathy whatsoever. He scrambled to seize the marine's flintlock pistol from his belt, only encountering feeble protests from the marine officer. Rigel poked his face out of the curtain, keeping the pistol trained on the two in the cab. "Nobody move! I'll kill your commanding officer, and your passenger!" The threat gave the marines pause, but they didn't yet do away with their own weapons, each looking at one another for some direction or guidance. Nothing clearly came, so Rigel took the initiative once more. "Leave your weapons here, all of you!" Rigel announced to the marines treading water. "And then... uh... swim yourselves back to the 61st. No breaks."
Though he'd given the command, the marines were still looking for guidance. Rigel's words were improvised and they didn't have much weight or seriousness behind them. The marines seemed to sense that. Rigel poked his head back inside the cab and snatched up the officer, dragging him out to the sunlight. "I'll do it!"
One of the marines spoke up, asking for guidance. "What should we do, officer?"
The Petty Officer scratched the back of his head, not trying to break away from Rigel's grip. "Well... yeah I guess that's fine. Go back and get the captain, or something, hm..." His words seemed to be convincing enough for the marines. They obeyed Rigel's words and left behind their wet swords and worthless pistols. When they'd all left, swimming towards New Friro, Rigel returned the marine back into the skimmer's cab.
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 2, 2020 18:41:07 GMT -8
The marines gone and their weapons left behind, Rigel pulled his two kidnapping victims from the cab and quickly tore it down. It would obscure his vision of the shipwright and the marine, assuming that's actually who he'd abducted. Neither of the two truly acted like their roles. The shipwright was a bratty kid with colored tattoos on his face, and the marine was some young guy lounging around at every chance he got.
"Who are you?" Rigel began to interrogate the young boy, bending at the knees to look him in the eyes. The boy stood still for a moment, thinking of a response. Instead of saying anything back, he grabbed Rigel by the shoulders and pushed him backwards in the hull of the boat. The marine let out a barking laugh. "What the hell? I'm kidnapping you, you know that right?"
"Shut up! You destroyed those boats, I hate you!" the kid protested. He sat against a bench against the ridge of the skimmer, covering his ears with his hands like an aggravated child. Rigel wanted to speed up the process of bringing the boy back to the Bird House, but if he brought back some random child, he'd never hear the end of his failure. Jukebox was serious about securing the shipwright, and failure wouldn't be an option. Rigel figured the information was mixed up. The boy must be related to the shipwright in some way, or important to him.
He tried to confirm this theory with the marine instead. "Who's the boy?"
The marine didn't even open his eyes against the sunlight, seemingly intent on trying to nap on the skimmer. "You kidnapped somebody you don't know? Weird..."
"Shut up! Who is he?"
Saccharine tried to shake off Rigel's hands but quickly gave up. "What do you care? You don't even want to do this..." The marine was right. It aggravated Rigel to no end. The way the guys word seemed to trail off into nothing irritated him endlessly. How obvious was it that Rigel was only halfhearted in his effort? How clear were his intentions that these total strangers could tell so much about him?
"Why are you a marine then? You didn't exactly put up a fight! Weak little grunts resisted me at least! Their worthless commander didn't do anything at all!"
Rigel threw the marine to the floor of the boat, clattering against the discarded swords. The pirate felt his blood boiling. Now the young boy got actually scared. His hands fell from his ears. Rigel growled in frustration. Even if the boy wasn't the shipwright, he was still worth a marine escort. He was worth securing. If the shipwright was out there, Jukebox could maybe negotiate with the boy as a bargaining chip. It would at least bring an end to that stupid mission.
"Hey..." Saccharine muttered, rising from the pile of his comrade's swords. "I think... I'm going to fight you now..."
Rigel responded to the words slowly. He turned to see the man rising, drawing one of the cutlasses from the pile and one from the sheath at his side. His stance was solid. The guy actually looked poised to fight. Rigel didn't have anything personal against the man, but with his mood as it was, he wouldn't pass up a chance to fight. "Something I say wake you up, Petty Officer?"
"Hm... maybe... let me think about it a little... okay?"
"Don't draw your swords and then ask for time to think, Petty Officer."
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 2, 2020 20:17:00 GMT -8
Rigel faced down the marine unarmed, happy to welcome some combat, if only to blow off steam. There was no reason for this marine to still be on the skimmer anyways. Revealing to an officer that there was a link between Rigel and the Bird Houses was an explicit taboo. If he wouldn't provide any helpful insights into the boy, then the marine was just a liability, necessary to move off the game board before Rigel proceeded with his prize. Rigel was all rage going into this fight, but the marine's emotions were more obscure.
His intentions, however, were crystal clear. In a flurry of proficient swordsmanship, Saccharine wielded the two swords like discrete tools of battle. Rigel had seen people use dual weapons before. Typically, both weapons needed to move in a flow with one another, creating the same illustrations with two brushes. Saccharine was unique in that regard. Where one sword moved, another could follow up with no discernible rhythm. It was like fighting two expert swordsman, rather than a more dangerous single opponent. It forced Rigel to keep his distance. Without a weapon of his own, it would be difficult to break his range.
"Double Tide..." All at once Saccharine's swords found harmony. What had been the moves of separate minds conjoined. Two attacks came together into an assault that found proper timing against Rigel's evasion. He had nowhere to move. One sword cut into Rigel's arm and the other followed up in the exact same place. The marine's accuracy was surgical. The pirate let go of a howl of pain dropped to the floor of the boat. "I think..." Saccharine began, but trailed off, wiping the blood on his swords against his white coat.
"Yeah, kick his butt, Saccharine!" the little boy stood up from his spot. He was still covering his ears with his palms, but this didn't deter his cheering. "This boat doesn't like him!"
The attack sliced clarity in Rigel's mind. It was like a relief to feel the pain. It was almost like the pirate subconsciously felt it proper that he be punished for his actions. He wallowed in it for a few moments. The marine wouldn't let him. "Get up..." he said, his first command uttered in Rigel's presence. "I'm not satisfied... Not yet..."
"What satisfaction do you deserve?" Rigel spat, obediently finding his way to his feet. "You only decide to fight when there's nothing to protect! What satisfaction do you deserve?!" Rigel asked again, lowering his stance and preparing for another fight.
The marine grew undignified at the question, snarling and baring his swords. His fighting was loose once more, and his swords disjointed. Rigel danced around the enraged marine, and his swords were left to slash at wind and wood harmlessly. Rigel still couldn't break through the man's range to find a proper point of attack. Only after a lengthy combination of strikes did Rigel see a golden moment of opportunity. He stepped in close to seize it, and the trap snapped shut on him.
Gone was the vision of a marine holding two swords. A river of drifting silver hair, reflective steel and pure white garb flowed smoothly before Rigel's eyes. It passed by him in fleeting serenity. "Bridge Over River!" Rigel's body went cold and sharp, and he fell for the second time in their fight. He was utterly incapable or unwilling to overcome the man's swordsmanship. For the second time, he fell in their fight and only thought it proper. A deep sword slash had cut into Rigel's right leg, bleeding steadily onto the boat. "I'm still not satisfied..."
Saccharine's blades raised over his head. Rigel still had the energy to fight back, but his spirit had been evaporated. He was the type of guy to kidnap children. How could he raise his hand to stop this man from taking his life? As the question raced across his mind, its answer proved unnecessary. That child stood up for him instead. "STOP!"
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 2, 2020 20:47:31 GMT -8
Rigel could turn his head from the floor of the boat to watch the boy. His hands were no longer muffling his ears, instead outstretched towards the marine intent to deal the killing blow to Rigel. The pirate's blood pooled across the boat, encircling the kid's tattered sandals. Rigel clutched the injury, trying to slow the bleeding. To do that and watch were all he really had the will to do.
"The boat doesn't want any more blood spilled," the boy asserted. "Listen," he paused, Saccharine stayed quiet, but it was clear that the skimmer was completely silent to him as well as to Rigel. "She's telling me her childhood," the boy said reverently. Rigel and Saccharine stayed quiet. There was a gentle rock of the water against the boat's hull. The wood creaked so faintly. It sounded nothing like words or language to Rigel. "She's so young, and she's seen so much today," the boy commented, still listening for each word said. "She really loves this swamp," the boy laughed, "and she dreamed of playing in it all her life." He knelt down, looking towards its rudder, stroking the wood of its craft softly. "I'm sorry. We'll play again soon. I promise!"
The boy had tears welling up in his eyes. The sight shocked Rigel and Saccharine, who suddenly felt very embarrassed by the sight of making a young kid cry. Rigel sat up from his own blood. He took a more careful look at the boat. It generally resembled most of the skimmers he'd seen on Dulan. He listened to it, trying to hear whatever told this boy so much, but found an epiphany in the silence. He looked towards the bow to confirm his guess. "The ship, it lost its hippo," Rigel realized. "There's no way to move it."
"You really don't care about these boats," the boy said. "Didn't you even look at what you were blowing up?!"
Rigel was confused by the question. When he'd seen the skimmers, they were sailing along the river with no trouble at all. He'd been far away from them to stay unseen, but was it true that none of them were pulled by Hippos. He looked towards Saccharine for guidance. The marine turned from him in disgust. He was showing more and more emotion with each passing moment.
"Autumn was one of the first of her kind," the boy explained. 'Autumn' seemed to be referring to the boat itself. "She's a Wave Skimmer, I designed her for my tribe," he continued. Rigel's guilt ballooned. He broke this little boy's project. Again, Rigel found himself overcome by another revelation. If it was true that he designed these boats, then the boy was the person he'd been sent to find. His change in expression didn't go unnoticed by Saccharine and the boy. "I'm Murray," the boy introduced himself. "I'm the master shipwright of the G Tribe and the Pay Mud Company."
Saccharine didn't let the moment pass by harmlessly. "Is he who you were looking for? Was this little boy your target? Revolting..." Rigel's spirit only sunk lower. He didn't resist their verbal assault. Saccharine moved to the boy. "Can you get us to the 61st?" Murray nodded, wiping away the tears from his eyes. "I'll get you both where you belong," the marine promised, sheathing his sword. There was no more fight in Rigel, none that he could sense. The life had fled his emerald eyes and the smoke had completely cleared around the skimmer. It would slowly hum to life and begin moving across the water once more.
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 2, 2020 22:54:55 GMT -8
In the time between their confrontation and the present, Rigel had patched together his wounds with his own clothing, sealing the bleeding and lessening the toll on his own body. Hardly a word was shared between the three passengers of the skimmer. It had become apparent why Murray's talents were so greatly desired by Jukebox. The skimmer was noticeably quicker than those usually used by travelers along the Dulan rivers. Without using a hippo, the craft was also incredibly convenient, as a literal child like Murray could pilot it with ease. If the design was monopolized by a single faction on the island, they'd be able to dominate the rivers with little contest. The secret to its movement was probably the key that the boy held. Even having ridden atop it, Rigel couldn't figure it out. The skimmer moved without a sail or paddles, and no creature to pull it along.
The pirate's every move was being monitored by Saccharine, so a close examination wasn't possible. Rigel was surprised he'd been allowed to patch himself up at all, but the marine must've assumed that he wasn't much of a fight after their earlier bout. He couldn't be blamed for such a conclusion. Rigel's fight had been pretty pathetic. A switch had flipped for the marine that hadn't for the pirate. "What did I say?" Rigel asked him, the marine's eyebrow cocked and his attention trained on the pirate. "What did I say that woke you up?"
Saccharine understood the question, even if its wording was a little vague. "Honestly... I'm not sure." He spoke more softly than Rigel. It almost seemed to him that he was hiding his words from the boy at the stern of the craft. Rigel wasn't entirely sure that he'd answer his question, but his uncertainty sounded honest. "It wasn't you said about me..." Saccharine drew his sword from his sheath, and then another. Two blades were hidden inside the sheath, though it had appeared as just one. When the marine had fought Rigel, he'd drawn a second sword from the pile of weapons still laying on the boat, rather than from his own sheath. The marine had chosen to fight with the swords of the surrendered marines. "But, normally I don't care about those little fish..." Saccharine himself was only understanding why he felt how he felt as he spoke.
Rigel only listened patiently as he circled around to his truth.
"I see," he finally realized, returning his swords to their sheaths. "It wasn't anything you'd said... It was what you did." Saccharine was content with his answer as he came to explain it. "All those marine swords... you took them away. Don't you know what it means when a marine takes their sword?" Saccharine asked. Rigel, of course, didn't, and waited patiently for Saccharine's answer. "It means they've accepted their death. Taking away their sword... Well, I'm sure you didn't know any better. It felt like you were dishonoring all these dead marines. All these dead heroes." Saccharine sighed, exasperated, hand covering his face. "That's what I didn't understand. Every marine has accepted their death. It made me want to honor them. I wanted to prove that their sacrifice... was right."
Rigel and Saccharine marinated in the marine's words. It made sense to Rigel. When Balloon Flock fell from the sky, every one of the prisoners accepted the burden of their crime and grouped together until Rigel had split them up once more. He ordered the prisoners to run while he tried to take the blame of the crime. If their sacrifices were like those swords, then what Rigel did was just dump them into the water, whereas Saccharine picked up what they'd left behind. "I stole their chance," Rigel commented, with no context, it wouldn't make sense, but it was a frustrating understanding. Again with Meyye that morning, Rigel had thrown her sword into the river and sent her away from him. He took away her chance to fight back.
"I have to pick up their swords," Rigel whispered. At the idea of him grabbing weapons, Saccharine rose from his seat. Rigel did the same. Jukebox wasn't an ally like Meyye, or like his allies from the prison. He was just an opportunity. "It's not optimal," he continued, "but I can't throw away their sacrifice. I can't give it up and toss out their feelings..." Rigel continued. His body was coming alive again, and warm. Murray, at the stern of the boat was growing uneasy, trying to understand what was happening between the marine and the pirate. "I get it! I have to carry their feelings! Not throw them away!"
"Sit down, emerald eyes," the marine warned, hands to the hilts of his swords.
"I'm a pirate, petty officer," Rigel replied. "And I'm taking this ship!"
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 3, 2020 9:46:22 GMT -8
Rigel accepted the goal of his mission. He'd pulled Meyye out from under Jukebox's ownership. If he was around to protect the young boy, Murray, then he'd be capable of keeping him from harm's way too. Allies wanted to help him and wanted to be around him, but Rigel had been the one to push them all away to keep them safe. Away from Rigel wasn't safer. Rigel just needed to be strong enough to protect all of them should they into harm's way. Rigel simply needed to be strong enough to keep Murray, Meyye and any other allies out of harm's way. The best way to do that was to keep them close. He would not throw their commitments to him away any longer. That resolve began by defeating the marine that had already bested him once.
"Thank you, petty officer," Rigel began, lowering his hips into a deep fighting stance. "Forgive me, but I'll be fighting seriously now."
"Scary..."
"Murray!" Rigel shouted over the sound of the boat's movement. "Can you apologize to Autumn for me?" Before the boy or the marine could understand Rigel's words, the pirate lifted one leg and then brought it down with all his strength. The bow of the boat was not secured by its steed, and only pushed along by some propulsion at the stern, so Rigel's movement threw its weight and momentum out of balance. Murray was able to hang on to the rudder at the rear, but Saccharine and the pile of swords came sliding across the floor of the boat, all towards Rigel. "Cassiopeia Dent!" Rigel's stance accounted for the shifting weight and prepared him to catch the tumbling marine, redirecting Saccharine's force back towards the hull of the boat.
The force of the attack settled the boat back into the swamp water. It no longer moved towards the 61st, as Murray tried to get his bearings. Saccharine was much quicker to do so, rising to his feet and rushing the pirate. Rigel was more prepared for his fighting style now. The man's disjointed swordsmanship was difficult to completely evade, but it lacked power, as each sword only drew strength from half its user's focus. Rigel braced a small nick against his shoulder to get in close and bury a fist into the marine's gut. Saccharine stumbled backwards and Rigel proceeded towards him. "Cepheus Law!" Rigel's revitalized combination continued, throwing Saccharine into the air, and stepping away from his landing point. With cutlasses scattered across the deck of the skimmer, the marine couldn't landing into the blades and cutting up his hands and arms.
Rigel waited for the marine to rise from his feet, not eager to fight him atop the carpet of swords that Rigel had inadvertently made. This gave Saccharine as much time as he wanted to retaliate, throwing a pair of cutlasses towards Rigel with surprising accuracy. "Double Tide: Splash..." Rigel caught the blades like pincushions in his forearms. The swords weren't meant to be thrown, but they still cut up his clothes and skin before falling back to the ship. "I would not have said what I did... If I'd known you'd wake up too..." Saccharine complained, standing to his feet and readying himself for another round of fighting. "Go back to sleep, won't you?"
The pirate laughed, dropping his guard and returning to his lowered stance. "I'm wide awake now, petty officer. Looking forward to your swim back to the 61st?" Rigel stepped in close for another clash of fists to metal. He throw a wide hook punch, hoping to circumvent the marine's swords, but found the attack outfoxed. Saccharine strafed the pirate, but couldn't find time to back away before countering with the butt of his blade. Rigel blocked the dull attack with ease. After bouts of being nicked and slashed, it was a welcome change of pace. "Get that weak shit off of me!" Rigel reversed the strike into a tackle and shoved the marine back into the wall of the boat, rocking it to its starboard side. As it rolled back to port, Rigel met the approaching marine with a kick to his face, shoving it again back to starboard. "Wide awake, petty officer!"
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 3, 2020 10:39:30 GMT -8
Rigel backed off from his assault, catching his breath once more. Both their spirits renewed, Rigel was bracing through the marine's sword range. The fight wasn't yet over, but Rigel felt that if he could maintain his own pressure, he would handily seize victory over Saccharine. Saccharine sat for a few moments, staring up at the blue sky. Rigel waited patiently for him to be ready to resume their fight. "I wonder..." the marine said. "If I felt this way all the time... how much stronger would I be?" Rigel couldn't help but laugh at the thought. The marine seemed to be reading the writing on the wall, and predicting his own failure in the fight. The marine's spirit was far too weak. "Well... I can't complain... I guess."
With some great effort, Saccharine staggered to his feat, swords limp at his side, blood trailing down and dotting the wood of Autumn. "Never... before." The marine caught his breath. "I've never wanted to see the gap between someone else and me." The swords raised, Rigel lowered his stance in response. "Would you show me, emerald eyes?"
Rigel nodded solemnly. "I won't hold back."
"Good..."
The marine disappeared, his body seeming to evaporate into a river of steel, white hair and flowing uniform. Swords struck Rigel, who was only marginally more prepared for the attack than he had been the last time. "Bridge Over Water..." When blood flowed to meet the cut, Rigel didn't think it was justified. He roared against the pain of the attack. He didn't want to be beat so easily. Like a feral beast, he swung out with his arm, trying to catch Saccharine in the aftermath of the attack. He clawed nothing but air, and the marine was not generous enough to let the opportunity swim by. His swords found harmony once more and they dug into Rigel's body. "Riviera..." A fanciful, curved strike drove across Rigel's body. Both techniques used in quick succession drained the marine, who stepped away for a moment, but Rigel was in no position to counterattack.
Rigel's body was drained but his spirit was fully ignited. Though his muscles felt heavy, he was obligated to return the favor in the fight. He dashed towards the marine and clutched him close. The intricate techniques made it difficult for Saccharine to prevent Rigel's approach. There was no time for an intricate grab or throw, so Rigel resorted to just using brute force, launching his fist against the marine's chest. Saccharine staggered back, but it was too late, Rigel was already inside of his range, and had no intention of stepping outside of it. He drove Saccharine back with a series of short kicks and elbow strikes, all barely defended by his foe. Eventually, the marine fully retreated, recreating the space between both pirate and marine, and putting the former at disadvantage once more.
The question of range was becoming increasingly annoying. Rigel didn't like being kept at arm's length. He considered tilting the boat once more, but that kind of trick was prone to only working once. If it failed, then Saccharine would be able to strike at the moment of exertion. Rigel would need something more clever to eliminate the gap between them. In their surroundings, it just seemed impossible. Nothing about the clear, narrow field of the boat allowed for Rigel to sneak past Saccharine's guard. If they were in the midst of the trees or had more space to move about then Rigel could at least rely on maneuverability, but that wasn't an option on the small skimmer. An environment that played to Rigel's strengths more than to Saccharine's would have to be one that made his swords worthless.
With the rocking of the boat, the answer became clear. Rigel lowered his stance once more, shifting his weight from side to side. Saccharine prepared to be thrown towards Rigel as had happened before, bracing his swords in front of him. Murray seemed to quickly understand what was happening, he clutched the rudder tight, sucking in deep breaths. As the port side of the boat sank nearly under the water, Rigel dove towards its starboard edge, gripping the exterior of the boat and reversing its momentum. The boat completely flipped after quickly fighting against the surface tension of the water. Rigel, Saccharine and Murray all found themselves under the surface of the swamp water.
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 3, 2020 12:40:00 GMT -8
The swamp water was murky and thick, but Rigel could get the general shape of Saccharine under the water. Rigel swam towards the other man, with trails of blood in the water. The marine tried to react to his sudden change in surroundings, bringing down a sword towards the pirate. In the water, however, it was difficult for the blade to get any momentum going, and it bounced harmlessly against the pirate. Rigel floated towards Saccharine and wound his arms and limbs around his opponent. Resting atop the roots deep in the swamp water, the two found themselves locked together by Rigel's Andromeda Bind. Both strained for breath, but Saccharine found himself at a distinct disadvantage, with his throat constricted by Rigel's grip.
Their entanglement would only be ended when one quit their resistance. The first to do so would be Saccharine. In an exasperated last effort, his jaw un-clenched and his mouth opened suddenly. Saccharine quickly fell to unconsciousness, letting go of his swords in limp hands. Rigel undid his hold on the marine and dragged him up to the surface of the swamp. They broke the surface, and Rigel swam them both to the overturned skimmer, atop which Murray was already sitting, dripping dry and watching their approach. Rigel leaned the marine's body on the hull and Rigel climbed aboard its keel, sitting atop it. Rigel was dripping blood and swamp water, huffing for his breath.
"Is she mad at me?" Rigel asked, mostly playing along with the boy's idea of talking to the boats. The pirate was still catching his breath, not yet ready, physically, to flip the boat back over to its proper position.
Murray pet the keel, "Yeah. She understands you, but she doesn't like you." Breaking eye contact with the boat, he looked at Rigel more directly. "And, she definitely doesn't trust somebody who would sink her sisters!"
Murray's outburst seemed to be speaking to his own thinking, and not just that of the boat's. If Rigel wanted to protect the boy, he would need to earn some level of trust. "I didn't realize how special they were, I'm sorry," Rigel said honestly, trying to find the path that could link the shipwright and the pirate. "I've realized a lot today. I was a little lost before. Maybe... if I had more friends around, I would've treated her sisters better." Rigel wasn't sure if there was an outcome where he didn't need to sink the boats, in all honesty.
"Are you going to take me somewhere?" Murray asked, switching subjects, still standoffish from the man.
Rigel nodded. "It's not a safe place," he explained. "They want your gift to use."
"Then why are you helping them?!"
"I made a mistake," Rigel admitted. "I owe them a debt now. You're part of paying off that debt. I threw away the people close to me, and chose to rely on people that I shouldn't have trusted," Rigel tried to explain in terms simple enough for a young boy. "It was a mistake. I'm paying for it."
Murray turned away from the man, "You sure make a lot of mistakes for a grown-up."
Rigel laughed heartily, laying on his back across the keel of the skimmer. "I want to make less. Would you help me, Murray? I can protect you. You'd be safer than you'd be with the marines."
Murray turned around, instead looking at the fallen petty officer slumped on the boat. "They said my tribe would be safe."
"I'll keep you safe. They won't touch your family. As quickly as I can, I'll return you to them. I promise that I've learned today."
Murray sighed deeply, sliding down the boat and hanging off its side, most of his body in the water. "One sec," Murray ducked under the ridge of the boat and hid inside of it. Rigel didn't mind the moment to rest. The kid was strange, but he clearly had a good heart if he was trying to protect his tribe. The boy popped his head back out from under the water. "I don't trust you!" Rigel's heart sank, "But... Autumn does, so I'll do what you say."
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jun 3, 2020 12:56:39 GMT -8
Rigel and Murray flipped the boat with a little effort after resting for a few more moments. Rigel left the pirate slumped against one of the trees in the swamp, right above where he'd lost his swords. Rigel directed Murray through the rivers, leading him back to the Bird House. They only talked a little bit, formally introducing one another and talking about where they'd come from, the tribe and the prison. It was already in the late afternoon when they approached the Cordial Aspen that moved out of the way of their skimmer. The guards greeted both Murray and Rigel, helping them out of their skimmer.
"Who is this, Mr. Larrat?" Jukebox walked from the Bird House when he noticed his approaching employee and companion. He had the same reaction that Rigel had, clearly not identifying the shipwright for who he is.
Rigel put his hand on the boy's shoulder, "Jukebox, this is Murray G. Soden, master shipwright. He's looking forward to sharing his designs with you," Rigel added. It wasn't entirely true, but the boy and Rigel had agreed to that story. Murray seemed okay with following along with the pirate's plans. "He built that skimmer there."
The broker examined the boat, quickly realizing it had no animal pulling it. "This isn't a game of yours, Mr. Larrat~" Jukebox said, returning his focus to the pirate and the boy. "You must be hungry, Mr. Soden~ Would you like a snack before we talk business?" Murray stuck to their story and clung to Rigel, not letting the man separate the two of them.
"I think he feels more comfortable with me around," Rigel explained. "I don't mind keeping an eye on the boy while you two talk." If the boy pretended to by shy and fearful, then Jukebox would happily keep Rigel near him to make the boy feel safe and open to talking. Rigel was committed to not throwing the boy away from him. He wouldn't throw any allies or comrades or anything away carelessly. "That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Jukebox smiled carelessly, waving them both on ahead of them and towards the Bird House. "Not at all. You've both had a long day. Tell me all about it."