Adventure on the High Seas

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 1 month ago

 The hum of the magitech engines is inaudible over the whistling of the wind and the swelling of the waves as the Romancing SaGa skims over the sea like a slim stone expertly skipped atop the water's surface. Ivo, tousled dark hair rippling, keeps a steady hand on the tiller as the small and swift vessel passes by the islands that dapple the Zel'rik Archipelago, en route south to Isla Sacro, the ancestral meeting place of the great cities of the beastkin golden age.
 "I've heard tell that the sacred isle's ruins are breathtaking," he is gamely saying, "and a revelation to those fortunate enough to visit. There was recent talk in Granse of seeking to promote tourism, but it seems that Korotus is escalating their incursions into the Azure Expanse, ostensibly to hunt pirates... doubtless to seek further confrontation with Castia, in reality. I look forward to being one of the lucky few humans to witness them!"
 His lively words are met with silence from his returning guests, the Catgirl Mafia. The slender Flechette lounges on the deck as though sunbathing, shading her face with a slim book emblazoned with the title "Tips for Managing Difficult People," while the brawny Zuna is crouching and petting an actual cat, a torn-eared tortoiseshell that is affectionately rubbing against her hand. Ivo blinks before realizing that it is the random cat he saw scampering down the alley whence the Catgirl Mafia emerged to ambush them before, which seems to have invited itself onboard for the journey without him noticing.
 "I don't suppose you're privy to intel about pirate activity in the region, Roseline," Ivo continues, undeterred. "It'd be best if we could avoid any encounters one way or the other on our way to Isla Sacro. How well do you two know it?"
 He glances over his shoulder at Tulip, smiling. Despite the now significant number of scrapes they've been in together, he doesn't yet know especially much about her. Now that their quest has the blessing of Roseline's regal mother, Ivo might as well get to know both of them better.

• Character: Laineth
• 1 month ago

  Roseline is on the deck of the SaGa, now dressed for the occasion in her typical pirate-y getup seen previously. Red hair in a ponytail and being tousled by the wind as she looks out at the sea from the deck. ...Being a passenger on another ship instead of captaining her own kind of hurts her pride, but her mom refuses to give her another one. Said 'it'll build some character for you to join another 'crew' for a while'.

  ...The crew being Ivo, Tulip, and present company. Her men were taken back and split up to other crews, so RIP. No more boss lady for now.

  She sighs at Ivo's question, partly distracted, so it takes her a moment to register. "Huh? Oh, right. Korotus...?" We've been seeing other ships distantly now and then for a while now in these waters, but they never had the gall to come close. ...Always made it seem like they were just doing some sea exercise or something..." She shrugs her shoulders. "Obviously, we didn't chase them down to engage. That'd be trouble too. So it's just been the odd sighting. Mom figures they've got eyes beyond us though..."

• Character: Tulip
• 1 month ago

  Tulip lets out a long, lingering yawn as she stretches her arms up high in the air. The beastkin girl is lounging with her back resting against the edge of their little vessel, seeming quite content to laze around on their journey. She's not doing absolutely nothing, however! From her position she can keep an eye on the feline duo.. or perhaps they should be called a trio? Whatever the case, she's flicking the occasional glance in their direction.

  When someone tries to stuff you in a bag to kidnap you, it tends to make one just a little bit suspicious about them. Besides, there's something she'd like to ask them when she gets the chance!

  "Ehhh...I'm kind of a landlubber, really. Getting on a ship is just about going somewhere, so all I really know about pirates is from when they try something." she explains as she runs her fingers through her hair. Then she's silent for a handful of seconds, looking away from Ivo and Roseline both. It's just a little bit awkward, actually!

  "I, uh. I've been there before, so I guess I might know a couple people there, so we might meet someone.." she says after that long pause. She's really rather hoping they don't. But that's not how these things usually go, is it?

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 1 month ago

 Ivo's gaze slowly shifts to regard Tulip, his amiable expression momentarily going carefully still. The bunnykin brawler is exceptionally subtle, to be sure, but Ivo's very keen social perception can detect just the slightest hint of obfuscation in her words. A rowdy beastkin on the roam with unknown origins-- whom did Tulip beat up in Isla Sacro and how important were they? The corners of his lips quirk upwards briefly.
 "How exciting," he remarks. "Anyone in particular?" Ivo's tone is light and his query sounds idle, but he is watching Tulip's expression as he asks, even as he addresses Roseline. "I would certainly like to avoid them myself. Even as Cosmopolitan magitech spreads in the wake of its unsealing, vessels like the SaGa are rare and recognizable. I would prefer not to be known by sight by... Hm?"
 Only now, as Ivo's interrogative gaze moves at last from studying Tulip's face, does he espy in the distance, rounding an island, an unfamiliar ship, sizable but in questionable condition, sails unfurled to travel at top speed.
 "That's an Ashaldi merchant vessel but a *Lomphan* flag," he murmurs. "How unusual, after the invasion. And a... white flag of surrender, beneath it? But..."
 A loud report is audible. Some impact has struck the cliffside around which the ship is sharply turning. (Even Flechette peeks up from under her book at the sound.) And there, emerging into view in pursuit, is a military frigate, flying a most ominous flag, known to pirates everywhere.
 "Korotus!"

> BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeVrHjPs-CY

 Ivo's amiable expression melts like the dew in the high sun, replaced by an uninhibited grimace. Speak of the devil, indeed. If Lomphans in a borrowed ship are fleeing the Korotean navy...
 "I can't imagine that pirates would pretend to be Lomphan refugees and expect anyone to show consideration," he says, rather bitterly. "Korotus does as it pleases, I see." Of those on this vessel, other than perhaps the stray cat, Ivo might be the least inclined to pick a fight. But such a brutish display of domination offends him in every way. He looks to Roseline sharply, aim to exchange a meaningful look with the seasoned young captain. "If we're going to deter them, we'll want to be extremely cautious about it. Any recommendations?"
 "Eh?" Flechette speaks up. "Why would we do that?"
 Ivo ignores her.

• Character: Laineth
• 1 month ago

  Roseline glances at Tulip, not quite as savvy as Ivo when it comes to spotting subtle social cues, but more just curious. When they think about it, they know surprisingly little about this rabbitkin, huh? She just showed up out of nowhere punching people and that was that. Huh. Funny that.

  But there's no more time to think about that particular angle as a ship is spotted in the distance. Roseline squints at the vessel, noticing the same peculiarty that Ivo does. "That's.... unusual, to say the least." She murmurs, a hand to her chin. But wait, is that a flag of surrender? An impact of something striking a cliffside follows, along with the revelation that the vessel is being chased. By a Korotean military frigate.

  ..........

  Roseline facepalms. "Should have kept my damn mouth shut..." What a way to jinx it. Who could have known? Sighing inwardly, she glances at Ivo, his meaningful look not lost on her. She looks back at the situation developing and crosses her arms. "Getting into a direct fight is a no-go....In which case, we've got to somehow rescue the refugees and escape..."

  There's also the possibility of some of them boarding the Korotean frigate and causing a ruckus. Maybe with a disguise... But that's extremely reckless, so she doesn't voice it.

• Character: Tulip
• 1 month ago

  Though it would be considered a problem for most, Tulip is rather glad to see the vessel and the other in pursuit of it. A distraction suits her just fine right now, especially if it's one that comes with the prospect of violence. She pulls her gaze from the catgirls, watching the ships instead as she gets to her feet and goes into a series of stretches to limber herself up.

  "Hey, uh. Y'know, if this thing we're on is so unique, d'you really wanna get all that involved?" she says midway through rotating her arm to ease out any kinks from sitting around so much. "Looks kinda big, too. Can this dinky thing even do much to it?"

  It's then that a worrying expression appears on her face. It's a thoughtful expression, one of a girl who's rubbing two brain cells together.

  "Say..what if a couple of us hopped on their ship, started throwing our weight around? I bet we'd do a lot more that way." she says as though she's just read Roseline's mind. Then she jerks her thumb towards the catgirls. "The skinny one, she looks like she'd have some ideas about getting on board too. She's pretty sneaky, right?"

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 1 month ago

 Ivo's grimace deepens. If even Tulip is pointing out how dangerous it would be to intervene, it *must* be a bad idea. He's accustomed to having Reize here to compel him into recklessness against his better judgment. In Reize's absence, he has no choice but to admit that he simply cannot stand by and watch innocents be potentially massacred right in front of him.
 "Of course I'd be able to pull it off," Flechette is saying to Tulip, "if I *had* to." She sounds reluctant, but she's pulled her book away to reveal that her cheeks are slightly flushed. Is she unused to being praised? Rather, is she so unused to being praised that she takes 'sneaky' as a compliment? "I'd overheat the engines and zip around the island to approach them from behind. They won't expect a boarding party under these circumstances. Detonate the ammunition for the cannons to slow them down, take some trophies, and get out of there."
 "Sounds fun," Zuna says, straightening. "Let's go."
 "I was speaking hypothetically!" Flechette shouts, but she's glancing around now, her expression becoming ambivalent as she sizes up everyone else, as though to make sure she wouldn't be the one sticking her neck out. At the end of the day, she's a punk too.
 "Roseline, if we got on board," Ivo says, his own tone so even as to be grave, "do you think you could conjure winds to propel the Lomphan vessel further on? If we try to both slow the navy and speed up their victims, at least one ploy might succeed before we flee."
 He's already turning the SaGa away from their planned trajectory and towards the island where one ship pursues the other as a second report rings out, the party now able to see a front-facing cannon firing on the frigate. This shot seems to strike the fleeing vessel along the side, likely causing it to begin taking on water, if it wasn't already.
 "Let's disguise ourselves however we can," Ivo is saying, maneuvering the SaGa to try to hide its movements in the wake of great swelling waves as he approaches the island. "All the outfits we found and made during our time stranded on the island are in that sea chest by the main cabin."
 This includes salvaged luxury goods, various patched together accoutrements... and, of course, a lot of swimsuits. Battle swimsuits, surely.

• Character: Laineth
• 1 month ago

  ...Leave it to Tulip to voice her thoughts deemed too reckless to possibly succeed.

  Roseline can already tell that this isn't going to be stopped by one dissenting voice, so she rubs the side of her head and sighs. "...I'm not as strong on my mom, but I can manage that much." She says to Ivo, shaking her head. Oh whatever. This is happening, huh?

  She heads towards the sea chest in the main cabin to browse the leftover garments.... "........" Curiously, she picks up a green and yellow bikini, holding it up. ...Whoever wore this had to be at least the size of her mom... Who on Rithera...?

  She shakes her head and puts it back down. No time for that. Instead, she digs up something else. Ah yes. A head wrap to hide her hair and a cloth she can use as a mask. ...There doesn't seem to be enough cloth to go around for a cloak, so she decides this is enough.

  "This'll have to do. Let's get this over with."

• Character: Tulip
• 1 month ago

  Tulip balls one hand into a fist and presses it into the palm of the other, creating the distinct POPPING sound of knuckles cracking. "I'm down to jump 'em!" she says cheerfully as she repeats the process with her other hand. "Uh. I don't know anything about cannons, though. How would we even go about blowing it all up?" she then admits as she rubs the back of her head. "So, someone'll have to help with that stuff. I can smash anyone who gets in the way though!

  Not wanting to waste any more time she follows along with Roseline, hurrying along and joining the other girl in rifling through the booty chest.

  "...wow, who the hell is this for? D'you think they got it for your mom? As like, a present or something?" she says when Roseline discards that...interesting garment. "Ugh. Whatever!" she then grumbles. Now's not the time to be talking about Roseline's mom's chest!

  Unlike Roseline, her hair isn't distinctive in colour enough to truly be worth hiding. And besides that, hiding those tall ears.. it's not particularly practical to hide those. So the rabbitkin simply wraps her face in a piece of cloth much like Roseline, winding it around until it seems secure enough.

  Hopefully it won't fall off right in front of the entire enemy crew.

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 1 month ago

 Ivo is focused on the state of the engines. His magitech is more reliable and less dangerous than Flechette's meddling with fossil fuels, but previously, it was not designed to be pushed to such heights. After the Catgirl Mafia's attempt at Reizenapping and the need to repair and reconstruct the SaGa following the subsequent shipwreck, that changed. Slowly, carefully, he increases their output, attentive to their sound, to the vibrations of the deck. And thus do they cruise around the shadow of the island, the small vessel catching up with the unsuspecting frigate.
 "There," he calls, pointing. It seems that one of the cannon hatches along the side of the ship is open but vacant, perhaps the weapon having been rolled aside for reloading or maintenance. "Ascending won't be easy, but I can at least secure us there...!"
 Locking the tiller in place as the SaGa now cruises alongside of the frigate, perilously hidden in its shadow and all too close to the nearby island's cliffs, Ivo rushes to the edge of the deck and grasps the self-securing rope he had fashioned for convenience in docking, never imagining it would be used in such a way: with a grunt, he heaves it up and towards the opening, where it, driven by some endowed impulse, entangles itself with the opened hatch, securing a line that one might climb, with great effort.
 "There's no time to hesitate," he says, looking back to the party. "It's now or never. Are we--"
 Ivo hesitates, staring. Flechette has draped herself in a cloak of vulture feathers, Reize's prize for becoming the hero of the shamshir vultures of the Isle of Blessed Winds. And Zuna has wrapped her face in what appears to be a green and yellow bikini top, the cups covering her catlike ears. He and the Catgirl Mafia members look at one another, sharing a moment of silence.
 "Looking good," he finally says.
 "Want the bottoms?" Zuna asks, holding up the matching garment.
 "I shouldn't," Ivo prudently replies.

• Character: Laineth
• 1 month ago

  Everyone is assembled. It's now or never. It's-

  What the hell is Zuna wearing on her head- What is Flechette weari-

  No. No. Don't get distracted. They've got to get this done now.

  Gathering up a current of wind aether around herself, Roseline ascends into the air soundlessly, then shoots up towards the opening. She lands and the current dissipates as she hugs a wall and peers through, readying a spell to fire off, depending or if she needs it or not in the next moment when they barge in.

  ....Flying pirates are real, huh?

• Character: Tulip
• 1 month ago

  On the way back to the deck Tulip can't stop herself from staring at the tall, brawny catgirl. Oh, Flechette might be interesting in her feathered cloak, but the sight of someone wearing rather generously sized bikini on her head...well, it's difficult to tear your attention away, right? "Weirdo.." she mutters beneath her breath as they reach the deck and she finally manages to direct her attention away.

  Finally she stands with her arms crossed as she regards the frigate that's now so dangerously close, eyes following the rope upwards to where they'll soon be entering. "Looks pretty rough to climb. Are you sure you're up to it, prin...cess.." she starts, trailing off as Roseline makes it quite clear that it doesn't actually matter if she can climb it or not. She watches the redhead ascend, staring upwards at her before letting out a dismissive "Tch...showoff."

  Not wanting to be left behind she quickly takes the rope in both hands and starts climbing. It's definitely slower than Roseline's method, but it'll get her there in the end!

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 2 weeks, 4 days ago

 The Romancing SaGa, tethered by a straining line to a cannon port, glides momentarily unpiloted in the shadow of the Korotean imperial frigate. Ivo, unbuckling Hauteclare's sheath from his belt, takes a deep and steadying breath, gazing up at their looming objective as his allies ascend, before raising his weapon and holding it horizontally over the rope. When Roseline, Tulip, the feather-cloaked Flechette, and the bikini-masked Zuna vanish from view, he glances over his shoulder at the last crew member staying behind: the random torn-eared stray cat from Nova Luria that had wandered on board.
 "I leave the SaGa in your capable paws," he remarks.
 "Mrrow!"
 Nodding firmly, he withdraws a green elesphere from a belt pouch with his free hand and, taking one more deep breath, tosses it at his own feet before gripping his sheathed weapon with both hands. A fierce gust erupts from below him, the wind propelling him upward in lieu of climbing--

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyOt5DdZfW4

 --and allow him to vault into the lower decks.
 The party finds themselves in the midst of a hubbub of activity that is gradually dissolving into alarm and confusion. Around twenty Korotean sailors, bedecked in red tunics and padded armor with gold printed kerchiefs adorning their heads, have been in a relatively disciplined frenzy loading and rotating cannons to attack the vessel of the pursued refugees from Lomphan. Amidst them stands a taller man, whose finer scale armor and brocade distinguishes him as an officer.
 "Confirmed, three grapples are secure!" he is shouting. "One more disabling volley and we'll board to capture-- who the hell!? Boarders-- guhhh!"
 The flat of Ivo's detachable floating blade zings by, clonking him on the head and felling him as the rest of the sailors begin to wake up to the party's arrival. The party has the advantage of surprise, catching the occupants of the frigate's lower deck flat-footed, and the Catgirl Mafia gleefully seizes advantage as well, Flechette unloading crossbow darts at an unfortunate sailor while Zuna bodily hefts one to swing at another.
 "Let's neutralize the cannons," Ivo says, loud enough to be heard by his party but hopefully not so loud as to carry to the upper decks, "but don't blow anything just yet: if we can cut those grapples, we should!"

• Character: Laineth
• 2 weeks, 4 days ago

  Here they are... on the lower decks, and not too far in is a flurry of activity. Cannons being prepped and loaded for firing. Grappling hooks? Interesting choice of ammunition, but perfect for the task of boarding a fleeing vessel. Roseline narrows her eyes at the sight, taking stock of the area momentarily. Then, when Ivo and the catgirl mafia members leap into action, for once, she doesn't sigh and bemoan the recklessness.

  This is what they came here for.

  Welp. She'll leave the bruising and bashing to Zunta, and likely Tulip. Her goal is something more precise. She stays back and lifts a hand, forming several large orbs of wind aether in the air around her. Then she thrusts her arm out, sending those orbs flying at high speed. They form into cutting blades of wind, aiming to sever the thick ropes of the grappling hooks before they're fired.

• Character: Tulip
• 2 weeks, 4 days ago

  With how quickly the party managed to get themselves on board, the poor sailors are left without much time to react before being set upon. Tulip seems particularly eager to get started, the dimunitive girl making a beeline for the nearest sailor with a worryingly wide grin. On a ship, conditions are quite cramped. There's not much room to maneuver, and even less space to back away from an attacker.

  Which, as one of those attackers, suits Tulip just perfectly.

  "No blowing anything up, got it!" she calls to Ivo right as she steps into range of her target. He doesn't look particularly worried about her. Oh sure, the others might be a threat, but this tiny rabbit? No way!

  With a laugh he draws his sword from his sheath, getting halfway through saying "Little rabbit thinks she ca-GLLURK!" right before her fist SLAMS right into his stomach without a hint of mercy or restraint.

  That...looks like it hurt.

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 2 weeks, 3 days ago

 "Not *yet*," Ivo replies to Tulip as the brawl commences, scanning their surroundings for priority targets. He thus witnesses Roseline's keen attempt to use her wind to counteract attempted projectile grapples, successfully severing some strong-looking cables and otherwise knocking multiple cannons in the vicinity into disarray. It is difficult to discern the effects through the narrow ports that reveal the outside, but while she has definitely undermined the frigate's hold on the refugee vessel, it does not seem as though the distance between the ships is changing. Either the ship is already too damaged to outpace the frigate even without grapples or, perhaps, some additional grapples have been secured by hand top-deck now that the ships are in range of each other.
 "Hhnnggh!"
 But not all the cannons are designed to launch grapples. One wick is hissing, the weapon aimed at the refugee vessel's side to punch another hole in its hull. Ivo, thinking quickly, dashes to its side and tosses a blue elesphere at its base, crystallizing a small patch of ice, and grunts as he seeks to turn the cannon to face inside the frigate, aided by the now slippery surface. Three sailors are forced to dive in desperation as the cannon erupts with a loud report, sending a cannonball hurtling through the frigate's own side with a shower of wood and splinters.
 "There," Ivo gasps. "That'll let in the light."
 The remaining conscious sailors are beginning to gather themselves. Flechette is retreating behind Zuna as she boldly fends off four of them at once with her new bludgeon, a swooning fifth sailor, leaving three to try to dive for Roseline, clearly dangerous to their goals, and another three, now more cautious than their fellows, to advance on Tulip wielding bludgeons.

• Character: Laineth
• 2 weeks, 3 days ago

  Hmmmm.... That did do some damage, but not enough to throw off the operation. Not that she expected it to be so easy. Right then. Change of plans. Rather than attack the grappling hook cables, she'll just wreck the cannons themselves. Simple and easy work, right?

  Sure. Just as soon as she deals with this thug diving right at her.

  Roseline smirks. People seem to always assume that just because she's usually casting ether arts in the back, that she can't defend herself in melee range.

  This is, of course, untrue. Evidenced by Roseline rearing back with a fist. Wind aether cloaks her arm as she their lets that fist fly forward like a wind powered piston

  Right into this thug's face. A burst of wind follows, then comes a ragdoll body flying back and crashing into a wall unceremoniously.

  "Hmph."

  Roseline shakes her hand and then immediately gets to work, summoning more wind orbs to do the task she had intended to before that interruption.

• Character: Tulip
• 2 weeks, 3 days ago

  As that poor, mocking sailor drops to his knees, Tulip delivers another blow right to his jaw with a resounding *CRACK*. Sounds like something's broken.

  This of course just makes the other three approaching her that little bit more cautious, none of them wanting to be the first one to approach now that they've seen the first guy.

  "Hey...how come she's getting four?" she complains as she side-eyes the quartet confronting Zuna. "Uh..five, I guess?" she adds on before darting forwards, deciding to press the attack if neither of them is willing to be the first to move. Both hands are held protectively in front of her face to intercept the bludgeons they all wield, aether channeled through them to toughen them up.

  "Oh, wow! Good punch!" she calls out enthusiastically as Roseline sends a sailor sailing through the air moments before the bunny's own fist smashes right into the sailor's weapon mid-swing.

  Tulip's fist wins that little competition, leaving the poor guy stood there with the splintered remains of his bludgeon while the rabbit takes a swing at one of his comrades.

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 2 weeks, 3 days ago

 "If you divide her foes by two," Ivo casually replies to Tulip as he levers open the top of a crate, unceremoniously using his sword to do so after the blade returns and clicks back into place in its hilt, "then you've got more."
 Why one might do so becomes apparent to anyone sparing the time to watch: Flechette is doing more than cower behind Zuna. As the brawny warrior looms, the slender sniper is calmly gauging the crowd of sailors, wary of approaching Zuna, and subtly sending tranquilizing darts their way, causing them to flinch in confusion as they are struck in their arms or body. Once one behinds to sway or stagger, Zuna, without a flicker in her stoic expression, bludgeons him with the man she is wielding and sends him crashing to the ground. It seems that their tank-and-debuffer tactics are well practiced and, indeed, Zuna is not fighting her foes alone. For all their previously evinced recklessness, the Catgirl Mafia seem to know what they are doing in these situations.
 Well, they would have to, to make it this far with such hare-brained schemes. ...No offense, Tulip.
 "Hmn!"
 With a little grunt of concentration, Ivo launches forward Hauteclare's blade and sends its flat to stun another sailor trying to menace Roseline, gallantly electing to help her out of appreciation for how she pursues their objective and to avoid eliciting any further complaints from Tulip should he dare to help her. Roseline thus finds herself able to sunder the cannons she is targeting to her heart's content, neutralizing the frigate's primary weaponry.
 "I've got some of their powder stores here," Ivo says, tilting his head toward the crate he has wrenched open. "When we're ready to get out of here, I'll lob some fire elespheres in there and we can make our escape."
 His gaze sweeps the room as the Catgirl Mafia dispatches the last of the sailors contesting them and only a few seem to remain.
 "But unfortunately," he adds, "I think we may not be able to complete our task without going top-deck."
 "Well, there's nothing worth taking here," Flechette says. "We'd have to go up there anyway."
 "Sure," Zuna says, shrugging. "Let's fight everyone."
 "We don't need to fight *everyone*," Ivo gently responds. He doesn't voice any objection to the piracy, considering the company.

• Character: Laineth
• 2 weeks, 3 days ago

  "Thanks. I've been seeing a certain rabbit punch people a lot recently, so I took notes." Roseline says with mild sarcasm to Tulip's compliment, then sends her wind orbs flying into the cannons, and they wreck the installations without resistance. A gust of wind kicking up in the lower decks briefly before they still. "......" She turns away and looks over at the rest of the conflict, seeing the others cleaning up right about the same time she has.

  "Let's just fight who we have to." She has in response to Zuna, though in the back of her mind, she wonders if it really will be everyone...

  Gods, she hopes not.

  Taking one more look around, she makes way for the path upwards...

• Character: Tulip
• 2 weeks, 3 days ago

  "Still seems kinda...hang on!" Tulip calls as another thug takes a swing at her with a bludgeon, the blow impacting the bunny's forearm with a dull clunk...which only draws a cocky smile from her. Unlike her he has no talent for aether manipulation, and his strike is driven purely by muscle.

  As it turns out, when aether is involved just being a bit brawny isn't really enough.

  "Try harder next time!" she shouts as she lashes out with her other arm, fist crashing into his forearm in retur with another loud *CRACK* and a yelp of surprised pain. The last of the trio takes a moment to take stock of his situation. His own little group is rapidly dwindling. The others are losing their battles too. And so he drops his weapon, hands raised in surrender...

  Right before a quick uppercut takes him right on the chin.

  "Sounds like I've been rubbing off on you!" she replies cheerily as she follows along behind Roseline, the redhead's sarcasm seeming to have flown right over the bunnygirl's head.

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 2 weeks, 3 days ago

 Ivo follows Roseline up the wooden stairs, fortunately undamaged in the melee, to the top deck, leaving the wreckage of their battle behind. Though the battle was brief, he nevertheless finds it fortunate that no one came to inspect the lower decks given that their actions have ceased the Korotean frigate's dangerous volleys.
 Ascending into the daylight again, he soon sees why.
 "Enough!!"
 A young human man, dusky-skinned and sweat-streaked, with closs-cropped hair and longer bangs, pivots with a whirl of purple robes, metal singing as he does. A bronze two-headed flail swings, chain artfully entangled about his body, and one end crashes into an advancing sailor, sending him flying. He is framed by the sight of the damaged refugee vessel, bound to the frigate by grappling hooks, and the crowd of fearful people, many beastkin, assembled on its deck, calling out, their voices lost in the hubbub.
 "Let these people go," he yells, his voice growing hoarse. It seems that the Korotean would-be boarders have been boarded, by this one young man alone. "Take me as hostage and release them!"
 "That will not do, Dipang."
 The sailors trying to surround this Lomphanian interloper back up as a woman, clad in the armor of the officer below-decks, strides forth into view. Her tight braid sways as she unshoulders a long and slender blade, a greatsword tall and slender like herself, and she wields it deftly.
 "I do not deny your value as a hostage," she says, her voice clipped and steady, "but my orders are absolute. None may escape."
 "Then you leave me no choice!"
 Dipang, gritting his teeth, pivots with the grace of a practiced martial artist and sends the other end of his meteor hammer rocketing towards the Korotean captain--
 *tiiiiing*

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHTJGhzsiY0

 --where it seems to freeze in midair. The point of the captain's slender greatsword has struck the flail head-on and, despite the comparative seeming fragility of the weapon, even its tip is unblunted. The sound that echoes is like the ringing of a triangle, its frequency seeming to pass through the chain of the meteor hammer, causing it to shudder as Dipang, in a stretching split-second, registers confusion.
 "Guahh!"
 All at once, he is flung back, as though struck by an unseen force, crashing against the railing as it splinters. The cries and wails from the refugee ship grow louder.
 "I am Yisao," the greatsword-wielder says, her voice calm as ever as she shifts to a higher stance, "of the Gullwing Reverse. There is no disgrace in defeat at my hands."
 "Captain! Captain!!"
 She turns her head coolly at her sailors' cries, registering the presence of the party, who presumably were not able to take action during her introductory cutscene.
 "More guests," she says drily. "Join us. Korotean hospitality is limitless."
 "How generous," Ivo murmurs, glancing to his allies, looking none too thrilled. Zuna tilts her head with a crack of her neck. Perhaps she can be thrilled enough for both of them. ...though Flechette seems to have slipped away during the cutscene.

> Yisao of the Gullwing Reverse, Korotean Naval Captain, has appeared!

• Character: Laineth
• 2 weeks, 3 days ago

  They make their way up the wooden stairs to the upper decks, and-

  *CUTSCENE PLAYING*

  -... There's some righteous young man with a flail. And a naval captain that immediately thwarts him. Lovely. She has skill, doesn't she? This already looks annoying. But this is what they came up here for, didn't they?

  ....Hey, where's Flechette? How'd she manage to slip away while the cutscene was playing? How might one learn this power...?

  Bah. Roseline decides to test the waters, forming a single wind orb in the air and then sending it hurtling at Yisao. The earlier demonstration was fine, but how does she react to aether attacks...?

• Character: Tulip
• 2 weeks, 3 days ago

  The sight of Dipang being flung away gets a wince from Tulip as he crashes into the railing. "I guess this is gonna be pretty rough, huh.." she mutters, hopping from foot to foot as she eyes the boss fight suspiciously. Blocking that flail was textbook inner aether manipulation, albeit it through a tool. Sending the young man flying though, quite how that trick was pulled off is more of a mystery.

  "Go left!" she calls to Ivo as she dashes off to the right and closes in fast, looking like she's trying to just start attacking before Yisao can truly get herself ready. "Keep shooting, Rosey!"

  Hopefully the disappearance of Flechette means she's plotting a sneak attack on the boss, and not betraying the party. She's not going to betray the party, right?

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 2 weeks, 3 days ago

 Ivo, brow furrowed from a dearth of enthusiasm and excess of trepidation, nevertheless follows Tulip's lead, neatly wrongfooting a sailor who tries to intercept him as he manages to reposition to flank Yisao. With a flick of his wrist, he readies Hauteclare, preparing to launch it at the Korotean captain as soon as he espies an opening. Behind him, Zuna shoulder-checks one sailor into another, seeming content to make her away through her opponents to their leader. But Ivo, thinking that he has his opening, notices too late that a sailor is lunging at him from behind to stop him. Gritting his teeth, he braces himself--
 "I can't lose here!"
 --only for one head of Dipang's meteor hammer to slam into that sailor, covering for Ivo, as the wounded young man struggles to steady himself, teeth grit and one eye squinted shut.
 "These people need me...!"
 For all his bold words, the champion of the Lomphan vessel seems unready to challenge Yisao head-on, so it is for the best that Roseline occupies her attention fully with the wind orb. The captain, unfazed, watches carefully and unflinching before flourishing her weapon with a dextrous subtlety that exceeds Ivo's wielding of Hauteclare. The tip of the slender greatsword seems to catch Roseline's wind orb about its edge, her twisting seeming to unravel it, as though she were seizing a stray thread and pulling. That musical sound rings out again, and this time, her sword faintly glows.
 That glow is Tulip's best warning against the wavering thrust that follows. Yisao's blade is flexible, its point difficult to track, as a lance of wind bursts forth. The bunnykin brawler can likely sense that the aether is akin to Roseline's and similarly vulnerable to her magic-canceling technique, and it seems to be coming straight for her, easily countered by a straight punch. Yet moments before it would connect, as though the wavering of the blade were belatedly passing into the wind, it *splits*, the lance curving to try to slip past any counter or defense Tulip might attempt, while its second half curves surprisingly back in Roseline's direction.
 "Haa!"
 Ivo, for his part, lets Hauteclare fly-- but not towards Yisao. Concluding in an instant that he needs to observe this strange technique if he is to have any hope of breaking through, he sends his sword towards some of the ropes tethering the ships together instead, severing a few.
 "Let's break their hold," he shouts. "And get out of here!"
 He doesn't want any stray wind removing their makeshift disguises.

• Character: Laineth
• 1 week, 4 days ago

  ......Well. So much for that brave young man fighting for what he believed in. For all his bluster, this captain lady swatted him away as if he were a fly. Yisao is just too much for him, it seems. hether the same can be said of their motley crew remains to be seen, but the opening act doesn't look terribly promising.

  Roseline's opening attack is more or less unraveled without effort. That concentrated wind orb dispersing into a mild breeze instead of a violent gust as it should have. Doesn't this look familiar. The redhead doesn't have time to ponder this standing still though, as the captain sends a suspiciously familiar lance of wind bursts out from Yisao's weapon, splitting further into two as one of them flies right back towards her.

  "Really now...?" Rosaeline grunts as she leaps aside to dodge. Did this woman absorb her spell and then repurpose it? ...That's annoying. Breaking into a run, she decides to change her approach. Infusing her whole body with wind aether now, the redhead increases her speed dramatically as she aims to leap at Yisao with an overhead axe kick from another angle. One whose speed and strength is boosted by the wind power behind it.

• Character: Tulip
• 1 week, 4 days ago

  Tulip does indeed prepare herself to punch that initial lance of wind away, fist clenched and poised to thrust out at it. But just as her arm tenses to deliver the blow it splits into two, one of them curving to split through her guard/attack!

  "You little..." the short little bunnykin growls despite her shorter height. Just in time her aim changes direction, only barely managing to put her arm in the way right before it would slam into her stomach. The spell unravels as it makes contact, dissipating into a little breeze...but it does leave Tulip rubbing the point of impact. Seems like it still smarts despite her partial success in disrupting it!

  It doesn't slow her down for long however as she retakes her stance, channeling a little earth aether of her own and breaking into a dash. It's less elegant than Roseline's example, but there's a certain level of sheer, single minded force behind it. Like a wrecking ball. Something you can get out of the way of, but probably don't want to block.

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 1 week, 3 days ago

 Ivo endeavors to keep his eye on the battle even as he projects Hauteclare forth to slices as many ropes binding the ships to one another as he can, trying to make sense of Yisao's abilities and avoid being taken unawares. The captain, for her part, maintains a stoic expression, evincing nothing as Tulip endures her strike. It does seem as though her and the bunnykin's abilities are at least superficially similar: where Tulip dispels aether, Yisao redirects it. But if Yisao has any thoughts or feelings on this, she does not show them.
 When Roseline leaps in, Yisao's long blade rises to meet her kick, that musical ringing accompanying their clash. Roseline will sense the energy, physical and aetheric, behind her blow being drawn into Yisao's weapon, neutralizing the attack, yet also note that she is not cut in the process, as though the act of absorption prevented Yisao from inflicting harm in the same moment herself. The sword pulses, wavering, but before Yisao can attempt to unleash this gathered energy, Tulip is there. Artfully, Yisao parries again, gliding to the side in an impressive display of technique and situational awareness, handling Tulip's power and momentum. Yet a keen ear will detect that the musical ringing that follows is so high-pitched as to be grating, Yisao's blade wavering so much that it seems to blur. And Tulip, with her intuition for how to unravel aether, may as well intuit discord within the harmonious form of the aetheric flow in Yisao's weapon.
 Rather than counterattack, Yisao withdraws from the concerted close-range attacks of Roseline and Tulip. Her face again is inexpressive, her movement perfectly justifiable in terms of making better use of her weapon's reach. But she has changed her stance to hold her weapon back rather than extend it forward, seemingly cautious about the contact it might make.
 "Zuna!"
 Ivo's warning call goes unheeded by the woman in question. The remaining member of the catgirl mafia, having toppled a number of Yisao's allies like bowling pins, has pounced with the same force and ferocity she showed in her ambush of the party back in Nova Luria. Instinctively, she has aligned her charge to intercept Yisao as she withdraws, attempting to grapple the captain while her weapon is not brought to bear. But Yisao reacts instantly: pivoting and needing only to point her blade, not thrust it, the aether she gathered from the previous attacks is unleashed as a lance of raw force, striking the tall warrior and sending Zuna flying back, splintering the boards of the deck where her brawny body lands.
 "Just a few more," Ivo says to himself, sending Hauteclare whipping out again to sever another rope. But this time, Yisao's eye tracks him, before shifting back to Roseline and Tulip. Her blade pulses again as she draws in surrounding aether, swinging it to unleash a forceful slash that extends as a burst from her weapon. Should it make contact with either Roseline or Tulip, they will find that, while harmful, it is not especially damaging.
 But moments after unleashing it, Yisao has leapt for Ivo, who is in the midst of manipulating Hauteclare from afar, her blade extended to try to seize the moment...

• Character: Laineth
• 1 week, 3 days ago

  Roseline's kick lands... not where she wanted, but where she expected it to. Parried by blade. But she can feel the draw of energy and aether being siphoned from her full body aether cloak. That singing sound that accompanies their clash is at first only annoying, and she pays it no mind. But after landing backwards and observing the woman parry Tulip right after, something sticks out to her.... that ringing is louder and much more.... hmm. The wavering of that weapon is another clue...

  Could it be that there's an upper limit to this absorption and redirection?

  Oops, there goes Zuna.... she'll be fine, right? She's big and tough. A healing art will patch up anything else. More pressingly, however, there's that wave of energy that's flying their way. "Tsk!" Roseline dashes in by Tulip and erects a barrier of wind aether for the both of them. While doing so, she speaks to the bunnykin over the roar of wind and clashing energy.

  "I have an idea! This is just a theory, but I have a strong suspicion that her weapon can only absorb so much force before it's overloaded." She keeps her arms extended, fending off the burst of energy, with cracks forming in the barrier. "If we come at her at the same time with as much force as we can muster- no, more than that, I think we can put it out of commission!"

  Then the clashing forces shatter, sending fragments of energy flying past the two. At that point, she notices Yisao gunning for Ivo. "Tch! No time!" Refocusing, she reforms her wind cloak, dashing off quickly while gathering energy for a biiiiiiiiiig strike.

• Character: Tulip
• 1 week, 3 days ago

  Tulip's eyes narrow a touch when she both hears and /feels/ the way that Yisao's sword reacts to her assault, those long ears atop her head twitching and angling for a better listen. She might not be the brightest bulb, but even she can interpret that something is going on there. Something that she can use! But the question is, exactly what caused it? Was it her aether distruption, or was it that the woman was forced to parry two different attacks that used two different types of aether?

  "Hey! Ros-!" she's in the middle of calling right as that attack comes at them both, the bunny in the middle of changing her stance to defend against it...but then Roseline's barrier is there! The bunnykin's hair blows in the wind as the attack scatters. "Uhh...took the words outta my mouth!" she calls back as she breaks off into a dash alongside her companion. Just like before she's gathered earth aether in her body to empower her charge. The difference this time is that she's trying to hit alongside Roseline, looking to overwhelm with sheer power!

  "Move, Ivo!" she calls when she realizes just how /close/ he's going to be way everyone collides!

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 1 week, 3 days ago

 Things look grim for Ivo Galvan. Though he has does his best to attend to Yisao's movements, his attention is split between their adversary and their objective of freeing the refugee vessel. It is Tulip's shout that draws his attention, such that he sees the captain attacking him in the nick of time, but in the split-second he has to act, it does not seem as though there is much that the Cosmpolitan fencer can do. He holds only a hilt with a spark of energy at its tip, the enduring link between it and its distant floating blade at work severing ropes. Not being especially agile and caught flat-footed, his only hope of escape would be to hurl himself aside, and even if that were to succeed in preserving him from harm, he would surely lose track of his weapon and be foiled in his efforts to accomplish their mission.
 But, as his eyes widen and his fate looms, he catches a snippet of what Roseline is saying, and thinks fast.
 The moment that the point of Yisao's blade would find him, Ivo extends the hilt of his weapon and twists the pommel with his off-hand, causing the spark of aetheric energy where the blade would fit to grow and brighten, surging. Yisao's blade meets it, ringing out, causing Hauteclare's blade to waver in the distance, catching the sunlight as it does, faltering but not yet falling. The ringing continues, increasing in pitch and intensity. As his adversary seems to remain impassive, Ivo winces and grits his teeth--
 "Ghhh!"
 --and endures just long enough. Moments before Hauteclare's aetheric current would be entirely disrupted, Roseline and Tulip are upon Yisao, forcing her to pivot and allowing Ivo to stumble back, just barely keeping his hand and wrist steady to continue controlling his weapon from afar. Having no other choice, the captain swings her long sword to parry the incoming attacks, and it is a testament to her skill that she can intercept both at once. But this is as our heroes anticipated, and planned.
 For the first time, Yisao flinches as her blade begins to scream, her control seeming to slip as she staggers away. Her weapon bucks in her hands like a horse attempting to throw its rider, her sword swinging wide as the stored aether surges uncontrollably. She swings it high as, like fireworks, multiple lances of energy fire off, their arcs wild. Despite her best efforts, one tears through one of the naval frigate's mainsails. Still, though imbalanced and unable to counterattack, she seems to have avoided damage and created some distance-- until she cries out and falls forward.
 "Whoever you are... thank you!"
 Dipang, having regained his balance, has cast out his meteor hammer and hit Yisao in her moment of weakness, causing her to stumble. Already, she is rising, not seeming seriously injured. And with Zuna struggling to rise, the crowd of sailors about the party is growing thicker.
 "There are only a few more grapples," Ivo calls to his allies, nodding towards the far end of the deck, then looks to Dipang. "Get back to your ship! We'll finish things here!"
 "You won't do anything of the sort," Yisao says as she rises, but our heroes have bought time-- either to press the attack on her, despite the growing numbers of her allies, or to try to cut the last of the ropes that bind the two ships.

• Character: Laineth
• 1 week, 3 days ago

  Having struck Yisao's weapon with the biggest aether powered strike she can muster alongside Tulip, she's vindicated when the peculiar weapon goes from a musical sing to an horrid screeching before overloading. That was all they needed to gain an advantage in the moment. Dipang comes in from nowhere and gets in a free hit while the captain is distracted, and Roseline pulls back, immediately changing course. "Don't thank me." She murmurs, not really feeling like they're out of the woods yet.

  She could press the attack, but the original goal here wasn't to win. It was to accomplish an objective and then beat feet. The longer they stick around, the more of a disadvantage they'll be at. At this point, Roseline gathers wind aether and forms several wind blades, sending them flying towards the ropes in an effort to assist Ivo. The cannons were taken out. If they cut the ropes now, surely that would prevent further pursuit?

  It's worth a shot anyway.

  But there's another question... Where the heck is Flechette anyway?

• Character: Tulip
• 1 week, 3 days ago

  The bunnykin glances around as she takes stock of their situation. The regular old sailors surrounding them might individually be total chumps...but, as Tulip does manage to notice, there sure are a lot of them gathering around them! Despite that, the majority of them don't want to be the first one to try his luck. After all, they've seen what happened to the first few crew members that joined the fight.

  But one of them does, swinging at the rabbit with a cudgel...but unfortunately for him, this just ears him a counterattack. A straight punch right to the gut. And then a second with Tulip's other hand. And then a third right to the jaw that lands with a satisfying crunch that leaves the poor guy crumpled on the ground.

  "ANYONE ELSE WANNA TRY?" she yells out at the crowd, quietly hoping in the privacy of her own head that actually, they don't. She just needs to keep them busy for that little bit more time so the others can finish up with those ropes and they can get the heck out of here!

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 1 week, 3 days ago

 Ivo, just barely managing to maintain control of the distant Hauteclare due to his allies' timely intervention, summons the blade back to its hilt, shearing one last rope as he does. The few remaining are successfully severed by Roseline's well-aimed blades of wind, Yisao unable to intercept them as she recovers from the concerted attack. Yet while the captain is on the back foot, her numbers advantage is increasing as her allies rally, and Zuna is stumbling as she rises, the tough warrior nevertheless injured from taking a full-force strike head-on.
 "Take flight," Yisao says, in what might sound like an exhortation to her enemies to retreat, until one senses the power rippling about her. For the first time, aether from within is surging through the captain, rather than her trying to absorb it from without, "my gullfeathers."
 It seems that the Korotean captain has not yet played her full hand. Her stance shifts wide as she allows her aether to ripple freely, the music of her sword striking a harmonious chord as she controls how it flows into the weapon, making use of her own absorption technique upon herself *and* any incoming aether rather than empowering her sword via a more conventional Art.
 Dipang, who has been readying another attack, seems to hesitate at this stance, having been chastened by Yisao once before, and glances to the party. Ivo nods firmly, his expression grim, and after another moment of hesitation, the young monk nods in turn and springs upon the railing, leaping back onto the deck of the refugee ship as it begins to float away. The sailors, who had been attempting to close in on Tulip moments before, back away as though intimidated, but as Tulip senses Yisao's aether surging, the brawler might recognize the real reason why her adversaries are creating some space.
 "Piercing Pinio-- nnh!"
 A loud report and a plume of smoke wreathe Yisao, her blade's music again becoming a shriek, as she is interrupted from afar. Flechette stands perched atop the deck's cabin now, having emerged movements before, a heavy-looking sack by her side and an ornate blunderbuss in her hands, aimed square at the captain.
 "Not a bad weapon you had!" the brains of the Catgirl Mafia exclaims. "Should've brought it with you into battle instead of leaving it behind. Zuna!"
 Effortfully, she seizes the moment to hurl the sack off of the roof toward the amazonian warrior, who unfalteringly catches the loot despite her injuries. Flechette promptly springs from the roof and lands beside her companions, deftly cocking the weapon in midair. The party has gathered again, but it is only a second or two before the sailors, recognizing that Yisao's attack is not coming, surge into action again, lunging at our heroes from all sides.
 "Now!" Ivo yells. "Back down the stairs! Retreat!"
 There is still a path to escape, for the moment, but it looks as though it will be a fighting withdrawal... though, if they're quick enough about it, at least it won't be against Yisao.

• Character: Laineth
• 1 week, 3 days ago

  Roseline turns her attention away from the ropes the moment she lets her wind blades fly and sees Yisao preparing some sort of ominous sounding attack. The stance she's taking screams danger... But then-

  Oh, there's Flechette.

  The attack doesn't come, and once the sailors realize that, they start piling in. Yep! That's the time to beat feet! Roseline turns and dives back down the stairs belowdecks. She lands into a roll and then kicks off the ground, cloaking her body in wind aether as she starts flying in a burst of wind back towards the opening they first boarded from.

  All the while, she's firing blasts of wind from her palms at any would be attackers coming after them. They've got to get out of here quick. She's used up a lot of energy as it is.

• Character: Tulip
• 1 week, 3 days ago

  "YEAH! That's what I thought, you pack of pu-" Tulip is yelling to the retreating crew right before the true reason behind it becomes apparent. The feel of the gathering aether gets the bunnykin on edge as she turns to deal with the incoming attack, fists clenched as she prepares to defend herself..

  And then, boom!

  There's a moment as the sailors move in and Roseline gets to moving where the bunny seems hesitant. Running away doesn't suit her. What she really wants to do is stay and fight everybody head on! But her allies are running for it, and there's an awful lot of enemies here. It would be an absolutely terrible idea to stay.

  Her fists would get tired after a while!

  "Damnit damnit...AGHHH!" she yells as she ofllows Roseline's example, running right for the stairs and keeping an eye out for anyone that tries to get in the way, fully prepared to smash a fist right into them if they do.

  "I ever see any of you again, you better say goodbye to your teeth! You hear me?" she calls over her shoulder in one last display of bravado.

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 1 week, 3 days ago

 Ivo, without hesitation, sheathes Hauteclare even as a wave of enemies closes in and, reaching into his pouch, hurls a cluster of elespheres: green, red, and blue. Bursts of steam rise up, searing and obscuring, and though they persist only briefly, it seems sufficient to assist the Cosmopolitan in turning and running along with his party. Unlike Tulip, he has no compunction against doing so.
 "Zuna, fall back!" Flechette is shouting. She and her taller ally have assumed what seems to be their standard formation, with the stealthy sniper lurking behind the brawny brawler to peek out and shoot, now with a cluster of munitions from her aetherically charged blunderbuss instead of her hand crossbow. This time, however, she doesn't seem especially happy about the arrangement, her eyes on Zuna's limp as she moves. "I can handle this!"
 A sailor that gets too close is kicked back up the stairs, crashing into another, for his trouble, Zuna unflinchingly putting her weight on what is ostensibly an injured leg.
 "Me too," she replies.
 Through concerted effort, working rather well in tandem, the ragtag party manages to retreat back down to the lower decks, where they had dispensed with the cannons. The Romancing SaGa remains tethered to the same cannon port, fortunately. Presumably the stray cat prevented it from crashing into anything while unpiloted.
 "Go, now!" Ivo yells. "I'll follow!"
 He withdraws his last handful of elespheres, all red, and hurls them toward the crate of black powder he had previously opened. Within moments, flame and smoke begin to rise up with an ominous cracking and popping. The sailors, in the midst of swarming the party at the base of the stairs, seem to falter-- and then to turn and run.
 "Go, go, go!"
 Ivo seeks to do the same, running as fast as he can towards the rope that leads back down to the SaGa. Flechette is first, holding her new prize above her head to slide down the rope to safety, whereas Zuna, not wasting any time, crashes through the splintered wall nearby, leaping free without a second thought. Indeed, there is no time for second thoughts.
 Our heroes have mere moments to escape.

• Character: Laineth
• 1 week, 3 days ago

  It's down to the wire. Roseline is bringing in the lead as she makes way for the SaGa. One last errant burst of wind and she's sailing out into the open air and landing onto the deck roughly. She immediately runs further down the deck to make space for other landings. Then she looks around to survey the surroundings... looks good. Back up at where the ship was grappled onto... she can see Ivo has put together a makeshift.... explosive, shall we say.

  Ah yes. That'll deter them from following. She cracks an amused little smirk. It's not her ship getting blown up this time. She can take a bit of pleasure in that, right?

• Character: Tulip
• 1 week, 3 days ago

  "Don't get caught, idiot!" Tulip chastises Ivo as she rushes on by, not quite as quickly as Roseline. Deciding that the rope would probably be too slow she follows the example of both Roseline and Zuna, shoving herself through the very same wall the tall feline crashed straight on through just moments before.

  "Outta the way!" she shouts as she falls, hopefully not managing to land on top of anyone in her haste. Eh. If she does at least she's pretty light.

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 1 week, 3 days ago

 "I haven't been any more idiotic than the rest of us!" Ivo retorts breathlessly to Tulip, which is the best he can say under the circumstances as the blaze he has set begins to consume the lower decks. Gripping his scabbard to steady it as he runs towards the opening, the slowest and last to leave, he catches hold of the line that secures the SaGa and begins to slide down it, moments before a gout of flame bursts from the port whence he has emerged. Caught in the gout of smoke, for a moment it may look as though he has been consumed, before, blackened but otherwise none the worse for wear, he slides down to the SaGa's deck.
 As fire begins to consume the Korotean vessel, Ivo deactivates the magitech cable that had connected the SaGa to the frigate, causing it to detach and recoil back, before rushing to the tiller as their brave little ship begins to careen dangerously. Explosions burst forth harshly from the naval vessel as he desperately regains control and turns the SaGa away, cresting a wave. Bits of broken wood rain down behind them, narrowly missing those who have landed upon the deck.
 By the tiller, the stray cat, mid-nap, yawns.
 Ivo, looking off to the horizon, sees the refugee vessel managing to sail away. Though damaged and slowed, it seems able to move on, whereas the Koroteans are dead in the water.
 "Well," Ivo says finally, "that went about as well as possible."
 "Agreed," Zuna says, sounding unflappable despite her injury. "Good thing my disguise didn't come off when she hit me."
 He looks, deadpan, at the bikini top still on Zuna's head.
 "I guess," he replies.