To go with your crew...

[highseasmods]

Who: Everyone who is fighting in the battle to kill the witch.
Where: The Black Fortress in the East
When: Jan 24th-25th
What: The grand battle to get back what you have lost, get revenge for what was taken, and avert disaster.
Warnings: Language. Death. Victory. Defeat. True love. Miracles.
Style: Text or prose
Status: Open to all



The black fortress ripples with shimmering iridescent energy, the piles of black coral heaped on roped together barges around it, bobbing in the waves. On the largest barge stands a slender man with a copper belt, wearing a face mask, orange red hair flecked with black from ash or dust. As the dawn slowly folds over the ocean, he'll look up, as if hearing some hidden voice.

At the top of the fortress, a figure climbs into vision, a woman, dressed in gray, features obscured by a hood with impenetrable darkness behind it. She staggers a moment as if she is weary, then straightens to her full height. As she speaks, her voice comes out of the journals, echoing over the water, low but clear.

"This is no small task ye do. She that rots within'll do anythin' ta stop ye. Don't hesitate to kill what ye find. If they were human once, they hain't no more. Watch out for her golems, too, or they'll drain ye dry quicker'n a wink. But if ye can get rid of 'em, it'll weaken her." She hesitates, cants her head to the side. "And if ye lot aren't as much of a bunch'a idiots as usual, ye might come out alive through this."

That said, she raises her hands. After a moment so does the man on the barge. For a moment, nothing seems to happen and then iridescent light shimmers over the coral, seeming to match that which surrounds the fortress. It crackles and dances like a fire, and then without warning bursts into a furious life, slamming against the energy of the fortress. There is the sound like thunder and light snaps and crackles, zipping with energy. Then with a woosh the light flies upward, taking the figure with it. The man on the barge lets out a cry like a seagull and dives into the water as if intending to swim after her.

For the boats that remain, a part of the fortress will crumble away into the sea, revealing a small harbor and an open doorway. Enter all ye who dare.


[If things become too crowded, feel free to make another thread outside of these. Just put where you are in the header.]

Comments

The Bloody Roses

[redcinemareel]

[The waves become choppy enough to make the boat rock. Still pretty weakened from her numerous fights, Grell simply looks on from her ship as the fortress crumbles, a blanket wrapped around her. She's cleaned up from her wounds, with only a few patches of gauze covering more serious injuries on her neck and forehead. The beauty of everything that sea witch made crumbling everywhere is enough to bring a smile to her tired face.]

Time to go. [She turns to anyone who may be nearby on the deck.] Is everyone accounted for?

[justgetseconds]

I'm here.

[Conchita doesn't get to do much anymore, impeded as she is. Not on the fighting front, at least. But she is... Certainly glad to have the captain back.]

[redcinemareel]

[Grell smiles softly with a nod.] And glowing. Good to know I haven't missed any first steps.

[justgetseconds]

I'm glad, too. I'm not sure what kind of mother I'll make.

[But she's still ready to get this over with so she can do things again.]

[redcinemareel]

If only there was an instruction manual on such things. [Then everything would be vastly different, and Grell would probably not be who she is.] We'll just have to simply adlib as we go along.

She walks over to Banica, extracting an arm from the confines of her blanket.] May I? [She hasn't seen anyone pregnant this far along and living in perhaps centuries. It's really fascinating, and she wants to feel if it's actually real.]

[justgetseconds]

It's all right. They don't move much. It... Has me worried. Perhaps they're just lazy.

[She has no idea what her state of being would even have on a child. Exposure to the Glass... Who knows?]

[hoodwinking]

[She arrives back on the ship, happily equipped with pieces o'eight, grinning ear to ear. So she didn't have to fight the witch before the place started coming down, who cares? She got paid.]

Hi hi! Is our dear captain feeling better?

[redcinemareel]

[Blinking, Grell turns to the new voice and sees a girl who could have come from some fairy tale. Or at least a few centuries prior to her lifetime.]

Who in the world are you, and why are you on my ship?

[hoodwinking]

[The voice was familiar, a tinge of hostility that she feels like she experienced just recently. Well! That would explain a bit.]

My name is B.B. Hood. Loki recruited me to come and find you, but it looks like you made it back a-ok! I'm glad!

[redcinemareel]

He did, hmm? My last question still stands. [Yes, Grell is usually hostile, for good reason.] I've been found, you see.

[hoodwinking]

Well, I certainly can't just swim to the next island, after all! [She giggles.] But in all seriousness, he invited me onto your crew. Let's work hard together from now on!

[hisoldtricks]

[Loki may have took a few detours in fortress, because it is hard not to grab some of the treasure and what not. He makes it back on board, looking as though he never broke a sweat. Someone might have took a moment to straighten himself up before reappearing back on board the ship.]

Should be. Besides Conchita and Dave, we took on two more crewmates while you were feeling out of sorts. Hopefully they both meet with your approval.

[redcinemareel]

[Grell had no real inclination to grab treasure. Wanting to get out of there as soon as possible was at the top of her list, and it was completed.

She sees Loki, looking as smart as ever, but raises an eyebrow at his statement.]

So that little girl earlier was one? And the other?

[hisoldtricks]

If you mean the young woman with the red hood, she's likely not as young as you may think.

[Come now Grell, you of all people should know looks can be deceiving.]

A warrior by the name of Helen. You cannot miss her when you see her. She has blonde hair and silver eyes and carries around a rather large sword.

[redcinemareel]

It's quite the fetish, but alright. [An young woman dressing like a young girl? It can be deceiving, yes.]

I shall keep my eyes out for her. [Big weapons are always good in her opinion. More destruciton to be had.] I'm assuming they all had something interesting about them to recruit them in my absence? [Grell doesn't have much reason to doubt his tastes in allies, considering the crew he's with, but she's definitely curious.]

[hisoldtricks]

They both have experience fighting and killing demons. Given the circumstances, I figured having new crewmates capable of fighting and killing if need be, would be useful.

[Neither seemed to be the overly good types, which worked for him. Though of course, he's willing to admit he was also in a hurry to get some new crewmates aboard if they were going to fighting witches and invading fortresses.]

[dersite_dj]

[A gigantic section of the fortress crumbled, threatening to overshadow and smash the ship. Dave, stepping onto the railing, swung his sword once--slicing it in half. The two clean cut halves of it went in opposite directions. At that point, he was still somewhat speechless about the whole affair, ignoring the fine spray of sea mist that came up when the halves sent water in all directions.

Stepping back on the deck, Dave returned to Grell.]

Hey, Cap'n.

Guess what I got?

[redcinemareel]

[Grell simply gives a glance over her shoulder at the neatly cut wall before they crash into the sea. She looks back to Dave with an appreciative nod.]

Thank you. [They couldn't have their ship in pieces just because of some silly wall falling on it. At the question, Grell tilts her head a bit.]

Please don't say music.

[dersite_dj]

Nah, I'm gonna wait for you to be nice and recovered before I turn the bass up again.

I was thinkin' more like--

[Dave produced a captcha card which he turned over, spilling a gigantic four foot pile of gold coins on the deck.

Though, he wasn't an idiot. Just as quickly, he swiped the card and the coins returned into it, leaving pixelated dust floating in the air before completely vanishing.]

[redcinemareel]

[The ship rocks a bit from the sudden appearance of the pile of glorious gold. Grell looks astonished at their new wealth. She can already smell a shopping trip coming up soon.

It's gone quickly, but her elation remains.]

The best highlight of this awful ordeal~! [There is suddenly a Grell hugging you tightly, Dave. Best son ever!] Such a good boy you are~!

[dersite_dj]

I know, right? Shitloads of gold and all that--

[And suddenly, Dave was staring vacantly ahead of himself as Grell hugged him. He never had a mother and a hug even out of reckless greed and bloodthirstiness was still more than no hug without badass motivation.

He kind of went silent.]

[makestrouble]

Here!

[Helen raises one hand, while clutching her sword. She's grinning, looking more than ready to do all the things.]

How're you holdin' up, captain?

[redcinemareel]

Ah~? You must be Helen. [Big sword. Silver eyes. Yes, she matches Loki's description perfectly.]

I'm exhausted, thank you, although I feel like celebrating.

[There had better still be Bourbon left.

[makestrouble]

Celebrating doesn't sound too bad to me! What to celebrate with, though...

[She has no booze. She doesn't know if anyone else has booze. Maybe Loki has booze...]

[redcinemareel]

Bourbon! [Grell chimes in, nudging her head in another direction.] Let me show you~!