All Hands on Deck (open to Pirates and Gerudo)

[Merik Dragmire]

At the easternmost part of the Gerudo Desert sits a hidden cove, carved from the encircling mountains by the ocean over untold centuries. This cove holds two things of import: a Gerudo fort, and a berth available to only one ship in the ocean.

Merik stands at the forecastle of the Defiant watching as the last of the supplies bound for the Gerudo Fortress are unloaded onto the dock below. The atmosphere in the cove is charged, the excitement palpable as the crew prepare to set sail once more. The fact that they had lost brethren during this trip ashore was lost on none, but they had found replacements and those who had survived had been brought home as safely as could be.

"It's almost time for the Defiant to hunt once more..." he murmured as he released the bulwark and turned back inward to the ship.

[Tabula Rasa]

x x

Tabula Rasa was not a Gerudo. Outside of being blue and scaly or being made of wood, she was the furthest thing from it. A human/hylian hybrid of questionable sanity was more like it. However she was out to make something out of herself, out of her status, out of her people. And the Gerudo King, a legendary man with a legendary boat, was a very ambitious person. Where better to find coattails to take you to glory in a world looking to overlook you than the heels of the King of both Pirates and Gerudo.

It was quite a title.

On the mighty ship Defiant people rushed about, and T.R. grinned wickedly, even giggling sometimes as she watched them all at work. It was even more amusing as they were all upside down. Or, rather, she was upside down. Her feet were hooked up in the squares of the ratlines that allowed people to go aloft, and she was suspended several feet above everyone's heads. Her forefinger and middle finger rubbed together, the metal of her clawed gauntlets making a scrapping noise as she watched over the crew. "Ahoy!" she called, just because she was feeling giddy and happy.

It had been a long time since she'd been on the water.

^{(OOC: might not be on tomorrow, we'll have to see!)}

[Erik]

Dekethorn didn't like having to traverse the desert to find the ship. The things he had to do for a little excitement, not to mention a few laughs. His nuts were eager to be fired at unsuspecting victims, and he tingled with excitement.

Once arriving at the cave, he dusted off the sand and approached the ship. He had to try really hard to not gun down one of the Gerudo just for laughs. He had to save it for the raids and battles.

Once on board the ship he began to inspect the cannons. A couple of people shot him nasty looks on board the Defiant. Instead of responding with a dirty glare, he decided instead to teach them a lesson with bubbles. As they struggled in the goop he could only laugh.

"Mwee hee hee hee. What fun!"

[Merik Dragmire]

Striding across the deck Merik stopped briefly to look up at his Lieutenant.

"T.R. the deck is yours; mind the crew sticks to their duties, I want us ready to sail with the tide. I'll be in my quarters preparing." he said before spotting the spit covered pair. "You two overboard before you start to stick to the deck! Shake a leg now!"

As he made his way inside the ship the last thing he heard from outside was a pair of splashes from down below as the door closed. Nodding at the occasional crew members he passed he reached his chambers, unlocked the door and resealed it behind him. Secure in his chambers he began to change his clothes.

It had felt good being back in his old desert attire, briefly returning him to the time before he had led the Gerudo out to sea. But now was not the time to indulge in nostalgia. The Defiant was nearly ready to set sail and above all else she needed her captain.

[Tabula Rasa]

x x

When the captain walked by and handed the deck over to her, T.R. responded with a large salute, perhaps a bit exaggerated, and a giggle. "Aye aye, capt'n!" Her gaze became almost manic as she scanned the deck, as if planning something diabolic. Such was the typical demeanor of the first mate. That same demeanor was what kept the crew in line around her, however. That and her sporadic nature to catch people on fire and give them the ultimatum of burning to death or jumping overboard. When in the middle of the ocean with no land nearby. . . well that could be a difficult choice.

When the two sailors jumped overboard at the captain's orders T.R. giggled wildly, clapping her hands. "Splish!" she said, then ever so casually let her feet slip out from the ratlines and flip gracefully around to land on deck. "Oi, Woody~!" she called over in a sing-song manner to the deku who had just boarded. "Busy yourself and try not to cost us any more time, alright?" she asked sweetly, but the words were laced with threat. Deku burned real easily, after all.

Order being restored and most of the crew too nervous to do anything but their job, T.R. skipped her way up to the forecastle where the captain had just left. Once there she spun on a rope once before finding a seat on the railing, where she could overlook the main deck and rest against one of the many ropes that composed the rigging, legs swinging wildly over and sometimes nudging into a poor soul's passing head.

^{OOC: Gone now until tomorrow, 'round 8 PM Cbox time~ Will be monitoring on phone and iPod.}

[Erik]

Dekethorn watched as his victims jumped and giggled as well, but became serious again as the Lieutenant told him to get busy. Doing the only thing he knew how, he began to check cannons. He studied some while he was younger, being one who loved to shoot his nuts.

He began to check arcs and ranges by aligning himself with the angle of the cannon and peppering deku nuts out to determine distance. Factoring in the fact that he didn't use gunpowder, and that deku nuts aren't exactly cannonballs, it was a rough science, but all he was doing was estimating anyway.

[Volkin]

Volkin would be able to be heard long before he could be seen. The young weasel was excited for his first real chance at adventure. He knew very little about pirates and even less about what he would be getting himself in to but it was adventure and led by a Garudo of all people. If there were any people that Volkin respected aside from his own it was them.

Eventually Volkin came into sight of the cove, singing a loud and boisterous sailing song that he had heard from people passing by his home one time. As he saw those who would become his new family he waved a hand over his head and gave a wide fangy grin.

"Hello hello!" He scampered aboard the ship and immediately began climbing up the ropes toward the lookout point. Volkin looked like a natural climber; growing up exploring the woods and climbing every tree he could find had given him the ability to find handholds and propel himself upward much faster than most people could. "When do we set sail?" He slid down one of the ropes and stopped himself a bit above the deck, hanging upside-down with a leg wrapped around the rope for support.

[Merik Dragmire]

It was nearly an hour after Merik had left the deck that he emerged from his chambers, dressed in his full captain's regalia, and walked to the bulwark overlooking the deck from the top of the sterncastle. He watched the crew scurrying around and handling their duties for a few minutes before catching the attention of one of the crewmen near him. He quickly ran to a bell attached to the bulwark and rang it three times to catch all the crew's attention. As eyes turned to the sterncastle and the captain he gave them a few more seconds for silence to fall over the cove.

Ho there lads and lasses! As many of ya know Dragmire is my name, Merik Dragmire, Captain of this fine vessel, Sovereign of this very desert and the women who call it home, Master of Pirate's Bay, King of all who sail under the black, and Lord of the Seas. You've all come here today from different lands and for different reasons but I tell you that amongst us none of it matters. Whether you are Deku, Fairy, Gerudo, or Hylian; criminal, noble, scientist, or sorcerer; here aboard the Defiant you are united in a common quest for adventure upon the unconquered waves, freedom from the laws that tie us all to a line of Royals who could give a damn whether we live or die, and treasure beyond measure in both memories, jewels, and rupees." he paused for a few seconds to allow his words to sink in.

"In a few short minutes we'll be rowing out of this cave and settin' course for Pirate's Bay so say your goodbyes now because only the Goddesses can say when we'll be back...Now all hands back to work and prepare to cast off, the Sea beckons..."

[Layla]

Rather than meandering the Defiant, the other Lieutenant was found to be aiding the other crew members with ship preparations. It wasn't always that she was so impatient, but she was certainly quite eager to cast off. To her, each time the Defiant set sail, everyone could start new. It was a wonderfully refreshing feeling, and due to the events during shore leave, she felt it was a great need for all of them. As the Captain spoke, Layla looked up from her work to give him her full attention.

All that was left to do would be easily taken care of by the crew members, so after finishing her task she stood up and dusted her hands off on her pants.

Since joining the pirate crew, she had altogether abandoned her desert wear. Her normal wardrobe now did not vary greatly from her previous. In fact, the only difference was the balloon pants. They ended up hindering her movement and made too much noise, so she opted for a pair that were comfortably snug around her legs instead. Her shoes and hooded top remained the same.

"Captain." She nodded in greeting as she stood before him and her fellow lieutenant, Tabula Rasa.

[Merik Dragmire]

Merik nodded at Layla as she joined him at the stern.

"I feared you may have gone to the Goddess when I didn't see you on deck earlier..." he trailed off as he thought of the few Gerudo that had fallen to the Knights with others of the crew. Yes the crew were all as one before him, but he couldn't deny that the loss of his own people hit him hardest each time. He offered her one of his rare smiles before he spoke again. "I'm glad to see such was not the case, I've got enough positions to fill without having to look for someone loyal enough to be one of my lieutenants."

[Layla]

Layla shook her head, her wavy, flame-colored hair bouncing as her head moved. "No, sir. The Goddess and I have quite some time before we meet." She reassured him, returning the smile with one of her own. Like him, it was an awful blow to lose some of her own people. They were all family on the Defiant, but many had been family prior to the creation of the pirate crew. There was a difference in connection that she felt no shame in admitting, for it was the truth.

She turned to Tabula Rasa with another grin. "Glad to see you're well, too." The girl was just as... unique... as ever. That having not changed, it did give Layla some comfort. Not that she could see anything affecting Tabula Rasa enough to change her demeanor.

[Rennal]

Rennal could only stare at Merik as he made his inspirational speech, and surged with pride and joy at the knowledge that he wouldn't be back here for a long time to come. Then a tinge of sadness that he might not ever see Jarreth, his only friend again. No. That was in Rennal's life, not Iadar's. He had new friends now. He approached Merik now, as the girl he was speaking to averted her gaze to someone else. "I won't be missing anyone, I have no home to return to. So this ship is now where I belong," he said to Merik, almost believing it. Almost.

[Merik Dragmire]

"We're practically a floating city all to ourselves, it's a good place to call home." Merik replied as he nodded at his lieutenants. "This is Layla and T.R., two of my lieutenants...not too certain where the other two have gotten, probably below deck making sure all's stowed away properly. Ladies this is Iadar, the Defiant's new Master of Arms."

[Erik]

Dekethorn received his reports from his subordinate Gerudo. He did a once-over of each of the 100 cannons during Merik's speech. After he was done, he quickly approached Merik with a few papers in his hand.

"Everything is working. We have enough firepower to sink anything that they throw at us." He then quickly ran off, cackling and jumping around like a mexican jumping bean.

"Mwee hee hee! Fire Fire Fire! I want the royal navy sunk by day's end!"

[Merik Dragmire]

Merik took the papers from the little Deku and chuckled as he hopped around excitedly.

"And that was our new Gunnery Master, Dekethorn. He's a deadly shot with his Deku Nuts and I'm really hoping the skill carries to his work with the guns."

[Tabula Rasa]

x x

T.R. watched from her perch as the captain gave his speech, grinning like a child all while he spoke. She knew her role on the ship: staving off mutiny through sheer intimidation. Okay, maybe that wasn't her only reason for being there, particularly since the Gerudo were quite good at that, too, but her unpredictable personality threw everyone off their balance.

Layla joined them above the crew. Made it out fine? T.R. giggled manically and clicked the fingers on one of her hands, the entire gauntlet igniting into flame. "You were expecting something else, girlie?" she asked with a cute little defiant smile. "Knights in armor burn the same as everyone else. Better, even, since that armor gets really stuffy, if you know what I mean."

Her attention once more shifted as a new crew member joined them. She lept down from her seat on the railing to stand in front of him, then leaned uncomfortably close as she examined him. Scrutiny spread across her face as she pinched one of his cheeks and pulled. "Guess anyone can row," she said, then giggled. "Just remember this, kiddo, on this ship if you disobey you get a choice," she brought her flaming gauntlet forward. "Burn or swim." And with that threat came an unnerving giggle as she found her seat on the railing once more.

[Volkin]

Volkin froze in place on the ropes when the captain began to speak, watching him silently as he gave his speech. A wide grin spread over his face and grew the longer Merik talked. This was really happening. He was really about to set sail on the high seas for treasure and adventure. Oh his heart could burst with excitement.

He waited for a moment after the speech was done and a few people approached him to walk up himself. Volkin gave a respectful bow; he knew this man was not only his captain but the king of the race that he most respected above all. "It is an honor to serve, captain." He did his best to keep his grin from showing as much while he stood among the officers but he could not shield it completely.

[Rennal]

Rennal's eyes widened at the diversity of races on the boat, and his first instinct was to question why this was so. He'd grown up around humans only, and so the sight of races mingling so happily was new to him. It both disgusted and intruiged him, to be able to mingle with other races, unlike at home. "Why so many races? Can't you get humans or Gerudo to do all your work?"

As soon as the question came out of his mouth he regretted it. If the ship hadn't been so diverse in races, he might not have been able to join. And then he would be stuck. So before Merik could answer, he apologized. "I'm just not used to seeing so many races in one place, and without hatred or vengence."

And then she pinched his cheek and flashed a flaming gauntlet in his face. "Okay, except for her. What's her problem?"

[Merik Dragmire]

"And our new Chief Lookout, Volkin, at ease lad. Glad to have you aboard, I'm sure you'll do us proud." Merik said as the Minish went into a deep bow before him. He was silent for a short time as he contemplated Iadar's questions before finally responding.

"When I led the Gerudo out of the desert and to the sea we had but a small fleet of ships at our disposal, nothing anywhere near the size or scale of the Defiant, and among ourselves we had very little experience with sailing. At first I simply sought a new life for us and so we settled on an island and created a town. Unfortunately, at the time anyway, we had inhabited an island that was off the main routes and thus received little to no traffic. With supplies running low we took to the ships, set sail once more, and one night soon after we came upon a Human merchant ship. They outnumbered us but stealth comes easily to the Gerudo and we had quickly captured the ship and the crew with minimal casualties on their side. We couldn't allow anyone to know that we had left the desert and so we offered the crew two choices: join us or die; a few chose death, most chose life. We split the Humans among the various ships so we'd remain at an advantage if they tried anything.

And so it's continued over the last decade: we've claimed new ships crewed by the various races, our town grew into a capital city, the island became known as Pirate's Bay. Even though we had initially had to force people into our service with time they began to search for us willingly for one simple reason: we offer them freedom and equality that they can't get on land. It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done because we all work together, fight together, and get rich together. If any here are ever in trouble the majority would jump to help if they could, the rare few that don't are usually the newest members who have yet to gain that bond..." here he paused to let the lad think over what he had said before answering his second question.

"I'd have to say that T.R. is my most loyal supporter that isn't a Gerudo and she ensures that discipline is maintained on board. Any more than that you'll have to ask her directly."

[Rennal]

Rennal nodded, soaking up the knowledge. It was amazing what adversity can do to people, what hardship can spring. "I didn't grow up around this, so my apologies if I seem... on edge." He grimaced at the idea of having to share a ship with these races. How unclean. But at least he was free, so he didn't have to worry.

"So when do we leave?"