~bellatrix~ (reboot)

"Ye Known me how for how long and expect me to change now Lorena?" Donavan said without looking up from the ledger, as she sighed he knew she had spotted her old dress. Lorena then pressed how he managed out of his situation.
Sighing and looking at Lorena he spoke "Me rules apply to all, but ye know we was on the beach when we played that night. Anything off the ship is mine and yer business, besides getting me outta my briefs wasn't enough yer?"
It was then a devilish smile appeared on his face "Speaking of, strip down to ye knickers and dawn ye dress. Ye been riding me nerves and i think its time ye learnt a lesson... Again"
Getting up from his chair Donavan decided to give her a full taste of her own medicine.
"Ye disobey, ye go around where ye please, and ye prance and play so hurry up and put on your favorite outfit" He snickered know well if he hadn't keep it she would have burnt it long ago.
"I wonder what ye crewmates would think seeing ye Lorena, the women would call me horrible but the men? Even that poor sap fool enough to laugh at us wouldn't know what to do" There were few women on the ship as Lorena had inspired Donavan to recruit them during her time on the Boar. I wonder if she still fits the dress.... Tis only been two years or so but still. Knowing her boasting I'd be surprised if the chest wasn't tight, Bahh what am I thinking

 

"As long as ye in me cabin for starters, and as long as I say if ye keep it up" Donavan returned her glare with one of his own, the two of them had always tried to out due each other or humiliate for a laugh. The loser of each particular instant was none too pleased but listened so long as it wasn't too outlandish.
Donavan walked over to a sea map and motioned for Lorena to join him.
"Alright lass, we need to plot a landing spot" He pointed at Levia on the map while thinking. "We head from the east we have plenty of room to drop anchor, but alot of ground to cover before headin in. We land in the south there be only one way up the island, a narrow strip. To the North is open but there be shallows, and Finally the west seems clear but it requires sailing all the way around the island, eating our time" He looked over to Lorena who still seemed upset.
"Lorena are ye listening?!" Donavan sighed and shook his head.
"Ye know this familiar ain't it? You in the dress, me planning what to do with the crew, and us in this room..." He gave a small smile, today seemed to be filled with moments of their past

 

Mordred was caught quite off-guard when Trinity suddenly ran up and hugged him. Although it was hardly unwelcome, it was something that he was unaccustomed to and he hesitated to respond at first. Fortunately, it didn't take very long for the initial shock to subside and when he came to, he wrapped his arms around Trinity, returning her embrace. In that moment, he finally allowed himself to relax and as he did, he felt a sense of peace that he had not known in quite a long time. He whispered to her in a soft and warm tone that was far removed from the cold and distant tone his voice normally held.
"Then it's decided. Whatever tomorrow may bring, we will face the day together."
He pulled away slightly, just enough for the two of them to lock eyes.
"And if the gods are willing, neither of us will have to be alone again. No...even if the gods opposed it, I would defy them and force them to grant us their blessing."

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Leif shrugged when he saw Karma walking off by himself.
"I guess he's got it under control. But why'd he walk off like that? Eh, to each their own, I guess."
He turned around and walked towards the rest of the group.
"I wonder what Leon's up to?"
He made his way through Leon's crew, who he noticed had taken over starting the bonfire while he was busy looking after Karma, and eventually made it to his longtime friend turned pirate captain. With a smile and a wave, he tried to get Leon's attention.
"Hey, how are things going over here, mon capitan?"
When Leon turned to him, he could tell right away that something was off.
"...You feeling alright? You look a little down."

I laugh and try to shake it off.
"Of course I am! Why wouldn't the most heroic pirate captain alive be feeling alright?"
I give him a fake smile, but I'm not even fooling myself. I sigh and tell him the truth.
"Well...things have been pretty quiet lately, so I've had a lot of time to think about things."
"Things like the old captain and Briarle?"
I nod, even though that isn't the whole story. Yeah, I was thinking about them, but...
"What can I say? You got me. I guess even Leon Dragonfang can't save the day every time. Although...they weren't the only ones, not even close. How many of my crewmates have lost their lives under my command? Maybe that's why I'm destined to..."
Leif raised an eyebrow.
"Destined to what?"
"Oh, uh, nothing. I was just rambling, don't--"
"Worry about it? Too late. Spill it."

I laugh a little bit, but this time it's genuine. I can't get anything past him, can I? I guess there's no way around it. I look up to the night sky and repeat the prophecy I heard that day.
"The method of which you shall die, is a blade in the back from a trusted ally."

 

Donavan had made it back to The Regal Boar and sat on the upper deck waiting. He had no idea if Lorena would join him, but he had hoped she would, even if she was lying about it all she had caught his attention. Whether this was a blessing or curse depend on ones viewpoint. He flipped through his ledger looking at the crew list, he had a full crew already but he would take her on if she decided to join. He grabbed his spy glass and peered toward the brothel, he saw a familiar dressed woman leave out the front door. Donavan smiled wide and closed the ledger placing it back into his cabin.
Donavan step onto the deck and waved to Lorena who approached the Regal Boar. A few of the crew whistled and cheered to which Donavan shouted at them.
"Quiet ye fools, we had our fun earlier so get back to work!" Donavan then turned his attention back to Lorena.
"Well now, Is this what i think it is lass?"

 

"Aye that ye can't Lorena, but the two of us could" Donavan then saw some of her gear fall out but noticed she was still her dress, he would need to fix that if he wanted to have her apart of her crew.
"I'll have to make new and change some rules but aye I'll have ye on my ship and under control. Now follow me Lorena" Donavan walked her to his cabin and closed the door. He reached into a chest and pulled out one of his shirts and a pair of pants. He handed them to Lorena and then sat in his chair opening his ledger.
"Change into this for now, after a few formal agreements we'll head to a tailor and get ye properly fitted. Of course this woulda came outta ye pay but the rum will call it even, Now..." He turned the ledger to her and placed a quill and ink in front of her. "Sign ye full name below to agree to this much a month paid at the first off every month, ye can earn more the more skills ye show in the coming months. Turn the page and list all belongings on ye person, need to know if me crew has something to defend themselves with. After that ye be apart of the Boar, any questions Lorena?"

 

"Seeing as our crews beds be full ye be bunking with me, or ye be sleeping on the deck. As far as rules, I only have a few plus this one I'm adding" Donavan paused as Lorena had gotten very close.
"No killing ye crewmates, if it can't be solved with talk or fists, I'll solve it me self and No one wants that. Each Member of the crew if given their fair share be it gold supplies or other, what they due with it is their own. If ye need more seek the quartermaster with ye gold. Ye wish to quit do it at a port, for if ye do it on a voyage ye as good as shark bait. And lastly the New one, No man or woman is allowed to have relations on the ship. Meaning no kissing, blowing, eating or screwing, anyone caught will face 30 lashes with a whip!" Donavan made his rules clear despite not announcing the last rule to the crew yet.
"If ye have anymore questions ask as we get ye fitted, there is a tailor in town and ye can't wear me clothes forever" Donavan grabbed his coat and began heading to the door before stopping
"Now then Lorena Blackwater, welcome to the Regal Boar" He held his hand out for a handshake before they departed.

 

After some time, Karma felt his blood become fully pure. Pulling off the blood filter and needles, the needle wounds sealed shut by his muscles, a small action he could perform with his enhanced muscle controls. Pulling the cloth filter out and burying it in the sands, it struck Karma at how detached he had become to the world and human behavior. Nearly every action he performed was manual, aside from his heartbeat. He felt his face, wondering if he should even be considered human after everything he did to himself. Thanks to mixed blessings by two opposite gods, he could not age or die from old age. Looking at everyone else that he had walked away from, he saw that a crew member had started a fire, with the others laughing and enjoying themselves. He thought about his own relationships and realized, he only had one. While having more relationships was good, this was the one and only one that he prized. But even now, he had forgotten when he had last seen Her, a goddess from his own world. Taking up his Vocale Violin, the gift that She gave to him, he began playing a song. Smooth and sad, he played, letting his sorrows out as he silently wept.

 

Without skipping a beat he smiled. "Oh? I thought ye would sleep naked, being in that tight dress all the time oh well then. Keep the tops and I'll have the bottoms, or I'll take the top..... nah" He heartily laughed as they walked.

"Aye it does, and it's that way because of ye. One kiss is enough to disrupt me entire crew, never mind the fact me be immune." He paused and grew a tad red before finishing. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy about it me self"
He eyed her up and down, the motioning her to spin around. She looked the proper part with the new outfit with gear.
"Nicely done, ye look the part now. Tailor have a few extra shirts and pants made" He handed the tailor gold for the outfits and them pointed at two of his mannequins.
"Add these to me bill as well, have them delivered to The Regal Boar"

 

A thought crossed his mind, he then spoke "Ye get caught I won't save ye, however I won't let this go without something n return. A cut of it goes back to me, which i'll in turn spend more on the ship" Donavan didn't like the idea but knew she was going to regardless, he might as well make it work for the ship. "Think it over and give me ye answer, come on let's head back" Donavan let Lorena know she had a choice.
Donavan gathered the crew around the Boar as they all stood in amazement of Lorena, they had been cat calling now stopped as a look of wonder came over them.
"Listen up lads, We got ourselfs a new member of our little crew. Lorena Blackwater, she be the one ye was hooping and hollering about now she's one of us." The crew all gave looks to each other, Donavan seen this and began to speak again "Now lads she being a pirate as long as she remembers o give her a chance. Now then this brings about a new rule on me ship, Any of ye found kissing, sleeping or the like with a woman or man will get thirty lashes with a whip!"
The crew turned pale with faces of anger, but none spoke out against the captain. Donavan ended his speak and walked to his quarters.
As he entered he saw the mannequins had made it and been placed by his bed. He grabbed Lorena's dress from off the floor and dusted it off before slipping it onto the female mannequin. There we go. Donovan set his own coat down and began taking off his shirt. As he did his curse mark could be seen on his right arm, it was black and showed various sea creatures. He then placed his shirt and coat on the mannequin, stepping back to take a look.
"What do ye think? Make for decent stand me thinks"

 

"Hmm..."
Mordred pulled Trinity close once again.
"I suppose there wouldn't be any harm in staying like this a while longer."
Being this close to her put him at ease in a way that he'd never thought possible. Although he still doesn't quite understand his feelings for Trinity, he can recognize one thing at least: being with her like this feels right. He was so used to keeping others at arms' length for so long that he began to wonder if it was even possible for him to open up to someone else. But in this moment, for this night, it came almost naturally to him, especially when they held each other like this. He closed his eyes, his face now looking to be the very picture of tranquility.
"The sword, the princess, your training, the elves, all of that can wait until tomorrow. For now, we can stay like this for as long as you like.


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Leif's eyes widened and he was too stunned to respond at first.
"Well, that was...grim. What does it mean?"

I let out a sigh and stare at the ground.
"It's supposed to be the way I die. When we freed Martyris-- you remember Tyr's other self, right? Well, when we got him out of his prison, the seal that held him in had some kind of curse on it and...we all heard how we were going to die. "The method of which you shall die, is a blade in the back from a trusted ally." That's what the voice said to me. Ever since then, I..."
I lay my head in my hands. As much as I hate looking weak, especially in front of Leif, this is something that I've been thinking about for a while now and I know I can trust him with it. I continue, even though I can feel my voice trembling a little.
"I'm scared, Leif. Not because I know how I'm gonna die, it's just...I keep wondering who's going to do it. I keep wondering why. I'm trying my best not to be suspicious of everyone around me, but...in the back of my mind, I keep on wondering. It hurts, Leif. It hurts to even think that someone I know, someone I trust, is going to stab me in the back one day."
I can't hide it anymore. A few tears threaten to fall down my cheeks and I finally give in and let them.
"I don't know what to do."

Leif sat down next to Leon and slowly put his arm around Leon's back.
"Come on, man. You can't let something like that keep you down."
His heart sank and he felt nothing but pity for his best friend, even so, he knew that what Leon needed right now was not pity. He needed encouragement, he needed to hear that things would be alright, he needed someone to say that tomorrow would be a better day.
"Who cares about some weird fortune-telling curse? Forget about that! The Leon I know doesn't back down for anything or anybody. Even if that is your fate or destiny or curse or whatever, the Leon I know would cut it down and conquer it like any proper hero would, isn't that right?"
He gave him a solid smack on the back, then he stood up and down at Leon with a wry smile.
"Come on! Where's the fire, where's the fight?! You wanna be a hero, a pirate or whatever, now's the time to man up! So what are you gonna tell fate if it tries to get in your way?!"

Man...Leif always did know how to get me fired up! I stand up and look him right in the eyes!
"I'd tell fate that Captain Leon Dragonfang lays down for nobody!"
I wipe my eyes and smile at Leif.
"Thanks. I needed that."

Leif, in a somewhat rare moment of sincerity, gave Leon a warm smile.
"I know. I'm just glad I could help."
The two of them bump their right fists.
"It's good to have back to your old self, Captain Leon."

 

"Burn it? Why to the right tailor, ye dress be a chest full of gold!" Donavan exclaimed refusing to burn the dress. As she noticed the mark his expression grew heavy, he was surprised she recognized it as a curse to begin with.
"Well, ye seem to know more than I give ye credit for Lorena, most assume it be a tattoo. I'll tell ye my tale of this 'wonderful mark'" Donavan sat on the edge of his bed running his fingers along his mark.
"Once a young scholar sought after a treasure so grand it carved it's way through time, It was called the Blessing of the Seas. Said to be the riches of all sunken and lost ships, the mass of all the gold that ever touched the water, all held in one chest. Well the scholar found the blessing, only it wasn't a blessing he imagined" Donavan took a drink for one of Lorena's bottles of rum and continued. "It was a curse, seems the scholar had forgotten how ancient texts and tongues loved riddles. As he found the chest and brought it aboard his ship, the seas and skies went mad. His ship barely held it together but the curse had only just begun, a pirate fleet had been following him and as the storm struck so did they." Donavan took another drink
"His ship torn to pieces the scholar sunk to the bottom holding on to the Blessing, and with his last ounce of breathe he made a plea: 'please if only mermaid where real, if only he could breathe'. The chest flew open and a flow aura wrapped around his arm branding him with marks of the sea, pitch black. gills formed on his neck and he could breathe, But with no ship, the treasure now lost, and pirates fishing any crew alive out as slaves he had few options. The scholar, after a few years, became a pirate, then a captain, and then... He bought himself his own ship and named it after himself. A once learned and noble man, now a rough and rebel rousing degenerate, The Regal Boar" Donavan finished his story and looked to Lorena, thinking on what she said earlier.
"I don't see why a different curse wouldn't affect a cursed man" He put his hand on his bread and then had an idea.
"The last time ye tried I was drunk, now I'm sober, well minus a swig..... see what it does to a sober man"

 

"That so, well makes me want to test it then" Donavan gave a grin.
"This be the captain's quarters, no body would come in here unannounced so Aye, i'll risk nothing for a test"
Donavan placed his hand on her cheek, leaning in till their lips meet. He kissed Lorena, waiting for some response of the curse. He held the kiss between them for what seemed like forever and he didn't die, not so much of a yawn. Just as he thought to end it hi cabin door opened, the quartermaster had walked in.
"Captain, a word with ye if.....I.....uhhh captain?" The quartermaster had a confused look on his face, while Donavan froze. He wasnt effected by the kiss but the door opening had turned him to stone.