The Pirate's Life

Planaya, Estrella, West Sector, Parts Warehouse 518...

The warehouse was quiet as it should be late at night. The steel building was under a supposed lockdown since it was after hours, but the side door's locking mechanism had been disabled for nights now, and no one had been the wiser, granted the warehouse wasn't particularly busy during the day. It was meant for storage, and there were other warehouses that would come before this one in line--it had been chosen for a really good reason. Inside were stacks and stacks of wooden crates filled with airship parts, but the center and the north part of the warehouse had been cleared. Anchored at the west side was a large, fully-operable airship with the name Dimension's Gate engraved on the side near the stern. A few men were aboard, tending to the deck, swabbing it and the like while a few others worked on getting the hull clean. Standing in the center of the clearing made in the warehouse was a teenage girl in black leather gear with butterfly wing-like projections sprouting out the back. Her dark pink hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she wore a butterfly pin in it, a beautiful azure and designed in a way that it looked so realistic. The sound of her trendy heels tapping against the steel floor of the warehouse echoed out and bounced back against the walls. Elegant, dark-tinted golden eyes gazed about almost restlessly as if she were expecting something to happen at any moment. In her hands she held an odd small golden device that clinked a bit. She raised it to her mouth and spoke.

"Have you seen anything, hmmm?" the girl inquired with a saccharine tone that was laced with a sinister layer that just couldn't be hidden. It was smooth like silk, yet possessed this knowing hint of something...and whatever it was wasn't good. She allowed an almost deranged smirk form on her face, but the sweet glow still lighted her cheeks. Such a strange juxtaposition it was, but anyone who knew her would know of her true nature. They would not be deceived. May the gods have mercy on the unsuspecting souls who don't...

"Nothing, Captain Heaven," a monotonous male voice spoke back through the clockwork device which seemed to twitch in Captain Heaven's hand as the voice replied. "I've got the door monitored. It's the only entrance into the building." Sure enough, there was a fellow standing just outside the warehouse away from the door where the lock was disabled. However, to the eye, smell, touch, and any other sense, there would seem to be nothing there. But the boy, Sirius, stood there in his cloak of inivisibility--no, his cloak of nonexistence. Watching. Just watching. It was what he did, and it was what he loved to do. This night was like the last few: quiet and mundane. The reason was that no one had shown up for the captain's evaluation as of yet, but she was convinced that tonight they would finally find some interested souls. As such, Sirius had come outside into the chill night air and gazed out, unblinking, hoping to catch a sign of movement about the warehouse. Unfortunately, there had been no such activity as of the moment the captain inquired. Most of Sirius's night was spent gazing up at the stars that the Planayans so desperately wished to reach. They seemed so much closer in this city than anywhere else. It was nice.

"Gah, and here I was sooooo sure," Captain Heaven chimed in a melancholy manner, spinning about on a heel before placing both feet firmly on the ground, her free hand going to her hip. "Well, keep on looking out and the like. I'll just try and keep myself occupied until someone arrives, though that might not be until another night," she sighed. "Captain Heaven, over and out."

And thus she waited with Sirius as her lookout...

Planaya, Estrella, West Sector, Parts Warehouse 185...8115...581...5...1...fuck it...

Inkie shifted his feet uncomfortably and drew his scarf more securely around his mouth. The night was rather silent. Too silent, actually. Seeing as he wasn't much of a noise-maker himself the younger man had come to love sound; piano, voices, the sound of Creiks chirping- sound. Music. Without it he felt naked. Now, in fact, he felt naked. Was there no nature at all in the city? Ugh....
At least he'd be rid of it soon enough.

If I'm accepted...I hope she's not too age picky...

The very thought made his stomach flutter. Fully prepared to be the youngest of the crew, he was. Assuming there were no kids. Would she even consider him? He was practically a teen. And he wasn't a fighter, but she wouldn't know that, right? Earlier this morning he'd gazed into a puddle collected on the ground, dreamily observing Puddle Creepers. His reflection had stared dreamily back at him, a slender, kind visage of blue eyes and longer lashes. His hair fell softly around his face, and his faint freckles added a sort of warmth to his expression. Inkie thought his face too kind. Too kind for the pirate life, anywho. What if Captain Heaven thought the same? What if he just looked...nice?

Then again, were all pirates vicious savages?
Inkie's cheeks (rosy with cold) turned down as if he might be frowning, but his scarf was too masterfully wrapped around the area to be quite sure.

The warehouse before him creaked as it set, the building being large and probably old. The sound reminded him of his purpose; reminded him of why he was even considering applying for something so ridiculous. With a small twitch of an eyebrow and another foot shuffle Inkie made his way closer to his destination. The small bag on his back clinked most softly, the buckles falling against each other. Inside there wasn't much. Just a few things for his research, and then a couple of familiars. Oh, and snacks for everybody.

He walked faster, a small blush forming on his already pink cheeks. Group snacks for pirates. God, what had he been thinking? This wasn't a kindergarten field trip and he wasn't a Soccer Mom...er...
Hopefully he wasn't a Soccer Mom.....
Regardless he should be psyching himself. Think Pirate. Not soccer mom. Pirate. He was a nasty little fucker.

Arrrrrrrr.

I guess I'm in the right place. There's a 5 and a 1 and an 8.

An azure gaze scanned the top of the door. Inkie closed his eyes, sending out a small, barely audible click from within. A shaky sound map formed in his head as the elastic pulse returned, blurry but accurate. The building, a few other buildings. A rodent. Some Puddle Creepers. Nothing that seemed...all too menacing. There weren't any sinister evil blood-lusty feelings being picked up from the inside either, but he could easily just be too far away. Inkie's eyes twinkled, a mix of emotions running through them. He might be excited, he might be anxious, and he might be nervous, but he wasn't stupid. He was walking into a warehouse on a desolate side of town in the middle of a night to talk to a pirate.

....

Actually, maybe he was stupid.

The boy fidgeted a little more before testing the lock on the door, pushing it open, and stepping inside.

Two sets of footsteps echoed lightly along the cobblestone path towards Warehouse 518. One was slower and quieter, belonging to Vulka Stark, who currently had the hood of a black cloak up. She was wearing only her tunic; it wasn't cold enough to be wearing her other shirt. The cloak kept off much of the chill anyways, and compared to some of the places she'd been, it wasn't cold at all. Sam, on the other hand, had two shirts on, and her baggy coat pulled tight across her chest. Her cheeks were pink. A soft smile poked at Vulka's features. Sam looked so cute and innocent...

A few moments later, the duo was stopped in front of a door. Vulka stepped forward, setting her hand against the door for a moment before pushing it open and striding inside, Sam on her heels. She stopped a few feet inside, making a quick observation before she did anything else, while Sam skipped straight up to a pink-haired teen that was wearing some rather revealing clothes. She had butterfly wings on her jacket and a butterfly hairpin, Vulka noticed. Her grey eyes stopped on another person, as her fingers trailed along the hilt of her sword, her hand coming to rest on the wolf's-head pommel. The other person present was male. He was awkwardly standing a few feet to the side of Vulka. "Nervous?" she asked. He was obviously not used to the cold, due to the fact he had a scarf wrapped around his face. She took a few steps towards him, her hand still on her blade in a non-threatening way.

Sam grinned up at the pink-haired youth, who, with her heels, stood close to a foot taller than the redhead. Though Sam couldn't have been more than three years younger, she appeared to be much younger than that. "Are you Cap'n Heaven?" she inquired happily. The redhead didn't have much fear, that was for sure. She was dealing with a potentially deadly brigand, and yet she acted like it was her best friend. Sam could practically hear Vulka groaning in the background. She giggled at the thought. "I'm Sam. Sam Vulpina I want to become a full-fledged engineer some day, so I was hopin' to help out around here and learn some more. I already learned some at the docks but, nothin' much. Not enough to do it by m'self, I don't think," she blurted out cheerily.

Not too long after Captain Heaven had requested a report from him, Sirius noticed that someone was approach the warehouse from the side which was good--the person obviously wasn't stupid enough to try and enter through the front. Fingers clutched the clockwork walkie talkie even more tightly, but he refused to speak into it. Captain Heaven would just have to be surprised. He couldn't afford for his voice to break his Nonexistence which was rare, but still a possibility. Instead, when the individual got close enough, Sirius merely inspected him. He had a scarf covering a lot of his face, and he had somewhat of an effeminate form. Sirius seriously wondered what he was doing here. He must have had a trick up his sleeve or something. Regardless, the young fellow went through the door with the disabled lock, though the apprehension was easily readable. Soon after that, Sirius spotted two females approaching: one that was practically bouncing along with presumable excitement while the other seemed much more cautious, if a bit touched by her companions bubbly nature. They also went through the door after which Sirius finally decided to warn the captain.

"Three guests. One male. Two females. Not sure if they're going to be cut out for it, but there you are. Sirius, over and out."

Inside the warehouse, Captain Heaven was pacing about the steel floor when the clockwork walkie talkie went off and she could hear Sirius speaking. Her eyes shot towards the door only to notice the aforementioned guests. Sirius stopped talking just in time for a young red-head to come waltzing up to her spouting her name and hopes and dreams. Captain Heaven raised an eyebrow and grinned evilly, her fingers dancing along the hilt of her blade, but refrained from drawing it. After all, this girl...Sam. She was such a cutie. Instead of slicing her neck, Captain Heaven took a step forward and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Well, well, Sam. My name is Nika Makari, also known as Captain Heaven," Nika spoke calmly, eying Sam's body as if it were a piece of meat. She was so skinny; could she actually do anything in battle? She said she knew stuff about engineering. "Are they..." Nika started to say before abruptly turning Sam around to face the side door where the others were standing while holding Sam against her body from behind. "...with you?" Nika practically purred the last statement right in Sam's ear, her golden eyes gazing out at the rather feminine man and the wary woman in the distance.

Sam grinned wider. "Hello, Capn' Heaven!" she exclaimed again, grinning even wider. Suddenly, the girl was flipped around to face Vulka and...some other guy that she literally ran past and didn't even notice. "Uh...I don't know who he is," she said, pointing at the man. "But the really pretty girl with the hood is Vulka. She's been real nice to me. She even came with when I said I wanted to get on the ship. She been watchin' over me since a couple years after my daddy died." She nodded a few times.

Vulka took this as a que to step forward. "Not a talker then?" she commented idly to the other crew candidate as she began approaching Captain Heaven, or, as she introduced herself to Sam, Nika. She nodded a greeting, pulling her hood down. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders like spun bronze. She was pleased to note that she stood taller than the pink-haired captain -- and she wasn't even wearing heels. "Vulka Urochyon."

Vulka crossed her arms, waiting to see what the captain would say. It seemed she'd taken a liking to Sam, judging by how close the two were. "Pleased to make your acquaintance," she said calmly.

It was impossible to gather even a fraction of a hint as to what Inkie was feeling or thinking. The scarf across his mouth and neck dutifully hid almost all expression, save the pool of emotions gathered in his azure eyes. And his eyes were such a pool that it was impossible to gather anything out of them. It was almost like looking into an emotionless person, but a person at the moment so full of emotions that it was nearly eerie. The only decipherable thing about the boy so far was the occasional shuffling of his feet, and that could have meant anything.

That azure gaze gazed out at the scene before him. So far it didn't seem like a trick or anything, and maybe he still had a chance of being accepted. The chic running everything...Nika? Nika. She was a lot younger than he'd expected. Then there was the cute redhead who didn't look like she could really do much, but he figured he must not look like much either, so he shouldn't judge. She had being cute going for her, if being cute was the fancy of the pirate. And everyone had worth on the inside.
Next, there was the tall girl. She was lean, slightly foreboding. She could make a pirate easily. She spoke to him and he simply nodded back, eventually focusing on Nika again, those blue eyes looking out from his fair face, obviously inquisitive but equally shrouded in a sort of emotional mystery.

Inkie shifted the pack on his back, shuffling his feet and sending out an audible click, though to anyone listening it would appear to be no more than that. Again, he received a fuzzy map. The Airship was impressive, and she seemed to already have a small crew. The warehouse was pretty big, stacked full of boxes. One across the room five shelves up and seven crates over was cracked slightly, and he could "see" inside. Airship parts. How fitting.
He could've gone on taking everything in for hours, but he knew he wouldn't be able to put off what he was most worried about for long....

Communication.

Five-one-eight. Yes.

Raiden could easily see the three numbers from quite away. His right eye (or what was left of it) began to twitch painfully, a sign of nervousness and anxiety. He was told to stay the fuck away from these kind of people, but…

Who is the happier man, the one who has faced the dangers of the skies and lived, or the one who remained rooted to the ground and merely existed?

That was his psychology, anyway. He had never felt any happier than when he was pushing himself, when he was in pain. He fixed his hair so it was out of the way of his good eye and pulled up his hood. Ignoring the pain in his right eye, he quietly and casually strode towards the warehouse, keeping his head up and high.

From a distance he could easily make out the figures of three teens, two girls and a guy, not that much younger than him. He could see the silhouettes of others that we inside the warehouse, but it was too dark and far for him.

A man with an eyepatch? Sirius watched curiously as another man approached from the same direction the others had. This was a good sign; these people knew what they were doing, searching for the side door. In all honesty, that was kind of the first test. Seems as though they're passing with flying colors tonight, Sirius thought to himself as he watched the man walk right on up to the side door and open it allowing himself entry to the warehouse and what lie within. He wondered if he should warn Nika, but he figured that she'd be expecting more. She had been right after all; tonight was the night that they finally got some curious applicants. By the number that appeared, if they all checked out, then they could pack up and set out tonight. Sirius thought about getting back up in the air. They had already been touched down for about a week. He didn't realize how attached he had become to the airship and soaring through the skies. He wondered if Swift and Bulwark felt the same.

Nika, still grinning in that sinister way, wrapped her arms around Sam, resting them against the redhead's stomach. The sky pirate captain gave a rather elaborate once over to the woman that approached--the one apparently going by the name of Vulka. Nika very much liked what she saw. Now this woman definitely had it in her. Nika let her tongue poke out and slide across her lips, her evil grin forming into a genuinely pleased one. Her eyes fell to the woman's sword. So she was armed which meant she could fight. Again, Nika allowed herself to take in the woman's figure which was rather pleasing, but she much rather liked the feel of having Sam in her arms. So cute, and so young.

"Well...Vulka. A pleasure to make yours as well. I'm Nika Makari as you might have heard from afar, hee hee," Nika stated matter-of-factly, pretty intent to keep Sam in her grasp, though it was a warm, non-hostile one...at least as far as anyone could tell. "Mmm, Sam says you've been helping her out, ne? So...kind of you. Are you sure you're here to become a sky pirate?" the captain scoffed lightly. It wasn't a direct assault on the woman's credentials, but she had to probe these people. They could either be capable or they could be sword fodder. Nika's eyes wandered over to the male in the back who seemed to just be shuffling his feet, and then took notice of another male who entered through the door...who had an eyepatch. Talking about dressing up for the fucking part! she exclaimed wildly in her mind. She didn't press them to approach, but instead awaited Vulka's response.

Sam's cheeks reddened slightly when Nika's arms circled around her. She didn't say anything about it, instead smiling brightly at Vulka, who arched an eyebrow at the pink-haired sky pirate. Sam felt somewhat awkward, but she decided that she'd better not say anything.

"There are two directions to go from Estrella. Up or down. I shan't be going down, so I must go up. My life has been spent here, and I yearn to see other places," she responded coolly. She kept her face blank as she stared at the captain, her stormy gray eyes every bit as piercing as a rapier.

Sam squirmed uncomfortably for a few seconds. "Um...Miss Nika, can you let go of me please?" the redhead squeaked. A smirk twitched on Vulka's face momentarily. The woman made no move, waiting for the pirate's next reaction. It was plain to anybody that truly knew Vulka that she disapproved of the pirates, but she had nothing else to do, and it was a way off of the ship. She'd spent so much time trying to find Sam too. She might as well stick around for a little bit and make sure that the little redhead stayed safe.

Two...eight...sixteen.

His hand shuffled within the pouch counting all the smooth, dense orbs that bounced around inside upon each step he took. Though his head was tilted downward, concealing all of his face except for his thick beard, he did pay mind to where he was walking. ...twenty-four...twenty-eight Each step taken was assured by the echoing thump from his dark leather boots, and after a baker's dozen more paces he was before the warehouse. ...thirty-two.

There was a figure just outside the warehouse. And surely if it weren't for the cloak it wore, the man clad in burgundy would surely have noticed the lad. But he didn't. He couldn't. The only thing he could feel is the presence of being watched by something unknown, and that was an all too familiar sensation. Although he knew down to the marrow of his bones that no mortal being graced their presence anywhere near him based solely on the facts he has witnessed himself, something unnatural itched at his instincts. Just as they had when his family fled the Kingdom. A few flashbacks of hiding in the barns and cellars of old family friends when he had been just a child an ocean away scurried into vision. It was not an easy feat for him to be standing where he was at this moment. But it was all much easier once he had reached Planaya.

It was after his distracted mind had ceased its uproar had he noticed that only moments earlier there had been others that walked into the warehouse. The man checked his holsters for his clockworks, and was relieved to see the intricate designs on their hilts glisten in his eyes. The hilt of a cutlass also peeked through from under his coat. If anything were to happen (he's a rather cautious man) he was prepared. Now for the side door.

It was a simple find. He opened, entered and closed the door behind himself. Only to find there to be children at his presence aside from what he presumed to be an adult that is a good five inches over him. But even he had just entered before the bearded fellow. Where was the captain?

Raiden’s eye scanned the room, the airship parts catching his eye first. Then the tall brunette, then finally the pink haired captain and the little redhead. Just some kids, he thought. He was expecting some tall, burly men with scars all over their bodies or something. Then again, they must have something up their sleeve if they’re here. His right eye began to pulse painfully, soaking one side of his eyepatch in blood. Damn Aingotts, why must they always target the eyes?

He decided to stand back for now, since the three ladies were having a conversation and he didn’t want to interrupt. For now, he just watched and listened. The pinkette was Captain Heaven? She was awfully young… Then again, from what he had heard of her, she was quite the force to be reckoned with.

He could hear the door open and close behind him. He didn’t even bother to look back, but judging by the sounds of the footsteps, it was probably an older man who was much bigger than him. Interesting...

Ah, here was another cautious one. Sirius could smell the feeling of slight paranoia on the man's being, and it almost made the younger boy shiver in delight. He knew that he would never be detected because he didn't exist. It was as simple as that. In a quick once over, Sirius was able to tell this guy was packing some heat which told that he had a decent knowledge of weaponry and fighting. That was always a plus, not to mention he just seemed to be rather hardy and definitely older than the rest who trundled through the door to the warehouse earlier--kids aiming to have some little dreamland trip through the skies. Boy, were they completely deluded. The captain is sure to be nice as long as they play their cards right, but... he thought as he watched the rugged man walk through the door of the warehouse and close it behind him. He thought nothing more as he continued to stare out through the darkness. Nika would need no warning.

Eyes seeming to glow, Nika gazed directly into Vulka's own eyes, somewhat satisfied with the woman's answer. So she sought to see the world, hm? Then so she would be able to, if she managed to meet Nika's expectations. The redhead protested suddenly which caused Nika to blink, an angry look flashing across her visage before disappearing as soon as it had shown itself. "Well, well. Mayhap I should let you go....mmm, since we just met and all, ne?" she sang mischievously, taking her arms from around Sam and patting her gently on the shoulder before taking a step back. Once again, the toe of one of her trendy heels tapped impatiently against the floor. "Well, Vulka, you definitely show promise, I'll give you that much," the young captain said with a shrug. "Guess we'll be seeing what you're made of soon enough," she chimed and did a little dance, twirling about and bowing to the woman.

Straightening herself up, she gazed back at the men who happened to be staying clustered near the door, and she noticed that a new one had appeared. What was with them anyway? "Hey! Get your asses over here!" she shouted suddenly, pointing an accusing finger at the apprehensive, perhaps overly cautious men. "You've come to play with Captain Heaven, ne? Then why don't you get over here and meet her?" The ferocity in her voice had subsided and was replaced by the charming tone that she had carried on so far.

The woman was the poster child for contradiction.

Her name was Marie McCullough. Her long brown hair was braided down her back. She was dressed in a basic jeans and t-shirt. An axe was slung across her back in a holster she had fashioned out of leather.

But leaning on her shoulder was a small three year old and curled up in her arms, fast asleep in the night. It was past his bedtime. While normally his mother would be strongly against wandering around at night past his bedtime, and normally she'd be holed up in some form of inn so he could sleep, this time it was justified. But still, she kept him hidden under a blanket, just to be sure he'll be safe and warm in the cold Estrellan night.

She pulled a flier out of her pocket, just to make sure she was in the right place. West sector. Warehouse 518. A quick glance up at the sign showed she was in front of 512. Still a bit further to go until she was free from the Estrellan mafia. She and her son. There were few other places she could run on the floating metal city. Their best bet now was to get out.

She kept walking in the night, only to stop in front of 514. She felt like she was being watched. Then again, she always felt that. She looked around wildly, seeing nothing. Marie held Max a bit tighter now, her arm reaching up to the handle of the axe. But then again, these people could be the people who put the flier out. She kept walking, assuming the risk, until she reached the door of 518. With a deep breath, she entered through the door, keeping a wary eye in the shadows around her.

Inkie looked behind him, blue eyes still unreadable, still gazing out from over his scarf. He better introduce himself now, or he'd start to fade into the background. The buy was doomed to such a life; his appearance was eye-catching enough, and his determined silence was intriguing. Sadly, it was still silence. A style of stealth forced upon his demeanor. He'd fade in no time if he didn't take action now....this was his last chance.

With a slightly exaggerated step he strode forward, his shoes treading lightly upon the ground. Inkie stood at 6'' foot with long legs, so he reached his way to Nika in no time, positioning himself right in front of her, as if to say "Here I am. Judge me. I'll rise to the challenge".
Of course, this isn't exactly what he felt on the inside, but nobody else would know that. His eyes met hers directly, looking down; the azure irises met hers without flinching away. He had nothing to hide. His eyes were deep and expressive, so full of emotions that they were piercing. Yet the slender of his face, his long lashes and the inviting freckles on his cheeks proclaimed no devil.

He stood there, staring at her dutifully, but he didn't say a word. The effect was almost more dramatic than if he'd jumped into a long explanation about himself.


".................................."

"You've come to play with Captain Heaven, ne? Then why don't you get over here and meet her?"

The really bothered him. He's really going to take orders from a child. Perhaps he should just leave.

"You're the Captain as you say," began the man as he stepped forward past the other in front of him. He caught a glimpse of the other male. Another child. A really tall child. "Djinn D'Luna of the former D'Luna clan from the now corrupt Dictatorship of Nirshire." He falsely named the Kingdom of Nirshire purposely in disgust of its current condition which began to form when he was just a child. "I know a bit of magic--not too much--which will be handy if you're in need of some rounds like I'll be." He said hinting at his clockworks. It was then another had entered the building. He looked back briefly before returning his attention to the child Captain; it was a girl with average appearance. "Am I here to babysit?"

"I'm coming in." A voice echoed throughout the warehouse from a device that Nika was suddenly holding in one hand. She didn't bother responded to the voice and instead focused on the large man who had definitely accepted her invitation to approach, and she noted that the other, much younger lad was rather impressive looking up close, not to mention an unbelievable cutie. He hadn't said anything though which perturbed her. Was his mouth full of scarf or something? Glancing back, the eyepatch fellow and a new female arrival with a little boy caught her eye. These were the applicants for her crew? In a flash, her blade was drawn, though she held it in a nonthreatening way, her eyes gleaming dangerously as she gazed up at the older gentleman with no fear whatsoever, a smile upon her face that didn't give away the slight irritation she felt stirring about inside of her.

"Was that supposed to be some kind of crack there, hm?" Nika said and laughed maniacally, twirling her blade expertly, yet still in a non-threatening manner. "You've heard tales of my terror, ne? Babysitting won't be required; I'm a full-fledged sky pirate captain--one of the toughest in existence," she said, tapping the flat of her blade against her leg. Her composure returned to her quickly, not that she had truly lost it in the first place. "Remember your place, wayward goose; you're here to prove your worth to me. Not the other way around," she stated simply in a rather lighthearted manner. Her eyes glanced right at the door as it opened, almost expecting a new arrival before she remember that Sirius was going to go ahead and come in, not like he was giving her any warnings anyway about newcomers.

Barring the door now was a rather tall fellow standing up nice and straight, his posture impeccable. Not a bit of his skin or eyes or facial features could be seen, for his entire body from head to toe was wrapped in various strips of black cloth. He wore black boots, and protruding from one eye was a small strange scope with a red lens. The fellow gazed out over the motley assembly of applicants, crossing his arms in the process. "Well, isn't this an interesting lineup," he said in a monotonous voice. It was hard to tell what he was thinking and his voice portrayed no emotion whatsoever. He kept rooted to the spot, however.

"Ah, Sirius. How kind of you to join us," Nika chimed and leapt back, landing on the ground and twirling. "Everyone line up front and center!" the sky pirate captain growled. "I want the names of anyone who hasn't introduced themselves yet. In the case you fail this evaluation..." She paused and grinned in such an innocent manner that it was about damn well near sickening.

"...I'll need to know what name to have engraved on your tombstone."

Marie immediately pulled her axe out as soon as the girl pulled out the knife. Wait a minute, this was the person with the fliers? This little girl, who looked so full of herself? Was this some kind of joke? She was half tempted just to walk out right now. But that would cost her the chance at freedom from the bloody mafia. She decided to stay, and would fight like hell in the event it was a trap.

The girl barked out an order, and while she wasn't thrilled by being ordered around by some snot nosed teenager, she kept the axe at her side, and lined up. "Marie McCullough." she said once, keeping Max close to her chest and pulling the blanket up just a hair higher to cover his sleeping form up. This was very difficult, considering she had an axe in one hand and the kid in the other. So she ended up using her teeth to pull it up over Max's head. He didn't stir, thank the gods.

Raiden snapped into attention and silently stepped towards the pink haired captain, stopping just a few feet away from her. Who knows what kind of tricks she had up her sleeve. "Name's Raiden. Raiden Jykes. Pleasure to meet you, captain." He had a strong yet quiet voice, and he appeared to give her a nod of respect. He casually stuffed his hands into his pockets as his eye traveled around the room, avoiding eye contact with anyone else.

He cold not help but notice the woman with her child. What was going on in her head, bringing such a vulnerable child to this place. Just the thought made him angry. How irresponsible. He took a good look at their faces, letting them burn into his memory.

Sam quickly sidled over to Vulka's side. She clutched the soft sable coat that adorned the older woman's shoulders tightly. Vulka resisted the urge to wrap the redhead in a warm embrace. That would only serve to anger Nika, most like. "Aye," was Vulka's simple response. A few more people entered, Vulka duly noted. The quiet guy approached then, the scarf still wrapped around his mouth.

Sam gazed up at him for a few minutes, then shuffled over quietly and poked him in the hip. "What's your name?" she asked quietly, not really caring if she interrupted anything or not. It was at this time that Nika called out to the two men standing in the back. One approached, introducing himself as Djinn D'Luna.

A D'Luna...? Vulka thought curiously, tilting her head to one side. He was very arrogant. The woman grimaced at the man's last line, while Nika drew her blade and started twirling it around, non-threateningly, of course. Regardless, Vulka placed her hand on Lupa. She noted a moment later that she was several inches taller than Djinn. It pleased her for some reason. "I suggest you guard your tongue, sir," she remarked dryly, fixing her stormy gaze on him.

Sam looked at Djinn and turned away, crossing her arms. "Babysittin'. What an idgit," she huffed angrily. As the woman entered with a blanket concealing a lump on one arm, Nika seemed to get impatient and shouted for everyone to get in line.

As the man 'Sirius' appeared, Vulka's hand tightened around her sword. He'd been here the whole time...how hadn't she noticed. She was somewhat angered by her carelessness. Had this been a different situation, both girls would likely be dead. Her face, however, showed no outward emotion, unlike Sam, who seemed utterly terrified of Nika now, judging by the fact that she was clinging to Vulka's cloak once more.

"A test?" Vulka inquired. "What test be it? Arms? Wit?" She arched a delicate eyebrow. "Or something else?"

Inkie flinched with incredibly fast reflexes when the redhead poked him in the hip, twisting around and then hopping briefly on his feet. The show was actually kind of impressive. The boy usually wasn't that fast.
Hopefully it looked like he was just a well-seasoned fighter, and not incredibly ticklish.
Because...he was incredibly ticklish.

Inkie rubbed his side, throwing his blue gaze over Sam and Nika more or less at the same time. They'd asked the same question; at least he could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. He took a calm, bouncy step backwards and then just sort of stood there. He was already front and center, so there wasn't really any other place to go. Actually...diverting his eyes from the pink-haired girl to look around, he realized he was the front and center. He'd be in the middle of the line. This could be good or bad.

So far things were going well, and he'd like to keep it that way. Nika had looked him over, and while she hadn't shown any obvious acceptance, she hadn't seen any blatant rejection either. Inkie blinked and shuffled his feet, the spark of fear he'd felt at her threat quickly dissolving into an eager, anxious passion that showed glowingly in his eyes. This was it then. He was either going to become a pirate or he was going to risk certain death. And he was excited about it.
Yup. He was stupid, no doubt about it.

Now for the fun part; his name. The boy's cheeks gained a small blush under his freckles, long lashes fluttering for a moment. He was blushing in front of a pirate? Gee gods. At least he wasn't freaking out as badly as he used to when people asked for his name. By now he’d gotten rather used to the routine removal of his shirt, and while it still made him feel a bit flustered, it didn't bother him as much.

Inkie shuffled his feet and then grasped the bottom of his shirt in his hands, removing it quickly and stuffing it into his bag. The air was kind of cold, and it made him shudder, but he certainly didn't look weak. His stomach was an athletic flat, and his chest was well-muscled; at least, proportionate to his lean frame and his height. He wasn't as much as a square as most other guys; in fact, his hips sloped a bit more than some girl's. It'd annoyed him in the past, but now he was used to it too, unless it was brought up directly.

None of this mattered though, for the current situation. The design of interest would be his tattoo.
The word "Inkblot" twisted across part of his stomach and hip in Dirty and Classic font, and the design of the tattoo made it look like the Black Ink from the letters was running down and across his skin. Small splatters of it were randomized almost accurately around his name as if it had been slapped on there and some of the ink had flown in all directions. Some drips twisted around his waist, undulating across the contours of his body. Whenever he so much as shifted his weight the stuff looked like it was rippling. Like raindrops running down a window. The stuff almost looked real. A close friend had done it for him. He loved it. Inkblot. It got him all perfectly.

The boy's actual name was Kevin, but that wasn't nearly as exciting.

Inkie took a finger and ran it around the Dirty and Classic word several times before running his finger up to the top of his chest and base of his shoulder, where "Inkie" was written. He underlined it. With his finger, of course. That was what he went by.

The whole process was rather dramatic, but it kept him from fading, and then made it a lot easier to get his point across. On top of that he got the opportunity to show off a cool Tattoo whenever somebody asked for his name. The artwork of a friend. She'd been brilliant. The tat was intriguing but not overdone, and few drops of ink that spiraled along his side brought out the obvious curves of his hips in at least a more dignified manner.

He might have spilled into an elaborate sign-language speech chock-full of obscene gestures that nobody in their right mind would have understood, but the sudden presence of emotions that had not previously been there caught his attention, drawing it over his shoulder and to the confusing man barring the door. He looked menacing, all in black with red on his eye. That was a pirate right there. Inkie was sure of it.

He was also sure that he hadn't been there before. Inkie...the boy was an empath. He'd been hyper-aware of the emotions of others since he was a babe, and the feelings floating around the room were like a normal atmosphere for him. But he was sure that there hadn't been any before coming from that man, and the ones he now exuded were so unlike any he'd ever felt before and so vague that the feel of them made him shudder. This...was going to be....interesting...

“A joke, no. I’ve never reported to a child. You’d be the first. In fact, the only thing dangerous with such youthful appearance I’ve ever encountered was an Elf—an easy raid.” Djinn took off his hat and tossed it to the ground, and then dropped his long coat. With the removal of his cap came the presence of long, slicked back brown hair that met just under the lowest bone of his neck. Underneath the burgundy drapes which had hung heavy over was a black vest. No shirt underneath it. His torso was masculine and hairy; greatly muscular and battle scarred but thick fur was ever present at the biceps, sternum and forearms. It could be inclined that a mane was present at the abdomen connecting the upper torso’s fur to the lower body’s own. His lower half was covered by great trousers that bore a brilliant, black leather belt on which was a rather large, brass belt buckle in the shape of a gear. Along each hip was a gun holster—each holding a clockwork weapon of their own—but in the front of the left holster was a sheathed cutlass which had a beautiful hilt with graceful craftsmanship. It had very detailed gear patterns, but the hilt itself was also a gear. The blade rested in a brass scabbard which could be used as a bludgeon weapon if desired. It too was aesthetically appealing with its own series of gear artwork. The backside of his belt carried his pouch of thirty-two rounds of ammunition for the clockworks. The cuffs of his trousers were overlapped by the tops to his boots. Why drop the weather protection? Posters for recruitments such as this meant one thing: trial. Djinn is a seasoned cutthroat.

As he dropped the articles of clothing to the ground, a man barred the door. An actual adult of good stature; and a decent threat considering Djinn had not noticed him prior to his own entrance to the warehouse. The gir—Captain Heaven called the man Sirius. And then came the demand for names, a polite demand, followed by the lock and key of the beginning of this trial: the reasoning for names being the requirement of the dead to have the courtesy of a gravestone. The woman that had just entered moments ago said hers. Marie. She had a child with her. It was depressing but not a new situation.

Djinn, being a sap, was ready to protect that child. The boy was marked in the back of his mind. As a child himself, he had been in shitty situations with the family too. Empathy was ever present. Followed by Marie was the fellow with the eye patch introducing himself as Raiden Jykes. He seemed commendable. When Jyke’s gaze met the presence of Marie it seemed ashamed of them. A woman who had spoken before unknowing to Djinn’s knowledge told him he’d better watch his words with caution. Another called him something he’d only hear lowly peasants spit at each other angrily back at Nirshire because of their bitter lack of education. Perhaps Djinn would have to teach that one a few lessons upon verbal and written literacy?

There was also a lad that took his shirt off to emphasize his tattoos. Djinn cared not for them. He meet the gaze of the Captain with his weary red orbs. There was a slight smirk under that thick, brown beard. Djinn was ready to draw his blade and make a quick shot with his left clockwork.

Nika watched in pleasure as the applicants began to line themselves up. The woman with the child, Marie, had been startled enough to draw an axe. She had to be decently strong to wield that thing, but could she wield it well. It was likely that she'd be a burden with that damn child around, but perhaps she shouldn't be so easily dismissed. Nonchalantly turning her gaze to the next to introduce themselves, she realized it was the fellow with the eyepatch. Besides said eyepatch, there didn't seem to be anything special about him. That was a damn shame, but Nika was definitely digging that eyepatch. Sound drew Nika's attention now, and it turned out to be Vulka reprimanding the rather unruly Djinn which was a nice change. However, the woman's question needed to be answered. "Yes, there is an evaluation of sorts--mostly a short Q&A regarding your supposed value to the crew, and then a nice little display of abilities. Sounds simple enough, ne?" she chimed mischievously, giving the woman a subtle wink. Scanning over her applicants, she noticed the one with the scarf was taking off his shirt. Unf, this escalated quickly, she growled lustily to herself in her mind, her eyes taking in every inch in that lovely torso. As a matter of fact, the sky pirate captain waltzed right up to him and placed a palm against his lower chest, right above his bellybutton. She liked what she felt. Trying to dismiss the unbelievable mixture of cute and hot, her eyes managed to take a gander at the name. "Inkie. Very well. Pleasure to have you around," she commented lightly, turning on a heel and marching to her original position, twirling her blade about as she listened to Djinn speak of jokes and some such. At least he seemed eager enough.

Sirius tensed, but no one would have noticed beneath all that cloth. The man, Djinn, was stripping down a bit and his weapons came into full view. Sirius didn't like the look of them, but there was no doubt in his mind that Nika would be all right. No one else might have noticed, but he could see as clear as day the light wind swirling about her. They probably think that her dancing is just craziness....the fools... he thought to himself which was about as monotonous as his voice. He didn't seem to speak anymore, but he certainly seemed determined to prove something, though Sirius noticed that Nika was not impressed.

"All right, all right, settle down there," Nika said with a touch of annoyance, waving her hand in the air nonchalantly in a somewhat 'cool your jets' gesture. "Fighting me would be overkill anyway; if I felt like getting cheap kills, I'd just wander about the dark allies taking whatever lives I wished," she stated matter-of-factly as if murdering were just some everyday hobby. "Besides, I'm more interested in questioning you sorry bastards, and I'm sure you're hungering to give me answers, ne? Who wants to go first~?" Her piercing eyes gazed delightedly into each set of theirs, though she skipped over Sirius; he wasn't on trial here. He had already proven himself of great worth. It was these fellows who needed to show what they were made of and how valuable they truly were.

Before anyone had a chance to respond, her eyes settled on the cutie with the tattoos. His torso was still exposed, and it was at times like these that she was able to keep herself in check. There were plenty of things she wanted to do to him at the moment, but such things could wait until he actually made it on the crew. "Mm, how about you there, cutie?" Nika crooned, pointing a finger at Inkie which seemed to be aimed directly at his heart. "You'd be more than happy to take the spotlight, ne? Ohohoho, of course you would." She took a few seconds to let out a somewhat maniacal laugh before brushing off her garments with her free hand. "So Inkie. Why in the world should I, Captain Nika Heaven Makari, allow you to be a member of my sky pirate crew aboard the amazing craft, Dimension's Gate? What is it that sets you apart from others, hm? Why do you think you deserve this honor--no, this privilege?" she questioned firmly, placing a heavy emphasis on 'privilege' when she corrected herself.

Inkie was honestly caught off guard. By everything, let alone the question. Did he really have to go first? Well, yes. Yeah he had to go first. He'd make a lasting impression he hoped, though going last was the advantage he'd been hoping for.
Nevermind that. He could adapt. He was a nasty little fucker, and he wasn't ticklish, and he hadn't wanted to squeal, cringe, and then pass out when Nika had put her hand against his stomach.
He was a soon-to-be pirate. Arrrrrr.

He was also shuffling his feet and blushing profusely.
The question ran through his head. An open ended question, of course. Those tended not to fair well with him.

"So Inkie. Why in the world should I, Captain Nika Heaven Makari, allow you to be a member of my sky pirate crew aboard the amazing craft, Dimension's Gate? What is it that sets you apart from others, hm? Why do you think you deserve this honor--no, this privilege?"

"............"

He tugged on his scarf, readjusting it around his mouth, trying to formulate a few gestures to explain passion. Within a moment he found it impossible. Maybe he could go with writing?
The boy stared out as he thought, resenting the amount of time this took, but glad it wasn't taking as long as usual. His Azure eyes met Nika's briefly before sliding away and scanning the rest of the crowd. A mix of writing and Empathy. He'd have to go with that for now.

Inkie held both of his hands up, a gesture he hoped portrayed that he meant no harm...for the moment. Not everyone took to having emotions pressed on the atmosphere around them quite so peacefully. That more or less taken into consideration he inhaled rather deeply, his eyes taking on a luminous glow.
For a moment nothing changed, but after long the change in the air became obvious. The room, once void, was suddenly full of emotion; literally. You could breathe in passion; will, determination, eagerness. There was a slight wariness and an overbearing sense of longing, but he toned them down so that they weren't so unpleasant. The feelings activated his Synesthesia, filling him with the taste of pineapple and the smell of the Earth after it rained. The two associated senses made sense only in his mind, but they wafted slightly throughout the room nonetheless, most strong around where he stood.

Inkie shuffled his feet again, eyes still luminous. That wasn't going to be enough. He worried that-
The feeling one gets when struggling against a lifelong challenge waltzed out of his mind to join the other emotions in the room. Gah. No time to worry about that. Writing then.
He'd have to go with that to get his point across. It took extreme focus...focused thoughts, that is. Anything that entered his mind at the moment would find itself on the wall. He could quickly cross out anything he didn't want read, but it'd be better not to have it there in the first place.
The boy glanced at Nika and gestured to the nearest wall with his eyes, shoving his hands in his pants pockets and staring at it intently.
His gaze started to shift back and forth, as if he were reading.
Writing began to fade onto the brick surface.


I'd only be an asset to you Nika, not a burden. Whether or not I deserve this is completely up to you; all I can do is show myself off and hope that you'll accept me. This being said, I'm aware that this isn't a child's talent show, and I didn't come here by chance. I brought myself here in the middle of my night; I risk my life for what? For the skies. You understand that, don't you? The laws are of the ground are stupid and debilitating, nearly as much as my inability to speak, in case such an issue was unapparent before. I ask for nothing but a place in your crew, and as a result, my fitting is completely up to you. You know what your crew needs better than I do. Why do I think in such a formal dialect? This isn't a fucking beauty pageant. Not that I've ever even considered entering a beauty pageant. If I could talk I betcha I sure to hell wouldn't sound like this, or dress me up in tights and call me king. Speaking of tights, I'd like to see- FOCUS DARN IT FOCUS.

I'll be straight and to the point with my abilities.

~ There's this one, for instance. Writing on surfaces with the mind. I can write on multiple surfaces simultaneously, which I suppose could be used for a sort of communication, or anything else you'd need kept track of. Inkie, you idiot, this isn't a secretary-

The boy shuffled his feet.


~ I can receive and understand thoughts transmitted to myself as well as understand the gist of what another person is pondering, this including the thoughts of animals small and large.

~ As you may have felt before, I can also transmit my emotions to other people and creatures, whether it be peacefully what I'm feeling (as I did before) or an emotion I'm forcing into the mind of another being; anything from hopelessness to elation.

~ I can take the form of any living thing I touch, gaining access to basic physical information to them as well. Er...If you heard me clicking earlier, I was making a map of this place in my head. Echolocation, I think is what it's called. I can sense the sense the overall well-being and conditions of one's immediate environment and natural setting...I suppose I'd make a good scout.

Should I ever come across the need to fight the shifting helps, though there is another more...effective way of combat I possess. Now you're just bragging...
I'm taking up too much time, I think. If you'd like me to demonstrate or explain later, I shall. In short I can knock a person out in less than a second, long as I know their location. It depends on what the situation calls for. Simple pain? Short Coma? Prolonged Vegetative state? Death?
I can do either of those. Oh, and stun. Stunning is fun a bit easier.
And, uhm, then there's the weapons thing....

It's an array of abilities at your disposal, and I suppose you'd be better at deciding where I fit in than even I would. Er...if it helps, I'm not stupid. And I'm a good cook.

The writing died out, as if Inkie had squeaked meekly at the end of his sentence. He was done. He'd taken up a lot of time. Should he have done something more impressive maybe? Like tell her the contents of the box down the hall? He should've, darn it....

Inkie turned back to face Nika, his eyes once again so emotional that they were unreadable. The emotions in the room, nearly tangible, reached a short pitch and then dissipated.

Sirius disappeared suddenly. There was something wrong in the air, and he didn't want any part of it. As such, he completely dropped off the radar which might have been for the best. Those who made a dash for the door would be in for a horrible surprise, but everyone seemed to be set on their endeavors, not to mention captivated by whatever it was the scarf-wearing male had done. All eyes happened upon a wall. Sirius came back into existence, but didn't bother taking a look. Instead, he kept his gaze focused like a hawk on Inkie. Watching. It was what he did best, after all.

An eyebrow raised, Nika watched as a tale unfolded on the steel wall of the parts warehouse. Inkie was a mute which suddenly made sense and definitely captured the sky pirate captain's intrigue. This boy spoke of a yearning for the sky and an escape from the rules of the earthbound. Liberation--that is what he sought. She pondered the points he had brought up. It was true that he would be a great communicator despite his lack of speech, and he would make for a better scout than she had at the moment, not to mention he seemed to portray one of his most important abilities already. Mmm, but should I take him in so willingly? she mused to herself mentally. He was kind of silly now that she thought about it, her sharp eyes catching the words before they were marked out. Now he stood there, shuffling his feet a bit and awaiting some sort of response. She definitely had felt the emotions--that was sheer determination. He really wanted to get into the air.

"Gah, all right, that was a good answer there," Nika eventually managed to say, waving him off as if he were nothing, for she didn't want to give away anything. "Looks like you already did a good job of displaying your abilities. I guess you're excused from the second part of the evaluation." She gave him an odd, unreadable look before taking a glance at Sirius who merely gave her the most subtle of nods. The sound of the tip of one of her trendy heels tapping against the steel floor resounded through the room. Her eyes eventually rested on the unbelievably attractive Sam and the rather mystical Vulka. A dynamic duo, to be sure, even though the former didn't seem to be capable of much, she grinned at the prospect of what Vulka might be able to do. "You two. Sam and Vulka right? Mm, how about you? What brings you here in the middle of the night to this dark warehouse where you might not walk away with your lives? What makes you think you can honestly do well on the crew? How can you honestly strengthen our ranks?" Her line of questioning was fierce just as it was before, and there was a serious lack of the sinister tone she had expressed several times earlier. This was of the utmost importance, after all.

A strange expression crossed Vulka's face as the boy, now known as Inkie, did something odd. It was like all the pent-up emotions that the woman had ever experienced were now rushing out of her. A few seconds later, she retained her blank, stoic expression. Writing appeared on the steel walls as Inkie wrote...with his mind? Vulka was slightly confused. Magic was all but unheard of where she was from. Well, with a few exceptions...

Nika's question to Inkie was now redirected to the duo. Sam flushed slightly and stepped forward, puffing her chest out proudly. "Well, I'm Sam, as you know, Miss Nika," she began. "And I'm a 'prentice engineer. Don't know enough to be alone, so I still have to learn some, but I'll do my best. I could also help out with stuff like cookin' and cleanin' if you need me too. I promise I'll work real hard, Miss Nika!" The redhead stood there for a moment, staring up at the pink-haired Captain with a determined, emerald-green gaze. Vulka smirked momentarily.

Now it was time for the grey-eyed woman to speak. She waited for a moment, her stormy eyes passing over everyone present, then finally focusing on Nika's face. "I am Vulka Urochyon. My desire to be on Dimension's Gate is fueled by my want to escape Estrella." Her voice almost seemed to echo off the walls even though it was scarce more than a whisper. "I offer my blade to your service. If you wish to test my abilities, I would be happy to oblige, or you can trust that I am skilled. I will not balk. Any order you give me, you can expect to be carried out." She upheld her stare even after finishing. The thunderheads that were Vulka's eyes seemed to pierce into Nika's soul.

As Vulka went on, Sam inched closer and closer to Inkie, until she was more or less pressed up against his side. "Psst~" she whispered, setting a hand on his side. "You're pretty cool. And cute," she added with a giggle. "Wanna be friends?" She flashed a wide smile at him.