Jumping Ship: To a New Life (Jygust 31st EMT) - Thalia

[Shea Artrien]

Frowning, the swashbucker gave a light shove that was rebuffed but the whump of someone's heavy hand on the wooden barrier. Shea blinked almost comically, and took a step back.

Opening his mouth to call out, the former fisherman stifled himself when the voices inside reached his ears.

Green men. Wits, move quietly and skill in a fight. Talk to the lessers...

His mind racing to formulate his next plan of action, the handsome swordsman glanced back over his shoulder an noticed an approaching figure ...that had green skin.

Shea looked around quickly, looking for a place to get out of sight. Lacking that...he might have no other alternative than to confront the green man, and that was something he'd rather not do unless he had to.

[Haikan]

"Well, thing is, miss." He turned around and held his pipe with his hand as he inhale through his teeth. "...We got ourselves just enough information to know that this is a dangerous front. We ain't playin' cops 'n robbers out there. People could die, and that's a risk my crew and me are takin'. If you want an adventure, ya gotta take some risks. That bein' said, you still want aboard?" He held out his hand in offering, in case she decided that she could handle it.

"My first mate goes by the name of Frank, and he's not in right now. Another fellow who works with us is called uh... Quinlan... Corodin I think. As far as we are concerned, he is called Sorihn." He held up two fingers. "So there is Frank, and Sorihn. Now, there's this other boy, he's a half-elf and I ain't sure if he's got his head on straight, but he's sorta workin' with us too. His name is Damon, and I don't rightly know where you can find him." The man paused. "Come to think of it, I don't rightly know where you would find any of them, but if you want to join up, ya gotta meet up with at least one of those fellas."

-=-

The green skinned orc was shorter than Shea, he was about five feet tall even. There was a corner around the side of the stone building that Shea could hide behind, and it was clear that the orc was looking to enter the building. As he drew closer, he seemed to be more at ease, and less nervous in regard to his surroundings.

[Thalia Maelstrom]

Thalia took a deep breath and looked to the large hand offered before her. She had asked for this, hadnt she? A new life, one with adventure and excitement like the stories the old ones around the kitchen fire had told her about? And she knew the risks, she had seen the scars, the outer ones that marred the skins and the inner ones in the eyes of those that had lost important people along the way of the story's ends. She hadnt expected it so quickly though...but then again, when was the right time to start an adventure?

She took a step forward and slipped her small tapered fingers into the man's grasp. Her soft palm gripped his in a firm shake, even if her fingers were a little cold and clammy to the touch. Of course, that could have been the drying sea water. She stared Vassaille straight in the eyes and with a quiet voice, "I'm In."

[Shea Artrien]

Moving quickly, Shea darted around the corner, cursing under his breath.

That's no man...he's an Orc! There's an Orc right there. For the love of all that's holy...there's really orcs in Roque!

The dark-haired swordsman did his best to flatten himself against the wall and stay out of sight, nearly willing himself to become one with the stone building.

Shea's heart was pumping madly as the green skinned humanoid moved closer and closer. Since he'd been a boy, the young sailor had heard stories about the atrocities that orcs performed on innocent townsfolk and fishermen. In the small fishing village where he'd grown up, the tales were often told at bedtime as a way of keeping disobedient children in line.

Be good, or the Orcs will come to get you...

Whether the tales were true or not, Shea Artrien had a hard time believing that the King's city of Roque had grown quite so liberal as to allow the olive skinned creatures to simply roam the streets.

Now it seems I may have to involve myself in these matters...if for no other reason than to discover their plans...

[Haikan]

"Very well then. I'll let the captain know. He should be getting back any minute now, actually. Your first job is to find one of the fellas I mentioned earlier, miss... miss..." He hinted that he didn't know her name, but he wasn't willing to ask for it, since she already knew his. The door swung open and the orc looked James in the eye.

"Well, I've returned, and it seems Ralph aside, no disappearances happened last night. Whatever you did, it worked, if even just for now. I still fear tha-" And after already spitting out that mouthful he realised there was a pretty young lady standing right before him. "Oh, hello there miss. My name is captain Navirez. What are you doing in my office?" His tone over the yahren had grown considerably kinder, and he seemed almost nothing like the storybook orc.

[Thalia Maelstrom]

Thalia opened her mouth to answer her new employer only to be interrupted by the small orc's entrance. She quickly swallowed her surprise at, well, everything about the orc. The only orcs she had ever seen before were usually hired to play the part of hulking muscles over some of her father's more delicate (meaning expensive) trade cargos. She turned to face the good Captian Navirez in good presentation of herself only to hear the audible squelch of her slowly drying boots. Her cheeks bloomed with rose as she offered her hand to the Captian aswell.

"Thalia Maelstrom, Sir. Your good master Vassaille here has offered me a place in the investigation."

[Shea Artrien]

(ooc: Sorry for the delay in posting, but we had a very busy Family-from-out-of-town-In-Town week that just ended. I honestly thought I'd have more time to post, but obviously that didn't develop. Back to the normal rate starting today.

This next post is made with the thought that Shea can still hear what's going on inside. If not, then let me know and I'll edit his actions.)

"Captain??" Shea whispered under his breath, astonished. As a fisherman, of course he'd heard of Orcs captaining both sea-going and freshwater vessels, but they'd generally been spoken of as pirates and brigands. Never had he imagined that one of them would be only a few yards away...in Roque.

The young swashbuckler bit his lower lip, thinking fast. He knew that something odd was going on here...especially with the talk of some sort of murder investigation, and frankly, he was torn as to whether he should hurry off and find some member of the City Watch or get involved himself.

In the end, of course, it was no contest. Shea's natural curiosity as well as a healthy dose of over-confidence won out and he decided that he must check things out himself.

Exhaling once, the handsome swordsman raised an all-is-right-with-the-world-because-I'm-in-it smile and stepped around the corner and up to the door. Without letting himself have time to reconsider, Shea gave a few sharp knocks on the wooden barrier.

[Haikan]

"Well that's great. In that case you can ask me any questions you like, but you are under James' supervision as long as you are aboard thi-"

knock knock knock.

"...It seems this place is rather busy today. It's probably master Sorihn, reporting for today's duty. At any rate, I have to head upstairs and work on a new design for our latest ship. James I'll have the schematics ready for a second opinion in about a mark," he said and he walked past the two of them and up the stairs, disappearing behind the cieling as James approached the door. "Lady, you'd better be careful though. Innocent people've been gettin' hurt left and right lately, and the folk who are investigatin' are in prime danger." With aggravation he turned the knob, swung the door open and grumbled.

"What is it?" And as he saw Shea standing there he raised an eyebrow. "Do you even work here?"

[Thalia Maelstrom]

Thalia's head swerved from side to side as she listened the rapidly speaking orc in charge, to the knocking door, to Master Vassaille as each one stated itself plainly. She was in it now and figuring that, a stranger at the door might be something to pay attention to. Clasping her hands behind her back she put on an innocently curious face of a simply nosy girl and hoped everyone fell for it. Taking a quick step to the side to be in line with the open doorway, she leaned far to one side to see the new face. Her mostly dry curls threatened to brush the floor boards as her angle took on a dangerous balance so that Thalia could better scrutinize the man.

Her sea colored eyes widened even more then her simpleton expression had placed them at as she reconized the lazy wit that she had tricked earlier. Great....the Gods have choosen to make me a fool today...

[Shea Artrien]

"What is it?" And as he saw Shea standing there he raised an eyebrow. "Do you even work here?"

His smile securely set on his face, Shea answered the large man as confidently as he could, "No, no not yet, my good sir, but I hope to rectify that inconvienent matter as soon as possible. I was told..."

The dark-haired sailor pauses as he catches sight of the pretty young woman behind the mountain-like James, her burgandy-colored curls drawing his eyes to her face, and then her surprised gray-green eyes.

Bugger me. My mysterious mermaid, in the flesh?

Confused, but struggling not to show it, the dashing swordsman brought a hand up to his goatee-bearded chin in a contemplative manner, as much to convey a thoughtful appearance as to close his likely surprised and wide open mouth.

Keep your mind in what you're doing, Shea. Worry 'bout the lass later...

"...er, I was told by a man in a tavern that you were in need of talented investigators, and I just happen to fit the bill." He holds out a hand in greeting and offers, "Shea Artrien, At your service. Er, you are James, aren't you? I'd hate to think I was speaking to the wrong fellow."

[Haikan]

Toward the top of her head, some of the water had drained from her hair, but for the most part, Thalia was still dripping wet. As the door opened, the chilling air met her temporarily warm clothes with an icy zephyr that caused her body to desire a good shake, that would take focus to ward off. Her wet garments clung to her body quite seductively however, making her quite a bodacious appearance. Unfortunately, James wasn't much of a lecher, and Navirez was of another race, who wasn't particularly interested in beautiful young humans or elves.

As Thalia looked around the door in front of James, and Shea gave his extravagant offering of service to him, an irritated look crept onto his face, and he chewed on the tip of his pipe. His brow furrowed a bit, and for just a few flickers, a stream of bubbles floated out of his pipe, and one landed on Shea's face, popping on contact.

"Aye, I'm James. If ya want to work for me, ye better find one o' these three gentlemen: Frank Poundwright, Quinlan Corodin or Damon Ryot. Quinlan is to be referred to as Sorihn, and don't forget that! Until you get briefed by them, I don't wanna hear jack from you. And another thing." He pulled the pipe out of his mouth and he sighed.


"Don't be askin' me where they are neither, 'cause I don't know. You'll just have to find 'em."

[Thalia Maelstrom]

Concentrating to hard on the newcomer, she didnt have the time to avoid her body's natural reaction and felt a hard tremble move through her core. Shuddering almost violently she spun up on one heel out of her precarious position and practically twirled out of the yawning door's cold draft, placing herself slightly behind the open doorway. She wrapped her arms around her tapered waist and hugged herself tightly. Partially to try to scrounge up some of the warmth the room had held before the open door snatched it away, and mostly to avoid wringing out her hair right there on the floor of her new boss's floor.

Cor, the last thing I need is this man telling my true side to James If this man she had figured for a slacking worker really was an investigator then she needed to get him on her side.

"Perhaps since Im so new to the case and the land, this man could help me find those men....Frank, Quinlan, and Damon right? If he knows of the case, he must know the city better then I"

She directed her statement to James but stared at Shea from her vantage point through the crack in the door. Thalia hoped that between the cocked eyebrow she presented and the hugged close arms below her chest that the slight shivers racking her body were less noticed and that she looked more poised then freezing.

[Shea Artrien]

Shea blinked and flinched slightly when the smoke bubble popped on the side of his face. A small involuntary cough followed.

"Frank, Damon, and Sorihn." he gently corrected the nymph-like woman who was now standing just within his periphrial view. It was a struggle to tear his eyes from even what little he could see of the mysterious maiden behind the door, but Shea did so, with some effort. Still, his eyes and his mind were two different things. Though hardly innocent or untested, the dark-haired sailor found himself dangerously distracted by the image of the young woman's perhaps even more dangerous curves and the way small rivlets of water clung to those aforementioned curves. How they beaded and rolled seductively down them...

Gah. Enough. Back to business, or you'll have no business, Shea, old boy...

"Er, of course, Master James...we'll get right on it." Then, to the door that guarded the burgandy-haired beauty in as business-like fashion as he could manage, Shea added, "I do indeed have some small understanding of these events, and you could do worse than to have me as a guide."

He extended his arm, "Shall we, Miss...?" He raised his eyebrows in an obviously questioning manner, "I don't believe I caught your name."

[Haikan]

"Well then, have at it. Perhaps I might even see yer faces back here again sometime. Best o' luck to ya both, now be off!" And James scooted Thalia out with Shea and slammed the door, beginning his long and taxing process of double-checking the genius Navirez's schematics.














OOC:
Locked for skilling.


Skills for Thalia:

Swimming+*
Conversation+*
Etiquette+*

Skills for Shea:

Conversation- Basic
Con Artist+*