Gray and Alberto. Ko didn't like 'em. Wasn't that they was particularly bad with anything, or that they treated Ko wrongly, but neither were they Shann. And Ko, at that moment, as they started walking away while Fallson approached the elf, wanted to hang near the other man. Not for any sissy reason or nothin', but once Ko'd gotten over the urge to keep emptyin' his guts out every time he took a step, he saw Shann's expression. An' he felt. . .he felt. . .
bad.
What a weird moment for that. Ko stared out ahead of them, into the misty landscape all wreathed up in white and tied together with that awful, stinking grey. His cutlass was in his hand. Life was as good as it was gonna get.
__
Fallson approached Shann, Jin tagging along behind him glaring at any who happened to look at him. Not that most would, since looking at him meant looking down and that would distract from the seemingly malevolent surroundings. Not that Jin cared. He just wanted all and sundry to know that he was displeased, because it mattered. Jin was used to being waited on. He was not used to being treated as if he was lower than some common and dirty individuals whose self-survival instincts were less than -- less than that of a common housecat!
He glared at said pathetic creature. Because he could.
Fallson had turned to the clustered people, his sailors and Ko having already set off in their appointed direction. "You can call me Fallson. Until we're settled and have a better idea of what's going on, I will be the leader. Once we're settled, we can discuss other options." Before anyone could dissent -- not that most of them would, being that they'd just gotten shipwrecked and attacked by foul things -- he turned to Shann.
"Elf, I would ask your name," Fallson said, face grave.
Seemingly Pointless Meandering
Re: Seemingly Pointless Meandering
Shann stood silent as he watched the small group of survivors break into two separate parties. If anything could cement the realization of so many lives being lost in such a short time, it was seeing their numbers dwindle further. It was the logical thing to do, he kept telling himself that. They could cover the island in half the time, they had a better chance of finding the needed resources to last them until help came.
If help came.
Their chance of survival seemed bleak, but right now they needed to concentrate their efforts on what needed to be done. They could give up, they could roll over and wait to die, but with even a shred of hope how could they give up so easily.
"Elf, I would ask your name," Fallson said, face grave.
All he could muster to say was, "Shann, my name is Shann."
Under his arm stood Zain, cold, wet, shivering and holding onto that damn cat with every fiber of his being. The top of his head rested just below the taller man's chin. The boy, because Shann wouldn't view him as anything other than a child, clung to him for comfort.
He had to show strength for the boy. He had to keep his spirits up. With everything he had been through, it was a miracle that he had managed to keep it all together this long. To give up now, it just wasn't an option.
If help came.
Their chance of survival seemed bleak, but right now they needed to concentrate their efforts on what needed to be done. They could give up, they could roll over and wait to die, but with even a shred of hope how could they give up so easily.
"Elf, I would ask your name," Fallson said, face grave.
All he could muster to say was, "Shann, my name is Shann."
Under his arm stood Zain, cold, wet, shivering and holding onto that damn cat with every fiber of his being. The top of his head rested just below the taller man's chin. The boy, because Shann wouldn't view him as anything other than a child, clung to him for comfort.
He had to show strength for the boy. He had to keep his spirits up. With everything he had been through, it was a miracle that he had managed to keep it all together this long. To give up now, it just wasn't an option.
Re: Seemingly Pointless Meandering
Cat was wet. Cat was frightened. Cat was as close to a real cat as he had ever been in his life.
Still, the warmth from the boy, though just as wet and cold, was enough to settle him for the time being. He no longer cried out in protest. There were no terrified, dying cat sounds stemming from him. His claws were kept in so as not to hurt the elf carrying him. The terror was drifting away as he began to realize that he had survived the brush with death. Of course, that made sense for him; he had nine lives, now scratched to seven or eight.
The others had no such superstitious luck. They had survived by their own wit and determination, and such a thing made Cat feel that he did not deserve to be alive, as they did. He did not deserve much of anything these days. His existence made a point to be pointless.
The numbness set in as the terror swept out with the tide. It was a cold, cruel feeling. He wished he could still cry, for he might have done so then. A woman behind them was doing so. She had her head low, barely acknowledging the presence of the others. Prior to the event, it appeared that she had been a modest lady, perhaps married to one of the other passengers. Clearly, she had lost the rest of her party to the sea; tears spilled down her front and marred her well-made face. He could still hear her whimpering, her sniffles pulling at him.
Cat had lost his ability to comfort, to console. Inside he felt dead, like there was nothing left of him, and the real him had been left on the ship along with his hat. His shell, carried around by the elf-child, was limp and shivering with the chill of the seawater and vomit.
There, there, fair lady, he could hear himself saying, but there was no sound. He could not tell her it would be okay; there was a certainty in him that it would not be. The land they were on did not seem like land. The smell foretold of a great evil. He could feel the presence of something terrible, a thing which should never have awoken.
It is too early for the apocalypse, he thought.
Still, the warmth from the boy, though just as wet and cold, was enough to settle him for the time being. He no longer cried out in protest. There were no terrified, dying cat sounds stemming from him. His claws were kept in so as not to hurt the elf carrying him. The terror was drifting away as he began to realize that he had survived the brush with death. Of course, that made sense for him; he had nine lives, now scratched to seven or eight.
The others had no such superstitious luck. They had survived by their own wit and determination, and such a thing made Cat feel that he did not deserve to be alive, as they did. He did not deserve much of anything these days. His existence made a point to be pointless.
The numbness set in as the terror swept out with the tide. It was a cold, cruel feeling. He wished he could still cry, for he might have done so then. A woman behind them was doing so. She had her head low, barely acknowledging the presence of the others. Prior to the event, it appeared that she had been a modest lady, perhaps married to one of the other passengers. Clearly, she had lost the rest of her party to the sea; tears spilled down her front and marred her well-made face. He could still hear her whimpering, her sniffles pulling at him.
Cat had lost his ability to comfort, to console. Inside he felt dead, like there was nothing left of him, and the real him had been left on the ship along with his hat. His shell, carried around by the elf-child, was limp and shivering with the chill of the seawater and vomit.
There, there, fair lady, he could hear himself saying, but there was no sound. He could not tell her it would be okay; there was a certainty in him that it would not be. The land they were on did not seem like land. The smell foretold of a great evil. He could feel the presence of something terrible, a thing which should never have awoken.
It is too early for the apocalypse, he thought.
Re: Seemingly Pointless Meandering
"What's wrong, boy?"
Ko was almost brought up short. That was a name he'd long outgrown, and he didn't like it none brought up now. It'd been Alberto, all prissy-buggered up like he was somethin' big with the Captain dead, with Fallson in charge. Like he was somethin' t' take Ko on, and slap him down hard afore he might move his way up that ladder o' command.
"I'm Ko," he said, his steps faltering as he glared hard at Alberto.
"What?"
"My name."
Ko stopped walking, jiggered up real good then with the incredulous look the bastard tossed over his shoulder. Gray was lookin' back and forth, maybe all worried their fancy little outing wasn't gonna go so hot. Alberto's expression though, that one was trussed up tight and not giving nothing away.
"What's wrong, Ko?"
Somehow that weren't no better. "Don't think it's smart for most the swords to go off tramping, leaving the others. That's all."
Alberto stopped walking, and Gray wasn't so far behind him. Ko smiled real pretty at Alberto, 'cuz he looked right pissy at Ko's tone. Let 'im frown and stew and kick the ground like he thought he was somethin' all big and tough. Ko'd seen tough, and it sure as shit weren't Alberto.
"Trust Fallson, he knows his way."
Somethin' in the way Alberto said it. Ko narrowed his eyes up, cocked his head t'one side. Fair enough neither Alberto or Gray was ugly. Lucky. But that didn't mean Ko wasn't willin' to make either man ugly, if they kept gettin' so fucking smart. Ko wasn't no fucking crew under the man to take his lip, or his snark, or his lookin' down his nose like Ko was something he done scraped off his bootheel. "What's what sposed to mean, huh?"
"Nothing," Gray said, but Alberto put his hand out.
Gray shut up.
Ko sneered.
"Fallson knows his business. That's all."
The way Alberto was lookin' at Ko, that wasn't all. Not a bit. Ko put his hands on his hips, and lifted his chin up. He was of a height with Alberto. Maybe even a little taller. He wasn't no fucking boy t'be scared of the other man. He straightened up then out of his slouch, and Gray moved a little closer. Yeah, the little bugger was all worried, all out of sorts. He was ready to help Alberto. Wasn't that just the lady's dainties?
"Y'think I'm trouble? Hm? Think I need watchin'? Maybe killin', out where it won't upset the ladies?"
Alberto went all cold. "If your gnome master hired one murderer, then--"
Ko didn't give him no time to finish.
___
Fallson said, "Shann," and nodded, and went around to the other survivors picking names out as if they were precious scraps that would keep them all alive.
Jin thought in the larger scheme of things it was an entirely pointless venture. Sure, oh, he saw what Fallson was doing. Schmoozing with all the scared little boys and girls, and making them trust him. But if none of them were alive, what did it matter if they were all making nice? Besides, once the hunger set in he doubted the pleasantries would go much further. He scowled, watched for a few moments more, and finally lost his patience.
"If you're done, I believe we should go about ensuring our future survival?" Jin asked. He knew his voice sounded whiny to them. The ugly idiots in Trelham had ensured that he knew exactly what they thought of his kind. His height, his voice, his intelligence and superior schooling -- all of it had been ridiculed in kind. But he had kept his temper in check. He hadn't seen to it that they were sufficiently toppled from their false throne of superiority. He ignored the little voice that told him he couldn't wield that sort of power anymore.
Fallson turned to give Jin an appraising stare above a polite smile. Jin gritted his teeth to prevent himself from telling the man to take his social politics back to the downed ships. He was sure the wretched little monsters would enjoy the small talk.
"Yes, you are right. We'll need to get moving now. Shann, then, and Selena," Fallson said, looking between the two he'd named.
Jin glared.
"And Jin, yes, you shall come with me," Fallson amended. He looked at the male passenger, who had a sword of his own, and nodded significantly.
That man was to protect the survivors.
In Jin's opinion, it'd take far more than some lowborn fool with a sword to protect any of them from anything that strange hunk of rock had to offer. And that, then, was why he'd insisted on going with Fallson. He wasn't going to die. Not from his family, not from the ship, and certainly not on some poor excuse for land in the middle of nowhere!
Ko was almost brought up short. That was a name he'd long outgrown, and he didn't like it none brought up now. It'd been Alberto, all prissy-buggered up like he was somethin' big with the Captain dead, with Fallson in charge. Like he was somethin' t' take Ko on, and slap him down hard afore he might move his way up that ladder o' command.
"I'm Ko," he said, his steps faltering as he glared hard at Alberto.
"What?"
"My name."
Ko stopped walking, jiggered up real good then with the incredulous look the bastard tossed over his shoulder. Gray was lookin' back and forth, maybe all worried their fancy little outing wasn't gonna go so hot. Alberto's expression though, that one was trussed up tight and not giving nothing away.
"What's wrong, Ko?"
Somehow that weren't no better. "Don't think it's smart for most the swords to go off tramping, leaving the others. That's all."
Alberto stopped walking, and Gray wasn't so far behind him. Ko smiled real pretty at Alberto, 'cuz he looked right pissy at Ko's tone. Let 'im frown and stew and kick the ground like he thought he was somethin' all big and tough. Ko'd seen tough, and it sure as shit weren't Alberto.
"Trust Fallson, he knows his way."
Somethin' in the way Alberto said it. Ko narrowed his eyes up, cocked his head t'one side. Fair enough neither Alberto or Gray was ugly. Lucky. But that didn't mean Ko wasn't willin' to make either man ugly, if they kept gettin' so fucking smart. Ko wasn't no fucking crew under the man to take his lip, or his snark, or his lookin' down his nose like Ko was something he done scraped off his bootheel. "What's what sposed to mean, huh?"
"Nothing," Gray said, but Alberto put his hand out.
Gray shut up.
Ko sneered.
"Fallson knows his business. That's all."
The way Alberto was lookin' at Ko, that wasn't all. Not a bit. Ko put his hands on his hips, and lifted his chin up. He was of a height with Alberto. Maybe even a little taller. He wasn't no fucking boy t'be scared of the other man. He straightened up then out of his slouch, and Gray moved a little closer. Yeah, the little bugger was all worried, all out of sorts. He was ready to help Alberto. Wasn't that just the lady's dainties?
"Y'think I'm trouble? Hm? Think I need watchin'? Maybe killin', out where it won't upset the ladies?"
Alberto went all cold. "If your gnome master hired one murderer, then--"
Ko didn't give him no time to finish.
___
Fallson said, "Shann," and nodded, and went around to the other survivors picking names out as if they were precious scraps that would keep them all alive.
Jin thought in the larger scheme of things it was an entirely pointless venture. Sure, oh, he saw what Fallson was doing. Schmoozing with all the scared little boys and girls, and making them trust him. But if none of them were alive, what did it matter if they were all making nice? Besides, once the hunger set in he doubted the pleasantries would go much further. He scowled, watched for a few moments more, and finally lost his patience.
"If you're done, I believe we should go about ensuring our future survival?" Jin asked. He knew his voice sounded whiny to them. The ugly idiots in Trelham had ensured that he knew exactly what they thought of his kind. His height, his voice, his intelligence and superior schooling -- all of it had been ridiculed in kind. But he had kept his temper in check. He hadn't seen to it that they were sufficiently toppled from their false throne of superiority. He ignored the little voice that told him he couldn't wield that sort of power anymore.
Fallson turned to give Jin an appraising stare above a polite smile. Jin gritted his teeth to prevent himself from telling the man to take his social politics back to the downed ships. He was sure the wretched little monsters would enjoy the small talk.
"Yes, you are right. We'll need to get moving now. Shann, then, and Selena," Fallson said, looking between the two he'd named.
Jin glared.
"And Jin, yes, you shall come with me," Fallson amended. He looked at the male passenger, who had a sword of his own, and nodded significantly.
That man was to protect the survivors.
In Jin's opinion, it'd take far more than some lowborn fool with a sword to protect any of them from anything that strange hunk of rock had to offer. And that, then, was why he'd insisted on going with Fallson. He wasn't going to die. Not from his family, not from the ship, and certainly not on some poor excuse for land in the middle of nowhere!
Re: Seemingly Pointless Meandering
Shann could already feel the cold as it started to seep into his bones. While he had plenty of experience in his years working the docks with exposure to the high humidity and strong breeze in the early hours of the day that could set your teeth rattling and have you doubt your reasoning for climbing out of your warm bed that morning, he expected that many of the passengers had had no such experiences. They were cold and wet. They were shivering and clinging to each other in hopes of keeping warm. Some of them even tried to rub their hands together as if the friction of doing so would somehow dry them.
By the time night fell set many those people would be in much worse shape. If they didn't find some sort of shelter or some way to warm these people and get them out of their wet clothing, some might not make it through the night. Those that did pull through, well the chance of them catching ill in the next few days would greatly increase.
He looked around at the survivors again. The women, the children, they hardly stood a chance.
"Are we to look for something to build a fire with? Or some form of shelter, maybe a dry cave or something?"
From what he could see this strange piece of land looked rather bare. The possibility of them finding either didn't seem all too likely. If worst came to it, they could possibly consider trying to burn the landing boat, but in doing so they would be condemning themselves to possibility of being forever stranded on this cursed piece of rock.
By the time night fell set many those people would be in much worse shape. If they didn't find some sort of shelter or some way to warm these people and get them out of their wet clothing, some might not make it through the night. Those that did pull through, well the chance of them catching ill in the next few days would greatly increase.
He looked around at the survivors again. The women, the children, they hardly stood a chance.
"Are we to look for something to build a fire with? Or some form of shelter, maybe a dry cave or something?"
From what he could see this strange piece of land looked rather bare. The possibility of them finding either didn't seem all too likely. If worst came to it, they could possibly consider trying to burn the landing boat, but in doing so they would be condemning themselves to possibility of being forever stranded on this cursed piece of rock.
Re: Seemingly Pointless Meandering
Shann, the red-haired elf, left with the lovely woman called Selena and the gnome. They went with Fallson. The younger elf and the rest of their sorry lot stayed behind, left alone in this miserable, smelly place to wait for some ray of hope, or at the very least an opportunity for a silent death. The young elf held Cat's filthy body only for another moment before setting him down. The feline reeked of vomit and seawater.
His first instinct upon being set down was to run. The wind from the sea cut right through his wet coat and everything told him to seek shelter, find a hole somewhere, crawl into it and die. The human bits of him forced him to stay. As much as he felt like they were all going to die, there was some need in him to seek comfort in others. So, he curled up beside the young elf and began to purr without realizing it. Such purring was a signal that he was sure he would not survive.
"What now?" A woman's voice broke the silence. The crying woman sat beside her. Cat looked up at the lady who spoke. She had dust-colored hair, frayed clothes, and looked like she had been through at least four marriages. Heavy bags weighted her sad eyes, grey and liquidy. She looked like she had cried so many times that she was in a constant limbo of welled eyes and tearless face.
A few of them looked at her, but when her question went unanswered, she groaned. She stood. Her legs were too thin to be considered attractive, although only showing to the mid-calf from beneath her dress.
"We are not going to die. Or, at least, if we are, they we will do it fighting."
Cat tried to roll his eyes, but produced only a small flick of his iris. Feline vision was not always the best at things.
His first instinct upon being set down was to run. The wind from the sea cut right through his wet coat and everything told him to seek shelter, find a hole somewhere, crawl into it and die. The human bits of him forced him to stay. As much as he felt like they were all going to die, there was some need in him to seek comfort in others. So, he curled up beside the young elf and began to purr without realizing it. Such purring was a signal that he was sure he would not survive.
"What now?" A woman's voice broke the silence. The crying woman sat beside her. Cat looked up at the lady who spoke. She had dust-colored hair, frayed clothes, and looked like she had been through at least four marriages. Heavy bags weighted her sad eyes, grey and liquidy. She looked like she had cried so many times that she was in a constant limbo of welled eyes and tearless face.
A few of them looked at her, but when her question went unanswered, she groaned. She stood. Her legs were too thin to be considered attractive, although only showing to the mid-calf from beneath her dress.
"We are not going to die. Or, at least, if we are, they we will do it fighting."
Cat tried to roll his eyes, but produced only a small flick of his iris. Feline vision was not always the best at things.
Re: Seemingly Pointless Meandering
They were on the ground. Alberto may've been bigger than Ko, might've even been stronger than him, but he hadn't been through what Ko'd been through, especially not with that lunatic (changers spit on his memory) goading them along those last few weeks. Naw, he might've had some recent dockside tumblers, but he wasn't ready for punching and wrestling, and Ko was more than willing to educate him on what it felt like to be tackled down hard. So he showed him. He even got a few good ones in before Gray was there, hollering and making a big ruckus over it, and when Ko didn't show no signs of listening Gray got a little physical. It was the kick to the ribs that got Ko to roll off.
"Are you stupid?" That'd be Gray.
Ko rolled his eyes.
"You must be stupid, like that psychopath mate of yours!" Gray again, acting like he was someone's sharp-tongued gammy.
Ko rolled so he was on his back, and lifted his hands up. "Ooooh, big words."
Gray's face was such a pretty shade of red.
"Get up," Alberto said, taking that no-good authoritative tone again. Ko was happy to see a split lip, and he hoped a black eye formed to match it. "We got more problems than with each other, and it ain't gonna fix this mess to kill each other over nothing."
They glared at each other, though it was mostly Gray and Alberto doing the bulk of it.
"Alright." Ko pushed himself up. Neither of the other two men offered a hand, and if they had Ko wouldn't have taken it anyways.
"We need to find things to survive with, and if that means --"
__________
"-- getting anything that can feasibly burn, or anywhere we can find respite from the elements. I wouldn't be opposed to any possible sources of food, either." Fallson's face was grim. His voice was grim. His bearing was straight and proud. What a piece of trumped up garbage.
Jin was not that stupid to think that they stood a chance of finding any of those things, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
"Let's go." Fallson picked a direction opposite to the one the other men had taken, and started walking.
Jin stuck close by and slightly behind the much taller man. "I doubt there will be wood in this locale. This is not what I would consider to be growing soil." He scuffed his toe at it, frowning at the slight give. "Most likely it will be scrub or weeds. Hardly things that will be easy to burn."
"I can make them burn," Selena said, arms folded as she shivered.
Jin smiled at her.
___________
"Driftwood!" Gray broke ahead of them, sprinting to a mess of something along the beach. It wasn't really a beach, not a proper one, but there was no other word for it.
Ko looked at the mess and frowned, feeling heebies creeping up his back, but before he could say anything Alberto beat him to it.
"That ain't driftwood, that's a piece of wreckage."
They looked back at the yet-visible glow of their burning ship, each one of 'em, and then back at the sea-warped, dried out clump of boards before them, all grey and pale. They didn't need to say nothing, because each of 'em was thinking the same rotted thing, and it wouldn't do no good to spill it out in the open when the air felt like it was just waiting to spit out bad omens and worse luck. If something was messin' with this voyage, well, it'd already shown it wasn't afraid to play a right wicked hand. No sense encouraging it.
"Keep your eyes open," Alberto said, rather than the obvious.
If there were other survivors on this mess of a rock in the middle of nowhere, weren't nothing that said they was gonna be friendly.
"Are you stupid?" That'd be Gray.
Ko rolled his eyes.
"You must be stupid, like that psychopath mate of yours!" Gray again, acting like he was someone's sharp-tongued gammy.
Ko rolled so he was on his back, and lifted his hands up. "Ooooh, big words."
Gray's face was such a pretty shade of red.
"Get up," Alberto said, taking that no-good authoritative tone again. Ko was happy to see a split lip, and he hoped a black eye formed to match it. "We got more problems than with each other, and it ain't gonna fix this mess to kill each other over nothing."
They glared at each other, though it was mostly Gray and Alberto doing the bulk of it.
"Alright." Ko pushed himself up. Neither of the other two men offered a hand, and if they had Ko wouldn't have taken it anyways.
"We need to find things to survive with, and if that means --"
__________
"-- getting anything that can feasibly burn, or anywhere we can find respite from the elements. I wouldn't be opposed to any possible sources of food, either." Fallson's face was grim. His voice was grim. His bearing was straight and proud. What a piece of trumped up garbage.
Jin was not that stupid to think that they stood a chance of finding any of those things, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
"Let's go." Fallson picked a direction opposite to the one the other men had taken, and started walking.
Jin stuck close by and slightly behind the much taller man. "I doubt there will be wood in this locale. This is not what I would consider to be growing soil." He scuffed his toe at it, frowning at the slight give. "Most likely it will be scrub or weeds. Hardly things that will be easy to burn."
"I can make them burn," Selena said, arms folded as she shivered.
Jin smiled at her.
___________
"Driftwood!" Gray broke ahead of them, sprinting to a mess of something along the beach. It wasn't really a beach, not a proper one, but there was no other word for it.
Ko looked at the mess and frowned, feeling heebies creeping up his back, but before he could say anything Alberto beat him to it.
"That ain't driftwood, that's a piece of wreckage."
They looked back at the yet-visible glow of their burning ship, each one of 'em, and then back at the sea-warped, dried out clump of boards before them, all grey and pale. They didn't need to say nothing, because each of 'em was thinking the same rotted thing, and it wouldn't do no good to spill it out in the open when the air felt like it was just waiting to spit out bad omens and worse luck. If something was messin' with this voyage, well, it'd already shown it wasn't afraid to play a right wicked hand. No sense encouraging it.
"Keep your eyes open," Alberto said, rather than the obvious.
If there were other survivors on this mess of a rock in the middle of nowhere, weren't nothing that said they was gonna be friendly.