Sand in your Pants

[paganchick]

Roberto heard Russo talking to the rock again. He shook his head and headed towards the man. He was either going to find the man had lost his marbles or he really got hit in the head with some magic talking stone. Roberto was pretty sure it would be the first one.

Roberto barley heard the reply to Russo's words, but he did hear it, so he stood behind Russo in shock. Maybe he was going mad as well? Maybe all this time with Rain and no booty or decent fashion had really pushed him off the deep end.
"I... I think I will go get Rain," He said simply after standing in shock for several minutes.

[Lion]

Russo was caught between paying attention to the speaker on the other side of the rock and Roberto who only just now showed up behind him.  "Oh, no! Don't get that fool over here!"  But it was too late and Russo stared back at the stone, pressing his ear to it.  "Hey!  Hello!?  Oh, gods..."  He listened to the noises coming through and frowned.  And even more so at the sound of the woman on the other side, asking for his help.

"I'm afraid I don't know where I am," Russo admitted with a disheartened tone.  "Somewhere in the middle of the desert and I'm afraid no where anywhere near a city!  I'm on some kind of - of sand ship!"  He turned around and looked at the sorry state of the vessel he was on, and knew it was only a matter of time before that idiot captain came up from below deck.

"Pleasure to speak with someone out there in the real world with at least a better brain than I," he said with a sad voice.  "Name's Russo Portola.  A pleasure to semi-make your acquaintance."

[visualspice]

"Sand ship?" Selaina's face twisted. "What does that mean? You mean like, some sort of ship designed to sail on the deserts?" Well, wasn't that something! But she had hardly time to think of that, her once budding feeling of hope was quickly dwindling. This man was in the desert.. Gods.. the desert was so expansive and if he was all the way out where she had believed she initially dropped the rock....
They might as well be worlds away.

She sighed, very loudly against the rock, her hand sweaty and clutching it tight.

"Russo? Sounds Connlaothian."

[paganchick]

Roberto made is way to the captain in a rather half dazed manner. How could that rock be talking? Maybe he had hit his head and he was hallucinating. He took a deep breath as he approached Rain.
"Hey, cap, you should probably come with me, that rock, it was actually talking," Roberto said rubbing his temples, he couldn't believe he was saying it.

[visualspice]

Rain was down below deck, and, now that Roberto had entered into his cabin, he was cursing to himself for not locking the door. Rain had been in the middle of polishing up the meager few trinkets of treasure he had actually acquired during his time on Conrad's Coin but... well...
it was really a pathetic pile of treasure, indeed. So when Roberto stepped in, he dropped what he was doing and clung defensively over his loot. He cast a glare the man's way.

"What do I care about if there's a talking rock? Go back up on deck and talk with the corpse crew if you're going to start talking crazy! Can't you see I'm busy? This gold can't polish itself! Now scram!"

[paganchick]

Roberto popped his his hip before placing his hand on it.
He raised his eyebrow and his face almost instantly filled with attitude.
"No, excuse me-," Roberto started, clearly not planning on leaving right away.
"I'm stuck on this damned fashion tragedy, why in the hell would I be worried about your damn gold, isn't like I could steal it and run away. If you don't come with me it will end up overboard though! Then you won't have to worry about polishing it!" Roberto added, snapping his fingers at Rain.
Roberto didn't sign up to be a pirate, so he didn't always follow the rule of respecting your superior, especially when his superior was as dense as Rain.

[Lion]

"Yeah, how did you know?" Russo said, scowling at the rock.  He listened in as he turned it over in his hands, finding it looked little different than an ordinary rock, though it did have an unusual vibration to it.  It was curious that it happened to come over this section of the desert for it to fall on his head, and it led him to wonder just what she was doing here anyway.  That meant she couldn't be as far as he thought she was.

But with a ship stuck in the sands, she could be in any city within well over a thousand miles.

"What the hell are you doing in the desert anyway?  This damn thing fell on my head!  You must have passed over this way, not too long before."

[visualspice]

Selaina smiled.
"I'm from Serendipity. I got some friends up that way. It's a pretty nice country, if you like pompous assholes," she said with a playful tone.

But then as he went on to ask her how he got the rock, her face fell at the question. She continued to grip onto it tigtly, looking out into the streets now before slipping back into the safe shadows of the alley way. She kept the rock close to her lips.

"Well, it's a long story," she said, sighing. "But apparently some merchant prince around here by the name of Drissent is after the rocks I enchanted. I sort of.. well, became some what famous for them; but i never would have considered my experiement would entice some crazy guy all the way in the desert to come after me! So yeah, he sent a couple of dragon rider thugs and whisked me away. When I came to, we were over the desert, and well, I've never flown before and it was terrifying.. anyways, the point is, I tried to wrestle with the men and well, I must've dropped the one rock on your ship. And well, my efforts only landed me with a bump on my head which.. ' she reached a hand up, rubbing at her blonde hair. "I'm still smarting from."

And then she paused to considering, staring off in thought.

"How about you? If you're from Connlaoth, how did you wind up on a sand ship in the middle of the Moraki?"

[Lion]

Russo frowned at her story and rubbed at the bump on his own head, at the mention of hers.  He stood up and looked around, watching where Roberto had gone and then back to the rock.  "Work, or lack thereof," he grumbled.  "I wandered onto this ship by accident and now I'm stuck and can't get off.  It's cursed or at least that's what the captain says.  I wonder if this thing even moves...  Hey, would you like to speak to the captain?  He's an idiot named Rain or something.  But if anyone would know anything about this ship it would be him, and maybe there's a way to get to where you are!"

[visualspice]

"A cursed ship?" she blinked. "Sounds like a familiar Essyrnian folk lore." She frowned, but then slowly nodded. "Sure, if you think that might help." But hten she considered. "Wait.. how is it cursed anyways?"

[Lion]

"I'm not sure," Russo admitted with a soured voice.  "I wish I had all the details frankly.  I only know that the ship is dormant out here in the sands and apparently it just sucks you back up onto the deck if you try to leave even for just a piss.  Y'know what, I know someone who'd be able to give you more information than me if you can suffer an idiot.  Let me get you the Captain.  RAIIIIIN!"  Russo got up and walked to where he saw Roberto disappear too.

[visualspice]

"Roberto..." Rain began with careful phrasing. It was obviously laced with the strain of irritation, and not much was holding it back. "Touch my gold, and you'll end up as dead as the skeletons," he promised darkly, his eyes going cold and harsh as steel as he rose from his chair.
BUt then he heard Russo's voice and his brow twitched irritably.

"Great, the other loser is coming this way. Great. Can't a man just get peace and quiet around here to quietly shine his gold!?" And he moved over towards Roberto, attempting to shoo the man out.
"Come on, out, out, out!" he said, forcing Roberto nearer towards the door. "Before that damn new blood gets down here before I can get my door closed and once do do I'm goign to lock it!" he threatened.

[paganchick]

Roberto didn't budge.
"Go see the stone and after that you can hold up in this damned room all you want. I guess you are so dense upstairs that you don't realize that if you are held up in here none of us are ever going to get off this damned ship," Roberto said, frustration filling his voice.
He honestly hated the ship most of the time, Rain didn't do much to help the situation.
"If you don't go I am going to start stripping," Roberto finally said, knowing that would probably run Rain out.

[Lion]

Russo heard a lot of rattling and roaring from below deck as he got to the rotted stairs.  The whole place stunk of sweat, sand and body odor.  The occasional rotting dead smell came through once in a while as well, but that was a scent he didn't begrudge nearly as much.  So when he got to the bottom of the stairs, he clutched the rock in hand.  "Whatever your polishing in there, you can just stuff it back in your pants!" Russo yelled when at last he found the hall where the noise was coming from.  He came to the doorway and  opened his hand to Rain.  "Roberto was right. There's a voice coming from inside it."

[visualspice]

Rain looked about ready to be sick when Roberto threatened to be rid of his clothes, but then his face turned even redder and angrier.
"YOU CAN'T THREATEN ME!" he tantrumed. "I'm the captain of this ship and what I say is law, and if you don't listen to me and get out, I'll throw you out!"
BUt then Russo showed up, and what he said made him even angrier, especially when he stared at the damn rock.
"Gods, my entire cursed crew is crazy! GET OUT! GET OUT!" he screamed.

But then the rock spoke and Rain jumped back about fifty feet, his eyes widening into saucers as he cowered back beside his desk.
"What the hell was that!?"

"Hello?" came the woman's voice from the rock.

"The rock!" Rain squeaked. "It speaks!"

[Lion]

"That's what I've been saying!  The rock has magical properties and can transfer a voice across distances!  The lady on the other side is in grave danger and she needs our help," Russo explained with a frown.  "Well, as Captain of this vessel that we apparently cannot leave, is there some way of moving this ship or not?  Unless you plan to just rot here for the rest of your days!"

[visualspice]

"What?" Rain barked, furrowing his brow. "Of course this thing can move but why the hell would I put myself in danger to save some woman speaking inside a rock?" The idea was clearly crazy! And do was his damn crew!

[Lion]

Russo couldn't believe his ears.  If he didn't think he could hate Rain anymore than he did, he had another thing coming.  "Because what kind of example are you setting for the rest of your crew!?" he growled.  "You're supposed to be the Captain!  And if this is how you lead...I'm gonna ask Roberto here to start undressing."

[visualspice]

Rain stared for a moment before barking out another, "What?!"
He shook his head.
"What do I care about examples? This woman has nothing to do with me unless-" then he paused to consider, and leaped towards the rock, aiming to snatch it from Russo. "Gimme that rock! Let me ask her if she knows anything about treasures so we can get off of this damn sand ship!"

[Lion]

Russo immediately pulled his arm away from him and shoved him away.  "All right!  But I get to hold to rock.  You just stick your face in there and ask your stupid questions, Captain!"  He grit his teeth and shoved the rock in his face.