Charmed, I'm sure... [Shizzy] [M!]

[Anonymous]

Roshan drummed her fingers impatiently as he checked the goods. Most of he what he did was fairly standard, but she was sure at one point that he sniffed them. He really was a peculiar man. Someone more normal would probably have been easier to deal with, but there was no sense in thinking about that now.

She narrowed her eyes when he made his offer. It wasn't as much as she was hoping for, but she didn't really have a choice. She needed money, any money at all, to make good her escape. And as for that little extra... It was plain to see that he knew full well what kind of deal this was. Still, she wasn't going to admit everything for that price. Another prettily-worded most-of-the-truth would have to do. She smiled sweetly. "As I'm sure I mentioned before, I acquired these, in lieu of payment for services rendered, from the former mistress of a recently-deceased merchant. If you wish for any more detail, you'll have to increase your price considerably, I'm afraid."

And as for his other offer, well... It was outrageous, but what else would she expect? She could accept, and delay dealing with the problem outside, but a few minutes (and, based on her previous experiences with men, this was being generous) wouldn't change anything very much. If the old woman's grandson had spotted and followed them, he'd be waiting nearby for her to leave and she'd have to deal with him sooner or later. If he hadn't and was informing people of her crime, she needed to get out of town while she still could.

"And while that would be absolutely lovely, I am afraid I must decline. As you well know, I have other business to attend to, and I'm sure you do too." It was as graceful a rejection as any. She leaned forward onto the desk, resting her chin on her hands. "And I'm sure a fine gentleman such as yourself would not require it as part of the transaction?"

[Anonymous]

From the fact that Spektrox had a few animal parts to him, he was quite a strange one. His tail was wrapped around his waist, his eyes were like a predatory felines, a sort of yellow colour with slitted pupils. Right now of course, they were a bit larger looking since they were inside, and the light wasn't altogether great. It was more than enough for Spektrox however, but obviously some others might have a problem or two.

He laughed as she continued to slather on that same overused story like it was jam on toast. If that was how she wanted to play it, she could, it was her right, but it wasn't like he was going to steal. It was funny, he knew, she knew that he knew, and yet they still danced this way. It was amusing to Spektrox, completely amusing, and he wasn't too opposed to it, but at some point it would get to be annoying. His offer wasn't really as generous as it could be, all things considered. He had seen very nice swords sell for around a hundred Gold Suns, and this was a pile of jewelry. Jewelry that was real, it had no forgeries in the bunch, and was in rather excellent shape. He knew what it was worth, probably around two hundred and fifty gold suns, but that was in Serendipity. He would have to sell this somewhere else...like in Adela or Thanatos. Still, he decided if he wanted anything, he would have to raise his price. If he were lucky, it would be Adela. If he wasn't lucky, it would be Thanatos. So a fairer price would have to do.

"Me? I don't have anything else to do that's business related. I planned on getting drunk and probably sleeping it off in a gutter, but that's a waste of a man's talent and energy." Spektrox grinned, his fox-like ears pointed toward her and focused on hearing her better. One could hear lies and fluctuations in tones if they had the right ears, and Spektrox had those ears. Plus, he liked the sound of her voice. It was like honey, but made of sound. Something poetic like that, he couldn't quite think right now. "Oh my no! I would never force someone into a soirée like that as part of the transaction. That would be absolutely horrible of me. It'd be absolutely lovely to spend such time with a beautiful temptress like yourself, but if you must press other business, then who am I to say nay?" Once more he picked up a few pieces of jewelry and inspected them. If he raised his price and couldn't sell them, he'd just bury them somewhere until people forgot about it and he could sell them later. If he buried them however, and died, someone else might find them...and he would be dead.

So selling them for more money could be dangerous. Every business dealer wished to make a profit on everything they sold, and every business dealer wishes they could just steal everything their shop needed to sell so they could make one hundred percent profit. Like this person before him actually! If she had indeed stole them, she would be making a profit like no one's business. He would have to settle with coming away from it making a small profit. "Very well though! If the price must rise, the price must rise. One hundred and fifty suns." That meant only a hundred suns profit...well...it could be more with a different coin system, but in the end, it would be a hundred suns profit here in Serendipity. That wasn't actually bad, it wasn't like Spektrox ever was hurting for money, or he ever would be, but still, he was part animal, and a lot of animals liked shiny things. Some of the crews joked that he had crow's feet under his eyes, and that's why he loved shiny objects so much.

It was a stretch, but sometimes Spektrox thought it might be right. Or it was the monkey in him.

[Anonymous]

Well, bugger me. I never thought the bastard would actually take me up on it.

After a moment of utter confusion, Roshan threw her head back and burst out laughing. She caught herself, tried to regain some composure. That failed and she dissolved into helpless giggles on the desk. She sat back up, her shoulders still shaking. It was good to relieve some of her tension, at least.

"Sorry, OK, OK," she grinned, dabbing daintily at her eyes. "I don't know what came over me. You are so very good at this. Fine, yes, they are stolen. Very, very stolen. The old bitch only owed me about fifteen suns for three weeks' work, and I gave her plenty of chances to cough up. But someone like me can't stay in one place forever, so I took what I could. It's her own damn miserly fault."

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "And while I'm being so unusually honest, I'd like to say that I really would have liked to get to know you a little bit better. You are quite fascinating, captain. However, I saw a man earlier that I believe to be the old lady's grandson and I'd be stupid if I didn't think he saw me too. If I stick around, I could end up in all sorts of unladylike situations, and I'm sure you wouldn't want that."

The playful double entendre masked her fear. If she was caught, not just found out and dealt with in private but truly pinned down and exposed as a criminal for all to see, it would be easy for someone to connect her to her previous exploits. And if someone were to connect the dots far enough back, all the way back... It was too horrible to think about. So she didn't.

[Anonymous]

The laughter confused him, his ears lay flat and his eyes wide, confused as the sudden outburst. He didn't particularly understand it, and it worried him. Was this some operation set up by the guards? Were they trying to catch him? Was he going to have to haul anchor, get out of the port, and dump this woman off in the middle of a shark infested feeding frenzy? His hands were gripping his chair, nails digging harshly into the fine wood. Maybe he was just being too paranoid. He was of course, as she started to explain. Somewhat.

For someone to just balance accounts...which was a rather extravagant thing for a person...fifteen suns. He could understand why telling the whole truth for ten was a bit of a stretch. However, his counter offer obviously perked her right up. That pleased the heck out of him, mostly...he would have to pay a lot of money...for just some words. Ugh. Maybe this was a bad idea eh? Maybe this was a real bad idea.

"Doesn't that feel better? Now we know where you stand, and how much I can trust you." A person could easily lie about this sort of thing, but she really didn't seem like she was lying however...he could usually tell, he could usually feel it so...he was sure that she wasn't lying to him. This was good. Still, he could be wrong but...he was quite happy that he probably wasn't wrong. She was much too beautiful to lie that much to him. It just wasn't right! Such a lady lying to him? It could happen of course, but Spektrox liked to think better of everyone.

"Oh now that's just a cruel thing to say my lady...just absolutely cruel, wicked, and decadent." He put his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his palm as he stared at her with somewhat glazed over eyes. And you should be punished for it. He thought naughtily to himself. Spektrox went into a drawer of his desk and removed a money pouch, jingling it near his ears to hear. "One hundred and seventy...hm...four." He used the scale to start balancing them out. In the end, one could count the exact amount, but each sun was VERY finely crafted to have the exact weight. So he could figure out the weight of one, and then figure out how much a hundred and fifty would be. It only took Spektrox a few minutes until he was pushing a velvet coin satchel to her with a smile.

"It was an absolute pleasure Lady Lilah...an absolute pleasure meeting you, dealing with you, and thinking ungentlemanly thoughts about you." Spektrox stood up, bowing extravagantly to her with a grin. "If you ever need anything, such as safe harbour or free port to another place...you just come find Captain Spektrox where ever the water is." Spektrox secretly hoped that the grandson was outside waiting for her actually. It wasn't because he was a bad person, but because he loved damsels in distress. They were usually the best kind of damsels. One who was in distress needed some help getting out of distress, and it meant that all his years of dramatic theatricals would come in handy.

"Will you at least allow you to walk you from the docks? It would be improper of me to let a lady walk through such a rough and undignified section of town unescorted." Anything to just have a little while longer with a beautiful lady. Who knows, he may even convince her to return with him to the ship once more! It was a hopeful dream that was just a glimmer in his eye, but a dream none the less.

[Anonymous]

Fifteen suns was a lot, but the old lady had seemed only too happy to agree to it. Roshan, naturally, charged as much as she thought she could get away with, which was usually a lot. So what if it's three times the actual value? If a person didn't pay attention to these things, she felt, they deserved to be fleeced.

And he was right, she probably did deserve most of what was coming to her (though she would protest her complete innocence until the bitter end). She was as vindictive and petty as the worst of them, and would be a damn good schemer if she had the time to be. Good old granny Windham taught her the fine art of subtle bitchery from a young age, and acts of ridiculous spite were a staple of her childhood. But still, there were some things even she didn't deserve, and they were what she really feared.

She couldn't hide her glee when the money was being counted. That would keep her firmly and safely on the road for a long, long time. As he passed the coins to her, she resisted the urge to hug and lick and smell them, and instead tucked them discreetly into her bag.

"And it was wonderful doing business with you! I may just take you up on that offer some time. I would very much like to see Yoreiq one of these days," she replied with a smile. She glanced wistfully at the huge bed and sighed.

She considered her options now: she had been planning to slip out of town quietly and discreetly, but with the company of Captain Spectrox, that would not quite be possible. However, if she was spotted, she could probably manage by ditching him and running as fast as she could, and leaving him to handle the situation. Yes, that just might work.

"I would be honoured, sir. A little more time with you would be like a dream."

[Anonymous]

If a person got fleeced because they didn't know what they were buying, why would they be buying it in the first place? Spektrox would whole heartedly agree that people sometimes got what they deserved. Some things couldn't be avoided or even priced however, like account balancing, it was more or less paying for a person's skills and their time, and both were very hard to measure. Unless you didn't have those skills, which is how a lot of people lost their money. Going to a person who knew how to mathematical skills while you didn't was a dangerous thing, you had to take their word for it, and hope their word was good.

Maybe that was why a lot of the poorer people liked religion. It gave them something that people couldn't take from them, and it also spoke of vindication and reward. In the end, you hoped that when you died, people who had been bad in life would be punished, and you would descend into heaven. It was all quite a deep subject, and for Spektrox, he really didn't want to think about it. Hurt his head mostly. He just knew that he wasn't a completely bad person, and that he often punished the rich and wicked...by taking their riches.

It worked for him.

As he counted out the money, he could see the absolute desire in her eyes. She was addicted to shiny gold. Not that there was a problem with it of course, he was addicted to shiny shiny gold as well. It wasn't a healthy addiction to have, but it wasn't as bad as being a drug addled mess.

"The trip there might be boring, but I think the two of could find something to occupy our time." He told her with a coy smile playing across his lips. She wanted to try that bed out, and he really wished that they had time for it, but alas...she had business to attend to.

"A dream? Now I know you're just teasing, but I will gladly accept your honey laden words." He was a sucker for compliments, even when he knew that a person was just trying to be nice, or had themselves an ulterior motive. That however, didn't matter, this was a damsel who would need help. He just hoped he wouldn't be playing patsy for her and would end up with a sabre run through him. He quickly tidied up the jewelry before helping Lilah to her feet once more with a charming grin. This would be fun! He led her from his cabin, telling one of his crewmen to clean up their recent acquisition, before they were once more back on the dock.

"See any familiar or unfriendly faces?" Spektrox asked, his voice still bubbly but his tone was low in case anyone was listening. He didn't want to be walking in unaware, and this woman knew the faces of those looking for her. A head's up would be really nice.

[Anonymous]

As the two of them strolled arm in arm along the dock, Roshan's nerves were on fire. She was relying on pure luck now, and she hated that. It never went in her favour. Oh, it seemed like it, often, to other people, but that was only because they didn't know how the tricks worked. No, she told herself. Everything would be fine. She'd get away, like always, never give this incident another thought, like always, and get on with her life. Like always.

She searched the crowds. "I... Don't see anyone yet," she murmured. If he wasn't waiting outside the ship, maybe he hadn't followed her...

But no. That would have been lucky. Almost as soon as she said it, a space cleared and she spotted him: tall, lanky build, dark blue cloak and scruffy red hair, a good ten yards away. But he wasn't facing them. "He's over there." She nudged Spectrox. "He's... Talking to someone..."

She tried to get a look at the other man before the crowds came and blocked her view again. She couldn't see his face well, but what she could see looked horribly familiar. She caught a glimpse of a... Pistol by his side?

Every survival instinct she had was screaming at her to run.

It was him.

She choked back a whimper and tightened her grip on Spectrox's arm. She hadn't been seen yet, but nonetheless she was in deep, deep shit. "We have to get out of here. Now."

[Anonymous]

Spektrox was actually very aware Lilah's nerves. The fear, the worry, he could smell it on her and it wasn't a particularly good smell for her. No, he really didn't think that it was a good perfume for her. He had others that would do much better on her, lilac for example...not only because it was close to her name. Well...maybe that was a reason or two. Still, he could understand why she was nervous, he just didn't know how bad it would actually be.

"Good to hear." His smile however would disappear however as she spoke again. He almost thought they had gotten away with it...but no, things couldn't go that right. Not after buying stolen jewelry.

He was careful to watch the strange man with the red hair. Who the hell was he talking to? Shouldn't he be watching the boat? If he had tracked her then the smart man would be watching the boat she had entered. However, the man was completely oblivious to the two of them. He was worried that something bigger was going to come his way.

A weapon caught Spektrox's full attention however. A pistol. His ears lay back, flat, and his teeth were bared in a very animalistic manner. Now, those were NOT available outside of Connlaoth. That was troubling...no, that wasn't troubling. That was downright scary. Guns made lots of noise, they were messy, and wildly painful. Spektrox had never been shot, but he met someone who once had. He said it was worse than a crossbow. Okay. Spektrox was pretty sure if he were a lesser man, he would have made a mess in his pants. However, he was a lot stronger than that, but his resolve for keeping this woman here was not the highest priority.

What was he saying?! He couldn't just abandon her! That was not a gentlemanly move now was it?

"Oh really? I swear if you've brought a mage hunter..." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. There was only one thing to do. "Back to the ship, it looks like you're gonna have a chance to see the isles." He did however, want to get there quickly, to the ship that was. Plus he loved to do this. He scooped her up in his arms and dashed back to the ship, up the gangplank and onto the deck. He was quick to kick the the plank from the ship, looking to his first mate. "Anchor up, VERY QUICKLY. We're getting out of here. NOW!" The crew was quick to react, but still, as he put Lilah down, he went to the edge of the ship to look over at the people on the deck. His ears were forward and focused, just in case he heard the sound of a pistol's hammer being cocked.

[Anonymous]

Despite her terror, Roshan tried to keep a cool head as she sought alternative routes out of town. There was an alley, but it was too close to the other two for her liking. They could try to integrate themselves into a group of people and walk past that way, or they could try cutting through a building... As she pondered this, she was vaguely aware of Spectrox also freaking out beside her, but wasn't ready to be picked up and carried back to the ship. She had almost figured out what to do!

She wasn't scared of the gun. No, the gun would have been the least of her troubles. Both she and the Mordecai knew there were other, worse ways of dealing with her, and so he would very deliberately avoid shooting her. If he'd caught her, he would have – shudder – taken her back home. There she would have been turned over to someone else, maybe even her own family... If it came down to it, she'd try desperately to get shot. It would be preferable.

She didn't need to worry about that now, though. She was set carefully onto her feet on the ship's deck and stood there for a moment, spaced out and shaking.

They'd been spotted when they ran, and the red-haired man had given chase. He wasn't about to give up. As he followed, he yelled after them, "Get back here, Emily Carver... Roshan whatever-your-name-is... you... thieving bitch!" He skidded to a halt at the dock, wheezing a little. "Somebody stop them!"

He was too late. He couldn't get onto the ship, and had no way to get them off it. He simply stood, glaring ineffectually up at them. A few people looked on, but they didn't seem to care much. It was just a little entertaining drama. The other man was nowhere to be seen. Roshan recovered from her daze and joined the captain, who still seemed nervous. She took a cursory glance at the dock, then laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled up at him. "Relax! Knowing him, he's given up for now. He wasn't going to shoot us anyway."

She turned to blow the angry man a kiss and leaned on the railings, smirking. It was tasteless, but she felt she deserved to rub it in a bit. It didn't matter to her that it wasn't entirely her victory. A win was a win, after all, and she'd won.

[Anonymous]

Spektrox was a man who acted first, and then would deal with small things like thinking and consequences later. He was impulsive, and he let the different varying emotions control him. Fear was one that was controlling him here of course. So was his theatrics, there were also controlling him. He was going to be allowed to save a damsel, who was very clearly distressed. She may not have been ready to be saved, or even wanted to, but Spektrox would have nothing of it.

The whole thing was to save his ass as well. He heard reputations of the Connlaoth bounty hunters. The fact that he had a pistol...well, it was a completely scary thing to think about. What if the bounty hunter took him as well? He was...uh...innocent, but at the same time, Spektrox was honour bound to protect her and well...that could end up with him getting shot.

So there was one proper option.

Pick her up and take her to the ship. It was quick however, and everything was underway for them to get out of there and not get shot. He could hear the red-haired man yelling at them from the dock. His ears twitched as he heard him call her...they weren't curses...they were names. She had other names. Ah, that would actually make sense wouldn't it? What was her real one then? Was Lilah just a lie? Terrible! She would lie about her name! He had given her his name. Still if she were a thief, Lilah would be dead, and Emily...or Roshan, would be alive and would not be tried for Lilah's crimes.

It made sense to Spektrox in the end.

As Spektrox was looking out on the dock, he noticed that the pistol packing person was...no longer there. Why was there no pistol guy? He hadn't followed him, and he certainly couldn't have jumped onto the front of the ship and hang there. These people from Connlaoth, they had no magic, they had no superhuman abilities, they were all just human, and they were so limited. Still...Spektrox took a look at the front to make sure the man WASN'T gripping the front of the boat. It seemed clean to him...no holes for him to get into either! All portholes were locked for just that reason, and only opened out at sea on good days...when no small craft could sneak up on you and send a boarding party in.

"You don't know that! Guns kill! Quickly! Arrows do too, I'm not fond of either!" Spektrox said in exasperation as he turned to look at the woman. The woman he had rescued...kidnapped...whatever. "But...we're safe. We're fine..." He hoped to the Gods that they were. This was going to uh...be very interesting. "So...Emily...Roshan...Lilah...got a place you'd like to go?" Well, she was going to be here for a while wasn't she? Dropping her off in Serendipity would be a terrible plan..it could end up with her getting killed, and he couldn't let that happen.

It was not lost on her that she would need a place to sleep, and that she had looked longingly at his bed. Plus she did think he was good looking. As a few dirty thoughts invaded his mind, he kept his eyes, and ears, focused on her.

[Anonymous]

Roshan did know that, very well. The man hated her too much to just shoot her and get it over with so quickly. However, she really didn't want to have to explain that whole mess, so she shrugged and let it go.

"Call me whatever you want," she said non-committally. It really didn't matter that much to her. "Hmm... I did mention Yoreiq earlier, didn't I? If you'll put up with me for that long. Otherwise, anywhere south of here should be safe enough."

What she really meant was Essyrn, but if she got to the isles, she could no doubt find someone to take her the rest of the way. The city was full of money and opportunities and, most importantly, people who had never had the pleasure of her company before. It was the perfect place to try something big. What, she didn't know yet, but she would have plenty of time on the way to think it over.

The question of where to sleep had crossed her mind, and, yes, that bed had featured prominently. She didn't much mind sharing – it was a very nice bed, after all. As for attraction, she would admit that Spectrox wasn't a bad-looking man. Weird-looking, yes, but not in a bad way. However, looks weren't her top priority; she was far more attracted to money, power and smarts, and he had enough of all three of these to hold her attention. He was filthy rich, captain of his own ship and canny enough to mess with her plans something horrible. When she'd said she would have liked to get to know him better, she'd meant it.

All in all, this whole screw-up had turned out very nicely for her indeed. Good fortune had a funny way of showing itself.

[Anonymous]

"A real name would be nice to have. One that you think of being yourself." Fake names always gave Spektrox a headache. He liked it better when he knew that he was calling people by their real names, by the actual name that they had been given and they would most assuredly respond to. Granted, there were people he met who didn't actually like the names that had been chosen for them, or felt that they should be able to name themselves, and as such chose for themselves a different name. It was an interesting philosophy, but he had been given the name Spektrox, which was completely weird and out of the norm, so he was quite happy with being called Spektrox.

"I can put up with you for years I bet." Spektrox's grin was a particularly naughty one as he winked her. He wasn't joking either, despite her having bad habits, like getting men from Connlaoth with guns to trail her, he still couldn't find much fault with her. He was a pirate who lied, stole, occasionally killed, and drank often. They were on the same boat, in more ways than one it seemed.

"Well Essyrn it is then!" With a flourishing bow Spektrox was off to give orders to his men. Their time in port had been brief, but he discovered that they had had stocked up on supplies, and a trip to Essyrn would not be strenuous, they wouldn't have to stop anywhere and gather more supplies. That was the problem usually, if you were unlucky, you had to find a place to dock and then either buy more, or hunt your own. His men, and women, were good people, but they weren't very skilled hunters. Usually Spektrox himself was the one to go and find animals or fruit that wasn't poisonous. He had a nose for that sort of thing...and ears too. Ears helped. Once Spektrox got his first mate to plot a path, he was back to...Lilah. Yes, he liked Lilah. Roshan had a bit of a tongue twisting capability. It was rough...Lilah flowed however.

"Well Lady Lilah...we'll be heading south to get around the land...the only thing I have to wonder about is if you have spare changes of clothes." He didn't think that she would fit any of the crew's clothes, even the females. While he didn't particularly care if she walked around in her underwear for the whole trip, he did like a bit of cleanliness to his...surroundings. Dirty clothes smelled something fierce, and as a creature with a very good sense of smell, that was bad. People could be washed, and he would invite her to use his private bathing tub of course as often as she pleased, clothes could be a different manner all-together. He was half a foot taller than she was, and he had...a different body shape than she did. Still, something could be arranged, because he hadn't seen any sort of luggage with her.

This might be a very long trip.

[Anonymous]

A name was just a mask to her, nothing more, and despite his apparent burning need to know what she was really called, it seemed they were both happy enough to go on pretending she was Lilah. It was a convenient lie, and they both knew it.

Ah, Essyrn! It was about as far from any pursuers as she could get and still be able to make money. Sure, the ill-gotten and slightly forged contracts she had accumulated were no good now, but she wouldn't need  them. She mulled over some ideas in her head as Spectrox caught up with his crew. There were so many things one could do, safe and in one place, and she just couldn't decide which would be the best. She would have plenty of time to think it through on the way, and hopefully come up with the greatest, most audacious scam ever. She just couldn't wait! It was so exciting!

Roshan snapped out of her thoughts when the captain came back. Clothes? That seemed an odd thing to ask about right now. It was hardly urgent. Besides, she always made sure she had something to change into, ever since an incident following a particularly nasty mistake on her part that left her (completely unexpectedly and innocently, of course) with suspicious and extensive stains. When she had arrived in Serendipity, she had discovered the odd fashion for women to wear dresses. Having up to this point never left Connlaoth, she thought they looked ridiculous, but as there were styles that were smaller and lighter to carry than a suit, it made sense to get one.

"Yes, I do have another outfit. It's... Ugly, but it will do. Ah, and since I'll be here for a while, you could perchance give me a proper tour of the ship?" she enquired.

She really did want to at least know the ship's general layout, but part of her also wanted to find out if her feeling earlier was true. Something about him told her he wasn't really a merchant. He could be a black market trader, a salvager, maybe even a pirate. Was he almost as dodgy as her, if not more?

[Anonymous]

When you were dealing with a man like Spektrox, you had to be careful with your actions. He was a very dramatic fellow, a very theatric person who liked to rescue damsels in distress. Was she hiding her name because it was convenient? Or was it more? Was she hiding herself, trying to protect herself from the world...or was it more? Was she running and hiding, trying to stop herself from getting attached to people, or vice versa. Maybe she was scared of people getting attached to her, of getting to know the real her.

Maybe she was always just running.

It was an incredibly romantic thought, and it was one of those things that just ran through Spektrox' mind and pitied her just a little bit. It made him want to try and help her, but he couldn't honestly be sure about her. She was a very good liar, she had proven that, and she was a little bit better under pressure than he was. This might not be a good idea now that he had a bit more time to think about it. He should be very careful, and probably should make sure that their valuables were kept under lock and key. She didn't have much place to hide anything, but still, she was a thief...and she had readily admitted it for a hundred and fifty suns.

"A tour of the ship? Well...I suppose I could! As for clothes, we'll figure something out!" Maybe going to Thanatos would work out, at least just for a stop off. They had plenty of time to think about it, more than enough time really. He smiled to himself as he thought about any place that might have some clothes for her. One of the islands would have something no doubt, even if he just paid a few locals for something, he couldn't have her in something she thought was ugly after all. Most of the islands did have some sort small mercantile hut or something along those lines. They were always eager to trade after all.

So that was when the tour began, with his arm looped around hers he led her around the ship. "This is the galley, where we cook...obviously." It was a small place mostly, eating never took place in her, but people could come get food from the mess, though they did have a cook who would make up the large meals for everyone. The crew quarters was then showed, as well as the crew's bathrooms...though he of course told her that she could use his at any time, since he had a spacious bath tub, that was kept very clean since he was one who was very into bathing and having a nice smell. Being on a ship, people got a very...airy smell, of salt and fish, which wasn't pleasant to him.

He didn't show her much else, because there wasn't too much more to show her. A lot of the ship was the wares however, stores, supplies, and...private stuff. Things that they had stolen and were going to either sell, or out of habit, bury somewhere for a while. They had their own little island that they could put their loot, and no one was the wiser. As far as Roshan would get to see...he was telling the truth really. He made sure not to show her anything suspicious, open any of the crates that might show something suspicious to her.

Spektrox was just as sneaky as she could be.

[Anonymous]

If Roshan had any idea of what Spectrox thought of her, she would have been taking full advantage – blurting out half-finished sentences dripping with mysterious tragedy, sighing sadly when he just so happened to be looking, that sort of thing – but as it was she thought it was basic common sense. Of course she was always moving on, she was an opportunist and had made a lot of enemies, and it was more of a pain in the ass than it was romantic. If she'd had any idea, she'd be calling him a sucker.

Still, sucker or not, she wasn't actually intending to steal from him on this journey. She had more than enough money now to keep her going for a good long while, even if it was in the currency of a country she wasn't planning to return to. She had the financial skills to make that an advantage. And besides, he'd said before that if she ever wanted to be taken anywhere, he would oblige. That was far too useful to lose for some unnecessary theft.

To her dismay, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary on the tour, not that she would have really been able to spot it if it was there. She'd never been on a ship before and what she knew about them was minimal. She knew they floated, were mostly made of wood and had a lot of people on them, and... That was about it. Oh, also that they tended to have sails. So she liked finding out where things were. Being told she could use his personal bathtub, well, that was a nice bonus. She would have to try that out later.

When they reached the end of the tour, she nodded her head and smiled. "Thank you, that was very informative. So, do you have any captainly duties to carry out now, or...?" she enquired, and arched one graceful eyebrow.

She was hoping they could engage in small talk again. She had quite enjoyed their conversation in the tavern; it had been a while since she had come across a worthy opponent.

[Anonymous]

It was probably for the best that Roshan didn't know what Spektrox was thinking. Even for a pirate captain he could be a gullible person.

He felt rather proud that things LOOKED normal. It wasn't like a cheap fake that he sometimes got handed, where you could scratch the surface and find that the gold ring actually just had a light covering instead of being completely made of gold. The reason of course, was obvious, as Spektrox had to ensure that if guards came to check out the cargo hold, that they wouldn't find anything out of the ordinary. His crew all had weapons of course, as well as a small sort of...armoury for auxulliary weaponry. There was an anvil and a sharpening wheel of course, but this was standard on any ship that didn't want to be attacked by pirates. It wouldn't be too out of the ordinary, though, his stuff looked a little worn, but he could always claim that on the fact that he did a lot of sailing, and liked to ensure that the weapons that would defend his life were kept in excellent order.

He was a tricky man, there was some wisdom behind those usually cheerful eyes of his.

It was obvious to Spektrox that Lilah wasn't one used to such amenities, like a very large luxurious bed, or an overly impressive bath tub. The tavern he had found her in smelled of her, and she smelled of it, which probably didn't do her any justice. However, as guest of the captain, she would be privileged here, she would get to experience some of the finer things in life. Things like him. Heh heh.

"Everything has been taken care of, if you wish to retire to somewhere more private, then that's what we may do." He didn't think she would be interested yet in a little romp or dally, this felt more like she wished to have more conversation. He would of course, order from the galley a bit of rum for the two of them, he didn't particularly feel like a wordy sparring match, and he could always think a bit better when he had a little bit to drink. Not to mention, after seeing a Connlaothian bounty hunter or something along those lines, his nerves could do with a little liquid courage. With a grin, he led her back to his luxurious quarters, though, this time he stretched out on his bed, his tail flicking behind him as he practically curled up like an animal, watching Lilah with large yellow eyes.

"We might as well have a little informality. Why sit in stiff chairs when we have this whole bed hm?" He wasn't trying to be particularly naughty either. He was a creature of comfort, very much an animal at heart, and the bed was built to be soft. If he didn't have any duties to attend to, Spektrox would probably spend all his time in bed. Alas, there was much to be done usually, save for this particular trip. This wasn't a mission, this wasn't some job, some raid, this was a trip from here to Yorieq, which meant that he wouldn't have to plan any attacks or raids, plot any real course, the crew knew where to go, and most preferred that he not get in the way too much.

"So an accountant and a thief...that must be a terribly interesting profession. I can't imagine how one person would get involved in such a way." Spektrox said finally as they both got settled. "You're not from Serendipity are you?" It was painfully obvious, all things considered. Serendipity was known for it mages, which could include people of a finer mathematical nature, the answer was probably painfully obvious. She was from Connlaoth, who valued accountants and numbers just a bit more than Serendipity and Adela. Adela always seemed a little too backwards to have people make a living with numbers, Serendipity was just too free spirited, but...Connlaoth, oh yes, they seemed to be the sort who just adored numbers.

[Anonymous]

Roshan perched daintily on the edge of the bed. It was incredibly soft, but then she'd had a bad day and wanted to retain some shred of dignity. Sprawling all over the place was never really her style.

Accounting suited her and her methods extremely well. If one was genuinely good (and she was), huge amounts of money could be taken and nobody would even notice unless they very carefully went through the past accounts, and by then she would have picked up the proceeds from wherever she had sent them and gone on her way. Since nobody liked double-checking those sorts of things, it was rare that the crime was ever even detected. She could get away with a lot, when she could get herself that sort of job. Of course, since they were in the minority, she had had to perfect other ways to get what she wanted. Still, a pen and an account book were her favourite tools. Lockpicks were for amateurs.

"Actually, they go perfectly together if you know what you're doing. This... Ah, incident, was quite unusual for me, I assure you." She moved into a more comfortable position, tucking one leg under her. "Haha, is it really that obvious? No, I'm not Serenian."

And she was back to answering questions with the minimum necessary information. She loved this game. Now to try to get him to play... She fixed him with a curious look. "But you? I find you hard to place, to make an understatement. You're so... Unique."

[Anonymous]

They were in private, Spektrox could afford to relax and sprawl out on his bed. It was his bed after all, and he was part animal. The crew didn't think much of it, to them it made sense. They were simple people most of the time. A man with bits of animal parts would often act a little a bit like an animal.

Spektrox couldn't possibly imagine something as silly as using a pen and some paper for...well...making money. It was so much easier to just be a pirate like he was. If you were smart and careful with how you acted and disguised your ship, you could be a merchant vessel and a privateer at the same time. It was win-win most of the time, well, all of the time if you thought about it. He hadn't been caught, and people didn't openly know. Even though he was the easiest person to spot, when a pirate raid went down, concealing his nature was easy. Spektrox wasn't a fool, and he wouldn't throw something away like this, oh no.

He was a smart cookie.

"I didn't think you were. It didn't fit you. Too different from the locals y'know? You stick out a bit." It was one way to put it at least. She also just had the air of a person of different fashion tastes. Her current outfit didn't seem to fit the style here. It seemed more...foreign. He had no idea really about Connlaoth fashions, he avoided the place like the plague. Maybe not the ships all the time, but the places were definitely something that he avoided. It's how he lived longer.

"I'm...unique." Spektrox agreed with a small smirk. She didn't really answer his question, and so he wouldn't really answer hers. Even though he could guess the answer as to where she was from, it was better if he heard it from her instead. He wanted to actually have her admit it to him, it would make it more...personal. Once more, Spektrox was quite under the assumption that she was exactly afraid of that. Making it personal. So he would have to earn information from her...and she would have to do the same.

"I bet, you couldn't even guess how old I am." Spektrox said with a grin as he rolled onto his back, his hat falling off and looking at her upside down now, a coy grin on his face. His tail darted and wagged excitedly back and forth as he watched her from his position.

[Anonymous]

She never liked telling others about herself. If she'd say something small and innocuous, soon enough more questions would come, and more, until the other person would know far more about her than she was comfortable with. Knowing things about people made them easy to manipulate, and she wasn't going to give anyone that opportunity. She was the only one allowed to do that!

But, still, in a twisted way she was satisfied that he was playing her game too. A long trip with nobody to scam would be so very boring, and this livened things up a bit.

Roshan stuck her tongue out and winked at him. "You didn't say what you're betting. I'll let it slide, just this once."

She tilted her head. "Hmm. Your face says... Late twenties, maybe? But I've been in Serendipity long enough to know that probably isn't the case. So, enlighten me."

[Anonymous]

At least she was happy!

If anything, Spektrox was a gracious host to his beautiful company. It also helped that he did like to play games too, just like she did. This game was a little different than most he was used to, which usually were things you shouldn't play outside of the bedroom. This was one of those things that actually could be played outside. Maybe. If you didn't want people to know about you, then it was probably best not to play this game outside. Alright...this was another, less fun game. He could spice it up sure, but...he was a gentleman!

"A bet between a gentleman and a lady of course." For the most part, Spektrox was completely sure that she was going to lose. He didn't ask how old he looked, he asked how old she thought he was. When someone usually said that, it meant it wouldn't just be a small amount.

"Oh no, that was a very good guess." He told her with a grin. "Let's just stick with late twenties hm?" If she really wanted to, she could piece things together. Despite being young, he was a captain of his own ship. There was a smile on Spektrox' face as he slid up on the bed to lay closer to her, in front of her, with his hands folded on his stomach. "If you wanna know how old I am, you've gotta give up some information too. Liiiiiiike..." He placed one finger on his chin as he looked up at the woman. What to ask...what to ask indeed.

"Which feature do you like best about me?" He asked with a large grin playing on his face. He wanted to confuse her, really make her take a step in the wrong direction as it were. He didn't want to become boring and predictable after all.