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The Master Plan, Meet the Canary Crew [M] [DragonSong]

Started by Lowen Thorn, April 06, 2018, 05:16:55 PM

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Lowen Thorn

The scent of warm ocean air could be found everywhere, outside on the streets, inside inns and taverns, just about anywhere you found yourself. The scenery was beautiful - a paradise one should be lucky enough to call home. The women. Oh! The women. The women were beautiful, each more than the last. There was something special to be said about every single one of them, and the ritualistic tattoo they bore from adulthood made them all the more exotic. The atmosphere was warm and uplifting, pride twinkling in the townfolk's eyes as they welcomed you with adoration. Well, for most. The locals knew of Dinny and his crew all too well, and showed obvious disdain for their little group despite some of the members being born and raised there. It was good to be home.

Dinny joined his comrades at the corner table in the tavern they occupied, a pint of ale in one hand and one of his daggers in the other. Flopping down to his seat, he drove the dagger into the table for balance (and attention), drawing quick, irritated glances from the other patrons. "Alright, you scumbags!" he said cheerfully. "Let's get this thing started!"

The table snickered. "Hold on there, Din," another man of Thanti descent cut in. "You know we have to talk about what just happened. We all saw you."

The young bandit scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. It was true. He may have attempted to court the woman at the bar, and he may have struck out. Badly. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Spade," he replied sarcastically.

"Struck out again," a larger Yoreiqi man mused, taking a sip of his drink.

"Oh, fuckin' fuck off Jarvis! Like you could do any better!"

"That's enough," the obvious ringleader interjected with a bang of his fist on the table. "While I enjoy talking about young Dinny's failed attempts at a love life just as much as the rest of ya, we got work ta' do."

"Right," the woman of the group, Regen, joined in. "So what's the plan, Boss?"

The boss, otherwise known as Rata, leaned in. "You know the plan. You'll have me say it again?" he asked in a gruff whisper. "Fine! You at least know the target? The royal family's flesh and blood, o'course! Cousin Ruby! Her ship sets sail for Connlaoth first thin' in the morning-"

"At least she thinks she will be going to Connlaoth. That's where we come in," the last member of the group, Markus, chimed in. "We've done the research. This woman does not know the crew operating her vessel. So, we are going to be the crew."

"D-Don't interrupt!" the boss barked. "That's right. We're gonna sneak aboard that vessel before anyone gets there, and take out the crew. From there, we're gonna take that broad-"

"We're going to take her and all of her valuables all the way to Serendipity," Dinny said with a confident grin.

"Damn tired of those interruptions-"

"Oh I just love to see you flustered old man!"

Dinny and Rata exchanged glares, one a bit more playful than the others. Regen extended her arms across the table as if to separate them. "Easy, boys," she said sweetly. "Let's get back to it. Boss, what are our roles?"

"Right," Rata nodded. "Roles. Regen, you will play host to our guest. Markus, you will steer the ship. That leaves you three on standby in case anything happens. One thing is for sure, keep Dinny as far away from the girl as possible. Din! Are you listening?!"

He wasn't. While the boss was yappin' away, a pretty young barmaid passed by their table - catching Din's eye. He stumbled out of his chair and followed her cautiously. "Hey..." he said innocently. "Have you ever been on a ship before?"

It was good to be home.

DragonSong

The barmaid paused, a tray of empty mugs balanced easily on one hand. "Only once, ser," she said with a small smile, eyes slightly downcast so she could peek up at him through her lashes. Her voice held a think Zantaric accent, evidently not yet dulled by her time on the islands. "Round about ten years ago, when ah came to Yoreiq."

She brushed a lock of ebony hair behind her ear, smiling slightly as she gave him a sidelong, bashful glance. "Why d'ya ask, ser?"

Lowen Thorn

Whoa.

Whoa. Whoa. Wow!

A positive response? From a beautiful woman? This was not something Din was expecting, not at the rate he had been going.

'I knew she'd be into me', he lied to himself.

"Wow," he replied with a cheeky smile. "I love your accent. In fact, it is probably my most favorite accent I have ever heard-"

"DIN!" Rata yelled out to his young bandit. "Quit your lollygagging and get back over here!"

Dinny shot his boss a mean glare. "I'M BUSY!" he yelled quickly. He returned his gaze to the woman before him and a smile returned to his face. "Sorry. Grandpas, you know? Anyway, before I was so rudely interrupted, we were talking about the ship."

He cupped his chin in his forefinger and thumb, stroking lightly as he considered what to say next. "As it turns out, I have a ship. How's about me and you go on a little cruise? We could leave as early as tomorrow morning! I can tell just by looking at you that you would loooooooove the open sea. I have a way about these things, you know."

Dinny was very bold.

The young man smiled, his comrades facepalmed, and the boss' angered face was flushed crimson.

DragonSong

Rose's eyes flicked from the man trying to sweet-talk her to his companions and back, small smile never slipping.

She'd heard enough of their plans to know that playing along for now would get her where she needed to be. Rumor was, one of Ruby's guards was a less than savory character- and he'd made enough enemies to get a hit out on him.

So she tossed her hair and rocked back on one heel, arching her back subtly to emphasize the way her wrapped sarong clung to her frame (a little tighter bunched in the back, but that couldn't be helped).

Men were so easy.

She flushed prettily and batted her eyes at him. "Well now, ser, ah- ah think ah really would like that," she enthused quietly, playing up her fake accent. "We'd hafta leave earleh though, ah got work round in the evenin'."

Lowen Thorn

Dinny smiled brightly at her accepted invitation.

"That's great!" he said. His voice was sincerely excited, albeit a bit shocked. "We are going to board the ship a few minutes shy of dusk. You can meet me and my crew by the docks-"

He stopped, his eyes widening. The Canary Crew. He almost forgot about them. He placed one finger in the air. "Um. One moment, please."

He scurried back over to the table where his crew watched him, half-amused and half-annoyed. "Okay, guys, real quick," he started in a whisper as he leaned over the group.

"Strike out again?" Jarvis interrupted.

"Oh, you wish, jackass," Din snapped back with a triumphant grin. "I have a date. I'm going to take that beauty over there with us tomorrow. Gonna show her the open sea! Don't worry, I won't let her in on what we're actually doing. We will do the job, I'll have my date, and everyone will go home happy and pockets full. Easy peasy. Any objections?"

The table immediately groaned hearing his plan, some waving their arms in the air in disbelief.

"Din..." Spade muttered with a disappointed shake of his head.

"Are you fuckin' crazy, man?" Markus whispered back harshly.

"She's pretty cute, though," Regen chimed in. "I am impressed, Din. How do you plan to pull off this little stunt though? I heard her say she has to work in the evening. We're not going to be back anytime soon-"

"Well he hasn't thought that through now has he?" Markus cut back in, his voice raising. "Thinkin' with his dick like always!"

"Ah, let the lass come," Rata said firmly, finally voicing his opinion. The table instantly grew quiet, throwing puzzled looks at the older man. "Aye, I will be interested in how he pulls this shit off. May make for some much needed entertainment dur'n this trip. Just make sure to get the job done, boy."

Din nodded and gave the boss a thumbs up. "Thanks Pops," he said with a grin. "I knew you'd understand."

Turning on his heel, he began to walk back toward the woman before Rata could change his mind.

"Just one thing," Rata called out before Din could get too far. "Mess this up, and you're out. No exceptions."

Dinny stopped for only a moment, going over Rata's words in his head. Out. Out of the band. Well, no matter. That wasn't going to happen.

Rejoining the young woman's company, he gave her a quick smile. "We are all good, m'lady," he said with a playful bow. "I let the crew know that I'm bringing you along. We leave at dusk. You can meet me by the docks. Oh and before I forget-"

He extended his hand to the woman, offering a formal introduction. "My name is Din. You can call me Dinny, or Din. Hell, you can call me whatever you want," he said cheekily. "Your name?"

DragonSong

"M'name's Marian," she lied easily, giving him another sweet smile. She took his hand delicately, carefully to keep the callouses born from years of wielding daggers away from his palm. Chances were he wouldn't be able to tell those marks from indicators of bar work, but she'd rather not take the chance.

She drew her hand back and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear again, peeking up at him through her lashes. "Ah'll be meetin' ya at the docks then. Thank ya, ser, ah- ah'm really very excited," she enthused quietly, willing herself to blush in an attempt to sell the bit.

Lowen Thorn

"Marian," he repeated with a soft smile. "Not what I was expecting, but still a very nice name."

She had relatively rough hands for such a lovely young woman. Bar work must have been more demanding than one would typically expect, Din thought. The brief look in his eyes gave him away, but it was soon gone. It was not important, and not something worthy of conversation. Girl's gotta make a living somehow.

"Very well," he nodded, smile remaining. "Meet me by the docks just before the sun rises. I will have everything ready for us by then. I look forward to it, Marian."

He gave her another playful bow, and turned away from her to walk away (and to hide the big, goofy smile on his face). As he made his way through the tavern, he knocked Markus' drink off the table when his comrade attempted to gripe at him.

He let out a heavy sigh as he exited the building. He was so nervous he forgot to mention one important thing. They wouldn't be coming back that day. They wouldn't be coming back for a while. Whoops. He would share that little tidbit of information when the time came.

---

Dinny and his crew were there well before dusk the next morning. They had already "taken care" of the actual ship crew, and set up shop to get everything in motion. The only thing left was to greet cousin Ruby and her royal guards, and the young bandit's new friend.

Din and Spade stood outside, glaring off into the warm waters by the docks. Everyone else in the Canary Crew had already positioned themselves inside the vessel.

"Nervous?" Spade asked quietly, a hint of mockery in his voice.

"Not at all," Din replied. "These is going to be a cake job. Those guards will be easy enough to handle and we will be home free in no time."

"Not about the job, you imbecile," Spade started. "About the girl. You nervous about whats-her-name?"

Dinny grinned slyly. "Marian," he corrected. "Yeah, I knew what you were talking about. And yeah, I am nervous as shit. That obvious?"

Spade gave off a little shrug. "S'pose so. Regardless of that, I still think you are an idiot. Bringing a date on a job? I would ask what you were thinking, but I know better. You don't think. Ever." His words were harsh but there was a bit of lightheartedness in his tone. "Anyway, good luck. Hope ya don't get kicked out of the band."

Din's oldest friend turned heel and boarded the ship, leaving him to wait at the docks alone.

DragonSong

((OOC: quick note: dawn is sunrise, dusk is sunset, I think you got 'em mixed up ^.^))

"Marian" arrived just before dawn, a sarong wrapped artfully around her hips and a carefully corseted blouse clinging to her shoulders and bust. Her hair had been left down, an island rose tucked behind one ear.

No less than seven daggers were concealed on her person, which was a feat in itself, given how tightly her clothing clung to her form.

She approached the docks with appropriate wariness, glancing around as she searched for her new contact. She found him easily enough and waved with a small, shy smile.

Lowen Thorn

((OOC: Lol, you're right! I got them mixed up. I feel silly now, but thanks for the correction:) ))

Din's eyes found the approaching woman and he returned a soft wave without even realizing.

She was damn beautiful. Well, all women were beautiful. But, she was something else. Perhaps the most beautiful thing he found about her was that she actually agreed to join him today? That was the likely truth that Din refused to believe. No, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. He nodded to himself in reassurance.

His heart was beating out of his chest as she walked near him, feet frozen to the docks for only a moment. Fucking nerves. He pulled himself together quickly and started moving towards her, a generous grin spreading across his face as he did. He wouldn't dare show her his nerves - a gentleman always has the upper hand!

"You made it!" he greeted her. He motioned to the vessel behind him. "That's the ship just over there! All aboard!"

Maybe she wouldn't look at the ship's rather large size and Dinny's poor-esque exterior and put two and two together.

DragonSong

"Of course ah did." She smiled and dipped her head to him briefly. "Couldn't miss this now, could ah?"

Carefully, she reached forward to take his arm, blinking innocently at him. "Escort a gal aboard?"

Lowen Thorn

'This is fucking incredible.'

He offered his arm and led her across the boarding ramp until they were both firmly placed on the ship.  At this point, he completely forgot the real reason they were on the vessel.

As they started to walk the deck, Regen turned corner from the front, but froze when she saw them.

"Oh," she said, flashing a quick smile. "Hi."

Seeing his comrade brought him back to reality, if only for a moment. "Uh, Marian, this is Regen," he introduced. "She's a part of my crew. Regen, this is Marian."

Regen gave Dinny a sly look as to say 'Your crew?' and then nodded to the young woman. "It's nice to meet you, Marian," she said before hurrying off.


DragonSong

Aw. He was so happy to see her.

That was actually...cute.

Rose couldn't help smiling a bit as he guided her on board. She smiled shyly at Regen and waved to her, ducking her head just a bit so her loose hair fell slightly in front of her face. "She seems nice," she murmured.

She looked around curiously, taking stock of their surroundings under the guise of simple curiosity. "Oh, this is very excitin'! How many of ya are there here?"

Lowen Thorn

Nerves started to get the better of him, so he started talking. Alot.

"I'm so glad you're excited!" he said eagerly. "I'm excited too! And yeah, Regen's the best! Serenian, actually, like my mother! She's a good girl, unlike the other jackasses I work with.  Except Spade, o'course. Me and him go way back! You'll have to meet him too. Oh, there's six of us in the crew: Me, Spade, Regen, Jarvis, Markus, and the boss, but we have more people joining us today."

He stopped to catch his breath, eyes slightly widening at that last bit. How was he going to explain cousin Ruby and her royal guards?

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention," he started cautiously. "Technically speaking, this will be more than just a pleasure cruise. I mean, it will for us, but.. we are bringing some friends of ours to some isles not far from here today. Yeah, friends. But they will not be a bother to us at all! Anyway, tell me more about yourself."

And that was one terrible way to change the subject.

DragonSong

"About me?" She blinked, then ducked her eyes again bashfully. "Well, ser, there's not much to tell, bein' truthful." She shrugged and reached up to play with a lock of her hair absently. "Grew up near Zantaric, down south. Hoped on the first boat ah could and didn't look back."

Lowen Thorn

"Oh I am certain there is more to the story than that!" he said earnestly. "And, Marian, there's no need to keep calling me sir. You're making me feel old. You can call me Dinny."

Before she could respond, he grabbed her hand. "Come with me," he said quickly as he led her to the deck of the ship.

The sun had begun to rise, giving them just a little bit of light. Just enough for him to work with. "Check this out."

He muttered a quick spell under his breath and motioned his arm out to the ocean; the ladder mostly for dramatic effect. Water rose from the ocean surface and floated midair before them, circling around until it formed the shape of a flower. It didn't last long, but it was impressive enough, he thought. The flowered shape of water sprinkled back down into the ocean below them.

He peered back at her. "It's a rose," he said cheekily. "To match the one in your hair. Looks great on you, by the way."

His warm smile remained even as he noticed cousin Ruby and her guards approaching the boarding ramp, goods in hand.

DragonSong

Ah right. The flower in her hair.

Perhaps that had been a little on the nose.

She smiled and ducked her eyes bashfully. "Well, thank ya," she murmured. "Ya can do water magic? That's real impressive," she enthused quickly, looking up into his face again with wide, shining eyes.

Interesting to note, certainly.

Lowen Thorn

"Yeah, well my mother is Serenian and," he stopped, casting a look behind her. Regen was busy keeping Ruby and her guards busy, showing them to their cabin, as the rest of the crew brought their luggage and valuables onto the vessel.

Theoretically, he should be helping, but he was just extra muscle and eyes on this job. Plus, he had Marian with him, and the boss already gave him the okay. Yeah. Everything would be fine.

"And.. I learned some spells when we lived in Serendipity," he finished his sentence in a murmur, now obviously looking past her.

Shit. One of the guards was coming their way. Dammit, Regen.

"Hello sir!" Dinny said cheerily to the approaching man. "Beautiful day for an ocean cruise, no?"

He stopped a few feet short from them with a heavy thud before eyeing Din up and down with brief, but obvious judgement. "Are you a part of the crew?" he asked gruffly, giving "Marian" a sidelong glance as well.

Dinny shot the woman a quick look before returning to the guard. "Yes sir, part of the crew. Both of us."


DragonSong

Aria eyed the man up and down. This might be him. She'd have to check for the brand on his collar. Now, how to do that...

Feigning nervousness, she grabbed onto Dinny's arm and leaned into his side, making a point to press every inch of her curves up against his side. Gods, this was almost too easy.

"R-right, part of the crew!" she chirped with wide eyes, blinking up at the guard. "How d'ya do, ser?"

Lowen Thorn

As soon as the woman pressed herself up against him, Dinny couldn't help but smile smugly. Gods, this was so easy! Probably the best date he has ever been on, he concluded, and it has only just started!

Not only that, but he was happy with her quick ability to play along. She really had no idea what was really happening on this vessel, or so he thought, and the fact that she jumped right into his story was... impressive, to say the least.

The guard gave her a more quizzical look this time around, his eyes gliding over her more feminine features a bit longer than a gentleman should. "You don't look like you'd be a part of any ship crew," he said bluntly. "But I guess none of you do, and I am not surprised. Good help is hard to find."

With that, he turned on his heel and started off in the opposite direction.

'Not surprised?' Din thought to himself. 'Stupid bastard.'

DragonSong

"Well." She blinked and wrinkled her nose up at her companion. "He en't exactly friendly, is he?" she murmured, lowering her voice as though afraid of getting caught.

Making her eyes rather large, she added, even softer, "We— we aren't gonna get in trouble for this, are we?"

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