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Just a Harmless Holiday

Started by pomelo, April 21, 2017, 10:31:23 AM

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pomelo

Zahi shot Quinlan a withering look. Yes, great idea, mention carting around dead bodies. Her frown deepened a little; she wasn't sure why, but she didn't like hearing Quinlan retell their 'story' like that to the old man. 'Amazing trip.' She just barely managed to not roll her eyes again.

Old Hurc kept laughing a bit longer, unaware of Zahi's cold frown at his assessment. "Oh-ho, I can tell yer good fer a tale, Sharkbait! That's why I was askin' where yer'all from. Ach, I won't make yeh tell another story," he reassured with a heavy wave of his arms, "but yeh must know some songs we don't!"

That actually got some attention. And Zahi was very relieved to see that the eyes now turned to them were mostly looking expectantly to Sharkbait. She slunk back a bit, setting herself to dutifully eating her soup.

"Come on, man," Hurc encouraged, "teach us some'in new!"

Heads of sailors nodded in agreement. Zahi, meanwhile, watched Quinlan a bit amused. "Yeah, c'mon, sharkbiat," she said under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear, "sing 'em a song."

Lion

Oh...oh gods no. They didn't just ask him to sing.

Quinlan's face flushed furiously and he chuckled, waving his hands. "You don't wanna hear me sing," he chuckled loudly. And when old Hurk clapped a heavy hand across his shoulders, Quinlan lurched forward, slamming his chest against the table and the air went out of him.

The old sailor was laughing. "Oh we'd don't wanna. We gotta!" he huffed, cackling again, joined in by the other men.

And Quinlan heaved in a deep breath. Well, he better start fucking singing. He cleared his throat and licked his tongue against the top of his mouth. Seemed the taste was coming back and Quinlan sat up straight. "This is called the Maiden of Bellkrath," he announced and made a show of clearing his throat again.

"Oh, there once was a golden haired lass,
That lived in the hills of Bellkrath.
She was buxom and bright
and made the air delight.

"And when she did pass, the golden haired lass
Turned the sky to darkest night.
Save for the eyes, the eyes
That came to light.

"Oh I loved my lass,
especially her ass, and when
next she came, parted curtains of rain,
I knew then and there I'd make her mine at last.

"So I saved all my hard earnings,
My back broken and burdened, and
Slaved I did to be worthy of my love.

"The next I knew we were wed,
(And I was eager to break in that new bed),
and there I raised her patterned white veil.
I screamed then in horror,
My stupor began to fade,
I wish then that I listened,
to the wise words my friends gave.

"Lo then, behold, the bell gave it's toll.
And I was dragged off to bed
by my new bride, the troll."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

pomelo

The end of the song caused a chorus of raucous laughter around the mess hall. Zahi, however, rolled her eyes; though she had thoroughly enjoyed seeing his face flush with embarrassment before he started the song. That was something she had not seen before! And it had left a vaguely smug smile on her countenance.

From the sailors, though, came the chanting demand, "Another! Another! Sing us another!"

While she didn't exactly love his song, Zahi was enjoying watching Quinlan in this awkward position. Well, she wasn't enjoying it. She was determined not to enjoy any part of this 'holiday,' obviously. But the smug smile fell off her face in an instant when one of the younger sailors grinned, ear-to-ear, encouragingly at her.

"'Ow abou the sleepin' beauty? I bet yeh sing sweeter'n the birds! Sing us'n!"

Zahi just stared at the young man for a moment. Was he kidding her? "Uh, no." But the mens' attention was turned to firmly to her now. And Zahi was more likely to bust a chair over someone's head than sing a song!

Lion

For now the old sailors would have to be satisfied with that song, and when the attention turned to Zahi, Quinlan felt it was best to slip out of the situation while everything was in the all clear. He stood up from his bench and maneuvered around to Zahi grasping her wrist to encourage her to stand.

"I think you'll have to be satisfied with that, Hurk and friends," Quinlan announced as he dragged them both out of there and he nodded to them in parting.  He stepped from the galley as the sailors began a chorus of their own songs, laughing jovially.

Quinlan released her hand and took her along with him back to their cabin.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

pomelo

Zahi was only too happy to leave the mess hall. She glanced back over her shoulder at the mess hall's door, to the rowdy song echoing from inside. Well, at least someone was enjoying themselves. And that was when Zahi noticed that Quinlan was leading her by the hand. With a jerk, she pulled her hand away from him. It was an instinctual move, as was the grumpy glare she shot at him for holding her hand in the first place. But it softened, just slightly.

Instead she paused, the reflexive glare giving way to her casting her gaze out over the ship. While they'd been choking down octopus and singing, the sun had dipped down onto the sea, and the sky was a canvas of orange and pink. Not that Zahi liked that kind of thing. But she could use the fresh air. "Let's stay up here for a bit."

Without waiting for Quinlan, she moved over to the ship's side, leaning against the cool, sea-sprayed wood. She waited for Quinlan to join her, not saying anything for awhile. Finally, "I suppose you want me to thank you for saving me from having to sing or - more likely - break the heads of the people who actually know how to sail this thing, huh?"

Lion

"You know I admire your ability to wrangle even large cave salamanders to the ground, but sailing a ship? Not so much. I would very much like not to drown, and you not to drown with me." Quinlan did join her and he leaned a little against the railing.  He was happy to be free of the rowdy crowd for once. On a closed quarters ship, it was much more difficult to escape, except for the quiet of their room.

Quinlan looked to her briefly as she watched the horizon, the sun setting. And saw the painting reflected in her eyes. Gods, he wanted to say something cheesy but instead thought better of it.

"That liquor Hurk gave me burned the hell out of my tongue. I can't feel a thing. If you tongued me right now, I wouldn't even know." He laughed at his lameness. "I'd never expect any thanks for rescuing you, by the by. Not being throttled for hand holding is thanks enough."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

pomelo

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Zahi muttered, rolling her eyes at Quinlan's line about cave salamanders and ships and blah blah blah. She leaned out over the railing, sea spray misting her face and her curly hair. She wouldn't tell Quinlan, but it was exhilarating and peaceful all at once. But his last comment got her attention, and she looked over at him. Handholding. "Yeah, about that: cut it out. Or I will throttle you. I ought -"

But Zahi stopped; something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. A spray of water spouted into the air, followed by the smooth black back of a whale, and then its tail breaking above water.

Lion

[If you mind me taking liberty here, I can fix the post]

"Come on. Let's go inside," he said. Quinlan pushed himself away from the railing long enough to get some momentum and saw the dark shape of the whale underneath. It was massive and at least fifty times larger than the ship they were on. The vessel cut through the water and as the animal dove back underneath, a massive splash spewed up from the tail's impact.

"You're sopping wet," he hissed and nodded for them to return to the cabin. "Come on." It wasn't a question, but nor was it an order, and once they were back inside, Quinlan didn't smile, didn't so much as ask for her permission before he peeled that jacket off of her, and the borrowed top and the small clothes underneath and nudged her toward the cot.

"Lie down. Please." He knelt straddled her back, and although he didn't sit on her, he was on his knees on either side of her and pressed his hands firmly into her back, again no expression of humor passing along his face, and he kneaded his palms into the muscles along her spine.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

pomelo

Zahi let Quinlan lead her back towards the cabin, glancing over her shoulder as they descended to have one last look at the ocean. One she hoped Quinlan didn't notice. But when started fussing over her and clucking like a nursemaid - except, of course, that he was undressing her - Zahi frowned at him. It was a frown that made it very clear that she was letting him do this. Oddly, she wasn't in a mood for a fight. The situation had her too... disoriented. No, it was probably just the remaining drugs in her system. It was almost easy to forget that little fact: He'd drugged her and kidnapped her here. But now that here they were, he was being so... odd.

She didn't know how else to call it.

Zahi even let Quinlan put her on the cot, but she couldn't say that she enjoyed it. Even as his hands worked into her back, which was no doubt tense, Zahi only felt uncomfortable. "I know we already did the short version of this," she started, breaking the silence between them, "but what happened to you in the however long it's been since that nonsense with the salamanders? You've gone a bit soft, Princess."

Lion

Quinlan's hands, while firm, alleviated the pressure here and there where the muscles of her back met in the ridge of her spine. She was nicely built and he couldn't help himself when he admired her form. Nothing soft about her, not even the curves where one might expect. Lean and mean, and something about that drove Quinlan crazy.

He relaxed a little more and eased into the deep massage, letting his fingers spread over her skin and settling down even as she posed her question.

"Me soft? Yeah, I guess I have," he murmured. "A lot of crazy misadventures since before that business in Selevea. I went back to Connlaoth...stupid I know. But I'm not known for my sensibility. Anyway, I had a dream. A really bad one. I had to get my sister out. I couldn't wait for the same thing to happen to her that happened to me. But...she didn't make it. We were close to the border..." 

The sadness was heavy in his voice. He stopped and shifted around to lay against the wall, keeping a hand gently rubbing at her shoulder, wanting that connection, needing it, and his eyes searched hers for a time. The smile he gave fell flat and was forced and he rubbed at his eyes.

Pathetic. He couldn't even keep himself together. He didn't need her feeling sorry for him. He just wanted her close to him, to anchor him to some manifestation of a reality where he didn't need to feel so damn lost.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

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