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

[Lowen Thorn]

Dinny's heart melted.

Damn. Look at those eyes. He was such a big softy.

"Of course not!" he lied, not really knowing. "I really just didn't want our guests to know that another guest was on the ship, as well. Makes them feel important, you know?"

He grinned at her sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. She probably didn't buy any of that.

"It's kind of hard to explain," he said quietly.

---

Regen had brought Ruby and her guards into the guest quarters as the rest of the crew finished "loading" their valuables and other belonging. This was going to be a piece of cake, though she couldn't help but be a bit nervous. She always was on these missions, especially since Rata always gave her the part as 'host.'

The woman was always the host in Rata's crew. Typical.

"Fancy anything to drink ma'am?" she asked Ruby, not really paying the guard with her no mind.

"No, no, I am quite alright," the young noblewoman responded kindly. She was nice. Pretty. Probably for the best that Dinny was preoccupied. "When do we set sail?"

"Very soon, ma'am," Regen replied with a warm smile. "Ever been to Serendipity before?"

"Oh, tons of times," the nobleman woman said. "I quite like it."

The young bandit crinkled her nose at her response. "I quite like it too, ma'am," Regen said sincerely, still not paying too much attention to the guard.

Wait.

Guard? Where was the other one?

---

"All I'm trying to say," Din explained in his best attempt at a comforting voice. "You don't have to worry about anything. I'll take care of you. So, is there anything you'd like to do? Anything you want to see? It's been ten years since the last time you were on a ship, right?"

[DragonSong]

"Ah appreciate it." She smiled and squeezed his arm gently, leaning into him a little more. Her eyes widened again at the question and she flushed, shaking her head. "Oh, ah wouldn't know what ta do first!" she laughed. "What d'ya think?"

[Lowen Thorn]

"Well, let's see," he said while placing his fingers around his chin."Fancy a drink? I know where they keep the good stuff here. Or, how about I let you steer the ship for a little while? We should set sail soon, and I know the 'captain.'"

Dinny looked longingly into her eyes as he awaited her response. He really did love that accent. He felt like he could listen to it all day, though he typically did most of the talking in most situations. "Or wait! How about we-"

"ACHOOOO!"

And there it was. Fucking Rata. Sneezing his way into Dinny's affairs per usual.

The young bandit shot his Boss a mean glare as he came up the aisle. "Dinny," he grumbled out to him. "Ya never introduced me to yer' new friend!"

He finished his slow pace until he was within arms reach. "You sure do have a funny accent, miss," he said, his breath worse than human shit. "Sounds Zantaric, but something is a bit off."

---

"Man, this is going to be so easy," Jarvis said smugly as he eyed one of Ruby's jeweled belongings. "And she only brought two guards? Just two? We could take care of them before we even set sail, y'know?"

"Quit talking so loud, you incompetent baboon," Spade replied sharply. "What if someone were to hear you?"

"Well, if Regen does her job, that won't be a problem."

Spade face palmed. What an idiot. "She's just one girl," he said in a whisper. "Doesn't matter how many guards or any other circumstance. Anything can happen. We gotta keep our guard up."

"Yeah, yeah," Jarvis waved him off. "Whatever you say."

Just around the corner, the guard from earlier was listening in.

'Bastards! I knew it!' the man thought to himself. 'I have to take care of this before the ship-'

His train of thought cut off as he felt the motion of waves move underneath him. Shit. The vessel was moving.

[DragonSong]

Rose made her eyes even wider. "Ah'm sure ah don't know what y'mean," she murmured, shrinking back toward Dinny, hoping his infatuation with her would outweigh whatever respect he had for his captain.

The ship lurched beneath her feet and she stumbled slightly, playing up the trip as an excuse to grab onto Din's arm again. "Oh! We're moving!"

[Lowen Thorn]

Even Dinny gave the woman a quizzical look, though very brief, and was soon interrupted by the moving ship. "That's right!" he said excitedly. "Go away, Gramps. You're cramping our style. Go sneeze into someone else's business."

Rata's face grew red with anger, and maybe a little embarrassment. "I'm younger than I look!" he snapped, shaking his fists in front of them. "And besides, I was only teasin'!"

The young bandit flashed his boss a triumphant grin before looking back at his guest."I'm going to let Marian steer the ship!"

The Boss threw his hands into the air in utter disbelief. "Are you fucking stupid? You nasty little-"

"Come on!"

And with that, Dinny grabbed the woman's hand and led her to the helm.

---

Jarvis left the cargo room he was previously in with Spade, and headed toward the helm to pay Markus a visit before regrouping. Turning a corner, he felt the piercing sensation of cold steel go through his stomach.

"Uh ... W-What?" he moaned, looking down to see a silvered sword wedged inside of him. But who? The only people on the ship were the crew and...

The Guard! It was one of the guards!

The guard who had previously interrogated Din and "Marian" stared at the man he just stabbed with cold, satisfied eyes. "You should've listen to your friend and kept your mouth shut," he said under his breath. Sliding his blade out of the man's stomach, he shoved him to the ground and started toward the guests chambers to alert the other guard and Ruby.

[DragonSong]

"Oh!" "Marian" giggled delightedly as she was pulled to the helm. "Are ya sure this is a good idea?" she asked with a bubbling laugh. "I don't know anythin' 'bout steerin' boats and the like!"

Even as she simpered and fawned, her eyes scanned the deck. One guard. Which meant the other was already below-decks, tending to his lady. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, considering.

She could try to seduce them out of their clothes, but that could take so much time. Not to mention it'd probably irritate her current host on the ship.

[Lowen Thorn]

"It's this way, Marian!" the bandit shouted gleefully as he led her away.

They turned another corner on the large ship, heading for the helm, when he saw him.

Jarvis was on the ground, and he was badly injured. He laid there soaking in a pool of his own blood, his eyes white with shock.

"Jarvis!" Din cried out, running up and kneeling down by his side. "What the hell happened?"

He grabbed the man by his shoulders and shook him frantically - which probably wasn't the wisest idea. Shit. Have they been found out? They must have! He never really got along with this particular comrade, but he was still his friend. "Answer me! Answer me, damn you!"

And then there was Marian. What to do with her? The man really had no time to think. He would have to come clean, sooner rather than later.

"D-Dinny," Jarvis said softly with an accompanied groan. "It was.. that damn guard. You gotta.. go tell the others."

Dinny shot back up to his feet, giving his guest a worried glance before looking back down on his comrade. "I gotta go get Regen before the guard does! She's the only one on this ship with knowledge of healing magic. Marian, can you stay here with Jarvis?"

---

[OOC: If your character does decide to stick around with him, feel free to write for Jarvis, or any of my other NPCs if you'd like.]

[DragonSong]

Fuck.

Just what she needed.

Rose almost told the bandit to go shove it, but she caught herself just in time. You're Marian, be Marian.

Pretending to swoon slightly, she collapsed to her knees beside the wounded man and nodded shakily at Dinny. "H-hurry, please! He looks bad..."

She scowled down at Jarvis once the other man was out of sight, sucking in an irritated breath between her teeth. Grumbling to herself, she tore a strip of fabric from the hem of her sarong and wrapped it tight around his middle, hoping to stem the bleeding somewhat.

"You better hope that works, lad, 'cause it's all you're getting from me," she muttered, Zantaric accent nowhere to be seen. Quickly, she got to her feet and hurried belowdeck, already reached for the blade strapped to her thigh.

Better figure out which guard I'm hunting quick-like.

[Lowen Thorn]

This was bad.

Din rushed for the guests chambers, drawing his dagger as he did so. Regen could hold her own in a fight, but these guards clearly were no pushovers. He couldn't be sure which one attacked Jarvis, but he had a sneaking suspicion it was the one interrogating "Marian" and himself earlier.

Dammit!

He shouldn't have left Marian alone, but what was he suppose to do? They have already dealt with Jarvis and moved on, so she should be safe. That's what the bandit kept telling himself, at least.

It was either that, or throw her overboard and pray she could swim.

What's worse is the entire crew were scattered amongst the ship. He had a loose idea of where everyone else was, but he didn't know who knew what happened to Jarvis and who didn't.

'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!' he screamed internally as he was just outside the guest cabin.

He barged into the room with a heavy thud, waving his blade in the air. "FREEZE!"

Ruby gasped, the guard rose to his feet and unsheathed his sword, and Regen stared at him frantically.

"Din!" Regen pleaded. "W-What are you doing? What's going on?"

Din looked around the room quickly, his heart beating out of his chest. It was still just the three of them. They didn't appear to know anything yet. So, he beat the other soldier here. Thank Gods.

"I..." he trailed off, thinking of an excuse. "I thought I heard something. I'm sorry."

So, if the other guard wasn't here, where was he?

[DragonSong]

Rose was almost right behind him, the other guard unconscious down the hall. Checked and clean. Which meant the man she was after was in the cabin with Din and Lady Ruby.

Damnit.

Jig was up, then. She didn't have time to play this safe. And honestly, it was getting boring.

"Alright." The bard strode into the room, idly flipping her dagger end over end without really bothering to look at it. She locked eyes with the guard. "Master Elias Smyth? I've got some business with you, lad. If you don't want the little lady mixed up in it, I suggest you and I step outside," she purred with a smile.

Her false accent was gone, as was the simpering, wilting demeanor of "Marian." Aria Rose had made her appearance, and she was fully in control.

[Lowen Thorn]

Dinny's mouth sat agape as the woman waltzed in with confidence and a new voice.

"The fucking hell is this?" he muttered under his breath.

This was not Marian. This was someone else entirely. So, she was using him this whole time? She was lying to him this whole time? Well, he was lying to her the entire time, too, he thought. But still! And what was her business with this guard? Step outside together? Over his dead body.

"Marian, what the hell?!"

Dinny was in such a disarray that he completely blocked out how Ruby, Regen, and the guard were reacting.

---

At the ship's helm, Markus was sprawled out onto the ground, unconscious. No one was steering the ship, and they were heading straight for a remote island just far enough from Thantos for it to become a problem.

[DragonSong]

"Oh, sweetheart." Rose gave him an almost pitying look. "Love, my name isn't Marian," she sighed, rolling her eyes. Hadn't he figured that out by now?

The "guard" bared his teeth, moving to raise his already drawn blade. Before he could, the dagger had left Rose's hand and buried itself in his shoulder. He dropped the sword with a howl of pain and suddenly she was holding a new dagger, her skirt fetched up around her thighs for a moment to reveal two more strapped to her legs.

"I wouldn't, Master Smyth," she cooed with a grin. Flinty eyes flicked toward Ruby and Regen. "You two stand back, don't want you getting mixed up in this."

[Lowen Thorn]

Dinny's face was flushed with anger, but her call out to the other two women reminded him why he was in the guest's cabin in the first place.

"Regen!" he said quickly. "Jarvis was stabbed by that other bastard of a guard. He's in the isle just outside of the helm. You need to go help him now!"

Regen's eyes widened hearing of Jarvis' condition. She nodded, didn't say another word, and rushed out of the door.

"Now, since the guard isn't even here yet," the young bandit said, pointing his drawn dagger in the woman's direction. "I am going to assume you've already taken care of him. What is it that you want anyway, Mari--"

He stopped. That was not her name.

"I don't even know what to even call you now, but it looks to me as if we're on the same side."

[DragonSong]

"For the moment," Rose agreed with a smirk.

Elias bared his teeth at her. "You could call her Loke. It's her name, after all," he hissed.

Rose's smirk vanished, replaced with an emotionless mask as she strode forward and shoved the blade of her dagger against his throat. "Mind your tongue before I cut it out," she said mildly, and glanced toward Ruby. "You may want to make yourself scarce, little lady, if blood gets you swooning-like."

[Lowen Thorn]

Ruby didn't stay to listen to the woman's entire sentence before she was out the door, shrieking in fear. Wonderful. This job is shot to hells.

Dinny watched the nobleman scurry out the door, hoping someone in the crew would find her. He knew he probably should have went after her, but he felt he should stay and see out this little problem.

"Loke?" he repeated under his breath. "I don't like it. The name Marian is much prettier."

He folded his arms, and turned away from her, as if to pout.

"Listen, Marian. We don't kill in this crew, so I hope that's not what you are planning to do today," he said, still looking in the opposite direction. "I don't want to fight you... but I will."

[DragonSong]

Rose laughed, stepping gracefully around behind her kneeling mark. In a lightning-fast movement, she held another blade in her off hand, both crossed beneath Elias's chin.

She smirked at Dinny, eyes cold. "And what exactly are you going to do about it?" She cocked her head at him. "I'm an assissin, sweet thing. This is what I do."

An easy flick of her wrists and her blades bit into the man's throat, almost gracefully slicing it open. She stepped back to let him slumped to the floor as he choked on his own blood, bleeding out in moments.

[Lowen Thorn]

While his back was turned, Dinny was conjuring up another water spell. He didn't quite know what he was going to do, but he had to try something - even if he didn't want to.

But it was too late. She killed him right then and there, and they were all in real shit now.

"Why the hell did you do that?!" he screamed, spinning around. In one quick motion, he threw what amounted to a bucket of water right in her face.

Shit.

His water magic needed a bit of work.

[DragonSong]

Aria's eyes widened, and she barely had time to turn and take the brunt of the water off her shoulder before the spell hit her.

Sputtering, she stared incredulously at the bandit. "And what in the name of all hells was that supposed to accomplish?!"

[Lowen Thorn]

Din blinked, giving her a look that said even he was a little confused by his actions. Though, he quickly wiped that feeling away and flashed her triumphant grin.

"Well, I just thought you needed to cool off a bit," he mused. "Besides, you look really pretty when your hair is wet. See ya!"

As soon he said that, he turned on his heel to run out of the door, but was interrupted by a loud crash that threw the ship off-balance, sending him tumbling to the ground.

---

"We fucking crashed into something!" Rata scowled as he hurried over to the helm of the ship. "The fuck is Markus doing? Gods, if you want something you done ya gotta do it yerself!"

Turning the corner, he saw no one at the wheel. At first, at least. Glancing down, he found Markus unconscious on the ground.

"Gods dammit all!" he huffed, trying to turn the wheel away from the large rocky barrier just outside of a little remote island. "It's too late! We're going down!"

[DragonSong]

"Gah!" Rose lurched to the side as the ship rocked beneath them, though she regained her balance quickly enough. "Shit."

She looked up to Din with a glare. "What the hells is going on?!"