EternalPhoenix

Stormchild Kadene swallowed an ugly, nasty retort to Lynn. Specifically because she was just being nice and could not possibly know that her reassurances were almost identical to the ones the Luckstorm got when they inquired about progress. That was the trouble, really. They were good people with good hearts who were genuinely trying. Being mad at them wasn't fair, and yet mad she was nonetheless. Lynn was in the same boat. Jack, however, made her cry. Because someone who wasn't Captain or crew understood. Someone from this world where at times nothing made any sense understood. She didn't exactly wail like a baby, but it wasn't exactly dignified either. They were indeed caged birds. And all they could do was sing, hope, and wait. Technically she thanked the three of them profusely in French (including Owen, who was being absolutely lovely and devoted in a way that just made her cry more), but even a native speaker would have had trouble understanding the openly sobbing pirate girl. They could pick out their names, and the rhythm of French speech, but that was about it. And then in the middle of all that, Kadene's stomach audibly growled. She blushed furiously, tears utterly short circuited. She spoke half a sentence in actual intelligible French before blinking and resuming English. "We should go eat, yes." She wiped tears from her eyes. "Now, please."

Serendipity and Stormchild The pirate twins were keeping up with the group, but looked quite bored with the exhibits after looking them over. Instead, they were chattering between each other in quiet, rapid fire French. Not textbook French or something a Frenchman or Quebecer would recognize. It was closer to Cajun (Louisiana's ethnically French subculture) than anything else, but still a little different. The two were surprisingly keeping quite a low profile in both the museum and among the group. It was Jack's last comment that drew them back into the general conversation. Kadene raised an eyebrow. "Yes and no. Nature is better as a method, not a source. The most powerful magic comes from dreams." Riel nodded his agreement. "The bigger the dream and the harder you pursue it, the more the world will change. Dreams, ambition, and courage have changed the face of the world more times than anything else. But ambition and courage can do nothing without a dream to steer them straight. Thus it is dreams that are the most powerful of the three."

Serendipity and Stormchild Riel took a sub for himself. "Yes, much appreciated." He accompanied Michael on his gentle amble. "Not on your life, Friend Michael. There was an island right before the cross ocean journey. Swapped many of the crew around for a while. Not our powers and skills, but our minds. So I was in Kadene's body with her Fruit powers, and she was in mine. And then the natives tried to kill us for the pirate whose Fruit powers did the swapping." He laughed, grinning at the memories. "Fortunately, none of them could fight worth spit. Including that pirate, which was why his crew marooned him. Still, got a bit hairy for a minute!" He laughed again. "The point is, my dear sister's powers require a better understanding of weather that I'll ever have. That works both ways, of course. Being favored by Fortune isn't much use if you're not intimately acquainted with her eccentricities." Kadene smiled smugly, having accompanied Owen back into the sky. "You say it every time," she said loftily, " and yet I never tire of hearing it. Flattery will get you everywhere, mon mignon." Her hands briefly crackled with energy before 11 other identical Kadenes shimmered into existence around the two. The original joined them, and they floated around Owen. If not for the original speaking, they'd have been indistinguishable from each other. "You think you can smother me, do you?" That word-smother-had taken her a second to remember the meaning of. Not one she normally had use for. "But how do you know you are speaking to the right one?" She laughed, and her duplicates shimmered out of existence. "Besides, I have ways of making pushy boys leave me alone." A sudden gust of wind rocked Owen. It wasn't enough to move him, but he'd seen her use stronger winds before. She laughed again, mischievous grin firmly in place. She floated closer and handed him a sandwich. With the wind. Which had another floating into her waiting hand. "Come, let us enjoy the warm sun and relax. It is a beautiful day, I am a beautiful girl, and there is plenty of food. What else do you need?"

Stormchild Kadene's face fell at Lynn's tragic backstory, and she literally flew to hug her. On the side opposite to Jack, because that guy was huge. "Je ne voulais pas te faire de mal. Je suis désolé." She'd reverted to French out of shock and sincerity. Her tone of voice carried her meaning if her words couldn't be understood. She was actually crying out of sheer sympathy. She sniffled a little, beginning to calm down. "Yes, it is very different. I don't know what I would do if it was all gone. All my dreams turned to dust on the wind. How awful for you." She did not tackle hug Jack upon his revelations. She remained clung onto Lynn. Though shock was etched as much into her features as before, along with some genuine horror. She knew what a bear was. She knew how they killed, and why. With claws and fangs, to eat. And like most predators, they only cared if the prey was immobilized. "Killed by a bear..." She shuddered, the horrifying nature of such a death rippling through her. The shudders made her release Lynn. She didn't bat an eyelash about his return from the dead. Magic could do many things. There were rumors of Dreamer's Fruits that could grant immortality, and considering how many different ones there were it seemed totally believable. "You are as favored by Fortune as my brother to be alive and healthy, Jack." Then it was Owen's turn. And, well...there was a measure of luck in his life as well. Sheltered, yes. Small town country boy, also yes. She stepped away from the group, her back looking surprisingly vulnerable. She had many things to say to Riel, but he was not here. It made her lonely. "I was wrong about many things." She was enunciating slowly and carefully. "I am sorry." Right when she appeared to have nothing else to say. "But I was right about one thing. We were right about one thing. You had parents. People to take care of you. Until everything went wrong. Or didn't, for Owen. Riel and I...the orphanage shut down when we were 5. Everything we have, we had to take for ourselves. Aquivan does not have electricity. There are none of your cars. No phones. No...whatever this 'internet' is. No buildings so tall it makes our heads spin." She turned-whipped, really-back around, full of emotions she didn't entirely understand at the moment. Sympathy, envy, sadness, anger, and a mess of others. "I set out to sea for freedom and adventure, yes, but also to escape. The other choices were all shackles. The prison cell. The apprentice contract. The marriage ring. Not that anyone but a madam would take a girl for an apprenticeship." Oh yes, definitely angry. "We decided together. We stole a boat together. We raised our Jolly Roger together. To pillage and plunder! To the Luckstorm Pirates!" She subsided a little. "Aye, we sailed for a year before that fog brought us here. Ragnar, Second Mate and werebear. Viv, Third Mate and bomber. William, Quartermaster and our best shot. Aye, we had enough adventure for a dozen crews. Now we're here. Shackled to this City of Irony. Can't fight, we'd lose badly. Can't run, we'd be caught easily. Can only cooperate and wait. Got to make the best of it, Cap'n says. We will get back, Cap'n says. Aye, Captain. We won't do any of the things we set out to sea to do, on pain of godlike beings beating us into the nearest prison cell." She turned back around. It wasn't bitterness, but frustration in her words. "Perhaps that's unfair. Riel might care. I don't. The heroes of your world are the jailers who keep us from being who we are, and the saviors who will get us home again." Left unstated was the twins attending Claremont, aka Hero School. The intent behind that should be rather obvious. Rebellious children should learn how to behave in civilized society. Or whatever the optimistic version of that cynical statement is.

Serendipity Riel watched the happenings with vague disinterest. It really wasn't any of a pirate captain's business what happened to those not on their crew, was it? Of those present, only his sister had earned his full loyalty. The rest could rot. Except that wasn't right, was it? This wasn't how he normally thought about things. Something was wrong here. Then he cued into what Kadene was yelling about, and something gave way in his mind. Ah. Outside interference. A power. He drew his sword. "So that's how it be, eh? Rather than negotiating or using naked force, you'd rather play tricks with your powers? Rather than stand before the world with courage and dare them to break you if they can, you'd rather hide and let your crew take the blows?" He was radiating a quiet, intense anger. "Kadene. I want these disgusting cowards out of my sight."

Serendipity Nope, Riel didn't care. Not his circus, not his monkeys. Except. There were ladies in both trouble and distress. The amoral pirate and the proper gentleman warred within him. The winner, of course, was never in doubt. Otherwise he'd have become someone he despised a long time past. While he may not care about the problems of the young and stupid, he very much cared about the type of person he himself was. It was in this spirit that he gallantly strode forward, took the slightly older girl's hand, and looked her in the eyes with all of his 6 feet and 3 inches in height. Grinning with all the considerable charm he could muster. "Mademoiselle, fear not. We shall retrieve your friends in sisterhood. And this....Mark. So swears Captain Riel Estime, of the Luckstorm Pirates. Jen and Mariko shall return to you safely. Mark will also return. Trust in me and my comrades. " He released her and turned to Spore and King Cole. "Do you need to make any preparations, or can we depart immediately?"

Serendipity and Stormchild Riel could only laugh. "Hardly. The Happenstance isn't anchored offshore, my crew is on the other side the world, and I bet rum is still off the menu." His grin and amused tone took the sting out. "It's not even as disreputable as Paralogue, let alone any of the other perilous ports we dropped anchor at. But it's warm. By all the gods, it's warm." He sounded genuinely happy. "We made it to your Caribbean over the break. That was longer than we'll be here, too. But anything to get away from the oppressive cold. I'd say I don't know how you stand it, but it's colder where you're from, isn't it?" Kadene, meanwhile, was hovering around a thousand feet in the air. She may have ditched her usual slitted long skirt, but she was far from naked. Swimsuit selection had been a trial for her poor brother. Not that she was going to go swimming, of course. That wasn't something she could actually do. But a girl liked to look good, and this particular purple and black one piece (a compromise between the two, as Riel swore to wear bottoms just as skimpy if she went that route) was quite flattering and exposed just enough skin that those attracted to young women would drool but minimum standards of decency for a minor were met. Now if only she'd actually paid for it...but whatever. The sun was warm on her bare limbs. The breeze caressed her pleasantly. A paradise like feeling unlike any other. Wait. She looked down to see her brother not standing alone. Owen. Wait again. He could fly too, why didn't he...? She descended to maybe a dozen feet above ground. "Owen. Did you forget you can fly, too?" Was this permission to chase her? Perhaps, perhaps.

Stormchild Owen was interested in learning languages? Kadene put her hand on his and gave a grateful squeeze. In truth she didn't know what else to do. Matters of lust she was familiar with. Romance, not so much. "Riel and I don't speak...you called it Russian, I think? But we do know many tongues. Most people in Paralogue speak what you call French. But there is also..." She thought for a moment. "Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch." English was obviously on the list too and did not need to be stated. She strode forward faster than the rest. There was a reason. The inch of air between her and the ground. She did not appear to be entirely aware she'd technically started flying. She whirled around, stepping backwards. She'd understood something important. "The three of you didn't want to get your powers. They're an obstacle to your normalcy." She waved off any objections. "Maybe you do want them now, if only to be heroes and help people. I don't know and you can tell me later. My point is, if you never got your powers you wouldn't be here. You'd be at home, probably, being normal." Important to note here that she doesn't know Lynn's story and isn't being intentionally insensitive. "I would. I have powers because I sought them out. I wanted them so I could be a stronger pirate. But if I couldn't have gotten them I'd have still gone to sea. I'd still have encountered that fog. I'd still have ended up here." She paused, suddenly unsure of where she was going with this. Oh, right. "So...a nice quiet dinner with a kind man and another couple isn't really my style, even though I'm trying it out tonight. I'd rather have the fight with the giant crab." She grinned roguishly. "My powers didn't take my original life from me. They gave me more power to live as I chose. And I think yours can do the same for you, if you change the way you think about them." She turned around, and her feet touched the ground again. Her voice was barely audible, like she was talking to herself. "Normal's just a state of mind anyway..."

Serendipity and Stormchild Captain Riel Estime and his First Mate and sister Kadene had come through the portal as well. It seemed far safer than some flying mechanical deviltry. Powers they understood. And while they listened politely to Lawrence, the instant he was finished speaking Kadene shot into the air. Riel only laughed. "Someone should tell her what the flight ceiling is. It's been months she could-" he caught some fluttering fabric that vaguely resembled Kadene's usual style of slitted long skirt "-fly with the sun on her skin." Riel himself wasn't dressed any differently than normal, with the exception of no concessions to the cold today. Loose shirt, regular pants, boots, and yes, his sword. Swashbucklingly piratical as usual. He was also carrying both twins' bags and Kadene's sword on his back. "She'll stop before the air gets thin, but that might actually be lower on your world than mine." He regarded Mizuki. "I appreciate the offer, but both of us will be declining. We're terrible swimmers. Anchors in human form. You understand."

Yes, none of that is happening now. That was my point.

https://orokos.com/roll/1030443 12 for Riel https://orokos.com/roll/1030444 18 for Kadene, because of course the one with the weaker bonus rolls like a champion.

Honestly the only things that would make him do more than watch are him actually being attacked or Kadene taking damage. Loyalty isn't something that goes away because you're calm. So I'll skip directly to the save. https://orokos.com/roll/1030439 20. I believe that is a success. @Thevshi

Serendipity and Stormchild Riel just kept grinning. "Owen, my friend, I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about." Kadene shrugged, furs rippling in a way that accentuated her everything. How on Earth did she do that? Could she always? Because she didn't before. "Don't be boring, Owen. We're here to have fun." Then there was chocolate. "You'll have to explain what al-ler-gick is, first." She patted him on top of his head cordially. "I know I'm pretty, you. I'd have to be blind not to." She was still smiling, though. Riel was already walking towards the entrance. "Thank you for the chocolates!" As for going inside, the twins walked like they didn't expect security to even notice them, which let credence to Owen's theory about Riel's powers. Or perhaps they simply didn't care, which was alarmingly plausible. They had nothing to say about the exhibits, but the way they were looking around was perhaps a bit too professional for easy comfort. Like they were appraising everything for value and portability.

Serendipity The reaction Harper got was a mischievous grin. "Interested in threesomes, are you? Let me tell you, they're not as special as you think." Who said anything about romance? But then Renee was talking. "A privateer? Your Majesty, you wound me. I'm a free pirate that plunders what and when he chooses. A good sovereign will keep their booty well guarded. Yet I see no Harlequin here." His grin broadened. "They do say opportunity favors the bold, do they not?" And on that subject, a pivot so rapid most heads would spin. "So we march into the unknown for the sake of adventure, exploration, and our own personal amusement." He was not able to follow up, because people were screaming and running this way. By all the gods. He wasn't sure he cared about the fates of overconfident idiots. He walked up to the other teens in full swashbucklingly piratical attire, complete with sword. "Let me guess. You came for a night of imagined monsters menacing you, and found real ones." Did they not know the nature of the city in which they lived? Or was it perhaps the illusion the young have of their invincibility?

Stormchild Kadene had bolted out of the SUV like it was on fire. And everyone was finally able to get a good look at her. While she was dressed as femininely piratical as usual (with some furs and leather as a concession to the cold), something was different. It was the material. Not old, well worn fabric. This was virtually new or otherwise very well preserved. She stretched gracefully while eyeing the vehicle. Her "normal" was not even close to the same as theirs. And she wasn't her smooth tongued brother. "Normal? Is this what this is for the three of you?" The implication being that it very much wasn't for her. It was said only questioningly. She was suddenly very homesick, and felt very out of place. Fortunately, with her back to all three her emotions were quite hidden. "Being on land by itself isn't...wasn't...normal for us. Several weeks at sea, mebbe wan dock'd." She twitched, ceasing her idly reminiscing. She'd lapsed into an interesting patois for a second there. "There was this floating restaurant by the coast of what you call France." She looked back at the three, recomposed. "Great food, and whenever someone couldn't pay, a free show as the Fighting Cooks beat them senseless and threw them out. The Head Chef used to be a pirate."