Citrine
Approved
6 Wild Blooded Sorcerer+ 1 Celestial Warlock
Posts: 328
|
Post by Citrine on May 22, 2019 21:22:46 GMT
At the notion that she, Citrine Rain Redbriar, was one to refuse a bet, Citrine threw her head back and laughed into the sky - a sound that didn't fade even as she blinked from the wheel to right in front of Miri. "Me? Say nae tae ah gamble!? Aye wasn't knaen as Teh Gambler whilst fightin' fer Baba Yaga 'erself fer nathin' lassie." The very notion sent another trill of laughter out of her, peacock tail flaring into a fan of flame and heat. Looking up at the taller woman with her chin pointed upward and her arms crossed, "Ye want tae join ah game o' cards - against me Lass?" She grinned, almost foxlike, under the moonlight. "Ye sure abou' tha?" This close the scent of her wings grew - smoke and playfulness, and now? Whiskey. A deep barrel aged rich and wood smell full of history. Her mage hand took Miri's wrist to gently turn it so the tattoo of the crescent moon could go under inspection. The orange thumb ran over it, the heat like a stone that had been under the sun all afternoon. It was pretty, she decided as she stared at it, simple but elegant. "Ye make ah poetic case." Her eyes looked up, peeking out from underneath her hat. "But an hour? Tha's nae much time at-ull. Be ah waste o' ah gamble." She winked and stood up straighter from her detailed look at the tattoo, mage hand dropping her limb. "Tell ye whut Lass." Citrine stretched her arms over her head, twisting her head sharply to the side to crack the upper reaches of the spine with a satisfying crack. "Ye trust me.... an' Aye'll trust ye." The amount of wax in the air was immeasurable. "An' when Aye'm done? Ye tell me ef et was worth teh gamble. An ef et es? Aye'll accept yet bet o' an hour o' ye time tae be culled upon en teh next tenday, where ye're at me mercy an' disgression, s'ong as nae harm befall ye - an' aye look teh other way this one time fer boardin' me ship without invite, escort, or permission."
|
|
|
Post by moralhazard on May 22, 2019 23:04:11 GMT
Miri grinned, broadly, unable to hide it at the sudden flaring of Citrine’s interest - or, perhaps, the loss of pretense of non-interest. It didn’t escape Miri’s notice that for all that the captain had seemed to be gazing off into the distance, she was quick enough to find Miri’s wrist.
Miri didn’t fight, letting Citrine turn her arm over and run her mage thumb along the tattoo. She raised an eyebrow when Citrine complained about the shortness of wagered time, and shrugged - the terms were the terms, at least now.
Citrine offered trust for trust.
“Deal,” Miri didn’t hesitate.
She didn’t trust Citrine - not in the slightest. The captain had been moments away from slitting her throat; Miri didn’t think Citrine would have hesitated in the slightest. But the thrill was in the danger; Miri could feel her pulse pounding through her entire body, could feel sparks tingling inside her. Foolish and reckless as it was, she wanted to be at Citrine’s mercy. At the moment she was having a hard time thinking of anything she had wanted more - although perhaps that was just that it was hard to think at all with the phoenix so close.
|
|
Citrine
Approved
6 Wild Blooded Sorcerer+ 1 Celestial Warlock
Posts: 328
|
Post by Citrine on May 22, 2019 23:20:23 GMT
G rinning Citrine grabbed Miri's hand with her real one, secure rough grip shaking both hands into a few shakes. "Et be an accord then, Miss Blackstone." The wax was overwhelming as suddenly the firebird unfurled her wings and launched herself into the sky. Before the other could register what was happening the firebird landed on Miri's shoulders, large talons grasping around the upper limbs and shoulder cuffs - and lifted her up off the deck. Huge wingbeats drew them into the air, Miri's feet now dangling two, four, six, now ten feet up off the deck of the Rose. Her talons were unrelenting but precise, putting enough pressure to make sure not to drop Miri but enough to not let her wriggle out. The reverse clinging scales on the inner parts of her toes would feel like sandpaper on her bare skin, no doubt leaving some rawness. Her wings angled and now? Now there was no deck under them - just dark black water gently lapping in the harbor. Within seconds they were a good fifty feet away from the Rose and fifty feet closer to the shore. As Citrine began to bank and curve around? Her feet let go. Miri made a nice splash sound, the pirate thought with a chaotic grin. Perching as if the most natural thing in the world was to drop unwanted guests in the harbor Citrine brought one of her wings in front of her in a salute to the swimmer. "Sae tell me Lass!" She shouted across the night. "Es et worth et?" High humor coated her voice as she stood at the entrance area of where the ship's hull ladder was hidden.
|
|
|
Post by moralhazard on May 23, 2019 0:10:05 GMT
“An accord, Captain Redbriar,” Miri agreed, her capable hands meeting Citrine’s firmly and without the slightest hesitation.
Citrine took off and - Miri let out a loud whoop of laughter as Citrine lifted her off the deck. She gripped tightly around one of Citrine’s legs, holding on for a moment to steady herself, then let go as they curved further from the Rose.
That proved to be a mistake.
Citrine let go; Miri plummeted through the air and splashed hard into the cold water. She dropped, sinking down - then popped back up, bursting out of the water, bobbing in the harbor. She was laughing too hard to speak, treading water and spluttering out what had gone up her nose.
Miri grinned back up at the Phoenix. Her shoulders were red and raw, and -
“That was one of my favorite shirts!” Miri called back. She lay back into the water, cradled by the buoyant salty waves, the moonlight shining down on considerably more of her than before.
With a sigh, Miri flipped over. She thought about it - she thought hard. But, then, there were the merfolks to consider. A smooth, muscular back cut through the water, and Miri made her way towards the Rose, her swimming skills much improved after her time at sea.
She got to the bottom rung, and looked up at Citrine, holding there. “Worth it,” Miri admitted, ruefully. “Do I have your permission to come aboard?”
|
|
Rhia
Approved
Posts: 16
|
Post by Rhia on May 23, 2019 1:06:33 GMT
W atching the leather and silk clothed woman float there in the water Citrine couldn't help but think of how fine the two fabrics behaved when wet. Sitting on her ankles, resting her arms on her knees, her smile broadened the closer she swam back to the ship. It would have been easy for her to start heading back to shore, hitching a ride with one of the merfolk who patrolled the harbor or by her own effort. Most would have sworn and put up a fuss, screaming like a cat at being drenched as she had been. But not Miss Miri Blackstone. Her mage hand extended down to help offer a hand up onto the ladder, supporting her via lower backside to keep her from being bumped away by the ship's rocking as Miri tried to keep anchored. "Aye! Tha' ye dae. Welcome aboard teh Blood Red Rose Miri. Tis ah fine evenin' fer company."
When Miri came up onto the dock, this time invited instead of sneaking unbidden, Citrine cocked her head with an observant look, smirked, then whistled a series of delicate whistles and coos. All around her the water turned to steam, the salt flaked off, and fabrics cleaned and straightened, good as new. Her prestidigitation magic was well versed in purging sea water from a variety of surfaces and clothing. "As pretty as ye looked lass, Aye knae whut et's like tae loose ah shirt ye're partial tae. Nae harm nae fowl, aye?" She grinned at her own joke and whistled slyly one last time in Miri's general direction. "Me Bonnie Lass once ripped me only shirt off me back, clean through, and didn't replace et fer weeks. Went around shirtless, Aye did, teh whole time until she bought me another an' then some tae replace what'd been torn. Still 'ave em, ah whole slew o' jewel toned fabric with ah back open fer me wings. Right thoughtful." Now that Orin remembered? She'd have to find and unpack those long stored away Varisian style shirts. "But! As promised, Aye accept ye favor o' an hours time en exchage o' tresspassin' this night. Aye'm lookin' foward tae et, Miri." She bowed with a flourish, accepting the deal and following through on her own promise.
|
|
|
Post by moralhazard on May 23, 2019 1:27:44 GMT
The water was thoroughly cold; while Miri was still in a cheerful good mood, she had to admit that it had had a rather dampening effect on her overall. The swim hadn’t helped either, or rather, it had - nothing like a bit of exercise to work off some frustration.
All the same, when the mage hand reached up to anchor her, Miri shivered. From the cold, naturally. From the cold. This time she waited for permission. Soaking wet leather wasn’t as easy to climb in as dry pants had been, but, doggedly, Miri pulled herself up the ladder. She swung her legs over the railing and landed on the deck, not hiding, but rather spreading her arms wide. Citrine would be looking, of that Miri was sure - why hide? She had nothing to be ashamed of.
The bit of magic was as unexpected as the drop had been, and much more welcome. Miri laughed again. One arm held across her front; her other hand reached behind her, loosening the tie on the orange shirt. The now dry silk tumbled again her arm, barely held in place for a few moments as, one-handed, Miri redid the knot that secured it in place, fixing the placement until there was no sign it had ever been anything but flawless.
“No permanent harm,” Miri agreed with a grin. She let Citrine finish, then bowed back in response. “As am I.”
There was a faint tingle of disappointment; some people were so conventional in their morality and relationships. If Citrine was one of them, Miri imagined this story was a polite way of letting her know she wouldn’t be getting what she hoped for from the phoenix. If not? Well, then it was simply a funny story.
Miri rested back against the ship’s railings, propping her elbows against it. Her shoulders ached; the salt water had thoroughly irritated the scrapes left behind by Citrine’s claws. Idly, she rubbed at one of them, then lowered her hand when it didn’t help; if anything, it felt like she’d managed to rub the salt further into the wounds.
Oh well, Miri decided. She’d take friends with the phoenix over nothing; Citrine was, at least, the antithesis of boring. She grinned broadly at her, the brief flicker of uncertainty that had passed over her face gone. “You must have done that before,” Miri accused. “You’re too good at it for it to have been your first time.”
|
|
Citrine
Approved
6 Wild Blooded Sorcerer+ 1 Celestial Warlock
Posts: 328
|
Post by Citrine on May 23, 2019 1:52:24 GMT
W ondering if that knot would be as easy to untie as Miri made it seem to tie Citrine didn't sense the disappointment exuding from the human until she absently rubbed at her shoulders. They were irritated, no way around it - her feet weren't the soft things humans had after all. "Ye're damned right Aye've done tha' before." She laughed, ignoring the subtle shifts of Miri's behavior, at least for now. "Et's even better when Aye pop someone with me, but tha' takes a wee bit moar effort an ah lot o' magic theory tha' makes me head spin."Stepping off of her perch, peacock tail following behind her like a veil's train and her wings draped still like a cloak she leaned against the railing next to Miri so her lower back was resting against the wood and a foot hooked onto the posts as a secure perch. The ship bobbed slightly in the moonlit night, ropes creaking high above them, and the breeze this far away from shore tugging on their hair. "Somethin' botherin' ye Lass?" She asked, wanting to hear the reasons for her shift in mood for herself instead of simply assuming, the scent of a rainstorm approaching briefly hinting around them. "Unless o' course et's just tha' Aye was ah bit tae rough on ye shoulders there - Aye can heal et up ef ye'd like ef marks lingerin' arent ye preference. After care es important after-ull." She innuendoed the scene without hesitation with a teasing smile yet serious tone as she nodded a gesture towards her reddened skin. "Tae be fair s'well, leather usually helps prevent teh marks." Her eyebrow rose as her wings smelled like wax again, "But ye seem tae be moar o' a silk lover instead o' leather, aye?" Her eyes darted down to look again at the orange silk - a lovely color all things considered. It wasn't often she herself wore the burnt orange color of her namesake, her wings were too yellow and orange - the clothing just washed into her features. It's why she wore bolder red, deep purples and green, blues on occasion as well. But seeing others in orange? It was always a favorite.
|
|
|
Post by moralhazard on May 23, 2019 2:07:06 GMT
The question was a bit too direct; Miri raised an eyebrow at Citrine. She still couldn’t exactly be comfortable with Citrine so close to her; she was hyper aware of the phoenix, her scent filling the moonlit night.
Miri laughed. “Ahh, no, I don’t mind the marks. Wouldn’t be the worst thing to get the salt off them,” she admitted. “But marks well-earned aren’t worth hurrying away.”
Miri glanced down at herself and grinned back up at Citrine. “Well, both have their place, don’t they? I’ve never seen the need to choose - to limit myself.” It was about as close as she could think to bring herself to the topic at hand, and she raised a questioning eyebrow at the captain, but didn’t pursue the remark further.
Funny, Miri thought; she would be disappointed if the answer wasn’t what she hoped. It wasn’t a feeling she was used to; normally she took a no in stride as easily as a yes.
Her hands lifted to her hair now. Miri leaned her head back over the edge of the ship, the long curve of her body on display once more. She fluffed the salt water out of the curly strands, shaking her head to help dry it. Next she squeezed her hands into her hair, teasing the wet strands back into shape, and lowered them without bothering to look at the result, confident in her work as she straightened back up into place against the railing.
|
|
Citrine
Approved
6 Wild Blooded Sorcerer+ 1 Celestial Warlock
Posts: 328
|
Post by Citrine on May 23, 2019 2:31:04 GMT
W hen Miri straightened herself out Citrine was there with fire literally smoldering in her eyes and a dastardly smirk on her face. Both wings were stretched out on either side to make a tent, the limbs starting to alight on the inside, setting them both in a warm orange glow. The feathers in her hair, on her face, around her hips, and over her shoulders shimmered and dance in the firelight. If this is how the Captain reacted around fire? It was no wonder lights went out after eight. Egotistical and Casanova, those two words described Citrine perfectly. As such she had a fair idea as to the source of Miri's sudden downturn. Her offhand comment on Orin? That's when the tone in body language had shifted. "An' who's tae sae ye can't choose an' be unlimited at teh same time?" She questioned without giving Miri any space between them, her wings making her seem so much larger than her four foot and change self was. Everyone had weaknesses, and seeing a lass such as Miri in her favorite colors leaning over her ship's railing? "As ah warnin' - Aye'll only break ye heart, Lass." She cooed, bringing a hand up to skim at Miri's temple and twist into her salted hair. "Sae, Aye hope ye 'ave ah strong constitution." Citrine rose up on her talon toes as her hand tugged behind and into Miri's curly short tufts of hair, pulling her down slightly so their lips met. Fire and heat blossomed from Citrine's lips as her wings took on the scent of spruce, ebony, and rosewood. A talon curled to grab behind Miri's calf to help give her a little boost of height, rising her up to a more even height. Teeth tugged and fingers curled until she was satisfied she'd stolen Miri's breath away and replaced it with her heat and steam. Her eyes hadn't closed, and still didn't, as she pulled away to grin a pirate's grin. "Aye take what Aye cam, an' Aye'll be taking quite ah bit moar when Aye see ye within ah tenday. As agreed."
|
|
|
Post by moralhazard on May 23, 2019 4:51:31 GMT
Miri’s eyes widened at Citrine’s display, steadily growing warmth from the phoenix’s flame sinking into her skin. A growing smile turned into a wicked grin at Citrine’s response to her question. Her whole body relaxed, the sudden tension gone as fully as if it had never existed.
“You can try,” Miri grinned at Citrine’s promise to break her heart; it was pounding hard in her chest at that very moment, but Miri doubted it was in any real danger. Perhaps Citrine had meant it as a warning, but to Miri it sounded more like a challenge.
The kiss was the last step, re-awakening all the heat inside Miri that her earlier bath had so nearly quenched. For a moment she was passive, letting Citrine kiss her, and then her hands rose up to grip the phoenix. Miri was all fire in response, not shy with her own teeth or tongue, easily coaxed into passion.
Miri laughed as Citrine pulled away, shuddering. “I expect nothing less,” her voice was low and strained, thick with desire. She released Citrine with considerable reluctance, leaning back against the railing once more. The fire had dried the last of the salt on her skin. Miri gave herself a shake, and it leapt free, snatched away in the wind to return to the sea. Her hair was still thick with it, smelling of seawater and - perhaps - smoke and cloves.
“I mean to take what I can too,” Miri continued, a heady promise threading through her voice.
|
|
Citrine
Approved
6 Wild Blooded Sorcerer+ 1 Celestial Warlock
Posts: 328
|
Post by Citrine on May 23, 2019 14:58:47 GMT
S tarting fires was a sort of past time for the phoenix, burning things in a twisting inferno of anger and rage - but also the heart heat of passion and overwhelming thoughts. Her wing shifted so the primary feathers could run down Miri's cheek and followed the collarbone, the fire light shining from within the feathers still casting a magnificent glow. It seemed the fire that had slowly been creeping between them reignited after the sudden dip in the harbor, as she'd hoped. "Tha's grand tae hear." Citrine cooed, her grin eclipsed by a swish of her tongue across teeth. "Aye'd hate tae be wastin' me time on ah bet tha' wasn't worth et." Fading away to reappear elsewhere, again, about 15 feet centered on the main deck. Just like a bonfire, only smoke and smell remained in Miri's arms. The firebird smoothed both hands over her hair as the mage hand hoisted her hat into the air acting as if a hat hook. Feathers crested into a slight mohawk - as if her hair itself was stretching - before settling back to lay flat within the tangles of cedar hair. She liked the fire in Miri. And Citrine had burned enough fingers to know the thrill of seeing how hot the candle was. Always one drawn to fire, she was. Of all sorts. And Sandara had given her not so subtle hints about Miri, knowing the two were bound to cross paths eventually. In return she'd told her Quartermaster about Amelia. It was a give and take as the two feisty redheads wing maned for each other. "Aye've ah few hours left 'ere on watch." She turned her head and gave her a playful side eye. "Grand me crew wasn't 'ere tae witness me lack o' focus, aye?" Preening her hair back and starting to walk the perimeter of the vessel Citrine fluffed her tail coat behind her and adopted the swagger like walk many ship-bound people had to counter the bobs and dips of a ship at sea. "Wouldn't sae nae ta anouther set o' eyes on teh horizon ef ye willin'." Like the fox and the hound, the chase was on. But who was who? "Sae how be et ye' came tae sail under teh Rose? Aye understan' ye were on teh Bear's Throat, aye, but one just doesn't appear on ah ship like tha' without bein' somewhere questionable tae begin with." The guise of conversation to control the flames was as subtle as her peacock tail, though no less sincere because of it.
|
|
|
Post by moralhazard on May 23, 2019 16:02:51 GMT
The brush of feathers against Miri’s skin was foreign and exciting, the glow seeming to burn like coals against her. Yet again, Miri didn’t bother to try and control the shiver that swept through her.
And then, again, abruptly, the phoenix was gone. Miri laughed; there was no other possible response. But she thought she was starting to get the hang of Citrine, to get a sense of how she maintained that flawless control. And Miri didn’t mind waiting, didn’t mind a slow, pleasant build up of anticipation, especially when she could be sure of what was at the other end. She had no doubt that Citrine burned as hot as she had promised.
“Glad to,” Miri said. She had to take a few quick steps to catch the captain, but her long legs lapped up the distance quickly enough, and she slid into an easy saunter of her own, not forgetting the loose limbed movements needed to counter the ship’s sway.
Miri chuckled. “For once, I’m innocent,” she grinned at Citrine. “Has a drink at the wrong tavern in Purl.” Miri shrugged bare shoulders. “We’d planned to catch passage back towards Calimport, but seems fate had other plans.”
“And you?” Miri asked. “How did a captain end up so far from her ship?”
|
|
Citrine
Approved
6 Wild Blooded Sorcerer+ 1 Celestial Warlock
Posts: 328
|
Post by Citrine on May 23, 2019 16:41:38 GMT
L aughter from Miri was a song of its own, one the phoenix was proud to have prompted out of her. Walking the perimeter at an easy pace, Citrine picking the stride length. She had shorter legs, an awkward gait that only looked acceptable on a bobbing ship, but the patience to pull it off. The wax had started to fade though the woodys smells of spruce through ebony to rosewood lingered faint enough to make it seem a carpenter's workshop was nearby. At the mention of having a wrong drink Citrine visibly shuddered, a spike of nutmeg cutting through the wood. "Aye'm s'rry." She said solemnly, with the tone of someone who had personal experience with the scenario described. "Tis ah bastard thing tae fall under, tae be sure."At the question of how she was where she is now, she smirked. "Oi, et's quite teh tale. Aye'm one o' teh Free Captain's o' the Inner Sea, very odd then tae be anywhere outside o' et, seein as teh Sea o' Stars es landlocked." Her mage hand brought her hat back over to her, fitting it nicely on the back of her head. "Me sister kept on naggin' about me needin tae come tae Waterdeep. Wouldn't shut up about et, really. Et got sae bad Aye packed me trunk, told me crew they'd earn ah chance fer shore leave like Aye'd ne'er offer again ef tehy went with Teh Rose o'er land an' kept ah watch on et. Sandara was moar then willin', especially when Aye gave 'er ah heads up about Harrigan." Her tone darkened at the mention of the Throat's Captain. "Sae Aye rented ah mount an took teh weeks an' weeks long trek by foot frum teh Inner Sea tae this very city. Worth et just tae get 'Olly off me back."No one named Holly had been on the crew, or even on the open ledger of who'd been on the crew at any point. The name wouldn't have been brought up by anyone either. "Sae Aye told 'em they had two seasons tae get tae Waterdeep, gold fer passage was en teh brig, an' Aye'd seem 'em when they got 'ere." She'd been a deteriorating bundle of nerves, fighting a lack of sleep, stumbled mannerisms, and a level of distraction that had been dangerous to the crew and ship alike. It hadn't started bad, just whispers. But it grew and grew over the months and then years until it was like the Captain had been under the effects of her own personal Haunt. The crew'd whispered and talked, glad for when the Quartermaster finally pulled the Captain aside to share the crew's concerns. But she didn't tell Miri that. It'd ruin her image after all. "They all had a set o' feathers o' mine, tae 'elp lead em through teh night." Feathers that she needed to replace, sadly, annoyingly, bitterly. "Sae Aye didn't 'ave ah worry tha' they wouldn't get 'ere en time. Tha' they sunk teh Throat on teh way was grand news." It had been unnerving at first, how many people she recognized in this realm that could compare to those she knew in Golarion. Just like she'd met Rin, Orin's counterpart, from Fukuoka, she'd met this realm's versions of old friends. Syl was seen immediately in Syla. Zuzu in Yuzu. It made finding a crew child's play, already knowing how they acted, what they liked.... Some she'd yet to find - Mani and Orin both. Herself, as well. She'd yet to, no matter how hard she searched, find her doppleganger. Some doubles were near identical, some were different on the outside though their cores were the same. And Harrigan? Just as much an asshole and threat to piracy as he'd been in Golarion. Just this time? She'd be able to nib it in the bud before he'd put in his bid for a the title of a Pirate Lord.
|
|
|
Post by moralhazard on May 23, 2019 17:26:32 GMT
Miri was glad the we had slipped Citrine’s notice, or else if it hadn’t that the firebird had chosen to pass it up. Perhaps Sandara had told her; Miri wouldn’t. She had done her best to banish thoughts of Evy. For now, all she let herself think was that the other woman would have adored Citrine. She grinned, this time to herself; Evy would have put up a fight before letting Miri have the captain. Perhaps they could have shared.
“Sister?” Miri asked, lightly, but let Citrine continue her tale. She chuckled again at the thought of Citrine riding; it was a funny image, thinking of her tail bobbing out behind a horse.
“And now?” Miri asked, curiously. “Have you tasted enough of Waterdeep already?” She grinned at Citrine. It was hard for the bounty hunter to imagine; but, then, she had never been one to settle either.
For herself, Miri thought, Waterdeep would do for a time. She had her own business here, but such thoughts were as unwelcome as those of Evy. That task she would think on another time.
|
|
Citrine
Approved
6 Wild Blooded Sorcerer+ 1 Celestial Warlock
Posts: 328
|
Post by Citrine on May 23, 2019 20:03:24 GMT
S he shrugged non-commitially. "Nae, barely touched teh city all things considered. Aye'll be around ah bit longer still, but nae forever. Aye've lifetimes ahead o' me Aye want tae taste - et goes against me sailin' nature tae remain en one place tae long."Like a migrating bird she thought absently. Not content to stay in one place for too long. The wisps of what could be further beyond the horizon enticed her too much. And now that she had her Captain back and Holly's urging to go to Waterdeep had faded? She could go anywhere. Do anything. But Waterdeep was an intriguing enough city, she'd explore it a bit longer. "Whut about ye? Ye've just arrived, teh city tae ye likin' or ye plan on movin' on tae other dreams?" The phoenix asked with a curious whistle and tilt of her head. Some of those rescued off the Throat had settled, Kroop and Grok, while others had already jumped on a caravan heading inland.
|
|