[Closed; Mushverse Past] Basco/Marvelous voice testing/history sharing.

[captainmarvelous]

It still feels like I'm inside a dream as the startlingly red captain takes me onto his ship. I have the image of it first coming into view still burned to my eyelids; when I blink I still see it as it rose in the sky behind him, as red and bold as its captain. I haven't felt so drawn to something in my life, its call as strong to me as the song of the stars. It's as if even the blood in my veins longs for it; I don't think I could have refused the captain's offer to join his crew, even with how strong my pride can be.

He shows me the engine room, the impressive inner mechanisms that keep the ship airborne, keep it humming with life. And it does have life, more than any ship I've been on before. I can feel it humming under my touch as I grip a railing. This ship has a voice, has a story to tell me, or maybe one to make with me.

The brief yet concise tour eventually comes to the main living room, what I can feel just with my first steps is the heart of the ship. It's sparsely furnished, a small table with a pair of chairs, a tiny couch with coffee table, the main controls for the computer screen on the far wall. And of course the captain's chair.

I hover at AkaRed's elbow for a moment, drinking in my surroundings as he points out the stairs that lead down toward the crew quarters, the doorway that leads to the galley, and the other stairs that lead up to the crow's nest.

It already feels like home. Like I've lived here all my life.

AkaRed moves to sit in his chair, tells me to make myself at home, pick out a room for myself. I shoulder the small pack I brought with me, all I usually travel with, and spin around, drinking the room in all over again.

Comments

[curryjolokia]

As AkaRed takes the helm again, I know my role in raising the Galleon for my captain's escape is completed. From the crow's nest, Navi and I had brought the boat up to meet AkaRed, steering her narrowly between the bones of this half-razed city. Now that he's aboard, he doesn't even have to have touched the controls; the Galleon knows when her master is aboard, and my job's done.

So I'm already coming down the stairs from the crow's nest, Navi chattering away on my shoulder, when I hear a new voice on the bridge. "Sounds like we have a new member." I announce my presence before I'm far enough down to see the newcomer; when my head clears the ceiling and brings him into view, I grin to see the green, wide-eyed expression on his face.

AkaRed is in his chair already, but he tips his head just a bit over his shoulder toward me; that's as much of an acknowledgement as I usually can expect from him, and I grin, hopping the rest of the way down the staircase to approach the new kid. Walking a partial circle around him, I grin, appraising his form and his attitude. I like what I can see so far. He's got spirit, maybe enough to keep up with AkaRed and me.

"Captain, do we have a new cabin boy?"

[captainmarvelous]

I hear another voice wafting down from the stairs indicated as the ones leading to the crow's nest. Well, a pair of voices, but one seems more mechanical and repetitive than the other, and once the voices gain faces, it's obvious one was coming from the little robotic bird perched atop the other's shoulder.

The other man circles me, his eyes sizing me up. I stand a little straighter, though I leave one hip cocked a little, a half smirk on my lips. I know this game, and how to play it, and I'll show him the sides of myself that I damn well want to, and keep the rest behind my smile.

"For now," I answer his question, even though it was directed at the captain. "Until a better gig comes along."

I wipe my hand on my thigh and then extend it in greeting, prepared to give him my firmest handshake. No real sense in being rude. "Name's Marvelous."

[Yes I'm using shawl icons; pls ignore the connotation of the clothes. Not enough Akaki footage. :(]

[curryjolokia]

"Basco," I offer in return, pleasantly bemused by the kid's pluck. His handshake's solid, and I like that; tells me more about his character than his cocky pose does. Though, the cocky pose isn't all bad, all things considered. He seems to have at least some awareness of how these sorts of things work, where 'these sorts of things' involve strangers and less-than-savory employment opportunities. He looks young, but that could just be his breed influence; but he doesn't look like the type to share his life story, and honestly I'm not -that- interested to start with.

"You in the habit of taking odd jobs in pirating?" I ask, continuing on past him to the couch. Navi flutters off my shoulder en route, settling into her place on AkaRed's chair with a satisfied chirp. I take the couch, boot heels kicked up on the table in front of it.

"You look a little shiny to be in this biz."

lol. I don't have any bbMarvey icons on this account. XD

[captainmarvelous]

"Pirating's in my blood," I answer both his question and his comment simply, because I'm not about to share my whole life story with him. Nor am I about to brag about being in 'the biz' literally my entire life. If it comes up it comes up, but right now is not the time.

I slide my pack off my shoulder and toss it down on the tiny dining table; I can always settle into a room later. I flop down in one of the chairs and cross my feet at the ankle, leaning back and folding my hands loosely in my lap.

"So, Basco," I tilt my head, studying him. He's pleasant on the eyes, for sure, and keeping himself as casually guarded as I am. Not much to read, but at least he doesn't seem antagonistic or aggressive to my presence here.

"You here for the pay or the treasure?" It's an easy question most of us ask each other when joining new crews. Like asking if someone is a temp or a full timer, if someone enlisted or was drafted. Are you a pure blooded pirate or just making ends meat.

[curryjolokia]

"Neither," I grin, folding my hands behind my head with a cocky smile. One brow pops up, quizzical, while I watch him; he's taking my measure, in a bit more weathered of a manner than I would have expected from someone who appears so very wet behind the ears. Hn.

"And you?" I know what he's going to say - but it's only polite to ask the question back.

[captainmarvelous]

Curious answer, but I'm not going to pry, not yet. Not while we're still casually sizing each other up. Not when I'm still new and testing the waters, getting my sea legs on a new ship, so to speak.

I smirk, then let it slowly become a real smile. Not all wide eyed and awe filled, just a quietly honest smile, letting a bit of myself slip into it. Not too much, just enough for Basco to get a glimpse. "Treasure. And then some."

[curryjolokia]

He smirks, which I was expecting; then he smiles, with a foggy wisp of the man underneath threading through its surface, and I clench my jaw suddenly, hiding the sudden hitch in my breath with a cough. "Ambitious." I let him see my amusement on my face; my opinion of his goals, I keep further down. In answer to his teasing honesty, I'll give him just a little of my own - a softness at the corner of my eye, belied by the oh-really-bitch? eyebrow above it. "Captain," I call, aiming the address over Marvelous' head. "You sure know how to pick them."

"I picked you, didn't I?" AkaRed answers, just tipping his head a bit; that's enough to count as amusement on him, and I frown briefly. Was that a compliment or an insult?

[captainmarvelous]

I chuckle, then I laugh, a warm, full, throaty laugh. Both at the captain's comments and Basco's little frown that follows it. Yes, I think this situation, this little arrangement of a crew I've suddenly found myself a part of, is going to work out just fine.

I did note the softness that edged Basco's eyes briefly, as I'm sure he noted the honest quality of my smile. I may not know much about the man, about the real man, and he may not know much about me, but I think we'll get on eventually.

My laugh is punctuated by a rumble from my stomach, and I rub at my abdomen thoughtfully. "So when's dinner? Oh, I hope that's not one of my jobs. I'm a shit cook."

[curryjolokia]

"I've got that covered." I grin. I think I'm going to like this Marvelous - I can see he's a pirate through and through, and that's enough for me. The rest, including a closer look under that shirt hem (I let a little approving smirk flicker through, letting him know I saw that flash of skin, whether or not he intended it) -- can come later. "I do a pretty excellent noodles and nut sauce, if you like that kind of food."

[captainmarvelous]

My stomach growls again at the more detailed mention of food, and I offer him a half smile. "I like any kind of food, but that sounds especially appealing right now."

At his little approving, and mildly suggestive look I stretch, letting my shirt ride up again like it's nothing. Have no idea what he meant by that look. Casual as anything. "Need any help?"

[curryjolokia]

Oh is THAT the game we're playing? This guy is brazen, stupidly so, and I have to admit I'm really enjoying it on him. Hell, AkaRed's still in the ROOM, though whether he's watching us or engrossed in something Galleon-related makes exactly zero difference to our game; I know he wouldn't care either way. He's got exactly two things he cares about, the treasure and the Galleon, and Navi. The rest is barely ripples on his surface. But the new kid doesn't know that, and yet he's still giving me this look, handing my challenge right back with a garnish on top.

I fix Marvelous with a smarmy sort of grin, letting him know what I think of his take on 'casual'. "Nice of you to offer," I purr, pushing myself up from the couch and stretching a bit - not for his sake, but in legitimate relaxation. "I'll leave all the washing-up for you to do later, Mar~vey~chan!"

I'm already heading toward the galley from here, but I'm grinning ear to ear, too. Yeah. He needed a nickname.