[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?"

[A few days later.]

[curryjolokia]

It's been a few days since the new kid came aboard, and I'm pleased that my initial take on him was accurate. He's enthusiastic, almost cutely so, but at the same time he's not the naive greenhorn I first took him for. He's earned his stripes one way or another, and learned more than a bit of subterfuge in the process. Several times he's caught me in a false assumption, correcting my presumption with that crooked little smirk and goodnatured challenge in his eyes. It's a balance to the frequent necessity, as he gets used to life on the Galleon, that I show him the ropes and rules.

Not like I'm going to give him any ideas about the pecking order - I outrank him, and that's that - but he's not dead weight, far from it, and he's done nothing to upset the relationship between AkaRed and myself. Far from it - with Marvey-chan to tease, I've got a safe target for my 'authority issues' and have found myself treading delicate ground with AkaRed much less frequently. I can appreciate that.

He's developed a habit of hovering just outside the galley doors while I cook meals. I'm not an extraordinary cook, but I'm willing to try (unlike AkaRed) and unlikely to kill us with culinary disasters (unlike the kid). And I have thumbs - which Navi lacks - so really, it's me or we starve.

Regardless of the quality of my cooking, I am the cook - and I've learned this gives me an additional bit of leverage over the kid. I'm just waiting for the day AkaRed gives me a really unsavory task, so I can start calibrating Marvey-chan's food-to-bribes exchange rate. I'm going to bet it's skewed in my favor.

I'm facing the range, grilling some vegetables to toss in with tonight's noodles, when I hear the click of his boot passing the doorway. Leaning backward, I grin over my shoulder at him. "Hey, Marvey, hand me that spice, willya?" I gesture at the spice rack with my chin, both hands busy tossing the skillet's contents so it doesn't burn. "That light yellow-brown one."

[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.

[captainmarvelous]

This is easily the most pleasant ship I've been on before. This work is rewarding, just physically challenging enough to keep my active and fit, but not backbreaking or the borderline slave labor I've been expected to do on other ships. Not that I've even been a proper part of anyone's crew before, just hired my hand out to get me from system to system on occasion. I'm at the bottom of the chain of command, with the possible exception of the bird - not really sure why she fits in, but I'm not looked down on or expected to do any more than my fair share of tasks and chores.

The captain is nice enough. Quiet and driven toward his task. Doesn't speak much, and doesn't try to pry into my business. Basco on the other hand is lively, everything he does or says colored with an air of mischief. I can't quite put my fingers on him sometimes, what his goals are, what's brought him to AkaRed's side. I like him though, he's good company, and not an unpleasant face (or body) to look at.

Also he can cook. Anyone that can cook is aces in my book. I've taken to hovering just outside the galley while he's preparing meals, saving my sweeping and mopping main room chores, or finishing my chores into to just relax as the yummy smells waft. Yeah, I may pass by the doorway more times than is strictly necessary, but I don't think Basco minds. It's a compliment really.

I jump a little when he addresses me, peaking my head inside the galley. I blink at him for a moment, then wander over to the indicated spice shelf, looking over the impressive assortment. There are at least three spices that could be described as 'light yellow-brown', and a couple more than could easily also fit that description in the right light. I grab one at random and hold it up. "This one?"

[curryjolokia]

I don't bother looking over my shoulder to check which spice he's grabbed; I didn't actually need one to start with, it was just an excuse to get his attention. And if I'm making that obvious now, well, maybe I have a purpose for that, as well.

"Yeah, that'll work," I answer, my apparent attention fixed on my skillet. "Come shake a few pinches of that in?"

I'm grinning more these past few days. Not that I've ever been a somber sort of creature, but AkaRed is, and it's easier to take on the general mood around you than keep yours aimed in a contrary direction. Follow the lead of the crowd around you, and things tend to run more smoothly in general. It's a chameleon trait of mine, and with the new kid around, it's probably the reason I've been all the more cheerful. He seems genuinely happy to be here on the Galleon. It's another of his characteristics that makes him, honestly, kind of cute.

"You like spicy food, right?"

[captainmarvelous]

I blink when he doesn't even really look at the spice in my hand, just says it's fine. Knowing my lack of skills, he should probably check what I grabbed, right? But then, what do I know. I can barely boil water properly. You'd think with my appetite I'd have learned at least the basics of how to work a kitchen, but no such luck.

I wander over to Basco's side and grin at the sight of what he's cooking. I can't help but smile wide and unguarded when I see food. It just makes me happy, not to mention I seem to need a lot more of it than most of people I've encountered, something in my heritage, like my strength, I suppose. Given that I don't really know where my heritage originally hailed from, that's as good an excuse as any.

I shake a bit of the spice into the skillet, taking great care not to accidentally upend the entire bottle of powder into the dish. "I love spicy food," I answer him, and my own thoughts. But there is such a thing as too spicy, even for me.

[curryjolokia]

He's such a singleminded guy. I think he may have completely missed my innuendo in favor of drooling over the food. It doesn't even have any meat in it - a category of food I've already learned he has special fondness for - but nevertheless he's looking at it with the longing eyes of a lover. I definitely can use this, at some point.

I grin, sass in my voice, and quirk a brow at him, intrigued. I can't resist the temptation to find out what happens when I push another button or two. He makes this game endlessly fun, and he's very easy on the eyes. I don't know if he's realized how close he's standing to me, just to get closer to the smell of the food.

"That's good. I love spice, myself." The spoon scrapes in the pan, mixing in the powdered spice - from the smell of it, it's cumin, a lucky grab on his part - with the caramelized vegetables and the char. "Maybe I should make a separate dish for our Captain, and make ours even hotter."

[captainmarvelous]

"Does he even eat?" I ask, not entirely seriously and not expecting any real sort of answer, I mean, I'm sure our captain eats, I've just never seen him at it. Either he wanders off when it's mealtime or he just sort of hovers near us at the table. It was a little unnerving at first, for maybe the beginning seconds of that first meal. But it's hard to care when decent food is set down in front of me.

The spice Basco had me add makes the wafting scent of the food even more enticing, and I have to actually stop myself from grabbing at bit of vegetable and popping it in my mouth. One, hot, and two, I think Basco might smack my hand with the spoon. "How much longer?"

[curryjolokia]

"He eats," I answer, smiling absently. The skillet's beginning to go dry, so I reach over the flame to grab a bottle of thin oil, adding a splash or two and stirring quickly as the iron pan soaks it up, spitting. I don't notice the heat, but Marvey might be stepping back a pace in a moment or two; hot oil, I've been told, hurts when it hits humanlike skin. I wouldn't know.

"I wish he'd eat while it was still warm, though," I admit, glancing briefly at the kid. "It really does taste better before it's gone all cold and clammy. But he does everything on his own time. Even meals."

I can see him eyeing the pan and I tease him by sliding the spoon around the pan's curve, herding the vegetables toward my side, where it's harder for him to reach. "I haven't even gotten the noodles started yet," I laugh. It's hard not to feel complimented by his eagerness, even though logically I know he'd be this focused on the food no matter what quality it was.

"Unless you just want bunny food for dinner, you'd better be patient."

[captainmarvelous]

I take the smallest half step back when the fresh oil he adds begins to spit a little, I'm a bit more resilient than most of the human variety, but heat is heat, and hot oil is especially hot. I know, I've had a few experiences with it before I gave up on trying to cook anything that needed it.

"I like that about him, though." I say, somewhat absentmindedly, focusing on how Basco seems to be scooting the vegetables away from me in the pan. My brow scrunches up a bit, and my stomach gives a small growl. "Everything on his time. How a captain should behave."

Finally I give in, holding Basco still by his arms for a brief moment (he's slight enough, I think I can manage) and then reaching around his other side. I snake a bit of tasty looking vegetable from the pan and pop it in my mouth, eyes closing after as I hum and chew happily. It's good, savory and spicy, and I lick my fingers after to get that lingering bits of flavor off them.

[curryjolokia]

When the kid - Marvelous - grabs me, at first I wonder if he's finally responding to the innuendo I've been lacing through the whole conversation. Then I realize he hasn't even noticed in the first place, and is quite literally pinning me solely to get at the food. Incredible.

His arm around my body, holding my arms to my sides, is strong, far stronger than I would have anticipated by looking at him. He takes what he wants, reaching around my back to get it. How he's got me held - and I'm not struggling, either, too amused by the situation to interrupt it as it plays out - I can't see him feeding himself, but the softly wet pops that come after tell me that he's licking his fingers clean.

Does he have any idea of the effect he can have?

I elbow him in the shoulder, finally, pushing him back from the pan and from my back before he decides to grab a second bite. Having him tucked up so close behind me is not helping my concentration, nor is very wise for either of us, though he hasn't any reason to suspect as much yet. I'm here under certain conditions, I remind myself, and grin at Marvey as I put enough distance between us for me to see him again.

"Do you love food so much that you don't even care if you burn yourself stealing it?" I ask. I've scooped a strip of spicy pepper onto my spoon, and turn away from the range a bit, offering it to him. The spoon's wooden, far safer to steal the morsel from, and I can't help but be bemused by the kid's priorities.

[captainmarvelous]

"I didn't burn myself!" I protest around my fingers, licking the last bit of lingering flavor and then licking my lips after. "That was good, for vegetables. You need to use that yellowish spice more often."

My eyes light up again when he offers me another bite, this time a spicy looking pepper. I hover for maybe half a second before reaching for the pepper, ready and eager to pop it in my mouth and enjoy the fiery bite.

[curryjolokia]

'For vegetables'?

I'm snickering as he lifts the pepper from my spoon, and I keep watching, waiting, as he pops it into his mouth.

Once he's bitten down, I grin. "How much do you know about spicy peppers? I'm named after that one."

[captainmarvelous]

The heat doesn't hit at first, the really strong peppers don't work that way. They're that slow, sneaky heat and then suddenly you're all red in the face and sweating and gasping and begging for anything cold to cool your whole body down because you feel on fire.

I can actually hold my spicy heat pretty well, but I don't think there are many out there that can take the full force of a ghost pepper just popped into one's mouth. I bite my tongue, trying to ride out the heat as it builds, but eventually I have to breathe and that just comes out as a choked gasp.

"You," my voice is a croaking thing, but I'm smiling, because it's funny damn it. Even with the pain rising in my mouth, it's damn funny that he got me so good. "You bastard!"

I try to laugh, though it's more of a stuttered cough.

[curryjolokia]

I'm grinning, and as he starts coughing, I put an arm out and offer support, reaching with my other hand for a small something off the counter, which I pop into my mouth and hold in one cheek. He's bending forward, the pepper really starting to take strong effect, and yet he's laughing, or trying to, through the burn.

I grab him by the shoulder, pulling up; when his head comes up, I meet his mouth with my own, pushing the ice cube from my mouth to his through the clumsy kiss.

[captainmarvelous]

I'm a little dizzy from the heat. It's bad, but not too bad. Not something I feel like I can't live through. He's such an ass, feeding me something like that before dinner. But I think that's why I like him. He's not really treating me like a kid, he's treating me like a brother. Sure, maybe a little brother, but it's not a bad feeling and...

...

....oh.

Lips against mine, a clumsy kiss, but he's pressing something cold into my mouth that brings an instant burst of relief. I can feel his tongue briefly, past the heat and cold, and it's not an entirely bad thing. It makes sparks dance down my spine.

I, somewhat reluctantly, pull away, just so I can get the ice cube to all the affected areas of my mouth. Not keeping it anywhere too long. I swirl it around until it's small enough to swallow, which I do.

Then I look at him, my cheeks still red from the heat, my smirk firmly in place, and I smack him upside the head. "Bastard." It's said with as much affection as I can muster with my throat still raw.