ATEE: Partners in Crime *Me (That Guy) and Alex64*

[Alex64]

"And whatever could you need them for?" Raku wondered.

 

[That Guy]

"I could ask you handsome fellows the same thing. ...Ah, but I'm quite forgetting myself." He took a step back, his countenance hardening a little. "Is there a good reason why I shouldn't have you stowaways disposed of here and now, and be on my merry little way?"
"W-Hey, there's no need to resort to anything violent..!"
"Oh, I agree. Blood-red is such an unsightly colour for a ship's deck, and scrubbing it out is such a nuisance. ...Or, I assume it is, anyway. I have people for that." He shrugged with overwhelming arrogance. "The choice is yours, but I really do advice against doing anything you might regret~"

 

[Alex64]

Wiping her mouth, Ellie stumbled back towards them.
"...I...I don't believe we heard your name," she said to the pirate, trying her hardest not to gag.

 

[That Guy]

"I've been through many names in my time, m'dear. If you want something fancy-sounding, how about Almufawid Alssamid? Or something like that." He shook his head. "Or just Gates, for short."
"How is that short for--"
"Consider it an affectionate nickname."

 

[Alex64]

"Well...Gates," Raku said, "How about we form a sort of... alliance? Work together to obtain the World Rings?"

 

[That Guy]

"Our services, in exchange for yours? Well, if you mean it, I'd be an idiot to turn you down. That said, let it never be said I'm not a just captain."

From within his flamboyant (and probably hugely impractical) attire, he retrieved what looked to be a small gong, and struck it. Presently, this summoned what was presumably his existing crew: a green-feathered hawk, a tough-looking white bear, and a rabbit with wooden legs.
"Ladies, gentleman, these three good-for-nothings just appeared on our ship, and they've offered to assist us in our search. I'm not one for questioning the logistics of that; I just want to know if there are any objections from belowdecks~"

 

[Alex64]

"...They can be trusted?" the hawk asked.

 

[That Guy]

"That's entirely up to them, but I did warn them about the consequences of that choice~"
"Judging by their fancy clothes," the bear pondered, wearing a look of nearly poetic extraspection, "they should know better than to double-cross pirates."

 

[Alex64]

"...Alright," the hawk conceded. "But I'll be keeping an eye on them regardless."
"Here's hopin' they can carry their weight 'round here," the rabbit smirked. "No problems on mah end, cap'n!"

 

[That Guy]

"Just for reference, by the way-- I'm taking a bit of a creative liberty with her accent. She had 'an accent', sure, but it's hard to translate that directly." Rex's father grins almost dopily. "So this is what you're getting instead!"

"Fabulous! Well, with that being the case..." Gates glanced upwards, though quite what he was looking for remained elusive. "...I should think we're in business!"
With a skittishness that his vulpine build made seem so natural, he climbed back to the upper deck, taking some unseen helm.
"In the meantime," he called down, "rest up, or something. We're going to need to be at full strength when we get to those floating ruins!"

 

[Alex64]

"Floating ruins?" Ellie asked. "How can ruins float?"

 

[That Guy]

"According to some, they are cursed." The bear crossed the deck to a door, presumably leading to the more hospitable section of the ship's interior. "Others prefer believing it to be some benevolent magic force. If there's spoils to be had, I don't believe we care either way."

 

[Alex64]

"...Right," Ellie nodded, following after the bear.
"By the way, I do not believe we learned the names of you or your crewmates," Raku said to her.

 

[That Guy]

"Tabuk, Al-Hasa, Qatif." She gestured to the rabbit, the hawk, and herself in turn as she brought them down a short flight of stairs, to what looked like a pleasant-enough common room. "She navigates, he cleans, I cook...usually."

 

[Alex64]

"'Usually'? You mean your roles are not consistent?"

 

[That Guy]

"We're pirates. We have to be versatile. You never know when the next bounty's coming, or how dangerous it's going to be." Her mood seemed to brighten as she sat at the table in the middle of the room. "...But that's enough of that talk. You heard the captain; we need to be ready for landfall at those ruins."

 

[Alex64]

"...Right."
Ellie went to lie down on one of the beds, in an effort to calm her rolling stomach. Raku decided to do the same, though he wanted to instead rest and save his strength.

 

[That Guy]

Midnight followed, taking a restless seat on the floor beside the bed Raku had chosen, though his posture would not last long, and he found himself standing back up again in a matter of moments.
"I'm just gonna..." He gestured vaguely at the stairs they had come down to reach this area, and turned to head in that direction. "...I'll be right back."

Qatif eyed him warily on the way past.
"Why?" They both knew the rest of the question was immaterial.
"There's just something I want to talk to your captain about, if that's quite alright." He folded his arms. "And if it bothers you at all, no; as you can see, I'm unarmed."
"Fine." She exhaled curtly through her nose. "I don't especially care what your intentions are, anyway."
"...Well, then...Thanks."

With a shrug, he continued on his way abovedecks once more.

 

[Alex64]

Ellie shut her eyes as he did so, trying to prevent her situation from getting the best of her, and not focus on how the boat was rising and lowering, rocking so slightly back and forth--
She held a hand over her mouth, suppressing a gag. No good. She'd have to find something else to occupy her attention with.

 

[That Guy]

At some point that could have been anywhere between a moment and an eternity later, she would feel a gentle, yet forceful hand on her shoulder. Qatif.
"Not doing too well, are you?"