A brotherhood to stand for something

[Anonymous]

He had no home, but that didn't matter. Wherever he was, he considered it his home. He wasn't at home sitting around; he needed to constantly travel. Travel. Now that was his real home. Thing was, lately, he had nothing to do with his time. He'd left the Serene behind; he needed a new ship. A new captain, perhaps. Maybe a new ship altogether.

Rastaban had a lot of currency by now. Enough to buy a ship of his own. But he had no crew. He didn't know what he was doing, anyway. He wasn't a leader. He wasn't captain material. Maybe he could bribe somebody to be his captain. He could be first mate or something. He'd always loved the idea of being a first mate. Maybe because the word first was in it. He liked that word, even if he wasn't really all that competitive.

Feeling bold and feeling curious, he tried to shout over the din of the current pub he was sitting in. He even got to his feet and and tried again. With a sigh, he punched the guy next to him.

"HEY!" The guy swung back, drunken and tipping himself to the floor as Rastaban took a step back. He leapt up onto a nearby stool, then raised one foot to the bar, raising his glass.

"Hear ye, hear ye," he started in very old language for maximum attention. "Any men here who want to captain his own ship?" He paused, thinking it over. "Or women. Women captains? Or just..." He lowered his leg so that he stood on both feet on his stool and sighed. "Anybody need a crew member? I'm looking for adventure."

[Anonymous]

Papillion was broke. She had lost it all on the ship and was pretty much living on borrowed money from Nathan. She felt a little bad about that, but really, she didn't have much of a way of making money. So Nathan just didn't have to pay her! That was good!

The short, pudgy girl waved to the nice man that had bought her a drink. So nice of him, really. Her cane rested next to her, her leg still healing. It probably helped get her get free drinks that she was wearing clothes made from what was around Nathan's ship and the shirt didn't cover much, though the two things hadn't connected in Papillion's head yet.

The commotion from the man had her attention. Papillion loved adventure too! It was so fun! She waved at the man, smiling widely at him, "Oh! Well, um....no." Her face fell a little, "Well, maybe. I don't have a ship or anything and I already have a Captain, but, maybe he needs some crew?"

[Anonymous]

Oh hey! Somebody was finally talking to him! And something other than jeers at him being drunk and stupid and out of his mind. Smiling widely, Rastaban hopped down off his stool and went over to the girl who waved at him. She didn't look like a captain, but that was okay. Maybe he'd save his money. He was pretty good at saving, unlike most of his ilk. Honestly, it was because he was too indecisive. He didn't know what he wanted to buy with his money so it just kept stacking up.

"You know," he told the girl. "We don't need a ship or a crew to have an adventure!" He winked and tossed up a finger, gesturing to the nearby barkeep. "Drinks for the two of us, please and thank you." As the barkeep did his work in silence, Rastaban leaned against the bar with one elbow and steepled his fingers together. "So a captain already. Who's this captain? Have I heard of him?" He took a sip of his drink when it was set down, sliding money over to the barkeep without even looking at him. He was too busy watching the girl.

[Anonymous]

Free drinks! Papillion's face lit up and she clapped her hands together, "Ah! Thank you!" Operation: Get drunk for free was going well! And the man seemed ready for adventure and excitement, two of Papillion's favorite things!

Nodding her head rapidly, Papillion took a sip of her drink, "Ah yes! That is so true! What did you have in mind?" His question had Papillion pausing, considering it, "No, probably not. Nathan isn't very famous. He's pretty, skinny and nervous." She tapped her chin, trying to remember his last name, then giving up, "He's got brown hair?"

Giving up with a small shrug, Papillion smiled again, "What about you? No luck finding a crew? That's awful! I hate being stuck in one place." Reaching over, Papillion patted the man's hand, "I'm sure you'll find one soon!"

[Anonymous]

"No problem." Rastaban smiled. Nothing like making somebody happy enough to clap. He liked energetic people. Somehow, he fed off it; they made him feel more secure. More comfortable. He settled in his place and gladly took his drink when it was brought to him. Staring over it at the girl, he thought about how she'd described this "Nathan." Pretty? Skinny? Nervous? Brown hair? That could be a lot of people. He shook his head.

"Nope, can't say I've heard of him. Sounds interesting, though. Let me know if he ever needs crew. I don't have shining credentials, but I think I do what I can." He appreciated the girl's sympathies. In truth, he was as restless as she seemed to be. He also disliked being tied down to one place. He liked moving. He liked new scenery. Pretty things to look at. How he loved pretty things. He longed to see something new. He wanted to be one of the first to find something, even if nobody else knew, the feeling would still be there.

"I have a couple maps. Not sure how accurate they are, but they're fun to look at." He took one out and spread it out on the bar before them. He was aware it was reckless and dangerous, but he'd never not done something because it might result in pain, injury, or death. He wouldn't be a roving pirate otherwise. "Never saw this marking here before." He pointed to a strange symbol in red ink, then grinned. "I haven't seen many old fashioned maps, either. Usually they're just coordinates to download onto a ship's navigational system, but somehow, this seems more genuine. Even if it's ancient, it's gotta point to something. Course, the more ancient it is, the less likely there's anything there."

[Anonymous]

"Alright!" Papillion smiled, reaching over to pat Rastaban's knee. She understood his plight all too well. She had actually managed to have her own ship for years, always able to move. Then....spiders ate it. But she had manged to find Nathan and was able to keep moving around, "I'm sure he would like you! Nathan is very nice."

She gasped at the sight of the maps, lighting running her fingers over one of them, "They are stunning! Have you ever been? To where it's marked?" Papillion was filled with envy at the maps. She would have loved to have maps like that to chase off after. Her eyes glittered with excitement, "I bet there is something amazing there. At the very least, such an adventure to get there!"

[Anonymous]

Her excitement was cute. Infectious. Rastaban smiled as he rested his head in one hand and looked down at the maps. He traced some of the lines, mimicking her actions. They were so touchable. How could one leave them alone? "You're right. It's definitely going to be an adventure." And that's all he could ask for. All he really wanted out of life. Somehow, he didn't feel alive unless he was dodging death in some form or other.

"And no. Haven't been to any of these places. I kinda collect maps. I kinda collect a lot of things." He let out a low laugh. He collected his money, he collected maps. He collected useless shinies, baubles, really. Just because he liked the look of them. He was a bit of a packrat. He was sure if he ever had himself a ship, it would be stuffed to the brim with junk. He hated the sight of a bare room, of bare walls. He went out of his way to fill them with something, always.

He took a drink from his glass and as he set it down, he glanced down at the map again.

"I want to go there," he said in a soft, dreamy tone. "Even if there's nothing there. I want to be able to say yes the next time somebody asks me if I've been there. It's not what's there, anyway. It's the getting there that makes everything worthwhile."

[Anonymous]

Papillion sipped her own drink, enjoying the slow burn of it, nodding her head, "I couldn't do that. Collect maps and never go. I would have to go, see what was there." She gave a small laugh, "But I've always been to curious for my own good."

Finally pulling her hand away from the ancient paper, Papillion shivered with pleasure. Adventures were far better than sex, "I hope you can go. I'll ask Nathan if he would be interested, but," Papillion gave a dramatic sigh, "He can be so whiny."

[Anonymous]

"Oh, I'd go if I had the chance. I just seem to keep falling in with the wrong crew. You know, captains who are more interested in other kinds of adventures. Smuggling, fighting, that kind of thing. Which is all well and good, it's what a pirate does. But I was kinda looking forward to the exploration part."

Again, Rastaban knew nothing of this Nathan, and he wondered if he was a small time captain. All but the very largest names escaped Rastaban--he was terrible with names. Half the time, he couldn't even remember his current captain's name or what ship they were aboard.

"A whiny captain?" he repeated, raising his eyebrows. He smiled at the thought. He'd never heard of a whiny captain. In his short time working as a pirate, he'd found most captains were reckless and way too confident for their own good. They were adventurous, though. That much was a given. Only an adventurer could do what they did and not feel fear, but excitement when they were being shot at or running from giant space monsters. Rastaban considered himself an adventurer.

"Maybe you should ply him with liquor. Although," he reconsidered. "Some men become more whiny with drink."

[Anonymous]

Papillion laughed, "I don't mind that. I like adventure of any kind. Exploring the unknown has it's own excitement, but as long as I can keep moving, I'm happy!" She drained the last of her glass and set it down with a thunk on the table.

The comment about Nathan had her nodding his head, "Yes! He is so whiny! It's always 'Papillion, put on some clothes' 'Don't touch me there' 'Cian, stop lighting fire'. Really, the man is just such a stick in the mud!" Giving another laugh, she shrugged, "But I like him. He's a good captain."

[Anonymous]

Rastaban laughed, surprised at her words. Not what he'd expected at all. Damn good thing he didn't have any drink in his mouth or she would have been on the receiving end of a spit-take.

"What? What man tells a woman to put some clothes on?" He was amused. He couldn't tell if Nathan was a stick in the mud or if it was just her perception of him, but the way she described him, he definitely sounded like the Mr. Serious type. "Sounds like a new sort of captain. Ones I've ever known were completely nutters. Fun, though. But definitely nutters."

[Anonymous]

Papillion gave a small laugh, her expression a mixture of puzzlement and amusement, "I just don't get the problem! It's not like there's any weird tension, I just don't like clothes much. They're not all that comfy. Though, he's very fun. I like being on his ship."

She missed her own ship, and it was rather tragic she had lost the hat, but it was nice being with a crew, "The nuts ones are the best!" She patted her bandaged thigh, "I think we're stuck here for a little while though. I think I'll go insane before I heal up."

[Anonymous]

Rastaban raised his eyebrows. Like many of the men in the bar before him, he checked her out. How could he help it? Especially when she said such things? "You mean you normally walk around completely naked? I bet the crew loves that. I like clothes, myself. You can tell a lot about somebody by their clothes. Or I suppose, lack of them. But I agree. Nutty captains are the best captains."

Letting out a sigh, he thought of the few captains he'd seen the stars with. Yep. They'd all be nutters. But he was fond of them, being slightly nutty himself. He looked at the leg she mentioned as he took a drink, then leaned forward with a puzzled expression. Raising an eyebrow as he sat back, he shot her an amused smile.

"What's the story? Every injury like comes with an interesting story."

[Anonymous]

"Oh no. I normally wear underwear. I like underwear." Papillion smiled brightly, "Clothes are pretty, but I hate having to wear them all the time. But Nathan just gets so pissy."

She idly played with her empty glass, running a finger over the rim of it, "He's a good Captain though. I like him." She lowered her eyes to the bandage around her leg and laughed again, "Ah. Spider bite. I was scavenging planetside, got chased out by some crazy spider things and managed to get myself bit. And I guess some managed to sneak on board. Next thing I knew, I had a nice infection and some toxins in my system and spiders taking over my ship. Nathan and Cian came to my rescue." She grinned, "Nathan had a face full of spider juices and was not amused."

[Anonymous]

What made a person decide clothes were annoying to wear? Now that was a fun question. Rastaban liked it. What would make him decide they were annoying? If it were too hot, maybe. Or scratchy. Wet clothes were rarely any fun. Maybe she was like that princess with the pea. She couldn't get comfy because clothes were getting every which way.

"Spider juices?" Rastaban laughed. He didn't know who Nathan was, but the image of somebody getting pissed off about spider juices? Priceless. "Are spider juices and spider toxins two different things then?" He managed to ask the question with a straight face before he took another sip of his drink.

[Anonymous]

"Oh yes." Papillion laughed again, a huge smile never far from her face, "The toxins are the, you know, venom bits. The juices are when the spider gets exploded. Nathan shot one really close to his face." Papillion giggled, "He didn't think it was funny though."

She tilted her head, watching him, "What about you Mr. Stranger? Tell me a funny story!"

[Anonymous]

Venom and spider juices. Now that was a story to tell. Why was he imagining the colors as a mutanty green color? How come radioactive poisons were always portrayed as neon green, anyway? How accurate was that? Not very. Not everything toxic was obvious. Hm. A story of his own to tell. Okay. He could dig up something.

"All right, well, once my old captain found this abandoned ship in the middle of nowhere. So he decided to give it a look. The place was so messed up, it was obvious some kinda war went down in there. We get in there and... Oh wait. You said funny. The only funny bit I can think of is when I tossed this weird majigger into a hole without knowing what it would do. Nearly blew us all to hell. But it was funny afterward..." He paused. "Ooh! I know. Okay, so this one time, we get a distress call from some guy. We go after him, figuring he'd be an easy shot, right? Well, it turns out that it wasn't really a real distress call. We get there and bust in, all ready for a fight, and we walk in on the captain of this ship with his girlfriend, buck naked. Apparently, they were trying out a little roleplaying and like a dimwit, he actually pressed the call button while he was sending out his fake mayday. There was like half a dozen other ships who came out and heard it too. Bet that guy's never showing his face in public again."

[Anonymous]

Papillion burst into a loud, deep laughter that filled the bar, pounding her hand onto the table, "Ah! No! You have to be kidding! That would have been amazing!" It took her a moment to calm her giggling fit down, shaking her dark head, amused.

"You have good stories! Well, the one with the majigger one wasn't very good." Papillion reached over and patter Rastaban's hand, "But that's okay. The other one was great." She squirmed a little, chewing on her lip, eyes drawn back to the maps, "What about the treasure maps? Have you ever gotten to look for any of them? How did you find them? Where can I get one? I want to hunt for treasure..."

[Anonymous]

He laughed, too, the memories killing him. "I'll never forget that one!" He didn't feel at all worried that his first story sucked. He knew it did. Which was why he'd been glad to switch it out for a better one. (He should have opened with that one in the beginning!) No harm done.

He looked down at the maps, too. "Well, you could get one from me," he said, mostly joking. He wasn't as greedy as one might assume from his occupation--but he did want to see what these led to. In fact, that was his driving force: to find out the mysteries of the maps. "I've collected them over the years. Usually while everybody else is looking for the shiny things..." He liked shiny things, too, but the maps were much shinier in a different way. "Although this one here," he pointed down at the one they were looking at. "It was passed down to me. Supposedly they just keep passing it down, although whenever I ask, nobody says what it leads to." He looked up at Amelia. "It's the one I want to figure out the most."

[Anonymous]

Papillion gave a happy squeal and leaned over to hug Rastaban tightly. She bounced against him for a moment, making a high pitched happy sound, "Really? Reallyreallyreally? I can get one from you? I would love one! Oh thank you!"

She hadn't thought he would want to part with one. All that mystery and adventure, waiting to happen. "You should come with! When we look for it!"