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Post by Crescent on Jun 15, 2005 23:21:45 GMT -5
Kail's stiffness told Tiger all too clearly that his "magic" wasn't working on her. Ahh, well, but if she'd be coming along, he'd have time to try and break through that ice shell of hers yet. Not that he took the effort seriously, but trying for any lady that came his way was more or less in his blood.
"Well, Kailani Hoofspen," he said, happy with Cutter's show of strength next to him. He wanted to make clear to this little filly that they weren't a crew you could toy with. "How much is this 'mighty reward', exactly?" His eyes glimmered. He'd already made up his mind, but he didn't want to sound too easy. "This sounds like a dangerous mission, and it sure looks like we'd gonna be involving ourselves in something that ain't none of our business. There had better be something to make it worth while to me and my crew."
He always remembered to say "crew" nowadays instead of "men", like he'd used to when he was younger. He was all too conscious of the fact that female crew members were getting more and more usual these days. Sometimes he wondered if them wenches had some plan of conquest going on.
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Post by Bella on Jun 16, 2005 9:43:08 GMT -5
A little more than surprised as a voice (and not Razzaroo's voice) came ripping through her head, Kail tried to keep her stone-cold demenor and listen to two different ponies at once. Ignoring the voice in her head, she thought it best to keep her attention focused on the stallion before her as he asked about the mighty reward. She lost the rest of the speach though as Dragonrose shouted in her excitement that Kail was already doing something to get the Rainbow back.
Quickly taking in the bit about having the full support of the Queen, which was a relief, Kail composed herself. I'll get back to you in a minute Dragonrose, you're making it hard to concentrate. It sounded a little harsh to Kail, being that the other was only offering help, but she really couldn't concentrate on what Tiger was saying with the other's frantic voice in her ears.
"The mighty reward," she repeated to give herself some time to quietly think. Rainbows, what would the mighty reward be? All too quickly, the peg was wishing she hadn't shut Dragonrose out like that. Kail didn't know what kind of reward was appropriate, nor did she know what treasures the vaults held. She couldn't just say 'you can have your pick of the vaults', but it would be stupid to say 'you get a chest full of treasure?'
"Upon your acceptance of this offer the reward will be discussed more thuroughly with the Queen."
There, middle ground. She wasn't offering too much, nor too little, and they would hopefully realize that Dream Valley was not so weak that they would be willing to offer just anything to these pirates for the use of their ship and craft. If they said they needed an offer right now before they complied, well, she would just have to try to contact Dragonrose again.
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Post by Shadow on Jun 16, 2005 14:25:18 GMT -5
Gan Ning snorted as a piller of water, snakeing up through the floor boards, rose next to him. Placeing his hoof at it's tip, the water vanished, leaveing his sword, River Master, in his hoof. "Discuss with the Queen? How funny that you just said your here on Her behalf. I'd think you'd be the one to discuss our reward. Still... I rather the idea that each member of our crew be allowed to name their own price for our services to Land Lovers. And we work as a whole here; If any of us get denyed by our named demands, you best get off before the Cap has Cutter toss you in the drink."
It was a bit speaking out of line as First Mate, but Gan Ning certainly had a feeling that Tiger might like the idea; This way, everyone could name their own price. As he polished the blade of River Master, he admired his father's craft into it; The blade caught the sunlight like the ocean waves, making it seem if the metal was water itself. "Personaly, I'd like free access to any of your ships that sink. I'm a stallion of the sea, grew up around, in and on it. And diving for sunken goods is among my most loved hobbies. So, my price is that I be allowed free raid of any ship that sinks in these waters, a map pointing them out, and the freedom to do what I will with my finds. Think thay can be aranged, Green Stripe?"
He was no fool; When you have devotion to a Rainbow, you tend to spot traces of the others. He had no idea Kail was a champion, but he could tell she was touched by the Rainbow of Light's Green Stripe. But just as he noticed traits about her, traits she had seen with Dark and his heratige showed in the Pirate of Water before her. He almost had the same exact intensity and structure of his eyes like Dark...
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Post by Crescent on Jun 17, 2005 1:48:59 GMT -5
Tiger narrowed his eyes at Kail's words about the reward being discussed later. Oh, he didn't think so. This ship wasn't moving until he'd got assurances of an adequate compensation.
Gan Ning's words about it being funny she couldn't discuss the reward if she was there on behalf of the Queen got Tiger nodding approvingly. Indeed, how could they trust her if she hadn't even the authorisation of speaking about the reward?
He smiled inwardly to Gan Ning's suggestion over individual rewards. A good idea, a good idea indeed. Outward, he remained stalwart and managed even not to jump at his last remark about the Green Stripe. He didn't quite recognise what exactly he meant, but he seemed to recall this stripe business had something to do with the Rainbow. Something important. He glanced sideways to Gan Ning before returning his eyes on the peg again.
He chose to wait for her reply. He was getting uneasy. He didn't like messing with things he didn't understand, and all this Rainbow nonsense was certainly something he didn't understand at all.
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Post by Jewel on Jun 17, 2005 15:49:06 GMT -5
Cutter shifted his weight on large heavy hooves as Kail mentioned picking their own reward. He looked up at her, trying to read her. A single thought entered his mind, beyond immense riches and broodmares of his wildest dreams.. but would she, or could she, really honor that offer?
The red stallion snorted quietly. What were the chances that this mare could grant him the one thing he'd ever wanted most?
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Post by Queen Sunrunner on Jun 18, 2005 0:51:59 GMT -5
From inside the Castle, Dragonrose shook her head to relieve the headache she'd gotten after Kail's abrupt dismissal. Her abilities to reach out to another's mind like that were not so strong that she could try again any time soon. Time for another tactic, then...
She murmured a few words to the unicorn beside her. "The Queen is not in a state to handle anything more at the moment. Think you're up to it?"
The young mare hesitated. "I'm not sure I have the proper knowledge to handle this well, Rose."
"Dear...you're not going to get experience by standing aside. Sunrunner needs you and you've learned all you can by watching me, now. Go on...see if Kail needs you."
The unicorn sighed, then winked out and appeared on the docks, albeit out of sight of the pirate ship. She gently reached out to Kail's mind, not to intrude but rather to let her know that there was backup--and Royal Authroity--if she needed it on hand.
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Post by Bella on Jun 20, 2005 11:39:16 GMT -5
Kail was no stranger to Gan Ning's type of trickery, and she did indeed recognize the Rainbow within him, although she questioned its choice of character.
"I am here on her behalf, but she has been a little busy this morning, as you will kindly understand, and has not yet had time to think of a suitable reward." Kail spit out the words at the first mate. She prickled as he named her for the Green Stripe, the heckles between her shoulder blades rising.
Leaning towards the pirate, Kail kept her voice low. "You name me correctly, sir, and I would advise you not to stand in my way." Straightening, she looked back at the captain. "Name your price and I will take it to the Queen. I will return by sundown with her answer."
Inwardly, Kail was relieved when she felt the gentle hoof on her mind. She might need someone else soon.
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Post by Crescent on Jun 20, 2005 12:43:35 GMT -5
Tiger eyed Kail approvingly now. She had some spunk, after all. Perhaps she was there for the Queen. He took his time considering, however. It never paid off to be too eager, when you were being hired. He had to confess to the slight tremour of nervousness in his spine for her warning to Gan Ning to stay out of her way. Coming out of a little lass like that, it either had to mean she had some real power in those cute lil' hooves of hers or then she was betting on her luck. Tiger couldn't read her enough to decipher which it was. He narrowed his eyes. "Aye, you will, will you?" he said with a low voice. "Well, as I look at it, that robber-ship of yours is getting farther away as we speak, and what's more, you seem to be needing us far more than we need you. So I'll tell you, dearie, this trip is going to cost you." He raised his head. "The price depends completely on the task at hand, don't it? You want me to go after that robber ship." He nodded his head towards the horizon. "You want me to bring back something that was stolen. Something valuable. You offer me an army to help me. Well, I don't want an army. I won't let any troops on my ship. We will go after those stolen goods of yours with this crew of mine, and only with this crew. And our price depends entirely on how much you value our help. Gan Ning named his price. My price is a little more common. I want gold. Lots of it." He glanced over to Cutter and Quicksand, wondering where Bridie had forgotten herself into, but deciding he knew her well enough to guess that gold would be what she'd want. "You two, anything to add?" [[obviously Tiger must be persuaded to change his mind about not letting anyone outsider on the ship - but Tiger's suspicious ]]
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WingSong
'80's Pony
~Quicksand~ ~Tweak~ ~Baby Gadget~ ~Posey~
Posts: 158
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Post by WingSong on Jun 20, 2005 15:34:19 GMT -5
Quicksand, still feeling a bit left out at not even acknowledgement as part of the crew until now, shook her head. "No, sir."
The mare was still debating whether or not to make it clear that she would really prefer to not have any sort of reward - that it would be her honor to serve the queen, and she didn't need to be paid to help in any way that she could. But it was fairly obvious that the rest of the crew did not feel the same way, so she decided to leave it at that.
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Post by Bella on Jun 20, 2005 18:05:40 GMT -5
Kail sighed inwardly, gold would not be a problem. Dream Valley had gold. Dream Valley had coins and jewels and whole rooms full of valuable goods. She didn't like Gan Ning's proposal of being the first to raid any ships that sunk, but then again, how often did these large ships sink? And what could they possibly be carrying that he would hold of value anyways? Most of them came in with exotic fruits and went out with electronics, which would be ruined by a sink to the bottom of the ocean.
Nodding her head to the captain, Kail agreed to Tiger's price. "You can have your gold, sir. And I wont need an army, just my other five Champions. But if it makes you feel better about it, you've still got the army's support behind you. You need do nothing more than follow that boat and catch up to it in time for us to get back what was stolen. Any help beyond that can come from the goodness of your heart." Kail let a sarcastic little grin tug at her mouth as she stood, feet apart and solid on the slightly tilting ship.
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Post by Jewel on Jun 20, 2005 22:07:50 GMT -5
"You two, anything to add?"
The red stallion cleared his throat and took a step forward, heavy hoof landing with a dull 'thunk'. Cutter's expression held a passive, yet serious demeanor. His head down and nearly level with Kail, he spoke:
"If we're allowed to name our price.." He said slowly and quietly in his deep voice, raising his gaze slighlty so that emerald eyes penetrated those of the mare, "I'd like for ye to clear my name," He said simply. "I fancy returnin' someday to me homeland.. I'd like not to be skewered on the spot."
The stallion grinned in a very brief manner, not wanting to seem so soft around his comrades. Inwardly, he felt it deeply, but involuntarily, that tough pirate front quickly covered it. He knew that with enough research, Kail would know of him, or have known of his deeds many years ago.. but perhaps she'd also find he wasn't completely at fault.
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Post by Bella on Jun 21, 2005 17:53:54 GMT -5
"Sir, if you help me with this I can assure you that the whole of Ponyville will know of what you've done here. I cannot clear your name, but the Queen can put in a good word for you to whereever you might come from. The Queen of Dream Valley still carries some weight with it in Ponyland."
She kept his gaze as she spoke, truthfully. There really was no promise she could make to him, but if he helped the Champions, they could make it known. She was sure the Rainbow would help.
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Delta
'97 Pony
~Triniti-Jewel~Bridie-Lee~
Posts: 73
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Post by Delta on Jun 22, 2005 2:28:21 GMT -5
Out of nowhere, Bridie sauntered up. [Since I don't know where she was previously. O.o And I'm not sure where they are now.]
She raised an eyebrow at Kail. "Who's she?" She interrupted rudely, as the sight of the pegasus alarmed her a little. The sea green peg was very pretty and Bridie didn't like competition.
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Post by Crescent on Jun 22, 2005 5:05:57 GMT -5
Tiger had been just about to answer something to Kail, when Bridie's sudden appearance startled him. He looked at her with a smile, but kept one ear turned to Kail.
"We're discussing the price of a new job, Bridie," he said. "This is Kailani Hoofspen, messenger from the Queen herself, apparently." He threw a little mean look at Kail. "She wants us to take her and something she calls Champions after a ship that's stolen something valuable from the Queen." He chose not to mention that he knew already that it was the Locket. "I demanded gold. Is there anything special you'd like to add to the bargain?"
He wasn't yet saying if he was agreeing or not. He wasn't in a hurry, himself. And he was still thinking about whether or not he should let these Champions on board or not. He didn't like the idea. It gave him a nasty itch at the back of his neck.
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Delta
'97 Pony
~Triniti-Jewel~Bridie-Lee~
Posts: 73
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Post by Delta on Jun 22, 2005 5:12:30 GMT -5
Bridie lowered her ears back and glared at Kailani, before finally saying: "Trinkets. Jewels. Anything that I can enhance my looks with."
Typical Bridie answer.
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