Stranded

[Hunter_Tier]

Captain Allen blushed at the prase and smiled shyly looking down at his plate. He was unused to compliments of that scale, though it may seem small it was the little things that Captain Allen loved so much. When he had finished his meal he sighed contentedly and stood up after wipeing the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief. "Well ladies and gentlemen. I'm going to go to bed, I'll see you all as soon as we make landfall or you'll see me at the ships wheel at first light, which ever happens first. I bid you all goodnight." He smiled to them and nodded before taking his leave and walking out of the dining room to his quarters and shut and locked the door from the other side.

Above decks the night watch and crew looked worriedly over the waters. A storm was brewing and it didn't look good at all. With luck they would just get tossed about a little but be none the worse for wear but this one looked pretty rough. "Hmm... look at that. Whada ya think?" "Dunno." Two crewmembers spoke idally leaning out on the gunwall to peer out at the clouds. "One thing's for certain, if things get too bad go get the Cap'n. I think we'll be alright. But if not he'll know what to do." The other nodded and they both went about thier tasks for the night. Thunder rumbled and lighting streaked across the sky as the wind was just beginning to pick up around the llittle ship out in the vast ocean.

[x]

Katie was agitated awake a second time by the newly intemperate waves beneath her. She got up, got dressed in her purple dress and adjusted its sleeves. She made sure her knife and cards were still on person, but hid her hammer and bag in one of the crates. The gypsy trusted this crew enough to not have to carry her heavy weaponry all the time. She climbed above deck groggily, finally awakening when the sight of the stars and clouds and the smell of sea salt slapped her in the face. Silently she observed the night crew and paid some of them a slightly flirtatous yet respectful nod, making her way to the railing.

[serpington]

marco watched silently as the captain left, shortly after following suit he rose and went back above deck. he walked into thenight air without making asound and casualy passed a gypsy he had notticed a few nights ago. he did his usual polite bow that didn't seem to suit him when he spoke. "it's a beautiful night tonight, pity that storm shal disrupt it."

[tangletail]

Leo sure enough followed the rest upstairs onto the deck. He glanced around the horizon, not entirely joining the sight due to the sea. And of course to make matters worse was the evedent storm in the distance that seemed quite threatning from what the crew members implied.

Upon hearming Marco's comment Leo's eye's rolled as he came to a stop to look at the man. "Beautiful night? I sincerely apologize for my... soon to be derogative comment... but its the same night sky... every night... for the past weeks we have been on this not quite different, but the same ship, in the middle of the bloody ocean!" Obviously the feline detests the ocean.

[serpington]

"beauty is in the eye of the beholder. to some a repeditive cycle of light and dark, to others, the peaceful transision between two times of war and suffering. a time where the world is still, silent, undisterbed."

[Goblin Cat 😸]

"Nothing's wrong at all." The snake said, sitting her utensils and napkin on her plate as she finished her meal. She got out of her seat and slithered upstairs, half wondering where their cabins were. She was somewhat tired, but as she entered the deck, she listened to the others' conversations. Most seemed to be absolutely fine, somewhat hopeful, however one feline was already sick of the ocean. She shrugged, silently chuckling to herself, moving towards the bow of the ship and leaning on it.

[icy wolf]

Finshing his meal Shadow puts his fork and knife  down and gets up, walking out side  he looks up at the night sky and sees a storm coming.

[Hunter_Tier]

Swells began to rise and gusts of wind buffeted the sails as crew scrambled to secure them in the rigging. "Hurry! Go get the Captain!" A voice could be heard as the first rain began to lash the deck. A crewmember ran below bumping into others and excusing himself as he went. He stopped at the Captains cabin to raise his fist and have the door open on him. Captain Allen walked out in his heavy sea boots and blue frock coat and stepped for the stairwell that led to the main deck. "I already know." He said to the crewmember and looked at him with a worried gaze. "I need you to stay beside me if anything goes wrong. It will fall to you to make sure everyone is safe while I guide the ship." He opened the door to have a gale force wind blow in it's pushing wind and stinging rain. The captain stepped out shielding his eyes against the rain as it began to fall down in sheets and saw that nearly everyone was already outside. "Get below! Hurry before any of you all are swept away!" He shouted at them sweeping his arm and holding onto his hat with the other. He walked over the the ship's wheel and relieved the boatsun as the ship began to pitch and yaw enough to make even the most able bodies seaman queasy. "Look to the passengers! Make sure they're safe!" He shouted over the wind and rain to which the crewmember nodded vigoursly. "Aye, aye Cap'n! Oy! You lot! Come along, tis no place fer standin' about eh? Let's get you all downstairs where it's a bit drier." Lighting flashed illuminating the deck as Captain Allen fought the wheel with both hands to keep the ship on a safe course. Huge swells gave way to deep valleys on the churning waters sending salt spray washing over the deck and causing the crew to scramble to their tasks with a quickness that belied their laziness earlier that day. Oh God, please hold together. "Come on old gal, you can do it, you got this..." Captain Allen prayed under his breath as the ship took another dive to slam jarringly into another wave and right herself again to ride up another. Captain Allen was big, even for a lion. He had fought pirates he had fought storms but this was truly terrifying. It was one of the few times he truly felt fear in his life. "Have them lash themselves down..." He said to the man beside him. "Sir?" Allen looked at the man his hat long gone blown away by the winds. "Have them lash themselves down to anything that will float. Tell them to gather only what they will need and find a secure place. I'm afraid I don't know if she'll hold together much longer." The man blanched understanding what his Captain was telling him and nodded dumbly. Running he met the others and stopped them. "Cap'n says... Cap'n says... fer you all to get your things and lash yerselves down to somethin', anythin' that'll float. I don't think the Cap'n can hold 'er together much longer." Another resounding boom drowned out any sound as the ship shook from bow to stern as it hit another wave. A scream could be heard from somewhere below. "S***! S***! S***! We've cracked a timber! She's takin' water!"

[Goblin Cat 😸]

With all the chaos, Maleficant headed down below deck like she had been asked, though again, she didn't have to be asked twice to have go go on account of the weather. She quickly coiled her body around one of the posts to the mast that went above deck. She didn't like how violent the storm was getting and couldn't keep in tune to conversations as people rushed around. The only thing that should could do is keep tabs on the men above deck because of their body heat. She sensed a lot of panic, and when the man came below decks telling them to tether themselves to something, she rushed back up, getting close to the captain. Rain was stinging her scales as she did so, but if she was going to be tied to something, it wasn't going to be below deck where she could be crushed. She only managed to get herself to the captain by using her long body to coil around things until she could reach him. "Captain!" She shouted, though she was sure he couldn't hear her. She coiled her body around a few barrels, tying her lower body to them to be sure that she would float along with them if she was knocked unconscious. Just as she reached to grab the lower part of the Captain's coat to get his attention, another barrel was blown and struck her on the side of the head. "Captain! What if we're.." She drifted off, darkness dancing on the edges of her vision.

[serpington]

marco was above deck before some of the others had finished going below, all his equipment in it's place as he diapeared up the ropes. he stood comfortably holding onto the post from eirlier. "from sea to sea, land to land, nature is nature, death is death. fate is pending, sealing your fate. none are above destiny!" he laughed manicly, daring the winds to chalenge him. dareing nature to best him like no other had been able to.

[x]

Katie was below deck fetching her things at the first words to do so. She tied up her sleeves and dress so they wouldn't be a problem or danger, then grabbed her bag and slung her hammer on her bag. She then ran back upstairs and saw everyone tethering down like a great emergency....speaking a quick prayer to guardian spirits she stood near an emergency boat and tethered herself to two barrels, placing her bag inside one, and realizing if she only tied to one barrel her hammer would be too heavy and sink her if they indeed met the water.

[tangletail]

Leo hopped onto a nearby railing to avoid a powerful wave that threw it's self onto the deck. He stood perfectly ballanced on the railing as he hopped off once again onto the lower portion of the deck. Hearing someones voice from above causeing him to look up. "Get down from their you crazy fool!" he yelled at the top of his loungs to the assassin, before running for the door way that went below deck. He skidded to a hault seeing the snake person had been knocked unconsious so he ran to her side and slid to his knees when he was close enough.

((Assuming she is unconsious here...)

He first through his arms underneath both of the others arms and dried to drag her off that way, however he was cought by surprise from the reptiles weight. Now panicing a bit he slid his left arm underneath the stakes torso and then his right and carefully propped her up. When he had enough room he quickly moved his upper torso under the little hole and pulled his legs underneath him and pushed up, riseing to his feet very slowly, so the snake's upper body stayed on his shoulders.

Now very slowly he made his way down below the deck, struggling with the Maleficent's rediculous mass.

[icy wolf]

Some of Shadow fur begine to puff up, " I hate it when it gets like this, were going to have a bad storm. " Shadow tried   to find some one to see if they would help take down the sails , to use them to cover the ship so most of the rain will stay out.

[Hunter_Tier]

Captain Allen had tied himself to the ships wheel and had fought the storm bravely but he knew he was loosing. The large merchant vessel was just not built for this kind of abuse. Water began filling up the bottom deck and with all of the sloshing around controlling the vessel was becoming more and more difficult.

They say that right before you die things start to slow down, it's like you're watching a movie only you're part of it and there's not a whole lot you can do. I can tell you this, a since of calm settels over you. It's like all of the destruction and all of the trauma you are going through and things just... go away.

Captain Allen felt that calm as his ship trudged up the next wave and he knew it wouldn't make it. The water in the hold had rolled to the stern of the ship and was causing it to drag heavily in the water and tilt backwards. The wave pushed the ship over and smashed it into the water breaking it in half where it had already begun to tear from the hole that had stove it in earlier. The captain looked around seeing glimpses of his once beautiful ship floating around him and tears came to his eyes to mingle with the salt water. He looked before him and saw the blackness of the abyss and smiled serenely deciding not to untie his hands and guide his vessel all the way to her destination on her final voyage.

On the churning sea just about everyone was being tossed about like a rag doll. Shadow and Marco had become wrapped up in sailcloth and when part of a mast broke they found themselves floating somewhat safely, probably angry but safe for the moment. Leo and Maleficant had become tangled in ropes and empty rum barrels to be tossed about on their little boat, while Katie was in pretty much of the same shape. The waves ferried them away from the sunken vessel and the grave of her crew toward an island shrouded in the howling wind and stinging rain. They all washed up along the shoreline some conscious, others not. Shouting in a strange language reached their ears and a rough set of hands took them to drag them further onto the shoreline where much gentler ones worked to carry into the woods and further into a camp where lean-to's and ram shackle shacks offered some protection from the elements and warm fires were to ease the chill in their bones. "Look! Look! It's one of our sisters! Captain they are traveling with a Gypsy!" The smell of cinnamon and ashes permeated the little single room shack where the survivors were brought, but there was another scent on the air from this creature, not that of wet fur or leather but something base and coppery smelling. "Then they are fortunate. See to it that they all live. Had they been without her I would have slaughtered them all for meat." A little while later a soft voice could be heard. "He's f*****' creepy." "I know, but he's one of the last ones who's willing to help us. I think he- look! One of them's coming around!" A male and female Gypsy watched the pitifully small number of survivors as they began to stir. Five people out of a good forty something. Five people who made it. "Shhh, be calm, try not to move too much, you're safe now. We found you and your friends just a moment ago and rescued you from the sea. We've set you all's things by the fire to dry." The male said. He was a colorfully attired badger while the other was a pretty young mouse maid. "My name is Jo-Mar, and this is Vikki. We're Gypsies and are not out to harm you, you're ok, you've been through a lot by the look of things."

[x]

Katie awoke in cold pain, still a bit shell shocked from the experience, and it was obvious she was traumatized and/or that her nervous system was tweaking from the way she jerked as she set up, the way her face twitched. She began automatically looking for her things and saying internal prayers to the gaurdians, not seeing anyone else at the moment.