Featuring: Aurelio, Soft-Feather, Sunlight, Valens, and Zea
Date: March 3, 2005
IC Date: May 15, 3931
Summary: Nothing brings a crew together faster than when one of their own is in trouble.

Amarada - Open Ocean

She might be a small cargo ship, but she's clearly built for speed and maneuverability - a ship able to sail the high seas but also able to move along smaller inlets and waterways if need be. Sleek lines and a proud cutting prow mark this elegant ship, which is obviously well kept and tended to meticulously. She sports three masts, two main and one half to provide her with greater speed when the winds will allow for it. High above upon the center mast she flies the flag of an independent ship, each such vessel having their own crest or symbol. The flag of the Amarada is a red heart framed by white wings on either side. To show her affiliation with the Buccaneers, she flies upon a field of black. What marks her most to the layman's eye is the unusual figure upon her bow. Unlike the common maiden or mermaid, the Amarada bears upon her breast an Empyrean woman, her white wings unfurled and extending back along each side of the bow. Her face is a vision of beauty, exquisitely carved with long blonde tresses streaming back from her features as if blown by the sea winds. She smiles, serene and confident ... and there is something about her that is strangely familiar to certain eyes that rest upon her visage.

Its late morning but the skies seem unwilling to let the sun shine through. All through the night the clouds have been building on the horizon and they've slowly been creeping across the heavens to obscure the sunlight and leave the world in a perpetual twilight. Fortune, in whatever face she wears, seems to be smiling on the two ships, for the brunt of the storm seems to be far distant and off to the east, though in the later hours it seems as if they might take on some rain and a few rolls of thunder. But for now things are silent and the Makara's wind mage has retreated to the comforts of the Amarada, having little more to do until the storm decides to unleash itself. The winds are a bit dodgy, but not surprising in such weather, but the ships are moving and that is all one can ask for. Zea stands near the rail of the ship, watching the clouds advancing without a look of concern about her. The winds catch her hair and her cloak, happily playing with them, though Zea makes no move to still them or to reign on her clothing.

At the stern of the ship a few sailors who are off-duty have taken to playing a few games, perhaps to prepare themselves for the upcoming contests. A few play a game of tug-of-war while others practice with wooden or reed swords, jumping around in a rather animated fashion and seeming not at all serious about the practice. Perhaps in the onset of the storm they are simply trying to release an anxious energy. There will be plenty of time soon where they will need to focus and be serious about their tasks. From time to time Zea turns to watch the men, smiling a bit when one or another does something particularly amusing.

While some of the sailors amuse themselves on deck, there are some who do not share their vigor. Sunlight for one certainly looks quite still lying on the deck, and come to think of it quite untypically quiet. By all accounts Mister Burke's attempts to "make a sailor or him" are producing some results although of questionable nature. Last night's shift seems to have tired the red-head a quite a bit. Still, at one point Sunlight does stir, then slowly stands up. While stretching the Sylvan's eyes fall upon Zea. "The empress" definitely seems eager to reach the storm it seems... at the expense of the novice sailors at that.

Valens lands on the Amarada after spending some time alone in the air, the few words spoken here and there by other sailors about last night's incident with Zea largely ignored as he takes some time to observe the play sword fighting going on, a wry smirk forming on his face. He doesn't join in, not wanting to ruin the fun, humming a soldier's tune as he takes an apple out of his cloak and polishes it off a little for him to eat. Walking over to where Zea is, leaning against the railings and peering out towards the distant storm, he says, "The sailors on these ships spread gossip like little school girls in Civitas Dei... or the old men in the Aegis."

When you're out scouting, sometimes the first ship is just the closest, especially when wings grow weary and one of the lot in your party insisted on getting a closer look at that approaching storm and seeing just what its winds had to offer. That man? Aurelio. 'Aye! It'll be lots o' fun!' he insisted. 'Aye no, the winds won't be that strong. Nary a drop o' rain too I wager!' he bet. Of course, had they wagered anything he would have lost, but such is the way of things and as the pair of them comes back, a little tired from battling the outskirts of that force of nature, there is still a grin plastered across the rainbowed Empyrean's face. He couldn't resist. The first storm encountered. He had to go fly it. Even if it wasn't that bad, his wings aren't trained for it like they used to be, and it's better to get one's touch back on one of the weaker ones first than wait for a hurricane and gale winds that rip the pinions right off you. So both the Empyrean, smirking as wide as can be, his hair let loose from its usual ponytail and a fire of mischief lit and burning in his emerald eyes, and the familiar form of a golden eagle which could probably only be the Sylvan Soft-Feather land aboard the deck of the Amarada. "Aye, see? I told ye it wouldn't be bad."

The weapons master's arrival on the ship does not go unnoticed by the Empyrean woman, who groans inwardly and turns back to look out over the sea towards the storm. A cheer goes up among some of the men as one of them gives the rope a mighty tug, sending his opponent tumbling to the deck. Zea ignores them now, though her head does tilt ever so slightly at the sound of the celebration. Valens' approach does little to stir her either, save to slide a step or two away from him. "Yes," she murmurs without looking at him, "it seems as if sailors are no different than anyone else. Sailors also like to exaggerate their tales to make it even more interesting. Give it a day or two; you'll be surprised at what they assume you did."

Valens certain gets some attention from several sailors... To his misfortune, however, Sunlight happens to be one of the curious. Looking about just to make sure that the demon Burke isn't in sight the red-head sets his course for the weapon master and Zea.

"Good morning, Domina," he says bowing slightly. Seems his rumor about Zea being an Empress has gotten to him as well. "And you too dominus. There is a rumor we might be having a storm sometime..." Not the brightest observation one could make, but Sunlight is not the person to care as long as that keeps him nearby.

"An apple?" Valens asks Zea, the bright red apple almost gleaming despite the dull light of the cloudy day, close enough for her to pluck it out of his hand, "I brought some from port before we left, so no tragedy will befall on us if you throw away the apple core." For whatever happened last night between them, and all the rapidly evolving rumors going around, they seem to concern him little as he turns around to see the sailors pick up the ropes again for a second round. With Sunlight's approach, he gives a nod of acknowledgment and a smile as well. "'Morning."

The golden avian looks up at Aurelio with disbelief. Wasn't that bad? No, on land maybe not. At least on land, you can take shelter underground. But when the weather gets rough at sea, their proportionally tiny ships could be tossed and, if not for the courage of their fearless crews, they could even be lost! Dreading those thoughts, the bird spreads his impressive wings to either side, initiating his transformation.

A golden wave of matter blossoms across the bird's chest, expanding until the entire bird is engulfed. Then, rippling and flowing as the amorphous matter reforms itself, the good resolves itself into a naked Sylvan man. Soft-Feather reaches over to take the bundle he'd asked Aurelio to carry on their flight, then unties the string, unrolling and then donning his customary robe. "We'll see how 'bad' it is when our ships are barraged by it," his tone is filled with sarcasm. "Next time you want to chase a storm, leave me out of it." His facial expression is dour but his eyes hold amusement--he didn't really mean that.

"Psh. Ye know ye had fun." snorts out the Empyrean as he unslings the bundle. Carrying that through the winds had been a task, and it was on more than one occasion that he made as though to drop it, in ever the exaggerated and animated fashion that he's so prone towards. By the 'luck' of Tyche though, or the skilled acting of an ever mischievous crew member, the burden stayed safely carried until it was handed over now as they stand aboard. Parked just a short distance down the length of the boat from Zea and Valens, Aurelio elects, while waiting for the Sylvan to dress to lean himself back against the railing, posture slanted and tilted, elbows perched atop the wooded surface, head tilted back with eyes closed as though to try and seek out white light might manage to escape the oppressive blanket of clouds and wings left to drape over the edge of the boat, shimmering and glistening their myriad of colors even in such dim luminance. "Besides, ye are gonna have to learn how to fly in the likes o' that, an' worse, sooner or later." And that much is stated at least with some note of solemnity in his rich and vibrant tones.

Zea watches the pair soar in from over the seas, interrupted by the Sylvan's approach. Zea groans quietly again before turning to give the Sylvan a nod. "Ave," is the greeting with little emotion behind it. "It's not a rumor, it's pure fact, even you can see as such now," she says with a gesture towards the slowly evolving storm. With a glint in her eye she comments, "Hope you can swim." Valens gets no warmer reception it seems and the apple is rejected. "No, Dominus, you may keep your apples, the gods only know what will happen if I reach for it." Tiring of the winds pulling at her cape, she draws it against her, leaving her hair and feathers to the wind's many fingers.

Bravado gets the best of the men at the ship's stern and quickly challenges are tossed about. Crazy and rather dangerous tasks are put forth, and the swiftness with which they are shouted out hints that perhaps these games have been played many times before. "Betcha cannae walk from one en' a the stern ta 'he other," shouts one sailor to his friend who has just jumped onto the wide railing at the rear of the ship. There is laughter and bets exchanged as the thin mongrel shuffles over to one end to begin the task. "I's gets your ale t'night if I does it," the mongrel calls down to his friend as he begins the dare.

An apple? Sunlight's eyes shine. With the rationing in effect such luxuries are more than a difficult to get. "Oh, you are too kind, dominus," Sunlight moves his hand hoping to receive the fruit. "Could definitely use it to strengthen myself and all." Zea's comment of swimming passes as if unnoticed. "Not that I can't take care of myself..." that sounded way too confident. The sylvan even avoids looking either Zea or Valens in the eye at that point choosing to shift his gaze elsewhere. What is interesting is that not the sailor challenge is the centre of his attention, but the newly arrived Aurelio and Soft-Feather. "After all ships don't sink..." he adds quietly.

Valens lifts a brow when his apple is rejected and he bluntly remarks, still holding the apple towards her, "I didn't offer it as an option. Your assignment if you wish to learn from me still is to take this apple..." He sort of blinks with Sunlight's request, a look of bewilderment before he grudgingly lets the sylvan take it, getting another out from his cloak. "All right, *this* apple then. Have the patience to peel the skin off it and cut it up into 18 wedges. No more, no less. It'll be breakfast for your next lesson and I'll consider giving you a more challenging task."

"Well," Soft-Feather seals the front of his robe, "it's not as if I've never flown in something like that before. I've actually been in worse...but I was on land then, with sheltering forest all around me." The Sylvan leans back against the rail now, too, folding his arms across his chest. "Besides, Zea told me that it won't be that bad, especially since we're blessed to have TWO wind mages around," a great occurrence of fate indeed. Spotting Sunlight looking his way, on top of other glances he's gotten, he wonders aloud, "You'd think they'd never seen a shapeshifter before...it's not like we're rare."

"Some o' these folks do be pretty green, my friend." comments the Empyrean man, a broad smirk flickering across the features of his face, stretching up almost slanted to tug at his eyes, pulling the whole of his features taut with a barely contained jovial emotion and expression, known, quite probably, as laughter. It's held in check though, only a couple bubbling chuckles allowed to escape the tight containment of his lips as, quite suddenly, he pushes himself not off from the railing, but up on to it, standing along it and facing the front of the ship, quite in full sight of Valens, Sunlight, and Zea as well, though it's at her that he glances particularly before he settling his attentions back on the proximal Sylvan. "Yourself included." Brows waggle playfully then as he holds his balance, wings spread out wide to either side to help maintain it. "Not that I do be some man o' great worldly wisdom." snorts Aurelio though, head shaking from side to side and hair tossing loosely in the wind. "Aye, there does be much even the likes o' me hasn't seen yet. If I didn't be sure o' that, I wouldn't be out here."

Zea stares at the apple for a long moment and then glares at the man offering it. "I'm you're student, not your slave. I'm not at your beck and call at whatever hour you call me." She turns her back to him, leaving the apple in his hand. The sound of her name catches her attention and while she spares the shifter a brief smile for his memory she fears she must shatter his optimism. "I'm afraid I won't be touching that storm, Soft-Feather. Captain won't either, not unless we're thrown into real danger." She steps away from the railing and approaches the older Sylvan. "Crew's got to get used to sailing in good weather and bad. We've got a mixed crew here and they've not yet been tested." She points towards the storm's edge. "There's the first test."

The mongrel totters slowly along the rail. The rougher seas and stronger winds make the task difficult but not impossible, especially for a man who has likely been doing it since he was a ship's boy. Shouts of encouragement follow him and bets are increased as he reaches the halfway point. Looks like someone is going to be without his pint tonight.

Not waiting letting Valens reconsider Sunlight bites into the apple as soon as he gets hold of it. An eyebrow is raised as he listens to the task the weapon master has in mind. Such a waste on good food.

"Hey, Dominus," the red-head calls out to Aurelio, "I heard it's bad luck to... tempt fate and speak against the seal, especially while facing the front of the ship," he shouts. As expected a few of the sailors, being a superstitious bunch, pause to listen.

"The last person who did that happened to..." he thinks a bit chewing his apple, the expression shifting to slightly worried. "Say, Soft-Feather, how is your ship? I heard Mister Burke is there now?" The previous sentence left unfinished seems to have achieved its purpose judging by the expressions on a few sailors.

A flare up of temper rises in Valens' eyes as he states firmly, keeping back his anger, "Domina, I never called you a slave, for if you were, I would not be teaching you how to use your weapon and I would have probably dealt with your life already. What I do ask is for you to take this apple and learn some patience to deal with it as I ask. There is no point in teaching an impatient, prideful woman. When a man is going to kill you, he makes little distinction if you're a fisherman's daughter or the high Empress herself." Irate as he offers the apple again, "I don't have the time to waste arguing with you over this matter. You can flail around that dagger like an idiot or learn how to use it. I will not teach you how to use it if you're mind is not prepared for it." Some of the nearer sailors stop playing their games, observing the rather apparent tension between the Weapons Master and Zea.

As Aurelio calls him both inexperienced and unworldly all at the same time, the Magus shakes his head, remarking that he's twice the Empyrean's age and has probably seen and done a lot more than people would think possible for 'a simple forest man.' Zea's reply instantly pulls his attention away from the Rainbow Sailor and is given his attention. Her reasons seem sound enough, but he can't help but worry a little. Still, he nods solemnly, "You know best, Zea, and I trust your judgment. If it is a test the Grandmother is putting us through, then it is a challenge I am ready for. I am not sure what exactly I can do, but will do what is asked of me." He glances up at Aurelio again, "Good think you have wings," he mutters, "or you might just get WET!" And with a playful nudge, Soft-Feather attempts to throw Aurelio's balance off enough to make the man take flight. Granted, they've not interacted that much yet, but so far they seem to be growing towards a playful friendship.

Sunlight's remarks turn the Shifter's head, brows furrowing at the young man in a way that only frumpy, older men can muster. "The Makara is doing just fine, or at least it was before we set out to chase the storm. But fear not, young one, Mister Burke will be back to yell at you for something sooner or later, I imagine." A grin spreads across his face now--Soft-feather, always the kidder. That smile fades, though, as Valens' voice raises, the Sylvan's eyes narrowing. This can't be good...but Zea's a big girl. Student or not, she can't be bothered all day long...especially when she might have to be on top form for this storm, should it unexpectedly get worse?

"Aye?" A brow is quirked in comedic fashion towards Sunlight and the warning that is offered. "Well then, ye can consider me one o' two things. Either taking a spot o' bad luck away from the lot o' ye back to my own ship, or simply repaying a favor." And it's on that note that he looks straight on to the noble born woman, head tilting slightly off to the side as he stands there in an almost exact mimicry of something that should strike her familiar - at least if she's willing to divert enough attention to him and catches it before that nudge given to him. As you see, it does sent the rainbowed man off balance, teetering lightly on the railing of the ship arms flailing a bit and a laugh ripping from his throat as he stutter-steps himself forward, walking right up next to the trio of the other two near-quarreling Empyreans and the anxious Sylvan. "Though I do believe," and this is semi-spoken to everyone present. "That aside from a bit o' a helping hand from Tyche now an' again, we do be the masters o' making our own luck. Would ye agree, me miss Domina?" Staring at Zea again, now, thanks to Soft-Feather's nudging, much closer than he was before. It would seem though that such a question's only real purpose though was to serve as a segue so he could then add, falling to sit on his heels where he perches, "Though I do suggest ye take his advice," a glance is sent towards Valens, "He does be right after all. Folks who do want to kill ye, will kill ye just the same. An' body with a blade, even if it does be conditioned, does be not even the slightest bit o' good without a mind properly prepared to use it." Still the smile is there though, even if his voice has grown more subdued. Trying to offer a peaceable resolution perhaps?

No, this could be the worst possible time she could lose her temper, not with the storm so close, the winds calling her, tempting her to reach for them. Anger would bring danger to the ship and she cannot allow that to happen. Taking in a deep breath, and then another Zea slowly turns towards Valens. Her gaze is narrowed, her voice tight, but she is as calm as she can make herself. "And when a woman kills, she doesn't care if he's a filthy pirate or the Princeps of the Republic." She reaches out and swipes the apple from him without looking at the fruit, but the strength of her grab suggests she likely bruised the flesh. "And right now I do not have time for you to swoop in whenever you want to give me this or..."

But she doesn't get the chance to finish that sentiment. From the stern the mongrel begins to get cocky and in doing so a stray wind catches him the wrong way and the cheers turn to yells, followed by a *Splash!* "Man overboard! Man overboard!" There's a faint yell from below from the mongrel that toppled overboard, so close to his destination and already sailors are rushing to find anything to throw to him.

Swallowing his bite Sunlight couldn't but show his disappointment in the calm way Aurelio took his comment. The young sylvan had definitely hoped that the Empyrean would be superstitious... or at least distracted enough to fall in. Chance seems to be a strange thing, however, for just then a splash is indeed heard followed by the "Man overboard". All this is so sudden, that Sunlight becomes quite a few shades paler as he rushes to where the splash was heard.

"Told you it was bad luck!" he shouts running. The apple falls on the deck behind him, completely ignored.

Valens takes a deep breath, a nod and a look of appreciation at Aurelio's remark, as Zea takes the confounded fruit, "I never said I wanted to be the Princeps..." he mutters to himself before his attentions are also diverted to the man overboard. "Lares. This is what I get for taking a night off. An angry woman and a man overboard." Nonetheless, he takes flight again, headed towards where all the commotion is.

Watching Aurelio now joining Zea, Valens, and Sunlight, he briefly considers moving that way as well...until the splash and cries of a man overboard divert his attention. Being a mongrel, and being that the Amarada is /moving/, getting back to the ship might not be such an easy task. And as the sailors look for something to throw to the foolish man, Soft-Feather just shakes his head, sighing deeply. "The things I do for cocky, drunken sailors..." His robe is quickly left behind and the Magus hoists himself up over the rail, twisting himself during the fall to enter the waves in a diver's pose. Darting beneath the waves, he undertakes yet another shapeshift.

A sleek, silver dolphin powerfully thumps its tail and fins, racing up, up, up and then bursting through the torpid surface of the ocean, arcing up in an impressive jump that puts the creature near the overboard mongrel. Using its rounded, blunt nose to nudge the man, the dolphin allows him to grab hold of his dorsal fin and gracefully swims him to the Amarada's ladder.

A nod is shared too with Valens before he's speaking toward Zea again even as she snatches the fruit, trying to offer now a comparative reassurance. "Aye... Ye trust the Captain, don't ye? Because he's spent the whole o' his life doing what he does an' he does be dang good at it." A firm nod punctuates the statement, declaring the Empyreans own certainty and confidence in the matter as well as a touch of pride at having such a good man leading them out here on to the open waters. "An', well, much o' the same does be true o' our fine Dominus here. O' that I do be sure. He's spent most o' his life doing what he does. An' I do be sure he didn't mean to upset ye this gre-." But then the cry and the splash occur. At first there's alarm, eyes opening wider, brows rising swiftly up the slope of his forehead, but then it simply turns in to a mild amusement, especially as Soft-Feather goes overboard after the poor fellow. Bad luck maybe, but not Aurelio's. "Aye, ye will have to excuse me a moment. Going to make sure everything does be in hand." A bit of a shrug, mischievous almost. Odds are, aside from being the compassionate concerned sailor, he also just wants to see the loser flounder a bit in the water before his rescue too.

The mongrel sputters in the water, the choppy seas making that harder, even if he is a strong swimmer. With all the bobbing and the waves hitting his face he doesn't see the shifter dive off the back of the ship, he just seems the fin pop out of the water. "Shark! Shark!" The man is screeching like a little girl and a few sailors cannot help but laugh at his reaction. "I's gonna get eaten!" The mongrel flairs and shrieks until he gets an eyeful of the dolphin. Gasping sharply for breath he takes the offered help. Seems someone has lost their ale *and* their dignity.

Zea has not the chance to respond to Aurelio's comments on the Captain or Valens before he's sprinting of. She joins the others at the rear of the boat, keeping her feet on the deck rather than taking flight like Valens has done. There really is nothing she can do, but she joins the others nonetheless. Or rather, she would before she skids to a stop as something dawns on her. "Blanket!" She shouts the word to no one in particular, more like the idea has just sprung to mind. Changing direction she heads below decks to grab something to dry the man off with. It might not be what real sailors do, but she's not a real sailor and her natural tendencies take over.

Valens hovers above the sailor, taking a deep breath before he attempts to grab the man from the water, but out comes Soft-Feather saving the day, and his first jump having a secondary effect of soaking Valens' clothes with seawater, "Godsdammit!" He shouts, spitting to his side. He doesn't look back towards Zea or the Amarada, heading back to the Makara, veritably dripping with saltwater, to wash up and change into dry clothes. He's had a lousy day, but perhaps he'll be safer in the oblivion of sleep.

The sight by no means seems amusing for Sunlight, who even now continues to shiver. A man falling overboard in an innocent bet certainly did have consequences... and the storm hadn't neared yet.

"This was a bad omen..." he says quietly."Maybe we should ask the captain to turn the ship back to Parnassus... just in case?" he looks about if not for support then at least for some reaction.

As the Mongrel climbs the ladder, the dolphin quickly reforms into a Sylvan. Soft-Feather grabs the rope ladder as well, pulling himself up with his arms until there is room to connect with his toes. And so the man climbs up, emerging on deck very much dripping water everywhere. Hairy as he is, it's all matted down and his facial expression communicates that he's not very happy about going after the mongrel. Does he get a blanket too?

The reaction he garners? A loud and barking laugh. "Aye, me lad..." Aurelio's head is tossing from side to side as he comes to land, now that he sees that the situation is in hand and Soft-Feather has the sailor in toe. He need not even risk getting his feathers wet, which for him, means a longer time until he has to touch them up. So he'll just stand and observe and make fun of the poor superstitious Sylvan. "That does be exactly what we should do. Already does this voyage prove too dangerous! There does be a severe rationing o' food to the point o' starvation! A few clouds do be moving on the horizon! An' now, durin' a drunken game, a man did fall in to the horrid depths o' the ruthless sea!" It would seem the Empyrean man is not without some mercy though as he does approach, slapping the youth heartily on the shoulder. "Ye do have to try to relax." is spoken as his head bobs in a series of nods, words softly delivered with a touch of amused sincerity. "Aye, it will be alright. Trust the voice o' experience, hmm?" But then it's over toward the hero of the day that he moves, spinning his back toward Sunlight as quickly as he came to regard him. "Not bad for an old man. Aye, not bad at all."

The Empyrean did not forget the Sylvan who dove into the cold waters to save the mongrel. She returns from the hold with two wool blankets. Nothing fancy or extraordinarily soft, but serviceable enough. She hurries over to where the men have just come up on deck and tries to make her way through to offer warmth to both of them. The mongrel is doing his best to hide away in a corner while his fellow sailors taunt him and imitate his girlish screams. Seeing the mongrel currently occupied she gives the first blanket to Soft-Feather with a smile of thanks, though the man meant nothing much to her. "Here you go, water is too cold, you'll get sick." She looks over the other men and shakes her head. "Suppose he somewhat deserves it," she muses to Soft-Feather and Aurelio.

Soft-Feather takes the blanket, offering a thankful smile of his own. He quickly wraps himself up, shivering steadily until his body begins to warm. "Thank you kindly. Your quick thinking has probably saved me from a week of sneezing," great warmth and affection is held in his eyes, the man finding himself appreciating Zea more and more each day. "Though I do somewhat question the wisdom of playing around like that..." As Aurelio approaches, the Magus hmmphs sardonically, "Old man? I..." but the words catch in his throat and, after a moment, he grins, "Old man is right. Respect your elders and fetch my robe would you?" A playful request, of course. Obviously not an order.

"Aye. Doesn't seem to wise, does it." comments the Empyrean man as he walks his way over, approaching both Soft-Feather and Zea, though it's on her that his gaze continues to linger, that same knowing and coy look that he'd had earlier. "Parading one's self about on the railing o' a ship like that, tempting fate an' bringing down all sorts o' bad luck upon both ship an' crew." A few tsks and even a couple tutts are the next to be summoned to his lips. "Aye, got what he deserved well an' good." At Feather's request, more of a chuckled light fills that emerald gaze, and his head bobs in concession, staying quietly bowed before he makes his way over to retrieve it the robe, however, not without tossing over his shoulder the 'idle' inquiry of, "Though mayhap ye can refresh my memory, me miss Domina... Who was it that I did see the other day doing just that? Aye, a pretty thing she did be, an' looked quite pleased with herself at that... But hrmm... it does escape me..."

A sailor with a bit of sympathy for the poor shivering mongrel comes to Zea and takes the blanket with a "Thank ye miss," with a nod. His eyes don't lift to meet hers though. Zea hands it over and looks to Aurelio curiously. "Dominus, there is a great difference between sitting on a wide railing and knowing one's balance and traipsing around on top it like a drunken fool." She looks to the stern of the boat and just shakes her head. "I'd never do something that foolish, that's just asking for Tyche to show you who is really boss." Her pale eyes look back to Aurelio. She's not amused, but she's not angry either. "Though I fear that man's antics may send bad feelings through the ship, sailors do seem to be a superstitious lot indeed." For her part, she just thinks the man's a stupid fool. To Soft-Feather she gives a smile and offers a suggestion. "Well, if you're feeling ill at all I'd see Minowa as soon as you can. She'll see to you and get you fixed up. That water might not be a bother to a dolphin's skin, but I'm sure yours is not thanking you."

Soft-Feather chuckles, nodding deeply. "I think I'll see her whether I'm feeling ill or not. I wanted to ask her something, this will give me an excuse to seek her out." Using the blanket to finish drying himself off, he takes the robe from Aurelio and slips it back on. It's made of a thick material so it continues to keep him warm. The blanket is picked up and held uncertainly, "Not sure what I should do with this. Maybe hang it to dry?" He looks around for a place to do so, though the Rainbow Sailor's remark draws his attention as well as a smile. "Besides, even if she fell...she's got wings. These...sailors," he's trying to be polite, despite his foul opinion of them right now, "have nothing of the sort." He secretly hopes that this will be the last of his shapeshifting for the day. Magus or not, rescue or not, it's draining and he didn't sleep well the previous night, having been sent back to the Makara by a crewmember who caught him napping in the cargo hold of the Amarada. He doesn't sleep well on the Pirate vessel...and he doesn't see that changing anytime soon.