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Lenora awoken by the vigorous shaking her maidservant, Felicia, was giving her. She cracked open an eyelid and sleepily looked up the offending party. âFelicia, what are doing? Its only...â She glanced at the ancient grandfather clock standing in a corner of the room. âSix o'clock in the morning.â The look on her maidservant's face caused her stomach to drop like a stone. The girl's face was scrunched in worry and her eyes were alight with panic.
âYou have to leave right now, Your Highness! Its the Council, they've decided they want to be rid of ya. They say you don't have what it takes to be Empress, and you should be disposed of.â
Lenora's chest clenched. Her first instinct was to believe Felicia was lying, but she'd known her for years, and knew she didn't have a dishonest bone in her body. She felt her own panic start to set in. âWhat about High Councilor Julius? Surely he would be against it. He's the most loyal person I know.â
Felicia looked on the Empress with sympathy. âHe's the one leading the decision, Your Highness. He's going to be the one they put in power.â
Lenora felt her entire world come crashing down. She remembered how sick her father got out of nowhere, and began to question to the popular theory of it being a heart sickness. Anger seeped into her as she realized who was probably to blame.
âI must go in front of my people,â she said with determination. âI will tell the public what is transpiring, and they will back me up.â
Felicia shook her head in desperation. âThe common folk don't care who's head where's the crown as long as food is in their bellies. You have to escape.â She grabbed an outfit that was on a nearby chair and flung it at Lenora. âPut this on. Its my sister's traveling clothes.â
âI can't just abandon my duty,â Lenora said, eying the brown corset short and black pants.
âLive to fight another day, miss,â Felicia said.
Lenora saw the wisdom in that, so she quietly got dressed while Felicia braided her hair. After she was finished, she asked Felicia, âBut where do I go?â
The maidservant put a comforting hand on her shoulder. âThere is a Scavenger group in the Airship District that is looking for a cook. Betty in the kitchens was going to take it, but she's agreed to let you have it.â
Lenora didn't know who Betty in the kitchens was, so the gesture warmed her heart all the more. âTell her how extremely grateful I am. But I don't know how to cook, I've never cooked anything in my life.â
Felicia smiled and started directing her out the door. âJust make sure you add salt instead of rat poison and you'll do fine. Now let's hurry up and go.â
She led the empress down the hall and through the Servant's Quarters. They got a few odd stares, but most people were too busy with their work to pay them any mind. Eventually they made it to the servant's exit that took them just outside the palace. Felicia pointed Lenora towards the main road. âJust follow it to the left and you'll come to the Airship District. Go to the Anima Caeli airship and request the job as the cook. And hope you don't get turned down.â She said that last part with a nervous smile.
Everything finally started to sink in for Lenora. She was no longer welcome in the only home she ever knew, and was about to leave everything she ever had behind. She latched onto Felicia and gave her tight, long hug, whispered a quiet 'thank you', then rushed off.
There was a lot of foot traffic on the road that day, so she blended right in with hardly any stares. She knew her way around the Sky District, so she was able to quickly make it to the Airship District. There is where she ran into problems, as she had never been there before. She got turned around several times, and had to ask a dockworker where the Anima Caeli was. She eventually found it, and saw a group of people standing in front of where it was docked. She straightened her back and walked over to them with her head held high, even though inside she was a bundle of nerves. When she spoke the speech she had been working on since the Sky District, she said it with a steady voice. âI hear your looking for a cook. My name Nora, I was a cook in royal kitchens and I would like to come work for you.â
However, they were all waiting outside, not because there was something wrong with the ship or because they hadn't yet restocked the ship, but because they were finally getting a new cook. The last one had retired...underground some time ago, but while Bloom wasn't a bad cook, it was a bit...terrifying to wonder just what exactly she did, as she always barred the door when it was her turn. And she was the one with the most commendable cooking skills. Jackson almost always ended up charring whatever he made, so he blacklisted himself to prevent wasting food.
For some time, Jackson idly watched a woman wandering about the district, disappearing and reappearing among the crowd. He wouldn't have singled her out if it weren't for the fact she bore a striking resemblance to the Emperor's daughter.
A very striking resemblance, he thought to himself, as he watched her approach the group. She introduced herself as 'Nora'. Hm. Like Lenora. Without a 'Le'. All nobles are capable of creative aliases, apparently, He scoffed mentally, as all he had done was drop the second syllable in his names. I didn't know she could cook...maybe she learned in her off time?
Jackson glanced over at Bloom. Yep, that girl was pulling the 'I stare into your body and soul' gaze that was often quite unsettling to those who didn't know her or weren't used to her. However, she remained utterly silent, to which Jackson responded with a very soft sigh. The last thing they needed to happen was Bloom scaring off the cook."Bloom," He had said to her in the morning,"You don't say a word to the new cook until we are far from the ground. No words. No mask. We need the cook as much as we need peace of mind."
He wished he had brought up the stare issue. To that he face-palmed internally. He then glanced over at the Captain. 'Nora' looked really light, in fact, it looked like she had never done any cooking in her life (he could be wrong. He hoped he was right about her learning a thing or two) but he doubted that 'Nora' would readily turn down being an empress to instead be a cook-since it had always seemed she did everything she could to be empress- so there had to be a reason, and that reason was the only one that he himself was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
And he hoped that the Captain did as well.
She wants to be our new cool huh? Doesn't look like she's done a days work in her life....
Lyrik thought as she crossed her arms. Just about to voice her opinion, Lyrik's stomach growled loudly, giving her away and quickly changing her mind.
We haven't had a meal that we all weren't suspicious of in weeks...
Lyrik sighed and threw her arm over the girls shoulders roughly.
"If you can cook enough for this mangey lot then you are alright with me!"
She said, a slight chuckle in her voice as the girl jumped.
Before anything else could be said Lyrik disappeared into a passing crowd and then popped up again, this time standing next to one of her shipmates.
"She is kinda pretty, ya? For a cook at least."
She said to the man standing next to her. When the man gave Lyrik a sideways look, almost of disgust, Lyrik shrugged and put up her hands.
"Come on! Don't tell me you weren't thinkin it too?!"
She exclaimed, trying her best to keep from laughing.
Lyrik looked at the rest of her shipmates and tried her best to read them.
Bloom was... Well impossible...
Lyrik had to admit, even she got creeped out by Bloom at times. But she wasn't all bad, every time Lyrik, or any other member of the crew had gotten their asses handed to them, or didn't handle the weapons properly! Bloom was always right there to patch them up!
Lyrik smiled a little at the thought of always having someone that had their backs.
Slowly her gaze shifted to Weg. Lyrik rolled her eyes as she thought about all the trouble that idiot got himself into. Sure he was a great navigator but he could at least learn how to fight!
She looked at the captain and almost instantly bit her lower lip. Lyrik was almost 200% positive that everyone on this ship had a thing for him. How could they not?
She shrugged at this thought and laughed a little before she shifted her gaze to Jack, the quartermaster. Another fine specimen! She chuckled and scratched her head, feeling very lucky to be working with such lovely people!
Then there was Navi. It floored Lyrik sometimes how smart that girl was! She could take something apart and then put it back together so that it ran smoother and longer and she would still have parts left over! Hell she had even made a few gadgets for Lyrik.
Lyrik's eyes finally rested on her crazy friends. Who, to be fair, was probably just as crazy as her.
"Corvus. What ya think? She cute or what?"
Lyrik whispered trying to get some sort of rise out of him.
She loved her ship mates, this was her family, and she'd do anything to keep them safe.
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so much he walked up to Nora and simply and gentlemanly bowed to the miss and said "a pleasure" his usaul wicked grin on then he did a show offish back flip to where he was now next to lyrik and put on a top hat he had liberated from a small clothing shop not far away
"Tea she is but get anyone's pretty except when there not but yes I say she is why do you ask L?"
He said plainly not giving her the reaction she wanted.
"She is kinda pretty, ya? For a cook, at least."
I really don't think beauty is directly affected by our jobs, Lyrik. Nonetheless he knew she didn't mean harm. She was pretty nice when she trusted the person- a bit too touchy at times, but otherwise pleasant. Hopefully 'Nora' took this positively.
After asking a random man there his own opinion, she had turned her attention to Corvus.
Ah, Corvus. He could be the most random of the group, and he quickly won the 'most over the top greeting one could muster' award, before attempting to offer a deep, winded, pseudo philosophical response to Lyrik's enquiry.
Great. If they kept this up, they would end up scaring away 'Nora' before the Captain greenlit her.
Captain Waylon in all his glory woke up in a sweaty, boozy mess(as per usual). He groaned like waking up was a trail in of itself. Hangovers are so annoying. Though at this point he's pretty much used to it, and it's more of a minor annoyance then anything. It's nothing he can't hand. As he sat up on his king sized bed he reached over to his nightstand, and grabbed a bottle of liquor sitting on it. He brought the bottle up to his lips for a much needed swig of his go-juice, but it was empty. The day's onto a bang up start already.
Waylon held the bottle up to peek inside, and held it upside down. "Ugh, must be Thursday." He groaned as he laid the empty bottle aside, and got up from his bed. He quickly threw on his shirt, and the ever important captain's jacket, and started his day of work. Waylon left his captain's quarters, and went to Weg's cabin, who was still sound asleep. While Waylon usually doesn't personally wake the crew up(he usually uses a ship wide announcement or something in the like), he always makes a special exception for Weg. He does enjoy annoying him.
Waylon entered the cabin all stealthy, and ninja like, making sure not to make a sound. Once Waylon was close enough he gave Weg a powerful kick to his side that knocked him out of his slumber, and off his bed. "What?! What's going on?!" Weg asked in confusion, despite the fact Waylon wakes him up like this everyday. "Dude, do you need to ask?" Waylon questioned. "I...I just woke up! Shut up you big....jerk." Weg said as he rubbed his eyes. "Shut up? Big jerk? It's quick thinking like that, that makes you the greatest mind of our generation." Waylon sarcastically replied. "Come on, we've got work to do."
Now, with everyone up and about, and outside the ship's dock the day was finally starting. Waylon was expecting the applicants for the cook position today. Finally, if he has to sit through another one of Weg's beef surprise, it's not going to be pretty. It wasn't too long until the first prospect arrived. Some girl who introduced herself as Nora. She looked somewhat familiar to Waylon, but his ever growing migraine kept him from thinking too much about it.
Then the crew started to give their two cents about the girl. "Yes, yes she's very cute. We're all adorable, I couldn't be anymore proud." Waylon sarcastically replied to Lyrik's observations as he took out his skull shaped tobacco pipe. He lite the pipe, and began smoking. "Ah shucks, you're gonna make me blush Cap'n." Weg chimed in. Waylon walked over to Nora, towering over her, making the single foot of height he has on her seem like fifty. He shifted the pipe in his mouth, and blew smoke out of the side towards her. It took everything in Weg's power not to start cracking up at Waylon's tough guy act. Sure, Waylon is a tough guy, a very tough guy, but really he's just a big softie at heart. It always makes him laugh when he acts like a monster of a man.
"Name's Waylon, Waylon Tyger." He introduced himself, his voice becoming very deep, and thunder-like. "A royal cook? Why would you leave such a cushy gig like that to slum with a bunch of scavs like us? No offense scavs." Waylon asked. "Did you get tired of all the snooty royal types?" Yeah, Waylon has no love for the supposed 'higher ups'. Selfish idiots if you ask him.
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Bloom, for the first time up to that point, shifted her attention to Jackson, her expression changing to one of puzzlement. We don't need anything. What would he want then? A book? Food? Oh well. This Nora girl has very clean lungs.
corvus broke down once safe inside this was normal this was the only place no one could hear bother or see him and it was a pace he was able to show him the real him
"i miss my loved ones he will pay for this and what he made me do so help me if i ever get in range of that royal psycho ill kill him
he is why i wake up crying at night why i see the dead i call my vics and why i cant be me anymore i will one day find my family my wife and my son and i will be with them in peace.....*starts to cry again* i i i will i wil---"
after a good few mintues of this cry he dry his eyes and started to sharpen his knives hoping no one would either find out his past or that they would see the real him even though he thinks of them as family he still is not what they know in their minds he's a talented scout not a assassin not the assassin the royal blood (a term for him after he killed a ambassador prince and half the court)
after all the scavengers are not know for there liking of royals so much and or there dogs....
*flash back*
not long ago well long but not like centuries or something
he can still remember the orders he received from Lenora uncle the kings brother (that is how it works .... it think???)
"this must be a joke you want me to poison the king in his sleep kill the king am i getting this right???"
Corvus asked slamming the paper down on the desk of the evil man
of course the conversation soon turned sour and Corvus was made to do this most gruesome task.
later that week while the king slept Corvus injected him with a poison that would mimic a unknown sickness and unlike others he was not enjoying this time this mission was the last straw after he was threw he pulled a vanishing act and now he is here a scavenger and a man with more skeletons in his closet then most....
*end flash*
i will get my life back and i will repay my debut and i will
KILL THAT MAN......
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"Ya gonna spar with me later?"
She asked, laughing at the expression on his face at her question.
Out of the corner of her eye Lyrik saw Corvus sneaking away onto the ship. She quickly ran after him but lost him before she could ask him where he was off to.
Where'd he go?...
She asked herself, shrugging she turned and looked over the side of the ship at everyone still talking amongst each other. The caption was still talking to Nora, Lyrik sighed and leaned against the side of the ship and waited until she could interrupt. Finally her chance came and she shouted,
"Oi! Capin? When are we shippin out? Do I got time to get a few more things? And are we takin her? I gotta know!"
She smiled widely at the look he gave her.
She needed a few more sharpening stones and if they were bringing on this Nora woman then Lyrik wanted to get some armor for her. She didn't look like much of a fighter, and with no way to protect herself she would not last very long.
Lyrik eyed Nora for a moment as she thought, then spoke up,
"You know how to fight at all?"
Lyrik asked, placing her chin in her palm as she watched Nora, waiting for her answer.
Bloom truly did not understand why the others felt so uneasy when it was her turn to cook, everything she made was perfectly safe and tasted fine. So what if it still twitched ocasionally? It was dead, it just...did that. More often than normal creatures.
Not her fault the more exotic creatures did that, though maybe that was a small reason why they weren't widely marketed for food.
It wasnt like she didn't cook chicken or other popular foods, just that whenever they went anywhere, those creatures happened to be there. Just like some of the plants. Some were quite nutritional, while others simply served as medicine, weapons, or aesthetic design in her lab or for The Doctor to sell to the much more vain crowd up in the Sky district.
The Terrybitter would probably go well with 32....
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