Sudden plummet (Bjorn and Cashel)

[Deleted]

Deva had been aboard the Jolly Roger again, although this time it was not planned to be more than a weekend. She'd met up with them in the north and was now aboard for the journey back, so that she could enjoy the seas and the skies with Bjorn. She loved being on his ship and enjoying the fresh air as well as the rolling by of the sea under them on the sunny days. Naturally they were hidden from muggles, she'd checked all the regulations for fun (with Bjorn's permission of course) and had been delighted to see how perfectly the ship followed the rules issued by her department. It had been a fun day for her and a fun night for both of them as she'd been very ... enthusiastic in showing her appreciation.

While she was aware (on a surface level) of the work Bjorn actually did by now she had long ago decided not to push or try to find out too much. She didn't want to know if he was breaking laws if he managed to hide it well enough, except perhaps in terms of secrecy from the muggle world since that was her little corner of the world. She didn't want to end up in an awkward situation by having to write a report on how his ship didn't meet the standards they'd set. She shook her head slightly as she contemplated the horrors of that particular scenario and decided to distract herself.

From time to time Deva had roamed the ship a little, talking to people in the crew. She wanted to get to know them a little bit, considering how much time they spent around the man she was so in love with. They all seemed to respect him a lot and every single one of them so far had been nice to her. She was starting to slowly see the ship almost as a second home, odd as it might sound. Today she'd decided to talk to one of the crew, but she hadn't decided whom until she noticed one of the sailors standing on deck, looking like he had a bit of a break. Deva smiled slightly as she gathered her nerves and walked over to him. Talking to pirates was still a little intimidating to her from time to time. "Hey." She said with a smile. "The sky is wonderful today, don't you think? Perfect weather for sailing, sky or otherwise." She remarked, leaning slightly on the railing to look out over the seascape below them. It was ever so beautiful. She glanced around for a moment, smiling slightly as she noticed Bjorn a little bit away talking to one of the woman on the crew. It was nice to see him working, the air of authority he carried was quite appealing to her after all.

@bjorn
@cashel

[Deleted]

Having joined the crew a number of years ago, Ri felt comfortable on the ship. It felt like home now. While he still longed for the home he grew up in, he knew that he could never return. The enchanted mark burned into his left forearm was proof of that. He was shunned by all druid kind now. He felt alienated from his culture, family and friends. His primary job on the ship was handling any live stalk, which they currently had a few small creatures. After caring for them, best he could given the circumstances, he moved up on deck for some fresh air. The ship had taken flight and was high over the glistening water.

He stood near the rail, pulling out an enchanted flask. The liquid inside was no purchased material, but a alcoholic beverage of his own design. With a distillery hidden inside the ship, he had worked long and hard to perfect his concoction. Highly potent, and potentially lethal in large doses, the liquid had one ingredient that was considered illegal to distribute and eat by non-druids. Getting his hands on these special mushrooms was no easy feet, but the end product was worth the pain. He took a long drink of it, feeling the effects start to take over as he was approached by a woman who was not a member of the ships crew. He glanced at her, as she started to speak, moving the metal flask from his lips. He wasn't one to so freely smile, and he just didn't get it. He nodded a greeting to her. As he looked at her, the only conclusion he could come up with was that she was the captains woman. He had seen her around before, but had never felt the desire to speak to her. Ri wasn't social by nature.

She leaned on the rail, and he spun around and lifted himself so that he was sitting on it. Not advised to anyone when flying at such a height. "It's alright I guess." He said, looking at the woman, "It's nothing to sailing through clouds or a thunderstorm." His personal favorite. As he said that, he offered the girl the flask, "Want some?" When the flask was safely in her hands he gave a almost smile, trying to be nice "It's strong, so start small"

@bjorn
@deva

[Deleted]

Early December 2025
@deva & @cashel

Bjorn wasn't the jealous sort. Normally. Though to be fair he'd never had a girlfriend that he felt so strongly about, nor that he let roam the ship so freely. Nor as gorgeous as her... Plus, he knew there were a few flirts on board. In the end, he did not trust his crew NOT to flirt with Deva, given the chance. And as such, it made him a bit... prickly. Luthien, of course, had caught onto this very quickly, and had been poking him about it. Not that he was getting jealous for no reason. No, Luthien was telling him whenever someone gave Deva a smile, or look. As if to instigate a response from him. It was definitely working.

Normally, Bjorn would not have worried about Ri either. Ri wasn't the sort to flirt with Bjorn's girlfriend. And yet Luthien's comments made him glance in the direction. He'd been near the steering wheel with Lotten and Luthien, going over an enchanted map of their path. THe path was useful as it updated for the weather, so they could see upcoming storms to try and avoid them. Thats when Luthien chose to speak up. Immediately Bjorn looked. There was Ri and Deva. And Ri was offering her something. It took a moment to recognize the flask. When he did, immediately he started moving. He offered Deva a smile as he approached, not even giving Ri a glance as he reached out, placing a hand on Ri's back and shoved hard. In the same moment he reached for the flask in Deva's hand. "DOn't drink that. You'll regret it."

[Deleted]

Deva chuckled softly as the sailor mentioned it was no storm, suggesting the excitement at sailing through a storm was much better than calm weather. It seemed like such a pirate thing to say, hoping for the thrill and liking it better than a safe and calm life. It if was just the sea he'd probably have been a regular sailor. "I haven't been in a bad storm so far, but I usually pnly went sailing in summer and not exactly on a magical flying ship." She admitted with a chuckle and a shrug. "And I'm pretty sure that Bjorn would make me stay inside if we did encounter one while I'm on board." It made sense that he'd want to keep her safe.

Speaking of her devil, Bjorn was approaching, not looking too happy. Deva had noticed he had gotten sour moods when she talked to some of the crew. Well, all but him or Lotten it seemed. She took the flask the pirate had offered, since it felt a little rude not to accept such a generous offer and was about to try a small sip at his advice when Bjorn was upon them. She watched as Bjorn thoughtlessly pushed the man over the rails he'd been sitting on. It took Deva half a second to even register what had just happened. Horrified, she screamed, taking a step away from Bjorn as she stared wide eyed at the spot the man had been. Had Bjorn literally just murdered a man in cold blood for offering her a drink? She looked at him, momentarily terrified for the first time since meeting him. "You killed him..." She muttered weakly, taking another step back in shock as she put her free hand over her mouth, dazed, confused and scared. "Why... how could you?!" She asked, her voice filled with horror. "He didn't do anything!" She said in a shrill voice, on the edge of tears. This was horrible!

@cashel
@bjorn
(Luth is totally chuckling in the background)

[Deleted]

The woman mentioned that she hadn't been in such dangerous weather as a storm. It wasn't something the crew did often, but it was definitely something that only a hardened pirate crew could survive. She was right, the captain would most likely have her stay somewhere inside, and safe as they did. It wasn't for the faint of heart. And from the small time he had spent with the woman, she seemed almost too nice for her own good. Trusting too.

Offering the woman the flak was a sign of reaching out and befriending. This wasn't something that Ri did every day. In his life, he had found that it was better to look after himself before the whole. For that was how he ended up where he was, trying to do something good for the betterment of Hy-Brasil. No one cared to hear his side, and he was quickly banished for doing something that he felt was the only option. And with that, he had murdered his brother, lost the faith of his family and was forced to leave his island home for ever.

Sitting on the rails, he looked out at the sky. The woman had taken his flask and he waited for her reaction to the liquid. But before he knew what was happening, he felt a hand on his back, and a simple shove sent him off the wooden structure and into an accelerated freefall. With the sound of wind blowing past his ears, he faintly heard a woman's scream. It was no harm, falling did nothing to the Druid boy. Infect, he actually liked it. He felt a genuine grin dawn his face, something that rarely happened nowadays. He felt the pull of gravity, and the force of wind against his body. No doubt, the soft, un-pirate like woman was not enjoying the experience.

OOC: I'll bring him back in the next response.
@bjorn
@deva

[Deleted]

Early December 2025
@deva & @cashel

Deva absolutely freaked out. Bjorn, in his slightly jealous haze had failed to realize a few key details. One, Deva didn't know Ri. Two, they were flying. Three, Deva didn't know Ri was obsessed with free falling. And four... That Ri was an animagus. Of course, in this morning he also failed to realize these points. Because he didn't realize that he would have to explain those things to Deva. Pushing Ri overboard was a very common action. When Bjorn wanted Ri to scout something, when Ri was being annoying, or when he felt like he hadn't done it in a while and just felt like Ri needed a push. Anyone that had been a part of the crew long enough had grown use to the action, and didn't question it. Plus, he felt like Deva was slowly become a regular presence on the ship. As such, it didn't occur to him that she might not understand the dynamic.

So, her scream and horrified words surprised, and confused him. He raised an eyebrow at her, slightly concerned as to why she was freaking out. When she said he'd "killed him", Bjorn thought. "Well, if he lets himself die, I suppose so," was his nonchalant answer, as if unconcerned. He really wasn't. While moody, Ri wasn't the sort to just let himself die. Though as to why, and how could he? "Did you want me to let him give you illegal moonshine?" He asked honestly. Being the way she was, he assumed she wouldn't like unintentionally drinking illegal moonshine.

[Deleted]

Deva was still trying to wrap her head around everything that had happened but it felt nearly impossible. She shook her head slightly in total disbelief he could be this calm about killing somebody on his crew. She took another small step back, not really sure what to think and feeling completely cornered and lost. "You pushed him off." She muttered, her eyes shifting nervously between the rails and Bjorn. She was terrified but she knew she couldn't do anything. She couldn't just leave, that was literally impossible. "He's going to fall to his death! We're far up in the sky!" She couldn't help it, it was all too much. She looked at the flask in mild confusion, before her lip started trembling as everything washing over her in the moment just became too much to handle. "You shouldn't just kill him for that! You could... I don't know... give him a warning!" She said in utter frustration and despair, trying so hard to keep her composure. She wanted to leave, to go home and try and forget everything that had happened.

She ran a hand through her hair in frustration as she tried to figure out how on earth she got in this situation. How did she end up falling for a pirate that murdered one of his crew without regret or even any semblance of remorse? Where had she gone wrong? Her family would be so disappointed in her. She didn't even want to think about either carrying that secret around or betraying him by tattling on him. It was too much for one person to deal with so she just clutched the flask he'd handed over as if it could somehow magically bring him back. Illegal booze didn't sound like a big deal compared to murder. She bit her lip and looked at the floor. She was still scared, but at least it didn't seem like he was planning to hurt her. She wanted to cry, but she wasn't sure if that was going to help. She just felt weak and useless. She looked at Bjorn with tear streaked eyes, stressed out and sad. Why did he have to ruin everything so thoughtlessly?

@cashel
@bjorn
she's so upset >.>

[Deleted]

Free falling was something that Ri had always enjoyed. He had a habbit of jumping from impossible heights, just to feel the sudden rush. Though he always transformed with plenty of time to spare. In reality, there had been a time when he had just about given up. The thought of death seemed easier. But now he had more of a purpose, well he at least had a reason to keep going.

As he dropped, he took the chance to take a look around, spotting something below him Ri quickly transformed into a bird. It was much sooner than he would have liked, but there was a good reason. Last thing the ship needed was press like this. As a large bird, Ri opened his wings, instantly catching the air. It only took a few flaps to cat the perfect drift. Catching up with the ship was nothing new, and he did it with ease. With some more flaps of his mighty wings, he reached a higher elevation.

Without warning the large golden eagle flew between the two on the ship and transformed back into Ri. Landing on the ship with a thud, he turned to face them. "Probably best not to drop onto a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean." Shrugging he held out his hand for the flask, face as flat and straight as it had before the drop, sure that she wasn't going to drink it now. "Better nope no one saw me." Below him had been an obviously muggle ship. He was sure that many people didn't look up when going about their activities. Though, he could see it now in the muggle tabloids. "eye witnessed falling man" or something like that.

@bjorn
@deva

[Deleted]

Early December 2025
@deva & @cashel

Bjorn was still very confused by Deva's reaction. She looked horribly upset, but it wasn't until the "Fall to his death" comment as made that the lightbulb went off in Bjorn's head. Immediately his expression went from one of confusion to sudden realization. "Oh. You think he's- Oh shit. I didn't..." He ran a hand through his hair, suddenly realizing that he'd gotten himself into quite a pickle, and now Deva was borderline on the edge of crying. Because he hadn't explained any of the situation to her.

Thankfully, Ri didn't dawdle in getting back up to deck. The powerful eagle appeared over the edge, swooped onto the deck by them, and then transformed back. He'd never admit it, but Ri had saved Bjorn's neck in a very awkward situation by reappearing at that moment instead of taking his sweet time. Though he was definitely still in some hot water with Deva, he was sure. Ri held his hand out for the flask, the one Bjorn had initially taken, and the man tossed it to his crew mate. "Ri, please explain to Deva that I wasn't trying to kill you."

[Deleted]

Deva didn't understand why it took him so horribly long to see what he had done was wrong. Somewhere deep down she knew that their view on the law was very different but it just seemed impossible that he could think so casually of murder that he didn't even realise it was wrong anymore. It was insane and seeing the confusion make way for realisation didn't quite help. He shouldn't have needed a moment for that! His unfinished sentences didn't really help build his case either.

Moments later an eagle flew in casually and turned into the man she could have sworn was still on his way to certain death. She looked in stunned disbelief as he casually reappeared and asked his flask back. His words registered after a moment of being utterly stunned and relief washed over her. She looked at him for a moment, heaving a sigh of relief. She just couldn't help herself and rushed forward to give him a hug. "Thank you for not dying." She muttered, feeling a little foolish. In her defence, she hadn't known.

She walked over to a nearby crate and used it as a stool, sitting down while rubbing her head. This had all gone far too far and sshe felt as if the entire world was spinning around her. It made more sense now, but she was still recovering from what had been quite a hefty scare for her. Bjorn asked the pirate to explain he hadn't been trying to kill him and Deba couldn't help but shoot her boyfriend a very annoyed look. "What did you expect me to think? You didn't exactly mention he could fly after pushing him!" She snapped slightly, which was highly uncharacteristic for her around Bjorn. She'd been terrified and even scared of him for a moment and it made her feel stupid, foolish and small. It was a joke to them, but she hadn't been in on it. She glanced at the man. "Not that I blame you of course." She assured him. It was Bjorn that had messed up after all. She looked at her boyfriend with a critical look for a moment. "Why did you push him anyway?" If this was a pride or jealousy thing he was going to be in a bit of trouble.

@cashel
@bjorn

[Deleted]

Landing back on the deck was natural for Ri. Sometimes he took longer, other times he would perch and talk another look around while his wings rested. But this time he just came back. He was sure he knew the reason too. He was more than a little surprised to have the woman wrap her arms around him into a hug, thanking him "for not dying." Honestly, it was nice. This perfect stranger, seemed to actually care about him. While it was nice, He could feel his body stiffen at the action. It wasn't something he was used to. He hadn't had an honestly tender embrace since before his arrest. In fact, the last one he could remember was the very day of the incident.

Glad to have his flask once again in his position, he took another drink of the illegal substance. It helped him, once again, relax a bit more. Then his captain, Bjorn, asked him to explain himself, even used the word "please." It was Ri's turn to be confused. Why should he explain things? And wasn't his display of swooping in and transforming mid air, landing safely, explanation enough? He wasn't a very sociable person, so he felt like further words were pointless. Before he had a chance, she the soft, overly friendly woman seemed to snap. Accusing the captain of not explaining himself. Ri could understand why Bjorn wouldn't, it was a regular thing that happened on the ship. No one else, but her, was phased by it. Even though she seemed a bit on edge, she still managed a level of decorum that most on the ship failed to posses. "It's a regular occurrence." He said, quite monotoned. Offered his captain the flask, incase he wanted a little buzz while his "woman" was chewing him out.

@bjorn
@deva

[Deleted]

Early December 2025
@deva & @cashel

Bjorn immediately get a surge of jealousy as Deva hugged Ri. At least Ri didn't hug her back, that was.... slightly more comforting. Not that he expected Ri to make advances on Deva. He'd known Ri for several years. Ri wasn't really a "touchy" sort, though when you knew his history it made sense.

Deva went to sit down, and Bjorn knew he was still in plenty of trouble. There were just some things about ship life that he didn't think about. It was second nature. It didn't occur to him that Deva would be unfamiliar with certain... actions. Or misinterpret them. Though her reaction to what she had considered violence was also something he now knew he'd have to keep a close eye on. Pirates lives were not peaceful, and violence did follow him. Seeing her reaction to this solidified that he would have to talk to Luthien. To ensure that if anything ever did happen that Deva was taken somewhere where she couldn't' see anything. She immediately started scolding him more, and Ri's answer of "it's a regular occurrence" would probably do little to help. Ri held the flask back out to Bjorn, as if knowing that Bjorn was going to need it to dig himself out of this hole.

With a sigh Bjorn accepted the flask and took a swig. He was familiar with Ri's moonshine, but for those that weren't it would hit like a freight train. Then, he crossed to where Deva was sitting, and crouched down in front of her. "I didn't realize you didn't know," he spoke softly, so only she'd hear. While Ri had been around for a long time, and was a very loyal crewmate, he still didn't want Ri to see his "sensitive boyfriend" side too much. Of course, as to why he'd done it... Well.... He wouldn't give the exact reason, but he had a good cover. He held out the flask to her, if she wanted to take it. "Ri's moonshine contains Druid mushrooms. It isn't something you should try without being prepared." Then, he leaned in a little, reaching out with his free hand to rest on her knee and try to offer her a small smile. "And between us? Ri loves falling."

[Deleted]

Honestly, at this point the saving grace for Bjorn was the fact Ri stood on deck as if nothing at all had happened, careless and completely unaffected by the fact he'd been pushed off the ship. It showed that his words about this being 'a regular occurance' were in fact, true. He didn't looked winded or in any way worried or concerned as if that death drop was the first he'd ever made. It seemed, for all evidence she had, that he indeed fell to what would have been his death if he were not an animagus quite regularly. It comforted her a little, since it did mean that he had never actually been in any real danger. If she'd known he was an animagus she wouldn't really have thought anything of it, and she felt a little silly for freaking out as much as she had. Then again, it made sense since she hadn't known. The problem was in her not knowing, but that also quite clearly wasn't her own fault.

What also wasn't really helping his case was that he was accepting a drink he'd previously clearly stated was illegal before coming to talk to her, as if she was somehow too difficult to handle without a drink. It was a little insulting since she didn't exactly have a habit of being unreasonable in her own eyes. Was she unreasonable? Wonderful, now she had a growing sense of self doubt on top of everything else! Just what she needed. Her eyes drifted over the pirate that had just had the deep dive experience and she noted that there was nothing in his body language to even suggest he was upset at being pushed. All in all he seemed utterly indifferent to it, having been more tense when she'd hugged him in relief than he was now.

At least he was still the same person he'd always known around her. He was still kind with her and gentle. He told her he hadn't realised and held out the infamous flask that had supposedly started this entire mess. Deva was a little bit doubtful, as he'd never stopped her from digging into his personal rum supply while on board but she hesitantly took the flask and sniffed it first. It smelt strong, but not all that bad. How bad could it really be? He then mentioned the magic mushrooms and she raised a brow ever so slightly. "He did warn me about it being strong, you know?" She gently mentioned. "That I shouldn't try too much in one go." Temptation was a little too strong at this point, considering the reaction Bjorn had given to as simple as her being offered a drink. She looked him straight in the eye as she took a large swig from the flask. It was probably a very stupid and foolish choice but well, it was Bjorns fault for scaring her that much. He mentioned Ri loved falling and she nodded briefly, shivering slightly as she felt the burn of the alcohol down her throat. "Never scare me like that again." She muttered to him. "I was terrified, since I had no way to know you didn't just kill him. I don't want to be eye witness to a murder, ever." She reminded him, which had little to do with her being able to handle seeing it and more with her not wanting to face the aftermath of putting her partner in jail.

She sighed deeply and pressed a quick kiss on his cheek before walking over to Ri and handing him back his flask. "Thanks for letting me try. It tastes really nice." She was totally going to regret trying. That was okay. It would probably take a small while before it kicked in. She walked back over to Bjorn, taking his hand in her own, squeezing it softly for a moment. She might have forgiven him but that didn't mean he was out of trouble. If this drink was going to give her trouble he'd have to deal with it. It seemed like proper revenge to her for scaring her half to death.

@cashel
@bjorn

[Deleted]

Ri was not what some would call "a hugger." In fact, he rarely had endearing physical contact. Tensing at the action rather than accepting and hugging back. He much preferred to keep the world at arms length...or further. Thinking of others, and being affectionate helped bring him down the path that he was currently on.

Offering his flask to his friend and captain seemed the least that he could do. Bjorn accepted the offering, taking a swig to get started. Having been familiar with the drink for as many years as he had been making it, he knew that the strong liquid wouldn't knock him off his feet. After that Bjorn crossed and got closer to the woman. He heard some of the conversation, but mostly wondered if he could go yet. With his flask still in play, he figured it was best to hang around for a moment, just to see if he was still needed. Plus, all his daily tasks had been completed.

He watched the interaction between his rough, and hardened captain, and his woman. The woman still seemed soft and breakable to Ri. But he inwardly marveled at how Captain Bjorn was reduced to a common house pet in front of her as he pleaded with her. All these thoughts would go unnoticed, his face remaining quite neutral. His eyes wondered as the two spoke. Meeting the amused and smirking eyes of a fellow crew mate. He raised his middle finger in her direction, little changing in his expression. He knew this was, in part, her fault. Now he had to be social, which wasn't his strong suit. Though the action wasn't intended as a threat, in all honestly, the two would probably go at it later in the area where Ri kept his Still.

Ri watched as the flask that was now in Bjorn's hands transferred, once again to Deva's. He watched as she brought it up to her nose first. That was wise, though he still wasn't entirely sure if she realized how potent the liquid could be to first time drinkers. After her words, a defiant spirit seemed to take over her eyes. She put the opening to her lips and took more than a small amount. She'd definitely be hit hard. He figured that she had never tried the druid mushroom, seeing as it was illegal for non Druids to posses or partake - she seemed like a "good girl." On top of that, this drink was quite alcoholic before the mushroom. Ri watched as the woman swallowed the liquid. He saw the slightest of shiver as the burn would often initially do to first timers. There was a reason he told her to start small.

She then brought the flask back to Ri, he accepted it and the corner of his lip moved up ever so slightly. Compliments were things he usually didn't wait to hear from people. He had customers, but after perfecting it, and using mostly himself, but also fellow pirates to help test it, he didn't tend to hang around and see his customers try it. With a nod, he watched as the woman went back to her man.

@bjorn
@deva

[Deleted]

Early December 2025
@deva & @cashel

Seeing as the flask had caused the "drama" it was only fair that he let Deva decide if she'd drink it or not. Now that she knew what was in it. Bjorn, while thriving in the illegal and shady side of life, would never unintentionally force Deva to participate in any of those actions. No, he knew how she felt about the law. He'd never make her an inintentional accomplish. It was why he only let her travel with them on certain trips, ones he knew she couldn't get branded an accomplish in. Though, much to his surprise, Deva decided to take quite the gulp of the moonshine. Both his eyebrows raised high and he immediately looked concerned. Shit. Well, that was not a moderate amount of the alcohol. He seriously doubted she had much experience with the Druid magical mushrooms either... She was going to be tripping out pretty hard. He opened his mouth to argue with her, that she'd just done exactly that, but then he closed it and just shook his head. For some reason though, he was smiling. Give it to a Deva to challenge him on something like this. "Just don't tell your Aurors family you had it then," he finally said. No doubt they'd be horrified by her actions just now.

Deva mentioned never scaring her like that again and he leaned in closer. He lowered her voice even more, so only Deva would hear his next, very serious words. He stared intensely into her eyes. "I swear you'll never see anything bad on this ship," he promised. His words were carefully chosen. He wasn't promising her he'd follow the law, or that he'd stop pirating. But he was promising that she'd never be involved or see any of it.

Bjorn sighed as she gave him that little peck, then got up to return the flask to Ri. He rolled back to his feet, running a hand through his hair and turning to face them just in time for Deva to take his hand. "Ri, about how long do I have before she's banned from the top deck?" he asked seriously. He'd been consuming Ri's concoction for years and thus didn't feel the effects like she would. He needed to know how long he had before the mushrooms hit her and he had to ensure she didn't accidentally fall overboard...