City of IF

[Kalanna Rai]

AT LAST!!! I have sorted out all the directions I wanted to take this chapter in and avoid splitting it into multiple parts. I've also managed to keep it family friendly over the objections of certain parties *coughcough*. Enjoy!
------------------------

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Family Feud

"Well there's no use pondering the question on a dry stomach!" he said cheerfully, clapping his hands together and rubbing them briskly. Getting up from his desk, he made his way to the galley, muttering to himself as he went, speaking aloud different drinks, mixers, and spirits until he snapped his fingers, settling on one. "Lemonade! Just the ticket."

Once in the galley, he pulled a pitcher from the shelf and some lemons from the storage panel. Chopping them with the primaries of one wing, he squeezed them in his steel hand as he drummed his fingers on the table. "So was it sixteen lemons, five cups of sugar, and and seven cups of Syraxian Fulre or was it sixteen lemons, five cups of sugar, and seventeen cups of Syraxian Fulre...ah who cares, the more liquor the better it tastes."

Finishing with the lemons, he added the sugar, and then poured the liquor in. Taking a sip, he shook his head. "Something's missing...AH-HA!" Tapping his coat he reached into his pocket and withdrew a tiny silver flask he used for 'special occasions' letting a single drop fall into the yellow liquid. The result was a small puff of smoke that resembled a skull and bones and a bubbling hiss from the liquid that, if one listened very carefully, faintly whispered the words 'death to the drinker'.

Taking another sip, Angelo practically giggled in delight. "Now for a tall glass and one of those little paper umbrellas! I think there's one in storage." Turning, he dashed off, leaving the pitcher sitting on the counter like any other innocent batch of lemonade.
-----------------------

Saul wandered in a few moments later, accompanied by Donovan and Cherry. Cherry was rolling her eyes while Donovan and Saul discussed Cobalt's condition. The fact that she'd woken up for a few moments was good. The fact she seemed to know her name, and Saul's name, was good. Spying the lemonade, Saul grinned. "I could go for some of that right now? You two?" At the nods of his friends, he got out three glasses, then grabbed a fourth. Pouring them all, he handed two to the cainin. "I'm going to take one back for Cobalt. Maybe getting her something cold will help."

And the three of them strolled out again glasses in hand, the pitcher nearly empty.
-----------------------------------

Ambrois, rubbing sleep from his eyes, wandered into the galley in search of a midnight snack. Spying the pitcher, he poured the last of it into a glass for himself, and swirled it around. Instantly, he yawned again, horribly tired, and headed back toward his own bunk, taking the glass with him. The snack forgotten.
----------------------

When Angelo returned to the kitchen, he found Jade cleaning up the mess he had made, the pitcher rinsed and returned to it's stasis niche. He stood there for a few moments, tall glass and paper umbrella looking forlorn in his hand as he stared at the pitcher. When Jade turned around, she could have sworn there were tears in his eyes as he asked her "Where lemonade go?" in a tiny, childish voice.

She shrugged. "It was gone when I got here...I think I saw Saul with some earlier though."

"Cele, my love. Who drank my lemonade?" A monitor dropped from the ceiling, a security feed running on it. Angelo watched quietly as the other crew members each took a glass. With a grin, he realized that they'd each be sleeping like a baby for the next few hours...he had his time with Jade. Dismissing the screen, he looked at the red-haired lass with a serious expression, leaning against the table.

He watched her eyes narrow, arms folding over her chest as she sensed something was up. "What?"

He wagged a finger at her. "You're keeping a secret Jade. A little, tiny, baby secret. But you know the trouble with a secret like that? They eventually begin to show." He was guessing when he spoke but the way the blood drained from her face confirmed his fears. "When are you due lass?"

She shivered, hugging herself, rubbing her arms. "E..eight months? Maybe more, maybe less."

He sighed. "This is why I told you and Ambrois to leave each other alone on ship. I can't guarantee the two of you will live eight DAYS right now." He looked away, getting his temper under control. Insubordination. Willful disobedience. Unsafe adult practices. The pair of them should be flogged...but considering that was his grandchild he wasn't about to endanger it. Looking up, eyes hard and cold, he shook his head. "Does my son know?"

She practically flew across the room, jumping into Angelo's arms and forcing him to catch her. Pressing a hand against his mouth, she leaned in close, as close as any lover for a kiss, their profiles starting to overlap. "No. And if you tell him, famed pirate lord or not, I'll salt all your booze." She didn't move and neither did he, instead she leaned closer. "Don't believe I'll do it? Watch me."

He lay there for a moment, staring up at her, lips moving against her hand before he realized she had no intention of removing it. A wry smile dancing in his eyes, he spoke into her mind instead. Some booze is best with salt added. But point taken. Besides, times on my side. You'll either tell him, or he'll figure it out.

She smiled at him, eyes twinkling as she pulled her hand away and looked down at him with that satisfied look. "You've got a way with words Angelo."

He'd just opened his mouth to reply when the sound of shattering glass echoed in the room, causing both of them to turn and look. Ambrois stood in the doorway, the untouched glass of lemonade a mess of glass and liquid at his feet. Blue eyes snapped in the grip of a rage that quivered his entire body, shifting from Jade to Angelo and back. "You...son...of...a...bitch..." he hissed through clenched teeth.

Jade dropped out of Angelo's arms, taking a step toward Ambrois with upraised hands. "Baby, it's not what you think..."

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO THINK!" Ambrois roared, wings mantled and fists clenched so hard thin trails of blood leaked from between his fingers. "How could you Jade? Why him?"

Angelo walked toward Ambrois, shaking his head. "Son you've got it all wrong. Jade and I were..." his words were abruptly cut off as he dodged a punch to the face, reaching out to catch his son by the throat at the same moment Ambrois' other hand did the same to his. For a moment, they both stood there, so alike yet so different, until finally Angelo's hard voice shattered the silence. "Not enough room for this? Take it up on deck?"

"Fine with me." Ambrois hissed, both of them retracting their hands. Making their way up onto the deck, Jade following, the moved to the center. "Alright, here we are. Continue?"


"By all means, yes." Angelo said, replacing his hand on Ambrois' neck while his son did the same, fingers wrapping around Angelo's own. "Now, where were we...oh yes, I remember." He cleared his throat and locked eyes with Ambrois. "Son you've got it all wrong. Jade and I were..."

Ambrois started to try and crush Angelo's neck, fingers contracting, nails digging painfully into the older arcex neck. Angelo simply lifted his son lightly before spinning and hurling Ambrois to the deck some distance away. He rubbed his bruised throat and the line of scratches that decorated it, silver blood streaking pale skin.

Ambrois, meanwhile, struggled to get to his feet, shoving Jade away as she moved over to help him. "Get your filthy hands off me," muttered darkly. Turning hurt eyes on her, he shook his golden head. "So this is why you wanted distance huh? Well damn the both of you." He turned his eyes back to his father and charged, ducking low as he smashed a kick into Angelo's knee, sending the tall pirate off balance. Another blow send Angelo toppling and only some quick movement worthy of a 'Twister' champion managed to keep the older arcex from landing in a heap of tangled limbs.

Standing viper fast, Angelo managed to catch Ambrois by a wing, yanking hard and sending his son whirling around. He ignored Ambrois scream at having his wing twisted and planted a heavy boot on his sons' chest. Bringing his wings around, he aimed the razor-edged feathers at his offspring, waiting for the struggles to stop. When Ambrois was finally calm, Angelo spoke. "Jade and I did nothing Ambrois, other than talk."

"Oh?" Ambrois panted. "Must have been an intense conversation Dad." The way Ambrois stressed that last word made even Angelo flinch though he simply applied more pressure to his son's chest.

"It was. About an uncomfortable topic and what we should do about it. I've decided, for both of your sakes, that I will be returning Jade to the house. She can keep an eye on things there. With the heavy fighting coming up, I'd rather not have her on board anyway. Bad luck having a woman on the ship." The Muse abruptly lurched, causing Angelo to step on Ambrois harder to keep his balance. "I said ON the ship not IN the ship. Cele you've always been my lucky charm."

The ship righted itself, settling back down with a 'harrumph' like motion and Angelo sighed. "Now look. Your mother is all riled up." He looked over at Jade. "It's not going to be a pleasure stay there. You're going to be getting data for me from all over the Library and relaying it. I will admit, I was planning on this anyway, you're the only other one on board with any kind of decent Gift."

Ambrois colored at the mention of his lack of mental abilities, grabbing his father's foot and managing to push it away. Scooting out of reach, he quickly got to his feet and moved to the railing. A moment later, he'd hopped over it, landing on the dock below, and vanished into the maze-like streets of Safe Harbor.

Angelo rolled his eyes. "And without leave...he'd better be back before morning." And with that he brushed past Jade, leaving the girl standing there with tears in her eyes.

She was going to be alone now. She'd lost Ambrois, lost her spot on the crew, and was facing isolation on the beautiful world where her brother lay buried. She was going to have a child, she should be at her happiest. Instead, she was sobbing hear heart out as she ran back to her bunk, slamming the door and activating the lockout codes before curling on her cot and sobbing herself to sleep.
---------------------

Ambrois, in his fury, had simply walked and not paid any attention to where he was going. In the short space of an hour, he'd been in six fist fights, acquired a dagger, pistol, cutlass, and a credit chip worth more than he'd seen in his life. Loose women whistled at him, rubbed their hands on him, and tried to throw canvas over him and haul him away for 'free samples' of their tainted wiles. Other pirates shifted out of his way, muttering, spat at him, or ended up getting tossed out of his way when they tried to start something.

Soon enough he had quite the following as he entered the Dry Heave Tavern, a place as cozy as it's name suggested, and settled at a table in the corner. His motley entourage took up space where they could, just to watch what he'd do next, eyes hungry for action. A scantily clad woman...or maybe it was a man...strolled up to him and winked, pulling a pencil from behind it's ear and producing a tablet from the strip of cloth covering it's nether region. "What'll it be Toots." it said in a rough voice that gave no clue as to it's gender.

Ambrois opened his mouth and ordered, oblivious to the sudden change in the atmosphere of the place. Heads turned and looked toward the door, whispers running rampant through the crow as somebody entered. Lips were licked as trouble was sensed, brewing in the air like quality moonshine. Potent and dangerous, waiting for a match.
---------------------------------

Who entered the Tavern? What kind of trouble might be about to happen?
----------------------------------

There you go, a little of this and a little of that. But the story moves forward...with some humor. C'mon...tell me you didn't snicker at least once? Well, either way, I hope you liked!

[Crunchyfrog]

It's Mange - the guy that killed Jasper and Jades' father and took his ship.
He and Angelo go back a long way...

Good chapter, much lighter than some of the others, and it did make me grin.

:D

[Mephistopheles]

How's about a fleet admiral or something like that...a big authority figure.

good chappy rai. :)

[The White Blacksmith]

A group of the local Watch, who have heard of this young lad who's going around beating people up and are having none of that in this city, sonny boy. Now, you just clear off or there'll be trouble, you hear?

[The Meaning Of Fear]

Poor, poor Jade... *sobs*

A bit of a dramatic chapter. It made me laugh at the beginng with these lines:

Quote: The result was a small puff of smoke that resembled a skull and bones and a bubbling hiss from the liquid that, if one listened very carefully, faintly whispered the words 'death to the drinker'.

Quote: When Jade turned around, she could have sworn there were tears in his eyes as he asked her "Where lemonade go?" in a tiny, childish voice.

But then it made me sad. :(

And as for the DP, I'll F5 Crunchy. I think Ambrois (Man, just edited this... I can't believe I typed the wrong name) really needs someone to beat up on, someone who's caused his share fo grief for the boy...

And what better apology gift for Jade than a pummeled up Mange? :lol:

[Guest]

Did you say the name Mange, MOF? I'd like to know that character... Sorry off topic but my sis used that very same name in a story and I quite like that name... anyway... This is a good chapter Rai. :) I actaully have nothing to give for the dp... but I'll think of something...

[Kalanna Rai]

I'm back...watch me catch up with everything. This is the poll I owe people...now for the other three chapters...

*poof*

[Lilith]

*wince* Sorry Rai... I kinda tied it... ..>.>.... <.<........ *legs it*

[Kalanna Rai]

Arg!

[Mephistopheles]

close your poll quick whilst the vote is untied :)

[Kalanna Rai]

*chuckles while beginning to plot* I believe I'll take you up on that Meph, thank ye kindly...