because i belong to the hurricane

no home, i don't want shelter. no calm, nothing to keep me from the storm and you can't hold me down...

[elokian]

I. bio

II. skellie

III. threads

IV. face

V. inspo

Blaze

0 notes

[xhakonx]

@elokian Location: Caer Glas, after the events of the Kossith

Beneath the stoned halls of Caer Glas was a sealed off tunnel. The tunnel used to lead down, further beneath the land, and connect with the ones within the Spine. It had been sealed off ages ago, but the Blight touched every crack, every possible opening – only for the Legion to move in and ensure that the Blight stayed sealed away. Close to these collapsed walls were the cells. Old, hardly used, and never bothered with. The Legion didn't take prisoners; they didn't burden themselves with those who could not be saved.

Elokian had stood in the circle, a few Elvhen from Avalon that Hakon had known. They'd come because he'd asked, because he'd done them a favor in the past. Within the Shore, the Elvhen did not lord favors over one another – but they never forgot. So as Elokian finally stood, freed from the pride demon that had nearly broken down his body completely, it was Hakon who helped lift him to his feet, "Well. You live to see another day."

[elokian]

Elokian hadn't registered just how weak he was until he started to readjust to having his soul unburdened. He let himself forget who he was in the mystery box and continued to not remember that, for all this time, he simply dealt with his dark passenger. He grips Hakon's forearm to steady himself, but even his grip was weak. Feeling shaky on his feet, he looks around at those who came to help briefly to give a slight nod before his gaze settles on the faiman.   "Aye. Another day, another song to add to my canon. The Fool Captain or Landlubber of a Raider both have a nice ring to them." Though Elokian's tongue may have been quick, he felt the way no captain ever should: weak. This was the price to pay for his choices, but all he could do was hope his current state didn't impact his crew. Making it back to his armada without broadcasting that he stepped away for this ritual would be difficult. "You all came for him, but I still owe you each a great debt. And a whole tavern's worth of ale," he says, acknowledging that Hakon came through for him more than he could've possibly imagined. "The strangest thing is that I can't dangle my heroism over your head any longer. I can't even call us even," he mutters to Hakon, still holding onto him. Were his stories, singing, and affections in Avalon worth this much especially after Elokian had chosen the Veiled Sea over its light? He didn't think so, but he was selfish so held on anyway. "I'll make us even. One day. Thank you."

[elokian]

[froyofthe-ironwood]

Froy leaned forward on the table, resting his chin in one hand with an exaggerated sigh as Elokian popped the cork off his ever-present gourd of ship-rum. “Still as dramatic as ever, huh, Captain?” he teased, rolling his eyes in mock exasperation. His grin widened as he reached into his satchel and pulled out a hefty bag of coins, dropping it onto the table with a satisfying clink. “Don’t worry about me affording it. Turns out saving the Feywild Stones and battling dreamworld horrors pays better than I thought.”

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a cocky tilt to his smile. “My father tried to warn me, sure. But my mother was quick to shut him up. Would never waste an opportunity to brag about her Raider days. Were she still alive she'd still claim she was the only one who could out drink you.”

Froy let the warmth of the memory settle over him for a moment before fixing Elokian with a knowing look. “And let’s not forget—I sailed with you for years. I know exactly how much trouble a Raider can be.” His tone softened, though the grin stayed firmly in place. “I also know it’s worth every damn bit of it. So, here’s to trouble, Captain.” He raised his glass as the bartender set down the first round.

[elokian]

"Damn fuckin' straight. Sexiest voice on the Veiled Sea. When I talk people listen, but when I sing, that's when the clothes start flying off. I'll spare you a performance, though. Don't need a pair of beauts hopping into my lap and cutting in on the tab you're picking up. I love the taste of free booze too much."

Leaning back with his feet kicked up on the table, his smirk gave Froy the only answer he needed. Elokian was a pirate and had strong lungs as an occupational perk, but he sustained himself on his bravado. He could go on and on as long as he wanted, equal parts interested in telling fantastical stories and being the focus of one.

"Keep living on the edge and you'll find more trouble whether you actually listen to me or not. A life in constant motion is fun, right?" he responded with a hint of pride in his voice. Of course Elokian would want Froy to create stories of his own, but it was hard for him to reconcile his drive to push those around him into wild adventures with the protective urge that allowed the druid to board his ship in the first place. "Just don't get in over your head. You don't have a crew, so what'll you do if you find yourself drowning?" Froy wasn't a boy anymore, but Elokian still saw one sitting across from him. It was a bad habit, but he was used to seeing people grow and die while he remained unchanged. "You know me, fighting the wave of upstarts by plundering their gains. I can just tell, Caribella thinks Neptune's Fleet peaked some odd just before my ships got stolen," he lamented as he started in on his next drink. "Reputation is everything. I'm trying to take care of my people the best I can. Things are … they've been better, but they've been worse too." Elokian didn't mean to be vague, but he also couldn't be forthcoming with Froy either. It was a tricky line to walk. For all his swagger and perceived openness, Elokian had never been more mistrustful in his entire life. "But yeah, we're still the scariest crew on the Veiled Sea. I'll fuckin' kill anyone who says differently. I got Robin, and Calypso is more vicious than ever. They're keeping the crew in line while I handle things inland. Like I said, you forcing me to catch up threw a real wrench into my plans." Still, Elokian smiled over the brim off his next tankard as he waved over the bartender. They needed more booze. "I'm proud of them as I'm proud of you. Thank you, for making me look you in the eye and see that you're at least not dying. In these mortal years I'm toiling through, the little things keep me going. So if you ever need a few skulls cracked in the name of the pattern or whatever..."

[scornfulcalypso]

There was danger in those that she trusted to have her back, unknown to her that the sentiments were barely returned and she turned a blind eye to the look that crossed Elokian's features when he gazed at his adopted son, that he would rather have the cambion as his right hand and she ignores it as she's lost everything for Neptune's Fleet and it's crew. Being underappreciated would only last for so long before the monster that she smothered down to belong would rear it's head.

She was bound during the mutiny, was kept prisoner as the light of the Laurelin fled her and she fell from grace as she lost immortality, becoming a silver elvhen instead of the high elvhen she was meant to be. When she emerged from the storm, it was with the blood of her captors on her hands and a hunt for the missing ships began, a desperate dark place where the light once existed and she could never leave as home had closed it's doors to her, she was never able to answer to her family on it's branch that became cut off to her and the moongate had abandoned her. "Losing the light of the Laurelin had made something hungry and violent within me, we were meant to live forever. My bloodlust was quieter when the world felt eternal." Betrayals from the mutinous crew had occurred and she had never felt so wanting before. "I hate that they stole so much time from us, wish I could resurrect them just to have them murdered all over again, we could have made a jello salad from their eyeballs. Served a feast of our enemies to our enemies, revenge is a dish best served cold."

[elokian]

What posed the most danger to Neptune's Fleet? It wasn't the other armadas nor their Captain having flaws. A Raider's life was rough and imperfect. Mistakes would be made eventually, but Elokian knew well how to roll with the tides by now. No, the greatest danger his armada could face would be rumors that their Captain was weak.   Whispers from outside or within posed the same risk. If anyone even suspected Elokian's wellbeing was compromised, then the weight of his name would lessen. Cracks would begin to form from that alone and he refused to let that happen, not while there was still more on the Veiled Sea to conquer. "But relying on it, at least as I had, was a huge disservice. I have only ever had what was mine plundered because of my visits to Avalon. I thought the Moongate made me invincible. Instead, it made me weak. Vulnerable. Most of what I treasured was on this side, so here I remained." And, unlike Calypso, Elokian didn't regret the loss of light though he knew their circumstances were different. Perhaps it was better for his crew that she did lose it. She was right, her bloodlust was quieter before. "I got my ships back, I'm rebuilding better than ever, and all those who wrong us are bones beneath the waves. Never go back into the storm, always look forward. I won't be much help in getting your light back, I honestly have no interest in that. Finding ways to live on this side though? That I can do. I'm eating all kinds of kelp and fruits when we find 'em. I plan to hold on for another century, even if I'm old and gray. I'll still be just as vicious even when I'm toothless, trust me."

[seraphiel-ravencroft]

Seraphiel’s smile deepened at the refusal. Oh, Elokian could preen and grandstand all he liked, but in the end, actions spoke louder than words. If the man was truly so secure, if his crew was truly so untouchable, he would have accepted the wager just to prove the point. But he didn’t. And that, more than anything, told Seraphiel exactly what he wanted to know.

He turned smoothly, lifting a hand in a slow, fluid motion—more of a suggestion than a command, yet his crew understood it well enough. The faint sound of rigging shifting and the sharp calls of orders passed down the line signaled his crew’s readiness to depart. “You seem terribly invested in this dock, Captain,” He cast Elokian a sidelong look, amusement curling at the edge of his lips. “If it means so much to you, consider it yours.”

Seraphiel turned fully to face him once more, tilting his head. “My crew recently uncovered something most would have dismissed as legend—a place called The Gauntlet.” His voice wove the name with a sense of weight, of significance. “A tower, a hundred stories high. Each floor is said to be a test—trial after trial, with a reward for those who persevere. I plan to enter it with my second. Perhaps it will be nothing," A smirk played at his lips, deliberate, knowing. "But since you're so eager for a fight, I thought you'd appreciate the tip. Won't be long before others learn of it's return."

[elokian]

"I dock where I please. Next time, don't be so fuckin' stupid about it and just move, yeah? Or how bout this: remember your place and reach for a wrung more at your level. Keep out of my spot, at least until you've earned it." Kids these days, even the undead ones were headaches. Was he this troublesome when he was young and still shaping his legacy like Seraphiel? No, Elokian knew he was much worse. Years of experience taught him how to navigate some rough storms, allowing Elokian to see an outcome long before it was brought to fruition. "It is mine, that's what I've been saying this whole time. The moment I boarded your ship was the moment I reclaimed it. All the back and forth was foreplay because you were always gonna bend over for me. One way or another."

No finger lifted and yet everything he wanted he got. Just like he bet Seraphiel would happen. Entitlement was one hell of a drug, but you could captain ships as large as Elokian's without having the swagger to back them up. Even as Thalassa's Armada prepared to weigh anchor, the shadow of Neptune's Fleet loomed over. Elokian was certain his crew expected a bigger show since he could quite literally part the seas with a fleeting thought, but this was better. Let Caribella be reminded of the weight of his title and his unwillingness to let the tides of time swallow him up even as his neared its end.

"Eager to fight? Is that how I come across?" he jests, taking a seat atop the crates even though that means his feet are no longer touching the deck. "Throwing a punch is like breathing to me. My crew is the same. Fight or die, that's the Raider way." Though as flippant as his demeanor was, hearing about The Gauntlet did pique his interest. "Yeah, I got someone who'd benefit from a tower like that. Earning booty instead of plundering it isn't really my style, but I could see myself having fun. I've been drinking to drink recently. Haven't had to chug for a brawl in quite some time…"

[robinxofxstars]

Robin sighed when his hair was ruffled – as if his curls weren't always out of control enough. He tried to haphazardly calm them when he stood up straight, "No, that makes me the best to help." Robin had avoided his cambion side for years, Elokian had helped him with that. The fury, the rage, the emotions. Elokian had taken his parents from him, and every day the Raider was trying to make up for it. That much he knew. But still, the demonic side of him wanted to take out his feelings on something. On someone. He just hadn't found the right outlet yet. His mother was a witch, speaking of the Wheel, vague memories that Robin had nearly forgotten. He wouldn't let go of that one just yet, despite his love for Elokian. "Okay, yeah." He'd forget about the Red Hand stuff – he'd have to. "Come on. Let's go." They had armadas to scare.

[elokian]

When Robin was young everything between them seemed to be simple. These days, the complications continued to mount. Then again, that was probably just what parents went through. 'Neptune's Beard, you're not his pops…' It was a truth, one he could actually speak to though it didn't reflect what was in his heart. Elokian never planned on being a father, but here he was, pouring even more of himself into Robin's well-being. A good chunk of what Elokian did was for his boy's sake, he simply couldn't help himself. The next time they sailed across another armada, he'd remember not to monopolize all the fun for himself. Robin needed it more, just like he needed Elokian to be a bit more serious about what he had to do. "I'm only reckless because I know you've got my back. That means more to me than you'll ever know. C'mon, the seas are calling."

END

[robinxofxstars]

@elokian Location: the ship Notes: he runs to elokian because he has 0 idea how to handle emotions

He knew he didn't mean it. He knew he didn't mean it. Had to know that, right? Nero's face had echoed his, the shock, the pain – except the Cambion had never felt anything like that before. While the physical pain he could handle, it was everything else that he couldn't. Robin hadn't been around that long, had barely felt like he'd finally gotten his feet out from under him. A life outside of the ship, understanding his past and who he was supposed to be. Until that dream. Until a legacy pulled him forward again, one that Elokian told him he could grasp and make his own. Nothing made sense. And now that he'd run from Nero, body still burning from the incubus' touch, he felt like a fool.

"Have you ever...have you ever...fucked up. Royally. And if you mention my parents, I'll fucking deck you in the face."

[elokian]

One moment Elokian lounged as the wind gently swayed his hammock, and the next he was upright. Alert and ready to spring into action, he could easily pick up on the distress in Robin's voice. It triggered some protective instinct, his hand unconsciously going to the gourd at his hip in case someone needed to get laid out.   "You know I have," he responded bluntly without hesitation, a candor reserved for Robin alone. "But guess what? You don't have it in you to fuck something so hard it can't be unfucked, not while you got me in your corner." Elokian knew that Robin's infernal nature swelled when his emotions got the better of him, so he quickly grasped his boy's head in his head to force some eye contact. "Hey hey, don't get all bent out of shape. I'm right here, Rob. I'll help you fix it, whatever is going on. I promise." At the very least Robin could start with some medicine to take the edge off, the only medicine Raiders like them required: rum. Elokian pressed his gourd into Robin's chest. "What's going on?"

[xhakonx]

Elokian's acquiescence was surprising to the both of them, it seemed. Hakon knew what the other craved more than just that power that he followed, but he craved life. The now Silver Elvhen craved the life that he had, and the legacy that would soon follow the Azure. "Good. You know I don't repeat myself." He knew Elokian understood that, too.

He listened, as he always did, as Elokian prattled on about the Legionnaire needing him at Caer Glas for his own selfish reasons, something else about how his touch was addictive, all words that flowed from the Raider as easily as a boat did out to sea. The Faiman didn't say anything, still, as he watched Elokian's mouth move more than a mile a minute. What Hakon had never forgotten, however, was what he liked to see that mouth do besides talk. He let out a huff of air when he was grabbed and pulled closer to Elokian, his own gaze darkening at the proximity. Time had seemingly changed little between them, except for the fact that whenever Elokian had left Avalon, whenever the Captain had returned to his ship, Hakon had remained. But now? There was no sort of uncertainty holding the Legionnaire back. Perhaps this was the best way of following up on what they wanted. "Fine. You make it hard to say no to you when you phrase it like that." Though perhaps they both understood that to put a smile on Hakon's face, it wouldn't just be the drinks. "I will go to Caribella with you, Elo. If only to follow up on a promise." There were plenty of Darkspawn statues around, to cleave one in half would make an excellent table.

[elokian]

There were so few people left who could compel Elokian to change course once he set a destination. He liked doing things his way and their desires aligned enough in Avalon for Hakon to not really have an opportunity to try. Like waves crashing against stone, they were each unwavering forces in their own right who collided but never encroached on the other. Hakon wasn't one to repeat himself, which was why Elokian heeded his insistences. He knew from experience Hakon would neither take those words back nor budge and inch from them.   "Helping each other handle shit, eh? Is that how it's gonna be on this side of the Moongate? I'll have to start a ledger to keep us even," Elokian says with a halfhearted chuckle, refusing to let the other pull back even a centimeter. He kept Hakon close, allowing his body to ease into the magnetic tug the other gave off, reveling in a feeling he had believed he lost with his light. "If I'd known I wouldn't be returning, I'd've done more to make that last day more impressionable. That way, you'd end up here owing me a hefty debt." It was a lot easier to say he was leveraging Hakon than admit the blatant truth, that all the beds, hammocks, and tavern back alleys he's used to pass the time with other men over the last few decades fulfilled him less than this handful of seconds breathing in the faiman's air. Elokian never thought he'd rely on Hakon to give him anything more than a distraction. This was an unexpected turn he wouldn't fight. "It is good to see you though. I have so many ways to make it hard for you to say no to me. I always get what's mine." There was a tenderness to the way he pressed their foreheads together and a yearning to the way he let his mouth hover over Hakon's without making contact. But his eyes were a storm unimpeded by the intensity of the other's gaze. "Ain't you a fool for getting mixed up with me here. A lot's changed, I'm not big on trust these days. So I'll be pulling out every trick while riding you hard to make sure your end is kept up. Will that be a problem?" If it would then too bad because Elokian was already guiding Hakon's hand to the small of his back beneath the tattered fabric of his vest.

[elokian]

[robinxofxstars]

The cambion rolled his eyes, "Keep my nose out of it? I was there, jackass. I was there, and it got us all separated. And you felt sorry for it. Big Raider Elokian." There was no use hashing this entire conversation again, no matter how much Robin wanted to, so he waved the other off with another sigh. He was jostled closer, something said about having a dick size contest with the other armadas or something like that. He liked Ryu, had seen his dick, and done many things with it, but still – that wasn't the topic of their conversation. "But look – I'm part of this...Red Hand, thing. I went to the Tower, they told me about it, and who had researched it before. Elo, my legend might have already happened and I'm just...here again."

[elokian]

"What can I say? That box messed me up good. Changed me for the worst, eh?" His words have the tone of a joke, but there was truth to it. Robin had to say it because Elokian would have anyone else's head if they spoke to him like that. His arm folds so it's cradling Robin's head for a brief moment before he's ruffling the cambion's hair. "You've got your own demonic shit going on. I just don't want you wrapped up in mine too. I'm trying to look out for you the best that I can, but I'm taking this seriously. I swear to you that I am." Too much interfacing with infernal forces could push Robin over the edge. Elokian always had his eye on the boy for that very reason. The last thing he wanted when it came to Robin was a repeat of history, but he didn't know enough about demons to say whether or not that was the right call. Elokian only had his gut. "You get to write your own story. Leave the talk of the Wheel to the witches. Only you get to decide who you are Rob. No one gets to choose for you, not even me," he says, pulling back so that he can look Robin squarely in the eye with both hands on his shoulders. "Whatever you may have done in another life is some bullshit that don't matter. What you choose to do in this life does. So who is it you want to be?"

[xhakonx]

Hakon didn't release his grip on the other's wris; he considered it when the other continued to speak on things that were...perhaps impossible. "I'd say that if anyone could go someplace that they were unable to, it'd be you. But right now, I don't think any Elvhen can get their light back. And a noble isn't going to get you past the gate, either. You need a witch or two, maybe a few druids, or Elvhen from Lorien'dal before you lose yourself to that demon."

It was perhaps the first bit of concern that he showed, but it was more than Hakon thought he'd be able to give. There was no reason to berate Elokian, or tell him that he'd done something wrong – they both knew that. It wouldn't make the situation any better. They were not the same, and Hakon narrowed his eyes to say as such, but Elokian's poor attempt at acting unbothered – the Legionnaire saw right through it. "Elokian," his thumb brushed over the Raider's wrist, feeling the heartbeat beneath skin like he wanted proof of Elokian's steady heart, before he released it. "You should come to Caer Glas. There's a witch there, a few – and if there's anything we know, or she knows, is how to exorcise a demon. You've wasted enough time. Follow up on what you want, and maybe you will be free of all this weight of death you carry."

[elokian]

They didn't do warm fuzzy feelings, that simply wasn't them which is why Elokian was taken aback by Hakon's outright concern. Perhaps "outright" was the wrong word, but he knew the faiman as a stoic stiff who wouldn't have any fun without a pirate to push his buttons. "I hear you," was all he said in response, an indicator of his own surprise too.   What was he to say? What was he to feel? Elokian was hardly one to be surprised these days, yet there he was, completely floored that Hakon, of all people, was there and worried. Maybe he'd been going about this the wrong way. "Okay okay, I give. You want to see me so bad that dragging me away from the sea to visit you in some creepy castle under the guise of help is the only way you can express that without looking like a softy. I get it, my touch is addictive," he says, throwing his hands up in faux defeat before patting Hakon's cheek twice. However, after the second one, his hand lingers for a moment longer than planned. "I've got a few friends on Taravell, but not many. A good Raider isn't popular with landlubbers and I'm the best. I'll come but on one condition." He grips the lip in Hakon's armor at the neck to pull him down slightly. He may walk with the swagger of an elvhen twice his height, but Elokian never stood on his toes and he was quite serious. "I want you to come back to Caribella with me. Just to make sure that the island is protected when I sail off after. And you have to let me buy you enough drinks to put a smile on your face. How does that sound?"

[xhakonx]

"I don't think there will ever be enough treasure for you, Elokian," Hakon murmured, looking at the Raider will mild amusement. He didn't need to remind the Elvhen that life on the edge was just another moment closer to death, but Hakon lived with it within him, now.

"Beyond Taravell? What have you found?" He was curious, always had been. Knowledge was enough to push him forward at times, but even as a Legionnaire, and a Nightingale, word was traveling more and more about the Blight. He didn't have time to listen to other things. He expected Elokian to begin some sort of tirade about how he didn't need anything, especially from Hakon, but the other's statement caused his smile to fade. "Has it not been two decades, Elokian? The Moongate won't answer when you press your hand against it." He couldn't tell if the Elvhen was on the brink of losing his light, or if it was gone already. "What have you caught that you would need Elvhen from Avalon to do what those in Lórien'dal could not?" Hakon was too curious for his own good, grabbing Elokian's wrist now to still the Raider. Always rocking back and forth, forever moving – Hakon was as sturdy as the stone he created. "It's been six years since I joined the Legion," he answered after a moment, "I got sick in Avalon, from the Laurelin, and I took the Joining. If I'm lucky, maybe another fifteen or twenty years before I go to my death."

[elokian]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Listening to Raider tales when Elokian first stepped foot in Caribella centuries ago laid the groundwork for the elvhen he was today. True, his lust for booty would never cease but Elokian's learned in the last few decades that there are treasures unrelated to gold. His ships, his freedom, and even his life too. He didn't want to search for a way to become a high elvhen again, but he meant it when he said he intended to have decades ahead of him. Even in that, Elokian was selfish.   "Vast seas that glow like fire, mountains of ice that touch the stars, islands so lush you can sleep on top of canopies and be more comfortable than the fattest king, and that's barely scratching the surface," he responds, taking up the wistful tone he usually does when he's chatting up some tavern groupie. Hakon never seemed interested in living at sea like Elokian had, but he always loved to regale stories of his travels even though now he's leaving out the juiciest parts of his last couple of decades before he went silver. The betrayal, the hunt, the evisceration of his former first mate's crew in Neptune's name, the banishment of that devil for good; these things were vulnerabilities Elokian felt were best to keep under wraps, especially considering his condition. Hakon's grip on his wrist caused his fun and games mask to slip, revealing Elokian's that constantly shimmered in his focused yet mildly paranoid eyes these days. "A little more, if I'm counting right. That's why I've been trying to court a noble. Go big or go home, right? One of them could get me beyond the Moongate, but if not, I'll need his sway in Lórien'dal. Elvhen I may be, I'm not exactly the most popular with our kind. Shedding my pride to ask for help has been difficult, but I made a promise. I can't let this be my end."   It was sincere and a little more information than he intended to reveal. In fact, Elokian wanted to stop talking right there, but Hakon had a way of getting under his skin like no one else could. His touch may have been cold and stilling, but it blossomed heat across Elokian's skin. Meeting him like this was incredibly inconvenient. "A demon hitched a ride, that's all," he mutters, keeping his voice low even though they were the only two there. That's how little Elokian wanted this information to get out. "Look at us, a pair of idiot bastards getting infected by gods know what. Wanna take a bet to see who goes first? If I can't get enough elvhen for this ritual, I'm just as fucked as you are, eh?" he quips in a poor attempt to make light of his circumstances. Still, he doesn't pull his arm free.

[froyofthe-ironwood]

Froy leaned forward on the table, resting his chin in one hand with an exaggerated sigh as Elokian popped the cork off his ever-present gourd of ship-rum. “Still as dramatic as ever, huh, Captain?” he teased, rolling his eyes in mock exasperation. His grin widened as he reached into his satchel and pulled out a hefty bag of coins, dropping it onto the table with a satisfying clink. “Don’t worry about me affording it. Turns out saving the Feywild Stones and battling dreamworld horrors pays better than I thought.”

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a cocky tilt to his smile. “My father tried to warn me, sure. But my mother was quick to shut him up. Would never waste an opportunity to brag about her Raider days. Were she still alive she'd still claim she was the only one who could out drink you.”

Froy let the warmth of the memory settle over him for a moment before fixing Elokian with a knowing look. “And let’s not forget—I sailed with you for years. I know exactly how much trouble a Raider can be.” His tone softened, though the grin stayed firmly in place. “I also know it’s worth every damn bit of it. So, here’s to trouble, Captain.” He raised his glass as the bartender set down the first round.

[elokian]

For all his faults, Elokian always kept his word. It wasn't as simple as him being unable to lie, at least not to him. When he said something it happened, as entitled as that attitude may have been. He promised years ago that Froy would make it to the Arches and live a good life afterward, which meant to him that he couldn't be too closely involved. A check-in was all that was supposed to happen.

But he supposed Froy had learned how to throw his weight around. "We'll see how dramatic you think I am when you're left to clean up the mess. All that gold burning a hole in your pocket? Don't worry, you'll be flat broke by the time I've drunk my fill. Whatever happens after that is on you, kid." However, Elokian didn't say this to give Froy an out. Now that the other had him seated at a table, Elokian would drink on his dime without shame or stopping.

"Here's to the goody-goody who still can't tell when he's in over his head," he responds with a grin, clanking his tankard against Froy's before downing the ale in just a few gulps. Land booze never had the same brutal zing as ship wine, but he supposed landlubbers loved their weak liquors for whatever reason. "No one, and I mean no one could ever outdrink me, your moms included. That's just a myth. You go on enough adventures you start to be made of sturdier stuff. Though, I must admit, I can always smell the spice of life that collects on someone who's been places. I'm happy you've been able to explore this world." However, that part doesn't surprise Elokian. Druids had access to powers the rest of them could only imagine, but Froy could summon down a pillar of fire right there and Elokian would still see him as a naïve kid. "But you'll never find adventure like what's out there on the open water, Froy. Unfortunately, you were only ever a passenger on the waves. There's no seafoam in your veins, which isn't a problem, it just means that you only think you know what Raider trouble looks like. A blink in time aboard my ship doesn't make you some rough-and-tumble pirate, but hey. You looking for trouble? My drunk ass is a conduit for it. Ten more drinks and things will start to get crazy. Twenty after, and I'll truly be sloshed and able to get you that trouble you so desperately crave."

[scornfulcalypso]

Elokian, always the jokester reached for the deadman whose armor only indicated that they were a fool, one that didn't live for themselves and the joys that could be stolen and had signed up to die a noble death, she hoped the way their blood choked them felt good in the throat as they drowned on their own lungs.

Seeing the corpse in his hands brought a terrible, wicked idea to her mind and the smile that curled on her lips was reminiscent of the grinch, cruelty pained her grin. "Only the best dance partner for my captain." Punctured by a wink and with a wave of her hands, the corpse lifted as held on esoteric strings, his head lifting upwards as his stare echoed death but his lips grew into a haunting grin. An unnatural slum to his neck as she played with the corpse, getting it to prance, taking Elokian's hand as if in a waltz and twirling the captain as if they were a prime romance. When the dance is done, she lifts the corpse on it's strings and with a splash, throws it over the side to become food for the fishes. "We can't have the Lysaran Crown believing we've gone soft, compliance, easy to mold. The day they forget the devils that we are would mean we've grown weak and I know our teeth is too sharp for that."

[elokian]

Every crew needed a first mate. A captain without one only looked weak, a fact Elokian had to accept. His last one was a devil and he trusted the infernal being enough. Big surprise that ended poorly, but Calypso was the right person to fill in. Did he trust her? Well, Elokian didn't do trust anymore, not after he had to hunt down his own armada and kill all those who sailed under a false flag. But could he trust her motivation? That was the only question that he needed to answer.

If Calypso wanted to be violent, then he would support her happily. A satisfied first mate was a first mate least likely to start a mutiny, and honestly, it'd be a lot of trouble to start from scratch again. So Elokian danced with the corpse, happy to see her penchant for casual cruelty was satisfied, at least for today. "And they say I'm ruthless. I get it. I'm the Captain, and I've wracked up more than my fair share of crimes over the centuries, but a few more stunts like this and I might start questioning why my bounty is so much higher than yours." Of course, Elokian's willingness to jump to violence was precisely why he was wanted. Combine that with his lack of regret and tendency to go overboard when he drank, Calypso's personal brand made for a good compliment to his rakish nature. Good enough to accept her as first mate anyway. "Aye, we are the storm and the sea, but it's not just the crown we have to protect our legend for. Those years I spent on the hunt for my ships did me no favors with the other armadas. The big-name captains have gotten cocky in the space we left for them. That goddamn Captain Seraphiel even had the ghostballs to dock in my spot. Knocking them all down a peg or ten is just as important. Soon though, once I wrap up some business inland."

[faelortianyou]

"Elokian...I don't need to fight you to gain pleasure. You're asking for my help here, are you not? You would do well to not antagonize me. Plus, antagonizing me doesn't work." After how much he dealt with Riandur, he was desensitized to that sort of thing. Tianyou was so often frustrated with his other half that it felt like others could never really bother him. Elokian was obviously trying to get some sort of rise out of him and he would not let that happen. All of that meditation did work wonders for his many frustrations. "I never said you weren't good. I just said you wouldn't be able to beat me. I'll always see you coming," he stated with a pat on the other's face.

A brow rose as Elokian went on and on and on. Tianyou was used to people talking his ear off. Eventually, he would have to find a way to accept his path in life. He'd have to take over once his father was gone. It was a path he had not chosen for himself, but it was one he would have thrust upon him anyway. The high elvhen supposed he understood the other's plight. He had people counting on him as well. His mother. His siblings. Ikaros. Abelas. Areina. Even Riandur. But he wasn't the one that had a demon latched onto him. He wasn't as stupid as the silver elvhen standing in front of him. Well, he supposed stupid wasn't the right word in Elokian's case. Nonchalant about everything was more like it. Even if he was damn near begging for his situation to go away. "I really don't need you to teach him how to do anything. We are perfectly fine without your assistance. You need to give me something better than that." His fingers lifted to his chin. "Maybe some sort of acceptance that you fear death because the people around you would suffer from it as opposed to acting like you don't give a fuck about yourself."

[elokian]

"What? You've never gone fist to fist as a means of saying hello? To pass the time? Just to put a smile on your face? I'm being friendly, I swear. I got on my knees for you, you're the one who told me to get up." Elokian's charms, if you could call them that, came from his audacity. He would always put his money where his mouth was, no matter who or what he faced. Persistence was a quality he was proud to show off. "If you feel antagonized by a drunk sailor who's trying to have a good time, that's on you. I'm only here to get help. Besides, why be antagonized by someone you feel so superior to? I thought I wasn't worth being on your radar," he counters, his grin as wide as the berth of his arm as he slaps Tianyou's shoulder in a hefty pat. "Loosen up, highborn. You don't become a legend by failing to surpass expectations. Seeing me coming is not the same as stopping my advance. Case in point, I tracked you down, and unless you scurry on past the Moongate to avoid me, I'll keep doing it, too. I'll be all up in your business, so see away."

Palms crooked under his pits, tongue brushing over his teeth, Elokian looked rather entertained. True, his approach may not have been the most tactful and his seafarer's tongue might've undercut the humility it took to admit he needed help, but Elokian wasn't a fool. This wasn't just about finding a way forward, this was about covering his bases. He needed Tianyou to know exactly what he was about and he needed to look the other in the eye to learn the same about him. Whether the high elvhen realized it or not, it took an immense amount of effort for Elokian to force himself to trust the other. "You mean you don't want to trade sexcapades over drinks? Gods, I was starting to get excited. I'm fun company, you know. For the most part." Another lewd remark, another diversion, Elokian was an elvhen constantly on the move. Like the tides, he never settled which meant serious moments held little interest to him. But at this point, why bother hiding anything from Tianyou? "You don't get it, do you? What it means to be a Raider? The life is everything, and in death I'll be mourned by some. The waves will keep on turning without me. I don't fear death. But my dying isn't the worst outcome for those I'd leave behind." Elokian had done all he could to prepare Robin for life without him, still there were fates worse than death. The Veiled Sea had taught him as much.

 "It's not an act. I mean, I do give a fuck about myself, but I'm not going to sit around crying about a big set back like this. I'm a Captain, and the moment that anyone begins to suspect something is wrong—and that goes doubly for my crew—I'm finished. Like blood in the water, sharks will start circling. The fact that I am here, begging for your help, knowing you have no reason to offer any should tell you how serious this is for me. Whatever else I may seem. I'm not scared of dying, but I'm terrified that my mistakes will mark Neptune's Fleet as easy prey. What do you think the other major Captains would do if they heard about my condition? If they thought I was weak? My death would be a more favorable outcome, but a Captain who can't be relied upon would cause more suffering than if I just ended myself here and now. You want my fears? I only fear failing my crew again by not getting this fixed before my body gets taken over. Me dying would be a mercy to them. At least then, they wouldn't have to deal with my shit." As he spoke, that smile of his faded into something more serious. Elokian looked up to Tianyou without wavering. "I can count on one hand how many people know what's going on with me, and you're in that club now. I'm vulnerable, and that is dangerous. More dangerous than death. My treasure isn't my life, it's my legacy and I can't protect that like this. What I fear most is that my story ends with me being a victim. Dying like a Raider will make me a legend, but having my soul consumed and my body taken over? That's a fate I will do whatever it takes to stop."

[xhakonx]

"And what is it you want?" It was a rhetorical question, one that Hakon didn't necessarily need to know the answer to. Hakon only gave a slight smile; Elokian's fire always burned bright, no matter how close the Raider got to the water itself. It's what brought the Legionnaire back, like a moth to a flame. But still, to each their own, and neither no longer had the luxury of waiting for things to happen.

His touch was always risky. Hakon could create a beautiful statue out of Elokian, and he was certain the captain would thank him for it. It would be a rest for the pirate's mouth, that was for sure. "Stiff? Yes. Harder than you remember." The faiman didn't speak much, but Elokian filled the silence between them ten times over. "Maybe. If I had a reason." A gauntleted hand came up run over Elokian's neck, smearing what was most likely Darkspawn blood all over the other. Red was a good look on him. "That's not where you sail now though, is it?" Hakon dropped his hand now, though he didn't create more distance between himself and the Azure. They'd spent plenty of time with that.

[elokian]

Things got dark for Elokian, for a short time at least. It unfortunately took him slipping up and letting some demonic twink in to remind him of what was important. His fighting spirit was reignited, and once he finished this fight, once he got a noble to guide him into Avalon for this ritual, he'd return stronger than ever. On this, he was sure, which is why he could say his piece with absolute conviction: "I want every fucking treasure and pleasure this world has to offer. My story isn't over yet."

Hakon was supposed to be a Laurelin fling, someone Elokian accepted he'd probably never see again since his time in Avalon was always something of a dream. This realm and its happenings were real life, so he honestly had no idea what to think of the twists of fate that led them to this moment. "I wish I got here sooner then. It's been a while since I've seen you grip a sword," he says, knowing from experience that Hakon's touch could make anything hard as stone, the hand at his neck reminding him of that. Decked out in black armor, fighting without backup, yeah the faiman was probably harder than Elokian could recall, and his memory was still good. "My crew has been away, adventuring beyond Taravell for a bit, but we're sticking close now. For how long? It's hard to say, the whole continent is going to shit. But we'll probably sail the Veiled Sea for a while. In our absence, smaller crews have forgotten who still bears Neptune's favor in these parts. I've … caught something that I'm getting rid of. A quick stop beyond the Moongate, and then I'm getting back to work." He opts to keep his hands to himself for now, clutching his tattered vest with both hands, not moving away either. Perhaps he was enjoying this more than he let on. Still, even if barely a breath of space lingered between them, a question did. "How much longer you got before the blight claims you?"