The Screaming Predator sailed through out the sea for a over a month now. Captain Kerrigan, Pirate Cheiftan of the Gerudo, whistled for her first mate to get to the poop deck. Before they left for the sea, she and her crew took a job in transporting a crate of 'unidentified goods'. Easy good money. They were just instructed to not look inside the box. Or touch the damn thing apparently. Every since they picked up the cargo, a contagion was being spread among the crew, leaving girls incredibly sick. The symptoms were pale skin, rashes, and vomiting blood near the end. It seemed physical contact spread it around, and when the first bodies started to stink up the place, Kerrigan became paranoid that the sickness might spread other ways. Best she deal with that effectively.
"Coco."
"Yes Captain?"
"Give me a list of the sick."
"Yes Captain." The Gerudo pulled out a chart, straining her eyes to read. It would take at least an hour for the sun to come out. "Dorethea. Padme. Rav. Anura. Evelyn."
"Alright. Bring them to the deck." The second mate did so, carefully ushering them to the deck.
Sleeping in the crows’ nest, Scarlet, 15 years of age, yawned loudly. She hated waking up before the sun was up. Peering down, she saw some of the girls being lined up next to the edge of the ship. What was going on? Weren't they put into quarantine? The more experienced crew mates lined up with the captain. "I'm sorry. There are no signs of you getting well, and treatment is unavailable. For the sake of the crew, I have to take actions to ensure the rest of our health."
Scarlet was awakened quickly as the flash and bang of gunfire went off. There were four thick splashes of water, and down below, she heard Coco swear. "Great. Now we have to throw Rav overboard ourselves. Some one pass me a pair of gauntlets and help me throw her overboard." Scarlet stayed in the crow's nest, stunned by the event that unfolded. Her own sisters executed to preserve the rest.
With another splash, Scarlet waited a full ten minutes before crawling down the crow's nest and heading into the cabins. Word was already being spread around by the officers on the fates of the sick. That it was a brutal, heartbreaking, but necessary evil. Crawling over to her best friend, Scarlet scared the crap of her at a touch.
"Fucking hell Redd! Don't sneak up on me."
"Sorry Adda."
Adda shook her head, quikly tying the back of her hair into a ponytail. "You hear what happened?"
"Worse. I saw what happened."
"Oh god. I'm... fuck Scarlet." Adda threw her smaller frame around Scarlet, hugging her close. "This whole situation is messed up. The Captain should have never taken the job. Box smelled like crap from the get go."
Scarlet knew Adda as of late loved to challenge Captain Kerrigan's role as leader. It was close to treason, but she let her vent. "I know."
"Making a quick buck instead of making smart choices. And killing our sisters? This is all so, so fucked."
"I know Adda."
"We have to-" Adda interrupted herself with a cough. Grabbing a handkerchief, she cleaned herself off by dabbing her gums. Blood was staining the blue cloth. "We have to get the piece of junk off the ship. Get the younger girls somewhere safe from Captain Kerrigan."
Scarlet winced at Adda. Dear god. She was sick. Must have been early, but the bleeding was there. Did Adda even notice? "Yeah. You're right when you're right." Scarlet watched Adda smile brightly. Although she was only ten months younger than her, she loved to take charge.
"Hell yeah I am. I'm a little tired, so I'm going to sleep until the sun is nice and out. I hate rude awakenings."
Walking away from her best friend, Scarlet rubbed the back of her neck. How many other girls were sick? When their symptoms worsened, the Captain would have them join Davy Jones locker as well. That thought terrified Scarlet. They deserved better. She would help give them better, like Adda wanted for her them. Running to the cargo hold of the ship were no one was, Scarlet grabbed a stick of dynamite. Cargo hold was reinforced with steel walls. Should contain one little explosion. She hoped.
As Captain Kerrigan was ready to steer the ship further into sea, a massive explosion sore into her ship. The back side of her boat was blown wide open. Spectacularly, no one was killed in the blast. "Everyone man your stations!!! Coco! Report to me the damage!"
Five minutes later everyone was scrambling on the ship. She could float, but if any other pirates saw them, all they'd have to do is give them a mean look and the Screaming Predator could sink. "Captain! The cargo bay was completely annihilated. A freak accident with a single stick of dynamite. We need to head into land and start repairs immediately!"
"Ey!" Captain Kerrigan took out her compass and map, looking for a chatter that'd get them off the sea as fast as a possible. Soon enough, she had her heading. "There's a land known as Omisha not too far away. We'll head there and make repairs immediately. Drop the forward sails and make ourways east!"
~
The Gerudo crew made it to the mainland in about fourteen hours of intense labor on the ship. When it hit the shore line, the Screaming Predator practically came apart. Would take at least a week of everyone working together to fix the damage. For Scarlet, she was relieved. Least this way the sick could live the rest of there lives on land, perhaps even run off further inland. And for final sights, this Omisha wasn't a bad sight. For the next three days, the Gerudo didn't stray far from the boat. They cut down trees and set to work, but everyday, from 1pm-2pm, the Captain was kind enough to give them time off to relax. Most of the women loved to patrol the beachside and swim.
Adda was taking a walk with Scarlet during such a break. Stripped down to light pants and a bra, Adda was just glad to have the sun on her face. "You been feeling alright these past few days?"
"Yeah? Why? You not?"
"The physical labour around the ship is abit straining, but other than that, I'm all good."
Scarlet laughed when Adda laughed, but she knew her sister in arms was growing unwell.
"Adda. You know, we could just leave right? If you aren't feeling good..."
Her eyes glistened with surprise, and she waved her hand off at Scarlet. "I told you. I'm good. Besides Redd, it's not my place to run. If I'm not feeling too good, I'll just chat it over with Captain Kerrigan. We can get real antiquated with each other over my problems."
Running up the beach, a pair of older Gerudo women caught up with Scarlet and Adda. "Adda. You get back to the ship. Scarlet. You're going to join us on a recon mission to search deeper inland."
"But it's not the end of our break."
One of the women immediately slapped Adda across the face. "Captain's orders. Now get back to the ship runt."
Scarlet patted Adda's back as she lowered her head and did as she was told. The reason Scarlet was asked to go into unknown territory was simple. She was one of the few Gerudo on board with magical capabilities, as well as trained in the arts of the Iron Knuckle. Scarlet wasn't skilled enough to summon armour onto her, but she was capable enough to transport her battle axe to her. "Should we go back to the ship to suit up?"
"No time. Captain wants us to go search now. Food or treasure is the objective. Need to make up for the lost cargo." Nodding, Scarlet took off over the hillside and into the jungle with the older Gerudo.
The shaman was certainly enjoying the view of the beautiful ladies naked in the ocean. From his spying, he was able to come to a few conclusions. The ship ran aground due to structural problems, the women were trying to fix it, and a handful were very sick. Some were only little girls, it seemed. He pitied them, having to play adult at such a young age. Yet, there was still the present problem of the women actually being here. Mother did not allow humans in her land, at least, not anymore. Usually, humans were devoured on sight. Though, these women did not seem to be causing any trouble, other than trying to chop down part of their forest. He decided to leave them be unless curiosity got the best of them.
And unfortunately, it did.
As the women progressed further into the jungle, Bonegrinder knew he had to act. Too many Echidnans had lost their lives to humans. If this beach became known as a popular spot to store treasure or take a pit stop, the risk would increase. Humans were naturally curious creatures, and that would result in their demise in this land. Mother said that he could either scare them away or kill them. Two choices, and he decided to try the less messy alternative first. In a rather dramatic way.
The first woman he slipped his tail around her ankle and pulled her into the bushes, earning a terrified scream. She tried firing at him, but he snapped the gun in half and threw her into a muddy pit. Now, she'd be focused on getting away with no weapon in hand. The second lady, he pulled her up from a tree branch with his long body, hanging upside down. Yelling, she thrashed wildly to get free, trying to take a shot. He dropped her, swatting her with his tail into a tree, just enough to hurt. Hissing, he was successful in scaring the two women away... but now, there was the issue of the kid. To her, he was horrifying.
"Child..." Bonegrinder growled as she held up the axe, shaking a finger at her. "Don't play into the hands of stupidity. Leave."
It happened so fast for Scarlet. Out of the cover of the jungle, it came alive and threw them about. Felicia was the first to get thrown about, falling into the mud. Grekal was injured in the attack, scampering away to leave the others to themselves. Scarlet snapped her fingers and a giant battle axe appeared in her hands, ready to chop down on this jungle predator. The appearance of this monster was chilling to bone, and Scarlet was shaking in her boots, yet she stood tall. Her eyes were careful to watch the monster's tail, as well as his face. "Back off you scaly abomination!"
"He really doesn't want to eat you, but Kasdeya, Mother of the Monsters, the Many, she wants you gone from her lands." Bonegrinder slithered closer, not bothered by her trembling threat. "He can't really blame her either. Humans are pests. Now, are you going to run back to your shipmates and inform them to leave?"
Scarlet wasn't expecting it to speak. Taking a stance, when Bonegrinder drew too close, she swung her axe. "Back. Off. We'll take what we need to repair. And I'm not letting a monster hurt anyone else."
This was annoying. Was he really going to have to dispose of a tiny, weakling child? She acted fierce but her heart rate begged to differ. When the girl tried to strike him with her axe, Bonegrinder moved swiftly, wrapping his tail around the handle and yanking the weapon away from the young one.
"He told you to leave. Mother does not want you here, humans are a plague upon this land." The shaman snarled, exposing his fangs and unlocking his jaw. "We will not let them kill anymore of our brethren. He will not repeat himself again. This snake is giving you a chance to escape with your life like the other two."
Scarlet screamed and closed, scrambling about. Instead of running towards the beach, she ran deeper into the jungle as a way to get away from Bonegrinder.
"Ah! Idiot girl, that is the wrong way!" Bonegrinder exclaimed, running a hand down his face. "He swears Mother gives him these tasks just to get a rise out of him. Why can't more children be like that Mortuus child in his catacombs?" He stopped for a moment, realizing how foolish that made him sound. "On second thought, she is considered odd compared to other children." Grumbling, the shaman muttered, "Now, he has to play babysitter before she gets swallowed by a Jawstalk Mantrap. Mother doesn't want any skeletons lying around. No evidence."
Scarlet was falling down hillside, getting branches smacked in her face, and tumbling through bushes. Finally, she thought she made enough distance between herself and the monster and hid underneath a fallen log.
This was akin to children hiding under their beds in Hyrule. Bonegrinder sighed, exasperated. This was going to take some drastic measures. Finally, he yanked her out from underneath the log, his coils wrapped around her so she could not escape, arms and legs pinned. "You are very annoying."
Scarlet screamed so loud it rang Bonegrinder's ear drums and rattled his skull. "Dear god no! Please, no, no, no, no, no!"
Slapping a hand over her mouth, the shaman held the side of his head.
"Good Mother Goddess, girl! Shut up!" Bonegrinder snapped. "Why are children so damn loud? Either that, or have a pair of lungs that could pierce eardrums, by Kaksa." The shaman started slithering back in the direction of the beach. "You are idiotic, girl. He told you to go back to the beach, but no, you run into the jungle. There are some other kin of his who might not be so kind to a human child." He took another sniff of her trapped form. "Hrm. You've got the scent of womanhood, but still not mated. Thus, still a child, like he deuced." Once he was finally at the line of the jungle, he uncoiled his body from around the young girl. Giving her a shove with his tail, Bonegrinder told her, "Stay out of the jungle. Mother does not care for humans, and this snake is not fond of them, but he doesn't like to hurt children." Then, he tossed the axe at her feet. "And quit playing with dangerous weapons unless you really know how to swing that thing. Magic or not, it won't do you any good unless you stop doubting yourself." Muttering to himself, the snake started to slither back into the jungle. If the women trespassed again, then he would have to cause actual harm. Or eat them.
Scarlet whimpered as she sauntered back to the boat. "Captain needs to bomb this place. Need to get Adda on the ship..."
Bonegrinder watched as the three women swore up and down of the existence of the devil, firstly, then shadow creature, secondly, and last but not least, a mutated snake creature. He thought it was amusing, the young kid begging the captain to believe her. Humans had long forgotten the residents of Omisha, yet there were plenty of tales to keep them from entering the vast jungle. Hopefully, this would keep them at bay.
"Captain, please! There be monsters in the jungle!"
"Fine. We can repair the ship, then dump the last of the sick here."
Scarlet's eyes widened. "No captain! No one else is sick!"
"Unlikely. Everyone knows the risk. I won't infect the healthy members Scarlet. Now, you've had a long afternoon. Get your ass back to work on the ship."
Scarlet did so, trying to think of a way to save Adda and the others.
~
It was getting dark with the sun setting. Maybe a night or two left until the crew was finished. When they were alone on the ship, Adda hugged her from behind, careful to only have clothing on clothing contact. "Scarlet. I appreciate all you've done for me. Really. But I'm not gonna risk the rest of the crew. When the time comes, I'll lead the sick into an island expedition. It should be fun."
"But Adda..." Scarlet turned to her, feeling like a failure of a protective sister. They weren't bound by blood, but they were sisters in arms, bound by sea, sweat, and tears. "I can't stand the thought of you out there in that jungle alone."
"Hey. We could always take over the ship the-" Her smile shattered as she suddenly coughed.
As Scarlet stepped away, Adda finished her fit. Turning her head back up, she smiled with blood in her teeth. "You should probably go get some fresh air away from me Scarlet. I'll be fine on my own for a bit."
Crying, Scarlet ran off. She wanted to be anywhere but the one place she felt helpless. Getting off the ship she ran to a tree on the beach where she could cry her thoughts away.
The women were still here. Bonegrinder considered just storming the camp to scare the daylights out of them. Perhaps that would prove a point. Was his warning not enough? Then, he saw the girl from before. Now, she was crying for the sake of her sister. Bored, this caught the shaman's attention. She was too preoccupied to notice him, already up in the palm tree. "Girl." Bonegrinder spoke, flicking the tip of his tail back and forth. "Is he really going to have to eat someone to prove a point? He told you and your like to leave."
"Majora on high!" Scarlet backed away on her hands and legs. "Please don’t hurt us! We need to make repairs to our ship!"
"That he has observed by you taking trees from our jungle." Bonegrinder picked at his teeth with a claw. Dinner was rather chewy. Wild deer was not his favorite, but it would do for now. "Though this captain bitch of yours has talked of leaving some humans here and this is not acceptable. Omisha is a land for monsters, and only monsters. Humans have wrought enough here." The Anagari's redd eyes were glowing in the dark. "Why haven't you used your magic to speed along the process? You have it. He can sense it."
“We don’t have that kind of magic. And speed along what? The construction of the ship, or the deaths of the sick?”
"The construction of the ship," Bonegrinder was definitely explaining things to a child. "By healing the sick."
“We can’t! We don’t have that kind of magic! Why do you even care?” Scarlet didn’t even realize she was yelling.
"Are humans really so fragile?" Bonegrinder mused as he slithered down the tree. "He cares for the safety of his kin. Yet, he supposes that children are innocents." He glanced at the young ones separated from the group because of the coughing. "Little ones who have yet to see the horrors this world offers."
“You care? What can you do that we can’t?”
"For one, he can fight." Bonegrinder chuckled. "And for two, he can use magic."
"I can do both of those things." Scarlet stood up, adrenaline cutting through her fear. "How can that help us?"
"Child, you've yet to learn of what you need to survive, much less ways to help others." Bonegrinder was crass, but truthful. "You are naught but a little girl." He then stated less harshly, "This snake needs you all to go, yet, he does not wish to harm anyone if he can help it. Most of you are children. Merely, scare you away from these sacred lands." He then asked, "If you wish to learn to fight, then you have to be brutal and be willing to take down one before a strike is allowed at those you care for." The snake eyed the heartless captain. "If you wish to learn how to control your magic, you must let go of your doubt. Magic is tied to the soul. You do not have confidence in yourself and must overcome the fear of failure." He extended his tail to Scarlet. "If he aids you, you must leave and tell no one of this place."
"I'm not going anywhere with you. If you think you're so great, then tell me. Can you heal my sisters? I don't have that kind of magic in me. No Gerudo has the magic to heal."
Bonegrinder actually laughed at the girl's statement. This was certainly more fun than having to swallow a human whole. Perhaps there was a deal here he could take advantage of for the future. Ah, yes, he could see it... "Oh, little child, you are quite bold to insult this snake." The shaman then twirled a single finger in the air, allowing a line of magic to flow. "You wish for him to heal your sisters? Then you must know his magic will come with a price."
Scarlet thought to Adda. Thought about how she never had family she could love until she met her. She was the face that she wanted to see smile properly for years to come. As much as this monster terrified her, perhaps he could be a source of salvation. "Anything."
"Anything could lead you to ruin, little one. Yet, Bonegrinder will venture to be merciful." The shaman held up his massive clawed hand, magic shimmering around it. "Years from now, you will be loved. You will have a family. You will not wish to leave them for an upcoming battle against discord." He knew she would not understand the implications until later on in her life. "You will pledge yourself to the queen of dragons and fire, host of the one who will bring back Balance. You will fight for her and become a queen in your own right." The snake's tail flicked in anticipation. "In return, this snake will heal your sisters and... dispose of the captain. Do we have a deal?"
"Deal! We have a deal!" Scarlet was clamoring to shake his hand.
"Then the deal is struck." Bonegrinder took the young girl's hand and a line of text traveled down Scarlet's arm. It wrapped around her upper arm, tattooing itself into her skin, in the shape of a snake. Once again, he had the opportunity to add to the advantage of his side for the future battle. "Now... drug your ill sisters with these after you lure them over here." He held up a bottle of sweet tasting coconut juice laced with poppies. "It will lull them to sleep and he will heal them."
Scarlet frowned, looking at the tattoo. "I'm not into ink."
"Don't worry, they won't see it." Bonegrinder then instructed Scarlet. "You better hurry. With that sickness, there will be permanent damage if you don't act fast."
Scarlet ran back down to the ship. Supper was being prepared for the whole crew. Clam soup. Realizing what Bonegrinder wished for would be impossible, she didn't know what to do. Adda saw Scarlet with the bottle and pulled her to the side. "What do you have there?"
"Huh?!" Scarlet hid it behind her back in a flash. "Nothing."
"That's a crock of shit and you know it."
"Fine. It's to help the crew relax."
Adda raised a brow, and a cheeky smile filled her face. "Scarlet, you minx~ Why didn't you tell me you wanted to have some fun." Grabbing the bottle from her, Adda carefully danced around the crew and poured the contents of the bottle into the soup. "This is going to be fantastic. You steal these drugs from the Captain?"
"Something like that." Scarlet patiently waited for everyone to have supper and go on there way. Within the hour, everyone who had eaten, except her, well deep asleep. The teenage pirate made her way to the deck of the ship and waved Bonegrinder to come over. As she waited, she cradled Adda next to her.
"You, little child, are quite devious." Bonegrinder climbed over the side of the ship, his weight causing the wood to creak loudly. "Goodness, and he thought he snored loudly." He noted a few females with mouths open, louder than hogs. "Lay the sick flat for him on their backs. It's easier to access the lungs that way."
"I didn't know what to do to get them away from the ship. Adda here actually thought of spiking the soup." Scarlet lugged all the crew members who were sick and did as she was asked. Finally, she prepared to lie down herself. Didn’t know if she was sick too.
"This one..." Bonegrinder looked at Adda, and frowned. "Is trouble." He told Scarlet as he started on the first ill lady, his hands pulsing with a white glow. "You should stay away from her."
"She's my best friend." Scarlet frowned back.
"She will cause you nothing but trouble and pain." Bonegrinder would not reveal too much, and halted when he arrived to Adda. He tapped her forehead with his tail. "Something tells me this one is half conscious." He stated dryly. "Loopy. She might mention something along the lines of a demon or a snake when she wakes."
"Whooooos that?"
"A doctor Adda."
"Yeah? Helloooooo nurse~"
Scarlet wasn't surprised. Adda was able to handle her substance abuse.
"Shaman, not doctor." Bonegrinder arched an eyebrow. "You need to quit squirming so he can help you clear your lungs."
"Noooo that tickles. He's going to hurt me."
Scarlet held Adda down, rubbing her back gently. "It's ok Adda."
"I don't want him to hurt me."
"I won't let him. I won't let anyone hurt you."
"Stop being such a crybaby, you'll be fine." Bonegrinder snapped at Adda. "He told you to hold still." As Scarlet made sure to hold her friend steady, the shaman worked his healing technique. It was not long before the disease was out of Adda's lungs. "She should be fine, but he will warn you, this one will only cause you trouble."
"And I'm not listening. Thank you. You should go now."
Scarlet carefully set the crew back into non-suspicious positions. It took any hour of heaving people back and forth. Finally, she crawled into bed, exhausted from the haul. The very next morning, Captain Kerrigan called the crew to a meeting. It was a miracle among the heavens as she called it. Every girl reported clean and healthy across the board. Captain Kerrigan didn't pry too much into it. Meant less people needed to be killed. Once the ship was fixed, she stabbed a flag into the beach, a symbol for danger at your own risk.
Sailing out, Adda poured Scarlet a drink of cheap rum. "Too health and getting off monster island."
"Adda, it's a continent."
"And all land is surrounded by water. Hence an island."
Scarlet's face turned into puzzlement at that. "Hmm, I never thought of it. I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right. Now, lets drink."
~
"And so, that was the closest Adda came to death at the time. It was only a year later that I helped her in a mutiny against Captain Kerrigan. The crew loved Adda, so we were more than happy to appoint her Captain."
Greta pulled on Volcania's shirt to pay more attention. "That's cool momma."
"... a giant snake monster, Momma?" Lovisa looked puzzled. "We don't have any snake men here, do we, Mama?"
"Not unless one has been hibernating for a very long time." Borghild shook her head. "The closest thing to a snake here is probably an ice salamander. They freeze during the winter and thaw in the spring."
"Why did they pick Adda and not you? You saved them." Greta asked.
"Because I didn't tell anyone I saved them. And because I'm not a leader Greta." Scarlet rubbed her hands together. "Adda was the one with the charisma, drive, and brains to lead. As for the snake monster, it lives only in Omisha."
Rat, however, was beginning to sweat buckets. Corsaire worked with Orana's brother, the nefarious Ralnor. The blonde prince gave the ex-gladiator the creeps and more than once, Corsaire had mentioned something in passing about Ralnor working with... monsters. At the time, Rat thought Corsaire meant the scum of the earth, mercenaries, or humans with cruel tendencies. Now, he was beginning to think Corsaire meant in a literal sense. Many times, his captain had mentioned meeting a giant... he gulped. A giant snake.
"Did you ever meet this giant snake again?" Scarlet looked at Lovisa and glanced at Rat with a tell she was about to lie. "No sweety. I didn't need to meet that terrifying monster ever again. Any other questions girls?"
"What was the deal about? It sounded like he was talking in riddles." Lovisa questioned her stepmother. "Do all monsters really talk like that? Or was he just like... tricking you?"
"Probably just needed some money from me in the future. Or good food. Monsters are fickle things."
"Did Adda ever meet him? Or remember him?" Lovisa was still full of questions.
"Yeah, after all, she was a little loopy, but could still recall bits and pieces." Greta remarked.
Scarlet shrugged. She knew it would endanger her family to mention the Hive. Rumours still flew around that made her skin crawl. "Not that I know sweety."
"How big was he? Did he have fangs bigger than Mama?" Lovisa pointed to her mother.
"What color were his scales? Why did he talk so funny? Did you see any other mons-"
"Lovisa, me darling, stop asking your Momma so many questions." Rat picked up his daughter and gently sat her on his knee. "Me knows you're curious, love, but not all these questions have answers."
"Sorry." Lovisa seemed a little bashful after that. She loved a good story.
"Momma?" Greta looked at Scarlet. "... if he knew Adda was going to be trouble, why did he save her?"
"Because I asked him to."
"But he didn't have to."
"Greta, lassie, please, don't pester your mother."
"Well, I gave him a mean, stern look that shook him to his bones to do so. Kind of like this." Scarlet gave a mean, silly scowl to Greta to show off.
"... Momma, that won't work on me, I'm your kid." At that statement, Rat and Borghild had to hold back a stifled laugh.
"Well. Fine then. He had to keep his word or our deal would be void. I wanted Adda healed and that was that."
"Magic seems complicated." Lovisa remarked with a yawn. She was definitely a grizzly bear like her mother, cuddling into her father. It was time for a nap after riding around on the ship.
"Well, do you regret saving Adda?" Volcania asked.
Fuck. Scarlet rubbed her hands again, anxiety filling her. "Should anyone regret sparing a life?"
"That's not what I asked. I asked if you regret saving Adda."
Lovisa and Greta were quiet when Volcania asked her mother this question. It seemed... pretty harsh.
"You've been talking with Revy and Liz again haven't you." As Volcania opened her mouth, Scarlet spoke first. "No. I don't. If I didn't save Adda, none of you would have been born."
Lovisa and Greta exchanged glances, the girls knowing that Adda was generally a taboo to speak about in the family. Yet, they also understood some of Volcania's curiosity. After all, her father was Bomba, Captain Corsaire's first mate and demolitions expert. He could make some of the finest gunpowder in the world from what the younger girls were told. But, thanks to Adda and that evil dragon, she never got to meet him.
"Adda was my best friend....” Closing her eyes, she decided to end this conversation. “Rat. Raise the anchor. I want to see you girls put the boat parked back into the harbour."
It took a little longer than expected, but the girls managed to get the ship back into the port. It was quiet on the way back. Borghild kept the girls occupied so Rat could talk to Scarlet. Bomba was always a touchy subject. "Me lovey..." Rat approached Scarlet once the girls and Borghild disembarked the ship. "You gonna be okay?"
"Yeah. Do you think I'm a bad seed or stupid in the head because I still care for Adda?"
"No. It's hard to a-forget the good memories even with bad ones still present, lassie." Rat told Scarlet with a sigh. "Me still loves me brother Renegade... well, tis Faris now. We were separated long ago, but reunited. Dere's nothing I would a-do for him. He's got a good life now with Teb and his little wee one, Skyla."
"But Faris doesn't have people calling him a bastard, a bitch, a monster. Or anyone that worked for him a cu-" Scarlet paused, stopping herself. She needed to breathe and calm herself down. "It's not the same."
"Aye, you's right, lassie, tis not the same." Rat put an arm around Scarlet and pulled her in for a close hug. "You's done stuff you's regretted, so has I. You's doing good now with the girls, me, Borgie, we all love you. If you hadn't of done what you did... me doubts you'd be here with us."
"I know. I know." Scarlet sighed, as she hugged him close. Suddenly, a stone in her pocket was shaking. Pulling it out, a voice echoed out to her.
"Hey ma. We still having dinner together?"
That was today? Scarlet spoke back into the whispering stone. "Yes Revy. We'll be over in an hour. You and your bird won't have to wait for long."
"Maybe tis do you good to go see Revy and Seija." Rat kissed Scarlet's forehead. "Go see her. Don't worry, we'll care for the girls."
"What? You don't want to join us?"
Rat did not have the heart to tell Scarlet that his back was hurting. Getting old really sucked. "Borghild was going to go hunting and someone needs to watch Lovisa and Greta." He gave her a smile. "Go on. I don't want you to a-miss the fun."
"And Volcania? Growing worried. She's old enough to be approached by men now. And you know how Direnor heat can be. Maybe she should come with me."
"You think her father didn't teach her how to swing a mace?" Rat chuckled. "She a good fighter like her old man and her mother. But if you want her to go with you, then take her. I'm sure she'd love to see her big sis for a while too."
"Volcania!"
"Yeah?!" She shouted back. "We're visiting your big sister!"
Volcania sparked up. "Awesome!"
Scarlet sighed, glad that was dealt with and started brushing her hair back. She stopped cutting it a long time ago, gone the days of shaved down sides. It felt good to just get her hands in there at times. "Anything you need from Revy Mousa?"
"Just tell her to come visit her old man soon." Rat assured Scarlet. "We'll be fine at home. Just have a good time with our lassie, yes? And tell her we want grandkids."
hello! i want to ask you what your thoughts are about the flashback scene btwn cloud and his mom? im asking as a fellow cloti because, as much as i keep trying to figure out what the significance of it is, i can't come up with a proper guess. ive even thought about the clerith explanation and it still doesn't make sense to me ;-; at first i thought maybe it was one of zacks memories, but that didnt work either.
I have thoughts!
Ok, this is actually far more simple than people have made it and it needs looking at from the right pov: Cloud’s mom. It also needs to putting within the correct context, that of a past moment. Applying current feelings to something that hasn’t happened doesn’t work. It implies that Claudia has meta knowledge of Aerith’s future role in Cloud’s life.
Cloud has just met Aerith’s mom, who is very protective and loving and reminds him of his own mother. What you gotta think about is there’s very few maternal figures that age who Cloud meets. One is Marle, whose advice gets him to lower his guard towards Tifa. The other is Elmyra, who lives in the most idyllic house and whose warmth towards Aerith evokes memories of his own mother.
Ok, there’s your set up.
It’s night time and Cloud has spent the evening likely listening to Aerith and Elmyra talking before he’s sent to bed. So, now he’s thinking about mothers. And the last time he saw his mother was during the Nibelheim incident.
Cue flashback.
Cloud was 16 during that and it’s the first time in 2 years that his mother has seen him. She’s naturally excited and wants to know everything he’s been up to, but she’s also a mother and Cloud is a kid in the big city. She’s worried. That’s her little boy, her baby. So much emotion all mixed up, but she knows her boy and that he’ll dismiss any concern she has -- which he does.
She’s proud of him and asks about girls because -- now this is the simple bit -- a girlfriend will take care of a boyfriend. That’s what she’s after. She wants to know someone is taking care of him because she’s in Nibelheim and can’t do it. Her son is 16. A younger girlfriend can’t look after him. I would laugh my goddamn ass off if anyone implied a kid can take care of a kid in the way that Claudia means. So, she says an older girlfriend would be best, because someone older than Cloud -- at that point -- is more responsible and mature, who is more capable of looking after him than someone his age or younger.
What she’s not saying is “oh hey, this girl you just met who happens to be one year older than you is totally your type.”
And tbf, Aerith isn’t exactly responsible. I mean look at all the things she gets up to. She gets Cloud in more trouble than anyone else in the game. She throws herself gleefully into situations because she wants to experience life. It’s just part of her free spirited personality.
Tifa, at the time Claudia says this, is 15. Okay. She’s younger than Cloud and even though she’s mature and responsible for her age, she’s in Nibelheim and Claudia likely knows she can’t leave because of her responsibilities to her family and town. Tifa isn’t a contender in this situation and I also doubt that Claudia knows about Cloud’s long-term crush.
Now, Cloud’s just come back to Nibelheim and been unable to re-approach Tifa, so that combined with Cloud’s childhood avoidance of Tifa due to backstory plot stuff -- I did a promise analysis about this that covers my thoughts here -- Cloud’s mom likely didn’t even consider that Cloud at this point in time was harbouring a great stonking crush towards Tifa. This is why he’s so dismissive of the moment and that’s why it’s not a nod or approval towards Aerith.
At the time of this event Cloud likes Tifa. So, even if by the weirdest of convoluted reasoning Claudia was saying she prefers Aerith, Cloud doesn’t. Cloud at 16 likes Tifa and he would be dismissive towards Aerith because of that.
Present Cloud -- ok, let’s say he is on the way to liking Aerith. That doesn’t mean he’d think on this moment like “omg my mom is a prophet!” It’d be more like a “huh, what a funny coincidence”. Because his mom isn’t psychic, predicting the future. She just wants to know her baby boy is being taken care of. It’s a mom thing.
