The mess area was dark and dimly lit, as the crew sat at the tables or leaned against the wall. A meeting had been called, and it was not looking good. Silver stepped in from the adjacent galley area, giving a warm smile to his fellow men and women. The air seemed to grow colder as the only thing playing in his mind was the cabin boy who was shivering and huddled in his bed, wounded and unconscious. He had his focus on his goals still but... that boys trust in him shook his heart. He stood in the center of the room, all eyes on him.
"If you pardon my plain speaking, have you all gone..." his arms switched to his trusted shortsword mode, the Damascus steel shining even in the dim light.
"STARK RAVIN, TOTALLY BLINKIN DAFT?!" He snarled at his men as he swung, cutting a portion of Onus' hat. The men shook and mumbled; it had been a long while since Silver had gotten this angry with them. As he paced the room, he forced the men to look him in the eye.
"After going through all of the finaglings of getting us hired as an upstanding crew, you wanna blow the whole mutiny before its time?!" He glared up at Scroop, his cybernetic eye shining with a dark red light like a pool of blood.
"The boy started it, and he was snooping about" he hissed at his captain, his earholes still ringing from Kaidos' spell. It made Silver nearly laugh seeing how the bard had actually gotten a one up, even for a moment, on his larger opponent.
"Just stick to the plan, you bug brained twit. It serves you right for going after a magic-user. He could probably throw you into a black hole if he really flexed his fingers. As for the boy, I'll keep em busy so he won't even have time to think." He retorted up at him, his eye going to dark orange as he started to walk out, shutting the door tight behind him as he needed to go from captain to cook before the boy woke up. He had been out for several hours, with the little child that came with him poking her head in to check on him, while also apparently tried to start a fight with the crew before Kaidos' lot intervened and put her in a time out. She was right to be angry of course; Silver had seen Scroops claws slice a man clean open, and because it was so sharp it would take a few moments before the opponent even realized what had happened. Those eyes were still sharp in his mind, and even through the pain how they glowed so bright. His skin had felt so soft in his hand, and the way he had leaned into his touch made his stomach do a backflip. 'Knock it off Silver, yer twice his age and he is gonna have to be dealt with when the mutiny happens' he told himself, grumbling as he rolled up his sleeves and put on his apron. He glanced to his quarters, rubbing the back of his neck and he set his mind to work.
When Kaidos awoke, the starlight was peeking through the beams above, and the blankets over him felt heavy. He must have accidentally fallen asleep in Silver's bed after he fixed up the scrap from the fight. The small pink tiefling looked about but saw no signs of the Ursid, only little Morph asleep beside where his head just was. He stood up and checked himself over; the spot was still extremely sore but it was not too red or showing signs of infection. He got himself together, wrapping his chest tight and getting dressed, Silver's words still ringing in his ears. He hadn't ever heard anyone refer to him like that before, and it made his heart skip ever so slightly. Morphy stirred as well as he looked about for his dad, making inquisitive chirps as he nuzzled under Kaidos' chin. Emerald also stirred but decided he wanted to nap atop Silver's wooden chest in the corner, not all too amused by all of the ruckuses that had occurred.
"I hear you, little buddy, lets go find your dad." As he exited out of the room, snapping his fingers as his magic fixed up the room so it was spiffy and clean. He could hear his whistling as Kaidos came into the center of the galley from the adjacent room, easing his tensions. Kaidos responded back with his matching little whistle and Silver spun around on his heel before relaxing slightly and smiling at him.
"So yer finally awake, I can getcha to help with finishing up dinner preparations. How ye feelin lad?" Silver said as he patted him on the back gently, though his eyes seemed to be scanning him up and down as if he was checking him for any further signs of damage.
"Ah, a tad sore but that's to be expected. I will be right as rain, don't you worry darling." He teased as he hopped to his work, prepping the vegetables with almost as much speed as Silver's mechanical arm.
"But in all seriousness Silver, thank you. If you had not stepped in... I hate admitting defeat but I got reckless and lost my friggin focus." Kaidos groaned as he rubbed the back of his head, looking down at the chopped vegetables with a guilty and panged expression. He hated losing, and he should have done better to hold his focus. Silver approached him, watching those molten orbs wrought with guilt and annoyance.
"I've lost my fair share of scraps lad, nothin to be shamed of. That was a pretty nasty scare you gave Scroop; never seen him lose it like that. I would be careful though; that lot would slit yer throat for a copper piece if you pissed 'em off enough. Jus be careful from here on out, alright boy?" Silver said, that firmness in his voice making Kaidos look up. That cyborg eye was tinged with orange again, but Kaidos nodded.
"Little Krystal poked er head in on you twice while you were out, and almost tried to challenge 'alf the crew to a fight after she found out what happened. If it weren't for the Doc, she might've been in some trouble. Keep an eye on her whenever you are able, alright?" Kaidos nodded again, imagining the chaos Krystal would have caused, the Reverend trying to snatch her up before she got into trouble. Kaidos shook his head as he finished his prep. He stepped closer to Silver, hopping up onto the center table as he watched him. He didn't know much about the spacer, but he had already saved his skin in multiple ways in such a short span of time. Kaidos liked to study people; their mannerisms fascinated him, and he liked to figure out what made them tick and what made them go off in anger. He also observed his features now that they were closer; Silvers' organic eye was a beautiful blue-green that reminded him of the oceans of his home, and his gold hoop earring would catch the light from time to time as he moved. His shoulders were impressively broad and while he did have a bit of a belly that hung just a bit over his belt, he was by no means not fit. His arm was especially thick and muscular, with the muscle tightening and bulging slightly within his shirt as he worked. His fingernails were black and sharp, yet surprisingly clean and neat. He was covered in scars that you only noticed when you got close; some of them were very small while the thicker ones he could see slightly peaking from under his shirt. Silver could feel Kaidos' intense gaze and could've sworn he saw Kaidos' tail wagging slowly like a curious cat investigating something new.
"I'm not that much to look at, boy. Those vegetables need to be finished.." Silver started to retort but saw quickly that he had finished them and they were sitting neatly beside Silvers station. He chuckled as he looked to the younger man who was bouncing his leg as he awaited further instruction. He only patted his back as they continued to cook in silence together, with Kaidos' tail brushing affectionately against his back every now and again, and their hands lingering only for a fraction on one another if they had to move past. They served up the food, Silver taking the food up to the Captain's quarters while Kaidos served the crew in the mess area. Doppler, the Reverend, and Krystal smiled at him as he served their bowls of stew, his usual smile and demeanor back. Krystal did not even seem to notice the food as she hugged him tight and almost caused him to fall, only his hiss of pain, causing her to let him go.
"Sorry darlin, still hurting. Don't you worry, I will be alright." He reassured her gently, petting her head as he gave her a piece of a loaf that he had baked specially for her, shaped in the shape of a cat. She giggled and started to eat, while the Reverend sat Kaidos down without much warning. He seemed to check him over carefully before nodding.
"Keep that wound clean so it does not get infected, I will pray over you tonight for safety and healing." He grumbled before he started to eat. The Reverend usually only spoke either when he was preaching or yelling at Kaidos or Krystal, but sometimes he would be softer if one of them was sick or injured. Kaidos smiled a little as he served him a cup of black tea that he had managed to find in the cupboard. As he looked to Doppler, he just gave a short nod. He no doubt was judging him for getting into a fight with the crew. Speaking of that... Kaidos surveyed the room and saw all of the crew who had been calling for his blood eating the stew with no complaint. Scroop was sitting in the back corner, glowering only occasionally, but it was still enough to annoy Kaidos. He remembered Silver's warning though and ignored him, turning away and continuing to serve the crew. The last thing he needed to do was get in trouble by starting another fight and risk pissing off the Captain and Mr. Arrow.
As dinner ended, Silver and Kaidos set to dishes, though Kaidos was the one doing most of them while Silver sat at a smaller table smoking a pipe. Morphy and Emmy came out and were enjoying small bowls of what had been left over. Kaidos sighed as he scrubbed against the pot, wiping away sweat from his brow.
"Well, dinner seemed to go off without a hitch at least," Kaidos said as he stacked the clean dishes, turning to look through the cabinets and take inventory. "Although sir, we may need to restock sooner rather than later. Maybe hit one of those outer ports along the way so we can pick up some supplies." He looked to Silver, who seemed to be elsewhere in his mind, that brow of his furrowed and his eye hazy.
"Sir, is everything alright?" He said as he gently pat his shoulder, his hand resting there tenderly. Silver snapped to the present as he felt his warm hand, smiling and nodding.
"Ah, yes lad sorry, off in me own head for a moment. There is a port not far from this sector, but the Cap won't be happy if we have to make a stop." He grumbled, softly rubbing his chin in thought. Kaidos answered with a cheeky grin, tail wagging at the thought of mischief.
"Well, who says we have to tell her? If we sail on one of those skiffs down in the loading level to one of the ports ahead of the route, then by the time we finish up they will be right at us and we can hop back on. No one will even know we're gone." Kaidos answered with a matter of fact tone, surprising Silver. He grinned at the tiefling, picking his hat off of the table and setting it on his brow.
"Not a half bad idea, pup. Let's get going then so we aren't wasting any starlight." He flirtingly jested as his fingers trailed up his back as we walked past before grabbing his hand to lead him along. Kaidos' eyes went wide with surprise but happily followed, not caring so long as the very large and handsome Ursid kept a hold on his hand. They hurried along to the lower levels, Morphy hopping into Silver's pocket and Emmy into Kaidos'. They readied a skiff as they dropped out of the ship, holding the ship steady. Silver started to educate Kaidos on how to operate the skiff, but Kaidos only laughed as he hopped to it, throwing them into full throttle; he had been sailing in this world for a good few months, and in comparison to the ships of his world these were childs play. Silver yelled out as he held onto his hat as Kaidos took them out, heading straight for Eridani, which was about fifty miles away from their current course. Silver almost swore himself blue as they barrel rolled and flew past comets, the dust settling on their coats and hats as the stars illuminated their way.
They made it in great time, docking and paying the dockmaster their fee as they wandered into port. It was around the end of dinner time, so the town was still alive with business. They were certainly a sight; an Ursid cyborg and a pink tiefling with almost glowing yellow-green eyes and wings. Silver fidgeted nervously, worried about the attention as more eyes focused on them. But Kaidos pulled out a small ocarina-like flute and played a soft and sweet tune, and as he played flowers of all different colors bloomed along the pathway. Silver smiled as his companion bounded from stall to stall, helping gather supplies from the vendors and merchants while giving extra coin to each person as a tip to help with whatever trouble was going on in their life for the purp merchant her baby was due soon, for the starchit (a thick potato like root that was thick and creamy when cooked) seller his wife was sick. Emmy also made himself useful by keeping track of Kaidos' pouch while Morph snacked on a free purp. Silver carried as much as he could but Kaidos stopped him.
"Let me help you, my darling." He said with a wink before singing softly in a language Silver did not know. Emmy took note and hopped to Silvers shoulder with a tiny grumble. As he sang, his features slowly morphed and changed and within the blink of an eye, Kaidos turned into a large draconian lizard the size of a draft horse with scales like burning coals. Silver nearly opened up fire with his cannon within his arm before the creature flattened itself to the ground, and Silver looked into the eyes... those eyes were Kaidos'.
"H-How in the realms did ye manage to do that boy?" He looked him over, as the lizard gurgled and picked up several of the supply bags into its big jaws. Silver smiled and attached the bags to him like a saddle as few small children cried out in excitement, pointing at Kaidos. He made a gurgle and flattened himself down, letting the kids climb all over him and pet his scales. Kids loved his polymorph, and he saw no reason to be hasty since they had gathered all of their supplies. Silver could only chuckle as the local children clambered all over him like he was the biggest and fanciest toy they'd ever seen. Eventually, their mothers collected them up as they seemed to be used to magic like this and thanked Kaidos for entertaining them. Kaidos rumbled in response, and looked down to see Silvers eyes, both organic and mechanical, almost alit from the starlight.
As they loaded up the skiff, Kaidos shifted back and dusted himself off. Silver smiled as Kaidos set the course for the ship, being more careful this time given the cargo. As they pulled themselves back into the loading area, Kaidos jokingly gave the rope a good pull so Silver slid and ended up pressed against his back.
"Aw too much for ya Silver?" Kaidos snickered at him.
"Oh get away from me!" Silver retorted as they hauled themselves in, tying off their skiff so they rested easily in the boat. Silver leaned back, comfortable against the hull.
"Not half bad boy, with that sailing. Ye certainly seem familiar with it all, more so than I have ye credit." He commented gently, watching his companion tie off the boat with finesse in those gorgeous hands.. Silver cut his thoughts short as he waited for his answer.
"I suppose, I learned how to sail and spar from my father, albeit I prefer my own style. I've been sailing off and on for two years now, so I'm decent enough." He responded, leaning back as well as his eyes seemed a bit hazy, thinking of home... what the old man would say..
Silver smiled a little at him before he hissed in pain, pulling up his trouser leg to check over his prosthetic leg. Morph saw his start to try and fix a bolt and formed into a wrench. Kaidos slid and picked up Morph, adjusting the bolt and watching Silvers face to make sure he wasn't being too rough. He didn't want Silver hurting, especially because of him. Silver sighed in relief and gave a soft smile of gratitude at him, making Kaidos' heart beat a bit harder. Kaidos looked over the leg before looking back up at the older man, rubbing the back of his head as he chose his words very carefully. He sat beside of him, looking over his arm and shoulder.
"How did this happen?" He said very softly as he touched the spot where the cybernetic parts met the organic tissue. Silvers eye seemed to go a little dark as he flexed and clenched his cybernetic hand. He answered in a voice that was much older, and seemed to reflect a deep sense of pain.
"You give up a few things...chasing a dream."
Kaidos could sense all of his pain, and he wanted to help him. He trusted Silver, and... well genuinely liked him which was a rare occurrence. Kaidos carefully placed his hands against his shoulder blades as he gently kneaded and whispered out an incantation to ease his pain. Silver leaned into his touch, letting out a guttural groan of relief as the pain subsided. Kaidos blushed at the intimate nature of it all, but he didn't mind as he used this type of magic all the time for the Reverends knees as well as Mrs Hawkins for her joint pains after a long day of work.
Without warning, Silver pulled him into his lap, with Kaidos' chest pressed to Silver, his organic hand resting against Kaidos' face. He gently kissed his forehead, his fingers gently musing his hair.
"Ye truly are something else, Goldweaver."
Silvers cyber eye shone a soft golden light, while Kaidos' burned with the intensity of a thousand suns. They both smiled and rested in each other's arms, safe and away from the noise and trouble that was above them, letting their hearts grow anew in the quiet of the loading deck.
