A Day in Sadaoby

"It's called, 'That One Night in FranklinsTown'. It's a ragtime, humor piece me and Francis came up with."

Vastile stopped repeating the intro and began the actual tune.

"This one night down in FranklinsTown, I found my body lyin'. For I had gon' to too many bars, Wasn't Walkin', but was tryin'.

My Vision was dimmed and stun about, as me legs became jelly. Twas' then, that time, they found meself, passed out upon me belly.


Yoho, We drank to our hearts content. Yoho, We drank til' our lives were spent!

We flew The Spirits to the town, to find what we might there. Too bad, all we found was the drink and our nightmare.

The swigs we took all caught up and soon we all were thrashing. Trying to get the ghosts, we gave each other a bashing!

Yoho, We drank to our hearts content. Yoho, We drank til' our lives were spent!"

The song went on this same way, the light tune putting a smile on the faces of many. This had never happened before, but was a humorous idea, thinking of us all in that way. Vastile was almost never drunk.

His hands bounced up and down on the keys, playing the tune with expert precision.

Crow smiled widely at the words as they were sung. Its was a darker tone but with a cheery tone she enjoyed, not many make song like this anymore. Even less sung them now-a-days. She clapped her hands along with the music as her eyelids grew strangely heavy.

Music like this was like a lullaby to her, sweeter then honey and filled her heart with warmth no amount of hot food, a good home, or the love of another could bring her. She fell asleep with her hands in her lap and a smile on her face, but this smile was not a crazed one nor was it her usual creepy one. It was a small smile that in a way almost seemed sad.

Cassie bobbed her head along with the beat, but kept her lips zipped tight. The tune wasn't one of her favorites, but that didn't mean it wasn't a good song.  Noticing Crow's eyes closed, it didn't look like she was just listening. Is she asleep? 


Shrugging, Cassie nodded to Vastile and the rest of the crew before turning away from the scene. She waved to them over her shoulder and floated down back to her room.

Vastile sighed when Cassie left. He was still a bot worried about her feelings towards her new family.

The song finished and his hands moved straight into the next tune.

This song was still up beat and cheerful, but it's lyrics and the odd verse showed a sadness. His crew and his ship were his life and he was the luckiest person in the world, but he still had his fair share of sorrow. He hasn't seen his family in years, not since he left Elbaf, in fury and anger. His exterior of lightness and humor was partially a defense against his past and inner thoughts.

"Soldier on... Head High... Smile Wide... Feelings Locked Inside."

The thought of those he had lost. He kept their names inside the back of his journal. Not too many names, but the people behind them... He knew their likes and dislikes... Their favorite songs... Their overused jokes and quirks... A full person behind each name.

Simon could see Vastile's smile, which had turned from it's genuine nature, to a hallow shade of a smile. Everyone could see it, but only Simon observed it.

"Tomorrow... Tomorrow, we land on Crow's Island... Maybe things will chance then." Vastile stood and nodded to the men on the deck. Slapping the side of the Organ, it flipped back into the deck. Vastile noticed Crow sleeping and he gave a genuine smile. Simon had retrieved his lens and was gone.

Vastile considered taking Crow to her quarters, but in the end left her in the chair. The open air can make anyone feel amazing, when they wake up.

Vastile dropped his coat and flung his hat onto his desk. He, upon entering his quarters, realized just how tired he was. He counted, finding he hadn't slept in almost two days. He looked out the large aft window, looking at the water, as the moon's light reflected and bounced from water to cloud. His had rested on the pane and he sighed. "How can someone called 'The Colossus' seem so small..."

Carefully removed his boots and put the next to his Gauntlets on the desk. He reclined on the large mattress and looked at the ceiling, thoughts swirling from past happiness, dead friends, and mortality.

Crow slept soundly throughout the night. Something that was a rare occasion on her part. As she slept she was visited by an old friend in her dreams. An old man, the upper part of his face always hidden by a skull mask, his face worn and wrinkled from age. In truth Crow had never really met this man, he had started visiting her in her dreams many years ago. They would sit at a table surrounded by complete darkness and with a teapot that was always warm and never emptied as they played cards, Blackjack was the most common.

So as she sat down in her chair at the table, the old man cross from her and a third to her left. She had once asked about it, and the old man had chuckled saying it was for the third player,that it was someone important. But never once had there been a third player, Crow had never asked about it since, but there was something about that chair that caused a cold hand to grip her heart and a lump to form in her throat. She hoped that who ever that chair was for would never come and join their little game.

She removed her hat out of respect and placed it on the table nearby. "Good evening Old Man...Its been a while.." She says as she starts sorting some glass coins, the same kind she had spent hours making earlier and gave the old man his share. "Indeed my Dear it has." He says, his voice dry and whispy like someone who had never had a drink of water. "Tell me of your new adventures my Dear." He says as he deals he some cards before taking some for himself.

The back of the cards was blue with a school of silver fish. This made Crow raise an eyebrow, for she knew by now this was the deck they used to play Go Fish. One of the Old Man's favorite game but not one they played often, only twice before. But still they bet their coins even in a child's game they bet. They bet who would win,who would get the last card in the deck,who gets the queen of hearts. There was always betting at the table.

So as they played their game and many different games after it and as they played Crow told him the tales of what had happened since the last Game Night. When she reached the part about the rather funny entrance she had made in the dining hall he burst out laughing. The Old Mans laugh did not suit him at all. It was a loud booming laugh that seemed to shake the entire world of Darkness. It was a laugh that was full of strength and youth, not a laugh you would expedite from the thin ancient man before her. After a moment or two he calmed down and took a sip from his tea and chuckled.

"What interesting tales you have my dear!" He says before placing his cup down his voice turning serous "Now I have a tale for you.." The dark spots where his eyes were stared back at her,into her very soul. Crow had never been sure if they were shadows or if the man really had no eyes at all. "A tale about what you will find once you reach your home once again..."

(Long posty o3o)

Cassie laid down on her bed again after removing herself from the bubble. She turned to face the side, curling her tail up a bit. She closed her eyes and drifted slowly off to sleep. 

When she awoke it was still dark, though light seemed to be trying to get through. Cassie had had the gift of a dreamless sleep, and felt well rested. She pulled herself silently into her desk drawer, and drew another paper from its bin. She began to write in beautiful calligraphy, naming the paper and adding the date in the top right corner. Then she moved on to the middle. 

Even though she hadn't dreamt, she recalled lyrics coming to her during her sleep. Cassie wasn't just a singer, she could also compose the music, put it on paper, write the wonderful words. So she did, in her gorgeous handwriting.

The light broke into Vastile's large bay window and dashed across his glasses, reflecting the sun's light.

Vastile opened his eyes and slowly got out of bed. He hadn't had a great night sleep, but after a quick in place jog and jumping, he was awake. He tossed on his glasses, put on his boots, hist coat, his gauntlets, and then finally, after combing and tying back his hair, he dawned his hat.

He flipped through his journal and placed it inside his breast pocket. He tested his gadgets, as was his daily rue tine. He walked out of his quarters and quickly went to his workshop, without being seen.

He found the Harpoon in the storage bay and he nodded at it, glad to see his request answered. He uncoupled and removed the locks from the base and placed the heavy iron links into a nearby chest. Coming back and stretched. He bent down and strained to pick up the heavy harpoon turret, it lifted slowly, and glided over the floor, as Vastile grunted and moved it into an empty corner.

He huffed and brushed his brow. Cracking his back he made his way to his workbench, which stood next to a mass under a tarp. He smiled and tossed off the covering, revealing The Copper Dragon.
He tested and readied the engine and checked the taps and pressure.

The dragon whooshed steam from it's nostrils as it rumbled and chugged. He pushed it over to the platform, were the Track Harpoon was anchored, and prepared the platform to raise to the deck. Vastile went back to the workbench and grabbed his wrench, an 8-foot tall, cast iron monster, which he used to fix his larger machines, but also he would wield like hammer.

He moved over to a copper funnel and found Simon's. "Simon, you copy?"

A moment passed. "Aye, Sir."

"I've given you Cassie's room renovations, Crow's will be on their way soon, could you coordinate the renovation, so it will be finished on our return. Just pass out the duties, you'll be needed with us."

"I've already done it. I figured you'd ask eventually."

"You scare me sometimes... Come to the deck, I'm bringing up what you call 'My New Toy'."

"Right"

"Gotcha"

"Gotcha"

Vastile closed the lid and moved to the platform operations. He flipped the switches and flung the lever. The platform began to rise and the ceiling opened, as warning lights warded off those who'd walk into the open floor. He rose and so did The Copper Dragon, outfitted, and waiting.

The platform guttered into place on the top deck. Vastile walked over the the Starboard side and look into the distance. There was a dark spot, he tapped the side of his glasses, and they magnified, allowing him to see the island close up. A cloudy, murky, cold looking place. "Hmm..."

Vastile set his glasses back to normal and did the calculations. "We should be there in... an hour."
Vastile looked back at The Copper Dragon and then realized... He was hungry.

"Well... I was going to need to see Francis anyway." He took out The Copper Dragon's key and dropped the braces to keep it in place. Vastile walked to the mess and got a stack of Bacon and Sea-King Sausage.

Crow sat up and yawns flinching at the sunlight as it hits her eyes. She pulls her top hat down over her eyes somehow it stretching to a normal size before making her way towards the dinning hall her tumbly a rumbly as she enters the room walking on her hands looking half asleep and her hair sticking out wildly in the air, looking like she had been hit by lightning.

She sat down in the same chair she had the other night mumbling a few mornings to some of the crew. Crow wasn't much of a morning person and had a particularly nasty aura around her that that morning. Her mind full of worry and of the words of the old man from her dream. She hoped they were false, that what he had said was not true.

She pushed the thoughts out of her mind for now as she blindly started grabbing food and eating it with great hunger. But as she ate more and more her aura grew causing a few members to move away.

Cassie woke yawning, stretching her arms high in the air. She pulled herself into a bubble and began floating out the door, sleepily rubbing her eye. It was so strange to wake up in a bed instead of on hte ocean surface. 

It was breakfast time, she could tell. The mermaid passed a few of the crew members on their way to the dining hall, but Cassie didn't follow them. She wasn't hungry, and she wanted to be in the water. The only way she could think of being under the surface as the bathroom, unless of course, she jumped overboard and into the ocean. But she didn't, instead she found her way to the baths again. 

Sinking under the clear liquid, she swam freely around the large bath. It was wonderful, and it helped cleanse the grinding gears of her mind.

Sated, Vastile walked back upstairs to find a few oglers looking at the Copper Dragon. He took the helm and began a gradual decent procedure. As they flew towards the island, they dropped slowly. He moved to the main copper funnel, to address the crew.

"We will be landing in roughly 30 minutes and will arrive at our destination in 45. The party, which I've predetermined should prepare for a leave, which could be days long. The rest of the crew are on daily duties and on watch duties, otherwise consider it an on ship leave.

The Party should report to me, geared up, fed, and ready in 30. Let's have a good mission. Yea."

Vastile closed the lid and tossed a lever, hearing the Kerchunk of the pistons switching direction. The ship was slowly drifted down. Vastile walked to the very aft of the top deck and sat in his large wooden chair. Leaning back, he took in a breath of air and smiled.

"This is going to be a good mission... I hope."

Crow pushed her chair back from the table and while carrying a piece of taost in her mouth she made her way into her room. She packed up ther things in her Doctors bag. She then placing Chi on her head where he curled up to sleep. She then made her way to the main deck her scythe resting on her shoulder. "Morning..." She says around her piece of tosat in her mouth.

Cassie carefully got out of the tub, even though she did not want to. "Guess I better go to the deck.." she told herself nervously, slipping into the bubble and floating out of the room. 

She wandered around the halls, not really wanting to leave the safety and security of the indoors. But, she had to. So she found her way out and onto the deck.

The mermaid froze with fear as she exited. A cool breeze surrounded her, and the clouds hovered by the boat. She tried to keep herself from looking over the edge, the height terrifying her. Unable to move, she floated in place just outside the doors.

Simon and Francis came out onto the deck speaking softly to one another.

Vastile walked down the stairs from the control deck, glad to see everyone there.

"Welcome. As you know, we'll be leaving soon for the island. Crow, being familiar with the area will be leading us. Cassie will be scouting, while staying near our center, she is good with her weapons and doubtless has the keenest eyes. Simon, you'll follow behind us, out of sight, in case of incident. Francis, stay next to Cassie, watch her back, but be ready to strike if anything comes near.

I will be operating The Copper Dragon" Vastile motioned to the Brass Beast, hovering above the deck calmly, "Crow said our guest ship could hold hundreds, so I figured this would fit on deck."

Vastile laughed a bit. "Also, Simon." Vastile tossed the iron bar to Simon. He then flicked it and the blade sprung out, he tested the weight. "That's for you."

Vastile walked back to the control deck and read the dials. He brought The High Spirits to the water, operating the controls like a piano, the hull touched incredibly lightly. He pulled a very large lever and the ship rocked slightly, as the anchor dropped from the For of the prow. It touched bottom seconds later.

Vastile walked to the brass funnel and opened it up. "This is Vastile, we've touched the water. The party will be leaving, as soon as our... ride has arrived. As I've mentioned before, be on alert, do your daily duties, but otherwise, it's an on ship leave. Out."

Vastile closed the lid and went to the away team. "We all set? All geared up? If you need to, there is a chest located in the large seat of The Copper Dragon."

Crow looked out to the water, she could make out where the trees like blackened bony hands stood on the shoreline behind a thick cloud of fog. A slight pinkish glow was coming from the mouth of a river. Lantern Blossoms, filtering the acid like water of the river as it flowed into the sea. She smiles before reaching into a bag and pulling out a glass coin, unlike the others this one had a small hole in its center.

Putting it to her lips she blows softly into it. A low tune floated loudly through the air. After a minute or two a loud noise almost like a fog horn echoed the sound as something massive started slowly sailed out of the fog.

A ship that looked to be made out of black twisted wood, but with a closer look it was really a black metal that gave off a rather creepy feeling. In full view it looked much like an old fashion ferry boat, but it cut though the water with such grace and ease it was almost breath taking. "There she is...The Dead man Ferry"

Cassie let out a sigh of relief as the boat touched the water, physically letting her shoulders relax. She floated up to Crow and Vastile, a nervous expression touching the edges of her face.

"Are we ready to go?" she asked, her mind focused on the task at hand. It's just like hunting down a bounty....only different.

"I think we are..." Vastile studied the large ship and smiled. "ohh.... I want to know how it works..."

Vastile walked to The Copper Dragon and started the boiler, releasing a gush of Steam from it's nostrils. He smiled widely, he could never get enough of his new invention. He laughed and did it again.

"Well, all aboard and Crow will show us the way. We could go from our deck straight to it's."

Vastile wondered about who or what piloted this vessel. He remembered old legends of the underworld and the sea there. A boat like this sail it, captained by the un-dead Cheron...

Vastile wondered and nodded. "Make sure you have some loose change."

A bridge sudden extended from the ferry spanning over the water attaching itself to the edge of the ship. Crow simply walks across it, her boots clicking loudly on the dark metal. Once on the other side they were met by a blue haired man in his early thirties.

He was wearing an undone black straight jacket (so the sleeves arn't tied up) The left side of his face was tightly warped in white bandages but still he smiles kindly at them all. "Welcome aboard the Dead man Ferry The safest ferry to ever travel the River Styx!"
Crow smirks "Don't you mean the only Ferry to ever travel the River Styx Kai?" The man sweat drops "Ah yes well...that's how we know its the safest...now your payment?" he says holding out a hand, or what looked to have been one at a time. Now it almost looked like a skeletons hand more then anything.

Crow just reached inside her bag before pulling out ten of the glass coins and dropping them into his hand witch he quickly closed. "I believe the captain would enjoy seeing you again..and to meet your new...friends...I trust you know the way" he says jesting towards a large black door made this time of actual black and twisted wood. Crow nodded and causes Kai to smile and bow to the group. "I hope you enjoy your stay...Gentlemen...Ladies." He says bowing before turning and quickly disappearing.

After he was gone Crow shivered a bit, "Creepy..." She says before walking towards the door and looks back "Well come on then...it would be rude not to at lest say hello to the Captain.."

Cassie floated nervously along side Crow, her brows furrowed and a concerned expression on her face. Her father had taught her to never trust humans, well, she didn't need her father's advice to know this guy was bad news, or at least he was in Cassie's eyes. But she continued on, hovering beside Crow and Vastile. She tried to keep her worries off her face, but now and then it crossed her eyes

Vastile smiled at the odd fellow on deck. He drove The Copper Dragon onto the large vessel and laughed. "Now, that was an interesting chap. I wonder if he plays cards?" Vastile guided The Copper Dragon onto the deck and set her in place, dropping the claws down, and letting her rest upon them.

Dismounting Vastile took in the ship, studying every inch of it, and making mental notes.
"What a ship... Looks a bit beat, but she's got personality to spare." Vastile took the Copper Key and tucked it into his hat. Simon found a spot and sat, looking at the water. Francis followed him and they spoke a bit and Francis drank from a flask.

"Don't fall in the water, boys... Couldn't tell you what it may do... One that note," Vastile removed a glass bottle from the Copper Dragon's Chest, "I want a sample of the Styx for study. Whenever it's prudent. In the mean time... It would be rude of me not to meet with our host and captain. I only hope," Legends fluttered through his mind, "That he proves an interesting sort."

Vastile tightened his gauntlets and tapped his boots.

Crow opened the door reveling a long crapted hall tha seemed to streach on forever. On both sides of the hall large portrits of what could asume was portraits of former captians, large scary looking men, a few loking like they had been dead before their deaths. Now and then a picture of a wemon would pop up, they were all graceful looking and had the beauty to match that of a goddess. the srangest think they all had in common were cat or snake like eyes, just like Crow's every coor of the rainbow with no two being the same

"Ill tell you what it does.." Crow says suddenly still with her back to them all. "It melts the flesh off your bones in less then three minutes, it burns like acid on the skin, so even if you somehow get it off before the melting point, it leaves nasty scars." She says darkly.

"That's only with coming in contact with it..its a much different story when its drunk..." She says turning her head to look at the pictures, for some strange reason their eyes almost seemed to fallow them.

"I saw it once, a man..I guess he couldn't take living anymore...We get a lot of people who come to the island wishing for death..I tried to stop him from drinking it..but...Once the water of the river Styx enters the body, it burns through skin and bone like fire with dry paper." She pauses for a moment letting out a soft sigh.

"...Yet it doesn't kill instantly,the man lived for three days after that...screaming in silent pain his throat and chest melted and fused with his organs...He was a lucky one he was...I've heard of people lasting weeks like that before they die..."Crow says softly "That waters cursed...Its a death I wouldn't wish one any living being.."

Crow stopped in front of a door like the one they had come through but this one was a blood red instead of a black. Crow knocked on the door and waited a moment before the door slowly creaked open on its own. She entered and looked around, the room was rich in color and looked like it should have be the study of a rich man the the living space of a ferry captain.

Tall bookshelf lined every wall, a few couches and chairs big enough to seat Vastile easily were placed around the room. But there was two things in the room that didn't seem quite right.

The first was all the stuffed animals in the room, in every nook and cranny in large piles were stuffed toys cats, dogs, rabbits, all with a cute Gothic style theme. The next was the dead body laying in the middle of the floor, a girl around Crows age wearing cute Gothic style clothes layed on the carpeted floor her pink hair pooled around her as her amber snake eyes we dull and lifeless and locked in a state of terror.

there's certainly a few people I'd wish that death on Cassie said to herself, grinning a wicked smile as she imagine her mothers captors dying. She hovered just outside the scary room, eyeing the portraits with a wary eye.

"Creepy." she muttered. Then she saw the body lying on the floor of the it her room, and supressed the urge to laugh. lovely. Looks like we have a murderer captain on this ferry. Just my type.

Vastile walked down the hallway glancing at the portraits. His eyes kept a solid neutrality as the skimmed. Vastile thought to himself, "An intimidation tactic? I don't scary easy."

He walked into the odd room and immediately fixed on the figure on the floor. "Could be dead... Could not be dead... Either way, I'm not willing to chance a life on whether or not I think it wise to approach this in... this setting."

Vastile strode forward and knelt down the the side of the figure. He tapped the shoulder and cleared his throat. "You fine, fooly?" He checked for a pulse.

The girls body was icy to the touch, it was as if touching her skin was like plunging ones hand into a frozen lake. Crow knells down next to the body and whispers something in her ear, the sound that came out of her mouth was a deep hissing noise like that of a snake. It was an long and low sound, that was met by a creepy giggle. "Its a deal then.."

It says before suddenly there was the sounds of shuffling from one of the toy piles. One of the toys tumbled form the pile, a bear made of different style clothes, it was a hideous creepy looking thing. "Well?" It says tilting her head. At this Crow smiles "Your best yet."

She says smirking. She then jesters to the body "Ah yes...sorry.." The toy says before moving to the body and touching it. It glowed a golden light before suddenly the girl gasps as light returns to the body her pink hair turning a sliver blue

Cassie raised an eyebrow in question at the suddenly silver-blue-hair turned pink-hair girl. She leaned casually against the door frame, well, as casually as a mermaid wearing a bubble around her waist could. There was an immediate difference from this Cassie over the one on the ship. This one was confident, and not creeped out by anything. The one on the boat was nervous and shy. She was more comfortable on land than sky, and much much more comfortable in the water than on land.

"I'm quickly becoming desensitized from this boats quirks." Vastile stood and looked at the odd woman. "A strange form of... art? Though, I may say, it does gain points for originality and charm." Vastile pulled a long cigar from his from pocket and lit it with a Gauntlet. His cigars had a circlet of brass and mesh on the mouth end, a filter, which he had designed, and made the cigars almost completely safe.

"A useful power... I almost wish I had it..." Vastile pondered the uses of such a power.

"I'd use it to enter and control my own machines... That'd be very interesting! I could make many things for that... I'd like to talk to you more later on that note, as for now." Vastile removed his cigar and looked down at the woman. "I'm Vastile, Captain of the SteamPunk Pirates. This is Cassie, our Marksmen, and, I assume you know, Crow, our Doctor."

Vastile pushed up his glasses and replaced his cigar.