Open Chronicles What Was Beneath

A roleplay open for anyone to join

Lucius

Out of the Shade
Member
Messages
327
Character Biography
Link
The sea was dark, a storm slowly rocked the ship, waves cascading over the side and washing over the deck. He could hear the commotion above, the sounds of men rushing to tie down sails and pull the rigging. They were not uncommon sounds during a storm. There was no reason to go up there. The Captain had told him to rest, relax. That they would have a conversation tomorrow.

Then he'd heard the first scream.


Teth


Lucius awoke with a start, his eyes snapping open with the memories of the dream still clinging to the forefront of his mind. A lump formed in his throat, and his fingers tightened unconsciously as he suddenly whirled around and emptied his stomach onto floor.

"Agh, disgusten."

An unfamiliar voice called out over to him, a man on the street witnessing his missfortune as he awoke in the gutter. Lucius wiped his mouth, scowling at the ground as his eyes witnessed it shift and move. Such a thing was not impossible on Teth, the city of a thousand ships, but...he very much doubted it was the city moving now. "FUCK OFF!"

Lucius yelled towards the man that had insulted him, half throwing an empty bottle that he'd been laying on. It smashed against the ground a few feet away, though didn't come near the man. He heard laughter and another, but both were drowned out.

The come down from Shade, a drug made famous here on Teth, was a harsh one.

His head hurt, his muscles ached, and he felt as though his stomach had already emptied itself the night before. A groan escaped him, and slowly he sat himself back down in the gutter. He could feel the sunlight shining down on him, the sound of nearby birds and the bustle of the people echoing out in the streets just above.

No one cared that a man was in the gutter. No one cared that he seemed half-dead. This was Teth, a city created not by the hands of great men and merchants, but pirates, smugglers, and all the other dregs. A thousand ships lashed together, centered around an island smaller than an Anirian Castle. This was the great floating city, where trash was as common as the birds.
 
The street creaked under the weight of the cart. Those planks, weathered by the sun, spoke to her like a wise elder, soothing her soul after over a week on land. She'd been part of a small party sent out to restock cargo, by means both legal and not so, and she lay comfortably sprawled upon their freight of barrels, crates and sacks as two men struggled to pull the haul. She grinned at their protests and waved a hand dismissively - she was the height of shite and feather light in comparison to the weight of everything else, and she was rather enjoying herself.

"Put your backs into it lads. A bet's a bet." she laughed musically and kicked back..The cart came to a stop though and she frowned, sitting up with a look of childish demand on her face. "I said put your--" . She stopped, seeing what they were looking at, or more specifically who. The two men looked back at her and she gave them a look, a hint of warning in her golden glare. "I'll catch up with you in the hold. If there's a single coin missing from my share..." she growled quietly and hopped out of the cart, the sound of her heeled boots coming to a stop in front of the man as the other two moved on.

"Lucius.." she sighed, an exhausted sound and dropped to a crouch, blocking the sun from his face. She hesitantly reached a hand toward the man's shoulder, her brow furrowing as she noted the vomit and broken bottle. "Lucius get up."..

It'd been some time since she'd seen him, but the man had been part of her father's crew, an important part, a family of sorts, and she couldn't leave him sitting there like this.
 
  • Popcorn
Reactions: Lucius
Lucius blinked a few times as someone stepped into the sun in front of him. It took him more than a minute to recognize Peyton, her face being somewhat blurry and the clothes she was wearing ufnamiliar.

He wasn't quite sure how long it had been since he'd seen her. She was one of the ones that had managed to make it off the Concord before it sunk to the bottom of the sea. Over the years he'd done his best to avoid all of them, mostly because their faces brought up some of the memories.

A frown touched his face, and for a brief moment he wondered if he was hallucinating her. Shade did that sometimes, stuck to your brain and made you see things.

When he felt her hand on his shoulders though something snapped back into place in his mind. The ache in his head didn't go away, and the blurryness of his vision didn't cease, but at least he knew that he was actually awake.

"Ah, shit." He said quietly, rubbing a hand over his face.

With wobbly legs and a shaky constitution Lucius slowly pulled himself out of the gutter and to his feet.

"Peyton." The pirate said. "Been a while."

If he felt any sort of shame he certainly didn't show it.
 
  • Sip
Reactions: Peyton
He hadn't been the only one who avoided their old shipmates, she hardly seen any of them anymore. She missed them though, she missed her old life, and the memories of their full crew and days at sea were ones that haunted her. Already the sight of him was dragging her back there into that storm. Normally she'd have turned around, given herself a gentle reminder of the pain that came before and a warning not to stoke that fire again. But she cared, and she couldn't.

Peyton stood awkwardly, wanting to help him to his feet though nervous of wounding his pride by doing so. Her cheeks dimpled as her lips curled in a small but warm smile, and though it reached her eyes they were filled with sadness and pity.. "Aye, it has.." she spoke softly, as though afraid he might crack if she spoke too loudly in his fragile state. She looked up at him, a light smirk as she remembered how tiny he made her feel, he was over a foot taller than she was.

"I.. was just heading to get some breakfast.." she lied, she'd eaten, but he looked like he could use a meal.. "My treat?.." her head tilted. "It'd be nice to catch up." she added in a honeyed tone, if only in attempt to make him feel guilty if he refused the offer.
 
Last edited:
  • Wonder
Reactions: Lucius
He frowned for a moment as she spoke, already knowing where she was going with her question.

A weariness entered his eyes. 'Catching up' would undoubtedly be about as pleasant as sleeping on a bed of nails, but the alternative was laying back down in the gutter for the rest of the day and then robbing someone later so he could get another hit of Shade.

The nightmares were always worse without the drug, and as of late he'd suffered through them almost every night. His fingers tightened for a moment, and he absently scratched the tattoo on his arm.

It was the mark most of the crew of the Concordant had gotten at one point or another. They had all called it the 'pact'. Wasn't anything special, no rune magic or the like, but it had bonded them as a family in a strange way.

"Sure." He said finally.

He'd wanted to say no, but...some people you just couldn't do that. Peyton was one.
 
  • Popcorn
Reactions: Peyton
Peyton's lips pursed and twisted as she chewed on the inside of her cheek, her eyes narrowing at him as he considered, willing him to accept the offer. Her attention fell to the tattoo on his arm, a subtle sigh given as she was reminded of her own, luckily inked onto her back so she never had to look at it.

She was quite clearly surprised by his answer, and she felt herself use a smile she hadn't used in some time, the sort that came from deep inside to light her eyes and spread through her and into her voice.. "Great!" she reached to grip gently above his elbow for a brief moment and let go..

She lead him a little further down the main 'street' and up a few steps and onto one of the larger decks, the mahogany was aged and grimy, with flaking red and gold paint and a decaying figurehead of a mermaid. The ship had been called the The Siren, clearly commandeered by pirates from a far more grand and merchant navy before finding itself part of the ever growing island of Teth. It was a regular haunt for Peyton now, and she made her way down into the gun deck, now a huge bustling tavern. Conversations swirled in a dirty cloud of smoke, the stagnant stench of tobacco and stale alcohol hidden within the collaboration of mephitic odours , with even a hint of vomit tainting the fragrance of the room. It wasn't as posh or pleasant as it once would have been, but it was part of Teth now.

A few voices rose up above the murmur to greet her or taunt her, but she turned to make sure Lucius still followed. She paused at the bar and pulled herself up to lean over and kiss the cheek of the older man who stood behind it in friendly greeting as she asked for two mugs of ale and a plate of food to be brought over. The man gripped her chin fondly and she smiled before proceeding to the quieter area at the far side of the room, and sitting herself at a sticky table in the corner.
 
Last edited:
  • Wonder
Reactions: Lucius
While Peyton received warm looks and adoring smiles, the reaction to Lucius was almost exactly the opposite.

Many of the people in here did not know him personally of course. A few had undoubtedly heard of him, the Black mark of the Concordant That had become little better than a raving lunatic. Those that didn't know him, smelled him. For them that was enough.

To his credit Lucius did not let any of their looks or snide comments bother him. He stayed quiet, moving behind his old friend and simply ignoring anyone else.

He had spent the previous night in a gutter, a few mean comments wouldn't hurt him any.

As the two of them moved to a more quiet part of the room Lucius sat himself down. Ale and food were deposited, but the young man did not immediately reach for either of them. Despite what many said, he was not a junky. He did not crave Shade nor booze.

It was just the only way he could sleep. "So what have you been doing?"

He asked first, deciding he did not want to start with himself.
 
  • Cry
Reactions: Peyton
Peyton on the other hand did reach for her mug of ale straight away, nudging the tray of bread and dried meats toward Lucius as she watched him over her drink, taking a long draw of it and wiping at the froth on her lips with the back of her wrist. She was nervous, and it was unusual for her to be so, but it showed.

She lifted a shoulder in a shrug at his question, glad he had asked as she'd felt reluctant to ask him the same. "I've been busy, actually. I just got back from shore, re-stock.. Stopped by a few towns along the Cortosi coast. I've been sailing a little more recently, taking one of the smaller ships from the west bank . I lost all the map work I'd done.." she paused. He knew that, she wasn't sure why she was bringing it up. "Just re-tracing my steps, getting to know the seas again.." she cleared her throat and took another drink.

"You should join us next time we set out.. it's just a small crew." her head tilted and she reached a hand out to take hold of his. "You're the best warrior I've seen, none of the others are a scratch on you." she reminded, in case he'd forgotten that. He looked like he had.
 
He was about to put a small piece of bread into his mouth when she mentioned him going back to sea.

In an instant his appetite was gone, and flashes of what had happened during the storm floated through his mind. Lucius froze, fingers tightening for a moment as a shuddering breath filled his lungs. "I uhh..."

It would have been a lie to say he hadn't thought of the sea in the last few years. That he didn't just sit out at the docks sometimes and yearn to be back within the sails.

Ships had been his home, always had been. Now he just slept in a gutter.

"I'm not sure I can." Lucuis admitted quietly as he crossed his arms in front of him.

He had survived over the last few years by using the same skills she talked about. Teth wasn't exactly the nicest place, more than a few crews had turned into gangs. He wasn't proud of it, but he did need to eat. More than once over the years he'd acted as a Runner, Spy, and of course Enforcer.

It had always felt wrong though. He didn't belong in a city, even if it was Teth. "You the Captain?"

He said with a slight smirk.
 
  • Thoughtful
Reactions: Peyton
Her teeth latched onto her lower lip as he seemed to go rigid at her suggestion. She understood, more than most, but the man was a shadow of himself.. Peyton sighed deeply and rested her elbows on the table, her fingers lacing underneath her chin to prop her head up. Golden eyes stared at him, trying to see through the shell, to look past this exterior, wondering if he were still in there somewhere.

She had to laugh at his words though, and the shadow of a smirk he gave was promising at least.. “Gods no.” she grinned at him.. “I just navigate. I should be though..” she winked playfully.

She quieted for another moment, another nudge of the plate toward him, she’d give him the time he needed to eat if he was going to..

“I get it. It took me three years...” she frowned at him. “Don’t ignore the sea, Lucius. It’ll get into your head and drown you.. After a few times back out there it starts to feel a little like old times...” she smiled weakly and picked up her drink to sip at it.
 
Last edited:
  • Wonder
Reactions: Lucius
Lucius looked at Peyton wearily, a small smile still tinging his face from the comments that she had made.

He'd always thought that she would make a good Captain one day, and he supposed that her father had thought much the same. Some had thought that would be his fate, but...well, he'd never much liked being in charge.

Too much to think about really, and nowadays he hardly trusted his own mind. "I..."

For a moment he paused.

"I can't lie...I miss it." Did he dare? The nightmares were bad here. Lucius felt as though he hadn't had a good nights rest in years. Would they be worse at sea? Could he even survive that? Already he felt his heart thundering in his chest. "I'm not sure if I'd even be much use anymore."

He smiled, now absently eating. "Plus they'd probably make me bathe."
 
  • Wonder
Reactions: Peyton
She sat back and watched him battle with himself over her ale, keeping quiet as she tried not to interrupt his thoughts. She knew the feeling, she’d plummeted into that pit but he’d plummeted far deeper than she had and the only reason she hadn’t allowed herself to keep going was purely survival. A woman alone in Teth was not a wise thing to be.

The woman’s slender brow arched slightly as he admitted to missing the sea. Of course he did, but it was good to hear him say so... perhaps he wasn’t entirely lost.

Peyton beamed at the man as he smiled and she laughed, finishing her ale and licking her lips before giving him a nod. “Yes. I will most definitely make you bathe, at least until you smell of salt again.” She grinned at him, helping herself to a shred of meat.

“You’d be of use to me..” she muttered after a moment of chewing. Peyton didn’t trust any man like she trusted her father and his crew.. “Most people here are out for themselves, the crews mix so much there’s little trust, many don’t think it’s a woman’s place to give them direction. It’s a difficult world to survive in without someone to trust. An’ I don’t make a habit of trusting many pirates.” She smirked.

“We set out again in a fortnight.. should give you some time to think on it.. and bathe..” she smiled.
 
Last edited:
  • Wonder
Reactions: Lucius
Teth wasn't the place to build a future, not for him. He wasn't a merchant, he didn't have a mind for numbers, and some of what the gangs did here was...well, he didn't like to think about it.

The Sea was always where he felt he belonged. It was home to him like no other place, but the nightmares had kept him away. What if the beast came again? What if...what if whatever lay within him brought it forth? That was the real fear.

The Terror that lay at the core of all of this.

What if he had killed them all? What if he had called that thing forth and killed his own friends...his family. Lips thinned. "I'll think about it."

He said quietly.

"But I promise." Lucius said quietly. "You can always trust me."

That much he was sure of.
 
Peyton wasn't entirely sure she believed that he'd think about it, but he said he would so she didn't press the matter. She leaned forward with a warm smile at his latter comment however, golden eyes studying his face for a moment "I know." she nodded firmly and reached over her empty mug to steal another shred of meat from his plate.."See... this isn't so bad is it?.." she shrugged with a playful smile. "Where have you been staying?" she asked curiously, hoping the answer wasn't that gutter she'd found him in.

She felt someone's gaze on her and turned to look over her shoulder, though she growled quietly and drew her eyes away from the grizzly man who sat grinning at her. He wore a recent looking scar that ran from the side of his eye to his chin, and he sat twisting a small blade into the table he sat at, two other men following his gaze toward her and laughing amongst themselves.

"We should go.. Perhaps you can show me instead." she smiled back at Lucius, noting that he hadn't yet finished his drink, but her fingertips drummed anxiously on the table.

"Who's yer friend little pea?" the man growled out. Peyton sneered at the name but she refrained from turning back and entertaining the man with a response, though she slipped one of her encrusted daggers from her belt and held it against her thigh, offering Lucius another small smile.

"Ready?.." she arched a brow, hoping to leave without any issues.
 
  • Thoughtful
Reactions: Lucius
"Yeah." Lucius said calmly, frowning at the man for a brief moment before looking back towards Peyton.

He didn't have the heart to tell her that she'd already seen the place where he was staying. Most of the time he spent his nights bouncing around.

Teth was in a warm climate, the sun was almost always out and even the wind was hot enough to make you sweat. There was no real need to inside, at least not until a storm hit. That was what he'd been telling himself lately anyway.

He glanced towards the men again, somewhat weary as they watched him stand.

One of them he knew, an enforcer for the Yellow Vracks who had a penchant for using knives in the wrong way. The other two he had no idea about, but he was still hungover and barely standing. Best not to cause trouble. "I think w-"

Lucius was cut off as the man that had spoken to Peyon suddenly stood.

"This scums a bit too mangey to be with someone like you, doll."
 
  • Thoughtful
Reactions: Peyton
Peyton sighed quietly and offered a weak, apologetic smile as he agreed and she got to her feet, but at the pirate's insult she leaned heavily on the table and looked up at Lucius and clenched her jaw. "Ignore it." she told him under her breath before pushing away and turning toward the room, which appeared to have quieted slightly..She missed her father greatly, never would a man have spoken to her the way these pirates did now whilst he still breathed.

She rummaged in her coin purse and pressed two coppers into the barman's large hands and he gave her an apologetic smile. "Tomorrow, lass." he winked at her and she smiled warmly with a quiet nod before turning her attention to the brutish man who'd sought to irritate her.

"Jacob.." she nodded, looking over his face with a slight pout. "Looks like your face is healing just about as well as your pride. Don't make me embarrass you in front of your friends here." she smiled at him. Her confidence was a work of art, she was believable, but it was just that. Art. An act she'd found herself capable of putting on for survival's sake. She was a small woman with little mass, she was excellent with a blade but so were many, she didn't stand a chance if a crowd chose to pick a fight with her. Jacob had suffered a nasty gash by her hand but she'd been lucky he'd been alone, and unlucky that she hadn't been.

Jacob had stepped into her path, and she stood her ground, glaring up at him as the other two at the table got to their feet, hands resting on their hips, ready to draw blade if the occasion called for it.

"Lads.. not today.." the barman grumbled at the group, and Jacob shrugged and stepped out of her way, only to grip her arm as she attempted to pass.

Whatever he'd been about to say to her was probably vile. But Peyton's dagger had quickly found it's way straight through the man's wrist and she held it there as he tried his best not to make a show of himself and scream. He growled instead, but the sound was just as obviously agony. "It's now the third time you've attempted to touch me, Jacob." she clenched her jaw and twisted slightly "Let us pass, and call off your dogs." she frowned, glancing to the men who were about to intervene before she pulled the dagger out of the bearish man's arm.

"You little cunt." he snarled through gritted teeth, and reached for his blade.
 
  • Sip
Reactions: Lucius
The way Lucius moved almost made him look as though he hadn't spent the previous night in a gutter.

As soon as the man reached for his blade simple instinct took over. There was no waiting, no warning, he simply moved as fast as he could.

A fist launched itself high, striking the man in the throat with a hard strike before another hand quickly grabbed the back of his neck and slammed him down against the table. A loud thunk rang through the inside of the bar, and then another thud as the man fell onto the ground.

For a few seconds Lucius simply stood there, feeling the thump of his heart in his chest. He looked towards Peyton, then at the two other men who had been with Jacob.

Both of them stared in utter shock.

No one in the room had expected the burst of movement from the junky pirate, and yet it had happened all the same. "Run."

Lucuis said to Peyton as he broke out into a sprint.
 
It had all happened so quickly and she stood utterly dumbfounded for a moment, her hand on the pommel of her blade having had no time to even draw it by the time Jacob lay crumpled on the ground. Her mouth fell open, but all that managed to escape was a short laugh before looking up at Lucius and the two other men staring at him. The room was silent.

She quickly nodded in agreement and turned to sprint after him, calling back a “Sorry Mathias!!” to the barkeep as she bolted up the stairs.

Teth was a labyrinth of compacted decks and planks, cabins and holds that formed dingy alleyways and a forest of masts. It made running like this interesting, even more so as the two men gave chase. There wasn’t time for missteps.

Peyton grinned as the men called after them, she wasn’t particularly afraid, not with Lucius, but still it was better to avoid any more trouble than she’d already dragged him into. They took a hard right off of the main boardwalk and before he could keep heading straight her hand shot out “This way” to grab his arm to pull him into another right turn and down some steps onto a lower deck, pulling him under the stairs with her to fall silent as the two men passed overhead a few seconds later.

Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, but as soon as they were out of earshot she laughed and slid down the splintery wall to the deck, her heart thundering against her ribs as though trying to escape.

“I forgot... how quick you are..” she breathed, resting her hand on her chest with another exhilarated laugh.
 
Last edited:
  • Popcorn
Reactions: Lucius
Lucius looked about as bad as he had in the morning when they finally came to a stop. His chest was heaving, his head was lolling from side to side, and he couldn't help but violently cough as he rested a hand against the wall just above Peyton.

"Kress Shade is rough on the lungs." The words slipped from his mouth without even thinking.

Invoking the name of the old Ocean god didn't matter much, but letting it slip that he was doing shade likely wouldn't catch him any kind looks from Peyton. It didn't help that it currently felt like his lungs were getting wrung out with the hands of a gorilla.

Another cough wracked him. "Not making any friends lately, huh?"

He asked as he took in a deep breath.
 
  • Wonder
Reactions: Peyton
Peyton's hands ran into her hair, elbows perched on her knees as she tried to slow her breathing back down, though by the sounds of it, Lucius was having a more difficult time than she was. She looked up at him with a grin, intent on poking a little fun at his lack of fitness, but her smile melted from her face at his words and she wore a look of concern instead.

Her head shook slowly at his question and she forced a laugh under her breath.. "Not exactly no.. It's much more difficult to make friends without my father.." she frowned and dropped her gaze, she thought about him often but never spoke of him, the words felt strange to speak aloud. "Jacob is all brute and thick skull, a dog with a fucking bone." she growled to herself, quietly dreading their next encounter. "You'll understand why I need to be part of a crew, I'd never survive on my own. Not like you have...If that is what you're doing." she looked up at him again and pulled herself to her feet.

"Lucius.. Shade.." she bit down on her lip, searching her mind for a way to find delicate words, she didn't want to insult him or scare him off.. "It's heavy stuff.. It's nothing but poison.." she frowned, and reached a hand to the crook of his neck to grip gently as she looked over him. She wasn't sure why she hadn't realised already, perhaps she had and hadn't wanted to believe he'd fallen as far as he had. She couldn't help but feel guilty, perhaps if she'd been there, but she'd left all of them to their own and locked herself away to grieve without any consideration that they all needed one another..She sighed, and swallowed a pain in her throat.

"What've you done to yourself?.."
 
  • Wonder
Reactions: Lucius
"Keeps the dreams away." He said quietly, though he knew that wasn't entirely true.

There was another effect that Shade had, one which was mostly based on rumor. It was said to suppress the effects of magic in a being, create a barrier so that the mind was so cloudy they could not access whatever ability they had.

Lucius had long ago convinced himself that such a thing was necessary. That without it he would cause more death. More tragedy. "I'm alright."

He told her softly, placing a hand over her own.

"Just..." His head shook. "Just something I have to do sometimes. I don't need it."

There was a certain irony in those words. They were the same that every junky said when confronted with their vice, but Lucius wasn't lying. He could stop, he was just afraid of what would happen when he did.
 
Peyton sighed deeply with a look of understanding as he spoke of his dreams and she nodded "Aye.. I get them too.." she told him quietly. They never got easier, and she'd considered stronger vices than alcohol herself to help her sleep, but she was vulnerable enough as it was on Teth, and terrible things happened to women who couldn't defend themselves when necessary. She'd seen what shade had done to people, she'd never been so desperate as to try it.

"You're not alright.. I found you in the gutter Lucius." she squeezed gently and frowned now..

She wasn't sure she believed that he didn't need it, if it really had the desired effect, if it numbed his mind enough to rid him of the horrors they'd faced then how could he turn away from it now he knew of that bliss? "Good.. I'm glad you don't need it. It'll make it far easier to stop. You can't let it kill you. Not when you've survived what you have, otherwise what's the point?.." she sighed and stopped as her emotions crept in and threatened to take over. She didn't want to get angry with him.
 
  • Wonder
Reactions: Lucius
His lips thinned at the thought of stopping. Shade gave him no pleasure, more often than not the high he got from it made him too sick to actually stand.

The effects were different on everyone, and for him it brought nausea and a spinning world. Yet the idea of not taking it again terrified him. The Dreams would return in full force, and whatever that sirens call had been would once again echo.

"I'll..." He trailed off a moment.

In his minds eye he could see a cross-roads here.

Lucius knew that there was no way Peyton would sail with him if he still took the drug, knew that there was no way to take to the sea again if he didn't. Yet the decision to do so was heavier than any anchor.

He didn't want to see that night again. "I'll stop when we're at sea."

The young pirate said quietly.
 
The woman's head tilted at him as she tried to keep his gaze, searching his face for some sign that he could hear her words, really hear them. She felt she had some sort of duty to try and help him, the duty her father would have taken if one of his crew needed help. The captain had enjoyed a drink as much as any pirate, but he'd have forbidden anything like shade on his ship.

She could see that he was struggling as he tried to speak and trailed off to somewhere distant, her brow creasing. Of course it couldn't be easy to stop, most people never did, they just kept going until it killed them. She forced a warm smile at his words, though it never met her eyes this time. "So you'll come with us?.." she asked, a lilt of hope in her tone.

Still, that was a fortnight away, and she bit on her lip.. "And until then I'm supposed to leave you back in the gutter to rot am I?.." her brows lifted.
 
  • Popcorn
Reactions: Lucius
"I'll go." He confirmed quietly.

A part of Lucius still just wanted to run away screaming. The idea of going out to sea again was terrifying enough, doing it sober? That invited all sorts of other nightmares he didn't even want to comprehend.

It could all go so terribly wrong. The nightmares, that siren call, everything would come back all at once and there wasn't a single thing he found actually do about it. Just thinking of such things made his heart suddenly begin to pound in his chest.

He could hear the thundering of it in his ears, resounding again and again like the best of a drum.

Then she brought up the gutter. Something fell into his stomach, and words caught in his throat. Lucius wasn't entirely sure what to say to her, not if anything would do any good. He'd been dreading this since first seeing her again. "I don't really have anywhere else to go."

The pirate admitted in a low voice.
 
  • Sip
Reactions: Peyton