Deluge's opinion of the Armada as an entity lowered with every encounter. It was fortunate for Dread that her life among the now Raiders had taught her not to judge others by the company they kept. Her leg burned from where her boyfriend's dad had stabbed her, but again, she wouldn't let herself carry the leg in company. She would make herself walk it off or die trying. She had gathered up her brother and meandered on their way back to the beach, as they hit time's cavern, a wave of nostalgia overtook her and she diverted their course up onto the old pirate ship.

The old gang plank under her paws felt like home.

Ducking below the decks was a sombre affair, she began digging through the old chests of dress ups and rooting around for any forgotten stashes of booze. The young companions would be in luck as she pulled a stash of almost full bottles free with a triumphant “Ah-ha!” and passed the spoils around, pausing only to swipe up an old, battered tricorn hat that she had drowned in as a pup, but now fit her head rather perfectly. It was poignant, she thought, as golden eyes settled on her hodgepodge coated sibling. “I wanna be a pirate again.” She wasn't going to beat around the bush, not with her brother. “If I leave, will yer join me?” After all, it hadn't been her parents to come looking when the currents swept her out to sea, but her brothers, and the other had long since forsaken them.

There were very few other people she would rather have by her side.

“Speech”

There was not much that could dim the light that shone upon his sister. For Scald, as crummy and angsty as he was on the outside, there was a soft spot for his siblings buried deep on the inside. Maybe not for the new bunch that was about to show up, but when it came to Deluge and Flurry (Rexx could die for all he fucking cared not really, but we aren't talking about that right now), his sisters were now his everything. Even if he did understand his father's decisions and how it all made sense, he still couldn't scratch that feeling that maybe his father didn't really see anything in him. These thoughts trailed about in his tiny brain as he followed Deluge back toward home. What surprised him was when she made a turn for Time's Cavern. The all too familiar looming opening to the dark cave seemed to settle his anxiousness. Home. Their real home. He couldn't even hide the smile on his dark lips as they approached the gangplank. Its creaky noises under their weight were normal, were expected. Scald inhaled deeply the scent of old wood and spiced rum. Following Deluge below deck where the light from the crystallized walls barely showed, he let her dig through the chests. Not quite sure what she was looking for, his eyes widened slightly when she exclaimed out loud. His own smile grew as she handed him a nearly full bottle and his dazzling feathered boa scarf that he too had once swam in as a pup that now gracefully hung off his shoulders. Sitting back on his bony bottom, he took a full and deep swig as Deluge spoke outright. Scald nearly spat out his drink as he glanced over to her, blinking slowly as he registered what she had just asked. "Yer don' even gotta ask, Loogie," Scald said to her affectionately as he took one more swig from his bottle before holding it out to her so they could clink them together in cheers. "I miss it too. Don' wan' none of this raider business dad's been after," he added with a huff from his nostrils and a wrinkle of his face. S C A L D

Sparrow came back to the ship and even she wasn't sure why. Her legs led her here more than her mind. She saw two of the pups on the ship and paid them no heed- the sight was so normal- until she realized that no, they had moved away from there, so it wasn't entirely normal anymore. They were debating becoming pirates again and Sparrow stopped for a moment. She'd love to go back in time, but that didn't change anything. She cleared her throat to get their attention, "What's even the difference?" she asked. "Between a raider and a pirate, I mean." She hadn't been a raider long enough- or sober enough- to know the difference yet. She eyed the bottles the pups- wait they weren't pups anymore, were they- had pulled. "And I think those are mine," she said flatly, like it was a fact. It wasn't. They'd know it wasn't. "But I might be inclined to share."

Deluge had been expecting Dread, not Sparrow to saunter into the ship and ask her what the difference was. She gave the old captain a crooked smile and passed a bottle over, keeping one for herself, as she settled back and considered an answer. “Difference is, we'd be a band, harder ter pin down but free ter move around an' keep an eye on things. People'll say things ter traveler's they won' tell ter their closest companions,” She still hadn't quite wrapped her head around that part of it, maybe the security in knowing you might never see this person again? That they won't spill your secrets if you happen to run into the person they were talking about?

“I haven' quite sorted out th' specifics yet, but it wouldn' be hard ter pose as traders or travellin' guards an' turn a profit. Good way ter keep an eye out on th' best packs ter raid too. O'course once we get a reputation it'll make things hard, but in th' beginning? Might help us get our feet on th' ground.” She paused to shrug, allowing her sigh to take on a dramatic edge, her voice forelorn as she continued, “Jus' wouldn' be th' same withou' at least one mad ol' lady along ter keep us on th' right path though...” She looked to her brother briefly, hoping he could pick up what she was putting down and help her run with it. After all, he was supposed to be the diplomat.

“Speech”

Quietly, Dread fussed over the leg. It was his fault she'd been stabbed, after all. It was his fault... his fault. Just like with everything else, it was his fault. Though he was grappling with self doubt and maybe some pity, he didn't want to mope. He didn't want to let all the thoughts in his head put a damper on the fact that he'd started the rest of his life a little early. There was a whole wild world out here, and he had to enjoy it. Otherwise, what's the point?

He'd joined them on their rummaging trip, though not without some hesitation. Dread wasn't used to being out like this, he wasn't used to being exposed. That's the thing that's struck him about being stripped of his family name, of his Armada affiliation. There's something freeing about it, but something terrifying and lonesome as well. Dread wouldn't fess up to being scared, though. He wouldn't put those feelings into words. Still, they manifest in other ways, like the careful way in which he picks around the old ship. Searching and rummaging through long forgotten compartments, caches of things long forgotten in a safe place. The rickety old ship did not seem like a safe place at all to Dread, but what did he know about that?

So he's a bit late coming down the stairs, drawing himself into what Deluge has to say. "Information is an awfully lucrative trade," Dread replied easily. A glimmer in his eye as he moved to stand with the rest of the ragtag little crew. Maybe... maybe. Maybe he was going to do okay for himself after all. Joining Deluge on an adventure had to be just what he needed, right?

"speech"

When Sparrow cleared her throat, Scald looked over to her. How familiar her face was that he barely batted an eye in her direction. Her words rolled over him and what he wanted to do was shrug. Was there even a difference? Other than that his father expected more from all of them and he secretly hated it. He wanted to be a part of what Deluge was talking about. Roam around, cause trouble, put up a facade, get information, become infamous but also stay mysterious. The dream lingered in his head as he listened to Deluge roll on about her own dream. As she looks at him for help to button it all up, what he isn't expecting is her stinky boyfriend to chime in. Turning to look at Dread, he lifts a brow but agrees, he supposes. Finally, as he takes a sip from his own bottle that he hadn't been inclined to share, he looks at Sparrow. "She's right, y'know. As a band, we can go wherever, do whatever, or not do anythin' and without a mad ol' lady to light the fire under our bums, how're we gonna 'mount to anythin'?" Scald's own cheeky smirk grows as he takes another sip. "Plus, we can help yer get yer revenge. As a band, if we get information, we can pin down who did Miss Recluse," he knew that had been on Sparrow's mind since... the incident. Maybe it would be enough to convince her to join. S C A L D