I'm on the wrong side of heaven and the righteous side of hell

[lordofcalamity]

Prompt 1

[Night time while on the sea is one of Velvet's preferred time to be out on the deck of the Van Eltia. Most of the crew is below either eating in between their loud bouts of conversation and laughter or already hunkered down for the night. It means the quietest and emptiest place on the ship is on the deck with the few hands are still working to keep the ship moving along their course. Most of them don't bother to seek her out or attempt to talk to her when she's out and about, moving about their tasks while giving her space.

She's taken to sitting here and letting her gaze drift out over the quiet of the sea. In the dark of night she can even see the stars reflected in the distant stillness of the water, only broken when the Van Eltia cuts through it and disturbs the calm. On nights like this the sea is very much like Velvet, calm and serene on the surface but underneath lurks an immense danger - one capable of claiming any life that's unfortunate enough to fall in. It's something Velvet is reminded of every time they happen to be on board the ship on a night like this one. Sometimes a storm can come out of no where and threaten to consume everything that manages to get swept up in its raging waters. Only few are brave enough to face it down so it only seemed to make sense that Velvet would find herself aligned with those same individuals.

A light blooms behind her as the door that leads below deck opens and Velvet turns her head a small bit to see just who's coming up. Chances were good that if it wasn't one of the pirates then they were up here to find her.]

Prompt 2

[They've taken up a couple of rooms at the local inn and Velvet has commandeered the kitchen in order to make a meal. Just because she can't taste the food doesn't mean that she can't still cook. Usually she has Laphicet as her taste-tester so all of her dishes come out relatively good and hardly anyone ever complains about them (unless she's made mabo curry for the fifth time in a row). Tonight she's made a pork dish with a side of vegetables and potatoes.

For after the meal she's made pudding but only the young malak is aware of that fact as they're all sitting down to eat. Seeing as how Velvet can't actually enjoy her own meal, she can take the opportunity to look around at the others. Velvet has always enjoyed this part of cooking - getting to see how it's enjoyed, to see how their faces light up with the first bite.]

Prompt 3

[Wildcard. Can be canon or otherwise. Anything goes!]

Comments

First Prompt

[laodicean]

...Velvet? Ah, you were up here!

[Laphicet appears in said light that seems to halo him for a moment before shutting the door behind him. He's quick to approach Velvet's side. Just wanting to check up on her since it's getting later, whether she intends to try rest or not, though they don't technically need it. They may as well try make the most of the chance to around everything going on when they can.]

You okay?

[lordofcalamity]

[She isn't at all surprised to see the small form of the malak framed by light - it actually rather suits him. Despite being near her Laphicet is untouched by the corruption she carries around inside.

As he draws closer, Velvet turns towards him just a little.]

Fine. [Her tone isn't a brush-off even if the single word might seem like it.] Merely wanted to get away from the rowdy bunch downstairs. Was there something you needed, Phi?

[laodicean]

Hm? Ah, you just weren't with the others, so I wanted to check you were alright.

[Not..necessarily physically. He's aware she can handle herself fine in that regard most of the time, with the support of his healing artes. But just in general. She's often fretting over him and how he's doing, so he feels comfortable enough at this point to return that.

He joins her, easily approaching her as he looks from her to the water, the light playing against the waves in ripples of light against the otherwise darkness.]

[lordofcalamity]

Magilou's got them so riled up that they're going to take a while to settle down. I took the opportunity to get away before she tried to drag me into her next ridiculous act.

[Though hopefully the witch has learned her lesson concerning that seeing as how Velvet did so poorly when they took to the stage. However, she's also sure that Magilou wouldn't hesitate to pull another stunt like she did in Loegres.

Velvet does rely on him to heal her up physically, forced him into it against the first fight against Artorius because she was too blinded by her own hatred to realize that she wasn't strong enough to win yet. It's typically the one way that she does allow others to look after her because attempting to help her with her emotional burden isn't something they should have to carry.

She too turns her gaze out to see.]

It's hard to tell where the sea meets the horizon in the dark. [Ah, maybe that's it. Maybe that's why sometimes Velvet comes out here at night - the quiet and solitude remind her of the time she spent in her cage. Alone except for her thoughts and the occasional daemon.]

[laodicean]

I think she does it to get us to laugh.

[To lighten things, amid the general tense and uncertain moments and situations they find themselves in. Magilou has her sort of role she's fit into in their strange group, as does everyone else. This is just the role she's taken on. To cheer them up. At least, as far as Laphicet figures.]

When the moon is smaller? Hm. I guess so. When it's darker like this. It's....peaceful though. Being out here watching the water, even at night.

[lordofcalamity]

More like annoy us.

[Magilou isn't the sort of person who'd try to get this group of people to laugh - more that she was interested in using them to get outsiders to laugh. Though that has failed on more than one occasion. Or sometimes to break the tension when someone might get eaten - literally.]

Hm, it is. [Peaceful. Almost as if one could forget all of the turmoil spreading across the world.] I can see why Eizen decided to live this way.

[Maybe Velvet could have too at one point in her life.]

[laodicean]

Hm. [He'll....just let the Magilou thing slide. She's never been the biggest fan of the witch anyway, so he kind of expects Velvet's patience to be thin where Magilou is concerned.

Instead, he focuses on Eizen. The water.]

It's pretty. I think what I like about it, the ocean, the horizon, is the possibilities. What we mind find, what we might do when we get there, what we might see. Who we might meet. It's...kind of scary too, but it's exciting, more than that, I think.

[lordofcalamity]

[The witch has her uses sometimes. Velvet can admit to that much at least.

As he talks, she allows her gaze to drift over to the malak - once again reminded of the brother she's lost. And yet Phi is different from Laphi at the same time. Phi is trying to figure out who he is still, guiding his own life.]

That's freedom for you. The possibility to do anything, go anywhere while feeling excited but scared. Maybe someday, if you're lucky, you'll find some place to call home.

[laodicean]

Home? I guess.....the headquarters were like a home before. With Lady Teresa. But now I'm not so sure.

[Home is where someone lives. Where they work, where they sleep. Laphicet, none of them have that. Except perhaps the ship itself, or the prison they made their base of sorts to work from in storing their things and having somewhere safe to return to from their travels.]

[lordofcalamity]

[Now Velvet turns, leaning back on the rail as Laphicet attempted to figure out where he might call home. Once upon a time she would have said her hometown of Aball was hers though in truth it was merely the place where the people she cared about lived. Now it probably stood empty, an echo of the lively little village that it once was. The people who she loved were dead or should be.

Never once has she considered that prison her home, though. Not even now that they've taken it over as a base. This ship wasn't one either. She looks up at the billowing white sails against the dark sky.]

Home can be anywhere because it's a feeling. It's where you want to be even when you're not there. Some people find that home is a town or a building, maybe even a ship such as our pirate acquaintances. Others find their home is with other people. Doesn't matter where you are just so long as you get to be with the person or people who gives you that feeling.

[laodicean]

A person....or people. So then, my home is with you, Velvet! And Eizen and everyone else.

[But mostly Velvet. Of course. Laphicet can't help but smile as he looks from the ocean and it's waves, the ripples of light across the surface of it, to her. The one who gave him a name, the one who saved him, who he said he'd follow no matter what.]

[lordofcalamity]

[She can't help but smile at him a little. Of course he would say that. Velvet may have stolen him away from Teresa on accident but Laphicet has found his place with them. Not that all of them are actually a family. Chances are that once they've accomplished their goals, they'll split up and go their separate ways. Though that doesn't mean Laphicet couldn't travel to see them.]

Protect your home with everything you have, Phi. Don't let anyone take it away.

[laodicean]

I will!

[An easy enough agreement or promise to make. Mostly because he has no intention of letting anyone or anything come between him and Velvet. At least not if he has anything to say about it. This was never supposed to be easy. But in spite of that, in spite of everything, he found his way to her and they've stuck together since.]

Velvet too, right? You'll protect your home too.

[lordofcalamity]

[Everything and everyone Velvet had once considered home was stripped away from her in a single night. For three years all she had was a dark, empty pit where that feeling had been that she filled up with hatred and anger. And then a single light had shone through. The ship, the crew, the others back at their hideout - it had potential even if Velvet saw them all as means to an end. There was something warming about the others that one might consider a home even with the most annoying of the bunch but to her there was a single individual that stood above the others.

Her left hand curls into a fist tightly.]

Never again. I won't let anyone take it away again. [Not even the broken and battered remains of her previous home.]

[laodicean]

I wouldn't let anyone threaten your home either, Velvet.

[He gives a determined look before resting his arms at the rail, expression softening as he looks out to the water again. He never really considered the idea of home or family. Not until meeting Velvet and the rest. But now that he has, he's sure it's something he doesn't want to lose. Not now that he has found it.]

[lordofcalamity]

[She looks over at him, watches as the wind ruffles his hair and clothing - seeing his expression change and Velvet lets out a soft sound. One might consider a happy sound if they know her well enough. Velvet too turns back to look out over the water.]

All you have to do is just be yourself, Phi. That's enough to protect my home.

[Without him, she wouldn't have anything. Not really. All Velvet would allow herself to have were tools to accomplishing her goal if Laphicet wasn't around. She would have never gotten close to the others if he hadn't suddenly gotten dragged into this mess. It would have been easier to keep her heart hardened to these people who were only looking out for their own interests. With Laphicet they suddenly had someone to look after - to teach and care about. Velvet isn't blind to the role the young malak has within the group.]

[laodicean]

Be myself? I can. I feel like I'm sort of still learning, but. I will, Velvet. And not just for you, but for myself too. You've shown me that, since you helped me.

[Well, sort of. Kidnapped. But hey, it worked out in the end. With Laphicet giving the group reason to band together in protecting and teaching the younger malak about so many different things he never experienced or questioned before, while his will was suppressed.]