Thread: Open Skies, Smoking Guns(Myself x F R O S T)

The neko, with her newly looted prize, didn't seem particularly inclined to shoot any of the fleeing soldiers. She could have, of course. Terrified soldiers were generally easy to hit, as fear tended to wash away the training and instinct driven evasion that left soldiers tough to shoot. There wasn't much sport in putting a bullet in the back of a fleeing target, though, and with there being a very good chance that at least some of the survivors would surrender later, it would have been a waste of a bullet. Not all of them would go quietly, though, she had to assume, which was why she carried both of her guns loaded. If she was going to be going below-decks with Merc, she had to be ready to do some fighting, after all. For now, though, if only for a moment, they had a breather, and she met the dragon's gaze, offering a nod of her own. Admittedly, the sight of the dragon with blood on his chin was a bit unsettling, but looking past that bit of ferocity, he looked pretty good in the heat of battle. Not that she would ever entertain more than bored fantasies about the Captain's pet dragon, certainly not willing to risk pissing off said captain for a roll in the hay, non matter how handsome Merc was. That was ignoring the fact that he would probably turn her down, even if she did offer. Thoughts to be saved for later, though, she had to remind herself, rather effectively shocked from her thoughts at the explosion, her keen hearing picking it up plenty well enough. Her reaction was more pragmatic than fearful, ducking low to brace herself on the deck. She could tell, just by sound, that the explosion wasn't close by, but if big enough, it didn't have to be close to throw frightfully large splinters around, or to break something important on the ship they were boarding, or worse, their own. She straightened when no harm presented itself, though, brushing herself off and politely averting her gaze. Having been facing the dragon, she had caught his reaction, and while not aware of his reasons for disliking explosions, she knew better than to do anything other than pretend she had seen nothing. Right, well, that was bad news for the enemy, but things were going to continue as planned. She arched her back in a quick stretch, giving Merc a brief view of her chest straining against her shirt before she settled in. Said member of the boarding crew, either through wisdom or spite, said nothing further to the dragon, his point made. Tragically, while the fact that this one was foolish enough to bark orders at the dragon, him being bold enough to do so marked him as one of the more veteran crew members, which made him less expendable than some of the newer blood. The Neko followed along, lightly letting her fingers dance along her new weapon. The dragon hadn't liked her looting it, but she could make good use of it, and he couldn't. She figured, watching his back as she had, she had earned an officer's sidearm. Maybe a...no, damn it, she had to focus. Too much time without a man tended to leave her mind to...wander, at least when not occupied with battle. Indeed, any fallen that were still intact enough to offer a threat were being quickly dealt with by the crew, and, as to be expected, all of their trinkets and valuables were being dealt with as well, rings pilfered and throats cut all around, save the ones who could be saved without much trouble, who were lent to those guarding the other prisoners to be converted, randsomed, or executed as their individual state's determined. It's what I do. The neko nodded, looking proud to have received thanks from the crew's chief weapon. Obviously he was more than that, but he was, without a doubt, their best weapon. She opened her mouth to offer to take care of the lock for him, having...experience dealing with locks as simple as that one, but seeing the look on his face, she wisely took a few steps back instead. Despite his young age, Merc was plenty capable, both on the battlefield and off of it. Of course, even his Captain would probably blush to think of what bedding a legendary dragon would be like, having experienced her dragon in action, but most would likely react with a more sensible fear. After all, word traveled, and, true or not, tales were heard, marveled at, and repeated. At any rate, it was fortune that this was a merchant vessel rather than a military one, as it meant there was no worrying about a powder charge to hit. Well, unless the merchant had been carrying powder, but that would have been a bad idea on a ship planning an ambush. The neko would have a few things to say about the technique, if asked, but the results were quite effective, and she hastened to follow him down, landing with hardly a sound and hiding behind a crate of her own, having gestured for the others to wait. Better if they could deal with any who investigated silently, to keep some element of surprise. ...Yeah, well why don't-ah hell! A door at the end of the cargo hold swung open with a creak, allowing light from the hallway beyond to pour in, though the hole in the ceiling was doing a wonderful job of providing illumination already. Go on, whelp! That came slightly louder, being shouted in their direction, while the next comment seemed to be aimed down the hallway. I'm not paid well enough for this! Unmistakably a female, though as the figures came into sight, too fixated on the hole in the ceiling to notice the dragon and the neko, a second figure, this one male, slipped into view as well. He was a soldier, a young looking one at that, likely not too long out of training. The female, on the other hand, wore mixed metal and cloth, armor on important places and simple clothes elsewhere. One of the mercenaries from the disabled ship, surely. Beyond, voices could faintly be made out that sounded like the surviving soldiers, but they were far enough away to not yet pose a threat, or overhear any quiet attacks in the cargo hold Well where do you expect to go? They have the deck! They're going to just blow ths floating scrap heap apart. The young man was almost impossible to make out, quiet as he talked, but the mercenary, with blond pigtails under a brown cloth cap, spoke quite loudly enough to be heard. Fortunately the crew above decks had the sense to stay out of sight, or were more than likely preoccupied with looting. Yes, shoot anyone that pokes their head in. Maybe they all blew themselves up. While she hadn't gotten the memo, with her comrades surrendered, it was likely that the mercenary wouldn't stay commited to the fight, though if Merc wasn't feeling charitable, it would be just as easy to swiftly end her. The neko seemed ready to rush the soldier, who was closer to her, waiting for Merc to make a move so that they could jump the two at the same time. With the Mercenary's hatchet sheathed and the soldier's rifle trained on the hole, they likely wouldn't be able to react until too late.