ooc: this is the foundation thread for the pirate outlaw band! once everyone is in, there will be no official posting order; just respond to what makes sense for your character. i'd like to keep this moving as quickly as possible! Calhoun is eager for this change. His crew has felt disjointed, here and there -- never truly settling. Not that they are known for being particularly homely creatures, but a base camp has always been their preference, and Firnen had proven to be a poor choice. Much as it disappoints him to do this without Roarke by his side, he is encouraged by his brother's approval; they both know that the crew is meant to be more free than the confines of pride life can give. The short swim from the shoreline to the island is an easy one to make, though it's considerably more frigid this time of year. He first finds the nest that @Camelia has made, checking that all is well and informing her that it is time. Time to meet his crew, for better or worse. Settling into a clearing in the middle of the island as afternoon crests, he lets out a call for his crew. Much is going to change now, but he is eager for it -- and eager to spend no more nights beneath a thick canopy of trees that obscure the stars. It's high time they claimed a place for themselves, with no laws to follow other than pirate law. @Calypso @Rivia @Teuta @Leviathan also tagging @Hydra & @Melusine in case either of you guys wanted them to hear the call/follow Levi/however you wanna play it.

image by koafox, code by koi

Damned if that water wasn't bitterly cold.

The island was ideal, truly, though she realized that there was a distinct downside to living off shore. The swim through ocean waters in the middle of winter, specifically. Not that she was about to complain, but she couldn't help but yearn for the warmth of her den all the same.

It had been a job, to move it all to the caverns, and she was sad to leave behind the small garden she had begun to nurture. Had it been for any other reason she would have skipped out, but she ached as much as Calhoun for the open skies and the ocean air.

Beorn was tucked away in the cavern with her things, hopefully resting on the bed of soft grasses and furs that she had readied. Calypso was.. wet. She emerged from the ocean in the mid-afternoon sun and approached @Calhoun with a tip of her nose. "'bout damn time," A cheeky greeting with a mischievous smile, feeling comfortable enough to tease despite the seriousness of the meeting.

Art by Yumpy

tidecaller
salted air in my lungs, ocean depths in my veins

     Rivia had let a long time pass between seeing the ocean. She almost avoided it without realizing she was doing it. During her membership in the rainforest, suffocated by the canopy and thick jungle brush, Rivia didn't want to long for the sea. She wanted to forget about it. When word came of their release from the pride, Rivia was more than ready to welcome the sea back into her life.

     For a while she stood in the sands, her toes buried deep in the grains while the sea kissed her feet - beckoning her in. Though, it was @Calhoun's call that sent her into the depths to be enveloped by the brine. Despite winter fading, the waters were vengefully frigid; gnawing at her skin under her short coat.

     The island grew larger the closer to got to it, pulling herself onto shore before her Captain and @Calypso. There was an all too pleased expression, a cheeky grin, painting her face; remaining silent, her eyes saying more than enough towards the two before her. She let the water sodden her coat without shaking it off, saltwater pooling underneath her where she stood.

Seaborn winds caressed her, welcoming her home.

The days had been lost since their birth, since she'd last held audience with any. Her cheeks held pallor beyond the wilted gold and ivory, they lay sunken against her bones. The time since her children’s’ birth had been unkind, and the neglect of herself was growing all the more apparent. Slothful to his summons, she stood, and a hardened stare held the smallness of their children. The thought of leaving them there without her went against the grain of her instinct. She watched him depart, debating on whether it was better to leave them be or carry each. Promising herself it would be just a moment, Camelia fell in behind @Calhoun. Choosing not to sit, as though this would mean a longer stay. Camelia eyed the women cautiously, offering naught but an uneasy smile, uncertain of herself in the face of strangers. She would remain quiet, still—her mind, and gaze all too oft drifting to her unprotected offspring._{BG — ART — CODE}

When the crew began to gather, Leviathan lingered nearby, collecting his things from his nearby rogue's den in preparation for the move. He consolidated them into a zebra-skin wrap that held within it the clumped mass of countless baubles, shells, and treasures; Leviathan's precious horde. The pelt was tightly coiled and slung over his back in a well-practiced fashion. A pirate never stayed in one place long, and he was used to moving his assemblage of belongings. A separate seal-skin sling contained a carefully stacked pile of fermented fruit - drink he had collected and fermented or simply brought with him to Amaryllis. The soft insulated seal skin had been brought with him from his homeland and kept his precious drink protected from extreme weather - though in this cold Levi had little concern of them spoiling. A bigger concern was making the small swim with them, but the seal pelt was waterproof buoyant so the only challenge would be keeping it face-up as he swam. Awkward, but not the first time he had done it.

He steps to the edge of the black shore, water lapping up to his toes. He performs one last check of his things to ensure they were properly secured and he begins his swim. He is a quick and powerful swimmer, his three webbed feet helping to carry him through the water while the fourth stabilized his booze sling.

As he hauls himself ashore, mane and fur dripping with seawater, Leviathan tips his packs onto the ground with just enough delicacy to avoid them spilling out everywhere and regards the others with a characteristic grin. While his eyes trace from @Calypso and @Rivia to the unfamiliar and curiously minuscule figure of @Camelia, they finally settle onto @Calhoun where his smile widens slightly. "Permission to come aboard, Captain?" He wondered if the others knew until now that he would be joining their merry band of misfits - or where Levi and their captain had gotten their new (and vague b/c timelines) soon-to-be-scars.

ooc Keeping it vague for @Hydra and @melusine, feel free to follow Levi or have this be their first meeting on Ama. <3

a smile that could light new york city

code by corvus

Whenever one of the brothers called (or honestly anyone within the crew), she would come. Of course, the swim out there was rough, but she made it. Unlike these land lubbers she was still growing used to, she could swim in just about any weather.

She hauled herself dripping and all to the group, spotting @Leviathan almost immediately. A sly grin crossed her features and she tried to creep up on him before lunging at him with her typical tackle hug of greeting. He was the only one around that could really withstand such a welcome, except for Calhoun who seemed to be in charge of things and therefore probably shouldn't be tackled. Nothing against the ladies present, but they were mostly... well smaller than her. Some by quite a bit. She wasn't aiming to hurt anyone with her exuberance.

Home has been, and always will be, wherever the hell she wants it to be. Lately that has been nowhere and everywhere at the same time, listlessly floating without an anchor, too much wind in the sails. It's been a leisurely lifestyle, absent of expectations and ever annoying responsibilities. Though she enjoyed her youth in the crew, loved them as more than mere honorary members of family, the immense freedom of living on her own has been refreshing. At her core, though, she is a highly social creature, as are all lions.

Venturing across that sandbar had been an uncalculated risk, but continuing on after she realized that so many of her species obviously congregated here was a choice. No stranger to the practice of claiming lionesses, Hydra had not been swayed by the possibility of her independence being forcibly seized from her. Being told where her home was, or who her leader was, did not mean that she had to abide by it, after all. And, unbelievably, it was her undeterrable nature that led her to finding her own brother of all lions.

Since their reunion, she hasn't been far behind him, spending some quality time after their separation. They were never particularly close growing up, their hobbies and friend groups differing, with time together usually resulting in their nettling one another as brother-sister pairs usually do. Just the same, they've always fiercely defended one another when push came to shove. Even at times when it wasn't particularly wanted. Many a suitor, sweet on her before meeting @Leviathan, have been bullied away, even into her adulthood.

All in all, she would follow him into the sea, just as she knows he will for her- which is precisely what she does when he crosses the water to an island with what seems like all of his worldly possessions in tow. She, of course, is not helping. When asked to, she'd laughed heartily and told him "no, no, no, 'm not here to be yer lackey," then watched him carefully pack it all up to travel. Truthfully Hydra didn't want to ruin any of his belongings, nervous that she may trip and fall on something, or that it might whisk away into the waves.

Deftly they make their way across, and on the shore stand more bodies than she had been expecting. Leviathan had told her of a crew being collected, one not new to each other, not even new to these lands anymore. They were, however, new to her. Galloway rang a bell, a name spoken alongside pleasantries (hadn't Levi been sleeping with one of them) among the Blackmonts, but all she has are rumors to go by. Unknown and unrecognized are their faces, their scents, so as she pulls herself free of the lapping waves, her bi-colored eyes flicker curiously from one individual to the next, a revolving appraisal.

"Looks like we're in time for the party," she chirps brightly, one side of her maw quirked up high, a hint of her upper canine showing. No sooner are the words free of her mouth than proposed excitement comes to fruition, a figure that is simultaneously dusky and vivid launching themselves at Levi. Startled, Hydra side-steps away from the pair with a little squeak, unsure for a moment if she should jump in to help her brother fend off the opponent. But it's immediately apparent that no claws or teeth are being used by the half-maned lioness, so instead of lending a hand, the merle decides to use this opportunity to steal some of Levi's booze.

Nonchalantly, of course. Stretching an arm out, leaning a little since she didn't want to put her big ol' body in the way of their tussle, the woman flicks her wrist, trying to hook her claws into a fruit or two. If it is a party that she's been led to, she figures this'll help her loosen up a bit around all of these strangers. Besides, her best songs have all been created while tipsy, and this new chapter of life deserves a shanty or two. What better time to start composing than now.

code by corvus

she trailed behind, each stride made with a sure yet sodden foot. the chill was a reprieve, the sweet choral chant of home home home. her heart sang as the frigid embrace fell across her figure, holding and gripping as she made the crossing. the mer-figure of her sister breaking against the hide was her guiding star. and she hasted against white-cap and gyre of a loose current. there, a congregation and @Hydra 's pantomime ferocity. a greedy smirk hung at her lips as she sauntered and swaggered to join. Impeccable timing, as always. came the cool breeze of her voice, its' algid rasp dragging through the din to reach her sister's ear. her smaller figure loosened to a recline, sinking to the sands off from her siblings' free side.

Now that they are here to settle, Calhoun will see to it that @Camelia's somewhat concerning condition improves. He means every word when he promises to make certain she's well, and he knows that the rest of the crew will pitch in when she needs it; crew is family, and it's a village that will raise their children. Just as so many of them had grown up at the feet of pirates, though his offspring will have better childhood than he and Roarke were given. A smirk flashes across his lips as @Calypso arrives with a quip on her lips, always quick to make a situation light. And today, it should be. Today, they are finally getting to where they belong. @Rivia earns a long glance, his gaze a knowing one -- she is salt and sea, every bit the same as him. "Aye," he answers @Leviathan with a grin, and with each familiar face, Calhoun feels his worries lifting. They may be a bit rag-tag, frayed at the edges, but they are survivors -- they always have been. @Teuta arrives with as much rowdiness as he'd promised Camelia there would be, tackling Levi in a rough display of friendship and prompting a chuckle from the captain. Behind the Blackmont come the two unfamiliar faces of @Hydra and @Melusine, each of them distinctly similar in appearance to him. He has questions, of course, but for now, he grants their presence by association to Leviathan. He watches Hydra reach for one of the man's fermented fruits, and a bemused half smirk flashes across his scarred lips, though he says nothing on the matter. Instead, he rallies the attention of his crew with a raucous, "all right, you lot! Settle down fer a few minutes, an' we'll get through the business end o' this meeting right quick, savvy?" He waits a few moments to be certain he has everyone's attention, though it would be difficult to speak over the thunder of Calhoun Galloway's voice. "Now then, this'll be our base camp. Fer those of ye who don' know, Roarke s'not comin' to stay, but ye can bet yer asses he'll be here to hassle us now and then. That puts us in need of a first mate." He pauses, his gaze roving amongst those gathered. He has thought about this choice heavily, and has Roarke's blessing about his decision. "Rivia, I'd have me first mate be you," Calhoun states, salmon eyes falling upon her with a slight crinkle at the corners. They've been together through so much, and in this new chapter, he would have her at his side. "Levi, if yer keen, ye'll be our master-at-arms," the dragon says next, his attention moving towards the brindle lion. There is no man he'd rather have at his back in the face of an enemy than Leviathan Blackmont. "Remember, the crew is family. We take care o' each other. Desert yer crewmates in battle, be it yer own head. All in agreement, say 'aye', or get the hell off my island," he finishes with a cheeky quip and a joyful flash of his teeth.

image by koafox, code by koi

She fretted—panic coiling and toiling. Not from present company, nor what Calhoun laid at their feet. It was a moment pregnant with another new beginning. The page crisp, and unwritten; their exploits yet to be had. Camelia, in spite of her worrying, found a smile at the sight of them all. He’d told no lie, and she was strangely enraptured by the stewing energy. Their fermented breath sweetening the frigid air with raucous energy, she was made dizzy by them. With Calhoun’s decree made, Camelia’s voice echoed acceptance, exclaiming a hearty Aye, once prompted. It was unlike anything she’d experienced, and it was addictive. Her eyes warmed, taking in the crew. Merriment was brewing, yet her mind remained held to one, or rather two, things. Giving @Calhoun a quick, appreciative look, she turned to return back to their children. Their well-being never more than a breath out of mind. exit_{BG — ART — CODE}