Headed by a Snake

Coraline pursed her lips, "Well... yes, but what's that have to do with anything?"

Tychon let out another frustrated sigh as he turned to his companion.

"Mister Lone, return to the room, if you would, and retrieve my puzzle box. I'd rather be vexed by an inanimate object than..."

The young master gestured to Mister Giorgio.

The elder Popoto stroked his neatly trimmed beard, "You must believe in the 'Heart of the Cards', Tychon, my boy."

"Ah... about that," Lone hesitated... before slowly baring his teeth in a grin, full of guilt.

Tychon stared at the ceiling before bringing his furious gaze back down.

" W h a t ? "

The boy nervously wrung his hands as if he were the smaller man... "I thought... you had the key? ...Sir?"

Tychon closed his eyes... his breathing slowed... and he physically trembled with rage.

A sudden chill ran down Coraline's back, down her arms and legs... losing the feeling in her fingers as the blood drained elsewhere.

Seeing the young master upset triggered her danger senses even more than when she faced Mister Ramon... and the tiefling was wearing armor, had a dangerous Martial Class, and had literal goring weapons on his forehead.

Coraline's fear defied all of her logic.

Tychon wasn't... a large person or incredibly intimidating-- as muscular as he was underneath his robes. He wasn't a Circle Mage... and he didn't pack nor wear adventuring gear.

If she had to venture a guess what it was that bothered her... the noble had... an almost... predatory aura. Like... a snake in the grass... like he could strike in an instant, and there was nothing left but to die an excruciating and agonizing death.

Coraline... did. NOT. like. that. man.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Tychon opened his eyes, his voice eerily... neutral. "I'm going to visit the Captain to entreat for my room to be opened. Perhaps you'd all like to accompany me?"

He then turned his golden eyes down to glower at her, "Would thisss. be. acccceptable? Missss. Coraline?"

Under the man's gaze, Coraline's fear reached an all-time high. Beads of perspiration dripped down her forehead. Her heart thumped faster than a rabbit's foot.

She opened her mouth to speak... but her throat had closed up-- she couldn't even breathe. She clenched her eyes shut, blinding herself, and she nodded as if that was the only thing that would save her pitiful life.

...It also gave her a sudden feeling of being very stupid.

Wh... why? Why was she acting this way?

She could breathe just fine. Tychon was just *looking* at her. Looks couldn't kill-- even if she wanted them to sometimes.

Coraline opened her eyes to look at everyone else in the dining hall. No one seemed to have noticed how much trouble she'd been having-- not even Mister Lone.

...Empty NIGHT!

Was it because she was SHY?!

Just because Sir Tychon was a TINY BIT attractive-- just because she hadn't had a boyfriend in for-EVER-- just HOW could she freeze up like she did?!

"Y-yes, yes!" Giorgio leaped down from his chair, "These old legs could go for a nice walkabout!"

"L-let's go find Miss Maisie!" Coraline added, her courage quickly returning... "--Mister Elladan, too."

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea," Lucrezia clapped her gloved hands together-- something her husband often did. "It's almost time for lunch, anyroad."

Felicity tapped her cheek, before slowly adopting a mischievous grin, "OoOoh~ Can we split up into pairs? I want to accompany the young master!"

"I choose my husband," Lucrezia wrung her hands together, smiling lovingly. "That leaves Miss Coraline with--"

"Reeee-jected," Coraline rolled her eyes.

Moving in two-person teams was an act of precaution, not for setting her up to walk with Mister Lone.

...

After waking up a very grumpy Ramon, the remaining passengers set off towards the Captain's quarters.

Tychon boldly strode ahead-- likely, expecting everyone to follow him...

Coraline didn't voice her complaints... She wanted to be the first to talk to the Captain, but she didn't want to bother the young master with such an insignificant request. She decided to settle for walking just-behind him.

Mister Ramon complained loudly about the sloppiness of their 'marching formation'. The tiefling, himself, had trouble walking in a straight line, which made his trivial complaints even more so.

Their disorganized gaggle encountered Miss Maisie and Mister Elladan. They had just finished cleaning the passengers' rooms.

Elladan had rushed over to Felicity like a puppy that hadn't seen his master for weeks.

It was adorable.

After some short conversation, it was decided that Miss Maisie, Miss Felicity, and Lady Lucrezia would head to the kitchens to prepare lunch.

Coraline was invited to the lunch-prep group... an offer she politely rejected.

She needed to ask the Captain for permission to search the rooms and to use Olesya's magic detection wand.

...Anyroad, the kitchens were a dangerous place for her.

For one, Coraline wasn't thrilled about being with Miss Maisie in a small, one-exit room, surrounded by sharp knives and other improvised weaponry.

And second... she had no skill at cooking. Whenever she tried, her concoctions were comparable to that of an evil wizard or mad alchemist.

It was so bad, she made a metal saucepan explode, once. From that point onward, her guildmates didn't even trust her with melting butter.

She was fairly certain she'd be able to do at least that...

And so, she and the gentlemen passengers continued on their quest to speak with the Captain! --and to fetch him and Olesya for lunch, of course.

"How ya feelin', fatty?" Elladan tilted his head up at Ramon.

"Bah. Better'n earlier," Ramon groaned. "How's the 'cleanin' rituals', guy? You get to clean out Maisie's pipes or what?"

"Seven hells, no!" Elladan growled, looking warily behind him. "And quiet down, will you? What if she hears you?"

Ramon grinned, elbowing Lone beside him, "You should'a met this guy a year back. Real lady killer, this fella, even if he don't look it."

The half-elf grimaced, "It's in the past, Ramon. I've been nothing but 'faithful', as it were-- to a single relationship."

"What happened?" Lone asked politely.

Ramon placed his hands on his opposite shoulders, embracing himself, "Elladan fell in LooOooVe~"