Elemental Cats

After Hods and Stitches finished moving all the jellyfish into the warehouse, Toz gathered everyone at the table he had made. Although the pirates had one by the boats, that table was too small to use as a gathering place for everyone. It had been some time and some tumultuous action since the last time everyone ate. Toz decided it was a great opportunity to introduce everyone properly and make sure how they were going to proceed in the future.

Especially the two pirates. Toz didn't mind having an extra couple of hands on the island to do the dirty work. The added company was also a pleasant bonus. But that was only if the pirates weren't planning on taking revenge or acting in a way Toz or the others couldn't tolerate. Toz was willing to let the two pirates go using one boat if they wanted to leave. But since they didn't have a way to navigate the Void, Toz doubted they would choose that option.

The dinner itself was boring since it consisted of a pile of jellyfish for everyone. But the food was the last on people's minds. Maybe not for Lucy since he had already started eating. But it was the first proper occasion for Joan and Joshua to talk with the two pirates. And the two pirates could sense that their future would be decided in the coming minutes.

Toz wasn't one for idle chatter, so he immediately asked the two pirates after everyone was seated.

"What do you two think of your current situation?"

"..."

The two exchanged glances, and like usual, Stitches seemed like the one who would answer. But he hesitated and looked like he was too scared or nervous to respond to Toz's question.

"Speak your mind. I won't kill you."

"Alrighty then. Aside from the looming threat o' death, it's pretty decent. But the danger to one's life is common in our business. And that Kart guy would always hound us and punish us for stupid shit."

"Like the flag punishment?"

"Yes! That was his favorite. Said it built charact- Wait, how do you know about it?"

"I don't. I just overheard you all when you first arrived."

"Hah, that's great. I was afraid you-"

"'I' What?"

"No, it's nothing. A slip of the tongue."

Toz remained suspicious of what Stitches had been about to say, but since the two pirates seemed to want to stay, forcing Stitches to say something stupid when he already realized his wrong wouldn't be great for future cohabitation. Though, Toz made a mental note to remind him to ask Hods what the flag punishment was. Who knows? It might come in handy in the future.

"Then I take it you'll stick around?"

"S' that alright?"

"Well, even if the rest of your crew invaded first, I am responsible for you having no way back to your port. Having a healer and a pair of extra hands around doesn't hurt, either.

"Right. Do you have any objections, Joan, Joshua?"

"We are already living here thanks to your graciousness. We don't mind at all."

"I don't mind either."

Lucy added his opinion through a mouth full of jellyfish. The other cats also didn't seem to have anything against the two pirates taking up residence on the island. They had been bored more than a couple of times, and more people could help alleviate that boredom at least a little.

After a round of introductions, the island had officially gained a couple of new inhabitants. A couple of hairy pirates. One sledgehammer-wielding muscular pirate with short blonde hair and one stockier pirate with an eyepatch over his left eye and neck-length dark green hair tied in a bun on the back of his head.

The food and atmosphere were a little lacking to call the gathering a dinner party, but at least everyone was interested in getting to know each other better. Although the pirates had ended up handing Toz a couple of boats, they were little more than useless without a way to navigate the Void. And since they didn't have a way to navigate their way through the Void or control the island they were on, all of them would be spending a lot of time close to one another, whether they wanted to or not.

If they were going to spend a lot of time together no matter what, it would be easier if they knew each other and were comfortable with talking and hanging out. Toz and the cats already knew each other, and they had gotten a small headstart on getting to know Joan and Joshua, especially the cats since they had spent a lot of time playing with Joshua.

But it took time getting to know a person, and the pirates who had just been introduced to them had already started getting to know about Joan and Joshua. Considering the place they were in, one of the first things they talked about was how they had ended up there.

Since a lot of Joan's story was sensitive, she skipped the still sore parts of it, though she couldn't not mention how the Starsling Kingdom had blasted her husband into the Void.

And her mention of the Starsling Kingdom easily gave Hods and Stitches a way to explain how they had ended up like pirates.

Hods had been forcefully conscripted to fight against the demons. But with his strength, he would be nothing more than cannon fodder. And he preferred living a free life, free from slaughter and war, which had eventually made him desert, and after some stuff happened, he joined the same pirate crew that Stitches was in.

Stitches' story was a little more interesting, but maybe it was because he was a better storyteller. In any case, just like most people who had awakened their inclination and were above a certain age, Stitches had also been conscripted to join the war efforts.

Although he was a healer and didn't need to join the fighting directly, the worst injuries were on the frontline and close to the places where the demons had attacked. So that was where Stitches had been stationed.