A Whole New World

[tidesnpc]

Characters: Anyone and everyone from all three ships.
Content: The clouds are gone, revealing the long-sought world below.
Setting: The edge of the continent, near the blast site.
Time: After all the monsters have been fought and the ships head southeast.
Warnings: What you bring with you.

Comments

[coyotealpha]

Pip Bernadette had seen many things in life, but this view before him now was perhaps one of the best and most beautiful things that he had ever seen up until now. He had always heard stories about this of course - rumours and gossip about how there was a whole new world right below their feet. He had always taken them with a pinch of salt, but to see it right before his eyes now...

Looks like things are going to change, oui, the man thought to himself ruefully as he chewed on his burnt-out cigarette, wondering idly what would happened if he dropped it down over the edge he was standing on. Possibly in the months to come there would be explorers starting to go down, and then maybe diplomats if there were other people... only time would tell what would happen next, really.

Sighing softly, Pip glanced back up to the sky, seeing the sun having long broken through the clouds and bringing a new day for everyone. A new day, a new beginning... time would heal all scars they say, and he certainly hope it would work for him.

You sacrificed

[armorgal]

Erza was scratched, beaten, and covered in bandages, but despite that she was smiling. The view was fantastic - more land than she'd ever seen, and what was the huge expanse of blue in the distance? That couldn't possibly be water, could it?

She came up behind Pip, and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

[coyotealpha]

Pip glanced behind him when he felt that hand on his shoulder, smiling back in turn when he saw who it was. Erza Scarlet - even when in bandages, she still looked as beautiful as always like out in the battlefield and everywhere else.

"Yeah, it is," the mercenary returned, looking back to the view. "One of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, if not the most." Because this had come from all the tears and blood and hardship of so long, of a final battle and the sacrifice of many. It was a sight to be cherished, indeed.

[armorgal]

"It's hard to believe that so much land could ever exist," she said. "And here we were, fighting over such paltry scraps. What a bunch of fools we are."

She peered down at the world below, taking in its vistas again through her good eye. Her artificial one had been damaged during the battle, and was now hidden beneath a patch until she could have it replaced.

[coyotealpha]

The man couldn't help but chuckle a little at Erza's words, finding a strange sort of amusement in what she had said. "I guess that's one less thing to worry about now, perhaps." What with things as they were now - who knew what the future would bring?

He spared a glance towards the woman, smiling a bit more at the sight of the eyepatch before he made a gesture with his head to get Erza's attention again and tapped at his own eyepatch. "Looks like we match in more than one way, eh?"

[armorgal]

Erza smiled wryly. "I seem to recall I once told you that we always did. Don't get too used to it, though. I'll have my prosthetic repaired soon enough."

She looked over his face. He'd be sort of handsome, if not for the missing eye. "You know, if you'd like, I could introduce you to my doctor. Your wound is old so a functioning prosthetic probably isn't possible, but she could probably whip something up to look normal, at least."

[coyotealpha]

Ah yes, she had - although it was always hard to remember, since it had always looked so natural on her. Hard to remember that she was also one eyed most of the time, really.

At hearing the offer though, Pip only grinned and shook his head. "Nah, I shouldn't put you through the trouble. 'sides its an old wound, like you said. I'm already used to it. Adds to the charm as well, you know?" And here he simply did the best grin he could muster, doing his best to look as ruggedly handsome as he could.

[armorgal]

"I had a feeling you'd say that," she admitted. "Well, the offer's still open if you change your mind later. Not that an introduction guarantees much...Polyusika is extremely picky with who she'll take on as a patient."

[coyotealpha]

Another laugh. "Maybe in the future, when the time comes that I need two eyes." Though really, he had went long enough without one - so he really didn't mind not getting another, even if he had the means and ways to. It just felt wrong somehow, in one way or another. The loss of his eye was what defined him, just like so many other things that had happened. To think just a bit nearly three years ago, he had accepted that strange job to never believe it would bring him to a spot like this...

"So, the Convoy's pretty much going to be disbanded," he started, changing the subject. "Got any plans?"

[armorgal]

"Disbanded?" Era asked, ducking the question for the moment. She had been hoping to be able to put off this conversation a while longer. "You're the Captain now, you can do that if you want, but are you sure? The crew would still follow you, I'm sure of it."

[coyotealpha]

"Well," Pip started with a shrug. "I'm not sure how many are still going to stick to the skies, you know? What with everything..." A couple of people were already making plans to leave, and if he had to be honest Pip wasn't sure if he had it within him again to be a leader once more. The bad guys were defeated, sure, but there was no taking back all the lives they had taken from him. Everybody back in the Wild Geese had died because of them, because of him... Pip didn't want a mistake like that to happen again.

Taking out the cigarette from his lips, the man dropped it to the ground and crushed it with the heel on his boot, scratching the back of his head (he wasn't wearing his hat at the moment). "Besides, after everything I figure you all should do what you want, not be tied down because of the chief. I don't think he'd want that, anyway." He could still work on his own if that was the case - it'd be just like before anything ever happened.

[armorgal]

"Are you sure? I think there's going to be more for a ship like the Convoy to do than ever, what with this." She gestured out at the new landscape with one arm. "A whole new frontier to safeguard. Besides, if you disband it, what would you do with the ship"

[coyotealpha]

Erza had a point. Well, she always had a point to be honest, but Pip still wasn't so certain. So many people close to him had been lost already in all of this, and the man wasn't sure if he could continue on. As a mercenary he was never supposed to have emotional attachments, never meant to care for anything else besides the money because that was what had been taught to him from young - but he did care, and he did love... and he couldn't bear to lose more than he already had.

"Somebody else can take over it," he replied simply, glancing away because he really wasn't able to look at Erza just then. "I'm sure there's somebody more capable than me to command the ship."

[armorgal]

"And you?" Erza asked. "What will you be doing?"

If he meant her, then she missed it altogether. But even if he had offered it to her, she'd have had to have turned him down.

[coyotealpha]

Another shrug. "Well, I guess I just be freelancing again if it goes there. Mercenary's about the only job I can do, anyway. It won't be the first time that I'll be on my own." Mercenaries were supposed to be alone anyway, because the most important thing was always the money. But now... well, Pip knew there were other things he cared for now, but maybe it was because of that he needed to return to his roots. To remind himself once more why he decided on the path of the war dog.

It wasn't the best decision here, but it wasn't as if he had anything else better at the moment.

[armorgal]

Erza nodded. "Well, I wish you good luck with that. It's a tough life, but it's clearly one you're used to."