the best lack all conviction

[menocrede.livejournal.com]

Who: Ari, Calum, Brandon, Ray
What: Ari's been kidnapped. Some big damn heroes join in to rescue her
Where: Neverland
When: Sometime after Ari's post

The Neverland sky was beginning to fade from gold-red to the blackish-blue of night, and he still was patiently waiting... but the question was for what.

The ship wasn't deserted, but the other pirates had ventured off to different parts of the ship - something about the quiet man who had brought the girl with him spoke of an evil that they didn't dare want to encounter. Besides, he had asked nicely and there was something in his words and demeanor that suggested a kinship... but no one stayed around to find out what it was. Not even Hook.

He glanced back at his "prisoner" curiously. "I suppose this isn't the type of pirate ship you're used to, Miss Ari?"

Comments

[anzila.livejournal.com]

Brandon let his lips curl into a slight smirk as he bent to sling Josiah over his shoulder, sifting Ari to one side before he could get them both settled.

"Yet you care, otherwise you wouldn't be getting so angry."

Turning he hit his com and said, "Alan, time for a pick up."

There was a squawk, and suddenly the roar of the Cork's engines could be heard in the distance.

[seolearo.livejournal.com]

"And he's okay, too, isn't he? She didn't hurt him?" Ray asked, settling herself on Brandon's shoulder. "Where--"

"Where're you taking him?" Peter demanded, cutting her off. "He's not staying with the Lost Boys. He's as bad as Hook, kidnapping girls like that." Tink nodded vigorously from where she hovered above his head. "I don't trust him," he declared finally, crossing his arms.

"That wasn't Josiah," Ray protested. "That was Calum; he's the pirate!" Peter shot her a scathing glance.

"Once a pirate, always a pirate," he said, glaring at her as if to dare one of them to refute his words.

[menocrede.livejournal.com]

Lilith turned a sharp gaze to Peter, looking at the boy with a decidedly unfriendly look on her face. She only raised one dark brow in challenge before quietly answering him, "Well then, boy. You can stay out of this business."

She then turned to Brandon, a curious look in her eyes. "I'll set the other ship to follow yours - I have to keep close to my master or else the spell will wear off."

And without waiting for anyone to protest, she headed towards the stern of the ship where the gummi ship she had piloted still hovered quietly behind the sails, nearly invisible in the black night.

[anzila.livejournal.com]

Brandon just raised an eyebrow at Peter and answered, "Once a Refugee, always a Refugee."

The words were stated with the simple, uncompromising power of a fact, his eyes holding the same determination as they had when he and the others had stared down Xemnas what seemed like centuries ago.

"We'll get him back."

He turned back to Lilith, and nodded at her statement, though he had to admit he was a bit surprised she had flown here in a gummi ship. For someone like Lilith, traveling around in a spaceship seemed almost bizarrely mundane.

Of course, he also had to admit her ship was pretty cool to. He had to figure out where she got her stealth gummi's from.

"Alright, keep your ship close, and we'll keep the comm open so you can know if anything goes wrong. Just no surprised visits while I'm in the shower," he finished with a suspicious look.

Turning back to Ray, Brandon's smile finally returned, and with a tired smile he said, "Come on, lets put these two to bed, and get you back to your proper size."

[seolearo.livejournal.com]

She watched Lilith go curiously, wondering where she'd gotten or learned how to pilot a Gummi ship. Peter simply stared after her scornfully, Tink fluttering nearby angrily. She gave a flustered goodbye to them, and she and Peter flew back to their home.

Ray finally just nodded and leaned against Brandon's neck with a sigh. "That sounds good." Looking down at Ari, she asked, "How long is she gonna be like that?" She seemed to have forgotten - once again - that anything she said would be heard as jingles rather than words.

[anzila.livejournal.com]

Brandon shook his head, watching as the ship lowered itself so the entrance ramp was level with the deck. He suddenly felt the bone weary exhaustion that came from a long battle.

He smiled gently as he felt Ray lean against him, even if he didn't understand her jingling. Still, after a second he noticed where she was pointing, and looking down at the sleeping Ari said, "I'm not sure how long she'll be like this, it depends on what spell Calum put on her. If worse comes to worse, we can find a prince to give her a kiss."

He glimpsed at Josiah out of the corner of his eye as he walked onto the ship.

"Maybe for Josiah to."

[seolearo.livejournal.com]

She laughed. "Maybe Prince Mike is due to return, then."

Back in the ship, she flew from his shoulder to study the map. "So we're here now," she mumbled, speaking mostly to herself while pointing at Neverland, "but where are we taking those two? Radiant Garden?" She sighed and sat on console, letting her legs dangle over the edge.

Her wings fluttered lightly as Ray kicked her legs back and forth, but she froze suddenly as a thought struck her. If they were leaving, she'd be changing back to normal. And right now, she was without a clue as to what might have happened to the clothes she'd been wearing before that world shift. They hadn't been with her. She'd... get them back or something, somehow. Disney magic would make it so, right? Yeah, it would, she decided. It hadn't failed anyone before, right?

...Right?

Well, whatever. Ari and Josiah were okay, so they'd done what they'd meant to do. Now they could go home and relax. Hopefully.

[anzila.livejournal.com]

Brandon still couldn't understand Ray, but he smiled at her obvious amusement. She had a twinkling little laugh that was strangely soothing.

Oblivious to her concerns, Brandon went and dumped Josiah in the first officer's quarters, before locking the door from the outside and placing a minor seal on the door.

He the carried Ari into his own quarters and set her gently on the bed, sliding off her boots and brushing some of her hair out of her face with a small smile.

Once their guests were settled, he returned to the cockpit and said, "We should head back for Hollow Bastion, but first, we need to make a pit stop to help a friend.

Adjusting the controls, Brandon winced at his bruised shoulder, and in a moment of irritation he tore off the shirt and reached under the dashboard for the first aid kit.

Pulling out an icepack, he crushed it and applied it to his bruised shoulder, guiding the ship up into space.