2025-08-08 - Of Ports and Pirates

This isn't Mina's first foray to this particular world. She was one of the original explorers, though she was far less prepared for the coldness the previous journey. This time, she's wearing fleece-lined leggings and an actual parka. A battered black leather backpack holding the necessary hiking supplies (granola bars, peanut butter crackers, small first aid kit, etc.) hangs across one shoulder.

Having seen the rather ill-tempered lizards up close and personal, she's thankful for the knowledge that the catamarans have been warded against attack. Even so, the front of the parka is unzipped, revealing a rather thin tank top beneath. The nervous energy that she's displayed since they stepped through the portal seems to vanish into the breeze as they emerge from the cavern into the open water. Blue eyes widen almost comically as she looks at the world around them.

"This place is totally gorgeous!"

Angelo is still wearing his coat sand set piece? Of course he is, but also knowing it's cold out here actually did dress for this underneath and bother wearing a shirt today. He left the hat behind as that's not allowed to get damaged, again, as it's harder to replace.

"Mina, you are not wrong. I've been hoping to see it since I heard about it." He says to Peyton, Chris, and Dante, "I know you're shocked." Curious he asks Mina, Luis, and Jean being most familiar that he can tell, "Did we just find signs of people or we find whole people peopling about?"

Peyton is a bit more prepared this time. She dug out her black leather coat from the back of her closet. She has her black gloves. A pair of black hiking boots. And a black beanie with cat ears. There might be a theme. She moves a bit closer to Angelo as she looks around the area.

"The last time I was here, we saw them on boats like.." She looks at him. "..pirates. However, we didn't engage at that time. I drew a map of what we could see and where we explored."

There's a pause as she pulls them out of her notebook. "I made a copy." It is handed off to whomever wants to see to be in a boat opposite of hers. Those in her boat, see her notebook.

This is Christopher's first trip to another world and he looks about, wide-eyed. The trip through the portal had been a little unsettling but this? This was something else entirely, a whole giant cave, an alien ocean, a whole archipelago of islands that they're only seeing for the first time.

He is dressed in a pair of faded jeans and running shoes with a long-sleeved grey Henley under a black hoodie that's zipped up against the cold. He has warm socks on. He has gloves tucked in a pocket. He's prepared for whatever chill he might run into along the way. He's got a small pack of things that were recommended that he bring and that's slung over his shoulder.

This is Dante's first foray to this particular world, but the warning of the prior trip was in the notes, and he's taken heed. Mostly in black, much like Peyton: black jeans, long loose black sweater, a long-sleeved black tee beneath it, black leather boots, black gloves. Atop that, though, is a bright red, tailored wool coat that hangs to mid-calf. With black buttons. No hat, or if there is, it's somewhere in the black leather satchel over one shoulder.

He's claimed a boat-seat next to his brother, and is lounging in it in a way far more casual than the way he's taking in their surroundings, or the way he glances over to get a look at Peyton's map when it's brought out. "It is," he agrees with Mina, glancing out toward the horizon a moment, then back. The side of the boat gets a brief poke, as though the warding might be tangible. "You know, I'm pretty sure it's illegal for huge lizards to actually be active in temperatures like this. They're supposed to be hiding in dens. Or else doing really good impressions of statuary."

Mina turns from ogling the view to look at Peyton's drawings and the associated comment that the peoples of this world looked like pirates causes her to grin over at Angelo. "Dang. And me without my buckler or boots, eh Cap'n?" After looking at the drawings, she passes them on to someone else before smiling at Peyton. "You're really talented. I can't even draw a stick figure that looks like a stick figure."

She frowns over at Jean. "Do any of us have that ability where you can speak and understand every language? I mean, I can try to help out with getting surface thoughts and emotions, but actual translations are a completely another matter."

Angelo points to Chris and then himself, "Goood news is Mina, Chris, and I speak fluent faux-pirate. We got that as a fallback." A dimpled grin warms to his cohort as he jests. He turns and leaaaans toward Peyton "I dunno if I'd recommend getting engaged to a pirate."

As for every language he shakes his head pointing to himself and Dante. "English, Hungarian, Espanol." When she shares about surface thoughts he looks to Chris and Dante, and then back to Mina with a grin, "Can you really? What'm I thinking of right now?"

Peyton is looking around. Paranoia. Her eyes slide over the cliffs, into the water and then she offers. "There is a ship in the cave. I'm sure you've seen it. Inside that we found a huge lizard." There is a pause. "I don't think it found us." Her lips curve to a smirk about lizards not supposed to live in cold weather. Then Mina mentions her drawings. "Thank you. Oddly, it's to make very elaborate desserts, but it comes in handy." Peyton considers and shakes her head. "I barely speak English and I was born here. Sign language, spanish, small amount of french. Mainly the impolite words." She also glances at Chris before she looks at Angelo. "Unless you are proposing, I'm turning down all pirates on your advice alone."

Christopher leans over to look at the drawings as well, particularly the maps that Peyton made with interest. "I didn't wear mine either," he tells Mina with a grin. There are no swashes in his buckles or pirate hats on his head, not today anyway. When Mina asks about the languages, he shakes his head. "Not in my skillset."

He can't help a slight snort of a laugh when Angelo advises Peyton against engagement to a pirate. He holds up both hands though and says, "I've got a boyfriend. No proposals here."

"Laws of nature. See, it is illegal." Dante quirks about a third of a smile, briefly, before he gives his brother a Look. "If you destroy that jacket, I'm not making it my emergency to fix it before you go on next, Bean." He probably is.

Mina's question about the languages gets a small shake of his head. "I wish, but yeah, what he said. Well. And some French and Italian. Maybe we'll get lucky. In the not ending up engaged to a pirate way." He tilts his head slightly, considering. "Pretty sure there's worse fates, anyway. Depending on the pirate. But maybe I should warn Aisley about that..." He sounds like he's fully considering that, though the glance sidelong at his brother might hint otherwise.

Pulling out his phone, he leans to take some pictures of the islands as they pass. Can't hurt to record it. Plus... it's pretty.

"English, German, and about two dozen words in Spanish. That's it." Mina laughs at Angelo. "The question isn't if I can read your mind. The question is do I want to read your mind. I work with you daily, so guessing what you might be thinking isn't exactly rocket science, Taco Man."

Christopher gets a fist-bump. "Can you imagine if the people here saw a gang of pirates rolling up on these little boats? They'd laugh themselves silly. As for the advice against getting engaged to a pirate? Given that I am one, I'll refrain from saying anything that might incriminate me."

Turning back to the water around them, she holds up one hand to shield her eyes and peers into the distance before looking at Jean again. "How far can we travel in these things? Is there a limit to how long we can search before we need to head back to the doorway?"

Christopher reaches over and fist-bumps Mina in return. "A little French, a little Spanish, and a little ASL," he offers up, to the list of languages that others can speak. Then he glances between Mina and Angelo at the talk of mind-reading, chuckling just a little bit at the reference to tacos. He grins over at Dante and says, "Pirates keep things interesting." That's his story and he's sticking to it.

Though Mina's question for Jean draws his attention that way, curious, as well, as to just how long of a tether they have before they have to head back.

Peyton offers towards Dante. "I am not sure people really listen to that advice on who to engage with or not." She does a fake large snap. "Blast, you have a boyfriend?" This is given to Christopher. "That's one pirate down." Then she smiles a small true smile at Angelo and winks towards him. "You have an Ainsley it sounds like. Another pirate down." She nods towards Mina. "Still can hold out hope there. I'm kinda like a bull. You hold a red flag and I rush towards it." She bats her lashes in an overly dramatic and completely feigned (she doesn't even try to make it look real) fashion at Dante. "So it appears you might be the only not pirate. What are you doing for the rest of your life?" Her eyes leave the various people to scan around the area again to see if pirate talk manifests pirates.

Angelo is staring so intently at Mina, but when she answers him he laughs and nods chagrinned, "That was probably not a hard question." Looking to Peyton he chuckles, "I am not, but we are a funny lot." Looking back to Dante he says "What if I do your laundry for a week?" He can bribe his brother. The grin widens looking back to Peyton, "I do have an Aisley." He does keep teh beaming to a minimum.

"Piracy." he says of Dante when prompted what Dante will do about not being a pirate. "So if we need help communicating pictures might be helpful to get the concepts across. Peyton, you might have an advantage here."

"I really don't want to have to sleep out in the middle of the ocean if we can help it. Could we maybe go ashore on one of the islands instead of ..." Mina's suggestion/complaint dies on her lips as they round the island and the distant seaport comes into view. She all but scrambles to the front of the boat to stare at the ships and the docks before glancing over her shoulder at Christopher and Angelo. "It's like Voyage to Adventure, but real!"

Then she's back to staring at the scene, fascinated by the images before her. This sure beats running away from nasty red lizards, that's for sure.

"Not wrong," Dante confirms as to rocket science or lack thereof, giving Mina a small nod. He, too, knows his brother. Which is why the bribery's met with, "Two, and properly." Dante's laundry is a thing of precision, dammit.

"Also not wrong," he nods to Christopher, adding a not wholly genuine, "Unfortunately." The main hint there is the slight smile afterward.

Peyton's dramatic lash-batting is met with an equally dramatic indignant sitting-up-straighter and sweep of the hand, "Oh, so you're just going to assume I'm not seeing anyone?" A beat. "I'm not, but that's not the point." He makes a smaller gesture, waving it away, before a half-smile slips out again. "I was planning on designing things, but apparently I'm being shanghaied." Another small gesture, this one toward Angelo and his declaration of future piracy: you see?

And then there's the dock, and he sits up straighter again, though this time not for effect. "Oh. Land ho." He studies the port ahead, "...if we did have to stay overnight, in the boat is probably preferable to near the angry lizards. We're going to look really weird to them, aren't we." Probably the people, not the reptiles.

Angelo grins to Mina and agrees, "Voyagier, and adventurier!" Neither of which are words, both of which are sentiments. Hs eyes pan to the horizons, the part they're here for trying to spot useful things. "Heeey dudes!" so helpful. He lifts a hand in a wave. More reasonably he offers, "I find if one appears casual and friendly like it abates a lot of concern. Not being a lizard also probably helps." He hasn't seen the huge lizard, but he can be on board with being not-food or threat shaped. "I'd offer aerial recon here of the area but not everyone is cool with flying people. We have learned this is not outside of the park standard."

Peyton is also a bit transfixed with the dock. Her eyes narrow just a bit to watch the activity the best she can see it. This is where crow's feet come from later in life. She leans forwards and offers, "Rum?" Even as the blonde jokes with her various ship mates, she's actually on alert. It's in the edges of her posture.

At Dante's equally dramatic reaction, it's almost like an unspoken game on signal. Her lips curve up for just a moment before it fades away as if a whisper perhaps only hinted at. "Oh. Do not be indignant, my only not-pirate here, it was more that I didn't care." She says this so dead pan it might be true. Might. There is a nod to that. "Once upon a time..." Pirate pun? ".. I designed things too. I understand." She also offers, for Dante. "The lizards are in the water too." She looks past him to his brother. "Assuming we live. We should lunch so you can tell me about this person. I know you want to." Since it appears he's trying not to gush right at the moment. Her lips curve up towards the others, but it always ends more a smirk than a friendly gesture.

Christopher watches as the island and the port comes into view, eyes widening a little bit in surprise. He knew that they'd seen ships and people before, but he wasn't quite ready to believe it until he saw it with his own eyes. Now, he just sort of stares, mouth falling open a little. "It is," is about all he manages to get out in answer to Mina.

Nodding to Dante, he says, "We're going to look really weird in these really weird boats. But I'm not real sure how to fix that other than hiding these boats and walking up on foot. But even then, our clothes are going to look weird." He then grins over at Angelo, "Even if not flying."

Angelo's wild waving at the approaching dock isn't surprising, but Mina can't help but laugh anyway. "While I would love to see the look on their faces when they see our boats, it might be more to our advantage to hide them for the moment and get the skinny on the people here first." Her blue eyes sweep across the rest of the travelers. "What do you all think?

Christopher nods in agreement with Mina and says, "I think maybe.. letting them become accustomed to one weird thing at a time might be better than just turning up with these weird boats on top of everything else." He glances toward the others, curious what their thoughts are.

True or not isn't the point either, is it? "I do have that effect on people," Dante replies to Peyton, just a touch long-suffering. Alas, his cross to bear. "What did you design and why did you stop?" That is genuine, though possibly not currently priority number one. That's the port out there, which... this isn't his first other world, but it's the first one with a real outdoors, and a civilization. It's... a Thing.

"Dude," he says to his brother at the yell, but no comment further than that. Instead, "...I could probably make our boats look less weird to them, but eventually I'd have to sleep or someone would want to get on board and it'd still get awkward. So I vote cove. Plus, if we want, I could likely do something about our outfits, then. If I can get a decent look at theirs." Which is what he's currently attempting to do, doomed as it is from this distance. They're probably people. They're probably wearing something more or less three-mast-ship appropriate. This is no news he didn't already have. Yet.

Peyton looks across the others. "I would suggest we leave the boats. If they are hostile we don't want them to take our way back. On the flip side of that, if we leave the boat, they could take it when we are not in it." She looks around and lifts her shoulders to that. Her eyes move towards Dante. "I changed to magical studies. A different type of creation. I still make epic desserts though, come over when you have free time. I'll make you whatever dessert you want. Warn me, I have bunnies that steal sweets."

Angelo wasn't trying to actually yell, but given the wind his words are getting eaten. Looking to Dante Angelo blinks, "Well that is a better plan. I'm game for it." Looking to Christopher he says thoughtfully, "Gives them time to see us coming, and also doesn't tip them off to what we do or don't have or our numbers." There's a pause before he admits, "I saw that in a movie once." A sound tactic to keep cards in pocket.

On the positive he agrees with Peyton, "I like assuming we live. Also not afraid of a walk. Seems like we have a vote." He looks to jean, "If we vote wrong you'd tell us right?"

They almost got away with it. When they get to shore and find an unexpected welcoming party, she closes her eyes and sighs. Then the woman with the sword is pointing it at them and speaking in a language that she recognizes as being an "Earth language".

"So much for the stealthy approach, huh?"

However, Mina being Mina, she decides to fight unknown language with unknown language raises her hand in a friendly greeting and puts on a huge smile as she launches into pure German. "Hallo! Wie geht es dir?"

Christopher does not quite understand what is being said. He squints a little bit as he kind of freezes where he is in the boat and just stares at the riders and their horses and then glances quickly to the others to see if anyone else caught that. There's a word or two that might be familiar, but he can't be sure if that's just a coincidence or not.

Angelo says in English, "Aww, they seem friendly. Presently." The smile is easy going and he answers them in Mexican-Spanish instead of Catalan or more European textbook Spanish. "Ola, I'm Angelo, my brother Dante, freinds here. We were looking for uhhh food shop, maybe a taqueria," He looks to Mina with that 'If I can get my taco' look- pure determination here. "We had sme questions about the cove. No trouble." he holds up empty hands in a peace gesture.

To the group he says "I think she wants to know who the hell we are cause this is unusual. I told her we were looking for tacos and some answers about the cove. Hopefully also conveying that we're not looking for trouble." Looking to Dante he says in Hungarian "Please tell me you got this." The group doesn't need to know his level of uncertainty here.

Dante nods agreement with the others' points, and it does seem to be decided. His brows lift slightly at Peyton's answer, and there's a flicker of a thoughtful look before she gets to the invitation. "So you are still a designer, then. I'll check my calendar." Not right now, obviously, but it sounds more like a yes than a sideways no. Who doesn't like epic desserts?

He looks thoughtful over most of the remainder of the ride, but whatever he was thinking over, the presence of the riders makes it more or less moot. He buttons his coat as they approach; it's still not nearly the local style, but it makes it a little closer, at least. It feels a bit late for anything more, though. There's a tiny widening of his eyes at the sight of the cutlass, but it's schooled away, his shoulders shifting back a little and improving his posture. There's a tiny tilt of his head as he tries to make out what's being said, which turns into a small inclination, along with a smile and a spread of his hands apart, splayed, clearly holding no weapons.

"Hello," he greets them, also giving Spanish a go, "We are travellers from afar. We are pleased to meet you, and mean no harm." He's trying to keep it simple, and if he can stick to roots that are about the same in all three romance languages he's studied, all the better, yes? Probably. It's good Angelo's keeping the others apprised, because Dante's keeping his attention firmly on the people with horses and weapons right now. "As my brother says, I am Dante. What may we call you?"

Peyton nods towards Dante. "I'll check mine too." She's free. Self-loathing, can't cancel that. She opens her mouth as if to say more ad then there are people. For a moment, she just freezes. This doesn't come from being in the wrong place all the time and for good reason. She cants her head to attempt to pick out some of the words, but let's the others talk. For now.

At least the woman didn't throw a sword at her or anything for speaking in her native tongue. But it seems that Dante and Angelo managed to make themselves understood. And let's not forget the way her eyes cut over to the Cap'n when he mentions tacos. Shaking her head with a grin, she looks at the rest of them as their new friends motion for them to come along.

"This is okay, right? I mean, they're obviously not seeing us as a threat. I just hope they're not planning on selling us at the market or anything."

Angelo may have just pulled an 'Hola we no-o holtile-o, mon amisos.' in their language but at least the intent bought some time. Mischief managed. He watches his brother take lead on that and whispers to Mina "I htink that's a good thing right now?" He's a friendly pirate not a rudos.

There's the gesture to follow and a bright grin is flashed to Mina, "Awww they do think we're likable. Nice!"

Dante inclines his head to the woman as she begins to introduce herself, and there's a blink as she continues and... this time he understands all of those words? Clearly? Maybe he's over-estimating his accuracy. Maybe this sentence just happens to overlap really well with the languages he does know?

"Dante," he confirms, with a nod and a point to himself that matches hers, before he glances over his shoulder at the others. "She's Rochelle, Captain of the Laden Gull, and she wants us to come with them," he translates, and looks back to her with a nod. «We are pleased to meet you, Captain Rochelle. And your crew?» he replies, indicating the others with her with an inclination of his head that ends up half-masking another blink. His accent hasn't changed, but that sentence was... easier to form. It felt different. And the Spanish-speakers will notice that this time, that wasn't, quite. In any case, he nods to her, and begins to follow obligingly. What else are they going to do?

Peyton pauses a moment to listen to what is going on. It's probably the quietest that she has ever been. However, if everyone else is going to follow. She is going to YOLO her life to the end of it if needed. Her eyes flick from one of them to the other. "I need an app translator for this."

"I need to talk to Elmo about seeing if we can program some sort of universal translator or something," Christopher says with a slight furrow of his brow. "Because this is kind of nuts." He can't realy understand very well what's going on but the lack of drawn weapons and the lack of angry faces seems to at least have him breathing out a slight breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Uh, yeah. I'm against being auctioned off. I'm stringy. Wouldn't make a good sandwich."

Being sandwiched between the strangers in front of them and the pair behind isn't exactly filling Mina with confidence. Regardless, she trudges along with the rest of them, looking around and making note of their surroundings. "You know, Cap'n, I wonder if we'd received a different greeting if we'd all been in costume."

Christopher's suggestion gets an eager nod. "Yeah. Because if they don't speak German or English, I'm pretty much incommunicado. Unless I can read the mind of someone who I don't share a language with. Maybe communicate with pictures?" Her blue eyes focus on Rochelle, pondering. "Never tried to do it that way."

When she realizes that they're being led back to where they had originally considered coming ashore, she lets out a little rueful laugh. "Maybe we should have just rolled up to the docks after all."

Angelo promises Peyton, "We call it the Dant-3. I'll let ya borrow em." When introduced there's a smile and a little three-finger wave of hullo. He checks Christopher with a grin, "Now aren't you glad you joined this show instead of the Boo'edwalk? This is totally better than being chased by zombies."

Curious he considers Mina's idea and offers, "You can try it on me to see." Angelo follows Dante and Rochelle withthe others at an unhurried and un-suspiscious pace.

Dante flicks a sidelong glance at Christopher when he claims he wouldn't make a good sandwich. "Groceries don't generally get auctioned," he notes. "Though I guess they do usually get delivered." When he has something to say about it, anyway. Mina's remark gets a tiny nose-wrinkle. "I was going to try to costume us, but it's a bit late now," he murmurs. Mildly irritating. And irritating is way easier to handle than scary, which being sandwiched by people with weapons in an alien world definitely isn't at all in any way.

He glances over at Mina and Angelo, noting quietly, "I'm pretty sure magically putting thoughts in strangers' heads'd be a good way to get burnt at the stake or something. If random people were messing with my head without permission I'd consider lighting them on fire."

Then we have Peyton. Sweet, adorable, kind Peyton. Her brows lift in that suspicious 'this is a trap' sort of manner to them. Then she is shrugging. Of course, she's all about her black cat energy and slinks as far back as they allow her to. Easier to make a break for the boat or flee the trap. "It's called the Dant-3?" Her eyes scan the person she just offered to make dessert for. "Maybe I should borrow it on the weekends. Does it speak drunk? I send a few texts that even I don't understand."

There is a slight debate as she looks at Christopher. Clearly the angel is in panic mode on one shoulder and the devil is just offering ideas like the smoothest honeyed whiskey on the other. "I don't know..." She sizes him up. "I'd put you in my mouth." We'll let the group decide what shoulder won. She does offer to the Dante-lator. "We aren't burning at the stake until I know if there are marshmallows here."

Then she trudges along. This is fine. Everything is fine.

Christopher glances from Mina toward Rochelle and says, "Yeah.. that's not in my skillset, either." So he's got no sage advice there. "I mean, I can draw pictures. That's.. a thing. But not in somebody's head." He slips his hands into his pockets and walks along with the others, occasionally casting a glance over one shoulder at the riders behind them.

Smirking a little at Angelo he says, "Yeah in the show, the pirates don't have real horses, and .." he trails off and then realizes. "Oh." Whatever occurs to him, it has him falling silent for the moment. He does tap his nose and point at Dante though when he suggests that magically putting thoughts in people's heads might not be the most diplomatic move at the moment.

Peyton just gets a slight slow blink and the tiniest flush to Christopher's ears. Clearing his throat, he does not respond, focusing instead on the riders in front of him.

"Okay. A bar." Mina gestures at the building as they approach it. While their "host" speaks to Dante, she nods in agreement with the sentiment she can understand, even if not the actual words. "I wonder if they've got rum? Or is that a little too cliche?" She glances at Angelo and Dante. "Though I sincerely doubt they can make a daiquiri."

Smiling at the woman and her suspicious associates, she pantomimes taking a drink and points at the open door before heading inside with a little bounce to her step. "Ninety-nine bottle of booze on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of booze..."

Angelo dimples a grin as Mina talks daiquiris and Christopher highlights a need for them to request horses for the show. This is probably not the intent, but it might be the take away. He pauses as he tries to pick up what Rochelle is throwing down.

"I think she just said we're a lot." An eyebrow goes up as Rochelle looks at him, and in turn he looks to Peyton. "And also something about opening a business." He looks back to Dante for any correction or confirmation. he really is trying and still is only picking up some words here and there. Probably for the best no one is hostile so far.

Dante gives the faintest of snirks at Peyton's remark to Christopher, and it's only after that one that he acknowledges what she'd been saying to his brother. "Entire weekends? We'd have to negotiate. But I've been translating Drunk for years now." Which is not the same as 'translating, drunk', though depending how this tavern visit shakes out...

"She said you're a bunch of weirdos," he replies to Angelo's attempt at translation, and nods once to Captain Rochelle when he's instructed. <<Certainly,>> he replies in her language, before switching back to his own: "We're going into this tavern and they're going to ask us a bunch of questions about where we came from and what our business is here in," another glance around their overall surroundings, "Port Corrigan." A glance to Mina, "...and I guess that depends whether they've also got sugar, limes, and any inclination to take requests."

Peyton smiles with all teeth at Christopher. Sure, sure, he's not looking at her, but surely the fish knows when the shark is baring it's teeth. The smile is gone in the next instant to her normal features. Those rest between contempt and boredom. "What kind of negotiation? I don't have much to offer up but desserts and my winning personality."

A glance between Mina and Angelo. "Or, consider this. We just take shots of whatever they give us and hope it's not Everclear." A slight shiver and she offers a murmured, "Purple drink." However, she's following where they go for now.

Christopher meets that look from Angelo and shakes his head very slowly. Then he calls over to Mina, "Remember we don't ah, have any money." He then notes to Dante, "We might want to tell them we don't have any money.. just in case they decide to ask for alternate forms of payment for their booze and food." He still looks a little bit uncertain about this entire situation, but he's not running. Did he catch that shark-like grin from Peyton? Mercifully not. He follows the others inside.

Mina stops just inside the establishment, gawking a bit at the interior. "You know, it's one thing to play a pirate princess, it's another to feel like you've stepped onto a real live tavern from one of the Disney films. If we spot Johnny, I'm going to fangirl so hard."

Turning around, she smiles at Christopher. "What? You didn't bring any doubloons with you? Tsk-tsk." Then Rochelle is gesturing for them to sit and her grin widens. "Oh. Looks like they're picking up the first round." She crosses over to the indicated table and sits, twirling a few strands of snow-white hair around one slender finger. "Worst case scenario, we barter. These earrings are real gold." The finger stops to point at the pair of small hoops.

Angelo promises Peyton, "Winning is winning." Christopher brings up that they can't play he considers, "If we need to play for our food that ight work, or dishes. I dunno. I think if we're up front about not having local currency they can make the call there." It's a very good point.

Angelo's eyes get huge with wonder. Are they in possible danger? He's in fascination. "Check it out this is the real deal." His inner seven year old on the moon over this. His hand goes to his chest giving the captain then the others a nod, "Gracias."

"Hm. I've already got a winning personality." Arguable. "But I do like desserts." The corner of Dante's mouth quirks up slightly with that claim, though it drops back to serious PDQ, as he eyes the tavern, its furniture, its decor, and the number of knife marks in all of the above. Even so, his brother's joy in it gets a little smile.

Christopher's suggestion gets a little glance, and a thoughtful nod. The man has a point. Mina has a point as well, but whether there's sufficient jewelry among the group to cover any misunderstandings seems a bit of a gamble. <<We thank you for your hospitality,>> he says to the captain, with a little inclination of the head, as she sends her folks off for food that certainly sounds as though it covers guests as well as locals, <<It's only right to say that we unfortunately don't have the coin of the Port, so we won't be able to repay your kindness in a similar fashion while here. And we'd hate to give offense.>> In this situation, anyway, that's that absolute truth.

"And me without my d20." Peyton offers a bit to herself as she looks around. Then her eyes slide towards the door and the ground as the door shuts closed behind them. "I didn't see any chickens for kick-- so we aren't in Fable." Peyton looks at Dante when he says he already has a winning personality. She tips her head and it clearly says, Do you? without using the words.

If drinks arrive, she's going all grabby hands the moment she can. When Dante talks his babbly-brook-pirate-alien-speech thing, she wrinkles up her nose a bit. Luckily, it lands well with 'we poor'. Then she looks at Angelo getting excited and Mina's reactions. Her eyes flick towards Christopher to watch his.

Christopher smirks just a little at Mina and says, "I should have. Maybe next time I will." He nods to Angelo though and says "That's what I meant. Just be honest with them that we don't have currency and let them decide if they want to be buying us food or not. I'm not going to turn down a free cheeseburger. I just you know, don't want to be handed a bill and have to walk a plank for not being able to pay it."

He does, however, go over and take a seat at the long table, settling in with his back toward the wall so that he can keep an eye on the rest of the room. Is he impressed? Definitely. Is he nervous? Also definitely. "Fable was a fun game," he says to Peyton. At least he recognizes that. He takes a slow breath and lets it out. He's a video game nerd. He can at least appreciate the setting. It is like being inside a video game, after all.

"Gah, you didn't tell her we were broke, did you?" Mina shakes her head at Christopher. "Don't take up poker," comes with a teasing tone.

Her shoulders rise and fall in response to Payton's complaint she's left her dice behind. "I think this is the last place you'd wanna roll a 1 in persuasion." Yes, it would seem that the aerial star does know a thing or two about tabletop gaming.

The woman's examination of them, causes Mina to arch a brow before looking back to Dante. "Please tell me she thinks we're interesting enough to not kill." Smiling at Rochelle, she incline her head slightly. "Not that you look like the killing type."

"He did." Angelo confirms for Mina. He might know know the language but he speaks Dante well enough. He leans back in the chair comfortably as if taking the time to really appreciate their surroundings with: do these people have projectiles or is everyone swinging in here.

"It's fine, Mina. I'm sure they're like curious as we are. But armed." A small but important distinction that may not come into play.

Dante tips his head up just a little, with a glance that in combination answer just as clearly and silently, Obviously, but it's honestly not his main focus right now.

That would be the Captain, as she studies them and gives her reply. He gives her a faint smile and little nod, then looks over and translates -- mostly. "She wants to know how we've ended up here, broke with no supplies and our strange little boats and our strange little outfits. Where we've come from. The charge for the meal is a good story." A beat. "A good story. Specifically. Bad ones aren't equivalent exchange... although it's not like we know how the meal's going to be yet, maybe it would be. But it's her opinion that counts, so."

A flicker of a glance to Peyton, Luis, and Jean, and a more definite one to the other three. "You're performers. I'm going to tell her that. Perform. Make it good. I'll translate." If there's a specific explanation they're supposed to be giving first contacts, hopefully everyone knows what it is. And hopefully they can bring out the entertainment in it, too, because he looks back to the Captain, then, and seems entirely confident in assuring, <<That, I'm sure we can provide.>>

Peyton is happy to be here so far. When Angelo says they are the ones with weapons and not us, Peyton tips her head. "Not exactly true." She offers to him and winks. However, Dante is looking at her. As if he has expectations and she's allergic to those.

"We were once from Nantucket..."

Not that story? "I mean, you are all performers and I'm just here to make sure you stay fed." She looks easily at Dante and smiles her most winning and beautiful customer service smile. It's fake. So very very fake. Then she looks towards Christopher. Then towards Mina and Angelo. "I would perhaps not mention what kind of performers. That could go over like a lead balloon." A pause. "That's not very good if you weren't sure."

Then she hmms. "There is always the truth." A slight wrinkle of her nose. Scrunch. "Or that we found ourselves in the cave and we are not sure how or why, not exactly wrong. We came out to search for help. Slightly wrong. Then they were our saviors that came to help." Peyton looks at Dante for an extended time. "Your brother is better at this than I am."