"Do you see him?" Jinavra Khemlass asked, clearly amused.
"No, I don't, what am I looking for?"
"Only the most handsome man in Kagomei!" Hanubris thought he could see the hearts in her eyes. That hurt, he remembered when she looked at him like that.
"Well. I don't see anybody like that... Oh, wait, short, tubby, red-haired? Green eyes?"
"Humph, I had no idea about tubby, I hear he's been doing lots of physio."
"See for yourself."
"Hmm, not bad, but yeah, he needs to lose some around the middle. The diadem is new."
"The Diadem of the Bameimeito of Kagomei? It's older than the rain!"
"I mean he doesn't wear it usually, dork, it's not mentioned anywhere."
"That would mean he's moved up in the succession recently, which I hear he did when his cousin died."
"Who died?"
"His cousin, Shen Kagomei, Bameimeito of Kagomei."
"When did he die?"
"Last month, slate plague."
"Aw, phtewey, I bet the cousin was handsome too!"
"Bit young for you dear, he just celebrated his tenth arnday."
"Oh, yeah, ok, young prince, but not young cradle prince. This one looks nice though. Who's that with him?"
"He's on a private boat, which means the lady with him is his commanding officer, Flora Rolli , Hannabrid and wife."
"He's married?"
"Married and besotted to her to a level that'd make a sane man sick!"
"Clearly that never happened to anyone named Hanubris." "Once, then my enemies took her from me! But I got revenge."
"Is this revenge? Was the Kagomei family one of your enemies?"
"No, Meihomei, she... let me know of one of my enemies, I am here to pay a debt back."
"And this man?"
"This man is on the wrong side of the Silvertips . See there, that speedboat, with the two cannons on her bow?"
"Aye, that sailboat can't outrun that!"
"What ho, then, for the sailboat, that we, and the Spicy Wench, are here to intervene! We will ram that pesky speedboat, and therefore pay our debt! Who is with me?" The crew cheered and set about the ramming.
Hanubris came back to Jihnavra, she asked: "And that love you lost, she was?"
"Nyakki, just like you are, she was my first officer and a sworn heartmate of this crew, free to leave if she didn't like it. But she did, she loved being aboard ship and the life of a pirate, more than she loved me, but back then, I didn't even think that was possible, for she loved me very much, and I returned the favour!"
"Thank you, Zim, err, what do I call you?"
"I am Hanubris Vanakhel, the Oregano pirate!"
"Whew, thank god, at least we won't be stinked to death!"
Hanubris just had no reply to that. "Welcome aboard my vessel, the Spicy Wench." Amarat hid his smile. "What was that? You would mock my vessel!"
"No, no, I was just thinking of a Spicy Wench I know, and how it was an understatement."
"Amarat, behave!"
"What, no, not you..."
"I don't know if I should be relieved or insulted, so who is that Spicy Wench you know?"
"I was thinking it'd match an aumhavar priestess I know perfectly, if anything it'd be an understatement.
"I've known one or two like that, ahh, memories!"
"Amarat, I thought we agreed not to mention that event!" Flora looked furious, inwardly, she was blushing, trying not to think about what happened at that party.
"Although, lad, seems your Hannabrid is making a good impression of a Spicy Wench herself! Yarrrrrrrr, make yourselves comfortable lad, we're a mite larger than that sailboat of yours, want us to take it aboard?"
"Please, I'd like to get it repaired, the shipwrights of Benevento take a dim view of their crafts being thrown away like so much kindling."
"You have a Benevento lad? Looks like an Innu to me."
"Maintained in Innu, but the design is from Benevento, it was my father's."
"But... Your father was from Kagomei, I know this."
"Aye, but he vacationed in Benevento regularly, and owned much land there, he would take two trips a year between the two if he could, one in the spring, one in the fall."
"Lucky you are lad, those are beautiful places to sail to and from, and beautiful to vacation in."
"Of course you'd know, Escor's just the next bay over, between Sardé and Brescia, isn't it?"
"Ah, well, err, yes, Escor's right next to there..."
"Not been to the pirate's den in some time then?"
"Aye, when you take to the pirate's life for the travel and excitement, once you've seen a pirate base once, you've seen them all!"
Yeah, I chose to work on this for talk like a pirate day, Hanubris being my talking like a pirate spokesperson or somesuch :)