The feather, she'd been told, was a little too much. Its length extended gloriously past the top of her tricorne hat, a deep blue that was just the perfect height to poke people in the eyes. If they were really tall people, that is. Short people had the clear advantage here.

It's not like Captain Dross is too careful about who she hits with it. She might've done it on purpose a couple of times too, in a suitably dramatic manner.

Better than punching someone, right?

Clad in full pirate regalia, Skyler makes her way through the throng of knights and princesses and a couple of leering monks, surveying the nearby stalls with faint curiosity. She'd taken a look at the axe throwing stall earlier, but the owner had adamantly refused Skyler's participation. 

Rude.

It's only when she catches sight of a slumped figure weakly waving in her general direction that her path diverges, ground-eating steps parting the crowd ahead with stubborn purpose. By her side is a blue canine, its coarse fur poking whoever doesn't get out of the way fast enough. An eyepatch covers one of his green eyes and he has - a mini sword in his mouth. For some reason.

"Boss!"

The greeting comes in the shape of a hand slamming down onto kyle lopez 's shoulder and a halfway drunken grin. A finger pokes at the crown on his head, dislodging it slightly.  "Lookin' good. Are you the princess that needs saving or something?"

kyle lopez

Captain Dross actually preens under Kyle's words, chest puffing out in a ridiculous attempt to appear larger (her, not her chest). It lasts all of four seconds before a frown creases the space between her brows, having come to the sudden, inebriated realization that she is, in fact, meant to be a pirate and not a prince charming. "I don't think this'll work, boss. Pirates don't save princesses, I'm afraid."

Her stare lowers to the Manetric guarding the entrance to the castle, taking in the whole dragon ensemble with twitching lips. She has to fight the urge to pat its cute head.

Curious, Bonnie approaches on clumsy paws, all too eager to get to know this strange, spiky dog friend. Despite his newly evolved body, it quickly becomes apparent that the Lycanroc is still an overly enthusiastic puppy. He boops noses with his electric counterpart as a greeting of sorts. 

"I could plunder your castle, though." A flash of mischief lights up silver eyes, Skyler's attention shifting back to her friend. The curve of her lips is a plain invitation to partake in some trouble. "Pirate King Skyler does hold a certain appeal."

kyle lopez

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, especially those who know her like Kyle, when Captain Dross pulls a whole ass bottle of some kind of drink from a pocket in her coat and takes a generous swig of it. Much to the surprise of those same people, this drink isn't actually alcoholic in nature.

For a brief moment confusion washes over Skyler's expression, then she looks at the Manetric and Kyle and the Manetric again - and realization finally settles in. "Oh, I thought we were going to fight," she tells Kyle, as if punching a friend was an everyday occurrence for the Captain. Perhaps it was.

She takes a couple of steps back. "And I win those too, I take it?" Not like she actually wants the plastic gold, but it's the spirit of the thing. 

Likely feeling his trainer's intentions shifting, Bonnie takes some steps back too, fur sticking up with sudden tension. 

"Sandstorm."

Dust is kicked up in the air and a group of nearby medieval priests swears at them as sand obscures the makeshift battlefield, reducing visibility to practically zero. Skyler makes sure to flip them the bird, too afraid to open her mouth and get a mouthful of sand in it.

kyle lopez

The sailor has to hold on to her tricorne hat and watch out for her cleavage as the wind whips up into a frenzy around them. Kyle's words are almost swallowed out by the howling, though Skyler can make out the growing sense of panic just before it's cut off by sand and dirt and a tongue of flickering fire that licks at - of all things - her beloved hat.

"Ah - fuck! Shit!" Unknowingly parroting Kyle's curse words, Captain Dross hurries to pat the fire out, letting out a littany of curses as the tips of her fingers come out of the fray slightly singed. 

Unlike his trainer, Bonnie is having the time of his life. Tongue lolling out, and uncaring for the sandy nightmare that he summoned, the canine bounds forward on clumsy puppy legs to find the Manetric in its path. Claws sink into the earth at the last second, but the momentum is too strong and the distance too short, carrying the Lycanroc to slam against its electric counterpart in an unintentional ACCELEROCK.

Some distance away, a band of medieval bag pipe players drifts off on a hilariously wobbly note as they take notice of the unfolding cyclone of dust, slowly eating away at the cardboard castle Kyle had been standing in front of.

Further way, local authorities are beginning to take notice of the commotion...

---

sandstorm (turn 2)
skyler's hat is hit by flamethrower D:
bonnie "uses" accelerock

kyle lopez

The good news is that the sandstorm doesn't take too long to dissipate. The bad news is that Captain Dross is left standing in the middle of the chaos wrought by her Lycanroc, perfectly visible to the rapidly approaching figures of authority, come to punish whoever had seen fit to unleash a whole sand storm within the space.

Needless to say, Skyler doesn't linger long.

"C'mon, Bonnie, we're going!" She doesn't know where Kyle has gone or even how he managed to sneak away without her having noticed it (probably something to do with the sand flying everywhere), but she doesn't waste any time looking for the comparatively short man (hah! she'd lord that over him another time).

Shouts follow after her as the captain vaults over the sad remnants of a cardboard castle, racing to the tree line and disappearing between the wide tree barks and deep emerald foliage.

Leaving behind a single, singed blue feather.

---

sandstorm (goes away?)
goodbYE
gotta go

kyle lopez