HEIGHT: 257cm
AGE:
This old soul believed in the captain's dream before anyone else did. Because of his unconditional support and good faith alone, he earned the title of first mate, and is typically in charge of the ship when the captain is unfit for duty, though he isn't any more of a better leader than said captain. Much more accustomed to a quiet and uneventful life, Asgore isn't a voice of reason as much as he's a voice pleading for some semblance of normalcy on the ship. He tries to quell any disputes that happen between crewmates, but as he's lacking a spine, that job is better reserved for someone like the boatswain.
Asgore's job mostly consists of maintanince and getting the captain's orders out to everyone who needs to hear it, though he'll more often be seen helping the less skilled deckhands with whatever they need, and tending to the flowers and plants who's pots he had to glue in place in order for them not to shatter during normal (and abnormal) sailing.
A golden mane and a golden heart, there are very few people on the ship who don't like having him around.
HEIGHT: 305cm
AGE:
Once a proud member of a royal family, this darkner rebelled against his kind in a vain attempt to prove his own independance and sovereignity over his own life. Vouching never to serve a lightner, he searched the seas far and wide, and wound up in really nasty hot water for a time, until he landed on the soon-to-be airship by complete accident. One of the earliest members of the crew, he was there to witness the ship take flight and the crew disband once before, but despite everything he is loyal to the misguided captain for as long as the captain is loyal to him, and doesn't betray him as the darkner has been so many times before.
Well acquainted with most of the crew, he tolerates them as much as he despises them. There's a choice few people on the ship who have earned his favour, and one "lucky"(?) first mate who won his affection entirely. Now the blacksmith of the ship, Spade spends most of his days brooding in dark rooms and preparing blades and weapons sharp enough to kill, all in service of battles he can only pray the meagre crew can win against bigger fleets he himself once commanded.
Never an optimist, but always a reality check, intentionally or not.
HEIGHT: 220cm
AGE:
Once a land-locked teacher, Toriel is a monster who decided to seek out more from her life after all her little chicks left her nest happily, and with flying colours. Unexpectedly, she found her new calling aboard a pirate ship that her ex husband had taken residence in. Though the negotiations were a little awkward, she eventually agreed to join the crew as long as she wasn't the only woman onboard, and her request was happily obliged.
The navigator and arguably the only braincell, Toriel has taken a habit to locking her office full of gold machines and precious maps in fear someone rather uncultured will barge in again and interfere with her delicate work. Not much of an artist, but more than a skilled mathematician, magician and astronomer, Toriel is able to plot out the course of both the ship's flights and its sails, ensuring the crew never miss an interesting island or bump into a particularly tall mountain.
Even if she's quick to hold a grudge, she's always a breath of fresh air on a ship full of egotistical idiots.
HEIGHT: 202cm(?)
AGE:
That shadow that moves at the corner of your eye? That odd mental fog when you enter a room that looks almost correct, but not quite? That feeling that you're being watched even when you're all alone? Common plights on the airship, thanks to the mysterious and rather elusive Dr. Gaster. He's a good acquaintence of a choice few, and those who know him seldom say many details of his inner workings, as they themselves don't know the first thing about them.
An engineer by profession, and a well-meaning gossip by choice, Gaster is the main (mystery)man keeping this abomination of a contraption aflight. No-one can make wings slapped onto the side of the boat actually fly, other than this guy! Though he gladly gives gifts, he's dedicated his time and energy to this crazy contraption in particular due to a mysterious deal he made with the ship's captain. Even the veteran crew members don't know the details of this deal with the devil, so much so that no-one can quite pinpoint which of its participants IS "the devil"!
Call the doctor by his name, and he'll surely listen, wherever you are.
HEIGHT:
AGE:
No ship is complete without a cook, and no middle-aged man is complete without a mid-life crisis under his belt. Peppino's has (surprisingly) led him to the inner workings of a pirate ship he hadn't even known existed until he found himself recruited onto it, almost by sheer luck (or misfortune, depending on how you look at it). Not much for socialising, Peppino keeps himself busy in the kitchen if only to preserve his sanity from whatever bullshit his crewmates are deciding to pull today.
But don't be fooled, Peppino is no coward. If trouble arises on the deck, and the noise is enough to aggravate him, he'll be the worst thing to happen to whoever's attacking the ship head-on. Nothing fuels battle like rage, and nothing enrages a stereotypical italian like being interrupted while cooking pasta. Trouble is, though, ever since Peppino joined the crew, a certain man with a pizza for a head has been trying to slither his way into the ship as well, miraculously catching up to it even while its thousands of meters above ground... Peppino is, begrudgingly, the one on "kick the pizza out" duty, even when he has better shit to do.
Despite everything, he has a good amount of respect for the captain who's able to wrangle together people of all strides under one roof and towards one goal.
HEIGHT:
AGE:
Formally an engineer and inventor, this money-grubber found himself indebted to the plucky captain and his crew when they saved him and his odd creature companion from a rather sticky situation, specifically when he was stuck in the web of a spider who's greed rivalled his own. Though she was a foe he didn't stand a chance against, to this day Mr. Stick acts as if the captain's good deed was just a form of blackmail and, truth be told, some of the crew that were there wouldn't be able to tell you for a certain if it wasn't.
Once a navigator, Stick found himself more comfortable handling money than geography, and he's quickly turned the ship's meagre savings into a treasure vault to be reckoned with, one he protects and fights for as if the money were his own... Well, functionally, it might as well be, as the captain is not a man who plunders for riches, but for the thrill and adventure of it! Utterly idiotic by Stick's standards, since the greedy bastard runs from any and any fight that graces the ship, no mattor how minor.
He's living proof that even the worst of sins, like greed and pride, can be useful when applied with care to the teams who need them most.
HEIGHT:
AGE:
No ship is complete without a creature, and no (?)aged thing is complete without a crisis to induce under its belt. Pepono's has, surprisingly, led him to the inner sanctum of one of the greediest men around who hadn't even known it existed until he found himself with a shambling clone following him around (rather fortunately, surprisingly). Not very appealing to people, Pepono keeps himself busy by being Stick's bodyguard if only to preserve whatever shred of humanity it has left after what it's become.
But don't be fooled, Pepono is no regular clone. If troubled for details and aggrivated enough, he'll be the worst thing to happen to whoever's itching to know who and what he really is. Nothing fuels mystery like fear, and nothing's more frightening than a monstrosity that itself doesn't know what it is. Trouble is, though, ever since Pepono joined the crew, he's been rather restless, inneligably mumbling daily grievences to himself and the only man who can understand him... Stick has, "begrudgingly" taken on the "creature tamer" duty, though said creature is more a life partner to him now than a nuisance, refreshingly.
Despite everything, it has a good amount of respect for the crew who're able to wrangle together enough courige to face this horror in their halls each day.
HEIGHT: 178cm
AGE:
Despite his surname, John is not a captain on this ship. Or anywhere else for that matter. John's highest rank was Sargeant, back in the military him and a few of the other seamen and seawomen used to serve in. When things there got a bit too cartoonishly evil, even for their tastes, they all bailed from the program and have been a bit short on employement opprotunities ever since... until they found the airship. Or, more aptly, the airship found them.
Not really a fan of some of the frillier tendencies of the rest of the crew, nor a proponent of the captain's morals, John spends most of his free time publically badmouthing the crew members he doesn't like, with his allies, or with just Steve. Him and his best pal stick like glue, and even though the rest of the ship is high in both testosterone and homosexuality, John never acknowledges his tendencies and preferences as gay. Nay, he straight up DENIES it. It's a little infuriating. But, push comes to shove, John is a hard worker, and however unbearable his cock jokes can be, he knows when to put on his thinking face and actually stratagise as necessary. So at the end of every day, Captain (surname) and Captain (title) put aside their petty disputes, clank their glasses of comically mismatched drinks, and tolerate each other's whiplash-inducing difference in opinions and morals for one more day, as many days as they can.
For everyone's sake.
HEIGHT: 188cm
AGE:
Someone who blends into a crowd easily, but just as jarringly sticks out once you get to know him, Steve is the kind of guy you can get used to but never predict. The closest thing to chaos incarnate this ship has, Steve is a knife-weilding, math-loving, cock-joke-making man that's oddly and undyingly loyal to his former sergeant. Although they're equals now, you're never gonna hear that coming from either of them. Steve still reveres John as a superior and commander, and John still sees Steve as nothing more than his right-hand man. And while John is in denial about their bond, scoffing and spitting in the face of possible gay overtones, Steve is well aware where his feelings lie and how both reciprocated and unreciprocated they are. The man's found his niche with the guy he adores and he's not about to budge just for some arbitrary label of "functional couple". Though, it's hard to deny he doesn't look too happy when the subject is brought up.
Bizarrely, no matter how much this dude talks, you can never seem to actually get to know him much better. What you see is what you get, and even his closest comrades don't know the first thing about his past. Something about a dead family? An old tank and a shitty movie? Something abuot sports??? It's odd to call STEVE of all people an enigma, but with the inner machinations of his mind being as mysterious as they are, and his motives and past being shrouded in unintentional secrecy, its difficult to call him anything but. He's a weird friend to make, but one you definitely wanna keep.
HEIGHT: 182cm
AGE:
Ever wonder what happens when you mix a stoner with a walking carichature of schizophrenia? Well wonder no more because he's staring you right in the face and it's rather uncomfortable. Ted doesn't mean to be a social menace, by any means, but his brashness and lack of any kind of filter can often lead to really graphic conversations sparking out of talking about the goddamn weather. Morbid by nature and high as a kite by choice, Ted is that guy you smoke with ONLY if you want to be convinced something's in your wall for the next week. Listening to his unhinged rambling can often leave someone worried and on-edge, but the awful truth is that Ted is inarguably the best adjusted out of his whole squad, he's just weird.
Originally he joined the military out of necessity, and he often describes his time on the ship the same way, though while he used to lament about wasted shells, needless carnage and the immorality of existance itself, nowadays he just complains about how none of the women are dtf and all the guys are way too gay it might start rubbing off on him. "Not that I'm homophobic", he adds, "I just don't wanna get desperate enough as a straight man to start sucking dick." Just give him a drink and he'll shut up. Send him to the nearest adult services provider who happens to be a woman once we hit land, god knows he'll treat her better than he treats our ears on a daily basis.
HEIGHT: 174cm
AGE:
The least experianced out of the military men, Bill was appointed as the communications officer after Steve did a shit job at it one too many times. Bill is happy to be promoted (though John jokes its a DEmotion with how much Steve complained about the job), as he doesn't have to worry about losing his head every time the Airship's flying over hot water anymore. After a nasty brush with death during his time in the army, Bill has gotten both a hell of a lot more cautious, and a hell of a lot more appreciative of life in general. Not above taking risks but certainly too weary to be reckless, Bill is the guy you go to when you want sound advice and a clear moral standpoint (something all of his roomies lack.)
Bill is also Thea's husband, and looks like a soggy toilet paper roll when compared to her battle prowess and skills with a knife. The guy practically worships his wife, as they found each other during really hard stages in their lives, and she's been a hell of a trooper ever since he almost didn't make it. She fights for the both of them, Bill claims, and he owes her the world for that. Some say the lucky coin stashed in his pocket that helped him dodge a literal bullet also came from Thea specifically, but that's a rumour.
Bill isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but sometimes you aren't really looking for something that can maim, anyway.
HEIGHT: 172cm
AGE:
John's twin sister and resident horrendous lesbian, June is both a great ally and an awful influence. Much like her brother, morals aren't really her thing, and while John secretly holds onto some kind of principles in his heart, June has unabashedly descended into full hedonism and wish-fulfillment. Yes, she's the leader of her own little ex-military possy, but treats them either as a clique of friends with benifits, or her personal lackeys. As self-serving as she can be, she isn't heartless, and has a hell of a lot of respect for the ladies around her, that she only knows how to verbalise through sexual innuendo. Boob jokes galore. It's hard to get used to, but once you learn her language, you know she means no harm. And the men? Most of the time she can hardly tell they're there.
On her off-time, June mostly just bothers the other women on the ship, usually Alex. Usually with stupid questions or pointless conversation that teeters on awkward smalltalk, often becoming annoying and overbearing if the person she's decided to sit with is in a bad mood. Is this just her overcompensating for something? Does she indescriminantly bury herself in other women and and their lives just to hide from herself and not have to face her own inner monologue, that's degraded from annoying cynicism to a black, miserable void of meaningless noise over the years of psychological repression and militant training that's denied her the most basic forms of self-fullfilment and replaced it with an unending need for sociatal acceptance?
Nah, I'm sure she's fine. I'm sure she's as simple and airheaded as she makes herself out to be.
HEIGHT: 162cm
AGE:
Ever heard of Evanescence? If you haven't, stop talking to Alex.
A grouch, depressed emo, and military sharpshooter, all rolled up into one short lady who gets more spotlight than she wants, frankly. Just give her a pair of headphones and a black hoodie, and she'll disappear into a crowd effortlessly. Coupled with her secret voyeristic tendencies that are still a secret to maybe only 2 people on the ship, these traits all make Alex the perfect lookout to replace Ted when it becomes clear it's inhumaine to isolate him from other people for any longer. Alex, though? Alex doesn't mind. You could forget she's up in the bird's nest for like a week and she won't even bat an eye, maybe only complain that she's run out of weed.
Her friends, though, would undeniably notice. Despite her protests, Alex was fully assimilated into June, Susan and Thea's little possy of ex-military girls, and while Alex is embarresingly bad at self defence, she's a crackshot with a gun, so, the joke is, she ALSO fled the military, before she even joined it. Her bond with both Susan and Thea is undeniably strong, while her... feud(?) with June has raised some eyebrows. Though at first glance it may seem like they hate each other, observant viewers or close friends will quickly pick up on their sexual tension being more romantic in nature than they let on. June insists it's all surface level, and Alex would rather die than utter a compliment about June. It's why they spend most of their time together, y'know?
HEIGHT: 187cm
AGE:
Unlike her laid-back main lady June, Susan is a diligent powerhouse and a staunch defender of everything she holds dear. Insulted one of her friends? You're getting catapulted off of the ship. Made an unexpected jab at someone who took it the wrong way? You're getting decked. So much as breathed in a woman's direction disrespectfully? Yeah, you guessed it, your life's flashing before your eyes.
As much as Susan seems an active terror to newbies, basically everyone who's been on the ship for more than a week knows she's a sweetheart at her core. Genuinely nice most of the time, if a bit overeagre and easily excitable/agitated, Susan is as physically strong and helpful as she is a bit dense in the head. All braun no brains sort of deal, but what she lacks in critical thinking skills she makes up for in empathy and emotional awareness. By no means is she a mental health expert, but knowing her background in the military, it's honestly astonishing to see how open she is to hearing out everyone's point of view and understanding situations as more nuanced than black and white, or agressor versus victim. How did she even end up in the military then, you might ask? Well, that's a long, sordid tale I'm sure she'd gladly recount to you after 10 beers and a good cry.
HEIGHT: 186cm
AGE:
A killer and a sweetheart, Thea is nice by nature and cruel by choice. Crossing her is a bad idea, but she doesn't pick fights outside of assignments. Really, you probably wouldn't even be able to tell how much of a threat she is at a first glance, and it's what makes her so good at her job. In the military she was a specialist, and a damn good one too, but eventually the paycheck wasn't worth the sacrificed morals, and her hubby Bill eventually managed to convince her to leave the place behind, with the rest of their closest friends. Though Thea wouldn't really consider a specific gentleman from Bill's old team a friend... It's John, she doesn't like John.
Usually jobless on the ship, Thea is hardly bored as she's managed to strike up a pretty good friendship with both the navigator, the doctor and the painter. When she's not socialising or working, though, it's easy to tell Thea longs for something outside of the confindes of a job or a fleet. She seldom talks about it, but rumour has it the thing that pains her most is the family life her and Bill lost when their only daughter grew up. Empty nests are never pleasant, but it seems like something might've hit Thea where it hurts when she realised her daughter didn't really need them anymore. Have they kept in contact with her? And why are her and Bill being so quiet about it? It's hard to say, and even harder to ask when she points a knife to your throat for even bringing it up.
HEIGHT:
AGE:
TO BE ADDED
HEIGHT:
AGE:
TO BE ADDED
HEIGHT:
AGE:
TO BE ADDED
HEIGHT:
AGE:
TO BE ADDED
HEIGHT:
AGE:
TO BE ADDED
HEIGHT:
AGE:
If you find yourself looking directly at those piercing green eyes staring at you, you best watch what you'll say. A short temper and a quicker wit, Alice has carved out her place in the ship through sheer force of will. She's scared nearly every person into obediance and made quite a name for herself when she's only started staying with the crew relatively recently. She used to come and go, like a black cat in the night, but once certain women started working on the ship, she decided to stay for good too. Her past renders her unequivically wary around men, and anyone who knows the details can't blame her, but with each day that passes by, you can slowly see her start to understand the real world around her, rather than the stories her head's been filled with against her will.
There's something to be said about the odd bond the Captain seems to have with her, though. While she's often dismissive of his skills as a leader, being the first to predict when a plan will go awry, she's also oddly protective and supportive of him. They're peers now, but with Alice's general worldly appearance being questionable in authenticity, it's not hard to imagine there was once a discrepancy and difference in their ages. There's a familiar fondness between the two of them, and though they're both the youngest in their families, they've taken each other as their yet younger siblings. It's odd, but then again, what about Alice isn't?
HEIGHT:
AGE:
TO BE ADDED
HEIGHT:
AGE:
Big messy beard, an eyepatch, battle scars, and a decidedly pirate-y accent? This guy looks like he was MADE for this job!... and, he kind of was. Out of the whole crew, he's decidedly the only one from the captain's own homeland that was always meant to sail the seas, though not so much the skies. Bogoboj's a friendly fellow, though not above firmly standing his ground on seemingly petty matters. He's here to keep the ship up and running and the crew functional, though he doesn't do it alone! The creature on his shoulder, only known as "the demon", is a small piece of a larger diety he got the (mis)fortune of meeting, and befriending once. (Well... "befriend"...)
It's a little tragic to think, the only reason he's on the airship in the way he is is because the world he was supposed to belong to will never come to be. Though his tale would've been one of horror and tragedy, a piece of him was undoubtedly lost in translation, as now he has a more reasonable crew, and a more tamable little beast to take care of. Is he really happy here? Or is he destined for more than this little boat? Only time will tell...
One of the only people on this crew who you physically can't lie to, thanks to the demon.
HEIGHT:
AGE:
They say "don't judge a book by it's cover", but what do you do when the cover itself tells you it's exactly what it looks like? Young, hot-headed and dashing, this idiot is here to steal hearts and not commit to any goddamn thing other than his own damnnation. Don't be fooled by his charms, he's absolutely just going to use you. For what end? Depends on what mood he's in. And, depends on how good you are at resisting a blond manly hottie with a criminal record.
HEIGHT:
AGE:
Physically fit enough to help with the necessary labour around the ship, but mentally too preoccupied to ever really dedicate himself to physical work, this guy's often nicknamed "the bard" by people who actually care to listen to his lyrical musings. Most of the time a philosopher, and others just a plain entertainer, he's got more up his sleeve than his tacky clown makeup might lead you to believe...
HEIGHT:
AGE:
It's a little freakish to give the job of a surgeon to someone best equipped for hammering things until they work, but freakish is a great way to describe the person these titles belong to. Even outside of the mystery they and their comrades are shrouded in now out of necessity, they're an enigma to the point their true name hasn't been uttered for a long, long time. Speak to them if you dare, but be warned, shaking hands with them means you're putting your life in their hands, whether you're aware of in what way or not.
HEIGHT:
AGE:
Oh, what a friendly face! You wouldn't expect to see someone so young and doe-eyed in such a chaotic and often somber vessel, but this little bundle of joy is here to make sure everything is running smoothly!... Until you check your pockets and realise they've stolen your wallet. Be warned! As much as they work as the surgeon's assistant, they're more of a pirate than most of the grizzly men on this ship.
HEIGHT:
AGE:
The one in control of the speakers and the projectors all around the ship, though she's an awful jinx around any kind of complex technology. This awfully terrifying lady knows her worth and knows her mission, though if you ask her what exactly it is, she'll avoid the question outright. Something about how you wouldn't get it, something about just looking out for her friends while she's here... She's an odd woman, but a really good DJ.
HEIGHT:
AGE:
This fair lady seems least qualified to be on a ship like this! Worst of all, she'll never identify herself as a maid even if she's the one making sure the dust doesn't creep up too high in the corners of all the little rooms on the ship. She's out searching for love, she says, though the people she adores most are already all aboard. Something greater yet, apparently, lies just beyond the veil for her, the veil she can't even quite articulate the meaning of...
HEIGHT:
AGE: 16
Odd to see a child on a pirate ship like this one, even odder that this kid always looks like a deer in headlights when you spot her outside her room. Taken away from a difficult family situation, the captain and his allies took her in and promised her adventure, though she mostly keeps herself confined to her room in a well-founded fear of the crew that rules the ship. No-one would ever let her come to harm, but no-one could ever risk it, either. She's like a princess locked in a tower, though she chose to be here of her own free will, and if asked, she still preferrs this over her old, crumbling family home.
As small and cute as she is, rumour says she's not as powerless as she seems. Ask the doctor, and he'll tell you there's a hell of a lot of raw power hidden just underneath the visage of an angel. Though, it's just rumour. No-one's ever seen the kid do much of anything but hang out, stare at people in fear, and leave the ship the moment it hits land so she can go spend time with her friends.
Sweet as a pie, she's the apple of everyone's eye!
HEIGHT:
AGE:
A fusion of the first mate and the blacksmith, Corundum is sometimes present, sometimes not, purely based on the whims of his two halves. Though, much like a cat, when he IS around he is adored and rather useful, but be careful! He only ever does whatever he wants. Orders and rules mean very little to a man with twofold vision strong enough to somewhat see past the veil none of us even know is there.
Sometimes he busies himself with mingling with the deckhands, other times he'll toil away in the smithing room happily, and sometimes you might just find him lazing around the deck like the world's shittiest Cheshire cat, giving out vague threats to passerbies who disturb his moments of peace. Very close with the navigator and the engineer, Corundum's also climbed his way up to be the captain's favourite subordinate. Though, when you put them side by side, it's difficult to tell who's really in charge.
Not quite independant and not quite group-dependant, the fusion could count as yet another enigma of the ship to the visitors who don't know his sordid affairs.
As it's become clear, some of the residents on the ship are rather underqualified for being part of a pirate crew. The captain, his daughter, and even some of the deckhands, are all unfit for long voyages in the turbulent skies, but that's what makes the airship so special. There's no prior knowledge required, no formal training, just a good word in with the captain and you're hired! Though, that's not a very sustainable system in the long run. It's a "learn as we go along" sort of team, and while that leaves a lot of room for growth it also leaves a lot to be desired.
It'd be nice to say the ship's crew gets along like a well-oiled machine, but that'd just be a lie... The truth of the matter is, not everyone on the ship gets along, and there's a lot of active tension between members who should really have none. It can get a bit difficult to keep track of what everyone thinks of everyone, it'd be nice if there was some kind of handy chart that explained it all sussinctly... Oh well.
Not every person on the ship is part of the crew. Some people are hired help, coming during voyages only so long as they're paid for their time, rather than living with the captain and sharing in all his wealth (which, granted, there isn't a lot of). Others are simple passangers, hitching a ride on the boat (invited or otherwise) to someplace they need to be, and as compensation for their general presence help around the deck in small ways, as rarely these hitchhikers are trained pirates. Some groups, though, are victims of other pirates or privateers and, if the airship is close enough to the conflict, they're offered help and asylum for free, no labour or questions asked, until the boat lands somewhere safe and they're free to live outside of threat. Really, there's a veriety of people to meet on the ship, and quite a few are quite tell quite remarkable tales...
Bluh bluh this part will explain the internal structure of the ship, aka the rooms and where everyone works and stuff.
Of course, a pirate ship in open water and sky isn't going to be without its fair share of enemies. The biggest rival vessel(s) of the airship is the Orphaner's fleet. Privateers working for the Condesce and hunting smaller boats basically for fun, they're ruthless and rule parts of the sea as if they're royalty. Its captain, Orphaner Dualscar, doesn't have a particular grudge against the airship and its crew (other than the numerous times they've hurt his pride by not dying by his hand), but the fleet's second in command, Eridan Ampora, has a sordid history with the airship's captain...
Previously, when he was but a wee little 13 year old, Kooki had worked on one of Dualscar's ships as a simple errand boy, never formally trained and mostly fighting to survive in the harsh social environment. Eridan, though, wasn't high ranking back then at all, mostly kept around as Dualscar's descendant, he was sent to one of the lesser ships of the fleet as punishment for one minor misdeed or another. That's when and where Kooki met Eridan. Well, "met" with heavy quotes, he had known of the seadweller for some time, though this was the first time the seadweller paid any mind to him. Kooki wasn't an exceptional worker, but he was awfully resiliant and determined for someone who seemingly didn't even want to be there.
"I'll get out of here someday..." the human would repeat, "I'll get out of here, and find someplace better, and I'll be free."
Drawn in by the human's desperation, and their shared bitterness towards the injustices of the ship, Eridan persued the lad, even if they were not of the same caste, there was common ground and understanding between them. A matespritship blossomed, for a time, as Kooki still worked on the ship, and Eridan would offer comfort and help (however subtle and indirect due to Dualscar's strict rules), sometimes even guidence to his troubled, land-dwelling boyfriend.
In return, Kooki offered much the same, listening and comforting, and entertining Eridan's ideas of grandure while patiently accompanying him during his dramatic sob-stories and unbridled self-pity. One could argue it was a little one-sided, there wasn't a thing Kooki could do to really hurt Eridan, though Kooki's entire lifeline was in that fishy boy's insecure little hands. Maybe it's why Kooki was so fiercly loyal, maybe it's why this was the one relationship Eridan felt security in, but it was something truly magical for the both of them... while it lasted.
They'd slowly grow distant over time and, one uneventful summer day, during the year they'd both turn 15, Kooki mysteriously disappeared from the ship. Thinking his love dead, Eridan was heartbroken (for maybe a few months), and was driven in deeper by the rigid rules and expectations of the privateer fleet, fully now embracing his destiny of growing to perfectly replace Dualscar in the event of his death.
Kooki, of course, wasn't dead, and some years later, a chance encounter on open water would have the star-crossed lovers meeting again as adults. Eridan was shaken, and though he could've felt glad that someone he once loved wasn't six feet under, all he felt was bitterness at being abandoned, even if years had passed since the event. Who he once thought lower than him, worse than him, pathetic and in need of his saving, was now manning his own ship as a captain, against the regime he once served, for no purpose but his own, selfish gain. What a wreck, though Kooki was anything but disappointed to see Eridan. Exctatic, in fact, that they got to see each other again as fully formed people instead of misguided children.
"The stars may have aligned for us again...!" the captain roared to the sound of the privateer's second in command falling to the creaky, wet, wooden floor of the enemy ship, the human's blade so close yet so far from his juggular, "Though you and I are tied by a string of fate, our paths don't converge again here."
"You traitor!" Eridan yelled back, "You left me behind wwithout so much as a goddamn note!" His furious stare didn't die down even as his tone turned quieter, "Did I really mean so fuckin' little to you?"
"No, it's complicated..." the captain's eyes sank to the ground, though all around them the battle raged on. "I just wanted a way out, but you really, really wanted to stay. It was your dream, your "calling"... How could I take that away from you, even if I didn't think it was good for you?" their eyes met, "I grew up, but you couldn't. That's all." Eridan narrowed his eyes, before the captain chuckled again, and smiled sincearly, "I AM glad I got to see you again, though."
"You really expect me to believve that?" Eridan scoffed, "After all a this time? Wwith you holdin a fuckin rapier to my throat?!"
"Why would I say it if I didn't mean it?" the captain cocked his head, "C'mon, Danny, you know me better than that! You were always there for me, just cause I don't love you like I used to doesn't mean I'm not happy to see you."
Those weren't the last words exchanged, but they were the ones most clearly remembered by the embittered soldier and his wild and free human love interest. From then on, a straightforward relationship was nearly impossible, the two would keep flip-flopping between caring about each other, fighting each other, pretending the other doesn't even exist, ad nauseam... Sometimes kismasis, somestimes matesprits, always a drop of a hat away from trying to kill each other again, for fun!
Oh, how the crew of the airship gossips and shittalks these two...
There's an ongoing rumour about how it's only a matter of time before Eridan joins the pirate crew himself. The trouble is, though, the fishy lad is already too set in his ways. It'll take a lot to convince him for certain that the way he's been living his life isn't good for anyone, even himself. And that boy's problems just aren't something the captain can afford to spend all his time on anymore.