As the inflatable raft bounced swiftly across the waves, Oliver glanced back at the burning sails of the Inexorable. With so many pirates already wounded from the explosion- and Henrietta's rampage- clearing the gun deck wasn't as much of a challenge as he had hoped... Not that the top deck was difficult either, though a few Devils did choose to fight back.

Of course, flintlocks and swords versus a shotgun wasn't really the best match up for them.

Some of the pirates chose to abandon ship rather than fight, which didn't surprise him- not after what he had done to the mage. And Oliver didn't bother to go into the hold, either- his goal was to disable the ship, and burning the sails would accomplish that just fine.

That, and he really didn't want to mess around with another explosion.

The only thing that he found concerning... was what he didn't find- namely any sign of the pirate captain, Chegor. Perhaps he was hiding below deck, or he had abandoned ship; Oliver had no clue.

But, as long as the pirate was no longer a threat, he counted it as good enough.

"Still wish I had shot the bastard..." He muttered, shaking his head as he turned to face forward once more.

While this Bounty had been entertaining- and a bit relaxing, despite the occasional fight- Oliver was looking forward to wrapping it up and heading home.

Getting back onto the Isadora was more annoying than Oliver expected. With a pirate ship still in pursuit, Captain Sterling was reluctant to slow so he could easily recover the raft before climbing up. Racing ahead of the ship, Oliver intended to simply store away his raft and then climb using his Aspect of the Familiar to give him the claws and climbing ability of a squirrel... and discovered a problem he hadn't realized before- and that the system hadn't warned him about.

Apparently, shape-shifting like that was taxing on the body, and, while trying to do so again in a short time felt possible, he didn't think it worth pushing himself when Polina was already lowering a rope for him.

Not that being dragged by the ship for a few seconds was especially pleasant, but it was close enough to water skiing that he didn't really mind... or at least what he imagined water skiing was like, since he had never actually done it before...

"Thanks hon." Oliver smiled as his armor, Lita, slowly retracted from the full body covering it assumed whenever he went in the water, acting like a wet suit.

"The Captain asked me to do it." Poli grinned mischievously, hugging her boyfriend. "After I explained how you climbed the other ship, he was adamant we lower a rope- something about not wanting you to poke holes in his ship that he'll have to fix later."

Oliver snorted in amusement. "Yeah, that makes sense. Probably for the best, seeing as I just figured out that shifting is a strain." Seeing Poli's concerned look, he quickly explained what he felt when he was initiating the second round of shape-shifting. "So, yeah. I wouldn't really call it a major thing, but it would wear me out to do it- and I don't want to be exhausted if we have to fight again soon."

"Probably a good idea." Poli shrugged. "Though the Captain thinks we should have a clear shot to the port he's aiming for- we should be less than a day out from waters patrolled by the Olam Navy, according to him."

"A couple days until we're done, from what he said." Oliver nodded in agreement. Gently taking her hand, the pair started threading their way between the bust sailors. "You ready to head home?"

"Definitely." Poli nodded enthusiastically. "I mean, don't get me wrong, this has been a lot of fun- almost like a vacation, just with a bit of action and some gun play- but I'm starting to miss my bed."

"But, speaking of home..." She turned a serious look his way. "You should really spend a little more time with Lily; even with that little kiss earlier, she's worried you'll change your mind and not take her with us."

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"I get that..." Oliver sighed, almost looking lost for a second. "But... I barely know what to do in our relationship as it is; adding another person..." Mouth working soundlessly for a moment, he struggled to find the words to express everything that was racing through his mind. Eventually, he just shrugged. "I mean, I'm not saying I'm against it. She's lovely, no denying it... But has she really thought through what it means to leave behind everything she knows?"

"She's thought it through, I promise." Poli replied, bumping his shoulder. "And she's excited for it. For her, it's almost like you're combining an epic love story with her desire to learn and explore things she never imagined. I mean, how many times did you dream about exploring new worlds before you got the System?"

"All the time." Oliver admitted slowly, a small frown marring his face. "But... this isn't some love story, Poli-"

Her sudden bark of laughter cut him off, leaving him looking even more confused. Eyes twinkling with humor, she was quick to explain. "Ok, listen to this and tell me if it sounds like an epic love story or not..."

"A kingdom was being attacked, sent off a prince and princess to ask for aid from their allies, only for them to find out that vicious pirates or already hunting. Out of desperation, the princess offers herself as the reward for someone to help them. Then, a handsome and mysterious stranger from another world appears and proceeds to kick the asses of every pirate that comes their way."

"He adopts a local child, offering her a better life than she could ever hope for... and he treats the princess kindly the entire time rather than making demands of her or using her in any way."

"Hell, you even invited her to family movie night!"

"Of course the whole thing starts to feel like an epic romance to her. Even I think it's kind of romantic!"

Oliver shrugged. "It sounds kinda cheesy to me." Seeing the glare his fiance directed his way, he sighed. "Ok, I get what you mean; from her perspective, it really does look like that. But leaving her family- he entire world- behind is still a huge decision."

"I would feel terrible if she ended up regretting it."

"She won't, Oli. She's made it pretty clear that she is certain of that."

"What, you couldn't blow the bastards up again!?" Ram's booming voice interrupted their quiet conversation. "Damn it, man! I lost a good bottle of rum because of that! I swear, if I didn't know better, I would think you colluded to cheat me!"

"I think I've had enough of explosions for the time being." Oliver replied slowly, still trying to catch up with the sudden shift in conversation. "Who was actually crazy enough to bet that I wouldn't blow it up?"

"You can deliver the bottle to our cabin, Ram!" Poli cackled, already leading Oliver away. "We're gonna go have some family time. Just let us know if any more problems pop up!"

"Seriously hon?" Oliver groaned. "Betting on whether I blow shit up is just wrong!"

"You know what... Just for that, you get to be the one to explain to your mom that she's a grandma!"

While Oliver had no intention of just dumping that entire thing on her, the look of panic that crept on Poli's face was worth it... at least until she found a way to get back at him.

"Last chance to change your mind."

Lily stiffened slightly at the words. Turning her gaze slowly from the stone piers of the port city to stare at Oliver, who had suddenly appeared beside her, she frowned slightly at the statement. It wasn't the first time he had brought up the point, and she understood that he wasn't really trying to push her away... But it still grated on her. She had set her mind to going with him, and was genuinely looking forward to it...

Her frown disappeared quickly, replaced by a bright smile as she reminded herself of the truth: he wasn't trying to stop her, he just worried about how the decision would affect her. Whether or not she would be happy, if she would miss her family and home... It was kind of sweet, even if she had already answered the unasked question. Twice.

"That isn't necessary, Oliver." She chided him gently, taking his arm- which seemed to surprise and fluster him just a bit. "This is what we agreed to, and it is what I want. Besides, I am looking forward to exploring other worlds with you."

"I'm... not sure that's the best idea." He said slowly, shaking his head. "You do know that these jobs are usually dangerous. Honestly, a lot of them sound more dangerous than this one was- and this one was still pretty crazy..."

"I am aware." She shrugged, smiling down at him. "But I am also aware of your need for someone with a more... diplomatic... approach. I mean no insult to Polina, as she manages things quite well. But, like you, she is a fighter first... And I was trained for diplomacy."

"But that is something we can discuss later." She pushed on before he could respond. "For now, we should say our farewells- the terms of the agreement was to deliver my brother safely to Bay Leis, was it not? Your job is nearly completed!"

"Yeah..." Oliver agreed slowly, his mind swirling with the ominous thought... that he really did not understand women.

Just what had he gotten himself into?

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