A Blood Moon Bash

     Sparkling overhead as though the Faeries themselves had scattered countless diamonds as far as the eye could see, a starry night sky stretched across the sandy shores of Krawk Island as a brisk cooling wind blew away the very few clouds that dared to interrupt the otherwise endless view. Though the breeze could bring a chill to the bone to the unwary, its work was much appreciated by the inhabitants of one particularly secluded bay. With a couple of wooden tables, some wooden benches (and crimson hammocks slung across neighbouring palm trees as a comfier alternative), a rather impressive Barbecue set-up and an equally so telescope pointed towards the heavens above, the Lunar Eclipse Party planned by both the heads of Teams Krawk Island and Kreludor was set to be an event that no-pet would forget in a hurry.

     Team Kreludor's resident astronomy... enthusiasts, Captain Derlyn Fonnet and her goalkeeper/second-in-command Jurin T. had known for some time that a Full Lunar Eclipse was set to fall over the coastline of Krawk Island but hadn't really thought much of it. As much as they would've loved to have seen it, Neopia was in far too much of a fragile state to organise any kind of Moon Viewing Party. Or so they had thought until their teammate and proud pirate Ealyn Hawkshanks had overheard them talking about it during training one day. Something, something Blood Moon being auspicious... something. The Purple Gnorbu hadn't managed to keep up with the Quiggle. But before she knew it, her centre forward had contacted his old Captain - Garven Hale - and sure enough the Pirate Bori knew just the spot. Away from the prying eyes of any watching rival buccaneers.

     With Feldon 'Dinksy' Collibridge dancing a little jig as she played the fiddle, the Pirate Shoyru meandered through the past and present members of Teams Kreludor and Krawk Island under the bright moonlight. Looping around Nitri Cassale and Motor Dahy as the two argued over whose barbecuing technique was the best, she found herself serenading a sleeping 'Dasher' Soley. The Pirate Krawk having found his hammock just a bit too comfortable to resist. Garven couldn't help but chuckle to himself over the scene before turning his attention to the Red Ruki and his pride and joy. Shining the brass with the sleeve of his tracksuit jacket, Jurin once again repositioned his telescope for the best possible view of the changing hues of Kreludor for his next guest - after Zayle Sufhaux's extended view. The Pirate Grundo had never seen the moon in such detail before. He couldn't help looking at it. Again and again. He really needed to tick a visit to it off of his bucket list.

     "I cannae see what Sufhaux was blatherin' on about," huffed Captain Bluebeard, having peered down the viewing lense for several moments, "the view be no betterrr than with the nak'd eye." Standing up straight, the Blue Varwolf squinted at the celestial object, Kreludor only just starting to turn the faintest shade of orange as Neopia's shadow was slowly cast over its cratered surface. "Where'd ye even get such bilge?" She pulled out a handheld telescope from underneath her navy blue dress coat and pointed it towards the moon. "I can see it just fine with me own eyeglass."

     Jurin froze. Crushed on the inside.

     "Sh-Shenkuu..." he finally mumbled, softly as a wave lapping over the sandy shore.

     Coco Metrone was mortified. As soon as Captain Hale told her that they were throwing this bash alongside Team Kreludor, she had thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to finally introduce all her old friends to Blue. With her and her similarly Fancy Frock Coat-clad teammates regularly seabound and her former colleagues living all the way on the moon it was pretty rare for them all to be in the same place outside of the Month of Relaxing. And the hectic nature of the Altador Cup with daily fixtures and training in between didn't leave much time for socialising. But now? It was taking all of the Spotted Ogrin's strength not to bury her face in her paws. Even she understood how much that telescope meant to her previous goalkeeper. And not just because it was a gift. It was genuinely a really cool piece of gear.

     "Hey, Blue!" she piped up, deliberately interrupting any possible debate over which land made the best astronomical equipment before it had even begun, "I'm sure Nitri and Motor will've sorted the grill out by now... and you're bound to be famished from such a long voyage and everything!" That she was. Guiding her guest towards the Barbecue, the central defender left the Red Ruki to be consoled by the two Captains as well as his telescope's newest fan.

     "I've had Hairy Rock Burgers more tender than your steaks!"

     "Oh, aye?"

     "Oh, 'aye'!" Motor snapped back, the Tyrannian Pteri copying Nitri's accent.

     The Pirate Moehog scowled at the disrespect.

     "I'll 'ave ye know I've fed an entire crew on nothin' more than the barrrnacles scraped off ourrr 'ull for a 'ole month and it were farrr betterrr than owt ye'll find in that tharrr Gold'n D'bloon!"

     "Ye tell that scallywag, Cass!" Ealyn Hawkshanks cheered on his former teammate, the tracksuit-clad Pirate Quiggle tucking into the spoils of the impromptu barbecue-off sat alongside Qlydae Wegg and Zenor Kevix on one of the wooden benches. The Blue Grundo and retired right forward tended to avoid events his replacement attended due to their clashing personalities and general life philosophies but his former fellow Twin Grundo Terror had insisted that he come. Which had turned out pretty well when it came to both the Chunks of Meat on offer and overall entertainment value. Not that he dared tell the Orange Grundo that he was right... for once. "Tell 'im what ye did to the Giant Squid that attacked us atop the coast a'Marrraquarrr!"

     "UGGGHHHH!" Motor baulked at the thought of that much slimy seafood, his stomach turning on the spot and a faint shade of green showing through the deep orange feathers on his face, "Why can't you pirates eat... like... I dunno... normal food! Or something!!"

     "You literally eat rocks," Wegg dryly pointed out as Kevix rolled his eyes at the both of them.

     The Tyrannian Pteri crossed his arms atop his torn tracksuit jacket. "Rather rocks than squid."

     "How... rude!" Bluebeard growled as she approached the right forward, her anger at such insubordination surpassing any hunger pangs that she had been feeling. As the Spotted Ogrin yet again questioned whether it had been so wise to introduce them all at once, the Blue Varwolf challenged the youngster's behaviour. "If ye were a pet aboard me Ship I'd wash ye mouth out with seawater!" The trio dived into the latest batch of steaks stealthily provided by Nitri as the entertainment continued. "I want a worrrd with ye Capt'n!" Such dishonourable conduct needed dealing with. But looking around at the sea of strangers, she couldn't figure out which pet was this 'Fonnet' that Coco had told her about. She frowned. "Which one of these landlubbers be they?"

     "Freckles?" he mused momentarily before bursting out laughing at the thought of being reprimanded for being rude by Derlyn of all pets. The Purple Gnorbu who was somewhat... infamous for being honest to a fault. Using a feather to wipe a single tear from his violet eyes, he managed to just about regain his composure in front of an increasingly irritated Bluebeard before pointing out, "Yeah. She's the Purple Gnorbu over there." Motor grinned. Knowing just who's guest she was. "You should ask her all about how when we swapped Eely over here for your buddy Dotty she couldn't stop going on and on to the press 'bout how he was sooo much better than her. What did she call him? Oh that's right: an upgrade."

     Derlyn flinched. The Tyrannian Pteri's booming voice could be heard all the way to the other end of a Yooyuball pitch and the telescope was far closer than that. Watching the Blue Varwolf stomp towards her as her former defender tried to quell her guest's anger, she was always grateful at just how understanding Coco was of her... Derlynisms? Though this one hadn't been on her, for once. She wrinkled her freckled nose. Her comments had been taken out of context by the press. She had been talking about how replacing a defender with a forward was an upgrade in regards to utilising the manner in which they already played, both regarding overall philosophy and gameplay strategy, blah blah blah. Whatever. She doubted the pirate captain cared about xG (expected goals scored statistics).

     Raising her cutlass in the direction of the tracksuit-clad Purple Gnorbu, Bluebeard wanted answers. Instinctively, the members of Team Krawk Island - minus Dasher who had managed to sleep throughout the unfolding events - placed a paw on their respective weaponry. It didn't faze her. "Guess I shouldnae 'spected much from the youngun' with such a dis'onourable Capt'n! Krakuberries didnae rot farrr from the bush an' all that." She snorted. "Well, owt with it. What ye got to say for yeself!" Before lowering her eyebrows. "An' it betterrr be good."

     Jurin covered his eyes with his hands. Before choosing to peak through his fingers.

     His Captain looked down at the cutlass. Then up into the ocean blue eyes of the Varwolf.

     Leaning over to a somewhat taken aback Captain Hale, Derlyn grabbed the cutlass from his belt and pointed it squarely towards her counterpart. "I will not have my integrity called into question by a stranger in front of my own crew," she declared, causing Bluebeard to tilt her head ever so slightly, "if anything, I should be the one asking you for an explanation regarding your behaviour!" The Pirate Bori expertly suppressed a smile. "As it is, the way I see it, YOU are the one who has damaged MY honour and as such I demand restitution!" Her foe raised an eyebrow. "I challenge you to a game of Deckball! To be played when the Blood Moon has gone from this land and the Pawkeets are once more singing from the trees by the Academy!"

     "Deckball!" Dasher cried out, suddenly awake. Before falling out of his hammock.

     As Dinksy giggled at her retired teammate's misfortune before kindly helping him to his feet, the Purple Gnorbu pointed her borrowed cutlass at the Pirate Quiggle, "I nominate Ealyn Hawkshanks to be on my team. Choose your own first mate wisely." She smirked. "I will show you just what kind of crew I run." To say the centre forward was thrilled was an understatement as he bounced high into the air from his wooden bench.

     "Ye be on!" Bluebeard retorted before being escorted back to the grill by a victorious Nitri, Motor having lost interest in arguing with the Pirate Moehog after getting his steak cooked just the way he liked it and instead choosing to tuck into his food alongside his fellow forwards.

     "...Uh... what just happened?" a confused Jurin asked, arms falling back to his sides.

     Garven laughed as he turned to his fellow Captain, who found herself frozen in her commanding pose through sheer adrenaline. Peeling her fingers one by one from his battle-worn cutlass before returning it to its position on his leather belt, he remarked impishly, "I s'pose the book of Pirate Small Talk I sent ye didnae go to waste afterrr all." Slapping the Purple Gnorbu firmly between the shoulder blades, Derlyn snapped out of her stupor before a wave of regret washed over her. Though it was nothing compared to what her former defender was feeling.

     Sat in the crimson hammock farthest away from the festivities, Coco had her head in her paws. The Spotted Ogrin was very much the 'go with the flow' type. Ordinarily, she didn't let anything faze her. She thought nothing of wake-boarding from the stern of Team Krawk Island's ship for Fyora's sake! But this... this was different. She had built it up in her head that the party was going to go really well and that everypet was going to instantly be the best of friends but... yeah. She sighed. That was just... dumb. She was dumb for even thinking it. Ears twitching at the sound of sand crunching under foot, the central defender looked up and saw the tracksuit-clad Blue Grundo heading over with a plate full of shrimps.

     "Here ya go, Coco," Kevix smiled, handing over the platter, "I swiped it from Motor." He paused. "Though going by his reaction... I think he was more grateful than anything else?" Before shrugging.

     She chuckled softly, "Thanks, dude."

     "You okay?" he asked, the concern evident in his tone. "You're missing the fun." Her friend gestured towards the fight that had just broken out between Zayle Sufhaux and Qlydae Wegg over telescope time but her eyes stayed firmly fixed on the dish of seafood now perched on her lap.

     "What fun?" Her voice sank into a whisper. "It's been a disaster."

     "You mean with Blue?"

     She nodded, solemnly.

     "Eh... I wouldn't worry about it." He paused again before placing his hand on his chin in thought. "Honestly... I think it went pretty well, all things considered."

     "Don't prank me, Kev. I'm not in the mood."

     "Seriously!" he protested before expanding his thought process, "Throw a bunch of pirates together with a bunch of aliens - or, you know, honorary aliens - and things were always going to be a bit weird." The Spotted Ogrin looked up as the Blue Grundo continued. "Besides, it wasn't that bad. Not really. Jay's too chill to hold a grudge for more than a few days, Motor'll 've forgotten about it by this time tomorrow and Dee just blames herself for everything anyway so there's nowt there either." He shrugged. "Though, uh, I guess we're playing a game of Deckball now?" She nodded again, this time less solemnly. "Yeah, uh, what is Deckball? Like... is it like Gormball? Or Zurroball? Or Frumball? Or Yooyuball? Or-"

     "I wouldn't worry about it," Coco said with a smile. "So... what did you think of Blue?"

     "Me?"

     "Yeah."

     "...Honestly?"

     "Dude!"

     "I... think she needs to cool her jetboots a bit. Like, I dunno if she was trying to impress you... or if she was trying to impress us... because I saw some of that from Ealyn back in the day but..." Kevix scratched his antennae, struggling to sum up his thoughts, "...but either way, it's obvious she cares about you. Otherwise she wouldn't 've tried so hard." Coco blushed. She hadn't really thought of it that way. "Just maybe have a bit of a chat with her, 'kay? Like... we always come in hot - 'cept Jay mooost of the time - so when she comes in hot too things can erupt or whatever. So either come in less hot or not and just know we do? I dunno." He crossed his arms. "She'd probably really get on with Dee if they went fishing together or something though."

     The Spotted Ogrin snortled at the image. "Thanks, Kev."

     He smiled. "Any time."

     Watching the Blue Grundo head back to the Barbecue for Nitri's next round of seafood, Coco found her eyes drawn upwards to the ever deepening crimson hues cast over the surface of Kreludor as a smile crept across her face. She wasn't sure if she believed her teammates when they said that Blood Moons were auspicious. The way they described them they sounded more like a bad omen than anything else. But right now? Despite the constant bickering, it felt good to be surrounded by pets who cared about her. And as far as she was concerned. that was all the luck that she needed.

      The End.