[Flashback] This Ain't a Cruise Ship [Tock, Pash'nar]

[Pash'nar]

"Pash'nar." The ethaefal answered by way of introduction, unable to judge a name since he gave himself one a century or so ago. He sighed, not entirely sold on his passenger and their passage, but not wanting to spend almost two weeks in silence if he had someone along to share the time with. "Mura's full o'magical womenfolk who see too much, but other'n'that it's a pretty nice place. You'll fit right in," he may have actually been teasing, a flash of too perfect teeth in a far-away smile before he turned back to rummage through his kitchen, "what with bein' a woman'n'all. They love magic, crafts, an' the sea, so I ain't opposed to visitin', or, at least droppin' you off there, eh?" An island of women? Who could complain, really? "Petchin' safer'n'here, 'at's for sure." For the both of them today, it seemed. He returned with an impressive amount of food, though he could currently enjoy none of it. Some fruit, dried fish, bread. Perhaps a bit much for a small, young girl, but, as far as he could tell, she wasn't well-cared for as it was. He remembered his rescue, washing ashore and being taken in by strangers—fishermen and their families—in Zeltiva. They showed him kindness when he showed them spite for so long, resenting his awakening, resenting the flesh he'd been forced to wear, pining for a joy he could no longer return to. They'd put up with him, won him over though they struggled to understand each other, considered him family, even as they aged and he didn't, even as he drifted away and they still cared for him. He deposited the collection of edibles on the table beside the red-head, unconcerned about the collection of charts and maps beneath. "I'ma gonna go topside, lass, an' get us out from the docks. Help yourself." He lingered with a sigh, willingly shedding a bit of his gruff exterior with a quiet tone of voice and a softening of his opalescent, aquiline features, "Look, I ain't gonna spend a whole trip with you scared of me. So, get comfortable an' relax. Ain't anyone here gonna hurt you if it's just me. An' you. I only stab petchers who end up askin' for it or deserve it 'cuz they're cheatin' vagiks who cry over mizas lost fair'n'square, an' you look safe enough."

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

"Magic?" Minerva... Tock asked curiously. "I ain't done never seen no magic. Not up close o' nothin'. 'Ey ain't got none 'round 'ere. People doesn't like it." She didn't think it was very fair. She wouldn't mind learning some magic herself, one day. Maybe then she could learn to make real stone and iron Knights like the ones from her coma dream. Maybe then she could make a real magic city, all of her own. That would be awesome. "I'd like ta see some magic crafts," she said, watching him rummage, and catching the scent of food. Her stomach grumbled... she hadn't eaten supper, since it had instead ended up plastered over her Da's head when she smacked him with the frying pan. She felt weak from all the fighting and running, and the thought of food was making her mouth water. When he placed the food in front of her, she dug in eagerly, starved beyond belief. The last few months, since Granddad died, money had been scarce around the house, and she hadn't been eating well. She hadn't had a meal this filling in front of her in a long while. She shoved the food in her mouth and swallowed it without even tasting most of it, just glad to be fed. Then, as an afterthought, she said around a mouthful of fruit, "'Ank you..." She didn't want to seem ungrateful. This was the first time in her life she'd ever been offered kindness from a stranger. When he went up onto the deck, she hesitantly followed, bringing the rest of the bread and fish with her. She looked up at the sails and asked, "Can ya show me 'ow 'ey work?" She knew the ship was powered by wind, but she didn't know how to raise or lower the sails, or what all the parts of the ship were called. Yet she'd always been fascinated by knowledge, and wanted to learn everything she could. Doubly so, now that she didn't need to worry about being held back by her Da anymore. "What's 'at called?" she asked, pointing to the long beam that extended off the mast. "'An 'at?" she pointed to the steering thing at the back. She'd never actually been on a boat before, and only knew the basic things like 'sail' and 'mast'. But she wanted to learn. She wanted to learn everything.

[Pash'nar]

Cerulean eyes widened a bit at the young woman's capacity for food. While his appetites were limited by time of day, he understood real hunger and hovered momentarily in anticipation of having to offer her more. When she seemed content with what he'd offered, he turned and climbed the stairs out of his cabin and back out onto his deck. There was still a bit of light out, though Syna's face had set for the night and Leth had yet to start to rise. Stars were already beginning to twinkle above, reflecting gently off the inky black water of the Sunberth harbor. The lack of light washed the dirtiness away under the monotone guise of darkness, ships becoming black smudges even as the docks glowed in sputtering lamplight and the city lit up with raucous nightlife and continued illegalities. Pash set about unfurling his sails, caught off guard by the sudden questions. While they weren't numerous enough to ruffle him further, he chose to answer while working, giving his responses as examples. He smirked, illustrating as he made preparations to pull them away from the docks and drift them further out to sea for the night, "S'one's the main sail an' that one's the jib. They catch the wind, of course, an' that's what makes 'er move. Watch the boom, there, lass." He pointed at the heavy rod that swung at the base of the main sail, which he used to direct the thing to catch the wind and also to secure it with lines to the winch. He pointed in the cardinal directions of his ship's body to indicate direction, "Front's the bow. Rear's the stern. 'At way's port an' th'other side's starboard." Once he caught a bit of breeze in the sails, he walked with practiced ease to the stern to where a rod rose from the floorboards, "This is the tiller. It's how ya steer. Most casinor's have a wheel, but, uh, this one's old an' I like a tiller better." The moonlit sailor had rigged his own rudder to be able to be directed by his foot instead of always with his hands, so he could hold a sail's line or do something else with his hands in general while steering. He could still raise the tiller to steer with his hands if he wanted, however, "It's opp'site whatcha think, tho. Left goes right an' right goes left." He chuckled, demonstrating with wide swings of the rickety casinor (wide enough to tilt the vessel just a bit with the motions) even as he slowly led them away from the dark smudges of larger boats and the crowded port of Sunberth. "Steerin's easy when it's calm weather an' no rough seas. Figurin' out where you are tends to be more complicated."

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Minerva paid close attention, trying to memorize everything he said. She'd always been a curious girl, but it used to be her Granddad who would teach her things. Ever since he died, she hadn't been learning anything. She felt starved for knowledge. "Why's she called a 'jib'?" she asked. "An' 'ow come 'at ain't just 'left' an' 'right'?" she pointed to the 'port' and 'starboard'. She followed him back to the tiller, and then leaned over the back of the boat, peering down at the rudder sticking in the water below. She watched as he turned, trying to figure out what he meant by 'left goes right'. She watched as he pushed the front end of the tiller right and the rear end turned left, like a lever. She watched the ripples in the water as the boat turned, thinking it over. She thought about how the water was flowing past the rudder, and how it made the boat's motion in the ocean change. "'Ow ya gonna know where ta go?" she asked. "Izzer gonna just follow the land?" She pointed off towards the distant shoreline. She'd never been out on the water before, so she guessed that they'd just keep the land in sight the whole way. It made sense. The ocean couldn't be big enough that they'd lose sight of the land, after all. The world just wasn't that big. She watched as the city grew smaller in the distance. She didn't feel anything for it. No remorse, no regret. There was nothing there that she was going to miss. There was no one there that she ever wanted to see again. No reason to bother looking back, so she turned and looked ahead, wondering if she'd be able to see Mura soon.

[Pash'nar]

The moonlit creature ignored her further questions about the parts of his ship, not necessarily capable of answering them entirely, anyway. He was sure there were detailed answers to the jib and the port and the starboard, but Pash'nar had never spent time looking for answers anyway. He just accepted things as they were and was happy that they all worked together to create his sea-born lifestyle as it was. He did choose to answer her latter set of questions, however, with a hint of a smile on his features as he settled at the tiller to steer them out to sea, "On clear nights, you navigate by th'stars. They tell you all you need to know to get places." He glanced up while he spoke, cerulean gaze finding the smudge of stars that was his namesake on the horizon, "We'll be goin' out so far to sea, lass, that there won't be any land to look at." He swept a hand for emphasis, lingering on the inky expanse of the horizon just outside the harbor, lit by rising moonlight and slowly appearing stars, "'Sides, followin' the land will never lead to Mura. It's out attaway," he pointed into darkness, "Not along th'coast at all. It's an island, after all. We'll be surrounded by water for nearly two weeks, with nothin' but blue sky an' green sea, birds, fish'n'stars at night. Might be a few other creatures out there to look out for, but you'll be just as surprised as me when the White Isle pops up on the horizon like a warm smile an' a cold beer." He chuckled, rubbing sore ribs and holding back a yawn, "I'll show you how steerin' by starlight works once we're far from Sunberth. This petchin' city is bright for bein' so dark on th'inside."

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Minerva couldn't help but wonder whether the sailor man was pulling one over on her. How could they get so far from land that you couldn't even see it anymore? And how could you tell where you were going by the stars? She looked up at them, trying to figure it out, but they all looked the same to her. She settled into a seat on the deck, hugging her knees to her chest and staring up at the vast expanse of the night sky. Even assuming he was right about sailing by the stars, there were things that didn't make sense. "'Ow ya know where ta go if'n it's cloudy, 'en?" she asked. "O' when it's daytime? 'En 'ere ain't nothin' in the sky but a 'ole lotta blue..." It seemed like it would be a lot easier if they just had a map. She sat and shivered in the cool air. Autumn was approaching, and while the days were still warm, the nights were getting chilly. She belatedly realized she hadn't brought a coat or anything with her. Not that she needed one, but she didn't know where she was going to get one when the weather cooled. She'd left most everything behind, except for the most important and precious to her. As she sat there, she started to drift off. This had been a long day... the longest of her life. She leaned against the side of the boat, lying her head against the damp wood. The sounds of the waves were soothing. It was so peaceful out here... she didn't even care if she didn't have a bed. At least she wouldn't have to worry about getting beaten in the morning if she slept too late and forgot to get Da's breakfast ready. She could sleep as late as she wanted... By the time Pash'nar looked down at her, she'd be out cold, huddled in the back corner of the deck, having the most peaceful and content sleep of her life. OOCIf you like, fast forward into the next day. Figure Tock sleeps wellllll into the afternoon.

[Pash'nar]

"Well, there's sea charts for th'daytime, but you still need the night—" The ethaefal turned to give a more precise answer to the whole situation, a more lengthy explanation about currents and wind and stars. He was even willing to admit that cloudy nights generally meant one was left to guess until they cleared, and storms were even worse. But, Tock was asleep. He smirked. That was more or less his plan for tonight as well, instead of enjoying his moonlit skin. He still ached, after all. Still, he let her doze on deck until he was satisfied with the distance he'd put between his old casinor and Sunberth proper. He could have sailed a few hours further, but he knew he'd only regret it come the dawn. He dropped anchor—still shallow enough to snag something secure in the inky darkness below—and furled up his sails. He paused a moment to light a lantern, just in case, before scooping up the battered, sleeping human with a pained grunt that reminded him of just how terribly he had chosen to waste his day. The girl wasn't heavy so much as he'd barely won a fight. He was feeling that now as he stumbled without an ounce of statuesque grace down the stairs into his cabin, where he managed to arrange his floor cushions into something comfortable with just his feet and deposit the girl on them carefully. It would just have to do, and it was petching better than sleeping on the deck, especially since summer was drawing to a close and the hot nights had begun to fade. Pash'nar was even sentimental enough to spare a blanket to complete the impromptu bedding. He spent a few extra moments puttering about his charts, making some notes to himself about their direction and what he'd seen of the stars while on deck so as to best chart their course to Mura. He tugged out the rolled parchments that held the not-so-familiar currents of this side of the sea, making sure they were within reach in the daylight. With a groan, he snuffed out the lantern that hung in the center of his hand-painted ceiling, plunging the cabin into starlit darkness. The skylights above filtered the tiny lights into the small space, and the moonlit navigator stumbled for his bed, shutting his curtain and making himself as comfortable as the day's misadventures would allow. Well, he'd still ended up in a petching mess. It could be worse, though. He'd never complain about an excuse to visit the White Isle. Mmm. That wasn't such a bad thought to drift off to sleep to. Not at all.

OOCI'll start us up a new thread soon. It'll make more sense to be in the Suvan. Did you want the next day? A few days in? Just let me know!

[Liar]

EXPERIENCE AWARD Pash’nar Skill Points Brawling 4 Negotiation 3 Dagger 1 Swimming 1 Medicine 1 Teaching 1 Sailing 1 Navigation 1 Lore Stabbing a Man Saving a Girl Wrapping a Wound The Power of Tears The Runaway Notes This was a great story, and a fun read. Pash’s inner dialogue really shines here; it’s one thing I love about your writing. Let me know if I missed any points or lores you might have wanted. Minerva Agatha Zipporah Skill Points Brawling 4 Persuasion 3 Running 1 Swimming 1 Seduction 1 Medicine 1 Interrogation 1 Sailing 1 Lore Hitting Back Sunberth Streets Trusting a Stranger The Power of Tears A Sailor’s Hospitality Notes The point in swimming is for trying. ;) The rest should be self-explanatory. This was a beautiful (albeit sad) glimpse into Tock’s history and I’m glad I got to read it! Let me know if I missed anything.