Icy Destination

[Aldrea945]

Rachel furrowed her 'brow, confused.  'No way...  Creya, you are some sort of goddess,' she thought.  She smiled at the gathered group, discretely smoothing a wrinkle in her red coat.  "Well, hello there.  How may I help you?' she said, her fluffy tail curling lightly over her ankles.

The crowd gathered in the dim light of the street lamps' oil flames was... odd, to say the least.  Mismatched in size and outfittings, but not impossibly unhealthy.  Privately, she worried about accommodations for the bearded dragon.  The others seemed to be warm blooded and could likely be kept warm with the regular heater and blankets, but she might have to add a small personal heater for a cold blooded woman.  Hardly expensive, just a bit trying in the already small crew quarters.

One of the escorts, the adder woman that had helped lead Friedrich and Netty, spoke in a pleasant tone.  "Ms Rachel Tunsss?  We've been sssent by Ms Creya Sssummersss to provide you with a proper crew asss soon asss possssible for the mission.  Should you find thisss group unsssatisssfactory for your job, we will quickly replace any trying members," she said, tongue flicking on every 's'.

Rachel nodded and bowed slightly.  "I'm quite sure we will have no problems, but thank you anyway, Ms...?"

The adder chuckled.  "Ms Tarna, thank you.  Now, I do hate to sssay thisss, but we mussst keep moving.  We will be watching carefully, and will essscort Ms Sssummersss when the time comes.  Good night, Captain.  Do be careful," she said.  Ms Tarna turned to leave, her associates following her like a herd.  Within a minute, even with close watching, the group disappeared into the streets.

Rachel, not unnerved in the least, smiled again at the group.  "Well, can't stand here all night.  If Creya trusts you, I do too.  Come in and get warm by the boiler," she said, pulling the rope for the gangplank down and starting on.  The cookies shifted in her bag, reminding her she should offer them some on board.  Hopefully it'd stay as pleasant a night as it had been.

[Kaya]

Nettie just stared in bewilderment. What the heck is ... I cant believe it.. well.. this is going to be easier than sneaking on board I guess... she thought to herself. She watched the others waiting to see if any of the others were going to blindly follow the tiger mix onto the ship. Nettie glanced around and just noticed that the group, that were the escorts, suddenly disappeared. She looked over at Freddric and the others that were gathered. When no one else moved she started up after the tiger. "um.. excuse me miss.. would.. would you happen to have a shower?" As soon as Nettie said that she started mentally kicking her self. 'do you have a shower' my god i am so lame... why couldn't I think of something cooler to say.. great... I had one chance to make a good impression and I go and ask if she has a shower.. I'm a blithering idiot....

[Suzumibachii]

Abbygael kept looking at the ship as she relaxed the tiny flames disappearing from her fingertips as she looked back at the escorts heading back into the streets. She nodded towards Rachel before taking a few steps closer her excitement clearly building as she almost blurted out "This ship is amazing...There must be so many pieces to it...How big is the boiler system? How many pipes does it have? How much thrust does it produce? The hull.... how thick is it? What is the primary drive system?" She quickly blushed before going quiet. "I...I apologize...I get a weird around amazing machines like this...My name is Abbygael by the way and you are Captain...?" Her voice trailed off a little as she started to walk on board.

[Grrxmaster]

Friedrich looked over to Nettie. "That's actually a good question. Do they have a shower?" It was something simple that had never occurred to him. What if they didn't have a shower? Would they go without? How long until everyone started to stink? His nose wrinkled at the thought. This trip could start to go bad very quickly, he suddenly thought to himself. He tried to simply push the thought from his mind as they climbed the ramp onto the ship.

[Scout Brighton]

Taking pressure off the blade ejector, and dimming the glow to nothing, he lowered his hand back down to his side. Staying quiet, he let the others introduce themselves while adjusting his hood back over his left eye. He quietly examined the others as they spoke, making small mental judgements. How would he introduce himself? Should he even say anything? How would he say it? Questions started filling his mind as he started growing slightly nervous. He let the others finish speaking.

[Aldrea945]

Rachel chuckled.  "There's a shower, yes, but one of the stalls needs repaired at the moment.  As for my Taneris, I'll let you explore to find out.  I'm not good with measurements," she said, smiling.

Nettie still had a paw over her face because of the stupidity of the question.  “I don't know why I asked that question,” she mumbled.

She smiles.  "Eh, we all ask silly things.  Come on, I have cookies and a warm boiler.  Shouldn't stand around here when our tummies are telling us otherwise."
Nettie smiled.  “That would be great.  I never got to finish my dinner at the pub,” she said.
Rachel trotted up to steep ramp, paws finding every helping board along the length.  The Taneris seemed to tip toward her invitingly as a gentle, icy wind blew toward them.

The Taneris was like a small galleon in the air, especially among the other vessels, with large sails and air balloons to keep her aloft.  Copper covered the outside, lining the portholes.  One of the large side sails, latched in off the starboard side like a bird's wing, was inches from the door, furled up for dock.  She really was a beauty, but the repairs she needed were so much more apparent too.  Scorch marks played across the glass of nearby windows, and claw marks lined the side, barely patched up right.  One sail had been ripped and patched in the same manor, and it looked to be burned as well.  They'd need better repairs, for certain.

Inside the Taneris was decidedly more barren.  The hall stretched before them into the ship proper, lit by steam lit lights.  Pipes ran along and through walls, warmed with steam.  It wasn't especially warm inside, but there would be no wind when the door was closed, so Rachel never minded.  She waited near the doorway to shut it behind the new crew, smiling.

Nettie looked around happily.  It was barren but it was clean.  Smelled nothing like the places she usually slept.  She stared poking about, looking at all the piping and although she didn’t know what any of it was for, she was curious.  Everyone else seemed to loom over her, so she quickly moved to the outskirts of the group and watched the reactions play across their faces.  It was evident that the captain loved her ship, and even though it was in disrepair, Nettie could see that it was patched up to the best of her abilities.  “She is quite beautiful miss,” Nettie said quietly, afraid to touch anything lest she make it dirty.

Rachel smiled, running her hand along the door as she closed it behind them. "Thank you.  She's like my baby."

(Sorry this is so late.  School.  Kaya and I RPed this out, so if there are any mistakes, feel free to say so.)

[Scout Brighton]

As Scout followed the others and entered, he looked around, but didn't touch. He was very impressed.
"She kept all this in *this* good of condition by herself? Man, I already feel I have a good captain..." Scout thought to himself.
His eyes followed Nettie as she poked around. Curious to look around himself, he took some peeks in some rooms.
He already felt a sense of safety with these people and he doesn't even know them yet. As he looked around one room, he came back to the group.
Still not saying anything since he's arrived here, he plans on keeping it brief until he gets to know them better.
He readjusted his hood back over his left eye as he made his way back the group.
"Apologies for snooping..." His accent seeming a little strong, he said this quietly, looking at the floor.

[Kaya]

Nettie looked around some more then she stops.  She never got the details of the misiion other than  someone just  wanted to have a crew. "excuse me.. i dont want to stomp on any toes here.. but why exactly did you send out those .. those recruiters of yours, and why did you need a crew so fast? What happened to the last one.. you didnt eat them did you?" Nettie shifts nervously glancing at everyone wondering if they were as in the dark as she was.

(posting from phone...please forgive any spelling errors...)

[Grrxmaster]

Friedrich looked Nettie's way. It had never occurred to him to question what the mission at hand was. The accusations she had put forth seemed ludicrous; he'd never imagine anyone to be so terrible as to turn to cannibalism, but it was well within possibility that he could be in over his head. Friedrich felt that he'd have to stick around Nettie, she was a sharper cookie than he.

[Suzumibachii]

Abbygael was in her element as she walked into the ship her eyes tracing and following the pipes, even going as fast as she place her hand on one of the heated steam pipes clearly not being affected by the heat. "She is a beauty." She smiled a little before giggeling and looking at the others. Her eyes turning towards  Rachel before speaking up once more "I already ate...but tell me do you have some raw materials in the cargo bay to work with? I can start patching her up a little, or rather the gash on the outer copper shell needs to be patched up correctly or she wont fly effectively and that would also be like a giant target of we do get into a fight."

[Aldrea945]

Rachel sighed as the group came to a four way bend.  Two halls stretched to the left and right, hidden behind thick doors while a third door, the thickest and coldest to the touch, lead to stairs to the upper deck.  It was deliciously warm in the corridor, heated by the steam pipes on all sides.  "I'd assumed you'd all been informed.  I'm sorry for the minimal information," she said, turning right and opening the door.  Another hallway, a little wider and pecked with doors, led onward.  Wood floors ran the length of the hall, rough as if cut by an inexperienced hand.  Lights illuminated every inch as Rachel motioned the group to follow her.

"I'm transporting a criminal for a rather large sum of money, and looking for a new settlement area.  Not my usual line of work, the former, but it pays.  I haven't had a proper crew in a while, so it was more a matter of finding one quickly.  You'll be paid and given rooms and food, don't worry.  They just, uh, got eaten..." she said, chuckling a bit, knowing they were likely honestly considering the cannibalism idea.  It was the truth, though, and she couldn't lie to them simply to have a crew.  "It wasn't me, I assure you.  A dragon.  Left that nasty gash, too.  And, to answer your earlier question, feel free to have your way repairing her.  There are spare supplies in the cargo hold, though not much, and I'll do what I can to buy what you need.  I just suggest waiting till tomorrow.  It's a cold night."  Rachel led them past the crew quarters, surprisingly large all considered, and into the galley.  An old table, clearly second hand, stood in the middle of a wrap around wooden bench.  It wasn't especially lavish in the room, with a work station, old wood stove, sink, and two or three cupboards on one end.  With how much of the ship was second hand, it was rather clear Rachel couldn't always afford the best.  A bit of a shame, for such a lovely ship.

Rachel smiled tiredly and motioned they could sit down as she set the cookies and tea on the worn surface.  "If you're hungry, I can make you something while we talk and make arrangements.  I haven't had guests in a while, though, so please forgive my cooking," she said.  She hung her red coat on a hook and set to work in taking out some food supplies.  Perishables stayed in the galley instead of with the nonperishables in the cargo hold, so she always had something to cook without having to head back there.

[Scout Brighton]

Scout stuck to the back of the group as he moved in the room with the rest, watching them all sit down.
"If nobody minds, I'd rather prefer standing." He said, standing behind one of the seats.
"I also have eaten, apologies." Scout says, putting his paw out as he aplogized.
He placed his arms behind his back as he awaited discussions to start.

[Kaya]

Nettie listened to everything the captain was saying. It sounded like it was true, and from what she picked up on the street, the captain was either really good at lying or she was telling them the truth. Nettie nodded and she chuckled nervously as her stomach growled at the mention of food. Nettie watched as Rachel started taking out some other things and glanced at the others.

"um.. where, where would you like me to put this stuff? Or.. or do you need any help with anything? I... I feel bad siting to eat, when you know... you look to be about just as hungry, and you look worn out... I mean you did hire us so what do you want me to do captain?"

Nettie glanced at everyone else and smiled slightly at Friedrich before turning back to Rachel.

[Grrxmaster]

Friedrich was happy to sit and just chat. At least the ride would be somewhat comfortable. He nibbled on a cookie or two, talking between sips of tea. "So, a Dragon, you say? I've never seen one up close. It must have been terrifying!" Friedrich noticed Nettie's smile, and smiled back. "I'm sure everything will be fine, Nettie. No need to fret when things seem to be going so well!"

[Suzumibachii]

Abbygale nodded before looking at the hull from the inside. "You are right,it wouldnt be wise to head outside at night to do repairs...Too cold to work with the metal, and well the cold is dangerous for me." she shrugged before moving her hands over once of the pipes again, eyes closing as she simply felt and listened to the ship.