Icy Destination

[Aldrea945]

Rachel smiled at the group, stoking the fire and setting a pan with small onion pieces, bits of salted meat, and vegetables on to cook.  She had learned quickly how to forage and hunt and preserve food on her trips, a needed skill when she needed money for repairs.  "Go ahead and eat and rest.  Tomorrow I'll divvy up work and sort out that sort.  For now, you will need to get your strength up," she said.  The scent of food quickly filled the little a stir fry of sorts.  "As for that dragon," she said, winking, "It was terrifying only so far as it's breath."

Around them, the lamps cast a gold glow out the open door, allowing them to count then small doors, including the one they'd peaked out of.  Every one of them had a plaque, most just crude wood.  Two, the closest, were open, revealing books and mapping materials in a room hardly bigger than a broom closet.  Another, a bedroom, revealed a similar sized room with a set of bunks and a chest bolted to the end.  The beds were well blanketed in all colors, but impersonalized otherwise.

A ticking sound came from a boiler pipe nearby, heating and expanding to the steam and water rushing through.  Rachel looked up.  "I'll have to check that tonight.  The boiler's been giving me problems in this cold."

Creya sat back in her seat, going over her agents' news.  Four people...  She'd need at least five for this, plus Rachel.  It'd never do.  She turned to her agents, still lined up in front of her, awaiting orders.  "Find another person, male this time.  Then you may rest.  He doesn't have to be very old, just have plenty of spirit," she said, sipping some tea.  The clock struck midnight beside the door as she turned back to her desk and the agents left.  Soon this would all be over, and she'd finally be free.

[Whitepaw Niniichi/Enigir Shosa]

"G-g-g-g-guh!" The voice floated through the area, bouncing off of every surface about as energetically as it's originator. It had been a vain attempt to curse the bitter cold but sadly the jaws that had produced the noise had, despite being used to the cold for the most part, been nonetheless clamped fairly well shut.
"Dah!" This time the voice was strained and was accompanied by a clatter as a white wolf emerged from a pile of used palettes and a scarf into the frigid night air. A white furred paw whipped the scarf up and around until the long red and black fabric covered the wolf Anthro's neck and upper torso. Sharp but playful eyes scanned the dark alleyway. Nothing moved. The white wolf's homeless companion, for all of his snow laden rags, was dead. Enigir had heard his compadre's breathing falter and stop some time ago. The rags, palettes and shared scarf had done naught.
Knowing that further stillness would see the white wolf Enigir dead as well he had risen with the strained noise with the intention of moving about at the cost of sleep but he gain of a few extra seconds of life. Enigir's long pants were tied off with some string at the bottom if each leg in an effort to retain some body heat but his tight blue jersey wasn't doing him any favours.
"Lies!" Enigir blurted aloud into the darkness ion that thought. "My cold jersey will ensure I look good alive or dead! Brrrrr!"
Silence.
"God it's so cold the snow's gone all shy. How'm I s'posed to live up to my abandoned clan's name now...?" With a reproachful and bemused tone Enigir mused. He stopped and his eyes fogged over. He wondered...then shook his head. "Gotta move. Gotta stay alive."
Enigir hopped over the debris in the alleyway even in the oppressive darkness with ease and grace. He made to the adjacent street and squinted as the moonlight subdued his eyes. The moon laid bare his youth. Enigir looked like a pup a few years away from being mature in any sense, but at the same time his pose presented a haunting figure. Haunted, even...? It mattered not. There were no onlookers that Enigir was yet aware of and his permanent smile tended to distract people anyway, putting most folks at ease.
"I must siiiiiing~!" Sung Enigir, badly. He chuckled at his own silliness as he jogged on the spot. He did this for a while, then moved to push-ups. When the cold of the earth began to sting his hands he sat and began on sit-ups. Anything to stave off the cold. In the middle of the frigid and lonely streets he did this, laughing all the while.

[Kaya]

Nettie smiled at Rachel's jest about the dragons breath, and looked toward Friedrich. I think I should stay close to him.. I mean he was nice enough to accompany me before hand..[\i] she ought as she finished up the small portion of food she had taken. She tried to stifle a yawn as she got up to wash her plate. She wasn't really sure what to do. She felt so weird eating with everyone else and noted that the others didn't really eat as fast as she did. She grimaced inwardly at her rudeness.  man I really need to relax... This is going to be a nice change from living on the streets. I just hope I can earn my keep..[\i]


After taking care of her plate she sat down next to Friedrich and asked in hushed tones " so what do you think of everyone else?"

[Aldrea945]

Rachel smiled to Netty.  "Don't worry about cleaning that.  I'll get it tonight.  Tomorrow you will start chores," she said, tail lightly brushing the floor as she set everything out a bit better.

She leaned against the wall after, tiredness dragging at her limbs.  When they were full, she would show them their rooms.  It would never be fair to keep them waiting for sleep after they finished.  She highly doubted she could wait much longer.  In fact...  She shoved herself to her feet.  "If you all don't mind, I will go ready your rooms.  I don't want you cold tonight.  You can personalize them later," she said, smiling as she moved to the door.  Later, she'd find enough soap to ready the showers...

Creya's agents, scouring the streets like cats after a meal, worked through alleys and between the buildings.  They'd found many that had, at a distance, seemed alright, but were not of the right needs.  Frustration was building among them, even spread out as they were.  Creya would be furious if they didn't find the one they needed.

It wasn't for another hour that one found a lonely looking wolf wandering about, singing.  The agent smiled, forked tongue tasting the air.  He would be perfect.

[Whitepaw Niniichi/Enigir Shosa]

     Enigir stopped singing in his eastern language and pressed himself against the wall. The cold immediately shot through his joints and spread from there - all his work undone. A group of lizard anthros were eyeing him off. He poked his head out of the darkness. They didn't look like they were on the attack. At any rate the cold would've seen to that at the moment he guessed. He unwrapped his scarf, jogged to the group and proffered it.
     Back home the dragon species were revered for various reasons, less of them spiritual than westerners would believe. Such respect passed, albeit less intensely, down to chimaera, the odd bat and most reptilian species. Although he had renounced his clan Enigir still upheld most of his native customs except for when it might lead on to revealing his bloodline. Custom or no custom, he mused as he extended his scarf holding arm as far as it would go, it seemed needlessly cruel to turn a blind eye to a cold-blooded creature in the snow. Worst come to worst and they all died...hmph. At least it might provide some final comfort.
     "Please, take my scarf!" He called with a hint of desperation in his voice.

[Kaya]

after not getting an answer from Friedrich Nettie looked down at her hands and then at her feet, witch dangled a rather large distance from touching the ground. she stifled yet another yawn and decided to hop out of her chair and she looked around at everyone else. she cringed slightly noting that she would most likely have to talk to everyone to gauge their abilities. She looked over and decided to wander over to the huskie  that was standing a little farter away from the group. She tried to make her way over without being too obvious. She had her hands clasped in front of her as she spoke quietly, eyes downcast.

"hi...so... um..what..what do you think of the ship?"

Nettie asked lamely not knowing how to strike up a decent conversation.

[Scout Brighton]

Scout was waiting just a little ways away from the group when he saw Nettie approach him. He looked down at her and listened to her question.
"Well hello there, little miss..." His accent a bit strong. "I guess I can't really have much of a fair judgement due to only seeing a small portion of the undermost part of the ship..." He crosses his arms and looked around. "...but it seems this ship has taken a chunk of it's history already...I-I'm sorry, I'm starting to ramble again..." He looked back down at Nettie. "So far, from what I've seen, it seems like a well put together place...and I can't wait to have you accompanying me and the other as partners..." He gave Nettie a lite warm smile and stuck out his paw. "I'm Scout. What's your name?" He finished, still looking down at her.

[Aldrea945]

Rachel relaxed back on her heels, trying to force her mind to work long enough to think ahead.  Sleep seemed to still run away from her, and it would continue to do as such so long as they still needed shown around.  She smiled tiredly.  "I'll show you around.  Your rooms are nearby," she said in the doorway.  So close to her bed, yet so, so far.

The agent in front of Enigir tilted her head, amused but not insulted.  She gingerly took the scarf, tongue flicking out.  "Thank you, sssir," she said.  "Perhaps I can offer a fitting payment?  We are currently looking for another crewmate for our ship, and getting out of thisss cold is always a worthy goal.  What do you sssay?"

The other agents gathered in from close streets.  This would be wonderful.

[Whitepaw Niniichi/Enigir Shosa]

     Enigir beamed at both the willingly received scarf and at the prospect of a job - and with said job freedom from the oppressive cold.
     "I would be honoured!" The white wolf closed his eyes and bowed deeply. "I am a fine swordsman where I come from and I know varied techniques both common and rare to these lands. I also cook and have a way with making things well presented, flavoury and nourishing. Dunno how to work an airship but. Um. I'm a fast learner!"
     Enigir stood erect and gazed fondly at the assorted characters before him. What kind of ship exactly would he be working on? It mattered little. Even if he was out of his depth it would likely be warmer than the now densely snowed-over streets. Enigir paused.
     "A...a moment?" He turned back to the alleyway and again bowed deeply. But his stance was different. Sad. "Rest in piece, friend."
     With that and a short prayer in his eastern tongue Enigir turned back and approached the scalies before him.
     "I am ready. I will not fail you."

[Kaya]

-Nettie shook scouts offered hand firmly but avoided direct eye contact.- my name is Nettie... And.. Well. -she heard Rachel say something about showing them around and she turned happily thinking of the prospect of having a warm bed to sleep in.- good. Now we get to see the ship and our rooms. - she looked happy and glanced at scout.- you as interested as I am in seein what our rooms 'I'll look like?

[Scout Brighton]

Scout looked over at Rachel when Nettie did, then looked back down at Nettie. "Well...I have my thoughts..." He said, noticing her sudden happiness. "B-but uh...yes of course! U-uh...shall we...?" He said, as he motioned her to go over to Rachel first. She seems a bit on edge...let's try to stay on her good side... He thought to himself.

[Aldrea945]

(I LIVE!!!  For now.  Kaya says hi, and that she wants the people of the RP to PM for a picture of her in her special clothes.    Sorry it took so long.  Real life sorta snuck up on me.  Hard.)

Rachel smiled and set off down the hall, past her first shipmate's chosen abode.  Her smile turned adoring as she passed.  She still considered him a bit like a younger brother.  Even so, she often lied about having a shipmate.  Twice, she'd accidentally driven people off with mentions of him being on board, and they needed help running the Taneris. 

She was quick in showing the new crew their rooms, tiny bunk areas with a small chest to each.  Not luxurious, but better than many other ships, admittedly.  Each had a robe to wear, though large enough for a bison, and an extra blanket, but they'd have to collect other belongings as they went.

Rachel waved them goodnight and smiled to each, smiled, and headed for the captain's quarters.  Only a foot larger on each side and sporting a book chest, she was luxury either.  However, as Rachel settled into night clothes and slipped into bed, she was content.  The lights were flicked off as sleep threatened to overtake her, and her final thoughts were toward the next eventful day.

The snake smiled again.  "Darling, do not worry about learning.  You will have plenty of time on the journey to find thossse ssskillsss.  Sssimply follow usss," she said.  It as entirely true.  Time would be nothing on the trip, and if the planning was as solid as thought, he'd find no other job he was better suited for.

[Suzumibachii]

Abbygale would nod and wave goodnight to the captain before walking over to one of the bunks closest to the hull and steam-piping system. Pulling out a few clothes from her back she placed them in the chest, only for her to pull out the folded up crossbow and place it on top of her clothing. Seemingly not minding about the others in the room she pulled off her shirt and slipped into the robe, before getting onto her bunk a hand reaching up and resting on the warm pipe.

[Grrxmaster]

Friedrich got caught up in the discussion, the tea and the novelty of his experience so much so that he hadn't even noticed Nettie's disappearance until much later. It certainly wasn't that she was lost, he saw her occasionally in the small crowd every so often. Eventually, though, it was time for everyone to retire to their quarters. Friedrich set everything in its approximate place, and looked out of the small window by his bed. The town certainly looked odd from this end of the docks. He settled into sleep not long afterwards, dreaming of undiscovered lands and great treasure.

[Kaya]

Nettie looked around her room in awe . It was warmer than outside and she couldn't even begin to remember the last time she even slept in a bed. She snagged the robe and hurried off to the shower.

After she finished her fur was a light grey almost white with strands of silver. She smiled as she lay in her warm bed and was out in a matter of minutes.