[M] Specs in the Ocean (IC)

[Highland Sniper]

Nero, the great ocean world with water farther than the eye could see.
Fleets sail the oceans, living off of what they find, or what they can trade for.

Today, the Poseidon Fleet, although small, thrives in the great oceans.
Looking for new blood, new crew, and trade The Orphan has been sent out to the small island settlement of Deriton.

The crew of The Orphan has been given a few days leave as Captain Genikos visits with potential crew at a small pub.

The Orphan and her crew have been in harbor for a few days, with orders from the captain to make ready to leave for the fleet that evening.

As the crew spend their few days as they wish, they find that a good number of shifted are signing on with a few humans. And shifted crew members find many giving them sideways looks.

[Yggdrasil_Hugger]

Will didn’t mind the curious looks or the sideways glares. He paid them no mind, simply taking the rare occasion to sit down and puff on his pipe, listening to the bards play and enjoying the fresh stew from the pub. The ship food was good, of course, but nothing beat the quality you could only find on an island. He took a long drag from the dark curve of wood perched in his beak and blew a smoke ring toward the ceiling, watching it drift up and disperse with his single yellow eye.

From his table, he watched the new blood signing on, mostly Shifted with a few humans. It was always nice to see new folks joining up with their crew. He wondered if any of them were any good with their hands. He could use another shipwright to help in his duties, especially since he couldn’t be everywhere at once. Even an engineer or a metalworker would be appreciated, since he could give them the basics. He was still working on the repairs since the last hurricane. They were lucky it was only a little one, or there would’ve been worse things than an irritatingly persistent leak.

He nodded his head along with the music as the band began another jig, picking up speed in a jaunty tune. A few of the other pub’s patrons began to sing along and he followed suit, though quietly. His voice was a harsh, croaky whisper as he half-sang the words to The Mermaid.

“When I was a lad in a fishing town
Me old man said to me
You can spend your life, your jolly life
Just sailing on the sea
You can search the world for pretty girls
Til your eyes are weak and dim
But don't go searching for a mermaid, son
If you don't know how to swim.”

[Vaidia]

Captain Andras Genikos of the Scavenging ship The Orphan sighed deeply. Normally some time on one of the Island Nations meant at least some time to relax, but he did not have time for such luxuries, not even enough time for one pensive drink alone. His mornings were working to sell the salvage left on the ship, afternoons were interviewing potential new crew members, and his nights were going over the books and manifests of the ship to make sure they had enough to make it back to the main fleet. Luckily, once they departed, it would only be about a week's travel before rejoining the main fleet. Plenty of time for the new crew members to acclimate and get to know each other.

The last interview he had planned for the day-- a set of two insectoid Shifted brothers (twins?) who showed great physical prowess, demonstrating this by lifting the stage the musicians were playing on one handed (each) (the musicians kept playing) (perhaps this wasn’t the first time they had done this), but not as much in terms of mental agility, often floundering when presented with simple problem solving situations. Apparently they had once been on a Fleet that dissolved due to lack of funding as young boys, and ended up here where they spent most of their time now working in the agricultural district. They could be trained, but he imagined they would be most useful on the Gaia or Bora, where they already had the agricultural skills developed.

The bards began another song, this time carrying on to a slightly more lively tune that he knew (and sometimes sang on music night himself), but he hardly even grinned, his gaze now drawn to a neatly folded envelope that sat on the corner of the desk. He sighed again, this time bringing his hands up to massage his temples slightly, eyes squinting shut. The letter had come in the day before via a Talaria courier, and had only added to his headache. Luckily it was a problem to deal with when they rejoined the main Poseidon Fleet. But he would have to remind himself to never owe any sort of favor to that blasted woman again, as this was the third time he ended up with the short end of the stick. Already he had mentally rehearsed just how to break the news to the rest of the crew so they would have plenty of time to prepare for the new change.

Andras remained pensively still for a few more moments, before reaching over (eyes still closed) to his drink, which he grabbed and quickly drained the rest of his drink. There was one good thing to be said about this trip, and that was the Tavern (the Flying Fang) had exceptional staff (as usual) that made sure his drink had remained well filled throughout his stay, and that he had at least one good meal (a delightfully seasoned stew) while working. It wasn’t until he finished the drink that he opened his eyes back up, taking in the surroundings once again.

---

Yathia de Poluntus, soon to be Deck Officer of the modified Cargo vessel currently bearing the name The Orphan, glared dourly. The ship she had used for passage to the Island Nation Deriton ended up moving far slower than it was supposed to, likely due to the use of an incompatible ship fuel or due to the completely negligent level of ship maintenance this particular crew seemed to subscribe to. So, what should have been a weeks trip ended up taking closer to ten days, placing her arrival to meet up The Orphan much later than what it should have been.

The old woman would have been proud. Yen didn’t end up yelling at any of the crew of the ship until the last day, when they tried to invite her to music night and she responded with how little she thought of their crew, and that if they couldn’t even fuel their ship correctly, how could she expect them to be able to carry a tune? They left her alone after that, making her work of avoiding them much easier. The rest of the trip went smoothly, and she would have been quickly ushered from the ship if she had not already left so quickly herself.

Deriton was the typical fare for one of the Island Nations that actually had land to it. Most of the town was still made up of the various docks and derelict ships, with the land parts reserved for agricultural use and the well to do members of the city. There was one interesting thing she spotted as the transport craft was coming in to dock, which was what looked to be a rather large statue of a person at the “peak” of the land-- but weather worn to the point it could easily be anything. Another relic that knew the passage of time more than what it once used to be.

The ship had come into the small but well organized port in the late morning. Yen had spent the rest of the morning watching the activity of the port, getting a sense of the operations there, remaining relatively inconspicuous to any who might look her way. To most of the city dweller's eyes, she looked to be one of the usual Seabound Humans between jobs, wearing the usual saltsilk garb, a vest of some sort of leather, and a rather practically sized duffel bag over her shoulder. Some of the Seabound humans might recognize the scarf around her neck for the function it served, but none did more than a passing glance at her.

After Yen felt herself well acquainted with her bearings of the port, she even managing to find which dock The Orphan was at (although she couldn’t get much closer to it without having to avoid the dock security in place), she took a moment to check over two pieces of paper she kept stowed in her bag. One was still sealed in an envelope, addressed to CPT. A. GENIKOS, and the other was to her (full) name. There was only one paragraph written in a neat hand, though the signature at the bottom had quite the flourish to it.

“Right,” Yen said in a curt grumble, stuffing both papers back into her bag. The letter was no more helpful now that she was in the town than when she had first read it. She wasn’t fond of poorly constructed riddles, especially when they were as vague as there’s a sharp tavern you should really look up while in town with the sharp and up in a deliberate italics. Did the old woman expect her to go to every tavern in town to see which ones best matched her “clever” clues? What in the name of The Deep did this woman think she was? A child on some saltcrusted quest?

The next hour was spent walking around town to every tavern she could find. It being only one hour as that was the amount of time she had patience for and she was growing quite hungry, having skipped the ship provided breakfast due to wanting to leave the rickety transport vessel as quickly as possible. She had grown used to the comforts of having access to food over the past few years, and didn’t care to starve herself for novelty now. Luckily, there was a nearby food stand selling some sort of grilled fish-on-a-stick-- well seasoned from the smell of it as well. She entertained the thought of asking for an uncooked fish, but that would more than likely ping her as a Shifted as quickly as her walking around with her gills showing. If she didn’t manage to find Captain Genikos now, she could always find a way onto the ship later. One way or another, she always found a way.

[Koti~]

Shelk studied the people swirling around her, like a predator watching their prey dance around her. In her case though, it was much the opposite, the scores of people, human and shifted alike, that were the predators. Shelk was always watchful, people mistaking her more quiet demeanour as a sign of disinterest. There was one major benefit to locals and others thinking her blind. Swiveling her head back and forth to watch everyone would seem suspicious for most. A blind person? No one paid attention to the erratic actions of hers. Granted, it came with many downsides as several didn’t hide the repulsed and wary stares thrown her way, assured she could never respond to them. The whispered hushes traveling around her though were all too keen, Turok not helping with hearing them all.

She willfully ignored them as she studied her targets, the recent additions to the bar from a few days ago. Having made landfall a week ago herself, Shelk had been looking for two potentials. Either a way to procure her own ship without much hassle, through legal means if best, or a new job. Many turned her away due to her perceived blindness, not wanting to risk their fortunes on a blind shifted woman, despite her promise of good work and steady rewards. Another was finding passage onto one of the major ships, where she could become a face in the crew. While it would be troublesome surrounding herself with so many people, increasing her risk of being found. The rewards and pay though? It made the risk more worth it, along with the mental plan to spend most of her days under the sea. All she really wanted was a place to rest her fins at night, and fresh fruit to add into her diet. As much of a fan she was of clams and muscles, a simple fresh fruit at the end of the day just made her night.

Which was why she studied the two men there. A turtleman, currently savoring a pipe and singing along to the jaunty tune that filled the bar, and the supposed captain of the ship, a built man that was easy to the eyes. Not that she could ever tell him that. They had come in from the recent ship, interviewing and building a crew for the ship The Orphan. The fitting name made her chuckle, and was just enough to catch her interest. Their response to the bug brothers had been an added benefit that she wouldn’t be too hated for her appearance. Shelk didn’t trust just having the turtle man on the crew being worth it.

Now though, she would be willing to risk her life into this crew, as both fitting for the name, and for the home.

Shelk pulled herself fluidly from the chair, her hand carefully grabbing the hilt of her spear, collapsed to play the part of a walking cane. With practiced ease, she moved carefully around the tables, staff out to guide her way and smack the shins of anyone who dare trip her up. She could still feel the heat from countlessly bruising her nose to not want that again. It didn’t take much time to reach the table, but she weaved her way around, taking time to build up courage and play the part of the blind giant.

“Um, sorry for bothering, as I wasn’t sure a good time to ask. I was listening to you talking to the other people and… I’m sorry, I’m rambling here.” Shelk started up, playing up the part of a nervous hire as her head tilted back and forth, trying to judge the location of the captain. Taking a steadying breath, she placed one hand on the table.

“I know I didn’t sign up for the interview . as I didn’t know they were going on, but .. I could use a new home on the waters, and I’m really good at finding stuff deeper down than some shifted would hunt for. I would like to apply for a position on the ship, if that’s okay?” Shelk asked with as much bravado as she dared, trying to keep a friendly smile on her face as she bore a hole into the table, hoping she had locked onto the location of the man in question. Turok was helpful in giving shapes, but in jumbled areas, it became muddied of where the person actually was. For now, it helped play up the blind angle that much better.

[Highland Sniper]

Esvera sprawled out on deck, soaking in the sun with the gentle rocking of the ship lulling her to near sleep with the sound of small waves lapping against the hull far bellow.
She didn't have a lot of time to relax normally as they were either dragging something from one place to another, fixing something, or pulling salvage from the sea floor.

Vera gave a slight frown as her stomach growled, and she stretched. She'd need to disembark in order to get something to eat.
She never got much wonder the islands much, either. Much less than she got to relax. And the island humans didn't seem to care for shifted either.

After letting out a puff of air, she got up and stretched, twitching her ears and tail. Her shifted features were more mammalian, compared to some others, with her wolfish ears and tail. She wasn't bad in the water though, able to hold her breath for a lot longer than humans, but she had no gills to stay bellow like some others.
Her shorts and tank top allowed a fuller range of motion than normal clothes.

She disembarked, stepping onto the dock and was easily allowed by the security standing by as she made her way farther into town. What tavern was the captain at again? The something Fang, she thought it was.
She sighed and began the walk along the streets to find this... Fang tavern.
Maybe she should ask someone for directions.

[Yggdrasil_Hugger]

Will stopped singing as a new person approached the table. He studied the newest interviewee for a moment, idly scratching his chin. He drained the rest of his stew while keeping his single yellow eye trained on her. She was blind, but if what she said was true, then she’d have some other way to “see” underwater. Maybe some kind of sonar, like a whale. In any case, a deep water diver could prove very useful. He cleared his throat as he leaned forward, the wood of his chair creaking.

“What’s yer name, lass?” He croaked. “We don’t care much about disability, so long as you can work and you can fight. I’ve only got the one eye meself. And o’course, one leg.” He tapped the wooden peg on the floorboards of the tavern, chuckling.

As he spoke, his focus shifted from her to her walking stick. He’d spent the last 16 years dredging up wreckage from the bottom of the sea, and he’d be damned if he couldn’t recognize an artifact of Atlantian make. He was starting to think maybe there was more to this one than met the eye.

[Vaidia]

When his eyes opened again, there was a new body sitting across from him. Andras cut short the end of his exasperated sigh, quickly transforming his strained expression into one of suave assurance. The new seat occupant seemed seemed to try and take as little amount of the seat up as possible-- an impressive feat as the person was quite tall and lanky-- easily taller than him if they were both standing. The newcomer was also Shifted, looking to be some marine variant by the long fins and gills.

The person-- girl-- woman-- (there was too deep a weariness to the newcomers face for her to be a child, although she acted quite meek in the present moment) began to speak almost immediately, babbling as many apologies as words, so much it took a moment for him to realize she was wanting to interview for a position, rather than just beg forgiveness for her existence. Andras’s smile grew kinder, although he remained perceptive to the woman’s actions, and more importantly what she carried with her.

He darted his gaze to the staff, a single eyebrow raising so briefly, likely only one perceptive to his usual facial quirks would catch it. The scrutinizing stare from his shipwright only confirmed his suspicion of the object this newcomer held. It wasn’t uncommon to see AMI repurposed into more mundane uses (he used a repurposed AMI candle holder for his evening cup of tea (the runes to keep the candle lit worked well to keep the tea warm) himself), but he was curious to see if this particular item was benign as it was presented.

He supposed he would figure it out when they were at sea. Deep take it, he had a soft spot for a person in need, and this woman seemed to be crying out with every fiber of her being for a new home, and he would do what he could to help. But formality was formality, and an interview was an interview.

Andras would wait until the woman answered William with her name (or not) before he continued on, introducing himself as well. “Captain Andras Genikos of The Orphan of the Poseidon Fleet,” He half reached out to shake her hand, before looking at her eyes (or rather, the cloth covering them), before turning the motion to leaf through one of the stacks of papers next to him. Eventually he found what he was looking for (a blank contract) and set it between them. He continued to speak as he worked, presenting a good natured smile even though it could not be seen. It was the thought that counted, right?

“My Shipwright William Shelle is the one who spoke to you first. And he is correct that we value work, whatever that may be, and integrity.” Andras shared another nod with William. There were few on the ship who exhibited those values as well as the Shipwright. He looked back at the woman, giving her an appraising stare. “We do need someone who can dive deep. Submersibles can’t always get into the narrow gaps.”

Andras paused, tapping his fingers rhythmically across the table. In the background, the small tavern band began playing another song, this one a much more somber ballad that featured the one Shifted in the group, who had a lovely alto voice. His fingers began to match the repeated strummed chords of the song-- it was one he wasn’t familiar with, but it felt nostalgic all the same (he made a note to talk to the band later to get the song's name). “But an interview is an interview,” he said after the moment's pause, “Got a few basic questions, then we can go over the contract.”

---

Yen wordlessly bought her meal from the small food stand, much to the disappointment of the man running the stand. He seemed quite keen on the conversation of a stranger, which Yen did not indulge. Why would she bother telling someone who she just met-- and would likely never meet again-- anything? He seemed to get the clue after his third rapid fire round of questions went unanswered, matching her silence with a considerably more sulky air.

Food acquired, Yen then found a pleasant enough place to enjoy it, climbing up onto the “roof” of one of the nearby buildings, which was a Yacht that had been elevated so that the entirety of the ship was above water. From here, she had quite a good vantage point on the dock leading to where the Orphan was at, as well as the surrounding streets. She took a bite of the fish, sharp teeth making easy work of the grilled flesh, and began to chew it slowly. It has a herbal taste to it that was both sweet and savory, which paired nicely with the citrus that had been squeezed over it before it was served to her. The fish was rather dry for tastes, but it served its function well enough as sustenance.

As Yen ate, she watched the passing crowds idly, taking note of those coming and going from the port. Though this was one of the smaller Island Nation cities, there still seemed to be quite the variety of people who stopped at the port. She could see several Talaria messengers moving about the crowd, their distinct blue uniform unmistakable among the eclectic mix of the crowd. She also saw a small group of what she assumed were from the Mars Fleet, they carrying bags with a red circle upon them full of medical supplies, and laughing and speaking quite animatedly to one another. She took a another bite of the fish.

There was one group of people she watched quite closely. One that the locals seemed to avoid even more than the usual prejudiced stares they gave the Shifted. There were three of them, all quite well built, two wolf eared shifted men and one scale covered shifted woman. They walked with a menacing air, hands eagerly twitching to the empty holsters on their hips (visible weapons were not permitted on the docks of many Island Nations, this one included), occasionally lurching toward the more wary looking passersby, and guffawing loudly enough for her to hear if someone flinched away. This attitude alone wasn’t what caught her eye-- it was the fact they wore similar arm bands around their right upper arms-- they otherwise seeming quite willing to show their skin. Yen glanced down to her own glove covered left hand for a moment, before resuming her vigil on the Yacht rooftop.

As Yen looked back, the group passed close beneath her just as a fourth armband wearing member joined the other three, gesturing widely. The fourth one was considerably smaller and an almost human looking woman with a tufted crown of feather for hair, and was goading the other three into following her. Yen could make a few words-- something along the lines of there being a “new shiny” and “ripe for the snatchin”. She took another bit of the fish, dissecting the flavor again. It was less interesting a flavor now that she had nearly eaten the entire fish, the dryness only coming more apparent. Perhaps this was why the food vendor tried so hard to have her buy a drink as well.

Perhaps she had just grown far too discerning over the past few years. The old woman seemed to think otherwise.

Yen huffed out a short sigh, clambering down from the top of the Yacht, and startling a small child as she jumped the last several feet. Yen paid no mind to the child, who darted inside the yacht, vanishing from sight and any of her current cares. She had a tavern to find, and it was foolish for her to lavish too much of a break. She continued her way forward, her pace slow and measured.

Never mind the fact that she happened to be walking the same way as the four armbanded miscreants, always lurking out of sight behind them. That was just a coincidence.

[Koti~]

“My name … is Shelk. Shelk Silica, if that’s important at all.” Shelk responded as she seemed to externally relax. Fumbling to get herself a seat, she never moved her head, allowing her shoulders to slump while visibly folding herself into the chair. Mentally working through just how to reply to the question, she rested the walking staff against the table, allowing it to plink against the wood to give herself a better view. Her head turned away from the men, one ear angling towards William as he was described. It made viewing him much harder, but with the cloth banding around her eyes, she could just make out the tortoise like appearance, along with the basic view of his wooden leg.

Shelk allowed the man to prepare, ignoring as he shifted his action from offering his hand into searching for some parchment. She hid a smile at his actions, knowing well enough how many times people offered to shake her hand, and that small moment of realization that she couldn’t see them. It was a humorous joy watching such practiced motion of all people give themselves away.

“Ah, yes. I am quite good at getting into narrow spaces. Plus, I don’t really mind the dark of it either. Can’t be afraid of tiny spaces if everything is dark.” Shelk let out as a chuckle, trying to inject some brevity into the moment. She allowed the man to work through his information as a new song was picked up. She shifted her head again, ear angled towards the source, savoring the beat while doing so.

“Alright, so let's begin the interview then, if you’re ready.” Shelk was drawn from the music as Andras began, and her attention was drawn to the small tap of his fingers upon the table. She gave bob of her head and took a deep breath, signalling she was ready to begin. He began with some of the more basic questions, asking for her previous experiences while she had manned her own ship, which helped her relax more into the conversation between them.

"What other experience will you bring to the ship?" This question threw her a bit, leaving her puzzled for a moment. Shelk took a breath to steady herself some, fingers fiddling with her weapon some as she tapped the surface of the weapon.

“Well, I am good with plants and such, despite how I look. I have had to learn the harder way to care for and grow them, so I may know a few tricks that could help out. As well, I can try and teach others how I can feel underwater, if that would be okay, so they can rely on more than just their eyes.” Shelk spoke, knowing full well that it was mostly bull on her end.

"What will you do to keep yourself and others safe on the ship?" Shelk got caught on this one, knowing that her normal fighting method would get her found real fast. Already the gears were turning in her mind to pull more lies from her ass.

“Well, um.. Fighting isn’t my strong suit, but I am real good at avoiding dangers above or below the waters. I could help guide our ship away from treacherous waters, and alert others of incoming dangers like pirates and such.” Shelk spoke nervously, trying to appear calm as she spoke.

"Tell me what you know about Atlantis, and what experience you have with AMI." This made her feel the most at ease, and she could relax into this question. With a hidden sigh of relief, she sat up a bit straighter to look just somewhat off to the right of the mans shoulder, as though catching his location for once, or pretty close enough.

“I’m sad to say that I don’t know much about Atlantis myself. I don’t do much reading, nor have I had many chances to ask other people about it, as I was a bit more focused on survival. For AMI’s though, I know a decent amount. They always feel just a bit different in my hands when I have pulled them up, though I am rubbish at making them work. My staff here… which really isn’t a staff mind you, is an AMI, runed even. I can tap it against a surface and get sort of a wave of sound … when it’s unfurled, and underwater, it makes an even larger wave of sound almost constantly. It’s really helpful to know where things are, even if I cannot really see them.” Shelk spoke, almost proud of herself. She felt prideful at being able to answer at least one of the more potent answers mostly truthfully.

[Highland Sniper]

Esvera made her way down the main road, making it a point to look at all the signs in Hope's of finding where everyone else had gone.

She wondered the streets amongst people of all kinds, some shouting their wares in small street stalls while some played for a crowd.
Most seemed to be human, most island nations were a human majority. But there did seem to be a few small clusters of shifted, either eyeing everyone else with some heat or throwing courtesy out the window as they forcefully shoved past others.

She ignored them for the most part as she focused on finding the rest of the crew. There was a good chance most of them would be at some bar or inn, while the captain and others are at some fang place, and she was hungry.

Finally, she found a place that looked promising. The Flying Fang had the sounds of laughter and music coming from it, and she figured it was where the recruiting was happening.
Stepping inside, she quickly found Will and Capt. Andras and gave them a nice nod before finding a seat and ordering some food.

[Yggdrasil_Hugger]

Will slapped a broad hand on the table and chuckled with mad glee.

“I knew it!” He proclaimed loudly. In a lower voice, he added, “I knew there was somethin’ strange about that stick ye’ve got. Fine piece of Atlantian tech, that is.” His gaze danced between Shelk and her AMI excitedly, registering both the nervous expression of the interviewee and the tightness of which they held the walking stick. A part of him wanted nothing more than to take it and study it until he knew it like the back of his hand, but he squashed that part down. For one, it didn’t belong to him, and two, it was how this woman saw. He felt the slightest twinge of phantom pain in his missing eye behind the patch.

He cleared his throat to smooth over the slight lull in the conversation. He had a few questions of his own he wanted to ask.

“How precise is that thing? Just general shapes or finer details? I’ve heard tales of a dolphin Shifted who could hear yer heartbeat from across the room and could ‘see’ if a shelf wasn’t level.” He shifted his weight in his seat, causing the wood to creak in protest.