Open Enter the Boilbilge [dropped]

[Kaina Wendreef]

High dawn crooked a yellow tide smile over distant seawalls half a day's skim out from Old Vapna, rumored seat of an ancient hubris. Little remained of note to survey beyond the waves. Brine lapped wildly, churning loud amidst a forest of sails; the feeders had set out to play. Bottomfeeders, scavenger barges under the ownership of entrepreneurial sorts that cased the Boiling Sea for shroud stones, congregated into a multiflorous blob of rusted hulls, a clatter of horns and shouts to belay the vessels' haphazard attempts to converge.

The noise pounded at Kaina's temples, puckered out a vein that squinted straight into the sunrise. A young man of discerning character, Kaina Wendreef set himself busy about righting his diving goggles. He fidgeted with the band, not quite finding a spot for the things to rest comfortably behind his ears. Naked but for a pair of fitted trunks and a vest bursting with pouches, his stride fell heavy against the barge's pine planked deck.

Christened the Boilbilge, the vessel suited well its namesake, cutting into the waves with a hiss of brine that cascaded over its sides. Pulleys, ladders, and a variety of hooks and rods decorated its facade, accentuated by the frenetic pace with which its sailors manned the apparatuses.

Kaina supposed he should have joined them.

The deckhands had yet to recall his name, however. They forgot him at the mess, neglected to dole out the equipment due to him, and overall maintained a nonchalance regarding his very existence.

"Fucking shoreborn," he said. Spitting his frustrations out at his feet, he kicked over a barrel that had the misfortune of being in his general vicinity, and he swore again nursing a pair of swollen toes.

 

[Jens]

“ Fucking shoreborn. “ He repeated in a scoff at the young man’s back, arriving abreast in the next beat. Therein he paused, expressionless, as so to cast a measuring look at him. Up and down, head to toe.

“ And your mammy gave birth to you on the crest of a wave, did she? “ His seriousness shattered into a smile, all sharp teeth as he continued on to right the barrel that’d gone and toppled.

“ I’d see that fire tempered, was I you — Before someone seize the opportunity to do it for you. “ A forceful yank and a kick saw the barrel snug against the broadside, well off anyone’s way. One should hope. Once he regarded the young diver anew, it was with a tilt to his head and a squint of his eye, mouth pressed into a line. He realized he hadn’t recollection of the young diver’s name, not that his face was terribly familiar either. Goggles or no.

Surely they’d been introduced at some point, no? Though some did tread on these boats like ghosts, even preferring to be forgotten. But to his liking it’d always been awful impractical.

“ Be a dear and remind me of your name, will you, lad? “

@Kaina Wendreef

 

[Tammy Lee Sable]

Sable landed on the dock next to Jens with a thud, the breadth of her shoulders rolling up and back, her wings tucked close to her back, snapping the leather like a whip.

"That would be our new wreck scout, Kaina." Her teeth clicked as she enunciated his name, eyes razing him from toes to crown. "Fresh on the boat and fresh in her chains, Jens."

Her hand flashed out to clutch his wrist, depositing a small worn breathing apparatus that glowed on one end with a shardstone. "Let's be sure he doesn't drown before he makes us rich, eh?" Mouth curling with a sadistic flash of teeth.

@Jens @Kaina Wendreef

 

[Mahsain Roshan]

A splash echoed as the anchor was released into the waves as the boat settled among the waves. With the ship stationary now, hopefully at a spot where they would manage to find something of use, Mahsain was left to wait. Scavenging trips were a bit harder to navigate, how could one tell what lay beneath the oceans after all, but this area was known to have good deposits at least. So there was some bit of navigation and some part luck when it came to such trips. As a navigator of the stars, she had to put a certain level of faith into the messages that they shared. She had a good feeling.

Some of the other crew gathered as the ship was readied for the dive team. She had nothing to do but wait. The Deva leaped onto a nearby railing, sitting with her bare feet hanging over the edge as the light winds caught against the length of her skirt and hair. Her eyes watched the scurrying crew men with interest. "That would be our new wreck scout, Kaina." Her brow furrowed. Why was that name familiar? She turned leaning back with keen balance, the rock of the boat no different than steady ground for someone who'd spend a life at sea.

Mahsain found the man in question. He had a familiar look too, but not one that she could place immediately. It would come to her soon, she was sure. "He looks like he'll do fine down there." She added into the group, almost carelessly. Yeah, she had a good feeling about this one. He had the feel of a Kharsagan, maybe that's why he seemed familiar. Whatever it was still eluded her as she watched the small group, eyes considering Kaina intently.​

 

[Kaina Wendreef]

Kaina recoiled from the sudden onslaught of company. Any hopes of a quiet morning (at least, quiet as reasonably expected amongst the feeders' chittering ensemble) dashed themselves against the shoals of reality. He scowled, brows furrowed at once as shield from the glaring sun and to express his mild discomfit at the many moving mouths that assailed him. It fell away as quickly, giving ground to more a smirk than a smile.

"On the crest of a wave, ol' gi'," he said, thumping a fist to chest in address to the few that approached him. "Among my people, it is proudly said that we drink first of the brine before our mother's teat."

He offered out a hand in welcome.

"Kaina Wendreef. Next captain of the 'bilge, if not a fairer vessel, mark it."


@Jens @Tammy Lee Sable @Mahsain Roshan

 

[Jens]

“ I’ll myself sooner drown than be made rich by this line of work, am afraid. Too honest of a trade still, scavenging. “ He hummed sidelong as Sable made entry, in that signature manner that would raise waves where ever she went. It pried a smile out of him, his look landing on the lad in turn.

Some theater now, wasn’t there. He rose a brow at the confidence, amusement crinkling the corner of his eye as a hand was reached out in what to him appeared terribly gentlemanly gesture. Taking where they were, anyway.

He wouldn’t budge, leaning his weight against the barrel instead.

“ Marked. “ He responded, look bouncing up at the navigator overhead. “ Figures he’ll do well enough down there, Roshan, being all spry and cocky. The Sea appreciates that, the harsh bitch she is. “

His head inclined, tilting to allow him to see the quarterdeck and whom would strut upon it like any rooster in his bright colours, Captaining over his small kingdom.

“ But such merit hardly awards anyone a Captain’s post. Fancy cutting throats, Wendreef? “

 

[Tammy Lee Sable]

"Jens makes as good a point as he always does. Don't mince words, that one." Sable clucked a wink at Jens and turned back to take another right measure of the lad who was salvaging for them today, ignoring the hand he set out to rot in the salted winds.

She couldn't fault him for his pluck, in fact, she instead found it rather endearing. The fresh naivete of youth would get him far on this vessel. That is, if he didn't find his throat slit for his optimism. Not that the knife would be hers, no. She didn't care for such things as helming a ship anymore. Her patience wasn't stable enough to handle the whining munging of a boat full of men without someone getting cut up. And sailors needed both hands to work a contract. Otherwise, they'd lose out on coin. And that just wouldn't do.

"How exactly do you plan on taking that wheel without a mutiny, lad? Hard work?" She kept all but the barest of derision from her voice, her own bitterness at dreams long left to die making her tongue sharper than she wanted it to be.

@Jens @Kaina Wendreef @Mahsain Roshan

 

[Mahsain Roshan]

The navigator's eyes lit up as Kaina introduced himself fully. That was why he was familiar. Now that she knew the name, she could see a bit of the fabled Admiral in his face. The name Wendreef was meant for great things everyone said, so it made her curious why this young man was stuck on a scavenger barge. She'd heard that a Wendreef was meant to join the Navigator's school, the School of Stars, something must have changed with that.

"I wouldn't count him out too early." She said as sat on the railing, her legs swinging as she watched the sea lap at the wood of the skiff. "The name Wendreef carries a lot of power among the Kharsagans." Though it didn't seem to be put to much use here. Quite the fall from grace going from what was near enough to nobility among the sea-faring folk to a scavenging barge.

His name alone likely would have opened all kinds of doors, provided he hadn't already squandered the opportunities presented, but then again. He might just be following the path of his own stars. As a navigator, she begrudge him that. Such a reason was why she'd left her contract with the main fleet after all. Her own stars calling her along something different.

 

[Kaina Wendreef]

The makings of an awkward grin slipped from the young Kaina's face, twisted into an open-mouthed grimace as he turned his appraisal to the blue woman.

"Who told you that," he asked, near choking on the venom that welled in his throat, "my aged fucking grandmother?"

It took considerable effort to abase himself of the scowl that sullied his features, more to smooth them into a semblance of pleasantry. A breath hitched in his chest. He swept his eyes over the three, gave a nod.

"Sorry. Lot of power in names. You can see how far that got me, strapped aboard the 'bilge with full ball and chain. I'd be all for cutting throats, gi', if I was sure mine wouldn't be the first set gill to tail.

"But tell me. How'd a crew this motley afford a fucking navigator? I thought they had us hitched up here to dive." He failed to hide a glint of shame from his eye, gaze averting swift from Mahsain's direction, settling instead on the imposing fishman. For all the sea he affected nonchalance then, as if a shrug could belie his earlier outburst.


@Jens @Tammy Lee Sable @Mahsain Roshan