A Merry Jaunt Upon The Sea

[delilah_dirk]

Who: Delilah Dirk, Luz, and Varian
What: Charting and exploration using Delilah's flying boat.
When: Early afternoon, start of October.
Where: Darcmouth, Pthumerian Ocean





She spent her nights in her small bunk on her boat. It had all she needed, really. A tiny little kitchen, somewhere to sleep. A few books of poetry, from the old world. Mostly in Greek. In times past, she'd sail her little ship from port to port - the entire Mediterranean Sea had been her playground, and she'd known every inch of it.

This was new territory, and while she missed the sun-kissed days and the bluest waters - there was new adventure to be found here. Though the vast ocean beyond was...different. There were things about it that she couldn't quite put her finger on, couldn't quite put words to. Things were different. It was far more than the different, starry sky she looked up at some nights, when laying back on the deck.

But today, well, today was going to be an adventure. She'd received word she'd be having guests aboard. She hadn't cleaned up - there was little enough on the boat that it hardly made much difference, really - but she had worked on breakfast. Pan-made biscuits, breakfast meat, and some fruit - and juice, of course. Because the Turkish coffee - or the closest ersatz she could make, anyway - she was brewing was...potent.

She would be easy enough to find, and hadn't bothered with directions - after all, how many sailboats tied up at the dock were there? And how many would smell of breakfast?

Comments

[delilah_dirk]

"Bloody he-"

That kaboom definitely causes some air to ride on, nearly flipping up the rear of the boat and shoving them upwards as if by a giant hand.

She barely holds onto the wheel as the flying boat rocks crazily for a moment before steadying onto the air currents again.

"What in the hell was that?!" she asked Varian, working between confusion, awe, and upset - "nearly singed us."

[droptheious]

"I don't think it is. I think it's down."

He's peering over the edge just in case, still a little worried. It's definitely gone though, and he heaves out a breath, turning to look at Delilah, his smile turning a little sheepish.

"Sorry, it...it can be pretty powerful. It's Flynnolium, an explosive of my own design."

[imaglyphwitch]

Luz gave Varian an appreciative glance. He was still amazing in her book, and was glad she didn't have to get any closer to that crazy fish thing. That was definitely scary.

"It's really good though, isn't it? How well it works, even if the shockwave is pretty intense! That must be some of the creepy things that live in the bottom of the sea."

She stared down below though.

"Nothing yet!"

[delilah_dirk]

"I want some!" she said, of the Flynnolium. "I need and want kabooms, thank you kindly."

"We weren't even that far out," she reflected, starting to bring their altitude in as they reached towards the shallows. "Hopefully it's the biggest out there, but...who knows."

[droptheious]

"See? It can even help with propulsion. I mean, I do use it in engines too, so-"

It's obviously super safe. He nods at Delilah.

"Sure, I can mix you up some batches! However many you need," he glances over the edge, squinting at the water. "Well...if nothing else, we know what's out there now. I call that progress!"

[imaglyphwitch]

Luz continued to stare into the bottom a bit. She didn't know why, but something told her there was a lot that was old and possibly evil down there, and it would only be a matter of time before it tried to make its presence known to the people above it.

Maybe that land canon idea that Ruby had was not as crazy as she thought.

"We know a little of what's out there. I wonder if there's more than just that big guy. What if there are several of them? If there's a way to explore of what's down there without getting hurt, maybe we should try checking the waters again."

Though not for awhile. Luz needed to calm her nerves and stay on the just-as-eventful shore of Trench.

[delilah_dirk]

"You mean like one of those steam engines?" Things are very different when she's from.

But she turned her attention to what Luz was saying.

"Well there has to be at least a few of them. Let's just hope that was the top of the food chain."

[droptheious]

"That's something I might be able to work on," Varian stares at the water for a moment before turning his attention back to the city as they get closer to land. "It'll need some serious reinforcing though. But yeeeaaah, let's hope there's nothing bigger out there."

[imaglyphwitch]

"Hey, you'll show me some of those steam engine things too, right? That's obviously before my time, but I wouldn't mind lending a hand there either."

Luz looked back a moment.

"What might be worst is vicious smaller somethings."

She really wished she remembered what happened that night she and Fern went to the light house. Apparently, she'd been possessed.

[delilah_dirk]

"Big ones are easier to see coming, though," she replied, casually, starting to drop their altitude. "One time, I was in Brazil, chap who was trying to kill me slipped during our duel and fell in with the piranhas - do you know what those are? Little bitey fish things - turns out they aren't as fast as they say in the stories, but he didn't make it to shore, that's for sure."

So she points at Luz.

"She knows, see?"

[droptheious]

"Yeah, of course, I will, You know I'll show you any sort of machinery you want."

He's always happy to teach anyone anything new after all. At the comment about size, he snorts lightly.

"Oh yeah they can be pretty ineffective so long as you move quickly," he rubs the back of his neck. "That said, some of the worst things we've dealt with in the dream were...little things. Innocuous right up until they weren't."

[imaglyphwitch]

"Thanks. I know that stuff is mostly your bag, but that doesn't mean I don't want to learn a few things now and then!"

Of course she needed to learn magic, but that didn't mean she was going to ignore everything else she had access to!

"Like what? I mean, can you tell me without having some battle fatigued flashbacks?"

[delilah_dirk]

She concentrates on bringing down the ship to just above the waves, skimming in towards the shore. It doesn't appear that anything has followed them, for the moment. All she can hear is the calling of strange birds.

[droptheious]

"There were the flower rats- those were pretty awful. I managed to avoid getting bitten by them but I saw them causing a lot of trouble."

He exhales once the ship lands, turning to smile in Delilah's direction.

"Thanks for getting us out of there, that was some fancy flying."

[imaglyphwitch]

"Ok, you have to tell me about flower rats and how they're actually a bad thing someday," Luz declared.

But once they were on shore, Luz was practically stimming.

"Are you kidding? We just had a bonafide high seas adventure IN THE SKY! We have to totally do this again!"

[delilah_dirk]

"Well, she's right about that part," she says. "Definitely mapping the coast next time, see how far we can get."

She looks down at the plates of now-sodden food. With a sigh, she dumps one overboard. There is the sound of snapping, and small fish make short work of things, jumping up and down.

"And very clearly staying on the boat," she adds, staring at the water.

[droptheious]

"Sure thing, Luz. We'll have a fun talk about it sometime. It'll be great."

It will not be great. He smiles wanly because as unpleasant as the near-death experience had been, that was kind of fun.

"Oh yeah, we definitely need to see how far we get and very much not leaving the boat ever, no thanks.!

[imaglyphwitch]

Luz can imagine it won't be great, but she wanted to make sure that she was at least aware of all the misgivings that might happen, even if she was sure she still might not be completely ready.

"Mapping sounds like a good idea. I don't know if anyone's even done that with regards to the ocean anyway. We'd be the first!"

Which meant they'd have the scariest encounter.

"Uh, yeah! We can't all be fish kids!"

[delilah_dirk]

She, for her part, is busy beaning one of the little fish with the now-empty coffee pot when it keeps jumping, trying to get a nibble at her.

"First is good."

[droptheious]

You bean that fish, Delilah! You show it who's boss! He chuckles a little.

"You never know, we might even get a region named after us. That's what happens with explorers, right?"

[imaglyphwitch]

Dumb fish!

"You know, despite the big fish almost eating us, this was a good venture! And the breakfast was amazing!"

[delilah_dirk]

"Oh, well, that wouldn't be a bad outcome," she mused, looking pleased at the idea. "Has to be a proper sounding one. Dirk Island, maybe."

She got to work tying off the mooring lines, gesturing at the front ones.

"First Mate Noceda, tie off those lines. Best knots, please."

[droptheious]

"Yes, Luz is right. Advise from all those things it was a good time, and you do cook a great breakfast."

He chuckles a little, shifting around to help with the lines.

"Dirk Island does have a nice ring to it."

[imaglyphwitch]

"You got it Captain!"

Luz went to work tying the lines, listening in on the two of them.

"Dirk Island. Sure. I'd go for Dork Island myself, but Dirk sounds fine too."

Ironically, dork is a 1960s derivative of dirk.

[delilah_dirk]

"Well, you can name whatever you'd like Dork Island when you find one," she replies. "Or we'll find the Varian Archipelago. Best part about being first, you can put your name on it, if nobody else lives there already."