Scrub the Deck

Log Info

• Title: Scrub the Deck
• Emitter: Aryia
• Characters: Aryia, Venom
• Place: Alexandrian Shipyards
• Time: October 25th, 2022
• Summary: After a long enough time away, Aryia is finally freed to work on her boat: The Balance. And work certainly needs to be done. The ship has started to get filthy, and needs a good scrub, thankfully Violet is able to bring the tools to assist in the manner as the mute is busy cleaning with a mop. They discuss some out of their outings with the kobolds as well as the wedding ceremony before Aryia reveals that she probably had a revelation in her drunk stupor from the latter. They make plans to test out that theory. Prehaps on a not living target first.

Alexandrian Shipyards, Late Morning.

The chill of fall is swooping it, it felt quiet easily on the windy Alexandrian Docks. One ship that had been docked for a bit too long is that of a sloop.

Set with a pair of gaff sails on a singular wooden mast in the center, with the front sail white hue, and the other dyed black as night. The hull is a sandy brown wood with a white painted railing, with the deck mostly cleared out save for essential sailing supplies and tools. A number of wooden poles jut from the deck, with sacks of cotton and straw tied to the poles.

There's a small hold that's accessed by a trapdoor behind the mast, its innards a cramped space of sleeping hammocks and food supplies.

Both sides of the hull on the bow has it's name painted in a bright eggshell color: 'The Balance'

It's captain is on the bow with a broom in hand, face scrunched in concentration as the sweep the deck with a map. It's fallen a bit in condition, and it's owner was dammed to let her pride and joy go awash.

In time, after a bit of a side quest of sorts for tools, Violet manages to find her way toward the pier where the Balance is tethered. Clad in, for this seeming, an unusual ensemble of trousers with work gloves (Venessa's rather generous), a loose half tunic and sandals, (so is Nyree), arms laden with scraping tools as well as a couple of buckets.

Violet glances about with a certain alertness buried under a somewhat bookish demeanor, but she smiles up toward the captain as she draws near.

"Ahoy, the ship!" she calls with a touch of playfulness, then, "Permission to come aboard?"

The captain perks up at the voice, her giving a grin and beckoning a hand for Violet to come aboard. She slides forward a bit and kicks at a plank on a hinge, it creaking and slamming onto the dock. The gangplank settles.

One hand slips off the mop to gestures, "Oh! Good, you brought buckets. We're going to need them. This buildup is fucking brutal, those damn clothes took up all my time!" <Handspeech>

Violet moves with a certain care up the gangplank with her arms burdened as they are, she looks down to the gestures and nods before leaning in for a gentle pack, "I wasn't absolutely certain, but it seemed prudent. Will these be big enough, dear?" <sildanyari>

Carefully setting the buckets upon the deck, she lays the scrapers across them and gives the deck a lookover, "Where would you like me to start?" she wonders, eyes glittering with the warmth of her smile.

Aryia hums happily at the gesture, her returning it with one of her own before she nods. Yep. Should be plenty. She blows out an exhale, her fussing with her jacket and buckling it up. "Thanks! Start where I mopped, it loosened up some of the buildup if you don't mind."

The mute kicks her mop back up into hand, her turning it over and smacking it against a railing to rid the filthy water. A long sigh leaves her. "Man I'm fucking tired. I'm so glad all that shit is over." <Handspeech>

Venom nods, examining the boundry, but she waits until Aryia's finished speaking before taking her eyes off her.

"As am I." she says gently, "It was an interesting ceremony." she notes, then takes a knee to collect her tools and start putting them to work. <sildanyari>

Aryia's ears give a little flick at that, her chuckling silently and shaking her head as she burrows some of the sea's water to continue to mop. Once she gets in sight of Violet's view, she kneels a bit to motion, "It was. Especially drunk at the party bit. Thanks for carrying me out to the carriage, by the way."

She chuckles. "Not just that, that damn Queen is done," Aryia mentions, shaking her hands off and cracking her knuckles. "Some shit escaped that I probably have to figure out how to deal with, but what's done is done." <Handspeech>

Violet misses the flicky ears, alas, but her eyes swiftly acquire her paramour as Aryia kneels down into her view. She smiles warmly, and nods, "You're quite welcome, my love."

She sobers a little, the subtle hints in her expression that probably hint to her tactical gears turning a bit, "Time will tell if the kobolds' tactical position will be secure. I'm glad you weren't badly hurt." <sildanyari>

She pivots on the ball of one foot to prop her elbow against her upraised knee as she asks, "What kind of shit? Perhaps I can process some countermeasures for any followup engagements." <kulthian>

Aryia glances over a shoulder, her reaching over to pull up the trapdoor to the hold so she can hide her signs. "Time will tell for certain. The leader is dead and gone. No weird lizard dragon person thing, so the kobolds should just be able to... live."

She mops a bit in her position before signing more. "Thank Seyardu, she kept me hale. A lot of stuff, magic and otherwise was going on. Uh, I don't know, some kind of spectral ooze? It messed with my mind when it hit me. You need adamantine to hit it properly. I don't think I can touch it without something bad happening. But it had a hell of a hard time hitting me. Oh, and it uses some kind of charm magic," she elaborates. <Handspeech>

Venom, as by her expression that is the persona at the forefront in this conversation, nods and she, too, begins to sign, "I will. I don't have a counter for charms, but I can research equipment we can acquire."

Adamantine shells should be workable, but for contact....

Processing.

"There are probably some dwarves selling gauntlets that will serve."

That leaves most of her preferred striking options out of play, and she will have some reloading drills to do. <handspeech>

Aryia bobs her head before looking on with a tinge of concern. "Yes, well, um. I... am just going to say it: please don't hunt this thing. If I could barely take it on, then who the fuck knows what it'll do to you. Though, I'm sure whoever you come across will be thankful for the supplies you an provide to help. How did your end go?"

She mops a bit more. Stops. Resumes. Slows to a stop. "... I... might have had a revelation in my drunken state. I'm not sure if it will help with the ooze thing, but..." she trails off, brows pinched a bit as she looks to one of the few striking poles on the boat. <Handspeech>

Venom's head cocks a little, and her eyes shift just a little as she surveys the little changes in Aryia's expression, trying to read the meaning behind it, but she nods after a moment, "Either of us could encounter it at some point, North Star" her hands emphasising the term as she would for a name, "I only want us to be as ready as we can be if that happens." <handspeech>

Her hands resume their maintainance duties for a time as she looks on.

She slows to a halt as Aryia trails off, then, aloud, tenderly, "What is it, my love?" <sildanyari>

Aryia gives a soft sigh, her disarmed. "Yes, you're right. Sorry Blossom. That is good thinking just in case."

She looks to the training pole, setting her mop aside. "So... as stupid as it sounds, while I was drunk, I remember trying to figure out how to make my stone punching routine better. I realized I should punch harder."

A beat as she rubs her neck before continuing. "Not like, physically. But with as much as I can put into it as possible. I don't know. It sounds like something my sister figured out herself..." <Handspeech>

Venom rises, laying her tools down and stepping around her workspace to approach Aryia. Before she says anything, her hand moves toward gently cupping the Mul'niessa's cheek, "It's alright, dear." she says softly.

Her eyes flick toward the pole to follow her love's gaze, then, it's back toward her communicative hands they turn, absorbing her words.

Processing her meaning.

"Hollow" she signs, with the flintiness in her eyes that accompanies the names of any of her Metal masters, "Taught us to get the most out of a strike by choosing the best target zone and angle."

'Hollow' the assassin.

The potential metaphysical dynamics of what Aryia's saying are a little bit beyond her meager experience, but she nods and cocks her head, "Perhaps you can talk to her or that..." a somewhat pregnant pause, "other one who taught you the breathing thing?"

She probably still has thoughts to square away about the repackaged Metal.

Her eyes lid for a moment, scanning the texture of the deck, and she opts to answer her love's prior query, "Talking to the kobolds was difficult, but we managed to take out one position before we had to withdraw. We managed to take two commanders, and a siege engine."

She presses her lips together in a slightly bemused line, then continues to sign, "The kobolds were brave, but most of the unit was injured. We didn't lose anyone, though." <handspeech>

Aryia is stymied for a beat, her face gaining a tinge of rubor before she nestles her face into the hand. An ear flicks, and she raising her head to listen with her eyes. "They make sense on that front. But yes, I could talk to Strike. Maybe they can give me some insight. Or just... figure it out myself. I don't know. I need to punch more rocks. Just feels like I'm on the cusp of something..."

Her attention focuses back on V, her bobbing her head along. Some concern plays across her features, but she breathes out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad it went well with no losses. That's really hard to pull off. I can only imagine what kind of bullshit was going on with that many kobolds and people at once going on. Thank you again for helping with that. I don't think it would have been possible without yourhelp." <Handspeech>

"I love you, Aryia. My North Star." V croons warmly, obsidian pools glittering from the pools of moonlight, though her gaze is broken by the brief, closed-eyed smile that ensues with the little earflick. <sildanyari>

The human's thumb gently caresses the cheek beneath and she nods, "Maybe you need a responsive target. We can go somewhere we won't be observed." with a glance up at one of the sails.

As to the response to her AAR, "Siege warfare isn't something I've dealt with before, I'm glad it turned out so well." she signs. <handspeech>

The Acanian leans in to plant a kiss on the opposing cheek, whispering against the skin, "You will only ever have to ask."

Aryia blinks at the soft words, the mute all but melting at the affection as her ears do the flick-flick. Her lips move. No words, but an understood 'I love you, too' is legible on them. She leans forward to bump her forehead against Violet's before pulling back some to sign. A bit of a wary look. Not at V, but at something abstract. "Maybe a responsive target will work. But... I'd rather test it on something not living first. I don't know what will happen. I might punch clean through you."

A quiet giggle leaves her as she too returns the peck with one of her own on the other cheek. "I'm glad it turned out well as, uh, well. And of course. We're a team." She smiles at that.

A little huffs leaves her as she gets to her haunches. "Lets get this boat cleaned up, then we can take a nap in the hold. Yes?" she suggests, picking up her mop once more. <Handspeech>

-End Scene-