come_sailaway | APRIL OPEN LOG: PIRATE JENNY

APRIL OPEN LOG: PIRATE JENNY

[early risers with odd-numbered rooms might notice that the morning sun doesn't quite come through the curtains as much as it usually does; they can peer out the portholes to see their views blocked by black-painted wood. everyone else won't realize something's off until the morning announcements. there's the chime, and Friday speaks, but...]

Passengers, I'd like for you all to join me in the atrium at your earliest possible convenience! We have a… situation!

[there is no bind on their legs; going is their choice. but, who wouldn't? something interesting is happening, at least. for once.

when they arrive, they will find Friday, and find that she is not alone. a woman - tall, dark, with a flowing coat and a lit cigar hanging from the side of her mouth like an old movie gangster - is standing on the raised area by the stairs; they are having a conversation that's too quiet to hear, and the woman's face is nearly as inscrutable. when enough have gathered, Friday steps forward, her empty hands clasped together in front of her, as the woman puts out the cigar on the heel of her boot and tosses it thoughtlessly to the ground.]

Good morning, everyone! I.. I'd like, I'd like to, well, I'd -

[the woman places a firm hand on Friday's shoulder - spins her, grabs her, dips her low to the ground, and kisses her soundly. at the first touch, Friday freezes; but, at the dip, she squeaks, and throws her arms up to hold herself up. the woman returns her to a normal position, and grins widely.]

Let me handle this, Dajutia. Hm? [Friday nods, and the woman turns to face the passengers.] Tau, everyone! My name is Jenny Storm, but all my friends call me Pirate Jenny! And I'd like to think we're all friends, sí? You could call me an... alumnus of the Serena Eterna; I spent a good five years being a thorn in the side of our good Captain! So, when I heard that he was getting up to his old tricks again, I decided to come around and see the fresh meat! And maybe have a bit of a vacation myself!

[she looks at each of them in turn. her grin widens, showing sharp canines.]

Now, I am sure you are thinking, "Señora Storm? You are a pirate! Are you here to rob us of our valuables?" [she barks out a laugh, then shakes her head.] No, no. First off, we're friends; it's Pirate Jenny! And Pirate Jenny is not interested in such things. In fact, I have valuables for you!

[she makes a quick movement: she sticks her pointer finger in her mouth, and then immediately uses that same finger to make some sort of sketch on her palm. seconds later, that same palm closes around a single white rose, which she extends to Friday. she pauses... then takes it, careful, holding it gentle as a bird.]

I may not be the Captain, but I happen to have a little bit of magic of my own! And, for a very, very low price, I can grant you a few small wishes! Trifles from home, maybe - do you like rocket launchers? I am getting very good at rocket launchers!

Jenny...

Okay, okay, no rocket launchers... Machine guns are as big as I'll go, promise!

[Friday just audibly sighs and shakes her head, but there's a clear sort of fondness in it, and Jenny laughs again.]

So, be sure to chat me up, sí? After breakfast! I may not miss much about this damned ship, but I do miss those little omelets!

[she salutes the audience, and then immediately leaves, taking the stairs down three at a time and needlessly pushing her way through the small crowd on her way to the elevators. Friday merely watches her go; her fingers have worried the rose to shreds that fall at her feet.

the rest of the month, until the 13th, is very much the same, with one exception: Jenny's ship remains at the Serena Eterna's side, a sailing ship somehow keeping pace with a modern engine craft. and Jenny doesn't seem to be keeping an especially close eye on it.]

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[Jade has been to the top deck exactly once, in the time he's spent on this ship thus far; an investigative sort of visit on the very first day, if only to confirm a view of positively nothing but empty ocean stretching out for miles around. There had been little point, in his eyes, to visiting it anytime afterwards, so long as there remained nothing of much interest to actually observe from up there.

But, well! There's certainly something to see now, of late. And while it's certainly quite easy to get a good look at the pirate ship from just about any deck already, he finds himself eventually gravitating to the top deck in particular just to examine the vessel floating alongside at every angle available; a high vantage tends to be a pretty good one! Although...

There's an odd sort of prickle at his fon slots, even before he reaches the deck proper, something that weaves between the oddly erratic gusts of wind stirring up here. Third fonons, or so a gut sort of reaction wants to identify it, but--not--quite, either, somehow? It's a strangeness that only grows, really, when Jade reaches the top to find a source...in the form of a surprisingly youthful sort of figure, looking out over the railing across the way. And isn't that rather interesting?

He joins the (seeming) boy at the railing, naturally, when that question's leveled his way; the approach is made at an idle pace, with a conversational distance between their elbows as he leans upon it himself. Tempting as it might be to study the stranger's features further, as the peculiar not-third-fonons continue plucking at the edges of fonic senses with more intensity at this vicinity...the topic at hand is the ship to begin with, and so Jade is appraising it accordingly too.

...His answer's still a humored one, though, sardonic in the lilt of his tone.]

Hm, well! There might be pirates, maybe...though I just couldn't tell you where I might have gotten that idea. What are the chances, you think?

[ for living a life incognito as 'human' for so long, he doesn't quite hide his affinity for wind very strictly. elemental power isn't terribly uncommon, where he comes from. and how it could manifest with particular restlessness like now, when as fascinating as the ship is, the unease of really being stuck here might simmer slowly.

or, maybe this is just the sea breeze and nothing else. he cocks his head a bit, a perfectly innocent smile to the stranger. ]

I'd wager there's a higher chance of there being pirates than not~ but I could be wrong. Miss Jenny seems to be quite at home here at the Serena Eterna! I wonder if she's even returned back there?

If it's staffed entirely with ghosts like our good ship is, it might even be that our Eterna boasts more pirates than her own vessel. [ when there's an apparently monstrous few members of the 'straw hat' crew here. ] Shall we find out?

Edited 2022-04-04 06:56 (UTC)

[Channeling the elements isn't so strange in itself where Jade comes from either, to be fair, even if it's not necessarily a thing done 'willy-nilly' per se. Most any given person doing it is more or less an instrument through which those elements pass, though, in a technical sort of sense...and so things get decidedly odder, when you run into someone that doesn't seem to be channeling at all, and instead seems...to be some sort of source...?

This wouldn't be the first time he's run into a system rather different than the one he knows back home, though. There's also something to be said for having some tact, and not immediately diving into questions about it off the cuff--not while they're talking about something else equally as interesting to begin with! Venti's innocent smile is matched with a humored one in turn.]

It is rather peculiar that none of her crew followed her on board here, isn't it? One couldn't normally man a ship of that size by oneself...but I don't think I've spotted anyone on the deck a single time since it drew up beside us, either, and it certainly doesn't seem like she's moving back or forth between ships. Perhaps a ghost staff really is a more likely possibility here...a bit of a trend in this area, apparently.

[A speculative glance had been returned to the ship, over the course of his reply, but now Jade refocuses on Venti himself when that last question is given voice; his eyebrows arch, but the suggestion sure isn't an uninteresting one...]

I am rather curious to have a closer look, all told. You too, is that right? Hm, but it doesn't seem that we're going to be provided a walkway of any kind over there... [One wonders how Jenny actually crossed in the first place, really. But all the same--] Not that this seems to be bothering you much. I wonder! Have you been plotting out some boarding ideas of your own already, since coming up here?

This world and Serena Eterna have its own laws, I suspect. [ what connections or similarities different worlds may have for different passengers... maybe it'd be a bit of a minor miracle if some magics or talents work similarly at all. ] So far we have a sample size of one ship to work with. And yet there's another right here, ripe for the investigating and testing of ghostly hypotheses~

[ he's very much not a scientist, but he's hung around the alchemy table in his city a fair few times. and something about jade just gives off the ~scientist aura~, so why not speak to him in his language?? as much as venti could possibly know about science-y language, which is. not much. look...... ]

Now I may not look it, but I happen to be a special species of bard, the windborne bard! [ theatrical flourish of his cape goes here, ridiculously dramatic as he's occasionally or often wont to be. ] My talents include wine-drinking, song-singing, poetry-writing aaaand... shall we say, flight! [ as the ripple of the wind swirls around him in a wave or spiral, like around the eye of a storm. ]

And I just so happen to have a pair of wings I could probably lend to those curious about, maybe, exploring the skies or even a mysterious fellow ship nearby.

[There sure is an attempt at some science speak being made here, and Jade's indeed noticing the effort being applied, successful as it may or may not actually be. But it's the thought that counts, Venti! B+ for effort! With some bonus points given for managing to be pretty amusing while doing it; said amusement might be seeping into his tone about now anyway, though Jade's at least not laughing out loud at it...!]

Larger sample sizes lead to more credible conclusions, it's true! A sample size of two might not be much, but it is double the count of just one...how nice that we're on the same page. My, it's almost as if I'm speaking to a peer about now!

[Alright, maybe poking just a bit of fun at it after all. Just a bit! But anyway, putting that aside before too much ribbing can actually be had (because they are trying to be productive here, kind of, probably...!)]

I must say, though, this is the first time I've ever heard of a windborne bard. Then again, I wasn't aware that bards as a profession could be broken up into sub-species in such a way... [He straightens, turning sidelong to watch properly as Venti does his little flourish, and a distinct ripple of wind follows soon after--and there, yet again, some thrum of a different sort of magic to accompany it. The frequency really is quite close to third fonons, he thinks, which slots neatly alongside the actual wind it's stirring up about now too. Fascinating.] Bards that fly about is also a bit new, but I'll admit I only have my own limited experience from a single world to go by, and it seems there are plenty of them represented here.

[One elbow's still propped on the railing, at this point, and Jade's leaning upon it about now as he tilts his head a little, and a curious glance searches the immediate space behind Venti as if he might yet glimpse these 'wings' he's speaking of about now. Context clues considered, the boy probably doesn't mean it in a literal sense, but nowadays...you know...it's a little hard to make assumptions out the gate, really.]

Could these wings indeed be used even by non-windborne-bard sorts of people?

[ w-whoa, the distinguished scientist/alchemist-looking person thinks he's a peer? wow, he really has this science thing down like an expert! he puffs up a little almost like a proud songbird. the thing is, to venti, putting the word 'hypothesis' in a sentence is Peak Science. the more hypotheses there are, the more science it is. science science science. ]

We bards are a varied lot, you know! But if I could say so myself, I might just have a feeeew more talents than your usual. So, how about for a demonstration~

[ another flourish and with a rustle of feathers he withdraws a pair of sea/sky green wings from his mantle, a respectable span that looked like surely it couldn't have fit in that cape. it's practically with theatrical sleight of hand that he affixes it to his shoulders as the growing gusts swirl around him in a gale that just about threatens to burst with power--

and when it does, there's an arcane and foreign glow of a sigil that flares onto the ground beneath him, bright with elemental wind magic. his own eyes and tips of his braids glow with that same blue-green aura as the updraft carries him up into the sky in a spiral; he lets out a carefree laugh as he ascends with the air of a bird taking to the sky after being kept aground or in a cage.

he does go actually gliding decently often, possibly at night when he supposes there would be less questions about seeing a boy gliding over the ship with power over the wind. but at this point with somewhere to fly to, an actual destination and goal in mind, it seems he's laxing on secrecy, if he weren't also actually kind of lazy with it in the first place. ]

Anybody can fly, if it's a matter of having wings. And I would guide you in the sky!

[ he does a little loop, just about as graceful and in his element as a fish in water; it could seem he belongs more in the sky than possibly on earth. ]

[You know........there's a lot that could probably be said here, in defense of the true Complexity of Science (or something), alongside the fact that Jade's mild humored poking at Venti's exaggerated efforts towards it end up being taken as a sincere sort of praise anyway--but, well, Jade's not exactly about to go out of his way to burst that bubble for him. Not much room for it to happen, and does it need bursting anyway, really...? Yes, Venti, you're officially a Science Peer now! Welcome to the Science Club!!

He's making some unintentional contributions already, after all, which is to say that Jade's certainly entertaining a very scientifically vested sort of interest in this little demonstration about now! Lots to observe with intrigue, here, from the way Venti seems to produce the wings quite from nowhere--or something rather more akin to a glider, as it turns out, wing-shaped though they are--to the ease of the fastening, and then...the wind he uses to take his flight. Complete with a glyph to power it this time, no less! The design of which Jade has never seen before, but he's certainly taking a good look at it before it might eventually vanish; at a glance it's definitely not a fonic glyph of any kind, but it does seem to generate an even bigger burst of the same peculiar energy that's been streaming about Venti's person this whole while. Sourced from the glyph, now, but still also sourced from Venti to begin with in turn too...

Goodness, not an ordinary bard indeed, it would seem. Hm.

Anyway, Venti's also now doing merry loops in the air above with all the grace and ease of a bird; this is clearly a mode of transport he indulges in pretty often. Jade can't recall ever seeing anything quite like it--gliding in this sort of way, you know--though it does strike him like the sort of prototype thing that the researchers of Sheridan might make to test flight on a much smaller sort of scale. He wonders if this sort of thing is more common where Venti's from in general...the oddities truly never end, in the melting-pot that is other worlds around here. Jade's turning until his back is entirely to the railing, so that he can lean upon it and crane his head accordingly to watch.]

You do seem to have quite a lot of sky-guiding sort of experience! Maybe I am quite interested, about now... [Not the worst idea to get from one ship to another, all told. It's not like Jade is particularly queasy about heights in general, either. He's never done anything like it, but Venti does make it look fairly straightforward...although--] You're certain those wings would carry just about anyone, though? I'd imagine I'm a fair bit heavier than you are. There's also the matter of returning your wings once I've used them...how would you go about retrieving them when I'm over there, I wonder? [Especially if Venti's planning on hopping over there at some point too...?]

[ wow, science club...!!! a new and exciting frontier for a humanities kid, if he could possibly have the self-discipline or attention span to be in academia and not drink his nights away at a party school...

but this might just be about his first test in Science Club: how to fly a man from point A to B. the fact is, he knows he can. but rhetoric to persuade or demonstrate or prove how exactly is another point. he considers this as he flutters down from the updraft, hovering almost like a sparrowhawk with his feet light off the ground, looking thoughtful with a hand clasped to his chin. ] Hm, these are all fair points...

First, these wing gliders are a common and trusted means of transport, developed right from my homeland. I didn't make these, but they are meant to carry people of all ages and weights, not just me. You look perfectly healthy and able, there's absolutely no reason at all these wings would not fit and carry you.

As for returning them... [ he could fly there as the wind, but he supposes he might keep that power more discreet for now. elemental power over the wind is one thing, being kin to wind itself is more his origin. ] Simply throw them into the sky and I would send a gust to lift them back to me.

[ of course he supposes the flight itself will be a bit of a leap of faith, but. look at this face. he is so trustworthy, swear to god. ]

[Now's your chance to turn your frat party days around, Venti! Maybe you could put your drinks aside, and instead make a name for yourself as a scientist bard (or something??) after all...!

Anyway, Venti's (misleadingly youthfully cherubic) face is truly the most trustworthy face anyone could set their eyes upon, obviously, because there's sure no way whatsoever that this could possibly go wrong! ...Which, isn't Jade's thought process about now necessarily. But he does seem to be visibly weighing Venti's spoken points with a fair amount of thought, as his glance drifts from Venti's fluttering vantage to the dark ship looming off to the side across the waters. There are risks to be considered--but also questions to be answered, maybe, over there.

So really, thinking about it in this way...well! Jade's verdict ends up actually being pretty prompt, in the end.]

That sounds like a fair enough sort of plan, if you're confident enough in such a retrieval. In which case...I daresay it's decided, then! [It's too mild to be quantified as particularly enthusiastic, but Jade's tone is a cheery enough one, as he steps away from the railing.] I'll accept your loan, should you remain willing to offer it. For a brief round trip ship-to-ship, so to speak...but will you be taking such a trip yourself too, I wonder?

Of course I'll be going with you. I'll need to fly you back safely after all! [ that and yes, he's also terribly nosy, he wants to investigate new and shiny ship, even if, all right, so he hadn't exactly asked permission. he's always been a sly god, he's made a nuisance of himself in the pantheon with all the others who might just be annoyed at him for all antics. from pouring wine on people, forging signatures... a little break-in to a pirate ship should be fine.

he lands lightly back on his feet; it doesn't take long to remove the glider and then affix it to jade's shoulders, strapping him in securely. the wings honestly don't feel heavy at all, it's actually lightweight enough to the point that it's practically like wearing a backpack. an adventurer could possibly wear it and simply journey and travel and throw themselves off cliffs and mountains to glide safely back down to earth, this would indeed be how it's used back in his homeland. ]

Prepare yourself, now! But don't worry, I'll be gentle. [ a wink, and with that questionable little encouragement--

his braids glow blue-green again as he summons a wind domain with a gesture of his arms. the wind sigil again blazes onto the deck, the updraft would carry jade aloft, not sharply but still rather abrupt, though the ascent is stable and the winds swirl with an air of both security and almost playfulness. the draft would sweep the glider wings open on their own and carry jade towards the ship. if he were a little experimental with angling or trying to adjust the wings he could definitely adjust the speed or directory of his own flight, but otherwise the wind would deposit him safely to deck in a spiraling descent. ]

[Is it really a break-in when it's a pirate ship anyhow, after all?? Quite fortunately for the both of them, Jade is hardly a thorough stickler when it comes to something like permission in these sorts of circumstances himself. Rules and laws are all well and good--and he does sometimes have more of a professional obligation to enforce such things in his homeland of Malkuth--but they are very much not in Malkuth at the moment, and all things considered, rules and laws barely apply when they've all been subjected to a flagrant case of kidnapping to begin with, just by being here. Not to mention, besides all that...! Pirates aren't on the right side of the law by definition anyway--assuming that Jenny is an actual pirate herself to begin with--

--And so Venti's easy confirmation of following along simply earns an amused smile in turn, and absolutely no discouragement from Jade's end whatsoever!]

A mutual sort of field trip, then! Quite fair enough. [The "winging-up" isn't too convoluted indeed, when all's said and done; it really is reminiscent of a backpack more than anything, as far as wearing them goes, and Jade's taking mental notes of the equipping process as Venti goes through the steps of them, commentary on hold in favor of letting the technical expert on the matter take the lead. Talk about some questionable encouragement at the end there, though...!] So very thoughtful of you! Most appreciated. This will be my first time, after all...

[Guys please, is this really the time for off-color jokes like this--

But oh well, no time for any second-guessing, because things are taking off all the same! ...It's odd, to be sure, being subjected to a wind-based arte that he hasn't cast himself and also isn't actually set up to deal some kind of damage either; really, there's a utility precision to Venti's method here that's almost as fascinating as the flight in itself...! But there's plenty to preoccupied about in the flight too, and Jade's opting to focus on that aspect in the meantime, since it's probably just a bit more important. The transit from one ship to the other is a swift affair in the air, and the stability of the ascent keeps any concerns about being accidentally dropped in the sea below to a surprising minimum--Jade isn't so adventurous that he's keen on completely changing the flight track already set by Venti's wind assistance, but he's not so stiff as to resist a little experimentation indeed, some slight tilting of weight here and there just to see how the wings respond to such adjustments. One never knows when future reference might be needed here, after all...this really is a remarkably useful contraption, all told! To say nothing of how the experience of this kind of flight remains very different from the enclosed transit of the Albiore's, for a fact. Jade has to wonder if the society of the Dawn Age back in Auldrant's long past ever developed anything quite like this, with their hovercraft sort of technology...

At any rate, the descent is an easy and spiraling sort of thing, and by the end of the journey Jade's just adjusted enough to the wings that he manages to angle himself into a pretty stable and succinct sort of landing upon the deck, a lightly jogging couple of steps to a halt on both feet. What a smooth process all around! It's so nice when things do go as planned on occasion, isn't it? There doesn't seem to be anybody immediately nearby to hear it, but Jade's laughing a bit to himself as he goes through the motions of inverting Venti's earlier procedure and shrugging himself out of the wings.]

Well, that was easy enough! Let's see... [There's already a strong temptation to look around this new deck proper, but first! Jade's moving back towards the rail in the Serena Eterna's view with the wings in hand, seeking out Venti's shape somewhere on the upper deck where he'd come from. Hm...they'd discussed Venti would take these back with the wind in turn, so...he'll just toss these wings back over the railing in that direction now, he supposes?? After a short wave of an arm to confirm that Venti can see him and wave back, anyway!]

[ and the maiden flight is a success~

he does indeed have a steady hand with wind and is very confident about flying jade over, runs over to the edge and rail and cheerfully flashes an ok-sign when jade touches down and throws the wings over. the wind then sweeps up the spread glider and carries it nearly back to him, he catches it in a hand neatly, affixes it to his own back, and again takes to the sky.

his own flight is with a few playful little sweeps and flutters in mid-air, like a butterfly or crow within the sky, before he too lands on deck with a beaming look. ] You sure are a natural, mister. [ ... ] But, I just realized, I never even received your name. How rude, and even before your first time...! [ now that's just too impersonal. ]

I'm Venti, one and only windborne bard. Let's take a look around before I'll fly us back.

[Jade moves a couple paces away from Venti's evident landing zone as he eventually flutters his way across--easy as a bird or butterfly indeed--leaving enough room for the latter to touch down with little issue. The beaming look is returned with a cheery smile, even as the inherent rudeness of a lack of introductions does end up being brought up.]

Why thank you! Perhaps in some other life I was some form of bird...or perhaps I just happen to be talented at many things. It's practically a burden sometimes, really! [A very purposeful humblebrag accompanied by a very airy shrug--anyway--] ...But we did skip right over introductions there, didn't we? Better late than never, I do suppose! Though in retrospect this would have been quite awkward if I'd fallen into the sea even before learning your name, hm?

[How conveniently difficult it would have been, to name the culprit behind such a demise after the fact...! Well, though of course, they both know it was less a matter of that and more a matter of getting Lost In the Sauce of Flight-Based Trespassing. Humor's certainly very clearly coloring Jade's words, anyway, as he offers a gloved hand in a professional sort of handshake proposition.]

Jade Curtiss--not nearly so unique as a lone windborne bard, I'm afraid! Merely more of a soldier, like many others back home. But it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance now that neither of us have yet dropped from the air, Venti!

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APRIL OPEN LOG: PIRATE JENNY

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