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 Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:32 am
Ephrym was excited to show Chrysanthe everything. They had docked the Misty Maiden back in Belrea and taken care of some rather dicey business with Telios who had been slightly ruffled by the fact that some of his competitors mysteriously got rare goods over the last week, only a few days after Ephrym’s return and after Telios had received his first pick of the goods, but nothing in their contract had been breached and the man could not pinpoint Ephrym as the culprit when the other patrons received their goods from various ships which held no connection to the young captain. Even if Telios refused to support him in the future it did not matter since Ephrym had already made such a grand profit trading what he had brought back and he promised others future voyages around the world to bring more Oban and Matori goods along with Kahi goods back to Belrea. It had been a nice few weeks catching up with everyone in the local port and now Ephrym had a crew working back on the ship, expanding his captain’s quarters and repurposing one of the upper guest cabins that he had claimed for Chrysanthe. They were mostly a merchant ship and there was plenty of room below decks with the crew’s lodgings to allow him some wiggle room, especially now that they were expecting.
“Chrys?” Ephrym leaned over the railing of the Misty Maiden as he looked for his lover. Now where was she? She had supposedly gone to check in with the bakery where she worked in the city but was supposed to meet back up with him today so that she could see the improvements on the ship before they ventured back out. Once they returned from another short trip to Matori and Oba, they were going to meet with his family in southern Belrea and stay with his sister until the time for the baby came and then they would linger for another half year or so before possibly setting sail again.
[Ephrym 1]
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:32 am
Another seven months. That was how long the healer had estimated Chrysanthe had before the time came. Everything had happened in such a rush that the hybrid was still trying to keep up. She had visited Tyri and the others while the Misty Maiden was docked in Belrea, staying with them for almost two weeks after sharing the news, and now she was returning to the ship to see Ephrym. It was strange to see the silvery vessel just sitting along the docks, the figurehead repainted and fixed up from the few chips the storm had given her while the dastardly mast that had threatened Chrysanthe’s life was upright again and in pristine condition. Thankfully the voyage had been a success and while she was not after anyone’s money it was a relief knowing that Ephrym was doing so well as captain. It would give them flexibility for the upcoming challenge where she would have to stay back for the sake of the baby after this next voyage. Did one take children sailing? She supposed it was fine after discussing options with Fran, but everyone had decided it would be best to take the last couple of months easy and to wait until the baby was at least six months before going back out to the ocean. Even then it was going to be difficult if she did decide to go out again, but Chrysanthe would see how things went and how temperamental their child could be.
For now though she was just happy to see Ephrym again after some time apart. “Over here!” She waved, her gaze warm as she spotted him leaning above the railings. Thankfully the loading ramp was still down so it was an easy enough walk to the upper decks where she approached Ephrym.
[Chrysanthe 1]
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:32 am
“You made it.” Ephrym teased as he reached out and swept Chrysanthe up into a hug, disregarding the whistle of the crew who teased them from the sidelines. “I thought you would leave and never turn back.” He joked as he pressed a kiss to her lips before finally letting go again. He was honestly so delighted to see her and it was obvious that he was excited to show her the changes made to the Misty Maiden over the last few weeks. Chrysanthe had helped him decide a few things but most of the progress had been made while she was away since the crew had taken time off to celebrate their return while only a few lingered to help reconstruct, leaving Ephrym to hire some local carpenters while most relaxed.
[Ephrym 2]
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:32 am
“Stop teasing me.” Quipped back Chrysanthe even though a laugh escaped her. “You knew I was coming back.” She allowed him to take her hand and lead her towards the captain’s cabin, the familiar area seemingly more polished now that they were back at port. It seemed a bit larger though and she had to wonder how they had expanded so quickly, the silvery wood from the nearby Belrean forest keeping her attention. It was beautiful and obviously in great condition, those planks had not been taken from simple trees. Ephrym had wasted no time using the profit to help the Misty Maiden it seemed, something which amused and impressed Chrysanthe at the same time.
[Chrysanthe 2]
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:33 am
“Fine.” Ephrym let out a sigh. “You’re no fun.” He teased again before gesturing towards the door. “Welcome to the expanded captain’s quarters.” He offered as he led Chrysanthe inside. The study was mostly the same, shelves upon shelves of books with his desk in the center of the room with chairs opposite of it for discussion with any of the crew or even patrons who ventured onto the vessel. His maps, the newly acquired ones from Kahi included, were placed in frames and hanging from the walls along with some tapestries he had picked up in Oba and Matori. “Not much here unless you would like to spend some more time at the desk?” He asked with a sly grin, his reference to their first time together obvious.
[Ephrym 3]
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:33 am
“Ephrym.” Chrysanthe’s cheeks flushed as she simply shook her head at him and moved forward towards the other door. Normally it simply led to the captain’s private quarters but she was surprised to see a second doorway down the slender hallway, venturing towards the right. “What’s this?”
[Chrysanthe 3]
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:33 am
A chuckle escaped him as he followed Chrysanthe into the hallway. Another time then. The tour was more important right now anyways. “There was a guest cabin right next to mine. Obviously I didn’t want to have access before but now we can easily go in and out.” He reached around her to twist the knob, the door creaking open and revealing a few short steps as the other room was a bit further down since it was originally a guest cabin. “Ladies first.”
[Ephrym 4]
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:33 am
“I see.” So that's how they had done the work so quickly. It made sense because she could only imagine adding more to the captain’s quarters could unbalance the design of the ship and it wasn’t like they could add another level like it was some sort of housing project. Taking a few careful steps past Ephrym, her body hesitating for a moment as she rested against him almost teasingly, Chrysanthe found herself entering a separate room. It was most definitely one of the finer guest cabins which was slightly larger than the simple ones in the lower decks where the crew resided. “Impressive. I’ve never actually seen these before.” She had only seen the crew quarters and obviously Ephrym’s but never the guest cabins. It caught her by surprise though when she realized more changes surely had been made to the inside. A freshly painted wall with new shelves hanging there that had a small table tucked beneath, a secure bed for her with a bassinet nearby and an actual double wardrobe to store plenty of clothing with an actual area to walk into with a wash basin and more storage. There was even a plush carpet beneath her feet, the soft material surely a blessing for bare feet. “You’ve been busy indeed.” Chrysanthe breathed.
[Chrysanthe 4]
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:33 am
“Well since we’re expecting I wanted to provide plenty of room if you do decide to come along in the future.” Ephrym began with a small smile. “I wanted to make it larger but the crew would have some sharp words with me if I squeezed them all into one room instead of leaving their cabins alone. Already a few of them bunk up as is.” His expression was happy as he watched Chrysanthe’s reaction. “Don’t feel pressured if you want to stay on land, but I wanted to be prepared while we have the chance. The bed is there if anyone has to stay to watch the little one in the future and eventually it can become their own bed. My cabin is obviously still yours as well, but this gives a bit of privacy in the future.”
[Ephrym 5]
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:33 am
Chrysanthe laughed at the idea of squeezing a few more of the crew into the same room. Most had three or four in the larger rooms while others had private quarters or shared with a partner, but none of them could probably stand being in the same sleeping quarters permanently. “That was probably a good call. I think this is perfect.” She mused as she moved and trailed a hand over the colorful quilt, something that Ephrym had picked up in Matori. “I feel like I haven’t done enough to help you out.” She admitted almost sheepishly as she glanced back towards her companion.
[Chrysanthe 5]
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:33 am
“You’ve done plenty. This is both of our responsibilities and I’m sure you’ll have plenty to take care of when the time comes.” Expressed Ephrym with a gentle gaze towards Chrysanthe. “Once we sail again I won’t have the time to do all of this so let me enjoy it while I can.”
[Ephrym 6]
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:33 am
“Fair enough.” Chrysanthe replied with a nod before returning to Ephrym so that she could place a kiss against his cheek, a rather rare show of affection for the hybrid. “Thank you, Ephrym. It’s lovely.” She was certain their child would love it. Maybe they could even get a toy chest in here for when the time came to bring the baby along. Would they have a boy or girl? She supposed they would decorate more and go shopping once the time came and they knew more. They hadn’t even thought about names yet and she still didn’t know exactly what to expect from Ephrym’s family. She just hoped they were as friendly as Ephrym promised.
[Chrysanthe 6]
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:33 am
“You’re welcome.” Ephrym smiled at the affection before reaching over to tug Chrysanthe against him, his arm circling around her waist as he held her and studied the room. “The table can be used for dining or studies in the future. We have a dining hall of course, but I know sometimes it’s nice to have a private meal and there’s still the table in my quarters along with anything else you may need. Once we return from Matori I’ll introduce you to my family and we can set up a room there, my mother and sister have already received word and should be working on everything.”
[Ephrym 7]
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:33 am
“I truly hope they are okay with me.” Chrysanthe mentioned as she leaned against Ephrym, enjoying the connection after so many days apart. “Do you truly think it’s okay for us to stay with them for a few months? I don’t want to impose.”
[Chrysanthe 7]
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:33 am
“You’ll be fine. Both of them will be delighted to see that I’ve been caught and my mother already adores her other grandchildren. How could she be upset that I came back with such a lovely lady? If anything they may be jealous of me!” He teased lightly as he placed a kiss on top of Chrysanthe’s head, the petite hybrid just coming up to his shoulders which made the task so much easier on him.
[Ephrym 8]
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