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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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 Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 7:08 pm
Tale without Padma was... quiet. True, there were visits with his grandson, Eurig, and from time to time Uquin traveled far enough to visit Ujana... but somehow, without Padma by his side, tending to the normal patients was... less interesting. On his trips, he'd begun to go farther and farther - for the first time in years, he strayed from Sauti to Zena, and on his travels back to the south he actually found himself in Oba.
Of course, just like many others, Uquin had heard about the strange ships landing in Matori... and, in the past few months, he'd even seen people from the lands beyond. But he'd never considered actually leaving the continent to go look for himself until he was asked, in Oba, to tend to a sick Geian, who balked at the herbs he pulled from his satchel. After arguing with the man for much longer than he would have liked, he was able to sew up the gash in his leg - watching as he winced and writhed and drank more alcohol to numb the pain.
"Spirits, have you never been to a healer, boy?" He seethed, annoyed as he put his things back. The Geian grumbled and rubbed at the flushed skin of his leg, "This is backwoods butchery, not healing!"
At first, Uquin was affronted, but the more he traveled along with the same group the more he began to wonder. And... finally, he had made it to Matori, intent on going to Belrea himself to study and see what 'techniques' there were that would cause a layman to be so unimpressed with his craft.
For days, he waited for there to be enough passengers to leave... and, finally, they were leaving. The wonder and terror of being lifted up in the sky was harrowing and bewildering and amazing-- for all of an hour or so. Then, Uquin had to admit he retreated to the rooms he'd been staying in, annoyed with the people still on the decks of the airship, gawking at the splendor.
Of course, it was amazing - but he resented the crowds even more, and now they were locked in a journey of at least a few weeks, with nowhere to go. It was a recipe of disaster, and if he could fall into a deep sleep and get through it he would.
At least, he had found himself rooming with a woman that, until now, he hadn't had much cause to interact with much. When he was in his rooms at night, Maritza was working... but now, as the night wore on, he was as far from sleep as he could be.
(1/10)
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Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 8:14 pm
Maritza was so used to traveling to Tendaji that the trip had lost it’s glitz years ago.
She watched for days as passengers who had never been on an airship before arrived with wide eyes full of wonder and hope while glaring at them. The lightning had all the class of an exhausted mechanic, especially in daylight hours, because as much as she just wanted to sleep the sheer amount of noise coming from the outside of the hull kept her awake.
“Mother look, it’s so big! I wonder if we’ll be high enough to see the clouds?”
Of course you will, idiot, it’s an airship.
The crowds had been so much smaller in the old days when travel was expensive and new. Now that it had been popularized it seemed as if everyone in Belrea wanted to see the backwoods living in Tendaji and vice versa. Not that Maritza particularly cared; the travel industry is what kept her in business, and yet...they could be so noisy.
Thankfully the man she’d rented her room to was on the quieter side. He respected the fact that she slept through the day and rarely made enough noise to wake her, and while she worked she didn’t need to worry about any sort of theft. Mostly because she kept very little with her while on the ship, but also because...it was hard to pinpoint but she just felt that he wasn’t worried about whatever trinkets she had lying around.
In a rare move, Maritza found herself returning to her room in the night. A fire had broke out in the boiler room, and even though it was quickly contained it had still left her rather…singed. Her superior had at least asked that she change her pants since they had been burned through in a few spots, same with her gloves, and her bare mid-riff had a few abrasions. Nothing was particularly bad so Maritza saw little need in it. What was he worried about? She’d worked through worse!
Opening the door, Maritza was surprised to see that the light was on and paused with an upturned brow to see her ‘roommate’ still awake. “Isn’t it a little late for you?”
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 8:33 pm
At first, Uquin hadn't been sure about a coed room. He was a mature man, obviously, and he'd seen more naked people in his life than he cared to number, but there was still a hint of unease to it. But, in the end, it had all been for naught because the woman was gone before he woke, and vice versa. The most interaction they'd had, so far, had been when the room was negotiated for, and the few meals they'd shared so far. Still, considering her schedule, the last thing Uquin expected was for her to be back anytime soon. He sat up when the door opened, only to blink, raising his eyebrows as she came in looking... well, like she was the business end of a candle if he was honest.
He pursed his lips and dragged his eye over her, taking in the burns and abrasions. None of them looked to be too concerning, but definitely uncomfortable... "I'm yet to be acquainted with the engines. Or the people." Uquin drawled, moving to sit on the edge of his cot. The cabin was comfortable, but small; her coming in already put them close enough that he could see just what sort of state she was in. He thought to offer to treat her, but he thought better of it - she didn't seem concerned, and surely they had a medic on board who had more sophisticated techniques, he thought with a scowl.
"I take it I should not be concerned, as you are so calm." He pointed out, and yet he still looked at her singed clothing with a dubious expression. "Dare I ask?"
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Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 9:07 pm
Maritza pushed the door to before moving over to her side of the room. She hiked one leg atop a nearby chair, and start to first untie the clasps at the top of her boots, then to work on the laces. "We had a malfunction below deck and a fire broke lose." There was little concern in her voice; after all, they'd already taken care of the problem so why spend unnecessary words talking about it? "It was a blowback. One of the pipes burst because of the pressure." With the first boot off she worked on the other and dispatched of it fairly quickly.
At the very least her toolbelts were left behind in the engine room which made shucking her pants all the easier. Changing in front of a strange man hadn't bothered her the first time, nor did it matter much to her now. Any advancements that were ever made to her were either accepted on her terms or promptly shunned, so once she freely stood in the middle of the room in nothing, but her small clothes. Besides, it wasn't as if he was unattractive, which made her move all the more daring. Martiza braved a look at Uquin. "It happens more often than I'd like. A few of the engineers we've hired on are still fresh from the academy, and they just won't listen." Maritza waved her hand.
Looking around the room, she spotted a fresh-ish top and reached for it. "If you're bored you're welcome to come down. It's a mess, but it beats sitting in the room by yourself."
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 11:11 am
At first, Uquin didn't seem to notice the woman yanking off her shoes - he was focused, instead, on the explanation. It was reassuring at least that she was so dismissive about it - but he couldn't lie, being a man who knew nothing about these 'engines' and machines, he felt horribly unnerved at the idea that it was igniting at all. Or that 'pipes had burst'. "I see." He lied.
Only- around this time, the fit young woman had begun to divest herself of her singed pants, so Uquin angled his face respectfully away, humming under his breath in quiet acknowledgement of her state of undress. Was this lack of regard for clothes a Belrean habit, or one strictly hers? At the very least, he was a healer so it was far from something he'd never seen before. ... Not that she was unpleasant to look at, but that was beside the point. "Well, thank the spirits it's a failure of the engineers and not the equipment." He said flatly, his shoulders tensing up at the suggestion of the engines (which he understood to be the entire mechanism HOLDING THEM IN THE AIR) malfunctioning at all, user error or not--
He was surprised at her invitation, and once again Uquin looked at her, this time not looking away despite the fact she was still wearing only a top and no pants. He strictly kept his gaze waist up, in response. "If I'm not in the way there, I admit I'd rather be one of the first to know we will be careening towards the ground if the worst should happen." Uquin responded with a slight smirk, moving to sit more at the ready at the edge of his bed. He didn't stand, since due to the small nature of their cabin it would put him directly in her space, while she was still dressing.
"It would at least be more interesting, you're right about that."
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 11:37 am
"Don't worry, even if the engines were to fail you'd be fine; you're too full of hot air to fall." Maritza pinned him with a pointed smirk regardless of whether he was looking her way or not. "Besides the fact that I'm down there, the rest of our engineers have this covered. Blow backs aren't common, exactly, but it's a quick fix. The goal is just to make it so that the passengers never notice and you wouldn't have if I hadn't come back, would you?"
Maybe it was the angle in which he was trying not to watch her, but Maritza thought this man looked sharp. His face was angled, his body wasn't particularly muscled and yet...there was something harsh about it as well. Maybe it was just his personality?
My, wasn't he the modest one? He was trying so hard to keep his attention on appropriate areas, which was sweet but ultimately useless since they shared a room. "Good; I think you'd enjoy it better than staring at metal walls for the next...six hours? However long it is til morning." Maritza bent at the knee, and dug out a pair of banks from under her bunk. They weren't clean by any means, but at the very least they weren't peppered with holes. She slipped them on as quickly as possible, both out of a mild respect for him and a need to return to work. Lacing up her boots was a time consuming thing, but she'd learned how to blast through the process years ago.
"There are rules, however, that you have to follow for your own sake. Number one," She ticked off on her fingers, " if it's loose it stays here. If something gets caught in a cog and drags you down it's your fault. Number two if you get burned, wet, dirty, so on and so forth that's also your fault, not mine, you volunteered, and the Third rule is that you listen to me. If I tell you to move you move otherwise you'll have your skull pinned between metal bars, got it? My work is far from safe and I'll not be held responsible for your choices."
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 12:10 pm
Wah-- Uquin's eye went wide and he regarded the woman (Maritza, he reminded himself) as if dubious as to whether or not she'd really said what he thought she said. Then - he huffed out a laugh, far too amused to be defensive at the joke. It had been a long, long time since anyone on equal footing had called him out at all. As to the rest, he had to concede that turbulence that was 'normal' was impossible to discern compared to shuddering that may have been caused by a 'blow back' as she called it. Still, as a healer, he had known plenty of times he had handled injuries that the patient was blissfully unaware had been risky at all. Passengers 'not noticing' didn't necessarily mean there was no danger.
She was energetic, he'd give her that. Finally, she was dressed again, her hands flying as they tied up her laces, dressed in an outfit that, somehow, looked just as filthy to him as the one she had just shrugged off. He made a note to offer to clean her things the next time he handled his own, as a show of good faith - except he didn't know if he ever would know where to start in handling stains from these machines.
Maritza had seemed flippant before, but now as she listed off her rules Uquin once again found himself impressed with her frankness. It was refreshing to be told so bluntly that he had to be mature, and listen to her, if he hoped to survive where she was - and yet, she had still nonchalantly invited him along. He hoped that as a good sign. "Ah, I volunteered did I?" He responded with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk. But he didn't argue. He had already been dressed down in just trousers and the top he normally wore - but now he made a point of pulling his hair down, and instead deftly braided it, twisting it up into a tight bun which he pinned at the back of his neck, out of the way.
"Yes yes- very well. I shall listen, promptly, to your orders. Is there anything else I should be aware of?" For a long moment the question of 'what the hell is a cog?' was on his tongue, as he worried whatever sort of thing was in this place that could 'catch' him in the first place - but he kept his mouth shut, unwilling to show just how little he knew about her work. He was rather exhausted at these Belreans looking down their noses at his 'uneducated' self.
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2020 1:23 pm
"You did the moment you decided to share the cheap cabin in steerage." Maritza smiled. When she stepped out into the hall it was made abundantly clear why most passengers bunked a level or two above them. Those areas held a plethora of windows, coverings to distract one from the amount of rivets jutting out of the wall and all manner of guest services. Down here, where the crew bunked, there was no frivolities. The metal walkway was proof enough; one could see where each sheet of metal was connected to bars and though nothing was left exposed it was as if they were already in the belly of the engine itself. "Why did you pick it, anyway? There are cheaper rooms one floor up that wouldn't hurt your coin too badly."
Not that she minded sharing her room, exactly. She only charged what she needed for meals since the room itself was free for crew use and as strange as it was, Maritza enjoyed the company. Of course some passengers were more...tolerable than others; Uquin ranking higher than most.
"Cover your eyes if you hear whistling; it means something will steam and the heat could make your eyes water. Nothing will hurt, but it's annoying." She looked over her shoulder to him, just to make sure he was following, and scrunched up her brows. He looked like an entirely different man with his hair pulled back like that. "Is it common for Tendajians to have such long hair? Almost every traveler I've seen has theirs grown past their shoulders." Amalric had kept his long, most performers had theirs in decorative plaits and now this.
Once she reached the end of the hall, Maritza turned a wheel that, with a low creak, opened a thick door. Instead of a stair case there was simply a chain pully that was kept in constant rotation by a set of cogs. Every two feet a small iron bar would stick out of the chain, just wide enough so that a foot may rest on it. "Hold on tight; it's a long drop." She grabbed the chain deftly, and in one fell swoop slipped a foot upon the peg and descended into the pit.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 12:20 am
Uquin only needed a moment to slide on his boots, his old sandals left behind in Tale due to the promise of hot Oban sands. Now, he was rather thankful for them as the steel around them was cold and unforgiving. He disliked the rumbling of the engine, where it was so strong here, but... "I was glad to avoid the windows, and all the interior cabins were taken or too expensive." Uquin admitted under his breath, certain that the woman (clearly at home here in the sky) would balk or laugh at his distress. He paused in his steps at the warning, lifting his hand up to eye level on instinct as they continued on.
Only - for a moment, she paused to regard him, and he looked back at her, angling his head in silent question. Only... the query made him snort softly despite himself. "Perhaps, but I've seen plenty without." He shrugged a shoulder, speeding up his pace so he could keep up with her. "Then again, we do not have 'cogs' to be caught in, so perhaps that is the reason."
Eventually, they reached what looked to be a dead end - only, she worked some kind of mechanism that made the door creak open. Uquin balked at what was inside. Surely not...
But yes. As soon as he'd begun to suspect what it was, she was descending on it, and Uquin had a moment to make his decision. It wasn't the first time he had seen a pulley - they were used in Jauhar, and sometimes in Tale, to move supplies (and those unable to move) up and down. But never operated without a team pulling the line - and never so precarious. He sucked in a breath, reminding himself he was far from acrobatic, but stepped in - clutching the chain for dear life with both hands.
When they reached what he presumed to be their stop, indicated by the flash of orange that was Maritza, Uquin lunged off of it, unable to deny that he was shaking like a newborn aldabuck. He had lived in treehouses in Tale most of his life, and yet never had he felt vertigo and a sweeping tightness in his belly like he was falling like he did with this contraption. "Spirits, woman, it's a wonder you still have fingers and toes left." He breathed, hastening to catch up to his guide.
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 1:39 pm
[5/10]
I was glad to avoid the windows. He was scared? Or least unnerved. Maritza supposed she couldn’t blame him. The first time she’d ever taken off in an airship they’d crashed on Tendaji. It had taken her months just to summon the courage to look out a window while moving, and even now she wasn’t completely comfortable being out on the viewing deck. Telling him that though...likely wouldn’t bring out any sort of comfort. If anything it might really put him off the idea of flying.
A world without cogs; it seemed ludicrous. Even as Martiza dropped level after level on the chain her eyes took in the vast open space of the engine deck. There were walkways a plenty, but no true ‘leveling’ like there were on the upper floors. She knew from first hand experience that Tendaji didn’t have anything nearly this advanced, so for a moment she dared to look up, hoping to catch sight of Uquin’s expression if she leaned far enough to the side….and instead of ‘aww’ all she caught was unease. Maritza quickly turned to stand up straight and choke down a laugh. If he holds on much tighter his hands will go numb!
Her step off had been much more graceful than his own, but then again, she’d been using it since she was fifteen. Seeing his descent was...painful and Maritza back tracked to place a hand on his shoulder. “You get used to it. Or you don’t and you die,” she shrugged. “Do you need a moment?” She wasn’t being condescending, or at least, she wasn’t trying to be this time. He really did look shaken and this was a lot to take in.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2020 5:52 pm
It generally took a lot for Uquin, prideful as he was, to admit his faults or fears - and for him to admit his reluctance to be close to windows, then to become so winded by their descent... his nerves chafed, and it took every ounce of willpower he had not to snap at her. ... To Maritza's credit though, her hand was reassuring in its steadiness, and her soothing was completely honest and without a trace of amusement. That won her quite a number of points, in his books. He took in a breath, then straightened, from where he'd been slightly hunched, nodding sharply at her. "I've had one. You gave me as much warning as you could, and- I will get used to it." That, or he would despise the entire experience and spend the remainder of their voyage holed up in their cabin - time would tell.
"So, where is it that you work - throughout the entire facility?" He quickly deflected, sweeping a hand against his brow in a subtle gesture to insure he hadn't somehow lost his quartz eye while he was ogling and careening down a chain.
(6/10)
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2020 9:30 am
Maritza nodded, gave his shoulder one last squeeze and dropped contact. It was a lot to adjust to, but at the very least she wouldn't have to hold his hand throughout the process. The clinking of her boot heels was nearly drowned out by the cacophony of noise surrounding them. There was a singular metal walkway that ran the length of the underbelly with several branches jutting out to go either lower or higher. Maritza saw several of her coworkers as they walked past, but most were too busy to pay them much mind. What few that did notice stopped for just a moment, either to wave or motion to Uquin as if to say 'who is that?', before returning to their projects.
"I work down there." Maritza had to raise her voice just to be heard. Below them were large coal stoves attached to several steam pipes. "Those two Geians? They're part of a larger team that constantly feed coal to the engines. The rest of us run diagnostic checks and make repairs so that if any one part gets shut down the whole ship won't lock up. "
Even as she talked the laborers in question had moved out of sight and were replaced by several more, each ready to take up their part. Each and everyone looked as patched as she was with much the same type of determination to see their job through. It made working here much easier once everyone was on the same page, and Maritza valued it.
"How far down do you want to go?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri May 22, 2020 12:34 pm
It was almost overwhelming to be in a place like this, when everything that was going on was utterly foreign. Perhaps if Uquin was more superstitious he would fear the shrieking of metal, the groan of the walkway, and the soot covered workers. Instead, the academic side of him was enthralled with what he saw, drawing confidence from his companion's stride. He paused to look where she was gesturing, then flashed his eye back to her at the subtle question.
It was kind of her to give him the option to loiter up above - he would still be plenty amused by watching them at work, and as she'd said it was better than 'staring at the walls' back in their cabin. But... either because he wanted to prove something to himself, or because he simply was enjoying her company, Uquin was unwilling to duck out early. 'Don't be foolish - what if you fell and broke your neck trying to keep up with this younger woman? What about your children?'
Well - what about them? Uquin had spent long enough staying in his own corner, doing his work without abiding his curiosity. This was the first time someone-- er... something had caught his interest, other than healing, in a while. "I will follow you down. Lead on, and I promise I will stay out of your way." Uquin responded, raising his chin with a subdued smirk. Maybe she expected him to cling to the opportunity to stay away from going any further.
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Posted: Fri May 22, 2020 2:13 pm
Maritza flashed a genuine smile. Not a smirk or a sneer, as was so common with the young mechanic, but something brought on by a jolt of happiness. He was so surprising to her. She'd seen foreigners before, had even kept one in her home for well over a year before he'd moved on, but Uquin didn't fit the bill of 'normal' traveler. It was just incredibly refreshing to find someone who not only tolerated her but wanted to see more of her world first hand and she was all too eager to show it.
"Not a chance. You won't be getting off that easy; once you come down with me I'll be putting you to work." Now there was her smirk. "We don't have anywhere for you to sit but if you can splint a leg you can hold a wrench and I'm sure you'll catch on quick." Maritza grabbed hold of a nearby ladder and grasped both sides. With a final look at him, much like the feline who'd caught a rodent, she slid down the sides of the ladder without so much as touching any of the rungs.
Surely he didn't think he'd get by that easy, did he?
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri May 22, 2020 3:45 pm
Did him agreeing to come with her really make her so happy? This wasn't the same grin she'd thrown his way before, this one almost had a softer edge. ... For a moment, before it was gone and replaced instead with her usual smirk. He balked briefly at her recruiting him, but where normally annoyance would have taken over, instead he found himself following her almost like a lovelorn aldabuck, shaking his head and laughing shamefully at himself. "Damn, I fell for it. 'Follow me and you won't be bored' Indeed!" But oh, he deserved it.
Almost as if running away before he could swipe at her for her 'duplicity' (because truly, she had never once tricked him, and had actually been honest with him to a fault), Maritza had fluttered away like the mischievous spirit he was starting to believe she was, her bright hair making it impossible to lose track of her, despite how far she'd gone in mere moments. "Ridiculous." He muttered, reaching tentatively for a rung. This wasn't unlike the ladders in Tale and Jauhar, thankfully - only made of metal rather than wood or vines. In many ways, this was easier - there was no sway or distracting creaking, just the solid iron under his boot as he descended, pausing midway down to hook his elbow through a wrung to peer down.
This was more familiar - heights, alone, were never a problem, and at least here there was flooring below, and not the grand expanse of the engine room. He caught up with her in higher spirits than he should have had, and not nearly as wobbly as he'd been on their previous descent. "And you're certain no one here will mind a novice bumbling about?" he called to her over the noise of the engines, thinking of the greenhorn healers he'd often elbowed out of the way in the past, his patience unable to handle walking them through certain tasks. He hoped her companions wouldn't resent her for bringing the equivalent of a useless log down into the middle of their precarious work.
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