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 Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:42 pm
After his first attempt to snag pastries had gone awry, Ephrym had returned early the next morning to retrieve a second box for the crew. This time he made certain to plan for the longer trip back through the market square rather than cutting through any back alleys. Even if his alley stray had gotten taken care of it didn't mean that there weren't others to interfere with his plans. Definitely better to play it safe. Ephrym repeated the mantra though it didn't really stop the onslaught of yawns from escaping him all the way back towards the Misty Maiden. Perhaps after taking care of things this morning he could sneak away for an afternoon nap somewhere by one of the masts. The captain's quarters were far too obvious a spot to find him after all and Ephrym preferred being outside so he could feel the breeze from the sea and the sunlight on his skin.
"But for now the important matters." Ephrym grinned as he spotted the pale ship that was anchored in the harbor. The wood had been taken from the strongest trees found along the Belrean coast, the pale silver trees sturdy and prepared to withstand stormy ocean weather. Green and white sails fluttered from the top of the masts while a maiden with flowing hair protected the front of the ship, her hands clasped around a pearl with an averin on her shoulder. Ephrym had bartered and worked for most of his teen years to be able to afford the ship and had last year won the attention of an artist that agreed to work with him for the final design touches. His confidence in the misty maiden was strengthened even more by the addition of a talented carpenter to their crew and it was actually that particular woman who he was looking for this morning. "Anyone out here?" Ephrym called out with a grin as he strode on board, his packages tucked neatly beneath his arm.
[Eprhym 1]
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:42 pm
Corny by Discord
The taste of the ocean air never, ever, got old for Yokka. When she had a few minutes to rest while waiting on a crewmate to bring her a specific tool, she had climbed out to the stern of the proud ship and sat on the railing. Her eyes ate up the sight of the ocean stretching out before her. Each day brought her another day closer to being out there on the open sea, headed for distant and strange lands! Each day... one day closer.
She peeked over her shoulder when a familiar voice called out, and she found a small smile rising. There was the one she had to thank for this opportunity. There was the man that was providing such a good looking ship with such quality materials and such- well- a mostly decent crew to work alongside. The memories of the past crews she had worked with were just laughable. "Over here," she called, swinging her legs around to hop off from her perch and head for the voice. Maybe he had some news about when they would be off?
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:42 pm
Ephrym's expression brightened as soon as he spotted Yokka. "Ah! The lovely lady that I was lookin' for!" When he noticed that Yokka was coming towards him, Ephrym quickly glanced around and cleared some coiled rope from a couple of nearby crates. Honestly there was still a bit of packing to do but other than that and a few final touches on the ship they were ready to go sailing into the open sea. The excitement was growing more and more by the day and Ephrym couldn't help but to feel energetic, something which especially showed in the way that he flopped onto one of the crates and patted the other for Yokka to join him.
"I bought some pastries while I was in town. Care for one?" He held up the bag for her inspection, a slight peace offering for the news that he was about to deliver shortly. Nothing bad just something that would perhaps make the whole crew a lot busier over the next few days. Hopefully Yokka wouldn't be too angry considering the full story, right?
[Ephrym 2]
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:42 pm
Corny by Discord
Lovely? Oooooh, something was up. Ephrym liked to be charming, but even he knew by now that charm was often wasted on her. Yokka's expression flattened slightly with a sarcastic c**k of her brow. "Okay.. what do you want from me?" she asked with a tilt of amusement in her tone, settling herself onto the crate while reaching into the pastry bag. She plucked out a thick puff covered in a golden glaze and bit down without hesitation, a drop of the cream within oozing out from a crease to fall onto her thigh. She glared at the drop like she had been betrayed before wiping it up with a finger to lick clean. Huh, it tasted a little like sawdust now. Not terrible...
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:43 pm
"Pffft. Straight to the point, aren't ya?" Ephrym wrinkled his nose at Yokka playfully. "Just can't take a compliment, hmm?" He mocked walking with his fingers and tiptoed over towards the pastry box so that he could snatch one for himself. Leaning back on his crate, Ephrym casually crossed his legs and took a huge bite of the sweet. It had a nice caramel coating which was only made better by the salty taste that he got from the ocean breeze. A happy moan left his throat before he plopped the remaining bite into his mouth and chewed. Like usual he was taking his sweet time just enjoying the moment before spilling into any serious discussions. Eventually Ephrym finished the pastry and after licking the remaining crumbs from his fingertips he glanced back towards Yokka. "So how goes the ship preparations? Hopefully it's not too atrocious a task, right?" He started almost sheepishly as he looked about the top deck.
[Ephrym 3]
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:43 pm
Corny by Discord
Yokka snorted and shook her head. "Sure I can; I just know they usually come with something extra behind the words. Plus pastries?" She shook her head again and took another bite. "Nah. You're up to something."
Despite her suspicions and the teasing, a companionable silence stretched between them. There was something special about a break with a respected crewmate. Ephrym had yet to show his worth on the sea, but he had given no indication of letting her down yet. She sucked her fingers clean and reached to peek into the bag again. "Just the final stretch. I'd be down in the hull, but a tool got misplaced so I've got someone fetching a replacement for us." Her expression softened the slightest bit. "Not atrocious in the least. Hard to be mad when you've got material like this to work with." The dreamy look quickly left, and she turned her focus back onto the captain. "What about your end?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:43 pm
"You wound me." Ephrym placed a hand against his chest as if in shock from the accusation. Would he ever be up to something? Surely not! He was such a very charming and open personality after all. Well....for the most part....sometimes.....at least with his crew....on most occasions. He pouted towards Yokka for once again ruining the fun. If anyone was ready to shut down his shenanigans it was her, but honestly that's why she had so much of his respect at the same time. It was nice knowing that they had some form of balance in the crew, especially considering the tricks that Ephrym would pull here and there. "Well since I'm already caught then may as well enjoy as many sweets as possible. I picked up a whole box so let's hope that helps with things."
Honestly it was a relief to hear Yokka's report about the ship. It seemed that things were progressing quite well indeed! To think I'm even trying to wrangle another pair of hands on board to help speed things up even. Hopefully the teen would actually show up and work with them but then again Ephrym could never know for certain until he actually did come to the docks. Still, he couldn't help but to chuckle at her positive attitude. "I lucked out finding such a good worker." He admitted with a grin. "I'm glad you appreciate it. It took of tail kissin' to get it all together." He made a face before shaking his head. "But my end is going exceedingly well. I have a lot of orders placed and a lot of eager patrons who are wanting things to move quickly so quickly that they'd like for us to set sail by next week!" There. Ephrym studied Yokka and waited for the news to sink in. They were supposed to leave within days rather than the next couple of weeks as he had previously planned. How else was one supposed to beat the other merchant ships and get the best trade goods from Kahikana?
[Ephrym 4]
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:43 pm
Corny by Discord
"You're so full of it," she mused with a laugh, readily pulling out another treat for herself, "but you're also right. You are lucky." Playful charms might bounce off of her without concern, but, like she said before, she did enjoy an honest compliment here and there. It was always good to get positive feedback of appreciation from the people she worked with. That was also why she was a laborer rather than a producer. Tail kissing was certainly not her forte. Getting funds from patrons would have been nothing less than difficult for her.
Freezing mid-bite, Yokka's eyes temporarily went distant. What happened to a couple weeks? She slowly began chewing again and carefully swallowed the bite before breaking into a grin. "Well, I'd like to be able to sail next week. Think you can really get this bunch of bums on track for that?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:44 pm
Ephrym's gaze widened almost like a pleading duruf's before his grin ruined the facade. "Fine, fine." He replied with a chuckle before watching her reaction to the news. She didn't seem too upset which was a plus! If anything Yokka was probably just as baffled as he was whenever he heard the news. Or rather whenever he bartered for more funding from a patron that wanted to beat out some competitors. There weren't exactly many airships going into Kahikana so the heat was on for them to get the first round of goods to sell at much higher prices before things became too readily available overtime. Ephrym had rolled his eyes at the thought but at the same time it wasn't untrue. They would need funding for their adventures and it was good motivation to try and get the Kahikana goods on the market before too many others went overseas as well. Ephrym just opted to deal with those meetings himself while leaving his crew to just enjoy the adventure and well keep the ship ready to sail. If anything perhaps he would spill a bit of the details on occasion to those he truly trusted like Yokka.
"Well I'm hopin' so. Since you haven't thrown me overboard for the sudden change of plans I'm more optimistic that I might just survive this week." Ephrym finally replied with a smirk. "It's just we have to get there quicker than some other ship to make the patron happy and to help us get the most profit. But we'll see, right? There's honestly not many even ready to go over that way because they're still so wary of what all is waitin' over that horizon." Honestly he was fairly confident that they would be fine because surely there weren't that many who wanted to rush into danger just for a bit more profit, right?
[Ephrym 5]
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:44 pm
Corny by Discord
While having the extra cushion of time had been a comfort, Yokka found herself more excited than anything else. She might have been stressed under a sudden change in a deadline, but the circumstances in this case made her eager for the pace to pick up around there. Everything had been progressing fairly smoothly, and it was just a few tweaks left for finishing up. It was all the better if they could get the ship out to sea sooner rather than later! Every delay was another day for someone else to go discover all of Kahikina and leave nothing new for them to find. "And here you are distracting me with food!" She hopped up to her feet, and then frowned. "Where's that idiot with my tools?" she shouted to a passing crewman, who gave her a perplexed look before shrugging cautiously and scurrying off to escape any possible wrath. Yokka sat back down with a disgruntled snort. "Slacker.."
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:44 pm
"Forgive a man for wanting a line of defense just in case of a typhoon." Quipped Ephrym as he watched her going back and forth. Thankfully he wasn't the idiot with her tools and was instead the idiot behind the wheel in the very near future. Just the thought made his chest twist with nervous energy. He had taken the Misty Maiden sailing before now but to think that they would be in strange waters soon! So many adventures to be had indeed. Ephrym smirked before wagging a finger towards Yokka. "Don't try to scare them all off. I'll give them a talk later after we're finished here." The hybrid glanced about thoughtfully. Did he have enough tools already? Was there any other type of supply that they could need in case of an emergency? He would have to go pouring over his journals tonight to check all of the records which once again would mean he'd be lacking in sleep for the next few days. Though there was something else on his mind and he found himself glancing back towards Yokka. "If you need another pair of hands I may have found someone to help out. He's a bit young but a good attitude and quick on his feet. Should be good for runnin' errands, yeah?" Ephrym just hoped that the teen would show up so that he could actually get on board in time before the adventure began.
[Ephrym 6]
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:45 pm
Corny by Discord
Yokka couldn't help a slight smirk of amusement. "I've been trying nothing. Not my fault that they left their backbones at home with their mommas." She stuffed the rest of the treat into her mouth, cheeks puffing out with satisfaction. It wasn't often that she indulged in such sweets, and hearing they would be leaving sooner was just extra icing on the cake. All she needed was that guy to come back with the tool so she could get back to work. "I guess another pair wouldn't hurt anything, so long as he's actually willing to do the work." She leaned back and cocked her head. "You don't know about him for sure, though?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:45 pm
Ephrym couldn't resist laughing at the sassy comeback. "Fair enough! Spirits remind me to never introduce you to my family." He quipped lightly and playfully shuddered at the thought of Yokka in the same room as his mother and sister. They would adore her of course while he could go cry in a corner with his father because of the traumatic amount of sass they would probably receive from the three females. The hybrid gave a slight shrug of his shoulders though when the attention was turned to the teen in question. "You never know sometimes. I left the offer with him and if he shows up in the next morning or so then he's on board. If he doesn't show up within three days then I'll forget about it. He seemed like a good sort but just has a few things on his plate to consider before officially jumpin' over." He supposed that they would just have to wait and see about another one of his random decisions coming to fruition or not.
"Speakin' of idiots and tools...do you need a hand with anything before I disappear into the books?" Ephrym asked as he shifted on the crate and plucked up a smaller tart for himself. Perhaps it was a bit dangerous to volunteer but he would rather feel somewhat helpful with the physical aspects instead of just hiding away in his cabin.
[Ephrym 7]
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:45 pm
Corny by Discord
"Noted," she assured with a chuckle. Oh, most of her family would have been appalled to hear her talking like she did. She had enough sisters to take on the 'young lady' vibe in her place. She was more at home on the ship deck than in a tea room anyway, and was enjoying being around people who felt the same. "So long as he pulls his weight," she said with a shrug. That made her think of another man she had recently bumped into... Would he be showing up, or would he find something more delicate for that wrecked frame of his?
Ephrym's question instantly brought up a mischievous grin. "Speaking of? Are you the idiot or the tool here?" She stood and stretched her arms up. "I guess your opinion on a couple thing would be useful. Since we're about to rush things, I'll just get your approval now. Mostly the aesthetics in the crew quarters."
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:45 pm
"Aye. The last thing I would wanna do is get someone ta ruffle yer feathers." Quipped Ephrym with a playful wink. If anything the other hybrid's creativity in holding a pastry hostage gave Ephrym high expectations for him once he joined the crew. He just hoped that the teen showed up in time before they set sail. Welp. We'll see what happens. His fingers tapped along the crate thoughtfully before he swallowed the final bite of tart and slipped off of the crate to finally stand and stretch his legs once more.
"Pffft! Depends on the situation, I guess." Ephrym teased with another chuckle. "Damn. At this rate I may not make it to the ocean." His grin faded whenever she asked him for actual help and the hybrid nodded. "Sounds fine by me. What are you thinkin'?" He reached a hand up to hold his chin thoughtfully as he pondered what all would be needed for the crew quarters. Ephrym had opted to give extra room there already and had hoped that it wouldn't be such a bad space. Some even had their own smaller cabins on the ship while the rest of the crew had a couple of longer rooms with hammocks and bunks.
[Ephrym 8]
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