Snippet #2381507

Jothan Grey

The minutes seemed like hours, and the hours days, and Jothan hated every second of it. He was bored. And tired. And smelly. And utterly miserable. He couldn't think of a worse job than this, what with the sun and heat and smell and...ugh. Yet it paid twice as much as the last one, and if he quit now...well, that wouldn't help his reputation much, now would it?

The only thing he was really doing was making sure "fresh" fish was on display, and to replace fish that was bought. A lot of bending and picking up and dropping fish and apologizing. He was eventually handed a pair of old brown leather gloves, his own tucked away hidden under his shirt. No chance of him getting those slimy scales all over the black leather. Especially being a heirloom.

A bit before lunch the business died down. His boss started chatting up the baker across the street, leaving Jothan relatively alone by the stand. Bored, he leaned against the wall, wanting to take a break from the overwhelming stink. Arms crossed, the tattered brown gloves discarded on the table, he watched the people in front of him with a scowl and disinterested look on his face, which was only half true. He was really, well, just bored...

Until he heard a shuffling sound very close to him.

Standing up straight, he looked around in the direction he had heard it. His eyes were met with a barrel of fish, and he wondered if it was just a rat. Though, if it was a rat...supposing it got into the barrel....

Deciding not to take the risk, he went to inspect it...

...and was very surprised to see a girl hiding behind it!

"What....what are you doing here??" he exclaimed, nearly shouted. He looked up across the street, his boss looking directly at him. Immediately he went back to the wall, looking everywhere but him. After a few seconds, the boss went back to talking.

With a sigh of relief he turned back to behind the barrel at the dark-skinned girl, oddly dressed in bright colors. She had...beads in her hair? Weird. "I mean it," he repeated, softer but not necessarily gentler, "What are you doing here?" Though a second glance-over revealed the bread and his answer.


Cordelia Mastiff

It wasn't characteristic of her to whine, but whine she did. "Do I have to go to the palace? I've got more important things to do than cater to the Empress's every whim."

The other captain, someone she actually respected in this field due to his experience, age, battle scars, and mutual respect for her as well, just sighed, "You took an oath to the Empress, my sweet. Your ship is literally named Her Imperial Majesty's Ship. Besides, what other "important" things do you have?"

Cordelia opened her mouth, both to reproach him for his nickname for her (one of the few things she couldn't stand about him), and to list off her many important things, but the man just raised a hand. "Never mind, darling. Whatever it is, it will be excused for this."

Arms crossed, she huffed and puffed, but she knew he was right. There was a demonstration to be done at the opening, and the populace was very fond of flightships. For some, it would probably be their only opportunity to see one. Even though she rarely serviced the commoners, she supposed she did have some sort of duty to them.

"Besides, dearie..."

"Captain!"

"Captain Dearie."

"Captain Mastiff, Captain Shepherd!"

"Dear Captain Mastiff." Ohhhh, she could slap that smile off his face! And she would, were he not more than twice her age and a colleague to her father. It would be him to run off and tattle. Though that was something she liked about him. He wasn't afraid of being the whistle-blower when wrongs were done.

"It's not as if you have a choice in the matter," he continued, holding the door open for her as they walked out onto the street, "Now, go get the Cormorant."

"The Cormorant??" Cordelia exclaimed, "Excuse me, Shepherd, but last I remembered, we weren't trying to kill the populace with this demonstration!"

"She may be old, Cordelia, but she's sturdy. Like your father and me."

"She creaks with every step," Cordelia muttered, but there was a small smile on her face.

Shepherd just winked, "That's part of the novelty, my dear."