Quest: A Journey of the Heart [Finished]

[Nako]

Ugh! She was certainly of an age to keep her money where it's at! She huffed, folding her arms and glaring at their retreating backs. Still, when he was far enough away not to see, she cinched her pouch tightly shut and wrapped the chord around the neck to secure it so that it would not easily be pulled open. But now, what was she going to do with four whole hours around all these shady types? Frowning worriedly, she held her money purse close to her and made her way off the dock. Maybe it would be safer amongst the stores.

The next four hours were used up mostly by walking up and down the brightest, cleanest, and safest part of the city. There were many a thing that made her coin purse itch. There were so many wonderful things to buy! Still, she had to refrain; this money was her ticket to her boat ride. So with no money that wasn't currently spoken for, she waited. Finally she made her way back to the docks with time to spare. Hopefully she wasn't -too- early, for she didn't want to spend a lot of time waiting. Not wanting to dally, she made her way onto the docks that had been specified, scanning the faces to see if she could find the Captain.

[The Jenn]

The dock was busy, with crates and barrels being loaded onto the ship by its crew, full of Midori pinks and greens with one or two foreign types thrown in the mix. There was more than one biped form to be seen, though there were also a goodly number of animal forms. Not a single human form could be spotted, which certainly wasn't unusual given where they were and what they were doing.

Tall as many bipedal canines tended to be, Ferris was visible walking down the gangplank that connected ship and dock, speakling with the crane she'd seen go off earlier. His eyes sweeped the crowd as he spoke and caught sight of her. Though he didn't stop in his conversation, his brows did raise slightly in surprise. Another moment spent in speaking and the two men went their separate ways, the bird back onto the ship and the canine down to stand before Zuberi.

"Well, I'll admit that I'm half-surprised you showed up. You're a bit early - we haven't finished loading the ship, though it shouldn't be too much longer. Then we just have to wait for the tide and we can be on our way. Did you bring the money?" He looked at her expectantly.

[Nako]

"Y-yes I do." She placed her hand over the bag, untying the string that was tied around her squirrelly hips and placing the bag in his hand. It was a moderate amount.. probably not quite as much as he wanted but probably enough. To reiterate that she wasn't useless, she piped up. "That -and- my labor around the ship. I promise I'm the sort to earn my keep'

She chuckled though, in retrospect. "I was not talking lightly when I said that this journey was important to me, Captain. You weren't going to be rid of me that easily." A bit of a smile curled her lips. She didn't quite feel open enough to be outwardly joking towards him, but she saw amusement in the situation. Maybe he'd even be impressed by her unwillingness to budge from her decision? If she was able to gain just a touch of respect then maybe it would make the voyage a bit more bearable. Secretly she did not find the thought of spending her nights sleeping on a ship filled with hardened sea folk.

[Kiki]

Nako and Jenn receive 1 token each, to be redeemed in Ashwin's Shoppe. This will automatically be added to your recorded totals in the shoppe. Congratulations, and keep up the good RP!

[The Jenn]

Ferris weighed the coin in his hand, glancing inside to see the shine of the gold. He grunted and retied the string, tucking it inside another bag already hanging from his belt. "In addition to the labor, that should be adequate. No special treatment, mind, but you're a paying customer and I won't be tolerating any improper behavior towards you either. If you'd like to hop up onto the Shrike and start familiarizing you, I have to help finish this. Make sure you're back up on deck after no more than half an hour, mind?"

Activity continued all around them and the canine side-stepped to be out of the way of a barrel being rolled up the gangplank. He made a gesture towards the ship, then went back up himself, calling up an order to a man in the rigging who made a gesture of acknowledgment before climbing higher.

((Feel free to assume whatever you'd like about the ship. It's a decent size - this sucker is obviously meant for hauling cargo. If you want, you can go off of this in terms of 'basic' layout and embellish where you'd like. <3 www.wizards.com/dnd/images/MW_Stormwrack/01_Stormwrack_150_ppi_dfg19.jpg ))

[Nako]

Zuberi jumped out of the way of the barrel, peering over it to see that the man was once again walking away from her. Well, she couldn't blame him; he was busy preparing his ship, and she was very much in the way. As if to point that out further, she had to duck another hunk of cargo being loaded onto the ship. Well, she might as well get aboard!

Scurrying in typical squirrel fashion she made her way up onto the deck, looking at the sights and staying out of the way of the men. It was a nice, seaworthy ship made of good wood and still in fine condition, though it was obvious the ship had seen many a day at sea. There wasn't much to see on the main deck, and the lower deck was a bit crowded so she didn't spend much time there. The Hold.. she didn't even bother looking down there. It was filled with cargo and it was dark and dank.. typically not a place she wanted to hang out at that moment. Goodness knows if there was some dirty seadog down there that would.. She shook the thoughts out of her head, making her way back up.

On the way though, she took note of the rooms that had single beds, and the huge room that was probably where much of the crew slept. Where would she be located? She recalled that the Captain had told her that he wouldn't allow any funny business towards her.. so wouldn't that mean she would get her own room? She hoped so. With her few things on her shoulder, she made her way back up to the deck, spending the rest of her hour merely looking out at the sea and trying to make out the islands in the distance.

It all felt so surreal.. and Zuberi honestly didn't know when the dream would shatter into a harsh reality. Would it be when they set sail.. or would it not hit her until she stepped foot onto the first island? The squirrel honestly didn't know, and this insecurity about her own future well being was unnerving at best. Still... Absently a hand went to rest possessively on her bag, where she knew the map was carefully concealed within the pocket she had created for it. This map was the reason she was here... and hopefully it would be by following this map that she would find her way out of it alive.

[The Jenn]

Much of the activity shifted its attention from the dock until almost all of the sailors were on board the ship, securing the cargo below or on deck helping get ready for cast off. The Captain was visible to most people on deck and when he wasn't visible, he was certainly audible, barking out orders - haha, the sea dog barking - or checking on the progress of his crew. Everything seemed to be going smoothly enough, since none of his orders were spoken with anger or alarm, merely with haste. Soon, the ship was ready to set sail.

As the final ropes were thrown and the ship began to move away from dock, Ferris approached Zuberi, eyes still scanning the ship around him but seeming momentarily satisfied. "You'd best head belowdecks and find yourself an otter named Peggy. She handles most of the cooking on board and she'll need to meet you and teach you the way around the galley for a few hours. It'll take that long for me to make sure we're smoothly underway and everything's as it should be. After that, it'll likely be time for a small meal. You'll be sharing her quarters so that none of the men bother you. Trust me when I say that none of them will be touching her anytime soon."

[Nako]

Well, that news certainly made her feel better! Not only was she not the only female on the boat, but it seemed like there was a particularly bad-ass female that she'd be rooming with. Well, that's what she assumed anyways, when he had said none of the men would be touching her anytime soon.

Or would that mean she was ugly? Zuberi was slightly ashamed to be scrutinizing the woman when she hadn't even met her yet. She shook those thoughts away and gave Ferris a nod. "Alright Captain." She smartly remembered to acknowledge his rank, for now she was as good as being a part of the crew. Teehee! Well, at least she liked to think of it that way. Then, with a goofy grin on her face she gave a small salute and headed towards the door that led below deck, pausing a moment before smiling over her shoulder.
And once again.. thank you." She'd not waste any more time, nor would she wait for an answer before ducking into the door and shutting it.

So, onward began the search for the great Peggy. Zuberi walked a few paces before she paused and frowned. Where was she supposed to find her again? She didn't think he had mentioned it. Well, she wasn't about to go scampering back up to ask once she had given such a meaningful comment before ducking away all mysterious-like! Taking a guess, she scampered down in typical squirrelly fashion down to the lower deck. After all, the kitchen may be a good place to start.

Slipping into the kitchen area, the sway of the boat was evident as the pots and pans swayed gently on their racks. Forcing herself to look away from them, she entered the kitchen, looking to see if anyone was inside. She needed to keep her mind on what she was doing and not to the swaying of the boat; she wasn't the sort to get seasick on smaller vessels but she didn't want to take the chance.

[The Jenn]

Ferris raised an eyebrow and watched with a slightly amused glance as she saluted and went below decks. Then he was once again thoroughly distracted by the hustle and bustle happening around him.

Seeing as Ferris had told her that Peggy was the one who did much of the cooking, the kitchen was an excellent place to start. After only a few seconds, a bright green and pink head popped up from where it had been doing something on the floor or underneath something and glanced around for something else, searching. Pink eyes didn't quite expect what they found and her eyebrows rose sharply when she noticed the squirrel in the kitchen. She wasn't the most attractive of women, with a scar across her muzzle and a crook that suggested bones had been broken in the past.

"Oy, I don't remember you. Who're you, then, and what're you doing here? Last-minute addition to the crew or something else?" The manner in which she said 'something else' made it sound like a very undesirable thing to be. "We don't tolerate strangers so well onboard."

[Nako]

'Oh' would pretty much sum it up. It was immediate she had more than one quality that made her quite unsavory to both the opposite and same sex. Caught off guard by the woman's suspicion, she bristled slightly and held herself up on her haunches, handpaws staunchly crossing on her chest in a defensive posture.

"Temporary Assistant of Culinary and Custodial Procedures." Zuberi remarked with a bit of a laugh, moving away from the doorway and into the kitchen. "I'm just catching a ride and doing my part while I be here, is all. The name is Zuberi.. and I've certainly given payment to be on board at least. With money." She emphasized that last part, arching a brow at the woman and flipping back her curly dreads so that they weren't in the way. "Captain Ferris told me to report to you."