Quest: A Journey of the Heart [Finished]

[The Jenn]

The words seemed to mollify the otter somewhat, at least enough that she lost some of her aggressive posture and let it relax with the roll of the ship. Interesting. "Ferris doesn't take on help so often, even temporary. Eh, but if you're payin' then it's different. I've just had one too many stowaways find their way into my stores, though usually it's t' get to the place we just left."

She ignored the hair-flip and went to grab something from a cupboard door. "So if you're here for me to use, I'm going t' be using you hard. If you've never cooked on a moving ship before, it's a right bit different from doing the same thing on land. Follow my lead."

For the next two hours, Peggy would be alternately getting the food ready and acquainting Zuberi with the set-up so she didn't get in her way so often. Then it would be time to call a break. "Let the ones abovedecks know the food's ready, ey?"

[Nako]

Zuberi let out a long, heavy sigh as she grabbed hold of the wall to steady herself as she removed the apron that had been assigned to her. While not scared of a little work, people in her village all tended to work at their own pace. The hectic life on a ship was a totally different ballgame. In fact, she reckoned that she had worked harder on this ship that she ever had in her entire life. Despite this, she bit her lip and ground through it, listening attentively to Peggy's sharp, barking orders, and scuttling quickly out of the way when she happened to obstruct the otter's path.

Zuberi nodded as she hung her apron up. "Will do." Short, concise, but that's all that was needed in response before she turned away to leave the room. Going up the stairs... well, it was something else as she held onto the post as if it were a lifeline to keep her upright against the sway of the boat. She'd been used to skimming up and down waves on a canoe, but never had she ridden on a large vessel that was quite literally rocked either back and forth or side to side by the waves. Nevertheless, she made her way up to where the men worked, smoothing out her fur before stepping out of the doorway.

"... 'Ey! Foods ready!" Her voice seemed louder than she had wanted it to be, but she forced herself not to recoil because of it. She'd had to shout it out to get their attention, right? There really wasn't a more eloquent way to say that it's time to eat when you need to bark it out for all to hear.

[Kiki]

Jenn and Nako 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]

Even though she was inexperienced, Peggy was pleased to see that the temporary help was good at taking orders and amenable to following them. She set about preparing to serve the food as Zuberi went above decks.

While there were few things that these sailors would want shouted at them, anything to do with 'food' was welcomed with gusto. Heads whipped around and one or two grinned before hurriedly finishing what they were doing. The first down would get the choicest bits from a cook who appreciated people appreciating her food with all haste. Ferris gave her a pleased nod as he went down. He hadn't heard anything from Peggy in the time she'd been down there, which was probably a good sign. The woman would be vocal if she didn't like someone in her kitchen.

The meal passed as seemed 'average', with people stuffing their faces and food being doled out until it was gone, and then people went back to work. No one seemed especially 'interested' in their new passenger, at least not overly so. She got a few appreciative looks, but the fact that Peggy kept an eye on them all seemed to help.

The woman called her over to help clean up. "Soon as we're done this, you're free for the night. I'd recommend getting a good sleep, myself. 's where I'm going. We'll be getting up before dawn to get things ready for the crew when the sun comes up, so you can follow me if you want a secure place t'sleep. I can dig up an extra hammock, I'm sure."

[Nako]

Zuberi suddenly felt right back at home when it came to dinner time. When she wasn't having dinner alone, the entire family would take the day's catch that didn't sell at market and cook it up for the entire extended family. As many as 50 people would attend.

Though she was sure to feed herself, throughout the entire meal she would take it upon herself to pass around the bread or some other dish to make sure it was equally shared. It was probably unnecessary, but being one of the oldest children of her own family she had often been elected to do such a task, an it had very much become habit.

There wasn't much conversation, but then she couldn't expect much of that when work needed to be done. They seemed a good enough bunch of men, and none had made her feel uncomfortable so far.

When Peggy called on her, she was up and light on her feet... considerably more at ease with the sway of the boat than she had been before. Setting herself a modest stack of plates up (no need in overdoing it and breaking the lot of them, of course) she made her way to the kitchen after the Midori Otter. "Yes'm... Shouldn't take too long with both of us." If she was able to keep up with the woman, that was! Peggy was considerably more able to cope with the movements of the sea than she was. Still, Zuberi liked to think that she was actually helpful.

"Where are the hammocks kept? I could go find one to save you the trouble before I retire for the night. If there's anything I know how to do, it's put up a hammock." Grinning somewhat foolishly as she placed the dishes into the sink, it was obvious that there was no pride in that statement, but rather an eagerness to please.

((Aw... she was so... innocent before she started becoming a crazy voodoo priestess XD))

[The Jenn]

Zuberi got an approving noise from the otter for her enthusiasm as she plunged her hands into a bucket of warm, soapy water and started washing. "I wash, you dry and put away where we got 'em from before. Should take a hell of a lot less time than I'm used to."

She got through a few dishes before answering the squirrel's question. "Aye, the hammocks shouldn't be too hard to find and it'd be much easier if you knew how to set it up on one of the beams. If you recall the small storage room - closet, really - where I sent you for the extra rags, you should be able to find a hammock or two stuffed against the back wall. When we're done here, you can go grab one and come back. Then I'll show you where the two of us will be bedding down for the night."

((Innit nifty to see how time's changed them? XD Also, since this is a 'Quest' rather than a normal RP, feel free to take posts any length you feel comfortable with and gloss over things if you need to. If anything important is ever glossed over, I'll just poke you and ask you to edit, but I doubt that'll happen very often. :3 's one of the fun things about them.))

[Nako]

"Aye!" Zuberi's obvious mimicry of the language was nothing short of good natured as she set herself to work doing what had been assigned to her.. but really there is little to say about such things. Honestly, how interesting can doing dishes truly be? It was indeed a blessing that they finished quickly. The squirrel rather felt sorry for the woman to have put up with such labor by herself. Their conversation was kept short as it was no secret that both didn't necessarily wish to spend long on such a chore, and the time went by with relative silence until Zuberi was excused from the kitchen to fetch her hammock.

Odd, how a person could find a time for soul searching when rambling around in the small confines of a closet, but it was when she was yanking out one of the hammocks from the farthest niche in the back of the cubby that she began.. to question why she was out here at all. Honestly.. had her life truly lost so much meaning that her very existance hinged on the outcome of some map she had found?

Pausing, she thumbed the thick strands of the netted bedding absently as she reflected on that though. Did she really... believe? Or had she really lost so much hope that now Pinkbeard was her only reality? Tears as harsh as the sea outside stung her eyes. How ridiculous.. but at the same time.. if this led to nothing, then Zuberi truly felt that she'd have nothing in life at all. For a creature that abhorred self loathing, the Midori female was certainly having a down time at that moment.

But no, hesitance would do her no good here. Doubt was a poison within her mind, speaking evils of the truths before her... the truth that was the sea that rocked the vessel in which she rode.. and the map that rested within her personal affects in the room she now shared with the noble, if not sea weathered Peggy. That was her truth, and if she didn't hold onto it then surely she would find herself even more lost than when she began this journey.

Quietly, Zuberi slipped into the bedroom, hammock slung unceremoniously over her back. She'd long since sobered her anguish, and the dim light was sure to not give any evidence of what had since past. "Found it.. right in the back though.. not that I'd think you'd need it up in the front. With the way ya talk, I expect this ship doesn't get many newcomers?"

((drunk rambling... hopefully this makes sense in the morning XD))

[The Jenn]

Peggy looked up from brushing down her fur for the night as Zuberi entered the room, putting her brush back in the small trunk that was bolted to the floor. She closed its clasp and stood. "You'd be thinkin' right in that. We're a pretty close-knit bunch. We don't get people leavin' the crew very often, an' we don't get strangers on board so often either. The occasional stowaway slips on every now and again, maybe one or two a year who don't have the means to secure themselves passage. Not that all that many people who aren't sailors or smugglers go to these particular islands."

Despite her previous indifference, the otter helped her set up her hammock before crawling into her own. "I'm not much of one for talk before bed, so if you are then you'd best get it out elsewhere before bunking down for the night. I'm for bed now. It'll be an early mornin', so keep that in mind." So saying, she rolled her furry body into an awkward-looking position and settled, waiting for sleep to claim her.

[Nako]

Though Zuberi wasn't feeling particularly chatty, there was a slight feeling of dejection when the otter brushed her off. Whatever she felt about that treatment though was kept to herself, not really wanting to take what she had already come to assume was the otter's natural demeanor. She'd keep that early morning in mind though, not bothering with nightly pleasantries as Peggy had already made herself comfortable in her hammock. The last thing Zuberi wanted was to be fatigued where she was going.

Easing herself up into her hammock, she strained to find a comfortable position with the ropes of her bed. They had become stiff from lack of use and she was thankful she hadn't went through any arduous grooming process before bed; any efforts would be moot by the morning with what it was doing to her fur. Had it not been for the calming sway of the ocean and the familiar scent of the sea in her nostrils, sleep might have never claimed her.

[The Jenn]

A good night's sleep meant more to Peggy than the feelings of a temporary hand on the ship. She was a callous person by nature and cared about herself more than anyone else, with only one exception. Zuberi wasn't it.

It was a relatively calm night, no strong winds or rough seas to make sleeping an impossibility, but the otter snored like a buzz-saw in a Corvistowne lab. When morning finally broke, she yawned herself awake loudly and rolled out of the hammock, muttering things under her breath that probably could have been much quieter. She'd forgotten she had someone else in the room until a few moments later.

When she did catch sight of the squirrel out of the corner of her eye, she grunted as memory returned and prodded at Zuberi's side. "Ey, it's time to wake up. Sun's thinking about rising and we need to have things ready for the rest of the lot before it does. Meet me in the galley." So saying, she went off to begin preparing breakfast.