Although the stores will start out looking prim and proper, Paddy is a chaotic quartermaster. HE knows where everything is, but that doesn't mean it makes sense to anyone ELSE who tries to find stuff. As time goes on, the stores will look more and more to his liking, which means confusion for anyone else who tries to find stuff without him. Good! Because then it's harder for them to steal stuff.
Captain Bogg smells the crab stew with utmost gratitude, giving the master chef a brief peck on the cheek. At the question of where, she says "To treasure, Jim. To treasure..." she looks about "At the moment out to sea, while I go find our new quartermaster."
'now that he has nowhere to go' she adds mentally.
Finding him in the holds, she confronts him with her hands on her hips "It is time for that map, Master Dwarf. Plunder needs a direction."
Paddy's putting everything where they need to be. Cutlery here, kegs there, parchment in the other room. He looks up from his work at the Captain.
"Yea, sure ting Mistress Undine." He says with a bit of extra emphasis. He starts rifling through his pants, which turn out to be double layered, and pulls out the map from within them.
"Anyone wit dere 'and down dere ain't lookin fer me map now, eh?" He chuckles.
Saph grabs a piece of bread, chimps on it, and follows Hedy to what must be the Quartermaster’s… quarters?
“Hey, Cap’n, when you got a mi—”
She did not just see Paddy whip out…!! Mistress Undine? Oh SH!T!
Averting her eyes, Saph says, “I didn’t… I saw nothing… sorry.” She backs a couple steps toward the door.
The burly woodcutter who'd been seen most evenings swimming naked with the first mate, comes aboard with a big smile, his large axe resting on his shoulder with sheet full of stuff knotted on it like a bindle. Instead of following the other new recruits he seeks out Jordanna. "Reporting for duty, ma'am," he says warmly, "but, uh, I have no idea what I'm doing... where do I put my stuff?"
"You can put it in my quarters," Jordanna says. "You'll be sharing my bunk. Then report back to the deck and follow my instructions."
…and backing toward the door is how Saph hears that.
Oh, good. I was wondering how my dating experience could feel more humiliating.
Well, obviously Paddy just has a map. Saph goes on to both Paddy and Hedy (sounding a little dejected and a lot humbled), “Sorry to interrupt, I mean.
“Just wanted to discuss training exercises with the crew… after you’re done talking about map stuff.”
So in the meantime, what? You have something better to do?
She perks up a bit as she offers, “Unless, of course, you want me to take a look at that. I’ve read my share of geography books. The masters wanted educated wrestlers, so our trash-talking could be clever.”
From her tone, she probably isn’t kidding about that.
Hedy gives a thoughtful nod to Paddy's emphasis, storing it away as something he isn't fond of. She taps the rolled up map to her chin distractedly as Saph joins in. Noticing a familiar smell she remembered where the map had been so shifts it to her hip.
"We'll be reviewing it in my quarters, both of you please come."
She'll gather the other officers to discuss the next step.
She'll roll the map out of the table "Okay, where we are we going?" reading maps is not your Captain's specialty.
Saph examines the map, looking for features like a compass rose, a scale denoting distance, terrain, elevation, coordinates, labels (the Blue WHAT???)… and whether this is an accurate map or something a drunken sailor scribbled on a barroom napkin.
Murillo stalks the deck to provide motivational rebukes and threats to the crew as needed, but they quickly shape up under the simmering glare of the first mate. Seeing she has things well in hand, he moves belowdecks to check for dawdlers and shirkers. We've not enough cargo to hide behind, but that rarely stops fools from trying.
Paddy's eyes go quite alert when Saff peeps in and takes the situation in the wrong way.
"Oi, yer all at sea, Saff! Mind now, just be showins me map t'is all."
He gives Hedy the map and walks with her back to her quarters, with Saph along as well. Looking over the map, he does his best to explain it to Hedy.
Paddy points out the landmarks on the map, and explains where Rickety’s little cove is and where the map shows their destination. The treasure, it indicates, is on Blue Booby Island (so named for the blue-footed boobies that nest there). The island is about a hundred miles east-southeast, near the northern shore of the Fever Sea where it begins to narrow into the inlet that leads to Bloodcove. According to the notes scrawled on the map, the island is surrounded by a dangerous reef and the treasure lies “beneath love's final bed, beyond the gates of paradise.”
"Beneath's love's final bed, beyond the gates of paradise? Poetic? or is it just going to be a cave that looks like lady parts?" Hedy thinks out loud.
"Why not both, eh?"
Saph hopes her geographic knowledge will help get the ship to the island.
She would also like to keep the crew (and herself) in shape, so she organizes an exercise routine. This also gives her a much-desired opportunity to talk to Ronnie. “You hear we’re going to a place called Blue Booby Island? Precious treasure there, in the wild blue…” Saph catches herself being less than subtle with her body language. She takes it down a notch. “I wanted to thank you for the note this morning. It was sweet. And… I hope I didn’t kinda overdo it last night.
“And speaking of me overdoing things, I don’t want to wear out the crew. My exercise routine’s meant to challenge them, not break them. I trust you to be honest with me… so, ya think you could assist me?”
Hedy spends time talking to the crew some more, making sure they are getting along, what they're likes, dislikes, hobbies, so on.
As usual Vadoma spends a good portion of the morning in her cabin, door closed, window shuttered. The small candle keeping the heat at bay as her low-light vision allows her to see the cards just fine. Once she has a sense of the day leaves her cabin heading first to whoever is steering at the moment she gives advice on the weather and the sea, warning about anything the cards had warned her about. Next she heads to the Captain giving "hi...No, God's damnit! her! Giving her the same advice." Vadoma stops for a moment to calm herself. "Though in truth I have no idea if Hedy wants my advice or not. Well if she doesn't then she can let me know, until then I don't see where my job has changed any."
With a quick stop for some Kaf she ends up at the Captain's door just after the map has been rolled out. "Hello Captain I thought I would come by and...Oh! I didn't realize you were busy. I can come by later if that would be better." She stands in the doorway waiting for a response and giving a wink to Paddy if she catches his eye.
While still in the captain's quarters, Paddy asks
"Ya don't need meself fer de shipwerk, bydeby? I'se ain't picklin fer it, but I bes workin on de logbook else b'y."
When Vadoma enters, he's a bit surprised to see her wink at him. He's caught off guard such that he doesn't say anything, only giving a awkward grin and a clumsy open-handed wave.
Newfie language YouTube videos, that is a rabbit hole I shall jump down tonight.
Jordanna helps steer the ship during the night shift.
"I was looking for you earlier Doma, yes please come in and help make heads and tails of this map." she had gone looking for every officer and all.
Paddy will only help with the actual sailing or navigating if the captain or first mate asks.
Instead, he spends the majority of his time organizing everything, making a list of everything they have aboard, and recording daily events of note. He starts considering various trades he could pick up over long voyages.
If he doesn't end up being put on deck for sailing work, he'll talk with Henrikson to get a feel of how he's doing, and if there's anything Paddy can do to lift his spirits.
---------------------------------
One thing that Paddy does want to do within the next two days is talk briefly with Vadoma.
"'eh lass, de odder morn ye gives me de long main sheet, an I bes wonderin if we bes in fair wedder or naw?"
Vadoma looks at the and attempts to understand what he is asking. A quick flash of confusion crosses her countenance but she doesn't want to be rude and ask him to explain himself. After a moment a smile crosses her lips, even reaching her eyes as she responds to his question. "Oh yes Paddy, we are definitely in fair weather. I truly enjoyed your company the other night. The enthusiasm you put into your partying as well as the stamina you displayed later that evening...well let me just say that any time you want that particular itch scratched I won't mind helping you." With that she reaches out and pats him on the shoulder, Vadoma hopes that the gesture isn't seen as patronizing.
Paddy makes a crooked smile and easily accepts the physical touch. "Best kind, b'y. You knows 'ow te go on a spree, an are a good rumpy pumpy." He puts his hand on the top of her hip and gives a friendly squeeze. There's a bit of a gleam in his eye. "As quardermaster I'se bunkin solo, so 'ow's bout ye drops o'er tenigh an wes make de ship rock from more'n waves?"
With the newly set course in mind, Jordanna assumes command as most of the other officers turn in for the night. She guides the ship true until the sun rises.
With Saph navigating, Murillo oversees a full day of successful sailing. The captain keeps an eye on things but spends a fair bit of her time welcoming Hiro and acquainting him with the ship; their conversation is pleasant and he seems in good spirits by dinner. Paddy drags Henrikson with him into the hold to help him situate the stores, and talks with all day long; by the end of the day the colorfully-scarfed man seems drained.
Jordanna once again keeps the ship on course throughout the night. One of lookouts reports an unusually splashing noise off the starboard bow, but it doesn't repeat itself so whatever it was must have swum off.
Captain Bogg seeks out Henrikson to see if she can improve his attitude, but abandons that pursuit when she notices that the ship is slightly off course. Instead, she spends the rest of the day working with Saph to make sure the ship is aimed as close to Blue Booby Island as can be. Murillo, for his part, does a fine job of keeping the ship running smoothly and following the Captain's heading.
She smiles when you talk about the note but doesn't choose to say anymore about it. When you ask her about helping you she nods and answers, "sure, I'll help however I can, but, uh... try not to treat me any different than anyone else, okay? It kind of defeats the whole purpose of us not sleeping together yet if everyone just thinks I'm yours anyways."
As the sun starts to touch the horizon on the second full day out of port, Dessertflower calls out from the rigging, "land!" A moment later the whole crew can see: an island, dead ahead.
“That said, I do know what it’s like to be Master’s Pet.” She realizes how that sounds. “I mean—he never… don’t take ‘pet’ the wrong way. The top fighter was always to the side.” “And I don’t mean like I was some kinda naturally-awesome fighter. I just took forever to… develop. Like, through the entirety of my teens, they called this island The Blue Flats.
“Being a late-bloomer let me stay in the kiddie ring a few extra years.”
How she longs for those smirking lips, but Saph just returns the smile.
“I wasn’t forced to lie with men. But us kids had private cells, so the only time I could really hold someone was in the ring.” She looks more serious now. “If we’re taking it slow, then… I want you to know the baggage that comes with me. That way, if you change your mind… just don’t think you’d have to leave the ship over it.
“Also… I did intend to take it slow. You mentioned the casual sex… with boys, so I thought if I didn’t make a move, I’d lose you.” She feels a little silly as she quotes her dead master, “Wait for the other to move first; you lose. Master Lam’s advice even reaches me from the grave.
“Anyway, about your place in the training sessions, I can switch it off between you and Stoneskull, so no one calls you my pet.”
Saph can see just fine in the dark. She looks out from the ship, but she’s no sailor. She isn’t sure she’d recognize a hazard. Don’t you just drop an anchor or something?
She lets her eyes wander over your body and remarks, "it looks like developing slowly works out pretty well sometimes... When I agreed to meet you for drinks I was planning on trying to get into your pants. I'm still looking forward to it, but, you know... my baggage. When we get there, I'll try to make it worth the wait."
"And, switching off with Stoneskull sounds good. It might not be a bad idea to work a man into the rotation too, if you want to avoid jokes about building a harem..."
“I wouldn’t try to be with another, and your baggage is part of what I like about you. You make my weird life feel kinda normal. You just… had a bigger cage.” She gives a sentimental smile… but her eyes shift as she rethinks her word-choice. “Oh! Like bigger than my prison cell, not the cage-match cage.
“I mean, both are smaller than the place you grew up. Just, the cage-match cage ruins the metaphor. That cage was pretty awesome.”
Paddy suggests to watch the reef and do some rowing. He figures there won't be any mutinies while the officers are gone.
"MUrrilo can't see in the dark. And none of us can see as well as we can during the day." Hedy says to Paddy's suggestion.
Vadoma listens to the unasked question, seems to zone out for a moment and then focuses her eyes on Hedy. "I can consult the cards to try and get a better idea but I have a feeling it won't matter. Both or neither are best. Each are fraught with their own peril, what you need to decide is which unknown do you feel we have better odds against. If it makes a difference I can see a might bit better in low-light than most folks can."
Hedy listens to her crew. While she has worries, she says "Okay, gear up. Saph, Doma, Paddy, Jordanna, and MUrrilo are with me. Azadi, the ship is yours until we are back."
Saph is ready. If asked, she’s with the captain.
Murillo pulls his new favorite hat tight and follows his captain's orders, taking a place at the oars once the rowboat is manned and lowered.
Hedy puts her gun, boots, coat, and bag in the boat. "I'll keep pace in the water. In case there is something below needing looked after down below. Saph, no, stay in the boat, your ability might be needed before the night is over, no use wasting it on potential nothings." then she'll dive in and wait for the boat to be lowered.
Azadi answers, "ma'am," with a nod and begins barking orders to slow the Night Talon's speed. By the time the officers are ready to lower the ship's boat, the vessel has drifted to a near standstill some quarter-mile from the island. The anchor is dropped and the boat is lowered, and within a few more minutes the officers are loaded and ready to row.
The reef begin about a hundred yards from the boat and is, in fact, quite treacherous. It would be impossible to bring a ship like the Talon through it, on this side of the island at least; however, with Captain Bogg in the drink scouting things out, it proves to be a relatively routine task to navigate the small boat through.
From the boat's approach on the western side, the island looks to be as much as half a mile across with beaches all around it. The sand quickly gives way to shrubs and palm trees and it's impossible to tell how far it stretches away. The sun has completely vanished by the time the officers are faced with the decision to either beach the boat and begin exploring on foot or turn and begin rowing around the island.
Paddy scans both the island and the waters for any sign of movement.
The undine pulls her upper body up against the rowboat, looking at her crew in the dying light "Normally I'd suggest rowing around this hunk of sand first, but as the light dies, so does how far I can see.
Unless any of you with night eyes are much better off, we should beach the boat and go on foot."
"Agreed. I won't see much either way, but if something's going to kill me in the night, I'd prefer to give it a fight. And this boat's not going to be much good in a fight."
Hedy nods, slips back into the water and leads them to the shore.
On land, Hedy will wring out some of the sea water from her skirts, pull on her boots, and coat. "Anyone see a trail?" she asks thinking it might be the best place to start.
Paddy’s keen eyes and ears don’t detect any sights or sounds beyond the normal slapping of waves against the beach and the rustling of leaves in the breeze. After the captain checks below the surface to ensure there’s nothing that will damage the boat, the rowers pick up speed and drive the small craft up onto the beach. After dragging it far enough from the water to feel safe that the tide won’t take it, they set about looking for trails or tracks, but there are neither in the immediate area.
Saph asks Paddy (or whoever’s holding the map), “Mind if I consult the map?”
The map offers painfully little information about the topology of the island. It shows enough shoreline and neighboring islands to identify this island clearly, but the island itself is rather small and mostly obscured by a large ‘X’ that seems to be centered on it.
Saph looks at the map, such as it is, and looks at her surroundings, or what she can see of it. From there she relies on her knowledge of geography to recommend a course…
Circling sounds smarter than trudging through plants. As for which direction…
“We’re already on the Blue Booby. Gates of Paradise are south.”
She cringes a little as she says that.