It’s been a little while since Everett last saw Marion. He had accompanied the young man to Stargazer Village, but shortly after arriving there the two hard parted ways. He would have liked to have spent more time helping Marion explore, but he was due back to Eclipse City to finalize the repairs to his new ship. The crew he’s brought aboard were still fresh, and likely wouldn’t want to linger in port too long waiting for him to return from galavanting around the countryside earning some extra coin. One can get pretty antsy when the sea starts calling.

So he does hurry back to the large coastal city to fetch his ship and his crew before setting out on their first maiden voyage since the ship was first commandeered from a group of pirates. He’s more than happy to return to sea, though it’s surreal being in the position of a captain rather than just a deckhand.

His crew for now is mostly made up of other deckhands he’s worked with in the past. Well, at least those that are between contracts. The rest of them are made up of folks that are a little newer to working aboard a vessel the size of the Lightning’s Edge. It’ll be good experience for them, and if they decide to stay then Everett can lay down a good foundation for a more consistent crew.

The journey along the south eastern shore of Moonglade goes fairly smoothly. The waters are calm and they don’t run into any trouble along the way. Well, one of the new deckhands did end up finding a crab in their bunk from a little bit of friendly hazing from the more seasoned sailors, but other than that nothing of note has happened.

It’s not long before the coastline starts to get lower and lower and mangroves take over from the temperate broadleafs. The waters around the Marsh Flats are a bit difficult to navigate due to the many spits of sand and shallow reefs, especially for larger, less nimble vessels. As such, when the small fishing village Marion said to meet at comes into view, the Lightning's Edge anchors out in deeper water while Everett and one of his crew members take a row boat to the docks.

The large ship draws some curious looks from the locals, but as do the other strangers who have entered their town. Still, they mind their own business for the most part. So long as no one causes any trouble, they don’t mind folks just passing through.

Everett looks around the small village after disembarking from the rowboat while his crewmate secures it to the docks. He spots Marion pretty quickly and approaches with a bright smile, but he stops a little short as he sees someone else wearing a cloak with the hood up standing beside the young man.

He doesn’t recognize them, though he can’t see them too clearly just yet, looks like they have some sort of skull mask on. Weird, but this is the Marsh Flats and there are lots of interesting fashion choices amongst the locals. He’s more perplexed about not being able to recall Marion mentioning to expect two passengers for this voyage.

He furrows his brow and ponders. Did he forget?

Wouldn’t be the first time.

Oh Gods, if he forgot something like that what else has he forgotten more recently?

Before his thoughts can spiral into panic, he shakes his head and approaches the pair.

“Good morning, Marion. Is this a friend of yours?”

He extends a hand to Marion’s companion. His only hand, as it’s very obvious that he only has one full arm.

“Nice to meet you, name’s Everett.”

The poorly-disguised skeleton totally normal if eccentric old woman is still... not exactly used to participating in adventures so publicly. She's a hermit, a recluse, someone who's always just slept under whatever makeshift shelters she could find in the woods and just... gotten by. A lonely existence, to be sure, and one that left her with nothing but time to ponder old regrets... but it at least kept her out of trouble, for the most part.

For the most part.

There was... an incident recently, which caused a bit of a stir, but it also made her some new friends... friends. How long had it been since she could use that word?

At any rate, one of them--the eternally warm and sunny elf, Marion--had insisted that "getting out more" would be "good for her" after everything, and... well. What else was she going to do? Go back to her bog and feel lonely again? Maybe he was right.

"Good day, kind sir." There's that... Marion is likely used to it by now, but to everyone else, the way she communicates telepathically, broadcasting her thoughts to those in the area rather than words, her "voice" sounding something like the internal voice one would hear if reading her lines... well. That is... as peculiar as her appearance, one supposes. An all-concealing hooded robe, gloves, boots... she's clearly some sort of reptilian as she has a visible tail, but it's all wrapped up in bandages... and, of course, that "mask" she's "speaking" from behind. A perfectly ordinary walking stick completes the ensemble--perhaps a little too short for her, definitely more of the "stick she just found somewhere" level of quality rather than anything made for her or bought--but she hunches over enough to meet it at its height anyway. One could only imagine how tall she'd be if she didn't do that, but as it stands, she manages to keep herself at roughly eye level with everyone else present.

"I am indeed a friend of Marion's, yes. You may call me... Beak. A pleasure to meet you, Everett."  She takes his hand in hers.  Visually, the gloved hand gives away no obvious remarkable details; the gloves seem ordinary, and extend far enough up her sleeve not to be able to see any bits of arm or anything before the robe takes over.  Shaking her hand, though, one can feel that the texture is... not... quite... right?  Squeezing her hand feels firm enough, one supposes, but it lacks a certain sense of... solidity.  It is almost feels like shaking a glove filled to bursting with tightly packed sand, rather than a human (or reptilian) hand.

The sun elf is, usually, particularly eye-catching—— not that he wears anything outlandish, mind you, but simply for that head of brilliantly warm golden hair that was almost as long as he was tall. He put a skip in his step and waved his whole arm enthusiastically, and practically ran up to the other- giving him a hug before taking a step back.

"It's been some time! And your ship look beautiful, even if I don't know anything about them. Good morning!"

He is visibly excited. The capitol and all its glamour and the promise of the grandest festival he had ever seen- well, Marion is not yet so old to be over such promises of fun. You two get the feeling that he was only a margin away from literally bouncing all over the place.

"Oh, yes, this is a friend of mine, too! She is coming to the city with me for the festival- we did only just meet recently... would it be an issue? I will pay a passenger's fee, if needed!"

Kweh, the Dragoonfly that had followed behind Marion, bent down and scented out Beak with it's feathered antennae, and then proceeded to do the same to Everett. Marion did not fit a saddle to it, but Idun was tied horizontally across it's back along with a little bit of other luggage- all fit to travel!

"This is also a new friend, Kweh! He's very gentle and doesn't breath fire. Or eat wood. His morph is actually more like a moth than a wrym, that his mouthparts have mostly regressed and lack the characteristics to sustain a predator's role, and thus-"

Annd off he go talking about Dragoonfly's dietary needs and co-evolution with magical flora and discussion on how different morphs developed to fill different ecological niches, and he will go on to talk about their natural prey and predators and the change of environment impacting them, if he is not stopped.

Marion's smile is infectious. He's relieved to see the young man is still in high spirits. His journey must be going well. The hug is a bit unexpected, but Everett accepts it all the same, giving Marion a good-natured pat on the back. 

"Thanks, it looks a lot better than it did a few weeks ago." 

He nods along at Marion's explanation of who their new companion is. Upon closer inspection, Beak's appearance is more strange than he originally thought. The skull mask does a very good job of fully covering up her face and she's wrapped in all sorts of bandages. Compared to Marion's bright and sunny appearance, Beak looks like death. He offers Beak a friendly smile all the same, life wasn't fair, and he wouldn't be surprised if Beak had a particularly rough one given her appearance.  

"It's no trouble. One more body won't make the ship sink." He shakes his head at Marion's offer to pay for Beak's passage. "No fare necessary, you're a friend." 

As Everett and Beak shake hands, he does give her a bit of a curious look as he picks up on the abnormality in her hands. He doesn't get a chance to give it much of a second thought as Marion's Dragoonfly plods over and gives his head a good solid sniff.

There's something unusual about Everett's scent. Most of it is masked by the sweat and salt from the sea spray, but under it is a different smell. A smell that comes after a flash of light pierces the sky and the sound of rolling thunder shakes the sky itself. Ozone.

Well, he is a sky mage after all. It's not that strange...right?

He lets go of Beak's hand to gently nudge Kweh's curious moff snoot away from him before the creature decides to give his shirt a little taste test. 

"Ah, nice to meet Kweh as well. I don't mean to rush, but the sooner we set out the more daylight we have to work with." He gestures back to the rowboat at the dock with his crewmate waiting on them. "There will be plenty of time to catch up and talk once we set sail." 

Beak gives a friendly nod... which does somehow come across as friendly. The same form of telepathy that lets her "speak" also projects low-level emotional cues. Her mask can't smile, or frown, or make any expressions like that, of course, but one can imagine her returning Everett's smile, as she does seem to be projecting that cue on at least some intangible level.

"You are most kind, good sir. I am still... not quite used to people calling me friend, but it is a very nice and welcome feeling. Thank you ever so much for your hospitality."

For all that Marion's speech is excited and excitable, positively gushing about dragoonfly facts and biology, Beak seems more reserved... polite, friendly even, and even capable of making dry wisecracks if needed, but there's an underlying sense of... perhaps the best way to explain it would be that the elf and lizard each sound exactly like how they look. Marion sure finds his friends in the oddest places, doesn't he?

Beak's gaze follows the gesture until she sees the rowboat. With an acknowledging nod and the smallest telepathic "ah," she shuffles her way aboard, leaning on that stick of hers until finding her seat and then holding it safely in her lap.

”Oh, right- "

Marion while having a habit of letting his words run, doesn't take being interrupted or redirected badly at all- and he promptly jogging over to the rowboat- and then looked abit hesitant at how it bobbed up and down on the water, rather unsure of where or how to put a foot on it- but he did, anyway, and there is a look of accomplishment on his face, when he scooted over to sit down next to Beak.

Above head, Kweh was abit too large for the rowboat, and Marion had waved it over to fly onto the vessel straight ahead- it's golden wings filtering sun like stained glass as it passed over them. Marion was looking up at it, still quite in love with the magnificence of the creature- and then his expression changed abit as the rowboat rocked underneath him as another wave bobbed them up.

"- this is kind of, weird."
He commented, trying to not focus on the off-throwing motion of how the vehicle he is in was tilting and being rocked and tossed around in seemingly random directions and frequency. It's not being very good to his head or his stomach, but Marion have no idea how to resolve this feeling. This is the first time he had been on an actual boat, really.

"You're welcome," Everett replies to Beak. 

He didn't quite pick up on it at first, but it doesn't take him too long to clue into Beak's odd way of communicating. He is a practitioner of magic himself after all. It's strange. Why doesn't she just speak? Why does she hide her face? He's curious, but he doesn't want to offend Marion's newfound friend and pry into what might be a sensitive topic. Adventurers are an odd lot, coming from all sorts of backgrounds and situations. Who was he to judge when Beak has done nothing but act polite to him? 

The crewmate, on the other hand, looks a lot more unsure of things as Marion and Beak - particularly Beak - board the rowboat. They give an unsure look to Everett who just returns the look with a reassuring pat on the arm as he steps aboard himself. Beak's appearance might be striking, but seeing that the Dragoonfly is going ahead to the ship before them, he doesn't think the crew will be paying too much attention to their two guests. At least not initially. 

"You'll get used to it," Everett assures Marion. "Just keep your eyes on the horizon if you start to feel ill." 

Once the crewmate unties the rowboat from the dock, they start rowing them across the water. It's just a quick trip across the inlet and around the sandbars until they get into deeper waters where the ship is anchored. While they were in the shallower water it wasn't too wavy, but once they clear the last sandbar and the reefs disappear beyond sight in the dark blue depths there is a bit more motion to the ocean. Everett makes sure to keep a close eye on Marion and Beak for any signs that they're in distress. 

Speaking of distress, there are some alarmed shouts from the crew as Kweh nears. They weren't exactly warned ahead of time that a dragoonfly would be coming along for a ride either. 

"Oh boy," Everett breathes and watches as the crew scrambles about the deck and take cover in case the creature decided to cheat on its diet. A the very least no one is trying to take shots at it. 

The Lightning's Edge soon towers over the tiny rowboat and a rope ladder with wooden rungs is thrown over the side of the hull down to the waterline. Everett assist Marion and Beak up onto deck before he does damage control and assures the crew that Kweh is no danger to them. They're not thrilled with this whole situation, but considering the trip to Sol City isn't too long, they can deal with it. 

Everett turns to Marion and Beak. "Well, welcome aboard. I'll show you around so you don't get lost and there's a room you can use to rest and put your things."

He then looks back at Kweh. "Uh...I think your dragoonfly could stay down in the cargo hold. There should be space." 

Her... things. Yes. The... things. Her things. That she has. Because people going on trips have possessions. Luggage, it is sometimes called?

She knew she was forgetting something.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality."

... Well. She'll be fine; her material needs are less than that of most people. It's just yet another entry for the "something's weird about that one" list, is all.

In truth, Beak had never been on a boat before, either. She'd never so much as left... well, "her homeland" might not quite be the truest way to put it anymore, but... Marsh Flats. Seeing the effect that the constant rocking is having on Marion, she is rather grateful for not having a stomach to roil at this point. She's still unsteady on her feet, and could perhaps suffer from the mental effects such as dizziness or vertigo if this gets much worse, she supposes. Still, aside from being a risk of losing her balance and falling over, her... condition has the positive side effect of sparing her from the worst parts of seasickness.

She sees the looks she's getting from the crew, of course, and she hardly blames them. Of course she's bizarre. Of course she's suspicious. She's attempting to meet these folks halfway by not just showing up undisguised as a literal actual walking reanimated skeleton and expecting them not to panic, but they're not stupid. She's never going to look normal. It's... a little sad, really. She means them no harm, of course, but prejudices die hard.... This is, of course, precisely why she's "lived" alone in the woods like some sort of cryptid for all these untold years. Had it not been for Marion, she would never have dreamed of subjecting this many people in this public to her unsettling company. But... well... Marion is a sweetheart, and he believes that she could use the socializing, and he has a point. It was this or go back to the wilderness to sit under the elements and feel lonely some more, she supposes, and she could use the change if she ever hopes to rid herself of this lingering feeling of sadness.

Or... she hopes so, anyway. The alternative is that she causes a scene just by existing, thus proving to her new friend precisely why she never comes down from her life of seclusion and exile. But... she's being optimistic, here. Nervous about all this, but optimistic.

The rowboat is really not doing Marion any favours with how it rocks, being light and small on the waves- and he was looking abit pale even as he followed Everett's advice on keeping his eyes on the sea.

And- then there is the ladder climb.

That was- by far- the most terrifying experience Marion had ever had, Between the ladder being made of rope, the ship it is hung from always being in motion and thus swaying the ladder with it, and the unfathomable sea below- Everett would have had to practically drag him on board the actual vessel, where he promptly had a little lie-down on the deck for how he had basically gotten jelly for legs. And then he would come to know how staring up at the sky ontop of a rocking ship does not help with the growing nausea, at all. It is becoming apparent to you how the elf is not going to have a great time on the sea.

The little guy struggled into a sitting position, at least, and put his palm against Kweh's head, who had came over and checked over his prone form, quite concerned for his wellbeing- and after what seemed to be a silent conversation between the two, the dragoonfly vanished with a whirl of space magic.

Everett definitely makes sure to help Marion up aboard. He even steps up onto the air in order to help keep the ladder steady for him.^[1] He does the same for Beak as she boards.

None of the crew give them any trouble, but they’re definitely curious as to who just got brought on board. They all get back to work once Marion puts Kweh away in the pet pocket. Well, all except one that is.

The same crewmate that was in the rowboat with them approaches Everett, weary of getting too close to Beak, and whispers to him so that Mariona and Beak don’t easily overhear them. “Uh, sir, are you sure about this?”

“Hm? Oh, yes, it’s fine.”

“The crew’s a bit apprehensive.”

“It’s fine. I’ve dealt with Bogaboos before and Miss Beak is far more civil than the last one I encountered.”

“....Bogaboo, sir?”

“Ah, well,” he rubs the back of his neck. “I don’t think she’s comfortable revealing that to most folks since they’re likely to freak out. It’ll be okay though. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

“We’re going to the capitol though.”

“Yes…I have concerns about that as well. But I’ll bring that up to them before we arrive.”

The sailor doesn’t look fully convinced, but they back off and just go back to focusing on their work.

Everett turns his attention back to Beak and Marion and offers his hand to Marion to help haul the young man back onto his feet.

“Once we get moving, things will be smoother. I’ll make sure of it.”

He’s being a bit cryptic as to what he exactly means, but Marion has seen him command the winds so maybe he can make it less wavy for the duration of the trip?

“Lets get you both settled while the crew is working. There’s not a whole lot of places to go on the ship but it can be a little confusing to know how to get around.”

With that said, he shows the pair how to get from the top deck down to the room that has been set aside for them. They go down a few sets of stairs and pass some other cargo and equipment for the ship before getting to the simple little cabin. It’s got a pair of bunks crammed against one wall and a little porthole with a built in desk that looks out at the ocean. A small stool sits on the floor next to the desk, as well as a bucket just in case the seasickness really gets to Marion. Originally Marion would have had the room all to himself, but hopefully he’s okay with sharing the space with Beak. Neither of them have that much luggage, so it shouldn’t be too cramped.

“If you need more bedding, just let me know. It shouldn’t get all that cold given we’re not going north of the capitol.”

He points down the way they came. “So left out of here takes you back the way we came, at the base of the stairs if you go across the ship instead of staying on this side you’ll find the kitchen. We’ve got a galley cook but he tries to keep a fairly tight schedule on when meals are. Someone will shout when food is available.”

He makes sure that the pair know where to find some barrels of fresh water and get a break down of the crew’s daily schedule so they know when they need to be mindful of keeping out of the way. It’s probably a lot of information to take in - especially for Marion who already isn’t holding up too well - but he’s already given the crew a heads up that they might need to help their guests if they see them struggling, so hopefully everything will be fine.

“Any questions?”

---

[1] Step of the Wind

Beak graciously accepts the tour, taking in... well... some of the information. Her kind wouldn't exactly need to know how to order food from the galley or where the fresh water is kept, as she neither eats nor drinks. It would be all the more suspicious to say that, though, so she simply nods graciously and pretends that this is vital information she is paying attention to and absorbing. "Ah... thank you, kind sir. ... Everett? ... "Sir Everett" might be a little too formal, ehehe~"

That is a perfect storybook "old crone who is totally not a witch in disguise" laugh if ever you've heard one, but... perhaps at least part of that could be attributed to the telepathy. Her voice sounds like whatever you would imagine in your own head if you were reading her words instead, after all.

As to her poor ailing friend, there isn't much she can do to assist. She has one idea, but it's a long shot. She fully expects it not to work, but at least the worst that happens if it fails is nothing. It's not going to backfire and cause harm, at least, so she may as well ask. When Everett excuses himself to talk to his crew, Beak makes her move to pull Marion aside and present her offer as well. This means that she doesn't overhear their conversation at all, of course, becuase she's busy having one of her own, one that she also would like not for the entire crew to hear the particularly incriminating parts of.

"Marion, my dear... I have... a certain spell^[1] that can settle one's nerves. I keep it in reserve should I be... ah... discovered by the wrong sorts of people, and need to dissipate their hatred or fear of my kind before they try to attack me. I doubt it will do a single thing to settle one's stomach, alas... but it might, maybe help you feel... less agitated about your stomach? You'll still be sick but you'll at least be in better spirits about it." The telepathic equivalent of a wry grin. "I've never used it on friends before. Partly because... well, I've never had friends before, but mostly because it feels very rude and manipulative to alter someone's mental state without their consent. Getting an enemy not to attack me is one thing, but I wouldn't... adjust your feelings in any way... without asking."

"That said, would you like me to try...? You won't hurt my feelings if you say no; I have my doubts this will work, anyway."

---

[1] Space Domain / Calm Emotion

Marion had clung onto Beak all the way for support- he seemed to feel the sway under his feet abit more than what usual people does, and descending a flight of stairs with this sway is once again horrifying, but he manages- and the elf had a hard time actually hearing what Everett was saying, until they reached the cabin, and the poor guy took a seat. But it was abit better than before, Marion noted- possibly since the ship is much larger, it did not get tossed around as easily as the rowboat, which to him felt much like trying to stand ontop a bucking bull. Now at least the rhythm is a little more... predictable, and Marion did not knew how that helped, but it did in some way.

"It's- alright."
Managing a smile even if still looking abit pale, Marion leaned into Beak's touch- he knew this spell since a child, since his father had plenty use of that spell to put him to sleep with- much to mother's annoyance. It washed over him and briefly Marion thought of the scent of his own little blanket at home, the crickets calling outside, and soft footsteps cautious not to wake him.

And it was alright.
Given, the swaying is still there and the whole nausea thing is still hitting him over the head. But Marion could probably hear more things other than his own heartbeat when walking or climbing stairs now. A plus if you ask me.

"Thank you for- all this, Everett, I hope we... won't be a disturbance to, your crew and all."
With his panic and residue jelly-legs treated and perched ontop of a stool, Marion could think abit clearer now, even if he had to pause abit between his words to feel out if he's actually going to throw up anything.

"I do... need to know, though... where is the bathroom?"

"Just Everett is fine," he affirms. 

Seeing Marion lean so much on Beak as they tour the ship, whatever circumstance they met under must have made for quick bonds to form. They're surprisingly close, though then he remembers Marion leaning against his own shoulder after not even having known each other for longer than a few days.

The young man is extremely quick to trust...it's not necessarily a bad thing, but perhaps he should have a conversation with him about it. A few words of caution couldn't hurt especially since Marion isn't as experienced with dealing with city folk and may travel to places that aren't as savory.

He'd also have to have a conversation with Beak, but he's not quite sure how to approach it just yet and he doesn't want Marion to get mad at him. It might be a difficult topic to approach, but he doesn't want them to arrive in Sol City and immediately run into trouble. 

"Ah, on a ship that's called the head," Everett explains when Marion asks about a bathroom. "It's at the bow- ah, rather, the front of the ship." He points in the direction he would need to go to find it. "It's nothing glamourous. Just a wooden bench with a hole."

His eyes glance to the porthole as he looks at the water, there's a bit of a shift as the ship begins to move forward. Everett leans his hand against the frame of the door to Marion and Beak's temporary quarters and gets a look of concentration on his ship for a moment.^[1]

After a moment, the sway of the ship lessens significantly, nearly to the point of being unnoticeable. Yet glancing out the porthole shows the shore passing by and the sound of the waves spraying around the ship is fully audible. They're moving, but it feels like they're standing still. 

He offers the pair a reassuring smile. "Should be smooth sailing all the way to Capitol Landing now."

His attention then focuses on Beak specifically. "Do you need anything?" 

---

[1] Sea Caller - Corsair

"Everett, then." She... well. Her "mask" is fixed and unmoving as always, but to the extent that one can hear her words when she speaks telepathically, the notion of a smile--that one could imagine she would be smiling at this moment--is somehow also apparent.

Does she need anything? Hmm... she tries to think strategically. She's fully aware of how bizarre she must seem, and having needs might seem more... normal? She can't ask for food or water as it would be wasted on her, but she wouldn't be doing herself any favors by not engaging with the day-to-day necessities of the ship and its crew at all.

... Entertainment, perhaps. It already promised to be a calm if somewhat dizzying journey for her since she lacks the necessary organs to feel seasick, but the journey promises to be even calmer now that Everett has taken care of stabilizing the ship. That won't protect from sheer boredom, though, if she was thinking of just sitting in her room being needless and inert for the whole voyage. "... Do you have any books, by any chance?"

She senses Everett is hesitant about... something. Suspicious, perhaps. She can guess--there are only so many things one could look at someone like Beak and feel suspicious about besides the incredibly obvious one--but she allows the matter to go without confrontation for now; Everett can bring that up on his own time. That said, if Marion is away relieving himself and he has Beak alone in her cabin, this would be the perfect time for any private word he may wish to have with her.

Getting the direction needed, Marion promptly excused himself- walking down the ship miraculously didn't seem to be an issue anymore, but he does need to get the sour taste out of his mouth- by any means, a full meal before getting on a vessel proved to be a bad combination as anyone would guess.
————————————————————
He felt much better after that- lighter, at least, and he won't have a whole lot of stuff to actually throw up in case he felt like it is rising up again. And Marion felt like the swaying had become so much more forgiving- maybe it's because they had started to sail, perhaps it was the sea being gracious on him- or maybe it's... sailing skills? Is that a thing? But some peole can drive an ox cart so bad people and the stuff on board would be flung off into the sun- and for some people the ride as smooth as anything you'd wish for. Whatever it is, Marion still was thankful and made a silent prayer to all the gods that he could remember off the top of his head to express his gratitude.

So now... which direction had he came from? It was straight ahead right... is it this room? No... but it did look familiar somehow. This one? -