Cruise Beautiful Lake Agloza (IC - SIGN UP FIRST)

by **Glisandia** » Thu Mar 25, 2021 11:24 am

Sólarupprás Ferðir (Sunrise Tours) Corporate Docks
Hjamokjim, Grímsvötn, Glisandia

Stan had arrived early that morning to the docks, a little after 0500. He was more than a little anxious to make sure that everything went smoothly with this first voyage of the Upplausn. It couldn’t quite be called the maiden voyage, as they had already done that some weeks earlier, and then another trip out onto Lake Agloza just a couple weeks prior. However, this would be the first voyage of the vessel with actual civilian passengers. The previous voyages were all test runs, to make sure that all systems, electronic and mechanical, were in working order. Even the ship’s plumbing had been vigorously tested during these dry runs.

So, he had gone over checklists upon his arrival that day. He checked the general shape of the inside of the hull, and randomly inspected pipes, conduits, and anything else he could in the infrastructure. He would go over the computer control systems with his Executive Officer, Lilja Astridsdottir, when she arrived a little later.

He would then do a visual cursory inspection of all the engines and mechanical systems with his Chief Engineer, Jason Hoyt, who would run diagnostics on all of it.
He and Hoyt would then go over all he had earlier on the infrastructure, seeing what he had missed, or what he had caught that Hoyt might have missed. There really only needed to be the joint inspection, since they’d just done one two weeks earlier for the last voyage, but he had all this nervous energy that he felt he needed to get it out in some useful way.

When it came to systems inspections, though, more than one set of eyes never hurt. At least that’s what Stan told himself, although Hoyt could easily go over all the engines and systems with a junior engineer in his department.

Whatever other pressing business, it would wait until they had breakfast. It was what they looked forward to every morning. A crew ritual to start the day. His mouth watered already and that was still a good 2 and a half hours away.

He had paused to have a smoke, walking outside and back down the gangway to admire her once more from the waterline. He considered smoking his only vice, and it was a rare treat that he afforded himself. He wore a wool coat, to fight off the chill, for while it would surely warm up in the afternoon to short sleeve weather,, it was quite dark now and the temperature was barely 3 degrees Celsius. Then it would drop again to colder than this even in the early evening. Typical Northern Tavlyrian weather for this time of year.

He noticed a man approaching as he had walked towards the bow. The short, somewhat balding blonde man wore a special visitor’s badge attached to his black parka that gave him access to this side of the docks.
As he neared, he waved.
“Captain Redmondsson? How are you?” As he neared he lowered his voice appropriately. Something about him was slightly familiar.
“Hello, I’m Leif Ermandssen.” Little wisps of vapor puffed out from the man’s thin lips.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Ermandssen?”

“I just wanted to talk to you about today.”

“Well, as you know, there’s a lot to be done, so...I guess you have until this is done.” He held up the half-smoked cigarette, a Hámarki, a popular Glisandian brand.

“Yes, well, bare with me. I hope you can give me more time than that. This might take just a bit longer.”

“Important, eh?”

“I should think so. We have a lot riding on this. All of Teremara is watching.”

Stan snorted.
“That’s a bit of hyperbole, don’t you think? I think it’s not even a major news item for all the Lake bordering nations, let alone Tavlyria or the whole region.”

“Perhaps. It is a big deal to us. And I think it could be a big deal to our former enemies.”

“You’re not with Sólarupprás Ferðir, are you?”

“No, Captain. Not exactly. I’m with the government, but...I’m here with the full knowledge of your bosses.” He pulled a packet that he had tucked under his arm, in a nondescript envelope. “Please take this. It has some information, both in some files, and on a flash drive, that you should review with your Security Chief.”

“Something that would delay launch?” Stan took a big drag of his smoke.

“I should think not, no. We don’t want you to do that, but you should still be very aware.”

“We had our special brief with the GSB (Glisandian Security Bureau) the other day.”
Recognition dawned on him. Ermandsson had been at that briefing, sitting in the very back. He’d never said a word then. If it were not for this interaction now, Stan would never have remembered him. He didn’t bother mentioning that fact to the G-man.

Ermandssen cleared his throat.
“Yes, well this is new.”

“Look...I am aware that some of the powers on the Lake tend to be...cantankerous, shall we say? That’s par for the course for sailing this Lake. There’s all the tight, overlapping mineral, fishing, and territorial claims. Especially as we’ll be docking at all their big ports, too, there will be a lot of eyes on us. That’s just a fact.”

“Yes, I should hope the previous brief covered that well...This is more recent...eh...rumblings we have been made aware of. We just think you should be too.”

“Well, I guess I will need to make my crew aware of these...rumblings, also.” He put his hand out for the packet.

Ermandsson drew back his arm with the packet just a little.
“Eh...maybe just your Security Chief for now. Let’s not alarm everyone.”

“Your tone is alarming. I don’t keep things from my crew. They need to know what I know for us to operate optimally. “

“Well, yeah, but…”

“You don’t run a ship, Mr. Ermandssen. I don’t expect you to understand, just to acknowledge what is going to happen. I ran Yellowsian blockades at the height of the War. I’m not afraid of a little sword wiggling.” (He intentionally didn’t use the word ‘waving’.)

“I think you need to watch your tone with me, Captain.”

“They want me to sail this ship out for the prestige of the Grand Duchy...To represent our rebirth as a modern, stable nation with room for leisure, I presume? I think I know exactly what I need to watch and where I stand. Sólarupprás Ferðir is not finding a ship captain of my standing on such short notice, a Glisandian captain for all the headlines, no less... And you know that. You need me more than I need you.”

“Maybe for now. There’s no need to burn bridges and make this your last voyage with the company, or at the helm of any Glisandian registered ship.”

“There’s no need to threaten me either. Last I heard, that’s not how we do things in the very democratic, post-war Grand Duchy.”

“We’re on the wrong track here. I’m not here to threaten you or put undue pressure on you, Captain Redmondsson. Quite the opposite. I’m on your side. I’m just asking you to be discreet here, for the good of the nation. We’re looking out for you all. For your crew and passengers. We want you to be informed and prepared, that’s all.”

Redmondsson scowled at him. “My crew is discreet. Do you think we would unnecessarily alarm our passengers?”

The GSB man thrust out the packet again.
“Just take this. Review it. No one but you and your Security Chief have clearance to see it.” He smirked as if that solved that argument.

“Maybe you should pack a bag and come with us...to protect us, Mr. Ermandssen?”

Ermandssen’s voice grew colder than the morning chill.
“You have no idea what would go to hell if I was stuck on your boat for a week, Captain.”

“The weight of the world, eh, Mr. Ermandssen?” He entirely meant to be a little sarcastic.
Stan begrudgingly tucked the packet under his free arm, the one not holding the cigarette.

“I think we’re done here.”
Ermandssen turned abruptly and strutted off, back towards the access gates.

Stan looked at the cherry of his smoke that had burned all the way down to the filter. He flicked it in the water, then headed back up the gangway.

by **Glisandia** » Thu Mar 25, 2021 11:28 am

The Cruise Line:

The Crew:

The Grand Duchy of Glisandia:

The Lake:

Lake Agloza is an ancient body of water that has historically been the meeting point of several nation-states - currently it is shared by these five:

Glisandia
Yellow Star Republic
Falkasia
Greater Orcadia
Osatana

Many civilizations have relied on it for life giving resources over the ages as it has proven to be more hospitable than the frigid Northern Tavlyrian Ocean, which is difficult to navigate for vessels without icebreaking hulls.

While technically an inland sea fed by several rivers, the salinity level of Lake Agloza is much lower than most seas and oceans, though also too high to be considered a freshwater lake.
In more ancient times, the salinity was much higher, which meant that marine life was lacking in fish, but much higher for brine shrimp and crustaceans, and also a continental mecca for the avian population which fed on these crustaceans. In recent centuries, fresh water rivers from glacier melts have made the Lake more hospitable to other fauna, including more fish species migrating in from the channels and rivers that feed into the Lake. Seals (Pinnipedia Aglozae) and sea lions (Otariinae Algozae) seem to have populated many of the lake coasts and islands during this transition time, but are the only sea mammals to speak of in the Lake ecosystem, with whales being absent from Lake Agloza.

Aside from the vast marine and aqua-agriculture resources, there are also great mineral deposits and possibly oil deposits deep under the lake, although these resources have only been discovered recently and not yet tapped into to any degree by any of the five powers that hold claims upon Aglozian territorial waters.

Also, while there are some very aggressive large fish species, sharks have never been present in the Lake. The most aggressive fish known to attack humans is the vígtefiskur (Acipenserinae Aglozae), a fish that is much closer to barracudas than all of its milder mannered sturgeon cousins and resembles a blend of the two commonly known fish. It is known in English speaking circles as the ‘Murder Sturg’. Humans are not among its targeted prey, but with its poor eyesight, it has on rare occasion mistaken them for flailing seal pups or squid.

Local legend has it that a deadly serpentine known as the Djúpurdreki stalks the waters, terrorizing the Northern Tavlyrian people who have braved the Lake for centuries.
While there are only fables and paintings of boats being attacked and sailors devoured in ancient times, there hasn’t been any credible sighting documented.

The Lake Islands:

One of the stops of the tour is off Vibarna Island, uninhabited by humans, but for some transitory scientists. However, the rocky volcanic outcropping is home to thousands of species of birds, crustaceans, and the largest colonies of seals and sea lions in the Lake. The island is protected by the Marine Life Protection Mandate, enforced by an agency of the Teremaran Security Organization. Due to its delicate environment and protected nature, the boat is only able to anchor a safe photographic distance away.

Fair Isle is a tranquil Orcadian island that is home to some croft farms, an old lighthouse, a lifeboat station, and a radar installation operated by the Ministry of Defence. The population of Fair Isle numbers around 200 people. The nearest full hospital is Port Scaig, as well as the nearest major airport, although there is a small airfield for small aircraft that acts as a taxi service at times and brings in limited supplies. Orcadian Citizens often take a ferry to the mainland, however. The ferries run 4 times per day, and also bring deliveries of diesel fuel to the island for the generators, as there’s no main electrical plant.

In the past, it was a key Orcadian base fought over during the Great War period, and there are still remnants of fortifications near the coasts.

The Isle of Schull is an Osatanian territory. Not much is known about it, other than a similar history to that of The Fair Isle during the Great War period. Due to the autocratic government in power in Osatana, the Isle is mostly inaccessible without a permit that requires the vouching of an upstanding Osatanian citizen. The odd tourist that is allowed has to make do by bunking with a local family in the fishing village due to the lack of any real accommodation.

Other than the small fishing town the rest of the Schull population are military personnel that operate a collection of military installations such as an airfield, and a minor naval depot.
The only sights from the water are the occasional passing fishing trawler/boat and a few military patrol boats. The Upplausn will be one of the few foreign ships to come closest to Schull in quite some time, during its course to dock at Kilmarry.

Tour Stops & Activities:

The Band

Útáfrétt (Out To Pasture) Plays a variety of pop and folk music, with some Northern Tavlyrian influence, but also some other Teremaran influences thrown in like Southeast Madurin (Latin), and Western Madurin (Euro) styles. The band recently formed, hired by Sunrise Tours from a pool of musicians, as they found they couldn’t get a whole band (that can play popular styles) to commit to touring for the spring and early summer. The band have spent the last few weeks intensely adapting popular songs, rehearsing, and gelling together as a group, as they hang around Hjamokjim, waiting for the next cruise launch.

Members:

Paweł Aaronsson - Vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica, some percussion
Paweł was a mainstay in the local Hjamokjim coffee house and small venue scene. He enjoys performing, but doing the coffeehouse and bar circuit is not as lucrative as the money offered by Sunrise. He hopes to tour with the band for one cruise season, then relaunch his own solo career.

Brenna Korczowski - Backup vocals, bass guitar, violin, mandolin, nyckelharpa
Brenna attended the Rikijdrottin Conservatory of Arts for a musical degree. This is her first job out of uni. She is shy, but very generous and caring. She has begun to date Pawel, but it is too early to know if it will lead to anything. She knows that this band is not likely to become a real touring band, but hopes to both join one after this experience, and also to keep practicing and eventually apply for the Royal Orchestra of Rikijdrottin with one of the many string instruments with which she is proficient.

Bennet ‘Benny’ Valdosta - Lead guitar
Benny is a fill in touring member of the Neu Engollian pop rock band, the Frigidmares hailing from Panoli. He hopes to rejoin the band for their later summer tour schedule, including their long standing gig at the Alpen View Brew Festival in Burgunden. His experience in also gigging with the Alpen Volken Circle, another popular Neu Engollian large folk collective, has helped him with work on the ‘updated’ folk material for Útáfrétt.

Ulric Arín - Drums, percussion
A 27 year old long-time Lacetan drummer from Girona with eclectic musical tastes. He alternates drumming and part-time work while in the process of trying to start a band to fulfil his musical dream project. Personality-wise, he’s kind of a goofball with a silly sense of humour and a love of puns (regardless of quality). He grew up in a middle class family and has always been attracted to creative stuff like music and playing video games. Ulric is a firm believer in the "work sucks, I know” adage.

* Apparently, they will get some frequent accompaniment from a guest on bagpipes.

The Weather & Climate:

The Rest of the Fleet:

by **Glisandia** » Thu Mar 25, 2021 11:33 am

Main Dining Room
Upplausn
Hjamokjim, Grímsvötn, Glisandia

A little bit later, after Chef Bonnefoy and his group had been hard at work, Captain Stan walked into the wonderful smells of a hearty breakfast - pastries, sausages, slabs of thick bacon, eggs, fish, and fruit. It was simpler fare than anything the Chef was used to making, but it was a communal breakfast for the crew, and it had to be done fairly quick. It would be enough to fuel their day. Francis made sure that the food was still tasting as good as though it were French cuisine being served at the grand hotel of Gallagher, Hôtel de Pontmercy.

He hailed from Cartoonia originally, but studied abroad in Paris and apprenticed under many French and Italian chefs. Upon his completion of studies abroad, he returned to Cartoonia, where he worked at several high-end restaurants and hotels which served as the top restaurants in the Pacific. His ultimate plan was to also open restaurants that serve French cuisine to the masses and high society alike. He aimed to take his skills around the world and this cruise seemed like a golden opportunity to do so.

Captain Stan smiled as he saw that most of the group, but for a few stragglers, were waiting for him. The crew officers at the Captain’s table in the dining room, and three other tables of crew. They were missing one engineer that would stay down on engine watch, one roving security man, and two bridge crew that were up monitoring the systems. He would have a second sit down with all of them later, after they were relieved for their meal break.

Omari, the Mubatan born Chief steward, directed all the others as they placed bowls, pitchers, and full serving platters down on the table. This would be a communal style breakfast. Chef Bonnefoy was taking care of the last details, then he would join them at the officer’s table. Stan was glad to see that there were some Nordic comfort foods on the table besides all the usual Franco inspired shit that he usually put on the menu. Especially the creamed fish that was a Glisja staple of almost every meal.

Instead of launching right away into a big speech that he had planned, Stan seated himself at his spot at the head of the main table and listened, hands folded in front of him, passively amused expression on his face, to the smattering of conversation from the tables.

This would be the last chance they had to do this, for when the passengers boarded in a couple hours or so from now, meals would not be at scheduled times for the crew. Just when they could spare a few minutes to shovel something down, at random times, could they nourish themselves. The Captain would take breakfast and lunch in his cabin, and dinners would be with select passengers, who would have the honor rotated through by the Cruise Director, Walsman.

So, he just savored the moment as much as possible as he watched his officers and crew further bond.

Jason Hoyt, the Chief Engineer, lifted his head slightly when he noticed the Captain entering the room, and allowed his gaze to follow the man until he was seated, waiting for the boss to say a few words - which to his surprise, did not come immediately. Jason's lips formed a soft smile as his mind was quickly lost in thought soon after. He liked the Captain so far, as he seemed to be a solid personality. From what Jason had heard, the man was an old sea dog with his nation's merchant marine, and had seen some hairy moments in wartorn waters back in the day. As an ex-naval man himself, Jason could respect that. Furthermore, he and the Captain had spent some time together whilst doing the routine engineering inspections, and he seemed to be quite a competent sort. Forcing himself back to reality, Jason took a good look around at the other officers seated at the table. From a superficial viewpoint - an interesting bunch.

Pedro Orlando Fortunado was also examining his fellow crew, and especially the Captain. “Captain Stan” they called him, and he insisted on just being called Stan, but Pedro could never bring himself to talk to a superior officer that way. He looked over to the next table at the one radio man under his command, a very raw 21 year old Glisandian named Ivor. Ivor was tall, red haired, with chiseled Nordic features, and smooth at entertaining the females of the crew. Currently he was engaging a housekeeper and two stewards at his table.

Ivor was a good lad, but it was sometimes annoying how easy the lad seemed to have it. He’d been just a boy during the horrific war his country had gone through, and Pedro didn’t really know his full story, but he seemed to have gotten off pretty light considering the horror several in the Grand Duchy had experienced, from what the San Rositan had gathered in his travels in the area.

Other than Ivor, Pedro had been told by the Sunrise higher ups that if he needed another body to monitor the radios, he could borrow one from security. He hadn’t broached that subject with Señor Ryker just yet, but he doubted that he could actually follow through with that plan.

Markus Ryker, Chief Security Officer, was seated next to Jason Hoyt. Patiently waiting for the meal to be served, he took this opportunity to look around at the other officers seated at the captain’s table. Captain Redmondsson had just taken a seat but had yet to speak to his crew. Chief Communications Officer Pedro Fortunado was seated nearby too. Nodding to him, Markus made a mental note for later to check in with Officer Fortunado regarding a few questions he had regarding shipboard communications procedures. Continuing to look around at his fellow officers, Markus nodded to Dr. Cobanalli as he made a second mental note. He would need to stop by the medical bay and check in with her regarding any potential emergency medical proceedings. As he continued to look around at everyone, he smiled. It seemed to Markus that it would be a very pleasant cruise knowing that the Upplausn was in the hands of well-trained professionals.

Finally, having looked over the other officers, Markus turned his attention to Jason Hoyt. According to a company dossier he had read, Jason was a veteran of the Port Ember Security Forces Navy. Not wanting to let an opportunity to meet a military veteran of a close national ally pass him by, Markus was about to get his attention when Officer Fortunado beat him to it. With a small smile, Markus waited to speak with the Chief Engineer.

Pedro Fortunado looked over at Chief Engineer Hoyt, who also appeared to be studying the rest of the crew.
“Señor Hoyt, how are the engines running? Do they purr like big kittens?”

Jason turned his gaze slowly towards Pedro Orlando Fortunado, the Communications Officer, he believed, and smiled softly as he responded, "They do indeed, Mister Fortunado. Although they do purr like large kittens as you say, I consider them more as young elephants… Large, powerful...Graceful. Wonderful marvels they are."

“Ah, yes! Elephants. That paints a better picture, I am sure. I think that in another life, my calling might have been as a mechanical engineer.” Pedro looked off wistfully out the dining room window.

Seeing that Pedro was finished speaking with Jason Hoyt, Markus took this opportunity to speak with the Port Emberian. “So Officer Hoyt, you’re a Port Emberian right?”
Jason turned his head towards his left, towards the new voice which addressed him. He replied instantly in a warm tone, “Officer Ryker, I presume? I do indeed hail from Port Ember.”

Smiling warmly, Markus stuck out his hand to shake Jason’s. “Ah, it’s good to see a fellow denizen of the Northern Ocean out in these far-off lands! I myself hail from the Armed Republic. What brings you out to Glisandia?”

Jason’s ever present soft smile enlarged immediately, as the feeling of camaraderie swept over his soul, he reciprocated the extended handshake. “Ah, a Chuckian! These are some fortunate tidings indeed. I actually visited Charles Rock a number of times, by means of traveling with the Waterstad Borough – Charles Rock Underwater Rail Tunnel. It's an… interesting city. Have you ever been to Port Ember? And to answer you, I am a Bergian after all – so wanderlust is a constant motivator for travel.”

With a hearty chuckle, Markus clapped Jason on the back. “Aye! I’ve been to Port Ember a number of times while I was in the navy. Port Ember Megalopolis was a port of call on many of our patrols, and after I discharged, I still found myself in Port Ember a fair bit on the civilian side. Many merchant vessels ply the waters around that area."

Jason let out a short burst of deep laughter himself, unable to help himself but to be overcome with joy. It was very rare for an opportunity to arise where one could meet a stranger who hails from the same jungle - so to speak - whilst being so far from home. Jason slapped the table in front of him absentmindedly, "Unbelievable! Not only a neighbour, but a fellow ex-Naval dog!? What are the odds, Mister Ryker? Amazing."

Smiling, Markus was delighted by Jason's boisterous spirit. "Spent six years in service performing green-water operations. After I got out, I went into maritime security to see the world. One thing led to another, and now here I am. What's your story, Jason?"

Jason nodded, "I admit that sounds like a familiar tale, one which may apply to a great number of Chuckians in general, yes? My story is much alike to most Bergians living in Port Ember - grew up in a traveling convoy, went to Military School, joined the Navy, left the Navy, and now adhering to the call of wanderlust."

Continuing, Markus' curiosity got the better of him. "Haha, very fair. If you don’t mind me inquiring, one veteran to another, what vessels were you stationed on during your time in service?"

Nodding once more, Jason replied, "Well, I have served on a few Ladies during my time, yet the pinnacle of my career was my stint as the Chief Engineer on a Lilly Black Class Destroyer named the PES Darling, under the legendary Captain Crusuo... You might have heard of us, yes? Since we were part of the legendary battlegroup which sunk the entire Vostok Fleet! And, that day was the day where I saw the constant media rantings of 'The Republic of Port Ember and The Armed Republic of The Chuck are allies for all time immortal' in action - as our arses were thoroughly saved by your navy on that day."

Listening intently to Jason, Markus was delighted to learn that Jason had served aboard the PES Darling. "Aye, all of us were waiting to see Admiral Shay and Captain Crusuo and their crews give those Ukraniumstani and Kyavani bastards a good thrashing! I actually served under Admiral Shay, back when he was only a Captain."

A glimmer appeared within Jason's eyes as pride and fond memories rushed through him, "Well you don’t say?! I have never met the Admiral in person, but his actions on that fateful day told me enough about his character! I mean...our combined forces basically changed the fate of the region in one single fight."

Before continuing, Jason sighed softly as his euphoria gave way to reality, however his smile remained, "You know what, Mister Ryker? My engine room is always open for ya. Feel free to visit me anytime..." Jason moved his head forward and lowered his voice to a whisper, "I have some high-quality Port Emberian coffee & rum stashed..."

Chuckling, Markus leaned in and responded. “That sounds lovely… Feel free to swing by the security office yourself…”

With a wink, he left it at that.

George Walsman, the Cruise Entertainment Director, was double checking the staff roster and checking in on various members of the Entertainment staff, before sitting down for the meal. He thought that the food smelled different to that in Shourhiel, where he had lived his whole childhood and early adult-hood. His parents, while immigrants from the Duchy, had fed him Shourhielian food most of the time. Luckily, George had been back in the Duchy for some time now and used his experience in hotels in Shourhiel to get a job with Sunrise Cruises. He snapped out of his daydreaming and moved to sit at the officers table, greeting members of his team along the way. He sat orderly at the table and presented himself to the captain.

“Captain Stan, the passengers are going to have a bloody roaring great time on this boat!” Some others on the table gave George a glare. In that moment, he realized that he was speaking to the Captain and not his mates back in Shourhiel.

“Apologies captain, the entertainment team is prepared for this trip.”

“Ha! No apologies necessary, Officer Walsman...George...I should certainly hope they will have a rip roarin’ good time.” Captain Stan replied with a smile.

George leaned away from the table to see the progress of breakfast, but the kitchen was secluded from his sight.
Damn, the food coming any time soon? He thought to himself.

Redmondsson continued to observe his officers and crew conversing, bonding, becoming a family. He hated to break it up, but he probably should say a few words before they dug into the meal, and he could see some anxious faces that were hungry, more than they were starved for conversation.

As Omari neared him, carrying a covered bowl, Captain Redmondsson whispered.
“Omari, please, join us here as soon as you are done and able.”
He pointed to an empty chair.

“Eh, no, Effendi...Captain Stan. I must sit with my stewards. My apologies.”

“Nonsense! I understand why you say that, but...Nonsense. Take your place here at the officers’ table. You will have plenty of times to commune with your steward staff later.”

Omari Sibatasenga nodded, but it wasn’t clear if that meant he would eventually sit down at the Captain’s Table, or was just acknowledging what Stan said. He then continued on with the bowl, while Captain Stan refocused his attention on the scene unfolding before him.

Dr. Maria Cobanalli had slipped in and taken her place at the main table. Her small stature always seemed to aid in her being able to draw little attention when she didn’t want it. Her ‘perky’...she hated that word...cute face, shoulder length dark blonde hair, and athletic body, however, was what drew the attention back onto her. Usually not desired attention.

She had been late to the breakfast as she tried to get caught up on making sure that her sick bay was well supplied. Along with that was making certain they stocked requested life saving medications they needed for some passengers, and also a select number of the crew, for backup, in case those passengers or crew lost them, or ran out for whatever reason. They were stored in a very secure punch code key cabinet and refrigerator, depending on their storage needs. Once they left port, she had little confidence they could find such first aid supplies and medicine stocks in a nation like the Yellow Star Republic, or Osatana, although they might fare better in tracking down resupply in Falkasia or Orcadia.

The ship’s sick bay needed to match the standard of a small town clinic. There were days that they would be completely out to sea and hours from a port. There was no helipad on board the small ship, and transferring to a fast boat would take some time, along with the trip back to port. Critical life saving hours.

Maria was by no means a formally trained surgeon, but she would be quite capable of stabilizing any traumatized or struggling patient until they could get them to the nearest hospital. She had one nurse and one orderly/medical technician in her department that took orders from her. A full staff of 3. That wasn’t much for any decent clinic, but should be enough for a boat this size.

She watched as Pedro Fortunado bowed his head, saying a little grace before he tucked into the food. From a couple conversations with him, being one of the few fellow Madurinites on board, she knew he was fairly religious. Catholic to be exact. In her nation, the Confederacy of Neu Engollon, they weren’t very religious as a whole, although there were pockets, especially in the Latin areas. Her parents considered themselves Catholic, growing up in Badalucco, Liguria, but they weren’t devout by any means.

Maria looked over on her other side, to see Soren, the Chief Maintenance/Housekeeping Officer shoveling some food into his mouth in a very haphazard, hurried manner. He seemed a bit surly, but he was just one of those mildly sardonic folks who meant no harm or malice when you got to know them well enough. She didn’t know him that well yet, but was sure that was the case.

She looked across at George Walsman, the Entertainment Director, as he kept looking towards the galley and around, as if he was ravenous. She faintly shook her head. There was food on the tables all around them, on platters, and in covered large bowls. The stewards and galley crew were ferrying out more every minute.

Stan stood up casually, giving a stern look to Omari, who finally took a seat, begrudgingly at the Captain’s table, after dropping off one last large bowl at one of the crew tables.
Stan cleared his throat to bring the attention back up to him and the side conversations died down,
“Good morning, crew! Heya! I’m glad to see you all. We’re missing a few, but I want to get started now. We have a big day, of course. Please, if you haven’t yet, dig into all this wonderful food. Don’t wait on my account. Thank you again, Chef Bonnefoy, for such a wonderful spread. I know this isn’t what you usually like to cook, but we all thank you for this comfort meal. This is the last time we’ll be able to do this as a crew until we dock again at home port. We look forward to a very diverse menu while out to sea…”
A smattering of applause and hoots from all the crew who had been able to enjoy the gourmet fare for the last couple weeks as they had squared away the ship.

“Yes, our gratitude to you, Chef...
We’re going to have all the officers go around and report on their preparations for their departments, or just say a few words. Please let them finish. We have 4 hours before we start boarding. I’d like us to go over every detail with a fine tooth comb here as we close in on ‘B’ hour, as I’ll call it. Also, let’s keep in mind our primary mission: ‘We are here to give the passengers everything they desire to make this a memorable voyage, but not compromise on safety.’
I guess the ‘Customer is King’, as they say...Unless they pull some Titanic stunt like trying to dangle off the bow, play in the engine room, or dive off the FRIBs at Vibarna Island...Then kick their asses for being colossally stupid.”

Stan waited for the laughter to quiet, smirking.
“Right, so, first, I’d like to hear from our Executive Officer, Lilja Astridsdottir.”

The second officer of the ship, or First Mate (a term she loathed), stood up after putting down her mug of tea. She had long dark hair that she usually kept up in a loose bun, and was very slim and striking. She was all professional when needed, especially now, speaking to the gathered crew.
“Thank you, Captain. Pleasure to be here, as always. I don’t have too much to report. The bridge is in fine shape and all systems are go. You might recall we had a little issue with the X Band radar, but that has been fixed, thanks to your team’s help, Chief Hoyt. I look forward to touching base with all of you over the next couple hours as we complete the MPC (Master Pre-sail Checklist). That’s all I have...Oh, and don’t kick a passenger’s ass. I hope Officer Ryker doesn’t have to actually stop you from doing that.”

Stan nodded.
“Ha! Excellent. Well said. I want to see all green on that MPC. Now, we go to Officer Fortunado, our Communications Officer, who also, some of you may not realize, doubles as our Meteorological Officer.”

Pedro took a drink of coffee to wash down some bacon, then stood up, twisting around to also take in the tables behind him.
“Thank you, Captain. The radio techs have made sure all our systems are working and we have done transmission tests to Port Authorities here in Hjamokjim, as well as out to Kvarljeg.”
Kvarljeg was not a port they would be docking at, but it was the last Glisandian port they would pass before sailing into Yellowsian waters.
“Cyber communications gear is also all set. All systems go including our weather tracking systems.”
The San Rositan continued to pan around the expectant faces at the tables.
“There are no potential storms reported for the next few days. Smooth sailing with a very mild chop. The temperature today started at a muy frio...chilly 3 degrees, but is already up to 7, and we’re expecting a high this afternoon of 21. Sparse cloud cover, full sun, so wear that sunscreen out on deck, with this thin Northern Tavlyrian ozone. A perfect day to set sail.”

Stan remained seated. “Simpatico!” It was one of the few Spanish words he knew, and he hoped he was using it right. He wasn’t.
“Alright then...Chief Hoyt, why don’t you fill us in on the mechanical status of the boat?”

Jason Hoyt immediately rose from his seat, directly into a position of attention, which he then tried to hide by subtly shifting his stance. Old naval habits die hard…
"Captain, the vessel is as healthy as can be in short. As you know personally, inspections and diagnostics have been conducted numerous times, all with positive outcomes. I can personally certify that all infrastructure, mechanical systems and engines are healthy and ready to go. Oh, and we are fully loaded on fuel, Sir." Jason nodded towards the Captain in respect as he retook his seat.

“Yes, I’m well aware, Chief Hoyt. You are quite the top capable ship engineer, and I have known many in my years of service on the seas. Between you, myself, and Lilja, and of course, the rest of the crew, I believe we’ll keep this boat in top working order.
So...Next, I’d like to hear from our Chief Security Officer, Mister Ryker. Would you brief us? Oh...Also, I’d like to speak with you after breakfast. Some, eh...new situational information has come up that we need to discuss.”

Jason nodded, with his ever present soft smile on display as a non verbal agreement and thanks to the Captain's words. However, Jason's body tensed slightly after hearing the words "new situational information" being mouthed. Whilst he had no real reason to be alarmed, his gut did not like those words. At all. Jason wasted no time in shelving those concerns deep to the back of his consciousness.

As Captain Stan called on him, Markus Ryker took one final sip of his coffee before standing.

“Captain, the security team has been briefed on what we expect with the boarding process of the passengers today. Along with this, we are prepared for any potential internal issues regarding passenger safety while out on the lake. However, after we speak, I will need to stop by Dr. Cobanalli’s office to speak with her regarding her preferred medical procedures. In addition to all I’ve stated so far, I ask that all crew help with making sure that this is a safe and enjoyable trip for all of our guests. If any of you see anything out of the ordinary, please feel free to let one of the security team members or myself know.”

Maria looked up from her plate, upon hearing her name. She had been listening, but was also working on her eggs and potatoes, as last preparation tasks ran through her mind.
“Oh, yeah, of course. Please stop by sick bay later, Mr. Ryker. That’s where I’ll be.”

Captain Stan waited a moment to make sure that Ryker was done. He motioned to the doctor,
“Well, that segues nicely as I was going to go to you next, Dr. Cobanalli. Please, tell us how ready the medical team is.”

Maria stood up. She was only a little over five foot tall, often dwarfed by her Nordic counterparts in her time here in Hjamokjim and around Glisandia.
“Well, we’re ready, Captain. Our inventory on medical supplies is complete. I think I’m going to go over the medical alerts I was sent over by some passengers’ concerned health care providers or flagged on their boarding declarations, just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Lastly, I will be working out the schedule for my team. Just to add onto what Mr. Ryker said, we’re going to have quite a few elderly folks on board, as par for the course, I guess, with cruises.
If you see any medical issues arise, please let me or my team know right away. If they seem unsteady, suffering from motion sickness, or acting weak in some way...Make sure you’re next to them and they don’t fall. Get another staff to get them a wheelchair if needed - we have a total of 10 expandable chairs on board, 2 stored away at each major juncture on the ship. The health of our passengers and crew should be our primary concern…”

“With enjoyment a close second.” Captain Stan added on.

“Yes, of course. That’s it from me. Dial #2 on the hotphones if you need myself or my med staff.” (#1 was reserved for Security.) Maria sat back down.

Stan agreed.
“Let’s not forget those bright orange hotphones. Located all over the ship.” They didn’t use red, due to it being an issue for color blind people.
“Next up, not last, and certainly not least, just as important as safety on a cruise, is the food and fun. Our Head Chef, Chef Francis Bonnefoy. How do you think we’re set for food service for all the passengers?”

“I believe I have everything I need to create spectacular dishes for everyone to enjoy. I am sure that the supplies are plentiful and of course with my culinary talent I can whip up anything special for the lovely passengers on board. Though I do wonder, are there any objections to foie gras being served?”

Lilja spoke up first,
“Well, there’s no law against it in Glisandia, where the ship is registered. I have to say though, the thought of how it is created is...cringey and possibly immoral, let’s just leave it at that. It’s a little personally reprehensible to me...”

Stan interrupted her.
“Hmmm. Let’s get back to that later. Chef, how do you feel your galley crew will be at getting the meals out on time, and the buffet tables stocked? Also, are you working well with Mr. Sibatasenga, our Chief Steward, and his team, to have that exceptional service?”

“My galley crew is doing their best, and I believe that they will serve our offerings most extraordinarily with timeliness. And we are working with Mr. Sibatasenga and his team extremely well, providing our diners with the most exceptional service. I hope to get to know him better as we go along, as well”.

Dr. Cobanalli spoke up,
“Um, that sounds wonderful...I’d like to ask, Chef, if we have been able to make sure that we can cater to all the special diets, both for health and cultural and religious reasons, of course?”

“But of course. I have with me some recipes for substitution of ingredients ranging from kosher salt to portobello mushroom wellingtons. I also included ratatouille and quiche. And some lentil soup as well”.

Stan nodded.
“Well, great. I’m glad to know we have options for those diners who have dietary restrictions. That works…”

“But the foie gras!”

“...for me. Moving on.
Alright, well...Let’s hear from our Entertainment Officer, or Director, if you will...George Walsman for those of you who have not met him. George has been firming up our itinerary plans. How is that shaping up now, George?”

George stood from his chair and faced most of the officers assembled at the table.
“Thank you, Captain, yes, I have indeed been working on the entertainment for this cruise. The team and I have various events lined up the entire voyage. There will be band performances throughout the cruise, starting right after we launch from port. The casino will be opened either all day or in abbreviated sections. Day 2 of the cruise is going to be a big one with offshore activities, but my team and I have considered the eldery and people with disabilities and have assigned on-board activities to entertain passengers remaining on board at each stop. We are definitely ready.”

“Well done, Mr. Walsman. I look forward to the list of those who will be joining me for our dinner tonight. Also, to see all the passengers well engaged in all the activities provided.”
He took a sip of his juice, then turned to Omari.
“Well, Mr. Sibatasenga, how are things with the stewards? How prepared is your team?”

Omari stood up.
“Thank you Captain. I really have little of value to add. But as Chief Steward, I promise you that my team will be there to assist anywhere that we are needed, catering to all the passenger needs. Let us know if you hear of anything that we can help with, when we aren’t not on meal service. Thank you.”

Captain Stan smiled,
“Excellent, but don’t sell yourself short, Omari. You add a lot of value to our team. Soren, er, Mr. Zielenski? How is our maintenance and housekeeping staff?”

“Save me for last, eh, pryczavnur?” Soren didn’t stand up.

Stan’s smile slipped a little. Both at the tone, and the usage of that word that meant more than just ‘pal’ or ‘friend’ in Polskie-Glisja, the peculiar pidgin dialect of Glisja that was shared by Glisandians of mixed Nordic-Polish ethnicity, like himself and Soren. It usually was also an exclusionary term denoting that the Poles go it alone, and wasn’t very conducive to teamwork.
“I meant no disrespect, Soren. You usually don’t have much to say. Best for last, right?”

“I’m only kidding, Captain. We’re all good. Ready for everything and we have the cabins and public areas in top, sparkling shape. Like Omari said, if you know of anyone in need of anything my department can supply, let us know. That includes for the crew cabins and space.”
He remained seated, and stared off into space as he took a sip of coffee. Stan waited another beat to make sure he was finished talking. A few of the other officers and crew looked around, trying to figure out if they were only imagining some drama or not.

“Right, alright...Well, I think that covers all of it, let’s finish up and get to tasks soon. I’ll probably still touch base with all of you...Myself or Lilja, rather. I’m really proud of all of you. We’ve really come together and now this is the true test of the team. Like I said, I want this to be a memorable moment that our passengers talk about for the rest of their lives.”
Captain Stan Redmondsson really did mean that in the best possible terms.

They all continued to tuck in, some finishing their last few bites, while others had barely started to serve themselves from the impressive spread that Chef Bonnefoy and galley crew had provided. As Captain Stan had mentioned, this would be the last time that almost the entire crew, all departments, could enjoy a meal and/or meeting time together like this unfettered, for the rest of the Cruise.

One by one, they all headed back to their departments to tend to last preparatory tasks. While Omari and the stewards cleared plates and tables, and the galley got to cleaning up, a few straggler officers and crew were caught up in conversation as they sipped coffee and digested their meal, confident that they were well prepared for B hour.

[RP CREDIT goes to Port Ember, San Rosito, Mubata, The Chuck, Neu Engollon, Cartoonia, and Shourhiel for contributing to this post.]

Captain Redmondsson stopped by the Security Center of the ship, walking in and nodding to the security officer on duty at the front desk, who waved him through upon instant recognition. He walked towards the back, where Markus Ryker kept an office. He didn’t even look in as he knocked on the door frame. This wasn’t his first stop around the boat before B Hour, and he wasn’t feeling as sharp as he had a few hours earlier. He needed to find some fortitude somewhere, however, as he was not likely to get sleep until late tonight.
“Hello? Mr. Ryker? Are you in?”

Looking up from sorting through a stack of files, Markus smiled pleasantly.
“Ah Captain! What can I do for you right now?”

“Mr. Ryker. I wanted to touch base with you on that issue I alluded to earlier. I had a visit, very...very early this morning, from a representative of my government. I’m going to assume GSB. He handed me these…”
He pulled out the packet from early this morning that held the file and flash drive.
“I did look over them briefly, but I haven’t had much chance to study them in depth.”

As the captain spoke, Markus’ brow furled. Standing up he moved towards the door and closed it so that it was just him and the Captain in the room.
“What have you gathered so far from this, Captain?”

“The Yellow Star Republic has mobilized their entire Lakeside fleet. They have also marshalled ground units to the Lake coast. Granted, their naval assets in the Lake don’t add up to much, in comparison to their Tavlyrian Ocean fleet. Kind of what you would consider a brown water navy, I would guess. As well, Osatana is rousting some of their assets, but the GSB aren’t clear how many, if all of their boats or just some. That’s about as far as I got.”

Listening intently, Markus let the cogs in his mind start to turn as he thought about what Captain Redmondsson was saying.

“Hmm, is the GSB certain that this isn’t a maritime exercise?”
Taking the file and flash drive, he started to look over what information had been provided. Skimming over the documents, Markus continued to muse.

“Well, look...Markus, all I know is that my country went through a war with these fuckers and yours didn’t, so you're not as familiar with them, but that’s about all. I don’t know all this technical, political mumbo jumbo, but hopefully you do. No, I don’t recall Lake exercises being a thing, so I think the timing is beyond coincidental on this.”

“Fair point. So treat this situation as if the worst possible scenario could unfold for us, but hope for the best… Do you think either of the governments of those nations would have the gall to attack or hinder this vessel when it is loaded with foreigners from all around?”

“Arggh….Hmmm...I don’t know. Attack? I doubt it. Hinder? Maybe? Look, the company, and the Grand Duchy are well aware at how unstable and erratic these governments are in foreign relations...
What you need to keep in mind is that the YSR and Osatana had their asses handed to them by the Coalition in the last war - 5 years ago. Hard...It set them back years. I can’t imagine they’re ready for that again. So, I think it’s a lot of posturing and dick wiggling. But what do I know? I’m a merchant turned cruise captain, not a foreign policy expert.”

“Hmm… Do you think they would be brazen enough to attempt to board the Upplausn in the event that they attempt to hinder our travel? If so, we might want to consider looking at drafting an onboard proactive defense strategy. If they attempt to simply hinder us, I feel like you are stubborn enough to not let them hassle the passengers too much.“

Stan looked at Markus, then recrossed his leg, hooking the other one over nervously, as he thought on what the Security Chief said.
“I honestly don’t know. What I do know is that if they didn’t want us to go forward...If they were sure that we would be stopped, they would have said so. A lot of economic and national prestige rides on this cruise. Unless there’s concrete proof that someone is going to interfere, national actor or terrorist, they’re not going to let us abort this thing, just on a whim, or rumor of something happening. There’s a lot of eyes on us right now, much as I’d like to tell the crew otherwise. And yeah...damn right I’m not going to let anyone fuck with my passengers!”

“Understandable Captain. At the same time, if the worst case scenario were to happen, there wouldn’t just be outcry from Glisandia…”

With that, Markus gestured to the files he had been sorting through earlier.

“A few of our passengers are rather powerful people in their respective nations and it would cause severe international backlash if anything were to happen to them on this cruise. However, I know politicians and bureaucrats can easily misread the room. As such, with your permission I will look at starting to get a few different defense strategies created for what I perceive to be the most likely scenarios if something were to happen. I am thinking perhaps we have both proactive and reactive solutions lined up to address any issues.”

“You have a good point. However, keep in mind, a security force of a dozen can not take on a foreign navy. You will get wiped out and invite a retaliation that will put the rest of the passengers and crew at risk. I would order you to stand down, were we to be faced with such a situation. Your strategies should entail keeping everyone safe and alive, including being as compliant and deferential as possible. I don’t want to lose a single passenger or crew, including your security people…” He leaned forward with a big sigh.
“I can’t abort this now, as I said, and I think that we’re seeing a big push by my government to make sure we go ahead, no matter the risk. There’s too much riding on the success of this cruise for opening up future economic ties between Glisandia and the rest of the area, for Sunrise to turn away passengers last minute. Even if I were to concoct some mechanical emergency...they would send all available engineering personnel to the docks, both Sunrise and government, and I would be debunked real quick. They would just replace me, and maybe Chief Engineer Hoyt, and give people back their money to sail with us. We have all cabins booked, as it is, as you know...”

“Of course sir. By no means do I plan on using force in a manner that isn’t wholly within the realm of self defensive. I was wondering if we should establish an emergency citadel of sorts where in the event of the worst case scenario, we could fall back and barricade the entrance so that the majority, if not all of the passengers, could hold out until the situation has cleared… However, compliance is definitely key to maneuvering through the majority of scenarios that I can think of.”

“I believe that a couple parts of the boat are designed to do exactly that - go on lockdown, like a ‘citadel’ situation...mainly the bridge and the engine room. This was in keeping with piracy concerns, were the Upplausn ever to launch on the open ocean. Not that there’s never been pirates on Lake Agloza…
At the risk of sounding redundant here, and I know I am...
My concern is still that it would piss off our aggressors and make the situation worse, unless, of course...The worst case scenario was a bloodbath. Then, yeah...save everyone you can. As for any large area to hold passengers, I think we would have to improvise. The concern with that is a two edged blade, if you will...That it could be reverse engineered to make one big prison for the passengers, were any raiders to get the upper hand. Which is why I think they never went through with trying to make a panic room area to hold all the passengers.”

“Hmm… With all due respect Captain… For the sake of the passengers, I feel like it would be preferable to be cornered in a fortified position than to be left to their own devices at the hands of hostile foreigner powers…”

“I understand where you’re coming from. I think we’ll continue this another time. I have to keep moving here and check in with all the departments, and I think that talking about actual structural changes right now is going to be a bit time consuming. I leave it to you to research the best, largest area to fortify the passengers in the main area of the ship. Tap Chief Hoyt to touch base with on that. We can lock doors and plan on makeshift barricades. We’ll revisit it and see what you have come up with. Until later then, Mr. Ryker.”

They shook hands and Stan headed out of Ryker’s office.

[RP CREDIT goes to The Chuck for contributing to this post.]

Captain Stan had mixed feelings coming out of the meeting with Ryker. He was glad that he had shared the info with him, but wasn’t sure if it put them in any better of a situation. He was certain that Ryker would prepare the best he could, but they just didn’t have the resources to really prepare to repel a boarding by a Osatanian or Yellowsian naval vessel. Pirates maybe, but a full hostile military raid? Now he worried they might only be more anxious and maybe make the wrong choices in dealing with any potential situation.

Stan struggled to put it in the back of his mind. That was why they had hired Ryker to deal with all that. He spent the rest of the next couple hours checking in on all the departments, like he said he would. Those he didn’t, he made sure that Lilja checked in on, via radio. He ran over every detail and checklist with each crew officer, and their top department team leads, to make sure that everything was truly ready for the passengers.

It was all hands on deck, in the literal sense. Even crew that would be on the night shift were up in order to assist in completing the MPC. They would have time to sleep afterwards. He felt guilty that Lilja would be the one taking most of the night shifts in commanding the bridge, with a couple nights off with the third watch officer on duty.

Stan was the public face of the cruise and passengers would be wanting to interact with him all day, when they weren’t on shore excursions. He had to take first shift watch, and would be getting his exercise going from the bridge, to the public areas of the boat to show face, and back and forth.

He got to the bridge, where Lilja was directing preparations to get under way.
“I’ve got this now. You should get some sleep, Lilja.”

“Are you kidding, Captain? I can lose a couple hours sleep to see the boarding. I wouldn’t miss it.”

The ship’s band arrived, a bit later than scheduled, just before the rest of the passengers. Such was the way of musicians, they said. Walsman tasked one of the activities staff to escort them to where they could stow their equipment and instruments, and then find their cabins. Lilja watched the band slink in with a little irritation. She hoped this would be one of the few and only major miscommunications with them for the rest of the trip. They needed to be more timely with their scheduled sets than they were with their arrival time.

Down where the embarkation ramp spilled onto the main deck of the ship, George Walsman led the activities staff in readying to greet the first passengers to pass through customs and screening. Not only them, but other available staff were on hand, to show the unity of the crew and give the passengers a view to all those involved with the running of the ship, and connect to future familiar faces.

They watched as they saw passengers funnel into the dockside facility where they needed to pass through the security screening. Officers of the Royal Glisandian Customs Service were on hand to perform the screenings.
Another table was set up and manned by Sunrise personnel, offering visas for several of the nations whose ports they would be visiting. They were also there to help the passengers fill them out, if they couldn’t figure it out on their own. Some were more timely than others, but there would be few times where they had the collective attention of the passengers.

If it was left to the last minute, they wouldn’t be allowed on shore past the foreign custom post, no matter what activities they had paid for in advance. Then those negligent passengers might take it out on the crew for not reading their minds and doing it all for them. While assuming the worst case scenario, some of the crew, who had worked on other cruise lines in the past, knew it was a very distinct possibility.

Their luggage was screened, then loaded onto carts to be brought on by Sunrise porters who weren’t part of the regular crew, and would only be assisting in getting the passengers situated in their cabins.

Crew, activities, officers, and otherwise, greeted the passengers with wide smiles.

“Hallo!”

“Velkominn!”

“Welcome aboard!”

“So happy to see you!”

“Okkar ánægja!”

“Bonjour!”

“Zdravstvuyte!”

by **Greater Orcadia** » Thu Mar 25, 2021 2:07 pm

With Tizzy their usual feline companion now in the care of a friend, (oh boy are their in for some fun), Penny and Evan are finally able to take some leave and so their truck that has been doing some serious globe trotting, what with work in the Aurora Confederacy, Port Ember and now back in its native Orcadia, the time has come for some well earned rest and recreation so with cruise tickets in hand and baggage packed they made their way to Glislandia, at first by plane then local trains to Hjamokjim and the port where they are to board the Upplausn, a traslation that Evan seems to think means "Applause", which given the similarity of the words may or may not be the case. Penny is travelling light, 3 suit cases, an electic guitar and a plug in amp along with a convertor unit to allow them to plug it into the ships power supply.

Penny turns to Evan "Well this is our home for the next few days, wander what the food is like and wander how the lake is going to be?" she asks.
Evan just shrugs, "well it might get a bit lumpy for this tub" as he puts the contents of the luggage that was put into the back of the taxi, (or rather minibus) onto a luggage cart as Penny pays the minibus driver and gives him a healthy tip.

"Well, its loaded. lets head over there." says Evan, pushing the cart as Penny walks over, somewhat stiffer than Evan due to a pair of prosthetic legs.
Penny scans the deck of the boat, then turns to Evan, "is that who i think it is?, third cabin from the front on the top deck"
"Who ya think it is Penn?"

"Evan, i think its Jo Godfrey, we'll find out soon enough if it is or not"

Once at the ship, Evan looks at one of the porters, "Can ya give us a hand please, deck three cabin with an outside view"

(aka The Lombard Clan)

Time at sea for a job is now time on a lake for a holiday for Louise as she takes time out to spend time with her husband and sister for a holiday, however as expected with Louise, she is as always smartly dressed wearing white trousers, a white shirt and a blue tie though without the eppeletes that show off her rank aboard the container ship she works on.
Martyne turns to Louise "This is a river boat, not really a cruise ship" she jokes as she along with Ryan get out of their minibus.
Ryan laughs, "be a bloody cork in a bath if the lake shows its moody side"
Louise turns to Ryan, "however if that happens the beige carpet may hide a few sins. Smaller they are the worse they bounce around, however hopefully it wont be too bad". louise casually slings her Meridian Express backpack over her shoulder before turning to Ryan
"Ryan, why are you wearing a high viz bomber jacket? its a holiday" comments Louise

"Because my other jacket is somewhere in that lot, and its warm and comfy" he replies putting one arm around Martyne, the other around Louise "anyway lets unload the minibus"

With 4 suitcases on the cart along with a set of bagpipes they too make their way to the ship, once at the ship Ryan takes the bagpipes off the cart and turns to the porter "Maclaine and Lombard, group of three, third deck" he says as Martyne and Louise make their way up the gangway. Martyne easily identified by the big Scorpion tattoo that was put on her face at the age of 14, was it legal, oh hell no, did it piss her mother off.. oh hell yes! however despite this look Martyne is actually quite friendly. (her partner who isnt on the voyage also now sports a similar tattoo) Martyne turns around, "Come on Ryan" she calls

"Im coming" he calls out as he makes his way up the gangway to the main deck of the ship, leaving the porters to do what they're paid to do, deliver their luggage to their cabin.

Once back as a trio again, Ryan turns to Louise, - "lets go to the aft deck of the ship, Marty is the canteen still open?"
"I think so, Orcadian brekkie eh Rye?" she asks

"yeah and as its in the price, fill the plate" he says

At that point Louise and Ryan go one way, Martyne goes another. She then catches site of Penny and Evan then creeps up behind them, Evan turns around as Martyne puts a finger across her lips, "shhhhh" she gestures before moving silently closer and puts her arms around Penny as soon as she is in range which prompts a short squal from Penny which turns to laugher soon after as soon as she realises who it is who has just grabbed her.

On the aft deck Ryan places his bagpipes on the table and puts his arm around Louise, "six months at sea on a container ship and now we're having a holiday on a ship, wander what lies in store?"
"Hopefully nothing, just plenty of relaxing and partying" replies Louise who pauses momentarily as a puff of smoke eminates from the ships exhausts with the boat beginning to rumble soon after "mains have just fired, did you notice the lights flicker? well we are now on internal power, no longer on shore power. We'll be off soon" She looks down at the water below "though we're not turning the screws yet"

by **Port Ember** » Thu Mar 25, 2021 10:30 pm

Jolene Gudfrey & Joshua Aglo.
Boarding the Upplausn.

Jolene Gudfrey walked along the port towards the docked vessel, which she was going to call home for the next ten days, flanked by a neatly suit-clad gentleman. Directly behind the duo followed two young local lads, pulling wheeled luggage behind them. Jolene was wearing red heels and a beautiful hand sewn, slim fitting red dress, made specifically for her by one of the top designers in Port Ember. Her dress stopped quite the distance from the top of her knees, thus focussing attention on her long, perfectly toned legs, with her calves accentuated even further by the wearing of her unique set of red heels, which cost more than an average sized home in most places of the world. The absolute beauty and fine details of the dress was mostly hidden however, by the thin, slim fitting fur jacket she was wearing. Afterall, the chilly morning air was something her body was not used to, as she hailed from a tropical archipelago, where heat and humidity was the order of the day. Every day. Some might ask why would Jolene then wear such revealing and thin clothing when she was this cold - and the reply would always be the same - "What if I died today? Those discovering my frozen body needs to at least be afforded the opportunity to admire my fabulous sense of style."

Jolene was an extremely famous billionaire back home, and considered by some to be the 'Darling of the Nation', thus she believed that appearances and image were simply non negotiable.

Jolene was born into a highly prestigious Port Emberian family, and she inherited the centuries old family business from a young age, and she managed to turn the struggling company around, turning it into one of the largest and most prosperous trading conglomerates in the known world, in but only a few short years. Furthermore, Jolene's father was none other than the Minister of Trade & Industry of Port Ember, and Jolene called the Port Emberian President part of her close friends. Add the fact that she was young, beautiful, and extremely scandalous, and one could easily understand why the Port Emberian tabloids could not get enough of her.

Jolene looked over to the gentleman walking besides her with a smile, and proceeded to punch his rock-hard shoulder playfully, "So silent… Tongue frozen stiff?"

Joshua Aglo looked over to Jolene, forcing himself not to smile. "Working ma'am…" Joshua has been Jolene's personal bodyguard for years, just as he had been for her father before he had accepted public office. Whilst he loved his employer with all his heart, in a non romantic manner mind you, she was admittedly a very difficult person to protect effectively, as she was certainly a daredevil, a true stickler for dangerous and exciting situations, whilst considering Joshua to be a paid friend, and not an actual security agent. A true nightmare.

"Oh come on now Josh, no threats here!" Jolene continued to spin around with her arms extended, as if this act was to prove that nothing or no one wished harm upon her. "See, perfectly safe! You might as well enjoy the holiday, and slip on a pair of comfy clothes - hell, maybe even shorts, a pair of flip flops and a wavy floral shirt!"

Joshua grunted at the thought of himself dressed in such a manner, as he firmly believed that a neat tailor made suit was the only acceptable dress for a man - at any and every time. "Ma'am, why would you choose such a backwater for your breakaway? Of all the places you could go, you choose a backwatered post warzone..?"

"Don't think I realize that you are trying to change the subject…"

Joshua sighed, "I will not be caught dead in such an attire. I am a professional, I will dress as such…"

Jolene giggled softly, "Well, I think you should try it, it'l make you less of a sourpus!"

Joshua grunted again defensively, "I am not a sourpus! One of these days you will realise that there is a reason for me being serious. That's what you pay me for after all…"

Jolene smiled warmly, "Well to answer you, I chose this pigsty as my vakay zone because it falls within an entire region of places where the Company does not have a presence. And where I don't have a presence, is a place where i'm not making money.. And this way, I can mix business with pleasure - and you know that's what I do best."

Joshua did not respond verbally, but he nodded softly, knowing that statement was a whopping understatement. "You know, I managed to screen the personal files of the crew last night, and I discovered that the Chief Engineer is a Port Emberian."

Jolene's smile grew, "Oh that's a wonderful, unexpected surprise. Pretty much like Pops always says, 'Where there be a boat, there be a Port Emberian!' What about the captain? Is he yummy?"

Shaking his head, Joshua responded, "I would not know, neither do I want to know.. He is old though, somewhere in his mid 50's."

Jolene pretended to make a 'I'm going to be sick face' jokingly, "That's not old, that's ancient! But jokes aside, I better be invited for a Captain's dinner and a tour of the bridge, lest I buy the company and fire them all in spite."

Joshua did not respond, other than nodding softly, knowing that she was just joking… Hoping she was just joking, despite knowing that this was easily possible due to her personal wealth available.

When the duo arrived at the embarkation ramp, the two hired locals handed the luggage over to the vessel's porters, and disappeared into the crowd once they were paid, handsomely so, for their ad hoc labour task. Jolene was happy that she did not need to apply for visas or other administrative nonsense, as Joshua was tasked to handle these inconveniences long before the time in which it would be required. Jolene stood around for a short period on the docks, seemingly absentmindedly staring at her surroundings, yet in fact she was actually tactfully observing the line, in order to catch an opportunity where she will be screened and allowed onboard, without physically standing in a queue - as standing in a queue was terribly plebeian.

Her plan worked, and without hesitation and waste she and Joshua found themselves on board and escorted to their lodging.

The time for fun was about to commence!

by **Cartoonia** » Thu Mar 25, 2021 10:41 pm

For Mrs. Raphtalia Iwatani, it was certainly a hectic week in the foreign office. New applications for embassies have popped up, a few allies have been the target of threats from international communities, the current diplomatic readjustment with Crossoveria, it was pretty much a restless week of diplomacy. Raphtalia was pretty much worn out. Chancellor Nigel Uno noted this and decided that it would be in the best of mental interest for her to take a week off, a small vacation from her duties. A vacation appointment would be in her place until she returns to the office well-rested and ready to get back to work. Chancellor Uno suggested that she go on a cruise somewhere, particularly in Lake Agolza of Glisanda.

“I heard it is a magnificent cruise liner. Great for someone to relax a bit”.

Raphtalia decided yes, that would be lovely. She bought her ticket and packed her bags. It was in the best interest that she had one security personnel with her for security reasons. Chancellor Nigel gave her Riza Hawkeye, a lieutenant in the Cartoon Army. In case you are wondering, all officers in Cartoonia have to report for security detail, no matter how small. Plus, this also allows Riza to take a vacation as well.

Both of them arrived at the port where passengers were being processed and welcomed aboard. It was easy to notice these two. Raphtalia is a demi-human. She is human but has raccoon ears and a tail. She wears a red sweater vest under a white-collar long-sleeve shirt, along with a long white skirt and brown boots. In her bags includes a fur coat if it becomes a little more chilly. Her only security personnel Riza Hawkeye, the woman with mid-back length blonde hair that is fastened up in the back by a dark-colored clip barrette, has sort of a uniform, but it is to both convey her duty but also leisure, so it is practical. She wears a black turtleneck shirt with a blue cardigan sweater with blue trousers and black boots. She would have carried a pistol which she does at all times but was not cleared with customs, but if need be, she could fight with her bare fists. She may be enjoying herself on this cruise, but her primary duty is to provide security for the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. There would hopefully be no worries on this trip. In Cartoonia’s eyes, this seemed like a peaceful nation.

Their bags were processed, brought to the porters, and after going through customs, they were able to board the ship. They were welcomed by warm greetings from the crew, and the amazing decor of the ship.

“Chancellor Uno was right, this is a magnificent ship,” Raphtalia says.

“It is certainly a fine cruise liner. I’m sure a week on board would help you wind down from the hectic week you’ve been having”.

“Well, I certainly hope you enjoy this time too. You may be my only security personnel, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself”.

“Of course ma’am”.

“We should find our cabins, so we can unpack. It should be noted on our tickets where we are staying”. They look at their tickets and headed down towards their cabin.

Meanwhile, in the galley. Chef Francis Bonnefoy is overlooking his crew as they continue to cook for the ship’s buffet. While he does that, he looks down in his notebook of recipes to get some idea of what he should serve for lunch, both at the buffet and the restaurants.

by **The Selkie** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 4:26 am

Fiona Eas of the Tribe of Monaghan.
Boarding the Upplausn.
Ten days on a cruise in a foreign land - as far as Graduation Presents go, Dad really pulled out the stops!
With what the COVID-Pandemic was doing with the Free Lands, he had told me, that I needed a vacation, stress had been much and I had become snappy. Luckily, I did not need to worry about the Coof here.
Here was Hjamokjim in Glisandia, a country I had (admittedly) never heard from before, but apparently, the country was on good terms with Greater Orcadia and Port Ember, two countries, I had heard from very much. In fact, Greater Orcadia was even two stops of the Itinerary.
I looked forward to passing Fair Isle and visiting Port Scaib, but the rest of the itinerary sounded exciting, too.
Maybe I should introduce myself, too: Fiona Eas of the Tribe of Monaghan. I am a Selkie, from Cuan, to be precise, and unlike the popular image of my countrymen and especially countrywomen, I was not excactly busty. In fact, I am a petite brunette.
I recently graduated High School and before I started with University, Dad had gifted me this trip. I liked working with children, so maybe I'll study to become a teacher? I don't know yet.
With that set up, I also had no idea about the larger regional political surroundings of this ship's cruise. I knew, that the general region, Teremara, had its issues, but this was a cruise of a cruise ship. Everything would go fine.
That being said, my bag in hand and my backpack on my back, I went through screening and customs, there were no issues - I didn't even have the two dagger customarily carried by Selkie with me. My ticket was fine, too, and I filled out my visa applications, fairly standard stuff (if you've ever been to Teressien, you know, what a visa form is), and was greeted by friendly, smiling personell.
The porters took my bag, but my backpack (and with it, some valuable things) stayed on my back.
And on board I was, shortly behind a woman, who I was tempted to call a Spiorad (animal ears and tail, dead give-away), and her travelling companion.
My cabin wasn't a luxury penthouse, but... well, a cabin, a lower deck cabin - communal shower, small bathroom, bed, cabinet. Dad had decided to book me into a small cabin so that he could give me more money to spend. I could get onboard with that.
Heh.
Nautical puns.

Celina Riar of the Tribe of Monaghan.
Boarding the Upplausn.
Well, here we were.
Hjamokjim in Glisandia, boarding a cruise ship for a ten day cruise, which we had been supposed to take as a family outing: My parents, my older brother Aonghus and myself. Dad was not with us, he had a broken arm from slipping on stairs in winter.
He had told us to go ahead without him, so here were.
Mam still had the double bed main deck cabin, though, while Aonghus and I had single bed Main Deck Cabins. With the salary of two university professors, a fairly good Marcach and a semi-professional swimmer, we could finance this trip.
I should, maybe, introduce myself: I am Celina Riar of the Tribe of Monaghan, student at the Iris Boarding School Complex near Fortham and Captain of its Swimmer Team. I had long, blonde hair, the physique of a swimmer and 'ballast tanks', which would put the Siorc to shame. Dressed in a coat, it was a bit cold, I left the taxi, while my Mam was paying the driver and leaving him a nice tip.
Aonghus was already out, unloading our bags - he was our pack mule until the porters could take over.
People, who didn't know us, frequently mistook Mam for my older sister or cousin - for a woman of 45 Springs, she looked surprisingly young. Mid-twenties, or something, and with her large aviator sunglasses, that image was only enhanced.
Aonghus, meanwhile, was a tall, well-trained and fit young man, twenty Springs old, blonde and blue eyed and a very good Marcach - his sword had seen him compete for the Gealanacoinlín Cup at the Ironcastle Harvest Festival last year, but he didn't get very far. He did fight versus Galen Eidrite of the Tribe of Sligo and Mam had been his Sponsor.
In any case, he didn't have his sword with him, nor did we have any daggers or something with us.
Mam had given us a quick rundown of the History of Lake Agloza and the recent history behind the nations bordering it, she was a Professor for History at the UoL. It sounded a little bit like a powder keg without a fuze and maybe it was... however, the fuze would not be added by a cruise ship choke full with (paying) tourists. Many of which seemed to come from abroad, it seemed.
After screening and the usual security checks, we were greeted by the line's personell, which wore wide smiles. Aonghus was glad to hand off the bags to the porters, before he joined Mam and me in filling out the visa applications. And that was it.
There we were, on the Main Deck, on the way to our cabins.
We boarded a bit behind a woman in a thin, fitting fur jacket and a red dress, who had, admittedly, nice legs, and her travelling companion, who might as well write 'bodyguard' on his forehead. From the short glimpse I caught of the woman's face, I thought, that I knew her from somewhere...
Let's see, if the way to the lodging leads us into similar directions!

by **Iarann Grudaidh** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 5:17 am

Just arriving at her mother’s hotel which was located near the cruise liner, Jenny closed the car door with a hearty thump as she searched for any new messages from her mother, her phone remaining blank. “Hey sweetheart” she almost shot out of her skin when the lady spoke. “Jesus Christ Jen! You looked like a cat.” she laughed softly, before wrapping her daughter in a well-needed hug.

“You scared the life out of me.” Jenny laughed, a small smile on her face. “Good to see you, mum.” she returned the hug, almost getting lost in the familiar, sweet scent of her mother. She missed moments like these.

“How’s work been?” Annette spoke, a soft smile “must be hellish with all this Masked Resistance nonsense going on.”

“Don’t get me started” Jenny laughed softly, looking at her mother. “It’s been insanely stressful.”

“Well, use this cruise as an opportunity to relax.” her mother smiled once again as she opened the trunk of the car, putting her suitcase next to her daughters, then moving to the other side of the car, the both of them getting in. “Because you know what I say when we go on trips.”

“Yeah, yeah, fàg na bagannan agad aig an doras” Jenny recalled the saying. leave your luggage at the door.

“Glad to see someone remembers!” she laughed “right, better get a move on, the traffic’s bout to get horrendous and I want to get there sooner rather than later.” she said as Jenny started the car, taking off from the hotel. “So glad the lockdown was lifted before we had our annual trip, no idea what I would’ve done being stuck in the house all year.”

Jenny smiled, the lockdown was imposed after an increasing amount of attacks on Iarann Grudaidh from the Masked Resistance, which became a daily inconvenience for the island inhabitants. “Again, don’t get me started” she laughed, taking a right at the intersection.

The two arrived quicker than they expected, Jenny closed the car door and locked it, feeling the damp, cool air brush against her cheek. Both of them come from a seaside town in Iarann Grudaidh known as Ackley.

Iarann Grudaidh is notorious for its gorgeous weather, not too hot but not too cold. "Gonna need to get used to the weather" Jenny smiled softly as they began walking up to the dockside facility, readying to pass through security with their two briefcases.

"Right, I hope you didn't bring any weapons with you, I'd like to not get tackled to the ground" Jenny joked softly, earning a laugh from her mother.

by **Carthatska** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 5:34 am

Abel Dupont
Boarding the Upplausn

A 6'2 man by the name of Abel Dupont walked along the port to a ramp. Abel stood out from the crowd, what with his height- and his 'extremely good looks', he would have added. Abel was wearing a coat specifically tailored for businessmen, even though it was warm enough for him to go without it. He carried a suitcase full of papers for his start-up business, CARthatska. While CARthatska was making him lots of money, Abel wanted more money. So while he was here to relax, Dupont was also going to investigate the possibility of CARthatskan branches elsewhere.

As he came up to the security checks, Abel let himself be scanned and his suitcase checked. Passing inspection, Abel opted to carry his suitcase up the ramp, not wanting the sensitive papers in a lower class's hands. As the morning chill got through his coat, Abel increased his walking speed to a respectable yet still-fast pace. Walking through the doors, he smiled and thanked the crew for their "Welcomes".

The inside of the ship was very grand, much more beautiful than anything on Carthatska Abel had seen. He had business though. He blindly walked around, asking anyone if they knew where the rooms were. Finally, one of the crew told him, and Abel walked to his room and put his suitcase in it before heading down to the kitchen for what Abel hoped would be a hearty lunch.

by **AHSCA** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 4:22 pm

How strange, travel over the sea just to sail on another sea. Or lake in this instance. Well this strange precarious situation of happenstance is exactly the situation our heroes find themselves in. Well heroes we really mean main characters. Subaru and his wife Asuka, both AHSCA natives who now find themselves boarding the Upplausn. No real special reason, well beyond just spending quality time together as husband and wife and that alone is always special enough. By no special reason well just meant these were two islanders who had a bit of leisure time to go and do something interesting. The concept was actually something new to the islands, AHSCA was still incredibly modest by most global standards but in two-decades since it unified as a country it had undergone quite a bit of social changes and even more since the current Monarch, Marcella Villa was crowned after her mother passed along the title to her. There was a sort of burgeoning "middle class" so-to-speak, a class with more disposable income and more free time than their ancestors had before. Make no mistake, AHSCA was hardly the picture of a wealthy industrialized nation, far from it, but it seemed it cut out its own little slice of that dream without it. All right so that's enough of that, let's get back to Subaru and Asuka.

Subaru, a humble craftsman by trade, he helped build ships (remember what I already said about the UIS) with his two hands, while Asuka was more uh, artsy? Well Asuka was a journalist with the state press. For her age, very respected having been able to chronicle an important diplomatic visit. A job that in any other circumstance would have fallen on her superior but she was the one who got it! Incredible. Well what does a young married couple do when they have it all? They go on vacation of course! Well it was bit of a search, sadly no major festivals in The Freelands or Kyrenaia to speak of, what a shame those were major tourist destinations for islanders now a days. But other circumstances were also complicating visiting there for just a get away so maybe best look elsewhere. Well there was always the old reliables, Mokastana, Lamoni, Holy Marsh were always good destinations for islanders to go abroad to for a trip. But something stuck out to them, a cruise along a lovely lake starting in Glisandia.

"A cruise?" Subaru had to question then, "I mean we'd have to go over water just to get there. Added that, why go abroad to do what we can do here?"

"C'mon it'll be fun, I bet!" Asuka encouraged him. "I get it's a bit silly that we'd go sailing just go sailing more but I don't know. I hear these kinds of cruises are all about fun. They're packed with luxury." It's true, AHSCA ships were more utilitarian, more about getting people from one place to another, not as much for luxury and leisure. "Plus, it's a lake! Not like the open seas, won't it be so nice to just cruise? Sail without having to worry about a big storm hitting us? About Her deciding we're her little toys on her big tub?"

"Big tub?" Subaru held back a chuckle about Asuka's clever metaphors. Her though was obvious, it was the Black Goddess. Of course neither Asuka nor Subaru probably could imagine that even lakes could be treacherous in bad weather, well depending a lot on the size; their notion of lakes was mostly looking at pictures of them and pictures of lakes were usually serene. But that's not important now.

"Between the two of us, we could easily afford it!" Asuka took her husband's hands and smiled at him. Her cute dimple filled smile, her cheeks glowing. That was what made Subaru fall in love with her in the first place, how could he say no? "All right. Let's do it." The two shared a kiss and well that's how we're here today, seeing this ship before their eyes.

"What's it made of?" Asuka asked him.

"I really don't know. It's for certainly different than the ones we have home." He looked around a bit self-conscious.

"C'mon, we're a couple of poor primitive islanders, everyone knows it!" I mean they certainly were dressed like folks out of time. "Don't be so nervous." She giggled. Well now was their time to board, showing their tickets and any other documents they might need they were cleared to get on. They didn't pack much, just a case between them, enough of the essentials to get them through the whole trip between getting from AHSCA to Glisandia to their time on Lake Agloza. Their cabins were situated below deck, I mean they made a good living but that's a living for AHSCA, not the rest of the world, compared to probably most on this ship they were certainly a little poorer monetarily speaking, but you ask them, they were rich as can be just for having each other and good jobs they both enjoyed. Well this was going to be different for them, that much was for certain. Asuka shuddered a bit "Boy it certainly is colder here than back home!"

"Still feeling the chill?" Subaru asked as he pulled her along with him.

"Yeah I guess. Subaru, you're just a man who can adapt to anything."

"Haha, says you, the girl who went flying." He chuckled, again that was about Asuka's journalism assignment with the Duchess' overseas visit.

"I don't know what that has to do with me being cold!"

"Just saying you think I'm the big strong man who can get used to anything but you've had more adventures than I have. Anyway we'll be fine, I'm sure we'll adjust. If not, just means I gotta hold you closer."

Arriving at their cabin at last, they could settle in and unpack a few things. "Cozy!" Asuka thought, small as it was, it was cozy. "Wonder if we'll see snow?" Asuka wondered.

"Not still cold?" Subaru asked. He started adjusting his hair a bit, tying it up into a neater ponytail. He always wore his hair long, and Asuka liked it like that, she thought it made him look 'old fashioned and distinguished.'

"I'm starting to feel better. Just, never seen snow, right? I bet it'd be so pretty to see!"

"I bet it would. But hopefully we'll have a way to keep warm too. Let's not forget we're still from the tropics. Hate for us to get sick."

"Yeah, best be careful. Well just as you said, gotta hold me close and tight don't ya?" She winked as she echoed his early statement.

"Well, I hear it's romantic I suppose, snow I mean. Couples love to cuddle when it snows." So young and in love, this lovey dovey couple, they shared a few more small kisses with each other but no further time to get all wild and crazy now, now was a good time to go see the ship some more.

"Wanna walk around?" Subaru asked her. "We can see the ship."

"Sure! Maybe you can tell me what materials they used to build certain things."

"Hehe I'll try but like I said, Asuka, this isn't like our ships back home." He chuckled. And hand in hand the couple set off to explore the ship some more.

by **Port Ember** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 2:11 am

Chief Engineer of the Upplausn - Jason Hoyt
Main Deck & Embarkation Ramp

As Chief Jason Hoyt made his rounds between the main deck of the Upplausn and the embarkation ramp, he carried a large, warm smile as he greeted the crew and passengers alike, making brief and cozy conversations like "How are you on this lovely morning?” and “Please enjoy your stay!"

It did not take him long to realise that he hated this part of the job, as he was basically paraded around as a show monkey for the company. As the Chief Engineer, his place was down with his crew, between the 'diesel & dust' of the engine room. Despite his feelings, he did this nonetheless with pride, as he realised that this was a good way for Sunrise to build up a camaraderie of sorts, as well as a professional, friendly image for the company. It was about time that he accepted that he was no longer serving within the Port Emberian Navy.

After playing showmonkey for a long enough period, or at least that which he felt was sufficient, Jason silently disappeared into the vessel, marching with purpose towards the engine room. The time had come to 'wake the dragon' - that is, starting the ship's engines - Jason's favourite part of every journey.

However, during his journey, he came across Soren Zielenski, the Chief of Maintenance & Housekeeping on board, and ever since the occurrences at breakfast, Jason was hoping that he could speak to the man, and now was as good a time as any other. Jason quickly looked around him, to ensure that no other crew or passenger was within earshot before he stopped Soren,
"Mister Zielenski, apologies, a quick moment of your time?"

Soren looked down at his watch and up again at Jason with a furrowed brow.
“Yeah, okay. Quick. I got three cabins on Deck 2 complaining about their linens...What is it?”

Jason grunted sofly, biting down on his tongue, attempting to keep his temper in check, which flared up instantly. "Well, firstly, we can restart this conversation, where you respond to me with the same manner of respect which I afforded you in my greetings, and by calling me Chief." Jason made sure that his stare was cold and directed with straight eye contact.

Zielenski’s eyes began to close a bit, his lids looking heavy. He sagged against the wall as he glanced down the hall, then briefly back at Hoyt.
“Time’s a wastin’, Chief Hoyt. What is the problem?”

Jason's fists clenched hard, instantly turning his knuckles white, as he struggled to keep his temper tamed, and forced his tone to remain neutral. This man really knew how to press his buttons.
"Fine. I wish to afford you this one time opportunity, where I will provide you some friendly advice. To put it bluntly, your attitude stinks. The absolute lack of respect which you displayed towards the Captain this morning, was utterly unacceptable. Not only does such disgusting behaviour tarnish the respect that the crew might have for you, but it drives a rift between the crew as a whole, and that causes an unpleasant and even dangerous working environment."

Soren smirked as Hoyt went on his tirade.
“That’s quite a plateful of advice there, Chief Hoyt. When you get tired of working on engines, you should write a book on manners, or etiquette...or whatever that shit is. Maybe when I actually give a shit about your fumbling snowflake gibberish, I’ll buy your book...When it’s on the super discount clearance stack, of course...Off to do my job now. Hope you got time to do yours...In between philosophizing, of course.”
Zielenski sauntered on down the hallway, not even sparing a glance back at the fuming Chief Engineer.

The fuming Jason had to conjure every single ounce of self restraint available within his body, and was hoping that the Spirits of the world assisted him by providing some additional patience, for he felt like instantly tearing this guy’s throat out, no questions asked. Just ask the Navy what exactly can happen if Jason loses his temper…
Just wait, motherfucker. I will end you before this ship docks back here, Jason thought to himself.

[RP CREDIT goes to Glisandia for contributing to this post.]

Chief Engineer of the Upplausn - Jason Hoyt
Engine Room

Upon reaching the engine room, the entire engine room department was present, despite the fact that they were supposed to work in laid out shifts of time, or 'watches', as it was commonly known as. Every individual felt that this moment was not one which may be missed, not under any circumstances.

Jason's inner naval personality suddenly kicked in gear, instantly changing him from being a quiet, reserved, polite fellow, into a beast living and breathing for absolute precision and professionalism. "Right lads, time for the last check!"

Despite the fact that the crew had run through constant, non stop checks throughout the morning, Jason's insistence on near religious levels of repetition did not phase his crew, as they understood the Chief's mantra of 'Even if you check it a 100 times, it's the 101st check which you leave out, which will haunt you with problems.'

Without expecting to be ordered to do so, the apprentices present ensured that no equipment, tools, or rags, were lying about within the engine room, and that everything was stowed away in their required lockers, whilst simultaneously ensuring that the floor was devoid of any oil, to verify that the surfaces were not slippery, and thus avoid any tragic accidents.

The assistant engineers, under the eagle eyes of their Chief, started their last minute checks with the air systems, ensuring that the systems were devoid of water, and that all pressure readings were satisfactory.

Next, the engine and all supporting systems were checked for lubrication, by checking oil levels and pressure levels.
Once satisfied, the team checked the cooling water systems, by checking pressure readings and looking for any possible leaks within the system.

One of the pressure meters suddenly acted up, providing false readings, after it was already checked less than an hour before. Chief Hoyt had no reason to tell the crew the whole 'Told ya so' routine - they all realised it on their own. The lads all took a mental note to ensure that they listen to Jason's sage advice in future.

The meter was replaced with a spare on hand in just a jiffy.

40 Minutes before launch from the docks

After checking his watch, Jason gave the order to switch on the vessel's emergency batteries, which instantly sprang to life on the consoles. Once running through a few superficial checks, he ordered to switch off the power supply from land. Despite having done all necessary tests over and over again, this was always a stressful period, as electricity can easily act unpredictable, and cause a lot of damage upon a lot of systems, without actually even making a mistake. Luckily, this time, the process went off without a hitch, as the power change did not cause any observable problems, and the order was given to unplug and roll up the shore cable.

Content with the results, Jason used the installed orange hotphone to dial up the bridge,
"Bridge, Chief Hoyt, Engineering Deck. First Mate Astridsdottir, please."

Lilja had just been going over the charts in the system with the bridge crew for the last time, to make sure that they would understand the hazards in navigating the Lake towards Wjol, their first docking after leaving home port.

Paweł Arnarsson, one of the sonar and systems scan operators, picked up the buzzing hotphone. He listened, then spoke quickly,
“Just a moment.”
He held it out to Lilja Astridsdottir.
“Ma’am, it’s for you - asking for ‘First Mate Astridsdottir.”

“That’s who they asked for, eh? Who is it?”

“Chief Hoyt, Ma’am.”

She took the phone calmly.
“Chief Hoyt, this is Executive Officer Astridsdottir. You can also call me Second Officer, or even just X-O. Just please, please...don’t address me as ‘First Mate’. Clear?”

Jason's tone remained respectful when he replied, "Yes XO, understood, and apologies."

“That’s alright, Chief. What can we do for you?”

"Ma'am, we just went off shore power, and batteries are running beautifully, however, I am requesting Bridge to run system checks just to make sure that the source change did not cause problems."

It was a common request she was used to, and part of the routine. Hoyt had beaten her to the punch as she would have called him soon enough. She was glad the Chief was on his game.
“Understood, Chief. Hold while we return that system check for you.”
There was a few moments pause. She only had to wave and Arnarsson knew exactly what was required. He and another bridge crewman did the checks. Arnarsson held a thumbs up.
“Chief. All systems are in the green. We show a clean transfer of power.”

Jason smiled softly whilst nodding to no one in particular before responding,
"Perfect Ma'am. Next item, if the cast-off schedule is still on time, I then hereby request official authority to fire the mains."

“You are cleared for starting the mains at the scheduled time, Chief. We will let you know if there is an emergency delay. As per routine, dead slow from the dock, slow ahead on the turn, then half ahead when we reach the edge of the harbor. Wait for the bridge cue and speed on the chadburn.” The chadburn of this modern ship looked nothing like the days of old, when it was a large dial on a brass post with arrow indicators. Although it was an LED terminal on a post, a lot more information was conveyed. In the event the chadburn went out, which hadn’t happened on this ship...yet - They would fall back on the hotphones, bridge crew relaying to engine crew. In the event the hotphones were also out, some selected runners would be getting a lot of exercise.

“By the way, Chief Hoyt, Third Officer Arnarsson will be taking over from here, until the Captain takes the bridge in just a few. I will be heading to the rack to get some shut eye for the night watch.”

"All copied, as clear as the Nordic nightskye ma'am. Have a peaceful shuteye."

Jason ended the call, with a glint in his eye. He took a seat on his designated barstool-styled chair, watching the time tick by on his watch, for which felt like hours, despite it only being seconds. When the appropriate time ticked by absentmindedly, the glint in Jason's eyes turned into a sparkle. The dragon was about to be awoken!

"Alright lads, wake her up!", Jason mouthed loudly and enthusiastically, with the crew jumping together, well versed in this procedure by now after numerous practice runs this last week.

The Second Engineer made a quick reconfirmation that the cooling pump was active, and when satisfied, he engaged the engine's turning gear manually, nodding to the Chief once this was done.

Jason replied with his own nod, as he pressed the shiny red button, which fired the insanely powerful compressed air into the engine. That immediately did the trick, as the engine's various parts were moving, cranking and turning along, running perfectly content in its low revs per minute form, purely powered by the compressed air.

Moments later, the fuel line was opened, and diesel streamed into the beast, instantly breathing passion into the mechanical marvel. Jason continued to run the throttle from quarter to half a couple of times, and then running it wide open for a few seconds.

The engine then settled into a steady rhythm, idling about contently, slowly but surely heating up to a comfortable temperature.

The engine room was filled with a few polite claps and cheers, with the team celebrating the small, yet exciting victory, despite their ears ringing and feeling quite deaf temporarily.

Jason made yet another call to the Bridge on the hotphone,
"Bridge, the Lady is awake and healthy. Standing by for authority to engage the propellers."

Once he hung up the phone, he took out a fat Port Emberian hand-rolled cigar from his breast pocket, lighting it up, whilst feeling satisfied with the performance of both his crew and the ship itself, patiently waiting to finally cast away.

[RP CREDIT goes to Glisandia for contributing to this post.]

by **Carthatska** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 6:57 am

Abel felt the engine activate as he walked through the kitchen. He'd just eaten a délicieux (delicious) lunch of bougna, a traditional Carthatskan meal consisting of chicken, lobster, root vegetables such as yams or sweet potatoes, then wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over hot rocks. As this ship had no such cooking available, he settled for plain oven-cooked.

Abel walked out of the kitchen, starting small conversations with some passengers, but all ultimately in the goal of furthering his reputation upon the ship. If he had a good reputation, he could market CARthatska better. but his goal right now was getting to his cabin, resting up, watching a little TV in his room, etc. The blankets on the bed could be better, but Abel wasn't one to complain about such minor things. He watched a TV show about a school that was possessed by the ghost of a former student. Finding this exceedingly dull, Abel got up and walked around the ship to find something else to do.

by **Greater Orcadia** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 8:26 am

Standing on the aft deck, glancing down occasionally at the water then across at the doors to the bar where Martyne was heading, he turns then to Louise, "ya think they'll give you a tour of the working parts of the ship?" asks Ryan.

"unlikely, however i will ask about the ship. Im guessing its probably electric final drive a bit like the the wayfarer however guess who's coming down the corridor towards us.." Louise replies, glancing towards the bar to see Penny and Evan along with Martyne.

Martyne was carrying a couple of beer glasses as Penny carried two more and Evan held a glass of sparkling orange juice. "Here ya go Rye, we've missed the dinner however there is a small snack bar open" she says as Penny hands a drink to Louise

"Thanks Penn, now you going to adopt your glass?" she says, a reference to the fact that Penny will sometimes casually walk off with a beer glass from a pub and take it home.

"aye, nae sure Lou" she replies, "ae gotta see, ay wee cabin is queet cosy" she says, making no attempt to hide her Orcadian accent "Ay yae doin tha whole tour?" she asks.

"yeah, and we have some catching up to do" replies Louise as Ryan turns to Marty.

"can ye get some chicken portions or something then please Marty?" he asks before taking a sip of his beer, momentarily glancing up at the exhaust stack which is now blowing clear with just a feint hint of blue from the engine's diesel oil being burned just a few decks below in the ships engine room

by **Neu Engollon** » Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:15 pm

Medical Bay

Maria Cobanalli didn’t have a proper office in med bay or sick bay, as it was sometimes called. It was really just a small alcove where she could secure any sensitive items or data in locked cabinets, including her tablet, a GXT model, when not in use. She moved out there to finish her paperwork.

There were two total exam rooms and no waiting room. Usually, whoever was sitting in the alcove, whether it was Dr. Cobanalli, or her nurse or med tech, would greet an incoming patient, get their info, take vitals, then proceed to treat and triage.

She was just finishing up with a passenger/patient, her first of the voyage, two hours in, when she exited .
“Remember, Mrs. Al-Hattabi, continue to drink lots of fluids, take another of those motion sickness pills in about 4 hours, and the next in 6 hours. See me if you need more, and we’ll check up tomorrow. Don’t take more than 8 pills in a day. But definitely, definitely remember to drink fluids.”

“I’m so embarrassed.”

“No need to be embarrassed. It’s a very common condition, and most people don’t realize they have a problem with sea motion until they are on a boat. We will get it taken care of. Those are some of the most effective motion sickness pills on the market.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” She was glad to have such quick attention and treatment, but also equally glad that the ship’s doctor was a female. Her husband would not have let her see a male doctor, as it was against their religion. He waited out down the hall for her, looking at a display outside the Activities office.

“Thank you, Doctor. Thank you so much. I will do all that you suggested.” She held up the bottled water that the Doctor had given her upon arrival. It was already almost gone.

“My pleasure. Glad to help.” Maria nodded. She wasn’t sure if she should stay, or go to find more patients. It was typical to get a few immediate reactions to the wave motion from the uninitiated. She was pretty confident that the crew would bring them down to her, so she decided to stay.

Entering the Main Deck/Atrium

An older middle aged couple stumbled out towards the boarding ramp from the screening area. They seemed to be more encumbered by baggage than inebriated, but there was an element of that factor definitely present.

They weren’t the last to board, but they definitely were in a strung out group of the last few stragglers. Those nearby could hear them speaking English with a slightly lilted accent, one of the two main languages of Neu Engollon, the other being Frandit.

Frandit was the language of country bumpkins and hill folk, in the opinion of many liberal, urban citizens. In these circles, they felt that Frandit - a poorly constructed hybrid, insular language foisted upon the Confederacy half a millenia back to foster a greater sense of unity among the Franco/Gaulic, Teutonic, and Roman ethnicities of the fledgling Confederacy. It held the nation back from true greatness and alienated it from further exerting their political and economic strength. Hence English had gradually surpassed Frandit as the most widely used tongue.

“I told you we needed to leave the hotel earlier. You had to have your little fashion show, ya. You had to spend an hour on your hair and makeup…”
The man speaking wore expensive designer athletic shoes and jeans, a collared linen shirt, and a red and blue windbreaker over the shirt.

“Would you shut up already! You didn’t help. How many times did you have to repack the bags, organizing each corner for each day out. What if you change your mind, are you going to sit there and repack everything all over again? You’ll never leave the damn cabin, ya.”
She was dressed, also in jeans that were form fitting over an athletic figure, black moderate heels, wore a gold chain link belt with a designer logo buckle, a black halter top under a white cardigan, and a tan parka that was saturated with the same logo as the belt buckle, with a fox fur lining in the hood.

“If I hadn’t done that back home, we never would have realized we didn’t pack the passports. If I hadn’t done it at the hotel back there, we would have been digging right now for our tickets, under all your damn shoes. I have a system and it works.”

“Tickets that are non-refundable, as you have reminded me many times over the last two days, and would have been useless in another 20 minutes, because you had to take extra time to chat up the cab driver like he was your best buddy.”

“I’m trying to show that all Neu Engollians aren’t stuck up, unlike you, grunting at the barista this morning. Also, I like to get the local flavor, that’s why we’re here, not to do the same stupid shit you would do with your gal pals in Burgunden.”

“Ol’ Jack Heirlich, just a blue collar good ol’ boy like all of ‘em, ya. You sure got ‘em fooled, honey.”

“Would you just dial it down, Helene. Let’s try to enjoy this. Let me get the attention of one of these porters…”
He waved one of the Sunrise company porters down. “Hey, buddy! How’s it going, bro? Ya, can you help us out, we need to get these bags to Cabin 227. Ya! Sweet, thanks, bro.” He helped get the baggage onto the cart and slid some krona into the porter’s free hand. He gave a lazy salute as the porter headed out with the loaded cart.

She just shook her head. Her eyes said I told you so.
“He’s your new best bud, Jack.”

Jack waited until the porter and some other late passengers went by.
He said in a low, pleading voice. “I mean it. Time out?”

Helene smiled. “Time out.”

“We can’t go in like this...lighting the fuse, Helene.”

“No, you’re right. Let’s just enjoy this. No more easy pot shots.”

“Good.”

“But they’re so easy…”

“Helene!”

They were in the main area of the ship. They both took a turn around, scanning their view. “This is gonna be a great cruise, honey.”

“I can’t argue, babe. This is amazing.” They had been in many opulent hotel lobbies and several mega-cruise ships, but the atrium of this smaller lake cruiser took their breath away, for the surprise it had thrown them at how much detail had been put into it.
The intricate delicate art and decorum of the Glisandian Nordic culture was simply stunning.

Jack pointed off to some passengers running towards the buffet.
“I mean...I want to do a bit of that, but do you think they even took all this in?”

Helene shook her head. “I doubt it, no.”

“Let’s get settled and changed and do some laps around the boat.”

“Ya, on it. Let’s go.”

by **Terre des Gaules** » Mon Apr 05, 2021 5:27 pm

Maurice Lesamme had left plenty of time to get from the hotel to the docks that day. He had gotten coffee and a pastry that morning and walked the downtown of Hjamokjim to peruse all the shops and restaurants in a two mile radius of the Presarius Plaza, his hotel. He had visited some sites further out the day before, including a small coastal fishing village. He had intentionally saved downtown Hjamokjim for today, other than its nightlife, which he had savored last night.

As he hiked around, he would take pictures on his phone, then record some verbal notes, usually remarking on the posted menus of the cafes. He did circuits through the main floors of the retail shops and galleries. Usually, shop owners reacted quite strongly to pictures taken of their merchandise, so he didn't invite that outrage. He was also respectful of other patrons by not speaking loudly into his phone while in the shops, waiting until he got out on the front walkways. For art galleries, he simply asked first before snapping pics, as they tended to vary in their rules.

He wore a fleece jacket, aware of the weather from previous trips to Greater Orcadia, but that was the only Northern Tavlyrian nation he had ever had the pleasure of visiting. He had also scouted out Arkyatan for his travel booking company, but he considered them more Central Tavlyrian than Northern.

After his vigorous day, he was ready for a nap, but there was no time. He had to prepare, check out of the hotel, and get to the docks in time. He was polite, but didn't really encourage conversation with the taxi driver on the way there. It didn't matter as Mikkel, his driver, was going to fill him in on everything Glisandian that he had missed, anyway.

He moved through customs and screening quickly, although having to go through customs twice in the same country was a bit puzzling to him. However, he was aware that with the amount of issues that Glisandia had experienced, they couldn't be too careful. Likely, a lot of the security measures were aimed at their own nationals, some of them with questionable allegiance.

After settling into his cabin, Maurice changed into some comfortable, yet breathable, athletic gear and headed out to explore the ship. For a smaller cruise liner, it certainly didn't seem to be lacking in amenities. He got a rum cocktail at one of the lido deck bars to carry around and sip, then continued to recon. It was glaringly obvious that there was a high quotient of VIPs and celebrities on board.

Maurice saw another man twice in his rounds around the decks, who also seemed to be on his own. He thought about saying something on the first sighting, but then hesitated, wondering if his overture would be mistaken as romantic in nature. The second time he spotted him, he was sure of the nature of his quarry. This man was a fellow salesman, in some form, like himself. He had that air about him. Maurice needed to suss this man out. He was possibly competition, but more likely a new network contact.

He approached Abel DuPont, nodding.
"They definitely spared no expense to lure in the right clientele, wouldn't you agree?
Maurice Lesamme, Audair Lenveaux Travel Agency, from Gaul."
He stuck out his hand.

by **Greater Orcadia** » Tue Apr 06, 2021 4:56 am

It wasn't long before Martyne returned to Ryan with some chicken pieces and some dips, though Louise, who's professional stature has its limits reaches across and took one of the pieces, dunking it in the dip.

"Tastes nice" she says, "hey Penny, ya wanna try this"

Penny smiles "yeah, might do. Though I'm glad we have br brought Tizzy, though how he will cope around Sandy and Briz is anyone's guess" she says.

"He'll be fine, Briz is an okay cat, sandy is, well sandy is just a wuss!" Replies Ryan, tucking into the plate of chicken pieces, "Evan, tuck in bud"

Louise turns to Ryan "but pitty Tiffany having to look after them" she jokes

by **Carthatska** » Tue Apr 06, 2021 1:23 pm

Terre des Gaules wrote:Maurice Lesamme had left plenty of time to get from the hotel to the docks that day. He had gotten coffee and a pastry that morning and walked the downtown of Hjamokjim to peruse all the shops and restaurants in a two mile radius of the Presarius Plaza, his hotel. He had visited some sites further out the day before, including a small coastal fishing village. He had intentionally saved downtown Hjamokjim for today, other than its nightlife, which he had savored last night.

As he hiked around, he would take pictures on his phone, then record some verbal notes, usually remarking on the posted menus of the cafes. He did circuits through the main floors of the retail shops and galleries. Usually, shop owners reacted quite strongly to pictures taken of their merchandise, so he didn't invite that outrage. He was also respectful of other patrons by not speaking loudly into his phone while in the shops, waiting until he got out on the front walkways. For art galleries, he simply asked first before snapping pics, as they tended to vary in their rules.

He wore a fleece jacket, aware of the weather from previous trips to Greater Orcadia, but that was the only Northern Tavlyrian nation he had ever had the pleasure of visiting. He had also scouted out Arkyatan for his travel booking company, but he considered them more Central Tavlyrian than Northern.

After his vigorous day, he was ready for a nap, but there was no time. He had to prepare, check out of the hotel, and get to the docks in time. He was polite, but didn't really encourage conversation with the taxi driver on the way there. It didn't matter as Mikkel, his driver, was going to fill him in on everything Glisandian that he had missed, anyway.

He moved through customs and screening quickly, although having to go through customs twice in the same country was a bit puzzling to him. However, he was aware that with the amount of issues that Glisandia had experienced, they couldn't be too careful. Likely, a lot of the security measures were aimed at their own nationals, some of them with questionable allegiance.

After settling into his cabin, Maurice changed into some comfortable, yet breathable, athletic gear and headed out to explore the ship. For a smaller cruise liner, it certainly didn't seem to be lacking in amenities. He got a rum cocktail at one of the lido deck bars to carry around and sip, then continued to recon. It was glaringly obvious that there was a high quotient of VIPs and celebrities on board.

Maurice saw another man twice in his rounds around the decks, who also seemed to be on his own. He thought about saying something on the first sighting, but then hesitated, wondering if his overture would be mistaken as romantic in nature. The second time he spotted him, he was sure of the nature of his quarry. This man was a fellow salesman, in some form, like himself. He had that air about him. Maurice needed to suss this man out. He was possibly competition, but more likely a new network contact.

He approached Abel DuPont, nodding.
"They definitely spared no expense to lure in the right clientele, wouldn't you agree?
Maurice Lesamme, Audair Lenveaux Travel Agency, from Gaul."
He stuck out his hand.

Abel DuPont was walking 'round the ship, looking for new 'business opportunities'. The ship was very well-designed, with paintings of leaders, popular books, and other things of cultural importance. Of course, none of this really mattered to Abel, but it was very interesting to read about the history of their host country, Glisandia. Abel made short conversations with attendees, never 'striking gold' or 'getting a catch'. Abel decided to make one more round before retiring to his cabin.

Abel had just rounded a corner when a man wearing a fleece coat walked up to him. The man said something about the 'right clientele'. Abel was able to catch his name though. A French name, he thought. Carthatska, having been colonized and suppressed by the French, had tense relations with French cultures. "A fellow Frenchman, I see," Abel said. "I'm Abel Dupont, owner of CARthatska, a revolutionary taxi service in Carthatska. They certainly did bring a very nice group of people to do business with, didn't they?"

by **San Rosito** » Tue Apr 06, 2021 1:38 pm

He moved among the arriving passengers in a crisp, white uniform with epaulettes denoting his rank for anyone inclined enough in the nautical sense to decipher them. He hadn't shed the uniform jacket for short sleeves just yet, like some of his colleagues. He just wasn't used to the cooler climate, even after all this time.

"Hola!"

"Hello, welcome aboard! Yes, I am Pedro Fortunado, the communications officer."

"It's a pleasure to have you here. Thank you for trusting us on this journey."

He made his way in a zig zag fashion through the boat, actually having a goal in mind, not just to greet random passengers. He had to divert constantly to avoid big knots of the new arrivals.

Finally, he had made it to his destination - the Security Center of the ship. He smiled at the security officer at the front desk and made his way back to Ryker's office. He knocked next to the door frame.

"Hello, Sen... Mister Ryker?" He corrected himself, "It's me. Pedro...from Communications. I would like to toast?... No...Touch base with you. Did you see the memo from Ilsa at the Sunrise main office? The one about lending security personnel to Communications? I wanted to talk to you about that, if we could, Sir?"

by **Glisandia** » Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:38 am

Before Departure Time

Trygve Karlsson was technically part of the Entertainment team, as Assistant Director, he took orders from Director Walsman, the Chief Entertainment Officer or Cruise Director. However, Trygve was also the main public relations man for Sólarupprás Ferðir (Sunrise Tours), while the Director focused mainly on keeping his team on task (which included the ship’s band), and coordinating with shore vendors and organizations that would conduct shore activities. Trygve was very much a company man, with a nice tan, blonde hair that was almost bleach white, and a smile to match, many times when the situation didn’t even warrant it.

He was right there at the front lines with many of the other crew, welcoming aboard passengers. Any time they had questions about the company, or the activities they signed up for, or anything else that was customer relations related, the crew knew to send people to him. He was quick, and able to work his way through many passenger questions easily and efficiently, sending them happily along their way, even if he hadn’t directly answered their questions.

Later, he would be setting up a table in the Atrium to sign up passengers for more activities, photo packages done by their two expert photographers on staff, and for future cruise packages. He also needed to firm up the list for the Captain’s Table tonight, a task passed on to him by Director Walsman.

He spotted the Captain as he made his way through the Atrium.
“Captain, can I get a word with you?”

“Later, Mr. Karlsson.”

“Certainly. It’s about the arrangements for tonight.”

“Yes, let me get back to you.”

“Of course. At your convenience, I just don’t want to leave it too long, Sir. There’s also another matter, a last minute passenger...”

“There will be time, Assistant Director Karlsson. And I don’t handle passenger bookings. That’s your team’s job.”

“Certainly…just that...”

Stan quickened his step before Trygve could corner him. He couldn’t place if he was uneasy around the corporate shill, or it was just the uneasiness of doing the Captain’s Table dinner. Something he’d never done before, and wasn’t keen on rubbing elbows with the passengers in that way, but he had to put on a public face. That was part of the job. He was going to miss crew meals.

Stan continued to move through the ship. He shook many hands along the way, and had his picture taken several times with passengers, even with a couple of the crew. He obliged every one of them. He had to. This was what it was all about, or at least a good part of it. The other part being actually steering and getting them all home in one piece.

As the crowds thinned nearer to the forward crew areas, he was able to see one of those he needed to chat with. Of course he could have just used the radio, but Soren Zielensky wasn't high up on his list to call.
"Soren, we need to talk."

The head of Housekeeping and Maintenance turned around slowly.
"Listen, Captain... Whatever he told you, it's all bullshit."

Stan looked around to see if passengers were in earshot, then lowered his voice.
"What? What the fuck are you talking about!? What who told me?"

"Uh...nothing. Nobody."

"Dammit Soren, I just wanted to go over those maintenance checks with you from earlier. Who did you get into it with now?"

"Hoyt. He's got such a bug up his ass about me. What's his deal, anyway?"

"You being a dickhead in all likelihood is what his current 'deal' probably is about."

"Hey Captain, he came up to me all full blast and shit. I didn't go bothering him."

"Just stay away from him. I know how you are. We'll get it sorted out. Try to get your act together, Soren. Work on respect..."

"I told you, Captain..."

"I'm telling you. Get in line. You have a lot to make up for today. I can’t be dealing with shit like this the whole trip. You guys gotta figure it out. We'll talk later. I have to get to the bridge. Lilja's already resting up for her shift tonight."

"What about the maintenance checks?"

"Later. I've got too much to do, including cleaning up the top cleaner's mess."
With that, he sent Soren off. He didn't need a mood killer when everything else was going well. He just wouldn't let it get to him right now.

Mystery Passenger

I am not who they insist that I am. Some of them insist, anyway. I deserve to be here, and get some personal relief, too. Some small measure to find a little enjoyment on this earth, through all that I have lost. I have paid my penance. I have done my time.

My doctor encouraged me to take the trip. He said they were able to get the ticket with some specially earmarked government recovery funds. If you knew anything about me, you would know I couldn't afford such a luxury on my own. A Lake cruise? Not ever.

After putting some of my meager things away in the cabin, I lost steam to do any more. Everything I touched brought up painful memories. Even new things made me think of old things, which in turn, brought forth moments that refused to stay buried.

A walk would do me well. My therapy to this point would be wasted, otherwise. I set out from my lower deck cabin and began to climb the stairs, making the turn at the far end of the hall around a very small diameter, waist high table just large enough to hold a vase with fresh cut flowers. They didn't have to do that for the lower class deck, but it was a thoughtful gesture nonetheless. It showed you the effort they had gone to make an incredible first impression.

Then I was walking among them, on what I believe they call the lido deck. The normals. Most of them foreigners, but you could tell the Glisandians among them. That very rare breed - a Glisandian with money. The amount I could see, it was likely that every one of the upper crust in the whole damn Grand Duchy were on this very boat.
They didn't recognize me somehow, and that was glorious to dwell in that anonymity. Although to be fair, those in the South or East, near the capital, were not as familiar with my case. Or at least couldn't tie my face to it.

I take that back. There was one young woman, with flaxen hair, whose eyes widened at the sight of me. Her head turned to follow me, and as nonchalantly as I could, I sped up. I went down the stairs, to the deck below, rushing over to the set of stairs on the other side to go right back up. In the process, I almost knocked an elderly woman into the wall. I apologized and avoided her and her companion's glare. I slowly creeped up the stairs, again needing to avoid collisions.

The woman appeared to be gone from this end of the deck. Hopefully, whatever had sparked the recognition had flitted right back out of her head. I ducked into the bar and hoped that would be the end of it. I ordered my drink. Just one wouldn't interfere with the medication.
Maybe I needed to rethink my strategy. I thought it would be easier to lose myself in the crowds, but really I was just increasing my chances of being spotted and hounded. I realized I would need to take my walks later, when less people were out and about, and the dimmer light worked to my advantage.

The drink wasn't really helping, but it was ingrained in me not to waste. Especially when I saw the receipt tab next to the coaster. I pulled out my wallet.

The Bridge

Stan had taken back command from Watch Officer Arnarsson. He made sure to listen to his report, then had him do a few more system checks and make sure all the scans were made, water level cameras were checked, and that they had one last weather update before they sailed. At one time, he might have had Fortunado radio that up to him, but he could walk over to a monitor, press a couple buttons, and get the data himself. Or rather, have one of his bridge crew do it.

As the ship's engines had been turned over and were at a steady hum for a good while now, thanks to Chief Hoyt, it was time soon for them to disengage from the dock. He gave the crew a ten minute warning, also automatically starting a soothing voice recording that would warn passengers, crew, and dock staff, that they had a limited time to get on board, or get to shore. Just a little before that, the same voice had gone over a brief safety screed, complete with describing where all the lifejackets, lifeboats, emergency phones, and other equipment and exits were, as well as a brief description of procedures in case of an emergency. Each cabin was also equipped with the same information in a little brochure in a pouch glued to the back of the door to the passageway.

Staff made sure to begin folding up and getting ready to stow the gangway, after one last straggler family made it aboard.

[Pre-recorded cheery female voice:]
“Hello! Please be aware that the ship will increase speed soon while leaving the dock. Please be sure to stabilize yourselves, and get to a firm surface. This is the final warning for boarding, or embarkation as we call it on the friendly seas. Please find a crew member immediately if you are missing a member of your party, or waiting on them to embark. Thank you for trusting Sólarupprás Ferðir for your leisure and adventure.”

He picked up the hotphone down to the Engine Room.
“Chief Hoyt, It’s time. We will be parting from the dock. Are you ready to ramp up the engines?”

"Aye Captain'', Hoyt's voice replied through the orange hotphone, "Initial Running Checks indicates that all systems are running smoothly, and that all pressure readings are behaving, and no leaks detected. It is my analysis that our Lady is ready, and more than able to give us a good time, Sir."

“Await my word, Chief.” He put the phone to his chest momentarily, then pointed to Arnarsson, who was also on a hotphone.

“Crew reports we are fully separated from the docks, Sir. Spring lines released. Adjusting for waves and wind now. Director reports all accounted and embarked. We are ready to shove off.”
Adjusting for waves meant that Arnarsson was monitoring the systems that would tell him when the ship was drifting too close to the docks, offering course corrections, which were affirmed. With the large cable spring or mooring lines released, that left the system and human response as the final safety check to keep the ship from grinding on the dock and damaging itself, or doing any damage to the docks or those ashore.
The boat was in idle and slightly steering outward towards the harbor. Safety fenders were still in place and would be drawn in once they were fully clear.

“Aye. Roger that.” He picked the phone up, “Chief Hoyt, be aware that we are proceeding to slow...10 knots. 12/cm per second.” Again, this was done through the automated navigation system, giving signals directly to the engines, but the Captain preferred to keep the communication lines open so that everyone knew at what step of the process they were currently at.

Jason nodded despite the Captain obviously not being able to see him through a phone, out of pure habit, "Aye Captain… Stand by."

Jason immediately looked to the switchboard located upon the Chief Engineer's Panel, and double checked if the "Bridge Control" indicator was on, indicating that Bridge had full control over the engine. He pushed the hotphone into his chest, muffling the audio emanating from the loud room. He then looked at his Second Engineer - Einar Wojcik, who was looking at him in return with baited breath, and gave the next command with but a simple nod, as they have rehearsed this step countless times. Einar Wojcik nodded in return and placed his head close to the engine, as the reduction gearbox was engaged remotely, which immediately connected the shaft with the propeller, providing near instant propulsion from the powerful drumming engine. Einar nodded back to the Chief, indicating that everything went well, without any challenges arising, as far as he could see and hear. Jason then glued his eyes to the Speedometer. He watched the speed rise slowly as the lumbering giant was gaining momentum upon the waves, until finally, the needle became stationary in line with "10 Knots". Jason brought the hotphone receiver back to his face,
"10 Knots on the steady, Captain. Gearbox and shaft in good health."

“Aye, copy that, Chief. Standby for speed increase.” He hung up the phone for the moment.
They angled further out and away. With this being a fairly prestigious shoving off, the port authorities, on direction from the Royal government, had made sure that no commercial or industrial traffic would be near the Upplausn as it headed out, making for easy maneuvering to the mouth of the port harbor.

Just under ten minutes later, Captain Stan picked up the hotphone once again, connecting to Chief Hoyt.
“We will do our slow increase to 20 knots cruising speed, Chief. Boat is now clear of the harbor.”

"Aye, Captain", came Jason's reply. Jason glued his eyes back to the Speedometer, watching the needle slowly but surely increasing in speed. He also maintained a close eye on the Chief Engineer's Panel, whilst Einar moved around the engine, making sure that he looked, and listened, to every part of the engine as the revs increased, making sure that nothing went wrong, and that any minor problem was detected before it became something more serious. Once the needle rested on "20 Knots", Jason replied over the hotphone,
"Captain, a steady 20, all systems green down here."

“Aye, thank you, Chief. We are green here. Safety check in one half hour. Until then, out.”

They were finally on their way.

by **Greater Orcadia** » Thu Apr 15, 2021 2:05 pm

As the announcement came through, Louise turned to face the speaker, her head tilted slightly as she listenned intently before turning her focus back to Ryan
"Well looks like they've called last boarding" she says before glancing up at the exhaust then back to Ryan, taking a sip of her drink "come on love, pipe up"

"come on Ryan" says Penny, "wa'yae gonna play fo'us" she asks with a highland twang

Ryan just smiles as he picks up the bagpipes and holding them in the traditional way he places the mouthpiece to his lips and begins to blow. As he does the drones begin to sound giving a steady humming noise and then as the bag reaches its pressure he begins to play a traditional Orcadian song, without sheet music or any reference, Ryan plays it from memory and it is a sharp rendition as he hits every note.

This of course may of course attract some attention, however Ryan is more focused on the music eminating from his bagpipes to care about any potential crowd that may gather, then as the gangway is raised and the ship is cast off Ryan shifts to playing the second song which is a little more contempory. As Ryan plays away, Penny and Evan along with Martyne head into the bar to get another drink before returning to the aft deck to see the the bond between ship and shore finally broken as the cruise begins.

Louise however is gently tapping her hand that is not holding a glass on the railings as the breeze ruffles her shirt, a shirt that normally has eppelettes on the shoulders denoting her rank though here they would stand for nothing as although she is a ships captain, she is however not the captain of this ship but a container ship that spends most of its time carrying the worldy goods across the worlds oceans, Ryan is normally at the helm of a container truck, though with Penny, Evan, Sister-in-law Martyne and his Wife Louise, Ryan is here on holiday and he intends to make the most of it.

by **Terre des Gaules** » Thu Apr 15, 2021 5:19 pm

Maurice smiled as he easily dropped his hand to the handrail. Some people didn’t shake hands, he had to remember and not take offense.
“Yes, I’ve heard that term before - Frenchman. A lot of our ancient kinfolk spread to many areas, and French language and culture have developed to unite us. I consider myself a Gaul, but appreciate the sentiment.”
He slipped into French, focusing carefully to not slip into Gaulic colloquialisms that would be difficult for this man to understand.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Abel Dupont, owner of Carthatska....So, yes. Yes. A beautiful group of people out to do business or enjoy leisure for a beautiful week or so on the seas...or Lake, as it were. Mon dieu...It is getting warmer.”

Maurice unzipped his coat, debating taking it off altogether.
“So, a taxi service, then? Or more of a ride share, contract driver situation? This business of yours?”

Suddenly, they heard the announcement. Maurice would stay out on deck to watch the docks fade away onto the horizon, perhaps his new friend would do the same and they could continue their conversation.

by **Carthatska** » Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:07 pm

Abel listened to Maurice and the announcement. At last, they were moving! Anyway, it was a pleasant surprise, hearing French. It was slowly but surely dying out in Carthatska in favor of the nomadic languages. Well, Abel could still speak decent French, or so he thought. He rehearsed in his mind some French, then began to speak. "Well, that is true, just being a French speaker doesn't automatically make you French. And yes, it's a good crowd, but a stubborn one. Nobody seems to want to help me get CARthatska set up in their countries. Speaking of CARthatska, it's kind of both. We have a taxi service branch and a ride share branch, both of which have revolutionized transport on Carthatska."

Abel looked at the docks fading away. He hadn't been on a ship since years ago, when his business hadn't left much room for a vacation. Getting back on the pearly blue water would hopefully be a treat.

by **Arkyatan** » Fri Apr 16, 2021 2:42 am

Ukloss Lonjoct needed this break.

Lonjoct knew life within his career would never truly be “calm”. Nor would he ever receive the thanks and gratitude he truly deserved. Not that he expected any, not this late in his career at least. The high brow idealism that had once guided his spirit and given way to decades of soul crushing white collar work. Ten thousand meetings across a thousand locations that now blurred together like one long running mural painted on the walls of his mind. Yes, he needed this break.

A month prior, the Arkyatani Finance Ministry had announced they were revamping their regulations concerning the purchasing of Arkyatani Imperial Government bonds by foreigners. This seemingly minor facet of government policy had largely flown under Lonjoct’s radar right up until two weeks ago when the Finance Ministry abruptly informed the foreign ministry that it was offloading the responsibility of screening potential applicants for bond purchasing to the Foreign Ministry under the auspice that since the applicants were *foreigners*, it fell (at least partially) to the Foreign Ministry to help handle the process.

The whole affair had been dropped on Lonjoct’s desk completely out of the blue. If there was one thing the K’toca civil servant despised, it was being caught off guard. He had spent hours cursing the Finance Ministry and their perennial laziness, and then spent a dozen more hours cursing the Foreign Ministry for their arrogance and hunger for power.

As a civil servant, Lonjoct was never in the public eye or received any real attention, and thus never any credit for the long hours he put into making sure the Ministry ran efficiently. Behind the scenes, and especially for middle management, there was no glory or honor. His father, who had fought in the Civil War on behalf of the Empire, never hid his disappointment in Ukloss’s career choice that well. These times, Lonjoct had a hard time disagreeing.

But this cruise would be a welcome break. Some of his staff had clearly not been enticed by the possibility of him being out of the office for so long, but his paid time off was adding up. Years of dedicated service to the Imperial Union eventually did amount to something, and he intended to make the most of it. Besides, he assured himself, his staff was a component lot. They could take care of themselves for the 20 days he had allotted himself.

The Upplausn seemed like a perfectly fine ship, though Lonjoct had never been on one prior. As he walked along the pier he passed by several others, pondering a life at sea. He had never been enthralled by the life of a sailor, but after decades in office work he questioned whether it was a preferable alternative.

Dressed in a button down shirt, slacks, and comfortable but nice shoes, the K’toca would have been a rather insignificant sight for most. However he was tall, dark skinned, with broad shoulders and a sharp nose; the hallmarks of a K’toca man. He walked up the ramp and passed through security without incident, recollecting his carry on luggage and briefcase that contained a few incidentals from work. He made a point to greet the captain firmly and pleasantly, sharing an uncommon smile and thanking him for his duty. If there was one thing Lonjoct knew how to do, it was get to know the important people in a situation.

With that in order, he gathered his things and made his way to his cabin.

by **San Rosito** » Fri Apr 16, 2021 4:48 am

Security Center
Aboard the Upplausn

Finally, Communications Officer Pedro Fortunado had made it to his destination - The Security Center of the ship. He smiled at the security officer at the front desk and made his way back to Ryker's office. He knocked next to the door frame.

"Hello, Sen... Mister Ryker?" He corrected himself, "It's me. Pedro...from Communications. I would like to toast?... No, that is not right...Touch base with you. Did you see the memo from Ilsa at the Sunrise main office? The one about lending security personnel to Communications? I wanted to talk to you about that, if we could, Sir?"

After Captain Redmondsson had visited him, Markus had taken the opportunity to closely read the intelligence he had been provided with. Scanning the documents and files, he read the situation reports provided by the GSB and BSGE (Bureau Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure), the Gaulic intel agency. While nothing was concrete, the report contained information regarding an increase in encrypted radio traffic and military presence around the lake.

Deep in thought about the situation, he was snapped out of his musings when Pedro knocked on his office door frame. Swiftly sweeping the files off his desk and into a drawer, Markus proceeded to close out of the digital reports before ejecting and palming the flash drive and looking up.

“Ah Mister Fortunado! Take a seat.”

Gesturing across the table to the chairs, Markus waited for Pedro to sit down.

“What can I do for you this lovely morning?”

Listening intently to Pedro, Markus internally groaned as Pedro asked for one of his security members to assist with communications. Keeping a professional demeanor however, he smiled and nodded as Pedro spoke.

“Hmm, there are twelve of us on the security team including myself, Pedro. I originally had planned for the security personnel to be split into three eight hour shifts. However, I think I might be able to spare one of my crew members if you think the communications team needs the additional help. However, I ask that if a situation pops up that I can take back my crew member to assist with anything.”

Pedro nodded.
“Well, of course. I’m only asking for backup when one of us is say...taken ill, or something of that nadur...nature? We don’t constantly monitor the radios every minute, you see, but we are alerted when there is incoming messages. We do check every hour or so to make sure the systems are still running right. If I could just train one, or even two, of your people?”

Listening to Pedro, Markus suddenly had an idea cross his mind. Choosing his words carefully, he replied.

“Cross training my crew members in radio usage in case of an issue actually sounds like a wise idea, Pedro. Especially if there were to be an issue with one of your crew members becoming ill. I think it might be wise to also train one or two of them in operating the long range emergency radio frequencies just to be safe too.”

Leaving it at that, Markus looked towards Pedro with a friendly smile but made sure to not say too much more.

Pedro smiled back.
“Well, I only have the one man. Ivor...and he’s...young and not quite...as solid, as I would like. So, illness might not be the only factor here...”

“Of course, I’m not positive but one or two of my team might have prior experience working with radios so I will ask around and send one or two of them to the communications center later. When will you need them?”

“That is excellente! I am available to train as many of your men as you would like, to use and monitor our communications systems. I will be up until probably 10 o'clock tonight.”

“Alright, I’ll make my rounds and check in with my staff and see if any of them are interested. Expect them in an hour or two.”

“Of course. I will expect them. Thank you, Mr. Ryker. I will say that I am a bit astonished that the company didn’t think about this before the voyage, but I guess they can’t think of everything, yes?”

“Of course, Pedro. Thank you again for stopping by. Feel free to get in contact again if anything else arises.”

Fortunado was getting a slight bit of the brush off, but the situation was settled to his satisfaction and he didn’t really have much more to add. He rose up from the chair as he spoke.
“Si, of course, Mr. Ryker. I will do that.”

by **Port Ember** » Sat Apr 17, 2021 2:11 am

Jolene Gudfrey

After boarding, Jolene was escorted to her cabin by one of the vessel's porters, not bothering to explore or meet some of the interesting characters around, as there would be plenty of time for that later, 10 days of time to be exact.

Jolene arrived in her double bed Main Deck cabin, and she was satisfied, to an extent, with the equipped decor and amenities. As a billionaire from an elite family and upbringing, Jolene was used to being surrounded by absolute wealth and absolute comforts, both in terms of objects and people. As a prime example, when she compared her current cabin to the main bedroom in her personal yacht, the Desire, there really was no comparison, as this cabin was a shack in comparison. Jolene smiled softly as she shrugged it off, accepting the fact that she was not on her yacht, and she chose to travel on this vessel on her own accord. It would have to do.

She placed her luggage, which a porter placed in her room before her arrival, upon her bed, and unpacked her clothes quickly, and stored them within the cabinets conveniently installed within the room. Luckily she packed quite lightly, with only the minimum amount of clothing with which to be practical - yet stylish, thus this process was handled quickly. Despite her wealth and high expectations of living standards, Jolene knew how to travel light, as she was very fond of traveling the less travelled routes in foreign nations, despite the constant complaints originating from her bodyguard. Jolene was a firm believer that a Port Emberian had to be able to blend in, deal, connect and mingle with the everyday plebians of the world, as that was the secret of their forefathers' success. A boardroom meeting does garner business yes, but the real economy was being run on the ground, so to speak.

After Jolene finished unpacking, she removed and hung up her jacket, now wearing only her marvellous red dress, as the temperature seemed to have increased to comfortable enough numbers. Besides, the exquisite details of her dress which was handcrafted and personally designed for her, was just too good to hide underneath a jacket.

When Jolene exited her room and entered the hallway, the neighbouring door, which led to a single bed cabin, opened as well, with Joshua, Jolene's bodyguard filling the open space left by the open door. Jolene could not help but smile, as Joshua had an extremely impressive hidden talent - he always knew when she was about to leave her room and go somewhere. She tried many times to sneak away without his knowledge, but somehow, he just always knew. The few times that Jolene confronted him about this, he would but shrug his shoulders and pretend that he had no idea what she was talking about. Jolene even caught him smiling secretly once or twice in the past.

"Settled in Josh?"

"Yes Ma'am. It's a nice, cozy little cabin. It's considered to be luxurious around these parts I have heard."

Jolene smiled, "It surely is better than that hotel we stayed in last year in Ysterfontein."

"Oh, most definitely. I tend to agree - this cabin outclasses a hotel on fire by lightyears."

"Let's take a walk hun, I want to explore. And I'm dying for a drink."

Joshua nodded in agreement, and allowed Jolene to walk up ahead, following close enough in order to keep a close eye on his principal, yet far enough away to allow her some freedom, and the perception that she was alone. Jolene always insisted on this, without explanation why, and he complied at times when the general area was considered safe enough to allow this.

Jolene strolled through the ship when she heard the "About to shove off" announcement, which Jolene placed at the back of her mind. She knew that all of her company had boarded, and she knew the smooth movement of the boat would not affect her. She packed her sea legs after all!

Jolene finally arrives at the Aft Deck, where she heard, and then eventually saw a man playing bagpipes. As she approached this activity, she gestured smoothly to Joshua, who quickly closed the distance between them.

"Ma'am?"

"Fetch me a drink please? Ask for the most traditional cocktail possible. I need to see this spectacle."

Joshua wanted to mumble about being a professional, and not a waiter, but he knew by now that it would only be a waste of breath, and disappeared towards the bar.

Jolene arrived at the musician, and joined the small gathered crowd, immediately staring at the display, involuntarily tapping along with her feet as she admired the sounds being birthed. The pipes was such a crude instrument, yet capable of creating something spectacular.

A few moments later, just before the second song was finished, Joshua returned and handed Jolene a drink. He whispered into her ear,
"Kompot. Fruits and vodka basically. Comes highly recommended as 'Traditional'."

As Jolene accepted the drink, she flashed a soft smile and nod as gratitude, before returning her attention to the spectacle at play.

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