Open Log: Big Blue Wet Thing

[goingtobeunwell]

Terrors waking that morning will find a few things amiss with the ship: 1. it's hot and humid inside their cabins, and 2. the ship itself is rocking.  Swaying, in fact, as though the ice beneath them has melted and the ship is moving. Which it is, actually, and quite quickly too. 

The holes in the side of Terror have been repaired, the rigging put up on the masts, the dual wheels of the helm moving as the ship races through the waves on its own. Up above the sun is shining brightly. 
H.M.S. Terror is sailing once more, destination unknown.

Comments

Harry | OTA

[bestsir]

Harry has never experienced heat like this in his life. He's down to his shirtsleeves; even the waistcoat and neckcloth have been put aside, and as the day wears on, his pale Scots complexion will be getting noticeably redder and redder unless someone intervenes with at least a hat.

There are too many wonders for him to care about the heat. There's the miracle of a blue sky and the smell of salt air, and at some point you will hear him let out an exclamation and run to the bow, where he nearly falls off the ship from the excitement of seeing a pod of dolphins merrily leaping alongside. He finds the sample-collecting nets and begins pulling up all manner of fish and sea-creatures—including, at one point, a man o' war jellyfish that gets thrown back with a very long stick.

As the sun sets on the first day, you'll find him sitting in the rigging, the better to watch a whale in the near distance as it breaches over and over again for the sheer joy of it all.

[wishiwasatree]

Trixie mostly admires Harry from afar, not wanting to get between him and his scientific studies. But she's up on deck as often as she can be, tasting the salt from the spray and soaking up the sun with the others that have come up to enjoy the sun.

She eventually notices that Goodsir's starting to turn red, the silly fucking Scot, and she shakes her head and treks back down into the hold to look for a balm.

By the time she comes back up he's climbing the fucking rigging, and she sighs to herself and eyes the ropes. The wind's blowing something fierce, and everybody below's going to get a good show of her snatch if she does follow him up there, but she's already gone through the effort of finding the balm and gathering up some biscuits to force him to stop and eat fucking something, so she might as well follow the plan the fuck through.

Trixie curses and tries to tie up her skirts into makeshift bloomers, then begins the slow climb up the rigging. Goddamn men, making her go through extra effort just to make sure they don't come whining to her later about their aches and pains. Not that she thinks Goodsir's that type, but it's her general experience speaking.

[bestsir]

Harry sees her coming up; luckily for her he's only stopping about a third of the way up. He beams at her and waves jauntily.

"Trixie—look! Over there!" He points. "A southern right whale, I do believe. See how he leaps!"

The whale arcs out of the water with a grace almost unimaginable in something so enormous and lands with a splash. Nearby, there are other shapes in the water, and an occasional rising fluke indicates the presence of more whales. Harry is trying to count them; as best as he can tell, there might be as many as a dozen. gathering together for a purpose known only to them.

[kingsroads]

When Strange sees Harry run to the bow, his first thought is oh good God, someone fell overboard. As he sees Harry almost fall overboard, his eyes widen and he picks up the pace as he makes his way to the bow as well. Strange only stops when he sees the dolphins. His eyes widen with excitement as he stops and watches them for a moment, grinning all the while.

"I've never actually seen dolphins before," he admits, not at all bothering to hide the joy in his voice. "They're wonderful."

[bestsir]

"They are a delight," Harry agrees. "Look—do you see the variations of colour on their bodies? Light below and dark above—to make them more difficult to see."

One of the dolphins, apparently deciding that it's time to show off for the observers, leaps out of the water and corkscrews through the air before splashing back down again.

[choosethepath]

It's the nets that get Sabriel's attention first. She's stripped down to a pair of breeches and a loose blouse, leaving the sword and surcoat in her room. She doesn't ever leave her bells, but she has them tightly against her so they don't get in the way.

She approaches the doctor Trixie spoke so highly about, intent on giving him a proper hello. But when she sees the gelatinous creature he pulls up, she lets out a soft yelp. "What is that?!"

Open Log for Crozier

[goingtobeunwell]

Crozier knows he should alert everyone to the change. He needs to issue orders, organize their numbers, chart their current location (if this isn't just an endless sea), inspect the ship for leaks, and a thousand other things that he hasn't had to think about since becoming icebound years ago.

But he doesn't do any of those things. The heat is punishing, and he takes off layers until he standing in shirtsleeves and waistcoat, sweating under the glare of the sun reflecting an actual open ocean. Around him the ship creaks and moans, the sails full and pushing them forward on their own. It's as though Terror knows where she's going, and Crozier, knowing her as well as he does, is willing to let her experience this unheard of freedom before he takes command.

Up until five minutes ago, Francis Crozier believed he would never sail ever again. He's weeping unabashedly, tears streaking down his face as he stares off into the smooth horizon. Jesus Christ, it's a goddamn beautiful sight.

[lieutenantsteward]

After a very eventful evening, Jopson knows that he is going to run late. But, as he walks out of his borrowed cabin in his uniform, he senses that something is off. The ship is rocking, for Christ's sake. It was a feeling that he had grown so used to that his hazy mind doesn't even notice until he's rushing up the stairs onto the deck and blinking in the sunlight. Warm sun.

Taking a few hesitant steps forward, he sees his Captain, looking years younger, and walks up beside him. "Captain..." But there were no words that came after. He was just so happy.

[una_persson]

Una lets Crozier have his moments before she approaches him.

"It's a fine day for it, Captain," she says. God, what a relief to not have to wear her damned greatcoat every time she ventures out of her cabin. She's wearing a straw sailor hat against the sun, a white linen shirt, and linen culottes. She was going for "breezy and functional" and feels that she's hit the mark.

open thread for Strange!

[kingsroads]

Strange is smart enough to wear a hat. Unfortunately, he doesn't own anything close to a beach hat. So instead, he's wearing a large, wide-brimmed hat that was originally intended for riding but has now been repurposed to simply keep the sun off his face and neck. He's also down to his shirtsleeves and trousers, neck-cloth completely abandoned after it flew in his face one too many times.

Like most of the ship, Strange spends the first few days on the deck as much as possible. The sun is nice, the salt air is refreshing, and there is so much for him to see out there. He spends the first day just watching the waves, chasing down his hat after the wind inevitably knocks it off his head, muttering a spell as he tries (and fails!) to coax the temperature into something less humid, and attempting to feed the raven some small fish caught in one of the sample-collecting nets.

All in all, he seems to be brimming with barely contained excitement. It is so wonderful to see something new compared to the past few weeks of nothing but ice.

[goingtobeunwell]

Crozier happens to catch Strange as he's climbing down from the rigging, swinging from it like a much younger man and dropping down onto the deck. There's just something about the open sea that's fueling Crozier to try his luck at activities that would normally cause him aches and pains the next day.

"What do you think about Terror now, old man?" he calls out to Strange. He pauses, frowning. "Are you feeding that bloody bird?"

Re: open thread for Strange!

[heyboss]

Sheehan feels odd in his casual clothes, but it is certainly less constricting than his normal suit. Still, he is uneasy about all of this in a way that he can't pinpoint. It takes him until the late afternoon before he makes it up to the deck, almost afraid of what he might see.

As he breathes in the sea air, though, he grumbles at himself for waiting so long. It is nice, and he's allowed to enjoy something, at least for a while. He is about to walk to the railing when something hits his leg and he reaches down, picking up the most ridiculous hat he's ever seen.

[choosethepath]

The good mood of the ship has definitely rubbed off on Sabriel, and so, on a break from studying, she spots Strange across the ship. Unable to contain herself, she pulls from the Charter and makes a few quick marks, intending on lifting his hat above his head, just out of reach. She stays across the ship, waiting to see if he would notice.

Sabriel | OTA

[choosethepath]

Sabriel very rarely does anything with her hair except wear it down, but the heat and humidity forces her to plait it away from her face and off the back of her neck. She's down to breeches and a blouse tied back in something a bit more scandalous than what would have been proper at home, but there's no headmistress to yell at her. Feeling marginally better, she takes the air on the deck along with most of the other crew, though she does enjoy finding a quiet spot with one of her books and practicing her magic.

The rigging is also tempting, and she tests herself by climbing into it, trying to see out as far as possible. She doesn't go up too high for fear of falling, but she has a steady hand and a fearlessness of youth.

[mayiofferyouacoughdrop]

McGonagall doesn't look much different in the warm weather than she does in the cooler weather. She's switched to a lighter-weight green robe than the heavier one she wears at Hogwarts, but otherwise she's much the same. She doesn't appear to be suffering from the heat as she walks the deck (cooling charms are wonderful things), looking curiously out at the sea--certainly not what she'd expected when she'd arrived.

She stops when she sees the girl on deck, studying what appears to be magic. Strange had mentioned Sabriel, but she hadn't yet had the chance to meet her, and this seemed as good a time as any to introduce herself. "Hello. Am I correct in assuming that you are Miss Sabriel?"

[wishiwasatree]

Trixie finds Sabriel later in the day after she's been descaling fish for dinner. She just wants a smoke out on the deck, maybe see the sun for a bit before it goes down, and she spies Sabriel and can't help but seek her out.

"Evening. Heard you tangled with a sea monster."

[brushoff]

Dorian's been out on the deck a few times during the day but the presence of certain people and noticeable lack of others (for fuck's sake Thomas how many chores did you have to do?!) means that he spends just as much time below decks as he does above. But eventually, the night starts to fall. It's getting close to dusk as Dorian looks up at the sky and waits for the stars to appear. He's at least put on a loose tank-top now but is still wearing his swim shorts.

A noise catches his attention. He turns to look at the new arrival, ready to fire off a snippy comment if it's Goodsir or try to mend bridges if it's Trixie...but it's the new girl. She'll hopefully be decent conversation.

"You're the new wizard," he says, as he nods at Sabriel. Well, one of them anyway. He spent the entire meeting hungover but he still retained some information. "I don't think we've met. Dorian Gray, pleasure to meet you."

Shaun OTA

[adaptiveimmunities]

Shaun is enjoying the summer weather. He's got summer clothes and has found sunblock in his room, which he's using liberally and pressing on anyone who even looks like they might get a sunburn. He spends a lot of time on deck--often without a shirt on--enjoying the sunshine. Occasionally, he climbs up into the rigging to get a better view. He's never been sailing before, so this is kind of an adventure for him, and he's never been one to shy away from new things.

Sometimes he's talking to himself, sometimes he's not, but he definitely looks a bit more relaxed than usual. Lots of fresh air without a pile of unfamiliar winter gear is a nice change.

I couldn't resist!

[spookylikeafox]

A tropical paradise is perfect for Fox Mulder. It's exactly the sort of vacation that he enjoys. Everyone's dressed more comfortably and he can allow himself to enjoy the view for a while. He's found an obnoxious Hawaiian shirt that he is currently sporting along with shorts, though the bandage around his calf is going to leave a strange tan line. At least his leg is healing nicely.

As he spots Shaun, he lets out a soft whistle. "Hey! Waiter! Can I get a rum and Coke?"

[brushoff]

Dorian, who has also elected to go shirtless, can't help but let out a wolf whistle as he looks up at Shaun, who's looking very muscular and fit, and blatantly stares at his chest for a moment. "Hello there sailor!"

Una | Open

[una_persson]

Una spends most of the day on deck. She's got a straw sailor hat on her head and is resplendent in white and khaki linen. She spends some time up in the crow's nest on the mainmast, watching the little dramas unfolding below, looking out to sea—and, truth be told, wondering when the other shoe is going to drop. After a while she decides it profits a woman not at all to dwell on these things and she comes back down, to dine with the others and chat. Later in the evening, she finds a comfortable spot near the stern where she sits and reads until it's too dark to continue.

[heyboss]

Sheehan is happy enough to keep his feet on the ground, and so, when Una decides to rejoins them on deck, he looks up from his own book and grins. He had been aware of her more prominent placement in the crow's nest, but he never had a stomach for such heights. Especially on a ship that was actively sailing.

"How's the view?" he calls out to her, not quite ready to move from his comfortable spot near the railing.

Thomas | Open!

[lieutenantsteward]

After a very stern talk from Crozier, the Lieutenant has officially been stripped of all his duties save for navigation. And, in true Thomas Jopson form, that means dedicating himself completely to it. Deciding not to waste the sunlight on the third morning of sailing, he drags a small table out to the deck and, over the course of the next half hour, begins to bring out his charts and maps from the great cabin, keeping them down with various rocks and weights. He has his journal with recordings he’s taken over the course of the past few days. He has a few of the instruments, too, though he doesn’t quite know what to do with them yet. He knows what Crozier has told him during their studies, but to actually use them makes his head spin slightly.

Still, he likes the idea of working in the sunshine and so can be found bent over his work, parsing through numbers and figures and matching them to charts. He sets his compass down finally in front of him, as if reminding him that they were, indeed, sailing south. It’s mostly just practice, since the stars don’t always line up to the charts they have, but he doesn’t mind the challenge.

He does eventually give into the heat and settles for rolling up his shirtsleeves and ridding himself of everything else. He will welcome any who approach, and occasionally will take a break to walk the railing and catch a spray of salt water.

[wishiwasatree]

Trixie enjoys seeing this side of Jopson. It's a lot better suited to him than the galley work or laundry, that's for fucking certain. She takes care of the kitchen while he's busy doing whatever the fuck he's doing with all those charts and maps and metal instruments, and comes up on deck with a tray in hand for his midday meal.

"Oi, Captain," she teases. "Stop for a fuckin' minute so you can eat something."

[brushoff]

Dorian's shirtless. The only things he's wearing are a pair of swim trunks and some designer sunglasses. And when he sees Thomas start to set up a table with numbers, figures, and all sort of other things that are needed but frankly, a little boring, Dorian knows exactly what to do.

Dorian gets right in Jopson's light, casting a shadow on the table as he gives the now-navigator a smile. "Take a break and climb up the rigging with me," Dorian says, in a tone of voice that fully implies he expects Jopson's going to do what he asks.