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

[choosethepath]

She steps back at his warning, though she leans in to watch. "That creature is just smaller creatures?" she asks, shaking her head. That was not something that they ever learned about in school. She might have gotten better marks had they covered something interesting. "It's...disgusting," she tells him, but there's a sort of awe to her words.

[bestsir]

"Unnerving, is it not?" Harry says, not at all put out by her reaction. "Normally I should very much like to preserve such a specimen, but—"

But is there any point in doing so, in a dream? He decides not to say that.

"—but it is a peculiarly dangerous thing—it can still sting even hours after death. I think we shall return it to its native domain."

He gets the boat hook carefully under the air sac of the jellyfish's body, but it slides off before he can move it very far.

[choosethepath]

Sabriel winces. "Does that hurt it?" she asks, moving from disgust to concern.

[bestsir]

"Do you know, I'm not sure," Harry says thoughtfully. "We've no idea how such a creature experiences pain, or if it does at all ... That said, I am sure it would rather be in the water than not. Can you help me? If we can catch the body in the net and shift the tentacles with the hook, we should manage."

[choosethepath]

Oh wait.

"I can use magic," she suggests. "I don't want to hurt it, so...maybe I can move its tentacles without the hook?" She doesn't like the look of the thing and doesn't want to accidentally poke it. Instead, she takes a few hesitant steps closer and makes the signs with her fingers, gently tugging the tentacles from where they have sprawled out.

[bestsir]

Harry cries out in alarm as she approaches the jellyfish, but then he sees what she's doing and his jaw drops a little.

"Good Lord. How wonderful. Yes—yes, that will do nicely indeed." He catches the jellyfish's air-bag and body in the net and stats easing it toward the side, watching as Sabriel guides the tentacles.

[choosethepath]

Pleased that it seems to be working out, she neatly pulls all the tentacles together and moves it over the side with the parts Harry has. "Are you ready?" she asks. "I'll let it drop when you do."

[bestsir]

"All right—here we go." He tips the net and lets the jellyfish fall. When Sabriel releases the tentacles, it slips down into the water with a soft plop inaudible over the sound of the wind and water, and it drifts placidly away in the ship's wake.

"There we are. Thank you for your help."

[choosethepath]

She watches it for a while with a grin. "Thank you for telling me about it. And for...not hurting it." Turning back to him, she holds out her hand politely. "My name's Sabriel. I don't think we've officially met. You're Mr. Goodsir, right?"

[bestsir]

"I am, yes." He wipes his hands on a handkerchief before shaking her hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Sabriel. And welcome."

[choosethepath]

"Thank you." She glances back over the side again. "And...I hope you find more interesting animals. Just tell me if you need help extracting any more tentacles," she laughs.

[bestsir]

"I shall. I expect you'll find me here each morning, should you like to see what I pull up," he says. "And if you would like to see something wonderful—you will regularly see dolphins off the bow. They seem to enjoy following our ship."

[choosethepath]

Her smile warms and she is reminded of why Trixie spoke so highly of him. "I'll look for them. Thank you, Mr. Goodsir."