Land, ho!

[lieutenantsteward]

Welcome to Unnamed Island #1, everyone! Lt. Jopson has successfully steered the ship towards land! (Or maybe the ship was going there the whole time? Who knows, burst his bubble if you want to be a monster!) The island is large and uninhabited by humans, but has lots of wildlife. This isn’t a specific island on a map because, like all things in the dream, it is an amalgamation of the characters in it. So, if it looks like it might be on a tropical island, it will be! Pineapples, coconuts, mangos- sure! Seals and feral pigs- you bet! Beautiful reefs- Of course! Secret Caribbean rum stores- why the hell not? Two species of crabs that shouldn’t be in the same hemisphere- hell yeah! (After all, Goodsir’s the only one who will know the difference). Enjoy the island, folks! The Terror will dock there starting today and they will leave on Tuesday the 7th.

Piña coladas, anyone?

((This is an open post for island shenanigans though, of course, you are always welcome to start your own!))

Comments

[bestsir]

Harry splashes out of the boat onto shore with approximately the same level of grace of his first attempt to haul a sledge. He falls into the water but he doesn't care, because it's land. He wades onto the sand and his attention is immediately caught by an enormous crab that is tearing into a coconut at the foot of a coconut tree. That crab will have his undivided attention until it finally scuttles away.

Harry spends the rest of the first day exploring the beach, stopping here and there to observe seals, lizards, other crustaceans, and birds. He doesn't venture into any of the wooded areas until the second day, at which point he is absolutely going to get chased by an angry feral pig.

At night, he lies down on the beach and looks up at the unfamiliar constellations, letting his thoughts wander, and feeling happier than he can remember feeling in years.

[lieutenantsteward]

It would be extraordinarily tempting to see Harry, assume he was fine, and then walk off. But Thomas could see Trixie and, though she doesn't directly confront him, he really didn't want to be yelled at by her. So, after finding something he thought might fascinate the other man, he trots off in the afternoon of the first day.

"Mr. Goodsir," he calls out to him softly, hoping he's not interrupting too much. "I wonder if you would be interested in a gathering of odd eggs I have found, just there," he smiles, pointing behind him to the beach.

[bestsir]

When Jopson finds Harry, he's lying on his stomach on the sand, peering into a small hole about two inches across. He's followed a crab into it and he's waiting to see if it's going to come out. It's been a while, though, and Harry's about to give up anyway, so Jopson's interruption—especially with some good news—is perfectly welcome.

"Eggs? Wonderful!" He gets to his feet and dusts off the sand. "Show me?"

[lieutenantsteward]

Of course his happiness is infectious and Thomas feels himself softening despite the knot in his chest. He chances a look at his neck, remembering pulling Dorian from him and-

"Yes, I don't believe they're bird's eggs, either," he explains, stepping back to wait on him. "Unless there are birds who leave their eggs in the sand?"

[bestsir]

Harry still has a fading purple mark on his face as well. Difficult to miss.

"Plovers—although they build nests. But these may be turtles, or perhaps the lizards I've seen."

[lieutenantsteward]

There is a reason that Jopson walks ahead of him, not turning back. Once they arrive to the clutch of eggs, he kneels down a bit away from it, letting Goodsir get closer if he wants. The eggs have all hatched fairly recently, leaving the remains behind.

"Here," he points, staring at the sand.

[bestsir]

Harry bends down to examine the eggs, carefully picking up one delicate shell and examining it. He looks around the nest, noticing where Jopson has trod on the sand and a path of disturbed sand leading down to the ocean. "Sea turtle eggs!" he exclaims. "And newly hatched, too." He looks around to see if there are any hatchlings remaining and as luck would have it, there's a little one that's gotten tangled up in some sea-wrack. A miracle that a bird or a crab hasn't gotten it.

He carefully disentangles the little creature and lifts it gently onto his palm. "There you are. What a wonderful little thing you are." He pets the back of its shell lightly with a finger and carries it down to the water's edge, where he puts his hand down. The hatchling wiggles off his hand and shuffles into the water; a wave carries it back momentarily, but then it begins to swim in earnest and soon is gone under the seafoam.

Harry watches it until it's gone, looking for all the world as if he's just seen an angel of the Lord descend to give him a personal message.

[lieutenantsteward]

Thomas just watches him for a moment, astonished at how young he seemed. How much like a boy. He's frozen as he sees the turtle, the little creature causing Thomas to actually turn up the corners of his lips in an involuntary smile. It was, for lack of a better word, endearing, and he felt like a monster.

Coming up beside Goodsir, he puts a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It is good to see you happy," he tells him with genuine emotion.

[bestsir]

Harry turns to him and reaches up to pat the back of his hand. "Thank you. And it is good to see you happy as well, Mr. Jopson. And may I say—you were right. About what we have here. Whatever this is, it surely is not Hell after all."

[lieutenantsteward]

To hear him say it actually makes him falter. "No. It is something we cannot predict but...it is not a torment. Not always." He looks down, still not able to meet his face. "I had hoped I could lead us to this reprieve," he continues. "You deserve that."

[bestsir]

"It is most kind of you to say so." Harry turns to look at him properly, concerned. "Are—are you quite all right? You've done very well, getting us here—as well as any of the other officers would have, if not better."

[lieutenantsteward]

That is easy to explain away, though he still doesn't meet his gaze. He looks to Terror instead. "Ah...thank you. Captain Crozier has been teaching me for weeks." His stomach twists. "I knew we would find this island and I wished to be the first to see it. At the expense of almost everything else, I'm afraid." He was tired, which wasn't a lie.

[bestsir]

"Surgeon's orders then, Lieutenant—get some rest," Harry says, smiling. "You've more than earned it."

Harry's buoyancy is such that he hasn't quite twigged to the possibility that there might be more to Jopson's mood than simply being tired. Not yet, anyway.

[lieutenantsteward]

It's what Thomas is counting on and so he nods. "Captain Crozier did threaten to send you after me," he smiles. "I suppose I have simply hastened the message for him. I will rest, Mr. Goodsir. In the shade with the sound of the waves." He starts off down the sand, hoping he did enough to get Trixie off his back for a while.

[bestsir]

"I'll see you later then. Rest well, Jopson. And thank you for the turtle nest."

He waves cheerfully and bends back down to examine the remains of the nest, taking out his notebook to make a few notes. It's only after Jopson has gone that it occurs to him that something seemed off about him, but Harry can't put his finger on it. He'll have a look at him later, he decides. Perhaps he'll feel more forthcoming after he's rested.