004 [Open! Video/Comment log] Avast!~
[Oh the good captain has spent the better part of his week gathering supplies of a curious sort. Lengths of cloth and rope. Wood gathered from the leavings of bench making, a few forgotten ladders and broom handles and some cautious and quick dashes to the very edge of the forest to snatch whatever deadwood would do
( Read more... )
I haven't heard that one before, sir. It sounds interesting, though!
[This bird-man is like a child, mystified by the idea of a life at sea.]
Reply
There's more to it. Whole much more. Verse upon verse and best sung as many times as you think you can manage!
You should join me, mate! There's plenty to go around and we'll not have any worry of our throats being parched! Come on then!
Reply
Join you? Y-You mean on your ship?
[Boat. Ship. The tiny row boat at the lake was the largest water craft Malkus has ever really known. Is this an offer to BE PART OF A FEARSOME PIRATE CREW?]
Reply
AYE! I mean join me! Help me run these sails!
I'll teach you the song on the way as we explore these waters!
[Or they can just get utterly broasted.]
Reply
R-Really?
[How do you run a sail. How do you swim. How do boats work. NONE OF THESE QUESTIONS MATTER BECAUSE MALKUS IS GONNA BE PART OF A CREW.]
Alright! I'd very much like to explore the waters, sir. Should I make my way there now?
Reply
Aye! REALLY, really even now.
[For what he perceives as a grown man, he is an excitable and easy to please one. There's a lot to like there.]
Come on then! We'll be waiting at the shore for you!
[With a bottle of booze in his hand to greet the bird-man, even. When Malkus shows up the retrofitted rowboat will be grounded on shore, the captain one foot upon the stern and a hearty wave.
Sometimes the posing is on purpose.]
Reply
Marvelous! Hello, Captain!
[Malkus keeps his feet on the ground, observing this vessel of the water closely. He occasionally turns his head up at Jack, then back to the boat.]
How may I help with things? W-When do you wish to head out on the water?
Reply
[Jack steps off the boat and onto shore. There might be a little more wobble in his step than he originally intended.
But he speaks as though the poor plague-doctor was already apart of his crew.]
I shall like to head out immediately, Mister Malkus!
Reply
[Malkus is staring up at the sail, then back to Jack. The doctor doesn't know the first thing about sailing.]
Shall I attempt to shove the ship out onto the water a bit more? O-Or tend to the sails-
[Oh the excitement! Malkus would throw himself out onto the lake right now if he wasn't sure he'd drown.]
A-Are you certain you'll be alright?
[He eyes the wobbling, suddenly picturing Jack wobbling straight off the boat.]
Reply
Well, first things are first. Do you know a think about knots? Making them in rope and the different kinds of them? Or swimming? Or navigation at all?
[The first one is a must, the second isn't quite required, but it would be a good skill to have.]
I'm more than fine, lad! It is nothing at all! Getting my sea legs again! Spent too long on dry earth for my taste.
[It couldn't possibly be the open bottles in the bottom of the boat Malkus! The ones where the smell of liquor is strong.]
Reply
I can make one kind of knot. I'm sure in rope it would work as well. And-..I can float. I'm a bit rusty on navigation, though but am quick to learn!
[The doctor blinks, blankly staring at the boat. Sea legs? Are the doctors legs good enough for the sea... He wonders.]
Reply
Show me then the knot you know. There's more than one you'll need if I'm to make a proper sailor out of yah.
[Do not fret though Malkus, the good captain is all smiles as he says it. He'll teach what you need to know. Should sailing be your calling.]
Well, floating is good. Better than some I guess.
[He's met too many people on his travels that worked the sea and could not swim. It was unfortunate really.]
Knots first, mate. Then the charts after that!
[He hands Malkus a piece of rope. What can you show him?]
Reply
[The doctor nervously grabs the rope and gets to work... Okay, what have you remembered about knots, Malkus. One bunny ear-...No-...Ah, two. Alright just put this here, and twist that... And then untwist it, and do the loop around the- hm... Alright, that goes into that and THERE.]
Like this.
[Malkus is holding a mangled piece of rope with one mangled lump of a knot, with a look of silent confidence.]
Reply
Well, at least there's no bad habits to unlearn.
[There's no habits at all!]
First thing to know, is that there is far more than a single knot that you use on a ship.
[Jack carefully takes back the piece of gnarled rope, like it's a wild creature that will attack him if he is not gentle with it. He lays it down next to him.]
And none of them, lad, look like that.
So that's a good thing! You see? Everything you're about to learn will be completely new!
[Jack takes a long draft from a bottle he was next to. He was going to need it to steady him.]
Reply
[The doctor is taking mental notes. More than one knot. Yes.]
O-Oh, my apologies. A-Aheh-.... Ah. Yes, and I assure you I'm quite quick to learn! It will be good to know how to maintain a ship.
[He nods, quickly. Perhaps Malkus will sneak a few sips from one of the bottles later.]
Reply
[He hands Malkus his bottle so he can pick up two separate lengths of rope]
This is called a Salior's Knot. It doesn't slip when wet, strong as steel and comes undone when you want it to. Good for putting two pieces of line together that you want, if they don't happen to be long enough in the first place.
[He preforms the knot for the bird man.]
Now if these tails here aren't opposite of one another, the whole mess will come undone and whatever you have at the other end will come apart.
[It is a simple one. Maybe.]
Reply
Leave a comment