Skarlet Skies (Open)

[ARNeil1832]

"Come sail away into Scarlet clouds. Explore the world from the comfort and convenience of one of our award winning sky cruisers. Visit the exotic jungles of Malakan, play in the violet sands of Tradian beach or lose yourself in the ruins of Arcania city of the once great Disporan Wizards. Sailing around the world in style has never been so affordable or so relatively safe! Air travel technology has come along way in ten years, and the sky ships of today are no longer the cramped, tedious, machines of the last decade. Elegance and adventure are only a take off away!"

The heavily worn and creased brochure was clenched tightly in James' hand. He had been spent his whole life dreaming about flying away on an Air Ship. Gazing up at the majestic looking craft anchored not far from where he stood James shivered slightly, dressed in his best clothes he made his way toward the boarding ramp a worn travel bag slung over his shoulder. Born the son of a butcher nobody had expected him to do anything but follow in his fathers footsteps, inherit the shop, and pass it on to his own son as his family had been doing for generations, but the sky called to James. The blazing sunset shining over the dark hole of city beckoned him on to greater things. And so he'd forsaken his father's cleaver and apron and apprenticed with an Air Ship company as a Technomancer.

Four years he had scrimped and scraped saving every penny and counting every dime. Until at last he could afford it. A 3 month cruise across the Jade sea to see Arcania, Malakan and Tradian.

Excitement raced through James faster and faster as he walked toward his dream. A steady line of men and women trundled up the ramp, most elegantly dressed and pompous looking. Nearly all of them put his humble appearance to shame.

"Oi" A man said as he was about to step onto the ship. "You"

James turned to see a tall burly looking guard glaring at him.

"Deckhands board on the port side you oughta know that!" the goon hissed.

"Uhh excuse me sir, but I'm not a deckhand, I'm a passenger" James grinned, scarcely believing the words himself.

"Right and I'm the King of ruddy Arcania" The guard sighed when he got saw no hesitation. "Let's your tickets and I.D. then boyo"

Quite happy to prove this overstuffed oaf wrong James pulled his ticket out of his pocket, and his thick leather workers ticket book.

"You see?" he smiled.

The guard looked ill. "You really are a passenger?"

"Yessir"

"Whas the world coming to lad?" the big man shook his head "Commonfolk wasting their money on airships!"

James couldn't do anything except smile and carry on walking past the ignorant guard and across the deck of the ship. It was gorgeous. He had spent a lot of time working on freighters and transports, even some warships but this was truly something else.

OOC:

Okay anyone like SteamPunk? This story is set in the early 1900's, it's a fictional world with plenty of advanced steam driven technology. Flying ships, magic and complicated politics thrive in this alternate world.

James is a young man straight from the slums who has worked for years to become a Technomancer. A sort of working class Mechanical Wizard who can mend metal with magic and control electrical currents with their minds.

I'm looking for someone with original ideas interested in playing in the world I have created.
This is what the Skarlet Sky cruise ship looks like!
http://www.deviantart.com/download/4...Punslinger.jpg

[ARNeil1832]

Bump! Any interest at all?

[MaraKay]

(OOC - SteamPunk means nothing to me, but i'll give it a try)


Tessa pushed the loose strand of golden hair under her cap as she looked at the list of ships passengers.

She was 5ft 4 with long slim legs and a curvey figure.

She saw a good looking man enter. He obviously wasn't in the well todo catagory that they usually carried, but she thought him very easy on the eyes.

"Hi, can I look at your ticket please? Then i'll get a porter to take you to your room."

[ARNeil1832]

James had begun to head toward the cabin area when he was stopped again by a small young woman with a ready smile and pretty face.

"Hi, can I look at your ticket please? Then i'll get a porter to take you to your room."

"Of course" James said, returning her warm smile and trying not to let his eyes wander over her exquisitely formed feminine figure. 'Why couldn't she be the one to show me around...' he thought with a mental sigh.

Handing over his ticket he waited patiently to be directed to his cabin. This was going to be an amazing voyage, and if all the crew were half this easy to admire, James wouldn't ever want to leave.

[MaraKay]

Tessa saw the way the porter was looking down his nose at the passenger and she felt sorry for him. She'd keep an eye out, to make sure the crew didn't ignore him in favour of pandering to the richer guests, who tended to be better tippers.

"Tell you what, why don't I take you to your cabin? It's this way." she said picking up his bag and leading the way to the lifts.

[ARNeil1832]

James smiled. "Thank you, ahh I didn't catch your name?"

With only a moments hesitation James started after her. He had to admire a girl who didn't mind doing some lifting, she seemed perfectly at ease tossing his luggage (which was not light by any means) over her shoulder and trotting across the deck.

The sun was starting to set, and thick blue clouds hung over the city, rimmed with scarlet and dusky gold. A perfect evening to be setting sail, after a long day of ominous looking gray skies James was pleased to see the weather was turning out well.

A ringing crash roused James from his airy daydreaming. Men across the deck were shouting at one another as two young nobles drew rapiers and made as if to duel. James frowned, neither weapon had a guard on the tip it looked like these two actually meant to kill one another right here on the deck of the ship.

"Will they really be allowed to fight?"

Looking around he caught sight of a couple of deckhands who seemed only mildly interested in the rapidly escalating conflict. They really weren't about to stop this?

"Fine then you little cocksucker! En garde!

The two men started to fight, their rapiers dancing back and forth in bold flashes of steel. James looked at his guide.

"Does this happen often?"

[MaraKay]

"Unfortunately all too often, especially when you get rival famlies on board."
She noticed the way he was watching them.

"Don't worry, security will be here." she said pointing to a thin man with short dark hair. She shivered, she really didn't like Lt Doverman, there was something about him. But he was efficient at his job.

Lt Doverman mumbled under his breath and then waved his hand and the two combatants suddenly found their feet routed to the spot, unable to move their legs.

"If you two gentlemen have finished getting reaquainted, then i'll have someone show you to your rooms. Or you can finish your 'discussion' off the ship." he tone of voice level, no shouting, no snarling.

The two men glared at each other but put their rapiers away.

"Whilst your here, try not to get on the wrong side of Lt Doverman." Tess warned.

"My name is Tesserania Shaw, but everyone calls me Tess, apart from my Mum." she said, rolling her eyes.

"Your room is this way." she said, travelling along the deck and down a long corridor and down a flight of stairs.

She lead him to a large cabin and putting his bag down and cancelling the 'bag of lightness' spell, one of the few that she could do, as her magical abilities weren't up to much. When she was young, she was assed and only just managed to get on the magical scale and even then, they'd tested her twice to check she wasn't cheating in someway.

"The bedroom is this way and the bed controls are over here." she noted his puzzled look. "This switch will activate the bed to give you a massage and this one makes it vibrate and this one, well this one you can find out for yourself."

She then showed him the luxiouriously fitted bathroom, complete with a large tub and showed him the various taps and soap dispensers.

"Anything else you'd like me to show you? Or any questions?" she asked standing in the day room of the suite of rooms.

[ARNeil1832]

The unease left James' face as he watched the Lieutenant deal with the unruly youngsters. It didn't take long, the Doverman seemed to unnerve them, and James understood why even from across the deck he could feel Lt. Doverman's imposing presence.

"Sounds like good advice" he murmured, turning away from the conflict and following Tessa below deck. When they reached his cabin he was pleased to see it was a full size suite, complete with several windows and spacious bathroom. He had never known such luxury, this trip just seemed to be getting better. The bed controls baffled him though, controls for a bed? What kind of technomancer would waste time developing that? Although a massage feature sounded promising, and the mystery button was sure to amuse.

"So Tessa do you like working here on the ship?" James asked casually peeling off his best shirt and tossing it aside onto the bed. Rummaging through his travel bag he tried to find something a little more comfortable. Modesty hadn't played much of a role in his life, and being shirtless in front of a stranger was far from enough to even phase him. After all he'd spent most of childhood and apprenticeship working shirtless out in the sun with all sorts of people walking by, in the slums it was normal. Though outside them in the rest of the city it was quite taboo for any but the smallest children to go shirtless anywhere.

His bag contained a number of strange things, though first and foremost it held his rather drab and mundane clothes it also held a small leather bound book with a silver clasp inlaid with Jade and a small case. The tools of his trade. Laying them reverently on the nearby desk James opened the case as he pulled on a new shirt. His stainless steels tools gleamed in sunlight pouring through the window, a slim pick, a pair of pliers and a paring blade, everything he thought he could logically bring on his trip.

"I've wanted to fly on a Sky ship since I was very little I think your quite lucky to actually fly on one all the time"

[MaraKay]

"It has it's ups and downs, if you'll excuse the pun." she said remember the way some of the rich sons seemed to love to paw her and then laugh when they knew she wasn't allowed to slap the passangers.

She was surprised when James took his shirt off, but she couldn't help but admire the tanned body beneath.

"Most of the passangers are nice, but you get a few who are full of their self importance and forget that they're not the only ones here. And I like meeting new people. I find them interesting. I also like looking down on the world and seeing patchwork fields and the way the sun glitters on the ocean. So yes, I agree, I think i'm very lucky."

"You may want to read the introduction booklet." She said pointing to a folder on the table. "There is a clothing code." which personally she felt was a shame. "The only place where you don't have to be fully clothes is the sunbathing deck on the top level. I think they're worried that some of the elderly ladies will have a heart attack at seeing mens bodies." Or at least that's what the Captain had told them, though she had seen several old ladies on the sunbathing deck admiring the 'view'.

[ARNeil1832]

"I see" James said taking the pamphlet he didn't actually need to read politely, as he knew the rules of the ship from his own battered brochure, but he decided to look it over anyway. Even if it was just an excuse to talk to Tessa a little more.

"So what do you normally while the ship is in transit? Are you a server, a cleaner a pilot?" He smiled knowing women weren't often accepted as pilots but hoping she'd be slightly flattered by the suggestion that he thought she could be. However a knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

"Come in" James called, a little surprised. A man appeared in the doorway, he wore a fine green jacket a tall top hat, and bore the distinct look of the 'upper-class'. James took an immediate dislike to the handsome stranger.

"Tessa dear how nice to see you again, and who is this a cleaner? or a technician? Do speak up old boy! What is your name? I am Ivan McCormick, I frequent this particular cruise line marvelous employee 'service'." The man oozed arrogance, and James' dislike became a silent loathing. Was he really suggesting that he'd slept with Tessa? He had a hard time believing she would stoop so low. And what was this snot doing in HIS room anyway?

"My name is James" he answered smoothly "And no I'm not a technician, I'm a passenger, and if you don't mind my asking why are inquiring into my room?"

"Your room? Oh perhaps I should have recognized the smell of the common rabble, not entirely unpleasant of course but definitely distinctive... I simply heard a voice I recognized and came to meet my neighbor for the duration of the journey, you see I'm right across the hall" McCormick smiled, showing his perfect teeth. "Tessa if you don't mind could you have some towels sent to my room a bit later? Thank you darling"

The man turned to went, leaving the door open behind him and waltzing away without a care in the world.

"Do you deal with customers like that all the time?" James asked, he'd never been exposed to the nobility for any length of time before.

[MaraKay]

"Unfortunately all too often." Tess said tonelessly. "His Father is a director of the line, so he sees everyone as..... actually, I shouldn't say anything. It's not the done thing for the crew to discuss passangers behind their back."

She wished she could tell James about the last time Ivan McCormick had been on board. She just hoped that this time she'd manage to escape him again. Unfortunately, he'd obviously talked to someone to get a cabin on the level that she looked after. The rooms were usually beneath his notice. The man knew he had the power to get her fired, which is why she had to acquaise to his requests. Still quickly in and quickly out and all that.

Tess looked nervous. "I really had better get him his towels, otherwise he could kick up a stink, and unfortunately, I need my job. But i'll come by later, check up on you."

"We'll be departing in 15 minutes and i'm sure that is a sight you won't want to miss." she smiled at him. "If you go soon, you'll get a good spot.''

[ARNeil1832]

"Thanks Tess" James followed her out of the room and gave a small wave as she took off down the hall to get towels. Then he walked along the hall in the opposite direction and stepped onto the lift riding up to the deck he saw a crowd gathering around the side rails. Just like Tessa had said slipping through the crowd he got a spot closer to the front to the ship and watched as the dock workers got ready for take off. Men were shouting orders, scurrying about to untie ropes and remove gangplanks. Then an aged voice came spoke over the crowd magically amplified for smoothness and clarity.

"Ladies and Gentlemen this is your captain speaking, we will be departing on this lovely September evening in just a few minutes so if you would like to watch the take-off please feel free to step over to the rails and take a look" the captain paused allowing any stragglers a few moments to find a spot.

"Release docking clamps!" Lt. Doverman had appeared not far from where James stood his now booming voice alerting the dock workers to remove the final holds on the ship. Five men on either side of the ship began to rotate a massive wheel coiling a thick black chain around a steel spindle. With a groan the iron claws holding the ship to the ground released and it shot upward trailing a spectacular show of fireworks and magical bursts of multicolored light. James was impressed, the showmanship of it all was enthralling. As the city began to shrink below them he watched as the others began to filter away distracted by the smiling crew or the smells of delicious food. It was incredible, he was finally here already far from home and going further. With a deep sigh of contentment he finally tore his eyes away from the city and started back to his cabin. He had an idea.

Slipping back into his room James opened up his tool kit. Humming to himself he began sorting through the materials he had stashed in his bag. He spread small metal plates wires and rods across the desk and began working. Little bursts of magic split apart the plates cutting some down to a more workable size while shaping others into gears. Then he started assembling them, lights flickered and crackled as the parts fused together and gears began turning. When he was done a small mechanical bird the size of a sparrow stood on the desk, lifeless and inanimate. Ever so gently James set the finishing touch in place, two smalls shards of enchanted jade went into the eye sockets bringing the bird instantly to life. It chirped softly and hopped about the desk.

"Shhh" James said, and the bird stopped cocking it's head quizzically. "Wait here for Tessa"

Then he scribbled a note to his new friend.

'Since I don't tip very well. -James'

With that he left his room again and set off to explore ship.

[MaraKay]

Tessa breathed a sigh of relief to finally get clear of Ivan McCormick. She always felt dirty after coming out of his cabin, the way he looked at her and the way he seemed to find any excuse, or not, to touch her.

She straightened her clothes and looked at James's cabin. She knocked, but there was no reply. She was tempted to let herself in, but if James were to return, then she'd have no real reason for being in there and it could get awkward. Maybe she'd come by later and show him the way to the dinning rooms.

As she went about her duties, she thought about James. She realised that she liked him, his easy manners, his chest, she quickly averted her thoughts, but he was a passenger and she was crew and officially the two weren't supposed to get intimate. Though on long voyages like this one, she knew it did happen.

Tess looked out of a port hole and watched the scenary travel below. She couldn't deny it, she really did love to fly.

[ARNeil1832]

James was in love. He'd managed to get himself lost on the massive ship, but he was enjoying every minute of it. Why on earth wouldn't he? Nearly giggling with glee he rounded a corner and found Tessa peeping out a porthole. With a sigh he realized he had found his way back to his own hallway, without having any idea where he was going.

"Hi Tess" he said cheerfully, "Ummm I'm a little lost"

His smile was one of bashful almost child-like joy.

"Could you ahh show me around a little? I have something to exchange for the help"

[MaraKay]

Tess smiled at him.

"I'd love to show you around. Any preferences or shall we start at the bottom of the ship and work our way up?" she said leading him to some stairs. "Unfortunately I can't take you down to the engine room or up to the flight deck." Which was a shame she thought as the engine room housed the engines that helped direct the ship, otherwise it'd be blown around at the whim of the wind. And watching the hugh turbines was a sight in itself.

"On the lower deck you have the viewing room. It makes everything look so small and the best time to view the upper viewing deck is at night, when all the stars are up."

[ARNeil1832]

"No no preference, I tried to find my way around on my own and got so lost I ended up back here" James trotted along after her happily as she descended down the stair case and he tried to keep up. His eyes fixated temporarily on her firm behind, the uniform she wore did little to diminish the 'view'. He nearly whistled aloud before remembering himself. "Thanks for the help"

As he walked by a porthole something in the clouds beside the ship caught his eye. It looked like a smaller Skyship but he couldn't be sure, as it vanished as quickly as it appeared. He had heard that sometimes cruisers took escorts just in case of an emergency, and he decided that must be what he'd seen. Still he would watch for it again.

Tess was a quite a way ahead of him now and he realized he'd stopped moving completely. Jogging to catch up he put the thing he'd seen in the clouds out of his mind. He wasn't going to let some little skyship ruin his vacation afterall!

"So is it true the Lower viewing deck has a glass floor?"

[MaraKay]

Tess grinned at him. "It has the most amazing floor you have ever seen. Some people are too scared to go on it, but it has been engineered so that even the heaviest person can stand on it and it doesn't even bend. It's all in the microscopic reinforcement." Tess then rattled off some of the facts regarding the floor.

"Here we are." she'd lead him to an oval shaped room that had a walkway with a rail around the edge.

"You don't actually need the rail around the edge, but it makes some people feel better." she said nodding to where a genleman was standing holding the rail, his knuckles white where he was gripping it so hard.

Tess, then stood back and indicated for James to make his way out on the glass floor. She'd been on it many times, but the effect was best when you were alone, giving you almost a feeling of flying. Also she wanted to see what he thought about it, his face would tell more than his words.

[ARNeil1832]

James jumped onto the glass floor without a second thought, terrifying several people on deck. He landed with a soft thud, and the glass floor didn't even tremor.

"It's amazing!" he felt as though he was flying alone cutting through clouds with grace and ease skimming along the horizon free as a bird. A long moment passed before he turned to look back at Tess with a wild eyed grin. "I get to do this everyday for the next 3 weeks!"

Looking down below he managed to glimpse the ocean beneath them. It was a sparkling jade now, as the sun crept below the distant horizon and James thought he could see dolphins leaping from the water. Though they could just as easily have been whales, he couldn't tell from this height.

"What's next? I want to see everything, but wait a sec I want to stay here for another minute or two..." James waved her toward him. "Whales or Dolphins?"

[MaraKay]

Tess watched him go out onto the glass, a big grin on her face, pleased that he appreciated the feeling of flying it gives you.

She looked over to where he was pointing.

"One sec." and she took the binoculars out of their niche in the wall and passed them to him.

"My guess would be dolphins, but look for yourself." she handed him the binoculars. "You tell me."

She stood next to him whilst he looked down, trying to identify the specs far below.

[ARNeil1832]

"Hmmm Whales!" James said excitedly, peering through the binoculars. "Big ones at that! Gods we are high!"

The animals were playing in the ocean, leaping out of the sea and crashing down into the spray sending huge rippling waves in all directions. The power of the large creatures was a sight to behold.

"Wow" he turned the binoculars toward Tessa and smiled, dropping another rather more flirtatious "wow" before handing back the lenses.

"So where to now Tess?" James could think of a place or two he'd like Tess to lead, but he doubted crew members were allowed to do that strictly speaking.
"How about food? I could definitely go for something to eat"

[MaraKay]

Tess loved the way he enthused about everything. It made a change from the 'seen it all before' types that usually frequented the cruise.

"You have a choice of the restaurant or the little cafeteria, or the coffee shop. So which one do you want to go to?" Tess pointed to the three on a map of the ship she always carried with her.

Tess wished she could go in with him, but crew members had their own place to eat. The only place and time she could get away with eating with a passenger, would be in their room, when she was off duty, which wouldn't be until 9. But once it was dark, she promised herself, duty or not, she would take James to the top deck, so that he could see the stars.

"Or i could bring you tea and cakes to your cabin?" she asked, suddenly thinking of a way around the restrictions.

[ARNeil1832]

"That sounds good, I don't think I'd mesh to well with a bunch of people like McCormick" This trip was going to work out even better than he'd hoped, he was going to have dinner and someone to talk to on his first day on board. Watching the sky around the ship James caught a glimpse of an object flying low and alongside the ship. It looked like one of the combat aircraft he'd spent the last four years maintaining and repairing. It must be the cruisers escort he decided, it looked ready for war. Was piracy really as bad as it used to be? James shrugged it off nothing was going to ruin his vacation. Especially now that he had a friend.

"So meet you back at my cabin in a few minutes?" he offered, forcing himself to remember the way back to his rooms.

[MaraKay]

Tess smiled at him and went off to the cafeteria area, where she collected tea, cakes and knowing that he must be hungry, a large bread roll.

She soon found her way back to James's cabin and only had to hide once, so as not to be noticed by another passenger. She knew she'd have to mingle some more later, or her boss would moan at her. But that was later, for now she was going to have a hansome man all to herself. She turned slightly red at the thought, as it wasn't just his company she wanted. But there was time to get to know him better.

She manouvered her way down the hall way and knocked on James's door, before letting herself in with her pass key.

"Hi, room service."

[ARNeil1832]

James had been about to get the door for her, so instead he relieved her of the plate she was carrying and set it down on the desk, next to a rather excited metallic bird.

"Yes this is Tessa" James said with a warm chuckle, and the bird zipped toward her. It's flight was a little clumsy, as he had made it in the space of hour, but it had no trouble making it to Tessa's hands and it's voice was nearly flawless as it started chirping happily. "I meant to leave him for you on the desk but we ended up meeting before you got back here, I can't tip very so I thought this little fellow might make up for it, he's clumsy, but about as durable as an actual bird, and he'll 'live' longer than they would"

He watched her face for a reaction, hoping she wouldn't find the little bird a poor substitute for a tip or worse an outright nuisance. Breaking off a piece of the bread he took a slow and apprehensive bite, he wouldn't know what to say if she didn't like it.

[MaraKay]

Tess watched the little bird as it flew towards her and held her hand out, where it landed.

"I...I don't know what to say. I love it, thank you, thank you."

Tess looked at the bird, seeing the way it flapped it's wings and it's almost life like movements.

"It's so beautiful, i've never seen anything like it."

Tess loved her present so much, that she put the bird down and hugged James to show her appreciation.

"Thank you." she said once more, looking up into his eyes.