Utterly Mad

The boat was cradled by the water between the docks in port. Slowly the waves lapped against the ship spitting out the smells of salt and the tinge of sulfur. The gas lights from Vinbright illuminated all of the crew's face as they slowly reached an empty spot between massive and tiny boats packed with either artillery, people, or precious cargo. Jolie flicked off the Spotlight up front and slowed the boat to a crawl until it was right next to the dock. Everyone began to tie the ship together over the sound of engines spitting and the drunken laughs and hollers from down the docks and into the streets.

Jolie complacently moved away from the steering wheel and up the ladder. Once next to the cannon, she looked to all of the crew below taking things off the deck.

"Listen up. I want you all to take the cargo to our client, Monsieur Devour. His shop is on the..." Jolie positioned herself to see and put out both arms. Then dropped the other one and turned back around, pointing to her right. "East. It's a bit grungy ova' there, but you wimpy lot can handle it." She smiled playfully to the crew and winked at her First Mate, Thomas. "His shop is around there somewhere on Bixon Street. I can't remember the name, it's something french though so look for a squiggly line over a word or something." Jolie shrugged. "An after that, I want the Thomas to lead you all to get another job. Go talk to some stores if you're feeling like bringing some cargo to transport, or seek the taverns for some bounties." Jolie had unholstered her sword, long and dyed red, at some point in her conversation. She leaned up against the bars around the Canon and poked at the underside of her hat right in front of her face. "If you come into trouble, you know what to do." Jolie smiled again, like a puppeteer picking up the corners of her mouth.

Blackjack stood on the dock with a crate in her hand, waiting for the captain to stop droning on. She already knew exactly what they were going to do once they got to town. She kept her face blank, keeping herself from scowling as she shifted the box around in her grip. As soon as the captain finished, she started towards Bixon street with a glance at Donovan. "You can stitch a man back together, I'm sure you can carry a bigger box, Doc," she said with a smirk before focusing back ahead of her.

[[Crap didn't know we already started this.]]

Thomas was already behind the group, holding the moldy and sea fungus ridden boxes. Trying his best to both keep a firm grip on the box, and to not touch any of the icky moss that plagued the outer-shell of the crate. He dropped the final crate into one of many carts they'd be pushing, grabbing his chest and taking a few deep breaths; 'I'm really too old for this', he thought as he straightened up and started pushing one of the carts. He knew the Captain doesn't want him doing the manual labor, but at the same time he wants to feel as useful as he did back in his prime; so him and Jolie currently have a mutual agreement on this, but one more sprained muscle or busted up hip, and he'll be pushed into shuffling papers and keeping count on the stock... as well as being the Captain's main adviser.

He looked at the sea spray encrusted windows, faint shadows flickering in and out of existence behind the thick green glass that once appeared yellow. It reminded him of his old home when he was a lad, the times he'd come from school to find that it'd be more Fish Broth stew mixed with the finest selection of trout and bottom feeding fish; with their bones sticking out of the textured chunks of meat that'd float in the stew like islands. He saw the store up ahead, coming into view slowly.

He began to feel his "sweet tooth" acting up the closer he was.

"Eh? Probably just some street rat. If you two wanna go look, I'll go too, but it's a waste 'o time." Zar scoffs, gesturing over in the general direction of the noise. He'd grown up around here, not much that could scare him anymore.

Blackjack glanced towards the alley, then Thomas, then cart. "Be right back," she said, stepping away from the cart and into the alley with purpose, rolling up her sleeves. If something was going on back here, she'd definitely be the one to stop it, she thought, cracking her knuckles..

Zar's hand lightly clasped to the handle of his knife, ready to unsheathe it. Blackjack's attitude about this was getting him worried, as were the memories of all the muggings Zar himself had carried out around here. "Well Doc, thanks for volunteering, eh?" He jeered, no small amount of sarcasm in his voice, as he went to trail behind Blackjack and make sure nothing was afoot.