Marina's mouth opened as it clicked. The Cloudcutter. Knight.

And she had slept with him too.

"Damn," she chuckled, shaking her head slightly.

He chuckled too, still nuzzling her neck. "I told you it would be hard to beat. Your turn, Marina." He couldn't see her face, didn't realize that her exclamation was anything other than amazement at his feat.

"Truly," Marina trailed her fingers up and down Jackson's back, eliciting a small moan. Deep in thought, she decided to disguise her shock and luck.
"Have you heard of the Queen of the Eastern Skies?"

Marina hadn't done anything grand lately. She was too busy drinking; one must have priorities. Her self-proclaimed pseudonym carried weight, though. Smuggling and raiding, the rumors painted her like a sex goddess, which she didn't mind. A goddess much younger than herself, also paler, but Marina enjoyed having this particular card up her sleeve. Used it how she wished and when she wished.

Jackson leaned back and looked her in the face incredulously. "No," he said. "You can't be..." He squinted at her.

Marina peered at him through her eyelashes.
"The Siren's Call was the name of my clipper," she sighed nostalgically, "The wonder of a lady, and one of the fastest on the east side of the Edgewater."

Jackson stared at her blankly for a moment, then a true delight began to grow in his expression. He couldn't hold back a loud peal of sincere laughter, even if it ended with a hacking cough. When he was done, a bit of playful mischief glimmered in his eyes as he spoke. "My crew won't believe this. But I'm sure I don't mind rumors spreading that I've had the Queen in my bed." He flashed her a devilish grin.

Marina shared his laughter and pushed him back a little, her own playfulness sparkling.
"Please," She scoffed mockingly, exaggerating her eye roll, "As if you're the first man to float my frigate."

"Of that I have no doubt!" he quipped jauntily as he pulled on a sweater. "I don't mind being the latest, so long as I was the greatest." As his head popped through the collar, there was a knock at the door. Jackson winked at Marina and called, "Come!"

Damien opened the door a crack and leaned inside. "It's time for your antibiotics, Captain."

   Jane served up ladles of porridge to the crew down in the galley, listening to the laughing whispers. Everyone had their own idea of how the Captain had spent his night, and were discussing the possibilities of each scenario.  It seemed that they had barely finished their bowls before they were called to the deck in order to finish making sure the ship was restocked and at the ready.

   Clearing the tables, Jane got to work and looked forward to leaving the shipping yard. She wanted to be back out in the air, moving ahead.

Marina eyed the doctor up and down, not bothering to cover the rest of herself. Any form of etiquette was purposefully forgotten when she was young.

Damien didn't react to Marina's state of undress. He was a professional, after all. Jackson motioned for him to enter. Damien stepped inside, a syringe and small bottle of clear liquid in one hand. Jackson sat on the desk and started rolling up his sleeve.

"What sort of medicine you got there, doc?" Marina pushed herself off the table and strolled up next to Jackson to watch.

Damien glanced over at her as he opened the bottle, his blue eyes watery. He looked back at the Captain, who nodded. The doctor answered as he filled the syringe."As I said, antibiotics. To treat the Captain's pneumonia."

Jackson finished rolling up his sleeve and, pulling a small belt from a desk drawer, tightened it around his bicep with a wince. Taking firm hold of Jackson's arm, the doctor pressed his thumb into the crease of the Captains elbow, looking for the vein.

"Oh," Marina folded her arms, "Then you're lucky I came along."

Jackson giggled, then caught himself, sitting up straight and clearing his throat. Damien gazed at Marina over the top of his glasses, but said nothing. He administered the shot, then excused himself.

Sitting with his thumb pressed over the bandage, Jackson kicked his legs against the desk and grinned at Marina. "I think I am lucky," he said, his thoughts on the music box locked in a drawer not a foot away. He hadn't checked on the spirit in some time. He wondered if she had recovered yet from saving him.

"Clearly," Marina grinned and searched the room for her pants. She kept an eye on the desk, though. Every man and woman had a tell. She just had to figure out Jackson's. Finding them balled up on the floor, at the end of the bed, she pulled out the legs of her pants and pulled them on.
"What does a woman have to do to get some food around here?" She winked, tucking her shift and adjusting her belt.

Jackson was mildly surprised, but concealed it. She was sticking around? Huh. "Brax and Jane can fix you up in the galley. No doubt the crew is about finished with their breakfast by now."

"Ah, so the kitten you've adopted," Marina tightened the laces on her leather stays, "Her name is Jane?"

Jackson's face fell a bit. He lifted his thumb and watched for bleeding. "Go easy on that kitten," he murmured. "She used to be one of a pair. Her brother's body lies below, barely cold, barely gray." Satisfied when no red showed on the bandage, he rolled down his sleeve and reached for the second sweater.

Marina hesitated.
"I see," she picked up her second belt, the last item, and tightened it to her form. Marina checked her daggers and the small satchel sewed to the leather. Determining everything was in its place, she leaned against the desk, watching Jackson as he pulled the sweater over his head.
"To the galley then?"

"Aye," he said, giving her a quick smile as he tugged the sweater straight. "Ladies first." He opened the door with a bowing flourish, letting in the bright morning sunlight.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:48, Tue 28 Apr 2020.

Hands pink from the hot soapy water, Jane was finishing up the last of the breakfast dishes. Brax was already going on about what to serve for lunch, and his gruff voice in the background was comforting. There was a break in his tirade however, and he said, "Captain! Thought you'd be down. Set aside something for you and the lady."

Jane turned to look over her shoulder, curious and a bit... uncomfortable? Brax was laying out the bowls of meal on the board, so Jane craned a bit to get a look at the two.

Marina took a deep breath, eyes lingering around the simple galley, the sweet smell of old wood and sweat filled her lungs. As she did, her chest filled with ache. With longing.

Rubbing his hands together, Jackson sat down on one of the benches lining the one long table in the galley which took up most of the floor space, instead of dragging out the chair he would sit in at the head of the table when he dined with the crew. "Thank you Brax, Jane," he said happily, then coughed, but even his cough sounded hearty. He looked up at Marina and noted the odd expression on her face. "Please have a seat, my dear. A delicious breakfast will fix you up most wonderfully."

"I was reminded of my ship, darling," Marina slid down the bench to be beside him, "That's all. You never forget the smells or the feeling."
She crossed her arms on the table, leaning forward enough to catch a glimpse of Jane, and flashed a reassuring smile at Jackson.