Featuring: Lyri, Minowa, Sebastian, and Zea
NPCs: Mister Burke (NPCed by Sebastian)
Date: February 6, 2005
IC Date: March 29, 3931
Summary: To prepare for her extended voyage, the Amarada is taken out into open waters to test out some structural changes.

Amarada - Open Ocean

The Amarada is kept tidy and clean, her rails and deck well tended and oiled, her sails trim and whole. There seem to be a plethora of additional lines trailing down from her masts, ostensibly to facilitate movement about the ship during storms and rough seas. She sports three masts, two main and one half to provide her with greater speed when the winds will allow for it. High above upon the center forward mast there is a crow's nest. She flies the flag of an independent ship, each such vessel having their own crest or symbol. The flag of the Amarada is a red heart framed by white wings on either side. To show her affiliation with the Buccaneers, she flies upon a field of black. There is a winch and a pair of doors built into the deck to facilitate the loading and unloading of cargo. Both the bow and the aft of the ship are raised to provide greater space below deck, a door upon the aft end leading down the hatch to the rooms below.

The hour is early. The waters are calm and quiet. The air is pale and wan, chill upon the cheek and easy upon the eyes. Grey is the predominant color, lighter for the sky and dark for the water. The seas just outside of Parnassus are empty of ships save for one. The Amarada cuts slowly through the waters past the estuary, a skeleton crew aboard to keep her sailing smoothly. Below the ship has been emptied and cleared of belonging and the like. For today is the day she will be reborn, reshaped with loving care to remain still the Amarada, but to make her faster, sleeker, and yet still capable of carrying the bulk of men and cargo that she will need to manage. It's a feat normally done by craftsmen and carpenters on blueprints and plans, more theory and study than true knowledge. But then there are few shapers skilled and strong enough to reshape an entire ship. And there are few Captains who would think to use such a shaper to work upon their ship whilst it was in the act of sailing. But what better test of maneuverability and speed could one ask for then to work upon the hull and form of the ship and sail her during the shaping to prove the skill of it? Hovering slightly above the water by the fore of the ship is her Captain, wings beating the air as he keeps an even distance between himself and her figurehead, watching the water as it breaks upon the prow of the hull. Stormy grey blue eyes lift to the ginger-haired mongrel that holds the wheel in his hands, hands that know the every shift and shudder of a ship and what that means. "Mister Burke!" cries Sebastian over the ruffle of the sails, "Are you ready for the first changes?"

A grey day indeed, somber and fitting for this strangest of events. A green-skinned figure stands on the deck, pressing herself into the wedge where the two sides of the railing meet, just behind the figurehead the ship's captain flies before. Webbed hands rest with their palms flat against the railing. Bare feet are settled squarely on the deck. Blue-green eyes are open, staring out at the green-grey sea cutting beneath the ship as she moves through the water. It is strange, this thing. As a much younger woman, barely a woman, Minowa had walked these decks, slept in the rooms beneath, even climbed to the crow's nest on more than one occasion. This ship is a bit of her childhood, a treasured piece of her memories and it is a bitter-sweet thing to be asked to alter it. None the less, the green shaper stands rooted to her spot, silent and ready to do just that.

Above the rest of the crew the pale Empyrean woman has taken a position in the crow's nest, providing her with a unique vantage point and, more importantly, a position from which to keep control of the winds. In an effort to keep the Amarada sailing at a steady pace she focuses her magic on the sails, but is also cautious of the winds around them, her focus more on the skies and the canvas of the sails than the deck or those that walk her. Her hair has, wisely, been pulled back in a simple braid with only a simple ribbon woven into it and even at that a few stray strands of hair are pulled out by the winds and tossed across her face. As the sound of Sebastian's voice carries back to his First Mate, Zea chances a glance down from the captain and over to Mister Burke and then to the green woman at the ship's bow.

Wings tucked tight and her own feet bare, Lyri works amongst the other sailors on the deck in content anonymity. A new crew, a new ship, yet already things are more different than any other ship she's served upon. A line is shoved into her hands, but the slender, winged girl pauses a moment to glance towards the bow of the ship as Sebastian's voice calls to Mr. Burke. A glance over her shoulder, then back towards the Shaper in the front. With a curious twist of her mouth, Lyri returns to her work, still casting a glance their way now and again.

"Aye, laddie, we all be ready down 'ere for ye!" calls back the coppery haired mongrel with a cheerful smile and a wave of his hand. Nodding to Mister Burke, Sebastian's gaze drops down to Minowa and then to the two Atlanteans swimming alongside the ship. "Alright Minowa, go ahead and just start with her prow for now. We need to keep her a little wide still rather than long so she can be maneuvered through smaller areas, but if we can just make her nose a little sleeker, perhaps that will be enough to do the trick? Start off first, if you will, by shedding a thin layer of the entire hull so we can lose all the barnacles that have been growin' on her for 20 plus years. That alone should make quite a difference!" His gaze drops once again to the two Atlanteans, nodding his hand and making a diving gesture with his hand that they should drop below the surface and study how the water moves around the hull as Minowa begins to make her changes.

The wind and the words snap around the halfbreed and in her usual way, it is a moment before anyone can be sure she has even heard Sebastian at all. But Minowa closes her eyes and parts her lips, digging bare toes against and into to wood she stands on. It is a fascinating sensation to slowly slide out of one's body, be somewhere and something else, and that is what it feels like. In form, she remains as she was, perched at the bow, but her thoughts sink into the wood at her feet and up the wood that stretches into the sky. She can feel crewmen's feet pattering along her back, the faint sway of the masts as the wind fills their sails. All of this happens unseen, likely unnoticed, and then Minowa lifts her right hand from the railing, placing it on her left shoulder, and sliding the palm slowly down to the other hand's fingertips. In response, a sheet of wood, paper thin, peels away from the left side of the hull as if it were a peeled onion, barnacles and discarded wood sinking beneath the waves. The Shaper returns her right hand to the railing, this time slowly sliding left hand down right arm and the right side of the ship is equally stripped free of barnacles as well as a slender sheen of wood.

She heard the instructions, but she's far more interested in the actual execution of the magic. Without falling out or otherwise injuring herself, Zea leans over as far as she can to watch the shaping begin. The sails remain full with her help and every so often she glances towards the sky and away from the maze created by the rigging and canvas that partially obscure the view below. A few gusts threaten to interfere with the ship's travel, but before they can become troublesome Zea shifts their direction and lessens their importance so that ship and captain can continue as they are without interruption in their duties.

Tying off the line she'd been handed, Lyri pauses for another moment to glance bow-wards at Minowa. She can see one of captain's wings in the periphery of her vision, but most of her attention remains riveted on the halfbreed. A curious cant of her head follows, for all she can see is Minowa brushing at her arms. "Int'restin' chit." She remarks under her breath, getting a glance from a fellow sailor, to which she merely shrugs one shoulder before returning to work.

"How's she feel now, Mister Burke?" asks the Captain, his eyes watching with approval as the drag and weight of years of barnacles and growth are removed from his ship's hull in a matter of minutes. "Och, laddie, she already feels as slick as a girl on her first date! Why the water joost slides past 'er hull!" Gazing up toward Zea, the First Mate calls, "Mistress Zea, if ye would be so kind as to add to us a lick of speed, I'd like to see how she feels with the wind at 'er back, if you know what I mean?"

Minowa continues to stand prone, both hands back to resting on the railings. Hearing, through her own ears, feels very far away. More like straining to listen through a closed door. Speaking, too, feels awkward in the state and so her words come more slowly and a little slurred. "Shhhould I waittt...orr sharrpen...thhe prow...noww?"

Zea lifts a hand in a wave towards the First Mate, signaling that she has heard and understands. Sitting up straight again in the crow's nest, Zea focuses her attention solely on the sails and the winds swirling around her like well-trained pets. With a slight smile on her lips she calls silently to the winds and the sails fill firmly, adding the requested speed to the Amarada. She lets the ship feel the winds for a bit before she leans over and calls down to the first mate. "How's she feel now, Mister Burke?" She is still learning the ins and outs of coupling wind with the ship's sails, and what she might consider ample might not be so for those sailing the Amarada.

The slight change in the roll of the deck beneath her feet is something even Lyri can feel. A faint frown rises, but is soon soothed away with a husky laugh by Mr. Burke's comment. She nods in approval, never pausing in her task, but still casting the occasional glance from bow to Burke, and up to the Crow's Nest. "Not bad a'tall." She murmurs.

"Aye, lassie, that be the way of it. Hold 'er there fer now, though I'll be asking for a bit more inna minute. Ahoy, Cap'n, ready fer the next shift when ye be!" Sebastian backpedals harder now that the Amarada surges toward him with haste, his eyes dropping to the water. But despite the removal of the barnacles the ship is still nearly thirty years without improvements. "Zea!" he calls up to the wind mage, "I need you to judge just how much wind and effort she takes to push! Ideally we want to reach higher speeds with the same amount of wind!" His gaze then drops to Minowa as he calls down to her, "Aye, Min, bring out her prow a bit more so she's got a sharper point. It should not only help with speed but will help break through ice flows as we head north to the Aesir!" There is a momentary pause while he considers the white water surging at the head of the ship before he calls out in addition, "And see if you can't curve the wood gently as you move back into the body of the ship, like the curve of an hourglass' center, only stretched thinner!"

The next bit of shaping in the ship is one everyone would most likely be able to notice, if not directly feel it beneath their feet. The wood does not groan, but rather ripples, like a pebble dropped into a still pool. It begins at the very tip of the prow and flows down, leaving the nose sharper, narrowed, a touch longer, and the ripple moves down, sliding along the sides of the boat and softening the transition from prow to the body of the ship into a slender, subtle curve. As the wood is Shaped on the sides, so too it flows along the deck, gently lifting and then lowering again any who stand where the shaping occurs.

Zea tosses another wave down to Mister Burke with a cheerful, "Will do!" But her attention is quickly drawn to the captain as he shouts her name. He gets the same kind of wave she directed to the First Mate to signal her understanding. The winds hold steady while she battles winds blowing over the ocean, gaining a better understanding of the flow of air over the water without worrying about a storm on the horizon. With her attention focused so strongly on keeping the ship at her current speed and mentally recording the strength needed to do so, she misses the rippling of the ship beneath her until the feel of is passes beneath her. Zea glances down briefly, awed by the sight of the wood changing shape before her eyes.

Much closer to the body of the ship than Zea in her tall perch, Lyri and the other sailors around her take note of the ripple moving beneath them with nothing short of awe. A ship, being reshaped, beneath their very feet, even as it sails on. Noticing Lyri's slight gape, one of the other sailors nudges her with his elbow. "Bit o' somethin' special, innit? But here, take that." And still muttering and pondering, Lyri's pressed back into service.

Staring down at the ship, Sebastian paces himself as yet another test of the improvement, eyes narrowing. Sure enough, as the wood shifts and ripples before his eyes the prow of the Amarada lunges forward at him abruptly, causing him to start and jerk back sharply, wings beating the air ever harder to propel himself backward lest he collide with her incoming bulk. He could use the wind to help pace himself, but doesn't want to add any unnecessary variable which might alter the results of this experiment in progress. "Zea, are you still holding the wind steady? If so, then we have a definite increase in speed!" He gives her a thumbs up, but his attention is caught by one of the Atlanteans who swims up beneath him and calls up, "Captain, she looks good beneath, but there is drag at the aft!" Nodding in response, Sebastian salutes and notes, "Back to the rear if you please! Let's see if we can't fix that!" Ocean eyes flick back to Minowa as the Empyrean captain calls to the half-breed, "There's trouble to the aft - keep her wide but see if you can't taper her edges in a bit so the water can flow off her more readily? We're currently catching a bit!"

As the last shaping ripple in the fore of the ship calms and the ship jerks forward, the Shaper jerks once too. From her perspective, it felt as if she was about the head-butt Sebastian. "....care...ful..." comes a slurred reprimand and then the new instructions sink into wood-thick ears. Now the wood flows from aft to fore, and while the ship maintains its overall girth, the aft edges go from thicker to a little thinner, tipping inward at each other in a steeper angle.

"Indeed, Captain," Zea shouts back to Sebastian as the ship streams along and nearly collides with the captain. There is a moment where the ship shudders as the sails quickly go slack, Zea reacting to the surge of the ship and its near collision. Embarrassed, she shouts down, "Sorry!" and summons the winds again so that the sails once again fill and the Amarada resumes her earlier speed. Thank goodness for the rush of the wind against her cheeks to redden them and for her distance from the crew, lest her flushed cheeks further reveal her embarrassment.

The ship lurches, something that a crew is normally used to, save for when they've heard the order for the ship to remain on a steady and constant course. As such a few of them stumble at the sudden drop in speed and hear a loud shout as the Captain mildly rebukes the wind mage, calling out, "Keep to your work, Zea, it's my responsibility to take care of myself!" Frustrated by the break in the ship's motion, and having now lost the pace and the ability to judge whether speed has indeed improved or not, Sebastian sighs in mild annoyance and frustration. "Mister Burke!" he calls out instead, "Lets test how she handles, shall we? Hard to port on my signal! Zea, back up to speed if you please??" Beating his wings, Sebastian waits for one of the Atlanteans to pop up, a quick thumbs up confirmation that at least from their perspective there was an improvement. "Minowa! Just hold steady for now, we're going to test how the changes thus far affect maneuverability!"

The halfbreed stands as she is, with no more than a faint chin nod to acknowledge the request. Wind snaps at her cheeks and hair but what she's feeling more is the water parting as she glides through it, crewman on the deck, wind in her sails.

Zea lifts a half-hearted hand to Sebastian as she tries to keep from sinking down to the bottom of the Crow's Nest. She's got a job to do now, not just idle play with the winds because she can. Straightening her shoulders and lifting her gaze from the deck below she sees the winds back to their original speeds, hurrying the ship along. To help herself she makes a point not to look towards the captain, lest another supposed stumble leads her to falter momentarily. Instead she watches the sails and the wide open horizon in front of her. "Winds are steady," she calls out crisply without dropping her gaze.

Dropping his hand to signal the First Mate, Sebastian draws back further from the ship to watch from a distance how she moves and cuts through the water. Mister Burke smirks to himself and braces against the wood beneath his feet, crowing out loudly, "Right lads, 'old yerself steady, cause this is going to be interesting!" And then with all his might he starts turning the wheel just as fast as he can. The wood pinions blur as it spins and spins at first and then he lays into it as the turning rudder forces the ship to turn as well, her bulk naturally fighting against the dramatic change in course. "Och, me back's gonna 'ave something t'say t'me come nightfall, that be fer certain!" The ship sighs and groans in protest but turn she does, and faster than usual though not by very much. Pursing his lips from afar, Sebastian curses softly to himself, realizing that he should have gotten a professional ship builder to study this process as well, save for the fact that he didn't want to give any other ship builders any ideas. After all, what would be the point of that? Giving someone else the advantage to build a better ship that would only end up being in competition with his own? But right now he could use a pair of eyes and the knowledge of how a ship is built to understand just what keeps her from turning faster besides her bulk. Perhaps there is no way to improve her, but then again perhaps there is and he merely lacks the knowledge to advise Minowa of what changes to make? A dilemma indeed.

Minowa is not, by any means a shipbuilder. This may be the largest object she's ever shaped at once, and most certainly it is the first *moving* one, but while she cannot voice the architectural aspects, she can feel where the water's pushing hardest. Where the greatest resistance lies, so these are the spots that draw her attention. She lets the wood beneath the water ripple with no specific form in mind. Instead, she feels it fluctuate until the tension lessens and wood and water are working more in tandem.

Zea doesn't look, but she can hear well enough. Gripping the edge of the Crow's Nest, Zea prepares for the turn while keeping the winds steady. Gods damn her if she's going to make another embarrassing mistake so soon after the last one. She's got a lot to prove aboard the Amarada, where her blood means nothing to those down on the deck. She winces to herself as the ship banks to port, but doesn't look down; she uses the horizon as a focus and keeps the winds steady and strong.

Well, Zea's blood might mean a lot if it spilled on those down on deck. After all, those stains never come out too well, as Lyri would be quick to tell anyone willing to listen. At that exact moment, however, the bevy of sailors on the decking are far too preoccupied with keeping their balance. One of Lyri's wings flares for balance before she can stop herself and whacks a mongrel sailor lightly in the head. "Sorry, boyo, didn't mean ta!" She calls over the rushing wind, hooking an arm around a handy line to help keep her balance. Enjoying the tilt and sway of the ship, she lets out a raucous whoop of laughter as another sailor, barely more than a lad, goes sliding by, caught by the railing.

It's hard to say exactly what happened; the fluctuations through the ships hull were so subtle that they were lost in all the shifting going on through the mere course of turning the ship. But Mister Burke senses the difference, for he does not have to fight the wheel so hard to turn the rudder. A wide grin curls his lips as he calls out to Minowa, "Och, that's it lassie! I dinnae know whot yer doin' but whotever it is, tis be workin' like a charm! Ahoy you buffoons, we be turnin' t'the starboard now! Dinnae fall overboard, cause y'll be left b'hind iffin ye do!" And with that the wheel is jerked hard, the mongrel First Mate turning about the other way and planting his feet firmly upon the deck as he spins the wheel hard to starboard. The ship bucks slightly and then turns with a sigh, the going hard as it fights momentum, the force of weight, and the force of the wind and resistance of the water. But turn she does as Burke calls out to Minowa, "Lassie, whotever ye did t'the port side, y'needs to do to the starboard! She's fightin' me, she is!"

In all honesty, Minowa probably couldn't say what she did either. Except that, as the ship, she made it easier to turn. The hows and whats shall remain a puzzle, but it's easy enough to do to the starboard side now that they're turning. Hands gripping the railing, body leaning into the spin, she again allows the wood to flow and give where it fights the waves beneath.

The other direction now? Zea swallows hard and renews her grip as Mister Burke puts the ship through her paces. But Zea is not accustomed to this harsh movement on the water, at least during the storm she was so distracted that she could overlook it. But not now, her focus is the movement of the ship. Thankfully, however, she can feel the winds without seeing them, allowing her to close her eyes while the ship it turned sharply in the opposite direction. It helps a little bit and keeps her from emptying her stomach over the side of the Crow's Nest, which those below should be thankful for, even if they'll never know the disaster that nearly befell them.

Can one be grateful for something that would never occur? Perhaps, in some back-of-the-brain, metaphysical way. But that's ethereal stuff Lyri isn't wont to worry 'bout. No, she's having far too much fun watching that same young lad skitter across the *other* side of the deck, releasing a gleeful snicker in no imitation of sympathy. "Well, I would've said this ship danced fine as any noble bird at a party, but with this treatment, she's fair going to fly over the water." Lyri remarks to the seasoned sailor clinging to the same line as her. Spurred on by his answering grin, she calls loudly over the wind, "Can we give 'er wings while we're at it, too?"

The wheel flies through Burke's hands as Minowa changes the hull once again, crowing proudly, "That's it lassie, why she's like a bird on the wing! A fish in the water! A silk glove upon a fine lady's hand!" Casting a glance over his shoulder, Burke calls back to Lyri, "Och, believe me lassie if we could, we would! As it is, she'll outfly any ship on the wide seas that dares t'think they can catch 'er!" Sebastian swoops in, dropping down to the deck, catching only the last of his First Mate's bragging. "Aye, Mister Burke, she's a fine ship." But he won't claim that she's the finest. The finest he's sailed? The finest he's seen? For sure, but there may easily be finer out there yet to be found. "I think we're done with shaping for today. We'll likely do some whilst were at sea, should the opportunity and the timing be right. That will be the true test of these changes, something we can't recreate here and now." Crossing over to Minowa, Sebastian lays a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "I think our work here is done for today ..."

The halfbreed remains still and silent as the ship completes her turn, Zea manages the winds, the crewmen attempt to keep their footing. It is not until Sebastian lays a hand on Minowa's shoulder that she fully snaps out of her trance with a sharp headshake. She blinks slowly, rubbing her eyes and then glancing down at her hands as if she's mildly surprised to find she has them. "Well," she says, her voice mostly normal if a bit out of breath. "That was certainly something, wasn't it?"

Zea is slow to open her eyes, and not until she feels the ship stop in its turn does she do so. Her hands still hold tight to the Nest and the sails are as full as ever, at least she has kept that in control. All of her movements are slow, if there was anyone to notice them, from the stretching of her wings to a glance down towards the deck, in time to see Sebastian speaking to Minowa. But Zea doesn't move from her position and doesn't allow the winds to slack until it is called for. The magic has been constant, but not too difficult to maintain, there is no exhaustion yet in her.

Lyri had directed a grin at Mister Burke, but her gaze shifts towards Sebastian as the captain wings in for a landing. Her smile fades, mouth pursing in a brief moue before she turns away, wings flaring and folding again. Nodding to the other sailors around her, they help the young lad who'd been polishing the decking with his rear to his feet and continue about their work.

Turning his gaze upward, he calls to Zea, "Bring it down Zea if you will, we're heading back to port!" Smiling at Minowa, Sebastian murmurs, "Quite the accomplishment. How are you feeling? Do you need food? Drink? A seat?" His hand shifts to her elbow, cupping it lightly should she need the support. After such a huge use of her powers, he wouldn't be surprised at all if she felt a little weak or dizzy. But then, perhaps she is made of sterner stuff. "Mister Burke!" he calls over his shoulder brightly, "Let's take her back to port, shall we?"

Blue-green eyes crinkle in a faint smile at such concern. "I feel all right, actually. Just a little dazed." She looks down at her feet, giving toes a cursory wiggle. "I wouldn't mind some water, though." She looks over her shoulder, around, taking in the changes. It's a bit different to feel and to see, and again, it is strange to see the Amarada look different than before.

This time Zea is better prepared and the ship doesn't shutter with the sudden disappearance of the winds. With a lifted hand and an "Understood, captain!" she slowly reigns in the winds, slowing the ship without jarring her roughly. The most visible sign of her magic lessening is the slumping of the sails as she pulls back the winds and releases them into the aether, though she keeps a light hand on them to get them to port without too much difficulty. For now she can simply enjoy the feel of the winds as they head back to Parnassus and spend some times in silence.

Signaling to one of the sailors, Sebastian waits as water is brought over for the shaper. "Fine work," he notes again, "Most impressive to watch. It will be exciting to see how she fares out at sea. We'll take the Makara out soon for similar reshaping. I think I have a buyer for her, a good friend of mine ... I'd like to have him in on the changes, since it is after all going to be his ship if everything works out." Squeezing her shoulder again, Sebastian inclines his head and heads toward the ship's wheel and First Mate. The ship turns in a lazy circle now, making her way patiently back toward the docks of Parnassus as the crew busy themselves with trimming the sails and preparing to dock. "Not a bad day's work, Mister Burke. Not bad at all, eh?"

Minowa cups the mug of water in a quasi-webbed hand, taking a long gulp from it before finally stepping away from her 'post' to turn and watch the sailors work. Her gaze tips up into the crow's nest where she can spot a pair of wings topping the person perched there. "The Makara," she repeats with a faint frown. "Perhaps your buyer should rename it as well," she muses. "It will be interesting to shape her. I wonder what sort of memories *that* ship carries in her hull."

Minowa's words bring a pause to Sebastian, the Empyrean Captain glancing over his shoulder to her before murmuring, "Unpleasant ones, I'll wager." He forgets sometimes how the things that the half-breed touches and shapes speak to her, telling her stories of the past and of their origins. As a wind mage himself, the wind is merely a force of nature that he can manipulate. He might know where it came from, why it brings with it warmth and scents, but the wind tells him no tales. It shares with him no history. It simply is. It exists, nothing more. And so with her deceptively simple words Tian realizes what he is in fact asking Minowa for. Frowning he turns back to her. "I forgot ... if you don't wish to shape her, I won't ask it. I cannot attest for what sort of history she had, but I'm sure that it cannot have been a pleasant one." There is a momentary pause before he murmurs, "As for her name, that will be up to her new owner. If she is not going to be my ship, I really don't feel it's appropriate for me to christen her anew. That is the right and privilege of her new Captain."

Zea leans over the side of the nest somewhat, watching the conversation below without hearing much of it. She could draw the sounds to her on the air, but no breezes interrupt the conversation, she must still see the ship back to Parnassus. She can only speculate on what Sebastian and Minowa discuss, but with the topic being the Makara, it is probably better that she hears none of it. She has enough on her shoulders already, she'd rather not relive another personal hell right now. She settles back into the Crow's Nest and watches as Parnassus advances on the horizon.

Minowa shakes her head, draining the last of the mug before giving her reply. "I'll do it," she says. "In her current state, she may, quite simply, not be able to keep up with the Amarada, and that could be dangerous in unknown waters. Truth be told, I'm not fully certain what I did to the Amarada, especially during those turns, and hiring a shipbuilder to remake the Makara may not be possible. Besides, I can't imagine anyone would want to sail or captain the ship that attacked Parnassus and Irha-Esh. No, if she is coming along, she needs to be Shaped." She pauses, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "But either you or the new captain of the Makara may owe me a strong drink afterwards."

Nodding with a slight smile, Sebastian rumbles, "Done and done ... and my thanks. There's no way she could be rebuilt, shipbuilder or not. To change a ship so dramatically you have to start with a brand new ship. I'll wait to see what happens. She'll either be sold and sail with us, which will require her to be shaped as well as the Amarada ... or she'll sell and set sail for ports of her own with no improvements save what her captain puts into her. Either way, drinks are on me." Clapping her lightly upon the shoulder, Sebastian meets Minowa's gaze and notes, "So rest up in the meanwhile and enjoy the view as we head back." Releasing her, he turns and leans against the railing, studying the landscape as it drifts by. "Either way, it will be happening soon. Time is against us and sailing for the Aesir should happen sooner rather than later." Straightening, Sebastian notes, "There's some food on deck, if you change your mind about wanting just water." Strolling over Sebastian calls out to the crew, "Good work! The ship practically sails herself ... there's food and drink for those who want it till we're ready to dock!" Turning to Burke, Sebastian murmurs quietly, "I have some things to see to ... you'll see us back safely, yes?" The mongrel snorts and counters, "Aye, 'less I manage t'get so full of the ale and whisky that I cannae see straight into the est'ary. No promises Cap'n!" Tian simply smiles, knowing his First Mate too well to have the slightest worry or offense. "Good man," he returns, clapping Burke on the shoulder and with that he descends into the ship to see what the external changes have wrought within.