[Action]

[knightofratatosk]

[Morning finds Emil lugging a bulging knapsack up the road to the bridge near CH #1, the ends of what look like a couple of glass bottles sticking out of it. Whatever is inside it seems to be rather heavy-- he has to stop every few yards to rest, but he's determined to make it to his destination despite this.

Once he gets to the bridge, he unzips the knapsack and begins unpacking the contents. Inside is a whole array of glass bottles, each one containing a letter addressed to a friend who has left Luceti. Richter, Marta, Tenebrae, Horatio, Luke, Faize, Lloyd, Genis-- each one of them (as well as several other people) gets a letter. He figures that with all of the creepy supernatural stuff going on lately, maybe, just maybe, if he drops these bottles into the stream now, they'll somehow reach the intended recipients. It can't hurt to try, right? If nothing else, it might make him feel a little bit better about hearing voices and seeing things.

... or so he hopes.]

Comments

[all7seas]

[Jack happens to be loitering under the bridge at this particular moment, trying to catch fish. At least until bottles start dropping.]

Oi! Bottles! You're puttin' the trout down!

[knightofratatosk]

...

[Well, now Emil is going to be peering over the bridge to find out just who the heck is complaining.]

I'm sorry, I didn't know there was anyone down there.

[all7seas]

[And the pirate'll be peering up from just beside the abutment, troll that he is. Then he fishes one out and looks at it.]

You're sendin' messages, then.

[knightofratatosk]

Yeah. I know this stream only goes to the lake, but with all of the strange stuff that's been happening lately, I thought... I thought maybe the people I addressed them to would be able to get them.

[all7seas]

I think it's brilliant. Brilliant. Why didn't I think of it myself, I'm asking? Why, Jack? All that rum, all those empty bottles, and not a single message. Worst marooned pirate ever.

You, on the other hand---brilliant!

[He tosses the bottle back into the water, right into the current. Salutes it.]

Carry on, bottle! To brighter shores!

Now, lad--will these people be sending a rescue boat?

[knightofratatosk]

A rescue boat? Um, I don't know if spirits can do something like that... and even if they could, where would we sail the boat? Both of the streams end at the lakes.

[A part of him is wondering if this man knows Raven. Something tells him the two of them would get along quite well.]

[all7seas]

[Yes, he IS going to ignore reason.]

No worries--if I can get a bottle to my Mate, Gibbs, he'll find us. Might be able to sail it under the lake, like.

[Not CAREFULLY thinking this through but hey, he's flipped a boat and escaped before.]

[knightofratatosk]

... under the lake? But wouldn't we drown without any air?

[To Emil, this just sounds like crazy talk.]

[all7seas]

Might. Might drown. It's all in the timing, lad. Threepwood, now, he can swim reconnaissance. [Jack is still unaware that Guybrush has been sent home.]

[knightofratatosk]

I don't know, I think I'd rather stay here than risk drowning in the lake because we tried to sail under it. Besides, if we did drown, they'd just bring us back here in a week.

[all7seas]

[But infinite to venture...]

You like it here, then? [Jack is still standing under the bridge, looking up at the bottle-thrower]

[knightofratatosk]

[Emil has just taken to leaning on the railing so he can look down while he speaks.]

Not really, but I can hardly remember what it was like back at home anymore. I've been here for almost two years now. I don't know if I even can go home.

[all7seas]

You can come back with me, then; could use a lad what knows how to send a proper message.

[knightofratatosk]

W-what? But... you don't even know my name, and I don't know yours, and...

[all7seas]

Captain Jack Sparrow, bottle throwing lad. Bottle throwing lad, Captain Jack Sparrow. See? Introductions all around. Now, if you're going to serve on my ship, you'll need proper clothing; no call to go around dressed as a eunuch when you're a proper pirate.

[knightofratatosk]

Um, my name is Emil. It's nice to meet you, Captain Sparrow, but what's a eunuch, and why do you think I'm dressed like one? I've never heard of one of those before. Is it like a pirate?

[all7seas]

[There's a slight expression of horror at this last suggestion]

No. Nonono, lad, NOT like a pirate. At all, savvy? [He's making the snip-snip motion with his fingers, which is where he's going to stop with explanations.]

In any case, you could at the very least get yourself a hat.

[knightofratatosk]

[Unfortunately for Jack, those hand gestures went right over his head and he's just going to stare blankly, not comprehending what the good captain is trying to convey.]

Um...

[all7seas]

Hat? Head? Millinery? Savvy?

[Now he's miming hat-wearing]

[knightofratatosk]

No, not that, I meant the...

[Mimicking the snip-snip gesture back.]

[all7seas]

....

Forget about that. Better off not knowin', really. Eunuchs: beautiful singing voices, you know.

[knightofratatosk]

Oh. Um, thanks, I think, even though I'm not sure how you knew what I sound like when I sing.

[all7seas]

I...yes. Well, let's call it an "educated guess," shall we? Now then: what else can you do?

[knightofratatosk]

Not very much... I can cook, and I can fight too, but only when I'm in Ratatosk Mode.

[all7seas]

Cook--aye, that's a good thing. Fighting, also good, if not always necessary.

[He stumbles and climbs his way up the bank to the bridge. When he looks at Emil, his face holds some concern and he shakes his head.]

You fight only in Rastikok mode? Lad, that's limiting. Truly limiting.