that's between me and the gods

i want to taste you again

Jack shrugs, and though Aurelia won't realise it, it's in response to a lot of what she thinks and says. The road here has been hell in a handbasket, that much is true, and he still doesn't know if there are clear skies on the horizon or more storms. For now, around is enough for any and all of them. "Wise," he murmurs, raising his empty glass in a toast before setting it down again.

Seven, of course, mrrrrps and rubs her face obnoxiously back against Aurelia's. "Seven," she agrees brightly, purring away and slinking back down to nap around her neck. Jack watches all of this with a scrunched nose, rising to his feet as if that's indication enough that he's done with these shenanigans.

"I want to try and take us to the Greatwood," he murmurs. "But the Ark can only fly at night, and I don't know if the Stonesong is wide enough to land in. So it might be back to the Feverlands."

like a secret or a sin

JACK

Aurelia

Sailing. At least it's something different to focus on. Something uninvolved in personal affairs or relationships, past mistakes, present regrets. The more she thinks about it, remembers what it was like, the more invested she becomes by the second. And she should make things up to Jack somehow, anyway. Why not start now, with something small.

"You have a map somewhere, don't you?" She asks expectantly, glancing about, hoping to find one tacked onto his wall. "We could sail to the inner shores, where the ship would be safe, and then go further in on a boat. Do you think that would be small enough for the Stonesong?"

Leaning back, she does have to rely on Jack's own personal opinion. Not like she's ever been to the Greatwood. She'd seen the Hollowed Grounds from a cursory view but, other than that, she actually hasn't been to any of the other regions. Not the Greatwood, the Hollowed Grounds - Halo, once, for the festival. But that was it. Stormbreak wasn't really an option for her from what she'd heard.. so that one couldn't be helped. The realization makes her want to go there all the more. See another part of the world.

She definitely doesn't want to go back to the Feverlands, either.

looking in the mirror, drop of rum on my tongue
with the warning to help me see myself clearer

i want to taste you again

"I have a lot of maps," Jack agrees, walking his fingers across the cluttered shelves and selecting an aged scroll, rolling it out along the desk. It's woefully incomplete, unfortunately, though he supposes Aurelia could help with that. "You any good with navigation? An' if not, can you get good?" he wonders. "Reckon we could get to the mouth of the Stonesong by King's End, and go from there..."

He's not keen to leave the Ark to go swanning off through the river, but they could always see how far they make it. "There's the Boondocks there, too... could make a stop at the usual pickup while we're at it." If it isn't obvious yet, the captain's busy mind is already making plans, and he nods once as if the decision has been made.

"C'mon, then. Better get your ass set back up on board if you're gonna be sailin' with us, eh?"

like a secret or a sin

JACK

Aurelia

She gets up to get a better look at the map as he lays it out, curious. She doesn't forget about Seven, of course, but for this she does have to remove the cat from her shoulders and place her gently down in the seat. A head pat is offered in apology.

She'd seen the old, leftover maps from the shop where she and Milo stayed. Of course, this is absolutely ancient in comparison. Gently, she smooths out a few creases and stares thoughtfully at the layout of the land and the water. It does seem that the map could use updating, with mystery blank spots that need to be filled in. And just as she's thinking about that he asks if she could be good at navigation. She blinks, but doesn't answer - at least, not directly.

"The ship really wouldn't be able to fit through here, would it?" She asks rhetorically, thinking about the Boondocks as she looks back up at him with a clever smirk. "Got something waiting for you at the.. what was it called? The Yellow Rose? I didn't realize that would be a regular thing," she lifts and lowers her brows in slight surprise, before getting back to the issue of the Greatwood. She rests her hands on either side of the map and devises a plan that might fit all of Jack's little pieces together. "We could stop at the Boondocks, and take the river near there all the way through. It might take a little more time, we'd have to be careful, but it'd work. That, or try to fly the Ark over and hope we find somewhere to land." She tilts her head at him and adds with a smile, "aaand I guess I could update this map for you, while we're at it."

She shrugs, almost embarrassed, and replies with teasing warmth in her eyes, "Oh, I'm sure you'll be wishing I was gone again in a day or two." Straightening up, she stretches her arms, cracking a few knuckles, and yawns fiercely. "Buuuut uh.. I hope you don't mind if I find a bunk to sleep on, in that case." At least for the night. Maybe more than a night. That depended on Milo, really. She expects that he'll be upset, and who knows after that.

looking in the mirror, drop of rum on my tongue
with the warning to help me see myself clearer

i want to taste you again

Seven, of course, almost leaps up and against Aurelia's hand as she leaves to investigate the map, before curling up in the seat and purring herself into a nap. Jack does not do as much, the captain gazing over the weathered parchment and shaking his head in response to the rhetorical question. "Ain't ever tried, truthfully. If we could find a stretch of water wide enough to land, we could fly over so long as we landed her before morning..."

The cogs continue turning, Jack scoffing at her remarks about the Yellow Rose. "There's a lot you don't realise," he mutters. "I prefer the second plan. Don't really enjoy leavin' the Ark on her lonesome." Especially not where she can be found by pirates and scavengers.

"I'm sure I will. In the meantime, though, you can find yourself a bunk an' update my maps." So saying, he strolls to the door and pushes it open, gesturing for her to fuck off in more polite terms. "Deal?"

like a secret or a sin

JACK

Aurelia

Aurelia nods once, in quick understanding of his reasoning. The Ark would be a sitting duck if they couldn't find a place good enough to keep out of reach of thieving hands. That, and the Wilds have been high traffic ever since they were unveiled. If Jack had never tried to make it through, then that didn't necessarily mean it wasn't possible. With the Ark's ability to fly, though? She likes the second idea better, too.

"She can make it," she replies with finality, and it would seem that it was decided. At least, for now, unless the winds change. "We'll set flight from the Boondocks."

With Jack making it clear he's quite done for the night, she smirks and claps her hand on his shoulder as she makes her way past him. "Aye-aye, Cap'n!" She leaves him be, but not before she turns back and offers him a salute. As she walks away towards the crew's quarters, she makes a mental note: I should find those sunglasses he gave me. It's followed by something about not running into Ghost Whales again but, soon, her tipsy thoughts fade into the night.

---

fin!

looking in the mirror, drop of rum on my tongue
with the warning to help me see myself clearer