Objects as viewed through portholes may be closer than they appear. [Hay'aan please]

[Klue Malinconico]

The Last Cycle of Melora in the Winter of Era XV

It was the first clear brightening in the last cycle of Winter and true to his word, Klue was busy making preparations for an outing along the seabed. He had help of course, there at the private slip kept by the Paedia at the farthest end of the bay dock and while he was inside the covered slip running last minute checks on the submersible with Dunnie’s help, Waldo, Blinky and Digger were outside on the dock keeping an eye out for Hay’aan, and preparing a small rowboat that would accompany the submersible on its outing. They’d not be difficult to find, anyone asked along the docks could point her in the right direction. There, the covered slip at the end, they’d say, the noisy bunch outside looking like they’re up to mischief.

Waldo was the eldest of the Paedia’s gadgeteers and while it was Klue who ran things, there was no question that outside of a wild whim of his own now again that reflected back to his younger and more impulsive brightenings, the tall and lanky gray haired engineer aged somewhere in his sixties was most usually the voice of reason when needed, or rather the wet blanket as Digger liked to say, in the eclectic group. Blinky of course Hay’aan might recognize as the small chubby fellow in Klue’s company the evening of the masquerade, absent his buccaneer’s costume of course, but there with his curly brown hair, large blue eyes that blinked far too often for the norm…thus the nickname, and round spectacles that spent more time sliding down the bridge of his nose than staying put.

Then there was Digger, a beady eyed gnome just shy of a foot in height and perched on the helm of the rowboat with large hairy feet curled over the edges for purchase, dressed in a dusty pair of red overalls and unruly tufts of dark brown hair sprouting out from underneath what looked like a small silver strainer turned topside down helmet style on his head.

Inside with Dunnie lounging on deck, a half elf with the palest of skin and blue eyes, with an unruly shock of red hair so bright it would be better termed atomic orange and dressed in colors so bright and swirling, and beads and feathers of the same round his neck and on his ears that it near to distracted from the hair itself, Klue was inside the hull of the submersible with its hatch open and making sure that everything was as it ought to be. There was no margin being left for error, not a bit of it. For all that he’d a busy mind that tended to dash on a whim from task to task and back again, a malady common to many a gadgeteer in fact, he was on the other hand a perfectionist with a mind for ironing out each and every wrinkle or detail both existing and anticipated.

And this brightening, he was all the more bent on having nothing go wrong…which did, on occasion and in small mostly harmless doses, as those who knew him best could attest to. It wasn’t only pride in his work, and the submersible was an example of what he considered his finest to date, but the prospect of having Hay’aan along on the outing besides. There were all sorts of variables at work where the anticipation of the outing was concerned, though the half of them resided in the murky realm of his subconscious. But her safety of course was paramount, and he wanted nothing at all, not even the slightest non-critical malfunction to give her any reason to doubt her safety while in his hands.

So barefoot and dressed in a pair of green trousers cropped off mid calf and shot through with a darker green palm pattern, and a white tank shirt to better accommodate the warmth of the craft while submerged, he was ducked inside the thing and occupied with a last minute go over, while those outside the covered slip watched for Hay’aan’s approach.

[Hay'aan Benedict]

She was so excited that she could barely contain her walk to that ~ she wanted to run, although she was far from late. No, she wanted to run because she was having trouble keeping check on her emotions, she was just so excited at the prospect of seeing under the ocean on the ocean floor. The feelings she was having about seeing Klue were also there, of course, but she too kept them in check and simply half-walked, half ran towards the slip.

By the time she was almost there, Hay'aan had decided that walking was for wussies and so she had broken into a skipping run. She skipped up to the slip and skidded to a stop as she saw the people there, but.. not Klue. The feeling of disappointment was palpable to the young human, and she'd undoubtedly put that down to thinking that maybe she wasn't going to go down into the ocean depths after all... for really, what other reason was there for being so disappointed?

She looked at the people gathered there and she reconised at least one of them ~ he'd been with Klue the darkening of the masquerade Ball, she was quite sure. The others she did not know, but this many people had one sure response from Hay'aan. She blushed and looked down at the floor, shyness overcoming her as she tried to speak.

In preparation for being in a submersible, Hay'aan had considered many things. Clothing was a very important one. She wore, therefore, a pair of loose black trousers and a white top. The white top crossed over at her breastbone, revealing a small amount of midriff as it did. Her hair was loose and she wore plain black pumps on her feet, good grip and easy to manage. She wore no jewelry, no bells on her ankles this time, instead she had her tight-belted, loose fitting black trousers and white top. Her long black hair hung straight down her back, and she carried on her shoulder a black satchel.

"I... serale" she said, quietly to the people "I.. my name is Hay'aan" she looked up briefly, shyness apparent once again in view of being with strangers in their place "I... Klue... Klue asked me to meet him here?" she said, clutching her satchel tightly to her, in order to prevent her from wringing her hands. Her brown eyes once again looked down at the floor, the flush darkening her cheeks.

[Klue Malinconico]

”There comes a girlie down tha way,” Digger declared while staring off beady eyed down the docks past rows of fishing boats, and perched there on the bow of their rowboat like a pintsized conqueror at sea. The voice come from the diminutive gnome while in fact matching up roughly with his size, was gravelly, a little on the nasal side and seemed more suited to back alley commentaries at blade’s point and promises of ’Goin’ swimmin’ with da fishes.’ Blinky though, without question always the diplomat of the group and unfailingly polite even in the thick of many a heated innovators’ debate…during which he was like to cry as often as not, pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose with a single digit for the second time in less than three minutes passed and blinked, twice, before nodding his agreement. ”I believe you’re right, and it appears to be miss Hay’aan, who if you’ll remember is the young woman the Chief has told us to keep an eye out for.” A snort from Digger preceded a gravelly retort, ”Wells I could hardly forget now could I e’s been callin’ out asking after’ers about ev’ry two minutes aint ‘e?…Well if you don’t mind my saying so Digger I was merely attempting to point out that…”

”Hush you two and stop your squabbling, you’ll scare the lass away before she’s even arrived,” came sager advice from Waldo, who running long fingers through his gray hair to straighten it up a bit, stepped forward himself to do the honors of greeting Hay’aan, while both Digger and Blinky looked on, the latter smiling shyly, the other regarding her beady eyed from his perch. As for the eldest innovator, his expression was a warm and grandfatherly one, even if the timbre of his voice was left to show the effects of many an era subjected to pipe smoke. ”Good brightening Hay’aan, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Waldo, this is Blinky who I believe you may have met, and that little fellow perched on the rowboat is Digger. And yes of course, the Chief has asked us to keep an eye out for you, he’s inside the slip getting the submersible ready for the brightening,” he said with a smile and indicated the open door.

True to Waldo’s word, when Hay’aan slipped inside the covered dock that opened out into the bay, she’d observe the submersible itself, a twenty foot watercraft covered stem to stern in dark treated leather and resting heavy in the water in its slip, it somewhat resembled a small whale or large porpoise come to surface for a breath of fresh air, and with hatch open and thrown back. There aside of the thing on the wooden walkway, a colorful half elf leapt to his bare feet, the shade of his red hair diminished only slightly here in the shadows of the covered slip. Beads round his neck clattered softly and while looking her first straight in the eye with his own eyes widened, he immediately glanced down again. It should be noted that while Dunnie was not the least bit timid under most ordinary circumstances, after all there was his sense of fashion to consider added his love of fiddling with explosives, where those of the female persuasion were concerned he was as timid as they came…And he blushed, a shade that seemed after a fashion to reflect more subtly the hue of his wardrobe.

”Ssserale miss,” he said in nearly a whisper and with somewhat of a goofy smile but having heard the flame haired innovator leap to his feet from inside the submersible, Klue himself emerged from its interior, head, shoulders and chest through the hatch and with a wide smile when he saw her there. And she was a sight, he noted first of all, as pretty as the beach where they’d met, and pretty as the night of the masquerade. In fact though he wouldn’t admit it and the rest wouldn’t tell on him he’d been there earlier than need be and worried in spite of himself that she might for some reason decide not to show. And that she had, he was gladder than he’d anticipated, given notions of the contrary seemed more disappointing than they might’ve been were it anyone else he was expecting.

”You’ve come,” he declared with a grin that indicated the extent of his pleasure and with hands braced on the edges of the hatch, propelled himself up and out of the submersible and up on it’s gently curved deck. ”I’m glad ye did, I’ve checked with th’ docks’ manager and there’ll not be many boats on th’ water this morning and th’ water’s smooth as glass. It means that what’s t’ be seen below, we’ll have a nice view of it. I don’t s’pose ye’ve met Dunnie b’fore, he’ll be goin’ with us t’ run th’ propellers. Hay’aan this is Dunnie, Dunnie, Hay’aan.” By then the half elf had managed to stop eyeing his toes and glanced up, the flush of his cheeks faded but still apparent in a shaft of light that slanted into the bay side of the slip. ”Good brightening Hay’aan, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

[Hay'aan Benedict]

So many people and Hay'aan felt herself flushing and tried to stop... an endeavor which, of course, only made the flushing deeper. Still, the kindly one, whose voice sounded like it had smoked too much but was gentle, nonetheless, spoke to her and introduced people. She nodded and smiled at each one, "Serale, nice to meet you Waldo. Thank you. Serale to you too, Binky.... it's...it's nice to see you again and nice...nice to meet you Digger"

What strange names, Hay'aan thought. They sounded like a group of pirates, really. A pirate crew! She considered this with a smile as fantastical thoughts flitted through her head and visions of pirate kidnapping, treasure and adventure filled her imagination.

But then the kindly Waldo led her across the slip and she cast eyes on the submersible. It was quite an amazing sight to see and she felt a flip of excitement at the thought of what she was going to experience this brightening. It looked so very.. exotic! She caught a glimpse of the half elf and she smiled shyly at him as he spoke. The colours that he had in his hair and clothes did not phase her in the slightest, she was quite used to colourful clothing around her people.

When Dunnie blushed, she smiled gently "Serale." she said, and would have said more had Klue not appeared from the interior head, and looking very dashing he was too. All thoughts f the shy half elf fled from Hay'aan and she was back on the thought of pirates and adventure. She smiled at Klue, a shy smile in truth, but didn't cast her eyes down, rather looking at him directly.

"Of course I came. I ... I wouldn't miss it. I... I'm very excited" she said, and then she was introduced to the shy half-elf and Hay'aan smiled at him in a friendly and positively charming way "I... it's nice to meet you Dunnie. How are you?" she asked.

She clutched the satchel and grinned at Klue once more. She was aware that she was resembling a loon at this point, a grinning idiot her mother would have said and laughed as she said it, but Hay'aan couldn't stop herself. "I.... I ... so what can I do to help?" she asked, looking around and then letting her face once more settle into the smile of delight that seemed to be its common expression around this man.

[Klue Malinconico]

It would be the first time he’d taken anyone down in the submersible that wasn’t one of his crew from the Paedia. That it was to be Hay’aan pleased him more than he’d have anticipated, and in a number of ways he couldn’t precisely quantify. Of course it went without saying that a pretty girl was more appealing company in close quarters than the usual, and he’d had a chat with the boys that morning previous to leaving the workshop. Both Dunnie and those who’d be manning the rowboat, for all that bad habits tended to settle in and take root when the norm meant that there was a typical void of women in their collective presence. Of course Waldo as a rule was not as guilty of these notions of boys will be boys, he’d been married a good many eras before he’d been widowed and so had been properly domesticated as they say, and more mindful of a woman’s sensitivities. Of the others, even the always polite Blinky tended to get caught up in the moment now and again.

As a result, the ground rules had been laid out in advance. There’d be no cussing, no off color jokes, and while belching contests most definitely had their time and their place over tankards of ale and in moments of high spirits, it wasn’t this brightening. And making farting sounds with palms and bare armpits amidst great fanfare in close quarters, definitely not funny. Of course this was Dunnie’s particular forte, a talent Blinky had often admired and aspired to, and given it was Dunnie coming along in the submersible and at some point Klue surmised he’d overcome his shyness to a degree, the point warranted making. True they’d all looked at him as if he was going soft and a few had questioned why the sudden interest in propriety and manners, but he’d remained tight lipped even in the wake of the inevitable ribbing he’d got.

”For now we’re all set t’ go I think, I’ve checked her over like we do b’fore every outing and have brought along what we’ll need and stored it inside, Dunnie, since you’ll be takin’ up th’ propellers at th’ back why don’t ye climb on inside first.” The half elf, having overcome his shyness only enough to offer Hay’aan an open smile by now, leapt nimbly from the deck to the leather covered surface of the hull and just as nimbly lowered himself through the hatch and disappeared inside. ”You’ll go next and sit in th’ middle while I take up th’ helm,” he said with a smile and once stepping across the narrow gap himself to balance on top of the hull, he offered Hay’aan his hand in order to assist her in stepping from a more solid deck onto the gently rocking surface of the craft’s deck. ”Watch your step now,” he said, and when she’d joined him there, he kept hold of her hand to help with her balance. On the back of the outer deck she’d notice a number of floats and a thick coil of umbicals attached to them, and their ends again attached to various spots along the surface of the hull. But it seemed that Klue meant to leave them there, even as they prepared for their outing.

Standing there on the deck next to the raised hatch she could see then that just behind it was a small thick porthole, and another in fact just in front of it. They were made of thick reinforced glass but still she could see through them into the interior of the submersible, and through the back one, even see the tips of Dunnie’s feet where he’d taken up a position at the back. Inside there’d be room to crawl or sit, even move at a low crouch but not stand, and there were seats of sorts built into the floors, but more along the lines of cushions set into the interior floor rather than proper chairs. ”Just keep hold of my hands an’ climb in backwards, it’s not far b’fore yer feet touch th’ floor,“ he promised and helped her through the hatch so that she could climb inside. And once she did, Dunnie welcomed her with the same shy smile from his seat in the back and once she was settled, Klue climbed in after her and dropped to the floor in the front.

Once she’d settled in, she’d noticed more portholes than she’d have seen before. There was one on the lower part of the nose, one on its center and several along each wall, added one at her feet and another behind her. Dunnie was sat by a number of wooden panels and levers, along with a foot peddle and crank contraption that would allow him to operate the propellers in either direction. At the nose where Klue sat there were a number of wooden fixtures attached to the wall, each with its own collection of levers. And on both walls on each side of her own center position in fact, there was another series of levers though exactly what they did or who was to operate them remained a mystery at the moment. Above her head she’d noticed a number of circular valves in the ceiling and directly above her, a small brass bell.

And once Klue dropped in in front of her, he grinned and settled into his own seat, his raised knees positioned on each side of a set of controls on the floor. Then turning round to smile at her and making sure she was comfortable, he said, ”It’s a bit close in here but doesn’t take much time t’ get used to, are ye comfortable enough?”

[Hay'aan Benedict]

If she'd known of the ground rules, Hay'aan would have told Klue that there was a difference between being shy and being naive. She was one, she would have undoubtedly told him, but not the other. Being brought up in a gypsy family meant that she'd seen her fair share of belching competitions and so on. One of these brightenings, had Klue told her, she would have promised to surprise him with her own entry.

But she didn't know, and in truth, such things would make her uncomfortable amongst strangers. Dunnie's open smile was returned by her, and she watched him climb down with interest, wondering just how she was going to do this herself. But still, she was glad that she'd chosen trousers for this journey and not a long skirt or anything else silly.

Once Dunnie was down, she took Klue's hand, her mind going back to meeting him on the beach (it seemed so long ago, she mused) and she stepped gracefully onto the deck of this craft. She stood a moment to get her footing, to learn the rhythmn of the thing and then, keeping ahold of his hand in one hand, she reached into the satchel "I ... I know it's a silly thing, and I don't expect you to keep it, or like it, even.. but I brought you a gift to say thank you" she said, and her colouring was as high as he'd ever seen it, that was for sure.

Reaching into her satchel she brought out a waterproof (she thought it had best be!) scroll case which she handed to Klue whilst simultaneously not managing to look at him "It.. it isn't very good, but I wanted you to have it to say thank you..." she said, and then smiled far too brightly as she forced the expression on her face. Inwardly she was cringeing.. she had come to the conclusion that she had a crush on this young man, and she was behaving like some kind of idiot. Giving him a drawing, really, it was too much. But it was done now and it had taken all of the courage she had this brightening to do it, so she hoped to Kaimelea that he didn't have any crises, small or large, whilst they were down there in the oceans depths.

"Climb in backwards.... alright" she said, and this she did, stopping just before her feet touched the floor and looking up at him with concern in her brown eyes "We're running out of arm length.. am I nearly there?" Assuming that he told her that it was, in fact, just one more step to the ground, she made it with a triumphant smile up at him and then turned to Dunnie with a smile of her own.

When Klue dropped down she was sitting, ready and in place, her satchel across her left shoulder and down by her right side so that it would not slide off her shoulder at any point. "I... it's fine, just fine.. I'm just a little worried about these levers here... am I supposed to do anything, and if so what? I don't mind doing things at all, but I'd... well I'd like to know. And.. the other thing is, are there any traditions that you have for luck? I don't want to break them by mistake" she said, and looked at him earnestly.

Her embarrasment forgotten for a moment or two, Hay'aan looked at him with pure excitement as she spoke "I can't believe we're actually doing this! Oh Klue, thank you so much!"

[Klue Malinconico]

It was a small transition to adjust to, stepping from the more solid deck across the small gap onto the top of the submersible that was sitting low in the water. Here on the edge of the bay the waters were far calmer than they’d have been even out from shore on the beach side. But there was a still a gentle rocking motion had both from lapping waters, added Dunnie shuffling around for position inside the craft. It was a good excuse then for Klue to keep hold of Hay’aan’s hand, he’d not want her losing her balance and topple off the edge, a good excuse for the contact which the conscious part of him would argue was nothing but chivalry at work, to which the unconscious part would respectfully disagree. Whichever the case her hand was small in his, feminine, and he thought it fit nicely.

As she reached into her satchel though he smiled curiously, even more so when she produced the scroll case but looked away shyly. It was a drawing then, he concluded from her explanation before he’d even looked and he’d been curious to see her work. ”I can’t imagine it bein’ silly at all, nor imagine I wouldn’t like it. And of course I’d keep it,” he said before even realizing what it was exactly. But he took the time there on the topside to look, it would be a bit darker inside with only the portholes and hatch to let any sunlight in. He unrolled it carefully once making sure she was confident with her balance and what he saw first struck him silent for realizing just what it was, a portrait of him, and then caused a broad and pleased smile to transform his boyish face. So broad in fact that it might’ve been a bit of a goofy grin, for both being impressed that she’d drawn it completely from memory, and moreover in fact, delighted to learn that she’d been thinking of him when she’d drawn it. That in fact, pleased him more than he’d be ready to admit just yet, though he had found himself thinking about her at the most unexpected of moments and been called on his distraction on occasion by the fellows.

”It’s…fantastic Hay’aan,” he said almost reverently while looking at the portrait, ”you drew this for me? You should never doubt your talent, you’ve a rare one. It’s…thank you. No one’s ever given me a gift like this, somethin’ so much from th’ hear…” Catching himself, he grinned again for almost having slipped and said something sappy, and grinned instead. ”Of course I’m keepin’ it. In fact I’m goin’ t’ frame and hang it, if that’s alright?” he said.

And then rolling it carefully back up again and sealing it in its case, he took her hand to help her through the hatch. ”It’s not much further,” he reassured her while bending down in order to lower her further. ”Just point your toes a bit and you’ll find solid ground.” And then took a mental note to add a few rungs to the inside of the hatch for easier navigation…He tended to launch himself in and out as did the other fellows, save for Digger and Blinky who they gave a boost to.

Dunnie met her there with a grin and another blush, and when Klue had settled in as well at the front, he smiled and shook his head in regards to her worries. ”Those levers there operate a series of pumps and valves inside th’ ballast chambers,” he said and then realizing she might not know what he meant, he knocked on the hull beside him and she could hear that it was hollow. ”It’s not a solid hull ye see, but a twin hull with open chambers in b’tween. Right now they’re empty but they take on and expel water by way of a combination of those levers on each side of you, sometimes all of them, sometimes only a few. Full, empty or someplace in b’tween depending on how deep we want t’ go and what’s wanted of th’ tilt of th’ submersible. Th’ fuller they are ye see, the deeper we can submerge and then adjust them to level off and cruise along. Empty them, and we rise towards th’ surface again. There’s six levers, t’ match six chambers in th’ hull.”

Then realizing he was going on, he grinned apologetically. ”There’s no need t’ worry about them. Dunnie or I can work them, I usually tell th’ fellow in th’ middle what we need and he works them…I could teach you to, if you’d like and you’d like t’ try it out once you’ve gotten used t’ things?” he suggested, thinking she might in fact enjoy controlling part of their dive and exploration of the seabed. ”It’s a simple system and there’s so broad a margin for error that means there’s no risk of anything goin’ wrong.”

”And no, no traditions really though she still lacks a name t’ tell you the truth,” he said while Dunnie at the back wound up the gear system that helped run the propeller system and unlocked the clips on the pedals. ”We’ve already broken a bottle of champagne on her nose on her maiden voyage, th’ only thing I’d caution ye about is not t’ forget yourself and try t’ stand up straight…Low clearance,” he warned her with a grin and a glance at the ceiling. ”So would ye like t’ try it, have a go at runnin’ th’ ballast chambers when it comes time t’ submerge?”

[Hay'aan Benedict]

Hay'aan smiled in delight at his reaction and flushed deeply in about equal measure. She looked mightily pleased at his pleasure at her gift and she tried to think of something to say. She managed only a small "ohhhh...ummmmm" which really wasn't much of what she wanted to say. She thought that she had about a million things to say, although in truth she couldn't even think of most of them, let alone vocalise them.

"I... I'm glad you like it" she finally managed, more of a mumble than anything else. "I... well, I was supposed to be drawing a butterfly, you see, and umm... well, my my... mind was wandering... and so um.... well, yes, I drew this. I... I'll do better drawings, as I get better, I promise you.... and I'm going to stop talking now....I'm embarressing myself..but you don't need to frame it if you don't want to... I won't mind" she said, and although her face was deeply flushed she looked at him with a twinkle in her brown eyes.

Then, as the conversation moved with her and Klue she held on to hands, then lowered herself down. She pointed her toes as he told her to and grinned in pleasure as her feet found the floor. "I feel better having my feet on the floor" she said, with an expression that told of the truth of this.

When he described what the levers and so on did, she looked at them with complete fascination "Ohhh... I could help with that if you want to. I'd be happy to, and as long as it's idiot proof, I'll be happy. A large margin for error would be good, and I'm sure that Dunnie here will keep an eye on me and make sure that I'm doing it right. "

She looked at him with wide brown eyes and her face positively danced with pleasure at the thought of what was about to happen "Oh, Klue, I can't thank you enough for allowing me on to this journey. I'll help any way I can. I... well, I call that drawing "wistful", so... so you could call it that... or maybe you should call it ... the... I don't know, actually... maybe the Waking Dream"

She grinned and looked up at him as he asked again "Yes. I'd be happy to run the ballast chambers. Tell me what to do, and I'll do my best" she said, eager to please this man in front of her. She was developing feelings for Klue, there was no hiding it, and as she realised it she felt her cheeks flush again. But she said nothing, because there was nothing that she could say.

[Klue Malinconico]

”Oh I’m sure you’ll do just fine miss. It’s really just a matter of getting a feel for things, and after that it will seem like second nature. The Chief might say down thirty degrees, level off or level rise and you’ll know just what to do.” It was barely a whisper come from behind her, so tenacious was the redheaded half elf’s bashfulness when it came to those of the female persuasion…they scared him silly truth told, but it was Dunnie sure enough having temporarily found his voice again when Hay’aan made mention of his willingness to keep an eye on her. But for all of his awkwardness with women, this in fact somewhat of a common theme amongst all of Klue’s crew save the widowed Waldo, he seemed to have an expert understanding of the gadgetry surrounding him both on the sides of the submersible and at his bare feet.

As for Klue, Dunnie beat him to it and he suspected, probably rightly, that the half elf had become a little smitten on the spot. Of course he couldn’t blame him in the least, so despite himself…but taking into account a similar state himself and to a degree that had in fact had taken him by surprise but was growing by the minute, he for reasons he couldn’t begin to explain redirected other man’s attention right quick. ”Ye got those propellers primed and readied Dunnie?” Once Dunnie was occupied again to his satisfaction, something Hay’aan had said about the drawing caught his attention and he tilted his head curiously while he thought on it. ”The Waking Dream…I like that, and it seems t’ suit the mood of th’ picture just fine,” he said, and still flattered more than he could say that she’d drawn it, and had been thinking of him when she had.

Then catching himself thoroughly distracted, turned halfway round in his seat, he grinned and nodded. ”Right then, we’re ready, best I turn round and guide us out of th’ slip. Dunnie, all propellers engaged, and off we go. Forward,” he added then, since it was Dunnie once prior who when told they’d be off had mistakenly gotten things going in reverse and ran them into the back of the dock. And while Klue guided them on the straight and narrow, all that would be heard from Hay’aan’s perspective while Dunnie worked the propellers was the metallic ‘click’ of gears locking into place before beginning to turn courtesy the half elf with a quiet whirring sound. Otherwise, the thing ran silent and when down below, would add an extra appeal to the experience for the peaceful silence of the waters surrounding them.

Once emerging into sunlight where it slanted in then through the open hatch and the portholes both on the top and on the sides, the submersible was lit up a bit from its previous shadowy interior. As promised, the bay’s waters were calm and there was only a few fishing boats to be seen around them through the sides and the front. Nearby, Waldo and Blinky rowed their boat while Digger kept sentinel on the bow and gave directions…as if the other two had needed or wanted them. The submersible sat low in the water and as the propellers pushed it along, there was the sound of lapping water against the hall, and a small sheen of it washing over now and again but of course far short of reaching the open hatch. And once they’d gotten near the center of the bay and there were no vessels around them at all, Klue turned round for a moment to smile at Hay’aan.

”Since you’re th’ middle one, can ye let th’ fellows in th’ boat know we’re fixin’ t’ submerge and then pull th’ hatch over and down? Ye need only stand an’ pop yer head out th’ top, there’s a handle on th’ latch t’ pull it up and over with. It’s not heavy at all, then I’ll make sure it’s sealed tight b’fore we go under.”

[Hay'aan Benedict]

The quiet half elf behind her spoke and Hay'aan turned and smiled at him with a beaming smile. She was very pleased that he seemed to be getting over his shyness with her as she very much wanted Klue and all of his friends to like her. There was no doubting that she was developing a crush on Klue, and Hay'aan was not the kind of person to lie to herself about things. So it was unsurprising that she wanted his friends to like her because, quite frankly, they mattered to him so they mattered to her.

He liked the name "The Waking Dream" and for that she was pleased, she liked it too, and so she smiled, flushing slightly and cursing herself for always flushing so much around him. Then Klue turned and grinned at her and she grinned straight back. "Alright! Forward.. oh it's so exciting!" she said, and a giggle escaped her. Hay'aan was not someone who normally giggled and she looked rather shocked at the sound that came out of her mouth "I'm so sorry.. don't know what came over me.. ahem." she said and then watched what was going on.

The thing that struck her the most was the quiet, the enormously quiet nature of the experience so far. She had expected more noise, she thought and the lack of it was astonishing to her. She looked down at the floor, watching the water with amazement in her eyes, which were wide as she looked around.

When Klue looked back at her, he was greeted with the expression of wide-eyed wonderment already on her face, before they even submerged to below the water. Hay'aan came from the desert and this place.. these people.. that man there... they were all amazing. She nodded enthusiastically, though, eager to help in any way that she could.

So, she stood and lifted her head into the sunlight "Klue says we're.... " it might be important to get his exact wording, she considered, as it might have phrases in it which were directions. She didn't want to get anything wrong, so she called out to them, very clearly "we're fixin' t' submerge!"

The lack of word-ending seemed strange from the young woman's mouth, as she usually spoke very clearly, however she had no wish to jeapordise this voyage, so she checked that they had heard and understood and then pulled the hatch shut behind her as she sat back down.

"Aye, aye, Captain!" she said with a grin and looked at him with excitement positively bubbling over in her "Did I say it right?"

[Klue Malinconico]

She’d apologized for giggling and having been turned to the front with his eyes and hands on the series of levers and meant to guide them, he chuckled himself and grinned back at her, the shake of his head enough to indicate she should never apologize for laughter. ”It’s nice, you’ve got a nice laugh, it’s got no checks but just comes on its own without stoppin’ t’ think diff’rent,” he declared and while Dunnie silently quirked a brow from behind and wondered what had the Chief turning poetic…as poetic went in Klue’s case.

But it was in fact quiet save for the quiet whirring motion of the propeller mechanism operated by Dunnie in the rear and while the sounds of the sea, the lapping water and the gulls overhead were heard through the open hatch, there’d be none of that once all was shut tight and they were submerged beneath the surface. Already, with sea water lapping halfway up the side portholes, she could see alongside and below them through the bottom windows schools of minnow darting alongside the submersible.

The wonder in her expression was catching and while keeping them on a course straight ahead, he smiled wide while she stood up just in back of him in order to stick her head out of the open hatch…and then having expected her to alert the others…but not quite in the way she did, his smile turned into a wide grin of amusement, his eyes danced with it and he laughed. Of course if one of the fellows had done the same he’d have thought they were making fun of him, which they did of course and him them, but he knew better in her case, and he found it…well, the warm sensation that darted through his veins instead was the sort he was unaccustomed to but still recognized well enough and…Right, time to submerge he reminded himself when she sat back down and in response, Dunnie stood up briefly in order to seal the hatch tight. ”You said it just right, perfect,” he assured her.

”Oh, an’ I almost forgot,” he said and reaching into a small leather bag that he’d stored in the nose of the craft, he pulled out a small glass bottle with a dropper screwed into the top. The liquid in the bottle was clear, but golden and if she did much cooking she’d recognize it for resembling olive oil. ”Th’ further we submerge under th’ water, the greater th’ pressure around us. We won’t feel it here in th’ submersible of course, but you’d feel it in your ears. Th’ deeper we go, th’ greater th’ pressure. T’ stop your ears from poppin’ or feelin’ funny, we’ve got t’ add a few drops of oil to our ears and rub it around t’ make sure it coats th’ insides. It’s a funny feelin’ at first, but it’ll stop them from feelin’ th’ pressure when we’re down below.”

Unscrewing the top, he pulled out the filled dropper and turning his head to one side, he squeezed in three drops before doing the same to his other, then replacing the dropper before rubbing both his ears. Of course they’d had to hold Blinky down to get him to take the drops, it ticked a bit the first couple times, but it would save her any discomfort when they dived down below. So he handed her the bottle and dropper, and when she was done with it, Dunnie would give his own ears the treatment.

”Now we’re ready,” he declared and while steering them on the straight and narrow he showed her how to operate the ballast chambers. ”So ye’ve got three levers on each side of you, one for each of the ballast chambers. Each front one operates th’ chambers in th’ nose, right and left, each middle one the center chambers and so on. Th’ center chambers are th’ largest ones, while the tail and nose are smaller. You’ll find that when you pull or push th’ levers in either direction whether it’s all the way or only part way, you’ll feel some resistance, that’s th’ siphons and pumps workin’ t’ draw in or push water out of th’ chambers. You’ll also hear water rushing into th’ hull, but don’t worry, none will come in here,” he was quick to assure her with a broad smile.

Then turning back round and making sure they’d plenty of open water ahead of them, he shifted the diving planes to a downward angle and let Dunnie do as he was accustomed to by now with his propellers. To Hay’aan, he said, ”First ye need t’ fill each of th’ middle chambers halfway, nice an’ slow, an’ ye’ll notice through th’ portholes that we’ll begin t’ sink slowly as they fill. Then when they’re half way full, set th’ levers in place and then fill th’ front chambers all th’ way, and you’ll notice then that we’ll submerge beneath th’ water’s surface then, and that we’ll be headin’ downwards at a shallow angle.”

[Hay'aan Benedict]

The back of his head was very well put together, she considered, as she looked at him. His hair fell in a very well put together and aesthetic manner and the curve of his neck was.... oh for the love of all things, Hay'aan, she thought to herself and she literally shook her head. She was losing her mind in her feelings for this man, and that was just foolish. He felt no such thing in return and, quite frankly, she was being more than a little silly. So, she focused instead on where she was. It was a beautiful place this, a lovely place where there were wonderous sights and amazing new experiences to be had. So she focused, looking, really looking around her and hoping that each new thing would give her something to think about with her drawing, her artwork.

But then, of course, Klue had to go and give her a compliment and she smiled gently, flushing "You're very nice to me. I like how that makes me feel, thank you." she said. Why, oh why had she said that? I like how that makes me feel? Dear me, she thought, she needed to rethink being in a close environment with him. But too late now and so she gave herself another little mental shake and then looked down "Oh!! Look! Those are fish!" she said, and her voice gasped with amazement "Before I came he