Yacht Club

[Judah Dashiell]

Mon Cala | Well South of the Algae Sward | Unknown Island Chain | [member="Danger Arceneau"]

​

​

​

Gentle waves lapped the 'small' rented luxury yacht , Sea-renity. Anchored a bit off a large, vegetation filled island, the fairly large boat bobbed gently, like a buoy cast out into the ocean. The location seemed fairly quiet. The humid-hot breeze caused the trees on on the island to sway, causing several tropical looking sea birds to squawk and fly off indignantly. If one squinted hard enough, they could see a fishing boat on the horizon, looking as it it was working its way across the edge of the sea, as if it was going to fall off should it make a turn.


Yet this wasn't some far flung vacation. Work was being done, although at a much more leisurely pace. Judah sat on the wood decking on the back of the boat, clad in what his wife called 'hideous' orange boardshorts. The sun beat down on his relatively pale skin, his feet dangling in the warm blue water. His hands turned over a large glass cylinder, a rope and electrical readout leads snaking towards a buoy that was still sitting on the deck of the yacht.


The glass cylinder was made of the new solarium glasteel. One end had been fitted with a type of removable rubber cap, so one could drain the contents inside. Judah had put all the ingredients for algae inside. The key was to let the warm Mon Cala seas to do the work for him. As for the fancy glasteel....well....Judah wanted to see if he could grow algae but also harvest enough energy from the sun to actually run a type of floating platform. The idea was rough so far. There were quite a few experiments to perform to figure out which would actually work.


At least the small scale experiments were saving him from wasting valuable time and credits on something that would only half do the job.


Deep in his work with the cylinder, a small webbed and scale speckled hand grabbed onto his foot, using it as leverage. A grin spread over the tanned features of the boy. Makai shook his head, causing the wet curls to stick up in an array of directions, looking a bit like a shaggy dog.


"Daddy, look what I found!"


A second hand held up a large conch-type shell and carefully placed it on the yacht decking. Pride was written all over the boy's features, clearly pleased of his find.


"Pretty awesome, I don't think we have those on Ceto. No sea creatures living in there, right?"


A shake of the wet shaggy head, no. Makai had just started to explore the reefs and shallows surrounding the island, all of it teeming with various sea life he had never laid eyes on. For a young half-aquatic boy, it was the 'vacation' of a lifetime, and he was enjoying the time spent in the open sea.


"Spot Captain Atlantis down there? He lives on Mon Cala, right?"


"Captain Atlantis lives where every sea dweller needs him. Every ocean."


"Ah. Well, if you see him around invite the good Captain to dinner. I've never dined with a real life superhero."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

Danger could have sent a representative to meet with Judah Dashiell. She could have sent Six or even Alisha'vend. Perhaps a representative of the Research and Design department, one of the biologist and other subject matter experts, but Danger had a rather selfish reason to attend in person.

Makai Dashiell.

Oh one would say she was being a ninny, but when she heard that the elder Dashiell would have his son along for the scientific expedition - in a yacht of all things - Danger came along personally. Granted, she didn't come alone. They still had business to conduct. So in her own small yacht, she also had about four other subject matter experts on hand to aide with what Salacia Consolidated's CEO was attempting to work with.

If anything, the woman never took a vacation -- so this was as close as it got while keeping the moving parts moving.

The Dashiells would be privy to an approaching vessel, just a tad bit larger than their current yacht - it did after all, house a small lab - it wasn't for luxury and comfort as much for ensuring the root of the matter was attended to with as much of a smaller carbon print as possible.

There were no heels, no fancy dresses, not even a swipe of cherry red lipstick. Instead, much to the surprise of the Dashiell's, she wore brown pants, a loose muslin button up blouse, and her hair had been braided into a thick red plait down her back. The wind and the salt were certainly attempting to whip loose tendrils of it from its bindings, only succeeding with a few that feathered down the sides of her face. Large sunglasses would protect her eyes, but being born and bred on Tatooine, the sun wasn't her complaint.

It was all this water.

She wasn't quite sure how to make of it, and truth be told, being in a smaller ship meant that the motion well... would have an affect on the Queen of Trade.

Figures that she would be apt to get seasick.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Engrossed in work as the seashell collection next to him grew, Judah's ears detected the sound of a motor nearby. It wasn't the fishing vessel they had seen far out on the edge of the ocean earlier. A slightly larger yacht was pulling near them. The scruffy CEO would have thought the sea vessel to be another vacationer enjoying the clear day. It wasn't until he saw the shock of red hair leaning over the bow did he realize who it exactly was.


[member="Danger Arceneau"]


Clearly, he hadn't expected the woman to come, and was surprised by her presence. The woman didn't seem the sea faring type. Hell, Miss Arceneau didn't even seem to be the beach going type. Yet here she was and sick as a greedy nerf at the feed trough.


"Makai, come on and help me. We're going to raft these boats together."


Judah helped the boy out of the water, Makai a bit bashful about his webbed hands. They were already returning to a more normal form, gills disappearing back into his skin. The boy didn't want outsiders to stare. Most non hybrid-humans didn't seem to understand the entire 'sorta human, sorta Galan' aspect.


Slipping on a shirt, the two shaggy Dashiells applied fenders to the side of the yacht, to protect against scraping. Bow and stern lines flew out, with each boat moored now to one another. The wood swim decks would be a pass through at the back of the yacht, preventing folks from having to climb up,over,and down the stern each time they needed to pass through. Anchored in place, both yachts would work in tandem on the water until untied and sent adrift once again.


"Head down into the boat and grab the extra box of ginger tea and that little box of pills in my bag. I think Miss Arceneau needs a little assistance, alright?"


With plans to be on Mon Cala for awhile, Judah had come prepared. The least he could do was share his 'wealth' of motion sickness treatments with the red headed Trade Queen.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

You had to hand it to Danger, she was trying to keep a stiff upper lip with the way the boat was rocking. Which is good, because well.. it would be pretty embarrassing to toss chunks over the railing.

Then so much for her plans for hanging out with Makai.

So whenever [member="Judah Dashiell"] would come aboard and search for the Queen of Trade, he'd find her out by the back. She was sitting down in the shade, leaning back against the small circular lounge chair area. With those big glasses of hers, one couldn't tell if she had her eyes open, but odds were they were closed. There was a bit of a tension to her, and closer inspection could tell she was trying to keep her breathing steady.

This was, after all, her first excursion on a yacht... surrounded by water. That kept moving up... and down... and up.. and..

She blanched another few shades or so.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Makai emerged from the living portions of the Sea-renity. In his hands were the large box of ginger tea and the smaller box containing a high number of motion sickness pills. He was still shirtless but recently added some sunglasses to shade his eyes while he was above the water. The little hybrid-Galan quickly started making his way to the swim deck to pass through to the yacht of one [member="Danger Arceneau"] .


Judah had already made his way aboard and shook hands with the researchers and scientists he'd be working with. He was explaining his idea, using the glasteel to harvest the suns energy to power a small floating barge to tend to the algae, pump it out when ready for harvest. Conversely, the same technology could be used on land, should someone wanted to make a land-based algae farm. It would be simple enough to handle.


"As you can see, I've started wiring up the electrodes for readouts to the cylinders I had made back on Tabaqui. All we need to do now is insert our various strains of algae and place them into the ocean. You have no problems taking it from here? I'd like to speak to Miss Arceneau for a moment."


"Of course not Mr.Dashiell. We have four strains of algae to try and are eager to get started. You've done a bit of the hard work with the cylinders but I think we can take the reigns for a little while."


"Excellent. I'll be back to help out shortly. I'm excited to see what our experiments bring. Feel free to poke around my yacht, I've brought quite a bit of equipment."


"Oh, so has Miss Arceneau, but will shall keep it in mind."


Judah merely nodded and Makai had carefully made his way on the upper deck of Danger's boat. They would stop inside the galley and grab a mug of hot water before searching for their redheaded sea companion. It didn't take long to find her lounging in the shade. Judah thought her more pale than normal. However, he knew her pain all too well.


Picking up her hand, he pressed the mug into it. Makai placed in a teabag, watching as it started to stain the water. The young boy gave his father two pills, which Judah pressed into Miss Arceneau's palm before folding her hand over on itself. Essentially so she wouldn't lose the pills he had just given her.


"Miss Arceneau, this is a pleasant surprise. I wouldn't have expected to see you here personally. In your left hand is a motion sickness treatment, the right ginger tea. The tea is quite strong but it should settle your stomach."


"Miss Ar-cen-now? Are you gunna be okay? Daddy says it may be best if you head home since you don't look so well."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

He was just too cute.

Danger would lift her head from the bulkhead, the corner of her mouth perking up in a genuine smile in hello to both Dashiells'. Had she'd been a bit more in tip top shape, she'd have been a bit startled at seeing Judah in such an informal dress. There were bits and parts here and there that were damp with salt water, and he was dripping from his obnoxiously bright orange swim trunks. However, he looked pretty at home in this skin as he would have anywhere else, and that was a trait she could respect in a man.

"I reckon I'll be right as rain Makai," she told him, her drawl flowing as she began to straighten. While they may not be visible under the polarized sunglasses, her eyes were shining down in affection at the younger Dashiell. Taking the pills, she popped them into her mouth, washing them down with the ginger tea thereafter. It was certainly tart, and she gave a slight grimace, not being used to the flavor.

"Just need some fresh air and to drink this tea, s'all." she assured him giving a look of gratitude towards Judah before glancing back down at Makai, although she wasn't quite sure if it would work. And if it didn't, well... she could just trudge right through it! She had come to spend some time with Makai, and she would be damned if she let an upset stomach do her in.

Bloody water.

"How you been?" she would ask him a question instead, trying to get him to focus away from how pale she was and that the yacht kept rocking...

"Were you out swimmin'?"

We won't mention how she had no clue how to swim either...

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]



Makai looked down, just remembering he was in his own swim trunks. Otherwise, how would Miss Arceneau know he had been in the water? Maybe she had saw the seashell collection that had been growing on the deck before the other yacht had been rafted up with their own. Tanned little shoulders moved in a shrug at her question of his current state.


"Good." Makai looked up to his father, not sure what Miss Arceneau wanted to hear. In typical child fashion, he already assumed the woman was filled in on his life story, that the asking was merely a formality. "If you don't like the boat, you can camp on the beach. Daddy knows how to make a hut from trees. We can have a big fire and cook crabs!"


The boy was recalling camping trips with his father to Arda, despite not knowing what planet they had stayed on.


"If Miss Arceneau suddenly feels like camping, you yell buddy. Stay here and keep her company, I've got work to do with the crew. Keep a good eye on her now, don't need her fallin' overboard."


"...Kay" Taking his job very literally, the shirtless and sunglass clad Makai got in the lounge chair next to Miss Arceneau, curly head focused her in her direction.


"Are you really goin' to fall off the boat Miss Ar-cen-now?"


===============


Meanwhile, Judah met back up with the research crew. They had placed the algae strains into the cylinders and were finishing putting on the caps. Taking off his shirt and tossing it up deck, the shaggy CEO jumped in the water. He was already damp, so the researchers would help guide him in the placement of the buoys.


"Make sure to place one near the reefs Mr.Dashiell. Should be plenty of warm water there. Perhaps swim out closer to the island in the extreme shallows. I want to test at various distances away from land formations. "


"Are we collecting this data in real time? Uploading it?"


"Yes Mr.Dashiell. Uploaded to Miss Arceneau's yacht and beamed back to your Salacia Consolidated servers. We aren't taking any chances, don't worry."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

Her hand went reaching out to run her hand through his damp curls, the corner of her mouth quirking up. Makai was too adorable, saturated with the innocence of a child, and the genuine concern for another without any agenda or plan.

She couldn't help but give a slight chuckle, taking another sip of her ginger tea. Her smile would shine upon the Galan-Human child as she would try to reassure him, "Nah, ain't gonna fall off. Just need to get my bearin's s'all."

With Judah going off to do what he will with the project, it left her alone to play with Makai. Not too shabby; she just needed to get her stomach under control.

She would pat for him to come sit right next to her.

"Oh, do you and your daddy have a camp on the beach already?" her gaze would lift, and she would try searching for this mystical atoll Makai had mentioned. Were they close to land? She hadn't really paid attention with all the sitting down...

"I didn't know you can catch crabs." she added, returning her attention to the little boy beside her. She would bend a bit closer, "I never had crabs before y'know... I come from a place where there ain't no water or oceans at all!"

So to enjoy fresh crabs was an experience she'd yet to try out. Granted, that required her to... well, get off the boat.. and likely into a smaller boat... to get to the beach.

Yeah, shouldn't mention that she had no clue how to swim.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

Pausing a moment, Makai looked at the spot [member="Danger Arceneau"] had patted. With his father gone, Miss Ar-cen-now seemed to be in a slightly better mood. Despite her stomach. The boy briefly wondered why some folks got sick on the ocean. To him, it was the best place anyone could ever be.


Little legs scrambled over the arm of his own lounge chair as he snuggled in next to Miss Ar-cen-now. Shaded azure eyes searched the water until he found his father. The older Dashiell was in the ocean, now joined by a researcher. Satisfied his father was nearby, Makai went on with important business.


Crabs.


"You go all over, right? Places with water? They don't have crabs either?" Eyebrows knit together in concentration, trying to piece the information together. "We need to eat 'em then. Catch 'em and eat 'em....with butter! I think our boat has butter."


"Me an' you can catch the crabs and Daddy can build the camp. Don't worry, its easy til they pinch your hands."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

They weren't far from the coast of the two islands the yachts were anchored off of. Judah and his new research assistant, Alix, were making themselves busy on a shallow sandbar just a stones throw from the green hunk of land. Small fish darted around their legs as they stood on the sand bar, both staring down at the cylinder.


"See, my idea is to raft a high number together. Either buoy them or anchor down in the shallows, depending on where our research leads us. Something is telling me the shallows are going to be our most productive area. Sunlight....warm seas. Just seems ripe for algae growth."


"I think you have a point Mr.Dashiell. Most algae will grow in the warmer, lighter areas." Alix, a young woman, barely looked old enough to be alone in the water. Let alone lead a research team. "However....there are some strains that grow in different conditions. Yet slower. Miss Arceneau made it clear we're looking for something with a quick turnover."


"Right. Slow turnover won't be good in populated areas. Now....you may be on to something about strains in cold conditions. Those are normally sparsely populated. Then again, I don't think the algae could freeze?"


"Not generally, no. I could look into it if you like, during my free time."


Judah couldn't help but laugh.


"If you want to, I won't stop you from doing so."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Danger couldn't help but snuggle close to [member="Makai Dashiell"], not with the way his tiny damp body molded itself with the trust only a child had. Despite the slight nausea, her hand instinctively came up to thread through his damp curls, smoothing the dark forelocks away from his face.

He smelled of sunshine and saltwater, his enthusiasm on the subject of crabs catching. There was clearly a special rhyme and reason to the trick -- but did they really pinch your hands?!

"I've gone to some places with water, but never stayed long to get into crabbin" and likely that would be an excursion she'd never consider before. Blame small miracles like Makai Dashiell.

"So how exactly do we go about catching these crabs?" She asked -- and do I have to swim?

A small gust of wind brought fresh ocean air over them, the balmy warmth not too shabby now. Maybe the pills and the ginger tea were working. All the better in her book.

"And do they pinch you like this?" That's when her free hand went to dribble in a tickling motion over his ribs, grinning wide despite the pale face.

Any observer could see that boy was the apple of her eye. Strange to see on the Trade Queen.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

Makai smiled brightly at the mention of catching crabs with [member="Danger Arceneau"] . It didn't cross his mind that a woman from a land with no water wouldn't know how to swim. Daddy was from the desert. Yet he could swim, although Makai didn't think his skills were quite up to par with his own.


Not everyone was a semi-aquatic hybrid after all.


"We gotta sneak up on 'em. If you catch 'em the right way from the backside, maybe you won't get pinched. Maybe. "


Makai had gotten pinched plenty of times. Pale hands trying to tickle him broke away all thoughts of trying to catch crabs. Or trying to explain how to catch 'em. Laughter erupted and he squirmed around in his position next to Miss Ar-cen-now. He managed to squirm away and out of the lounge chair. Makai found himself landing on the deck with an omph , still laughing in typical rough-and-tumble little boy style.


Back on the warm decking, Makai made no effort to move now that he was sprawled out at Miss Ar-cen-now's feet.


"Miss Ar-cen-now?" There was a long pause. "Did my Daddy tell you to come and watch me? Is that why you're here....'cause Mama is gone?"

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

His laughter was contagious.

The quiet, innocent inquiry about why Danger was here because his mama was gone, not so much. Having to deal with cutthroats, Sith, and bureaucrats, Danger had an easy time keeping the faint smile on her face so as to not worry Makai. But on the inside, she gave a slight double take. What did he mean by that? What about his mama?

With her eyes shielded by her sunglasses, green eyes would flick up towards the direction Judah Dashiell had gone towards. Did something happen to Mrs. Dashiell?

"Nah, sugar," she began, warmth in her voice, setting down her ginger tea upon a small table to her left. The crooked smile grew wider, and she bent down to skim her fingers over his belly, much like one would have done to a puppy eager to be petted.

"I wanted to come see you," she told him honestly, far more forthright to a youngling than she was ever to with anyone else. "I take it your mama's been busy, hmm?"

Her hands would encourage him to get up, mother hen instincts taught by years of taking care of the girls at the Oiran house rising with the younger Dashiell. In her mind, there ain't a sane woman in the 'verse who would willingly leave Makai Dashiell alone for too long.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

"I wanted to come see you on Tato...Tatoowine? The sand planet."


Makai watched her put down the tea, bending over him to talk about his Mama. Little eyebrows knit in frustration as he tried to think of what really was going on with the situation. He was coming up blank. Daddy had mentioned many messages from Mama....but never what she was doing.


Putting his little legs underneath him, Makai got up at Miss Ar-cen-now's urging.


"I-I don't know"


A mild panic rose up in his voice. He didn't know if Mama was busy. Or where she was. Or when she was coming back. Not knowing what to do or down to answer, Makai froze as thoughts raced through his little head. His eyes started to sting and hot tears rolled down his cheeks.


He immediately turned his back to Miss Ar-cen-now, trying to wipe his eyes as his little shoulders shook.



[member="Danger Arceneau"]

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

"Well, sshe-it!"

The curse was low, barely audible, but a product of Danger's sudden rush of alarm and distress. The way his tiny shoulders shook broke her heart, and at that moment, she was instantly riding the wave of a maternal protective streak.

"Oh honey," she crooned, reaching out to take Makai's little body and plop him onto her lap. Danger slowly wrapped her arms around his small warm body. The yacht gave a slight

"Do you know how they make the strongest sword?" she asked him, feeling the slight tremors of his body in his unknown panic, at the uncertainty on why his mama was gone.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

Curly head came to rest against the woman, tears soaking the top she was wearing. Quiet little hiccups broke the relative silence. Shaky breaths were drawn between each hiccup, trying to calm down and stop crying, even though tears continued to fall. Makai sniffled and wiped his eyes once again, gently shaking his head against Miss Ar-cen-now.


What did swords have to do with crying?


"I dunno...hit...hit 'em" A pause for a hiccup " 'em with big hammers?"

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Judah and the second researcher were finishing placing a buoy in deeper water. According to their lead expert in algae, they were placing a different strain in this water. Something engineered to do well in cooler temperatures. While it may not be well for tropical locations, areas that experienced differences in weather could benefit, especially if it could extend a type of 'growing' season.


"Cooler temperatures, slower growth. Suppose a bigger farming system and learning to store the stuff would work. Takes plannin' on folks part though...its the beha-"


Judah stopped short when he heard crying come in the direction of [member="Danger Arceneau"] 's yacht. It only took a moment to register it was Makai crying. There was a myriad of possibilities for the sudden outburst. He either fell. Or jellyfish. Judah hadn't seen any in the water but that wouldn't have stopped Makai from finding one to investigate.


Quickly swimming off in the direction of the anchored boats, Judah soon pulled himself up on the swim deck and started to head towards the sound of the crying. It was subsiding but Judah could still hear the little whimpers coming from the area he left both Miss Arceneau and his son at. Brow furrowed in concern and confusion, he turned the corner to the back of the yacht to find one Miss Arceneau trying to comfort his boy.


Moving closer, Judah did his best not to drip seawater on the Trade Queen. He merely sat down in the chair beside her, a questioning look searching his face. Hand reached up to squeeze Makai's shoulder, reassuring the boy he was there.


"What happened?"

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Makai Dashiell"] [member="Judah Dashiell"]

"They hammer it flat, then hold it to the fire," she whispered into his ear, rocking him back and forth. There was more meaning to the chant than the child would likely know right now, but it was followed by, "What a brave boy you are. What a fine man you are going to be."

Only time would tell if Danger's spell would take.

T'was the elder Dashiell's concerned voice that drew Danger's attention, and she raised her head to see a dripping wet Judah with worry in his eyes as he bore down upon his son. If Danger had any thought on the handsomeness of the CEO of Salacia Consolidated, it was only emphasized by the genuine care and affection that reflected unequivocally upon his face. Most women might be swayed by a square jaw, chiseled abs, and what lay down yonder -- but there was a certain charm about the man who worried true about his own.

Makai gave a little sniff, and Danger couldn't help but let her hand run through his curls. "You feelin' better, sugar?"

 

[Makai Dashiell]

There was a weak nod in [member="Danger Arceneau"] 's direction at her question. Most of the tears had dried up, leaving the occasional hitch of breath every so often. Wiping his eyes once more, he wondered what Miss Ar-cen-now meant by the sword and the fire. There would be questioning to his father later on.


Panicking and crying had seemed to take a lot out of the boy, especially when combined with the warm sun and constant swimming around before their company had arrived. There was a yawn and Makai laid drowsily against the redheaded woman, a soft hiccup coming from his chest once more.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Judah arched an eyebrow in [member="Danger Arceneau"] 's direction. There wasn't any clearer picture of what was going on right in front of him. His son had stopped crying and seemed to relax but the why was still answered for him. Now, he had come to learn kids will cry for all sorts of reasons that didn't make sense. Yet Makai was getting old enough to be past that stage...to have real reasons to be upset beyond a thrown spoon or out of reach sippy cup.



Looking over at the boy, it appeared he was on the verge of sleep. Maybe he had some sort of meltdown because he was tired. Wouldn't be the first nor last time.


Judah stood up and went to remove the spent boy from her arms. It was probably best to lay Makai back down in one of the staterooms. A little nap never hurt anyone. Besides, he needed to talk to Miss Arceneau about what just occurred. If he could get the Trade Queen to tell him what exactly happened of course.


With the speckled little hybrid Galan in his arms, Judah placed a kiss on his temple. Looking to Danger, an incline of his head indicated they would speak in a moment. Hopefully he could pry the Trade Queen away from his son long enough to get a word in.