Incertitude [Liseran/Jack]

It wasn't long before Jack managed to clear out the table. With all the plates clean, the innkeeper came back rather surprised.

"You...actually managed to finish?"

Liseran sat proudly in her place.

"Well, of course. It's important not to waste food," she said, completely ignoring that she refused to eat brussell sprouts seconds back.

She smirked at the innkeeper.

"That was part of the deal, right? Well the food is done, and we'll be on our way."

"But--"

"Come on, Remi, Jack. I've arranged for a bedroom upstairs. I hope you're fine with three beds in one room," she said.

***

By morning, the three were geared up and ready to head to the docks where ferryboat was.

"You didn't forget any of your things, Remi?" Liseran asked as she fastened her bonnet in the mirror. "Clothes, delicates, your charges?"

"I have everything Lise!" Remi said before approaching her. She examined Liseran. "Hmm, I'm not used to seeing you wearing anything outside your hood."

Liseran frowned as she examined her outfit. She had switched to one of her finer dresses. The top had tufts of lace and the sleeves narrowed before fanning out at her elbows. Her dress' color, differed as well, taking on blacks and whites in contrast to her typical blues and violets. Meanwhile, her bonnet was white with a cream bow.

"Well, the Expiate's seen me wear my old outfits far too many times before," she said. "Plus I supposed it was high-time I changed attire."

"Most definitely. You dress too old."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing."

Liseran sighed as she examined Remi's own outfit which was a schoolgirl dress with a white frock. She placed a bonnet on Remi as well.

"We shouldn't draw too much attention among the passengers if we look well-off as well," she said. "Now we just need to wait for Jack. Let's hope he doesn't look...conspicuous."

"He slept outside on the porch thinking we were going to share the three beds amongst us," Remi deadpanned.

"Alright, too conspicuous."

The girls would hear a knock on the door.

"Morning, girls!" Jack's voice called from the other side, but he didn't try to open the door. "Are ya decent? I'll be out here when you're ready. Oh and listen! I just got something amazing! This nice man sold me this lucky clover charm! It cost me my last two denars but with this I'll make a new fortune in no time!"

Liseran buried her face in her hand.

"Maybe it's best we don't let Jack manage the money during the trip," Remi mentioned.

"That was never the plan."

She gave Remi a once-over before gently patting the girl's cheeks and smiling.

"Alrighty, we're good to go," she said.

Liseran opened the door, her luggage around her elbow and her other hand holding Remi.

"Sorry for the wait," Liseran said as she examined Jack's own attire. "I just wanted to make sure everything was in order. You didn't sleep too poorly out on the porch did you?"

Jack was obviously still dressed like a rugged traveler, his green cloak covering most of his body.

"When you're an experienced forestman like me, you learn to sleep on anything," Jack stated as if boasting. In his hand he was indeed holding a clover kept in some sort of clear stiff sleeve. If you looked closely, the fourth leaf is not actually attached to it.

"Have you two had breakfast yet? Here." Jack's hand holding the clover retreated inside his cloak and when it emerged again he was holding a pair of lush apples. They looked so plump that it felt like squeezing them would produce a glass of juice.

"Well then, I guess we'll be travelling together for a bit," Jack mused as if only registering that now. "So what's the plan now? .... Oh?"

Jack gave the girls a onceover.

"Oh, aren't you gals all dolled up? Going to a party or somethin? Why if this was my home town, you two would be shoo'wins for corn queens."

"Uhm, you might want to double-check that four-leaf clover of yours," Liseran said pointing at the fake item. "It might not be a four-leaf one for too long."

The topic quickly shifted to the apples, however, and the two girls' eyes shone. Remi in particular happily took one and stared at it.

"Wow, it's so pretty I don't want to ruin it by eating it!" she said.

Liseran examined the apple carefully. It definitely looked delicious, but seeing how Jack had been duped by other things before, she wasn't quite sure.

"Where did you get these exactly?" she said. "I feel bad for you having to spend money on these. After all, I have food ready for the trip. As for where we're going, we get on a ferry boat by the name of Queen Anne. We should hurry there, if I'm honest."

When Jack remarked on her and Remi's outfits, however, she arched an eyebrow.

"Corn queens?" she said. "This is typical traveling attire for people on the Queen Anne. If anything, you're a little underdressed. But I suppose we can't do too much about that now. Maybe we can tailor you some clothes once you're on the ship hm? Come along, now."

Liseran then took Jack's wrist in her other hand and started pulling Remi and him down the stairs.

***
 
The walk to the docks wasn't by any means far, so Liseran wasn't surprised when they arrived early. Ferry boats had been a thing in Stahlmin for several years now, and while they had been running a successful business, it was still a bit of a luxury to get one that actually had decent lodging. Liseran had made the right call for the attire, fortunately. Normally, she would have gone for the cheaper and mangier option, but the Queen Anne offered an overnight voyage in contrast to the two-day voyage of the other ones.

Getting on was no trouble. Liseran had purchased the tickets the day before, and they were given a sparse albeit comfy suite with four bunks.

"Are you all settled in?" Liseran asked once they were on. "And Jack, I hope you don't mind, but you'll be sleeping on a bed tonight as porches do not exist on boats."

"You don't like apples?" Jack asked, tilting his head. "Sorry. I was going to find some rolls for breakfast but I used my last denars for that lucky charm. So I got those apples instead."

"W-Wait, did you say a ferry?? I've never been on one of those be-"

Jack was cut off as Liseran yanked him along.

"H-Hey! Not so hard!"
~~~

Jack was was gawking at everyone when they got in the ship, not sure how to register it all.

"This.. this thing actually floats?" Jack questioned wyrly. "Feels like if you throw a big rock at it, it'll sink..."

Noticing Jack's confusion, Liseran's expression softened. She offered small smile.

"If it's your first time, you don't have to worry," she said. "I've ridden these a bunch now and they're quite sturdy. Most times, they can even go up against a collision with a corrupted beast. Stahlmin's pretty handy with its machinery."

She took a seat on her own bunk bed, carefully expecting her luggage. Thinking more on Jack's remark, she added, "Is this your first time out of Aldmerrow in general? Where are you from, anyways?"

Jack had a disgruntled look but his shoulders relaxed.

"Mmm. I'm actually from Saoirse," he stated. "I've been all over the continent actually. Even visited Eislyn once, but it didn't take long before I figured what I was looking for was definitely somewhere else."

Jack looked around the room, inspecting it thoughtfully.

"Hmmm, so fancy folk really like riding these boats, huh? How long till we get to Stahlim?"

How have you not died yet given how you handle your money? Liseran thought as Jack mentioned his travel experience.

He eventually diverted the topic, however.

"Ah, well, it should take us until the next day," she said. "And I only really chose this one because Remi and I are trying to travel as fast as we can. If I may ask, though, you mentioned you were looking for something?"

Remi, meanwhile, had finished unpacking and was already peeking out the door.

"Lise, can we go explore the ferry? I've never seen the river up close like this!"

Liseran took off her bonnet.

"I guess we can," she said. "And we can get breakfast as well."

Jack sat down and seemed to rummage under his cloak. He seemed to pull it tighter around himself like a blanket.

"Hmm. Something like that," Jack answered vaguely. "Anyway, you want to explore the boat, yeah? Go on ahead. I'll keep an eye on the room."