Incertitude [Liseran/Jack]

Liseran was a little disappointed, but not by much, at Jack's secrecy. After all, she had little to share of her own. Jack suggested they go explore the boat without him, to which Liseran shot him a look of incredulity.

"You sure?" she said. "After all, we're going to go for breakfast and the next meal isn't for several hours. But if you'd prefer to stay here we can just bring you something from the buffet."

"Ooh! I can bring you rolls if you want!" she said. "And whatever veggies Lise chooses not to eat."

"Hey!"

Remi merely grinned and rushed out. The wind blew and she clutched onto her bonnet to keep it from going away.

"Hurry, Lise! I want to see the water!"

"Alright, coming!"

Liseran reached the door, but stopped to give Jack one more look.

"Erm, if you need anything, we'll be on the upper deck," she said. "The boat isn't too large so it won't be hard to spot us."

And with that, Jack was left alone.

A few minutes would pass and if Jack kept his door open, he would notice another nicely dressed woman with a wide-brim hat resting on the railing that looked out onto the ocean. He'd then hear a small shriek.

"Ahhh! My hat!" she yelped.

Jack would notice the hat fly off and start making its way downward into the water.

Jack watched the girls leave quietly and settled in where he sat. He examined himself and sighed. Even he could tell a farmer's son like him doesn't belong on a fancy boat like this. He'll only attract attention. The girls should enjoy their time unhindered.

As he was thinking of this though, He saw a woman just outside the door, when-

"Woah!"

Without thinking, Jack ran out and leaned over the railing. He reached out to snatch the hat but his fingers missed it. Then suddenly his arm grew and swiped the hat before it fell further.

"Ah, that was close," Jack sighed. A green light emanated from the wooden arm that grabbed the hat and it shrunk back to normal size. Jack pulled back his arm and lightly dusted it with the knuckles of his other hand.

"You have to be more careful miss," he smiled in relief. He turned to hand the hat back to the woman.

"Ooh, thank you so much, Mister!"

Jack would get a closer look at the woman who was practically more than a feet shorter than he was. She was of fair complexion with a soft rounded face and reddish colored hair in a messy upturned bun. The bun in question was done in an incomplete manner, giving the impression of the hair at the ends sprouting from the back of her head.

She took the hat thankfully and beamed at him, her bucktooth showing.

"I thought it was a goner. It's the only hat I have, too," she said hugging it. "I'll try to be more attentive, eheh..."

She giggled sheepishly.

She plopped the hat back on her head at an angle and gave him a small curtsy.

"Pipi Dion-Gagne, at your service!" she said. "And who should I thank for saving my hat with their amazing magic arm?"

"

Jack blinked for a moment when he looked at the woman. When she took her hat back, he glanced at his wooden arm as if only now realizing he was using it and quickly tucked it back inside his cloak.

"Oh, it's nothing to mention," he chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his shaggy hair with his proper hand. "People call me Jack. I'm just a simple traveler."

At the word traveler, Pipi clasped her hands and looked at him in astonishment.

"Oh! A traveler, you say?" she said. "How exciting! This is honestly my first time going anywhere! See, I'm usually cooped up in a small office, but I recently got to visit some friends in Aldmerrow because my work called for it. It didn't mean I didn't get to do any sight-seeing of course, because I did! The trees in Aldmerrow are so different from the pines in Stahlmin and it's oh-so pretty to see rolling hills! Can you imagine people treading those hills everyday? It must be so tiresome! Then again, I guess going around the city can be tiresome too. It takes so long to get from one district from another and it's so crowded and--"

The girl's words came out like rapid arrow fire. As she talked, Jack might notice a rather heavy briefcase in her hands that she swung around freely. In the other, she was holding what looked like a folder she started using as a fan against the heat. She seemed to almost forget that she was talking to someone as her head tilted and she started pondering her own questions. She managed to snap out of it, however, and flinched.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I must be rambling," she said. She rapped the top of her head. "Eheh, this noggin of mine tends to drift off. That said, it's a pleasure to meet you Mister Jack. Say, would you perhaps like to join me for breakfast? I don't really know anyone on this boat and it's quite boring having no one to talk to."

Jack was standing there staring plainly at the woman as she talked. When she wrapped up, he tilted his head with a quizical expression. "You weren't talking that long."

Jack smiled and nodded.

"As much as I would like to, I'm not exactly a prim and proper looking sort. You'd probably get unwanted attention with a guy like me around."

"Prim and proper?" Pipi asked, tilting her own head. "What do you mean? I think you look fine!"

She then beamed.

"In fact, I bet you're the most dashing-looking person on this ship," she said giving him a soft poke. "But if it bugs you, we can eat at the shared veranda near my suite. No one's there at this time, but I can easily call for room service."

Jack would feel her gloved arm gently wrap around his wrist and then tug on him softly, as if she were a child asking for attention.

"What do you say, Mister Traveler?"

"Eh, dashing?" Jack responded wryly, tilting his head. This woman was odd but she seemed nice, if not likely a little near-sighted. He was scratching the back of his head awkwardly when she suddenly grabbed.

Are all capital girls this foreceful? he thought to himself.

"You don't have to do that," Jack stated. "Room service is extra, ain't it? You'd probably get a nicer view on the deck too."

"Oh, no need to worry about the money," the ditzy girl said. She then cupped one hand near her mouth and whispered. "My boss is paying for everything. So it's fine~"

She giggled.

"Besides, I've already seen the view from the deck," she said. "So I insist~!"

With that, she started leading Jack down the hallway.

***

Pipi's suite was not that far from Jack's, but despite that it was far more lavishly furnished. In contrast to the shared beds, there was a large one and there was a small alcove for a living area. A door opened towards the shared veranda where several empty tables were.

Jack and Pipi sat down before someone came to take their order and an assortment of breakfast food was placed including toasts, jams, cheeses, sausages, seasoned fruits, and drinks with fancy accoutrements. Despite the selection, Pipi had settled for a smear of strawberries on a piece of toast. She hummed happily as she took a bite.

"So tell me, Mister Jack, what's your business in Stahlmin?" she said. "Work? Vacation? Maybe a super exciting adventure you can't tell me about?"

"Wai- Gah! Are all city women this pushy??"

``````

Before Jack knew what was happening, he was sitting in a strange woman's room and staring pale-faced at a table of confections. How did things end up this way?

"Uh, well it's nothing that exciting," Jack answered stiffly, tilting his head awkwardly. "I'm escorting some ladies on a little trip. I only agreed because wandering randomly is what I'm doing anyway."