Open Post: Treat

[sporesprouter]

Now that the latest burst of activity has actually settled into something like calm for a few days, Tress has settled into a temporary project. In fairness, most of the temporary project took place the previous day in the out of the way kitchen that she had previously commandeered small appliances from. But today requires a bit more wandering.

So she is currently in the process of going around various at least semi-frequented common rooms leaving trays of both nut and honey balls and chocolate coconut balls. Next to each room's tray, she sets down a small card that says in careful handwriting, 'It's been a tough week. Help yourself!'

She's not putting a whole lot of fanfare into the process, but she's also not being particularly secretive about it, so she's easy enough to find throughout.

Comments

[sporesprouter]

"We decided to try to move right away, but... we didn't have time. Laggart was waiting right outside the door, and... well, it didn't go well. She basically challenged us to a fight and humiliated us completely. Oh, and at that point we'd arrived at the dragon's lair, even though she'd said we had another day to sail to get there."

[az_fell]

"I see the scales had tipped, unfortunately. You had had such a great success, and then... well, not quite so much. And I had nearly forgotten about the dragon in all of that. Goodness."

[sporesprouter]

She nods. "So Crow marches me off the ship, onto the spores, and down a tunnel through them into Xisis's lair." She grabs a chocolate coconut ball for herself and eats it.

[az_fell]

Attentive, Aziraphale sits up a bit straighter. He presumes that this dragon encounter is going to be an especially interesting portion of the story. "I'm on tenterhooks. Do go on."

[sporesprouter]

She nods. "So Crow calls the dragon forth, and he appears, and he's much bigger than Temeraire is here, probably more than twice the size. And she says she's here to fulfill the ancient pact and that she's brought me as a slave to work for him... And I... I do the only thing I can honestly think of. Before he responds, I say the same thing about Crow."

[az_fell]

This takes maybe a second to fully sink in, and then Aziraphale laughs, surprised and delighted. "That was very bold of you," he says. "And did it work?"

[sporesprouter]

"Well, we both made our cases as to why the other one would be the better servant. What eventually won the dragon onto my side was that I told him that I would never stop trying to escape. I had to rescue Charlie and I couldn't do that from inside his lair. I'd be a useless servant."

[az_fell]

Aziraphale considers her, rather fondly. "Yes," he says, "I can see that. If you thought the work worthwhile, you'd be a fine servant -- but not in that scenario. You have quite the stubborn streak. That, by the way, is also a compliment."

[sporesprouter]

"Thank you." She smiles. "Of course, then the dragon asked what I wanted in trade, because he traded for servants, didn't just take them. I hadn't actually gotten that far. I thought my freedom would be fine, but then I had a better idea and asked if I could get three little boons instead of a big one. For Ann and Fort and Salay."

[az_fell]

"Of course." Aziraphale's fondness doesn't abate whatsoever. "Your crew, who were already so dear to you. That was kind."

[sporesprouter]

She nods. "Well, the only thing I really wanted, the dragon couldn't give me, so I did the next best thing. So I walked back to the ship and gave them their gifts. Salay got the location of her father, Fort got a new board to replace the one that Crow had broken during the mutiny, and Ann got some spectacles to help with her aim. The dragon said that she something called micropsia that wasn't doing her any favors as far as that went."

[az_fell]

"Oh, micropsia," says Aziraphale with understanding. "Yes, that would make it quite difficult to hit so much as the broad side of a barn. I assume all were happy with their gifts? What sort of board did Fort need?"

[sporesprouter]

"Oh, it's his... wait, I never mentioned. Fort's Deaf. He got his first board from a wizard from beyond the stars. He can type what he wants to say on one side, and it shows up on the other side for whoever he's talking to. And then when they say something back, it automatically shows him on his side what they're saying. It's amazing."

[az_fell]

Aziraphale nods, thinking he understands, and then pauses. A wizard from beyond the stars? This seems ridiculous. What genre is this, anyway?

Well, it's not worth pursuing. Certainly not with Tress, and there's no way to find out from her the name of her author. So he doesn't mention this incongruity, and simply says, "Very convenient. And a great boon that you were able to replace it for him."

[sporesprouter]

Listen, so there's a little bit of sci-fi just sprinkled in with the fantasy here. For flavor.

"I was so happy I could do it. He was obviously heartbroken when she broke it."

She pauses. "So... that's when Salay decided to make me captain of the ship."

[az_fell]

It's obvious that Tress received this as a surprise, but Aziraphale couldn't be less surprised. She's the protagonist. She's calm, resourceful, clever, and brave to the exact point of just enough foolishness to make her interesting. If she hadn't become captain by the end of this tale, he would have eaten his waistcoat. So: "Naturally," he says with a smile.

[sporesprouter]

"Naturally? I'd only even been at sea for a few weeks! Salay rightfully should have been captain herself, but she told me her job was to keep the captain from making bad decisions... which turning down the job would have been, apparently."

[az_fell]

"Naturally," says Aziraphale again, smile lingering. "Salay was clearly correct, and I'm glad you listened to her expertise."

[sporesprouter]

"If you say so. Anyway, I got Crow's cabin, so that was nice. Much more comfortable bed. And we sailed on toward the Midnight Sea. I got to introduce the crew to Huck, then. Ann immediately decided to keep the cat separated until we got to another port... and Salay put the idea of a little rat-sized pirate hat in his head. And yes, he did end up getting one. I told everyone my story and they still decided to follow me, even if I was leading them into danger for something that honestly didn't have any effect on them. I was and am still so grateful to them for that."

[az_fell]

"A rat-sized pirate hat!" Aziraphale covers his mouth with his hand again, not that it does much to hide the utterly helpless smile. "Very charming. Your crew, too -- also very charming. I'm glad they stuck with you, and I'm eager to hear about this famed Midnight Sea."

[sporesprouter]

"Well, we had to get there first. And while we were doing that, I had to figure out what we could possibly do to get to the Sorceress's island. I was at a complete loss for ideas, even though I was trying desperately to come up with anything."

[az_fell]

Aziraphale takes a moment to think. He circles back around everything he's been told so far -- which is quite a bit. "Was that trick you'd been doing with Hoid's curse not enough?¹ Or was it a matter of obstacles, not of finding it?"

¹See, he's been paying attention!

[sporesprouter]

"Oh, I knew exactly where it was. It was just... the Midnight is the most dangerous sea for a reason. Midnight spores..." She pauses, thinking how to best describe this. "When midnight spores meet water, they form... I don't want to call them creatures, because they're not really alive? But close to it. And the Sorceress had an army of them patrolling the sea for her. There's a reason nobody who sailed the Midnight came back alive unless the Sorceress let them."

[az_fell]

"Creatures." Aziraphale, again, doesn't sound terribly surprised. "I see why this was to be the last stop on your journey. What an escalation."

[sporesprouter]

She nods. "And she had a whole host of other defenses, too. And trying to think of a way around all of it... it was like my brain had hit a stilling."