Wee. Next chappie, enjoy.
~*~
Raya sat sidesaddle on the bowsprit, enjoying the soft night wind of the etherium. She was on first watch and was finding it to be very peaceful. She thought about what she had heard before she went on watch. Silver and Jim had been talking, and then Jim had said that his father had left when he was young. She smiled slightly and remembered that Silver had somewhat vowed to look after Jim. I guess Silver's not all that bad, she thought.
She watched a lone Orcus galacticus float pass the ship, giving her a big whale grin. She swung a leg over and hopped back on deck. She flopped onto a coil of ropes and stared up at the stars, which were much clearer to see than on Earth. It was so quiet...so..peaceful. Nothing could be heard except for an occasional call of an Orcus. Raya's eyelids were drooping, but she fought to keep her eyes open. Soon enough, however, she lost to slumber.
~*~
PSTEEEEEEEW! CRASH!
Raya sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"Frickin' idiot...making noise this time o' night." She muttered, opening her eyes. "Oh...my..." Someone had crashed right into the main mast on a solar surfer, and now it had a mast-sized dent in it. The rider was lying on their stomach on the deck, motionless. Raya scrambled up, ran to the wheel and rang the bell beside it, alerting the crew. Two minutes later, with Captain Amelia in the lead, the whole crew came on deck looking either wary or dazed. But as all took in the sight, they gasped as one.
"What in the devil?!" Silver exclaimed. Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler knelt beside the person. Raya came to stand nearby and saw that it was a teenage boy with shaggy brown hair and black tips.
"There seems to be a fracture in his right leg and...oh my...his head is bleeding." Dr. Doppler reported. The Captain straightened up.
"Clear up a space in the quarters and make a cot up." She ordered a random crew member. "Now, doctor, we need to turn him over and see if he has any further injuries."
"If I may, cap'n." Silver said, gently lifting up the boy and setting him into a stretcher held by Jim and the Flatula. They made their way slowly down into the quarters. Captain Amelia turned to Raya.
"Great bell-alert, Miss Mullins, nicely done."
"Thank you, ma'am." Raya said, still shaken about the crash.
"Now, if you may, you can assist Mr. Silver in attending to the boy." Raya nodded and went below deck. She saw that Silver was preparing a splint of some sort for the boy's arm. Raya noticed that blood was staining the white pillow beneath his head. She poured a bit of water from the washing pitcher on to a cloth and tied it around his forehead to try to stop the bleeding.
"Poor lad." Silver said; just to be saying something "Prolly goin' teh have a concussion after a crash like that."
"I wonder where he was in such a hurry to go to that he didn't see the ship." Raya said.
"Joyridin', most likely." Silver replied. "Got no joy outta it, tho. A broken arm, rib and a nearly cracked open skull."
"That's gonna hurt in the morning." Raya said, cringing. She started at a chuckling noise, but then looked up. Silver was laughing.
~*~
The boy did not wake up until late morning. He groaned and attracted the attention of Raya, who was combing her hair out. She went to his side. He tried to move, but Raya kept him still.
"You've got a broken rib and arm, so try not to do anything." She said. Silver woke up from his spot on a nearby chair.
"What's this, now?" He questioned sleepily.
"He's awake." Silver got up.
"Uhhh...where am I?" The boy muttered weakly.
"You're aboard the R.L.S. Legacy." Silver said, with his friendly grin. "Now how're ya feelin'?"
"Bad." He muttered, and winced when he tried to sit up. Raya immediately made him lay down again.
"You've got a broken rib, so you are to keep on your back until further notice." Raya said, sternly. Silver looked amused, but he didn't comment.
"What's your name, laddie?" He asked.
"Braeden." The boy said. Now that he was awake, Raya saw that he had dark brown eyes. He was wearing a black shirt that read "Evanescence," on it, and his dark gray sneakers seemed to be slightly charred.
"Where were you heading off to?" Raya asked. Something flashed in Braeden's eyes, but he answered,
"I don't remember."
"As I thought, a slight concussion. Now rest here, Braed'n while I fetch you a bowl of me bonzabeast stew!" Silver said, going to the galley.
"How's your head?" Raya asked him.
"Hurting." Raya changed the cloth on his head and replaced it with a clean one.
"I'm Raya, by the way." She said. He nodded slightly.
"Did I look dead when I crashed?" He asked. Raya looked at him, startled.
"Well, you probably would've been had I not been awake and rang the bell." She replied. Silver came back with the stew.
"Now, steady up, lad...that's good." Silver held up the soup while Braeden slurped spoonful after spoonful. Silver and Raya exchanged looks. "Now, now don't slurp up too much, Bra—"
BUURRPP!
"...Whoa."
"Alright now. I've got a cabin boy to teach. Raya, I'm count'n on ya to keep an eye on this young pup."
When Silver had gone, Raya took the chair by the cot and yawned.
"Tired?" He asked.
"Very much. I've got second watch today."
"Ah. Our ship slept so long, we had to have third watch." Braeden said. He examined some things on the bedside table, and then looked at Raya. "I have to go to the bathroom."
"Er..." She looked around nervously. "I'll be right back." She climbed the stairs to the deck and looked around.
"Erm...Mr. Scroop?" He turned and glared at her.
"What?"
"The...um...boy is...has to..."
"Ssspeak clearly!" He ordered. "What about the cabin boy?" Raya blinked.
"No, it's the, um, boy who crashed...He's having to go to the...lavatory." Raya said. Scroop looked impatient, like he had somewhere to go before she called him.
"The WHAT?"
"The bathroom, and he needs help." Scroop's eyes dimmed a bit as it sank in, and then grabbed another crewmember and started down the stairs. Raya stood on the deck until both men returned.
"Don't call me ever again about that." Scroop warned, and then scuttled away, grumpy. Raya went below deck once more, trying not to laugh.
~*~
A week went by and Braeden's condition seemed to be improving, but he was now mourning over the loss of his solar surfer. Raya was very bored for the next few days, watching over Braeden and making sure his bandages were changed regularly and that he kept still. Raya and Jim had seldom time to talk, since Silver kept him busy with work, so Raya often talked with Braeden.
"So...you listen to Evanescence?" Raya said one afternoon. Braeden nodded.
"I find the old bands are much better than these crappy new ones." Raya nodded in agreement. Their conversation then led to skate shoes and then eventually to bands that they both liked.
"Okay...who sucks the most: Britney or Paris? On three...one...two...three...Britney."
"Paris." Raya said after him. "What makes Britney suck more?"
"She's gross...went from sweet to rotten." Braeden said. "But I understand why you picked Hilton." He juggled two purps. His arm had healed, but his rib still needed time.
"So...do you play guitar?" Raya asked.
"Used to..." Braeden said.
"Oh..." It was silent. Braeden pointed to a metal slab propped against the wall.
"I could make a solar surfer out of that." He said. He looked down and sighed, throwing his head back.
"Silver says that you'll heal in a week's time if you DRINK YOUR MILK." Raya said.
"Aww...I hate milk. No offense." He said. Raya laughed.
"No offense? Why would that offend me?" She said. He looked at her and grinned. She looked at him, confused, and then it dawned on her and she hit him on the arm.
"Alright, Mr. Braeden, I think you've been cooped up too long! I meant milk from a cow!"
~*~
A week later, Braeden was free of his cot in the corner of the crew's quarters. The Captain immediately had him do little jobs to help the crew, including doing second watch on Sundays and Thursdays. When they had nothing else to do, the crew often played numerous poker games, only to stuff their cards into their pockets as Mr. Arrow or Captain Amelia passed by. Braeden was always in the center of the games, and Raya wondered how he had ever learned to gamble like that as she peeled purps for Silver, who was supervising Jim scraping barnacles off of the ship's bottom. He grinned at Raya, and she blinked, not realizing that she was staring.
"Want to play a game, Raye?" Braeden said, slipping in his nickname for her.
"No thank you." Raya said, laughing. "You know very well that I'll lose."
"You might win."
"I lost miserably last time."
"That was last time."
"FINE! I'll play." She hopped down from her perch on a barrel and sat on the crate across from Braeden. Mister Boy hopped up next to her and watched their game, his tail swishing steadily. Beads of sweat formed on Raya's brow when Braeden pulled off a particularly good move. And then—
"I win." Braeden said triumphantly, standing up. Boy growled a bit. Raya scratched between his ears and smirked at Braeden.
"That's alright...I'm still better looking." She said.
~*~
Hahaha, friend rivalry! Rivalry between friends is fun! Until next time...Adieu.
~*~
Raya sat sidesaddle on the bowsprit, enjoying the soft night wind of the etherium. She was on first watch and was finding it to be very peaceful. She thought about what she had heard before she went on watch. Silver and Jim had been talking, and then Jim had said that his father had left when he was young. She smiled slightly and remembered that Silver had somewhat vowed to look after Jim. I guess Silver's not all that bad, she thought.
She watched a lone Orcus galacticus float pass the ship, giving her a big whale grin. She swung a leg over and hopped back on deck. She flopped onto a coil of ropes and stared up at the stars, which were much clearer to see than on Earth. It was so quiet...so..peaceful. Nothing could be heard except for an occasional call of an Orcus. Raya's eyelids were drooping, but she fought to keep her eyes open. Soon enough, however, she lost to slumber.
~*~
PSTEEEEEEEW! CRASH!
Raya sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"Frickin' idiot...making noise this time o' night." She muttered, opening her eyes. "Oh...my..." Someone had crashed right into the main mast on a solar surfer, and now it had a mast-sized dent in it. The rider was lying on their stomach on the deck, motionless. Raya scrambled up, ran to the wheel and rang the bell beside it, alerting the crew. Two minutes later, with Captain Amelia in the lead, the whole crew came on deck looking either wary or dazed. But as all took in the sight, they gasped as one.
"What in the devil?!" Silver exclaimed. Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler knelt beside the person. Raya came to stand nearby and saw that it was a teenage boy with shaggy brown hair and black tips.
"There seems to be a fracture in his right leg and...oh my...his head is bleeding." Dr. Doppler reported. The Captain straightened up.
"Clear up a space in the quarters and make a cot up." She ordered a random crew member. "Now, doctor, we need to turn him over and see if he has any further injuries."
"If I may, cap'n." Silver said, gently lifting up the boy and setting him into a stretcher held by Jim and the Flatula. They made their way slowly down into the quarters. Captain Amelia turned to Raya.
"Great bell-alert, Miss Mullins, nicely done."
"Thank you, ma'am." Raya said, still shaken about the crash.
"Now, if you may, you can assist Mr. Silver in attending to the boy." Raya nodded and went below deck. She saw that Silver was preparing a splint of some sort for the boy's arm. Raya noticed that blood was staining the white pillow beneath his head. She poured a bit of water from the washing pitcher on to a cloth and tied it around his forehead to try to stop the bleeding.
"Poor lad." Silver said; just to be saying something "Prolly goin' teh have a concussion after a crash like that."
"I wonder where he was in such a hurry to go to that he didn't see the ship." Raya said.
"Joyridin', most likely." Silver replied. "Got no joy outta it, tho. A broken arm, rib and a nearly cracked open skull."
"That's gonna hurt in the morning." Raya said, cringing. She started at a chuckling noise, but then looked up. Silver was laughing.
~*~
The boy did not wake up until late morning. He groaned and attracted the attention of Raya, who was combing her hair out. She went to his side. He tried to move, but Raya kept him still.
"You've got a broken rib and arm, so try not to do anything." She said. Silver woke up from his spot on a nearby chair.
"What's this, now?" He questioned sleepily.
"He's awake." Silver got up.
"Uhhh...where am I?" The boy muttered weakly.
"You're aboard the R.L.S. Legacy." Silver said, with his friendly grin. "Now how're ya feelin'?"
"Bad." He muttered, and winced when he tried to sit up. Raya immediately made him lay down again.
"You've got a broken rib, so you are to keep on your back until further notice." Raya said, sternly. Silver looked amused, but he didn't comment.
"What's your name, laddie?" He asked.
"Braeden." The boy said. Now that he was awake, Raya saw that he had dark brown eyes. He was wearing a black shirt that read "Evanescence," on it, and his dark gray sneakers seemed to be slightly charred.
"Where were you heading off to?" Raya asked. Something flashed in Braeden's eyes, but he answered,
"I don't remember."
"As I thought, a slight concussion. Now rest here, Braed'n while I fetch you a bowl of me bonzabeast stew!" Silver said, going to the galley.
"How's your head?" Raya asked him.
"Hurting." Raya changed the cloth on his head and replaced it with a clean one.
"I'm Raya, by the way." She said. He nodded slightly.
"Did I look dead when I crashed?" He asked. Raya looked at him, startled.
"Well, you probably would've been had I not been awake and rang the bell." She replied. Silver came back with the stew.
"Now, steady up, lad...that's good." Silver held up the soup while Braeden slurped spoonful after spoonful. Silver and Raya exchanged looks. "Now, now don't slurp up too much, Bra—"
BUURRPP!
"...Whoa."
"Alright now. I've got a cabin boy to teach. Raya, I'm count'n on ya to keep an eye on this young pup."
When Silver had gone, Raya took the chair by the cot and yawned.
"Tired?" He asked.
"Very much. I've got second watch today."
"Ah. Our ship slept so long, we had to have third watch." Braeden said. He examined some things on the bedside table, and then looked at Raya. "I have to go to the bathroom."
"Er..." She looked around nervously. "I'll be right back." She climbed the stairs to the deck and looked around.
"Erm...Mr. Scroop?" He turned and glared at her.
"What?"
"The...um...boy is...has to..."
"Ssspeak clearly!" He ordered. "What about the cabin boy?" Raya blinked.
"No, it's the, um, boy who crashed...He's having to go to the...lavatory." Raya said. Scroop looked impatient, like he had somewhere to go before she called him.
"The WHAT?"
"The bathroom, and he needs help." Scroop's eyes dimmed a bit as it sank in, and then grabbed another crewmember and started down the stairs. Raya stood on the deck until both men returned.
"Don't call me ever again about that." Scroop warned, and then scuttled away, grumpy. Raya went below deck once more, trying not to laugh.
~*~
A week went by and Braeden's condition seemed to be improving, but he was now mourning over the loss of his solar surfer. Raya was very bored for the next few days, watching over Braeden and making sure his bandages were changed regularly and that he kept still. Raya and Jim had seldom time to talk, since Silver kept him busy with work, so Raya often talked with Braeden.
"So...you listen to Evanescence?" Raya said one afternoon. Braeden nodded.
"I find the old bands are much better than these crappy new ones." Raya nodded in agreement. Their conversation then led to skate shoes and then eventually to bands that they both liked.
"Okay...who sucks the most: Britney or Paris? On three...one...two...three...Britney."
"Paris." Raya said after him. "What makes Britney suck more?"
"She's gross...went from sweet to rotten." Braeden said. "But I understand why you picked Hilton." He juggled two purps. His arm had healed, but his rib still needed time.
"So...do you play guitar?" Raya asked.
"Used to..." Braeden said.
"Oh..." It was silent. Braeden pointed to a metal slab propped against the wall.
"I could make a solar surfer out of that." He said. He looked down and sighed, throwing his head back.
"Silver says that you'll heal in a week's time if you DRINK YOUR MILK." Raya said.
"Aww...I hate milk. No offense." He said. Raya laughed.
"No offense? Why would that offend me?" She said. He looked at her and grinned. She looked at him, confused, and then it dawned on her and she hit him on the arm.
"Alright, Mr. Braeden, I think you've been cooped up too long! I meant milk from a cow!"
~*~
A week later, Braeden was free of his cot in the corner of the crew's quarters. The Captain immediately had him do little jobs to help the crew, including doing second watch on Sundays and Thursdays. When they had nothing else to do, the crew often played numerous poker games, only to stuff their cards into their pockets as Mr. Arrow or Captain Amelia passed by. Braeden was always in the center of the games, and Raya wondered how he had ever learned to gamble like that as she peeled purps for Silver, who was supervising Jim scraping barnacles off of the ship's bottom. He grinned at Raya, and she blinked, not realizing that she was staring.
"Want to play a game, Raye?" Braeden said, slipping in his nickname for her.
"No thank you." Raya said, laughing. "You know very well that I'll lose."
"You might win."
"I lost miserably last time."
"That was last time."
"FINE! I'll play." She hopped down from her perch on a barrel and sat on the crate across from Braeden. Mister Boy hopped up next to her and watched their game, his tail swishing steadily. Beads of sweat formed on Raya's brow when Braeden pulled off a particularly good move. And then—
"I win." Braeden said triumphantly, standing up. Boy growled a bit. Raya scratched between his ears and smirked at Braeden.
"That's alright...I'm still better looking." She said.
~*~
Hahaha, friend rivalry! Rivalry between friends is fun! Until next time...Adieu.