The Flightless Bird. [Anton, Florian]

[Eitan Angevin]

3 Ash 121
Dorkirk Windworks

Only a week and a half had passed since Anton Michaelis' début, and he was scheduled to join him at the Windworks where the Noble Gambit was being retrofitted. He spent a fair amount of time there now, overseeing things for Captain Merovech, who was taking his own holiday before Angevin took his in two days' time. It ought to all work out; the expedition would begin on his birthday and they would maintain the proper level of subterfuge, knowing the powers that be would disavow them should their work be found out.

He had told Albrecht to attend him here, though he had given him the option to stay home. Angevin was no grief counselor and had no idea whether work would distract him or make him distraught. But another pair of eyes to ensure the scion of Michaelis didn't hurt himself would be useful, and Albrecht was another known quantity, which might make the young man feel more at ease. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like being raised cloistered from the rest of the world, nor could he imagine how overwhelming the début must have been. The least he could do was try to make this foray into the wide world a bit easier on the young man.

If he remembered correctly, he would be attending the Greater Institute. He would have to get used to crowds. Perhaps Stefan would be around, though, and might say hello. He was a product of that selfsame institute and might have something in common. There hadn't really been enough time to assess things at the party. Michaelis had suffered through the greeting line, spoken to them for a handful of minutes, made his toast, and departed. There were plenty of parties where he would have liked to have done the same. Thankfully, he had been spared the night as a debutant himself, being too busy in officer's training to be spared for such fripperies.

In any case, all parties had been for the glory of his father or his stepmother, not for him. Even his birthdays...

But that was history.

He smiled at the folks in the foyer, who were used to him by now. Glancing at Albrecht, he tried to gauge his mood.

[Florian]

Florian was there. Physically, he was there, with Eitan. Mentally was a different story, but he wasn't going to have to do all of the work with Anton anyway. He didn't actually know if it was important for him to be there or if it was out of concern for him or Anton or both that it was even asked. And given the choice between staying home alone and getting plastered and working, he figured he would choose the healthier strategy. While Eitan in private was different than Angevin in public, he still liked being around him.

After all, he had been stuck with him for a while. He trusted him enough to seek him out when he didn't know what else to do and had nowhere else to go, and that had been a good decision, even if it opened an emotional can of worms he did not have the mental wherewithal to deal with. He had more important things to do, anyway. The tour, for one, and the expedition in just a few days. Even with this, he wasn't busy enough to fully distract himself from the emotional hole that plagued him.

He had never even gotten a chance to come up with an excuse for why he would be gone, and now there was no one left to care.

Florian looked uncomfortable as they waited. His eyes, too, seemed permanently etched into a sickly grey color, and only seemed to change when he had just woken from nightmares. But still he stood there and waited for Anton Michaelis. The meeting he had with Anton was odd, and he still wasn't entirely sure if he had left a good impression. Even though Anton had relaxed into the less-than-formal conversation, he didn't really know what to expect from the younger man. Hopefully it was good enough he wouldn't see Florian's presence as untoward.

[Anton]

Anton could not help but be disappointed when he was informed that the Noble Gambit was laid up in the Windworks, the lordling having had already begun to fantasize about standing aboard ship as it hung above the world. Something about an airship trapped upon the ground seemed wrong to him, like a bird with its wings clipped. Still, he was grateful that despite his mistake concerning Eitan's guest that his message had finally reached his hands. Perhaps it would've been faster, not to mention less embarrassing, if he had simply sent it to the Angevin estate, but no matter.

The letter itself had been rather brief, and it had taken a handful of exchanges between servants to align schedules and calendars, but it had sufficed as an appropriate introduction. Privately, he was simply grateful that the first response had merely asked him for a confirmation as to dates instead of asking him to resend the missive entirely, for he wrote in a scrawling script that had been deemed illegible by most others. He didn't particularly mind, but then again he wasn't using his eyes to read.

Air Commander Angevin,

I hope that this letter finds you well, I have entrusted it to the care of your guest at my party. I was most gladdened by your invitation, and would be made happier still by touring your fine vessel. As I am certain you are aware, I have had quite enough of palatial estates for a lifetime, as comfortable as I am certain your father's own is.

While I cannot speak for yourself, I may happily report that I consider you both an officer and a gentleman. Perhaps soon enough I may be so bold as to also name you my friend.

Your Most Obedient Servant,
Anton Michaelis

Ignoring the letter and its slower than expected journey, in truth it was probably a good thing that they were due for their appointment at the Windworks instead of an airfield. This was at least somewhere Anton could consider friendly territory. While he would not consider himself familiar with it by any means, it nicely avoided the issue of sibling rivalries between Zaichaer's ground and air forces. Not to mention the fact that he had all but begged Florian not to let him aboard if he were to interfere with any airmen at work, something which at very least was now impossible.

He realized he had been sitting in his carriage ruminating for far too long and cursed at himself under his breath before gesturing at Vanessa to exit before him. "Let's get going then, shall we?" Trusting his erstwhile bodyguard to at least exit before him for practical matters, the lordling steadied himself as he stepped out onto the street, not trusting Semblance to guide him until he knew precisely who awaited them in the foyer. Eitan was still a member of the Order despite his more commendable qualities after all, and who knows who he might have brought along.

Entering into the foyer, the Michaelis heir was dressed in bizarre fashion for the season - more prepared for Frost than Ash, especially this early into it. He wore the typical shirt and trousers fashionable in Zaichaer, but with a strange black overgarment of heavy fabric that fit over his head and hung down to his waist, with slits cut at the arms. A squat black hat completed the ensemble, a translucent veil hanging from it covering half of his face. Almost none of his skin was visible, which did well at its intended job of keeping the perennial sickly noble warm while also covering the evidence from the prior night.

He realized his mistake almost as soon as his shoes transitioned from cobblestone to marble floor, Anton doing his best to keep his face still at the thought. Eitan would expect to be recognized. For all he knew the man was already waiting for him, and with a deep sense of trepidation he decided he had no choice. Power flooded through his rune for just a moment - just a moment was likely safe, for surely no one would constantly assail their senses with magical sight? - and felt immediately vindicated as he recognized amid the symphony that sprung up around him that the man was indeed waiting for him, as was his companion.

"Commander Angevin, Private Albrecht, a pleasure to see you both again. This is Ms. Vanessa Quill, my bodyguard and general assistant for when my body fails me. A batman, to be archaic, or batwoman as it were."

[Vanessa Quill]

The news that they would be taking a tour of an airship had been at first fantastic to Vanessa, though her mood had dampened when she learned they would be visiting it while the ship was floundered and re-fitted for flight. What were airships for if not to fly, after all. Still, this environment suited the bodyguard quite well, having been the captain of her own airship for nearly a decade. Despite the obvious dangers that this situation presented for Anton, Vanessa felt confident in her ability to keep him safe at the very least. He wouldn't be the first man she would have saved from stumbling over the railing to their death, though usually those men were simply drunk and not blind.

"Right. Remember to stay close and grab my arm if you're ever struggling. Easy enough to say you're just not used to walkin' around on deck. Ain't even much of a lie either." She said with a rustblooded accent that was impossible to hide so she'd never bothered to try. She hopped out of the carriage and stood to the right of the door. Vanessa herself was dressed professionally, wearing a long sleeved coat, a typical button down shirt, and warm striped breeches. The high collar of the coat did well enough to hide the smattering of bruises she herself had endured from their previous night's bar crawl, though some purpling was still visible when she craned her neck too far to either side.

The confidence with which she walked into the foyer was unmistakable to anyone that had spent time on either maritime or aeronautical vessels, straight backed and hard eyed. This was of course to say nothing about the tattoos of 'HOLD FAST' that had been etched across her knuckles. Anton had not merely brought a bodyguard to this meeting, he had brought a captain of his own. She wore no symbols of rank, nor an official ZADC uniform, but she was a captain all the same. She leveled an unimpressed stare at Eitan, and then at Florian, but Vanessa otherwise remained silent until she had been introduced.

"That's right. I'm paid to make sure this lad's face stays pretty as a picture. Done a pretty good job so far, despite his best efforts." Vanessa said, then broke into a loud laugh. Her hard expression softened immediately as a smile replaced it. "Plus I wanted to see what a proper airship looks like. Only been on merchant sloops m'self." The statement was technically true, and at least would explain her extensive knowledge of the vessels despite having never served in the military.

[Eitan Angevin]

"Master Michaelis," he greeted with equal formality, though his smile was wider than necessary. He was curious about the secretive family and its young heir. His grandmother had something cutting to say about everyone, yet when he had mentioned the party, she had only expressed regrets that such a fine family had withdrawn from society. That was curious enough. And so he wanted to like Anton Michaelis, but whether his brief mention of friendship was in the offing or not, only time would tell.

"Ms. Quill." His greeting to her was also polite, even if her appraising glance was not. It didn't bother him. She had a job to do. "We shall endeavor to prevent anything from happening to his face." Unsure if she had made the Lysanrin's acquaintance when he had gone for his private tête-à-tête with Michaelis, he made a quick introduction there, covering his bases. "This is Private Albrecht, who also serves aboard the Noble Gambit. If you'll follow me..."

Thankfully, Melchior Dornkirk had designed his business to make showing off easy. Angevin had been coming here since he was a boy, trailing along in his father's wake or spending time with the Dornkirk boys. Of course, Stefan had usually eschewed their company for books and such, but he and Brenner had often gotten into trouble being in dangerous places pretending at the roles they now filled as men.

It wasn't a long walk to where the Excelsior-class airship was docked, its engines shut down and its weight supported mechanically. He briefed them on it as they walked, then let them take in the sight of it once it was fully visible. He could sense the wards through his rune, and he supposed the dragonshards on board were slowly growing in strength as the ship had ceased to drain them.

"She's more impressive in the air, I'll warrant, but Anton Michaelis, Vanessa Quill, meet the Noble Gambit." After a pause, he led them toward the gangplank that led from the ledge to the deck.

[Florian]

Florian watched with the bit of curiosity that managed to break through his apathy. He hadn't seen Anton's bodyguard at all when he'd met him at the estate, nor did he see her at the party. Her accent wasn't too far off his own, either. The question of how she came to be in Anton's employ came and passed. He was sure that people had the same thought about him, but he joined the ZADC just the same as anyone.

"Mr. Michaelis," He nodded in Anton's direction out of habit. "Ms. Quill." A nod went in hers as well, though he knew she could actually see it. It was not just formality in his voice that drained the emotion from it, but he had to compartmentalize his emotions so he wouldn't be an embarrassment. Though with Vanessa's laugh, it didn't seem like formality was entirely a concern here. He still found it hard to relax.

Florian had been in the Windworks before, when he had first met Stefan and Brenner. They had even toured it. He was also familiar with the Noble Gambit, but that was part of his job. If he was so inclined, he could even spend the time to admire the wards that spanned the ship. He wasn't, though. What with Vanessa's attitude and Eitan's smile, he hoped his mood wasn't so dire as to seep into the atmosphere and take the rest of them down with it.

It was up to Eitan to do the talking. He was there to be distracted from his grief, and he certainly made a valiant effort to try and focus on the conversation at hand. The tour felt like an interesting charade. Even after being told that Anton was blind, Eitan wanted to do it, and since the airship was in the Windworks, there was not much sensation to be held.

[Anton]

As soon as Anton heard Eitan and Florian's boots strike against the floor, Anton followed, by now forced to fall upon the half truth that had been provided. Even if the Lysanrin had not informed his superior of what he had learned, it would not do to further raise his suspicions. So while he did walk with a measured and confident gait, he did so with one arm wrapped in Vanessa's, trusting her to correct him if he were to begin to stray.

Commander Angevin was exactly who he had expected and who he had remembered - which was to say, exactly what he was supposed to be. Courteous and, if he did know the truth, far too polite to bring up awkward subjects of conversation. Private Albrecht was another matter however, the fire that had been in the Tyrantspawn snuffed out, his voice sounding more listless than at his own début. Curious as that was, that was not his problem at the moment.

"I must admit, sir, I had rather hoped to be aboard her when she was in the air. A fine thing I am told, to sit above the city as it goes about its day. Not to say she is not magnificent here," he said, the sentiment true in its own way. Though he did not risk openly using Semblance and as such could not see the ship he was about to board, he could still feel her heart beating in front of him. Her hull held far too much power to be ignored. But not enough that Anton could not be distracted.

The sudden shift in the soundscape as Eitan's boots transitioned to the gangplank caused him to purse his lips despite himself, the lordling having known from the beginning this would be the hardest part. At least he would not fall very far if he did, a blessing when considering how high an active airship could berth.

"Are there any other aboard her, sir, or do we have the run of the ship to ourselves for the day? Part of my choice was the hope that we could be somewhere appearances were not paramount," he said as he began his treacherous trek.

[Vanessa Quill]

Vanessa greeted the two a tad more properly now, extending a hand to them both in turn. "Pleasure, both of ya." She said so quickly the words seemed to run into one another. Her grip was strong, and hands covered in callouses. Also getting so close made present the strong scent of alcohol. She followed behind them relatively quietly, only piping up when Anton made clear his desire to have seen the bird fly. "Aye. Being in the air is like nothing else in the world." Vanessa agreed, nodding towards Eitan in assumed agreement. "Never brought my girl in for proper repairs. Never could spare the time. Thick ropes, tight knots, and brave men were how we kept her flyin'." She sounded proud of that, and why not? Keeping the Queen Bitch flying had been her life's work for so long, and admitting that she had done things the most difficult way was not precisely Vanessa's speed. "Must admit, much safer this way though." She added almost as an afterthought.

When given the name of the vessel, Vanessa searched her mind for any encounters she might have had with the Noble Gambit. Perhaps thankfully, she came up empty. She was fortunate that the only Zachaeri airships she had skirmished with had been glorified gunboats. Still, she looked over the vessel and was genuinely impressed. Unsurprisingly she first looked to the gunports, and whistled her approval "Quick little thing, ain't she?" Vanessa could not feel the wards, but she knew they must be there. The vessel simply didn't look strong enough to withstand a proper battery. "How big are her cannons, if'n I can ask? Standard's twenty-four, right?" She tried to make it sound like she didn't damn well know the answer to that already.

Then they came to the gangplank, and Vanessa resisted the urge to cross first. She stepped to the side and let Eitan cross, then Florian, and finally Anton stepped up to take his turn. Once he was on the gangplank, Vanessa was just a step behind him, and her hand hovered down near his waist, fingers brushing against his large black overgarment, ready to catch him if he even looked close to losing his balance.

'Just a step at a time, kid. ' She thought painfully. She forced herself to not focus on his feet and she kept her eyes forward, though still she shadowed his every step.

[Eitan Angevin]

"Timing is what it is, I'm afraid. Repairs and upgrades will continue for a while yet," he said. "Long enough for me to take a proper holiday once the captain returns from his. Perhaps you can come to Onneifer Airfield and fly with us when everything is complete. And before you demur out of hand, we have carried civilian passengers before."

Once aboard, he stepped aside and turned at the taffrail to respond.

"There are a few engineers in the engine room. Other than that, only a few nimble folks seeing to the hull. We won't be in anyone's way." He smiled at Quill. "Quick, indeed. Ironclad, but not so thick a skin as a Dreadnought-class like the Searing Victory. We could play capital ship, but the Victory's better suited for it. Slow, strong, a gnarly amount of firepower. We're more adaptable."

He smiled and nodded at her assessment. There certainly were 24-pounder carronades aboard, but the airship was adaptable in his firepower as well. He was going to have to give her name to his superiors, however. She knew a thing or two about airships and he had to be sure the Michaelis family hadn't mistakenly hired a spy or saboteur.

"Were you perhaps looking to study aeronautics at the Greater Institute? If so, we ought to look up Stefan Dornkirk in his office. He would have the inside knowledge for you." Depending on his intended course of study, Angevin knew a few other career students who might be good to meet. He could see Jane Farraway getting on with Michaelis. She was odd in her way, but an interesting person to talk to. He wouldn't say she owed him a favor, but she would likely make his acquaintance with a little nudging.

[Anton]

The first steps were always the hardest, but Anton's face did not betray that fact. He kept his sightless eyes locked directly forward instead of even bothering to pretend he was looking at his feet, attempting to convey at least a measure of dignity as he took steady, measured step after steady, measured step. "A holiday, you say? Then I have chosen my timing well," he said with a smile to himself before finally finishing the climb. Guided by his hearing, he stood at the other end of the taffrail from the gangplank, the gap separating the two noblemen.

"It sounds as if we are good enough to alone, at least as close to it as men such as you and I ever are," he continued with a shrug after positioning himself with his back to the railing. His blank gaze scanned the airship, but the thrum of power beneath his feet was how he knew to appreciate her beauty and vigor. The hypocrisy of it all brought another smile to his face, one that fit well enough with his next words. "While I would quite like to go flying, there is a boon in her being laid up then after all in this case. I had also hoped we might dispense with formalities, for a time. You may address me as Anton, and I should hope I may call you Eitan. Provided that is not too forward of me, of course, sir."

The lordling let his attention drift as Eitan and Vanessa bantered about their common trade, knowing all too well how soldiers could get when a conversation turned to their guns. Beneath his concealing garment, his hands gently checked that the items he had acquired for this occasion were still upon his person, nodding in satisfaction to himself just as they finished. While the commander had been rather more circumspect than his father was when speaking with his friends, he supposed that made sense. Vanessa was the furthest thing possible from an officer of Zaichaer's military after all.

"I'm afraid that I quite lack the knack for engineering, despite best efforts from the best. Stefan attended to some facets of my education in my younger years, you see." Even if he were speaking to someone who was trusted to know the secret of his Rune, Anton doubted he'd have fully explained. It was difficult to convey the frustration at the fact he usually saw what something intended to be rather than what it was, a boon in many circumstances but a catastrophic flaw in this. Every engineer intended for their creation to work. It was easier to feign a deficiency. "No, my academic interests are focused upon theories scientific, mathematical, and magical. I shall be of some use yet to the Hall, I think. Perhaps even the College."

With another shrug he stepped away from the taffrail, finally freeing his arm from beneath his overgarment. A round metal tin and the unmistakable shape of a bottle were gently clasped in his hand, his other arm extending to steady the pair of them as he faced where he had last heard Eitan and Florian. "Now, enough of that. I have taken the liberty of acquiring gifts. For you, Eitan, for your birthday I have acquired a bottle from my family's vineyards. A 95, in fact. May it wisen with yourself. And for you, Florian, as apology for ruining your Raellas I have... well, perhaps you should best open it," he said, taking one gift in each hand and extending the two towards the pair of soldiers.

The gifts were both fine, but even a glance would discern that considerably more expense had gone into the commander's than the private's. Angvein's was a stately bottle filled with a dark red wine, its glasswork embossed with the outline of an archaic heater shield, body wrapped in a thick sheet of paper on which a measured hand had marked the year of bottling. Albrecht's was a spartan, if sturdy, metal container that was cold to the touch, its lid marked with a stylized butterfly. Inside, upon a bed of slowly melting ice, were some of the last strawberries of summer.