Initialed (Day 1 Late Afternoon)

“I like the new mechanic,” Vas said as looking over the novel that was the paperwork. Most of its warnings. How to properly handle the cargo … all without managing to say what exactly it was. Other than that it all looked very official and purple. “I think he’s a keeper.” He sighed flipping from page to page. “Alliance sure loves their paperwork. Bureaucracy is the true monster in the ‘Verse.” He mumbled.

“I like him too,” Serena chimed in. “He makes me laugh. ‘Course I liked our old mechanic. I hope she’s not mad I like the new mechanic. But just so you know? I wouldn’t like a new crew chief.”

“I wouldn’t worry what the old mechanic thinks.” Vas shrugged. He wasn’t bitter ‘bout it all not in the least. “How do you know you wouldn’t like a new Crew Cheif?”

“On account of like you said, crew is the only family we got, and you don't trade out family,” she replied, looking at one of the papers, wondering how to pronounce msds. Mesdes? “You can have a lotta deckhands, but there’s just the one crew chief.”

“That is my opinion… Family by choice can be a lot stronger than family by blood.” Vas said writing a note on one of the papers. “Besides the only way your getting anew Crew Cheif is if I kick the bucket, so I say you got plenty of time till then.”

“I still wouldn’t like them even if you were dead,” Serena promised. “And I’d put your initials on a tree an’ go visit it with a lot of food, don’t you worry. But that won’t happen for a long time like you said.”

“Oh, so you can write my initials now?” Vas said with a sly smile. “Show me.” He flipped the paper on his clipboard so there was a blank sheet for her to write on as he passed it and pen to her.

Serena tried not to look too pleased with herself as she wrote small and neat, like she would between the lines of the paper Lyen would give her, making the two slanted lines of a V and the fishhook J, proudly turning it around to show him. “I used your real name ‘stead of Crew Chief on account of not everyone calls you that, and V’s are easier to make than C’s,” she admitted.

“Color me impressed,” Vas said proudly. “You got nice handwriting. You should ask Lyen to teach you Sumi-e. I think you might have a nice hand for it.”

“What’s that?” Serena asked, beaming as she picked up a second sheet of paper as if she was helping.

“Chinese calligraphy. Takes a steady hand, practice and creativity. It can take hundreds of times to perfect a single word and takes but the span of a single breath for a Master to paint it.” Vas explained with admiration of the art in his voice.

“Ohhhhhhh,” Serena said, impressed. “I don’t know that I have that much patience, on account of I don’t even like makin’ C’s. And a lot of words have C’s in it in my spelling tests.”

“Well, Sumi-e isn’t writing in Pinyin. It’s traditional style so you gotta memorize the character and even how you write it will change its meaning. It’s also murder on the wrist.” Vas said suppressing a shutter.

“Can you show me?” She asked, handing him back the pencil.

Vas chuckled. “Can’t, you need a special paintbrush, an ink stick, an inkstone, and a special type of paper made from rice. Maybe when we get to High Gate we can try and find some? I ain’t all that great to be honest … too… stiff. Or so I'm told.”

“Okay! When we get to High Gate!” She said excitedly. “I’m sure that you’re really good at it. And if Lyen can’t show me how maybe you can. I can practice it after we have trainin’ practice.”

“I make no grantees!” Vas warned. “Now that I think of it though I might be able to set up something to practice with … the monks during the war, there were shortages and they practiced in the sand. It ain’t pretty but I think we can pull something together, Lyen, or I can teach you the basics that way.” He honestly couldn’t help but indulge Serena, not when so many things were a first for her.

“I have sand!” she said excitedly. “I brought a whole jar of it from the beach on account of I wanted to keep it as a mementos. Maybe… maybe we can use that?”

“We sure can. Once things get settle and we dust off we got a long haul to Highgate.” He grinned at her excitement. “First Sumi-E next thing you know you’ll be learning swordplay.” Vas chuckled.

“That too!” Serena chirped, “only not if that means gettin’ stabbed an’ more stitches. Right after I bring Ms. Meadows and Doctor Charcoal lunch. Promise?”

“Well, how else ya supposed to learn.” Vas teased. “Don’t worry your pigtails off, I wouldn’t be letting you swing around a real sword … well see *after* Highgate.”

“On account of I might get to fight for real, like you said, right?” She asked bouncing on her toes.

“Yup. So were guna cram as much training in you as possible!” He said brightly. “It’ll be fun and if you get prize money! Less you’re taking a dive but you don’t need to worry yourself about that.”

“Can we use it to buy duck?” She asked, hopefully.
“When you win, it’ll be your prize money. So sure.” Vas said as the delivery folk started to leave. “Right, let’s get the straps and secure theses things tight. No wobbling. The warning pace was half a novel so we don’t wanna deal with any spills.”

“You got it, Crew Chief. We’ll make sure it’s super secure, and just so you know, I’m gonna buy you duck with my winnin’ money too, on account of I wouldn’ta won nothin’ wasn’t for you,” she said happily, resecuring one of the straps as she prattled on.

“Keep that duck in mind while we train. Nothing motivates better than Roast Duck as the reward.” Vas said with a sage nod and he tightened a strap. He was being overly cautious but that wasn’t a bad thing given the cargo. Do it right the first time and it would be nothing but smooth sailing after.