Drydock on the Pier (Kale and others OPEN) @Speedy
Dec 11, 2015 18:10:11 GMT -5
Post by troylus on Dec 11, 2015 18:10:11 GMT -5
The Sea Sprite was an ugly little vessel, but it didn't look all that little once it was up on drydock. The hull certainly seemed to stretch on forever, and Troylus gazed with despondency at how much work he had to do. The smell was dreadful; rotting barnacles, and he was tasked with scraping them off the bottom of the hull. Why other crew weren't asked to do this too he didn't know. But it was hard work and Troylus never shunned from that. He set to his task, only stopping now and then to wipe the fragments of rotting muck from his eyes and face.
Exhausted after hours of this he took a break and dove into the water, still wearing his shirt and jeans. The cold sting of the water refreshed him and he savoured the cleansing sensation as he scrubbed his clothes and skin clean. The freezing temperatures drove him out eventually and he stood and shivered on the sand. He pulled off his shirt and rubbed himself dry with a cleanish rag. The pants would have to dry from his body heat, but he pulled an old jacket back over his goose pimpled upper body.
He took a long drink of water from his flask, and set it back down by his lunchbox. He was hungry, but he didn't want to eat just yet. He needed to keep that food for later as incentive to himself to keep working for a few more hours. He glanced up the beach and saw a boy, a few years younger than himself, sitting on a rock drawing in a large book. Troylus smiled shyly and waved halfheartedly, hoping the boy might come down and talk while he resumed his boring duties on the hull. He'd understand if the boy kept his distance though. The smell was appalling now as the sun rose high and baked the barnacles and weed growing on the bottom of the ship.
The smell had attracted a huge horde of seagulls, who were pecking at the hull and fishing some of the pieces that Troylus dislodged out of the sea. He made a note that when he ate his lunch he'd have to keep an eye on those birds. In winter they got too brave at times, and he'd had more than one mouthful of food snatched out of his hand by a swooping bird.
Exhausted after hours of this he took a break and dove into the water, still wearing his shirt and jeans. The cold sting of the water refreshed him and he savoured the cleansing sensation as he scrubbed his clothes and skin clean. The freezing temperatures drove him out eventually and he stood and shivered on the sand. He pulled off his shirt and rubbed himself dry with a cleanish rag. The pants would have to dry from his body heat, but he pulled an old jacket back over his goose pimpled upper body.
He took a long drink of water from his flask, and set it back down by his lunchbox. He was hungry, but he didn't want to eat just yet. He needed to keep that food for later as incentive to himself to keep working for a few more hours. He glanced up the beach and saw a boy, a few years younger than himself, sitting on a rock drawing in a large book. Troylus smiled shyly and waved halfheartedly, hoping the boy might come down and talk while he resumed his boring duties on the hull. He'd understand if the boy kept his distance though. The smell was appalling now as the sun rose high and baked the barnacles and weed growing on the bottom of the ship.
The smell had attracted a huge horde of seagulls, who were pecking at the hull and fishing some of the pieces that Troylus dislodged out of the sea. He made a note that when he ate his lunch he'd have to keep an eye on those birds. In winter they got too brave at times, and he'd had more than one mouthful of food snatched out of his hand by a swooping bird.
