Part of the Sungazer's Crew

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 17th June 2008

Characters: Taem, Xerxen
Description: Moonflower crewmember, Taem, arrives aboard the Sungazer and meets his roommate, Xerxen.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 10, day 16 of Turn 4

Xerxen knocked upon the door before entering the room, only to find it unoccupied - for the moment. He was certain that would not last long as the Moonflower crew was boarding that very day. he had been told he would have a roommate. He wondered what the other fellow would be like.

Taem saw the man enter the room he was had pointed out to him as his.
Not one of the Moonflower crewmembers, so obviously one of the Sungazer's. He arrived at the doorway hard on the heels of the other man. "Hello. Have you been moved because we're coming aboard?" he asked, presuming it was so. While each room would sleep four as the Moonflower's crew staterooms did some would have been occupied by two or three people. Over the next four months every berth would be in use as the Sungazer took on as many of the Moonflower's crew as they could, and that must have meant some rearrangements. "I'm Taem."

The Sungazer deckhand turned as he heard the voice, and his lips cracked open in a smile. He thrust his hand toward Taem, nodding at the same time and stating, "I'm Xerxen, well met."

"Xerxen," Taem said, nodding as he took the other man's hand. "_Did_
you have to move?"

"Yeah, but that's all right." The man shrugged and plopped down on the bed he had already chosen. "So you're from the Moonflower eh? I think you'll like the Sungazer."

"She's not looking as tired as the Moonflower is." He shrugged.
"Makes sense, though, since she's due an overhaul. And Sungazer's such a similar layout I won't have to relearn much." He peered around the other man into the room. "Are all the bunks taken?"

"Nope. We're the only two, for right now." That, of course, was subject to change - and most likely would. From what Xerxen understood, the Sungazer would be pretty much at capacity for crew. "Take your pick of the others."

"I'm young enough to climb," Taem said, throwing a bag up onto the upper bunk and starting to stow his clothing in the press at the foot of the pair of beds from the other. It didn't take long to unpack; all the work clothes he owned and one lot of tidy clothes for Gather days. "I wonder if any more of our lot will be in here? I could do without my brother snoring his head off for four months."

Xerxen gave a short, barking laughter. "I hope not either then! I've never been told whether or not I snore. Let me know if I do. Who's your brother?"

"Ruwaren. He's an engineer and has been waiting for one of the others to finally make up his mind before he gets a berth here. Most people wanted to stay on the river."

"I can't blame them." Xerxen lay back and placed his hands behind his head. "I wouldn't want to go ashore."

"Oh, I don't know. I would like to try it some day. Maybe at the waypoint, but maybe further afield. Go down the coast, perhaps ... You know, just not stop at the seaport, once."

"I wouldn't mind going on a ship, I don't think." Xerxen stated after a moment of thought, "And I don't mind going ashore occasionally. I just don't know if I'd want to do it for four months. Of course, then, I might decide I like it better on shore. Probably not, though."

"I lived ashore a bit when I was a child. At the waypoint - _our_
waypoint, I mean. I broke my leg ... and then my arm." He rubbed his arm, remembering that break better because he had been old enough then to worry about how well it would heal and if it would affect his ability to work.

Xerxen winced visibly. "Ouch. How did you manage to do that?"

"MY leg was when I was not long walking. Just fell off the gangway onto the wharf at the seaport. Broke, just like that. I don't remember that so well, except playing with my cousins at the waypoint when I was on the way to healed. But my arm ... Stupid thing. I tried to stop a wood trolley that was heading for the water and then realised how stupid I was being - the thing would have squashed me flat. Most of me got out of the way. Not my arm, though. I heard it break." He shook his head.
"Luckily it healed well enough."

Another wince of faux pain crossed over Xerxen's features and it was soon followed by a shudder. "I'm glad I never broke anything. I'd probably cry like a baby."

"I was certainly thinking about it," Taem admitted, throwing the soft bag he had bought his kit aboard in into the press. "There. I'm settled in. Part of the Sungazer's crew for the next four months. Want to show me around?"

"Sure!" Xerxen swung his legs over the bed and fairly jumped to his feet. "I think you'll like the Sungazer. Shall we start at the top and work our way down?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Last updated on the June 28th 2008

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