Now was the perfect moment to take another drink, lest one laughed out loud.

Dorian pressed the glass to his lips, ignoring the offer to play the useful idiot to one of the oldest con games in the ‘verse. Just give me my share and I’m gone forever. The trouble was that so long as there was coin to sniff out, they never were. He recalled a lyric, a song from Earth-That-Was about a man coming to such self awareness.

”Sometimes I get this crazy dream
That I just take off in my car.
But you can travel on ten thousand miles
And still stay where you are.”

This Grady lived under the curse, perpetually trapped within a cage of grand desires and the allure of fast money. Dorian could empathize; that desire and other lusts had introduced him to Faeroe, Tall Card, and Poker. Whatever his intentions, Grady threatened to drag his sister along that dark path. He wasn’t holding a gun to her head, but in the end, the damage would be the same. This time, Dorian would not intervene. He’d known Katya for all of thirty minutes. She had to weigh her brother’s challenges on her own.

Fingers dipped into the pocket of his silk vest, past the small blade to close around the pocket watch. Dorian brought it into the light and loosed the catch, checking the time. It had been roughly twelve minutes since he’d sent the gunman scurrying for the door. That, and the barked knuckles of Katya’s errant brother, led him to believe that reinforcements were soon to arrive. How they’d be dealt with was a matter that hung upon Katya’s response to her brother.

_{Current mood}

---

There’s a father, Dorian mused as Katya moved to carry out her decision. Whether the patriarch was at hand, not to mention handy, might be a consideration. Then again, the apparent ages of his adult children offered the possibility of his incapacitation by any number of maladies. Here on the outer rim, a man was considered long lived if he accumulated sixty good years. What he’d seen of Katya’s mettle was admirable, but the presence of a father might force her to stand her ground, a frequently unwise tactic. Still, the little knowledge he had wasn’t worthy of a course of action. He had to know more.

“Fahgive mah interruption,” Adler spoke as a deliberate hand pulled a second revolver from within his coat. The barrel dipped, pointing between his knees toward the floor planking as he popped the cylinder open. “Ah might be mistaken,” he continued as one by one, bullets were loaded, “but past experience tells me that yah friend shall return, doubtless with numbahs tah back his play.” He gave the cylinder a quick spin, followed by a fluid snap of his wrist to flip it into place.

“Grady,” he said. In the blink of an eye his arm extended, the gun scan emitting a near inaudible whine as he targeted his own reflection. “You were asked a question,” he swiveled on his barstool as the pistol slipped into its’ holster. “At this juncture, tha right move fah yah family’s well being is tah answer.” Dorian’s eyes lay casually upon Grady, his shooting hand once more wrapped around the drink glass.

<Open tag>

We hope that you all had a great holiday season, and hope for a year full of well being.

Couple quick notes:

1. The "Galley Meeting" JP/Collab has been completed, and the first installment posted. We'll get the second half up in the next day or so.

2. TIME SKIP: Once that piece is up, we'll leap ahead a few days, moving to China Doll's arrival at the Skyplex. Boone will get to show off some pilot skills as the rest of the crew makes ready.

3. SKYPLEX: While there are some orders for each crewperson to follow, you're encouraged to write your characters' doings during our stopover.

4: HOLIDAY AU CONCLUDES 1/7! Hard stop in our OOC channel next Sunday night. If you've got an AU adventure you'd like to continue, we'll move your story to a Gdoc to share with the crew.

And that's all for now. We've got some excitement planned as the current tale progresses, and can't wait to see what you and your characters bring to the party.

Happy New Year and WWIF,

Wolf and Sail

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Cargo Bay!

So, after a protracted bout of real life struck several of our members, not to mention your humble hosts, China Doll appears to be getting her feet under her once more.

We're just a couple hours shy of docking at Little Moriah Skyplex. Once there, we'll say goodbye to our passengers and then pick up all the supplies and hardware we need to complete our current job, heading outside the 'verse to intercept an asteroid in its' 300 year elliptical orbit.

Cap'n and Boone are putting the finishing touches to a JP that'll get us docked. Imani and Abby are completing a JP that'll drop after we're hitched to the skyplex. But for now, the crew are all getting ready. Feel free to write your char going about their business. What would they be doing a couple hours out? And just what are Edina and Yuri up to?

I hope everybody has a great finish to the weekend. I'm headed out, as my beloved Atlanta United are facing rivals Orlando City SC for the first time this season. I won't be wearing green, but I'll def. have a taste of whiskey in honor of the day. Slainte!

Write When It's Fun,

Sail

Happy Saturday from the cargo bay!

I want to start with an apology. It's been a month since I last engaged with any sort of writing, and I've left FF2V hanging out to dry during that time. Sometimes the commitments of the real world drain more then one's energy and time. Suffice to say, I've been somewhat bereft of my personal muse since mid June, but that's not your fault. I am so sorry to have left our story dangling in mid air.

Now, like a person who gave up regular exercise in favor of daily cheeseburgers and couch time, I need to get back at flexing the writing muscle. To that end I'll step up posting activity in the next couple weeks to help get our current story back on track. Thanks, FF2V, for all your patience and kindness.

Hey gang, just checking in. We usually have a hiatus (voluntary or no) throughout the summer, and 2024 has been no different. I'm going to be getting a jump start on a JP with Gunther (Yes, Gunther's back and playing a different character!) to introduce his new character to the crew soon. We'll have him put up the Character sheet in the customary place and mosey on forward with this episode sooner than you can spit.

Hope all are well, and looking forward to writing with you!

Wolf

The image of Izzy (Isabella) is taken from Lana del Rey's childhood as Elizabeth Grant.

@Gunther Awesome! Thanks for adding that!

I'm planning to get us back in the black shortly. Don't forget that solo posts are encouraged, so you can give us a little slice of life for your characters settling into the China Doll. All that to say, I know we heavily write JP's (or collabs) historically, but let's get some solo posts on the board, too!

As far as the story is concerned, we have a coupe more 'i's to dot and 't's to cross before the China Doll shoves off of Little Moriah. We'll hopefully get those story points added this week or next, then we should be moving on to the rest of the episode!

WWIF,
Wolf & Sail

I should make a "move in" post.

@Gunther Defintely! They'll be bunking in the crew quarters along the bridge!

Imani will "welcome" Izzy with open arms.

I'm thinking it'd be fun if for some reason they didn't get along. Maybe something happened when they first met

That's a fantastic idea @Xandrya! I'm curious to see if Gunther will go for it. Oh the shenanigans a rivalry between an eleven year old and a grown woman might offer!

@wanderingwolf

Wait, got his characters confused! I meant Penny, though such feud would be hilarious!

@Xandrya Hahahahah, yeah I was picturing a Dennis the Menace style relationship with Imani shaking her fist at an eleven year old.

@wanderingwolf

Like you said, the shenanigans would be hilarious!

But I think I'm gonna have Imani be a little envious of her, like she feels threatened by Penny for whatever reason, which leads to Imani not liking her and Penny in turn not caring less about it. Something like that.

@Xandrya You just like to stir the pot! I appreciate this.

@wanderingwolf Hey it's definitely more interesting that way!

This is why we're friends. @Xandrya

@XandryaNo worries. I am all about the drama. Penny and Imani can be hostile toward one another.