high_seas | [Log || 002] Setting sail!

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[Log || 002] Setting sail!

Who: Hazardous Materials (plus some Queen's Gambit & Brave Vesperia maybe?)
Where: On the seas! Somewhere.
When: 3/13 - 3/23
What: Learning how to sail this thing, meeting each other, prepping for Navy battles!
Warnings: Too much awesomeness on one ship.
Style: Any!
Status: Mostly closed.

General sailing log for the next week or so! Randomness and fun times and whatever we want!

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So let me get this straight. [because he has a diagram, of course he does and he points to the corresponding parts as he talks]

Jib topsail, topsail, stay sail, course, mainsail, yard, foremast, main nmast with crow's nest and mizzen mast.

[hands on hips, nodding like he knows]

If that's what it says. I can't read that language. Now, these ships are a little different from the kind I'm used to, but the way the sails and rudder work are the same.

That's interesting. I wonder why everyone can understand each other verbally and apparently linguistically so long as it's written in the journal but not so much outside of it. [he scratches his temple with the capped end of the marker.]

I wonder if the journal is equipped with some kind of universal translator... though I don't know where it's kept.

[not that that's here nor there at the moment]

So have you sailed a lot?

I don't know one way or the other, but I'm willing to bet that a magic journal that lets you talk to people through the pages is gonna make sure we can understand each other.

[he yoinks the marker from Donnie and scribbles some fluid Chinese characters on all the parts on his diagram. Yes, like that.]

I've been a pirate for years. Longer'n I can even remember. Doesn't matter what the parts are called or how many sails it has, put me on deck and I can sail it.

Hey I can sort of understand those. [peers at the ideograms] Chinese, right? [because it looks sort of like Japanese kanji. Not that he knows many of those--but he knows enough to recognize them and occasionally infer what it means.

He's not sure about this guy being a pirate. Not that Donatello knows him at all, but it's sort of akin to hanging out with the foot, right? The sort of definition of a bad guy, even if he's been pretty helpful so far and has shown no signs of robbing, pillaging or plank...walking...forcing]

Do you mind if I ask-- what got you into piracy in the first place? I mean it seems like the kind of career choice which would end badly.

Well, it's not like there's a lot of career choices for a guy with no skills and no breeding, yanno? It's not like I could just walk into the court at Luoyang and be made a scholar or anything! I was a bandit first, then took to the waters and found it a lot more my style.

[he thumps his chest a bit proudly] 'Course, these days I'm pretty high-ranked in the Wu army, so even pirates can sail under other flags.

[that was a fair point. He must come from a time where a place in the hierarchical structure meant more than talent. Pretty high placed in the army must mean that he's somewhat of a good guy or maybe like an anti-hero, but Donnie can't help but feel a little jealous.]

I'm guessing that's an entirely human army, huh?

[just checking. Not that he minds his lot in life too terribly much but it would be nice to go and get out there without being screamed at.]

By the way, wanna show me which ropes to pull? [since sails where one thing but there were ropes everywhere and he couldn't quite gt the pattern]

Well, yeah, I mean except for cavalry. But you know what I mean. [shrug] That's all there is where I come from originally, can't help that.

[right, back to the sailing lesson. He smacks his fist with his palm and gets back down to it] All right! Now, you wanna make sure the sails catch the wind, but it's not always good to have 'em at full. Sometimes you need to change direction, other times you gotta slow it down or reel 'em in so a gale doesn't rip 'em to shreds. C'mere...

[he'll happily show which ones to pull to do each of these things, hiding the fact that he's sort of figuring it out as he goes too. These sloops have a lot more rigging than the old boats he knows]

That you know of...

[he can't help but not think it's true to some extent. That there are...well people sort of like himself everywhere. Maybe not mutated but not human sentient creatures that are living in the shadows. Maybe there are even worlds where humans are the minority and have to skulk around. But he doesn't really give into fantasy all that much so as Gan Nang explains about where to go and what to do, Donatello follows along, catching on fairly rapidly. He's always been good with his hands]

Sailing is actually a pretty complex science! Moreso than I thought. I wonder if I could find books on the subject--or you know, maybe make this whole process automated. Could you imagine it? Developing a sensor that reads wind speed, air pressure and current to automatically adjust the sails for you? You wouldn't even need a too complex AI, just code in some basic perimeters to the central unit and you could just sail hassle free!

[of course that's even assuming he can get any of the parts he needs here which is doubtful, but a turtle can dream]

Uh. [what were those words he can't even] ...no, I can't imagine.

It takes a fine hand to read the wind and weather, though. It's an instinct. Anybody can pull a rope but it takes smarts to know just when to give the tiller a little nudge, cut the prow against the waves versus ride with 'em, that sort of thing.

That can all be done with really accurate sensors and a central core advanced enough to do all the necessary calculations. I mean, when you look at it, even currents can and wind can be measured in numbers and if it can be measured in numbers it can be computed.

[he folds his arms]

Given enough time and resources there's nothing that couldn't be automized. It's the way of the future!

[the blankest of blank stares]

The future. Uh huh. Right. Gotcha.

[he's used to that. His metaphorical kingdom for someone who understood what he was trying to say when he said it. Or, you know, April]

Anyway I can't do any of that right now. But speaking of the immediate future, I plan to upgrade the ship if I have the time, so is there any particular amenity you'd like to have?

[he thinks about it for a moment, rubbing his chin]

Nah, I can't think of anything it don't already have. It's a pretty nice ship already, I can't complain.

So you're the building type, eh? Have at it, whatever you want.

Well not so much 'builder' as 'mechanic'. I mean technically I do 'build' things, but it's a much more complex system than hammering some nails to boards. I'm mostly interested in integrating technology into what would otherwise be mundane structures to maximize efficiency and maybe even make them a little cool.

[His eyes totally cross again]

....riiiiiiiight. Gotcha.

[no, no he doesn't]

[inward sigh. No he doesn't]

Put in fancy stuff. Make it shinier.

[he really needs a kind of universal translator so he can communicate effectively without having to say that kind of thing]

Well why didn't you just say so, then?

[silly turtle.]

[long sigh] Well anyway thanks for the help! I'm going to need to redo some notes I had so if you need anything, that's where I'll be.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Log || 002] Setting sail!

14th

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