10-8-2018 - Ruby and Mr. Luther, flashback to long before the current team came into being
Andrew: Mr. Alec Luther sits at his desk, a large magnifying glass held over his eye, pouring over and studying an old map. He eyes it carefully, letting his finger trace along the jagged edges of the mountain peaks and miles and miles of ocean. He hovers over the jagged mountains once more, and then sets the magnifying glass down with a sigh. His eyes are hard set and fierce. "Do you know why I called you into my office today, Ms. Pennington?"
Jessi: Ruby stands a foot away from the front of his desk, prim and proper as always, with an unreadable expression on her face. She had been following Mr. Luther's hands as they traced the aging parchment, making a keen copy of the document in her mind. Her eyes snapped back to his face as he spoke. "I have an idea. Would you like to share what's on your mind, sir?"
Andrew: Alec sits back in his chair, steepling his fingers together. "Opportunity, Miss Pennington. That's why you're here. That's why we're all here. Opportunity is the gateway to freedom, you see," he says, tapping the side of his nose. His eyes are still fierce and set. "I've seen a lot of things in my time, Miss Pennington. My eyes have scanned countless documents and dozens of maps of rumors and treasures alike. Nothing has quite prepared me..." He trails off, his hard set eyes going distant for a moment before returning back to their fierceness. "...for this." He slaps his hand down on the map he was studying earlier.
Jessi: She holds her breath, trying to piece together in her mind a picture of Mr. Luther's plans. He is always so excitable with new information, it's hard to tell what he's going to decide. "For..." she begins, not entirely sure how to phrase it. "...Another crack at the Rift?"
Andrew: "Well, hmmm," he strokes his chin thoughtfully. Suddenly, he rises from his seat and begins to pace back and forth along the length of his office. He begins to mumble to himself. "I COULD prep another airship.... Yes, yes, and get it battle ready... Oh, but it would be too cumbersome with all that armoured plating... I'd need something lighter... But what of the freak storms...? Blow a lighter craft right out of the sky.... Almost blew ol' Sam out himself, what with that S-Fortune Class and all.... Poor, poor Sam...." He continues this way, mumbling to himself about possibilities, opportunities, schedules, departures, airship schematics, geography, directions.... On and on.
Jessi: Ruby nervously shifts a little in her spot. She gazes again at the map on the table. A map that spells utter excitement and adventure to a man like Mr. Luther, but certain death to any unprepared crew. It wasn't the first time she'd heard of expeditions going even remotely near there... that were lost. Even some from this own company. Ruby knew Mr. Luther knew that as well.
She tried not to make friends with many of the crews that went out on his expeditions. She wasn't sure how long they would last with the expectations this career path required. Unless it benefited her or Mr. Luther to get close to them, she was content staying, in this one thing only, blissfully ignorant.
Andrew: "Oooooooh, it wouldn't do!" Alec kicks his desk chair leg, the sound reverberating in the small office. "It's too risky! Far too risky, even for what I am wanting. Miss Pennington, you remember this well, that when the wrong opportunity comes knocking at the right time--EVEN at the right time--slam the door shut!" He sits down heavily, his head in his hand. "I need you to gather everything from Samuel Willstock. I have other business to attend to and haven't had time to rummage through everything. Would you kindly file his will, letter, and this map away into my lockbox?" He looks at you with an odd gleam in his eye. "You know which one I'm talking about.
Jessi: Ruby turned to obey right away, closing the door to give them additional privacy. No one would likely hear them here in the top office, but she knew this was extra important. Turning back to him, she nods. "That I do, Mr. Luther. That I do." She scoops up the material on the desk, and begins to fold it all back up neatly. She takes extra care handling it, feeling an almost... tingling sensation as she looks it over.
Returning it back into the brown envelopes they came in, she gingerly picks up the package and walks to a side wall. A large filing cupboard is there, but after undoing a latch on the side, it slides out easily along the floor. She bends down and on the floor beneath where it was situated, Ruby uses a letter opener in between two floorboards. It pops up with a spring. Lifting out a black metal box, she unlatches it with a combination lock and places the files inside. A small mountain of other documents--dangerous documents--welcome it. Other strange or curiously worked rumors, tied in some way to magic. Something that could ruin a good business. But tempting enough that her proprietor could never bring himself to destroy them.
She replaceseverything as it was, lets out a small contented sigh for the maintained safety of their business, and returns to her place by Mr. Luther's desk.
Andrew: Mr. Luther extends his hand. "We'll keep that locked away, along with everything else in there. You are a fine person, Miss Pennington. Tarj...I hope you never in your lifetime have to go to that horrid place."