The desert air at night makes the Procession exceptionally clear, at the expense of making the air quite chill, even at the lower altitudes the Rake makes use of. The ptera team is out in full, flying less for speed than to keep themselves warm. Tasha isn't needed to steer them at this time though, and has the relatively light lookout duty that those of Vartan descent are particularly good at.

Despite all belief to the contrary, Tasha does think about things. And, no, despite further theories, it does not hurt her brain. Usually.

Things have gotten right complicated aroun' here, she muses to herself, staring up at the Procession sky. Lapi tha' can fight, Amazonians, an' now a trip to Olympia an' more. I guess it's nice, it is, like seein' somethin' new.

A small bell chimes, indicating someone coming up through the ladder-tube connecting the lookout to the deck below. There's also a slightly meaty smell wafting up from the opening as well.

Tasha drops her gaze to the access hole, watching for whoever approaches. She doesn't want to get caught in a dreamy pose, either. The last time that happened the crew teased her for a week.

The glint of Procession-light off of a glass eye lets Tasha know the visitor is Captain Eyeshine, even before his head pokes up through the floor hatch. The Vartan grunts as he squeezes the rest of the way through the opening, and then hunkers down a bit to brush off his knees. "Gah, need bigger hole," he complains.

Momentarily dazzled by Eyeshine's glass eye, Tasha stares dumbly at him until he makes a comment. "You always 'ad a big enough hole, I though'," she remarks distractedly, adding quickly, "Cap'n."

Eyeshine grunts again, and unslings a leather canteen from his shoulder while unclipping two leather mugs from his belt. "Brought yous something to keep you warm," he says, uncapping the canteen to release the smell of hot meat broth.

Moments when she is alone with Eyeshine, let alone when he comes by to offer her a meal, are somewhat rare for Tasha. Usually the man's busy yelling orders, or else seeing to matters in town. He tends to dine by himself, though now and again he'll invite Tasha to dine with him. Despite this, neither Tasha, nor Eyeshine, have ever seriously flirted with each other.

"Tha's righ' nice of you, Cap'n," says Tasha, extending her hand for a mug. "Di' I do somethin' righ? Or, di' I do somethin' wrong, an' you're abou' to poison me?"

Handing over the mug, Eyeshine takes a sip from his own and then gives Tasha a serious look. "You's okay, Tasha? You go out for one day, come back with pet tiger and more bunnies… and a painting I no dare let crew see. Somethin' I should know about any o' this?"

"Oi, well, I … " Even Tasha's mother doesn't quite make Tasha stammer like a direct inquiry from Captain Eyeshine. If there's anyone in her life that acts like an authority figure, it's the Captain. In a way, he's like her adopted father – even if the tie can be loose at times. " … I jus' wanned to 'ave a good time, is all. I though' I coul' show tha' arena what's wha', an' the bunnies, they're jus' part of business, they are. Well," Tasha sniffs her drink and sips, " … mos' of 'em are. Don' thin' I 'ave a chance with Calli." She blinks at the Captain, grins, shrugs, and blushes faintly – not that anyone can see her blush beyond her red fur. "I guess I jus' wanned to live a lil'."

"You thinkin' about giving up ship-life?" the captain asks, in a sort of forced-nonchalance manner, then sips his cup again.

Tasha's ears perk. "No' nothin' li' tha'. Wha's more adventurous than an airship? Nothin', tha's wha'," the female Vartan replies, sounding somewhat defensive. "Is jus' I wanned to see more, an' … " Thinking she doesn't have any good way to explain her wanderlust without offending the captain, Tasha abruptly switches topics. " … Do you really thin' of me li' a daughter, or was tha' jus' talk on the pier?"

"I wouldn't be up here if I wasn't concerned, Tash," Eyeshine says, smiling a bit. "Besides, my cabin is full o' bunny bucks that make me nervous for some reason."

Tasha, not exactly a beacon of emotional closeness and femininity, grins toothily at the affection and then punches the captain in the arm. "Tha's righ' nice of you. I guess, if you wan' the truth o' i', you're as close as I ever 'ad to a father. I mean, one tha's aroun', an' … I … " Tasha's real father has always been a sore spot for her, he's either described as phenomenally heroic and endlessly adventurous or a complete loser. Either way, the captain's affection and her own issues are enough to throw her off balance. She drinks from her cup – heavily.

"So, this lustin' after clients and posin' for naked paintings isn't the start of a trend, is it?" the captain asks, still smirking.

Tasha's ears twitch as she stares in to her cup. "I don' know, are you sayin' I can'? I righ' li' i', I thin'. Abu Dhabi 'as people who li' 'ow I look, an' they pay me for pictures. Calli's jus', well, I don' know abou' 'er. She's righ' shiny, for one, an' I'd never met a Lapi who coul' take a Vartan. No' much for 'er frien', though."

"Don't care for the competition?" Eyeshine asks again, grinning. "And what about this golden one you brought on?"

The woman suddenly looks up. "I can take any competition, I can! Take 'em an' win." She takes another sip, tail lifted and wagging slowly. "I men' the golden one. She's righ' shiny an' all, bu' she's go' no fire in 'er, no' li' Calli. Layth, 'es all proper an' such. S'like talkin' to a noble. Aaron, 'e's all righ'. No' tha' I'd do 'im, bu' he's good for a tease."

"Bit old fer you anyways, ain't he?" the captain asks. "Still, don' sound like anything serious. Just a crush on the exotic bunny."

Tasha runs a hand back through her hair as she considered her lust being just a crush. "I guess it is, at tha'," she agrees. Then she grins, and winks. "I gave i' my best shot. Calli's li' some sor' o' Amazonian royalty wit' all these rules abou' 'er. Makes my 'ead 'urt."

"Nobles," Eyeshine says, imbuing the word will equal parts dread and scorn. "Always trouble, they are. Don't care a twit about us that does the work for them."

"I 'ere tha'. Get one or two wannerin' aroun' the Unnerside now an' then, an' I jus' … " Tasha's mouth hangs open as she quickly changes her mind about what to say, deciding Cap'n Eyeshine would appreciate a less aggressive answer, " … avoi' 'em."

With a grunt, Eyeshine nods his approval. "Jus' don't want you gettin' hurt, Tash. I know you want to have adventure an' excitement at your age," he says quietly.

"I don' ge' 'urt," Tasha lies, thinking she it's close enough to the truth. She feels rather invincible – it's just things get in her way now and then. Things like unconsciousness. "I don' know wha' to say abou' all this carin', though. You sure you're no' about to toss me off the ship? Run me through? Poison me?" Tasha leans forward, peering at the captain with only partially feigned suspicion.

"Err, where you get idea I ever do somet'ing like dat to one of me crew?" Eyeshine asks, looking shocked.

Tasha seems surprised by the captain's shock, leaning back and holding up a hand to placate him. "Oi, I don' thin' tha'! I jus, ain't never seen you qui' so worried, s'all. I guess I'm … wha's tha' word … no suspicious … the other one … when you care, li'."

"Hurr, paranoid?" Eyeshine suggests.

The woman wrinkles her muzzle. "Tha's righ', bu' no' qui' the word I meant this time. It's all … lovey-dovey."

The captain scratches his head with a claw, thinking. "Concerned?"

"I thin' you're concerned! I'm … I'm … " Tasha scratches her head a moment, then perks up all at once. "Touched! Tha's it. Touched."

"Eh, I no lay a feather on you!" Eyeshine scrawks.

Tasha laughs, shaking her head. "No no, means all lovey-dovey li'. Tha' I care tha' … you care, see? No' li' tha' at all," she explains after a moment.

"You sober too, so muss be tellin' truth," Eyeshine agrees, and relaxes again. "You goin' with bunnies when we make port?"

Tasha nods to that. "Someone's go' an' make sure they come back, righ'? Can' be no man, no' in Amazonia. They don' think man are strong at all, they don'. Also, I go' an' look out for our innerests in wha' ever deal they ma', righ'?" Despite her bravado in the matter – and her bravado in past matters dealing with business – Tasha barely has any experience dealing with transactions, and the captain knows it.

"You sure they take care of you?" Eyeshine asks. "No' sure what old buck tell you, but he in painting with you. You sure you no be seduced and sold into slavery?"

"Haw, tha' ol' buck was whinin' and coverin' his eyes for tha' paintin'. I 'ad to bully 'im, an' I got 'im in i' jus' for the fun o' i'. 'Sides, 'e fed me fruit an' 'elped me ou'," Tasha insists. She places a hand on her hip, the one free of mug, and shakes her head. "I thin' tha' Calli's go' tha', what's-it, honor abou' 'er. I don' think she'll jus' up an' le' tha' 'appen. Plus, if I don' come back jus' mee' 'er in tha' shop in Abu Dhabi. She's boun' to be back, wha' wit' 'er deal an' all."

"I hear Amazonians is raiders and savages," Eyeshine notes, looking up at the Procession to get his bearings. "No' cute little bunnies with lots o' money."

"I 'eard the same stories, I 'ave. I wan' an' see for myself. I wan' an' see what's ou' there, an' 'ave some of me own stories, an' maybe see what's all this abou' Calli an' 'er rules. Maybe I can even learn a trick or two, I 'ear they're all righ' fine fighters an' all – no' tha' they're better than me," Tasha explains, switching to a defensive voice at the very end.

"Maybe they all good fighters because the clumsy ones all dead," the big Vartan points out. "You no go pick fights just for somethin' to do, gots that?"

"Bu' 'ow'm I supposed to show 'em wha's wha'?" the female Vartan demands.

"Eh, that your hosts' job," Eyeshine says. "They so important, you get respec' by associaten' wi' them."

Tasha seems to consider that, head tilting and ears twitching. "Is tha' 'ow i' works with them nobles? I ain't never 'ad a noble 'round before, no' for more than a nigh'," she asks, curious.

"Harrumpf," Eyeshine grunts. "You no go around them, no go over heads… Calli-girl you captain, you do what she say and ask if you not sure."

Tasha's tail flicks, then she shrugs. "I see 'ow i' is, then. Li' a cap'n, righ'? I can do tha', I can."

"Yah, you keep out o' trouble!" Eyeshine says, pointing his mug at Tasha for emphasis. "You no speak rabbit-talk or fancy old dead language, you ask a bunny for help."

Tasha's ears splay, and she blinks. "No' speak fancy dead language? 'Ave I been speakin' dead languages when I'm drunk?" Her ears splay more, her hand running through her hair again, and her brows narrow confusedly. "An' 'ow do you kill a language?"

"Kill culture what spoke it, tha's how," Eyeshine says. "Olympian a dead language, even though it still spoke in Olympia. Jus' not used anywhere else, 'cept by scholars an' mages."

Tasha's ears go from splayed to perked, and she leans forward to peer at the man with renewed interest. "Oi, you're pretty smart, you are! I never knew you 'ad it in you, Cap'n. My da', the wise man," she teases.

"Eh, I been to Olympia before," the captain says, puffing out his feathers a bit. "I young once, you know!"

"I don' know! I though' you arose fully-grown from a … a Rahktor egg, I though'," the woman insists jokingly. She takes a step back anyway, just in case.

Eyeshine crosses his arms across his chest, and glowers. "I even courted you mom back then, before we end up with Rake. Didn't lose my eye playin' darts you know."

Tasha gapes at that. "My ma' took your eye," she asks, incredulous.

"Hah! No, she jus' caught it!" Eyeshine laughs. "Lost eye in duel over her."

Tasha suddenly snorts, almost choking on it. She grasps the crow's nest ledge and steadies herself until she can stop shaking. "Oi, tha's grea'. I ought an' ask 'er abou' tha' when I ge' back, I ought to. Haw, haw! Cap'n, I wan' an' tell you somethin'." She pushes off, straightening, then declaring, "You can marry me mom, I don' min'."

Eyeshine blinks at this, and says, "Didn't know I needed your blessin', Tash."

Tasha nods several times, an emphatic indication that the captain most certainly does need her permission. She even says it, to be sure he understands. "Tha's righ', you do! I 'ave to protect me mom from grabby-taloned cap'n's an' their dazzlin' shinies."

"Ho, protect her now?" Eyeshine says. "Grabby? When I ever grabby? I no think she turn me down when I retire."

Tasha grins, shaking a finger. "I don' know, bu' you all knowledgeable an' wit' sneaky tricks you no' goin' to teach me! I 'ave to thin' you hidin' cards."

"Eh, some things you gots to learn on you own," Eyeshine says. He clicks a talon on his glass eye, and adds, "You do good on this deal, come back alive and with lots of cargo, and maybe I tell you who won that duel, eh?"

"Tha's a deal then," Tasha agrees, thrusting out her free hand. "An' may come ba' with a bunny or two, an' add 'em to me tiger."

"More mouths to feed, and they ain't even you kids," Eyeshine says, shaking his head while shaking Tasha's hand. "Airship no place for pets."

Tasha shakes back, and hard. She likes to test the older Vartan – even if he always wins. "Don' thin' I'll keep 'em all. Rather li' the tiger, 'e's go' spirit, even if I don' trust 'im much."

"Well, don' make lots of noise," Eyeshine warns, giving Tasha's hand a good squeeze. "Crew no very sharp when they all giggling and cheering."

Tasha tries not to wince, and since she's had a lot of practice at this she does a passable job. "Oi, they sure aren't. It's 'ard to concentrate pas' all them comments." She grins unrepentantly. "A' leas' he's no' a Vartan, I don' wan' no kids."

"One day you gotta find a good Vartan for a husband," Eyeshine points out. "And no tell crew about painting. No need to give them ideas."

"Hrr, alrigh'. I won'. I though' i' was righ' nice, showin' off me good side, bu' I won'." Tasha shakes her head, then tilts it. "I never di' ask, bu' … di' you know my father? I mean, my other father."

"I tell you when you get back from crazy bunny land," Eyeshine promises.

Tasha, not expecting the captain to know, perks up considerably. She studies the man carefully, head still tilted, then nods. "Alrigh', I guess I ough' an' come back then!" A suddenly light catches her eyes, and she turns to see the first glimmer of sunrise just beyond the horizon. "Oi, an' I ough' an sleep, too, 'cause my shift be over."

"Yarr, you go sleep," Eyeshine says. "Really sleep, no bouncy-bouncy with tiger, you worked long day. I stay here to scare Fraz when he come up for shift."

Tasha laughs heartily. "I's too bad I need sleep," she wheezes, "ol' Fraz is a laugh. Gets 'is feather in such a puff! Haw, haw." She wipes her eyes, then offers the captain his mug back.

Eyeshine holsters the mug, and pats Tasha on the shoulder. "You sleep good. Oh, and… did you get to keep any shinies from that picture?" he asks, his real eye glinting.

Now Tasha does look suspicious, and she suddenly wonders how she could have let it slide that he was up to something. Still, he did come up here and, in a way, he's like her father. She reaches in to one of the bags at her belt and fishes out an arm bangle, which she thrusts at him. "Hawrk, kawa karak kaw," she tells him in Vartan. The translation is an old Vartan toast Tasha heard when she was a child, which means, "Here's to you, father."