Rephidim Docks – It's early morning, and yet Anisa is regarding the sunset. To be specific, the Sunset Hoof. It's an old-looking ship, but seems to have been lovingly maintained. The stern has windows of stained glass, with a pair of lanterns hanging over it. The craft itself is somewhat stocky-looking, and is dwarfed by an envelope painted in vivid reds, oranges, and yellows. The figurehead on the prow is a weather-worn equine shape… possibly Aeolun. Gathered around the gangplank are several passengers. Not many… but a few. Stacked near the plank is luggage of all sorts, including Anisa's.

The white Lapi keeps a wary eye on the luggage, hoping its cargo doesn't do anything stupid. She had managed to sneak off the ship bound for Chronotopia after her parents had seen her board, and gave her ticket to her friend Andrea, who'd enjoy the experience much more than Anisa would. Royce seemed to do likewise, and she clumsily lugged him along to the Sunset Hoof.

She gives her fellow passengers the once over, then looks down to her littlest brother Ben. "Well, I'm off. You be good, and be waiting for me when I get back."

"And remember, not a word of this to Mom or Dad," she reminds him.

Benjamin nods, his face somber, and his combo-box tucked under one arm. "I won't, I promise. Cross my ears. You just be careful, okay? And tell Gibson I said 'thanks' for the box. I think there's more compartments in it; I'm still looking." He looks over at the pile of luggage… rather larger than might be brought by your average passenger. "Is Royce able to breathe in there all right?"

Anisa clasps her paw around Benjamin's mouth, and looks nervously around to make sure no one was listening. "Shhh!" she whispers, "not so loud! No one's supposed to know he's in there. We could get kicked off the ship if they knew!" She stands back up, smoothing back her frazzled ears. "Now, you'd better go on home, I'll tell Gibson 'hi' for you." She bends over and gives her little sibling a hug. "Remember, be good."

"Mmf!" Ben struggles a bit, and gets his face in the clear, then hugs back. "I will. Don't forget to mail back!" The dock loaders begin circling around the boxes and crates stacked up, checking off names on the labels.

The white rabbit shoulders her carry-on bag, and begins to start up the gangplank. "I'll try! See you when I get back!" She gives Ben a final wave and smile, then trudges onto the deck of the ship, keeping watch on her luggage.

At the top of the plank, a Rhian in a blue greatcoat and breeches greets each passenger with, "Ticket." Down at the bottom, the dock workers have started moving the trunks. A couple of them grunt as they heft one in particular. "Oof… Dagh, what's in this thing?"

Anisa grimaces as she shoots the large trunk a quick glance, then turns back to face the Rhian. "Oh yes, here it is." She fishes into her dress pocket (she wasn't able to change into a pair of trousers with all the running around), and pulls out the ticket, handing it to the horse. "Can I have all my luggage sent directly to my room? I need to, er, freshen up." She gives a sappy sweet smile, trying to look the part of an innocent bunny girl.

The Rhian gives Anisa's ticket a cursory glance, then nods in a bored fashion. "Certainly, miss. Your berth is number three." He waves the Lapi through, then calls down at the dock-workers. "Hey, you louts! All the luggage tagged to ticket six goes to berth three, directly." The dock-workers nod.

"Aye, Captain." *Thud* "Oof!" "Henrick, watch your end of that trunk!" "Sorry." "Who said 'oof'?"

The Lapi heaves a silent sigh of relief, adjusting her bag to better sit on her shoulder. The tense feeling returns as the trunk is bumped around, and she casts a nervous look back to the trunk containing her brother. She tries to shrug it off for now, praying to the First Ones that Royce keeps his cool, and makes her way to the cabins section. "Let's see, berth three… "

The cabins are below decks. One long, narrow hallway leads down rows of doors, all numbered with seared wood quite clearly. Number three isn't hard to find. Other passengers squeeze up and down the hall, checking into rooms of their own. It's quite a mix.

Anisa tries to slip past the others as well, making a bee-line for her quarters to await the arrival of Royce. "Oof, excuse me, pardon me… HEY! Watch it!"

A Khatta with a long parcel slung over his shoulder winces, shifting it to be less of a danger to unwary heads. "Charuman is to being most sorry, mistress," he says, an apologetic tone making it through his thick accent. Bright, colorful, and rather baggy clothing seems to match with the accent, distinctly Abu Dhabian.

Anisa ducks the parcel, and just gives a grimaced nod to the cat, wondering who Charuman is. She can't help but be a bit entranced, however, not having seen many non-Rephidimites before, and eyes his strange garb quickly, fascinated at its exotic appearance. She catches herself staring, and turns to her cabin door in embarrassment, attempting to swing it open.

The Khatta continues on his way, headed for the cargo area, and trailing annoyed comments from passengers that are too slow to avoid the clumsy parcel. The door admits Anisa to a somewhat cramped berth. It's small, but nicely appointed, with a chest of drawers set against one wall, and bolted securely to the floor, and a tall, full-length mirror nailed into the wall across from it. A bunk hangs by thick ropes fastened to the slightly curved wall across from the door. Judging by the port-hole above the pillow, it's a part of the hull.

The white Lapi takes her carry-on bag, and places it on the chest. She looks the bunk over, hoping it will be big enough for her and her brother, and insulated enough to keep their conversations quiet. She takes a few bottles of soaps and shampoos, and stows them away in one of the drawers, and places a few scented candles on top. The rabbit then takes a seat on the bunk, fidgeting with her new dress that Beatrice insisted she wear, and hoping the luggage will arrive soon so she can change.

It's a somewhat long and tedious wait, made a little shorter by being able to watch people scurrying around the dock below through the port-hole. Soon, there comes a knock from the door. A voice outside says, "Ms. Snowshoe?"

Anisa jumps up from the bed, startled. "Yes?" She opens up the door a crack to see whoever is outside.

A uniformed Skreek looks back, standing amidst large piles of luggage blocking up the hallway. Irate passengers scramble over and around it as best they can, and the slightly exasperated Skreek says, "Ms. Snowshoe? Your luggage, that you wished brought to your room." With both Anisa's and Royce's belongings, there's quite a hefty stack out there.

"Oh! Yes, that," the Lapi opens her door the rest of the way, and moves to one side. "I'm sorry, go ahead and bring it in, I don't know what I was thinking. You know I'd be positively lost without all my things." She continues to chatter on aimlessly, imitating Beatrice and her friends when they become all chatty, and uses the same sweet sickly sweet smile she used on the Rhian so as to create a false impression of the innocent young girl, and thereforejustifying, to some extent, the massive amounts of luggage. "Thank you oh so much for bringing it… "

The Skreek nods mutely, resigned to seeing apparently just the kind of attitude he expected, even if it's feigned. He hauls as much of the luggage in as he can manage at one time. Another worker helps him along with it, especially with a particularly heavy trunk, and soon there hardly seems to be standing room in the berth. "Madame… are you certain you wouldn't like to leave some of this in the cargo hold?"

Anisa opens one of the bags containing the frilly dresses her mother packed, and other containing yet more shampoos, and starts to arrange them all neat and proper on the bed, humming to herself. She looks at the Skreek with the same sugary smile, "Oh, of course not! I simply need it all here, not down in those ghastly cargo holds!" She pulls a brush out, and stands in front of the mirror, brushing her ears.

"Yes, ma'am," sighs the rodent porter. It takes a while, but the trunks and bags are eventually stacked up as space-efficient as possible, leaving a narrow aisle in the center of the room, with enough space to reach the dresser and mirror. With a tip of his cap, the Skreek says, "Have a nice voyage, ma'am," and turns to the door.

"Thank you!" Anisa says melodiously to the Skreek, giving a small wave of her paw as they leave. She gets up to close the door behind them, making sure they are completely gone before she drops her ruse.

The scuffle of the congested hallway outside gives way to the normal thumpings and mumblings of passengers moving about out there. The coast seems clear.

The white Lapi closes the door, and bolts it, giving yet another sigh of relief. Dropping her false persona, she goes from case to case, kicking them each in turn roughly. "Royce," she whispers loudly, "where are you? It's safe now, come on out!"

There's a thump and some scratching noises from a slightly battered trunk near the middle of a stack by the dresser. "Let me out of here! I'm going crazy!"

Anisa quickly scurries over to the trunk, and unfastens the zippers and buttons keeping it shut. "Okay, okay, hold your Dromodons! And keep your voice down; we don't wanna be found out!" Finally, she flips the cover open.

With a gasp, Royce heaves his upper half over the edge of the box, wheezing. "Air… oh, how I took it for granted before this… "

The older sister rolls her eyes. "Quit being so over-dramatic, Splotches, and help me with some of this stuff." She starts to organize the baggage to a more workable layout, searching for the trunk in particular that holds her trousers and other casual wear. "Now, you know you're going to have to stay in here, and go back into the trunk when we leave the ship."

"I know, I know," replies the other Lapi, crawling out of the trunk, and dusting at his wrinkled tunic and breeches. He begins moving some baggage around… mostly his own, to sort it out from Anisa's. "Rephidim's been over the ocean, so we shouldn't be that far from Half Valley. I'd guess at a few days' voyage. Maybe five, at most."

Finding the trunk containing her more relaxing attire, Anisa grabs the dresses off her bed and stuffs them in the drawers, laying out a loose-sleeved white shirt and a pair of black trousers. "That's five more days than I would like, to be honest. I wonder what they do to the stowaways they catch?" The rabbit looks around for a changing screen, but not finding one, motions for her brother to face the opposite direction. "Do you think you can stay put down here for a whole week?"

"It's not like I have a whole lot of choice," sighs Royce. He turns to look out the port-hole to give his sister some privacy. "I brought a lot of books to keep me sane. A k'tinza board, some Airships dice, and a deck of cards too… uh, if you're willing to stick around every so often to play a game or two. But… I suppose you'd probably like to explore around above-decks."

Anisa quickly strips, and slips into her preferred clothes while her brother's back is turned, tossing the new dress to the corner. "Well, yeah. I'd like to go up a bit now and then." She shrugs, putting her ears up with a hair-band. "I mean, the trip shouldn't be a total bore for both of us. You can turn back around again." She starts to put her extra traveling clothes into the drawers, tossing the prim dresses back into the trunks.

Royce nods, and smiles a little, fetching up a book titled, "Mysteries of the Temple" from one of his bags. "Well, it's all right. It's not like I left my room back home all that much anyway. It'll be like an extended vacation from Snowshoe's. I hope. Just don't forget to bring me something to eat now and then."

The white lagomorph finishes stowing her clothes away, and pulls out a bag of dried carrot chips. "Well, just don't get cabin fever and go all crazy on me," she says while munching on a chip or two. "And I'll try to bring you stuff, but I can't make any promises. We don't know what kind of stuff they serve on this tub." She tosses the bag to Royce. "I'm going to go up top for a bit and take a look around; think you can keep quiet?"

"I'll try to keep the noise from my polo game to a minimum," replies Royce, gesturing at the narrow isle between trunks and boxes. As if to illustrate the point, he turns to go sit on the bunk, and bumps his elbow on a box corner, abruptly gritting his teeth and clutching his arm. "Gah, funny-bone!"

Anisa snerks, clutching a paw to her face to keep from laughing out loud. "Way to go, klutzoid. Don't injure yourself too much while I'm gone." The rabbit turns on her heel, and peers out the door before exiting to make sure no one looks inside.

Royce's muttering fades into the background, and peeking out into the hall reveals that most of the passengers seem to have gotten situated. There comes a shrill whistling from up the hall, first low, then high, then low, and the familiar voice of the Skreek calls out, "Casting off in five minutes!"

The white Lapi quickly sneaks out the door of her room, shutting the door hastily behind her. Giving a look right, then left, she begins to make her way to the stairs leading above decks, a nonchalant demeanor upon her face.

The scene above-decks is a busy one, with crewmen scurrying around, hoisting sails, tugging ropes, and disengaging the Sunset Hoof from the dock. Several passengers are up here as well, grouped around the railing to look down and wave at people seeing them off. There's a copperhead Naga, dressed sharply in fine clothing with conservative earth tones. There's a gray-brown Skeek woman, in simpler garb, leaning against the railing and propping her head on one hand. Nearby stands the orange Khatta that Anisa bumped into in the halls earlier, and next to him is another Khatta – this one a sleek woman dressed similarly, but with more purples and lavenders, and showing off luxuriant peaches-and-cream fur.

Dodging the deck hands as they scurry about their business, Anisa slowly paces to the railing, sliding up next to the other passengers as they give their farewells. She stays particularly close to the Skeek, not entirely trusting of the carnivore types – an old dated stereotype that nonetheless sits in the back of her mind – and looks down at the crowd below.

The mousy woman, slight of build, and dressed in cool blue tones, doesn't seem to have anyone to wave to, but watches nonetheless. She looks up at Anisa, and smiles in a relaxed, almost lazy manner. "Hello, there."

Anisa's ears twitch, not expecting to be spoken to. "Oh, hello." She smiles at the mouse. "Nice, uh… day for a flight, eh?" Her eyes quickly dart over at the Khatta couple, taking in the female's finery with quiet envy, before looking back to the Skeek. "Off to Half-Valley?"

"Sure is. Sure am. Then beyond it, away from all this." The Skeek gestures vaguely at the docks, her smile remaining fixed in place, except for a slight broadening. There's a laid-back sort of confidence about her that seems somewhat unlike your stereotypical Skeek. "How about you, sugar? What brings you to the skies?"

The white Lapi looks at the Skeek curiously; most mice she's met have been the timid, shy type. But then again, the same could be said about her kind. "Oh, just traveling about, going to meet up with my bro-, er, a contact in Half-Valley." She leans on the rail, attempting to look as relaxed as the Skeek. "What do you mean 'beyond'? Oh, my name is Christina Snowshoe, by the way, but you can call me Anisa."

The Skeek extends a paw amiably, still wearing that odd smile of hers. "A pleasure, Anisa. You can call me Wanda." Her other paw goes from gesturing at the docks, to encompassing the sky on the other side. "Beyond this place. Out there, where there's more for me. I'll see the world, make a name for myself, where petty, small minds can't bind me."

Anisa's ears almost shoot straight up at the Skeek's words, and a large smile crosses her face as she shakes her paw. Its almost like she was looking into some sort of mirror! "Nice to meet you, Wanda." She gives a puzzled look, but doesn't quit smiling. "You're going to make a name for yourself? How?" She disregards the docks for now, and focuses her attention on the mouse. "I've dreamed of doing the same some day."

"A kindred spirit? Such a welcome change from the norm," replies Wanda, half to herself. That cryptic smile of hers takes on a knowing look. "The same way you are, I'm sure. You know what you're good at, but it can't be appreciated in a limited place, can it? We'll find where we're appreciated, and seek our fortune there. But I'm such an uninteresting topic, sugar. Tell me, who's and what's waiting for you in Half Valley?"

The rabbit blinks as the conversation suddenly shifts her way, not sure how much she should give away, and finding the Skeek more interesting anyway. "W-well, it's my brother… " She quickly tries to think up some excuse, other than the real one. "I'm… going to go visit him, and help him out with a few, uh, business deals."

Wanda tilts her head slightly, both shiny black eyes giving Anisa an appraising look. "Then you're a business-woman?"

"Business woman?" She pauses. Although it's far from the truth, something inside the Lapine likes the sound of that: Anisa, business-woman! "Yes," she quickly blurts out, not really realizing it, "I'm into business! This little trip is to help my brother out, since he needs all the help he can get." She gives a small knowing smile, forcing self-confidence into it.

The Skeek cocks her head in the other direction, nodding slightly, though something about the slightness, and the way it seems slightly out of sync with the conversation makes it appear more like a nod about Anisa's reply, and not directly at her reply. "Wonderful, wonderful… You know, it's a rare thing to see businesswomen around Rephidim. Sure, there's seamstresses and cooks, but I can't remember ever seeing a female merchant caravaneer of any note. Have you?"

Somewhere from near the stern, a burly Jupani crewman calls out, "Casting off!"

The Lapi holds on to the railing, bracing herself for the ship's takeoff. She's never been on an airship before, and doesn't know quite what to expect. "Er, no, I can't say as I have seen many," she replies. "None, as a matter of fact. I guess we're sort of a rare breed." She gives a shy grin, hoping she's coming across as believable.

The deck shudders as a drive-shaft sticking out of the sterncastle begins rotating, turning with it some broad, slow-moving propellers. It's a lurch one can feel, but it's gentle enough to keep from bowling over any passengers. The Khattas grab the railings too, and the Naga seems to have to re-arrange his coils a little. Wanda doesn't seem to move much at all, and simply replies, "You're a rare breed indeed, Anisa. I expect we'll have plenty to talk about on this voyage, to pass the time. Otherwise, time just drags on, you know."

Anisa digs her claws into the railing, her ears almost shooting up in alarm and an uneasy look upon her face. The lurch may be gentle, but it's all new to the rabbit. "Yes, I know how that can be. I hope to – whoa… – make your acquaintance often during the trip." She seems to be overcompensating for her balance, obviously a newcomer to air travel.

A trace of amusement crosses Wanda's face, and quickly drowns in that vague smiling expression of hers. "I'd be delighted. You'll excuse me… now that we're casting off, I'm going to see to some of my things. Feel free to stop by and chat when you've gotten your air legs, sugar. I'm in berth seven."

Still clinging to the railing, the Lapi nods to the Skeek. "Berth seven, will do! I'm in berth three. I'll, uh, see you later!" She gives an uneasy smile, and starts to wobbily make her way back across the deck and towards her cabin. She thinks she's about to be sick.

The Skeek nods graciously, and walks across the deck, staying upright through the ship's movements like some kind of rodent gyroscope. A few moments later, she disappears through one of the hatches to the hold below. The stairs leading below decks seem about ready to lunge at the Lapi, the way she's weaving.

Anisa clumsily stumbles down the steps that seem to mock her, and her stomach starts to sour. Quickly, she makes her way down the hall and outside her cabin, slipping inside, then shutting the door behind her woozily. "Roy-*hic*, R-Royce… ?"

The rabbit in question can be seen lying in the bunk, with a hand pressed over his forehead, and the other over his stomach. The bag of dried carrot chips lies forgotten near a trunk, a few having spilled out. "Oh, Star… " moans Royce. "Anisa, why didn't anyone tell me it would (urp)… that the motion would… oh, I shouldn't have looked outside… "

Anisa only gives her brother a moment's glance, remembering that this is his first time on an airship too. "I didn't kn- *urg* kn-know it would be *gulp* this bad!" She steadies herself by the chest of drawers, clutching her stomach.

The sounds of the bustling docks outside fade away as the view through the port-hole gives way to close-ups of clouds. "Just… just try not to think about it, Anisa… oog… We've got five days to get used to it, after all." The splotchy Lapine starts to get up, but grimaces, and just throws his blanket on the floor, creeping off the bunk to lie on the blanket. "I don't care if it's morning; I'm going to try to sleep through however much I can. Ngh… If you're smart, you'll do the same."

"Five… whole… days? Oh Dagh… " Anisa's eyes quickly bug out at the thought, and she bolts for the porthole window, throws it open wide, and proceeds to be noisily sick as she sticks her head through it. Once she is finished losing what little breakfast she had, the rabbit wobbles to the cabin door, bolts it, then trips face-first onto the bunk, burying her head in a pillow. "Ooog, by Dagh and the First Ones in a warren," she says muffledly, "what have I gotten myself into?!"