In Austria (Roddy joining a ship)

[Georgia]

There was a man standing at the docks, at a jewelry stand, which sold many shiny objects that the Austrian liked. He stood examining all sorts of things, and buying a nice ring. He liked how the colour was velvet, and suck out from the rest of his jewelry. Which was only another ring and a necklace.

As the sun set, only a couple of ships came into the harbor. He moved his cravat, which he thought was crooked, and walked towards the bar for a drink. The clinking of his boots on the stone was a bit louder than it usually was. It was quiet tonight and Roderich knew it.

He came into a saloon, and sat down and ordered a drink. As soon as he got it he chugged it down. But with grace. He wanted to get out of this place, not because he hated it, but because he wanted some sort of adventure. But how? He could always pay for a ship to take him, but for some reason he thought that if he did he would get treated horribly. Even made into a slave, like some pirates liked to do with the rich. So he kept his money too himself.

[Preußen]

Gilbert eyed his map as his made port at the Austrian air docks, glancing out over the city as he wrinkled his nose a bit.

"I need a navigator or something," he grumbled, rolling up the map and tossing it aside as he strode toward the gang plank, taking the steps quickly and two at a time, reaching the docks below before the ship was properly anchored or tethered - he ignored the calls from crew members and dock workers as he went - and heading quickly to the ladders and ropes reaching down into the street below. He grabbed a robe and slid down it quickly, stopping at the end and allowing himself swing back and forth a bit as he looked across what he could now see of the city.

It was quiet, that much was for sure. So much different than the Berlin docks - or, really, any of the docks in Germany. Hopping from his rope, he took long strides across the stone pathways toward a few merchant stalls and buildings huddled near the harbor. From the way he strode, no one would have been able to tell that he had just gotten off of an airship - his transition from air legs to ground legs was incredibly smooth as of late, what with all of the docking they'd been doing lately.

He pushed his way into a small tavern, quickly seating himself and ordering a large stein of beer. He tossed a few coins onto the bar and heaved a heavy sigh, letting a grin slip onto his face as he savored the feeling of being away from his crew for a while.

[Georgia]

Roderich was drinking through his second drink, not paying attention to much around him. The book he was reading was exiting, pulling him into it, and he never noticed the man that sat next to him. He chuckled at something in the book, and looked around as if it was highly unusual for people to laugh.

He spotted the man besides him, and thought he looked unusual, and crinkled his nose. A pirate? he thought. Most likely at the way he is dressed. He then turned back to his book and began to read, paying no mind to who he had just looked at.

[Preußen]

Gilbert was already more than half-way through his first drink when he noticed the man next to him glance in his direction. Gil, in turn, glanced at the man, and immediately wrinkled his nose. What was with the get up? Was that suit made of velvet? Did his boots have heels? Did his cravat need to be so...lacy?

Gilbert mocked gagging as he quickly turned his attention away and downed the rest of his beer, quickly ordering another and tossing another few coins out onto the counter. His eyes traveled sideways again, and he found himself looking straight at the bespectacled man whom was currently thoroughly immersed in his book.

'Prissy-ass aristocrat,' he thought, but found that he couldn't look away. However, he quickly noticed the bartender and a few other patrons of the bar staring, and he glanced around, trying to figure out what it was about himself that they found so interesting.

It was then that he realized he had been thinking out loud.

"...Oh, Gott Verdammt," he grumbled, and downed half of his beer in one go.

Gott Verdammt = God damn it

[Georgia]

His mouth opened, and he stared blankly at his books. After a few short seconds he closed his mouth, make a face and slowly looked towards the man beside him.
"Exuse me...?" Roderich finally said, after the other man tossed out the vulgar language beside him. He narrowed his eyes and looked strait into his eyes. But only for a short moment as he relised how red his eyes actually were, and he traveled downwards and examined the man.

[Preußen]

Gilbert - figuring that he'd only be in the small port-town for a few minutes longer, anyway - threw all caution to the wind and grinned a bit drunkenly, taking a large swig of his beer and not once taking his eyes off of the man beside him.

"You heard me," he crooned, leaning forward and giving the nose-in-the-air aristocrat a face full of his own awesome face. "What're you going to do about it, prissy boy? Kick me with your girly boots?"

His grin widened as he leaned back again, drinking his beer and getting dangerous looks from a few of the other nose-in-the-air Austrian patrons of the tavern. It was obviously a very nose-in-the-air kind of town, if not a very nose-in-the-air country. However, Gilbert had never spent very much time in the country of Austria before, and therefore didn't know. Honestly, he didn't much care, either.

He finished his second beer and quickly ordered a third, tossing more money onto the counter. The bartender looked wary, but obviously didn't care what the pirate Captain said as long as he was paying.

[Georgia]

Actually, the Austrian didnt really have any feeling of what to say. His eyes wairily wandered back the the others and kept them there, blinking a few times. He felt like he had seen this man somewhere before actually. Somewhere in a place lost in time.

It wasnt until maybe about 40 seconds later that he said something. "Actually... My boots are pretty durable... " he started to stare harder as if challenging him. "If you would kindly remove your face out of mine, I might not have to use them." He inched back just slightly, and his hands were shaking ever so slightly, wondering what kind of trouble he had gotten himself into with such a ruffian.

[Preußen]

Gilbert 'tch'ed a bit as he leaned back in his seat, sipping at his third beer, eyes traveling up and down over the form of the other. He sneered a little, but decided it would be best to let the conflict drop. He'd be leaving soon, anyway, and he supposed he could always mug the aristocrat before he left, if he really wanted to make a lasting impression, or even just get a point across.

He sipped his beer for a while longer, finishing it off in silence. He placed the stein on the counter and declined when the bartender warily offered to pour him a fourth. Instead, he stood, purposely bumping the man next to him a little, just meaning to give him a slight jar in his seat as Gilbert ran a hand through his hair and turned toward the tavern doors, hoping against hope that the dock crew was done reloading his ship by the time he got there.

"Vielen Dank für das Bier!" he gave the bartender a slight wave as he reached high, stretching.

Vielen Dank für das Bier! = Thanks for the beer!

[Georgia]

Roderich kept staring at him. He was wary and thought about saying something else, but bit his tounge, still glarin at him. He watched the man stand, finish his beer and stand up to leave. Even though roderich was angry a the way the man was acting, he thought about how this man was a pirate.

Clearing his throat he asked calmly, "do you own a ship?" he waited for the others responce, not letting his gaze waver. For some reason he was was determind to get out on a ship and into adventure, and it it means going with a rude hooligan like him then he would have to take his chances.

[Preußen]

Gilbert paused mid-step as he was headed toward the door, glancing back over his shoulder at the man addressing him. He considered the question for a moment, shuffling his feet on the wood floor of the bar before sighing and turning a bit to face the aristocrat.

"I do," he responded shortly, looking the man over again as he did so. "What of it?"

Gilbert wanted to know what the man's interest was in his ship, but he was also eager to be getting back to his ship. Leaving his cook alone with the crew probably wasn't the best idea; not because she was unsafe with them, oh no - but because they were possibly unsafe with her.

[Georgia]

Roderichs mouth twiched, as if a smile was coming. He huffed slightly, irritated. Why else would he be asking him? Well alright this man didn't really like how this town was run and the aristocrats around him, it seemed. He fiddled wiu his book descretely looking for the words to say. Nothin came to mind just yet, and he surveyed the other patrons. He took his book under his arm and took a big stride towards him and pushed him out of the bar, and away from everyone.

" Because I'm looking for a ship... To you know! Whatever you pirates do." he didn't sound so confincing did he? He slowly took a deep breah and refrased it. "Listen, I'm tired of staying here. Please let me come with you. I'll forget what you said o. The tavern." he blinked. " Im an exellent navigator." tried at somthing he was good at. "I-if you need one that is."

[Preußen]

The skyship captain stumbled a bit as he was unexpectedly pushed - not roughly, though - out of the bar by the aristocratic man. Gilbert noticed that, as a breeze caught them from behind, the man smelled of perfume, and velvet, and soap, and...was that leather? Gilbert sniffed the air around them again, searching for the smell, but the breeze had already passed.

He turned his full attention to the man again, eying him as he listened to and actually considered his offer. He did need a navigator, but he wondered if this man would be able to hold his own on a ship of pirates and ruffians. Their mission wasn't a light-hearted one, and while Gilbert had agreed to share the cut of the legendary treasure with his crew, he didn't think this man needed any more money.

After a drawn out pause, Gilbert let out a long-suffering sigh and run a hand through his hair.

"Alright," he agreed shortly, not sure why he was agreeing to let this stuffy guy on his ship. "But if you slack off, or you can't pull your own weight around the ship, you're out."

Here, he meant to look stern, but the expression came across as more defeated and tired than fierce and captain-like. He just couldn't muster up the ability to say no to this guy, especially considering how unmistakably familiar his presence was.

"Let's go," he told the other, a bit more stern this time as he barked the order and turned sharply, taking long strides toward the docks and the ladders leading up to the airships above.

[Georgia]

He waited for his responce, with much anticipation. It was like the climax at an opera. He let out. A releived sigh was let out as the blonde answered. His prayers had been answered, and he was off on some sort of an adventure, weather it be good or bad, Roderich didn't care. It was something. Finally.

He nodded solemly "yes. Pull my own weight and all that." waving his hand almost he turee to follow him. "trust me. I'm exellent with geography, I've studied more than enough, and was forced into making a couple of maps... Bitmap making is entirely tedious and I would rather not, thank you." he put a bit into his step as he took after him.
"m-my name is Roderich." he stated hoping the other would give his name, but hen relised he might not be the best with manners or courticy. "yours is... S-since I wil asume you are my captain. Or would you rather I just call you captain? Is that how it works?"

[Preußen]

Gilbert glanced sideways at his new tag-along, holding back an amused chuckle. However, the expression of amusement was clear on his face as he said, with a firm and snug tone, "Meine name ist Gilbert Beilschmidt."

He slowed to a stop at the bottom of a rope ladder that led up to the docks, and whistled loudly up at the workers above. They looked down at him, and he barked something in German up at them before grabbing onto the ladder with one hand, stepping one foot onto a lower rung and another onto a slightly higher one, looking ready to climb. He turned back to face his new subordinate as the men on the docks began to hoist the ladder up, pulling him slowly upward.

"But it's Kapitän Beilschmidt to you," he tacked onto his previous statement, grinning broadly. He offered hand to the aristocrat, indicating that he should take it and climb onto the ladder with him before it was too high for him to reach.

Meine name ist = My name is
Kapitän = Captain

[Georgia]

Roderich stopped and watch his new captain and snapped out of whatever trance he was in, and took ahold of his hand, and climbed up with him. Unfortunately for him, climbing was something he was not good at, and so he wobbled and oddly, grabbed on to him. He gave a short, almost rude smile. Not that he ment it, it just kinda came out.

"Nice to meet you formally. Capitan Beilschmidt." he cleared his throat and watched as they got higher on too the ship. It all seemed soo surreal.