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Adventures on the Lost Continent (Midnight Lass x Blood Red Romeo)

Orson was happy she didn’t seem offended by his question, though he half suspected she answered only to tease him. He didn’t know the average size, but if D was largest initially made, then he could only imagine most women were a B or C. That was just his guess. He had no way of proving that right.

As they left, Orson was thankful to be out of the awkward conversation, though he couldn’t stop himself from thinking of his crew more as women. Almost all single, beautiful women. For the first time, he allowed himself to truly consider that he might find himself a wife on the journey. But that had to be ignored. Professionalism was paramount. After all, if he tried anything on someone on board, he imagined it wouldn’t take long for a mutiny to occur.

When he entered the mess hall, he found it and the galley were quickly becoming his favorite rooms on the ship. The smell of the food being made by their chefs was divine. Made it hard to want to leave. “I’m afraid I don’t. Is she someone I should know?”
 
"Not to my knowledge," Tamra answered. "She had one of her cards delivered to the airship today, along with a request for an interview with you. The card identifies her as a reporter for the Sunday Times."

"Good morning, Captain James, Dr. Wilson," Bianca said, lifting her tea cup in greeting. "You have to try one of these tea cookies," she added, pointing to a plate of star-shaped cookies, each with a red candied cherry at the center. "They are absolutely divine."

"And the ridiculous thing is," Ayisha said with a laugh, "Is that our cooks apologized for them. Said that since they were preparing a big luncheon, they only had time to "whip these up" for morning tea. Makes you wonder what would happen if they had what they considered adequate time to do it right.

Safa lifted up a cookie and said something in her musical tongue. Whatever she said, it must have been in agreement with the other women, because she had a blissful look on her face as she ate her cookie.
 
“Interesting. Dandy told me a reporter had been poking around and driving Max crazy. I’ll call her back, just to thank her for that if nothing else. Could I have the card?” Orson asked. It did delight him to know the man was being driven crazy, especially now that he didn’t need to beg for his assistance.

“Good morning everyone,” he said to the assembled trio. He already had an idea of what to expect, but he didn’t say so. After all, that might make him lose the right to a cookie, and Orson couldn’t have that. He stepped up to the table, taking a cookie from the plate and popping it in his mouth. Yep, utterly divine. “These are excellent,” he replied, immediately reaching down and taking a second one. “I’m almost scared if this isn’t there best. Makes me worried I won’t be able to handle their best,” he joked.

Orson then slipped into the kitchen, trying not to disturb the two women inside. He moved to the fish area, placing the used flask from earlier in it. He hoped he could get back to the mess hall quietly after that, not wanting to disrupt the lunch preparations.
 
Tamra handed over to the card, with a handwritten note that Lady Jane Salvin was staying at the Imperial Hotel, probably the City's most upscale hotel.

As soon as Orson entered the kitchen, Vu and Qui both flashed him a smile.

"Captain James, may I introduce my cousin Qui?" Vu said. Qui said something in Vietnamese which Vu translated. "She and I are both very happy for the opportunity you have given us. We promise you that you will not be disappointed." Qui looked up and smiled as she sliced small oranges to lay around one of the large, roasted fish that the two women were preparing.

"We shall have everything done by noon, and you will not be disappointed, Captain James," Vu assured him, as she tasted one of the pots she was cooking something in, then added a few crushed leaves to.
 
“I assure you, it’s a much greater honor on my part to have you on board,” he replied, unable to hold back his smile. “Even those cookies you only ‘whipped up’ are leagues better than anything I’ve had on previous ships. I’m beyond thrilled to have you both as the chefs of the The Midnight Curse,” he said. He really felt no reservations about heaping praise on these girls. However, his mind, awoken to dirty thoughts due to the actions of the day, immediately went to much less wholesome things he’d like his employees to do. Shane’s, he prepared to leave. “I won’t distract you any longer. Qui, welcome aboard,” he finished before slipping out of the kitchen. Between the hugs and the explanation on brassieres, Orson was becoming a mess.

“I think we’ll be just fine with food,” he said cheerily before returning to the table with the four women. “So, I forgot to mention this earlier, but Dandy gave me a tip while I was out. Darnium. It’s a valuable ore people are clambering for at the moment. Apparently, the lost continent is the only place with pure veins of the stuff, at least that anyone has leads about. However, no one has any idea where one could be. If we had a geologist or someone capable of locating a vein, it could be a major boost to us. Anyone on board happen to have that skill?”
 
Tamra translated Orson's question to Safa, which got a shrug and a reply. Bianca and Ayisha shrugged and shook their heads.

"Safa says she has some knowledge of gemology, and has heard of darnium, but nothing beyond its existence," Tamra began. "I assume the de la Vega twins know something about metallurgy, but I doubt that extends to geology. And I just know what's in the popular articles about darnium."

"I've been keeping up about the potential medical uses of uranium and the rays it exudes," Ayisha added, "But Darnium doesn't share those properties, so my knowledge of it is next to nothing."

Bianca added, "I'm like Doctor Wilson. I just know about what's written about it in the popular science articles."
 
“I understand. It’s not a high priority, but unfortunately, money is necessary for operations like ours,” he said, pretty sure the others in the room understood his plight. None of them seemed like the greedy type, but practicality would always win the day. After all, every part of their operation required money to run on top of the talented team he had assembled. “Maybe Dr. Dubois will have an idea. I’ll ask her later today.”

After that, Orson grabbed himself one last cookie before preparing to head out. “I’ll be giving this Lady Jane a call. Who knows? A reporter can be pretty useful.” He didn’t stick around too much longer, opting to give the women more time on their own. They should enjoy their tea. He’d get everything he could ready in the meanwhile.

He went to the bridge, finding himself incredibly grateful for the phone the de la Vegas had installed. He picked it up, calling the Imperial hotel, knowing she was more than a regular reporter. She was living up the heiress lifestyle. No other way she’d be at such an expensive place. When he got through, he requested to be connected to Jane Salvin, hoping the process of doing so wouldn’t be a hassle.
 
"Captain Orson James," a very British voice answered. "A pleasure to make your acquantance."

Outside the window on the bridge, a laughing Miharu and Saki waved as they went swinging by on ropes.

"So may I take it by this phone call that you would be interested in giving me an interview?" Lady Jane Salvin asked.
 
“A pleasure to make yours as well,” he replied, a bit more of his old British accent slipping into his voice than usual. That always happened when he talked to fellow Brits. He attempted to wave back at the laughing girls, admiring the fun they could have even in a work environment.

“I would be interested in giving you one. Though it would need to be very soon. We depart in two days, and I’m afraid I can’t delay it any further,” he explained. “I also would like to know something: why me? I can’t imagine why you’d ask a greenhorn who hasn’t even led an expedition yet?” He wanted to figure out her motives. It was true he wasn’t the best target for an interview. There were several captains in the city more well known than him. Was he a late choice, or was there something else?
 
"My father is Lord Willbum Haven, Marquess of Willbum Haven, and also incidentally, a member of the board of the venerable Steam and Air," Lady Jane began. "The Board became rather interested when the Manager of the local Steam and Air began supplying your airship. Not that it wasn't all on the up and up, as the saying goes. Mr. Tarloff is a man of integrity. Unrelenting so. But Mr. Tarloff isn't known for being...an overly compassionate and generous individual. But he was supplying your ship and paying for it from his own personal funds. In addition his wards were using your airship as a testbed for some of their newest ideas."

"So why the company was satisfied that Mr. Tarloff was conducting himself in his usual militantly honest fashion, I was curious about the ship that he was going out of his way to help. You and your ship are an interesting story, Captain James, a story I believe others would be interested in hearing."
 
Orson nodded along with this, despite knowing she couldn’t see him. What she was saying made perfect sense. Honestly, he’d be curious as well if Tarloff was showing signs of generosity. Namely, he’d be curious who this imposter was and the body was.

“Well, I’d be happy to give you an interview Lady Salvin. If you’d like, we’re having a small luncheon today at the ship. It’s to welcome our newest crew members and as a way to win over a few other prime candidates. If you’d like to come by for lunch, you can see the ship. I’d be happy to give you your interview afterwards.” Honestly, he wanted the story out there. If people knew about him before he left, there would be more excitement when he returned. And that meant it’d be easier to make his discoveries well known and sell what they obtained. “If not, we could meet later in the evening.”
 
"Even a member of the Peerage wouldn't pass up a free meal under those circumstances, Captain James," Jane laughed. "And I would love to get a chance to meet your crew, as well as get a tour of your ship. I'll see you at noon, Captain. I'm assuming dress will be casual?"
 
“Yes. Wear whatever you like. There is no dress code here,” he replied. “I’ll see you at noon.” With that, he hung up. He found himself being forced to sigh when it was done. Sure, he wanted this, but all of the pressure was starting to mount. He couldn’t help but be intimidated. He had to convince Dubois to let Luisa come on the ship, get Luisa to want to come aboard, also try to recruit Dubois, have an interview with a British noble, look for a geologist and investigate the mystery woman all while keeping an eye out for the Hunter, whoever that was. He had a busy day ahead of him indeed. Still, it’s not like he couldn’t handle it. If this was too much for him, how could he even attempt to explore the lost continent? Feeling a bit more inspired, Orson stood up, stretched, and headed to his cabin. When noon came, he’d be ready for whatever the world threw at him.
 
Noon came with the crew and guests of the Midnight Curse gathered around the table of the mess. Doctor Motwani and Doctor Dubois were in deep conversation, while Tamra had taken Luisa. wide eyed with wonder, under her proverbial wing. Rose and Luna found themselves bracketed by the de la Vega twins, with the flow of the conversation among the four sounding incredibly disjointed to everyone not participating in it. Lady Jane Silvan was asking Bianca about what she anticipated life on the airship was going to be like. Meanwhile, Safa was assisting Vu and Qui in placing the beautifully cooked and plated fish and other dishes around the table.

Tamra said something to Luisa, then rose to her feet. She tapped on her glass with a knife to get everyone attention. When the mess was silent, she lifted her glass in the direction of Orson.

"To our host and leader of our historical expedition, Captain Orson James."

The toast got a round of polite applause, as all eyes turned to Orson.
 
Orson took a deep breath as he stood up. He had been talking with Miharu and Saki about the sorts of weapons they used in Japan. It was interesting, hearing how the isolationist nation had created their own tools of warfare. He very much wanted to see one of their katanas and compare it to a scimitar or a falchion. But now was time for talking. Normally, he’d be more casual, but with guests combined with a noble/reporter, he needed to tread carefully to make a good impression.

“Hello everyone. I’d like to thank you for attending what is the most formal event we have ever had and probably will ever have on this ship,” he joked. “We are gathered as both a crew and as guests, marking the occasion which I have no doubt will be studied for generations to come. The voyage of The Midnight Curse will be a dangerous one, but it will also be rewarding. Every person on my crew is on it because of their exceptional abilities. If I didn’t believe in you, you wouldn’t be here. So I’d like to raise a glass not to me, not to the ship, but to you: the amazing women that will insure the success of our venture.” He raised his glass in the air, drinking in the dramatic air. “To you!” he said loudly before taking a drink.
 
After another round of applause, conversations returned to normal. The de la Vega sisters had left the table with Luisa in tow, presumably to show her the Midnight Curse's Analytic Engine. Rose and Luna had joined the conversation between Ayisha and Sabrina Dubois. Tamra had gotten up to assist the Vietnamese cousins in cleaning the table and bring out dessert and coffee. Lady Jane Silvan took her leave of her conversation with Bianca to move over and talk to Orson.

"An all female crew, Captain James," she remarked as she took a seat next to him. "I'm not sure if that makes you a reactionary or a visionary."
 
“Is this a friendly chat? Or the start of the interview?” he asked in a not-so-serious tone. “I’m not sure what sort of reaction you’re referring to, but personally, it’s a bit of both. I didn’t initially start trying to gather an all female crew. But my first recruits turned out to be women, all of which came highly recommended. That’s where the visionary part kicks in. Honestly, I don’t think there are any things out there men can do better than women or vice versa, barring the obvious anatomy related things,” he quickly tacked on. He was trying to be frank, but also diplomatic. It was a hard line to walk. “So when capable people are brought to me to join my crew, I’m not going to waste time asking if they can have a kid or not. I’m going to ask if they’re willing to risk their lives for the journey.”

“Of course, I also wasn’t opposed to a more gender balanced crew either. But when one of my crew members joined, she made it clear that she would be unwilling to serve if any men besides myself were on board. So I switched to only allowing women. There’s the reaction part, though I doubt that’s the reaction you’re talking about.” He decided against saying Safa’s name, more to respect her privacy than anything. If she gave permission, her name could be used, but only then.
 
"So you made a conscious choice for an all woman crew," Jane remarked. "Interesting. So did this crewwoman have a reason for not wanting to served with other men besides yourself? And what would you think of having a journalist, a female journalist embedded on your expedition?"

Before Orson had a chance to answer, Tamra was leaning over between the two.

"Lady Silvan," Tamra began, "I'm afraid I can't allow you to monopolize all the Captain's time. Why don't you allow me to show you the bridge, while the Captain mingles with the rest of his guests? And Captain, now might be a good time to talk to Dr. Dubois," Tamra added, as she led Jane away. At the other end of the table, Dr. Dubois was in a conversation with Luisa, who had just returned from the tour the twins had given. Luisa appeared to be very excited in whatever she was describing.
 
Orson was still unsure why Safa was okay with him but not other men. He hadn’t pressed the issue, only embracing the good fortune that she brought with her. And when she asked about embedding a journalist, he knew what he had to ask after that. But Tamra interrupted the discussion, stealing away the lady journalist.

Orson agreed with his first officer’s opinion. Now seemed as good a time as any to speak with her. So he made his way to the excited duo, waiting until there was a pause to speak. “You seem quite excited. I hope both the lunch and the ship have lived up to your expectations.”
 
"Oh, yes," Luisa said, ducking her head shyly, though the presence of her de facto guardian and the other women seemed to have calmed Luisa down immensely. "The Analytical Engine is an amazing machine."

"I must say, Captain James," Sabrina Dubois added, "You have a remarkable setup here. And as for your repast, once I left Paris, I never expected to dine as well as I have here. My compliments to your chefs. And if that sachertorte is half as good as the rest of their meal, I shall have to petition the mayor and the governor to not allow your chefs to leave the island."

At that moment, Vu and Qui were setting out plates of the chocolate dessert. Upon noticing they were being watched, the Vietnamese girls gave a smile and wave before going about their business.
 
Orson was brimming with pride as the two women praised his ship and crew. It made him feel accomplished. When his chefs walked by, he also gave them a smile and a friendly wave. “I’m afraid even if they were blocked, I’d only steal them away in the night. I wouldn’t go on this journey without them, and I’m sure the rest of my crew feels the same.”

Orson took a bite of his own dessert, savoring the delicious chocolate. It wasn’t half as good as the meal; it was the meal’s equal. However, the most important thing was that she was from Paris. That made it almost impossible to avoid asking more questions, but he’d wait until Luisa wasn’t around. “So, the formal invitation for both of you to join my crew still stands. I hope this display has made you more interested in accepting it.”
 
Before either woman could answer, Miharu walked up, eating happily from her plate. "Captain James!" she said excitedly, chocolate around her mouth, "Did you know I know Luisa's cousin Maria? She's one of the camp aides I use when I lead expeditions to Mt. Kuri. You know, she does stuff like set up tents, doing cooking for the camp, that sort of thing. No offense, though, Luisa, but she doesn't cook as good as this!" Luisa finished her slice in an oversized bite, then added, "I'm going to see if there's any more cake!"

Luisa covered her mouth and giggled as Miharu walked away, and Sabrina Dubois noted wryly, "She certainly has a zest for life."
 
“That she does,” he said, his smile still not fading. He wondered how much of that energy came from her situation and how much of it was just her. But then he turned to the subject of Maria. It would actually be useful to have another outdoorswoman since a decent amount of their adventure would require moving around on foot and camping. Someone with experience in the outdoors would be valuable. Plus, apparebtly Orson was collecting cousins now. No reason not to add another pair. What he really needed to round things out was another pair of sisters, he jokingly thought.

“As you can see, we’re still looking for great talent to add to our crew. We will need the best to make it through the adventure. But what do you think about going on such a journey?”
 
"I...I couldn't leave," Luisa said sadly. "It's my cousin Maria. We take care of each other. And to be truthful, she takes care of me more than I take care of her. But I still couldn't leave her behind."

Sabrina Dubois looked as if she were going to say something, but before she could get a word in, an argument made its way into the dining room. The argument was betwen the de la Vega twins, Rose and Luna, though it wasn't quite clear who was arguing against who, as the sides were very fluid, with any combination of girls arguing against any other combination of girls at any given moment.

Tamra and Jane chose that moment to return to the mess hall. Upon seeing the verbal brouhaha, Tamra immediately dove into the middle of the argument. "Deep breath ladies," she instructed. "So, why don't you..." Tamra said, pointing to Luna, "Tell me what this was about. Just her," Tamra said emphatically, as Luna began explaining the esoteric issue the four women had been arguing about, while Jane looked on with bemusement.

"I've always admired Dr. Wilson," Sophia observed, before turning back to Orson and Luisa. "Luisa, if Captain James could use someone like your cousin, would you be interested in going, doing whatever one does with this Analytical Engine?"

"Oh absolutely," Luis answered, looking hopefully at Orson.

"Captain James, would you be willing to interview Luisa's cousin?" Dr. Dubois asked.
 
The fact that Tamra was able to take control of that situation was quite impressive. He knew that he probably would’ve struggled quite a bit more to do what she had just done. She was competent and respected. “I admire her too,” he replied. “It’s why I made her my second in command.”

“As to your cousin, I’d be happy to talk to her. Not only would having someone experienced in the outdoors be extremely useful, she even comes with Miharu’s recommendation. That’s worth a lot in my book. So please, bring Maria here for an interview. We’d be happy to have her on board,” he said, smiling at the shy girl. “What about you, Dr. Dubois?”
 
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