Startup 48: Employee Engagement

Rova 7

It was a good thing that I only need five hours of rest per night, because the storm picked up again at around hour six. Syl and I both expected that to mean a swift end to relaxation, but it really didn’t. The ship lurched with a wave, we rushed to the deck, and absolutely everything was fine. A bit chaotic, but completely handled without any direct interference from me.

Syl took my hand with a gentle smile, nodding at the crew in general.

“Excellent illustration of my point. This?” She said. “This did not happen while you were gone.”

I stepped in to help where I could, but other than calming the winds somewhat I was mostly in the way. I stepped back to watch, embracing my role as management, and saw my perk at work.

Everyone seemed to just know what to do at any given moment. Their new ranks of Profession: Sailor gave them all the core technical skills they needed for a normal, if stressful, day on the job. Even the newest members of the crew, a trio of goblin girls with somewhat atrophied limbs, scurried around to the best of their abilities and found places that required as little strength as possible. Syl had to intervene to stop people from slacking off, especially since both ships were operating with a skeleton crew, but that was more about helping out the more diligent workers than any kind of dire need.

The only exception was Filli, who was entirely out of her depth. She was too large to fit through the doors on the goblin ship, she didn’t speak any languages except for Undercommon and Drow signs, and she wasn’t actually in my party so she had no idea what she should be doing. My crew knew she came with me, but mostly steered clear.

Nice one, Curtis. You’re making a great impression on the insecure new girl. Drop her off in the rain with a bunch of people she can’t talk to and cuddle for six hours. Go me. Alright, so, how do I address this?

I walked over to her and directed her to join me at the stern. Given that we both had darkvision, hand signs were a far superior method of communication compared to yelling over the rain.

“That ship better for you.” I signed, pointing at the Enterprise, “big doors. Friend that speaks your tongue.”

“Good.” She signed back. “This ship worse than ocean.”

We couldn’t safely use the boat to travel between the ships while the sea was choppy, so I got back to my real job and started performing miracles. The few veterans from Bonewrack that were present cheered when they saw me summoning. They had no idea what I was dragging into our world, but they trusted it would be helpful. I even saw a few people exchanging money when they saw the small green woman flicker into existence.

What were they betting on, whether or not Dierdre would be the first one I summoned?

She was stronger than she looked, so if I calmed the winds and cast levitate on someone or something, Dierdre could easily tow them across the gap. Even Filli, as massive as she was, was no trouble at all.

“Introduce her to Cave Mother, and try to keep her company when you don’t have anything else to do, okay?” I said, “We need to work on teaching her common. Once Filli is doing alright, you have my permission to do as you wish. With that said, I’d appreciate if you helped out in any way you could.”

“Alright Milord.” Dierdre said, saluting.

With that squared away for the moment, I had multiple other women I’d neglected, one of whom I needed to talk to for business anyway. I gave my men a cheeky salute before stepping off the side of Gobron’s Ship, turned into cold mist, and finished the step on the Enterprise. Once there, I shook a few hands and made a show of inspecting the men. I exchanged a few perfunctory words with Aaron and Cave Mother, mostly to be polite, and gave Cave Mother a split second warning about Filli.

“She’s had a rough time, and I’m hoping you’ll be kind to her,” I said, “You speak all languages as far as I know, so you’re basically the only other person she can talk to here.”

“So long as she doesn’t pester me with inane chatter.” Cave Mother said, “I wasn’t much of a caregiver even with my own children.”

I bowed deeply to the possessed marble bust. That was about as much as I could have reasonably hoped for. The kind of spirits that binders like Sosima contacted did not tend to be particularly nice, and I got the impression that Cave Mother was one of the better ones. She was supposedly an ancient wise woman who tricked a fire spirit into giving her magic, and whether or not that was true she was probably the oldest and most experienced being I’d ever spoken to. If anyone could give Filli advice, it would probably be Cave Mother.

Then again, she might just tell Filli to get over herself and wait her turn. Cave Mother doesn’t seem to be big on sugar coating things to make people feel better.

I continued on my path all the way to Sosima’s quarters. She’d returned to the Enterprise to sleep in her own bed, and had seemed disappointed to do so without my company. I intended to make it up to her.

Sosima kept different hours than anyone else in my crew, as she tended to go to bed very late. She never missed the window for a midnight ritual of inquiry, and the administrative tasks that took up much of her time could be done just as easily after dark. I basically never saw her at breakfast unless we woke up together or I cast Keep Watch on her. Timing would be everything for this operation.

Once I was finished on deck, I headed below and visited the Galley. I found Salyar and his new assistants, a pair of freshly recruited goblin women, in the midst of slaughtering a pig from Gobron’s ship. I wanted to have a celebratory feast before the ships parted ways, and I didn’t want to delay for longer than it would take to sort out the two ships and divide the crew.

“How are the preparations going?” I asked, “I hope I’m not putting too much work on you all at once.”

“Hmm? No, it’s fine.” Salyar said, barely looking up at me. “Congratulations on your victory, by the way.”

The middle aged Rahadoumi chef was not thrilled to be in my crew, but unfortunately ships from his homeland were few and far between in the Shackles. He’d stayed on because sticking with me was safer and paid better than renting a room in Port Peril and visiting the docks every day. He made a damn good curry and most of my crew seemed to agree that rice was a better breakfast than ship biscuit for short trips where storage wasn’t a concern, so everyone won.

I confirmed that Sosima hadn’t come by for breakfast yet, and set about making her a small treat for breakfast. A couple eggs, some cheese, salt, and a few bits from the freshly butchered pig combined into a perfectly serviceable omelet. I also prepared her a cup of the cocoa she’d bought herself in Port Peril, timed to be finished brewing right when the omelet was done. (Profession: Chef 18+7=25. Success)

I plated the omelette and carried both it and the cocoa to Sosima’s room, tossing one of our remaining ship biscuits in my pocket as well for myself. It was just about time for her to wake, so I handed my shadow puppet the food, knocked lightly to warn her, opened the door, and walked in to present her with her breakfast. I made one miscalculation: I didn’t know that Naomi was sleeping in Sosima’s quarters now. After all, Lubo hadn’t.

I met her gaze, thankful that she was at least wearing her shift, nodded, looked down at Sosima’s still sleeping form, and stepped backwards. She glared at me until I closed the door.

“Sorry. Let me know when you’re ready.” I said.

The sight of Naomi in her underwear wasn’t unpleasant, of course, but I didn’t have much of a relationship with her so I kept my eyes in check. It takes a very unique woman to enjoy being ogled first thing in the morning by a man she barely knows. Sandara, probably, who incidentally seemed to be sleeping in as well. She didn’t even have the excuse of staying up late.

If she’s still in bed when I finish with Sima, I will be **** to assume she’s doing it to get a rise out of me. Depending on how this goes, she may even succeed.

I stood just outside the door, carefully modulating the ambient heat and moisture around my body to keep the omelet and cocoa as warm as possible. The gesture would lose some of its impact if they weren’t still hot, preferably steaming. It would be completely spoiled if I ate her breakfast myself, which became increasingly likely as I sat around with nothing to do but smell it.

Naomi cracked the door after about a minute, wearing a simple black dress over her shift.

“What are you doing here?” She demanded, “These are Lady Aulamaxa’s private quarters.”

I held up the food and drink in mute explanation.

“When she wants to eat, I will retrieve her food.” Naomi said, “She hasn’t even woken up yet.”

I frowned.

Did I miss something? I’m certain this is when she would normally get up, get dressed, and visit the galley for breakfast.

“Oh. Did she get back later than I thought?” I asked, “It seemed a little bit late for her to be up when I checked the time. Is she okay?”

Naomi refused to look me in the eyes.

“Just leave the plate here.” She said, “I will be sure to let her know you wanted to speak with her.”

“Not without an explanation.” I said, narrowing my eyes. “I’m not asking for much here. If she’s unwell, I want to know about it.”

The two of us glared at each other for a few moments before Sosima interrupted our face off.

“I’m awake.” She called, “Bring me the food. Emrys, could you wait in the hall? I’ll be out in just a moment.”

Naomi took the food from me with a smug smile, as if she’d won the argument.

Get over yourself. All you did was make sure she woke up to an argument instead of breakfast.

I waited in the hall, briefly reading over everyone’s character sheets to see what changed with level 6. Sandara had picked up some resistance to cold damage and a spell that would make her both impossible to pin down and very drunk. Syl picked up the ability to use her Open Vein ability more than once in a fight as long as she spread her damage around to multiple targets. I was just about to check what Cog’s new talent, called “punishment,” did when Sosima opened the door.

She was wearing her earrings and looked like a tiefling, and between her towering stature and illusory horns she looked quite imposing when backlit by her room’s eternal flame lantern. Her golden eyes stood out in her crimson face, a sparkling centerpiece to her faint smile.

“Hello, Captain.” She said, “Did you need something?”

I looked her up and down appreciatively, for both her benefit and my own. It is a tossup whether or not any given woman will be flattered by a random stranger checking them out, but I have yet to meet a woman that doesn’t enjoy a bit of judicious ogling from the guy she’s sleeping with. Sosima made it easy for me with a tightly laced black dress that managed to emphasize her chest, waist, and hips all at once without showing any skin between the shins and collarbones.

Then again maybe that’s just her figure not needing much help.

“Only to see you.” I said, giving her a smile. “It’s been a while, and I thought you might like some breakfast, chocolate, and perhaps company.”

As I spoke, I looked at her face and noted faint bruising under her eyes. The overall darker skin tone of a tiefling masked it somewhat, but she definitely had bags under her eyes. She stood with perfect poise, though her hair was still messier than I knew she liked it. She probably thought she was barely presentable.

“Thank you.” She said, “I’m sorry to have worried you. I’m afraid that my schedule has been skewing later and later.”

I stepped closer and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Her skin darkened a shade. She almost involuntarily leaned into the touch, but stopped herself from doing so. (Perception 17+13=30)

“You’d tell me if there was something bothering you, right?” I said, looking up into her eyes. “I know there are things you can’t discuss, but I’m here for anything you need.”

“I am perfectly fine.” Sosima said, “Far better than I have been in years.”

“Excellent, but the offer was not for just right now.” I said, “Shall we eat? I'd like to get caught up on events.”

“Didn’t Syl explain everything?” Sosima asked, with just a hint of resentment.

“Everything she knows, I’m sure.” I said, not taking the bait. “I want a complete picture, though, so I definitely need your take. After you, I should probably track down Sandara too. I haven’t even laid eyes on her yet.”

As I spoke, we walked into the room and sat down at the small table and two chairs she had bolted to the floor. I nodded civilly at Naomi and then proceeded to largely ignore her. Autopilot would tell me if she did anything noteworthy. Sosima sat next to me, her smile widening as I spoke.

It’s probably not a good thing that part about Sandara cheered her up so much. There’s approximately zero chance that Sandara wouldn’t use that to get a rise out of Sosima if she notices. Then again, that might be fun; after all, everything is a tradeoff.

She was perfectly happy to begin our conversation with professional topics, but I doubt anyone not directly affected wants to know about the details of our logistics. In summary, we were probably fine as long as we didn’t have to weather another multi-week storm after this one. We moved on to more personal topics quickly enough, after her plate was cleaned. At some point Naomi left to go help out in the kitchens.

“So, how is your family?” I asked, “I know you’ve been doing inquiries every night.”

Her eyes lit up.

“Minnie, my niece, she’s recently gotten a new position as a second mate on a barbazu class ship.” Sosima said proudly. “It’s nearly impossible for a lady to get into such a position in her twenties, especially without connections.”

“If she’s anything like her aunt, I’m certain she’s rather impressive.” I said, “I wish I could meet her.”

“Oh?” Sosima said wryly, “What, are you hoping to trade in for the newer model?”

I snorted.

“I don't think there’s much danger of that.” I said, leaning over the table to plant a kiss on her lips. “Even if I wasn’t fairly sure I already had the best Aulamaxa right next to me, I wouldn’t ask a lady to give up a promising career. I doubt I’d be welcome in the Chelish Navy; humans only, right?”

“Hardly. Gnomes can also be commissioned officers, and even a sli-“ she stopped in the middle of the Chelish slur for halflings, “even a halfling could be a warrant officer with the right skillset.”

“Even so, I should be happy we met in the Shackles.” I said, standing up and massaging her shoulders. “So, Lady Aulamaxa. We both have work to do, but would you care to relax together before that? I’ve certainly missed you.”

She leaned into my hands. The muscles in her shoulders were incredibly tight.

“Why Captain, I believe you’ve come up with another brilliant idea.” She said, her voice low and husky. “I’ve been terribly lonely without you, you know.”

She gestured vaguely at her own body.

“Perhaps it’s the hormones of youth.” She said wistfully, “The last time I’ve felt so taken with a man was when I was actually as young as this body. Then again, perhaps you’re just exceptional. It’s not as if I’ve been particularly impressed with anyone else since I was reborn.”

I smiled down at the woman still sitting in her chair, and bent down. I placed my left hand upon her chin and angled her face up to meet my lips. She leaned into my kiss and placed one hand upon my crotch, feeling me hardening in my pants.

I pulled her with me back to her bed, pressing my body against hers all the while. She surprised me by breaking the kiss trailing her lips lower and lower, stopping only long enough to deftly pull off my jacket and shirt so she could kiss bare skin.

“Handsome as always, Captain.” She purred.

She didn’t make a beeline to my crotch, though her left hand did snake past my waistband to gently stroke me there. Her focus shifted lazily from my chest, to my arms, to my hands, and even to my stomach.

“They’re bigger than I remember.” She said, kissing my bicep. “But I’ve always loved your delicate hands.”

She gently kissed down my arm, and wrist, then sucked on my index finger. She swirled her tongue around it, looking up at me with her golden eyes. Needless to say, by the time Sosima finally pulled my pants down and planted a kiss on my cock head, it was a relief. She licked up my precum with a smile on her dark lips, and almost idly moved her hand to my balls.

“May I?” She asked, as if it were a legitimate question. “It has been far too long.”

“Anything you want.” I said, and I meant it. “I’m lucky you aren’t a real devil, or I might just offer up my soul right now.”

Her smile widened, and I could tell I’d hit the mark with that one. I’d almost forgotten what sex felt like when it was just for pleasure. I knew Sosima was probably playing up the body worship angle, but not only was it working, I could smell her arousal in the small confined cabin. She was making me feel like a million bucks, but she was also enjoying herself while she did so.

When she delicately took my cock into her mouth, I gently wrapped my hand around her false horn. I held it tight, and she bobbed her head faster. I’d been pent up over the last few days, partially thanks to Ve’ra’s teasing, so I felt pressure mounting far sooner than I expected.

“I’m about to-“

She didn’t need more than that, quickening her pace and fondling my balls. When I came, she pulled back and kept it all in her mouth. After all, she’d never taken off her black dress.

“Holy shit.” I said, leaning back, “You’re amazing, Sima.”

“Thank you.” She said. “It was my pleasure.”

I leaned down and cupped her breast in my hand. I kissed her on the neck, up her jawline to her ear.

“Not yet, it wasn’t.” I whispered. “Let me return the favor.”

“Perhaps later.” She sighed. “You weren’t wrong to wake me; there is much to be done.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “It might be a while.”

“That’s quite alright; I know you’re good for it.”

She leaned away and gave me an appreciative once over, her lantern-like eyes drinking in my naked body. She trailed her fingers along my chest, her short fingernails smooth against my skin.

Damn it, she’s right.

“Thank you, Sima.” I said, “I almost forgot what working for myself means.”

“Oh?” Sosima asked. “What’s that?”

“Simple.” I said, “it means I’ve always got work to do.”

••••••••••

Once I left Sosima’s room, I returned to the deck. Sandara intercepted me by grabbing me and planting a kiss on my lips, directly in front of the crew. Of course, no one cared too much because they were busy managing the ship through the tail end of the storm. I was fairly confident that Sandara did it mostly to prove a point, and I could taste the grog on her lips.

“Welcome back, Cap’n.” She said, “Hasn’t been the same without you. By the by, could you have perhaps been a little more sensible about reentry? Who’s going to believe me when I tell ‘em you came in on a flying shark and fought off a whole ship single handed?”

“Technically an Ekekeh is closer to a dolphin than a shark.” I said, chuckling, “Besides, I’ve seen you claim that Besmara gave me power over the winds because I was the best one night stand she’s ever had. Since when do you care about realism?”

“Since you did something impressive enough that I can tell the story unembellished, o’ course!” Sandara said, “Besmara’s tits, Cap’n, I need something verifiable that I can tell the skeptics! Were only gonna get the dregs with tall tales. Sorry Jape.”

I’m not even sure if Jaundiced Jape had been listening, but he intuited that he’d been insulted. He hardly looked up from what he was doing long enough to wave his hand dismissively with a hand sign on par with flipping someone the bird. I snorted.

“Sorry, Sandara,” I said, “I’ll be sure to consider storytelling potential more for the next time I mount a daring rescue.”

“Not when it happens!” Sandara said, poking me in the chest. “Fishy might’ve died if you’d considered your plan. No, you need to plan in advance for these things.”

“Sure.” I said, rolling my eyes. “We can talk about that more later. I’ve got to go.”

I strolled up to the poop deck, spotting the person I needed to speak to.

“Filli, would you mind carrying Cave Mother down to my room?” I asked. “I’ve got to fill an order on some armor, and I’d like to talk to her about something. You come along too.”

Probably best if you hear about Vishgurv too; I’m starting to think I underestimated how bad an idea it was to go into debt with the forbidden aquatic demigod. I feel pretty damn stupid when I phrase it that way.