Something about the Aldrect docks always put Cole on edge. Maybe it was the amount of patrols, or the looming white walls that encircled the city. He felt like he was being watched. No. Not even that. He felt like he was being judged. Like a grubby little sparrow, side-eyed by the canaries as he passed them by in their gilded little cages. Hmph. Whatever. It wasn't like they'd be here long. Soon they'd be refuelled, re-stocked on onto one of the far less salubrious parts of Evelon, where he could relax.
He dangled his feet off the hull of the Thucydides, totally bothered by the drop below. It wasn't quite their usual hundreds of feet, but the docks were situated on one of the peaks before the walls of the city. He pulled an apple from his pocket, shining it on his trousers before biting into it. His dark hair curled in the wind.
Ulysses hefted another box up the gangplank, pausing to wipe the sweat from their brow. They cut a striking figure, androgynous-looking and a good head taller than Cole. Around their eyes was a port-coloured birthmark. "Aren't you going to help?"
"Captain's privileges," he grinned through a mouthful of apple.
"Come down here and I'll give you captain's privileges, you little swine." Ulysses glowered.
Cole rolled his eyes, adjusted the faded bandanna in his hair and swung himself neatly down onto the gangplank. "One of these days I'll have you for insubordination," he commented as he picked up the small crate.
The sky docks were fairly quiet, the usual hustle and bustle of ships loading and refuelling, but it wasn't crowded. Cole couldn't see any of the guards that were usually hovering around, thank the gods. He looked back to Ulysses and added. "Done any business?"
Ulysses made a non-committal gesture. "Nothing spectacular."
"Ah. We'll manage." They always did.
