"Good! Fortunately, I've learned to give people their space, it was more an issue while I was younger."

"Oh, yeah. Little kids are... Well, a lot of times people don't quite know how to deal with them and vice versa."

"Yeah..." Now it's Sandra's turn to deflect awkwardly, turning her attention to the chili. "Once the meat is browned, we'll throw everything together and get it simmering."  

Walta nods. "Maybe while it's simmering I can show you how to use the safety harness? I think you wanted to go outside the ship."

"Ooh, yes!" She perks up immediately. "I really, really want to." it's subtle, but she almost sounds a bit more childlike now.

"Cool. I can show you how to rig it up and maybe go out for a few minutes. But, uh, before long I have to get back to work. There's lots to do to keep things shipshape."

"That would be great." She says with a smile, but then she gets a little more serious. "You sure seem to do a lot of work around here." There's a very slight edge of concern to her voice.

"...Yeah, well, a one-twenty-footer ship like this one is supposed to have five or six crew, normally. He works hard, too. It's... Worth it. I get room and board, I get pay on top of that and it's adding up. I'm warm and fed, I have a pocket full of silver. Most of my old neighbors would jump at the chance to work twelve hour days for the same thing."

"That's good." Though something tells Sandra that this isn't the whole story. "I'm here for a bit, and I'd be glad to help. Like I said, I get bored easily."

"He wouldn't even need to pay, which should make him happy. I'll volunteer."

This startles a giggle out of her. "He would be happy at that. Let's go back to the rope room, we can go out for a little bit like you said. Just let me ask cap'n first."

...A minute later Walta returns with the captain in tow. "I'm afraid I can't allow you outside the ship until I have personally given you safety training, Miss Styles. If you do something silly out there you could get tangled in the lines, damage the control surfaces, hit the engine... Unsafe climbers endanger not only themselves, but the ship and her crew as well. Even if that is only Miss Hindenset and I."

"That wouldn't happen." She says with absolute confidence, then sighs. "Your ship, your rules." Though, she's clearly chafing a bit from having her fun spoiled for the time being. She looks like she wants to say something else, but remains silent.

"Precisely. I don't want to be too much of a spoil-sport, though... That radar really will be wonderful. So, perhaps we will set the ship down early for the night whenever your stew thing is ready, have dinner, and then I give you a proper safety lesson and perhaps have enough light left to install it somewhere."

Sandra, really, really looks like she wants to say something. She doesn't, instead she visibly forces herself to relax. "I understand." she says a bit begrudgingly. But she keeps her stare level at Nick.

"...Something wrong? Aha, I'll go get your money, right." He turns to leave.

"Money doesn't solve everything." She mumbles to herself once she thinks he can't hear.

The captain seems like the type who would disagree. Regardless, he returns and gives her a pouch full of little silver coins with swirl designs on them. "Eighty silver circles. Enough to live on for months. Your radar is the kind of thing treasure-hunters in the north bring back, so it's worth that much."

She hesitates, then smiles. "I'm glad I could get you something that will help you and Walta." She says pointedly.

He looks a little exasperated. "Well, it will. I can hook up a proximity alarm to it and give us both more time away from the helm, so it'll make watches easier."

"That's good, I'm glad." She says, seemingly sincerely. 

"It's a nice ship, wouldn't want anything to happen to it, or it's crew."

"Neither would I. 'Tis my pride and joy, I mostly built her myself. Walta helped with the finishing."

Sandra nods. "You're lucky to have her, she looks up to you, I can tell."

Was that a bit of a grimace? Embarrassment?

"Yeah, I know. She's admirable, too. Still has a little growing up to do I think, but clever."

"We all have a little growing up to do. Did Walta tell you that I volunteered to help out while I was here?"

"She did. Thanks, by the way. I'm not sure if you have the skills to pilot the Squid, but there's things you can help out with for sure. Speaking of which, what kind of place do you want to get off at?"