“So I found a wheelbarrow, but it was full of shoes.”

“Hmm, that—”

“Reefer! Hey!”

“That you Westerly? Bought time you showed up.”

Luke grins, just grins. The wind rifles his hair happily, and he’s glad to see it too. “You should just be happy we came at all, no way can your whiny ass catch these phantoms all by your lonesome.”

Reefer, Captain Lewis Reefer, rolls his eyes. “Yes, thank god you came to save us from humiliation, really.”

“Oy! Westy! Catch!”

And that was when a large, yellow blob flew through the air.

Luke caught it, but it was a near thing, and he nearly tumbled over backwards. Would have, actually, if it wasn’t for Atlas standing behind him. Poor Atlas, the human backboard… And then he looked down. “What? When did you guys get Herbert?”

Weapons Officer Kaden Yarry strolls over to stand by Reefer and Trawl. “Nearly two freaking weeks ago now. We had an early mission, and the boys of Krew passed him to us the morning we left.”

“Oh for the love of…” Luke mutters.

“Uh, what exactly is that?” Atlas asks, peering over Luke’s shoulder.

“That, my friend, is Herbert.” Reefer announces, smirking. “He is an abnormally large Hami melon specimen.”

Atlas, predictably, looks no less confused.

“He’s only ever flown with Reller.” Luke says, and the others nod knowingly. “Reller killed Herbert’s father, Wilfred, may he rest in peace, just over a year ago now.” He tells Atlas.

“I… don’t understand.”

“Poor child…” Reefer says, shaking his head. “To never have heard of Melon tag… What a sad existence.”

“Hey, what’s go—” Galligher stops dead. “Herbert! Oh. Crap, Herbert.”

“Herbert.” Luke confirms. “And you’re going to hold him for me before I drop him on my foot.”

“Aww…”

“So basically,” Reefer interrupts, watching as Luke tries and fails to pass the melon off to Galligher. “For god’s sake, roll it you idiots! Where was I? Right, basically, Melon tag consists of Herbert here being passed from ship to ship. Once your ship has him, someone has to be holding onto him at all times, no matter where you are, until you can pass him on to another ship, with no tag backs. If he gets smashed on your watch, you have to find a replacement, take it to an important civs function, and paint an epitaph to Herbert on the wall of your navs room, and on the wall behind the High table at Abevri. Herbert here is son of Wilfred, son of Edwin, son of Chauncey, son of… well, you get the picture. Your former captain was passed Wilfred at a Flight meeting, and tossed him out a window.”

Atlas blinks.

“I don’t suppose there’s anyone else in town?” Luke says hopefully.

“Nope.” The look on Reefer’s face is positively gleeful, and Luke pouts.

“But we aren’t meeting up with Njord for two weeks!”

Reefer just cackles.

Previous: Scene 3-III

Scene 3-IV

Next: Scene 3-V