Joseph snatched his coat from the foot of the bed before he vacated - he felt like he needed a shield, of some kind to cloak his vulnerability - he couldn’t bear to cast his eyes to Elissa, lest she’d shatter his fragile lie. He pulled on the coat and buckled the pistol as he marched across the main deck, acknowledging his shipmates at he passed them, he tried to conceal his unrest but one might’ve sensed an agitation about him. As fresh air hit his face and filled his lungs, he felt a little more grounded with several deep breaths.

[i]Pull yourself together[/i], Joseph reprimanded himself, this wasn’t anything a few drinks and a craic with the lads couldn’t sort. He headed below deck where the men’s sleeping quarters also functioned as a living, dining and drinking area, with wooden tables and benches, particularly, that could be moved around and stacked depending on the required function of the long room at the time - many of the men had already pulled them out and sat drinking in their groups, they had not yet become too boisterous, but there was spirited chatter and the likes. He spotted Peter with a few others, and took his place amongst them, taking a swig from one of several of the scotch bottles on the table, he kept a hold of it. He couldn’t see Rhea anywhere. Peter and the shipmates acknowledged Joseph’s arrival, and continued their conversation, Peter anticipated that Joseph would want to discuss the incident earlier that day some time soon, but he could see the Captain was opting to get a few drinks down, for now.

Joseph was quiet, and observed his crew as they carried on here and there, he acknowledged them with approving laughter if they involved him in their banter, but inwardly he could not yet shake his unease. The collar of his coat smelled of Elissa, no doubt some fine kind of perfume she’d worn for all those fine people she’d have to meet at her birthday festivity.

He didn’t want to remove it, though.