Althea's footfalls gently ricocheted from the narrowing walls, until she cleared a series of four steps in one deer-like leap and landed at the entraceway to a single, nondescript doorway. It lead to the deepest part of the kitchens as a sort of "back door" hallway, and since it was not the main entrance (and not really closer than it) to many people, the door was typically only used by Gibari, whomever he had assisting him, and herself...  barring the occasional poor soul that was sent to scrub potatoes under the Chef until his fingers bled as a well-deserved punishment. She rapped smartly on the door, leaning her head to the entranceway as though to pick up any minute sounds from within.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #FFBF40">"Oi, Chef Gibari,"</span></span>she called, her low voice carrying well and resounding with more clarity that one would expect of such alto tones. She didn't have an accent that could be placed, mostly because it was a rather strange mixture of at least two; ironically enough, neither of them were the proper dialect of her birthland. It only seemed to make an appearance during specific vowels or when she was particularly irritated, but it definitely came through in the "ahr" of the Cook's first name. It was slight; a bit of an extension on the soft and a little roll of her tongue for the hard. Without waiting for a response, she gripped the doorknob and gave it a half-twist, lifted up, jiggled it a little, then gave it a solid kick to make it swing open with no resistance. This particular door might be a little stubborn, but on the other hand... it was better than a lock for anyone who didn't know it's trick. Just in case he hadn't heard the blow of her foot to the surface, she tossed in a casual<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #FFBF40">"Comin' in, Chef,"</span></span>before stepping into the recesses of the cooking area. Unlike a great many of the inhabitants of the<span style="font-style: italic">Ocean Horizon</span>, Althea had never possessed the healthy dose of fear for the rage of the resident Cook; mostly because he had never given her any reason to do so. She had been warned, of course, by the few men who were trying to win her favor by giving her random advice, but from personal experience she had trouble following the advice of strangers. They had even given her colorful anecdotes from their own experiences, but she had been unmoved. These were the same men that said the Zika boy was "useless" and "a problem" when he had demonstrated nothing but courtesy and actual friendliness toward her (not that she hadn't seen how he behaved with the rest many of the others). She had seen the Chef in all of his angry glory as well, of course, but as long as it was not directed toward her (or her Master) she couldn't care less.<br/><br/>Gibari with his terrifying wrath, and Klouví with his dangerous attitude. Althea may have seen them both in action, but until they were directed toward her (or Aubrin) she did not view them as her problem. And she would not treat them as such.<br/><br/>Without waiting for any form of a response to her rather forward entrance or even looking around for the main occupant of the quarters, she simply continued.<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #FFBF40">"Listen, d'you still have - Hm?"</span></span>Althea cut off, jerking her head toward the main area of the galley and freezing like a hound who just caught a scent, her sensitive ears echoing with a very familiar voice. A half-beat passed where she seemed totally unaware of her immediate surroundings, but then her lips tilted in a small but very bright, genuine smile. She jogged from the depths of the kitchen to the front, rounding a corner so that she could see over the counter and into the galley where the crew normally took their meals, the Cook completely gone from her mind though he clearly stood right there.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #FFBF40">"Master,"</span></span>she chirruped, her alto vocals seeming to lighten simply with the introduction of light that Aubrin's presence instilled. She broke into a slow jog again, but it picked up a small amount of speed as she entered the servery and without a single flicker of hesitation, Althea set her palm on an empty square of counter and vaulted her body over the wide surface. Her long legs flew over the expanse of plates and cups and cutlery, one leg trailing the other quickly without nicking even the uppermost tableware, her slim waist bending as though it were made of pliable leather or half-melted steel. Her body arced slightly as she lifted her hand and came down for the easy landing. At least... it<span style="font-style: italic">would</span>have been easy, had the water from Klouví's dedicated mopping not seeped over to the main traffic area, causing the tough tread of her footwear to be more akin to ice skates on a frozen pond. A person with quick eyes would have seen the surprised part of her lips as the floor slid beneath her boots, but the expression disappeared as intinct took over; her center of gravity dipped instantly and her inside leg bent, arms moving naturally to either side of her body for more balance. Her outside leg extended gradually the further she slid, but she came to a stop without gaining too much distance, using the remaining momentum to swing her body back up into an upright position. In the end, it almost seemed like one, smooth movement from jogging start to standing finish; best of all, she had landed precisely in front of the woman who had inspired the speedy approach.<br/><br/>Without even thinking, she turned to face the Ship Master, clasping her wrist behind her back and letting her smile falter into something a tad more respectful.<span style="color: #FFBF40"><span style="font-weight: bold">"Good morning,"</span></span>she murmured calmly, unable to hid the genuine gladness in her voice. She inclined her head slightly as well, her unseen eyes intent on Aubrin's murky, storm-cloud optics as she raised it again. The few times that the navigator had woken ahead of her, the blind lass was usually afforded some response to her bright greeting that was<span style="font-style: italic">not</span>a sleepy grumble... but she wouldn't be surprised if she were to be denied it today. Althea fancied she could see a faint shadow beneath the Ship Master's beautiful eyes, and knowing that the older woman may not have slept well- or even be feeling poorly- felt like a physical hurt to her own self. The apprentice knew she shouldn't mention it, however... a handmaiden wouldn't profess to know a queen in such a way, and if she wanted to stay on in her current position she needed to maintain decorum. Speak if spoken to, and all that... The blind woman knew she already took liberties with her greetings and occasional quips.<br/><br/>With only a shadow of hesitation, as though she were considering saying something and decided against it, Althea took a smooth step to the far left side of the Ship Master, assuming her typical position in Aubrin's shadow. The raven-haired woman's dropped shoulders and languid posture denied her recent gymnastic display, as did her eargerly-subservient demeanor. Her hidden eyes took in the shorter woman's hair for a brief second, and she was forced to think of how the sunrise itself must envy such a gold.<br/><br/>Althea jerked her attention away with a hint of resistence, offering a smile to Gibari on the kitchen-side of the counter, one that looked like she was holding in laughter at some secret joke that they alone shared- with maybe a hint of apology for her totally thoughtless and hasty exit. In her defense, had she known Master Pykes to already be awake, she would never have been there in the first place. Another totally seperate smile found its way to the young man with inadequate step and the soaked rags, this one only tilting half of her mouth and just a little more hesitant. For all that it was, however, it held a note of indecipherable emotion that had been lacking thus far; something like concern, perhaps, though it was impossible to truly place without seeing her eyes. Althea seemed to prefer communicating with smiles or body language rather than words, though she had considered it might be a little difficult to understand when her eyes were so heavily concealed.