MC stood outside the inn, unsure how to proceed. People rushed by him on the street, intent on their own business. Light poured out of the building’s windows and the dull roar of merriment filtered through the walls. MC had never been one for crowds but recent events had left him without a choice.

As he built his courage to enter, the door was thrown open. A large, ruddy faced man stood in the doorway. MC vaguely recognized the owner of the inn, though they had never had a chance to interact much. “Well, young man,” the innkeeper demanded. “Are you going to come in or just keep peeping through the windows all night?”

MC was taken aback but before he had a chance to reply, he had been whisked into the brightly lit, bustling room. Inside was the ____ chaos of people unwinding from a hard day’s work. The first thing he noticed upon entering was a young man dressed in layers of skirts and petticoats. He seemed the center of many people’s attention and yet no one approached him. As good a place to start as any, MC thought.

He strode to the table were the young man sat, close to the wall and out of sight of the windows. As he pulled out a chair, MC cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Sir-” he began.

“Ma’am,” the figure interrupted him.

And with that MC’s perception shifted. He smiled and bowed his head to the lady sitting across from him. Correcting himself he continued, “Ma’am, I can’t help but notice that you seem out of place here. Might I assume that you are more used to high quality establishments?”

The woman blushed and fidgeted with her skirt. “I prefer it here,” she explained. “The people are more welcoming. And it lets me get away from,” and here she hesitated, “family matters.”

“Would you like to get farther away?” MC queried. He was getting excited. This might be easier than he thought. When the woman made a curious sound, he hurried to continue. “I’m assembling a crew to investigate a sea monster. You seem like the sort of woman who would like to discover the world.”

As he spoke, he became aware of a shadow looming over him. He turned to see a large man, almost as broad as he was tall, gesturing at him. A second person, this one shorter and darker skinned hurried over to say, “Tom was wondering what sort of monster and you be knowing about it.”

MC coughed. This wasn’t at all how he was imagining it going. “And you are?” he inquired.

“I’m Monkey,” said the shorter of the two. As the tall man started waving again, they continued, “And this is Big Tom. He don’t talk.”

“Princess P,” the woman responded politely.

“Princess?” MC began, “But I thought-” but again he was cut off.

“You obviously thought wrong,” the woman snapped. “And you are?”

“MC,” he murmured sheepishly.

“But anyway,” Monkey cut in. “What about this sea monster?”

“Well,” MC began. “I don’t think I can rightly say what sort of monster it is. You see, I heard about it from my father. His ship was attacked.”

The woman leaned forward. “Attacked you say? But he made it back alright?” Her curiosity seemed to grow as she heard more.

MC responded, his confidence growing as he spoke. “Aye, but barely. He escaped the creature in one of his life boats as it pulled his ship apart.

“But didn’t he try to fight it?”