Scott leads Jules off the dock and through a narrow side door. The marina office is barely wider than the desk, crowded with old logbooks, spare forms, and a wall calendar curled at the corners.
He clears a space beside the computer and sets Saturday’s schedule slip there. The date sits close enough to feel real, surrounded by crossed-out bookings and penciled changes.
Scott
This is where the paperwork decides whether Saturday is a real shift or just a hopeful note.
Scott pulls open a shallow drawer beneath the keyboard. Inside, blank forms, receipt books, and a faded business card have been sorted into uneven stacks.
Scott
Do you have your certification card with you? A digital record works too, if that’s what you brought. I need to see the issuing agency and the level.
He turns the monitor toward Jules without touching the keyboard, leaving the screen ready for a record number or an email confirmation. Outside, a halyard knocks steadily against the mast.
Scott
Take your time. Once I can verify it, I’ll know what I’m allowed to put you on the schedule for.
“I show Scott my digital certification record”
SUCCESS (Good Reasoning, rolled +0)
Jules takes out her phone and opens the certification portal, retrieving the digital record from her account rather than from anything already in the office. The marina signal loads slowly.
Jules
The issuing agency and certification level are both visible.
After a careful search through the account menus, Jules turns the screen toward Scott. Her name, the issuing agency, certification level, and expiration date sit together on the record.
Scott
There it is. Open-water certification, issued two years ago. That matches what you told me.
Scott leans closer to read the smaller text, then points to the expiration date without touching the phone. The verification takes several extra minutes while the portal refreshes twice.
Scott
I can put you on Saturday’s gear check and customer setup. I’ll save this confirmation, but I want to recheck the agency number before I finalize anything beyond that.
“Show Scott the agency number on my certification record, and ask about water conditions”
SUCCESS (Fair Conversation, rolled +2)
Jules scrolls to the agency details and tilts her phone toward Scott. The agency number appears beneath the issuing agency, crisp enough to read despite the marina signal’s lingering delay.
Jules
Here’s the agency number. What are the water conditions supposed to be on Saturday?
Scott
That number checks out. Saturday should be manageable, though the morning current is expected to run harder than it did this week.
Scott writes the agency number on a verification note, then turns the wall calendar toward Jules. Saturday’s tide notation is crowded with arrows and brief pencil marks.
Scott
Visibility may be reduced near the outer markers if the wind holds. Nothing unusual for this harbor, but beginners need closer supervision and a slower descent.
Jules
The Saturday conditions are workable, but not effortless.
Scott
I’ll confirm the marine report Friday afternoon and brief you before the gear check. For now, Saturday at eight is official.
He clips the verification note to the schedule and saves the confirmation beside Saturday’s entry. The office remains cramped, but the calendar now gives Jules a definite place in the week.
✓ Quest Accepted
Get Scott's final instructions for Saturday
“I’ll ask Scott for any final instructions beyond the time and clothing.”
FAILURE (Fair Conversation, rolled -1)
Jules
Are there any final instructions beyond being here at eight and wearing something I can work in?
Scott starts to answer, glances at the crowded calendar, and loses the thread among the tide notes and crossed-out bookings. He turns back to the desk, visibly sorting what matters most.
Scott
Nothing complicated beyond checking every piece twice, keeping beginners together, and asking me before you improvise. I should give you the full briefing, but I have not written it down yet.
He opens a binder beneath the forms and finds a laminated gear-check sheet, its corners worn smooth from repeated use. Several steps are marked with blue pen.
Scott
Use this as your checklist Saturday. It covers the sequence, and we can walk through the parts that are specific to this boat before customers arrive.
Scott places the sheet beside Jules’s schedule slip instead of handing it over. The complete briefing remains unfinished, but the checklist gives her something concrete to study before the shift.
“I’ll ask Scott for any final instructions beyond the time and clothing.”
SUCCESS (Fair Conversation, rolled +2)
Scott smooths the laminated sheet flat and adds a few notes in the margin: arrive fifteen minutes early, check the weather board, and keep the customer roster nearby.
Scott
Bring your certification record, water, and a notebook. Before anyone touches the boat, we check tanks, regulators, masks, fins, and the first-aid kit.
He points down the checklist, tapping each item once. His instructions are practical rather than dramatic, turning Saturday from a vague promise into a sequence Jules can follow.
Scott
If something is missing or does not look right, stop and tell me. Do not solve it quietly, and do not let a customer rush the check.
Jules
The checklist leaves no doubt about what I need to bring or when to ask for help.
Scott writes “brief Jules at 7:45” beneath Saturday’s entry, then clips the sheet and verification note together. The office feels less provisional now, its small desk holding a clear plan.
Quest Complete
Get Scott's final instructions for Saturday
Skill Upgrade: Conversation Fair→Good