Name: Evelyn
Age: 19
Height: 5'10
Race: Siren
Short Bio: While many of her fellow sirens tend to lay far away from any sailors, pirates or marines, unless they wish to drown them, Evelyn has the odd tendency to simply observe them from afar. She's curious about them and wishes them no harm, but keeps her distance so as not to chance getting caught and harmed herself.
SPOILERX
Name: Jace Masters
Age: 18
Height: 6'
Race: Human
Short Bio: A loyal naval officer since he was young, its always been his duty to serve the needs of the people. So it was only natural that he set out after Marie upon hearing her family's cries for his help in looking after her.
Last edited by Arc Angel; 02-27-2012 at 02:47 AM..
Name: Marie Rossi
Age: 17
Height: 5ft
Short Bio: Marie always knew she was going to marry into the Stewart family from the time she was a little girl, she never knew the man she was to marry until she visited them on her fifteenth birthday. The day she met James she fell in love with him, a hopeless young girl love. When he was stolen away from her she grieved for him but unlike everyone else never thought him dead. After two years of waiting for him to come back she decided to go off on her own and search for him.
SPOILERX
Name: James Stewart
Age: 20
Height: 6ft 2in
Short Bio: Stolen away from home at eighteen he has been a pirate for the past two years. He came to love life on the seas and only looks back on one thing with a twinge of sadness, the lose of his fiancee who must surely think he's dead.
The sun melted over the sea beautifully that evening; deep golds and reds in a concentrated bundle just along the horizon as rings of lighter hues of yellow and orange flanked the bright, majestic bundle of light in rings. The few guls that were still out and about the archipelago were settling down in the rocks lining the beaches for the night, and many other signs of life had already dissipated into the night. The land was still, the sea was settled, and all that was left of the day was a few rays of sunshine.
The only living creature still awake had the form of a young woman- for the most part- her hair hallways damp as her torso stretched just above the water. Her calm, golden eyes were set on the horizon with a certain fondness, a little smile drawn along her face as her smooth hands slid up along the piece of rock she rested upon. It just jutted out of the water enough for her to rest upon it, her tail beneath and behind her still flitting about gently in the water. The sea was at peace and so was she, and yet she could just barely make out distant, dark flecks in the water which she knew to be nearing ships.
Firm steps along the deck behind him alerted Jace of another man's presence, easily noted as one of the subordinates he would be allowed to take upon this journey. As he turned to glance at him from over his right shoulder, he flashed a warm smile at the man that was even younger than him. The commandeer had made the decision to test Jace's skills with the request given to him by the Rossi family, and he had been more than happy to accept it. It was his duty, first of all, but he also found some adventure in it. Being still younger than many of his peers made him feel obliged to take the seemingly easier tasks on, but of course, that meant his crew was even less experienced than he-- and either crippled in some manner or quite younger.
Jace moved to clap the young man who had approached him on the back and the two began immediately discussing navigation, a necessary conversation if they were to set out in the morning. The dock manager believed it to be too late to do so. Jace knew any reasonaly seasoned sailor would know better, and he did, but he was too young to voice his opinion over many others. So here he was, stuck at dock until morning, yet he wasn't one to complain. His crew was cheery, and so was he. The entertainment for the night in the form of music already lit the air as the crew of officers began to share a meal.
A small young man bowed his head over his work which was currently to mop the decks of the ship he had taken refuge on. A dark cap covered his amber colored hair, hair that had been cut off at the shoulder and was now wrapped in a bun and covered by the cap. A billowy loose shirt and loose leggings hide the finally formed curves that had only come about a few months ago. The loud booming voice of the captain made him cringe but it was just the oncoming storm he was yelling about telling them all to get everything tied down so nothing would get blown overboard.
The merchant vessel bobbed in the water like a fat lady in a long skirt loaded down with goods destined for far off places. Marie had snuck onto the ship and become its cabin boy on the first leg of her search for James the man she was supposed to wed. Everyone told her to forget him, that he was dead and should be laid to rest. But she knew deep in her heart that he was alive and she would find him, bring him home, and marry him as it was always supposed to be.
“Aye cap’n” a chorus of voices answered the man standing at the wheel of the ship flanked on one side by his first mate, and the other by his favorite a young man by the name of James whom they all called Bull short for Bull’s eye for his incredible accuracy with his pistol. On the horizon a boat could be seen bobbing on the water clearly a merchant’s vessel. An easy target for a seasoned pirate ship which is what they were a seasoned ship.
The fight was a short bloody one and by the time it was over their holds were full to the brim with pilfered goods, all the sailors on the other ship had been given the choice to switch sides. Those who hadn’t were promptly put to death as was the rule. After that it was smooth sailing and an alcoholic rum filled celebration for their success. James was the only one on deck, so he was the only who saw the sparkle of the sun off something shiny. Shading his eyes he strained forward trying to make out what it was. And either he was crazy or it had the form of a person.
The first light signaling the beginning of the short fight enthralled the young girl sitting upon the rocks, leading Evelyn's gaze to squint to try figuring out what exactly those sailor were doing. She itched to go see what was going on herself, but knew better, instead waiting for their fighting to cease before she made the decision to slip off of her rock. She shimmied through the water smoothly, her body running easily through the water, pushing past the waves and brushing past opposing currents. When she stopped, she was still quite some distance from the ships, but it was much easier to make out the fact that she crews were no longer on deck-- except one man.
This was when her curiosity picked up. She edged herself slowly closer, slipping only up to her shoulders above th surface, then just her head, as she dipped under the water and popped back up slowly every few yards. She was nearly under the ship the next time she resurfaced, coming up slowly, taking a cautious breath as she let her eyes trail up to the man that she had seen. Shed never been seen by doing so before, so she didn't believe he would truly notice her with the shadow of the ship. Yet, the risk factor only picked her curiosity. Others would call her too reckless, but it was one man, what could it hurt?
Some time after his men had been fed and sated through entertainment, Jace rallied them together on the main deck to brief them quickly. They all knew what the voyage was for, of course, he just wanted to let them know where they were going, what time in the morning they'd be expected ready for action, and etc. Afterwards, he sent them off to bed-- they would need their rest. He himself leaned out over the railing to mull some thoughts over, a grin upon his face as he watched the last bits of light leave the sky. Yes, this would be quite the adventure.
The storm hit them hard, little Marie who was still getting her sea legs was ordered below decks by the captain. Not about to argue with him on this she nodded her head and rushed below decks. The hammocks swung all empty save for one but the man was already getting out of bed to go up on decks. He was a large man dirty and smelly. Marie had taken an instant dislike to him especially when she found out from an overheard conversation that this man enjoyed the company of younger males. Her ears weren’t so innocent anymore, if you had asked her three weeks ago what was meant by that statement she would have said that he liked to hang out with younger males because they reminded him of his younger brothers. Well she knew better now.
The room was long but not all that wide, Marie skirted to the edges of the room staying in the shadows until the man had lumbered past leaving behind that distinct sour smell that was his alone. An unwashed smell that made her gag the first time she smelled it. Instead of making her forsake her goal all these trials only made her that much more sure that this was all worth it. Going to her own small hammock which hung right below one of the kinder men on the ship she sat on the chest knowing that sitting on the swinging hammock was out of the question. She didn’t feel like being tossed around like a piece of baggage.
The glinting had disappeared but still James strained his eyes leaning precariously forward trying to spot what it was, where it had gone. Was it jewels? Somehow he highly doubted that. Jewels or gold wouldn’t be floating on the water, they were way too heavy and unless they were sitting on some rock they would sink. He frowned, positive he had seen something pop up above the water to quickly to really get a good look. But after a moment he ignored it, probably a fish or something. Leaning back he sighed, whatever the glinting had been it was gone now disappearing in the water.
A loud shout behind him had James wheeling around but it was just the cook drunk as a skunk and babbling something about sirens. It was an old story he told every time he was drunk. The story about how as a young man he had loved and lost a beautiful siren all in the course of a single day, James along with every other man on the ship laughed him off and ignored him or egged him on to describe the beautiful woman. But this time for some unexplainable reason he felt a thrill he could only attribute as foreboding.
Jace's thoughts were abruptly disrupted by a firm hand suddenly clapped to his back, and it merely took a glance to his side to see whom it was.The man now standing beside him was his navigator-- a husky young man of his own age, unruly hair, and the smell of alcohol fresh in his breath, though faint at best. It was just enough for Jace to pick up on as the man let out a low whistle and began speaking about the weather, "She's sure gonna be a big one. Yer smart ta' wait until morning to pull out." Jace himself grinned, chuckled a bit and gave off a little nod as he glanced over his shoulder at the remnants of his crew that were still on deck.
They were lively yet, though sleep was swooping upon their spirits to put them to rest until the morning. He was restless himself, wanting to simply get on the move though he knew better. He mused this was the reasoning his navigator had spoken up about the weather; it gave him a better grasp on his resolve. His childhood friend that stood next to him knew him all too well. "We better be off for the night, we've got many miles to gain in the morning. As much as I trust the company's ship, I know better than to think a pirate's path is predictable," he spoke thoughtfully, thoughts laid out plain before him. The man beside him jerked slightly, taken aback. "Ya believe a young lady like herself would go an' set off with pirates?" he asked loudly in disbelief.
Smiling to himself once more, Jace waved his hand through the air as if to dismiss the thought. "Ah, hell, who knows? I was just thinking…" They were set to hit the main trade routes that their own port's ships went out to trade with, but where their traders went he surely knew what they would find. He had spoken of his assumption with this earlier, in that he believed they wouldn't find the young lady still aboard a trading ship. If they did not act quick enough, she may have been claimed by pirates. This was the thought that chilled his body and caused his unrest. "C'mon, now. Let's get some shut-eye," he urged, looking back over the unstilted bay before them before heading into his cabin.
The breath caught in the young siren's throat as she heard a sudden shout aboard, but it was only seconds later that she let it out in relief as the man she had seen seemed to retreat. The shout wasn't about her, she was still safe. Safe to wander more about the gentlemen on the ship, that was, leading her out of the shadow from beneath the ship. Evelyn maneuvered herself over to the side of the ship, the lowest place she could find, and slipped alongside the boat stealthily. She was just barely able to slip herself above the water to peek onto the deck, only a few of the men aboard visible to her as she kept her back carefully against the cool wood of the ship's side.
The story was a curious thing, even if being spoken from a drunken man. She listened carefully, mentally scolding the men of the crew that egged the poor man on. Call her naive, but she found that it could have been quite true. Yet, never had she herself met a siren so bold as to meet a young man and not kill them. Part of her fancied she might like to speak with this man- a drunkard that surely no one would believe if he so much as told about her- about his lost love. However, her conscience amended those thoughts swiftly, leading her to slip back into the water. Much to her horror, she was a bit louder than she meant to be, and her splash was easily louder than a jumping fish's would've been. Fearful for her actions Evelyn took to hiding in the shadow of the boat again, only her head above water as she tried to keep her breathing quiet while she waited to see if they were to do anything about it.
A loud splash had the only sober man on board the ship, aside from the captain who was locked in his cabin, wheeling around. A fish? No to big for a fish, dolphin maybe? He didn’t remember seeing a dolphin earlier but it could have swum up in the few minutes he had been away from the side of the ship. Although dolphins swum in pods and where there was one there was another and he had heard only one single splash. Unless it was just a large fish, in which case it could become a good meal for the crew later. Curious James ambled over to the side of the ship looking out over the quickly darkening water, the sun had fully set now no fantastic rays of gold shining out over the water, just the gloom of twilight. Nothing popped out at him as particularly odd, even gazing down into the water he couldn’t see a dark shadow under the water that was the evidence of a large fish swimming just under the surface. Frowning he scanned the water and saw nothing, then out of the corner of his eye he saw an object bobbing above the water.
By this time a few other sailors had joined him, the drink making them overly loud and boisterous. They were still talking and joking about the siren story the cook claimed was one hundred percent real. One man then another called out over the water calling for a siren to come and be their lover. James shook his head and walked below decks to get some grub. One after another the men gave up and sought their hammocks, where they fell into a drunken stupor. James on the other hand went back above decks not able to shake the feeling that there was something out there, the bowl of stew clasped in one strong hand went forgotten when again he thought he caught sight of something bobbing above the water. He felt stupid for even trying but that didn’t stop him from trying anyway. “Is anyone out there?” he wasn’t sure what he expected to happen, if he expected someone to call back to him but he still felt silly for even calling out to a siren in the first place.
At some point during the night the young cabin boy had drifted off to sleep with his head pillowed against the slimy wet wall of the ship, it wasn’t intentional he had nodded off and his head had fallen against the wall. The first mate went below decks to check on the condition of their new cabin boy and had found him asleep. Smiling remembering his own little brother he picked the small boy up and set him on his hammock which swung slowly with the rocking of the ship on now gentle waves. The storm had finally broke and the seas were calm once more, patting the boy’s soft head he went back above deck not noticing Erik the hulking man who was still rather new to the ship having only been picked up two weeks before Matt the new cabin boy had been picked up. Erik was heading below decks possibly off to his own hammock to catch a few hours sleep before he had to get up for his next shift.
Marie woke to darkness and with the eerie feeling she wasn’t alone, freezing in place it took her a moment to remember where she was. Loud footsteps sounded behind her, it could be any number of the crew, many were large men, but she couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that something bad was about to happen. She was proven correct when a large hand clamped down on her hip an arm snaking around her waist to drag her out of bed.
The captain looked up from his maps as the first mate slammed the door open waving a few men inside, one was Erik who looked like he had first gotten a beating before he was even brought in. Erik was flanked on either side by the cook and the doctor both large men who held Erik captive and looked at him with undisguised disgust. The last person to scurry in was little Matt clutching at his torn clothes that barely concealed his slender body. Or hers the captain listened wide eyed as the first mate told him how he had come upon Erik trying to bed the cabin boy then shouting in anger and surprise when he found out the he was actually a she. Erik was of course thrown in the brig and the young woman was seated and ordered to tell her story.
Evelyn remained still in her place, tail beneath her as her she tried her damnedest to hold her breath and remain still as she heard a man approach the side of the deck she was hiding under. In the back of her mind, she wondered if it were the man she had seen earlier, for he seemed to notice her before any of the drunkards aboard. It was only when she realized that they seemed to merely be making fun of the poor cook who had told them that story, which she personally had found intriguing, that she ceased her fretting. Her breath evened out and she relaxed, her back once more pressed gently upon the rocking ship as her eyes rose to the men leaning over the deck. Many didn't see her or didn't even seem to be looking in her direction-- yet there was one that caught her off guard. The dark-haired man she'd been observing earlier seemed to have looked straight at her, but if he actually saw her, she was unsure. As they all seemed to back off, she slipped underwater once more, twirling herself about in a happy manner, relieved yet full of curiosity.
As she once again decided to circle about the ship again, something stopped her. The man whom she'd caught sight of a couple of times now was on deck again, and from her place under water she could see him near the side of the ship. He seemed to be looking for something. Hesitant, though all the more willing to see just what the man was doing, she approached the ship. Again taking care to stay in the shadows, she waited, listening quietly. Her eyes widened as he called out as if someone was there; as if he knew she was there. Finding her curiosity outweighed the consequences, she spoke up, her voice ringing out with a musical quality, light yet holding a certain confidence. "Will you tell the others?" she questioned, not daring to come out of the shadows and into his eyesight as it were. Even speaking to a man was beyond her, she wouldn't dare chance letting one see her. Would she? She flipped her tail lightly in thought, keeping that question in her thoughts as she awaited an answer.
(( I'm going to go ahead and leave Jace behind for now, he'll be back around dawn to start the search for her. Poor Marie!~))
Last edited by Arc Angel; 02-28-2012 at 12:03 AM..
(I'm so sorry for not answering for two days. I'm not sure why but my computer wasn't letting me get on the internet, thank god it's fixed now and I can get back to my role plays yay)
After having been assured of her still rather compromised virtue. The captain tapped his fingers on his oak desk slowly watching the young woman now wrapped in a blanket with a warm cup of tea in her hands. The steam wafted up hypnotizing her, she knew she had to fess up and explain everything. But she also knew that once she told them where she originally came from he would waste no time in making sure she got back home. Her best bet was to lie and get him to take her to another port where she could jump ships and start all over again. Taking a small sip of the tea and burning her tongue in the process she took the small second or two to think of a good seaside town that would give her the gossip and chance she needed to find James. “I know this probably looks really bad and you’re wondering why a girl would even be on your ship in the first place. Well you see my um mother died a few months ago and told me my father was a captain of a ship, she never told me what ship it was and I decided I wanted to find him so I boarded a ship and got off at the town you picked me up in….”
She could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t believe her one bit but he didn’t say anything for a long moment. “Girl what do you take me for? No matter what you say there are certain telltale signs that point towards your good breeding. Your ring for one that you refused to get rid of, the way you talk, and even your face high cheekbones small nose and strong jaw aren’t something you see every day. “ As a member of the higher class himself he knew one of his own when he saw one, only question was what was she doing all the way out here. There could be a kernel of truth in her lie about searching for someone.
Marie’s cheeks turned a soft pink embarrassed for having been caught in a lie she thought fast deciding if she had to she would steal a life boat and get off this ship, she wasn’t about to go home. Not yet she hadn’t completed her goal yet hadn’t found James yet.
The musical sound of the voice that answered him only added to the dreamlike quality this night seemed to be holding. None of this was possible, maybe it was due to the dreamlike state that he wasn’t alarmed when the voice answered him and he found himself answering her back. Almost compelled to answer that beautiful musical voice, a voice that sounded almost as if it came out of the very air itself, “of course not I only want to meet you.” Dark eyes scoured the darkness trying to spot the source of the voice, but it was nothing but shadows. Dimly below decks he could hear the raucous laughter of the few men that were still awake, including the captain who was drunk as well. The only few men sober… or mostly sober and awake were the men chosen to man the deck that night. James was not one of those men but he hadn’t felt much like drinking that night. He wasn’t much of a drinker in the first place, he found it a wasteful pastime and he would rather keep his wits about them then lose them in the bottom of a cup.
“Come out, let me see you” he called in a soft voice, the few men above decks were either dozing at their posts, or as the case for the man in the crow’s nest too high above the deck to hear James’s soft call. If he was dreaming he didn’t want to wake, something about that voice beckoned to him. In the back of his mind he wondered, a siren was said to have a voice that could beckon a sailor into the water with her and drown him for her own pleasure but that thought wasn’t enough to stop him from leaning over the side in search of the owner of that voice.
The shadows swept over her like a blanket, keeping her secure from being found yet forming a barrier between she and the man. She could've sworn that she felt her heart leapt up into her throat at his words. Not only was she speaking with a man, but he wished to see her. While she knew that some sailors were desperate to catch a glimpse of a siren, she was also somewhat wary about being caught. He seemed genuine enough in his words, but a part of her still wanted to keep herself safe if she were going to even chance speaking with him. That part of her, she found, was significantly smaller in comparison to the part of her that yearned to show herself to him. Curiosity caught ahold of her and she moved out of her hiding place slowly.
Evelyn was hesitant, dipping underwater before moving out from the cover of the ship and before him. Only then did she emerge, her lips parting to draw in a breath of air, a small smile sliding up along her lips. Her had floated about her as she tilted her head to the side slightly, looking up at the man curiously. So this was a sailor. "I shall only hurt you if you cast down your ship's nets," she spoke truthfully, though her light tone was almost playful in some manner. It was reassuring to see him acting bold enough to lean of the ship's railing in her presence, so she supposed showing herself to him wasn't so much of a risk. Her tail moved leisurely beneath her, showing as mere shimmers of gold in the water as she observed him. "Are you a pirate?" she then asked, somewhat oblivious for she didn't often actually speak to men, though she assumed a naval officer wouldn't allow his crew to become so drunk.
Small glimmers of gold shimmered in the water underneath the form of a beautiful woman with long purple hair that swirled around her in the water like a halo. It took him a moment to realize what the glimmers of gold were and even longer to put two and two together and finally come up with four. The shinning gold under her was her tail, and that’s what the glinting of gold in the sun was from. She must have been either sunbathing or swimming around near the surface so the sun caught the gold of the scales on her tail.
“A pirate, well yeah. This is a pirate ship can’t you tell?” for the most part he was at a loss as to what say. It wasn’t as though he had been in this situation before, he was almost tempted to ask the cook if what he saw was real considering the cook was the only one who had ever seen a siren before. Real or not he was still the only man who had. But for some odd reason James didn’t want to tell anyone he wanted to keep this special secret, this woman to himself. He didn’t want to show the rest of the crew that sirens were real and he had proof.
Instead he lowered his voice to a whisper leaning father over the railing, dangerously far but still with a strong grip on the rail he kept hold on his balance. “Are you really real? Not just a figment of my imagination?” he blurted suddenly afraid that she would suddenly disappear in a puff of smoke and leave him talking to thin air like a complete fool.
“I’ll decide what to do with you in the morning girl, now for the night you can bunk in my cabin I’ll sleep with the crew” getting up the captain patted her on the head, the girl reminded him of his own daughter strong willed, thick headed, and all. Marie looked up at him with large tear glazed eyes such a kind gesture was reminiscent of her own father. Homesickness welled up in her tears spilling down her cheeks only after the captain had closed the door behind him. Crying always gave her the hiccups, wiping the tears from her eyes hiccupping all the while she laid down on the cot. It wasn’t like he could just get rid of her yet, to send her home he would have to turn around. So unless her parents sent out someone to get her she had until the next port to slip off the ship. Or even run at the next port and board the next ship. She was more determined than ever to find her missing finance. Her last thought before falling into the gentle arms of sleep was James’s happy smiling face the day they met.
( I'll have Jace's ship meet them at the port if that happens soon. If not, I'll make sure his ship crosses her path in the morning. )
A small, more musical sound than he voice bubbled up lightly from her throat as laughter. It was a soft, short laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. She smiled warmly up at him, her tail flicking once as if it mimicked her amusement as well. "Why no, I haven't ever spoken to a man before. Sung yes, but only from a distance," she explained, voice soft now as she wondered whether or not the rest of the crew was out. Would he not be speaking with her if they were? She supposed not and relaxed a bit. As she studied what she could see of him, she found a curious though stirring in her mind-- he was handsome, no? Rather handsome, and seemingly kind as far as she was concerned.
His questions through her off guard, but seeing him lean so dangerously over the edge was endearing to say the least. The poor fool might fall into the water. "Be careful, now," she replied in a palmful manner, then laughing softly to herself before she quieted and thought about how to prove it were real. She mused she may need some recollection of their meeting as well if she were to convince herself that thy had actually spoken. "Might I propose something? Just a moment," she flashed a smile up at him as if to reassure him that she wouldn't disappear as she ducked beneath the water.
Instead of moving, she twirled around in the water, her hands running gently over her fin in a fond yet searching manner. After a moment she resurfaced, a gleaming material now in her hand. It was a scale, rather like a shell in appearance, but a glittering gold as her tale were. "Catch!" she suddenly urged him, tossing it carefully up to him. Then somewhat shy as she suggested something possibly silly, "If you wake up tomorrow and still have it in your possession, well, this meeting must've been real. Right?" Pausing for a moment, she hesitantly suggested her idea, "If you would do something in turn to convince me?" She didn't care what, but some sort of realization yet to truly hit her.
This was when she went on to describe her thoughts, "If you wish, we may meet tomorrow sometime. Is your crew to dock on the island, there?" One of her arms rose to gesture towards the small island whose rocky cove she had been sunbathing along earlier.
Even in the dim light from the moon the golden scale caught it and sparkled faintly but surely. The moment was in slow motion, the scale sailing through the air, his hands reaching out to catch it, and finally his hands cradling the smooth scale in cupped palms gazing down at it with eyes full of wonder. The shock of it all had finally seeped through to his mind, he was talking to a siren, he was holding her scale. They were real the cook wasn’t just a crazy drunk. Tearing his gaze away he looked down at the siren that floated in the water with ease. It took him a moment to realize she had said something “Oh yeah we are going to dock there tomorrow search for some fresh water, some fresh fruit, and to give us a chance to repair the damage the fight did to our ship. It really wasn’t too much the product of striking swift and fast… but still its best to keep on top of those things just in case ya know.” He was babbling and made himself stop before he said anything truly stupid in front of such a beautiful creature.
Reaching up he unclipped the clasp that held his necklace closed. It was a necklace that his parents had given him when he was young, he never took it off. But it felt right to give it to her as proof to her that they met just like her scale was proof to him that they had indeed met. Holding onto it for a moment he let it dangle from his fingers looking at the small silver cross before letting it slide through his fingers down into the water. “I’ll meet you on the island tomorrow right at sundown okay?” a few men were coming up on deck and he didn’t have a chance to hear her answer before one of the men swung him around yelling that he should be below decks with them downing some good rum and ale. James went without a fuse but he didn’t drink instead he went to bed.
Despite her worries and about being found and continuing with her quest Marie slept deeply. Exhausted by the work of the day, the storm, and her rather close encounter with a brute, the next day dawned bright and early bringing with it no newfound plan other than the one she had thought of last night. She only hoped it held true. A pounding on the door had her sitting up drawing the sheets around her body she asked the man to come in. It was just the first mate with some breakfast for her, she thanked him and he left without really saying anything though he did smile at her. The captain followed soon afterwards to let her know that in just two days they would be reaching a port town and while he still wasn’t sure how he would get her home it did give her the chance to slip away if only she could be sneaky enough. The captain was a good man and he felt it was his obligation to see her all the way back home, even if that meant giving up his cabin for the whole trip. He hoped that he could find another ship in the town, a ship with a captain he knew that was heading back the way they had come. Hopefully they would be willing to take her home which he had no doubt was in the town they had picked her up. Maybe soon this whole mess could be straightened out.
She observed him in a curious, almost studious manner. It was still odd in her mind, and while th thought was fresh that she could be captured by the man she didn't altogether care right now. She was certainly enjoying his company. His babbling didn't even seem to phase her, and instead of getting owed or annoyed she leaned forward slightly, listening attentively-- intrigued by anything the man had to say, really. When he finished, she smiled, and even nodded a bit. "There are two rivers that I assume have some decent water... The fruit here is a bit in short supply, though. Try looking at the bottom of the cliff face." she suggested, then watching as he drew something out.
Her hands moved swiftly to catch the silver flash in the water, looking down at it for a moment before once again drawing her gaze up to him. So they would meet? She couldn't describe the flutter of excitement in her chest, and in turn could only smile before she heard the clammerof the crew on board. As much as she would've liked to reply, she had no time, diving swiftly underwater in a quiet fashion and heading back over to the cove for the night.
Dawn came swiftly upon the ship, leaving Jace a tad disoriented, but more than anything, full of excitement. The salt in the air was thick and pleasant, seeming or welcome them as they set out before any of the other ships in the harbor. He reckoned even most traders from their town were still asleep, even. It was an amusing thought, but as he set out of his cabin and clambered up to the top deck, he put on his business face when he realized his crew had not yet begun to work. Sighing, he lost it once more. His face softened into a grin as he slipped below decks himself to wake them.
They set out but twenty minutes later, still before the other ships docked there. Jace took up a place on the top deck near the stern, his hands firm upon the railing as he looked out over the water before them. The ocean was vast, and he could see it even from the bay area. This was when his thoughts dwindled over the thought of finding the young lady among the sea, on some ship of random selection. Best to start with traders; with pirates, there's little hope of finding anyone. Their ship was swift, direct, navigated carefully due to his watchful eye.
After the captain left the room Marie picked at her food miserably it had only been two weeks since she had left home, she couldn’t let her quest come to an end right when it had really begun. No matter what she wasn’t going home. Having come to that decision she ate with gusto. It was a pretty good meal fresh eggs from the hen they had on board, an orange, and some toast spread with jam. It wasn’t the best breakfast, certainly it was nothing like the food she ate at home but she had never been a picky eater and she had always had a real good appetite. The first mate came back in just as she was peeling the orange, he was carrying the few items that were hers, she didn’t expect a reply when she thanked him and she didn’t get one though he did smile at her and take the plates away leaving behind just a jug of fresh water and a cup. Using the pitcher she poured some water onto a cloth and gave herself a quick washing. It was nothing like the bath she knew she needed but it was better than nothing at all. After changing into the cleaner of her two shirts she sat back down on the captain’s bunk and ate the tangy orange.
“Captain, there’s a ship back there” the first mate told the large man at the wheel. “Flags?” he asked looking at his most trusted man sharply. “Naval flags captain” he reported to which the captain relaxed just a tiny bit. “Unless they need something from us they won’t bother us” the captain said finally his mind flashing to the girl in his cabin. Maybe… no was she really that important to warrant a navy ship out looking for her.
The next morning found James already on deck amidst a group of grumbling sailors all plagued by a fearsome hangover for having imbibed just a bit too much last night. It was their faults, although the doctor, who also had a slight hangover not as bad as the rest, was busy with drafts and teas he had to brew up to help all the idiots with their pounding heads. The sandy beaches and lush forests of the island beckoned to them promising land, fruit, water, a good chance to fish and relax on its shores after months at sea. The next time they would make port was a month away in Singapore. That was a long while to go without touching land. Or female company but that was the life of a man at sea they all knew this before signing up.
James followed the sirens instructions and found himself at the bottom of a cliff with a group of men. He made it seem as if he found the little treasure trove of fruit quite by accident which he had… almost. The men all talking loudly gathered all the fruit they could carry and headed back to camp where two men were pulling a monster of a fish onto shore. They had taken a lifeboat out into deep water and reeled this large fish in which would feed the crew tonight and tomorrow. They would stay on shore for a good week or more taking advantage of the islands resources. Some men were in the surf collecting oysters and urchins which were tasty when in a stew. The last of the veggies would be tossed in with the oysters and urchins to make a tasty dinner.
Other men were hard at work repairing the damage done to their ship in the fight, or repairing the all too important fishing nets that provided them with fresh food when they were at sea, or checking the large casks that held the fresh water for leaks. The captain was no exception he oversaw all that was going on and even lent a hand here and there. It was why this captain was so well liked he was never afraid to get his hands dirty. Still even with the dinner to look forward to and all the tasks that would keep him busy for days James couldn’t wait till sun down so he could see his siren again. She had filled his thoughts no matter what he was doing.
Curled down along one of the bottom-most reefs of the island's waters, Evelyn rested her back down upon the smooth sand, her calm golden eyes observing the waves above her thoughtfully. The grains of the sand formed to hold her body properly and were smooth enough against her tail so as not to harm the fragile limb. Her hair was unruly underwater, curling out both below her and to her sides in a manner that she simply had had to get used to underwater. Her arms her wrapped around herself casually, one of them holding a shimmer of silver. Smiling to herself a bit, she slid that hand up to hold the small silver cross in front of her face. Her thoughts tended towards James, someone who'd snared her curiosity quite easily. The fact that he didn't seem to have poor intentions after seeing her was also a relaxing idea, to have someone she could rely on, if only just a bit for now.
The sun was high in the sky now, making her squint a bit if she were look directly above. This was disheartening as she occasionally used it to check the time. She was using the sun as more of a countdown to to when night would come. Only then would she let herself see him again, as planned. As for now, she didn't wish to chance getting sighted by another of the crew, else she may have to abandon her thoughts of meeting James again. She didn't want that. A slight pout drew down her lip as she rolled over to lay on her stomach, her armed propping herself up as she looked over the reef boredly. A grin only returned to the siren's face when a small yellow fish made its way on over to her. She rose a finger slowly for it to swim about as she let out what could be considered a soft sigh.
Jace rested along the stern once more, watching the water out behind them with a certain fondness. This was when a series of hoots rose about his crew. Turning abruptly, he was met by a man with a smasll scope. We've got a crew of traders, sir. Think it's a good place to look?" asked his subordinate as Jace drew up the eyepiece, observing the ship momentarily before a smile flashed over his face. "Hoist the flag! We're searching every trade ship out here!" he ordered, then standing tall on the top deck to look out over the water with his own eyes. A red flag was drawn up the mast to accompany the naval insignia-- a sign that they had business with the other ship. It was expected that a simple trader would stop, so Jace had his hopes set on the as they began to close the distance between them slowly.
“Cap’n they’ve raised the red flag” the faint call came from the crow’s nest swaying in the waves and breeze above their heads, but the man in it felt completely at home and in total confidence that he wouldn’t fall. Shading his eyes he looked back at the ship squinting. His first mate handed him a spyglass, thanking him with a few clipped words he raised the spyglass to his eye and looked back at the ship to find that the naval ship behind them had indeed raised the red flag. “Alright men drop anchor we will have to find out what the navy boys want with us before we can continue on our ways” the feeling was stronger than ever now, these men were here for something maybe the girl was more important than he had previously thought, if she warranted a navy ship In search of her. Turning to his first mate he spoke in a low voice and asked him to go watch his cabin to be sure the girl didn’t try to slip away before the navy ship boarded.
Unluckily for him Marie had heard the cries and slipped out of the cabin tugging the cap low on her brow as she skirted around a few of the sailors who ignored him all focused on their work. He could have been mistaken for the cooks assistant who was a boy of fourteen a small boy for his age but roughly the same size as Marie. Scurrying down below decks she secreted herself into the hold behind a few barrels her heart pounding. The captain would tell them a girl was on board and they would search until they found her what was she going to do?
James was kept busy for the duration of the day, as one of the captains more trusted men he was sent to overlook certain activities and lend a hand when it was needed. So instead of specializing in one area he got a small hand on everything. He helped repair some fishing nets, helped peel a few vegetables, helped tar a leak in one of the casks of fresh water it wasn’t a threatening but after time it would widen and they would lose that precious water that was vital to survival, he even got to go out with the fishing crew and help haul in a whooper. He was kept so busy throughout the day that he shouldn’t have had the chance to even think of the siren and yet he did his mind would wander to her constantly the gold scale in his pocket a constant reminder she was real and he would see her later today. He was so caught up in his thoughts he almost lost the fish they were hauling to shore. That was enough to drive her from his thoughts for a good half an hour.
Thankfully the fresh river provided the perfect spot to wash his clothes and his body which was in sore need of a bath. It was one thing he didn’t much care for, while he didn’t mind being dirty he also liked being clean. Not all the men shared his opinion and only a few joined him to wash in the river after the day’s work was done. He wished they would some stunk to high heaven but he couldn’t control them. Laying his clean clothes on the rocks to dry he stripped down and washed himself rubbing sand on his body to scour the dirt and grime of living without baths away.
After his clothes were dry he tugged them on and carried his two other outfits, a lot for a pirate but then he spent money on clothes and not always hookers and booze when they docked, and tucked them into his chest on board. After a delicious dinner while the other men were busy drinking again he slipped away from the party. No one noticed his absence and walked along the beach scanning the sea for the tell tale glint of gold
Looking up from is spyglass, Jace oractically beamed when he noticed the ith ship drop anchor. At least for stopping them all things were swift. As for searching the ship for the girl, he was unsure of how smoothly things might go. "Now listen up!" he called down to the crew, leaning over the railing of the upper deck to speak to them. "When we're aboard they might not be willing to cooperate, but restrain yourselves from drawing weapons or they'll hurt the girl. Don't forget these men barter for a living! That said, off with you, let's pull anchor beside her," he urged, then slipped down to the main deck from the narrow stairway.
As they came in beside the other ship, close enough for a gangplank, Jace did something any other marine would consider too reckless. Taking up a rope from the mast, he swung on over the approximate five foot distance and into the other ship's deck. "Excuse the intrusion gentlemen, But you see, we're looking for a young woman. She hopped aboard a ship at harbor and we hope to retrieve her," he explained simply, his keen eyes observing the deck for any signs of said girl. None in sight, he spoke up again, "Mind if we take a look about?"
This time, under the shade of the night, Evelyn sat upon one of the rocks along the shoreline. The water was shallow around her, but what was important was that there was water. She had her bare back to the beach, her hair hanging half damp upon it as she ran a comb of sorts through it leisurely. As she sat there, eyes cast upon the midnight shade of sea, through her lips came a song. Her voice was quiet, but it carried a decent distance from where she sat. Her voice was silky, her words drawn out as she sung a simply song. The last pieces were :
"Upon one summer's morning, I carefully did stray,
Down by the Walls of Wapping, where I met a sailor gay--"
She stopped herself as she heard nearby footsteps, gasping softly as she turned to look over her shoulder at him as he walked along the beach. A smile then lit her face as she adjusted herself to sit in the direction facing him as opposed to sitting with her back to him. Her tail swayed up and down lightly As she spoke up calmly, "Good evening."
“A girl you say? Might she be a wee thing about so tall” the captain’s hand settled roughly around the bottom of his chest about the size of Marie. The girl must be someone important that the navy was out searching for her. Already he could imagine the reward he would get for turning her over. He wasn’t a cruel man by any standards but he was a business man and if he could turn a pretty penny by returning the girl home who was he to turn down something like that? “Pretty girl with strawberry blonde hair and greenish colored eyes?” he asked his first mate catching the look he flashed at him and slipping into the captains quarters to guard the girl and keep the navy men from finding her before the captain could turn a profit from this unfortunate situation. Imagine his surprise when he entered the room to find the room deserted. That girl loves to cause all sorts of problems. Why couldn’t she just be one of those meek little ladies who just sit in one spot he sighed running a hand through his cropped black hair streaked with grey, before turning on his heel and leaving the room to find her before the men did.
Marie pressed a small hand to her pounding heart as she listened to the muffled voices and pounding footsteps sounding from above. The door to the hold creaked open and she could hear men talking to each other though the words were quiet compared to the thumping of her heart. Swallowing dryly she tried to weasel her way further back between the barrels and managed to wedge herself between them just as a sailor stuck his head around the corner glancing back there quickly before continuing on. She breathed a sigh of relief when the door closed only to tense up again when it quickly swung open. It was only one man this time but he was more thorough moving barrels aside and checking in the nooks and crannies. After a short while the first mate had found her and dragged her up on deck with him. The cap was still pulled low on her brow so none of the men paid much attention to her.
She was easy to spot for even in the moonlight her tail still shone a beautiful gold, she looked ethereal beautiful in a way that wasn’t human. Of course she isn’t human he reminded himself as he walked towards her a smile slowly finding its way to his face without his notice. Already he felt in a way lighter happier just being near her. Vaguely he wondered if this wasn’t the power of a siren to draw men in but then he reminded himself. If she had wanted to kill him or lure him into the ocean with her, which he would have gone gladly probably, she could have done so yesterday but she didn’t… so what did that mean?
Pushing the thought away he turned towards the here and now. “Good evening I hope your day was a good one” he said immediately regretting his words, he felt like a bumbling fool sometimes. He had wanted to say something witty that would make her laugh, had been thinking about it all day and yet when the chance came that was the first thing out of his mouth, he wanted to give himself a good smack on the forehead but controlled himself no need to make himself seem more of a fool. Smiling sheepishly he stopped at the edge of the water mesmerized by her. “Beautiful” he said aloud without realizing it.
Jace regarded the captain a bit warily, though confidence held up his posture and his facial expression would appear as firm as his words. As the description of the girl he'd been given was matched by the explanation for a girl that the captain had, he found a wave of relief. These men may not be eat to hand her over without compensation, but this was not a pirate crew. They wouldn't have dared to harm her-- would they? The possibility pricked his mind, as he had a soft spot for young ladies, and a sense of duty that outshone many others'. "Yes sir, that'd be the lady," he replied slowly, then watching as the cr moved to search for her. Did they not know where she was? Carefully, Jace would begin to think over sending his own crew aboard before a man appeared from below with a girl in tow.
She had a feminine figure, but if Jace hadn't known better he may have mistaken her for a cabin boy. Of course, that didn't stop his attention from being drawn to her. Her gender may not have been obvious upon first glance, but with his knowledge of her appearance and his being a man, he couldn't help but find a certain beauty in her. After a moment of observation that he hadn't entirely counted on, Jace cleared his throat and spoke up. While he had hoped they wouldn't hold the girl with a crew member while they spoke, he felt a bit elp less. His task was to reclaim the girl, and she could be in the way of potential harm if he didn't overcompensate the crew whose deck he stood upon. "Gentlemen, we're prepared to pay you in full the bounty of which the lady's retrieval was set for," he gestured for one of his crew members to bring a small chest of currency aboard, though it were not truly a bounty of sorts, it was part of the money for their ship's supplies and a part of his strategy. "If you would be handing Miss Rossi over, now."
Evelyn would sit patiently, regarding the man before her with the same curiosity as she had earlier. He was a man with a handsome face and seemingly firm build, and she found herself taking a surprising liking to it now that they were at a closer distance than earlier. The silver cross pendant he had thrown to her earlier was stranded carefully along with a small shell in her hair. His first words lead a small giggle from her lips, one of her hands rising to one of her cheeks as she thought over how to reply to that greeting. She never spoke to men, so this was something new entirely. "My day was alright, idle as per usual," she recalled thoughtfully before shaking her head a bit and reminding herself of wether information she'd given him earlier. "I trust you found the fruit I was speaking about?" she asked, hopeful that she had been of help to him, "I hope your crew found it to their liking."
As he stopped near the water's edge, Evelyn's smile turned shy. She wondered why he didn't approach further, or find a place to sit. Did he not want to talk? Perhaps he believes I'll drown him, she wondered, then cringed inwardly at the thought. Never had she done such to a sailor- pirate or navy member. Yet as he spoke the word 'beautiful', she relaxed a bit, and avast a glance over her shoulder to look over the calm waters of the sea. Indeed the view was beautiful; she was sure that that was what he meant. "It is a rather beautiful night, the water is at peace. It's calming..." she explained, then sent a hesitant grin his way. "Would you- Would you like to sit, maybe? Unless you need to be leaving soon," she offered, looking to the rocks at her side,nowhere the wat could've only been about a foot or so deep. Then realizing that he may think she would harm him, she quickly added, "Stories aren't always true, you see, I don't mean you any harm."
The captain motioned his first mate over, the girl in tow. She seemed to have accepted her lot and came quietly her head bowed. The first mate dwarfed the small girl but her slumping and bowed head made her seem smaller like she was hoping to sink right into the floor and disappear. “Ms. Rossi you say? Her father is Lord Rossi? The man who owns his own shipping company? My girl, no wonder they have the navy out searching the sea for you. Your parents must be able to throw up quite a pretty penny for your return” he eyed the chest a smirk sliding into place, he might be able to get more out of this then he thought.
Marie bowed her head avoiding the gaze of all the men, she felt like a total failure, she hadn’t even managed to get sort of on James’s tail instead she got caught and now was being bartered like a piece of furniture. She opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it, nothing she said would amount to anything in the eyes of these men so why bother. The best she could hope for was to sneak off the navy ship. But no doubt they would keep a close watch on her all the way home and when she got home her parents would never let her out of their sight. Well she would just run away again and again until she found James no matter how many times it took. With renewed determination she lifted her head and looked at the men square on measuring them. She didn’t say a word merely watched surprised by the youngness of the naval officer in charge and handsomeness she thought surprising herself.
“The view?.... Oh yes, yes the view is beautiful” he amended cheeks a rosy pink, he hadn’t meant to say that out loud but at least he hadn’t overly embarrassed himself. Kicking off his shoes and leaving them on the beach he rolled up his leggings and wadded through the shallows towards her. Damn she even smells nice, the sea and something else he thought taking a deep whiff. “Hm stay here with a pretty woman or return to a bunch of smelly dirty pirates? Honestly I think the choice is clear” he said with a laugh. He settled down on the rock beside her trying hard not to stare. Up close she was even prettier if that was even possible. But he was hard pressed not to stare after all it wasn’t everyday one got to have a conversation with a mermaid. But then again he didn’t want to creep her out by staring at her. Fixing his gaze on the sea he sat in silence for a moment. “I didn’t think you would drown me, you had plenty of chances to do that yesterday and you didn’t. If you had really wanted to kill me why ask me to come all the way out here” he shrugged. “But if you feel like killing me now go right ahead I’ll die happy. The sea, the air, you, it’s all so beautiful and peaceful I can die content”
James leaned back on his elbows looking up at her, it was hard to feel anything but peaceful and content, something about her lulled him into a calm state it probably had something to do with her being a siren better to have the men compliant. But even that didn’t bother him “did I ever really introduce myself? Well I can’t quite remember my name is James Stewart.”
As the crew member escorting the young lady approached, Jace carefully observed the way in which she held herself. She seemed as if she'd melt onto the very deck if not for the man pulling her along aside him. Seeing this only affirmed his resolve to save the girl, even if it meant having to take a costly detour to recollect money for supplied before heading back home. Still, something bothered him about determining their destination before he spoke with the young lady. A lady of her looks and class must have had good reason to sneak out to sea aboard a ship such as this. However, something put a spur in his plans-- that being the idea that he'd spoken her name while the captain had known it. Jace mentally pinched himself to keep from losing focus, "Yes, sir. Her fath has prepared this sum for her safe retrieval." Again gesturing to his crew member that held the small chest, the man would open it, revealing an abundance of currency.
Jace tapped his foot once, feeling a bit restless in this scenario. If the offer wasn't to be accepted, he had prepared his crew to use force, but would they harm the girl? That was the real question rolling through his mind. His thoughts did seem to gravitate to her moreso now that she was on deck, however foolish it was for him to allow them to do so. Not only should he be focusing n the bartering, but he scold himself for reveling over the beauty of a woman of such significantly higher class. Jace's own parents were below even his current rank, placing him at a mediocre level in society though his title, especially at such a young age, did earn him some respect.
Upon hearing his odd reply, Evelyn tilted her head to the side slightly. Was that not what he'd meant? she asked naively, then shrugging a little to herself. She dropped that thought as he began to wade into the water, however, a warm smile lighting her face. This was truly closer than she'd imagined ever being to a man, even if he were a yard or so away still. All the better to look at him, she figured, but her gaze was kept casual. While she found him handsome, she didn't find a use in fixing her gaze to him and merely looked over in a conversational manner. Her cheeks warmed the slightest bit in response to his jest on whether or not he'd stay, one of her hands moving to feel the side of her face oddly as she hadn't felt such a thing before. A small wave of shyness accompanied her soft blush. "Ah, well, you're a pirate, aren't you? I believe I'd rather sit with you," she replied after a moment, smiling once more as she then thought over his words again. Smelly, dirty,-- is he? Surely not, she mused, then deciding to speak up again. "I don't find you either smelly or dirty, though," she added thoughtfully, then drawing her gaze to follow his out to sea. She was thankful for the peaceful night.
As he claimed he wouldn't care if she killed him now, she let her gaze return to him, a bit flustered. Kill him? Why on earth would she wish to? Yet, shaking her head a little with his explanation, she'd smile once more. "I'd only harm a sailor if he meant to catch me, and I don't believe you do," she explained, then adding with a small laugh, "I'd much rather speak with a handsome man than kill him, in either case." she let a small shrug roll off of her shoulders before letting her gaze move to her tail as it rested upon the rock before her. One more her gaze was drawn to him as she felt his eyes upon her, turning her head to look down at him as he leaned back so casually. It was a relaxing experience, curious in its own way, but enlightening beyond compare. She found him truly intriguing, whether it was due to his looks, appearance, or the fact that he was a man, she wasn't quite certain.
The idea that she had yet to give him her name made her feel a tad foolish, but she didn't recall having introduced herself earlier either. Rubbing the side of her neck shyly, she took note of his name before speaking up with hers. Had she been told she'd give a sailor her name but a few days ago, she wouldn't have believed herself-- yet, here she was. "I don't think either of us did, but it's nice to meet you, James," she replied with a small smile, liking the sound of his name on her tongue, before then returning the gesture. "My name is Evelyn," she replied, then paused, not having a last name to offer as he had. "You still have my scale?" she then asked, curious to see what he'd done with the precious bit of her tail. It weren't as if she wished to reclaim it, it'd grow back, but she was simply curious.
“Hm such a pretty thing ain’t she? While I myself would never dream of harming even a hair on a ladies head. Some of my men aren’t so decent. They could hurt her unless they feel they are being compensated enough for all their troubles. This here girl is more trouble than she’s worth, stowing away, lying, getting my men into an uproar, causin’ disturbances, and then tryin’ to give us the slip I’d be glad to be rid of her” the captain eyed the chest surprised to be offered even this much. But being a bartering man through and through he didn’t let that show on his face if he could he would try to get as much out of this as possible. Scratching at his scraggly beard he first glanced at the chest and then the girl who was keeping an eye on the crew he supposed trying to decide where her best chances lie. “So let’s get this little exchange all taken care of and we will all be on our way.”
This certainly wasn’t the kindly captain who had given up his quarters so that she might sleep without fear of the other sailors Marie glanced at him but didn’t say anything. The captain was a lot like her father in his business sense she supposed, he would try to get as much out of this unexpected surprise as possible. Rubbing her neck she managed to leave a smudge of dirt there the product of slipping in between two barrels. One good thing about the navy ship and her rank was that no doubt they would stop off and she would get a nice room with a bath and everything. Maybe she could even find a way to slip out of the room and onto a new ship before they realized she was gone. The bartering was actually done pretty quickly and soon she found herself standing beside the young naval officers as the chest changed hands the captain looked pretty happy with himself and she couldn’t help the small smile that found its way to her face. But that quickly disappeared when she reminded herself just what her situation was. “Well don’t we all feel better now that that small little detail is taken care of?”
“Your scale?” reaching into his pocket he withdrew the glittering golden scale, throughout the day he had pulled it out merely to look at it and remind himself that she was real Evelyn was real Evelyn what a pretty name he thought holding the scale up to catch the light from the moon. In the moonlight the scale had a different cast to it, just as beautiful as in the sun but in a different way. “I kept it in my pocket and only took it out away from the prying eyes of my crew members. If they had seen it no doubt the subject of where it came from would have come up and I didn’t really want to tell them about you. It’s probably for the best anyway we won’t be staying on this island all that long. Soon enough we will get the boat all fixed up and we will be on our way….” He was surprised by the slight pang he felt at having to leave, he didn’t want to go he wanted to stay and get to know Evelyn better.
“It will take about a week to fix all the damage the fight gave to the ship, but the cap’n will push us so we finish as fast as possible” though James was raised as a higher class educated man he found himself picking up on certain speech and mannerisms of the lower born crew members and that didn’t much bother him. Anything that put him further away from the boy he had once been. He loved the adventure and life or death situations on the high seas, he loved the sea itself, felt he was born for this. Plus if he hadn’t stayed on he never would have had a chance to meet a mermaid. “But even with him pushing us it will still take about a week to fix everything up”
Jace's posture stiffened when the mention of the girl being harmed harshly struck a note in his head. The idea of watching a crew member hurt the girl due to a mere circumstance of negotiation wasn't acceptable in his eyes-- and he quickly found himself losing a grip of his strategy. He wouldn't dare harm a lady, Jace thought, eyes narrowing the slightest bit as he oversaw the exchange of the chest. While he had once thought of giving the crew of traders the slip and making off with Miss Rossi, he soon found his thoughts taking another turn. Stopping to channel supplies form another navy station along the way suddenly didn't sound like such a bad idea. "I see. Of course," Jace responded with a new hint of coldness in his tone words the other captain, "Men, bring her around! We're heading due east." Due east of course wasn't in the direction of their home. Any of his crew members would surely understand this, however; the new dilemma his surrender of the chest would cause. Managing to find a new store of money may be hard, as currency may be scarce in these parts, but no matter. With those thoughts tied up, he turned to see the girl beside him with great relief.
From what he saw, Jace believed she may wish to bathe or at least get some proper rest. He wasn't aware of whether or not she'd been been harmed, but thankfully, it didn't seem that she had been. Still, he wished to ensure that she'd been treated properly so that the may overcompensate treatment if necessary. He mused that she would have to take up a cabin, probably that which his navigator currently slept in. Jace seemed to think of returning to his ship but a moment later, stepping back as he spoke aloud to her. "If you would, miss," he then turned his head to Maire, a small smile now lining his features as he tried to relax himself in an attempt to be friendly. A broad plank of wood had been placed for her use across the railings of the two ships, and as he now leaned against the railing, offering an arm out to her for if she wished for him to assist her across. It was a measly distance of perhaps ten feet, but he didn't wish for her to feel uncomfortable or risk her possibly slipping off.
Evelyn would nod slowly in affirmation, then a smile would quickly find its way across her face as she saw that he'd kept it in her pocket. She figured that that was for the best, as it would mostlikely be a relatively safe place and few others might see it there. While he shined the smooth surface as she scale against the light, she found her gaze drifting instead to his face and the way the moonlight and contrasting shadows caught his features. As she released she'd been staring for a mount, she blushed lightly, turning her head slightly to listen to him as she looked over the water quietly. He's to leave so soon? It was odd how her curiosity to speak with the man had lead her to wish that she could spend more time with him-- but she knew that she should have been counting on that from the very beginning. "Oh," she replied at first, a tone of regret in her voice before she let out a soft sigh, "Well, the best of luck with your repairs. It should go swiftly with the island's resources."
Then raising one of her hands to run through her hair thoughtfully, her gaze lowered a bit. He would leave, more would come, they would leave once more. She could always travel herself, but the same occurrence happened all over the sea of which she lived in. Men were inconstant, but until now, they had also been intangible. While he was here, she may as well take advantage of the opportunity to learn about him, no? Curious, and not thinking of any silly human formality, one of her hands moved to slowly take up one of his. From their distance, it hadn't been hard to do, but she did have to lean forward to manage the gap between the rocks. If allowed, she would turn his hand so his palm faced upwards and look over it studiously. Brushing a strand of hair away from her face with her free hand, she then moved it to trace her forefinger gently upon one of the lines in his palm. "Others say that sailors are a danger that we need to get rid of, but we're not all that different. Look, you have life lines, love lines, lines of dreams and aspirations--" she paused, laughing softly at how silly she may sound before opening her own hand to allow him to see her palm as well. "I do too," she added, looking briefly at her own hand before looking at the hand of his that she held. Hesitantly, she let go of his hand, instead pressing her palm flat up against his.
