|
Post by ashrain on Jan 26, 2017 15:11:46 GMT -5
𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯Here's a separate role play thread for this so we can keep it separate from everything else to keep it really clear. Do you want to start or should I.
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 26, 2017 15:20:06 GMT -5
thanks for setting this up!
would you mind? I'm going to be disappearing for a bit as I do some things around the house, so it's take quite a while for me to get something up.
|
|
|
Post by ashrain on Jan 26, 2017 15:24:48 GMT -5
no worries take your time
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 26, 2017 16:33:48 GMT -5
Eira hadn't thought that it'd be difficult to track a ship willing to take her on. That had proved to be false. In the ocean, nobody cared if you were a 'man or a 'maid. Their society just didn't care about something like that. If you had stories to tell or lessons to teach, you were welcome wherever you went. Nobody would turn you away for something so simple as breasts. It seemed humanity wasn't like that. Was that good or bad? She didn't know, but it was definitely frustrating.
It had taken over a week to find a captain willing to even see her. Maybe that was a good thing, she mused as she walked on still unsteady legs towards the boat a man had pointed out with a shaking finger and anxious look. This she understood. These people travelled her domain. Pirates. Figured that the one place that would even consider her was a pirate ship. One called The Mermaid's Curse, at that. Ha.
She walked onto deck and waited, as she'd been instructed when she visited the day before to announce interest in joining the crew. The captain will be here to see you noon tomorrow, she'd been told. It was noon, so she was here. But where was this pirate captain?
|
|
|
Post by ashrain on Jan 26, 2017 17:29:22 GMT -5
Charles adjusted the pirate cap on his hat so it sat better on the top of his long sun bleached blonde hair as he walked onto the deck the sun glinting off the strands of his hair which wasn't covered by the hat. Reaching the deck he turned to appraise the line of recruits which had lined up in along his deck; there was a combination of men and women standing with slightly more women then men as he was one of the few pirates who allowed girls upon their ship but Charles didn't mind going against the tide in this so to speak as he found his female pirates were both more productive and more attractive than your average pirate.
He had visited all of the key inns in the town to find people to fill the ranks of his ship after half of his last crew mutinied due to the fact that they thought he was to young to be a captain but he had along with his supporters defeated them but as a result he needed more hands to man his ship and he needed loyal hands who would do as he said. The remnants of his crew followed him fanning out behind him in a vaguely triangle like formation.
Charles dug his thumbs into his belt loops as he looked out at the the assembled people for anyone whose face stood out. His gaze fixed on an attractive red head who stood out from the others who didn't have the hardened criminal look which the rest of them had in the set of their jaws and the tired look in their eyes. "Line up," Charles said his voice commanding despite his youth and he smiled as the last few people who had been milling around lined up in a completely straight line.
He walked along the row judging each person who had arrived to see if there was anyone who had no chance at surviving on board his ship but there were only two people who he immediately got rid of as one of them was a skinny caucasian male who looked like he couldn't lift anything heavier than himself and the other was a woman with a nose which had been broken more than once. He stopped in front of the red head she didn't look like she'd be much help on board the ship as her arms were lean without much muscle and she didn't look like she had ever faced any form of violence in her life but he continued walking before returning to the centre. He still had to rule out several more candidates as he could only have a crew of 50 or so meaning that he needed roughly another 23 give or take one or two to fill out his numbers whilst there were more than that amount here.
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 26, 2017 18:00:16 GMT -5
Eira did as asked, falling into step beside the others. What was she going to do if she was turned away? She needed a ship to do this the human way, and she had to do it the human way. There was no way she was going to get her gold back by staying in the sea. It was at this point that she looked up for the first time to see who, exactly held her fate in his hands. She wanted to see the man that would enable her revenge - or put an abrupt stop to it.
Scratch that. She definitely did not want to see him. Of all human men on this planet, it had to be him? It was all she could do to not bare her teeth in a snarl, but she couldn't stop the contempt that claimed her features. Damn it. If there was one man she wanted dead, it was this one. And now here he was, oblivious to her relation to him, deciding whether she'd win or lose this battle. She hated him for it, almost as much as she hated him for all that he'd done.
A man and a woman walked past her, and she wasn't sure whether she was grateful for their departure or if she envied them for it. On the one hand, the fact that they'd left meant her chances had improved. On the other, she wanted nothing more than to escape. And oh, how easy that would be. All she had to do was flip back into the sea and nobody on board would see her again. But she couldn't run. She was better than that.
|
|
|
Post by ashrain on Jan 26, 2017 19:02:16 GMT -5
"Everyone on this boat I expect to risk their lives," Charles said lifting his voice so it was almost a shout and it was audible enough for everyone to hear what he had said even as the wind snatched his voice away. "Everyman behind me has fought for me, risked there lives for me and many of them died for me." As he said this the assembled pirates behind him who were already a member of his crew let out a deafening cheer to his words. His charisma and speaking skills were the main reason for his success and the running joke in the crew was that he could sell water to a mermaid.
He paused casting a cursory glance over the potential members to see if any of them looked like they were thinking twice about joining his crew. If they couldn't sit through him talking about the dangers they'd be no use when they were out sailing. "If you join us you'll either win with us or you'll die with us but whatever happens we'll do it as a crew not as an individual." Charles closed his eyes for a second hearing the clash of swords and smelling the acrid smell of gunpowder from that battle for a second before he opened his eyes again revealing a deep turquoise blue colour which matched the sea behind him.
"I've risked my life fighting alongside my brother and sisters," he said stressing the brothers and sisters as that's what some of the people in his crew were. There were those he had known for almost a third of his life and they were the ones who had supported him when he won. He looked down for a second biting his lip before looking up again. "I've had people turn against me and do you know what we did about them," His eyes were hard as gunmetal.
"I got rid of them." There was a moment of stunned silence before he lifted his voice again. "Now if you want to leave leave but if you stay your one of us for better or for worse."
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 27, 2017 3:11:45 GMT -5
I am not one of you, Eira thought defiantly, but she remained where she was. The captain considered his crew family, then? Well, she wasn't here for his brothers, she was here for her sister. For all she cared, the entire crew could die in the next storm. As long as she got what she had of her sister back, these people meant nothing to her. Charles meant even less. Even thinking to herself, she spat his name like it was poison.
Around her, men and women looked carefully around. About half of them exchanged anxious looks before turning to leave, looking ashamed. Eira didn't blame them - not for leaving nor for their shame. She understood the need to leave, but she'd been strong enough to stay. She had no need for shame. She had rage to keep her company instead.
She tore her hardened glare from the pirate captain, taking to surveying his crew instead. It was a sizable one, but she'd seen bigger. They seemed strong, but she'd seen stronger. What fascinated her about them was that there were women among them. Never before had she seen women onboard a ship, not in her twenty years of watching sailors from afar with mermaids who'd convinced her it was fun. This crew differed from all she'd seen before, and despite her hatred and anger, that was fascinating.
|
|
|
Post by ashrain on Jan 27, 2017 13:04:01 GMT -5
As the sailors who had all assembled in front of him divided into two groups. The slightly smaller group all left the boat shame faced looking down but of those remaining on board Charles was pleased to see that they were the stronger half with their strength displayed across their faces and bodies through the scars which adorned them, the weapons hanging from their belt and that look in their eyes which promised their willingness to fight. All except from the red haired girl who looked soft untested with no weapons and Charles felt that were he to touch her hands they'd be smooth with no calluses unlike his hands as they were callused from years upon a boat and handling weapons but in her eyes there was pure hatred and he couldn't help but wonder what had happened so that she had so much hate in her eyes.
"Those who have stayed partner up with a member of my crew," Charles commanded. This would mean that ideally both the original sailors and his new recruits would intermingle which would mean that he was less likely to have conflicts. They were pirates which meant that conflicts were common as taking a pirate's usual seat was often enough to trigger a fight with pistols at dawn.
He watched as the two separate groups paired up together his crew swarming around him to talk to the new recruits. Most of his men paired up with the male recruits though a few of them paired up with the new female while all of his female pirates choose the female recruits possibly but Charles suspected that that was because of the fact that the female pirates all flocked together as they weren't allowed on most boats. Charles pursed his lips but he couldn't help but notice that they all avoided the red head like the plague and after they all cleared the ship with their charges she was left standing on the deck.
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 27, 2017 13:34:32 GMT -5
Nobody approached Eira, and when she took a step forward the crew scattered. It could have been the anger she so visibly radiated, or maybe they could sense, somehow, that she wasn't quite human. Either way, she was left without someone to partner up with. The only two people remaining were she and Charles. For Nieve, she thought, taking confident strides towards him.
"So, captain, do you qualify as a member of your own crew? The others seem to be avoiding me." She managed to keep from spitting in his face - either by sheer force or to purposefully anger him - though she wasn't entirely sure how. Her tone was surprisingly light, perhaps even sweet, masking the venom behind her words quite well. Nobody, not even her own mother, would be able to point it out.
As she stood, looking up at him, she had to remind herself to breathe. In and out, in and out. Mermaids were stronger than they looked, it would be so easy for her to slap him into next week and then disappear, never to be seen again. If she wanted it badly enough, she could kill him. Only, she couldn't. If he died, she had no-one to help her. So she breathed, controlling her anger with a silent chant of in, out, in, out.
|
|
|
Post by ashrain on Jan 27, 2017 15:08:30 GMT -5
Charles masked his shock as the girl walked straight up to him after she realised that there was no one less for her to partner with. He was admittedly on the younger side for a captain and hadn't established his reputation as a captain as much as many of the other captains but any pirate worth their salt knew that you wouldn't walk straight up to a captain you didn't know well and ask him questions when you were on their ship for any pirate captain was a king on their ship but if she wasn't a pirate clearly than who was she and what was she doing on this ship
He smiled though as the girl came up to him her naivety amusing to him as it made a change to the hardened pirates he was used to dealing with on his ship, Her voice was soft almost melodic with a slight accent to it which he didn't recognise immediately as being from any port or harbour that he had ever landed in the last year or so but he couldn't completely remember every port he had visited.
"I can give you the tour if you want," Charles said, his voice an arrogant drawl. He wound his thumbs into his belt loops but his forefingers stretched over the handle of his pistol forming an imposing figure. "I know where everything is on this ship especially the bedrooms," Charles said in a low husky voice, his eyes skimming over the red head's slender figure. He looked up meeting her eyes where the rage he had seen earlier had disappeared but they were hard and didn't reveal any of what the girl was thinking as they masked all of her emotions and he could hear her breathing.
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 27, 2017 15:44:19 GMT -5
Eira raised an eyebrow. So he was one of those men. It didn't surprise her, but then her opinion of him was already low. He'd hit rock bottom before he'd ever opened his mouth. Still, the way he looked at her made her skin crawl with disgust. She hated it, and knowing that he'd looked at her sister that way once made it even worse.
"The bedrooms, huh? How proud you must be to know your way there. It's a shame you never get to show off your knowledge to women, but I'd hate to break your losing streak." Alright, so maybe she should be playing nice. This man could throw her overboard in moments. And yeah, that wouldn't kill her, not even close, but it would mean starting back on square one. But she couldn't stand the way he looked at her, nor the way he decided to speak to her. Not knowing what he did and not otherwise either.
She didn't move, but stood completely still, not moving a single muscle. Move forwards any further and she was making a challenge. Step back and she was retreating. Neither would work. No, Charles would need to move first, and decide whether he wanted to continue being someone people hated or if he'd actually help.
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 27, 2017 16:27:00 GMT -5
oh, I threw together Nieve quickly just so you can see what she's like! in case Charles wants to reminece about her or somethin' idk. she's briefer than Eira was, and I used present tense verbs even though she's pretty darn dead, but you get the point
Nieve Hana Watten // female // deceased at 16 (would be 19)
ᵒ ᵒ ᵒ Nieve is the baby of the family. Being the baby means being spoiled, constantly. It also means getting away with things her older sister (by just over one year, as Nieve always points out) could never dream of doing. She's constantly yearning for travel, for stories and for adventure. Like many mermaids, she wants nothing more than to make memories, and breaking rules to do so is no problem. The fact that's she's so easy to like certainly doesn't hurt.
ᵒ ᵒ ᵒ Where her sister is put together, thoughtful, careful, Nieve is a whirlwind. She's kind, yes, but she's inconsiderate. She does what she wants when she wants. Quick to strong emotions - whether they be something as warm as love or something so brutal as hatred, she's never more than a step away from an outburst.
ᵒ ᵒ ᵒ Nieve is quick on her feet, sharp-witted and quick to come up with solutions. However, she lacks her sister's wisdom and sheer intellect, so her solutions are often impractical or even useless. Nonetheless, she's not afraid to make suggestions. Outspoken and lively, there's not one conversation you can keep her from.
Nieve is quite tall, even at sixteen she stood at 5'7" while wearing her bangle and taller still with a tail instead of legs. She has a willowy frame, with a boyish figure and long, slim limbs. Where Eira's slimness is from being toned, something that actually makes her surprisingly strong, Nieve simply has no fat or muscle on her bones. She's elegant and lithe, moving with a dancer's grace even on land.
Nieve's tail is similar to her sisters, though a little more muted. It's more rust coloured than it is copper, but it's just as long and powerful as Eira's.
Nieve was the original owner of Eira's bangle, though she preferred to wear it on her wrist.
|
|
|
Post by ashrain on Jan 27, 2017 16:42:31 GMT -5
Charles let out a harsh laugh which was almost more of a snort as he heard Eira's comment. It'd almost be insulting if it wasn't so completely wrong that it was ludicrous. He shook his head slightly , "Believe me more than one girl have lost their heads over me only to be replaced when we dock at the next port." You could call him cocky or arrogant but he wasn't lying a combination of being one of the youngest pirate captains to sail the seas, his good looks and charisma made him nigh on irresistible to most girls. He found it funny how the girl had suddenly snapped at him and he thought for a brief second that she might actually have potential as a pirate if she was able to maintain this ferocity and aggression which he hadn't expected from the deceptively innocent looking girl and he found himself smiling at her. Something about the way she framed her sentences and held her reminded him or a girl he had used to know but she had been as different from this girl as the rain was from the sun, he had known her for not even a summer though but it was because of her he had started to allow female pirates aboard his ship she had even suggested it's name.
He stepped forward a tiny almost imperceptible towards the girl and he looked down at her using his superior height to tower over her from this close a distance. "Do you want me to give you a tour," he said in a husky voice. After a second though he pulled back away from the girl and started walking away stopping a few feet away from her, "Are you coming?"
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 27, 2017 16:55:52 GMT -5
Eira rolled her eyes. "Ah, women are conquests, then," she said, as though realising this meant that he made complete sense to her. "I'm glad you see us that way." She didn't mind him seeing her as that, not really. It was uncomfortable, sure, and she'd much rather he thought her ugly, but she could deal with it. But she realised now, for the first time, that maybe Nieve had been nothing but a conquest to this man. And, where she'd thought it impossible, that served to make him even more vile.
Still, when he took a step forward, she didn't flinch. She barely even blinked. "A tour," she began in a way that made it abundantly clear what she meant. "Would be great." With that, she turned on her heel and stalked off after him.
It was a wonder, really, that she didn't wobble. She'd only learned to walk a few days ago, and while she mostly had it down, it was different on a ship. First arriving on deck, she'd felt as though she was back on the beach again, figuring out how her legs were supposed to work. Nobody had told her walking was so much harder than swimming. But - probably by sheer force of will - she managed not to make a fool of herself.
|
|
|
Post by ashrain on Jan 27, 2017 18:00:23 GMT -5
Charles didn't bother to respond to her instead striding across the deck with the confidence born from being years aboard a ship. He'd been on a wide variety of ships since he was just a kid and had scarcely stayed on dry land for longer than a month since he first stowed away all those years ago. Charles adjusted his hat slightly from the way it was perched on his forehead mussing the blond hair which sat below it comfortably.
Leaving the deck he headed down a set of stairs into the below the deck area. The majority of this space was dedicated to sleeping his crew but it also had enough room to store supplies of food for a long voyage and the rudimentary kitchens were also down there though he didn't have a specific cook and instead the crew alternated in who would cook. Charles didn't exactly like this arrangement but it was the most practical one which everyone would go along with.
Walking along the relatively narrow corridor until he reached the second door on the left side. The left side was the one which, had the girls rooms which on the right side had the guys rooms. There were always a few awkward moments when there weren't as many guys but the girls didn't fit or via versa but normally they'd just bring in an extra hammock or two and fit it in somewhere. He pushed the door open resting it on his shoulder as he waited for Eira to catch up with him. He had stopped her there as he knew that the other rooms would be busy but the second room on the left would always be the last to fill up.
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 27, 2017 18:11:49 GMT -5
Eira's stride was confident, despite her lack of confidence in it. She had learned to walk in a matter of days, and even if she could now walk without fearing toppling over, that didn't mean she wasn't acutely aware of how weird it felt to walk. How did humans walk like this all the time?
She followed Charles in silence, knowing fully well that without something to respond to, the moment she opened her mouth he'd be hit with a dozen accusations. She'd need to get over the shock of seeing him again, three years later, then repress her anger, before she could talk to him.
She stopped beside him, looking past him and into the room. "So. This is where I sleep, then?" she questioned, purposefully avoiding the word bedroom. He'd twisted that word to imply something, and she definitely didn't want to encourage him.
|
|
|
Post by ashrain on Jan 27, 2017 18:31:22 GMT -5
"Depends," Charles said noticing her omission and taunting her deliberately. There was something so amusing about teasing her and seeing her cheeks flare up red a shade which classed with her coppery red hair. "They'll always be open doors for you whilst you're on my ship," he said truthfully. On this boat every guy and a fair amount of girls would he more than willing to open their doors to a pretty red haired girl with a wide smile.
The room was typically empty just as he had predicted and inside there were 6 hammocks dangling down from the ceiling. 3 of the hammocks were elevated above the others whilst the other three were only 5 or 7 inches off the ground--just high enough that your back wouldn't touch the ground as it sagged downward whilst being low enough that there was over a foot between the lower hammocks and the higher hammocks.
"All jokes aside though take a bed but don't take those ones," Charles said pointing at four of the hammocks two high ones and two low hammocks. They had been claimed by his other pirates but they were bustling around the ship in the little cliques he found that his female pirates would collect in some of them determined, by age others by experience and some even by appearance. Charles swung himself onto an upper hammock and even though it sagged under his weight it supported him relatively easily and after a few seconds it stabilised until he swung it forward again bored about this entire tour affair. The idea as a good one in theory but Charles found the entire touring affair dreadfully dull.
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 27, 2017 18:47:05 GMT -5
"Oh, I'm sure," Eira said with another eye-roll. But an invitation didn't mean anything unless she accepted it, and that was highly unlikely. Especially if said invitation came from the pirate captain who seemed to find great joy in making them. Was it amusing to him? Probably. To her, it was just frustrating.
Eira considered taking an upper hammock, but quickly decided against it. She was barely used to land yet, she wasn't looking to get used to the air, too. Not by choice, anyway. So, she chose the last unclaimed lower hammock, using her hands to steady herself as she sank into it. Luckily, she was pretty light, so the hammock only dipped down slightly.
"You're bored," she said after a moment of glaring at him. It was quite obvious, and, despite her hatred for the man, she didn't blame him. She didn't suppose he gave tours often. No, his life was far too exciting for that - and this she did blame him for.
|
|
|
Post by ashrain on Jan 27, 2017 19:38:57 GMT -5
"I hate being docked," Charles said honestly with a shrug. He hated being on dry land and within a week of The Mermaid's Curse docking he'd be already itching to be off and to take to the seas as it was the only place that he felt was truly his home and he just felt right. He just felt so liberated and free when he stood on the deck at the prow of his boat or with the his hands clasped on the steering wheel directing the boat.
He dangled his feet swinging them below him as they dangled in the air supported by nothing. The movement of his feet in turn swung the hammock that he was perched on. Considering that couldn't see Eira she was surprisingly easy to not talk to and instead merely enjoy the silence though that may have been because he could' t really see her which made it easier not to talk and instead just enjoy the silence for once as when they set off he'd be surprised if he ever had a moment of free time.
"Is this your first time on a ship," Charles asked. He had noticed how despite her best attempts the girl seemed slightly on her feet almost as though he didn't trust them but Charles had seen hundred of sailors and pirates who'd walk on unsteady legs at the beginning of any journey.
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 27, 2017 19:48:53 GMT -5
Eira wondered what, exactly, she should respond. The truth was, of course, yes. She'd never been on a ship before. Did that matter? Would it have some kind off effect? She couldn't say something that would get her thrown off the crew, not when she'd gotten this far.
"It's my first time on a ship this large," she said finally, which wasn't a lie. "It's not my first time at sea, though. Not that I sail often enough to be accustomed to it." Also not a lie. She'd spent most of her life in the ocean, after all. The exception had been this last week, not the two decades leading up to it. She had to remember that, despite how strange and spiteful all this was, they were in her element just as much as they were in Charles'. The water was her home, and it'd be right by her for the entirety of the journey.
She lay down in the hammock. As it started to swing gently below her, she couldn't help but sigh. The way the fabric held her felt almost like the waves that held her as she slept back home. It was scratchy against her skin, not at all as soft and gentle as the sea, but it was far more comfortable than any bed she'd used since coming onto land.
"So, erm, why The Mermaid's Curse?" she asked, forcing her tone into a passive, casual one. She might be talking to him, but the anger was still there, just well hidden. Besides, she already had an idea. Still, it would be nice to get some kind of confirmation.
|
|
|
Post by ashrain on Jan 27, 2017 20:14:25 GMT -5
Charles pulled his legs in onto the hammock so that he sat cross legged almost indian style on his upper hammock. He grabbed at the side of it as the hammock rocked precariously his fingers sinking into the mess as he grabbed for a hold but his long pianist fingers easily clutched the strings which made it up securing his seat even as he fidgeted on the hammock
Her answer to his question seemed plausible as he knew it took a spark of adventure of even just a longing for something more than this earth for someone to decide to become a pirate or even a sailor as a result there were very few people on his ship he suspected who hadn't set foot on a ship until they had reached adulthood so even if she hadn't been on a proper ship she still would have had time yo fall in love with the ocean.
"It's for a girl I once knew," Charles said winding his fingers in and out of the net in a completely random yet not random pattern, it just was in a pattern that Charles didn't recognise. He thought back to three summers ago when he had first met Nieve, it had been the longest he'd stayed docked since was a child. "She was the reason I bought this ship in the first place so I let her name it," He deliberately left out the majority of the story as he didn't see the need to tell it to her it's not like she'd care
He could still remember that morning the way he'd rolled over but there was no one there and her side of the bed was empty and cold as though nobody had ever slept in it. He had run out onto the deck of the ship as they'd decided to sleep on board in his cabin to christen the ship before they set out but he was the only living soul on board that boat and he was never able to find her again as despite visiting where they had stayed together every time they were in the area he never saw her again.
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 28, 2017 5:36:13 GMT -5
Eira thought back to Nieve and her way of turning everything into something to smile about. Here she was, three years dead, still doing it. The Mermaid's Curse. Yes, it was possible that he was talking about some other girl, given the way he spoke of them. But it was too perfect to be anyone else, so Eira dismissed even the thought. And it was comforting, somehow, to know that her sister was here in spirit. The ship would watch out for her.
She wondered if Charles understood the name. Did he know about Nieve's tail, and her life spent underwater? She couldn't exactly ask. It didn't matter, anyway, because she knew. She knew, and maybe she didn't want to know if he did because that would ruin it.
She sighed again, though this one was a sound of grief and not relief. She settled into the hammock, and though she knew it wasn't time to sleep, she closed her eyes. She wouldn't sleep, she wasn't even tired, but closing the visual noise out helped ignore Charles. She could only stand so much time with him, it seemed.
|
|
|
Post by ashrain on Jan 28, 2017 10:50:30 GMT -5
Eira thought back to Nieve and her way of turning everything into something to smile about. Here she was, three years dead, still doing it. The Mermaid's Curse. Yes, it was possible that he was talking about some other girl, given the way he spoke of them. But it was too perfect to be anyone else, so Eira dismissed even the thought. And it was comforting, somehow, to know that her sister was here in spirit. The ship would watch out for her.
She wondered if Charles understood the name. Did he know about Nieve's tail, and her life spent underwater? She couldn't exactly ask. It didn't matter, anyway, because she knew. She knew, and maybe she didn't want to know if he did because that would ruin it.
She sighed again, though this one was a sound of grief and not relief. She settled into the hammock, and though she knew it wasn't time to sleep, she closed her eyes. She wouldn't sleep, she wasn't even tired, but closing the visual noise out helped ignore Charles. She could only stand so much time with him, it seemed. "She was like you," Charles said after a few seconds of silence from where he sat perched on the hammock. He wasn't really sure where not that particular thought had actually come from but there was something about this girl that reminded him of her. It wasn't something that he could easily pin down in words as it was in the set of her jaw, the slight lilt to her voice and the look in her eyes though Nieve's was always softer and more mild except from when they were arguing then they had all intensity of fire.
He shook his head annoyed at himself for thinking about her. He had tried to block all memories of her from his mind and he had succeeded for the most part in the last three years since she had disappeared until he had met this girl who was making him remember everything that he had wished to forget. Swinging his legs off the hammock so that they dangled in mid air Charles paused for a second before pushing himself off landing on the ground with soft knees but the balls of his feet ached slight as vibrations from the impact ran through the bones in his feet.
He took a couple steps forward towards the door of the small cabin. "Are you coming," he said opening the door. "We've still got the rest of the tour to do that," he paused for a second waiting for the girl to catch up with him before he smiled his usual arrogant smirk, "We haven't even seen my bedroom yet."
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 28, 2017 12:03:15 GMT -5
Eira felt her heart contract painfully at his words. Three years later, she was mostly healed. It had been three long years since she'd last cried for the loss of her sister, three years since she was unable to do anything because of the grief that only losing someone you were meant to protect could cause. But it had also been three years since someone last told her that she and Nieve were similar. Even if he could never know why, Charles had both caused her great joy and great sorrow. In four short words, he'd made her breath shake.
Even as she walked towards him, she could tell that her gait was more unsteady than it had been before. Not good. Fortunately, he did exactly what she needed him to. He spoke to her like that again, like she was there for his pleasure and nothing else. She steeled herself, her anger eagerly taking the place of her grief. She couldn't have vengeance, but that didn't mean she had to put up with this.
"Only moments after you compared me to the girl you cared enough for to let her name your ship? Tut, tut. Don't you know that talking about your exes is a terrible way to flirt?" She walked past him and out of the cabin, her anger - some of it now directed towards herself, she shouldn't have brought Nieve into this - causing her to walk with confidence. More importantly, it allowed her to walk like she belonged on her feet.
|
|
|
Post by ashrain on Jan 28, 2017 13:05:04 GMT -5
Charles stifled a snort at the girl's words. She was so easy to annoy and there was something addictive about teasing her and seeing how she would flush whenever he said anything especially considering that she took everything he said even his jokes as being completely serious. As the girl stormed past him let out a laugh without bothering to even attempt to stifle it before he followed after her shaking his head slightly.
The other pirates swarmed around the pair as they bustled around below deck and Charles could see quite clearly how his crew had doubled in the last few hours as all the narrow corridors with low ceilings were made more claustrophobic due to how full they were. She took a number of turns confidently through the labyrinth which was below deck and Charles didn't do anything but follow her choosing to stay mute and a few feet behind her instead applying additional effort to draw level with her only to be ignored or insulted. Besides it would be funny to see where she ended up.
As Charles worked out exactly where they were-- his sense of direction had been slightly confused due to the girl taking a number of detours and useless routes which he hadn't taken since he had first bought The Mermaid's Curse but he worked out where they were fairly easily and a wide smile crossed his face. If he remembered correctly within the next 30 seconds they'd arrive at a door and by Jove did he want her to open the door just to see her face.
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 28, 2017 13:19:27 GMT -5
This aimless wandering was something Eira could with absolute confidence say came as a direct result of being a mermaid. They were the complete opposite of planners and as close to adventurers as you'd ever get. They revelled in not knowing where they were going, and though she usually planned everything out to a T, Eira was no different in that regard. She'd always found it easiest to get to know a place by exploring it - more specifically, exploring without a specific goal in mind.
To his credit, Charles didn't question this method of learning her way around the ship. No doubt, to him it looked like she was taking strange routes and aimless turns. But she made each one deliberately, walking down as many corridors as she possibly could and peering in through every single open door. But no matter how calculated each movement was, to him it would be amusing. At least he wasn't laughing at her.
They arrived at a door and she turned to Charles, looking expectant. "Am I allowed to open this?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. The last thing she wanted was to open a door she wasn't allowed past - especially with the captain there to reprimand her immediately. "What is it? It's closed."
|
|
|
Post by ashrain on Jan 28, 2017 14:43:36 GMT -5
"It's not Bluebeard's chamber," Charles said shaking his head at her as he referenced to the legend of Bluebeard which was not to be confused with Blackbeard who was the famous pirate. Bluebeard au contraire collected wives only to kill them when they entered a room they were forbidden to enter only to find the bodies of all of his earlier wives hanging up dead in the room.
He raised his eyebrows tauntingly at her as he drawled out his next statement, "It's worse." Smirking at the girl's face he shouldered past her and pushed the door open. There was no lock on the door as no one was stupid enough to enter the room without his permission especially considering how he had punished the last person to enter that room. It would suffice to say that she had been put to sea in a small raft along with enough food for a week he had never seen her again. A fact he wangled of considering how awkwardly they had left it.
Pushing the door open he propped it open with his shoulder smiling smile as warm as the sun on a hot day. "It's my bedroom," he accompanied this with a eye roll and yet another adjustment to the pirate cap which was perched rather precariously on his blonde hair as he stepped aside allowing the red haired girl to see into his large but yet modest bedroom.
|
|
|
Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jan 28, 2017 14:54:50 GMT -5
"Ah, the famed captain's quarters. I've heard a lot about it," Eira replied without pause, glancing inside despite herself. Surprisingly enough, it was simply decorated. Modest. She'd expected more from a man with the ego of the captain, but then, she supposed his ego might have more to do with who he brought in here than the room itself.
"I expected more from you," she said candidly, glancing back at him. "I mean, you get to do whatever you want with it. Did it never occur to you that you could make it impressive?" For once, she allowed her emotions to show through if only to make sure that he didn't take this as a challenge. She was showing signs of bewilderment, but also of light teasing. He wasn't the only one who could poke fun.
She looked back into the room, studying it more closely. It was large, sure, but it wasn't impressive. She'd seen impressive, down in the ocean, and this wasn't it. After a moment, she leant back against the wall of the corridor, allowing her legs to rest while she thought about her next move.
She'd done a good enough job of keeping her cool thus far, and she'd have to continue to do so. She couldn't let any signs of her hatred show, not ever. But she needed to do more than that. She needed to figure out the location of her sister's gold, and she needed to do it without anyone on board realising what she was doing.
|
|
|
Post by ashrain on Jan 28, 2017 15:22:46 GMT -5
"I'm sorry darling," Charles said sarcasm dripping from his voice as he spoke before he walked over the lean against the wall which was opposite to the wall which the red head was leaning against. "I promise that when you make it in there I'll redecorate," he raised his eyebrows as he said this but his overall tone was teasing as though he wanted to see how the girl would respond to this.
He pushed himself off the wall somewhat awkwardly onto his feet as he walked over to his bedroom door which he closed with a satisfying thud. She had a point, his room was relatively modest and the type of room which no one would remark on if they were to see but regardless of that he liked it as it was his bedroom and he had chosen every single piece of furniture which made up the room. The crowning glory of the room was the kingsized bed was made of a dark oak which had dark blue sheets which had lost some of the colour during the wash with two slightly salt stained yellow white pillows adorning it. Adorning the walls were trophies, keepsakes and that like with a ship in a bottle being the crowning glory. It was a miniature likeness of The Mermaid's Curse all the way down to the exact engravings on the mermaid on the prow and he had found it on the sea floating on the tide but he had instantly recognised his ship on it.
Turning round he walked back to where the girl stood. "Do you want me to lead this time so we don't end up awkward for your polite sensibilities," he joked curving his lips into a devilish grin.
|
|