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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2017 18:06:27 GMT -5
Hope was a dangerous thing, but Ana had managed to put her hope into the correct people, before. She'd done it to Gwyn, and now she would do the same for Taika; only time would tell to see if he was worth it. She smiled and waved him off, and returned to her quiet work - she would likely tell her Captain, later, the reason for the newcomer's aggressiveness. It was an interesting reason, one that she wished to know more of but knew not to pry.
Gwyn's crew were of various places and backgrounds. There were a few still getting used to the idea of working on a ship, there were men and women alike, some of them older, some of them younger. It was a small crew, though, and they did not quite follow a traditional order. Positions that would've been fulfilled in a larger crew were not, here; sailors knew what they knew, and thy did what they knew best. The navigator technically wasn't supposed to be a role, but the eager man had just wanted to work on his cartography...and who was Gwyn to deny him a simple request?
The crew of the Mermaid's Dagger were mostly content, and Gwyn was glad of that. As he returned from the galley with his flask of water refilled, he glanced at the doctor's office; and the man leaving. Ah, Taika had been in there longer than he'd expected. The young man raised an eyebrow and paused his footsteps, realising a little belatedly that he hadn't told the man...much. Just that he'd be working with the Cabin Boys.
"You can find William - the boy you insulted - on deck, I'd assume," his words were cool and calm, and remained neutral compared to his earlier warmth. "With some of the others. It's coming close to evening, so they won't have much left to do. You should hurry before they settle in to play games."
He glanced to the side as he saw a young girl head down, and he gestured her over.
"Siobhan, could you show Taika to the boys?" he asked. After a moment of staring, the girl groaned softly and nodded, gesturing for the stranger to follow as she headed back up to the deck.
She was sixteen years old, and had a vast pirating background. From her father being the Captain of a rather fearsome ship near the mainlands, to her mother being a female Captain in the Caribbean; Siobhan could easily claim pedigree on her pirate heritage. But, despite that, she was content with settling on the Mermaid's Dagger, eager to become something more. For now, though, she was quite content with leading Taika to the other Cabin Boys, her bare feet making quick progress. She was fairly short, tousled brown hair pulled into a messy braid, keen hazel eyes flicking from the path ahead of her to the seagulls. It was rather clear that she'd rather be in the Crow's Nest than down here, but she didn't mind obeying Gwyn.
"Over here," she murmured, hoping that she could find the boys off-duty.
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Post by ☾ ահﻨรթεгﻨռց ოօօռร ☽ on Dec 18, 2017 18:52:14 GMT -5
On the navy ship, there had been a large number of men aboard. Everyone had had a strict job they were expected to do and there had been no straying from it. For example, Takia and more than a dozen other men had done the basic work. Scouting, restocking supplies, sparring on deck to keep their skills sharp. No one did their own thing, and for the most part, few men were close. At least, none were close with him, and he never tried to be nice to them. He had not, and still did not, consider those men family. Their deaths caused him no horrible pain or sadness, though it was grim that so many lives had been taken in one short night.
Taika could still hear them screaming.
A part of him was relieved to see Gwyn again, and even more so when he didn't have to say a word for the captain to give him directions. Asking others for help would likely never be something he would be okay with. Sadly, though, Taika still had to interact with the others. He gave a bried nod to Gwyn---and didn't show any guilt at having insulted Will---before he turned his attention to the young girl. Fifteen or sixteen, perhaps. Too young to be on a ship such as this, though who was Taika to judge?
Siobhan, the girl, groaned as she lead Taika back up to the deck. Suppose I'm not the only one with such bad manners, the man huffed, though of course this girl's attitude wasn't nearly as bad as Taika's. What did that say about Taika, when a little girl had a better attitude than he did? Quite a low blow to his pride. Taika didn't do much talking, but he didn't have to, as walking didn't require many words.
Not everyone was as anti-social as Taika, thankfully. William definitely had a more warm, friendly personality. He grinned at the sight of the girl, raising an arm to wave at her, black hair blowing in the breeze. "Siobhan! Care to join our games tonight?" He asked, then caught sight of Taika behind her and his waving ceased. The man did not scare him, exactly, but William found him rather off putting. The boy did not come from a rich pirate heritage, like his friend. He'd come from a small village on an island miles away, a poor beggar with nothing to offer but his determination to work hard and desperation to make his own life better. It had only taken a few days for him to grow fond of his crewmates and, now, he showed them an immense amount of affection and warmth.
Taika's eyes narrowed at the boy. In the back of his mind, he heard a voice that distinctly sounded like Ana chide him. If you talk to the crew like they are people and not things, I am sure that they will come to enjoy you, in time. Already, that woman had wormed her way into his waking thoughts; he didn't know if he wanted the crew to enjoy him, but he felt slightly compelled to follow Ana's advice. "You're William," he stated, quietly, the words awkward in his own ears.
"...Yes, I am, and you're the rude man who called me lazy and nosy," William replied, without anger, hands on his hips. "I shall forgive you, of course, but now you owe me your sweets for the next month. As a token of your apology. I shall split my gifts with you, Siobhan, if you'd like." The grin he gave the two was playful and rather sweet, like the pastries he so loved.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2017 11:10:27 GMT -5
"I'll pass," the words were said nearly before William finished his sentence, because she had suspected she'd be asked. "I'm on lookout later."
With her pedigree, Gwyn seemed to trust her more to do jobs similar to the average sailor's. It was nice in a way, stressful in others - but at least lookout was fun, for her. To be able to spot land or see if there was anyone around, to know what was happening around her at all times - there was something powerful about it that she enjoyed. Maybe the Captain knew that, or maybe it was just a coincidence; either way, she enjoyed it.
Siobhan Sheehan was not particularly intimidating with her smaller stature, but she certainly knew how to intimidate with a blank stare and a knowing smile. She wanted to be fearsome, some day; but she'd settle for people being mildly unnerved towards her. That worked, too.
She glanced between the two with a raised eyebrow as they spoke, before she shook her head a little.
"Yeah, sure," she shrugged lightly. "Why not?" her smile was a lazy one, for she did enjoy sweets. Having more was just beneficial to her. Siobhan looked up at Taika and studied him briefly, before she looked back at William. "I think you're assigned to teach him how the ship is," she said, walking over and sitting next to one of the boys, crossing her ankles as she did so. "Cap'n didn't say, just told me to bring him to you."
Though she spoke to the other, her gaze was watching the rest of the crew as they worked. The sailors had their breaks, she knew that - but it seemed to her that they never stopped. If one person moved away from something, someone else went there. It was a fascinating process to watch, even after years of seeing it repeatedly...it was like seeing an intricate contraption of some sort, with all the parts working in unity to create something bigger and better. Siobhan continued to watch for a few moments before she spotted the Captain coming up from below deck, and so she moved her gaze away from him (though he seemed to be going towards the wheel, not to them), and looked at the boys again.
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Post by ☾ ահﻨรթεгﻨռց ოօօռร ☽ on Dec 19, 2017 13:10:51 GMT -5
Taika didn’t like the idea of spending much, if any, time with William. He didn’t feel guilty over his earlier comments that the boy seemed lazy---or if he did feel guilty, he refused to admit it to himself---but rather, he still disliked the idea of being taken under a Cabin Boy’s wing. He knew how to work a ship, he didn’t need to be taught to do so, and certainly not by a young boy.
On the other hand, despite how Taika had treated him so rudely, William didn’t mind the idea. “I believe you’re right, Siobhan. I think I overheard him say so earlier,” he agreed, his words light and friendly. “It’s a shame you can’t join our games tonight. Perhaps another time, then.” Nothing about this smiling, cheerful boy came off as intimidating, not his slightly below average height or twinkling eyes. All around, Will was an outgoing and friendly guy, nice and reliable, but nothing special.
To Taika, he seemed unimportant. Easily replaceable., a man that would not be missed if he died a sudden death like many sailors did.
That’s not treating him like a person, is it? Taika, shockingly, scolded himself. Ana’s words truly had imprinted themselves into his brain. If he would be stuck on this ship for a year or longer, then it would do him well to at least attempt to tolerate its crew. As he glanced around, he noticed that all the people worked in a certain order. Much like cogs in a clock, each person moving the next and the next, until the whole clock was ticking and alive. It seemed to keep the whole ship in a respectable, working order. Taika had always imagined a pirate ship to be a bit more chaotic, with no order or reason. Barbaric, even. Yet, it was not. The way this ship worked appeared logical and efficient; he couldn't imagine it functioning any less than a ship full of navy men.
He caught sight of Gwyn, eyes narrowing just a little, less in hate and more in thought. The captain was a strange man. He wanted to ask what was the story behind that bizarre man, but Will broke through his pondering thoughts, slapping him jovially on the back. “Come on, then. Let’s get to work before the day is over. You'll have plenty of time to loiter around and gawk at our captain once I show you the ropes."
Taika balked at the younger boy's words, mouth slightly agape, and sputtered out an indignant response. A blush even rose to his pale cheeks. "Me, gawking? That's absurd. Has all this sea water made you daft?"
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2017 14:34:19 GMT -5
Siobhan turned over the pack of cards she'd been handed by one of the younger boys next to her, taking them out and shuffling them with some skill. She watched the two men as she did so, flicking her gaze between them. She said nothing while the two spoke, continuing to shuffle the cards until she was satisfied, and handed it to the boy next to her. His name was Salem, or something; he was from the islands around here, couldn't have been older than twelve. The boy thanked her and began to deal the cards.
She stood up and pushed her hair out of her face.
"You're gawking," she agreed with William, something akin to an amused smile crossing her features. "He doesn't bite. As long as you don't cross him, he isn't gonna harm you. He's actually pretty approachable, if you wanted to talk to him," she shrugged. "Have fun, Will. And you, Taika. If either of you need me, I'll be up in the Crow's Nest."
With that, the girl walked away and began the quick climb up - to others, it wasn't often that quick, but for her? It wasn't much of an issue. It had become something of a second nature in recent years, considering how often she ended up on lookout. She felt more like a sailor than part of the Cabin Boys, but perhaps it was her age that stuck her in the lower rank. That made more sense.
Gwyn's hands were firmly on the wheel, meanwhile. He stared directly ahead and sung quietly to himself, little notes and pieces of songs from his childhood. Behind him, one of the sailors was fishing - the ship's cat was rather restless, mewing loudly in a demand for food.
"Alright, Cerys, calm down," he tutted, reaching down to scratch her on the chin. "You are a pain."
"Mrr," she replied, and went back to staring down into the ocean.
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Post by ☾ ահﻨรթεгﻨռց ოօօռร ☽ on Dec 19, 2017 15:42:02 GMT -5
Taika did not gawk. He refused to admit that he had, in actuality, been doing exactly that. The hot, bright blush on his cheeks proved as much, and even though Will’s teasing was all in good fun, he didn’t approve it. He had to bite his tongue to prevent from saying anything truly nasty to the boy---Gwyn could probably hear him from the wheel if he started yelling. A sword through his ribcage was the last thing he wanted on his first day and his head hurt too much to deal with the man right now. The only response he could manage was a quiet, huffing, “I do not gawk.”
“I’ll see you soon, Siobhan!” William called as the girl made her way up to the Crow’s Nest. She moved unexpectedly fast for someone her age that it rather surprised Taika; she seemed skilled at it and she must have had quite a bit of practice. The Cabin Boy’s gaze fell back to Taika and, despite his friendliness, they held a wicked gleam of mischief like many boys his age. “You do and you did. I saw it with my own eyes. Siobhan is right, you know. He doesn’t bite if you behave yourself. Would you like a word with him?”
Would Taika like a word with him? Absolutely. A moment to ask him what all of this nonsense was about, how the previous captain of this ship had died and if there was any way to arrive at the mainland sooner. However, Taika knew well that he would be unable to mind his manners in Gwyn’s presence, and he didn’t wish to push his luck. Not this early, at any rate. “I would not. Can we get on with this?”
The look Will gave him spoke the answer, loud and clear. Not a lazy boy, but certainly a devious one. Taika was not looking forward to spending more than a few minutes with this unusual little lad.
For the remainder of the work hours, Will did, indeed, show him how things on the ship were meant to be done. The boy showed him the proper way to complete these tasks---and the only way, Will stressed, even with his big smile---and explained at what times Taika could take a break. So long as the work was done, it didn’t matter too much when he stopped to rest. If he had finished, of course, and only then.
At the end of the little lesson, Taika’s head pounded from Will’s nonstop chattering, his bruised muscles sore from all the walking. Although he hadn’t done much work today, he felt like he’d labored away from sunrise to sunset. He still wore his navy uniform as well, tattered and ripped from the vicious sea, which brought him more attention than he would’ve liked. Too many curious eyes on him at once felt rather uncomfortable.
“Wait here a moment, then,” William said airily, as he approached the wheel and called over to the captain. “Captain! Should I fetch new clothes for the rookie and show him to the barracks?” With new recruits, they normally would have done so earlier, but Taika was a special case. Not quite a crew member, yet also not a guest. A bit of an outsider.
He felt like one. On this ship, with all these people who were supposed to be vicious pirates, yet treated each other so well. It felt wrong to walk the creaky wooden boards of the ship he had sworn to destroy as a passenger and not a foe. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2017 20:29:25 GMT -5
Sometimes, Gwyn's job was boring. Just...standing and watching, occasionally making minor adjustments to their course, sometimes letting Cerys jump up onto his shoulder. Overall, it wasn't a very engaging job. He glanced up a few times to ensure that Siobhan was actually at her post, but other than that, he paid very little attention to his crew unless something caught his eye.
"You want me to take over for you, Cap'n?" came a voice, a long while later. Gwyn's eyes had been closed due to the calm stretch of ocean ahead of them - but he was instantly alert at even the vague presence of someone next to him. He turned his head and, before he could answer, he heard Will call to him. He smiled wearily at the sailor and waited until the other man's hands were on the wheel before he moved, Cerys settled cheerily on his shoulder as if she were a parrot.
Gwyn approached the Cabin Boy as he scratched the cat's chin, ignoring the fact that her mismatched gaze had settled on the newcomer. She was a feral cat, of sorts; only friendly with very few people on the ship. This meant that seeing a stranger made her tense, but her need to remain close to her 'best friend' overcame her instinct to flee.
"If you're lucky, Ana might've found some clothes his size," he said with a small nod. He kept one hand gently on Cerys' side to stop her from shifting too much. "And yes. There's a hammock free...below or above yours?" he squinted thoughtfully, "I'm thinking above. Either way, it's somewhere around yours, so I'd like him to be there. Well done, Will," the Captain's smile was a warm one that reached his eyes, that crinkled the corners of them. "You've done very well today."
He felt the praise was necessary for multiple reasons. Perhaps one of those reasons was dealing with Taika, rather than enjoying the company of, though he wasn't sure if the experience was as painful as he imagined it to be.
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