Black Waters

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Xaria.

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Ivan Thark stared at his hands, and then at the sea. It had been three years at sea and still they had yet to capture a prize. And he had yet to get promoted, although opportunities were plentiful. He just wasn't as recognised as much as the other men and women among the ship.

He growled at himself, and stood up straight, waiting to be relieved from watch. It would be four long hours until then, sadly. Ivan turned from the sea and surveyed the deck. The only other people here were Lieutenant Briggs and someone else, a blur he'd seen before but not someone he'd bothered talking to.
 
Poppy was walking around the deck, making sure everything was were it was suppose to be and that the ship was in tip top condition. Unlike most girls she wore a dress that came down just below her knees, showing off some of her legs. Even then most woman would consider it a bit too risque for a lady. Her dark hair was pulled back into a long, curly pony tail, swishing side to side with each step she took.

It wasn't long before she was starting to approach the Lieutenant, she gave a small bow to him before speaking. "Sir is there anything you wish for me to do?" she asked as she stood there. "I have already made my rounds on the ship, and things are spotless as of now." It wasn't long before she felt a pair of eyes on her and slowly she trailed over to Ivan. Rising an eyebrow she watched him before slowly narrowing her eyes as if to ask what he was looking at it. Turning her head she turned back to the Briggs to see what he would tell her.
 
Ivan looked away with a slight grumble. The woman noticed him. Now that was an uncomfortable conversation that he'd have to have.

Lieutenant Briggs stood tall, and thought for a moment. "No, there's nothing that requires your attention at this moment. You stand relieved."

Ivan yawned and checked his pocketwatch, and when he went to close it he unwittingly dropped it into the water. "God damnit", he muttered. He'd never see that again. He just wanted to go down and enjoy the party the capatin was having, in celebration of three years at sea.
 
"Very well." she said as she started to take off once again. She was listening to the laughter and cheering of the group as they drunk and just had a grand ol' time. She looked back to Ivan for a moment before venturing off herself.

When Ivan dropped his watch into the ocean's waters another small splash could be heard. A mermaid had been lurking under the waters below. With how noisy the boat was with the party, it was hard for one not to want to know what was going on in their waters. The sparkle of watch had caught her eyes and she swam down to grab it.

The young mermaid held it in her hands with aw and placed it to her ear listening to the tick of it. Slowly she swam back up to the surface. Her eyes just above wave level. Part of her wandering more things of interest would fall into the waters that she could grab up.
 
Ivan nearly choked when he saw her. Clearly I've had too much rum, he thought as he stared. He looked back at Lieutenant Briggs, who was now nowhere to be seen. And then he looked at the water again, fascinated. "H-hello?" he called awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

Captain Lacy was sitting on the bar, pouring rum for whoever held their cup out. When she saw Poppy, she grinned widely and stood up on the bar ready to make a toast. The roar of conversation and laughter was hard to think over until she let out a shrill whistle.

"I'm grateful for many things today. For starters, the Siren, for how steady and true she sails. For the opportunity to see all the sights I'd dreamt of as a little girl. But most of all, I'm grateful for the loyal men and women on this ship. If it weren't for you all I'm sure this ship would still be rotten with barnacles on the side, five minutes from becoming a shipwreck. Drink on!" she shouted heartily, and took a swig of her whiskey.
 
The mermaid had let out a squeak when he spoke to her and dove back down into the water for a few seconds. Slowly though she came back up again, though this time she brought her whole head out of the water and moved close to the boat. "Hello." she said innocently enough as she looked up at him. "Look what I found, it came from this beast you are ridding upon." she said as she held the watch up and out of the water. "Do you have more things like this I can have?" she asked in an almost hopeful kind of way.

Poppy had looked at Lacy when she was talking and started to laugh before she approached her. "That was a might fine speech you gave there Captain." she said as she got a glass of rum herself. "You know how I am though. I just hate for things to be dirty. Many here like to call me a clean freak." she said before laughing and taking a long drink.
 
Ivan blinked, mesmerized. "Um...yes, there's tons of stuff like that here. Do you...do you want me to get you something else?"

Lacy laughed, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Clean freak is not much of a flaw here. Anyway, I hope you decide to stay. There's a lot to be done on this ship. I heard some chatter the last time we docked--there's a war going on and we're right in the middle of it. Might need someone to help repair my girl after she takes a few good shots. But, you know, your choice", she said before pulling her arm back to her side. She finished off her bottle and went back to the bar.
 
A bright smile fell onto the mermaids face as she quickly nodded her head. "Yes please do, I want to see lots of it!" she said happily. "This one makes a wonderful sound as well. Did you know that?" she asked. "Well I bet you did since you dropped it in here, but it's a wonderful treasure none the less!" she told him cheerfully as she floated along the waves. Her eyes were such an intense, startling blue color, yet they held so much light in them at the same time.

Poppy laughed and nodded her head. "I would very much like to stay with this ship and crew." she told her happily. "This is my home and the crew is just like my family." she said cheerfully as she finished off her drink and went to get another one as well. "Even so, I am sure we could hold ourselves in the war as well."
 
Ivan grinned. "I'll be right back. I have some things..." he ran off to the barracks and found his bunk, looking around for things. There was a locket he'd bought a while back, as well as a tiny metal figurine and a few silver coins. He soon returned and held them out for her, hanging over the side of the boat.

Lacy sucked in a breath, worried. "I'm not so sure. The newest ships, they have cannons and guns we can't hope to match. To be honest, it'd be much easier to go back to smuggling..." But she sighed, because she remembered what her last shipment had been. A thousand men and women set to be slaves. She had gone far off route and dropped them in a well-populated town that would be able to take care of them, get them real jobs. But she never told that tale. Heaven forbid people think that she had any honor.
 
When he returned the smile only grew on her face. "What are these?" she asked as she went and took the locket. She looked it over before placing it around her neck. "It's pretty, look how the light catches it!" she said with a giggle as she twisted it in her hands. The mermaid took the coins for a moment in her hand, though they seemed to disinterest her as she gave those back, but took the tiny figure as well. "You turned a man into this!" she gasped. "What kind of magic is this, how did you get him so tiny!?" she questioned as she looked it over and over again.

"But we have swords and skilled fighters." she told her gently as she sat down at the bar. "Even so we have very intelligent men and women on this boat. I am sure we will be fine." Poppy told her again. "Even so, maybe we can do the smuggling again and then save us some money to get those fancy cannons." she said with a grin.
 
Ivan laughed. "No, it's just a little figurine. There's not a man inside, it's just metal." He leaned in to explain better, but he fell into the water. He panicked and started thrashing before he suddenly resurfaced, gasping for air.

Lacy laughed softly, and shook her head. "No, there's only oneman who would do that kind of business with me, and the last time I did a job for him the goods never showed up for his client...and the client disappeared a few days later, never to be seen again", she said grimly, before opening another bottle of whiskey. "Want some?"
 
The trashing seemed to get her attention more then anything else. Mermaids weren't always known to be kind, but more as killers. There were stories of them fooling men and dragging them down into their watery deaths. This one was no different. She swam towards Ivan and under him. Grabbing him by his foot, she drug him under the water a little bit further from the surface. When he was under the water she came up to his face, taking his face into her hands.

The mermaid stared at him for a while confused as to why he couldn't breath like her, before dragging him back up to the surface. "You humans have always been so strange. Needing air to breath." she whispered.

Poppy looked at Lacy a bit shocked, before nodding her head a bit as she stood there. "Well I guess it would be better not to cross paths with him again then." she said softly.
 
He growled, gasping to catch his breath. He took hold of the ropes on the side of the ship and started to pull himself up. "I should have known better", he mumbled to himself. "Fucking mermaids."

Lacy chuckled, and giggled further as she got into a booze-filled fit of hysterical laughter. She slowly stopped after a minute, and pat her back. "I've got some business to take care of. See you in my quarters in an hour?"
 
The mermaid looked at him a bit shocked a small frown on her face. "I didn't mean to make you mad." she said as she reached up to grab onto his leg again. "I really like this, but you can have it back." she said as she went to give him the watch back. "And if you want, you can have this back too." she said as she went to hand over the locket as well.

Poppy laughed as she looked at her. "Maybe to tuck you into bed captain, it seems you might of had too much to drink tonight." she told her gently. "If you need help with anything, just let me know." she said as she went back to drinking as well.
 
He frowned. "Why didn't you kill me? It was easy enough." Ivan pushed the watch back into her hand. "It's yours. Keep it."

"Bah", she mumbled. "I'm fine." She walked off and took a sailor by the collar, taking her to her room. Other men and women giggled and chuckled.

"Captain's sure busy", Briggs murmured with a grin. "You in need of a drinking buddy?"
 
Poppy looked at him and shrugged a bit. "I don't know. It is easy, but my kind is really not suppose to interact with your kind, unless it's to kill them. Even so me talking to you, could get me in a lot of trouble." she said softly as she sat there in the water. "And maybe you could get me more stuff from time to time if I let you live." she said with a small grin as she held the watch close to her chest.

Poppy looked at Briggs and laughed a bit as she sat at the bar, slowly nodding her head. "Yes she is. I am sure that sailor is going to have workout for him tonight." she said laughing as she just relaxed and took another drink. "A drinking buddy would be nice." she said patting the seat right beside her.
 
He chuckled. "Maybe I will, then. So are you just going to hang around the ship?" The Siren was guarded heavily most days, and it could potentially be dangerous. "I wouldn't recommend it."

He grinned and sat beside her. "I don't think we've ever talked. You know, out of official channels and whatnot." He took a sip of his rum and shook his head, the taste getting to him. "So...I've seen a lot of men being dragged into her room lately. I mean more than usual. I wonder if something's wrong. Eh, none of my business", Briggs said with a shrug.
 
The mermaid looked at him and shook her head. "Most likely not. I might not see you for a while. But I will be back." she said with a smile as she floated in the water.

Poppy looked at Briggs and nodded her head a bit a small frown on her face. "I've noticed that too." she said softly. "I think something is bothering her. I can't tell what it is though. She told me we are right in the middle of a war right now, and their ships are far more advanced then our own. So maybe that is what is getting to her." Poppy commented as she took a drink from her cup. Enjoying the burn that ran down her throat. "I will check on her in an hour though. Surely she would be finished with her little sailor boy by then."
 
Ivan chuckled and pulled himself back up on the ropes before dropping softly on the deck. No one was around to see his blunder. Good.

"I'm quite sure", he said, amused. "Well, her way of coping with stress sure isn't going to inspire a mutiny, so I'm not worried. If it started to change into barking impossible orders, then we have a problem." Briggs coughed softly before finishing off his drink. "We're all so worried about our captain, aren't we? What good sailors we make." He shook his head. "I get why she's distressed. This ship, while she's a beauty and shines like no other, is not equipped to do battle with another ship, what with their cannons and guns. Our swords won't do us any good if we can't get close enough to board their ship."
 
Poppy nodded her head a bit as she sat there with him. Taking in everything that he was telling her, she couldn't help but agree with it all. "I know." she said softly as she sat there. "So far we have been safe and no one has pulled us into their little battles." she commented, swigging her legs back and forth. "But I do think the ship needs an update as well." Poppy finished off her drinking, grabbing another thing of rum, before speaking again "To get the cannons and such, that would be a very good idea. The only problem is, is how we are going to get the money for it all."
 
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