Poseidon's Blood ((Open/Accepting)) ((Needs characters!))

[II Cisara II]

The disgrace that was taken prisoner, is the counter attack of beginnings
You're a hunter, who slaughters his prey in the castle wars
As the impulses that gush out fire up your body
Your crimson arrow that slings from your bow drills a blood red scarlet hole into the twilight.

Abigail "Gale" Reinhold

The early morning twilight fog crawled up from the water and into the sight of the many crew members that were waking up, once again, at an ungodly hour, and this got mixed results. Fog meant bad weather, bad weather meant no leaving from the spot that was currently holding their position. Not moving means extra effort to keep the natural elements ruining a beautiful ship, but fog was an omen for cold in this part of the world. Mixed feelings alright.
One of the many crew that woke up for the morning rotation was a pot bellied old man with an attitude to match his breath: drunk and horrid. The younger crewmen said hello under their breath, but it was a lose lose situation for them; say hello and get yelled at for being annoying, not saying hello gets you yelled at for being rude, but then there is the people that are smart enough to go topside through the poop deck, which guarantees safe passage. After the morning dosage of whiskey, the old man hobbled up to greet the cold fog, and the first thing that caught his eye was the sky; grey with a blend of orange-y blue, the sight almost soothed him.

But then, as he turned to go fetch the ropes, a tike of about nineteen years of age was seen throwing a small object up a few feet, only to land back in her lap.

"Hey boy, what do you think you're doing sitting up there?! get back to work!!"

"I'll get back to it when you ain't pestering me you t**t! I'm the look out for the week, lest you have forgotten so soon?!"

She was grateful, honest to anything holy listening into her most personal thoughts and feelings (which is rather below the belt of them), but sometimes the amount of stupidity that some how manages to flop onto this ship never ceases to amaze her. Gale flipped off the old man, who then promptly stormed off to complain to someone who couldn't give two shits, once again giving her the solace she needed. Sleep, wake up, clean, watch for land/ships, eat, and repeat again in some random order, give or take the eat and or sleep part, and you've basically summed up her life that's been lead on Poseidon's Blood for the past three months. Fingering a small pebble she stole from the last dock they visited, Gale pegged it at a wild seagull that was trying to peck through the sail.

This is my life now.

Huh. It's been quite some time since Gale announced that what her body was doing, at this very moment, as her own life and not some trophy that was being held for sentimental reasons. The captain, James Boline (but she wasn't supposed to know that was his real name, she just happened to over hear it one day), decided ther her life, out of the ten people he found that had survived his attack, was worth keeping for his crew.

One minor set back; he doesn't know Gale's true gender.

No one does, same goes for her past...

Why did she decided to go out and be a pirate in the first place, some people might ask, and the answer was simple...family. Her parents were raiders, which does have a very positive outlook for the long life department, so her older brother stowed her away on his ship as soon as they died. She was seven. He took care of her, and when he died his ship was stolen, and as his sister, Gale felt obligated to retrieve it for Reinhold name.

After many months of perfecting her boy persona she is known by, Gale joined the crew of her ship, only to nearly die in it the next week.

Now, here she is, helping the many that caused her life to come to a grinding halt.

"Mercy I am depressing," Gale said under her breath.  

[Estiki]

Captain

James

Boline

How long had he been sitting here, staring at this god forsaken map...? He looked to the crack in his curtains which revealed only slightly more light than had been poking through at night from the lanterns.

Bustling footsteps of the crew changing shifts signified that the sun had risen. He could hear the shouting and stomping and pointless fighting all within his captain's quarters. A devilish grin curled up the corners of his mouth. He cherished the power he had over his faithful crew.

And, like clockwork, belligerent ol' Billy Kill was hollering at someone again. He seemed to be targeting the new boy as of late. Jim shrugged his worry off quickly. All the attention from Kill would do the boy some good. There was absolutely no harm in growing a pair of balls while he was aboard this ship....  

[Estiki]

~Lucia

"James" a female voice with a slightly erotic overtone came from a darkened corner of his room to distract him from his thoughts. She had learned his name quite quickly after a few late night encounters with the female types that were granted easy access to his chambers, on an occasion when the ship was docked at a half-way decent port.

The macaw swooped from her perch to meet with her human's outstretched hand that gently escorted her to his shoulder. She carefully side-stepped in place and once she found a comfortable spot, her talons softly gripped the cloth of his coat. She jutted her head forward as if to study the map that lay spread out on the table before them.

Time had passed and so she squawked to once again bring James out of his trance.
 

[Estiki]

Captain

James

Boline

They both looked at each other for some time until James finally spoke, realizing he was the only one among them who could.

"Don't look at me like that, my dear. The lad may or may not be an enemy but, by tunder, he'd be a fool if he attempted any kind of mutiny while aboard my ship. You know I've had me eye on him since he was pulled aboard 3 months ago. Besides he is young and young minds can be molded easily. I put 'im up to all the hard work I could shove his way in the beginning and it's like he's become just another one of us now. He's learned very well to choose his fights carefully around here." His deep harsh smokey voice was used softly towards his beloved Lucia. James did not speak like a pirate, his father made sure of that. However his father had been gone for some time now and was surely not coming back from the grave to scold him otherwise. His dialect changed between proper English and pirate Jargon at the drop of a hat depending on his company, but he had a habit of mixing the two together when he was alone.

Lucia's glare continued to bore into him and so he looked away to continue studying his map

'The boy is still young! I have no intention of killing him...' His jaw tightened with his next passing thought, '... I kept him alive because, when I saw him, I was reminded of little Emma and Michael .'  

[Wuufi]

"The Waters Rise Above My Eyes"
"I Will Breathe It In and Go Out With the Tide"
"And When You Think This is The End"
"You Will Find Me There Where I Have Always Been"

Acaeus O'mann

⚔┃Just another day...┃Happy┃⚔

☀☀☀▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀Ⅰ ⚖ Ⅰ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀☀☀☀

Acaeus lightly laid his hand over his heart as the boat began to sway back and forth a little less, as if trying to sync the rocking of the boat with his own heart beat. "Morning already, huh?" Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and brought his other hand up and grasped what seemed to be thin air and sighed before getting up from his bunk, knowing that with the settling of waves, the new shift has started. As per morning ritual he brought up his mask to cover his face from the foul smelling lower deck that had been neglected to be cleaned by the night crew. He stretched his back and arms, letting out a small yelp of satisfaction as he released the tension in his joints built up from his sleep. As he finished up, he slowly made his way over to the small latter which brought him to the top of the ship.

As he opened the hatch it let out a creaking noise which always seemed to bother him more than it should. But he digressed and just moved beyond the petty annoyances and stood on the top of the deck and took a deep breath in of fresh sea air. Everyone around him was already fast at work, of course for some reason he was always allowed to sleep late, but he believes its because he always ends up cleaning the ship like a psychopath so quickly that he tires himself out. After closing the hatch he found himself a mop and clenched his fist tightly in a fighting type manner. "Alright...Lets do this!" With that said he lowered his back and shot off like a rocket up and down the deck spouting random "yahoos" and "wee's" as he did so. As he periodically returned to the bucket for more water he greeted a few of his closer mates on the ship as usual and continued the cleaning duties.

By the time he was done with half of the starboard side he heard some random shouting between a older crew member and the by he saved from the water. He swiftly made his way over there in a rather hyperactive manner after the situation was slightly diffused. He came straight up to the boy and waved with the same dorky smile he always had in the morning. "You-who! How's your morning going?" He started to mop a bit as he said this just so he wouldn't have to do it later then looked back up at the boy with the smile he had just seconds before.

⚜ ▁ ▂ ▃ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ ▇ ▆ ▅ ▃ ▂ ▁ ⚜

"I Am a Stone, Unaffected"
"Rain Hell Down Onto Me"
"Flesh and Bone, Unaffected"
"Your Fool I Will Not Be"

 

[Estiki]

~Lucia

She cawed again in another attempt to gain her human's attention but it was futile. Furiously she puffed up her feathers and flapped her wings, but still, there was no sign that the contemplative young man would yield to her cries any more than a rocky cliff might yield to a crashing wave.

If her beloved James wanted to waste away in the darkness of his quarters, then let it be so. She decided that she would have nothing to do with his self-destruction so she stretched her legs tall and fast to launch herself away from her human's shoulder and fly away with the same amount of swiftness as she had displayed in her earlier approach. She would use the cracked window, on the far side of the ships room, as her escape to the busy deck.

There were few people aboard Poseidon's blood that Lucia hadn't been familiar with, to her they were all fascinating creatures who she always wanted to learn more about. One human in particular caught her attention this morning; the quick-footed young one who was quite loud for not having a beak. She over heard the boy shout "You-who!" to someone above and like an echo in a cave the bird repeated, "Yoou-Whoo!" as she swooped by the boy, turned in midair and came back to him to land on his shoulder.

The Bird looked at the boy after settling on his shoulder then cocked her head to the side as if she were asking the boy a question "You-who" Was all she cawed again, but this time it was quieter as if the combination of her tone with the position of her craned head was her way of asking the human, "Who are you talking to?".
 

[PencilMagic]

Elisa 'Lis' Soriano

Nestled in her own bunk that she'd dragged off into the corner with the most privacy and the least sound, Elisa could not sleep through the shift change as one set of crew mates awoke and another dragged themselves off to bed. Groaning and rubbing her eyes, the first mate swung her legs over the side of her bed as she sat up and squinted through the below-deck gloom. The crew were like noisy, smelly ants, streaming up and down the stairs as they made their way to their destinations. Elisa grimaced as she stood up and stretched, pulling on her boots and leaving her jacket behind for once, the scars and ink crisscrossing her back poking up over the top of her shirt.

Crossing the bunk area briskly, she wound her way past the hustle and bustle of crew members until she found Billy Kill. Grabbing him by the neck, Elisa shoved him up against a wall and put her face right in front of his, saying, as she did so, "If you wake me up one more time I will break your nose and make sure it heals as crooked as the rest of your face." As she loosened her grip Billy, stumbled and coughed, looking resentfully down at the first mate, unsure whether she was joking or not. Elisa grinned and clapped him on the shoulder, "And leave off the poor new kid; harassing him is my job."

She moved past the now smiling drunkard and went up the steps, rolling her eyes as Acaeus zoomed past her with the mop. Her gaze alighted upon the new boy, but only briefly. Elisa checked to make sure everyone was doing their job as she headed towards the captain's quarters, every now and then yelling out an order. Shoving open the captain's door, Elisa threw it shut behind her as she strode through the room, patting Jim on the head before throwing herself down on the chair beside his desk. Leaning back, she propped her boots up next to his map and grinned at him, her eyes reflecting the murky blue/green of the sea outside. "So, little lad, where are we off to now?" Elisa's speech was fairly proper compared to the rest of the crew: she'd been taught English as a girl and Jim's father had corrected her pronunciation when she'd come aboard. There was, however, a slight Italian accent still there, hard to pinpoint, but giving her speech the lightest of music. "You should come out of the darkness more often; staring at that map is not going to do you any good."  

[Estiki]

Captain

James

Boline

More yelling… more terror… ‘Ah ha!’ The captain thought, ‘Lis is awake.’

A sarcastic smile formed across his lips as he exhaled sharply upon the obtrusive arrival of Lis. Alright, she had his attention. He rolled his eye as she patted his head like he was a child. Surly the act was unnecessary, she was not his mother. She was anything but modest that was for sure. He cringed with the pounding of her boots upon his desk his single eye abandoned the map to stare, bewildered, at the soles of Elisa’s boots ‘Come on’ he thought, ‘This was my father’s favorite plunder’…

He sighed, rolling his eye up to meet with hers. Dryly, his deep, stern voice acknowledged her, “Yes, Miss Soriano?”

His demand received a playful response. “Little lad…” he couldn’t help but smile, letting out a slight chuckle to himself. He finally allowed himself to relax and lean back in his seat. Little lad was what his father called him, which had easily been flipped and turned into a playful taunt during sword fighting practice. He usually took it in stride but on this particular morning, the more he thought about it the more it happened to worm its way deep under his skin. He would not allow his feelings to compromise a potential conversation with his first mate, instead he simply joked back, “Hasn’t that nick name gotten old, Elisa? You aren’t more than three years my senior… Besides, I’m bigger than you now… I think it’s time you got a little more creative with your taunting.” He moved to scoop her feet up from the desk with his strong hands and lowered them gently to the floor. She was tough and taunted him often but that never stopped him from acting with chivalry and being a gentleman towards her. He always handled her physically and emotionally with care- except when they both had swords in their hands.

To answer Elisa’s question he pointed to a spot on the map right in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, somewhere near Cape Verde but not close to any of the islands. “That is where we are going” he said. The glow of ambition suddenly shined in his face, his smile curled into a grin, “… to find her.”

His first mate was right though, he was beginning to feel a migraine coming on from staring so hard at the map all night with naught but candle light by his side. He opened his mouth to make a retort but he had nothing to say for himself to justify his obsession with the map on his desk. Instead he closed his mouth and nodded in agreement with Elisa’s last statement. In compliance, James stood from his chair, stretched his back and limbs, and walked slowly to the window in the back of the ship where he drew the curtains back to let in what little light the morning fog would allow to filter through. “Is that better Miss Elisa?” The light revealed more of the captain’s spacious room, glinted off priceless treasures that were stashed in nooks and crannies, and reflected back to his face; still strong and youthful despite all the stress.

He removed a flask from inside his jacket, and took a quick swig. He was sure to offer the flask to his friend once he came back to her side. He smiled, “You, my dear friend, are the only one capable of pulling me out of the darkness.” He put a strong hand on her shoulder, “What would I be without you?” He winked at her playfully.  

[PencilMagic]

Elisa 'Lis' Soriano

Elisa rolled her eyes at Jim's show of chivalry and his use of "Miss", but in reality it made her feel secure, like she was back as a young noble girl in Italy. It was really too bad no one on the boat spoke Italian. "And I think size does not mean much if I can still beat you up and down the deck with a cutlass in one hand and a bottle of rum in the other." It wasn't true of course; they were pretty evenly matched, and the captain's weight and height did give him so advantage, but Elisa made up for that in speed. Or by playing dirty.

She watched carefully and solemnly as Jim pointed to the map, his face lighting up like a newly risen sun. What would happen when they did find "her"? It was something the first mate didn't like to think about if she could help it, though eventually she was going to have to solidify some sort of plan and make the necessary alliances. Elisa looked up at the young captain, keeping her face neutral, but burning up with guilt on the inside. He was like the brother she'd never had, but somehow even closer. A sparring partner, a leader, someone she both looked down on and up to at the same time.

Forcing a grin on to her face, she watched as Jim opened the curtains. "Well, now I can see the dark circles under your eyes! You look older than me!" She took the flask and drank deeply, studying him while she did so. "Where would you be? Well, dead for a start. About a dozen times over. And not nearly so good-looking. I need to give you another hair cut." She tugged on the ends of his bangs with her right hand, returning the flask with her left. "I know you want to grow it out, but it just looks a mess," sometimes Elisa acted like a fussy mother just to piss him off.

"Letting in a little light does not count as fresh air; come upstairs and fight with me - you can choose the weapon," Elisa pinched Jim's cheek beforing turning towards the door. When her fingers were on the handle she turned to add, "I mean, as long as you do not mind the new boy seeing you beaten by a woman." Like Jim would care. They had been fighting with swords, daggers, and fists for years, and the score had been pretty even. And everyone knew better than to jeer at the loser, lest they be challenged as well.

Elisa opened the door and headed out into the dim sunlight, not bothering to close it behind her. If she knew anything about the captain at all, it was that he wouldn't miss an opportunity to spar with her. And if he did sit in the darkness of his chambers all day, she'd pull him out by the scruff of his neck. Lis yelled one last thing over her shoulder as she strode across the deck, "Loser gives winner their best bottle." Good booze was a love they shared, and what fun was a fight without raising the stakes?  

[Estiki]

Captain

James

Boline

A true smile and laugh were elicited through Elisa’s joke about his looks. “You are wretched!” He laughed. He grabbed the wrist of the hand that tugged at his bangs and moved it away, taking the flask back with his left and swiftly sliding it back into the inner pocket of his jacket. “Of all the things I do to trouble you, the length of my hair should be the last of your worries.” His smile remained but his words now held a twinge of defensiveness. He released her wrist to run his fingers through his hair, subconsciously measuring the length by the feel of it. “Don’t you know I’m growing it out so I can be as beautiful as you, mia bella donna?” He might not have been fluent in Italian but he did grow up with Elisa. As a child he was wise to ask her to teach him her language. It came in handy as he could communicate ideas with her secretly while bargaining with ignorant crew members and civilians who were none the wiser.

James rubbed at his temples, “Elisa, I’ve been awake all night… You would be taking advantage of an otherwise formidable foe- ack!” Elisa’s pinch cut him short. That just about did it for him. He could never get truly angry at her, he loved her too much, just thoroughly annoyed. She had hit just enough nerves this morning to really psych him up for a good fight. She was too damn good at that!

‘The opinion of one scrawny boy matters not to me if I am beaten by you.’ He thought ‘What matters is that he, like everyone else here, understands what he will be against if he tried to cross us…'

The creak of the door followed by the absence of a slam brought him back. He watched as crew members made way for the respected, no, feared first mate. He was captivated by Lis’ confident stride onto the deck. Her next comment made his jaw open in disbelief. She went there, and there was no going back! He had been baited and hooked. ‘Damn, you are good!’ She brought out the pirate in him and there was no way he was backing down from this challenge now.

“Lest the last loser were to win back the best bottle they last lost!” He called back. Quickly, he grabbed his saber, throwing the strap of the scabbard over his shoulder and making sure not to leave his cabin without his tricorn hat. He slammed the door behind him.

“I choose to fight you by sword, Miss Soriano!” His voice boomed from across the deck. Everybody was watching now. His stance changed as his right hand reached behind him ready to draw his saber. Everybody knew what was about to happen, they cleared the center of the deck to give the captain and his first mate enough room to spar. Productivity on the ship slowed, everybody knew they were in for a good show.

PencilMagic

 

[PencilMagic]

Elisa 'Lis' Soriano

Elisa couldn't keep the grin off of her face as she strode across the deck, her hair flying out behind her as crew members hurried to move out of her way. No one wanted to be between her and the captain or within sword's reach of either of them. The first mate headed down below deck to retrieved her cutlass, which she'd left behind minutes before. While at sea she rarely carried it with her; if the need for a weapon arose for whatever reason, her knives would more than do the trick. If she had been fighting anyone else, she might have just borrowed a sword, but against Jim she needed her own; the one with the handle so worn down the captain had been begging to let him replace it for months. But Elisa just couldn't part with it.

She turned and slowly made her way back up the stairs, drawing out the tension and making the captain wait for her. Cutlass in hand, blinking in the sunlight, she approached the ship's leader. "Alright there, Boline? Not going to back out now are you? I know last time did not go so well for you..." Lis grinned again, and then a look of dramatized fear cross her Mediterranean features, "'No, Elisa, spare me! I have so much to live for! I will do anything, anything you ask!' There you were, begging for your life, practically in tears, if I remember correctly. Trust me, I am keeping that bottle and adding a new one to my collection." Trash talking was just a part of the dance they did, Lis especially. She liked to push all of the captain's buttons at once, hoping to rile him up and cause him to make a mistake.

Elisa drew her sword from the scabbard, tossing the latter into the hands of the nearest crew member. "Lose that and I'll throw the sword at you next time," she threatened, glancing briefly to the side and then bending her knees slightly as she readied herself for the oncoming fight. She moved forward slowly, the breeze continuing to tease her hair around her face. Lis briefly wondered whether forsaking her coat had been a mistake: bare arms could mean a blade gone awry would cause legitimate damage; but she trusted Jim to keep his sword in control. Not that several of the scars now visible weren't his fault, but he'd gotten better with age and she had certainly returned the favor. Circling, she smiled genuinely, "In bocca al lupo, Capitano." And then she made her move.  

[Estiki]

Captain

James

Boline

The phrase made James grin wide. His eye focused strictly on his target moving closer to him. “May the wolf die!”

He drew his sword in time to parry the lovely wolf’s swift attack. The sheer grace of Elisa’s moves was enough to deceive any seasoned opponent- she appeared to move softly like the breeze- but the force behind them was not to be underestimated. As many times as he had fought against his friend he was always reminded of her illusions the hard way. The force behind her blow had caused James to take a step back in order to keep his balance. It was exactly what she wanted from James and he knew it. He had fallen into her trap so easily just by letting her take the first move. He should have seen it coming…

Stepping backward meant that he was countering her forceful blow with a forward force of his own, all Lis had to do was hook his neck, step to the side and use James’ own momentum against him to throw him face-first into the floor. His sword slid from his hand across the floor. He realized now that she was looking to earn a quick win… was she aiming to humiliate him, in front of his crew, with a quick defeat? Or was it that she thought she could get one over on her sleepy captain?

James wouldn’t let himself be defeated so easily. He moved quickly into a sweeping kick that knocked Lis off her feet, buying him enough time to run and get his sword back. Elisa sprung back to her feet in time to counter the next attack from James.

They exchanged iron for some time, swinging and thrusting and parrying. Their breathing got heavier as the battle on deck became more and more intense. James had eventually lost his jacket somewhere along the line…(he would be sure to get it back later) There was a fire burning bright in their eyes. Jab. Swish! Thrust. Clang! Block.

They had come to the side of the deck where crew members had cleared away but luckily the railing stayed in place. James was beginning to gain an upper hand in the fight, making sure to stay on the offensive. His endless attacks were backing Elisa closer and closer towards the railing. An opening finally presented itself to James and quickly he took the chance to deliberately collide his sword into hers. His strength was then used to steady her sword hand with his strong grip and force Lis backwards into the railing. He pinned her there under his strength with his sword to her neck. Sweat rolled down his chest which rose and fell with each breath he took. A moment had passed before he found his words.

A crooked devious grin appeared on his face. “Who’s your favorite captain?”  

[Wuufi]

"The Waters Rise Above My Eyes"
"I Will Breathe It In and Go Out With the Tide"
"And When You Think This is The End"
"You Will Find Me There Where I Have Always Been"

Acaeus O'mann

⚔┃Just another day...┃Happy┃⚔

☀☀☀▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀Ⅰ ⚖ Ⅰ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀☀☀☀

As Acaeus was ready to listen to the answer of the new boy on the ship of whom he saved a rather loud and familiar sound came out of nowhere and resounded in his ear. The loudness of it made him close one eye and look up to discover the source of the sound that was being made. He noticed a rather small looking abject flying around before seeing Lucia, the captain's bird, come flying at him and landing on his shoulder suddenly out of nowhere, making Acaeus smile when he found out that this was where the weird sound was coming from.

"Oh Lucia! It was you that was making that weird sound all of a sudden." He rubbed the back of his head out of slight embarrassment seeing as he couldn't find out it was her quickly enough and probably looked like a moron looking all over the place. Still wondering what she was saying to him he opened his mouth about to ask her before she blurted out a you-who more clearly, showing that she was just copying what he said just two seconds earlier to the new boy on the boat as a hello. In finding this out Acaeus raise his free arm up in the air and blurted out again. "Oh! Well yoou-who to you too Lucia! It's a fine day huh? But the captain probably doesn't want you flying around the deck right now."

With that said Acaeus looked around the now clean floor of the deck and made sure that there were no spots left untouched before heading to the closet like storage and putting away his mop and washing his hands. He looked up at Lucia and hand fed her some salty crackers as he headed back to the captain's Quarters and knocked on the door. But instead of waiting for an answer he simply flung the door open and shouted again. But noticing that the captain was actually fighting on the deck he walked over to them and interrupted them. "You-whooooo Captain! How are you this fine day?" He walked in with a dumb looking grin on his face and looked over to Elisa who he noticed was fighting too. "Oh Elisa! You-who to you too! Didn't know you woke up this early." His hand went up to pet Lucia as he looked between her and the captain before forming a Oh! expression with his mouth and just laughed suspiciously to himself.

⚜ ▁ ▂ ▃ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ ▇ ▆ ▅ ▃ ▂ ▁ ⚜

"I Am a Stone, Unaffected"
"Rain Hell Down Onto Me"
"Flesh and Bone, Unaffected"
"Your Fool I Will Not Be"

Estiki