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Merrick sat at the railing of one of the Foxtrot's family ships. Echo had come here, and as he was more than likely to do.... the child had followed, wooden sword in hand. His stocking legs dangled from the side as the child swung his sword into the empty hair and sang, "Yo ho, yo ho! Mhmm mm hmmmm mh mmmmmh!" It was sacrilegice to since that particular phrase. It gave the ship's sailors bad vibes.

Not that they'd tell the kelp-haired child, but even humming out 'A pirates life for me' was just as bad, as far as the sailors were concerned. They tried telling him before, but the kid just didn't get it!

It was then that he saw another child, and this one with a big round ball! Stopping in his verses, Merrick stood and climbed the railing. With a whoop of laughter, he jumped from the railing to the dock. His legs absorbed the shock without any troubles -never mind it was a long fall. "What'cha got thar!?" the boy hollared, running to the dark-haired one.

Echo was trying to surprise Merrick -which was rarely done as the boy seemed to know exactly where she was- when he jumped up to the rail and then off the ship. The woman has stared in surprise and run to see how the kid did from that long fall. She was just as shocked to see he was okay...... but there was no way she'd repeat his action without hurting something.

Turning, the woman waved the watching daeka over. The sailors didn't seem worried -in fact a bit relieved the pirate-singing boy was gone- and ignored everything. "Nice, Sin," she chastised as she ran the ship's length to return to the docks and find that dark skin, green haired boy!

Merrick came forward to investigate more. He wouldn't touch the bouncing ball. "Yes, I see that.... but what is it? Can it do anything? It's rather large to just.... play with, don't you think? I mean, seriously...." The boy jumped back as the ball came just a little too close (or maybe he got a little to close?). His wide, white grin showed that he indeed was interested in such a thing, but just couldn't quite understand what it was all about.

With a giggle, he pulled his wooden sword from it's loop-sheath and held it threatening to the ball as if it had the mind of it's owe to play with him. Merrick made some dramatic swipes and took stance. Maybe this would be fun! "Avast ye... ball-y! You have crossed paths with the dreaded-pirate Merrick! Muahahaha!"

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Meanwhile, Echo was still running to catch up. Why did her ship have to be so big?

Merrick parried and side-stepped the ball, his blunted wooden sword swatting at it.

"Arg, matey. Your long-winded title does not scare me!" Merrick did a lunging stab as if the sword were an epee and not a mock cross between a sabre and a shortsword.

It was then that Echo caught up with them, and heard exactly what Merrick was saying. His excitement for pirates was not something she was happy about, and in fact she tried to discourage it. "Merrick! WHAT did I tell you about pirates? You do NOT want to emulate them!" Of course, she always assumed and treated him as if he was a rational-thinking young adult -which he was not.

Her voice did trip him up as he flinched in surprise. Merrick, in mid-stride, stumbled and fell flat on his face. The boy groaned from the impact. "Rurrmhagaaa."

Echo saw the other child, and just stood with her hands on her hips, as if Anbu had goaded Merrick into such actions.

Echo's arms moved to cross over her chest. "Fun and games are fine, but pretending to be pirates..." she turned her head to give Merrick a quick glare before returning to Anbu, "... is not encouraged and he knows it. They are horrible people; preying on those who word hard and make an honest living. I am sorry to have interrupted your game, but pirates are not people to be joking about - they are a very serious matter."

By the time Echo had finished her tale, Merrick had rolled over and stood up. The look on his face said that he was sorry for making his keeper and boss so upset. Despite it all, he really did like Echo. "I'm sorry Echo, but... we was just having some fun, as Anbu said! And if it counts for anything.... Anbu was pretending to be a true Navy Captain... and was winning?" Merrick was.... sort of telling the truth?

"You cannot talk your way out of this again, Merrick," Echo sighed and shook her head. "You cannot always be immitating pirates."

"Sorry..." Merrick repeated and hung his head.

"Echo Foxtrot," the woman extended a hand in greeting, though she was pondering Anbu's words about kidnappers. Granted, she would almost feel the same for Merrick; woe the day someone had to watch him.

"Well..." she started, "it wasn't so much that they were playing, it's just that Merrick was portraying something he wasn't supposed to." Echo sent a glance his way.

Merrick, already starting to get over his shame, eyed Anbu and Kyoko with a look. "Can we play something else then?" The boy looked up at Echo, "I promise to be good: I won't be a pirate this time."

Echo shook her head in exasperation, "You won't be a pirate ever." But she looked to the other woman and shrugged, "I have no qualms with them playing, just not... well, yeah. I guess it would be up to you?"

Echo smiled at Kyoko in return. "A pleasure." She followed the other woman's gaze to the two conspiring children. "Anbu?" A look was sent to the half-masked child.. it? "That is... 'its' name?"

"Well..." the woman took a step back and extended a hand towards the dock. "If you wish, we can enjoy some comfort while they place? My ship is just back that way."

Merrick perked up and gave Anbu a grin, "Echo, can we go too?"

"Most certainly not! And I don't want you by the docks, either. I know you can swim, but not Anbu. You will not be drowning anyone! No repeats of you and that casket of beads." Echo sent a dangerous glare to the boy.

"But.... I retrieved them all...!" Merrick pouted. And he had too, even though it had taken him days of diving to the bottom of the harbor.

The woman shook her head, "No, Merrick."

The boy sighed and gave Anbu a pathetic look. "Town square? Market? Park? Library?" He tried to think of places they could go. "The tavern?"

Echo didn't say no to any of those listed, though she was wary of the library. The woman shrugged, given what could pass as her approval. She even reached in her pocket and gave the children a few coins each.

((should we assume Echo and Kyoko went back and have some biscuits and tea and talked about just... basic stuff... like weather, mild politics, going-on's, etc... or would you like us to actually build on it?))

Merrick was too excited. He had some coins rattling in his pocket, and someone to spend them with! "Yes, yes!" the boy looked around with a smile as the two women (who were so cramping his 'style') walked away, back towards Echo's well-furnished ship.

The boy spun on his heel and walked to the market. He knew where it was, "Nothing much to buy on the docks. It's just where the stuff comes in. Nobody's selling, unless it's in bulk." And they definately did not have enough for that.

"So, Anbu!" Merrick turned to face the other child, walking backwards through the slowly growing crowd. It was well into the day and the place was getting more crowded. The boy also wanted to keep and eye on the child and ball. "Do you come to the market often? I haven't seen you around the docks before either." Merrick grinned with interest, skipping along and not watching where he was going.

"What do you think you're going to buy?" There was plenty of stuff at the market, and many people were hawking about what wares and services they had to sell.