Momo glared at Siegfried not noticing Kei slipping in. "they're good but I didn't make them and now I won't be able to figure out how to make them until the next time we make port thanks to you two baboons, "She said in an oddly low and cold tone as she sulked and turned her back to Siegfriend just in time to see someone go into her food closet. "Bloody pirates, ... You'd think the crew would show the common curtsy to NOT STEAL FROM EACH OTHER!" she didn't yell the last part but more of stressed it out towards the closet. "Honestly, if you people would ask I'd be happy to make the food, that's what I'm here for, and it's not like I don't make meals for you guys four times a day as is."

She got up and saw Kei in the closet but was in too foul of a mood to even greet her with her same cheer that normally came from seeing the woman. "Use whatever utensils you want I don't care, just clean them when your done," she said not even bothering to take a second look at the woman before walking back to the table and grabbing another sweet bun. "All that money I save up... gone.... these were going to be my personal gift to the crew I used my own money for these, so you two didn't even steal from the crew, you stole from me... Does my friend ship really mean that little?" she asked looking like she was on the verge of tears. She was faking it of course, but rather well, she doubted if Kei could even see through her act, deciding that guilt tripping them may keep these two from stealing food at least.

"If you woulda asked I woulda given you some...." she says and then nibbled on the sweet bun, as two tears roll down her right cheek and she looks down at the table instead of at Tink or Siegfred.

Siegfried breathed an inaudible sigh of relief as Momo slid off and he was allowed to get to his munching. He heard the tell-tale creaking of someone making passage towards the kitchens, and knew without looking that it was probably Kei. Of everyone on board, her training was probably most similar to his own, save that she was the genuine article and he'd been taught by men brought from elsewhere. Several elsewheres, if he remembered correctly. Oh, for goodness' sake, if he didn't stop thinking about bygones, he was going to be living in them before he knew it, and that was plain out unpalatable.

Luckily, he had friends for that, and the antics of Momo and Tinker were soon enough bringing him out of the prison his own mind was liable to become if he spent to long in it. Something of an adept at disguise himself, he knew well that Momo was not nearly as upset as she was playing, but Tinker was falling hopelessly for it, and Siegfried suppressed the urge to chuckle at his friend's plight. Her crocodile tears really were pretty good, all told.

Tinker was like that, though. The guy was easy to pass off as another self-indulgent ladykiller if you didn't know him, but all that compassion was quite genuine. The carpenter really couldn't stand crying women. Of course, Siegfried couldn't either, but the difference was that Tinker was the sort of person who had the right words for those situations; one of those people who could actually make things better. It was an admirable trait, to say the least. Still, even though he was dealing with it so well, the more silent of the two (at least for the present) was wondering why Momo had taken so much offense in the first place.

It was true, the girl did work herself hard to cook for the lot of them, but people 'raiding' her larder wasn't exactly uncommon, just as him encountering mysterious shortages in certain supplies wasn't. At least they always did her the courtesy of making it bleedingly obvious who was responsible. Normally, enduring whatever abuse came as recompense for this was his job and for the sake of equilibrium, he took it on gladly, but maybe they'd actually pushed her a bit too far this time? It figured; the first time they steal things for (mostly) unselfish reasons is the one where they actually upset her.

"You know," he put in, "it's not like there aren't still enough here to distribute amongst the crew." Even with the ones he'd hidden away for the Princess (his word was his word, after all), there were an excess of them. "Tinker and I would help deliver, wouldn't we, Tink?" It wasn't as though the carpenter did much on board until something went catastrophically wrong anyway, and Siegfried himself was good enough at his job that it didn't take him nearly as long as people seemed to think it should, which meant he generally got to meander around ship as he liked also. So they had the time, anyway. Maybe after the Princess returned from her... meeting? Yeah, that was probably the best word. After she returned from her meeting with Tok and whatnot, the two idlers could help the cook out for a bit.

It was nice when Kain came up into the crow's nest- most of the time they didn't talk, but it was reassuring to know that he wasn't the only one who valued silence. She did her thing on one side, Pierre did his job on the other. Invariably, his gaze dropped to the ship below, watching the action unfold like an opera of sort. (Le corsaire would be a good name for a opera, wouldn't it? He didn't really know or care, it's not like a sea dog like him would ever see an opera anyway, or would want to.) It was odd, to be able to look down on the ship and identify almost all of the men and women by the way they walked and the direction they were walking, but Pierre didn't think twice of it. It was a lookout skill, he supposed, or maybe this crew was just very unique.

There was the first mate- Atlas, they called him, the same way he was Frenchie, and Kain was Kain and not Merryfeather or whatever- talking in earnest with one of the duller crew members. And there was the cook, harassing Siegfried as per usual. Pierre had half a mind to call Kain over and point it all out to her and watch her face and see what she would say, because Kain - but then he heard her yawn, and decided against it.

He leaned against the railing and crossed his legs behind him, watching the seagulls spiral up from the dock. Maybe they had seen the precious cargo they were taking with them from England and were trying to signal the navy, or just wanted to give her a royal send off, ha ha ha. Pierre liked sea gulls. They were scavengers, true, and they left a disgusting mess on the masts, but- but nothing. Pierre just had an irrational amiability to sea gulls. Call him crazy, go ahead, he was.

Gah, he was rambling again. Pierre propped his forehead up with his hand- he wasn't sick, was he? Nah, he felt fine. Maybe he should let somebody else take night shift tonight, though he would rather just camp out up here. He tried to not leave the nest more often than necessary, preferably only for meals, and only briefly, but it was a fact that if he never left the nest,he would invariably fall asleep, however briefly, and that was a security risk. He usually shared this duty with Keith, a attentive if simple boy from the English colonies, but he was chosen to go on the mission last night, probably because he wouldn't ask any questions, and Pierre had taken the shift in addition to that day's day shift and today's. That was it, he was tired. He should go find Keith later and send him up here, maybe after England was out of sight. Maybe.

But why did there need to be a secret mission in the middle of the night? Why was the princess needed on this ship? Ransom, he had thought, but if that was it, why had no messenger been sent to the mainland, no carrier pigeon? Assassination? Not a pirate thing, he was thinking too hard now.

Kain spoke suddenly. "So..." Pierre turned around while Kain hesitated, facing her. "What do you think? About all this?" Pierre followed her sweeping movements toward the deck with his eyes. "I mean, kidnapping a princess? Why would the Captain do something like that?"

“I ‘ave no earthly idea.” Then, after a moment, he continued. "It can't be a ransom, or someone will 'ave left for the mainland by now. And I can't think of any more likely options. I'm assuming that you are in the same boat as I, yes?"

After all this time, and he still struggled with those damn tee-aech sounds. Stupid English.

Merryweather sighed. "You guessed it. The only other idea I have is that maybe someone promised the Captain a whole lot of money to kidnap her, maybe keep her away from her country for a fixed duration while somebody plotted something... but I'm no good at politics, and there's no good reason for any self-respecting pirate to agree to that."

There was a seagull overhead, she noted idly. Sometimes, the bloody things tried to steal her devices, as most of them were on the small and shiny side. then again, if one ever got away with something, it would be her own fault for not paying attention, now wouldn't it? That thought in mind, Merryweather rose to her knees and collected the various bits and pieces, stowing them all in pockets or belt-pouches as she went. Small hands alighted on her old compass, though, she paused.

Turning the thing this way and that in her hands, the girl observed the way light refracted off the surface without much discernible interest, though one could almost see the gears whirring about in her brain. The thing was old, and not of terribly good quality either, which might explain why its former owner was lost at sea, at least to her knowledge. The inability to select one's navigation tools properly was a major failing if one wished to avoid such a fate. He'd been a captain, not a navigator, but still. She had another compass, a better one, but kept this stupid old thing all the same. Of all her tools and gadgets, this was the only thing she would need to save, if the ship were suddenly to sink. That much she knew without a doubt, and it bothered her greatly. sometimes, she wondered if that fool would have gotten lost in the first place if she'd been there. But such a hypothetical explanation was anachronistic and pointless.

"Treasure..." she murmured, and another thought struck her. "Treasure. Pirates go after treasure, loot, whatever you want to call it. It's what we're made for, what we set out to do when we sign on with a crew." This was only partially true, of course, as she well understood that most people had a myriad of reasons for going to sea. Most of them loved the freedom. Or were running from something. But even so, one didn't become a pirate without the expectation of chasing at least some loot. And their captain had more ambition than most.

"There's money involved, and not the kind that comes from a nobleman's coffers. I know it." It was the only thing that made logical sense. The problem was, how exactly a princess was involved was completely escaping her considerable powers of deduction, and she sat back against the mast again, pocketing the old compass with a shake of her head. It was one thing to know what, and another to understand why or how.

Momo listened as Tink spoke. "Princess? I could tell she was noble blood but a princess?" she though, she kept her water works going. "I don't care who she is if she is a Princess or a commoner eating that many will just make her feel fat and she'll whine more, how could you?" she paused as another tear fell down her cheek, "Put some new girls feelings before mine, I thought you two along with Miss Kei would be the least likely to steallllll," she said as she pointed to Kei in the closet.

She then heard Siegfried speak and she turned to him and said, "IT'S NOT THE SAME!" she munched on more of the sweet bun in her hand. "What good does it do to give the crew something to raise the spirits when the spirits aren't low to begin with!? I was gonna save them for a rainy day so to speak," she said. She looked back at Tink, "You know I'd expect this from him, but not you," She then sighed and flicked the crocodile tears away, "Oh well I got what I wanted, so the chicks the princess huh?" she asked her mood almost instantly changing to reveal the tears were fake. She held out a sweet bun to Tink and then said. "Soooooo the Princess eh? that's what took the crew away last night? Shame that some of them died for such a brat." She leaned forward resting her chin on the back of her hand, propping her arm up with her elbow on the table. "Who else in the crew hasn't been told this yet? I imagine some of them are too dumb to figure it out as quickly or...." she paused and looked up at Tink with a smug smile, "Easily, as I did. Thought I must say I do feel a bit left out, I am a bit of a newbie and there's clearly no honor among pirates so I can see why the captain wouldn't trust me with that information."

She looked back to Tink, "Don't worry I play a lot of guys like you easily, flirts are very easy to manipulate, guess it's the downside of your issue, but if it makes you feel any better I'm not mad at you anymore," she added with a charming and sincere smile.

*Ignore, please*

"Oh, fer-" Siegfried's statement, whatever it might have been, was cut off as the man promptly slid off the table and darted forward, stopping Tinker's fall with a muffled 'oof' before hauling him into a sitting position against the wall. Shaking his head, the Quartermaster regarded his now-unconscious friend, head lolling uselessly against his chest and all. "Ya know I only signed on to stop the ladies from toppling over at the first sign of strain," he joked, even though the carpenter was far enough gone that he wouldn't hear. "You, my friend, are a good deal heavier than the average lady." He'd signed on for no such thing, of course, but then what where would he be without the well-intentioned-yet-mostly-tasteless humor?

"Well, Miss Momo, I'm sorry to say it, but I really don't think there's any way to make this my fault. You could blame him, though, if you like. Wasn't watching where he was goin' and got hit with the back end of a gun, he did." At this point, the young man was talking just to be talking. He'd never show that he was actually worried, of course, because really there was no use for such emotions in a dog of the sea, but even so... it seemed his compassionate buddy was overworking himself. Well... overdoing something, anyway. Was it even possible for someone to knock themselves out because of too much feeling?

It didn't really matter, he decided. Tinker needed to see Tiesa, despite his earlier insistence to the contrary. Glancing at Momo, he heaved his shoulders in an exaggerated sigh. "Miss Momo, can I ask you to watch this lug for a few minutes, please? I think it might be best if I fetched Miss Tiesa, I do." Theoretically, it would not be impossible to throw Tinker over one shoulder and take him to the doctor's quarters, but he wasn't sure if there were injuries that would disturb, and he was not going to attempt to carry him bridal-style. The very thought made his eye twitch.

Without really waiting for her answer (Momo occasionally made him think she was unbalanced, but she was kindhearted enough when the situation demanded it), Siegfried ducked out the door again, wondering exactly when it had become his job to chase various people about the ship and/or fetch people and things. Well, it made for an interesting morning, to say the least.

The telltale jangle of bells accompanied his soft knock at the doctor's cabin. "Miss Tiesa? Tinker's..." he tried to decide how to phrase the situation, and went for the obvious. "Well, he's unconscious, actually. I'm not sure if it's his wounds from last night or what, but you prob'ly oughta take a look at him."

If Kei had any less self-control, she would have rolled her eyes. However, she did decide to put in her two cents, "Peach-san," she addressed the cook, "Most of us simply do not care. We take Captain Ruddha-sama's orders as they are because to do otherwise or question them is a very legitimate base for a claim of mutiny." Kei's expression was stoic, like usual as she cooked her rice.

Once she heard the cook accuse her of stealing she gladly interrupted once more, "Peach-baka-san, I have brought the rice aboard ship for my own provisions as I tend to not like Westerner foods, or perhaps simply the way you cook, and so am not stealing (though you could count the orange I took if you absolutely must). Even more so, do not appreciate being put in the same group as Carpenter-san," She stopped herself there, though continuing in her thoughts, Siegfried-sama, however, moves like Nohinjin. He is not displeasing to the eyes either. She allowed herself a quick and discreet perusal of the quartermaster's form as she scooped her finished rice onto a dish and moved to slice her orange. She did this quickly as well, the end result being an orange flower as she had not cut completely through to the other side (she had intended to do this to make it easier to carry, it also looked better and the Nohinjin were very peculiar on presentation of anything and everything).

"I am off to make the rest of my meal," She paused at the scene in front of her, Siegfried watching Tinker bumble along in his words, and felt obligated to offer an escape route (at least for the Quartermaster), "Would one of you like to accompany me to the deck? I am going to fish for a while until Captain Ruddha-sama hands out new orders."

Tinker promptly proceeded to become unconscious and Siegfried offered to get the good Dr on board. Ah well, perhaps they could walk up to deck together. Again, her was nice to look at, and she didn't particularly buy the nonsense about him being empty-headed or daft. If only for the reason that he could not possibly be so well trained in the ways of her people's fighting (and a couple others, she had noticed) if he was such. It was impossible, there was no exceptions to such a rule, fools could not have the discipline needed, let alone the self-discipline.

Momo watched as Tink passed out and suddenly become concerned. She nodded to Siegfried and moved to the other side of the table to sit next to Tink to make sure he wouldn't fall over with the motion of the ship. Momo listened to Kei talk and sharply said, "You're the idiot who put your food in my storage Miss Kei!" she wasn't yelling but speaking sharply, "And if you don't wish for me to mistake your provisions with mine don't keep them in my storage it's as simple as that, now use some common sense and stop trying to think of ways to debunk my pride as a chef," she had never spoken to anyone on the ship that way and had never thought Kei would be the first one she would talk to that way. Out of all the people on the ship she respected most Kei was close up with the Captain and Atlas. Still she didn't take kindly to insults and did have a tendency to act in kind. When someone was rude to her she sure as hell was rude back.

"And if you damned crew members would tell me what you like I'd be happy to make it," she huffed as she laid he head down on the table feeling rather useless, "No one on this stupid ship even trusts me enough to cook for them why did I even get hired?" she mumbled as Kei walked out of the room close in suit of Siegfried. She thought about Kei's first statement and sighed, "It's not like he ordered them all to steal from my food storage, they need to realize I'm not their old cook, I don't bring on extra food to allow people to steal all the time, but what do I care if three months out we run out of food because of their gluttonous ways?" she mumbled.

She poked Tink a couple of times then reached in her dress top and pulled out a journal and a writing utensil. A think piece or charcoal it seemed, she opened the journal to reveal many different recipes, but she flipped to the back half of the book to show formulas and things of the like. They were formulas for poison. She pulled out some leaves she had gathered and started looking at them and jotting down notes in the book, being weary of any sounds she quickly would close the book any time she thought Tink was waking or someone was going to walk in. the last thing she needed was someone in the crew thinking she was out to kill them all, or thinking she my be more useful and relying on her more. She kept writing down information as she waited for Siegfried and the Doctor to get back or for Tink to wake up.

A bark of dry laughter filled the air after Hermione's rather blunt, rather true statement regarding how difficult it would have been for him to get on Hermione's good side. There wouldn't be enough gold and riches and adventure in the world to force someone to enjoy the company of their kidnapper, he'd imagine. Yet, here he was having a civil conversation with the girl, so perhaps it wasn't too far fetched after all. His tired eyes poured into hers as she spoke with a desperation that was nipping at his heart. This was the make it or break it time. He really had to pull some fancy words right out of his... er... well, you get the point. He had to persuade the young girl to do something positively ridiculous. The offer sounded absolutely lovely to him, but would it sound so grand to a young princess? He was a brutish pirate Captain, and he was sure that their interests would differ. Doubt seeped through him. He prayed to Lord that she didn't choose to leave... because then he might not be able to let her. He'd certainly want to abide by his word, but he was riding on the hopes that she'd stay, and Atlas and Tommy would more than likely protest so much that he wouldn't be able to simply drop her off. It kept his stomach churning. 'Well, let's just hope that it doesn't come down to that..." he thought blandly, focusing his attention back on the brunette.

His eyebrows raised to tango with his hair line when the young miss began to make requests of her own. The girl went on a mighty long rant- one that could rival his own- and he merely listened, sniffling here or there while she spoke. "As for your deal, I have two requests for you.The first is the most obvious. I must know what it is I'm needed for. The way you speak it is a matter of pride for you. You aren't seeking treasure like normal pirates.Second. I want to know who told you I have a reputation.No one notices me except when I'm messing something up. There is no way you heard that from someone, let alone an 'old friend'. Who by the way, isn't a friend at all... And do not bother lying to me. I may be stupid and spoiled, but I was blessed with some kind of useful gift.Otherwise, all you had to do was ask me. I don't appreciate being kidnapped, and I certainly do not appreciate being used without knowing what I'm being used for. If you want me to work with you, I must be treated like a human being and less like an object of the state, or of your ship." Eyes wide, contemplative frown on face, hand rubbing his chin, Tok sat back while he attempted to digest all that was thrown at him. There was a thoughtful silence for a long time as he gathered all the words that tumbled messily in his brain and attempted to piece them together, some of the questions being too difficult to properly answer without exposing himself to an extent he'd rather not. Finally, a deep, deep, semi-disgruntled sigh pressed itself through his peachy, chapped lips. He leaned forward once more, resting his elbows on his knees and folding them together in front of his mouth while he spoke. It felt as if he were in a conference of some sort.

"You are quite the haggler, princess." he said simply, flicking his eyes up to hers in a sort of playful jab. He swallowed and continued. "I'll work backwards, starting with your third request first and your first request last. It's easier that way." He paused to scratch his temple and make an uncomfortable face. "Okay. Well, Hermione, I'm sure you're aware that should I, a rouge, ruggish-looking, grown man- a pirate nonetheless- have somehow slipped through your guard's fingers and asked nicely for you to board my ship with my ragtag team of treasure hunters, your answer would have been something far from yes. Actually, I doubt you would have been able to answer at all, as we only barely had time to scoop you up and whisk you off, let alone have a conversation over a cup of tea. And even if fate would have been so kind to allow us to have such a civil conversation in such a splendid manner, and even if you would have agreed, you wouldn't have so much as stepped on my ship's floor boards, what with how your God awful, brown-nosing, money-grovelling, hoity-toity, remarkably stuck up, bloody parents like to keep your tongue tied and your feet bound- no offense, naturally. I'm sure your father is a wonderful man." he said dramatically, forgetting that he was talking to royalty at the moment. A mischievous grin tugged at the end of his lips while he held back laughter, amusement dancing in his eyes. "It'd be lovely for it to have been that easy, but then we wouldn't be here having this discussion, would we? No, it seemed kidnapping was the only option," He furrowed his brows and crinkled his nose as if he'd just smelt something terrible, staring at the wall behind Hermione "No matter how tasteless it is."


He shook off the face and turned back to her. "And now on to more pressing matters," he voiced matter-of-factually, but then immediately hesitated. He'd just skip number two and hope that she wouldn't realize. The second request really wasn't necessary to be spoken about in this conversation, let alone ever. No, that was a matter of his past, and Tok liked to keep that sort of thing locked in a box in a safe underwater in a piranha infested tank... set on fire. "Now here's the really good part," you could tell he was really excited about what he was about to spit out, a huge, beaming smile slipping onto his face. He stood with his chest puffed and his chin tilted upward, his arms extended like he was some sort of prince.

"Imagine, an entire city peaking out of the clearest of waters, glimmering in the sun's gentle touch unlike anything you've ever seen before." he whispered exaggeratedly, eyes squinting as he spoke. "Colorful creatures your mind can't even imagine flock to and fro this magical place, brilliantly feathered birds swooping here and there, the biggest fish you've ever seen slowly treading through the ice-clear water. Everything circles around the hearth of the city, all inhabitants connected by the spiritual pull of the ones within. Gold buildings jut out of the gold ground, even the trees seemingly painted to match the rest of the city. The most delicious, succulent fruit plop to the ground in abundance, the beautiful, kind people who live there never gluttonous, never greedy, never ungrateful. El Dorado, the City of Gold." he breathed, a certain brightness in his eyes making him seem almost like a child again. He grabbed Hermione's shoulders and licked his lips as he spoke the last two words. "Hermione, don't you see? The city is waiting for young explorers to come in and prosper. All throughout history, there's been hints recorded, clues leading anyone brave enough straight to the sanctuary. They want us there. If we can prove ourselves worthy by getting pass all the obstacles in our way, we deserve to be there." He plopped down on his desk, sighing, defeated. It was as if his youth had been sucked right back up and left him tireder than before. "That's the tricky part, though. The obstacles."

He picked up an apple and took a bite, now speaking with his mouth full. " It's been said that there's... er, things set up to keep the weak out. We don't have to get into details, because I know my crew can handle it, but there was one itty bitty detail in particular that put a stopper to things. Tommy's actually the one who found this. Oh, uh, Tommy's the boyish lad with the black hair. He's the scholar I'd recruited four years ago to help me sort out information about El Dorado. Anyway, right before the entrance to El Dorado, after all the treacherous monsters and beasts, after the rains and the wind, after you've pushed yourself to your limit, there's a gate. There's been tales of entire ships of blokes making it that far, and then not being able to pass through the gates, all because in order to pass, you must have," he stopped, pulled out a torn, brown piece of paper from atop his desk, and read word for word "'the blood of a noble hearted daughter of the throne, royalty in its most pristine condition. Thou shall not pass without the will of one chosen by the gods themselves..." yada, yada, yada. Basically, we need the cooperation of a princess." he said wryly.

"I just... It's been my entire life that I've..." he tried and stopped again. "I just need your help or my hide might as well be swinging in a noose."

Of course she was a haggler. She had ladies-in-waiting, too. Well... the Captain most likely didn't have ladies-in-waiting, but... What she meant was she had people who didn't give for nothing. Hermione was naive and usually gave away something much more valuable than what she was getting, but that was only in the eyes of the taker. She mostly wanted books, paintings, music that her tutors would forbid; in return she gave away priceless jewels, silks, slippers, things of expensive natures. Either way, it didn't matter. This was her livelihood they were talking about and she was well aware of the fact that she deserved something in return. It made her feel odd, though, that he looked her so bluntly in the eyes. Aniruddha was taking her seriously. He was actually listening to her, deciphering her words... responding. This was a dream. There was no way in one night she would have been kidnapped by pirates, attempted a blotchy escape, and then had someone actually listen to what she had to say! Her heart was fluttering and her stomach was filled with butterflies at the excitement of just speaking with someone.

His explanation on the kidnapping made more sense when he spelled it out for her. Of course her parents would have had them all locked away forever, and of course they would never have had time to sit and talk about it. But the thought would have been nice. It was frightening and made one less amiable when they were suddenly pulled away from their evening activities without warning. Hermione was thankful they'd done it before she'd gotten into her chemise. Otherwise she'd be even more humiliated! Imagine! The Princess of England wandering a ship with blood thirsty mongrels in nothing but nightgown? But Hermione was loosing track of her thoughts and continued to listen carefully to the Captain. When she came back to the present he was blatantly, and rather accurately, describing her parents.

"None taken." She muttered quickly before he finished his words. It was true they were horrible brutes when it came to her upbringing, but it was also, in some ways, her fault. If she could have just learned more, practiced more, and stayed out of her head less, perhaps she'd have come out the daughter they'd dreamt of. But the princess always wanted more. She wanted the fairy tales and the magic and the adventure. It was no wonder she'd been caught numerous times up in the bows of trees or hiding away in the filthy barn beyond the gardens. Her line of thoughts and the smile that suddenly appeared on Tok's face made her lips curl up swiftly. His eyes lit up with flames of excitement and she couldn't help but feel the same way. Hermione had no idea what he was going to say to her, but he'd said it was the good part. If it was good enough to kidnap her for, it was very much worth paying great attention to.

When he grabbed up her shoulders, she stood with him, looking up at his shining face. El Dorado? Was this man serious? She'd read of the place, looked at maps of where it was suspected to be, she'd even had dreams of what it would look like. He wanted to go there? His passion was contagious and she felt herself wanting it almost as bad as he did. Was this her chance to get the adventure she'd craved since she was able to crawl? Why was all this happening now? Why couldn't they have gone to some other country and taken their princess? Hermione's face began to droop as Tok walked toward his desk and finished explaining what she was exactly needed for. The young woman kept her back to him as he finished and she listened cautiously to his last words, stuttering with the desire to find this magical place. Hermione wanted to see El Dorado as badly as she wanted to see Atlantis, or Mount Olympus. But were any of those places real? And why did it have to be her?

Turning around Hermione wrapped her arms over her chest and she looked at Tok, fear and worry on her brow.

"I..." she started and then stopped, beginning to chew on her lower lip. "I want to." Her voice was soft but thick with doubt. "I've read of El Dorado, of it's riches and mystery. I know much of places that have been imagined by people..." She let her words trail off, no longer able to look the Captain in the face. He seemed respectable enough, but she didn't want to outright name him insane. Hermione did not know this man, no matter how charming and passionate he was. He the Captain of a pirate ship. His best friends were pillagers.

Beyond the window she watched as the shore passed by. Her home. She was leaving what she knew and it scared her. How could she make a decision like this without knowing how it would all turn out? Sighing, she sat back down, still hugging herself. After a few more minutes she looked back to the Captain.

"This is the longest I have ever taken to make a decision." Her pale green eyes moved toward the window again.

Atlas tossed the stub of his cigar overboard and sighed. He thought about lighting up another, but decided against it. It wasn’t that he was worried about running out. The smokes were almost as important as alcohol to the first mate, and so kept a crate full of assorted smokes in his room. It was a chest full of meticulously organized cigars from across the world, everywhere they’ve been too, cigarettes, as well as a large variety of pipe tobacco and weed. In short, he wouldn’t be running out of smokes anytime soon, and he made sure to restock every time they made port. The reason why he didn’t light up another was, well, he wasn’t quite sure. He wasn’t feeling it, to be honest, and he wasn’t entirely sure why. There was a lot about what was going on that he didn’t necessarily agree with. The crew should know what’s going on. They should have known what was going on before they even left to get the princess.

At the moment, it was all he could do not to tell them himself, but his orders were clear. The captain, there wasn’t anything wrong with him, but there also wasn’t a whole lot that Atlas found redeeming, either. Atlas knew not to mistake the captain’s more relaxed approach to pirating as weakness, for in his years of service underneath him he’d seen the captain act more than competent, but as of late…No. He didn’t even want to think about doubts, unsure of where such thoughts could lead. Dangerous territory, he knew that much.

A quick glance into his telescope showed Atlas that they were coming upon port. A population of ships was beginning to form in the distance and the next few hours would either end with their easy freedom, their bloody freedom, or their incarceration. Such was the life of a pirate, and Atlas couldn’t help but smile.

It took a few grumbles before Atlas realized his stomach was attempting to inform him of its displeased emptiness. Rubbing it, Atlas tried and failed to remember the last time he actually ate something. The only things he’d been putting into himself lately have been smoke and liquor, so he understood why his stomach wasn’t in a very good mood. Maybe that girl, Momo, had something prepared. He certainly hoped so. A little food could make today better. Besides, if the Navy did their job right it’d be the last meal he’d ever have. The thought sent a wonderful tingle down his spine as he imagined Naval marines attempting to board the ship, but shrugged the thought off. He usually wasn’t this bloodthirsty. “No worries,” he said to himself while walking towards the kitchen, “tonight I’ll either be dead or in the freedom of the ocean, and both those locations should prove full of rum.”

Little did he realize he was actually walking into a situation below deck. As soon as he made it down he was surprised to find Tinker on the ground, and the room empty save for Momo. “Hello, Miss. I was hoping to find some food, but if your cookin’ did this to him I may just pass…” Atlas smiled up at her, making sure she knew he was kidding. While he knew little about her, he knew enough to understand that she took her job seriously and wouldn’t take too well to mocking. She was young, very young, and quite small, but cute. It was nice having her aboard, especially when compared to your average ship cook. Having something other than mystery gruel day in and day out was quite wonderful, and her food was actually good even for what you’d find on land. “What has you frustrated?” He asked, figuring it couldn’t hurt to try and get to know her a little bit, considering it didn’t seem like she was going anywhere at this point. When she first joined on he didn’t see her staying long. He figured she was a young girl and this pirate thing was a fling, of sorts, but she’s proven herself to be a true member of the crew, and as First Mate he should try and know a little about her. Plus, as much as he’d never admit it, he needed someone to talk to. Something, he wasn’t sure what, was driving him insane, and he could hardly keep inside his head at the moment. He saw in Momo a chance to get out of his mind a little, especially considering he wasn’t entirely happy with the direction his thoughts were taking him in lately.

Willow breathed out an exasperated sigh just as she finished her long speech, and William frowned at the end. For a moment, she was worried he'd disagree, and have the ship sail elsewhere. It was only when the navigator spoke up, did she breath again.

"What the lady says makes sense, sir." William nodded to the man and his faced showed some thought in his eyes. "Alright then. We sail for Havana. Mr. Jones, please inform Mr. Thomas that we are to sail immediately and then get me a course."
"Yes sir." The navigator saluted them, gathered his charts and left the room, leaving the captain and Willow alone. In moments, the ship began to pull out of the harbor it's navigator plotting her course right now.

The Captain sat behind his desk, and motioned for Willow to sit opposite him.
"Now that we are underway, would you be willing to explain me what exactly is the purpose of you joining us and what exactly the Admiralty has planned. for you to do."
Willow smiled oddly, and looked at the ceiling. Sighing, she looked back down at the captain and spoke up.

"Captain, I am one of those 'No rules' people, a bounty hunter, as a profession. Some of my 'no rules' activities have had His Majesty's army out to get me for, quite some time now. I was actually to catch a ship to Italy tomorrow, but some of the kings men got to me first. Long story short, they are 'hiring' me to find the kings daughter. Why? 'cause I'm the best at what I do." She paused and took a break...thinking over her words a bit, and resumed.

"They're forcing me to do this, but if I succeed..." her eyes glazed over for a second. She finished up, skipping a bit ahead. "I don't know why they had me assigned to this ship. Maybe they don't want me to succeed. Maybe they think you're really good. Either way, we've got a journey ahead of us."

Her long speech finished, she sat back and breathed out. She eyed out the window, her eyes scanning for Elric.

"You don't hire pirates for that sort of t'ing- dat is the business of mercenaries and assassins," Pierre agreed. So, what did that leave? Pillaging had absolutely nothing to do with royalty, and... for Christ's sake, he was a damn lookout. He was not supposed to have to think in this job! Glowering on the inside, he swung himself into the rigging for a moment and kicked out at the closest beam, a decision he regretted when his bare toes collided with the hard wood. Gah. He swung back into the crow's nest, no less frustrated with the entire thing.

There was something moving back up the channel, not so far away as to by hard to see and decipher normally, on the clear, blank seas, but here? Too many ships lined the harbor, and the masts on all of them only served to confuse the eye. He swiped at the floor near him for his supply satchel, which was not there. He walked the edge of the crow's nest twice before spotting it, nestled between the post in the center and Kain's feet. Pierre grabbed it and pulled it out carefully, not wanted to knock over the navigator by mistake.

He heard her mumble something under her breath. "Hm?"

"Treasure. Pirates go after treasure, loot, whatever you want to call it. It's what we're made for, what we set out to do when we sign on with a crew. There's money involved, and not the kind that comes from a nobleman's coffers. I know it."

"Dat's a rather broad gen'ralizat'on, but..." Pierre paused a moment, thinking it over, "it is a good reason." He frowned. "What does royalty have to do wit' loot?"

A semi-rhetorical question, as he was distracted now. The Frenchman fished out his telescope, a shabby old thing rusting in some places and shedding paint in others, and brought it to his eye. "Merde!" he cursed, climbing back into the rigging for a better view. "Blasted imbécile anglais, move faster on garçons bête!" Higher, there wasn't anymore higher, this was the topmost bit of the entire ship that could be reached without getting out the daggers and stabbing the woodwork, and, as much he wanted to do so (the shiny pointed objects had been sitting unused in his satchel for almost a week now) It probably wouldn't go down well with the first mate, and thus Pierre held the telescope up to his eye. Yes, it was the only ship hoisting it's mainsail at the moment, but that didn't mean-

Oh wait. It did.

"I suppose I now 'ave to inform all of the ship about de navy starting to 'ead up the channel, ey?" he grumbled aloud, half to himself. Sighing, he leaned over the edge of the crow's nest.

"Oi the main deck!" he hollered. "'Is Majesty's Boat the Slowpoke is finally 'eaded out fer us! Just so you know!"

Momo heard Atlas say something and kept working on the formula in front of her. She had become so deep in thought she'd forgotten Atlas was one of the people she didn't want to see her working on poison around. "Haha," she chuckled at his jesting. Then of course she realized the possible situation she could have if he read her hand writing so she quickly closed the journal and hid it away.

"I was just getting frustrated over a recipe that i was jotting down, every time I make it it's missing something," she said simply. "On top of that this baboon and Sieg decided it was okay to raid my private stash that I had tucked away for a rainy day to make some spoiled princess happy..... Yes I know," she added before he could react. She stood up from her seat and looked up at Atlas, he was the first mate but she hadn't really talked to the man much since she'd joined. He stuck her as a confident but not arrogant man, he was handsome.... ish, Momo wasn't one for beards or older men so there were some handicaps, but so far she though he was one of the few crew members that hadn't stolen from her.... that she knew of.

"I suppose you're hungry eh? Let me see if the stew is done," she said as she walked over to a pot over a low fire pit. She took a few moments and smiled before getting him a bow and a spoon and got him a mug of water and she sat it on the table and motioned for him to sit down, "Unfortunately I don't server ale, rum, or anything of the like before sunset, I like to save that to help everyone relax at the end of the day." she said with a smug smile as she sat across from Atlas.

She looked at the man for a moment then became a bit curious. "I'm not stupid, I know that Princess as probably kidnapped, if not then her family probably thinks so, which means we probably have the Navy after us, I understand all that...... But .... Is something bothering you Mr. Atlas? You seem troubled," she said. Then she smiled cheerfully and added, "Of course if you want to dodge the question you can tell me what you think of the stew."

Horace looked at Elric with an expression of mixed anger and astonishment. If most nobles were like this then he was very grateful he had chosen a life at sea and had not stayed in the life of high society. "Are you completely daft man. How the bloody hell is the King supposed to know you are on this ship unless you were stupid enough to tell him. This ship also represents the best chance at rescuing Her Majesty, and I highly doubt the King would delay her sailing just because you are aboard, no matter how important you are."

Horace was now meet the man's eyes with a fiery glare, one that made the crew step very carefully when they saw it. "A man cannot be a part of the crew unless he has been signed on. And since we have finished with the pleasantries." The Spiteful's first officer swung his gaze to the two waiting marines, causing both to them to flinch. "Get this man off the ship immediately," He snapped, turning his back to all three.

"But sir..." One of the man started. The man stumbled over his words as that glare swung back to him. "I mean... Sir? The ships already cast off."

Horace looked around. Indeed it they had cast off. The distance between the dock and the deck was slowly increasing, meaning that the only feasible way to remove Elric from the ship would be to throw him overboard. And while that was sorely tempting, he decided that it would be best not to. "Fine. Then you will detain Mr. Rolance below decks until further notice. He is only to be given a ration of bread and water twice daily until myself or the captain orders otherwise." This time Mr. Thomas held is ground, watching as the two marines approached Elric, grabbing his arms and preparing to haul him to one of the small prison cells below.



William smiled kindly at Miss Whitmoore as she explained to him her circumstances. "Unfortunately I am as much in the dark about why they assigned you to my ship as you are. I imagine that it has to do with the fact that we were already planning on leaving port this day. My orders were to circumnavigate the globe, but with the recent crisis my ship and crew likely represented the fastest means of response. And if you are as good at your job as you say I imagine that it made sense to them to have you leave with the first available ship."

With Miss Whitmoore not taking the offered seat William felt slightly uncomfortable, he always did when sitting in the presence of a lady, but he decided it would be best to remain seated. It would give him a look and sense of authority, it would be know could to show anything that could be interpreted as weakness with such a new crew and an unknown factor like this bounty hunter. "While I can certainly understand the benefits of being a 'no rules' person with a profession such as your own, I will have to ask you to follow my orders. You will have some leeway due to your unique situation, but I do not tolerate insubordination under those in my command. You are free and welcome to ask questions and make suggestions, but when I give a direct order I must ask that you follow it, for your own benefit as well as for the benefit of the ship, crew and our mission. I will also remind you that my orders, duty, and honor require me to do everything in my power to bring the Princess back safely and I will appropriately deal with any who may try to stop me." Normally William would not have added that last bit, but with her nature of being a mercenary and bounty hunter he felt that it would be best if he did so. Beneath him he could feel the ship moving and slowly picking up speed as she left port and made her way out onto the open ocean. "Now, are there any question or concerns that I might be able to address at this time?"

Pierre let off a string of muttered words in French, and Merryweather smiled despite herself. The sight might have been enough to make a few crewmembers double-take, simply because it was not a habit of hers to show anything but disdain or a healthy measure of stoniness. She actually didn't mind doing so, here- Frenchie didn't seem to expect anything of her, and she certainly didn't have to have all the stoicism of someone twice her age when her only audience was barely any older than she was. Plus, it wasn't like he was going to inform anyone that she did in fact have normal human emotions like being amused.

She'd picked up enough French to know what he was saying, and it wasn't long before the curve left her lips, and she followed his eyes behind the ship. Squinting, she decided it was useless and removed her own spyglass, locating the oncoming ship herself. Hmm.. not so large as to be completely useless in pursuit. This might call for something of an adjustment. Luckily for the Wandering Jewel, it's navigator was never unprepared for such things.

Pierre yelled down to what crew were on deck, but she observed with some trepidation that none of the people who outranked herself were presently there. Tok, Atlas, Siegfried, and Kei alike were not around. Granted, the circumstances were a little different because of her age, but that meant she had rank for the moment. Just as well, for she also had a plan, and not having the time to run it by someone else meant it would be accomplished all the faster.

"Later," she told Pierre with a curt nod, before jumping over the crow's nest, snatching onto some rigging on her way down and springing down the rest with the agility only youth and a natural inclination to this sort of life could bring a person. The last nine feet or so she simply jumped, landing on her feet as she had a hundred thousand times before. Spotting a rather towering man she recognized as fairly frequently in the company of Atlas (she did know his name, well... most likely knew it, but it was escaping her presently) she beckoned him over with a curt gesture.

"Tell the Captain and Atlas that we're being followed. I'm going to give us some more speed, but somebody with rank needs to stop moping around belowdecks and get up here and lead." Despite the rather ridiculous picture this presented- a small girl barking clipped orders at a man easily twice and then some her body weight- he nodded and was off.

Merryweather herself headed over to the helm, to find that the helmsman had indeed taken note of Frenchie's warning and was doing what he could to keep the ship moving as quickly as possible. Luckily for everyone involved, the time the navigator spent in the crow's nest was not mere idle relaxation; the had felt a shift in the winds, one which they could use to their advantage. The trick was to ease into it, so they would not seem to be running away. There was no reason to assume the pursuing ship knew their target was the vessel immediately in front of them, after all. Other Navigators weren't apt to spend time where she did, and in her experience, the winds so far above deck blew truest. It'd be a while before the other ship knew what she did.

The Helmsman, a wiry old man known most frequently simply as 'Gramps' was an old sea dog with a lot of experience, but he knew better than to question the small upstart girl that gave him directions, and at her nod, moved aside to let her adjust the course herself. Normally, she wouldn't, seeing as how this whole steering thing involved a level of intuition that she generally scoffed at in favor of logic, but the adjustment was minute enough that it was better to just do it herself.

Satisfied when the sails filled just a little more, she handed the wheel back to Gramps and turned to survey the deck. Still nobody. For the love of all things seafaring, this had to be a whole new level of incompetence. Pirating at one's own pace was one thing, this another entirely. If someone didn't show up soon, she was going to go find them all herself, and the tongue-lashing that would result, while completely unmodulated in tone, would be scathing all the same.

FMC
Atlas sat back in the chair and studied the girl for a moment, his mind running through what he could and could not say. Obviously anything involving El Dorado was out of the question, for now. Once the captain revealed his plan it would be a fine conversation for anyone in the crew, but at the moment that information was off limits to the cook. At the same time, he felt compelled to talk to her, as if he just wanted to spill every detail of his trouble to her. That was another thing he had to avoid, looking weak in front of the crew, his men. He couldn't sit here and cry to a girl who had reached adulthood only just recently. Not that age mattered, though. There were girls younger than her who already were raising kids of their own. Atlas rubbed his cheek and the back of his neck, realizing he had meant to shave these past few days but with everything that has been happening, such as all the kidnapping planning that he was a part of that the rest of the crew, save the captain and one or two others, was entirely oblivious too--one doesn't simply run in and grab a princess--it had simply slipped his mind, before turning his attention back to the girl. "Simply put, at least as best I can, there's a lot of things about a lot of things that I don't particularly like about everything that's going on right now, and the worst thing about it is my complete inability to do anything about any of those things." Atlas took a moment to reflect on what he just said, and wondered if his many uses of the word 'thing' came off as odd in anyway, then dusted the thought off and lifted a spoonful of stew to his lips. "It's delicious, by the way."

KK
Momo listened to Atlas speak and had to repeat what he said to herself to make sure she registered it right. She couldn't help but giggle at the man, this was the first time any of the crew members seemed to really open up to her and he seemed so flustered she couldn't help but laugh.

"Well.... Mr. Atlas, if you can't do anything about them now then don't bother to worry about them now, worry about things you can change now. Maybe later you can fix somethings you don't like. I know I haven't been here long at all, and many of the crew doesn't trust or like me.... but I know when the people I feed are troubled, depending on the person they skip meals... like yourself, or come to eat more often. I'm not useful in a fight, but I am a very good listener and unlike that blabber mouth behind me I can keep a secret so if you ever need someone to confide in, I won't think any less of you for coming to me." she said simply as she pulled her journal back out and proceeded to write in it, keeping the book tilted to her so that Atlas couldn't read what she was writing.... if he could read at all.

FMC
Wise words for a girl so young, Atlas had to admit. There was a difference though, between saying and doing. A twinge of curiosity ran through him when he saw her pull out her notebook and begin to write, but he figured it wasn't any of his business anyway. Girls have their diaries. "It's hard to explain," he said in between spoonfuls. "Piracy was forced on me. Can you believe that? Freedom was forced on me. That's the beauty of what we do, because we can do any and every thing we want. Even at the lower levels, you can feel the liberty we possess. It just feels like I'm losing touch with that freedom, like a vital part of my soul's being torn from my heart, and the only way to save it is to do something that would damn a soul to hell."

KK
Momo didn't look up from her book and chuckled, "You wanna feel like you're losing your freedom? He's what ya do, go to England, be sold into slavery and live like that for a few years," she said with a smile as she looked from her journal to Atlas. "But I can relate to feeling like you're losing part of yourself. However, if you feel like you're losing your freedom... then perhaps you aren't happy with what you're doing, which then leads to you not belonging in that specific area, and the only way to remedy that is to change it yourself. You're only as free or confined as you allow yourself to be Mr. Atlas," Momo said.

FMC
"Just Atlas. Slavery, huh? We're all slaves to something," she didn't feel sorry about her past, so Atlas didn't bother with pity. "You think you're free from it, but then something happens and you realize your chains are still there, just camouflaged into the rest of the world. I just want to find that missing link, a hole in my heart that I've lived with my entire life. That's what this voyage represents to me. At the risk of disclosing something I shouldn't, we're in for a ride." Atlas pulled out a smoke and just played with it in his fingers, not lighting it, partially because he didn't want too, and partially because he didn't want to be rude, considering he was unsure if Momo minded smoke or not. "Your words are equally idealistic as they are wise, and unfortunately the rock I've found myself attached too comes with a matching hard place to keep me from going anywhere. This isn't a matter of perspective. My options are incredibly limited, if I had any."

KK
Momo couldn't help but smile more as Atlas spoke. "Well then... Atlas... I think the answer is simple. Perhaps you just don't wish to face it," she closed her journal and put it to the side one the table. She held up her hand and held two fingers up.

"Think of it this way, you're in the woods alone with an enemy and a vile of Blood's Bane Poison, a poison that drives it's host into torment with pain until the kill themselves or die from shock. You have two simple choices, to use it or not to. Some people wouldn't use it because they're kind and believe that there's a line not to cross when killing, and others would use it on them without a second though. If you were in that situation, you'd choose the choice you didn't like right? Right."

She took in a breath and then continued, "Why should this be any different, even if your choices are limited you have at least two. If you're unhappy with one then choose the other. Two minus one issss?" she says as she lowers one of her fingers.

FMC
"You simplify something incredibly complex. I've killed many, many men in my time. And yet," Atlas quieted and looked at Momo, trying to figure out what about her was causing him to open up like he was. Maybe it wasn't even her. Maybe he just needed to talk to someone and she just happened to be the one available. He figured it had to be a ridiculous sight, a large, high ranking, masculine pirate opening himself up to a young girl. The thought made him laugh a little. However, as he was about to continue, someone came crashing into the room.

"Atlas! I s'posed ta tell ya dat we're bein' followed. Seems da Navy's caught wind o' ar' little venture." Garret waited for Atlas to answer, completely oblivious to the meaningful conversation he had just walked in on.

"Well, Garret, go get the captain and inform him that I said while the princess is an important asset to this little venture, as you put it, his crew is waiting patiently for his orders on how to handle this new threat." Garret nodded and took off towards the captain's cabin.

"Anyway," Atlas took Momo's hand politely, giving her a slight bow to show that while he was a pirate, he still retained some form of gentleman manners. "It was nice to get to know you a bit more personally, but I'm needed on deck." Atlas paused for a moment, "And, well, thank you." Damn it all to hell, Atlas thought. Now even I'm going soft. I hope they board us now...got to kill something to feel like a pirate again. The thought brought a smile to his lips.

KK
Momo blushed a somewhat natural blush that comes across any girls cheek who isn't used to be treated with respect. She hadn't really reacted to the burst in that Garret provided and didn't really acknowledge the man.

"Well I'm happy to help Atlas, and you always know where to find me the next time you need to talk," she said as she smiled up at Atlas, "Just remember you do ALWAYS have a choice, you just may not be willing to face or see that choice at the moment, but if you're having doubts then maybe you don't want to find the other option?" she said and then slowly pulled her hand from his. "I'll be sure to have something new made when you next come down," she said showing that she had no fear of any naval threat.

FMC
"It's more that I already know the other option, yet am not sure whether or not I want to acknowledge its existence." With that, Atlas turned and left the kitchen and moved up towards the deck. "Ms. Merryweather," Atlas called out as he walked towards the girl, "status report. If you don't have good news I'll probably shoot you." He smiled as he approached her, figuring he'd just ask her what the exact situation was instead of going through the trouble of getting his own telescope out and finding it on his own. Of course, now that he was back on deck he put a cigar in his mouth and lit it happily.

Literally, is it that hard to comprehend? I sign up with the company, we go chase the Pirates. I die, and the King blames it on the crew. My father will likely have their heads, and make sure their families pay as well. Even if I don't die, my disappearance will likely cause my father using all his resources to find me. Then comes the search party. Of course if I say all this, it will likely go way over his head. Damn soldiers. Doesn't matter now, I was able to rile him up enough to were he lost sense of his surroundings. Elric simply smiled at the man, finding a rather inadvertent joy in watching the man consider his options. Elric patiently listened to Mr. Thomas, finding the tone of the man's voice to be like nails on a board. When Elric felt the hands of the marines grabbing his arms, he became expressionless, looking down at their hands. Elric sighed heavily, and looked at Mr. Thomas. "Now we have a problem. Mr. Thomas, I can see that this entire incident has broken down. You seem to have painted me as a weak, arrogant, worthless man who tries to use his title to get what he wants. Here's the problem. I hate facades. So even though it would benefit me better to simply comply, I hate facades." In one move, Elric brought his elbow up and bashed it into the jaw of the marine on his right. He kicked the marine in the stomach and brought his arm around the marine on his left, using him as a human shield of sorts.

The crewman on the deck all drew their arms, having them focused right on Elric. Elric smiled while the marine he was holding gasped for breath, looking at the first mate. "You see why I said simply complying would benefit me more. Now you could open fire on your man and I, throw me overboard and be rid of me completely. The fact I risked all this for a simple showing of disrespect is rather idiotic when you think about it. But, its who I am-" Using his free left hand, Elric removed his silver pistol from its holster and pointed it at the head of the marine. "-And I hate facades."

Sometimes, Merryweather could really kill someone.

She wasn't what anyone would call violent by nature, and her physique certainly wasn't made for it, either, but sometimes it almost didn't matter. Because sometimes, the first mate had the gall to walk over, easy as you please, call you by your reviled first name that reminded you far too much of the people who'd given it to you and was stupid besides, all while lighting another one of those damn tobacco-laden monstrosities that you were pretty sure you were allergic to, if the way your eyes tended to water was any indication. And then there was the part where he and everyone else who claimed to be running this show had been conspicuously absent for the better part of what could have easily been a complete disaster if you weren't absurdly prepared for eventualities that the lot of them apparently failed to consider.

There was no way she was going to live past thirty. Her humors had to be so far out of balance that she'd keel over and die long before then, and it would all be their fault. "Well, Mr. James, sir, I guess you're just going to have to wait before killing anything, because while we are, in fact, being followed by a British Navy vessel, we have made an adjustment to our course that they will not know to make, and should be out of their view within the hour. They do not appear to have recognized that we are the idiots who stole their bloody Princess, but I'm not quite sure how long that will remain the case. Also, in the absence of any ranking officer of the ship, I decided all of this on my own, because really, who doesn't want to sail on a boat run by a teenager?" Merryweather had no shortage of confidence in her navigation abilities, but making important decisions was something she tried to stay well away from.

"Would this be an adequate status report?" the question was underlain with a substantial amount of sarcasm, but such things were not generally readily-detectable in her tone. She supposed she should be less angry with Atlas than the rest of them, all things considered, but she had not taken this job with the expectation that she would be doing anyone else's, especially not something so important. It had shaken her a fair bit actually, and her petulance was more due to this than disrespect, but then she was trying really hard to make sure nobody knew that. The slight quaking in her limbs wasn't helping her case, and she tried to force it to stop with some modicum of success.

Willow stood still. She was listening to the captain's words.

"While I can certainly understand the benefits of being a 'no rules' person with a profession such as your own, I will have to ask you to follow my orders. You will have some leeway due to your unique situation, but I do not tolerate insubordination under those in my command. You are free and welcome to ask questions and make suggestions, but when I give a direct order I must ask that you follow it, for your own benefit as well as for the benefit of the ship, crew and our mission. I will also remind you that my orders, duty, and honor require me to do everything in my power to bring the Princess back safely and I will appropriately deal with any who may try to stop me."

The last part he added sounded more like a warning than she originally took it, but she got the message. The captain was not a man to be angered, and she respected that in a person. In fact, William reminded her a lot of her uncle, what she remembered of him. She almost got lost in her thoughts.

"Now, are there any question or concerns that I might be able to address at this time?"

She thought for a moment, and then opened her mouth to speak, when they were interrupted by a rumble outside, and some shouting. She dropped her thought and dashed to the door, making the move across the room in about two steps. She used her body and momentum to push the door open. Her experience in the navy and with combat certainly showed there, not losing her balance on the wavy ship, and she instinctively drew a pistol in her left hand and her sabre in her right. As he eyes adjusted to the light outside, she saw quite the scene. There was Elric Rolance, pretty boy, standing over a marine cringing on the ground, and holding another hostage with a pistol. The entire crew was had their swords and guns drawn, all ready to send Elric right to hell.

She assessed the situation best she could, and awkwardly pointed her gun at Elric, unsure of what was going on. She walked up, standing up just ahead of Mr. Thomas, making her the closest person to Elric, apart from the two marines.

"What the hell's going on here!?" She asked, confused.

Tok studied Hermione for a reaction. Well, she hadn't ran out and jumped over board, nor had she called him a raving lunatic. That was a start. Still, she answered him with no more than doubtful sentences that tailed off in the end, fear and fret creeping into the way she spoke. "Goddammit. It's always this doubtfulness, doubt, doubt, doubt, doubt. I'll do jumping jacks when one person doesn't bombard me with this incessant doubt." He spun the apple in his calloused, tan hands, fiddling with it while he thought of the right words to say without being so discouraging.

"Hermione, many a man have shackled themselves to obligations that only exist in other men's heads. We all like to pretend that there'd be huge outrage in the world's forces should we happen to slip out of these shackles, as if the tides would rise and the flames of hell would come to greet all. It's very easy to believe that you have to live within the lines to keep the impending "or else" off of your tracks, but it's good to remember that that's not the case. You have no physical inhibitions in your way, the only obstacles being all very imaginary. Or, all very untouchable. Nothing's truly stopping you from running around in your under garments, singing opera, and building a time machine. Nothing's stopping you from killing thousands of people and propping them up like dolls. Nothing's stopping you from living in the mountains and associating with sheep only. It sounds preposterous, sure, but in the end, every life lived- from a young english princess' to an Arabian slave- are all happening in one speck of dust in time, and all the decisions made in that speck will be forgotten very soon by whatever comes after is.

"It sounds scary and sad, but it's not. It simply means that people shouldn't go about living dull, mundane lives because they were told to. You should latch on to any chance of magic while you still can, is what it means. Carpe diem, or so to speak. Here, let me put it this way. You have, oh, probably thirty or forty years left in life. You will forever think of what ifs and why nots, and in the future, you will berate yourself for all your unsatisfied wants and unfinished deeds. You'll find that pirates are all very liberated people. I know we seem brutish and savage, and I'll admit that some are, but if anything that's a side affect of freedom, which is beautiful in its own way. Live the way you want to Hermione.

"That could mean primping yourself up in huge gowns and elegant balls." he said, his face contorting again in distaste. "If that's what you value, I suppose. I'm rambling again." He stated, right before insanely loud pounds cracked on his door. Tok was honestly afraid that it'd be knocked down with the force of the person's blows. "Cap'n, Cap'n! Atlas told me 'at I s'posed ta tell ya dat we're bein' followed. Seems da Navy's caught wind o' ar' little venture." the man said through the cracks of the door. Tok got up and approached the door, unlocking it and the opening up to see Garret's hulking figure. "Thank you, Garret." he said politely. He turned back to the princess again.

"Gautama Siddharta once said “There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.” He was a Prince before he'd founded Buddhism, you know." Captain informed playfully. "Think about it. I'm going to leave you in here for a while so you can think over my offer. You're free to wander about if you really so desire, and you can ask the other pirates who are around questions that'll help you find your answer, but make sure to stay below deck. It'd be a shame if you were seen and taken back before you'd even had a chance to make a decision."

And then he left, striding over with great urgency over to Kain, Atlas, and their Helmsmen just in time to hear Kain's spicy "status report" and catch glimpse of her scalding glares. She looked terrified, in her own tough, aloof way. He approached silently, offering a tiny tug of a smile and questioning eyes. "Well done, Kain. I'd reckon you've done a fine job of keeping Jewel's backside from being bitten. Do we have any in-advanced plans for if- excuse me, when- the Navy seadogs find out our secret?" he inquired quickly, arms crossed over his chest. He hoped that they'd never catch up to them, and that his crew wouldn't have to endure an ambush.

His head couldn't help but remember the scenario just four years ago, when this very same ship had been attacked by a mightier (at the time) pirate ship. The men had flooded onto their decks and wiped out anyone who had a beating heart. The former crew of the Ratgrins had tried their very hardest, but being underprepared and without as many people, they'd been sorely defeated. The mental images made Tok's chest heavy. He'd witness many friends slaughtered in front of his very eyes. The ruthless pirates had left them out at sea, supply-less and under the impression that all had been killed. And beside, even if there were a few stragglers, they had no food to survive for very long. Tok, who'd just been Quatermaster at the time, along with a handful of other men who'd managed to keep themselves together were just barely able to make it to the nearest port, fill their stomachs, get medical attention, and reform a new crew. Suddenly, Tok found himself a Captain. He swore that such a terrible outcome would never happen to his ship again. He would protect these people now that he was a Captain.

"Bloody good job you're doing, Captain. Kidnapping a princess and fleeing towards a hoard of mystical beasts is a great way to keep them safe." the little voice in his head said. And that's when he knew that he had to tell his crew what they were up again. Tonight. They'd be able to drop off any one who wanted out in a couple days after that at an obscure trader's port that only pirates flocked to, and then only those who were willing would risk their lives. He swallowed hard and realized he'd been staring out at sea with an unfathomably stony gaze, very much so unlike his usual self. He blinked a couple of times and peered back down at the small girl, heaving a glance over at Atlas who stood next to her. Guilt exploded inside of Tok. Atlas knew. He knew the plan and the costs and he knew that Kain, the innocent girl who liked to play pretend, didn't, and Tok knew that Atlas didn't agree with that one bit. Tok's longest lasting friend on this ship was right, too. As soon as Tok had bestowed the information on his first mate- obviously someone he trusted enough to put as the future Captain for the day he died... or became incapable of directing for some odd reason- he'd made it clear that he should be telling all this to his crew. Again, he focused on the girl, a faux grin spreading across his lips, ignoring the dread bubbling up.

As William waited for a reply the deck suddenly exploded with noise and activity. The Captain jumped from his seat, nearly running for the door and only a few steps behind Miss Whitmoore. What he saw when as he left his cabin astonished him. Elric Rolance was standing facing Mr. Thomas, a marine on the ground clutching his face as he held on to another one with a pistol pointed to his head.

"What the hell's going on here!?" Whitmoore asked, obviously confused by what was happening just as the captain was.

"This man was refusing to cooperate, so I order the men to detain him in one of the cells. He attacked." William's first officer's voice quivered with rage. He cared for the crew almost as much as William himself, and his famed anger was obviously at full blaze. William turned his gaze to Elric, the ever present love in his eyes now masked by cold, steely anger.

"Well Mr. Rolance, I hope you are happy." William's voice was ice cold and had a very dangerous edge. "Whatever chance you ever had of serving as a member of the crew of this ship as just vanished. You see, I cannot have a man that will put his own selfish needs above those of the ship and crew. You now hold that man's life in your hands. Only you can decide whether he lives or dies. But I assure you that if you kill him you will be prosecuted to the full extent of the Laws of the Sea. Or you could release that man and peaceably go down to the hold and be detained. Since you are not a member of the crew, I will not punish. Instead you will be held as a prisoner to be released at the first port we dock at." William didn't mention that was likely to be Havana, "You will be allowed on deck during designated parts of the day. This will also allow you a chance to possibly regain my trust. The choice is now yours. Release this man and I will not prosecute, though I should, or kill him and be known through the rest of history to be a murder." William kept his cold gaze locked with Rolance's eyes as the crew waited with baited breathe for his decision.