Circe Armeria's Story

A small, discontented sigh escaped one weary Circe Armeria (or as she was known on this notorious pirate ship as Arto Briggins) as she trudged away from the bustling crew members to the side rails of the ship, trying to escape the simpering heat that arose from the crowd. Through the slit the two bandanas created, through limited eyesight, Circe could perceive the new crew members were going frantic in an attempt to look productive, all chattering about the infamous Captain Skull's first appearance to their unworthy eyes later tonight. Spinning around, turning her loosely clothed white back to the hustle and bustle, the young woman disguised as a man rested her forearms on the wooden railing of the black ship. Staring out into the vast horizon that was only determined by the mere glittering of the water, she couldn't help but shift uncomfortably due to the tightly wrapped cloth bandages around her chest. This is insane.. why did they have to be so big!? I think my circulation is getting cut off for god sakes., echoed her complaining thoughts. Tucking one boot-clad ankle behind the other, Circe assumed a rather relaxed stance, undoubtedly a peculiar sight for anyone watching.A crew member, a new one at that, bundled up like it was the dead of winter, separated from the rest, surely it was a odd.

Yet another sigh escapes the young woman as her rust colored eyes focused onto the waters surface intently, as if remembering something of importance. And remembering she was. Images of the night that changed her life, the night this very pirate ship attacked Port Bellanine 7 years ago and stole away her first love, flitted through her tortured mind. As the screams of the townspeople rang clear as a bell in her head, Circe instinctively bit down onto her rosebud lower lip, as if in an attempt to drive away such maddening sounds. I'll find you. I promise. Then I'll take revenge for you. Not just for you but for everyone at Port Bellanine. resonated the bitter thoughts, her tongue moving behind the pinstriped cloth that concealed her delicate jawline, as if she was speaking the words. Giving the darkened lumber one last tight squeeze, satisfied with the groan it made, Circe spun on her heels in a motion that was a tad bit too fluid for anyone of the male species to carry out, before rejoining the throng of new members.

Threading her way through the crowd with mild difficulty, her short stature not helping in the slightest, Circe couldn't help but wrinkle her nose in disgust at the appearance and smell of some of these recruits. Disgusting.. typical pirates. Not knowing how to clean oneself properly. she thought, repulsed at the members' lack or teeth, appendages or hair. However, she kept her wits in a graceful manner, keeping her head forward with one leather-gloved hand resting on top of the worn pirate hat, as she managed to break through the crowd. Casting a sideways glance through the protective cloth on her face, this young woman could noticeably see people were staring at her in a incredulous manner, a mix between shock and disbelief painted onto their faces. Of course she could see why; it was well into the upper degrees, every man in sight was bare backed, yet here she was; clothed in a ridiculous amount of layers.

Briefly pausing, Circe's eyes flickered over to the sealed shut Captain's door, natural curiosity overtaking herself. What would this man be like, the one who ruined everything for me? Will he be like the rumors say him to be; a brute? A devils spawn? Maybe Satan himself? she thought grimly. However, the metacognitive state was shattered by the rough pushing of a middle-aged wizen man. Circe stumbled forward, colliding with the bare chest on a palely colored man, and as she looked up into the deep red-hued eyes, she realized with horror it was the second mate; August de Sores.

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A few seagulls drifted on the air currents high above the mast of the Black Bermuda as the ship easily slid along the surface of the deep ocean waters. A heat was upon the ship that brought sweat to every man's brow, whether he was busy working, or crowding down on deck as the majority of the crew waited to finally see the man they all called Captain. But high above the ship, in a wooden lookout mounted to the mast, a crow sat in his nest.

Adair pulled the apple he was munching on from his lips and stifled a yawn as the slight breeze above the ship tossed a few strands of the fire red hair about his forehead. He had been up there for some time now, crawling up there to pass out the night before instead of fighting over which dank spot of decking he was going to share with another crew mate. He had only come down to eat earlier that morning and to grab a few bites for later. Staying in the crow's nest was the best way to avoid doing any real work, and it was easily cooler, and much nicer smelling, than on deck with all the mashed bodies moving about. He wasn't overly fond of crowded areas, and he figured the Captain wouldn't smile on Adair for stabbing a fellow crew member...

Boredom tugging at his mind again, Adair began humming a tune from before he could rightly remember and cast his gaze about the horizon once more, hoping to see a ship of any kind. Unfortunately, he was greeted only by the glint of the ocean. Shading his one good eye, he rolled over to steal a look back to the deck. To his surprise, another member was climbing up the netting on the back side of the mast and heading for the crow's nest. As the man caught sight of Adair, he smiled and waved before continuing up. Letting out a slight whistle to catch the man's attention again, Adair dropped the apple core in a perfectly aimed spot right between the man's eyes. Yelping, the man grabbed at his face and fell back to the decking into a few more crew members, raising more than a few shouts in the process.

Laughing it off, Adair was more than amused as the man scrambled back to his feet and motioned a rather rude, but well deserved, gesture in Adair's direction. Ignoring the gesture, Adair spotted the Coristo's cat before calling to the blonde-headed man close to it.

"Yo, Cory!" Adair shouted over the buzz of the crew below, "When's the cap'n supposed to come out?!"

Coristo was sitting on the captains chambers looking at the sky like he always did around this time. The orange colored sky looked as beautiful as ever. There was something about it that seemed to calm him down on this loud ship full of pirates. He didn't know why though. Thinking hard on it, the sky did have some reminiscent feel to it. It was enough to make him feel sick if he stared to long.

Having chosen to throw away his past and forget about his ex-family and friends, why did it seem to be the things that reminded him of his old life make him feel at ease. Maybe their were some good memories back in that time. 'Pft. Yeah right.' He thought to himself turning over to his side towards the bow of the ship. He watched as the sun seemed to sink into the ocean and smiled a little. As his eyes tried to scan down the sun he saw a newcomer staring out towards the ocean. It wasn't a weird thing to do. Allot of people use the ocean view as a way to calm themselves after all. No, it wasn't weird but their was something the person was doing that was. Crossing one leg over the other? That was indeed a weird thing to do. Well, not a normal cross, like a man would do but their was definitely something weird about how this man was crossing his legs. From the back, you would have thought he was a girl. Coristo knew better however. No women would be allowed on this ship during the sail. Maybe this man was just feminine. If so, surely he wouldn't last long. 'I give him about five minutes.' Cory estimated in his head. Man was it a good guess because not much longer after that, did the newcomer bump into the first mate. 'Oh bother. I hope this doesn't get ugly.' He thought in concern. He wouldn't have cared if he was in his demon persona but he was in a normal state of thought at this time. The mood swings sure did tend to confuse alot of the people on the ship, even him sometimes.

He was going to try to stop what could have ended in a bloody mess on the ship, but he was stopped by the voice of the person who stole his intended resting spot for the day. "Yo, Cory!" Adair yelled loud enough just for the boy to here him. "When's the cap'n supposed to come out?!" Coristo rubbed his neck, a little bit agitated at this question. He knew he was in charge of getting the captain out of his chambers today, but he was trying to avoid it. 'I guess the first mate is too important for menial tasks like these huh. Damn. Why is it so bloody hot.' He was complaining in his mind as he always had done but he never let it show in his outward expression. He raised one hand up to Adair. "Oi!!! I'll go get him.!!!!" He yelled back up to him as he jumped off the roof and landed next to the door. He knocked pretty hard so the Captain could here him. "He Capt. The new members are ready for your introduction." He said in a loud tone. Not quiet a yell, but still loud all the same.

Being of the few exceptions to the majority, Maxwell Wynd was not on the deck of his ship. Instead, he was in his cabin, examining various maps. It was one of the few things he could stand to do here - the crew was rowdy and the captain wasn't there. Worse, he was running out of wine, and he would rather dive into the sea for a drink instead of allowing rum to pass through his lips. Wherever it was that the captain decided to strike next, he hoped it carried wine.

Looking outside the cabin window, he saw that it was dusk. It was just around time for the stars to come out, and he was having a little internal debate inside himself. Should he climb onto the deck and observe the stars? Or should he stay put, in peace and quiet? He heard that they were getting new crewmen today, and as such he was especially reluctant to go onto the already regularly rowdy deck. After debating amongst himself for a few more moments, he looked out the window and saw the first star of the night. Sighing, he finished a glass of wine before taking one of his maps, a sextant and a quill and heading out the door, climbing the stairs to the main deck.

One of the first things that he noticed was that the captain had yet to arrive, which was a good sign for now - that meant he wouldn't come out and announce a raid out of the blue; at least not yet. He also saw the new crewman. They were typical pirates... except for one fellow in particular. That particular fellow had too much clothing on for this time of the year - though he was not one to speak, not with his red coat and hat. However, as per his habits from the academy, he was a senior on the ship and probably knew more about life at sea than those lads over there...

And what's worse, that lad had bumped into the second in command of the ship. If he didn't do something soon, he was going to be in for it. And so, he decided to try and throw the lad a lifeline by providing a distraction.

"You there, lad," he called, "you're wearing too much for the season. You don't want Captain Skull's first impression of you to be a collapse from heatstroke, do you?"

Captain Skulls

There was this persistent throbbing in the young man's head. Constant, it showed absolutely no signs of stopping, even though he had the majority of the day's length to sleep it off. The Captain had yet to see the outside of the quarters today, and had only recently awoken from his slumber with a groan unlike anything human. "Ah, that's right..." he muttered to himself and nobody else. "I lost again..." He couldn't even remember which crewman had done him in this time. But yesterday (at least the parts he remembers) was enjoyable, and even though this headache was highly severe, he didn't regret drinking last night. Mostly.

Honestly, he had long forgotten that he was supposed to make an appearance for newer recruits to his ship. For the longest time, he sat on his bed wondering the the commotion outside his quarters was all about, and why the deck seemed so much more lively than usual. Only after a while did the memory of appearing before his new men come back, and when it did, he sighed heavily. This headache was killing him. So, as he should, the Captain dressed himself in his casual, purple attire that seemed to have belonged to some noble at one point, and began towards the door.

*KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK*

"He Capt. The new members are ready for your introduction."

So they sent Coristo to wake me in such a state? I'm unsure if this is some joke or if they're that foolish. Wait, what am I talking about? Of course they are. They've always been.

Slowly, the Captain placed his hand on the door and pushed it open, the wooden door creaking as it did, capturing the attention of everybody on deck. Hopefully, Coristo'd move out of the way, since the Captain didn't stop pushing. The door came to a rest after it had been pushed all the way, and Captain Skull's slender appearance had been shown to everybody on deck. Instantly, all the chatter ceased and their eyes were upon him. Now was his time to make his first impression on his new crew, who would serve him until their deaths. Be that in battle or because of their fault.

He smiled quite innocently, giving him that childish, nonthreatening appearance as he did, and had begun to open his mouth when he was interrupted by one of his new men.

"Oi! The fuck's the capt'n?! This scrawny lit'l shit is fuck'n with us!" he shouted, some of the other men started mumbling and the intensity started picking up. In his mind, the captain decided that (though not surprising) this man was uneducated. His speech was horrid, he probably smelled, and he was dirty. Just like any other pirate. This one, however, was very stupid to have said anything when he should've just kept his trap shut like a good dog.

Skulls did not drop his smile, and simply looked at the young man before speaking to the whole of the group. "Why, I'm your captain of course!" he said in a tone not fit for him, if you knew him. Anyone who went through his last recruitment probably remembered his smile. Something quite similar happened the last time. "Now," he continued. "As you'll be staying on this, well, I can't say legendary yet but... 'soon to be legendary' vessel, I must lay down some rules for the lot of you. Be aware that these aren't hard to follow and some will even be something you're accustomed to, but I assure you that it's all for the benefit to the ship and its crew. Follow them, and you'll enjoy your stay on the Black Bermuda. Simple, correct?" his smiled widened and his eyes closed as he took a few steps forward, stopping near a random member of his crew. "You'll learn all of the rules if you ask your elder members. Trust me, they aren't so bad, but I do wish to tell you the one rule you should never break. Again, it's simple to follow, you just have to remember to do so."

His smile dropped.

In a single, swift movement, his hand dropped down to a nearby crewman's side, where he had his flintlock pistol, and pulled it up, firing a single, well-placed shot between the eyes of the man who had talked bad about him earlier. The man, dead, dropped to the floor like a rock, and a few men took a step back due to the sudden action.

His smile came back, though it had a much darker glint to it than before.

"Obey me. Is that understood?" he asked. Many of the men immediately shook their heads, realizing he was much more than what he appeared to be. The Captain was pleased with this result and gave the man (who was dumbfounded) his pistol back. "If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask." he said as an afterthought.

These men should realize that I'm not fucking around now.

Some men stood around the body of the crewman before picking him up. "Meh, he pushed that other, feminine man. He was probably an ass anyway." one commented before he was sent sleeping with the fishes.

August tipped his head back and let the last drop of wine hit his tongue. Dammit. This had been the last bottle left, besides the three hidden in his cabin. Three bottles of wine weren't going to last long. Wherever the captain took them next, there better be a whole shitload of wine. And women.
After a few moments of frustration, Gus threw the empty bottle on the floor and started walking towards the stairs leading up to the deck. As much as he just wanted to stay under deck, he had to be by the captain’s side when he introduced himself.

The sight that met him when he opened the door to outside was anything but surprising. Almost all members of the ship had gathered in front of the captains suite and among them was a handful of newly recruited pirates. He felt slightly intoxicated from the wine, but it wasn't noticeable in his walk. As he approached the crowd men automatically made room for him - most of them without even realising it. He let his red gaze rest upon every single new member as he walked past them before coming to a stop in front of the door. The Captain was still in there. For a second he considered just banging on the door himself. But the thought of having to deal with a possibly hungover captain didn't appeal to him and he turned around to face the crowd.

As he did this a little person walked straight into his bare chest. At first August thought this was a woman, but when he looked down he realised much to his disappointment that it was just a young man. The boy was strangely dressed and way too clean to fit in. He was even cleaner than that damn noble they called a navigator and that said a lot. Gus' right eye twitched with irritation and he was just about to literally throw the kid out of his way. What was he doing on this ship anyway? He obviously wasn't cut out for this.

But then the door behind them swung open and the infamous Captain Skulls stepped out of his cave before Gus could do anything to the brat. "Don't do that again," Gus hissed through his teeth before pushing the young man over towards a group of pirates to his left. Then he placed himself behind the captain and watched calmly as some idiot insulted Skulls. The pirate ended up being shot and Gus smiled as they threw the limp body down to the fish. Njerëz budallenj. They just never learned did they? It was like watching primitive animals.

The captain finished his speech about punishment and obedience and Gus took a few steps closer so that he now was standing directly behind him. "What do you think of the new members then?" he asked indifferently while glancing at the dirty pirates.

Circe stumbled back slightly at the amount of force August had put behind his shove, causing the young woman to bump into yet another dirty pirate. With some help from the elderly man, Circe straightened herself before giving an apologetic nod, no words said, and threading her way through the front of the crowd. Sending a glare in the general direction of the ill-tempered, obviously hungover, man, about to say something, but just as the words were about to come forth; they fled. Instead, a creaking noise was replaced with her lost voice, already knowing what happened by the hushed whispers by the crew members around her. This is it, Circe. This is your moment, your moment to see that dreadful man.. with clenched fists, her head swiveled to train her now-considerably darker eyes onto the figure that was standing in front of the door. The hell?! THATS Captain Skulls?! No no, there must be a mistake.. wheres the REAL Captain? came her frantic thoughts, disbelieving that this young man, who looked like he hadn't spent a day in the sun, who hadn't even lifted a single weight in this life, who hadn't even looked like he didn't go a day without bathing, this young dandy was the destroyer of her life! With an intense gaze locked onto this young man's face, Circe couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the beauty that radiated from him, especially that warm, innocent smile. However, she couldn't wait another anxious second for the appearance of the real captain, which was quite obvious by young woman's crossed her arms and the tapping of her dusty brown leather boots on the ebony flooring. Glancing up briefly, taking in the silence, "Arto Briggins" noticed the now-lavender sky was beginning to be streaked with hues of gold and rosy pink. Typically, she would have stared longer at the beautiful, painting-worthy sight. Typically, she'd be singing at some Noble's place by now. Typically... Ah.. who the hell am I kidding? Theres no 'typically' on this god forsaken ship! Now where is Captain Skulls?!

"Oi! The fuck's the capt'n?! This scrawny lit'l shit is fuck'n with us!" erupted from a crew member, causing Circe's head to jerk in his general direction with grace. Behind the bandanas, her eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly realizing it was the barbaric man from earlier that had shoved her into the second-mate. As much as she had wish for anything more than to disagree with this wizened pirate, part of herself couldn't help but agree with him. He is really scrawny.. but who am I to talk?, at the dry thought, a half smile appeared on her face at her own little joke.

"Why, I'm your captain of course!" At those very words, Circe could feel her stomach drop, a chill in her bones sweeping over her being and she had to quickly tear her gaze from the Captain's form, paying an extensive amount of attention to her scuffed up boot.B-b-b-b-b-but wheres that fearsome, devils spawn that was always in the rumors!? Th-this.. this can't be right! No no, its all some joke.. I'm sure of it. As their squabbling ceased, silence settling over the crew. Circe took this moment to collect herself and push away the need to vomit.. after all, she wouldn't resort to making herself a fool in the short amount of time she's been on the ship. Glancing up once more, the breath that was suppose to deliver oxygen to her still body was caught in her throat seeing that, somehow, the young man managed to be a few feet in front of her, separated by only a few other pirates, the ones who were protesting the most. In that moment, when she saw the pistol being raised, a feeling a dread washed over the poor girl as she stood by in silent horror. N-no.. he wouldn't! Th-thats his crew after all.. she thought, trying to reconcile her frantically beating heart. Circe barely had any time to react as Captain Skulls pulled the trigger, the bullet burying itself dead-center into the man's bridge. Seeing the corpse fall over, blood now pooling around once-alive man, the young lady could only feel an earth-shattering fear and disconnection from the ship as she watched on how quickly the crew members dispatched the leathery body into the ocean. Only one thought had entered her mind W...what the..hell.. He truly is nothing more than a devil! before she fixated her gaze onto Captain Skulls and August de Sores, who were talking on the platform.

The insolent newcomers voice was like a hammer to Coristo's head. He had to hold in his anger as to not do anything harsh to the potential member. It was to his surprise that the captain, who seemed to be smiling it off, shot the guy in the head. With the shot, Cory jerked his own head in a possessed like manner, almost as if he was the one to receive the bullet and bowed his head down. "Fuck. Hehe." He said as he slowly raised his head, revealing that his once emerald green eyes were now ruby red. "I wanted to be the one to kill the bugger. Guess you beat me to it Capt." He said slyly turning towards the crew. "Since the Captain seems to be finished with his number one rule, how bout I give you some rules of me own." He said whistling at the end of his sentence. With his whistle came a dark shadow that seemed to have a three dimensional body. It formed slowly to form a black cat that looked almost Egyptian. The one main detail that stuck out was his tail that looked like it had a clawed hand at the tip. "Search ém." He said to it. Following suit the cat walked around the area and came back to its master. "Only about thirty percent are scared of what just happened." It said in a majestic tone. At the cats words Coristo couldn't help but let out an almost evil laugh.

"That's classic it is." He said whipping fake tears from his eyes. "You jokers really don't get it do you? You think being on this ship is as easy as just doing as the good captains says!?" He said with his voice slightly raised. "Your dead wrong mate. You see. Your new here the lot of you are. You have to prove yourselves. Don't go thinking it's easy. Let me show you how low you are on this ship to make my point clear. You see the man behind the captain. He's the first mate he is. Don't fuck with him. You see the guy with the pirate hat and the nice clothing. He's our navigator. Unless told too don't talk to him. The next person on the list is the big guy over their. You don't know him do you? Then don't walk around him. Look up." He said pointing a finger to the crows nest, "He's a pretty nice guy, but hes on lookout. So, while hes up there, don't go near him, distract him, talk to him, or anything. Now, as for me. Hehehe." A wide evil smile went across his face. "Me personally think all you dumb bastards should be killed just for thinking your good enough to be on this ship without first proving yourselves. But, then again, I don't have it in me heart to ruin your crazy dreams of pirate life. So I'll give you a warning. Red eyes means don't ask me dumb shit. I still have to answer newcomers questions do to orders but I swear on my damn next bottle of brew, if it's how to tie a freak'n not or something stupid, your dead. No questions asked. Green eyed me however, .....Hmmm.... Don't talk to him unless he talks to you. The last man on the crews main force of entry is the cat you see in front of you. Hehehehe. He wants a scratch, lick, drink, or food then you better give it to him. One more thing. Do not give nicknames to the captain. You've just met him, and haven't even drank with him. So if I here it. I'll cut out your damned tongues. Hahahahaha. Welcome aboard mates. Hope you live to see all the riches yee hearts desire."

He ended his speech with the same wide evil grin and left the floor open for any other member that decided to take his place. He slowly walked to the crows nest ladder well and climbed up to Adair. His eyes turned back to emerald green and he said, "Dang. I hate when I have to tell off the new members. You think I left anything out Crow? Out of all the jobs I get stuck with, why is it taking care of those guys? It's like making James take care of a bunny. You know how violent I get sometimes." He let out a huge sigh as he looked up at the sky. Oh how he wished none of the new crew would break his rules. He didn't feel like killing one of his own men to keep face.

Adair felt the change in the air as the ignorant man addressed Skulls. He knew what was coming as the swift motion of the captain's hand turned into a quick aim and fire, turning the ignoramus into an over-hyped sack of flesh spilling out over the deck of their ship. "Waste of a good shot..." he mumbled under his breath. Any man dumb enough to challenge a captain with the reputation such as the Black Bermuda's aboard the very ship they claimed was better off jumping into the ocean and trying to catch a mermaid. Reputation. He remembered silently. Reputation is a pirate's greatest weapon. A form of intimidation that cannot be topped by any amount of fanfare... And the name 'Skulls' had a reputation that soared all on its own.

Watching the crew's reactions was enough to see they were satisfied that this man was their very own Captain Skulls, despite what they had envisioned the man to be. And with Cory's speech beginning, he could see some of the members rethinking their decisions about coming aboard. Waving as he was pointed out, Adair tried his best not to yawn again as he looked down at their new crew mates. Instead, he dropped a hand to his bag and rummaged around to find his stash of apples depleted. He was going to have to grab a few more from the barrel below deck if he wanted them. And of course, he always wanted them. Luckily, he spotted Cory again as the blonde man made his way up to the nest.

"Dang. I hate when I have to tell off the new members. You think I left anything out Crow? Out of all the jobs I get stuck with, why is it taking care of those guys? It's like making James take care of a bunny. You know how violent I get sometimes."

Adair burst out laughing at that, he would love to see the giant weapons master holding a small and delicate creature such as a bunny. The thought of it was almost enough to keep the laughter going on for much longer than necessary. But Adair checked himself and waved it off to answer the man's question. "You forgot to let them know mutinies are only held on Thursdays..." He chided. "And only between noon and dusk, anytime other than that will have to wait. The rest of the time is reserved for drinking!" It wasn't his greatest joke, but he didn't care. All he wanted now was another apple. "Take over the watch for a bit will ya?" He asked Cory as he hopped down to the netting. "I'm out of apples."

Sliding and hopping his way down, Adair landed lightly on the decking of the ship and walked toward the stairs leading below deck. He spotted Max standing a bit away and gave a small wave to well-dressed navigator. "Winds feel like they're changing, might be a quicker trip hopefully." Adair informed the man. He began walking again as the captain and his first mate were calling out to another new member. "Another one out of line it seems? Oh well. None of our concern right? Anyway, need anything below deck? I'm grabbin' some apples."

Eyes locked in intense scrutiny with Captain Skulls, Circe couldn't help but feel the slight creeping fear prick at the back of her mind. Why... am I feeling so scared?! Snap out of it! came her reprimanding thoughts, disappointed in herself at the sign of weakness, as chocolate brown met a violet hue in a glare reminiscent of a combat, a battle in which there could only be one winner. Reluctantly, Circe broke their locked gazes as she tore away her piercing optics first, instead, turning her attention on the violent coughing of a man next to her. Shying away ever-so-slightly, while trying to remain as "manly" outwardly as she possibly could, the young woman turned her head to the left in an attempt to not breathe the same infected air. How crude.. not closing your mouth! Unbelievable.. the manners are just a muck in this place!

Shifting the little weight her small frame could support, Circe balanced from foot to foot, deep in thought once more. Absentmindedly, she took note of how dark the once glittering blue waters had become as nightfall begun to snake its way through their evening. However, Circe was too deep in debating whether to just waltz out of the crowd or to stay put, to actually take some mental notes of their location. After all, how long did they expect them to stand there in the still simpering heat? Pondering her outcomes thoughtfully, the disguised young lady began to gnaw on her lower rosy lip, the obviously dainty motion hidden by the plain piece of cloth fastened around her neck to hide the delicate jawline. Leaving would draw attention to me... I can't risk that.. but if I stay out here any longer, I may have a heat stroke..What to do, what to do.

However, Circe's little moment of debating was quickly ended by the unmistakable silky voice that belonged to the none-other, notorious Captain Skulls. ["You there." rang out clearly on the ship, the growing clammer of the crowd immediately ceasing at the sound of it. Turning her head slowly, the young woman couldn't help but visibly wince seeing his eyes locked upon her figure, evidently addressing her. Me.. why is it always bloody me? she thought bitterly, regretting not leaving earlier, unsure what he wanted of her. His next words confirmed her very fear, the fear of talking to him: "Come, greet your Captain and his first mate, would you?". By his tone and that innocent smile that she now found frightening, Circe could easily tell it wasn't a request but an order.

Inwardly, a small groan of despair echoed in her mind as her thoughts screamed You idiot! Why didn't you leave when you had the chance?! You'd better not blow your cover so soon!. However, outwardly, she was rigid, impressively not panicking like most of the other crew members would have done. Especially after that... wonderful display from earlier. Taking a slight gulp, Circe easily walked forward through the parted crowd, trying to ignore the curious stares that also held a mix between sympathy and envy. You guys want to talk to him? Go ahead, take my place, that very thought seem to radiate in a manifestation through her body language as she reached the steps, trying to push back the nervousness and fear she was feeling. Trudging up the stairs with reluctance, Circe kept her head down, refusing to make eye contact with either one. Instead, she decided the safest option was to keep her shoulders slouched, head down and eyes trained on the scratched mahogany flooring.

Captain Skulls

You might be able to compare Adrien to an animal at this point. He could smell the fear coming off of the scared crewman that he had called upon, even if he tried to put up a strong facade. But such an act was destroyed as he approached Skulls and his first mate, as his head was held down, his eyes cast towards the wooden floor beneath them and not towards the Captain. This was a delightful result of his intimidation display that he had only a few moments ago. It showed that he wasn't looked down upon anymore by those who judged men by a glance, but he was now feared and soon, respected. The death he caused a few minutes ago was not in vain.

"Fear not." the Captain said to his frightened crewman. "I only wish to ask you a few questions. Questions that I'm sure you were asked when recruited, but I would like to get to know my men, if only a little, on a personal level." he explained his reasoning for bringing the young lad up to him and August. He was smiling innocently again, only this time it looked a lot more like his first smile - the one before he had committed murder in front of everyone. While the action itself would still cause people to be intimidated by him, the smile didn't have that sinister feeling to it like it did only a few seconds prior. This of course was so that he didn't cause the crewman to shut himself up entirely out of fear. Hopefully. Some people still didn't like the thought of death, but it was for that reason that he wanted this person's presence right now.

That's why he asked, "Why have you joined this vessel?" simple as that. This person especially since he had not a muscle on his body, and his frame (from what you could make of it through the clothing he wore) was smaller than most, if not all, of the men aboard his ship currently. Physically, he appeared quite weak in the face of the many shirtless, muscle-formed crew he had on the deck. "Ah, but where are my manners? I'm sure you don't want the whole world on your back." he said before glancing upwards and past the man and towards his nameless band of idiots who were probably dying of heatstroke by now. "Listen up. Our very own First Mate here, August, will show you where you'll be sleeping during your stay on the Black Bermuda. Remember, the first rule will apply to the senior members of this lovely ship. I hope you haven't forgotten the punishment for failing to listen to that rule." of course, his tone darkened by just a bit as he spoke the last part.

Skulls then turned to face August. "Just show them where they'll be staying. I'm sure even they can figure out what to do from there, and when you return, I'll make sure you can properly introduce yourself to this young lad." he explained. "So long as the deck's not crowded. My head's killing me." he rubbed his temples, now returning to face his new recruit. "Ah, that's right." his voice changed back, as if he weren't the Captain Skulls who had just murdered his own man. He was good at switching like that. Many weren't even sure if that was on purpose or not. "I forgot to ask your name! How rude of me. Yes yes, I can't be wearing this gentleman attire without having gentlemanly habits. Normally I'd introduce myself, I believe that would be a bit redundant, wouldn't it? But you may call me Captain or Skulls, whichever you prefer so long as you remember my rank in the end. Now, what is the name of the young man before me? And you shouldn't be so scared. I know you won't make the same mistake that man did." he assured.

(Giving August something to do while he questions her real quick. I think he can either bump into another member of the crew or just get them off the deck and come back. Either way, I just didn't want you to get left behind if we accidentally take off~)

Circe, the lightweight she was, barely produce any noise as her feet shifted her feet in an anxious manner as Skulls dismissed the first mate and crew. This left one smiling Captain and one new crew member, who was shrouded in mystery, alone on the upper deck. Glancing up briefly through the small gap, the young woman could see the Captain's innocent smile, a smile that was different from before, a smile more gentle, and part of her grew hopeful. Maybe.. hes not all that bad..? she questioned to herself before that brief moment fled, leaving doubtfulness mixed with a sense of wariness. Don't you dare, Circe.. Port Bellanine, remember that! Remember.. him!. Giving a small audible tsk at her foolishness, Circe quickly glanced back down at the floor as she was revisited by the haunting memories from earlier.

There was a moment of silence that followed the end of Skull's questions which led Circe's mind racing to determine which would be easiest to answer first. Name.. do the name one first. Following her instincts, Circe finally uttered the first words since boarding the Black Bermuda. "I'm called Arto Briggins, sir.". Lies. The young girl was quite satisfied at the the tone of her purposely lowered voice, it ringing out slightly muffled. Circe, was overall, convinced that she was passing for a male rather well. Giving a small cough, she continues, rust colored eyes still trained on the midnight flooring. "I joined this crew because.. well I have no where to go. My father's ship was attacked and set aflame.. I was the only one to survive." Lies. Clasping her hands behind her back and bowing her head even further, Circe tried to portray a saddened young man, feeling slightly successful at her attempt. Yet another moment of silence followed and she couldn't help but wonder if a mistake, somewhere in her story, was made but that hesitation was quickly brushed off. After all, she was one that preferred to dabble on the negative.

Taking the brief moments of freedom from his prying questions, Circe, still through downward trained eyes, examined Captain Skull's attire in curiosity. Why is a bloody pirate dressing like he is a gentleman? Though I'll admit... he does have style.

Captain Skulls, The Flamboyant Pirate-Captain.

"Arto Briggins, you say? Very well, I shall remember it." he replied as he drilled that name into his head. He did have to remember quite a few, since it took more than five people to run a ship as big as the Bermuda. If anything, an uncommon name helped him remember it easy, since it stood out. He might be one of few he didn't really forget out of this new bunch of pirates. The Captain, smiling, nodded his head in acceptance of the name, even if he didn't really have anything to accept. Even if it were a fake name, that wouldn't matter so long as the man did what he was told. It's not his business nor problem if he wanted to start a new life. This, however, is nothing important. There wasn't any reason for him to believe that this man was using a fake name.

Adrien listened closely as Arto continued by answering his other question. "An attack? It's a shame to hear that." the captain almost looked a bit sad to hear that. Some men joined because they had no choice, which did pull on the captain's heartstrings just a bit for real. Not that anybody would ever know that. To his veteran crewmembers, he was just trying to ensure obedience with his men. It was all an act to them. And, in some ways, it was. At the very least, this man wasn't used to death, which did tell him that he wasn't some cruel murderer or other filth. He already spotted a few of those as they made their way to the beds and whatnot, before disappearing out of his sight. Adrien did play favorites. Only, the favorites were the ones who typically got killed first in the event of disobedience. One wouldn't be incorrect in assuming that he didn't really mind killing people who were filthy criminals like rapists, murders and the sort. Others, like Arto, weren't really the kind of people he could just kill without feeling regretful or guilty. That being said, keeping face was more important than morality, so he'd do so if he absolutely must.

He already knew he was going to hell.

Arto was looking down still, but Adrien recognized that his glance was upon himself and not at the floor anymore. Realizing what he was looking at, Captain Skulls laughed. "Am I too flamboyant?" he asked rhetorically. "I've already asked why you're here, do you wish to hear my reason?" He got ready to speak a lie so rehearsed that he almost thought it was the truth himself. After all, he had told this lie so many times that it could almost be such. "You see, by the time I move on from this ugly yet beautiful world, I will hopefully have gained enough reputation to make even Blackbeard's name forgotten in my wake. 'Captain Skulls' will be remembered throughout history for how he acted...." he then struck a pose with his arms that drew your attention to his clothing, "...and how he dressed. I'll be ruthless, but I can at least have style as well, no? In any case, I wish to stand out from your common pirate in at least one way, and, after acquiring this attire from a nobleman's ship, I can say that it will be the easiest way to stand out."

And then his eyes widened for the briefest of moments.

"Speaking of... I don't believe there were any casualties that raid." this, of course, was to assure Arto that, just in case, it was not the same ship that his father was on. Arto appeared to be in better looks than most of the other crew, which did give someone a bit of the impression that he might've been a noble at one point. Then again, the same could be said about Adrien, though he denies this. "Have you any questions so far? Or did my wish put you off? Seems childish, I know, but I shall reach that goal one day."

Circe studied the man she was to, regrettably, address as her leader, behind narrowed eyes. The man she despised more than anything else on this planet, the man that ruined her life was here, telling her about his dreams?! You don't deserve a dream, not when you crush them. her bitter thoughts flooded her mind. But even so, despite the urge to rip his throat out, Circe wouldn't dare to bring herself to speak out loud her poisonous ramblings that occurred in her mind. After all, she wanted to stay on this ship. Yet, as much as Circe hated him, the revengeful young woman couldn't help but agree with him on some subjects; being too flamboyant being a prevalent one that she couldn't stress her ready agreement enough on.Surpassing Black Beard?! Are you kidding me!? THATS your dream.. And i never asked to hear about it either, you self-centered, egotistical pirate.

Crossing her loosely clothed arms over one another, Circe hooked an ankle behind its opposite before leaning against the stair case railing. Turning her body towards Captain Skulls ever-so-slightly, she pretended to soak up every word he said, pretended her admiration for her great leader, pretended to understand him. However, through her lowered gaze, disbelief shone brightly in the low lighting of the ship as well the reflection of the moon in her clear, dark brown orbs. Just as she was about to open her mouth to speak, a sudden gust of southward bound wind swept across the ship in a furious ripping motion. Instinctively, her glove-clad hands fly to rest on top of the pirate hat in an attempt to secure it from flying off, forgetting entirely about the loose cotton covering that she wore over her body. The wind had, temporarily, flattened the billowy piece of cloth against her frame and beneath the modest covering showed a rather small, delicate stature. Luckily, that moment was fleeting and, almost in a blink of an eye, the shirt resumed its normal loose billowy-ness, covering up her frame once more.

Quickly trying to cover up her wardrobe malfunction, Circe rashly blurts out a question in her lowered, muffled voice. "So... do you ever take any hostages from your raids?"

Seeing the captain make short work of the arrogant, Maxwell removed himself from the momentary distraction of the captain's appearance and returned to his work. At the very least, he was thankful that it was explained he was not to be bothered with the trivial. He hated being bothered for minor questions, especially if he was having a sip of wine or in the middle of work.

"Winds feel like they're changing, might be a quicker trip hopefully."

Maxwell only gave a nod to the lookout as an acknowledgement that he had received the information. Whether he paid it any mind would be a completely different matter altogether. Looking down on his map, he couldn't help but wonder why the captain had called on the new crewman - and the one that was dressed the most strangely, no less. Perhaps it was to tell him that he was wearing too much? Impossible, the Captain doesn't waste time doing things like that. He soon returned his attention to his maps as the captain went on to explain his dreams to the new crewman.

As the stars began appearing brighter and brighter, he reached under his coat and took out a sextant- or rather, a modified one. He had taken out the magnifiers, having no need for it. He could see just fine with his far-sight, something that, unlike back in the navy he had no need to keep hidden onboard the Black Bermuda.

Unrolling his map and placing the sextant to his eyes, he went about his work, hopefully with minimal distractions.

James just stood there, mouth hanging open. He has been watching the strange man when suddenly the wind picked up, and lo and behold, the man has the strangest damn body he has ever seen
"Uh..." He said in disbelief, the shook his head and looked at the bottle he held in his hand. He hadn't drank that much... Had he? He shook his head again and walked into the sleeping quarters. Inside, he walked over to his hammock and turned. Most of the new guys were there.
"Alright, listen up! If any of you blokes touch any part of my stuff and I didn't tell you too, we're gonna have problems..." To make his position very, very clear he picked up a coconut and crushed it with one hand. Bits and pieces fly out, and the cracking filled the entire room. "And I feel a little under the weather today, I crushed a coconut with my fist, what do you think I can do to you bloke's skulls?" He sat back in his hammock and took a bite of the crushed coconut flesh. He felt that he wasn't very intimidating that time, and he was intending to make it much more slow and much, much louder, but after what he saw on the deck, he wanted to get to bed and sleep off whatever was effecting his head... Maybe someone put something in his drink? But who... And why? James couldn't even think of a couple of names before he passed out, snoring.

Reggie was swinging from the rope he just barely held on to. Damn wind distracted him. He was keeping an eye on the weird guy... What was the name he said? Arty? Reggie was watching Arty for James, just like he asked a while back. He was at the perfect distance to hear what was said, but far enough away to not draw the captain's or anyone's attention. Reggie was good at that, that's why James pays him every once in a while, whenever he picks up some juicy little tid-bit about the crew or something. He was especially looking for something to do with gold, but food and grog was good too. Reggie snapped to his senses just before Arty started speaking again.

"So... Do you ever take any hostages from you're raids?"

Gods, was it hard to hear him! So damn muffled...
Wait, why is he asking about that? Is he looking for someone? Reggie scratched his head. Didn't seem too unlikely. If someone got taken during a famous pirate's attack, what better place to start looking other than the pirate himself? Nah, kinda stupid. Something a woman would've thought up. He started giggling. Maybe the weirdo... Was a woman? He couldn't help himself anymore, and started laughing very, very hard, before hearing another crew member, Reggie wasn't sure who, yelled at him to shut up.

Coristo didn't even have time to decline as Adair jumped from his post. He gave out a light sigh and replaced his comrade in the nest. He really wasn't mad about it after all. It was his intended spot for the evening and Adair did seem hungry. He heard the captain tell the new comers that they were to follow the first mate to their quarters. He decided to give them a little reminder of tomorrows activities. "Oi!!! You boys better sleep well because tomorrow I hash out areas for you to work and train you on the like. You better pay attention or else you'll be on the wrong end of Davy Jones's Locker!!!" His voice was stern but not as fearsome as when he was in his switched personality. After saying his last peace to the tired crew he laid down in the crows nest to look at the sky.

The moon was starting to rise and the stars were now visible. The clear sky reminded him of that day, years ago, when the sky was just as clear but the smell of blood and the light of fire was also incorporated in it. In a sense it was beauty to the beholder. To a demon that is. But, it also frightened him so when this happened for it was the first night he actually realized for himself that his grandfather was right and also the first night he met with Captain Skulls. He smirked a little as his eyes blinked red for a second. Which one was the real him. Was it the nice boy with the kind green eyes, or was it the demonic killer with the red eyes that were darker than his own flame. "It doesn't matter does it." His demon cat said, interrupting his train of thought. "Ten?" He said in reply as he didn't feel his presence before. Ten and Coristo had a mental bond. It might have been a familiar and master relationship thing but they could read each others thoughts and even see what the other saw. Ten was better at this than Coristo since the lad had to actually concentrate to do this.
"You are named after a noble in your human name, but nicknamed after a demon lord of fire. Both of those names hold power and that should be the only thing that matters. Not your personality change. You just feel how you feel about certain things. Who cares if it's a good or bad feeling?" The cat said rustling up against his master.

Coristo smiled at the cats words. He could always confide in it. He decided to follow the felines advice and stop caring. "So." He began to change the subject. "Were their any good smells among the new crew besides fear?"
"As far as I can tell, everyone smelled human. Disgusting ones to boot. One did smell a little strange though." Ten said looking as though he had a hunch about something.
"Meh. Probably took a shower before coming aboard or something." Coristo said passing it off. He raised his head, looking out towards the sea. "So it looks like we don't have a potential new senior member huh?" He said, looking a little bored. "That blows. I don't like humans who think that they can just come aboard and make something of themselves."
"I didn't say they were all human. I'm not quite sure but I did smell something weird."
Coristo would have asked him what was so weird when he spotted a dot not to far from them. He took out the watchers scope to see it better. "Bloody hell." He said sucking on his teeth. "Ten. Go tell Adair that there's a ship up ahead with a blue flag. Let him and the Navigator decide what to do about it." He ordered, keeping his eye on the ship. It wasn't surprising to see a mariner ship out in the ocean. Especially since they were probably near shore by now. Ten nodded and jumped from the post. He walked past the captain and the new member he was talking too rubbing against the captain and purring as a sign of respect and acknowledgement of his presence. He was the lads pet, but he lived on the Captains ship.

Walking away from them he twitched his nose a little as a weird smell hit it. 'Hmm. Interesting indeed. I might need to sniff this out more.' He thought as he made his way to Adair and Maxwell. "Adair. My master says that there is a ship do north of us and wanted you and the Maxwell to decide whether to change course or proceed and alert the Captain for further orders. He says the ship carries a blue flag but he can't make out a symbol for it being too far away and also being nighttime." He said as he groomed himself. If they were going to proceed and head towards the ship that only meant that some fun would made for him and Coristo.

Captain Skulls, Oddly Talkative When Hungover

Captain Skulls could see right through the false nods and the fake interest in what he had been saying. After all, such a wish like that for a pirate bored him too. It wasn't that she was easy to read, or that he was exceptionally well at picking up things, but because it was very hard to believe anyone really wanted to hear something like that, much less take interest in it. But such falseness was to be expected. He didn't really care, since the point of saying all this wasn't to entertain anybody. It was to see if it was believable. He found that it was boring, yes, but people still believed he wanted something so stupid and idiotic like being a pirate of vast infamy. He did like to keep such a facade. In fact, the whole reason he wore nobleman's clothing was to further reinforce the image that he wanted to stand out from your common pirate.

Suddenly, there was a vicious gust of wind. If Captain Skulls had worn a hat, then it would've surely fell victim to the wind and had been blown off the ship, but luckily, he didn't. However, this was not the case for Arto, who had to reach up to his head to prevent his own headwear from taking off of his head. This event led to the wind instead taking a chance to reveal a rather attractive figure beneath, if only for a second. The Captain caught this. He said nothing about it or showed any signs of seeing it, and paid full attention the lad's blurted question.

"So... do you ever take any hostages from your raids?"

The question struck him as odd. But maybe he believed his father had been captured by the people who attacked his ship and not killed. It was never clearly stated if his death was confirmed or if just assumed, so the idea was plausible. "We take 'hostages' aboard the ship only under certain circumstances." he started. "If we have reason to believe such a person would fetch a fair price for their safe return, then we may let them stay on this ship temporarily. However, as pirates, we aren't typically so quick to avoid bloodshed. We kill more than we spare, but so much is to expect from a ship such as the Black Bermuda." he explained, standing straight up against the wind, which was nowhere near as fierce as it was a few moments prior. Now that night was approaching, it was beginning to cool down just a bit. In an hour or less, it might even be enjoyable to be outside of the interior. That's when the drinking would start too.

The captain of course would refrain tonight.

"I hope that answer was suitable enough." he said. "It isn't often a new crewman decides to take me up on my offer to answer questions. When it comes to informing my men, I do like to keep things somewhat civil to keep things quick and easy to understand. I'm afraid I can't claim to be entirely civil. I do, after all, like to make sure people understand that I dislike disobedience a bit more than your average captain."