thelongnow_logs | Pirate Ship: THE SIREN

The afternoon burned down upon the sun-bleached wood of The Siren. Seagulls kept watch over white sails as a dozen Frenchmen- maybe more- sped about her deck. The crewmen were burly and graceless. Still, their routine was coordinated as a dance- mops pushed, knots tied, sails raised, all perfectly timed to the beat of the sea.

This perfection was the work of Captain "Pipesweet" Jacques Fitzroy, a pirate lord with the aura of an aristocrat. He emerged from his quarters with purpose. Every inch of Fitzroy was controlled, from his blonde hair pulled back in a bow to the shine of his boots. As he walked the deck, Pipesweet carried with him the scents of leather and sweet pipe smoke. His crew's efficiency pleased him. The Captain, however, could not smile. Something bigger was on his mind.

Pipesweet reached the ship's bow. As he looked to the blue horizon, he pulled from his waistcoat a tattered parchment. The Captain's fingers, surprisingly devoid of callouses, unfolded the paper. It was a decrepit treasure map- half of one, at least. The torn-away portion had been lost to time. Pipesweet was about to look it over- inspect yet again the same island with the same missing finish line- when he sensed something. The thin pipe in his mouth became threatened by clenched teeth. His perfect ship, of which he knew every corner, was suddenly different.

The Captain turned back toward the rest of his vessel, and waited. The imperfection would be spotted.

[OOC: Any characters boarding The Siren can arrive in this post!]

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It was as if the intensity of John's grin sucked the life out of the Captain's. Pipesweet's cordial smile faded to a formal blankness. He nodded, returning his pipe to his mouth. Well, then.

Admittedly curious, he took in John's story... and believed none of it. "Diantre!" the Captain protested. The Siren didn't take prisoners for leisure. No one just woke up here, as it were. Insulting. As for the stowaway's work...

"You do?" Pipesweet looked down his own nose at the deck. It was clean... but flawed. If John had bothered to care, he would have noticed that he'd mopped in a different pattern than the rest of the crew. The sun's light just barely reflected off the wood at a contradicting angle. To Pipesweet, miniscule imperfections glared til his eyes burned. The coordinated swabbing of Pipesweet's men was an art. This John was a waste of space.

The woman without a name, however... he had yet to see her potential. Writing John off, Pipesweet reached for her hand. With a gentle grasp unheard of on the sea, he raised it to his lips, and placed a respectful kiss of introduction.

Edited 2010-12-07 02:52 (UTC)

Cordelia had stood when the new fellow had arrived, not out of fear or respect, but out of preparation. She'd long ago learned that you didn't stay on your butt if strangers were around. And this fellow? Well he seemed relatively angry and, on a pirate ship, well that probably didn't bode well.

"Well, I was about to introduce myself but I guess I can do it for you both. Cordelia. Cordelia Chase."

She was willing to leave it at that but when Pipesweet took her hand and was such a gentleman at that, she was put just the slightest bit at ease. Never mind the fact that she couldn't understand a word he said and he was probably a pirate but none-the-less, at least he hadn't tried to possess or eat her or something. In Cordelia's life that was cause for relief.

"As for me, I was drawn to your ship. Probably should have considered the consequences, yeah definitely should have, good job Cordy, but well, here I am. I am not really sure how to get home and I don't want to go back to where I've been staying and, well, I don't know a sunny adventure and maybe some sunbathing seemed like a good idea?"

It might not be the best answer but it's completely honest and genuine.

"Cordelia."

The Captain sighed, hatching a soft smile. The female stowaway had admitted to her intrusion. At last, a modicum of truth. Something about the honesty charmed Pipesweet. The woman's accent was terribly unrefined, and her choice of clothing unacceptable... but her beauty was enough to warrant pardon.

He turned to John for a moment. "Change into ze uniform of ze crew," he ordered, pointing to a staircase that lead below deck. "You wish not to swim, non?"

Returning his attention to Cordelia, he switched right back to pleasantries. "Mademoiselle, you must be 'ungry."

If John had been Angel or Wesley or anyone else she knew, Cordelia probably would have had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. There was certainly something to be said for being a pretty girl. Granted, sometimes that same thing got her into more trouble than her friends, but it also had a way of helping her get out of trouble. At least with men who appeared mortal.

"Now that you mention it, I'm completely famished!"

Unfortunately for John, Cordelia had a bit of a one track mind when there wasn't imminent danger. That one track? Herself. Cordelia might have matured enough to accept her visions and even want to help people, but, in this strange place especially, until she had a vision or there was a direct threat, she was going to look out for number one.

"So where exactly are we headed? Please tell me it's a lovely beach, preferably on the equator and very warm," she continued.

Cordy was probably pushing her luck but she tended to be a talk first, remember the consequences second kind of girl.

John looked between Cordelia and the Captain but realising that neither of them were probably going to explain anything or save him from the horror of a uniform. He was this close to sulking.

"Right, yes, no swimming for me, I just ate. I'm going to go get that uniform."

Dragging his mop along after him, he spared the two of them one more look before frowning and mouthing at Cordelia 'be careful'. He didn't now her but he was a natural hero, he liked to look out for people and make sure they weren't in danger.

The Captain allowed John a nod, content with the basic obedience. He waited until John disappeared. Then, he leaned toward Cordelia, removing the torn half-map from his luxurious coat. He was close enough that she could likely smell the sugary smoke of his pipe.

"We are going 'ere," he declared. The ancient paper showed an island. A path was etched in black, but the end of the journey was missing. "I believe zis treasure to be ze Fountain of Youth."

Cordelia likely didn't realize it, but Pipesweet had just revealed the motivation of his entire crew. Their coordination, their perfect discipline, their hunger for Pipesweet's respect- it all had reason. Every man on the ship sought the Fountain of Youth as desperately as the Captain did. Each one possessed their own reason for desiring eternal life. Some had seen loved ones die, and feared their own deaths. Some believed themselves fine politicians or artists. A few were simply curious. Each joined the dance of The Siren, and each had won Pipesweet's favor. They would all bathe deeply in The Fountain as equals.

"We shall reach our destination by sunrise." The Captain paused. His pipe shifted in his mouth. For a moment, he actually seemed distracted. "We will get zere before ze demon woman does."

The Fountain of Youth, years ago, would have been incredibly appealing. Now, after working for someone cursed to live for eternity, while Cordelia wanted to remain forever young she wasn’t entirely sure living forever was all it was cracked up to be. But, rather than mention any of this, she nodded. It certainly looked like it would be a tropical island and if she wasn’t getting in the way of their conquest, maybe she’d be able to enjoy it. And, if the temptation to take a dip in the fountain was too strong, well at least she’d already be there!

“Less than a day to go? Well, that’s certainly better than being stuck at sea for the next month. Don’t get me wrong, it’s way better than where I was, but there’s something to be said for putting your feet on dry land and not having to be crammed in with like a bazillion other guys, right?”

Indeed, she hardly realized the motivation of the 'bazillion other guys' and why the crew was was damned loyal and obedient. Cordelia offered Pipesweet a smile after her comment, but it soon faded when he mentioned demons. Of course. There had to be a catch. There ALWAYS was a catch.

“Did you say demon? I mean, not to brag or anything, but I’m pretty experienced with demons. We had our own Hellmouth where I grew up!”

Apparently the fact that the Captain was employing the use of figurative speech did not even occur to the ditzy woman.

Pipesweet furrowed his brow. Even a 'bazillion' of his men would remain respectful to a woman. Cordelia's childish offense was unfounded. As she droned on, The Captain glanced over her shoulder to monitor his crew. Perfect, as usual. As for the girl... beauty was not brains.

"Captain Cannons, true demon or no, she belongs een ze Underworld."

The name of his rival sent a bitter taste into his mouth. Not even the sugar of the Captain's pipe could dull it. Clearing his throat, Pipesweet quickly folded the half-map away.

Pirate Ship: THE SIREN

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