Sailing the Seven Seas *Starting/Not Accepting**

It was the Captain? But he'd thought - he'd thought it was the sea, a phantom of his mother. A hallucination. But it was the Captain!

After the confusion, he felt happiness. He didn't know why. But he was the happiest he'd been in weeks, despite the fact that he was supposed to be dead. He tried to hide his grin, but it crept back on. Now he was left grinning stupidly before the Captain.

"Thank you," he said. "I'm - uh - glad that I'm the same."

They sat awkwardly for a few minutes.

"I'd better go clean the cannons," Turtle said, and stood upruptly up. He hit his head on the low ceiling, and grunted. He turned and looked back at the Captain, holding his head. "What do you think, Cap', will it kill me?" He turned again and walked out the door, stumbling over a chair, still grinning. He turned just to salute the Captain and then ran out.

That was when he walking on to Quinn and the stow away.

"Don't I feel left-out," he said. Quinn's head shot up, and both her and the stow-away looked at him in surprise.

"Turtle - I -" Quinn began.

"Stow it," he said. "The Captain would want to know about this, but I don't see how it's relevant. Considsering there's no proof that you were hiding him. Maybe you're just taking advantage of him while he's tied up there. Who knows, he is a good-looking fella." Turtle winked and began moving towards the cannons.

"Turtle!" said Quinn. Turtle turned.

"Don't do it again," he warned. "Not until he's untied. There will be hell to pay. And try to remember at the end that it was me who put him up there."

Quinn

That damn albino! At the very least, he won't tell, I don't think. What the hell is he doing up this late anyway? This is embarrassing. Of course it'd be even more embarrassing if I had simply been taking advantage of him being tied up and had still been acting as a boy. Gyah...this sucks. "You know, he said as long as you were tied here," I say softly. "Hold onto the rail."

Jex looks nervous. "Quinn, you can't risk yourself like this. We've already been caught once, and Turtle is only by the cannons."

I glare at him. "Hold onto the rail!" He shrugs and does so. Once he's untied he climbs over and wraps his arms around me, and we kiss again.

After who knows how long, I pull away. "Gotta go. I'll tie you back up." After he's tied well enough, I run back to my room, grab a blanket, run back, and drape it around his shoulders. "It's freezing out," I say and kiss him quickly once more.

I tie the blanket so that it's around him like a cape, then Turtle walks up and pulls it off. "This is a warning," he sighs before walking away. Then he turns. "Actually Quinn, can we talk for a minute?"

[Durrie-this is Turtle's turn to be a softie. Remember what we discussed last night?]

Turtle hesitated. "I - well, it is cold. And he needs a blanket. I have to admit I feel a bit guilty for this punishment." He paused, and addressed the stow-away. "Sorry, mate. The Captain was going to eat you alive for being in her room."

"You could have just left him there," Quinn said.

Turtle turned and just gazed at her with his blue eyes. He lifted a brow and turned back to the stow-away.

"I'll leave you a blanket, that's it. No more food. And - for God's sake, take him for a walk before he looses feeling in his legs. Then he won't be able to work. I'll help you tie him back up." He looked back up the deck, at Mela and Ryker. They were - occupied. There was love in the air this night. Turtle's cheeks went red, but it wasn't noticed in the grey-washed landscape under the moon. He thought.

"Take the blanket off him before day. It's on you. I will stand up for my actions if found out, but it won't kill me." He grinned, and walked away. "Knock on my door when you want to tie him back up. Keep him on string. A short walk."

Grace

the storm had been brutal. I had a bump on my head, from falling pots and pans. I finished cleaning up, I ended up loosing some food, that meant I had to ask captain to dock again, so we could stock up. I grabbed the bucket of junk and headed for deck, I just dumped it over the deck. But I was shocked to see Quinlan, Quinn walking the stowaway? They looked like they were talking about something serious... I snickered emptying the bucket and walking over to her. She gasped when she saw me. I winked. Wait, did he have a rope around his waist? What was he? A dog?
"I won't tell. You haven't told on Jall and I. If you want extra food for him you just have to ask. have you been hiding him?" I ask, she looks a bit wary. Why would I rat her out if she hadn't done the same to me?

Quinn

Would she tell? Don't be stupid Quinn, you know about her and Jall! "Yeah, I have been," I admit. "Just in case you're wondering, Turtle is letting me untie Jex and walk him around the ship each night. As long as he's on the rope."

She giggles at the sight, which I am sure must look weird. "So, what are you talking about?" We were talking about us. I was asking him about when he realized he was over Rosa and, well, onto me.

"Umm..." I look at Jex. If he's okay with her knowing, So am I.

"Are you two like me and Jall?" she asks. "Only...not quite as awkward?"

"What does the prisoner have her do with her?" Jex asks me, confused.

Ignoring him, I nod and smile. "Yup." I kiss Jex's cheek and walk us both away. "I caught her kissing Jall once," I explain.

The sunrise was greeted by relaxed grey eyes that belonged to the elegant woman poised upon The Calypso's decks. Blonde hair sashayed with the wind, and her fingers ran along the wooden railing, breathing in deep. She was at home, out here, on the sea; there was no place she'd rather be.
Sighing contentedly, she smiled.
The sun had nearly risen when Turtle came up behind her.
"Morning, Cap'n," he said.
"Good morning, Turt."
And they enjoyed the remaining sunrise together.
Yes, this was home, she thought.

Turtle didn't know what to say to the Captain. Nothing seemed appropriate, but maybe some of his wit, stupid or sane, would help.

He said nothing.

The sunrise was just like any other at sea. If you'd spent your whole life on land, you'd say it was breathtaking. But if you'd been on a ship since you were twelve then it was normal. But something about this sunrise was... not normal. To be good and simple.

Turtle's feelings were fighting. Happy, because of the Captain caring about him and kissing a body she probably thought was dead, and feeling in-different about his immortality. UNeasy, because he had defied the Captain, but he was pretty sure she wouldn't kill him. Uh - wouldn't attempt to. Wouldn't cut off a few fingers. She was soft as a jelly fish deep down inside, Turtle knew, but of course most jelly fish are only known for their sting. He was sad, because maybe some ship mates wouldn't be so easy about his suddenly changing status of mortality.

But that could be dealed with later. Right now he was on a deck in silence, standing with the Captain, looking out on a sunrise with a cool, salty breeze on his face.

Paradisus. Paradise.

Ryker

It was a brilliant idea, you had to give me that.

I knew Mela loved looked at the cliffs, early morning. I knew the crow's nest had a spectacular view. I also knew the crow's nest didn't allow much personal space.

So when I had run out on deck with her, leading her by the hand, you can not blame me for running into a picturesque moment with Turtle and the captain.

I was standing there, my tattered shirt tied around my waist, hair mussed, barefooted, as always. Mela stood, her blond hair in a low-slung braid, loose black shirt rippling in the breeze, feet as bare as mine, a black ribbon trailing off from her braid. And as we exchanged glances, looking back and forth between each other and Turtle and Captain, something incredible dawned on me.

Cupid must really like this ship.

And so I had just put a finger on my lips and pulled Mela onto my back. I promptly slithered up the mast and set her - and me- down in the crow's nest. I pointed northeast, where the dark green cliffs were outlined through the morning fog. I held her by the waist and kissed her hair as she whispered to me, about her life and what it was like before the Calypso. I, in turn, told her about the inn, and having to work to be able to survive.

I'm proud to say I nearly made her laugh, on several occasions. She probably would've, if she wasn't so scared of disturbing Turtle and the Captain.

God blast it. I really was in love with Mela.

This was the most unusual pirate ship I had ever been on- not that I'd been on many. Okay, this was the first one, but still, Turtle was immortal, the captain was so obviously in love with him, and I, a viscount, was in love with a cook.
Now, on top of all of that, the captain's apprentice was in love with a stowaway and Turtle had a soft-side.

That's right, last night, I was taking my usual midnight stroll, hoping that no one would see me, and I caught Quinn and Jex kissing. And then Turtle let them kiss.

Shaking my head, I closed my journal. I needed to visit Grace very badly. Slowly, I crept out of the hold. I passed Quinn and she gave me a warning look, but I shushed her quickly. Then, I knocked on the door to the kitchen, and creaked it open.
"Grace?" I whispered quietly.
She turned to me, alarm displaying itself on her face clearly. "Get out of here!" she whispered urgently.
I stepped forward. "I can't wait anymore, I'm so tired of this."
She looked around nervously.
"Relax, Grace," I said, calming her with a steady gaze. "I don't care if I'm caught. All that I care about is you, why can't you see that?"
Her eyes widened.
I took her hands.
"I'm in love with you, Grace."

Grace

"I love you to, and I care if we get caught. They'll throw us over board. I don't know about you but I'm positive I don't have gills." I said, pointing at my neck. I had always been a romantic, but this was just dangerous. We weren't even supposed to see each other. I put my hands back at my sides and leaned against a wall, looking away from him. He leaned towards me, placing a hand on the wall, and his other on the other side of me. My heart rate quickened, so many secrets on the calypso, and we had one of them. He pecked my lips. I giggled and ducked out from under his arms, heading for the sink.
"I have chores to finish."

Quinn

What I've known for a while: I'm a girl, I was hiding a stowaway, I love that stowaway, Jall and Miss Grace are in love, and Ryker and Mela would eventually be together. Talk about inevitable.

What I've recently found out: Turtle is immortal, Cap'n and he are in love, Ryker and Mela have finally gotten together, and my stowaway loves me too.

Look at the majority of those. Six out of nine have to do with love. Considering that Jack and Doc are just about the only people here who seem to be extras, I have a theory. What if one of them put love potion in our food? It would make sense, after all Miss Grace is the cook and was bringing food to Jall, and they were the first to fall for each other.

Haha, if only...nope, I just think this ship is weird. If I think about my situation, it was also kind of inevitable. I saved a person of the opposite sex, hid him, talked to him...fell for him. Things happen, and though I'll never admit it, Jall was right about us all the times he teased me about my "preferences". Looking at things from an outside view helps a lot.

As I walk on deck, I catch Jex's eye and hold it for only a moment, so as not to be too obvious. Turtle and Cap'n are having a moment, as far as I can see. Ryker and Mela are in the crows nest, but I can't see what they're doing up there. From the looks of it, Ryker's just pointing somewhere.

The peace here is unnerving. There hasn't been a peaceful moment in umpteen weeks...and I sense an ominous feeling in the air that could or could not just be my imagination, but the others are completely oblivious to it. I get the feeling that something bad will happen.

To be honest...I miss the unpeacefulness a little. Okay, I miss it a lot. It added something to the ship, which now seems...empty. It's like when you have to work, and then after getting used to it for a while, being fired. You have to find something to fill your days with. Things can't be peaceful for long. Unnerved by my own thoughts, I leave the scene, and go back to my quarters.

Quinn and the stow-away. Mela and Ryker. Him and... the Captain?

This ship was crazy. Officially crazy. But Turtle was thinking of other things. Crazy wasn't new; to him, crazy was normal. But what he was thinking right now was not only crazy, it was painful.

Each thought was like a personal blow.

What if the Fountain of Youth made him stop growing and he lived forever? Everyone he loved, and even everyone he hated, would be dead and he'd still be alive and kicking. And that included the Captain, and Mela, and Ryker, and Quinn, and...

It pained him to think them dead. When he'd been in a battle, it was worrying about himself and himself only. He was naturally selfish, it happens, and there's no time for emotion when you're being boarded. It doesn't help. But now that he was thinking more about others... It would kill him if they were dead. If he really cared about someone and they died.

He can't go for the Captain. Can't, can't, can't. Captain means hurt. Captain means looking after someone else. Captain meant being stupid. Captain meant falling in love. Captain meant - what the hell was that?

There was a ship. A ship on the horizon.

[do whatever. ]

Captain Clare Davies:

The only thought on Clare Davies mind was this: We've arrived. Not exactly matching what everyone else was thinking--not at all. The whole crew had been called out to the decks, each of them with a sword in their grimy hands. She knew that they hadn't been training enough for her to have the best fighters, but they were a pretty good bunch, if she said so herself.

The question was: Is it enough? What if he has a larger crew? The Calypso's crew was standard-sized, nothing too extravagant, but they had a person to handle everything they needed. But her brother had never been one for keeping things at minimum, and that included his crew. She was suspecting thirteen crew members plus her brother, as well as a gunman or two. Which meant that they were indeed outnumbered.

On her slick, black-booted heel, she turned to face each member of her crew.

"Take your swords out, gentlemen--women," She ordered. Each member complied.

"We're going to be in a fight. Not like other fights we've been in--no, this is a fight to the death." Clare paused. "You kno what that means, right? No white flags of surrender, no mercy. It's killed or be killed out there."

Her crew struggled to stay composed. Good. Fear is good. It keeps you alert, she thought.

Turtle strode to the Captain's side.

"Yes, Turtle?" She asked.

"Who are we fighting?"

Clare Davies did not look at Turtle when she said, "My brother."


**I need someone to suggest that they let the captives/prisoners fight, because they have to end up fighting**

Her brother?

This sure was one family feud gone wrong. And a fight to the death? Turtle looked around the crew, and suddenly he was worried. He was about to argue with the Captain first, but he needed to give the ship an advantage. Time was of the essence. He ran down to the railing, untied the prisioner there and put him on his back. He took him to the cook, who was in there with the other stow away, surprisingly.

"Give him warm food. Filling food. Water and beer. not mixed together. You do drink beer?" he said to the man. "Tell the cook what you want. I'll find you a sword." Turtle sized the man up, height and weight, then rushed out of the room and returned with two swords. He threw one to the first stow-away, who caught it. He gave the other to the next stow away.

"There's going to be a fight," he told them. "A fight to the death. Kill or be killed." The cook gasped. "If you change sides, I will hunt. You. Down. Have you got that?"

He ran up onto the deck.

"Captain, shall we wound her first?" Turtle said. Too close to the Captain... take a step back, Turtle...

The Captain put on a thoughtful face.

Captain Clare Davies:

"Shall we wound her first?" Turtle was unsure, but there was an air of confidence to his voice. From the corner of her eye, the Captain watch him take a step back. The woman in her cringed--he'd stepped away from her, after all. But the Captain in her appreciated the gesture.

She couldn't decide which part of her was more dominant--the woman part, or the Captain part. It had never really mattered until then. She'd never been in love, if that's what this feeling for Turt was.

Clare Davies mumbled something to herself--it sounded like "shut up." Oh, Lord have mercy, now she was talking to herself.

With a hard expression on her face, she looked to the boat that they would soon be attacking. Clare wasn't sure how she wanted to answer Turtle's question--she wasn't sure what she wanted to do.

"I--well..." Clare mumbled and then turned back around to face her waiting crew, noting briefly the two extra faces of the prisoners. It had been smart of Turtle to get them. "We'll wound her first, yes. I say another hundred yards in and we'll be at an accurate shooting distance for the cannons. Five quick, well-aimed blows, and she'll start sinking, she will. Then the fight will begin."

She looked at Turtle. "Oh, and what a fight it'll be."