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Post subject: Land Ho! Arrival of the Megalodon 
Post originally by Character_NerissaOnly a few short days had passed since the Megalodon had engaged the enemy ship at sea and, of course, had come out victorious. The pirate captain in question was now in custody and her ship crippled. They had sustained some damage in the fray and a few of the crew members had suffered minor injuries, but all in all they had come through the scuffle unscathed. After stopping at the smaller outlying islands that had provided supplies for them before it was finally decided that it was time to put into port at the main continent of Aleris.
Though minor there were repairs that needed to be made on the Megalodon and supplies that needed to be obtained in bulk that could not be provided as easily on the smaller islands. Not only that but the crew was in need of some definite down time and were chomping at the bit for a little shore leave someplace new with a larger selection of women, if the salty talk she’d overheard was any indication.
At first she’d given very little thought to the idea of making berth at the main continent of this new world she found herself thrust into but the closer they came to arrival the more excited she’d become. Not for the same reasons as the crew, naturally, she loved being aboard the Megalodon, but it was excitement none the less. She was curious about the people who lived on land, and about this world in particular, and was looking forward to seeing more of it though she had other motives in mind.
She wanted to go shopping…was that what they’d called it? Yes, shopping. For a dress. She couldn’t remember ever wearing a dress though she had to of worn one as a child on Atlantis; vaguely she recalled her mother wearing such things when on land. Most importantly, though, it was what most of the books she’d read showed women wearing and what men seemed to consider attractive on a woman.
Since her unexpected arrival on the Megalodon she had worn the clothes they’d had available which had consisted of trousers and a shirt, just like the majority of the crew wore. Normally she wouldn’t pay any attention to such things having spent the majority of her life in an environment where clothes were unnecessary but she found herself suddenly struck with the desire to look pretty…pretty in the way that a woman looks when she wants to attract the attentions of a man. She definitely wanted the attentions of a man but not just any man…Gabriel Wolfe, Captain of the Megalodon.
It could be argued that she did not need to go to any special lengths as they had already become lovers in the wake of the battle where they had both thought the other was injured. Amazing how the prospect of death inspires people to live life. At any rate the end result had been them taking the next step in their fledgling relationship but that did not stop her from wanting to be pretty. Perhaps it was in her nature to wish to adorn herself given her heritage, or perhaps she was just a woman in the first bloom of her first romance.
Money was something of a concern, she had very little practical knowledge of how currency worked and had none to call her own but she’d grown close with Gabriel’s first mate and he had promised he would assist her when they finally put in to port. It seemed most of his crew was pleased to see Gabriel with a woman and happy and she’d won them all over effortlessly by just being her.
The sound of the crew calling to one another as the crows nest announced the appearance of land in the distance drew her attention from her reflection where she’d been attempting to wrestle her unruly golden locks into something resembling order. Giving up the fight she brushed the mass back from her face and secured it at her nape with a dark blue ribbon before turning away from the mirror and heading for the door that would lead her from the captain’s quarters onto the main deck.
Hustle and bustle greeted her with the opening of the door and soon voices were calling out to her in greeting, her hand rising to wave to those too far away as she called greetings to those nearest her. Dressed as she always was in a pair of black breeches and white shirt she was barefoot as was her preference, shoes still something of a conundrum for her. Her cerulean gaze searched the crowd of sailors for any sign of Gabriel until finally she spotted him at the helm. Weaving her way through the busy crew members she approached his right side, eyes trained forward towards the sight of land which, for the moment, was just a speck on the horizon. Turning to gaze at his profile she couldn’t stop the grin that curved her shell pink lips.
”Are we there yet?”
Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 2:41 pm
Post subject: Re: Land Ho! Arrival of the Megalodon
Gabriel had never been a man to believe in chance. All things that happened were a part of a greater plan. Whether it was a plan of the Gods or the world itself was anyone's guess, but a man did what he could until he met his fate. He'd lost count of how many times he should have died and yet somehow managed to emerge victorious. Perhaps lady luck took a shine to him or maybe even the Gods themselves had other ideas for the ship captain. Whatever the case he had always been thankful for his life. The things he'd done, the wonders he'd seen, life was a gift in his eyes -- even the dark bitter parts of it. It was only when you endured the worst that you could truly appreciate the best that life and the world had to offer. And appreciate the best he did.Her name was Nerissa, and she had quickly become the diamond in the rough that was the Megalodon. It was surprising how fast the crew came to appreciate her presence. It often took weeks and sometimes even months for the men and women who served on his ship to warm up to any new shipmate and she'd managed to win them over in a matter of days. Then again she had done the same with him in even less time so he just accepted it. Only a fool questions such a blessing after all.The pirate captain and her crew were kept in the holding areas below top deck and their ship was towed behind the Megalodon to be brought into port. He only needed to bring the pirates themselves in, but the ship would fetch a hefty bonus so it made more practical sense to bring it in rather than keep it for himself. It was a smaller, weaker vessel and he had no use for it. But since the recovering the ship hadn't been a part of his contract he was allowed to take whatever it was carrying as a prize. The treasure and supplies had been brought aboard his ship and as always it was divided evenly amongst the crew. They were loyal men and women who would fight for him til the bitter end, thus they deserved to be treated with reward and respect. That was the difference between pirates and privateers.Land came in to view and Mister Roberts (his first mate) was the first to make the announcement. It had been several months since the Megalodon had been brought in to a port for shore leave so it was no surprise that many of the sailors were itching to get their feet on dry land and surround themselves in all the indulgences it had to offer. Personally Gabriel never cared much for dry land, but it provided a way to make a good living so returning to it was inevitable. When he saw the glimpse of it upon the horizon he sighed softly, almost as if he would rather be sailing around it rather than towards it. But soon the look of discontent was erased from his features as he heard the crew greeting Nerissa behind him. And no sooner did a faint smile come over his lips than when she came to stand beside him and ask a question usually reserved for children."Almost. Shouldn't be more than ten ticks before we can pull into port. And when we arrive it'll take roughly an hour or so to complete our business and fetch our bounty. After that Mister Kir will make sure everyone gets their share, Mister Roberts will sound the call for shore leave and the crew will disappear for a week or so. We won't see hide nor hair of them until it's time to make way so that should leave us to ourselves and then...we can do whatever you like."His right hand came from the wheel and he pointed towards the land shrouded by the mist ahead of them, more specifically towards the port that he'd been instructed to return to once he'd completed his contract."That's where we're heading. Once the prisoners have been off-loaded and their ship is ferry'd away we should be living quite comfortably for the next two months or so. After that we'll need to secure another contract..then it's back into the tempest we sail. Such is the toil of a privateer."And as she looked towards the land while the crew made ready to pull into port his right hand swooped down and collided with her bottom in a soft, playful slap."..and a privateer never lets their guard down, luv."
Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:07 pm
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Post subject: Re: Land Ho! Arrival of the Megalodon
Post originally by Character_NerissaShe was childlike in many ways, that was true, but the world of the land dwellers was all new to her and she couldn’t help the childlike excitement she felt upon exploring this new world. While it was true that she had spent the first five years of her life in a land city that was a world long since lost to man and existed only in fables and fairy tales. Atlantis was long gone as were most of her memories of her life there. Her life had been spent beneath the oceans waves in a world that humans could only dream about so this was all quite the adventure for her.
An outsider among her own people given her mixed heritage (her father had been a land dweller after all) she’d spent much of her time alone. Oh she hadn’t been mistreated, her mother’s lineage saw to that, but unfortunately her mother had perished along with her father when the ancient isle sank beneath the waters and though she had been welcomed by her grandfather and had not been abused in any way the mer-folk had been less than inclined to warm up to her, distrustful of land dwellers to the very end.
So she’d occupied herself by exploring the Mediterranean ocean she’d called home, venturing further from their oceanic kingdom than any other in their community, often going far beyond their established borders. It was how she’d discovered the various ships that had sunk beneath the waves over the centuries and the treasure they held within. Oh sure there was often jewels and gold to be found but that was not the real treasure, not to her. For the curious mermaid it was found in the books, journals, and maps she discovered-wondrous pictures, stories, and accountings of worlds and beings far beyond what she knew.
She’d never imagined she’d see them for herself but the fissure that opened in the ocean’s floor spewing lava and toxins into the waters saw to it that she would. While many of her kind perished she was saved by a mysterious vortex that appeared just as the fissure opened, whisking her away from danger and into a new life in another world entirely. Her next memory was of awakening on the Megalodon on the waters of Aleris and though she regretted the tragedy that befell the others she had embraced her circumstances with the excitement of one embarking on a new adventure and part of that adventure was her burgeoning relationship with the ship’s captain, Gabriel.
Standing next to Gabriel at the helm as he explained what would happen once they had made port her attention had fixed upon the distant shoreline. They had made port only once since she’d boarded the Megalodon and that was at a very small island in the middle of Aleris’ vast ocean and had been for the evening only. Curious about what a larger city would entail she didn’t see the hand that descended to playfully collide with her backside. Jumping in surprise she turned her deep blue eyes towards Gabriel in time to hear him admonish her to never let her guard down. Grinning in return she shrugged off his warning.
”But I’m not a privateer, I’m a privateer’s woman. Bit of a difference isn’t it?”
It was the first time she’d called herself that and just hearing it said aloud caused her smile to widen. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard it said about her, though, the crew having guessed that the two were now sharing a bed had seemed to naturally fall into the habit of referring to her as the “Captain’s Lady” or the “Captain’s Woman”. It was a title she could definitely get used to though she wasn’t entirely certain what Gabriel thought of it all but as he hadn’t said anything to his crew (and she knew he had to have heard it too) she didn’t worry overly about it.
Turning her gaze back to the mist shrouded coast line she wondered what they would find there. Gabriel had been there before but for her it would be entirely new. She loved her life aboard the Megalodon though, having quickly and easily made it her home, and knew she wouldn’t want to venture away for long. Perhaps they could explore during the day and return to the Megalodon in the evening rather than stay at an Inn.
They were about 200 yards from land when she turned back towards Gabriel with the intention of asking him if such an idea would suit him when she saw him cut the wheel with a drastically sharp turn. The ship lurched violently in response and as a result she lost her tenuous footing and stumbled backwards. She would have landed on her backside, no doubt, had she not collided with the railing only that did not prove as fortuitous as it sounds as she hit it with enough force to go tumbling backwards over the side, a sharp shriek escaping her lips before falling into the water below.
The shock of the cold water (far different from the warm oceans she’d come from) stunned her and in that frozen moment the trousers she wore shredded and where once she’d had two legs a mermaid’s tail emerged covered in iridescent scales of pearl white, shell pink, and translucent blue. The shirt she wore remained in tact, luckily, floating around her form in the waters as she slowly regained her wits.
There was no fear of drowning, naturally, but just as she was about to swim to the surface she felt something very large, far far larger than her, brush with almost painful force against her tail. Images of the creatures Gabriel had told her inhabited Aleris’ oceans, one she’d seen for herself when he’d harpooned it for the purpose of towing the Megalodon, flashed through her mind.
Uh oh.
Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 10:08 pm
Post subject: Re: Land Ho! Arrival of the Megalodon
A privateer's woman. He certainly enjoyed the way it sounded. Not the words so much as the way she spoke them. With that soft innocence her voice always had -- but also a subtle, underlining bit of sensual promise. It made him smile and cut her a brief glance before he abruptly turned the wheel so as to begin sharply turning the large ship. The force was enough to get her backside to bump the rail but he hadn't intended for her to fall overboard. When he saw her fall there was that initial concern, but then came the awareness of what she was. Water was her second home. She'd be a bit damp, and her knickers would be torn (after all he knew quite a bit about the mer-folk) but she'd be none the worse for wear. So he laughed softly before stopping the turn short and gesturing for Mister Roberts to take the helm as he walked to the railing."Nerissa! This isn't the time for swimming! We have business to...."Then came that sensation. The sixth sense he shared with all oceanic creatures. It was the same sense that told him when the tide was changing. It was the sense that made the crew talk in hushed whispers about how he knew what the sea was thinking. Though he couldn't read her mind he could feel her sudden concern. The brief twinge of fear that washed over him told him that things were not tranquil beneath the waters. With the foam cutting off the sides of the ship it was difficult to see into the water, much less deep enough to know what was causing her such worry.He didn't know. He didn't need to. She was afraid and that was enough. Quick as a whip he pulled his coat from his shoulders and then the 8 holster harness with it. All that left him with was shirt, slacks, and boots, the boots being the last thing he kicked off before grabbing the rail."Mister Roberts, hold fast the helm and circle this spot. If I'm not back in ten ticks take the ship to port and I will meet with you there. Mister Kir! Ready the Mulligan and train it here!"His first mate had no idea what was going on. He made an attempt to ask but before he could the captain was already launching himself over the side of the ship and disappearing into the depths below. No matter what the reason his men obeyed. Roberts kept to the wheel, turning it in slow rotation so as to circle where Gabriel had dove in from a 50yard boundary. Mister Kir on the other hand moved to the port side main deck beneath the shrouds and pulled a large tarp off of something with the help of several other sailors. What was beneath it was something the captain himself had had crafted and built. A single cannon named affectionately 'Mulligan'. A massive and heavy 4 barrel brute that fired all 4 25lb shots simultaneously. The barrels were each 9ft in length and held together by double welded, 3x wrapped steel. Even with its wheels it took nearly a dozen strong men to even move it, and only a ship as heavily fortified and constructed as the Megalodon could carry it without it cracking through the main deck. When in position it had to be chained down so that the sheer power of its blast didn't blow the cannon back through the other side of the ship and into the water. And while they worked to ready the powerful gun, Gabriel remained below.Once in the water he swam with a speed no fully human person could achieve, cutting down through the water until he saw her. But upon seeing her he also so a massive shadow about 20yards in the distance. He didn't need to see what it was to know exactly what was there. The feelings and sensations that came through him told him all he needed to know. Quickly he swam to her and though speaking was impossible under the sea, he'd always been able to send his thoughts to all creatures when in the water. Given enough concentration he could even influence aquatic creatures..but this leviathan was far too large and would take too much time to encourage to leave. This was a meeting that couldn't be avoided. His eyes turned to Nerissa but he kept the massive shadow in his peripheral vision.--head for the surface, now. This has to be dealt with now or it'll follow us in. If it destroys the ship we're towing half the bounty is gone..and I'll be damned if some swelled salmon costs me my fee.--He looked quite stern the entire time until his sent thoughts ended, that's when he smiled to her. To show fear even if he ever felt just wasn't in his nature. If he felt anything at that moment it was adrenaline and anticipation. Why did he live this life if not for moments such as this? After that he leaned in and kissed her softly, briefly, and then he began swimming away -- towards the creature that continued to swim back and forth in the distance as if waiting for him to arrive. He swam close enough to no longer see a shadow, but a massive grey skinned behemoth. It had 2 stark yellow eyes set on either side of its elongated head. It looked much like an alligator but without legs, and it was far far larger than any reptile he'd ever seen. Even with its mouth closed the rows of jagged teeth were easily visible, and black spines looked to coat all along its body except for its underbelly. From tail to tongue it was perhaps 70ft in length and its flipper like fins helped it to glide effortlessly through the water. Perhaps he should've felt fear, or at least concern for his safety. Yet all he could feel was excitement. This was one of the beasts of the deep, and in the sea there was no pride in being the second most terrifying creature. Gabriel wouldn't be second to anything in this ocean, and if he was he'd rather die at the jaws of the reigning king than live in fear of it.The creature finally stopped swimming in its pattern before him and slowly turned to face him directly. Now only 10 yards away the 2 of them stared at one another, and a slow grin came over the captain's face. His sea green eyes seemed as if they began to cloud with ink before they were completely consumed in black. Webbing stretched out between the gaps of his fingers and toes. His human, omnivorous teeth drew up into their respective places and razor like jaws emerged, fitting together like angled daggers in his mouth. Fingernails and toenails grew to claws, and serrated black protrusions that looked like a great white's teeth emerged from the skin lining his forearms from elbows to wrists as well as knees to ankles. It wasn't a transformation. He wasn't one thing becoming its second self like a werewolf or a shifter. It was an emerging of what he always was, but was able to conceal -- like how a puffer fish went from a tiny, unthreatening thing to a massive ball of spines. It took mere seconds, and once it was done his right arm reached out and gestured for the beast to approach while tatters of what still remained of his white shirt swayed upon him.--Come on. Let's add a touch of red to the ol' blue.--
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:20 pm
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Post subject: Re: Land Ho! Arrival of the Megalodon
Post originally by Character_NerissaShould she run? Flee? Would that only antagonize it and cause it to give chase? Should she stay perfectly still in the hopes it wouldn’t see her? All these questions crowded her mind as she considered what her response to this threat should be. There were predators in her native oceans as well, naturally, but none on the scale of the beast she was now faced with and knowing nothing about the species of this ocean so had no precedent for how to proceed.
Knowing she couldn’t just sit there beneath the surface while Gabriel wondered about her from above she had just made the decision to begin swimming for the surface when she saw the man in question swimming rapidly towards her. Her fear ratcheted up several notches at the sight of him as he was now in danger, thanks to her. Her head was already shaking when he reached her side as if to deny that he was there and not on the safety of his ship. Then his mind touched hers and she calmed somewhat. Telepathy among sea creatures was not new to her, it was how mer-folk communicated when beneath the waters, so she heard his instructions loud and clear. He wanted her to head to the surface and leave him there to face the massive sea beast alone.
Again her head began shaking, her dark blonde hair lashing through the water around her head as she tried to deny the very idea of leaving him there to face that thing alone. His stern expression brooked no argument, however, and she knew he was telling her to go not as her lover, but as the Captain of the Megalodon. Then he kissed her and she realized that the concern of her lover was there as well and it warmed her in spite of their precarious situation.
Left with no other option but to swim for the surface unless she wished to place Gabriel in greater danger by remaining there to argue with him she reluctantly turned and began swimming for the surface, the powerful mermaid’s tail making short work of the distance. She paused once just beneath the surface to look back, unable to just leave Gabriel behind like that, and what she saw amazed her. She’d seen the black eyes he gained when angry before but the rest of his transformation was new…and yet it wasn’t. Though she’d never seen it before it looked…right.
The shadow of the circling Megalodon passed over her at that moment and she quickly swam the rest of the way to the surface, bursting through the waves with enough force to send her nearly a foot above them and thus ensuring the Megalodon spotted her. Shouts could be heard from the crew as she began swimming towards them, Mister Kir already lowering a special hoist down into the water for her. It was a long rope tied off at the bottom with a wooden slab so she could be raised out of the water in spite of her finned state.
Once next to the massive ship she slid the loop over her head and down around beneath her backside so when they began raising her she was sitting securely on the wooden slab, her hands holding tightly to the rope as she searched the oceans surface for any sign of Gabriel or what went on below. Several pairs of hands reached out to assist her over the side of the ship once she reached the railing and perching on its side she removed the rope from around her but refused to be taken from the railing and to the captains quarters.
”No! I’m not going anywhere until Gabriel is back on this ship! He’s down there facing a…a…monster! It’s huge and he’s down there alone!”
She tried to describe the creature she’d seen and what was going on beneath the surface but her fear for Gabriel was so strong that she could barely get the words out. Uneasy with her sitting on the railing as she was several members of the crew stayed close by to ensure she didn’t go tumbling back over the side, the rest returning to their positions at the helm and manning the Mulligan as Gabriel had ordered only now they had some idea of what they would be facing.
Desperately she searched the surface seeking any sign that he was okay. She’d managed to influence the ocean once before, when they had engaged the pirate ship that now towed behind them, but she wasn’t sure how she’d done it. She’d been so angry that someone had threatened Gabriel’s ship and crew and put him in danger it had just…happened. Then she heard it…the melodic feminine voice that whispered in her ear, the same voice she’d heard before when she’d nearly destroyed the enemy ship. Unsure of the source but not caring at the moment she did as it told her and reached out to it, to the ocean itself, and within moments she knew exactly where Gabriel was.
”There! He’s over there, about 20 feet below!”
All eyes followed where her finger pointed and they tensed, ready for anything, never doubting that she knew exactly where Gabriel was. It wasn’t enough to know where he was though, she needed to see it..needed to know he was okay. The ship began to rock as the waves beneath it became stronger in response to her own agitation and fear, the sky overhead darkening as the clap of thunder heralded the sizzling bolt of lightening that lit up the darkening sky.
Her legs had yet to return as she was still soaked through to the bone. There were ways for the merfolk to force their legs to return but she was not yet experienced enough with the transformation to make it happen while this upset. Besides, if he didn’t show himself in the next ten minutes…she was going in after him!
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 5:45 pm
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