Aboard the "Dark Lady"

[Leetah]

Kaitlyn awoke to the ringing of the ship's bell. At first, she couldn't remember where she was, then it all came back to her. Her new life...as a boy! She stretched in the rope hammock she'd been sleeping in, and thought back to the events of the past 24 hours. After Uncle Hiram had told her she'd have to marry that horrible Edgar Rathbone, she'd bluntly refused, only to have Uncle Hiram remark "We'll just see about that, young woman." Whereupon she'd been escorted to her room and locked in. Knowing she'd rather die than marry the cad, but also prefering an alternative, as she loved life as well, Kaitlyn had desperately searched her mind for a plan, and finally remembering a story she had read once about a girl in a similar situation, she decided to see if the story could become reality.

Taking out her jewelery box, she'd opened the secret compartment and drawn out the small stash of money she kept there. She had been keeping it for quite some time, unbeknowst to her Uncle, and now was very thankful. She had quickly changed from the lovely frock she was wearing, into an old blouse and skirt that she normally wore for cleaning. Sighing deeply, she'd pulled the scissors from her sewing bag, and proceeded to cut her waist-length raven locks, until they fell just below her slender shoulders. Quickly, she'd braided her hair, then pulling the sheets from her bed, she'd opened her window and made her way down from her room, carrying only a small brown leather pouch with her money, and nothing else.

Kaitlyn had hurried down to the shops and purchased some boy's trousers and a rough white shirt. She had also purchased some material, and finding an alleyway that was deserted, she'd slipped from her feminine clothing, bound her breasts, which fortunately were not as full as some women's, and donned the male garments. She had also purchased a blue kerchief, of the kind she'd seen sailors wearing, and with that she covered the crown of her hair. Some dirty smudges on her face, covering her high cheekbones, and some brown suede boots, and she was prepared to head to the harbor, to seek a position as a cabin boy, one Kit Adams. Her money pouch was secured inside the waistband of her trousers, for safe-keeping.

She had had quite a time finding work at first, for no reputable ship seemed to want an inexperienced cabin boy. Finally, toward the end of the harbor, she'd tried one of the last ships, noticing that the crew seemed less "polished". There she had the luck she'd been waiting for, and soon found herself on board the "Dark Lady", and shown to her bunk, which consisted of the rope hammock on which she now lay. She had then been instructed to assist the cook for that evening, and she had done so willingly, wanting to prove herself worthy of passage.

No one seemed suspicious of her so far, but the ship had not yet put out to sea, and everyone had their own jobs to do, so Kaitlyn knew she'd have to watch her step. She had not even seen the Captain of the vessel yet, but she'd overheard some comments regarding "Captain Reaper" that made her very wary as to what kind of man he might be. Now, she rose, finding the binding about her breasts a bit uncomfortable, to say the least. She slipped from the bunk, and went through a narrow passage, then up the steps to seek out the man who had given her her task the previous night, a man by the name of Monet. She found him fairly easily.

"Bout time you were up, boy." Monet greeted her without a smile. "Need you to get busy scrubbing the decks. C'pn will be inspecting 'em before too long."

"Aye, Sir. Where are the supplies?"

Monet waved a hand vaguely toward a pile of items nearby, that Kaitlyn assumed meant that cleaning supplies were among them. She walked over, making certain that her walk did not give her away, and dug through the mass of items, until she found a well-worn scrub brush and a bucket. After filling the bucket with water and soap, she fell to scrubbing with a will. It was hard work, and her back was soon aching. At one point, she paused in her work and sat up on her knees, stretching a bit. Feeling eyes upon her, she glanced around to see two crew members watching her with disconcerting scrutiny. She couldn't help but wonder if they could see through her disguise in some way. One of them started her way, but then the cry was heard, "Make way for the Captain!", and the man stopped where he was, and with a final glance her way, returned to where he'd been standing. Nervously, Kaitlyn went back to work, wondering if she would now be seeing the Captain herself, and praying that he would not see just who she really was.

 

[Steiner]

Captain Reaper

The ship creaked and rocked slightly in the changing tide - as eager to be off as her master was. Time in port was always nerve wracking for a Pirate Captain, and the "Reaper King" was no exception. Although the Reapers had a small base of their own, after the last battle there'd been a need to refit in a proper shipyard. The haul of booty had been good - a Spanish Merchantman crammed with silver from the America's and luxurious pelts of an unknown creature. All in all, very profitable!

However, during the refit the Lady's crew had had plenty of money and leisure time, and as muster day had got closer and closer, Captain Reaper had fretted about how many would decide not to go back out to sea.

He needn't have worried. The ship was humming with activity as supplies were stowed in the holds, the men were mustering down below on the quay and he could see that Monet was having to turn some away, the ships complement filled.

He decided to get the air from the quarterdeck, and stumped up the short accessway, hearing the cry of "Make way for the Captain!" as he reached the breezy deck. All was in order, the Navigator and Helmsman were planning the departure and a few of the Corsair's were enjoying their stint on guard - there was even a cabin boy scrubbing the deck clean.

As Captain Reaper strode the width of the Quarter Deck to the compass and Helm, he found his eyes flicking back to the Cabin Boy. Wondering what drew his eye he supposed it was something to do with the boys build, the way his waist tapered down to the curve of his hip was very feminine. Hoping the boy wouldn't have a hard time of it below decks if the voyage turned long (thank God for Brigette!) Reaper turned his attention to the Helmsman and Navigator as he reached them.

"How fare we for the tide? Will the Lady sail as planned?"

 

[Leetah]

Kit

Kaitlyn hardly dared lift her head from her scrubbing, but she felt compelled to see what the Captain looked like, so she risked a quick peek. What she saw took her breath away literally. The man was the epitome of "tall, dark and handsome". She swallowed hard, returning her gaze to the deck before her. His visage appeared very stern in the brief glimpse she'd allowed herself, and there had been no warmth in the ice blue eyes. She found herself very frightened of him, feeling it would be best to stay out of his way as much as possible, and never to incur his wrath.

Keeping her eyes firmly fixed on the job before her, Kaitlyn could suddenly feel those piercing blue eyes on her slender form. She breathed a silent prayer that her ruse would not be discovered, particularly with the ship still sitting dockside. After a moment, she could feel the gaze leave her, and heard him moving away, speaking to the other crew members. Breathing a small, quiet sigh of relief, she moved along in her work.

Other eyes continued to watch her, however, travelling over the slight figure, as if to determine that she was what she appeared to be.

 

[poohlive]

With a grunt the last of the boxes was heaved into the foredeck. Norton leaned against the crates filled with various supplies, everything from rope to food. He and some of the men had spent the greater part of the morning doing local business to get the Lady up and ready for another long faring adventure.
A few of the men harboured up on deck, complaing about the barrels full of water. Grumbling profanities, he wiped the sweat from his brow, leaving a dirt muddy streak, and went to help.
Water was the most important commodity. They had bought barrels and barrels full, just to be sure. One could do a lot of things with water, and knowing the cook and his wonderful turnip soups... this shit would be put to good use.
A rope snapped, and one of the barrels went teetering across the deck. Norton caught it with his boot, sneering at his men.
"What in the hell, ain't none of you guys know how to tie a knot?"
One of them shook his head, pointing to a man Norton had never seen before.
"Twasn't our fault. That cabin boy there, he slipped up the floor."
Eyes disappearing to slits, Norton would like to know what kind of slippery floor would loosen a knot, when he turned to see the cabin boy.
For a moment, he just stared at the young man bent down, scrubbing floors. Did the sun go beyond a cloud or something? In the right light, he could swear that figure was more than just...
"Aye sir."
Norton realized it wasn't the water, but the boy scrubbing it that got their attention.
"All right, we've all seen a..." he wanted to finish the sentence, but wasn't sure he could. Had anyone seen that before? A man looking more like a woman than half the ladies on the dock, selling themselves to the lonely pirates?
"Come on now," He kicked on, which sent him sprawling. He got back to work, as did the others.
Norton wanted to say someting to the young man, but didn't know quite what to say. How can you tell another guy he has a fine ass?
SHaking his head, he grabbed the loose barrel, grunted it over one of his shoulders, and went below to store it with the rest.

 

[Steiner]

Captain Reaper

Water casks, cages of clucking poultry, barrels of hardtack, barrels of salted pork, beef and fish and barrels of fruit... The provisioning was moving along quickly.

As he kept an eye on things he nodded to his officers, distributed amongst the men and working alongside them. Reaper wished that he could work alongside them too - the activity would curb his impatience to be off.

He paced the quarter deck, ostensibly checking on progress, but really just being carried to and fro by the restless energy burning in his frame. The new cabin boy was still busy about his work - his navigator plotting the first course but the helmsman for the watch was nowhere in sight. Reaper looked over to catch the eye of one of his officer, a handy sort named Norton, to find him busy dealing with a loose cask. Once again, for the third time, the cabin boy was nearby - and Reaper frowned. Cabin boys were meant to fade into the background aboard ship - generally quiet and shy and too small to catch the eye, yet this one kept cropping up in the foreground.

Shaking his head, his face pulled into the scowl typical to him when things weren't quite right aboard the Lady, he was about to stride over and see what was happening when the Navigator distracted him again. Pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind, Reaper walked to the chart table and checked the course.

 

[lil miss curious]

As i walked below the deck I was welcomed with the usual stares and gazes that i had grown accustomed to.

"Oh Norton thank you so much for doing this work for me, I hope last night was to your approval" I said giggling to myself

Norton did not anwer instead his gaze was fixed on the new cabin boy.

"Oh come now he can't be doin that a good a job. Wait i see what got your attention fine then ill do it" I said

I walked over pat him and grabbed a handfull of his ass and complimented it smiling back at norton and continued to walk away

 

[Leetah]

Kit

Kaitlyn was well aware of all the commotion going on around her, but she tried her best to keep to herself. She felt countless eyes staring at her at different times, although no one had spoken to her yet, for which she was thankful. She held her breath for several moments when one of the barrels came loose and she overheard the men complaining to the one called Norton about her causing the floor to be slippery. She was certain he would come and speak to her, but he never did, and finally she let out her breath, moving on to another spot.

She found herself more aware of where the Captain was at all times than she could understand. After all, she didn't know the man, in fact, didn't want to. She just wanted to fade into the background, but now she was beginning to wonder just how easy that would be. Suddenly, to her surprise, she heard a feminine voice nearby. Risking a glance in the direction of the voice, she spied a lovely young redhead, dressed very provocatively, speaking to Norton, whose eyes had indeed been fixed upon her...actually upon her derriere it had seemed.

Trying not to blush, Kaitlyn quickly turned back to her work. Suddenly she heard light footsteps behind her, and felt feminine hands grabbing her rear for a moment, then pulling back. Startled, she swallowed a yelp of surprise that would not have sounded at all masculine, and swung her amazed gaze behind to see the redhead smiling mischeviously over at Norton. Quickly, she rose, picking up her brush and bucket and moved over to a more inconspicous place. Before she could begin scrubbing again, she heard Monet call to her.

"You, boy...Cook needs help again. Git below deck and help 'im with chow."

"Aye Sir!" Kaitlyn stowed her cleaning gear, and made her way to the galley, feeling as if she had received a reprieve. She still felt more gazes upon her slender figure than she felt comfortable with, even with doing everything in her power to walk as much like a boy as possible. Now she began to wonder if even in her diguise she would be safe from some of these men. Even as innocent as she was, she was aware of some of the needs and desires of men. After all, Edgar had given her quite a taste of that when they had been alone, the very night she'd met him. Remembering his hands grasping at her breasts made her shudder even to this moment.

Trying to shake off the bad thoughts, she made her way down below, still followed by several interested and questioning gazes.

 

[Steiner]

Captain Reaper

Another commotion drew the Captain's eye to the gangway - this time it was Brigette, who always came on board with all the commotion you'd expect from a visiting Admiral, rather than a crew member.

From her exchange with Norton he discerned the true reason why the helmsman was not at his post - and he realised that the man had bartered for her share of the loading duties. He relaxed - Norton had taken the ship out of this harbour enough times to do it smartly without the Navigators input, and he found himself idly wondering what the going rate of exchange was for a few hours hard work...

Not in these trousers you don't! he admonished himself, knowing that the tight leather held few secrets and not wanting the crew to know where his mind had wandered to.

With the cabin boy dispatched back below decks and Norton's men conscientiously stowing the casks of water by the trap to the hold, the Lady was once again a hive of productive activity - and would make the turning tide with no problems.

 

[poohlive]

Norton just shook his head, laughing at Bridgette's all too subtle way of flirting. Down below the deck, he stopped to make sure all of the supplies were not only accounted for, but roped off and tightly packed in case of hard weather.
For a moment, he did wonder if Bridgette's bed would be open tonight. There were no favorites, per say. She probably did first cum first serve, unless the captain wanted a go. The captain always got firsts.
Many a men had benn offshore, and their own needs met by the ladies of the dark, but still, when it was offered, what man in his right mind could say no?
Norton knew he couldn't.
The look of that cabin boy though, the slender, almost petite form, it had drove something in him wild. He felt the need to fuck something.
Shaking his head, he realized it would pass. All cravings of the flesh did. More than one young boy had looked so girl like they'd been taken advantage of. On the rough sea, without a woman like Bridgette, men got desperate.
Norton didn't feel himself getting desperate, just horny.
Putting those thoughts aside, he went above deck to begin some of the final checks so they could depart.

 

[Leetah]

Kit

Down below in the galley, Kaitlyn finally felt she could relax to some degree. The cook, a huge man called Santanna, took to her right away, as she obeyed his orders instantly, and was very good at her tasks. After all, she'd been cooking for herself and Uncle Hiram for the past few years, as he had been very particular about his food, and no one's cooking had suited him save her own. That at least would be a boon to her aboard ship, if she kept being sent to assist Santanna.

Kaitlyn had noticed the night before that the cook seemed not to able to see very well, but he still excelled in his duties. The truth was, the man was almost blind, but he knew where everything in his galley was, and so had no real problems. Having an able assistant, however, was something he did not want to pass up. Kaitlyn did not know, of course, just how bad his eyesight was, but she sensed that she would be safest of all here in the warm galley.

"What can I do for you, Sir?" she asked, smiling at the huge cook. He pointed over to a cask that held potatoes. "Peel them things, then put 'em in the large pot on the stove." He handed her a knife to do the work and she moved over to a stool that sat beside the huge cask. She went to work with a will, her fingers flying deftly, as she cleanly removed the peel from each potato. Distantly, she could hear the shouts of the men, the creak of the ship, and once a feminine giggle, that she assumed came from the redhead, as she'd not seen any other women aboard ship.

Glancing up, she watched Santanna moving deftly about the small room, preparing what looked like a stew of some kind. The smell in the close room was becoming quite savory, and she sniffed appreciatively. She wondered how long the man had been aboard, and served under the Captain. Her curiousity finally got the better of her, and as she worked, she asked, "How long have you served aboard the Dark Lady, Sir?" He turned her way, scowling a bit.

"Let's get one thing straight, Boy. You don't call me Sir. That's for the Cap'n and the higher ups. You call me Santanna, you got that?"

Taken aback a bit, she nodded, then when he appeared to be still waiting for an answer, she said "Yes, Santanna." He turned back to his task, and she hesitantly repeated the question. He stopped again, but this time did not seem angry, just thinking. "I been serving longer'n I can remember."

"The Captain doesn't look that old...." Kaitlyn ventured to say, then realized she might be insulting the cook, but he did not seem perturbed in the least.

"Oh, I've served under other Cap'n's before this 'un. Reckon I was serving when he was still in nappies." Santanna guffawed at his own humor, and Kaitlyn laughed in kind, trying to remember to deepen her normal soft laugh.

"Have you been cooking all that time?"

"No, I was above decks for quite a few years, but...." He paused, then continued "Things change, and here I am."

Kaitlyn wanted to ask what had changed, but didn't feel comfortable doing so, so she lapsed into silence again. After a short while, Santanna turned to her again. "Listen, if you keep bein' as quick as you are for me, I'm gonna request that you be assigned to me permanent like. I've not made up my mind yet, but if things keep going the way they are, I'll talk to the Cap'n."
Without another word, he turned back to his work.

Kaitlyn wanted to hug the huge man, she was so happy, but she knew that would not be possible. She knew the assignment would keep her out of everyone's way and their notice. Santanna didn't seem to notice anything different about her, so she would feel relatively safe working with him. What she was not aware of, was that the cook had already determined that she was not what she appeared to be.

Not being able to see as well, had made him rely on his other senses much more, and he could hear that her voice was not a male voice, not even one that had not changed yet. He had sensed her movements, much as she tried to mask them, were much more graceful than any cabin boy he'd ever encountered...even the ones that were turned to being girlish. One reason he intended to ask for her to be assigned to him, was she was very talented in the kitchen, but another was to protect her. He knew very well what would happen to her most likely if she were discovered. Below decks with him, no one would pay her any mind, and she would be safe. He knew he'd have to bide his time a bit, so as not to arouse suspicion, but figured if he kept asking for her assistance daily, eventually it would be easy enough to have her assigned to him permanently.

Santanna gave her no indication of his knowledge, however. He knew it would be best for all concerned if he pretended ignorance. He sensed her pleasure in his proposal and that was enough. Suddenly, outside the galley, they heard a voice calling out "Now, where has that cabin boy gotten off to?"

 

[Steiner]

The coast slid away behind the stern of the Dark Lady as she left the shallow waters behind and plied her way to the deep water of the ocean channel. Captain Reaper gave a small smile as he felt the last of the ties binding them to shore severed - the Lady was well and truly at sea now.

Turning to the Helmsman and the Officer of the watch he nodded to them. I'm going below to my cabin until the afternoon watch - I'm disturbable if there's a problem.

Nodding at their replies he slid down the ladder from the Quarterdeck into the area of the stern superstructure that housed the officers and the galley. He made his way to his cabin, sticking his head round the door to the galley to call Santanna, you old rogue, time to stir your stumps! Put together something for me and have it sent to my cabin!

Not pausing to hear the old mans no doubt tart rejoinder, he shut the door to his cabin behind him and walked to the large oak desk that dominated one end of his cabin. Sitting down behind it, he rested his booted feet on one corner, and began to read the letters that he'd picked up in port.

 

[poohlive]

It took Norton a while to relax after they had shoved off. He gave a bit of an uneasy look back on land, as it grew fainter and fainter in the distance. For a moment, he had this sinking feeling in his gut that something just wasn't right.
He even went so far as to take a step towards the helm, but just then the small piece of land disappeared in the foggy distance, and he let out a weighted sigh of relief.
Things were just getting started, and he had a while before any official shifts were his. So, he took the time to lounge around on deck, and look at the wonderful view of the sea.
A thought crossed over him at the new cabin boy. He wanted to go down, talk to the man, see just what his story was. The boy was probably knee deep in chores. They always have the special little rituals for the newbies. He would just imagine what hell that poor boy would go through after the captain went to sleep. Hazing was just a part of sailing life. He'd gone through his own, so would the boy. It'd give him some character, and make people do a little more than just stare at his fine ass.
With a chuckle, Norton went below, to see if there was anything he could waste a few hours on. A card game seemed to be starting up, and dropping a few coins on the table, he was promplty added in.

 

[Leetah]

Kit

Kaitlyn paused in her work, and both she and Santanna looked toward the door to see who was calling for her. One of the other crew members, a man by the name of Bronson poked his head. "Hey, Kit," he said, "Late tonight we're havin' a bit o' a party, after bells. We allus do to celebrate bein' back t'sea. You in?"

"Sure, why not?", she replied.

"I'll come getcha when it's time, then."

Bronson went on his way, turning his back to door so that neither of the other two would see the smirk on his face. Tonight the new cabin boy would be put to the "bravery test". There was a lot of speculation about the boy, and all the crew wanted to see what he was made of. If he passed the test, he'd be treated with much more respect than if he behaved as many suspected he would. Bronson rubbed his hands together, going to inform the rest of the crew that didn't already know about tonight's plan.

Back in the galley, Santanna scowled after the other man's broad back. He turned to Kaitlyn and said, "Kit Boy, best to watch y'self 'round the ship. These are not men to fool around with, hear me?"

"Yes, I do. It might be fun though."

"Hmmph." Santanna knew he couldn't say too much more, but he feared for her safety nonetheless. He knew he'd probably be popping up unexpectedly himself tonight, hopefully to head off too much trouble. Then they heard more footsteps and the Captain's head peered through the door.

Santanna, you old rogue, time to stir your stumps! Put together something for me and have it sent to my cabin!

He was gone before Santanna had even replied and they heard the door to his cabin closing. Grumbling, the huge man quickly put together a bowl of the stew, some bread and cheese, and a jug of ale and put it all onto a wooden tray.

"Take this to the Captain's cabin, and be quick about it."

Kaitlyn lifted the heavy tray with trepidation, but found she was able to lift and carry it fairly easily. She made her way down the hallway to the Captain's cabin, feeling the sway of the ship beneath her feet. A jolt of mingled fear and excitement slipped through her, as she realized fully that she had made it, at least away from her home so far. Knocking against the door with her foot, she heard a muffled reply and managed to open the door without spilling anything.

Captain Reaper was seated behind a huge desk, his feet propped up, looking over some papers. He glanced up at Kaitlyn when she entered the room. She couldn't help but notice again how handsome the man was, but didn't dare to stare at him. A quick glance around the cabin showed it to be tastefully decorated, and very masculine.

"Where would you like this food, Sir?" she asked in the deepest voice she could muster.

 

[papillon24]

Karisma Delaine

Karisma stretched where she had dozed off in the sun. It had been hard work motivating the men to shove off in time. she awoke to the feeling of the sea air on her face. quickly she sprung to her feet. the boots she wore barely made a sound. she was never one for wearing dressed , so a pair of trousers and a loose shirt made her daily outfit.

"Bloody 'ell mate. Why ya not wake me for the shove off. I didn't get to fire my gun as always."She strolled over towards the edge and watch the water pass by.

Over the main deck and to the captians quarters she went and quickly tapped on the door before entering.

"'ello there captian, sorry i'm late but no one woke me for the shoving off. I bet you missed my gun fire." She turned to the boy.

"Well now, who this?Kinda a flimsy cabin boy, looks more like a girl if you ask me, but oh well cheap hire,. what can ya do." She meandered over and sat on the corner of the dest where captian reaper was seated and faced him.

 

[poohlive]

Two jacks. It wasn't the best hand, but it would do in a pinch. A good bluff hand, cause you did have something to bluff over. Not anything too good mind you, but it beat two tens, and sometimes that's all you needed.
He tossed in a gold coin with the others, his face steady and cold.
"What are we gonna do?"
All eyes passed to someone crossing down to the sailor's quarters. This was their room, more or less. Just below the galley, it was filled with some tables and chairs, as well as beds lining up the far walls. Most of the men slept and lived down here when there wasn't work to be done up top deck.
The more prestige officers had their own room, but this was for the working grunts.
"I think we should push him off. Make him walk the plank, and see how far he can swim."
Norton shook his head, "Nah, then we'll have to stop and wait for him. Last time the Cap'n woke up and chewed us all new assholes."
Sighs and grunts of rememberance were heard, "Well, how about we make him clean all the cannons."
"He's going to have to do that anyway. It's a new cabin boy. The new one always does the dirty shit. Come on guys, try something original."
Bronson sat down, his own money coming out.
Only one man stayed in with Norton. He raised. Norton didn't give another thought to it, but put the last of his money in. The man stared at his cards, trying to will them into something more. In the end, he folded, and Norton became that much richer.
They dealt anew.
"We could make him eat some of the rotten shit aboard. Maggot filled biscuits and moldy shit."
"We just got off port, there ain't nothing moldy or maggoty. The shit's all new."
Bronson gave a nod, "I know what we're going to do."
Norton didn't feel good about this at all.
"What?"
"The Bravery test."
"Holy fuck. You serious?"
"Oh yeah."
Norton shook his head, "It's the guy's first night. We can do something...."
He was cut off by several people for the idea however.
"That's perfect. Make the fucker feel right at home."
Norton folded his hand, which looked promising, not wanting to be here right now.
"You guys know where Bridgette is?"
"Who's gonna set it up?"
Bronson just smiled, "All taken care of, boys. Follow my lead, and tonight will be a night to remember..."
More words were spoken, but Norton had taken his winnings and went on a search for Bridgette. He felt at least he could talk to her and maybe forget about that fucking cabin boy for two seconds.
He checked on deck first, and then went down to her room.

 

[Adapt]

Jared

Loud steps were heard above deck as his heavy feet planted, a massive man stepped into the sunlight upon deck and thee he emerged, Jared, a stern look upon his cheeks as he stepped upon the deck boards, all went silent and quickly began to work, scrubbing and mopping, cleaning the cannons, walking the rigging, his bull whip decorated with the screams of many men was loosely wheeled in his hand, the man still looked handsome even with the many scars from pervious battles…

Broad shoulders coupled with a broad back made him that much more intimidating, ever muscle under his skin show defiantly, leather encased one shoulder and ran down as it a sleeve, then straps of leather bound it to him, save for a pair of deep trousers and heavy boots that all he wore, leather also hemmed his pants, then down the sides, and a cloth to clean his hands from blood lay on the right side of the front of his pants, even after numerous washings it still remained crimson with blood…

With each thudding of his heavy boots the men could feel a jot of fear run down their spines, his silence made it that much more effective…

He paused for a moment and turned his head slightly, his hearing was incredible, noticing the snide remarks of one of the deckhands, within the blink of an eye the bull whip un-furrowed an the long thin leather struck him across his cheek, a deep crimson mark soon appeared as the man slid across the deck…

“Do you mind repeating that!” his voice bellowed as a heavy boot came down to plant on his cheek, a brutal means of getting a point across, the sound of teeth cracking and his jaw snapping in four places, blood seeping from his nose and mouth, his free hand quickly grasp the man’s neck, lifting him with out the slightest of challenge, the sight of his feet wiggling trying to find ground…

“I didn’t think so you low life scum sucking deck swabbing bastard of a man!” he let slip thru pressed lips as he spasm his elbow and let the man slide across the recently washed deck, blood streaking in his wake…

“Clean the Deck you scurvy Dogs!” he hollowed the order, The Deckhands jumped on the opportunity, quickly shoveling the man to the lower decks to get treated and then to mop up the blood, his hand now seeping crimson, as usual he took the cloth and cleaned his hand upon it…

Shaking his head more so…

“Then deck better be clean enough to see my reflection in it when I come back…” he growled as he went under…

Now in the Mess, the only man he liked on this damn ship, Santanna, he was nice to him, they had know each other for a long time, and Santanna always seemed to feed Jared better…

Santanna had always been like a father to Jared and he always appreciated it…

“Santanna my good man, something to eat, those damn deckhands are making me hungry.” The massive figure stepped towards him, his eyes just barely catching the form of the new cabin boy as she went to go serve the captain…

 

[lil miss curious]

"God damn the first few days after shove off are boring" Bridgette said to herself.

As she walked into the kitchen Santanna slaved over the stove as usual. Passing by me was the new cabin boy. perhaps the new meat could help me pass the time.

"Thanks for the food Santanna it was delicious" i said walking by him and grabbing a bottle of rum. I headed out of the kitchen and on my way back to my quarters i ran into Norton.

"Hi there care to join me for a drink" I asked

 

[Leetah]

Kit

Kaitlyn just about jumped out of her skin when the door to Captain Reaper's cabin opened and a lovely woman stepped inside. She was still holding the tray, as the Captain had not yet told her where he wanted it, and she'd not heard Karisma's tapping on the door. Some of the stew and ale slopped out on the tray with her sudden movement, and she felt herself blush crimson. Her heart almost stopped, as the woman stepped past her and said "Well now, who this?Kinda a flimsy cabin boy, looks more like a girl if you ask me, but oh well cheap hire,. what can ya do."

Kaitlyn watched as the other girl seated herself comfortably on a corner of the Captain's desk, making herself right at home. She wondered who this newcomer could be, not having seen any other woman aboard, except for the redhead, who she had a feeling she should stay far away from. She stood there at a loss, waiting for orders from Captain Reaper, and cursing the fact that the woman now in the cabin with them had made the observation that she had. She could only hope the Captain would pass it off.

 

[Leetah]

Santanna

“Santanna my good man, something to eat, those damn deckhands are making me hungry.” The huge man gave Jared one of his rare smiles as the man strode into his galley.

"Ye're allus hungry, Boy." he growled, nevertheless dishing up some stew for the man, cutting off a huge hunk of cheese and some of the loaf he'd just pulled from the oven. He poured a mug of ale and placed all the food before the man he considered the son he'd never had. "I should make ya wait for the others...but I'll make an exception this time..." This was a joke between the two, as he always "made an exception" for Jared. He was one of the few crew members on the Lady that didn't fear the man, and one of even fewer that actually liked him.

Santanna went back to his work silently, pondering several things deep in his mind.

 

[Adapt]

He roared his laughter…

“Santanna, your jokes will be the death of me” he grinned and took the tray…

“By the way…” he placed a medium sized bag of his most favored of spices Jared had picked up from port for Santanna…

“I have something for you my good man…” he grinned and left to go eat…

“I will talk to you later friend…” he smiled as he left his view to go eat, a single bite he took from the bread and it was half gone, the same went with the cheese, then downing half the ale…

“Always mighty good Santanna.” he smiled to himself as he finished…

He never spent long eating, this day wasn’t an exception, taking to his feet, he walked took his stroll about the aft of the ship always a comforting and relaxing walk…

His walk soon took him to the captains office, strange, the door is usually close, stepping in view of everyone, his heavy boots signaling his arrival before he even showed, his eyes then turning to the one upon his desk…

“Ah, a bad time captain…” he chuckled as his eyes trained upon the new cabin boy, his cold stare seemed to sear into the boy, then tilting a brow, suddenly shaking his head before closing the door to his office…

Before completing closing it…

“We need to talk…” as he shut the door.

 

[Steiner]

Captain Reaper looked up from the paperwork as the door to his cabin banged open, he prepared to bawl the intruder out but saw it was his second, Karisma. Not many women became privateers, damn few of them officers - and those that did got there strictly on their merits. Despite scuttlebut to the contrary, Reaper had never so much as kissed his gorgeous second in command, even though their easy friendship had some seriously sensual undertones.

As the woman plonked herself down on the clear corner of his desk, Reaper listened to her grumbling with a broad smile, used to her manner and relaxed with the woman herself.

Well, the last person who woke you with a hangover almost lost his hand, Karisma - what do you expect? The state you were in by the time you made it back to the Lady last night, I'm surprised you're awake now!

He laughed along with her as she made her quip about the cabin boy, but the laugh went no higher than his mouth this time. He'd forgotten about the boy in the distraction of Karisma's entrance, and his eyes flicked back to him now. Now that Karisma had said it there WAS something awfully effeminate about him - but Reaper had put that off to the fact that he'd clearly run off from a wealthy family to go to sea.

His eyes ran over the boys figure intently, but he could make out no swelling of breasts, and the curve of hip beneath the rough clothing was merely suggestive rather than compelling. Turning to Karisma he ran his eyes over her body by way of comparison. On his own the boy looked female, right enough, but next to Brigette or Karisma the effect was less marked.

 

[papillon24]

Karisma

"Me?Hangover...never....well I guess I did have a little to drink,...make that a lot. But who you know can pass up a spot of rum when it aint you who pays?" She laughed as she spoke. "And by thee way, I would neva miss bordin the Lady whe is me home ya kno"

The Lady was all she really knew of home. Well the sea was anyway. Al life for Karisma without the life on a ship was not know and would probably never be know. Her reputaion for being on of the toughest women in the world proceeded her and she liked it that way.

"So Captian, where we headed? Off to loot? Or off to conquer?"

 

[poohlive]

"Yeah, a drink sounds good," He opened the door for Bridgette, following her into her room. After taking a seat, he set himself up to get a little drunk with the woman. It seemed like the right thing to do. Hours before his shift, the men already rooting under his skin, he'd just need a relaxing time to let himself go. Bridgette was the perfect girl for that.
"So, how was your leave time? I didn't see much of you these passed few day? Where did you cause trouble?"
He took a swig from the bottle, loving the fire that burned in his gut from it, and handed it to her.

 

[lil miss curious]

"It was fun got this watch and necklace off a man" I said showing off my stolen poils grabbing the rum. I took a huge swig and sat on Norton lap

"You know you look a little tense" I said rubbing his leg. "I am to i could use a full body massage"

I walk over to my bed and start to strip. once done i layed on my stomach on top of my bed. Norton stayed there looking at me.

"Come along Norton i will bite a lil but i recall you liked that"

 

[Leetah]

Kit

Kaitlyn continued to stand in the corner, holding the tray of food, waiting for Captain Reaper's orders. She realized as his eyes raked coldly over her, he must have forgotten she was there in light of the other woman's entrance. She watched as he turned his gaze to the woman he'd called Karisma. ~A very pretty name~, she thought distractedly. She wondered what the relationship might be between the Captain and this one. They seemed very at ease with one another, but that could really mean anything, she supposed.

The sound of heavy footfalls behind her, made Kaitlyn jump again, and slop a bit more of the liquids onto the tray. The man they called Jared had strode into the open door of the Captain's cabin and she felt his eyes rake over her as well. He frightened her probably more than any other person on the ship, as she had heard the other men talking about him behind his back, being very careful not to get caught. His eyes seemed to see right through her disguise, particularly as he cocked a brow as he looked at her, but then he shook his head, and moved back out the door. The words to the Captain "We need to talk…” filled Kaitlyn with a feeling of dread as he closed the door behiind him.

Had Jared perhaps figured out her secret? She didn't think so, because he seemed the type of man that would have exposed her right then and there....unless there was something he wanted. She wished that the Captain would hurry up and dismiss her, so she could escape back to the safety of the galley. She was even having second thoughts about the "party" that night, but she figured it would be best for her to at least show up for a little while. She had a feeling it might in her best interest, although she was beginning to worry about it for no particular reason.

Again she looked to Captain Reaper, saying "Sir, where would you like your food?"