Chapter Two

The First Mate

(A/N: -walks in- -looks around- Holy hell, it's been a while since I've even looked at this fanfiction!!! But never fear,DancingWeretigress reminded me, so I'm updating… Shit, I don't know if she wants to be talked about… of if she is a she… GYA!!! –gets hit by Kira- Thanks… Kira-san… Anyways, on with the fandom!!!

Kira skidded slightly. The only thing that kept her from falling into the cold waters off of the dock was her quick thinking and the fact that she knew how to jam her heel into the boards.

Panting, she ran up the gangplank, no longer a blur. She had lost her steam halfway up the plank. Her eyes narrowed in a death glare at the boards in front of her. Heh. She may be half yokai, but these damnable-

Kira grunted as she ran, headfirst, into somebody, knocking them down and almost throwing her overboard. She snapped her head up. Kira was only a foot or so away from the ship itself, and she had knocked over- Oh shit…

"Bloody bitch," the man swore venomously. "Watch where you're going!"

Kira swallowed, suddenly unsure of herself. "I-I'm sorry, sir, but-"

"But nothing! Are you that stupid girl the captain has heard about?"

Her hands clenched at her sides. Kira's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And how would you know about that?"

The man stumbled up to his feet and Kira wrinkled her nose at the retched scent reached her nose; beer, some sort of whisky, and body odor mixed together to make the mind and body reel from disgust. The man himself didn't look much. His black hair was slicked back, oiled with many attempts to keep it from its natural position, and a few hairs still managed to fall forward, a few long enough to be part of his oiled look. His back was a straight as a stick, his face narrow and pointed, eyes slits (no doubt from all the glares he scent, and narrowing his eyes in distrust), and limbs like sticks, Kira was almost positive she could take him in a fight, both hands tied behind her back, sucked of all power and bleeding to death.

Almost, however, was the problem. His aura… This man wasn't completely human… This man… he had wolf yokai blood in him…

"I'm first mate," he ground out, eyes narrowing in one of the worst death-glares Kira had ever received. "I take it you are?" She hesitantly nodded and the man grabbed her by the scruff of her shirt, dragging her bodily across the ship. Shock kept Kira from punching him, and she had been thrown into a cabin just under the helm.

Grunting, Kira managed to keep herself from falling, but failed to glare at the first mate. "Don't worry about dear old Scott," a jovial voice called from the side of the cabin. "Scott Raito is one of the best men I have, Miss Kira."

Looking up, Kira surveyed the man she assumed was the captain. A fat man, obviously as jovial as his voice, with ruddy cheeks, winkling blue eyes, and a white beard smiled back at her. He was like every stereotypical captain pushed into one.

Standing, Kira did a half bow, half curtsy as best she could. Another laugh made Kira blush as she stood, her gaze respectfully adverted.

The sound of a chair scraping against the floor of the cabin made Kira look up. Captain Berksy had moved around the table he had been sitting at. "Now, Miss Kira. I have heard amazing things about you. People say that you're not completely human, that your strength surpasses that of many men, that you can outrun a horse, that your fighting skills are better than the king himself, God save the king. Though not many talk about your beauty, those that do don't give you enough credit." Kira blushed, but eyed the captain. He was buttering her up, the bastard. Making her all happy about herself and her accomplishments. "But all of these rumors say you don't have a job. Am I correct?" Kira gave him a curt nod, unable to trust her vocal cords at the moment.

A grin split Captain Berksy's face. "Well then, would you like to work upon this fine vessel?"

"What-what is her name, sir," Kira asked, her voice cracking. If this was a joke, so help her…

"The Dutchman, miss. After the famous Flying Dutchman. So, what do you say?"

Kira paused. This may very well be just what she was looking for, but… "And if any man attempts to touch me, may I break his fingers?"

Captain Berksy's friendly smile slipped a little at the threat, but was back on in a moment. "Now now, I'm sure my crew will do nothing of the sort!"

"But can I?" she prompted.

Sighing, Berksy gave her a condescending smile. "No, not the fingers, but a rip or two will work."

Kira shrugged and flashed a grin at him, a tooth pressed against her lower lip. "Then you've got yourself a half-demon woman workin' for you, good sir!" She thrust her hand out, and Captain Berksy shook it vigorously.

"Wonderful! Just wonderful! Shall I have Scott show you around?"

Kira cringed and snorted. "Nah. I can go around myself. Thank you, anyways." She did her strange little bow-curtsy thingy, and left.

'This ship is doomed to fail,' she thought. 'The Dutchman is a bad name… they are sooooooooo screwed! But I plan to live.' Scowling, she went below deck to find out if the cook might show her around. Kira had always liked cooks.

The scent of eggs frying made Kira smile. Gently, she rapped on the wood next to the kitchen door. A rather muffled "Come in!" came back to her.

Pushing the door open, Kira gaped at what she saw.

Pots and pans, various foods and cans, along with a liquor bottle or two was piled on the floor, a couple of eggs frying over a small protected fire in the corner, with two or three eggs smashed on the floor. An arm and hand stuck out from the pile in the floor. A quite "Help me… please?" snapped Kira back to life and she stifled her laughter, hurrying over to the pile.

"Are you ok, sir?" she asked, brushing a cabbage leaf off a young man's shoulder. His dirty blonde hair was sticking in every direction, and his face was red from having been at what was possibly the most awkward position he could've been in.

"Yes, yes thank you, miss," he said, scowling at the eggs. He looked up and opened his mouth to say something, but froze. All the blood drained from his face before returning with a slight greener complexion. "You're that demon girl the captain's hiring!"

Kira's smile fell. This was usually how people ended up running away from her, screaming, throwing the Bible at her and spraying her with holy water, or asking uncomfortable questions. "And if I am?"

"Welcome!" he said, clasping her on the shoulder. This boy had to be naïve!!! There was no possible way… But here he was, prattling on about how he hoped she'd like the ship and- oh, he was asking her a question.

"Sorry, what?" she asked, blushing.

"I asked if you know your way around, miss," he repeated.

She shook her head. "Nope. I just got here."

A grin split his face and he stood up, helping Kira to her feet. "Well then, let me do the honor of showing you around, miss…"

"Kira."

"Miss Kira. I'm Anthony."

Thank you, Anthony."

The ship suddenly lurched forward, sending both Anthony and Kira against a wall, arms hitting each other in the face and legs kicking the other's shin. "Looks like we're off!" Anthony said, grinning. Kira grinned back.

This voyage might not be as bad as she thought it was gonna be.

(A/N: Well, at long last, there's the second chapter! Anyways, Scott, the first mate, was modeled after a character design by the author of Rurouni Kenshin, Nobuhiro Watsuki. Incase you're wondering, it was Saito Hajime.

He looks like this: http//i25. photobucket. com/albums/c76/ Clowey/saitoh. jpg Just without the spaces.)