btw, nothing is really in order here. Sorry!
Still Standing
Marco the Phoenix wasn't a person who snooped into another's private life. Honestly, when his eyes swept across the desk set up in Iona's room, personal, her being one of the only women who wasn't a nurse on board the Moby Dick, he didn't intent to snoop. It was just that a paragraph caught his eye. Just a few words.
Bird… fire… freedom.
Marco tilted his head, curiosity caught. He was far from a man without vices, being a pirate and all, so he did what any man with vice's would do if put in the same position.
He looked down.
He didn't read all of it, just the paragraph that caught his attention. He wasn't a total snoop.
I saw the most beautiful bird ever last night Mama! I was on the deck, watching the stars, and it flew right by the boat. It was so pretty, it was blue and yellow and huge! I don't think anyone else saw it. Tam was asleep in the crows nest, and so was Jackie, and Slick was facing the wrong way. If they did see it that didn't think it was as cool as I did, which is friggin nuts! I swear, Mama, this thing was on fire! I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful in all my life. Looking at it felt like looking at freedom itself. It was only there for a second before it flew off around the back of the ship, but it felt like that second lasted forever. Maybe I'm going crazy, but I felt like I knew this bird. I don't know if I should tell anyone else about it, it kinda feels like I shouldn't. Like it's something special. I don't know, Mama. Something sacred. Maybe I'm just selfish and looking for something just mine on this ship.
I wonder if it's from the island we're resupplying at. Do you know what kind of birds are in the New World? Can you see them all from where you are?
He stopped there. That part felt a little too private, and his stomach turned having invaded on something that personal. A letter to her mother was something he shouldn't be looking at at all, even if the content held within pertained to him. It looked like Iona didn't know that it was him though.
Marco smiled a bit to himself. She thought he was beautiful? He knew people thought his phoenix form was unusual, unique, and a few who thought it was downright unnatural. He certainly liked the idea that Iona liked it.
Speak of the devil, the door opened and Iona came in, carrying a box. She caught sight of him and smiled widely.
"Marco!" She dropped the crate on the bed and spun to him. If she was offended he came into her room without asking, she didn't show it. "What can I do for you, Mr. Commander?"
Marco's mouth twitched higher. "Just Marco to you. I'm handing out allowances."
Iona looked surprised. "I get an allowance?"
"Mhmm. Everyone does. How much depends on seniority and rank. Yours isn't much, yoi."
"I didn't even know I got one! I thought it was just like a room and board deal, so anything is awesome!" she turned a bright, chipped grin on him. Had she so much faith in her that it didn't occur to the young woman that he, a man, might be up to more unsavory things in her bedroom? He considered being flattered.
He settled for handing her over a small envelope full of Beri. "You also get a pick of the treasure, next time we get some. You'll be the last person," he warned. Her smile didn't dim at all. If anything it got bigger.
"Sweet! Thank you, Marco!"
Marco nodded at her, offering a smile in turn. An idea spring to mind and his smile changed, just a little.
"No problem, yoi," he waved at her and made his exit. He had things to do. Plans to see through.
Schedule's to change.
"Aw man, nightwatch? Guess they're putting your through your paces, eh kid?" Taz elbowed her harmlessly in the ribs, grinning gap-toothed at her. Taz was two years younger than her, at least, but he had been a pirate for a good ten of those years. He had a hundred stories, but Iona didn't need to know them anymore. She could have her own now.
"It's fine. I like the stars," Iona shoved him. He barely rocked under her push and snickered at her poor attempt.
"Can you see all the way to the stars?" he asked, propping his elbow on her shoulder. Iona didn't push him away. She liked physical contact.
"No," she shook her head. "I tried once, but I can only see more. They don't get much closer or anything."
"There's more stars?" Taz perked up.
Iona flashed him a grin and ducked away from his arm. "I'll show you them sometime! I gotta go now though, buh-bye!"
Taz's laughter followed her retreating form as she left the schedule posting, humming to herself. Her stomach flipped around and her brain filled with thoughts of fiery feathers in the dark night skies.
Iona didn't stop until she was in her room, her cheeks hurting from smiling so much. She shut the door and leaned against her, wrapping her arms around her stomach. It was fluttering and flipping with excitement. Just the prospect of seeing the bird again was enough to get her bouncing on her toes.
She didn't sleep before her shift.
She was yawning by the time she launched herself up at the crows nest. She was still getting the hang of scaling the masts like a monkey, the way her newfound brothers did with enviable ease. One day, she promised herself, that would be her.
For the time being she just settled herself in the mast and prayed, softly under her breath. She prayed to the stars to see the bird again. She wanted to, so desperately, just to catch a glimpse of it. The memory of its first wheeling pass by the ship was seared into her mind and she didn't think she would be able to forget about it if she could.
Iona took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. The sun started to set. The stars started to shine. Her hopes started to lift.
Iona stood in the crows nest, stretching her senses as far as she could without using her powers. She could only augment herself for a half an hour at a time, and other people a mere ten minutes.
She didn't know how long she stood there, trying to hear for the strong beat of massive wings or spot a flicker of beautiful blue. The sun was gone and stars offered her their light in its stead. There was no moon, the night was dark. Waves beat softly against the sides of the Moby Dick, rocking the ship gently. Her dark waves rolled restlessly in the night, but there was no sign of a storm. The wind only blew softly through her hair, carrying with it the smell of seawater and whatever midnight snack Thatch had heating up in the kitchens.
Iona sighed softly and sunk down, into the basket. If she focused she could hear William and Tam snoring softly in the other two. The one farthest forwards and the tallest one in the middle. Iona was still working on the names for them.
With every swell of the sea they tilted and turned, so far up even the smallest movement would send them lurching. She knew most people got seasick from being up there too long, but so far Iona seemed to be doing just fine. Maybe she was blessed.
Maybe she was meant to be a pirate.
The woman snorted at the thought. She was pirate because she was useful to the crew, because Pops pitied her, and because she wanted to see the world. People who were born to be pirates set sail when they were children, stowed away in barrels, or at least had practice causing trouble.
Iona had none of that.
She shook her head. This always happened, in the dead of night, when her learning was done and her mind was free to wander. When she was left too long to think alone, when there was none of her new 'family' around to distract her.
That was when the doubts started to creep in. When the tears threatened to blur away the sights that she never wanted to forget. When her mind tricked her heart into clawing its way into her throat.
It had happened before, on Marina Island. When night fell and the salon closed and her mother lay sleeping in the other room Iona used to listen to her and wallow in the fear that one night the soft, uneven breaths would stop.
The wind changed abruptly, throwing the ship sideways. Starboard.
Iona scrambled to grab the edge of the basket, trying to regain her flow.
Tam and William didn't so much as stir.
She clutched at the edge of the basket, facing the wind. Her eyes glowed, trying to see if any of the stars were blocked by clouds.
She didn't see anything. No dark clouds rolling in, no stars winking out of sight. No waves raising high in the air. She sighed in relief.
The wind blew in behind her, a short burst that ruffled her hair fur just a second. Her shadow changed behind her. Iona spun around so fast she almost fell over and out of the nest.
There, behind her, was the bird.
She was pretty sure she stopped breathing entirely. The creature swooped low, close to the water. The deep blue waves were illuminated beneath its wings, bright flue glowing and shining across the white tips of the waves.
Within the pale blue fire that wrapped around the creature's body yellow flickered through, shining. A beacon in the darkness. It's long neck stretched out, sharp beak pointing to the North Star.
Iona's heart beat hard in her chest. She couldn't bring herself to blink, couldn't bring herself to push power to her eyes. She didn't dare, in case the bird vanished in the second it took.
The creature wheeled around the back of the boat (the stern, her mind provided) and circled around again. Iona turned with it, her hands shaking on the edge of the basket that kept her from falling out. Her breath was absolutely gone, stolen by the raw beauty of the sight before her.
It circled the ship twice more, until Iona thought she was going to get dizzy, and vanished behind the sails. It was gone.
Iona collapsed on her knees, smiling so wide it hurt. She had gotten her wish.
People didn't normally have a skip in their step after a night in the crows nest. Most of them were stumbling around, looking drunk and wishing they were.
Iona, was quite the opposite.
Marco was amused to see her practically skipping around the boat, smiling massively.
"Have a good night?" Marco couldn't help asking. He'd been careful not to turn his front to her last night. He was having fun. He would keep it up a little longer, maybe two more nights. He didn't want to ruin her special bird too fast.
Iona turned bright eyes upon him. She caught his hands, glowing from something that certainly wasn't her powers.
"It was great! Can I do it again tonight?" she asked. Marco quirked a brow.
"Most people ask for a couple of nights off after they've been in the crows nest. You don't have to."
"I want to," she said quickly, squeezing his hands. She had a penchant for touching other people. Brushing shoulders, touching someone's back when she went behind them, grabbing hands, running her fingers through people hair. Marco had never met someone with that particular habit before.
"Ask Tam to switch with you," he advised. He knew that Tam would jump on the opportunity. He'd been trying to get in with one of Pop's nurses for a while now. He would be glad to have a night off.
"I will! Thank you, Marco," she awarded him a smile that warmed his heart. She was so amazed by things that everyone else saw as mundane. She saw things in a light different from the rest of them. It was refreshing. Marco was glad that they had her with them.
Iona waited, long into the night. She didn't lose hope this time. She didn't worry that she wouldn't see her bird again. Even if she didn't, she had two memories of it's beauty, and that was almost enough. Almost. It was enough to make her happy, but Iona found that she was greedy. She wanted more.
She got it.
She didn't know what time it was when the light changed and the wing beat around her. She didn't care. All she cared about was the fact that the bird had come back. She watched it turn around the ship, circling languidly around the boat.
Iona flung herself against the edge of the basket to look down, eyes wide, when the bird flew between the sails, weaving between the three before it angled itself south and disappeared again.
Three times. Three times should have been enough.
It wasn't even close.
Iona traded with Tam again. He was all too happy to hop off with Maggie, eat her oatmeal cookies, and eat a little something more.
That boy was not subtle with his affections. Nor did he know the meaning of tmi.
Iona shook her head fondly. She shouldn't be talking. She was getting something out of this, after all.
The woman leaned back, waiting patiently this time. Her bird would show up again, she was sure of it. This might be the last time, seeing as they were leaving the island tomorrow. She wished she had a camera, but she felt that trying to capture its image would somehow be an insult. A disservice to something so amazing.
It appeared from the darkness.
Iona watched it circle the ship thrice before it wove between the masts, expertly avoiding the nets. It was beautiful, shining in the night. Then, it turned upwards and sailed high, until she had to pull back to avoid getting a beak in the face. Wings beat hard around her, threatening to brush her arms with bright blue flames. Wing tore at her hair, pulled at her clothes and threatened to blind her. The only thing that kept her eyes open was her own stubbornness and unwillingness to let this moment go to waste.
The bird towered above her, circled surrounded its dropping eyes. It peered down its long beak at her, lowered its head to nose at her hair. Iona smiled. She did the exact same thing to people plenty often.
"Hello," her voice was soft, barely audible. She didn't want to scare the creature away. Her eyes trailed across its long, arching neck across strong shoulders, down to a chest painted blue with a familiar mark. A mark that now adorned her wrist.
"You beautiful creature, you're one of us," she realized. Slowly, she started to smile. She might see the bird more often.
It stepped down, a leg emerging from the fire. Iona sucked in a sharp breath. Out from the flames emerged Marco, sleepy eyes and half smug smile. Familiar, right there.
Marco was her bird.
"Beautiful, am I?" his voice was light, teasing. Iona took in a slow breath, her mind scrambling to catch up with this new information. Slowly, she reached up, carding her fingers through his pale hair. It wasn't quite short, it wasn't quite long. It was so soft. Were his fiery feathers this soft? Or were they burning hot? She could only seem to voice one word, with all these questions in her mind.
"Very."
