Jones stands up from the desk to look down at the empty bowl in front of him. A smile creeps into formation as the warmth of the meal greets his empty stomach. It radiates within him, placating the foul mood he was previously in. The only warmth he has felt over the years was from the Caribbean sun, and often that was too harsh. This seems like a tender embrace within him, like the girl sent a hug to his frosted insides.
He looks around the room as if there may be prying eyes watching. He has become accustomed to her presence and has learned to be careful with his every move. Seeing she is not in the room, which he already knew, he picks up the bowl and laps out the remainder of his meal with his tongue.
After a few licks, he is disappointed by the vacant taste of a now empty bowl. The Captain notices his feeling of satisfaction as his stomach begins to break down a cooked meal. "Dammit, that was good," he pauses and looks toward the door, "maybe there is still some left…"
Trying not to appear too hastened, the Captain slows his pace once he steps out on the quarterdeck. Looking around, his crew is faithfully hard at work, much to his astonishment. The crew normally takes respite from work when the Captain retires for his evening meal. He ignores the oddity and continues his journey toward the galley.
He finds the door wide open, with the girl seated at the table with her head resting in her hand. Upon seeing him, she jumps to her feet and sends him a polite curtsy.
"Captain, I hope you enjoyed your meal. I hope it was to your greatest satisfaction."
Jones ignores her as his eyes go directly to the pot sitting on the wood stove. He waves his hand dismissively at her. "Is there any left?"
"Yes, sir! Plenty!" Liliana rushes over to the pot with a bowl and scoops out another serving. She turns around to an already seated Captain. "I take it you will not be dining alone this time, or would you like me to leave?"
Jones curls his fingers towards himself to usher her over with his meal. She does as commanded. Jones looks down the large table to see it clean and cleared. "My commendations to ye, miss. However did ye manage to feed the crew and clean up after them so quickly? Last time I checked, they were worse than barnyard pigs at the slop." He looks over to where she stands to notice the unease upon her face.
"Actually, sir, the crew has not eaten."
"Pray why not?" Jones places his spoon on the table and leans forward.
"Well," Liliana sighs, "a few did. Bootstrap, for one, and that surly bosun as well. And there was one man who quite resembles a puffer fish and another who seems to be made of barnacles. Oh, and there was one poor soul who is made entirely from corals. "
Jones nods while making a mental note of those who are not to be punished tonight. "Some of my best men. I must apologize for the rest." The Captain eyes his bowl of food and feels water forming in his mouth for the second time today. Stupid blackguards, he ponders to himself, oh well, more for me. Jones hadn't ordered the crew to eat her meal, but he did stress that he expected it. Why they would choose his harsh punishment and empty guts over the warm and fuzzy feeling the Captain now has in his own stomach makes no sense at all to him.
"Don't fret over it, Captain. Bootstrap explained to me that they may be frightened I would poison them after what they tried on me. I can't say I blame them." Liliana sends the Captain a wicked smile. "They would most certainly deserve it."
"Come, have ye eaten? No? Take a seat, fill yourself. If ye will eat your own creation, then I know ye have not indeed tried to poison us. The crew will learn of it if they see that neither ye nor I are keeled over the side rail disposing of our accounts." The Captain watches as the girl eagerly spoons out her own portion of the meal. He points to the seat in front of him, silently stating that is where she should park herself.
"Am I allowed to eat in your presence?" She asks quietly after she takes the recommended seat on the bench.
"Aye. Ye will be one of the few who are entitled to watch me slurp my stew." Jones pauses to take in a spoonful. "Now, Miss Liliana, what are we to do with the crew? I have some ideas, but some fresh ones may bring some zest into my punishments. "
"I suppose there is nothing we can do, sir. I don't think the crew fancies me much." Liliana stabs at a tender piece of fish with her spoon, looking quite forlorn in the process.
"None of that. Do not sit there feeling sorry for yourself, 'tis not allowed here. And it is nothing personal; ye're a woman, which automatically makes ye bad luck aboard this ship."
"It is very personal, Captain Jones. I am a woman; therefore they hate me because of my gender alone. I did nothing to bring this upon myself, and the only reason for it is the fact that I have female bits, and this alone brings their hatred." Liliana pauses with her recognition of her impropriety. "I apologize for that last part, but it is very frustrating to be disliked for something I cannot control. And if women are such bad luck, why do most ships have a maiden on the front? I do believe it is to guide them and protect them on their journey, is it not? So how can women be bad luck if they seek our protection?"
Jones snickers at the question, noting happily how easily this can turn into one of their argument sessions. He feels a sudden rush of excitement flow through his inner core at the thought of sparring with this little individual who matches his intellect blow for blow. She may be a woman, but she can defend herself like a man when she needs to, and he admires that.
"For one thing, ye may not have noticed that those particular maidens are not alive and therefore cannot cause the same anarchy and chaos that a real woman could! Women aboard ships have been known to cause crewmen to turn against each other for her affections. And most Captains do not need that extra amount of stress amongst his crew. So Miss Liliana, ye and your kind are nothing but trouble." His blue eyes widen mischievously as he stares at her frowning face. He fights off a smile by popping a large chunk of fish in his mouth.
"If anything, you men are nothing but trouble…and complete hypocrites! Fighting over a woman, how pathetic! Any woman aboard a ship would be more than willing to avoid the ruthless, unending sexual needs of you barbarians. But do not fool yourself into believing that it is easy being the soul creature aboard this ship with any manners. Being surrounded by you stinking, filthy men has been nothing but agony for me! I should not be preparing food; I should be drawing a bath for you all! There are times you come in from the rain and you smell worse than a wet dog, and I could faint because of it. This ship needs, no, is craving the feminine touch. And you yourself said that I am needed aboard this ship now; do not deny it, sir. Come to think of it, now that I belong, I want a pirate name." She curls her hand into a fist and slams it on the table. Hitting the surface too hard, she tries to hide her grimace from the Captain, but his astuteness catches it immediately.
He does not hide his humor. All the while, the Captain has been silently eating through her tirade, watching her every move carefully and savoring her absent minded ability to drop her lady-like mannerisms.
"I have the perfect name for ye then." Jones continues to stare at her while consuming his meal.
"Indeed? That quick?"
"Aye," Jones looks down at his bowl trying to hide a grin that wants to be born onto his lips, "I shall call ye Shorty McLoudmouth henceforth!"
Liliana's jaw drops in disgust. "Are you making fun of my height again?"
"And your big mouth. Really, the two do not go together. So small, yet so very, very big."
"Such audacity! Well, Captain Jones, you henceforth shall be known as Cranky McBadmood."
"Eat your stew, ye wretched creature, before I eat it on ye." Jones grumbles when he realizes he's eaten the entire bowl during their conversation. This time, he was too distracted to savor all the contrasting flavors in the mixture. His attention was chiefly placed on the perplexing girl before him, something else he wouldn't mind getting a taste of.
Seeing her fold her arms in protest, he reaches forward to grab her bowl. But she quickly pulls it out of his reach, leaving him stretched across the width of the table. They glare at each other for a few moments before she smiles at him politely.
"Let's get one thing straight, Captain. This ship may be yours, but this galley…is mine." She taunts him by slowly placing a spoonful of stew into her mouth. "Mmm, that is so good."
"I'm still hungry…" Jones grumbles, almost sounding like a frustrated whimper from a scolded child.
"You had two bowls." Liliana continues to feed herself, laughing inside while watching his eyes follow the spoon to its final destination.
Jones lifts and eyebrow, "I'm a growing boy," he waves a tentacle in her face. "Besides, if ye don't give me another bowl, I will just throw ye overboard."
"You wouldn't, nay, couldn't. Admit it; like you did before, I am needed."
"Ye annoy me…"
"Do I sir? Why do you allow it then? Certainly you do not give such freedoms to your crew."
"Ye are like a flea in the bed. A single flea, so small and insignificant that it would be a waste of my time trying to rid myself of ye. So I put up with your nonsense, miss." Jones tries his hand at niggling her, hoping it will fray her nerves. There is something about seeing this girl frustrated that intrigues him so. It's almost as if she welcomes it, perhaps as much as he does. It certainly helps to pass the time and is far more entertaining than the doldrums of work.
"Hmm, then I shall continue biting you if you allow it."
"Very well. Ye will just have to put up with my foul mood when ye push me too far." Jones stands and walks over to the pot on the stove. He makes a 'hmmm' sound and picks up the cooling pot and carries it over to the table. Grabbing his spoon, he digs in elbow deep into the remaining stew.
Unable to control her delighted response, Liliana lets out a bubbly laugh that warrants a slight smile from the Captain. "That is the best compliment I think I could ever receive. But do not eat until you are sick. I will not clean up after you." She pauses to appreciate the Captain's eagerness to eat her meal and then a sudden melancholy hits her when she realizes why. "You must have been terribly hungry. All these years with no one to look after you, no wonder you are so dreadfully thin. It will do you some good to get proper food into you." A glimpse of his hardened muscles flashes through her mind. She recalls the flat planes of his stomach, remembering clearly that he is very lean under that vest and coat; perhaps regular meals will bulk up that masculine body even more. She wonders silently if she will get to see the end result.
Jones sends her a puzzled frown. He examines the tone of her voice, the words she used. Was that sympathy she just sent his way? "I can take care of myself." He grumbles defensively.
His protective wall is instantly built up again, surrounding his vulnerability. The last woman that pretended to care about his well being was the reason he ended up in this whole mess. No, he will not allow himself to be placed in such a vulnerable state again. He learned his lesson the hard way, and it will not happen for a second time. Jones will have to keep his guard up around this girl; she knocks down his defenses too quickly. There is a safety he feels when he is with her, like he can open up and finally allow his true self to show. But he felt the same way about the last one. No woman can ever be trusted. This girl must have a motive, something to gain. Just like the last one. Jones is unsure of what that might be, but he must quickly find out what it is.
His sudden change in demeanor catches Liliana off guard. The Captain now seems to be eying her with deep suspicion when before he was playfully joking with her. What is it with this man? One minute he seems to allow himself to relax, the next he is defensive.
"I know that, sir. I am just saying that I would be honored if you allowed me to improve your situation."
Jones stops eating and stares at the girl in front of him. "My situation is fine."
"Really? You call starving and constantly being in a foul mood fine?"
"I'll thank ye not to meddle in my personal affairs, miss."
"Very well." Liliana sighs as she goes back to playing with her food with her spoon. Her stomach is growling viciously, begging her to eat, but she seems to have lost her appetite.
Jones clears his throat and steps away from the table. "I will finish this in my quarters. See to it that something is made for the morning. I will deal with the crew shortly."
Liliana watches as the remaining stew is poured out into the Captain's bowl. The chunks of fish plop heavily into the liquid, causing it to splash out onto the table. He takes his bowl and exits the galley swiftly, leaving her behind with the mess. What had she done wrong to cause his improved mood to go downhill so quickly? What did she say that forced him to leave? She carefully examines every word she spoke, and then re-examines them. Liliana finds no trace of anything that would be insulting or damaging to his sensibilities. All she did was offer him some desperately needed kindness. She lets out a heavy sigh as she reaches for the pot. With the sun setting soon, it would be best to have everything done and safely locked away for the night.
She looks over at Tess who now sleeps peacefully on the floor. "Oh, Tess, I have no idea what I am doing wrong. One minute he seems to approve of me, the next, he loathes my presence. I wish there was some way to find out why he seems so defensive around me."