Syrena and Phillip swim through a shipwreck, the back of it is marked "The Queen Anne's Revenge", Phillip recalls the days he spent on the ship as a clergymen, and how in his space time he used to spend the day sculpting faces on a pottery wheel and sketching pictures of people whom he had encountered.
They had found a sketchbook of his washed up on the shore, images of a woman who looked just like her filled it, she appeared in various isles of the West Indies, wearing Tudor dresses and corsets which Syrena would never find comfortable for she was used to swimming in the open ocean, with only her scales to cover her. On land she preferred loose shifts, and sometimes even favored Phillips dress-shirts and trousers which she would wear underneath a hat and scarf to hide her feminine features and curves.
Phillip pulls at the back of the ship, at a piece of driftwood which blocks the entrance to the crew cabins, Syrena helps him and once they swim through the opening, they discover a terracotta bust of a woman, unfortunately the pottery wheel has rotted and rusted from the sea water rendering it useless.
Syrena and Phillip swim up to the shore with the bust in hand and change into their clothes, heading to the market. The art merchant there directs them to a potters workshop, sculptures of animals and mermaids line the shelves as well as the vases and pottery.
The potter welcomes them, he's a shorter man with a stout belly and beard.
"Come in come in" he says to the two of them "It is very rare for artists to come to this island and I am growing old and tired, and my stiff fingers have not allowed me to sculpt many pieces." His holds his hands out so he may examine the bust, grabbing a spectacle so he may look at the craftsmanship. "What are your names?"
"Phillip" Phillip gestures to himself "And Smithers"
"Smithers" The potter looks at Syrena closely "Could you remove your mask?"
Syrena and Phillip look at each other quizzically and Syrena lowers it, taking off her hat so that her tresses fall down her back in layers.
"Your name isn't really Smithers is it?"
"No" Syrena says, brushing a hand through her hair.
"And are you still Phillip?"
"Yes"
"This figure looks like her"
"Yes, she even appeared many times before in my sketchbook, it appears, I may have met her before, perhaps in another life."
"He is correct" Syrena says, she stands on her tiptoes so that she may peer over the counter.
"Well, I could use two potters" the potter says, placing down his spectacle and the sculpture on the table, "When would you like to start working?" He walks out from the table in-front of him, carrying a ball of clay "I do not have a dress code, fair lady so you may dress as you please while working here. He directs Phillip to the Potter's table while directing Syrena to the books "Tell me do you know how to read and write?"
"Yes in English and Latin" Syrena says failing to mention the other dead languages which she had picked up in her years as a mermaid.
"Good good" the potter says, grabbing a book "My hands are old and you would be much better at bookkeeping then me."
"Thank you" Syrena says grabbing the book and dipping a quill in ink.
"Nothing to thank me for"
"Tell me kind sir, if I may ask what is your name?"
"Mr Gibbs" he says, "My brother is a pirate but do not confuse me for him, I make a humble living on these pieces." He gestures to his store, Syrena wonders if she should mention his brother but pushes it to the side.
Syrena looks off at the coastline as a dolphin does a flip in the air and thinks of returning to the ocean and swimming back there.
"Well I will be off" Mr Gibbs grabs his own hat and exits the store with a satchel as Syrena and Phillip continue working. A woman enters wearing the latest attire from Versailles, she inquires about Syrena's bust on the counter and several items before having her husband purchase the items for her.
Syrena finds it rather odd, how the sexes of humans are not equal on land, however pushes it aside as she places the pottery in a box and hands it to the woman's slave; even odder that they have slaves.
At the end of the day, Phillip wipes his hands on his apron after washing them, Mr. Gibbs returns and directs them to a spare bedroom.
"It isn't much" Mr Gibbs states, handing them cheese and a loaf of bread.
"It will suffice." Phillip says, patting the spot of the bed next to him, Syrena takes some bread and cheese from him and they eat together. Once they're done they toast to a workday well done and fall asleep spooning, making sure that they get enough rest so that they may live to fight another day in their immortal lives.