Pressing her face up against the glass, Rozaria peers into the room. It's much harder than it should be because the glass is dirty and fogged up. Not of her fault of course, but because of the filthy men who run this ship. They can't even bother to keep a clean tank for the fish they toss in here, and they can't do it even for her! A bona fide mermaid! Then again what can she expect from a bunch of men who blame all their problems on women. She's heard the things they've said, of how women on ships are bad luck and that ships always crash in the southern reaches because sailors are lured in by the merfolk there. Both are absolutely false. She knows because she grew up and was raised in the southern reaches. Men just come after them while they're sunbathing and crash their own ships. Buffoons.
They mistake many of their men for women just because of the long fins too so she supposes that it's her own fault for expecting anything out of them. Still, not only is the glass disgusting with all that's smeared on it, they even broke her glasses. So now she has to deal with the slight blur on the world that comes with it, along with the slime covering her and the scent of rot that covers up everything else. All in all, it means that she can't differentiate one horribly dressed pirate from another.
She can tell that the figure being dragged in isn't part of the crew though. Now whether that's because the slim body is definitely that of a woman or because they're hurling insults at her she, won't say. Even the resounding crash as they throw the woman onto the floor is muffled by the thick glass, but she still flinches because that must have hurt. One of the tables breaks from the impact and everything goes sprawling over the floor so it definitely isn't some simple fun.
The woman stands up quick so maybe she isn't hurt, or maybe she's just as impressive as Rozaria's beloved is. One of the men goes for her but she dodges easily and runs to the tank that she's in, making her float backwards, away from the glass. The woman climbs atop it, opening up the lid before anyone can do anything and Rozaria peeks her head out of the water.
Eyes widening- "Lady Raskreia? Why?"
"I said I'd come personally didn't I?"
"You did but-" she hadn't actually thought Lady Raskreia would come. Especially not like this- "What about the plan?"
"Still intact," she says, and ducks as one of the pirates throws a chair at her. She goes to caress Rozaria's cheek, brushing one of her fins back as she does- "Calm down. Everything's going fine. All you need to do now is sing, my love, sing."
She can feel her heart in her throat and clasps a hand over Lady Raskreia's. Sing? Right now she isn't even sure if she can even speak from how much she wants to kiss her, but she has to. She hoists herself up and over the edge of the tank, making the pirates stare. It disgusts her and she hates how their eyes go to her body but she smiles, and opens her mouth.
To her it's mundane, absolutely ordinary, but the pirates go into a trance when they hear her voice. They stand where they are and Lady Raskreia takes her into her arms, pulling her fully out of the water. As she clutches onto her, she still sings, and the shock that goes through her body when she jumps and lands on the floor doesn't stop her either. At first her tail drags along the scuffed wood but Lady Raskreia notices how she winces and the way her voice wavers so she lifts her up higher. Rozaria nuzzles her cheek at that, letting her words and notes vibrate against her lover's skin as kisses her.
The pirates just let them pass, and one still holds another of the chairs he was planning on throwing. Now that she's out of the tank they're even uglier, and she returns to watching the only person here worth anything. The way her eyes are focused on the goal, the softness of her skin and how appealing her lips are. Not yet though. Rozaria won't falter yet. Her singing is still needed.
Lady Raskreia carries her through all the different doors and hallways, and as she does her voice rings out, casting all under her spell. Like lovelorn whispers or a mother's lullaby, like the child lost years ago or the waiting lover, like family, like friends. Like people and never things, they want for what they see as she sings. One's deepest desire, is it not for warmth? And warmth is of people, not of coin.
When they reach the deck, the sea greets her and she replies by letting her voice lull, and then having it reach out even louder. Her mother calls for her, and she awaits her return. It's so much better to be near to the sea instead of being locked up in a tank, and it's so much better to be able to smell life in the salt. She sees the others too, Karias and Ignes who serve Lady Raskreia like she does. They'd been the ones who were planned to come. Them and-
"Urokai! Set the fire! Now!"
"Yes m'am!"
Rozaria looks up to mast where she sees red. He snaps his fingers and even more red appears, but this crackles and spits and rages. It's breathtaking. Urokai jumps down with an inhuman ease, because he like her isn't human, and gives her a grin before helping Ignes get all of the things they came for off of the ship. Karias comes to their side though and makes a bridge of light for them to cross over on.
"So everything went well. How're you doing Ria?"
She simply rolls her eyes as she continues to sing. Her voice is growing hoarse but she can't stop just yet. Karias laughs at her and Lady Raskreia continues to carry her until they're on their own ship before setting her down carefully in the pool connected to the sea. Then she leans in to kiss her cheek and goes to take inventory of all the things the pirates had looted from various towns and villages. Ignes gives her the list she's made and Urokai comes to sit beside her while everyone else works. He's silent because he knows she's busy, but when the burning ship is far off in the distance, she finally stops singing.
He gives her a glass, filled with the medicine she brews specifically for times like this, and she takes it gratefully. Gulping it down, she sighs as it works wonders on her throat. It tastes bad sure, but the pain disappears and she doesn't feel like she never wants to speak again.
"Thanks."
"It's fine. Rask would have our heads if one of us didn't help you out anyway. Plus, I'll look everything over and help them out when they inevitably mess up so I'm resting."
She laughs at how sure he is that they'll get the numbers wrong. He's not wrong though. They always seem to get it wrong and he has to come in and fix it up for them. Now, he's always trying to get them to just let him do it from the start but they're a stubborn lot of humans. It's hard to think a fire spirit is better at mathematics and finance than humans who've formally studied it but that's just how it is. She's better at potions and spells than many witches too, but then again most consider her one so that doesn't count the way he does.
They talk a bit more before he's called over which is a shame because he's a good friend. Even if he is an entire generation above her. Fire spirits are difficult that way. They never die, so most end up being way older.
It does mean that Lady Raskreia comes to sit by her instead, and she doesn't mind that as much- "How's everything looking?"
"They barely spent any of their ill begotten goods so we can return it all," she says, and holds her hand, "How about you? Are you fine, my love?"
Rozaria smiles and steals a kiss from her lips like she's been wanting to for a while now. It makes Lady Raskreia blush and that's all she wants in life. Spending her time with her lover and her friends. The job's nice too. They hunt down pirates and return all the stolen goods from their pillaging, and help fix up all the broken lives even after that because of course just returning things won't be nearly enough help.
"Great. I always am. Karias seemed to have been clinging to you more than usual though."
"Ignes was threatening to throw him into the tar and none of the others were helping him. He was complaining about how it would ruin his hair."
"Tar is horrible."
Lady Raskreia giggles at that and stands to leave. As the captain, she's a busy woman. It's a shame but Rozaria isn't affected much by it. She's attractive when she works. As she goes, she lets her head submerge in the water, and loops her fingers in the spell that always makes a person's day just the slightest bit luckier. The previous one had worn off when the table had broken, after all.