(Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet; just Maryam and any other OC's I've added into the mixture.)
(Authors Note: Hello again dearest readers and fellow writers! First of all, I apologize for not uploading this chapter sooner but I've been rather busy lately and haven't actually uploaded any new content for a little while. Again, life has been keeping my busy which leaves me with little time to just focus on writing/typing. Regardless, thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy this latest chapter. Also, feel free to leave a comment as I enjoy your feedback and take inspiration from them :) Until next time, stay hydrated, make good choices, and stay awesome!)
"English/Common"
"Sarcasm or Emphasis"
**Dreams**
"Shouting/Yelling"
Chapter 8
Although she was still a bit shaken up from her near-death experience with the selachimorphia galacticus, Maryam was now back to scraping barnacles off the hull at her own request. While Flint was initially against it, she convinced him that she simply wasn't the type of person to leave a job half-done, nor did she want fear to consume her. No. If she wanted to be taken seriously as a possible crew mate, she needed to prove her worth and grit.
Popping off another barnacle, the young hybrid looked at the progress she had made and smiled. Sure, there was still plenty left to do and she hadn't even switched to the port side of the ship yet, but the starboard side certainly looked a lot better than it did earlier when she and Will first started this particular chore. Now that it was just her, it would take a bit longer; however, this didn't phase Maryam one bit. On the contrary, she liked the peace and quiet this sort of task provided her with.
Sure, she enjoyed conversing with B.E.N and some of the other crew members when the opportunity presented itself, but she also liked having some time to herself. Since arriving on the Walrus, she barely had time to herself as she was always among others, but that's part of ship life: you're never alone for long and privacy is a luxury few can obtain.
Taking advantage of her current isolation, Maryam began to softly hum to herself; oblivious to the fact that her melody was being carried on the solar winds, making it audible to all those on deck, including the Captain.
A small (almost nonexistent) smile appeared across Nathaniel's face as he listened to the soothing sound, while also noting how much more relaxed he was. Even B.E.N noticed his change in demeanor from his location; to which he smiled, knowing Maryam was the cause of his (Flint's) current contentment.
XXXXX
-Later-
Upon finishing her chores for the day, Maryam joined B.E.N and Nathaniel for dinner in his stateroom. As she leisurely cut into her boiled starchroots and roasted ovis, the young hybrid glanced over at Flint with a shy expression, "May I ask you something, Captain?"
"Ye may."
"_Why did you become a pirate?"
At her question, Flint's gaze settled on hers, yet his expression remained neutral. Seeing the genuine curiosity in her sapphire blue eyes, he emitted a soft huff as the faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, "Yer noisier than I thought."
"I get that a lot back home," she admitted with a shrug before a sharp whistle sounded off:
"Port ho," a loud holler rang out, signaling the ship was approaching the Torgual spaceport. Hearing this, both Flint and Maryam headed on deck with B.E.N following along behind them.
Having only been to one spaceport in her entire life, the young hybrid was curious to see what sort of port they would be docking at; however, she couldn't see anything resembling a port. Glancing up at the Captain, she curiously asked, "Where's the port? I don't see anything past this asteroid field."
A faint smirk appeared along his maw at her question, but he kept his gaze forward as he stood beside Billy Bones at the helm, "It's right in front of us."
"In the asteroid field?!"
"Aye," he glanced down at her from the corners of his eyes while maintaining that charming smirk of his.
For her part, Maryam could only stand and watch as Billy expertly steered the Walrus through the hazardous field until they reached the center. Her sapphire eyes widened upon seeing that the spaceport itself was actually one enormous asteroid that closely resembled a dwarf planet.
"Welcome to Torgual spaceport, Miss Weller," Flint stated as the ship neared their destination.
The felinid/human hybrid stared in awe at the sheer size of the rock they were approaching and gazed out towards the various ships that entered and exited its numerous docking stations. "Wow, this place is huge! And you said it's not regulated by the galactic federation?"
"Aye. So, for your own safety, ye'd best stay on the ship or remain by my side whilst we're here," he warned, to which she gave an understanding nod. That last thing she wanted was to be shanghaied onto another ship and end up being sold into slavery, or worse.
A small shudder made its way across her frame at the thought of becoming a plaything for a bunch of pirates or a wealthy merchant looking to take advantage of a young woman in distress.
Absolutely not!
XXXXX
Once the Walrus was docked and powered down, many of the crew disembarked and went about their own business with the understanding that they would only be spending three days in port to restock their supplies. Heeding the Captain's warning, Maryam stayed close to his side as they (and several other crewmen, including B.E.N) disembarked the ship and made their way through the docks and over to a rowdy-looking tavern.
The sound of music, laughter and slurs of drunken spacers and wenches emanated throughout the establishment as they approached; however, upon entering, the atmosphere grew tense as Flint's very presence struck fear in all who laid eyes upon him. Unphased by their cowardliness, he walked over to the far corner of the tavern and sat facing the door, to which B.E.N, Maryam and the crewmen followed his lead and joined him at the large table. Shortly after sitting down, a busty arcturian woman approached and addressed the group:
"What can I get for ya lot?"
"A round of ale for my men and a pint of oil for my navigator," Flint neutrally answered in his usual gruff tone. "And tell ol' Tom to fix a flagon of his special grog for the lass," he added as he handed her a small purse of coins, which she graciously took and gave him a nod before heading off to retrieve their drinks.
"Who's old Tom," Maryam curiously asked, causing all the men to stare at her before Flint spoke:
"To put it short, ol' Tom was part of the original crew that Billy an' I first sailed with when we were young whelps. He was the ship's cook as well as one of the most notable bastards this side of the galaxy," he added with a speck of humor in his tone. "Now, if ye want to hear more, ye'll have to wait until we're back on the ship."
"And why's that?"
"Because I said so," he replied dryly while his golden eyes locked onto her sapphire ones, causing her heart rate to slightly increase at the intensity of his gaze.
Not wanting to argue with him, she dropped the subject and sat quietly while the men casually conversed among themselves before the arcturian woman returned with the drinks. Of course, she had to make multiple trips, but in the end, the whole table was lined with flagons.
While the men started guzzling down their ale, Maryam picked up her grog and curiously sniffed the foreign liquid before taking an inquisitive sip. To her surprise, she actually enjoyed it. Taking another sip, she suddenly noticed Flint staring at her from the corner of her eye, causing her cheeks to heat up as a faint smirk appeared across his face:
"I take it ye like the grog?"
Swallowing the bittersweet liquid, Maryam gave him a nod, "I do. Obviously, I can still taste the rum, but it's not nearly as strong as it normally is."
*tsk* "Lightweight," he softly muttered under his breath, to which she narrowed her felinid eyes as another smirk appeared across his face: He knew she heard him, hence his current amusement.
'Arse,' she mentally huffed, knowing he was deliberately teasing her.
(Another Authors Note: So, I hope this chapter was worth the wait :) Again, I'm sorry for not uploading it sooner. Also, I wanted this chapter to mainly be a semi-cute/sweet bit between Maryam and Flint because why not :D Anyways, thanks again for taking the time to read this story and I hope you're enjoying it so far :))