"Please?"
"No can do, lass."
"Pretty please?"
"Still a no."
"I promise I won't get in the way."
A low, annoyed sigh escaped the Captain of the Bridgestone. He ran a calloused hand over
his face and moustache, a tired expression on his wrinkled face as he inspected the young,
Brown haired girl in Front of him, who, oh so kindly, seemed to try to annoy him into
compliance.
"There is no place for a young lass like yerself on this here ship. Ye have no Business being
here in the first place," he looked her up and down, inspecting her clothes. She fidgeted
somewhat nervously beneath his sharp gaze, not liking how his eyes lingered on her pants
and shirt.
"Why is it that ye chose this life Anyway, miss? Instead of readin' and stitchin' and some
such, " He added, eyeing her sceptically.
Fenja looked away, her gaze now on the rigging, watching the crewmates move about,
carrying crates and Barrels.
"I uh… wanted to Look for an adventure, really…. That's it…" She explained meekly with a
small shrug.
It wasn't exactly wrong. She *was* looking for something, alright. And she was glad He was
asking her proper questions that she could somewhat answer, instead of needling her about
her funny accent.
The Captain grunted and raised an eyebrow, smoothly side-stepping a crewmate carrying a
crate. Fenja had to hastily scramble to the side to get out of the way, her sweat covered
hands fiddling with the hem of her shirt.
"Methinks… Yer not ready to take on a life like this one. It ain't pretty and it ain't for little
lasses like yerself," He explained, a hint of condescension in his voice. Fenja grew annoyed
at that but managed to keep her face neutral. Urgh, did He really have to talk down on her
like that?
"'specially one of your… Statue. I do not think this old girl here can carry more than she
already has. So, if you'll excuse me, I have more important matter to attend to than care for a
runaway girl." He turned around then, making it clear He was done with the conversation.
Fenja felt her heart sink. She knew she was plump and that she didn't exactly have the skills
fit for a sailor. But she would have been willing to learn, if it had gotten her where she
needed to go.
"Oh…" She replied, her small voice drowned out by the hussle and Bussle around her. The
Crewmen send her various glances. Pity, confusion, surprise, leers and some just ignored
her entirely. Tugging on her sleeve, she felt horribly out of place. Because, Well… She Was.
This May have been earth, but it wasn't her World. This was a World with magic and
supernatural beings. And yet, this certainly was England in the 18th century as all things
magical were but a myth to everyday people here. Not to Fenja though. She knew what Was
sailing on those waters stretching over the Horizon. All she had to do was get on that Certain
ship. But getting on water was a lot harder than it would have been if this had been her real
world and Real time.
Rubbing her eyes with her sleeve, she slowly made her way back down the Plank. No time
to dwell on insecurities. She had to find a way to get on the Bridgestone. Calypso, or Tia
Dalma, had explicitly told her that that was her path to get to that Certain ship.
Hastily, she made her way through the huge crowd of people, all babbling and shouting and
busy as bees, it seemed. The girl tried her best to ignore the stinging glares of men and
women alike. God, what was so terrible about a girl wearing pants? Fenja sure Was glad
when she finally escaped into a more woodsy part of the Docks, away from all the fuss.
Sighing in relief and resignation, she settled down next to a tree stump. It was quiet here, as
Well as smelling better too. Fenja tried to take a deep breath, hoping she could just let the
rejection and subtle insults glaze over her but a few stray tears managed to escape. Another
sigh as she closed her eyes. "Okay… it's okay," and soon enough, more tears followed suit.
Quiet, soft tears of dejection and hurt but she knew this was necessary before she could
move on.
Soon enough, the gentle Touch of an early summer breeze danced across her face, gently
dying her tears. The rustling of the leaves and the chirping of the birds Were a soothing
Atmosphere, far away from the shouting of the Dock. A heavy, shaky sigh escaped her and
finally she felt ready to find another way to get on the Bridgestone.
Maybe she could ask for Passage as a citizen? Though she wasn't sure if they even took on
Passengers and besides… She didn't even have enough money to pay the Fee Anyway, she
noticed as she pulled out her last few shillings. Yeah, that was most definitely not going to be
enough to pay everything. Well… What else… She could try to Pass as another crewmate,
but she knew for a fact that wouldn't work either. She just didn't have the Statue or voice to
pretend she was a boy.
She sighed. Guess she had to stow away. Pulling out a golden bracelet, she inspected the
heart shaped crystal that contained some of her blood. The Red liquid swished around inside
its little prison like a lava lamp. It was a gift from Calypso and it helped her be able to
teleport. Only to places or people she had met and only if she focused. On top of that, her
tries were finite. She could only teleport 11 times per moon phase, the New moon signaling
another New 11 tries.
The precious item could not be used by anyone else but her, as the blood inside was hers.
She and her friend both got such an item, in Case of emergencies. And… Well… Fenja
supposed this was one of those emergencies. How else could she even get onto the ocean?
Trying to sail herself would be suicide and a waste of time. No, she had to teleport on Board
that ship.
So, that evening, she made preparations. Buying food and a blanket, filling her bag and
emptying her wallet. But it was all Worth it, she told herself, once she met *him*.
Remembering what her purpose was helped her ignore the many odd glances from
strangers, though she wished she wasn't alone and had her friend come along. But she was
an adult, a young one but still able to tackle this on her own. She hoped, Anyway. Many
times, she nervously fiddled with the knob of the dagger hanging from her waist. She had no
Experience as a fighter in any capacity but this dagger was a special sort and could save her
out of a pickle. Luckily, she didn't have to use it though.
Pulling out her bracelet in a secluded corner, she grasped it tightly, her flesh molding around
the Metal. Taking a deep breath, Fenja closed her eyes and focused on the deck of the
Bridgestone. She knew the Crew was busy elsewhere, probably drinking and what not so
this was the perfect opportunity. And with a soft *plop* she vanished into a puff of Sparkles.
The little sprinkles of light vanished into the air, leaving the spot where the girl had just stood,
empty.
One moment, the Bridgestone was deserted. In the next, Fenja appeared, her feet firmly
planted on the planks. Holding onto her magic trinket, she cautiously looked around and
made sure no one saw her just spawning out of thin air. With slow and careful steps, she
made her way down towards the belly of the ship, deciding it would be best to hide
somewhere in the cargo hold.
Her palms were sweating like crazy. This really Was already a pirate adventure, huh? And
she hadn't even reached her actual destination yet. She kept a tight grip on her bracelet,
knowing it was her only means of escape if she was found. Finally, she reached the crates
and Barrels of cargo and settled down in a far end corner. It seemed like the cargo Was not
cattle or… Worse, to her luck.
She shivered at the thought of All the poor people being hauled on Ships to be Transported
across the ocean. She shook her head, she couldn't dwell on the many, many war crimes
happening in this time. She would do what she could to help and that was that.
The air down there smelled, Well, not good. It smelled like wet wood, as to be expected but
also like rotten fish. Fenja scrunched up her nose in disgust but then sighed. She would
have to get used to that smell sooner or later. After all, she was going to be here for a while.
Slipping her bracelet underneath the Red scarf around her waist, she made sure to hide it
from view. The Metal dug a bit into her skin through her shirt, Especially if she slumped
forward, but she would have to get used to that as Well. Or… And a better idea came to her
mind. Pulling out the bracelet, she pushed her Boot off and slipped the trinket over her ankle
before putting the Boot back on. That way it would stay out of sight and close to her,
meaning she can teleport away at any time.
And so, she waited. Too bad she couldn't bring anything to occupy herself with. Her bag was
full of food, a blanket, and a flask that could Filter sea water (a magical item she had found
on an Island before she got on this island). No space left for anything fun. Because of course
she lost her Phone when she and her friend first stumbled into this world. Not like she could
use it or charge it Anyway…
Out of boredom, she checked her supplies for the umptenth time. She had enough dry food
to last a couple of days and her flask was easily refilled. On top of that, she still had around 9
attempts at teleportation. Though, she hoped she wouldn't have to use any in the coming
week.
Pulling out the blanket, she tried to make the wooden planks beneath her as cozy as she
could. Hard task but she managed Well enough. The blanket served as a thin mattress, her
bag as a pillow and her scarf as a blanket. The soft rhythm of the water lulled her into a
doze. Now she only hoped there were no spiders crawling about…
On the next day, she was startled awake by loud voices and footsteps trampling on the
wooden ground. Hurriedly, she packed up her makeshift bed and hid in the darkest corner
next to her. Fenja Heard voices growing more clearer and pronounced as a few people came
down stairs to check on their cargo. Listening intently, she stayed out of sight as one Set of
footsteps stomped around, the man grumbling to himself as if annoyed.
Her heartbeat quickened as the Crewmate approached her hiding Spot. But He seemed less
than enthusiastic in his task, just taking a short look around and soon enough, He returned
back to the others. Fenja sighed. She wasn't sure she could bear many more close calls like
that, but, yet again… This is what she signed up for. She didn't *have* to be here. This was
all purely a private pursuit.
Opening her bag, she grabbed a piece of dry pork and nibbled on it. In Fairness, she had
never been terrible at hide and seek but she doubted she could hide away forever.
Especially for days. She had no doubt that she would be found sooner rather than later.
Hopefully, she will have found her ship of interest then. Well, only time could tell if she really
Was a Master at hiding or not. Fenja could only hope for the best.
Another hour or so passed, not that Fenja could tell, locked away from sunlight as she was.
But time passed and soon enough, she felt a tug of gravity that signalled the moving of the
Bridgestone. Its planks creaked and groaned under the pressure of 20 men, a girl and
several Barrels of cargo.
Despite the tense situation, Fenja smiled. She had sailed in her own World before, but never
with an actual ship with sailings. Since coming to this Dimension, she had to sail quite a bit
and it had always been an exciting venture. Yet, she lacked proper skills to actually sail a
boat or ship herself. Her friend and her had just kind of winged it for the most part, or got
lucky. But actual Seafaring skills? No. And Fenja doubted 'hoping for the best' Was a long
living attitude. Maybe one day she would find someone to teach her…maybe.
The days passed agonizingly slow. Since Fenja Was stuck in a dimly lit corner of the ship,
she had to find ways to entertain herself to somehow Pass the time. Like counting the
Barrels, crates and the planks. Again. And again. And again. More often than not, she
wished she was on the upper deck, feeling the sea breeze through her hair and the sunshine
on her face. Oh, what she wouldn't give to watch the sunset… but she couldn't reveal herself
yet. She had to stay hidden. They would either throw her into the brig, kick her overboard or
kill her on the spot if they found her. She knew These were quite extreme what-ifs but… she
was a woman. There were even worse outcomes but she didn't even want to waste a single
second thinking about them. So hiding it was. She'd rather not waste her teleportation
attempts on escaping the Brig Anyway, especially since she would have to start from the
Port again… resetting her progress back to where she started.
So her Routine was very one-sided. Eat, Drink, wait, count the wooden planks for the
millionth time and sleep. Occasionally, she would have to snuck even further into her hiding
Spot as crewmates Wander in and out of the cargo hold. But all in all, it wasn't too bad. She
managed to keep herself warm enough and being bored was better than the Alternative, so
there was that.
Until… A few days later.
About a week had passed and Fenja grew quite restless. She really needed something to
do. Maybe she could sneak out during the night and Look at the Stars? She had to,
needed* to do something remotely exciting or she would explode.
So when night came, she sneaked her way up the stairs and past the snoring Crew, her
heart beating like crazy the entire time. Once she reached the deck, she sighed softly,
breathing in fresh air that she had denied herself for a week. She sighed deeply and then
froze in absolute terror.
Oh God. She was stupid. So stupid. How could she have forgotten? Of course there would
be someone steering and watching the ship! Fenja could slap herself across her forehead if
she hadn't been frozen in terror. She had just been so desperate…
The Crewmate behind the wheel stared back at her, equally as surprised as she was to See
her. He shook himself and hurriedly Rang the Bell next to him, alerting everyone on the ship.
It all happened so fast for Fenja. One moment, the deck was deserted, in the next, all the
Men had assembled, grunting and murmuring to each other. Fenja's legs were shaking as
the Captain made his way through his crew. The Second His gaze landed on the girl he had
rejected just a week ago, he sighed deeply, his eyes narrowing.
He pinched the bridge of his nose as if he had caught a particularly naughty child.
"Let me take a Wager, lass… After our little palaver, you decided to smuggle yerself on
Board of this here ship instead of taking my decline like a proper young Lady would. And
here ye be. " He looked the frozen girl up and down, his eyes glittering in the dim lantern
light as his mates whispered and muttered behind him. One of the men reached out towards
Fenja's bag and with a sharp gasp, she pulled back, frightened like a deer.
"Easy there, lass. We ain't happy about stowaways but we ain't going to harm ye," The
Captains voice Was low and calming, trying to soothe the girls fear. He took a cautious step
forward but then a Crewmate spoke up, shouting over all the mutterings.
"She sneaked on this ship, Cap'n! Scurrying around like a little Rat she did! I knew there be
vermin hiding under deck!", several voices murmured in agreement, not happy about a
stowaway, least of All a girl. "It's bad luck, it is. We should throw her overboard," another
suggested, earning grunts of acceptance.
Fenja could feel her heart sink. What… What was she supposed to do now? This wasn't part
of the Plan at all… She tried to say anything to defend herself, but her throat was dry and
her limbs had turned to ice. There were so many of them… She had to get away. Teleport
herself out of here. Even if she had to start from scratch. At least she would be alive and
untouched then.
Fenja barely registered the Captain trying to settle his crew as she Held tightly onto her bag.
Her Vision swam but she forced herself to Focus. Focus on the Dock. Focus on the Grass,
the trees, the birds. Focus on–
A violent Lurch catapulted everyone across deck as the ship crashed into something Solid.
Fenja yelped and landed harshly onto the wooden floor, her chin connecting with the planks
while the men stumbled into one another, curses and grunts of pain being thrown around.
Hastily, Fenja scrambled to her feet, the feeling returning to her limbs. Quickly, she ran
passed the rigging, glancing over the railing to See what they had crashed into. Fenja
squinted, trying to make out what it was in the darkness of the night. But it certainly was no
water as it would have reflected the starry night.
"What in Blazes…" The Captain groaned as he got to his feet. Looking up, He noticed there
was no one behind the wheel. Angrily, He turned to his men. "Who amongst you left their
Station at the wheel?!"
The Crew was still fumbling and untangling themselves from each other, too disoriented and
busy to reply to their Captains question. Irritated, He turned to assess the situation, leaning
over the railing as well.
"We ran aground! Everyone, get your behinds movin'!" The Captain's voice hollored over the
Crews bickering and grumbling as they unhappily began to disperse. Some mumbled about
their luck changing for the worst because of that 'wench', some other cast nasty glares in
Fenjas general direction.
They were just about to descend into the shallow water, when a low rumbling Sound was
echoing through the silence. Barely a few Seconds later, a ship crashed through the surface,
the water bubbling and foaming by the disturbance. Fenja gasped when she saw the coral
covered vessel of the damned. There it was. She found it! Fenja almost smiled. But then
something clicked. How would she get on the Dutchman undetected? She slapped her
forehead.
Meanwhile, the Crew and their Captain of the Bridgestone gaped in shock and horror at the
other Ship that had seemingly appeared out of thin air. Some forced their legs into motion
and jumped ship, hoping to find safety on Land, while others lunged for weapons or hiding
spots. The panicked shouts and yells were so loud, the Captain couldn't make himself be
Heard as he desperately tried to gain back control of his men's frenzy.
Fenja had to dodge several panicked crewmembers as they rushed past her to get off the
ship. There were so many Silhouettes and shadows moving about, as well as all the noise, it
got too much for Fenja. Squeezing her eyes shut, she aimed for the lower Decks, her feet
carrying her as if on Autopilot as she tried to shut out the animalistic hysteria around her.
Several times she almost tripped and Fell, several times she bumped into a larger body and
every time she barely registered it.
The next time she got herself back in control, she was huddled in the far end corner of the
cargo hold. Exactly where she had spent the last week. Cold sweat poured down her hands,
her heart galloping like a racing horse in her chest. Taking several breaths, she tried to gain
back her hearing as all she Heard now Was a continuous beep. She wasn't new to these
sensations so she was aware of how to handle them. Her head swam, she couldn't even
remember why she had run in the first place.
The girl wasn't even aware her boots were getting wet from the water flowing in through the
holes in the ship. Another few moments passed and she was finally able to hear again.
Fenja inhaled and exhaled deeply as she Heard the chaos on deck. Growls and shouts of
crewmembers from both the Dutchman and the Bridgestone were audible. The sinking
realization of what would Happen to them Hit Fenja like a Hammer. They would not meet a
Kind fate…
After another Minute or so, the havoc upstairs calmed considerably. The Dutchman Crew
probably caught all of them and now just waited for their Captain to arrive. Fenja gripped her
bag, grasping it tightly. There was not much she could do here. Sure, she *could* try and
save those men. But how? A girl Was no Match against an entire Crew of supernatural
beings. And she definitely didn't have the Deal-making skills of Jack Sparrow (Captain!). Not
to mention, she still had to get onto the Dutchman for her own reasons.
Sighing helplessly, she knew there wasn't much she could do to help. As much as she
wished. She'd get yeeted or killed instantly and what good would that do? Footsteps and
gurgling noises alerted Fenja to someone coming down stairs. She gasped and hid behind a
Barrel, hunkering down until her knees dipped into the accumulating puddle.
Out of nowhere, Fenja scrunched up her nose as a nasty smell of rotting fish Hit her. It was a
lot stronger than before too. A huge, hulking figure descended into the cargo hold. At least
Fenja figured they were big as she couldn't See a thing in the darkness. Then, a small light lit
up, hovering in the air and finally the head came into view. Fenja had to stifle another gasp.
It was Angler! At least the Name was easy to remember as that particular crewmate of the
flying Dutchman had an Angler fish as a head. The little light Was emanating from the lure
swishing to and fro as Angler gazed around the toppled over Barrels and crates.
With bated breath, Fenja stared at the fish man, watching his large form stomp about as if
looking for something. Surely He didn't know she was in here, right? But then why was He
here? A crack that made her horribly flinch answered her unspoken question. Angler Tore off
the top of a Barrel, seemingly inspecting the contents within. Ah, right. They would probably
like to take some of the cargo. They were still pirates, sort of. To a degree… Well, Fenja
wasn't exactly sure what they were since Davy Jones abandoned his Job as Ferryman.
As she kept on watching, she lowered one of her hands. A startled yelp escaped her as her
hand sunk into the icy water and she hastily pulled it out.
"Who's there?!" Uh oh. With a pounding heart, Fenja saw how the light and footsteps got
closer to her hiding Spot. Should she teleport away? *Closer.* But could she, right now?
And closer.* Her Brain was in shambles, could she even keep Focus long enough?
Her Dilemma was short lived as the Barrels covering her were roughly shoved away,
revealing her small, cowering Form. Angler blinked down at her, leaning closer to get his
light shining on her. Fenja leaned back. CGI Was one thing but this was the Real Deal and
seeing a real life Version of an Angler Fish getting into her face like that… She couldn't do
much but recoil in horror, her body frozen stiff.
"A lassie?" The voice of the fish man was low and gurgly as if He was speaking with water in
his mouth. Fenja could See glimpses of sharp teeth as his large jaw moved up and down as
he talked. "Hrmm… The Cap'n might fancy her…"
It seemed like He was talking more to himself, but Fenja was too stunned to properly
converse Anyway. When He reached out to her with his odd Mix of fish and hand, the girl
tried to scramble away. She was aware she could teleport but her instincts told her to flee. To
no avail, however, as Angler grabbed the back of her shirt and roughly pulled her into the air.
Frozen like a Statue, Fenja covered her face, squeezing her eyes shut.
She could use her little dagger as well, though she knew next to nothing about wielding a
weapon. That daggers knob, on the other hand, had magical Power that could paralyze or
even knock people unconscious with just a touch. If she rammed the knob into the hulking
fish man carrying her, she'd probably get free. But… Maybe it was better to See where this
was going. Perhaps, she'd get lucky, maybe the Captain wouldn't kill her instantly.
So, instead of resisting, she clutched her bag tightly in her arms to at least have something
to hold onto as she was transported onto the upper deck.
And there He was, already inspecting his Potential new "recruits" that were lined up and on
their knees. Some were shaking, some were clenching their fists, all of them looked
anywhere but at the looming man pacing in Front of them.
Davy Jones smoked his pipe, as casually as if He was simply taking a stroll. Angler let go of
the girl, Grabbing her shoulder and forcing her to walk forward on shaky legs. "Cap'n?" He
began, approaching Davy. The Captain's head jerked around, his tentacles swishing about.
His icy blue eyes first landed on Angler and then snapped down toward the trembling girl.
He smiled a sly smirk. "Ah, Well. Looky what we have here, boys. A little stowaway, hm?" He
inquired, rising an eyebrow (?) and taking a long puff of his pipe. Fenja managed to raise her
dark Brown eyes to meet his cold, blue ones, trying to reply something, anything. This was
what she had waited for, After all. To meet him. But now that she was here, she was like a
frightened fawn.
Was this really a good idea? Could she really help this man get the redemption she thought
He deserved?