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Post by Elvander on Jul 29, 2019 19:48:29 GMT
"Jesus, Dante, are you drunk already? We've barely cast off," Teddy exclaimed when his fellow pirate came over talking nonsense about catching mermaids. Teddy didn't even have time to ask any more questions as Dante dragged him down to the gun deck.
Once handed the rope, he glanced around and tied it to a nearby mortar, which would be heavier than a cannon and would take a lot of effort to move. He helped Dante move the cannon before he grabbed the netting and bunched it in his hands a specific way so it would be easy to throw and would fan open once it was released.
"Fucking suns got to him," he muttered under his breath. "Fucking mermaids... unbelievable."
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Post by Elvander on Jul 29, 2019 19:48:46 GMT
Noelani did not survive for as long as had because she was stupid. Mermaids were apex predators of the sea, even able to take down large sharks, whales, and other sea monsters when they worked together. Her eyes were sharper than land-dwellers, primed and practiced in detecting the slightly movement from her prey - so they didn't miss the way he glanced around. She couldn't be sure if he was looking around to make sure no one else saw or to attract someone's attention, but it raised a red flag nonetheless.
When his attention returned to her, he agreed to come lower and flashed her a smile, but something didn't sit right with Noelani. The look on this sailor's face wasn't just lust, there was something else. Mermaids were incredibly instinctual and her instincts were screaming at her that something wasn't right. Without the backup of her sisters, she couldn't afford a mistake. Noelani wasn't worried, though. Men were inherently stupid. They were lustful and greedy and they destroyed everything they touched. They were no match for one of nature's most elusive and dangerous predators.
When his head disappeared, Noelani took the opportunity to space herself a little ways from the ship. Close enough that she could converse with him, should he return, but far enough away that she could scope the situation out before deciding what to do. Worst come to worst, she would swim away hungry. There were other things for her to eat.
"Sailor?" She called out, her exotic accent heavy.
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Post by Elvander on Jul 29, 2019 19:49:04 GMT
Dante was too enthralled with the prospect of catching a mermaid to protest Teddy's comments regarding his level of inebriation and mental stability, and besides, he didn't imagine Teddy would actually believe him until the other man saw Noelani.
He scanned the water with practiced eyes until catching sight of her head bobbing between the waves, just as she spoke. Could Teddy hear her voice? Even the way that she talked was intoxicating. "Over here, love," he called, leaning out of the opening with one hand braced to the inside wall. "Is this close enough for you?"
If worse came to worst and he somehow ended up in the water, he had faith that his magic would be enough to save him; she might be a creature of the sea, but he could manipulate the water to his will. Moreover, if she attempted to escape, he could use the water to bind her until they were able to throw a net out and ensnare her. He couldn't fathom a scenario in which this didn't work in their favor.
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Post by fritter on Aug 1, 2019 19:00:32 GMT
Teddy was too busy muttering to himself under his breath to hear Noelani's voice over the crash of waves against the side of the ship.
He stood there, net at the ready in his hands, and most definitely did not consider throwing Dante overboard. He could always blame it on Dante's own idiocy, or claim the man was drunk. Maybe then Teddy could actually get some peace and quiet for once.
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Post by starrea on Aug 8, 2019 2:22:09 GMT
It wasn't long before the sailor leaned out of a shadowed opening. Her original game plan would have been to go closer, to seduce him with a kiss before pulling him down and under. But she hesitated. Unfortunately, when her prey were men, her hunting strategy relied on her being close to her prey. Usually, this wasn't an issue, as mermaids were stronger, faster, and smarter. But something wasn't sitting right with her - and if she ended up in trouble, she wouldn't have anyone around to save her.
There was no other way to lure him closer to her, there was no way he would jump into the water. She had no other hunting strategy. It was either risk it and continue with her hunt, or leave hungry - and she did not particularly want to do that. Noelani would just have to rely on the fact that she was smarter, faster, stronger than land-dwelling men.
She closed the distance between her and the ship, going right up the side of it as it crashed through the waves. The turbulence made it a constant effort to keep her head steady and above water, but nothing too difficult. The opening wasn't far above her, only just out of her reach. She could easily make the jump and grab him, but it would easier to get him to lean or reach down. Less risk involved.
"Ever kiss a mermaid, sailor?" She asked, drawing out her words a little to let her accent hang, "I've never kissed a pirate. I wonder what its like," The lie was easy. She pushed herself out of the water another inch, her breasts visible once again. She looked up at him with her big dark blue eyes, something that very few men had ever been able to resist.
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Post by eragon on Aug 17, 2019 21:15:19 GMT
If Dante had known that Teddy was plotting his demise, he might have had less faith in the other man, but as things were, he felt confident in the fact that if things went awry, Teddy would be there as his backup.
"Can't say I ever have," Dante called back to Noelani, leaning a little further out of the opening, his hands still braced to the inside edges."Why don't you come up here and we can find out what it's like." After taking a moment to observe and enjoy the sight of her bare breasts, Dante flashed her a crooked smile, something that very few women had ever been able to resist.
Honestly, he couldn't say that he really minded being the bait. Being in life threatening situations such as this reminded him of what it was like to be alive.
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Post by starrea on Aug 28, 2019 20:32:24 GMT
Noelani did not miss the implications behind his invitation up onto the ship. He had some sort of plan for her, had concocted some sort of trap. He wasn't as stupid as he wanted her to believe. The biggest mistake someone could make was underestimating their opponent, and even though the smart choice would be to leave, Noelani was too intrigued, too driven to just abandon this meal. He had presented a challenge of sorts, one she was determined to win.
He flashed a smile, one that he probably believed made most women swoon. She pretended to swoon a little, but it was all an act. All he was to her was a piece of meat that was going to literally sink her teeth into.
"Why don't you come down here sailor?" She asked, pushing herself up enough to rest her elbows on the floor of the opening. Most of her tail was still submerged in the water and she looked up at him with big blue eyes. She could see another poorly hidden man behind him, and she changed the course of her plan.
In one swift movement, she wrapped her hand around the ankle of the sailor and pushed herself off of the ship and back into the water, dragging the man with her. She pulled him down ten or so feet before she released his ankle, diving down into the darkness of the ocean.
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Post by eragon on Aug 29, 2019 19:47:56 GMT
Dante had anticipated Noelani springing out of the water and trying to snatch him, not leisurely resting against the bottom of the window opening. As such, there was no time to warn Teddy to hide from her view. The shift in Noelani's expression was the only clue that things were going downhill before she grabbed him.
Since his arms were still braced to the window frame, he was able to hold himself there long enough to glance at Teddy and gleefully say, "Bloodthirsty little beast, isn't she?" However, with the element of surprise and her supernatural strength, it didn't take Noelani long to pull him down into the water.
Dante wasn't worried yet though. The water was as much his home as it was hers, so she would have little advantage. He could see more clearly through the murkiness than other humans, and he did still have a dagger. It would be easy enough for him to end their little game; all he needed to do was manipulate the water surrounding Noelani to bind her so she couldn't move, and then he could force the water to push her toward the surface and ship for Teddy to snare in the net. She just needed to come back into view.
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Post by starrea on Aug 29, 2019 23:31:49 GMT
The rush of the hunt started to cause a physiological change in her. The biggest and most obvious change was the sharpened fangs that slipped out into view, followed by the emergence of rows of fangs that went farther back towards her throat. Her beauty and allure had worked and gotten him into the water, and now the more primal and monstrous side of her would complete the hunt. She let out a primal scream that sent shock waves through the water. It was a warning - a scream that she was coming for him.
Noelani knew he had a plan. He probably had a weapon on him. But down here, under the water, he was in her territory. All she needed was to keep him underwater and keep her distance until he expired. He had a few minutes, tops. It wouldn't even be a challenge.
She blasted up from the depths, hands outstretched with newly-elongated claws. As she passed by Dante, she raked her claws up his back, shredding his clothing. Like a flash, she was gone again. When she reappeared again seconds later, this time she came at him from the side and grabbed his ankle before diving down again, dragging him with her.
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Post by eragon on Aug 30, 2019 16:53:04 GMT
Little did Noelani know, Dante had more than a few minutes. It was true that he couldn't breathe under water, but he could create an air bubble around himself under the water, if necessary. Since the sight of this could alert the mermaid to his abilities, he hadn't done so yet.
Noelani came at him so quickly that his ability to see through the murky water was of little benefit. He knew she was going to attack, but there wasn't enough time for him to react. Her claws dug through his back, spilling blood into the ocean and leaving jagged, painful slash marks. Great, now they would need to get out of the water before other predators came, attracted by the scent. She was gone too quickly for him to trap her in place.
When she reappeared and grabbed his ankle, he was jerked downward with her. This was, though, possibly the best thing that could have happened because it put her clearly within his line of sight, and he was able to stop the flow of water around her body, rendering her immobile. He kicked his ankle out of her grasp and began to propel both of them toward the surface near the ship. As they were moving, he looked over at her and winked, the epitome of smugness.
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Post by starrea on Sept 4, 2019 17:52:58 GMT
One second, Noelani was rocketing downwards, dragging her prey with her, and the next... she wasn't. The water stopped moving around, trapping her like a net. She looked around wildly, trying to figure out the source of... whatever this was. Her eyes snapped to her prey and one look at his face told her everything she needed to know - that he was cause of this. Confusion was replaced by red hot anger and she let out a deafening screech, turning her attention away from him to focus on how to get out of this. The water was thick around her, pushing against her and holding her in place, but it wasn't solid and Noelani was strong. She thrashed, aiming downwards as she pushed back, fighting to return to the depths of the water. It didn't stop her ascent, but it certainly slowed it down.
As they neared the surface, Noelani switched tactics. The sailor was in the same space as her and instead of trying to free herself, she turned all of her rage on him. She sunk her claws into his thigh, ripping downwards and lunged forwards and sunk her sharpened teeth into his flesh. She was no longer interested in feasting on him - all she cared about now was causing him as much pain as she possibly could. She ripped back, taking a solid chunk of his flesh with her and turning the water cloudy with his blood. She pushed her way up, planning to literally rip that smug look off of his face, but before she could, they surfaced.
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Post by eragon on Sept 5, 2019 20:29:26 GMT
Dante watched with amusement as Noelani struggled to free herself. He had to admit, he wasn't expecting Noelani to be able to break the water's grip, even to the small degree that she had. He supposed he had underestimated her strength, but it didn't seem like a problem. That is, it didn't seem like a problem until she re-directed her efforts toward him. Before he had time to react, she had swiped her claws across his thigh and literally taken a bite out of his shoulder. He used the water to propel himself out of her reach, but there was quite a bit of damage already done.
As they surfaced, he sucked in a breath and then looked toward the ship for Teddy. They were quite close, just far enough not to be crushed against it by the waves. "Hey, big man!" He called. "She bit me. Toss that net out here before a bunch of bloody sharks come." With the amount of blood leaking out of him, it was a real possibility that other predators would be drawn toward them.
Having delivered instructions to Teddy, he turned his attention to Noelani. "How did I taste? Hope I wasn't too chewy for you." Despite the pain he was definitely in, she hadn't wiped away his smugness.
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Post by fritter on Sept 6, 2019 23:41:27 GMT
Teddy was surprised, to say the least. He jerked forward to look over the railing as Dante was dragged down, the net balled tightly in his hands as he watched the surface of the ocean for any sign of movement. After a few long, tense minutes, Teddy let out the breath he was holding as Dante came up, though the reddish tinge in the water that surrounded him was definitely not good.
"This is the first time I've heard you complain about being bit by a woman!" Teddy called out as he deftly tossed the net overboard, his aim true and the net landing over the mermaid. "Make sure she's wrapped up good and tight, and hang on! I'll pull ye out." Teddy wrapped the rope around his arm a few times and began to pull, glancing over at the open waters as the shark fins began to appear.
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Post by starrea on Sept 9, 2019 22:34:37 GMT
The sailor's smug words caused her to bare her teeth, letting out a guttural growl. She tried to lunge towards him, but the water was thick around her and pushed her back. This time, she let it. She had already discovered that his control over water was strong enough to move her and she didn't want to waste anymore strength on fighting something she couldn't win.
For the first time, fear flashed through her icy blue eyes when she heard the word 'net'. Mermaids were an apex predator in the water, but she would be weak and vulnerable on land. If they hauled her out of the water, it would be game over for her. But the fear was quickly replaced by fierce rage. If they wanted to haul her out, they were going to have a fight on their hands. If she was going down, she was not to go easy and not without spilling more of the sailor's blood.
The net landed over top of her, and the weights around it sunk and wrapped themselves around her tail. She couldn't stop the fear from bubbling up and taking over - she thrashed, pulling at the netting frantically, but it only seemed to get more and more tangled around her. The only thing that stopped her was the emergence of several shark fins, no doubt attracted by the blood. She shot a coy smile to the overly smug sailor - she highly doubted he had the ability to control several other large sharks and keep her subdued at the same time. Something would have to give, and whether it be letting her go, or letting the sharks go, something would get him.
Noelani was not nervous about the sharks coming after her. Sharks rarely went after mermaids. They seemed to understand that mermaids were worthy opponents and not worth the effort of fighting. It went both ways, too. Mermaids rarely went after sharks. They often ran into each other, though, sometimes even hunting next to each other and scavenging off the other's kills. There was the possibility of them coming after her, but she wasn't the injured one and if they wanted to feast on him, she wasn't about to fight for his body if they helped her eliminate him.
"Looks like I'm not the only one who wants to take a bite out of you, sailor. Better watch out," She said, her voice icy as she stilled in the net to watch the scene unfold in front of her.
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Post by eragon on Sept 25, 2019 0:47:08 GMT
The appearance of the sharks was an unwelcome sight, though not one Dante hadn't been anticipating. Noelani's assumption that he couldn't control both her and several sharks simultaneously was true, and for the first time during this encounter, he felt vulnerable. There was no time to send a quip back to Noelani, so he settled for a withering glance.
"Hey, Teddy," he called, a hint of nervousness in his tone. "Looks like we've got some new friends. Toss a rope down for me, and maybe let the mermaid wait until I'm back on board, huh?" That said, Dante began swimming back toward the ship, so that when Teddy let a rope drop down the side, he could grab it. This in itself was a difficult feat, however, considering that the water closest to the boat was choppy and he had to avoid being smashed into the ship's side.
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