Moon-light on water.

It looks so pretty... The vampire smiled, her eyes sparkling, due to both the reflection and her actual enjoyment.
Moon-light shining off the ocean, which under the cover of the night, was a shimmer of black. The right amount of wind was picking up, occasionally throwing sand around the place.
Yes, pretty was one word.
But do I fit in here?
Gem peered down at herself. On her feet, black flats and purple and black striped socks. She was also wearing a sweater dress in the same two colours.
She sat down on the sand, curling up, still smiling.
It's dark. So yes, I do fit in here.

the Siren sailed through the moon lit waters, gently avoiding the coral reefs below. Black loved sailing at this time, it was peaceful and there was no-one to challenge her or what ever. It was just her and the ship. No crew, no annoying parrot and no rival crew and captain chasing her. She felt tied to the dark, the night and everything like caves. Family legend said that the first pirate of her family was a shape shifter. Like Orchid Leotie I suppose, she thought. This particular shifter could turn in to a great white shark that hunted during the night, where it was at it's best and most dangerous. Maybe that was why she loved black so much, the dark, caves and sharks.Maybe also that she was the only shipsmen that could swim like the apparent kelpie that swam these oceans... As her mighty ship hit shore a girl jumped in fright.

"Huh?" Gem's automatic response reared its head again.
True, the sudden appearence of a ship had surprised her, but she'd seen and experienced things worse, so she didn't get up from the sand.
Gem stared at the ship with a mixture of curiousity and fear.
Pirates...? The word snaked through her mind. She frowned. Pirates...they stole what they deemed treasure. No one knew why. Each one had different reasons for doing so.
Gem jumped again. Pirates steal. The only thing of value she had was her necklace.
She covered it with her hand, and even though she felt mean for thinking so, she wished Cana wasn't imobile right now.

Black moved silently around deck. There was always this stereotype of pirates. "Blame that on the other ship and crew. I am alone. Well if you count the parrot then I'm not!"

[What's the sterotype? Gem didn't say any of that. And she didn't think it either. If she says it, it'll be in speech marks. The only thing she said was "Huh?"]

Gem relaxed a bit. The pirate didn't seem angry with her.
It's fine, she thought, her face neutral. I'm okay.
Now came the problem of what to say.
She tapped her fingers on her knees, staring up at the moon.
"It's a beautiful night."

[I mean like that they're ferocious and steal and fight any one and everything... Stereotyping is an unfair and fixed image or standard that is made on sight of a person or persons.]



"Yes isn't it....Do you want to come aboard?" Black asked to the outline of a figure in the gathering gloom.. She began to wonder if the family legend was true. Could it be that THE Orchid Leotie was an ancestor ?May be it was just to good to be true... But why then did she have a special connection?

[I know what sterotyping is. But Gem didn't sterotype outloud, so Black Pearl is complaining about something that, effectively didn't happen.]

Even though her eye sight was...advanced, per say, Gem had to squint a little bit to see the other figure.
It was obvious by her voice--and smell--that the pirate was a girl, and one with blood at that. In her current state whilst attacking wasn't possible, Gem didn't always know what was to come.
However, being invited somewhere...it was rude to refuse, wasn't it?
"How do you know you can trust me?" Gem countered, speaking flatly and almost bluntly. "We are strangers are we not? How can you be sure I'm not a danger? Humans don't have the senses I do. This could be their--your--downfall." It seemed like a taunt, but was meerly a warning--I may not be as I sound.

[just in case....]


"I've face Krakens and survived! And I thought the phrase was never trust a pirate, was it bot?"

Gem shrugged. "I'm not familier with all the expressions used," she replied, her voice still steely, yet now sounding much smoother. "Although I recall hearing that somewhere, I think." She continued almost begrugingly, appologeticly even.
Gem smiled into the darkness. "They also say not to talk to strangers...though that one seems illogical, doesn't it? How would we meet people if we didn't?" She shook her head as she finished. "Everyone is a stranger...at first."

"To true,.... To true.... So do ya want to come aboard?" Black climed up the to the crows nest. She was as quick and as agile as a black panther up a tree....

Gem stood up, brushing sand from the hem of her dress, smiling.
"Okay..." She walked up to the edge of the water, looking sceptical. "Two things: How do I get up, and aren't curious about me? It must be clear I'm not a human by now." Gem laughed lightly. "Or maybe not...I'm sorry, I'm so used to being around people who can tell or who know about me, it's been a while." Flicking back her hair she smiled meekly.

"Ye see these ropes, use them to climb the bow and who really cares what ye are? Your you and I'm me? See? No problems = no unexpected questions." Black explained. "I'm Black Pearl. Black for short."A blue macaw flew onto blacks shoulder as she jumped from the crews nest to
the deck and threw aside her weapons and helped the girl on the deck.

"Thank you, Black Pearl, Black for short." Gem giggled a little, walking to the side of the ship and looking over. It was pretty high up.
"My name's Gem Jewel," she informed Black, turning around, putting a hand behind her head and smiling fully with her eyes closed. Her fangs glinted in the small amount of light there was. "I'm a vampire." Gem let the sentance hang in the air. "Any resentment will be understood. I can't promise I won't harm you, but I'll try my very hardest...just like every other day."

"Gem Jewel... Like it... Who cares if your a vampire? 'cos I certainly DON'T." Black remarked as she showed Gem to her cabin.

"Then I gues that's good." Gem walked over to where Black was leading her, her hands behind her back, an interested look on her face.
"Your ship is really...nice." She grinned appologeticly. "It's sorta homey and stuff...I can't really think of any other way to describe it...sorry."
A sudden thought struck Gem and she turned away, the pendant around her neck bouncing with the movement, her green eyes wide. "You don't have to answer if you don't want but...don't you get awfully lonely?"

"Arr.. I do... But then there's the open sea and the sea turtles that swim in it!"Sighed Black It had been ages since she had had company on board."It could be worse... I could have had ANOTHER mutinous crew." Black exaggerated "another."

Gem turned back, rolling her eyes. "We may be more alike than you think."
She walked over to an up-ended barrel and sat down on it. "Tell me about it!"

"It could pass as one of the longest stories of the rotating world of land and water...."Black replied "Well as a vampire, I'm sure you have eternity. The thing that puzzled me most is that I'm supposed to be vaguely descended from Orchid Leotie the shape shifter...Weird or what?"

Eternity...
Gem's eyes flashed with a sudden hint of anger, although when she spoke, no trace of it shone through.
"That would be tempting fate."
Her voice was soft, smooth, slick. Like honey, but much more...bitter, in a way.
"Please continue."

"I'm talking to much Aren't I?" Black queried.

Gem shook her head, putting a hand to her forehead and closing her eyes.
"No." She let out a breath. "Eternity is a funny word, that's all. I like listening to others. It makes me feel lucky, I guess. It takes my mind off...things."

"Know what ye mean. You never know how long eternity is...Time is like numbers it keeps going on and on and on..."Black replied. She sat down and began to tell her life's story

Gem smiled a little weakly, but encouragingly at the same time.
"Numbers..." She paused, still smiling, though now it seemed, to herself. "As time goes by, numbers become...irrelevant. Unless they have something to do with the people you care about." She nodded and then was silent. Black was going to speak.

"I'm supposed to be descended from a shape shifter. They could turn into any big cat.After generations of pirating the gene was apparently lost....Though traces of it can still be found. Like my adoration for panthers, black and the night. My mother died when I was a month old. Scurvy took her. When I was eight, my father died and made me captain in his death hammock. My crew mutinied against me so I deserted them on Lone Island. Me and Skquarks have been sailing the seas since then..."Black Pearl explained....

Gem turned her head away, unsure of whether to speak.
Her eyes sad, her voice heavy, she decided she would.
"I said I would feel lucky...but you are far luckier than me," Gem informed her, her hands balling into fists. "My parents saw me as an object that could help them receive other fine things. I was used by my own parents!"
I feel angrier than I did when I told Cana about them. I shouldn't say anything else unless she asks me... Her head still turned away, Gem let out a very vampire-esque hiss.
"Con...tin...ue...please."