This choice: A bit creeped out, she decides to go for a swim while they finish loading. • Go Back... Captain Hookrust was a notoriously hard (mer)woman to please.
She ran a tight shift on board, expecting everyone to do everything they were asked when it was asked of them. Most of the time she was considered fair, if not a little cruel. There was a reason she wore the big hat on board and not any of the other watery wenches that swam in and out of the portholes around here. Insurrection, no matter how small, would not be tolerated. It was a slippery slope, Vashine admitted this if nothing else, and that a thin line was present between asserting one’s authority and senseless tyranny. Most of the time she stayed wise to her boundaries, well aware that if she pushed her crew too far they might push right back and mutiny. She was a tough old salt, but didn’t dare think herself tough enough to fight off her own crew.
That all being said, while no one ever forgot who was Captain on deck many of them just didn’t care all that much. These were a school of mermaids, some of the ficklest and deadliest creatures in the ocean. They didn’t all kiss her tailfin or anything, but most of them did respect their captain. Most of them. And while all were happy to share in the spoils of their hunts and their plundering, there was certainly a lot of self-servitude aboard. Not that Vashine minded much. Kept the spirits high. So long as it didn’t interfere with her, her crew was able to do as they saw fit and fight things out amongst themselves… to a degree, of course.
As Vashine swam on deck, her still rounded underbelly slithering just above the decrepit wooden deck of her vessel, her crew worked diligently around her to unload whatever was deemed salvageable from the Queen’s Bounty. Lots of chests, these sailor types seemed fond of ‘em.
What was inside of ‘em? Vashine didn’t rightfully know. It could be grub (though she never much cared for Land Food), it could be grog (which she cared for quite a lot), or it could be treasure. No matter the bounty though, she’d suffer finrot before she allowed those Breathers up there what was rightfully hers. All that crossed her path was, after all, hers. So long as she could take it.
It was here, admiring the sizeable addition to her long list of marinal misdemeanors, that something caught her eye, something foul and distasteful as far as any vessel was concerned. There, around a pretty sizeable bount, was a gaggle of girls—practically guppies. She knew of them, young things that stuck with her for security and adventure. And obviously, by the way they leaned dorsal-up into that box, for spoils of war without the approval of their captain
Obviously, this was going to be a problem.
They didn’t notice their captain as she swam behind them, probably too busy sneaking pieces for themselves. The three ungrateful hands sniggered excitedly as they sifted through their ill-gotten gain, completely unaware of Vashine’s watchful deadlights. Their eyes reflected the eerie green glow of the Trilobite’s flames off of their precious coins, so engrossed in their amounted treasure that only the looming shadow of their captain could pull them from their greed.
“Mighty haul yegot there.” Vashine growled, “Thinkin’ of all the ways ya might be spendin’ it no doubt.”
“C-Cap’n!” one of the guppies sounded for her friends, “We just… eh…”
“Were buyin’ yerselves a floggin’ is what.” Vashine folded her arms crossly, “Y’think ya can just beg me to come aboard an’ plunder a plunderer? No dice, bucko.”
“We were…uh…appraisin’ it for ya!” the one on the right, coral-headed little lass, piped up, “We figgered that ya got a lotta booty here an’—“
“You’d take some of it offa my hands fer me?” Vashine’s lips began to curl as a distasteful snarl became her, “Ya think I popped outta me egg yesterdey, girlie? I know what you were doin’… ‘sides, I already got me a girl fer that. Ain’t that right, Layna?!” she hollered over her shoulder to the mousy first mate, armed with a mop
“Always right, Captain!”
“Y’see? Now get’cher grubby grabbers off my booty or I’ll take ‘em off for ya.” Vashine spat before adding, “Ya bilgesuckers.”
Much to her surprise, the three little things jumped ship just as the words left her lips without skipping a beat! In unison, all three of them swam quickly over the ornate railing. Vashine, shocked by the strangeness of it all, peered over to find that her three little sea rats were… were…
sucking the Bilge.
“What’n the name’a...?” Vashine asked herself incredulously, “Belay that, ya roight fools! I di’nt mean it literally!”
With that her three little thieves swam back up as if nothing happened. They just kinda looked at her, not unlike the sea bass before them, all blank and stupid the lot of ‘em.
“Just… make yerselves useful! Ya heard me, scat!”
And with that, they swam off just as fast (if not faster) than before.
“Daft little things, they are. Thought I told Layla not to hire the slow’uns.”   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
| Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
<<-- Previous · Outline  · Recent Additions © Copyright 2025 Bobo the Hobo (UN: psuedophobic at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
DrywallDryad has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work within this interactive story. Poster accepts all responsibility, legal and otherwise, for the content uploaded, submitted to and posted on Writing.Com. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author