Post by Katara on Jun 11, 2007 12:12:41 GMT -5
The second the cry of "'Land-ho!" came echoing around the ship, Katara was up on the top deck and running around in a mad fit of frenzied excitement. She kept finding excuses to stay on the top deck, just so she could see that glorious sight of land drawing closer and closer. Her feet were quite literally quivering with excitement.
God... land... Real land! Proper, solid, glorious land! No more rocky swaying, a break from that salty sea air, no more dirty sweaty men hanging about her all day, no more angry captain patrolling about the place- no more, no more!
And now this was it... they were really pulling into port. Katara ran down the deck, leaning out over the side. She wasn't dismayed by what she saw- in fact, it sent a thrill of excitement down her spine. A seedy, dingy marketplace- stretching out into a dung heap of a town. Dirt, and dust flew up into the air, and the foul smell of excretement hung like a veil over the city. The air was dense, smoky, and difficult to breathe in... and the noise.
Bargains... buys... come here... to me... to me... to ME...
And yet she was still excited.
Phil came up behind her, looking with distaste at the mingling peasent children who'd come to watch the pirate ship sail into port. It was one of the ways for them to pass their time- waving. There wasn't much else to do.
The adults, however, eyed the new arrivals with a dark suspicion. It was hard to build a life for yourself in Kyoshi, and each arrival may bring new customers, but it also brought competition. And usually, pirate ships brought the latter.
"Dirt," muttered Phil.
Katara smiled at him. "Joy."
"Isn't it?" he muttered, wrinkling his nose. "This place is crawling with disease. I hate it."
"That's only because you're a doctor."
"I'd hate it anyway," he decided. "Look at the children..." He gestured hopelessly at them, with their eyes so bright and grins so wide, interpreting his gesture as a wave. "Weird, isn't it? How children can find hope in the darkest of situations..."
Katara stared at him. The uncharactisristic, ugly expression that'd darkened his face a few days ago was there again. This time however, it remained put. His eyes were black with a sort of hatred- one she was again unfamiliar with. Phil was never like this. Ever.
"They have to," she said uncomfortably, wrenching her eyes away from his. "Who else will?"
"Mmmm," he sniffed at the air, and suddenly grimaced. "Good god!"
Katara laughed. "Aaah... that fresh country air! Can't beat it, eh?"
"That's..." he gagged, stumbling backwards slightly. "No, no, no, no!"
Katara inhaled deeply, throwing forward her chest. "Mmm... just like home."
"Eugh!" he grimaced, but he was laughing at her now. "Got any pegs?"
"Hmm?"
He gestured at his nose. "I don't want to smell that."
"Hold it," she smiled.
"Can't do that round here. They'll feel insulted."
"They'll feel just as insulted if you put a peg on your nose!" cried Katara, shaking her head. "Would you insult those poor children down there?"
"I thought the lads on this ship were bad..." he muttered darkly. "Right, fine, I'll just adjust."
"You'll kind of have to," she sighed, her eyes tracing the silhouette of the distant slums. We'll be here for a while... There's a great many bars, and this is a dangerous place- see that building over there? I heard Tommy and Lyle having a good ol' laugh about it. You can pick up prostitutes there." She felt herself shudder involuntarily. "The Captain will be staying here for a long, long time."
"Look on the brighter side of Kyoshi," Phil said bracingly, pointedly looking away from the city and at her instead. He obviously didn't want to dwell on the topic of the crew and their... desires. "Land. You'll be pleased."
"I am pleased!" she grinned, her eyes meeting his once more. "Good, solid land. Look, I've got goosebumps thinking about it!"
"Shivering with excitement," he smiled, his eyes twinkling like black diamonds.
"Shivering," she agreed.
Leaning against the side of the boat, she smiled to herself. After so many months at sea, eating the same old rotten food and hearing the same old crude talk... it was... nice. Even if it was a dump like Kyoshi, where crime crawled.
But hey! She was a pirate! Technically, she should thrive on it.
If only she did...
God... land... Real land! Proper, solid, glorious land! No more rocky swaying, a break from that salty sea air, no more dirty sweaty men hanging about her all day, no more angry captain patrolling about the place- no more, no more!
And now this was it... they were really pulling into port. Katara ran down the deck, leaning out over the side. She wasn't dismayed by what she saw- in fact, it sent a thrill of excitement down her spine. A seedy, dingy marketplace- stretching out into a dung heap of a town. Dirt, and dust flew up into the air, and the foul smell of excretement hung like a veil over the city. The air was dense, smoky, and difficult to breathe in... and the noise.
Bargains... buys... come here... to me... to me... to ME...
And yet she was still excited.
Phil came up behind her, looking with distaste at the mingling peasent children who'd come to watch the pirate ship sail into port. It was one of the ways for them to pass their time- waving. There wasn't much else to do.
The adults, however, eyed the new arrivals with a dark suspicion. It was hard to build a life for yourself in Kyoshi, and each arrival may bring new customers, but it also brought competition. And usually, pirate ships brought the latter.
"Dirt," muttered Phil.
Katara smiled at him. "Joy."
"Isn't it?" he muttered, wrinkling his nose. "This place is crawling with disease. I hate it."
"That's only because you're a doctor."
"I'd hate it anyway," he decided. "Look at the children..." He gestured hopelessly at them, with their eyes so bright and grins so wide, interpreting his gesture as a wave. "Weird, isn't it? How children can find hope in the darkest of situations..."
Katara stared at him. The uncharactisristic, ugly expression that'd darkened his face a few days ago was there again. This time however, it remained put. His eyes were black with a sort of hatred- one she was again unfamiliar with. Phil was never like this. Ever.
"They have to," she said uncomfortably, wrenching her eyes away from his. "Who else will?"
"Mmmm," he sniffed at the air, and suddenly grimaced. "Good god!"
Katara laughed. "Aaah... that fresh country air! Can't beat it, eh?"
"That's..." he gagged, stumbling backwards slightly. "No, no, no, no!"
Katara inhaled deeply, throwing forward her chest. "Mmm... just like home."
"Eugh!" he grimaced, but he was laughing at her now. "Got any pegs?"
"Hmm?"
He gestured at his nose. "I don't want to smell that."
"Hold it," she smiled.
"Can't do that round here. They'll feel insulted."
"They'll feel just as insulted if you put a peg on your nose!" cried Katara, shaking her head. "Would you insult those poor children down there?"
"I thought the lads on this ship were bad..." he muttered darkly. "Right, fine, I'll just adjust."
"You'll kind of have to," she sighed, her eyes tracing the silhouette of the distant slums. We'll be here for a while... There's a great many bars, and this is a dangerous place- see that building over there? I heard Tommy and Lyle having a good ol' laugh about it. You can pick up prostitutes there." She felt herself shudder involuntarily. "The Captain will be staying here for a long, long time."
"Look on the brighter side of Kyoshi," Phil said bracingly, pointedly looking away from the city and at her instead. He obviously didn't want to dwell on the topic of the crew and their... desires. "Land. You'll be pleased."
"I am pleased!" she grinned, her eyes meeting his once more. "Good, solid land. Look, I've got goosebumps thinking about it!"
"Shivering with excitement," he smiled, his eyes twinkling like black diamonds.
"Shivering," she agreed.
Leaning against the side of the boat, she smiled to herself. After so many months at sea, eating the same old rotten food and hearing the same old crude talk... it was... nice. Even if it was a dump like Kyoshi, where crime crawled.
But hey! She was a pirate! Technically, she should thrive on it.
If only she did...
