Here I am. What are your other two wishes?

It wasn’t that busy in the marketplace, and that was the hybrid girl’s saving grace. ’I’ll go with you.’ She had told her handmaiden that afternoon, referencing this trip to the marketplace for some basic manor needs, as well as the house favorite wine made from the giant grapes of Rixito.  “What would you have done if I had not come along, Faith? You can’t carry this whole list back home.” She was jokingly lecturing the girl, close to her own age, and the other reciprocated in kind. They made their way slowly from stall to stall, time slipping away from them and joking all the while. But eventually, it would only be a matter of time left until her father sent someone after them in fear they had been taken. She snatched the parchment from her servant/friend, an easy feat for her enhanced senses, and looked at what few items were still on the list of parchment given to them by their head chef.

“Where can I buy a couple cases of the wine Father likes?” She asked, knowing that she would end up the one carrying them back to the manor anyway. “You gather any other necessities, I will be quick. Just point the way.” Faith the handmaiden pointed to a door across the alley, and off she went without seeing the skeptical look thrown her way. As she approached the door, the first of her senses to be assaulted was her hearing. She noticed a significant volume difference just on the other side of the thick wall. As she made herself push open the door, the second of her senses to be assaulted was her sense of smell. ’Is that…a dog?’ She glanced down as she opened the door to find a body lying in the middle of the walkway. “Oh no… you’re not a dog … you just smell like one. But surely that’s not the only reason no one is helping you up.” From what she could deduce upon her entry, his fall had bothered absolutely no one, and it made a small smile come to her face as she reached out a pale hand to the man. “Come.” She waited to see if he would take her hand, not at all bothered that her entrance caused more of a stir than this man’s fall did.

“I don’t mean to offend, sir,” The young woman responded, wondering if she was the only one that smelt him so strongly. “But you do, in fact, smell like one. A dog, I mean.” Crunching her nose was the hybrid’s first instinct but she fought against it to save face. She let her bright green eyes dart away to do a quick survey of the room and found that although there were folks turned in their direction, they didn’t seem near as bothered by his smell as she did. Her senses were stronger than that of a human’s, of course, but she didn’t think that warranted the pungency of this man. There was something about him that made him different from the room full of other humans around them. His scent was so much stronger, and when he took her hand she could feel the bones and muscle beneath his skin humming with an energy stronger than that of any humans had done so far. It took her back to the announcement ball, where she had met another not-quite human. Although she didn’t figure out what that man was, either, she could recall a similar energy and feeling. But still different, therefore, she deduced that this was another, different kind of not-quite human.

Basil could feel the strength in his hand as well, when he took hold of hers; she could tell its strength was closer to her own, and not because he spent all of his time working with his hands. Helping him up from the floorboards, her slim frame was surprisingly steady under the pirate’s taller and larger frame. She came here expecting to have to carry at least two cases of wine after all – a drunk pirate was much lighter. After he was upright, she found herself flushing slightly at his sweeping gaze and cheesy line, her normally pale and cool skin gaining just a touch of heat and color.

“I assure you, you’re not dead.” She didn’t know how to respond to this man, otherwise. Was she supposed to respond? She had never been addressed in such a way, and surely never after helping a man up from the floor. Not that she did that often, either. But whatever happened to a simple ‘thank you’? “Are you alright? Head injuries are nothing to be casual about, you know. They bleed…quite…a lot.” The sentence trailed off at the end, as she cleared her throat. She had excellent self-control, but she still didn’t like to talk about the life-giving substance that ran underneath the skin of so many, including herself. Plus, better to just put an end to her awkward babbling before it went too far. It wouldn’t do to embarrass the house of her father in public - they had a hard enough time garnering the human’s favor.

He was concerned for her safety. It was sweet, she had to admit. She also found it a little funny, that he was not concerned for his own. Did he not know what she was? Surely, word of her existence had reached the commoner’s taverns by now? Perhaps not, but when she tuned in her hearing to the other patrons of the establishment, it was obvious that at least some of them knew who she was. There were whispers, rumors quickly spreading around the room. She supposed none of these people were at her announcement ball, and so, perhaps she was still just a rumor to most people. This was only her first outing since she was announced to the world, after all. ’What have they heard?’ She wondered, but didn’t want to take her focus off of the man in front of her. That would be rude, and she was raised better than that. She was perfectly content to ignore them all, if it wasn’t for a loud scoff from behind her, coming from someone sitting down that had obviously overheard their conversation.

"I wouldn’t worry about her, mate." The man chuckled, finishing his drink. "I’d worry about yourself first; she’s probably the most terrifying thing in this place. Ain’t nobody but a fool trying to cross her….or her father." With that, he stood and walked out, leaving the hybrid girl to stare after him - speechless. It was at this moment, probably the most perfect moment, that one of the tavern girls approached her. "Lady Sabal. Your order is sitting out back – the four cases outside next to the door." The girl pointed to the back door, then quickly left, the signal clear that she was to go get them herself. She didn’t mind. She knew what she came for, after all. She cleared her throat, turning back to the man whom she helped up off of the floor. “I think that answers your question; I’m in the right place for what I need.” She answered, the corner of her mouth lifting in the smallest of smiles. She was ignoring what that man had said, but could she really expect anyone else to? It pained her a bit, to think that that’s what people thought of her. She fought the frown that wanted to appear on her face, but couldn't help her gaze falling to the floor in subtle embarrassment. 

The vampire princess let the man take her hand, turning a light shade of pink unknown to her full-blooded vampire kin. “Please, just call me Basil.” She said quietly, becoming shy at the man’s newfound interest and attention. She found that after being hidden for eighteen years, it couldn’t be helped that her social skills were lacking. The Lord Sabal himself and a couple servants were the only interactions she had up until recently – and while they kept her from becoming completely socially inept, they definitely didn’t prepare her for taverns and dashing pirates.

It might have been ambitious of her to come here on her first public outing, sure, but she just wanted to help. Besides, now that she was allowed, she wanted to experience all that the world had to offer. Or so she thought, because honestly, Basil had no idea what all the world had to offer – she just knew that it was all new and exciting. It was like a child seeing the world for the first time. Literally. Sometimes, even, her training as a lady took a backseat to her childlike curiosity and naivety.

“Captain!? That means you have a ship, right?!” The hybrid’s face couldn’t hide her response to his title, her excitement overshadowing years of ingrained training. Only in stories had she heard of ships sailing across the seas to foreign lands – she had never even seen a real boat up close, just the tall masts that could be seen from the marketplace. “Oh, now you must forgive me.” She cleared her throat, absent-mindedly smoothing the fabric of her dress, as if suddenly remembering that she had a front to portray and it was slipping. Ladies didn’t get all excited like that. "I’m getting ahead of myself." The half-vamp maneuvered herself around the pirate to head towards the back door that the tavern girl had pointed out previously. "I accept your help, Captain Finneas James Whelan.” Turning back to look at the man over her shoulder, she encouraged him to follow her. “You can tell me all about your ship while we work, if you would, please.” To repay him for his help (which she didn’t need, but appreciated nonetheless), she added, “and I suppose I can part with a bottle or two, if you like the wine that comes from the extra-large grapes of Rixitos. It’s a household favorite…among others.” He would likely notice upon helping her with the cases that the “others” included bottles of blood-infused sangria.

She listened to him rave about his ship, hanging on the words. She couldn’t help the giggle that passed her lips when he mentioned the name of his ship – 'The Wolfsbane. With wolves’ heads on the sails and everything.' “That explains the smell.” She couldn’t help saying aloud as the realization came to her; the captain didn’t smell like a dog, he smelled like a wolf. Admittedly she was naive to most other supernatural creatures, but werewolves were something her father told her about from a young age. They were the vampire’s natural enemy, after all. It was imperative that she be aware of their danger.

“I do apologize for calling you a dog.” It was a sincere apology; it was quite a rude thing of her to say and she regretted it. Even without knowing what he was, it was rude…but sometimes she couldn’t help the truths that slipped from her lips. At least he didn’t seem too offended; he did still offer to help her, after all. Did he not know what she was? Would he still be kind to her if he did?

She watched him pick up one of the bottles of blood-infused sangria, her suspicion of what he was increasing as he sniffed it. Her father had told her that werewolves also had enhanced senses, and she had to admit that he looked rather canine-like sniffing a bottle of blood. But rather than seeming disgusted by the liquid, he simply seemed intrigued. “Yes," she answered his question with a nod, "It is blood…” She regarded him curiously, not waiting to see if he would connect the dots. “It’s another household favorite. Tell me, do you really not know who I am? What I am?” It would be a breath of fresh air if he didn’t – she found that once people found out about her, things got complicated.

Reaching out, she gently took the blood wine from his hand and replaced it with a bottle full of a lighter liquid. No blood involved. Just a lovely strong wine made from the giant grapes of Rixitos. “I recommend this one instead.” She had never drank alcohol to be honest, but she was a fan of the fruit this one was made from, and other members of her household raved about it.

.

He said the word without fear or hostility. It went against everything she was ever told about the shape-shifting beasts. Basil didn’t feel the immediate hatred she was always brought to expect; in fact, she felt no hatred at all. Her sense of smell was initially offended, but it quickly passed and she now found herself used to it. Perhaps it was because she was only half-vampire. Or maybe it just wasn’t in her nature to hate. The hybrid began to nod in confirmation, but stopped herself. "Ah," she bit her lip, "Just half, actually. Half-vampire. I suppose I did get mostly vampire qualities, though. I had hoped the public would see that I’m still half-human, could relate to the humanity….they haven’t yet, but to make a mistake is human, no?" She said with a small smile and an overly optimistic tone, her own faith in humanity un-wavering. They would come around eventually. Right? She just had to show them.

There was another word he spoke that caught her attention. It caused her to look at him curiously, head tilted slightly as her green eyes regarded him with more caution. “You didn’t mention you were a pirate captain…” it was even more like a story. She had heard the fictional tales as a child of course, and the realm of Atelus was no stranger to pirates and their lore. It was another thing her father warned her against; werewolves and pirates, the two categories of folks most likely to bring her harm, and here this man was both. It surprised her that she didn’t feel more alarmed. In fact, there was an eerie calmness about the whole thing. “….but it’s a pleasure regardless.” The words echoed his own, her smile sincere. She had no reason to distrust this man – other than the fact he was a werewolf and a pirate, but that was no proof of character. Plus she he would be the last one to ever make assumptions about someone based on their species. Besides, she was very appreciative of his help. With him taking a couple crates she stacked the last two on top of one another and lifted them both with relative ease. The strength of her father really was a gift, one that she didn’t take for granted. “My handmaiden is gathering the rest of what we came for – I told her I would meet her at the end of the marketplace.” Nodding in the direction they were to set off in.

Surely if one of her father’s security had eyes or ears on her their heads were exploding. She had never thought she would interact with a pirate nonetheless a werewolf, and definitely not both. The curiosities she had, the amount of questions swirling around in her head…. It wasn’t a situation she was likely to find herself in again, and so she had to take advantage. “You absolutely must tell me a pirate tale on the way.” She said excitedly, not able to contain it, but realizing it wasn’t polite to order him to do so. “I mean, forgive me, you don’t have to, of course. I can just tell by the way you speak of her that you love this ship of yours… and I do enjoy a good story.“ Basil didn’t miss the pronoun he used when originally speaking about his sailed beauty, and she truly was a child at heart.

Pirates were something she had heard a bit about, mostly from the human handmaidens her father employed, as she would ask them for stories when she was supposed to sleeping. The stories grew more gruesome as she aged, and although she asked for not too much detail, there was often still more than her gentle heart could handle, and she found herself asking for the treasure hunting, comedic crime-committing pirates of before. She wasn’t oblivious to the cruelties of the world, but knew there was always more to the story when such atrocities occurred. It usually always involved some hurt, some pain, a childhood trauma or a significant loss…an addiction too strong to fight, an innocent being wronged… the girl didn’t believe that people could be born bad. There was good in all creatures. Some just had it hidden, buried under many defensive layers. She normally could empathize and understand why people did the things they did – even the most atrocious of criminals. This pirate next to her, this werewolf pirate, didn’t seem like one of them, and so she was quite shocked to hear he first worked on the ship of Gaspard Dupont. The star of some of the most cold-hearted and gruesome pirate tales. It raised both her curiosity and concern. This two-time natural enemy of hers was helping her, but was she a fool for allowing him so close? ’Oh, most definitely.’ Would it deter her from what could be a potential, most interesting friendship? ’Oh, no. Definitely not.’

“I’ve heard of the man. I always thought ‘Diamond of the Sea’ was such a beautiful name for a ship.” She honestly latched on to the French of the stories, sure that the boat must be as beautiful as the language it was named in. She absolutely loved learning about anything new and different, cultures and languages among her favorites. Her knowledge of most things was extremely limited due to the isolation, after all.

As she took in the appearance of the man walking beside her, she thought herself silly for not putting together that he was a pirate before. It fit all that she had been told to expect, from the hat to the jewelry, but she was still sincere in her sentiment that meeting him was a pleasure. They both seemed to be enjoying themselves and their respective roles of storyteller and listener, and although she surely could come out of this losing a couple bottles of wine, the story of a werewolf pirate would surely be worth it. It was a chance that a half-vampire noble such as herself might only have this once. ’Although I surely hope not.’ There were only so many stories that could be exchanged in their short time together, and the lady already knew that she would want more. Even if the man ended up stealing the jewels off her hand, she would consider it a price worth paying. 

She looked around herself as the stalls of the marketplace and the people walking through began to thin. They were approaching where she was to meet her handmaiden. “It looks like we’ve arrived first.” Basil commented, setting the crates she carried off to the side of the street. She indicated that her companion could do the same, before sitting atop the two stacked crates casually. She waited for him to make himself comfortable, looking at him with anticipation. “Please, sit with me while I wait and continue the story. Help yourself to as much of the wine you’d like, but be careful – it’s rather strong stuff I’m told. Why did you leave his ship? Did you become captain after that, or did you have to work on a few more boats first? How did you become a captain with your own ship? Doesn’t that interfere with the –“ Stopping herself from asking how he managed the werewolf part of himself while at sea, she cleared her throat, looking down at her feet as she flushed in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, I interrupted. Just continue. Please.”