The Call of the Siren

The soldiers quickly spotted the captain and turned to him, immediately alerting Kiyo that they were, indeed, there for him. Quickly his mind set to work trying to figure out anything that he could've missed that would alert the soldiers. The merchant that had bought his goods when he first came to the town knew who he was, of course.... but he would never tell a soul unless he wanted to lose his business... And Kiyoshi had been there himself when his former first mate dangled in a hangman's noose in the town square...

Putting on a gracious smile, the japanese captain approached the solders. "Gentlemen! To what do I owe the honor?" He said out loud, his face completely void of his conflicting emotions. Acting was something that he excelled at, thankfully.

"Ah, there you are, my friend." He heard the strong voice and immediately he spotted the telltale bright red coat that belonged to none other than the commodore. His smile widening now that he knew that he had nothing to worry about, he walked up to the tall european man and shook his hand as a way of keeping up appearances. "I had heard that your ship was getting ready to sail, so I came here to see it with my own eyes. Is it true? Are you leaving our beautiful town?"

The darkhaired man could sense the unspoken question that lingered in the air, but he paid it no mind. They were in public after all, and they had to keep up appearances. However, he could not avoid it forever and knew very well that this situation would be more complicated than he would like... That was why he had avoided going to see the commodore in the first place... "My dear commodore, as much as I have enjoyed my time here, I am afraid that it is time for me to move on. My shipment will not sell itself." He explained and the other man nodded his understanding, but the tension between the two of them remained.

"My friend, may I have a word with you in private?" The blond commodore requested then in a lower voice and quickly recieved a nod from the Captain.

"Come join me in my cabin... There we can talk without being disturbed." With that said, Kiyoshi led the way onto his ship and into his Captain’s cabin, watching in silence as the commodore closed the door. A small smile played on his lips. He had been hoping to avoid this conversation, yes, but now that it was thrust upon him he planned to make the most out of it.

“So, what can I do for you, Commodore? I am but a humble merchant, however I will do everything in my power to aid you." He said extravagantly, speaking in the same way as he had done the first time he ever met the blond man.

"Settle down, Keiji, you know me well enough by now to use my name." The man in the uniform said, and took a few steps across the room, his eyes locked on something outside the window.

"Very well, Jonathan, it shall be as you say." Putting extra emphasis on the name, Kiyoshi moved to join the other man by the window. They were very close now, their arms almost touching but not quite, and tension filled the air of the ship cabin. “So... why is it that you have asked to see me in private?"

Both men stood there staring out the window as the minutes ticked by. The question that Kiyoshi had asked was still unanswered and they both knew it. Then finally, the captain turned his head slightly towards the commodore. “Once the saltwater gets in your veins it never goes away." He said as if it explained everything.

“Indeed. No less can be expected, I suppose..." The commodore’s voice was thoughtful and a slight frown marred his otherwise smooth brow. “A man can do nothing but heed the call of the siren."

Only about a split second after the last word had left the commodore’s mouth there was a loud thump when the blond man was slammed against the wooden wall. A grunt left his lips but any other sound was silenced as the two men locked together in a rough, and almost desperate kiss.

Kiyoshi had known this was going to happen. It had been inevitable... ever since their first night together. A connection had been made, one that would be extremely difficult to break, but neither man had cared at the time. Actually, Kiyo had even grown quite fond of Jonathan Kagran, despite their differences. A slim, pale hand tangled in blond hair while it’s slightly more tanned counterparts wrapped around a strong back in a firm hold as the two kissed. The passion between them was undeniable, but it would never be allowed to go beyond that.

A low moan echoed between the walls of the small cabin and the the kiss deepened. Hands were grabbing whatever they could reach in desperation and one of the Captain’s knees prying his partner's legs apart. The last time the two men had seen eachother had been at one of the governor's balls two weeks earlier so Kiyoshi quite ready to rip the clothes off of the blond man right that second... but he didn't. Giving Kagran's lip one last nip, he pulled back slightly, beathing heavily.

The Commodore's face was flushed and his eyes closed as he slumped against the wall. After a while of silence, he opened his eyes and looked at the Japanese captain. "When are you casting off?" He asked breathlessly.

"In two hours."

"And where are you headed?"

"Up towards India, I reckon. My goods should sell well there." The lie flowed out of his mouth smoothly, completely effortless.

"Ah, I have been ordered to go on a patrol along the peninsula... Perhaps I will see you there?" There was a slightly hopeful note in the blond man's voice.

"Perhaps."

"Keiji..."

"Shh..." Kiyo hushed the other man and gave him a faint smile. "Let us not make this harder on ourselves, ne?" Leaning in, he kissed those swollen lips gently.

"Ah... of course." Straightening, the commodore smoothed out his clothes and held his head high, as if nothing had happened. Kiyo smiled at the sight but said nothing of it. Instead, he too stood up straight and then tied his hair back so that it looked presentable again.

"It was nice to see you again, Commodore Kagran. I hope our paths will cross again." With that said, Kiyo followed the blond man to the door.

"Good day, my friend. May the winds be at your back." Opening the door, the Commodore swiftly moved up the stairs to the deck, on his way to join his men.

Kiyoshi watched him go and, briefly, he was struck by a sudden urge to tell the blonde man the truth. Fortunately, it was gone before he had a chance to act on it. He could not risk putting himself or his crew in danger just because he did not have his emotions under control. No... it was better this way. Kagran would sail up to India and Kiyoshi and his crew would go in the opposite direction. They would never see eachother again.

About Kaoru~

There's always something so incredibly nervwracking about the last few hours before a fashion show. It did not even matter how big the show was, or how many people who were attending, it was always the same. Or at least that is what Kaoru guessed. She had never been in a fashionshow before, big or small, but she was certain that the tingling feeling in her tummy was absolutely normal! It wasn’t like she could be the only one who was feeling it. After all, this was a BIG event! The whole school would be watching, as well as people from the local newspaper and all of the parents. Except her own, of course. They were still in Sapporo where she had left them six months ago. Oh well, they probably would not have liked to go to something like this anyway. They didn’t really care for her obsession with fashion and clothing, they were more focused on their daughter getting a good education in the big city. Still, once she got all famous and had her own shop and everything they would just HAVE to be proud of her! Just like Yuki-san was.

Speaking of Yuki… He was supposed to be here! The young woman looked around frantically from her place in the lineup backstage. There were people everywhere; models, designers, teachers, other students… but the one person she really wanted to talk to was no where to be seen! Her Art teacher had promised to come and be her moral support before the big show but he simply wasn’t here! “Oh phooey!" The girl exclaimed, her shoulders sagging and her lower lip protruding in a pout. She knew the man had other responsibilities, of course, so she shouldn’t feel so disappointed that he didn’t come. There was an exhibition in a different part of the school for all of the Art Students and Higurashi-sensei would have to spend most of his time there… but he had PROMISED! And Yuki-san always kept his promises!

The next couple of minutes ticked by and Kaoru started to fidget nervously. This was her first ever fashionshow… AND the first time she ever showed her work to anyone other than her immediate friends and family. She had managed to complete five whole outfits, although she had been forced to work late into the night to finish off all of the details. It had been hard work, and she had been sooooo tired, but it was worth it. She was really happy with the small collection she had created and she was sure the audience would like it too. It was cute, so who wouldn’t? But the strange tingling sensation in her tummy persisted. Oh, if only Yuki-san was here! He always knew the right things to say to make Kaoru forget all about her nerves.

“Kaoru-chan!" Kaoru’s eyes snapped up in surprise when she heard her name being called out and she looked around, quickly spotting her beloved teacher behind a horde of other students. He smiled at her and slowly made his way through the crowd to greet her. “I told you I would be here, didn’t I?"

“Mm!" The young woman nodded ecstatically, a bright smile spreading across her face. Then she did a little twirl, her wide skirt flaring and her red curls bouncing in the air. “How do I look?"

Her teacher smiled gently and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “You’ll knock them dead."

Her nerves were completely forgotten.

A tree?

“A tree, Caliende? Don’t you think that was a bit excessive?" Kimal said and glanced at the Goddess from his place by the window. They were in the room that the priests had provided them with right after Caliende’s enormous display of power. They had been very nice about it too, cowering and offering constant apologies to the entire party. The halfdemon snorted, it was about time someone knocked those self-important asses of their pedestals.

“Hmm?" The Goddess stopped braiding her long, lustrous hair for a moment and looked thoughtful. Then she smiled brightly. “No, I don’t think it was excessive at all. Those gentlemen could do with a bit of a surprise and besides... my Temple looks so much better now! And, of course, it smells just divine!" Having proven her point, at least in her own mind, she returned to the great task of taking care of her hair.

Kimal, on the other hand, just grunted in response and turned back to look out the window. There was no point in trying to talk sense into the Goddess. Not to mention the strong smell of lavender was making his head ache.

“You’re not cross with me still, are you, dear one?" The Goddess’ voice once again broke the silence in the room. She recieved no reply. “Oh, come now, Kimal. It wasn’t so bad, was it? You were only dead for a few minutes, after all."

Kimal’s eyes narrowed dangerously, his entire body tensing up. “A few minutes of having my soul ripped apart in the Nine Hells. No, it wasn’t so bad at all." He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Then he sighed and leaned his forehead against the cool glass of the window.He closed his eyes, his shoulders sagging. “You do what you want, Caliende, you always have. There’s nothing anyone can do to stop you."

“Dear one..." Caliende let go of her hair and stood up, moving across the room to join Kimal by the window. “I would never have brought you back if I did not think it was for the best. You deserve a chance to be happy."

“It was not your choice to make."

I'm supposed to be Dead!

The sky was dark outside when Kimal awoke. His entire body ached even though all of his physical wounds had been healed the night before. Healed by Caliende. Curse that woman! She always had to meddle in everything... and because she was a Goddess she could do whatever she wanted. She couldn’t even let him die in peace.

Groaning, the haldemon pushed himself up in a sitting position. Looking down, his eyes fell on the salty traces of dried tears on his chest. “Solque..." Kimal sighed. No matter what he did, the boy continued to haunt his every thought. Even his scent lingered in the room. The scent of apple blossoms. He must have been here while Kimal slept.. The boy was too emotional for his own good.

“But that is what you like about him, isn’t it, dear one?" The words echoed through the room and Kimal knew right away who that melodic voice belonged to.

“Go away, Caliende." There was a faint rustling sound as the Goddess moved, but she did not leave. Instead she came to stand right by the window. Kimal could see her from the corner of his eye, but he refused to look directly at her. He would not be manipulated again.

“My brother and I have made a lot of difficult decisions in our lifetime, dear one, but bringing you back was not one of them.You, of all people, deserve a chance at happiness." She was looking at him, he could tell. His own eyes, however, remained fixed at the wall in front of him.

“I never asked to be brought back." He spoke finally, his voice hoarse. “It was my time and I was ready for it."

“Dear one..."

“No, Caliende, don’t." His hands clenched in the sheets and he finally raised his gaze to meet that of the Goddess. She looked sad, but Kimal did not falter. “You always meddle in things that are not your concern. You never think of who might get hurt in the process as long as things end the way you want them to..." He took a deep breath. His hands were trembling again and he cursed at his own weakness. It was all her fault, though... If it wasn’t for her none of this would have happened! “You never change, do you? I don’t suppose I ever expected you to but... this time you went too far. At last I could rest at ease and you took that away from me! I am supposed to be dead!"

Captain Niikura

The Pirate

Basics

Name (& pronunciation): Kiyoshi Niikura
Date of Birth (& age): April 3^rd, age 34
Place of Birth: Kyoto, Japan
Gender: Male
Species/Racial Origin: Japanese Human
Social Class/Community Status: “Merchant”
Language: Japanese, English, French
Family/Friends/Pets/Etc: His mother was a whore in the pleasure districts of Kyoto but she died in childbirth. His father is a british Admiral who is determined to see his son, the Pirate, hang by the neck.

Physical Description

Height: 6’2”
Weight:
Hair: Long and pearly white
Eyes: Golden
Limb Dexterity:

Detailed Physical Description: Kiyoshi is a very tall man for being Japanese, getting his height from his british father rather than his mother. His hair is long, reaching well past his waist, and it is completely white due to an illness that he has lived with all his life. His eyes, also inherited from his dear old man, are a deep golden honey color but they have the same almond shape as those his mother had. Really, the only thing that reveals his Japanese heritage is the bonestructure of his face and if you were to see him from behind it is more likely that you would mistake him for a westerner.

Besides being tall, Kiyoshi is very slim, not at all as bulky as some of his crewmembers, and he has slender although slightly calloused hands.

Typical Clothing/Equipment: Whenever he is in port, Kiyo prefers to dress the part of the wealthy merchant. Fine clothing in beautiful colors and rich jewels adorning his hands. The half japanese man absolutely loves anything luxurious.

At sea it is a bit more difficult to wear such finery, but Kiyo is adamant to always look as stylish as possible so even his clothing onboard his ship is well tailored and gorgeous. However, most of his rings and other jewelry are abandoned in a chest in his cabin at times of seabattles. Only a single gold ring remains on his right index finger at all times.

As for weapons Kiyoshi is skilled at using firearms but he prefers to wield his traditional Japanese sword Ryuu. But the most powerfl weaponin his arsenal is his ship. His Mokushi, the Apocalypse.

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Additional Notes

Giselle Chevalier

The Chocolatier

Basics

Name (& pronunciation): Giselle Chevalier
Date of Birth (& age): 24
Place of Birth: Lyon, France
Gender: Female
Species/Racial Origin:
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Language: French, English
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Height:
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Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Blue
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Place of Work: Giselle’s Chocolate Emporium
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Julian Ainsworth

The Lady

Basics

Name (& pronunciation): Julian Ainsworth
Date of Birth (& age):
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Gender: Male
Species/Racial Origin:
Social Class/Community Status: Lady
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