கடற்கன்னி

                             { Joviality reigns free over the masses of                              sailors; herded together in their nightly                              celebrations now that it were s a n d                              under foot rather than plank. There was                              no suppressing — nor the desire to                              withhold — that upwards curl of his lip,                              observing as men revel in their merriment.                              In his own hand he did nurse a right-fine                              bottle of his own, tipping back his head to                              indulge in a mighty swig of the contents.

                             Yet as he returned to normal position,                              eyes glazing over the crowd, a soft                              g l i n t struck attention, drawing his curiosity                              into motion. He’d excused himself from the                              company of his quartermaster, bottle                              remaining in palm as he carried himself                              with heavy footfalls towards the rocks. }

There's music going and some of the two-legged fish can't keep time and rhythm to save their lives. One fell over and the rest are laughing into their cups, froth on their beards and their drinks sloshing over the brim of their cup. She feels a faint giggle leave her mouth as she observes them. They're so funny, so strange -- creatures that were just a touch away from her own world. Her tail sways and bobs in the low-lying waters, bony and bare arms pulling her closer and closer to the rock bed that leads to shore. she's so caught up in the commotion, lights, movement, noise, that she almost doesn't see him. Almost. 

Ducking lightly and backpedaling towards the vast ocean, Syrena stops. Maybe he hasn't noticed her. Maybe he just went to get some air? The brunette stays half hidden in the night time waters, lips appearing before disappearing each time the waves bob. And she waits; breath held and tail whipping dangerously beneath the dark veil. 

It wasn’t unusual for Jack Sparrow to be wandering ashore; yet he had no remembrance of where he was. It tended to happen when he searched for different sources of travel; more often then not he was left on shore. In retrospect he should have bartered better. Sounds stirred his mind as he came closer towards the waters; surprised to find a trap that had been left abandoned on this low populated island. Curiosity took hold and with his head lowered, eyes wide, Jack approached. Upon a closer inspection, his lips curled and a narrowed stare went to the being inside. Even so many yards away; Jack knew a mermaid with hardly a glance. How would one be so tricked to be captured? Keeping his stance; his speech was cursory. Best not trouble a cornered cat.

                           ❝Should I be weary, dear?❞

Fingers grasped at the slippery rocks, almost as if she were trying to climb her way out of the trap. A wave had brought her in, but it certainly wasn't going to bring her out. Her arms strained themselves, trembling lightly before her strength gave out, the young woman falling into the tide-pool like puddle. Panicked thrashing echoed from its wet walls, the mermaid swimming damn near in circles to try and find a way out. Slapping a palm against the glimmering surface of a rock, she let out a banshee-like screech for her sisters, for anyone to help her that was near. 

Collapsing back against the rocks, chest heaving and tears threatening to leak out over her cheeks, she nearly jumped out of her fin when she heard a voice. Whirling around, she bared her teeth in a hiss but no sound came out. Petrified of damn near anything that moved, the brunette pressed herself slam up against the rock, doe-like eyes wide and staring, shining with the promise of tears. Syrena felt her muscles tighten beneath her skin, lower lip trembling as though she were to bust out in hysterics at any moment. Her ears were ringing and she lowered her head just slightly as it tilted when his voice echoed down to her. 

She wasn't exactly sure what he meant, but as of right now, he was her only help. Swallowing back another scream of fear like before, she stays where she was, tail nervously flapping beneath the lowering water. At this rate, she would be stranded.

Usually Elizabeth Swann was not the one to follow the crowd; it was surprisingly unexpected how this time she found herself caught in it, almost unable to escape the pull. She did want to make her way out of it, however in a moment of hesitation before her eyes appeared the display everyone was so eager to see: a unique view indeed, it managed to capture her entirely - the rare sight of a mermaid, a valuable yet dangerous mystical creature of the waters. So very captivated everyone was that they failed to see what the pirate captain spotted almost instantly. Too many times had she seen death up in close proximity not to notice that the mermaid was struggling to breathe. The symptoms were clear, just as clear as the memory of what it felt like when she was unable to grasp for air in the strangling corset of hers years ago. It took all her might not to yell and cause a fuss, what good would it have done anyway. Three shillings to admire the creature close up, that was the price but Elizabeth offered all the money she had on her for a chance to get all the way to the box; when it came to her beliefs no fair amount of money could buy a life.

The crowd cheered for the antiques of someone who paid an entire load to feast her eyes up front, led by the organiser of the show himself. Little did they know what was to come, when Elizabeth moved for her knife in order to open the glass casket. Sadly, she only managed to lift the top a bit but enough to regain air access, before she was grabbed and pulled away by the man who set this horrible entertainment. “Are you bloody daft? She cannot breathe, look at her!” she cursed at the cruel being who seemed to have suddenly realised his mistake and loosen the grip on the woman. Elizabeth used this chance to kneel in front of the mermaid’s prison in a swift movement. “Are you hurt?” she whispered, hoping she wasn’t too late.

Palms pressed firmly against the glass prison, bleary eyes searched the gathered faces around her. She was terrified, light headed, fuzzy. she was terrified, the fear leaking out of her scales as her tail thrashed in the warming water. Her lips trembled against the water's line, fleshy lids fluttering over dark brown eyes. Dark vignette clouded her vision before she heard a loud thud against the glass, a squealing noise before a cloud of warm air rushed into the glass.

Like a starving man, Syrena flew to the crack, lips pressed against the wet edge; gulping the sticky oxygen down. She shuddered, panting and desperately trying to get the lid off of the prison she was currently stuck in. Angry thrashing via her shimmering tail and hissing at the faces pressed near the glass made Syrena mimic her sisters when they hunted. However, the movement and spectacle only seemed to intrigue them more, much to her dismay. 

Slumping against the side, lips still near the crack, she heard a rather soft voice ask with urgency. Blinking, her face turned to the woman who opened the casket. She shook her head to clear the fog, straining to understand what the woman had said. Cocking her head to the side curiously, Syrena continued to stare at the woman.