On The Look-Out

[Im Yong Soo~!]

((Mexico))

Tortuga, a city filled with cutthroats and criminals, but also filled with hard working people and kind hearts, if you looked for them. It was busy at the port, per usual, with people buying and selling items, taverns filled to the brim, and lodgings checking customers in and out. The sun was just starting to set on the city, giving everything a mild glow.

In one of the busy taverns sat a woman who looked a little out of place. She had an excited aura around her and a smile that couldn't be wiped away. Her clothing consisted of a loose red vest and brown shorts, complete with brown knee-high boots. Nothing too flashy, but they looked new, and she looked proud to own them. At her feet sat two bags, one of which was rather lumpy looking. She was nursing a flagon of rum, which she quite liked, even if it wasn't as good as Tequila. Maria looked around the busy bar, her eyes scanning for pirates. Although, to her, it was hard to tell who was a pirate and who worked in the busy port.

Maria was exicted, praticaly bouncing in her seat as she thought of the airships she had seen buzzing around the port. Her fantasy of riding an airship would be fulfilled, she would make sure of that. But first, she needed to find a crew that would take her on. Maria had high hopes, and once her head was in the clouds it took a lot to bring her back down. Her eyes scanned the bar for the umpteenth time, her nails tapping on the flagon. How to spot a Capitan?

[Im Yong Soo~!]

((Lithuania))

The door to the tavern opened, allowing a small mob of men to enter. They were primarily European, and of that mostly East, with thick accents and implacable expressions. Amongst them was Toris, dwarfed by some of his men in either height or figure, but managing to hold a tentative link to the group in spite of this. The majority of the men followed a tall, cheerful, chilling blond to a nearby table, as Toris made his way to an available seat on the bar, one arm raised to hail the barkeep.

“Three bottles of vodka and five bottles of beer, if you would. All for my men in the table by the back.” Toris set down a handful of coin, a mix of profits garnered from the crew, wearing a small, slightly tired smile, “And a mug of mead for me, if you have it.” After securing an affirming nod from the barkeep, the Lithuanian settled into the seat with a sigh, taking off a large green hat and setting it aside, running one hand above the ponytail at the nape of his neck.

Ordinarily, he wouldn’t be too fond of tavern crawling, but since it was the only way to get off the ship these days, even if it was under Ivan’s supervision, Toris took advantage of every opportunity. Even if the only way Ivan let him out in public was to be wearing captain’s garb, in case of ‘potential recruits’. Toris fidgeted with the cuff of his sleeve, eyes narrowing at the thought of being what amounted to a billboard for another man’s cause.

[Im Yong Soo~!]

Maria eyed the large group that entered the bar, her skin tingling slightly as most of them moved to a back corner. Her attention, however, was fixed on the one paying for the drinks, his garb giving away the fact he was somebody important. The question was if it was the kind of important she wanted.

There was something about the young man that was different than the group, but he still managed to share similarities with them. She looked back at the group in question, her eyes being drawn to a tall blonde in the midst of the group. When Maria realized she was staring, she shook her head and looked back at the brunette at the bar. How to approach a (potential) Captain was her next question. She figured it would be awkward if she just got up with her bags and went over to him. On the other hand, she didn't want to leave her stuff behind. Her nose twitched and she swallowed the last of her rum, mumbling to herself. "Puede ser que también aprovechar la riesgo..."

Maria got up and lifted her two bags with one hand, trying to look nonchalant as she walked over to the bar. She flopped on the stool next to the well-dressed man, letting her bags drop at her feet. Now, how to start a conversation. Man, someone should really write a book on how to do this kind of crap. As usual, bluntness was her best friend.

"Are you a Captain?" She asked rather suddenly, her eyes scanning the other in an appraising way. She used lightly-accented English, knowing more people spoke the gringos' language than any other. Besides, he didn't look like he'd understand Spanish.

[Im Yong Soo~!]

The sudden question brought Toris out of his musing, and he turned to face a bright-eyed girl with dusky skin, his fingers pausing in their journey across the cuff of his sleeve.

“Ah?” The Lithuanian blinked, and then mentally face-palmed for the sheer brilliance of his reply. Convincing.

Determined to make up for his initial blunder, the brunet sat up straighter, half-way smiling and inclining his head, green eyes open and sincere, “Ah, yes, actually, I am. What gave it away?”

He paused as the waiter returned with his mead, nodding his thanks and bringing the mug to his lips. Glancing over at Ivan for a moment to see if the other was paying any attention, he brought his attention back to the girl and tilted his head, grinning. “Well, other than the fact that I entered with a mob.”

[Im Yong Soo~!]

"Your outfit." She stated, chuckling at how dressed up he was. "And the mob was pretty much a give-away." Maria smiled and held out her hand. "I'm Maria Estrella. You can just call me Maria." Her eyes now held curiosity at the male, as she waited a moment for him to shake her hand.

"So... I was wondering... why kind of ship do you have? Is it an airship?" One could almost hear the hope in her voice. In her mind, she was praying that he was, and that this was her chance. In the back of her mind, she thought about what she would do if he was a sea Capitan. Politely excuse herself? Tell him she wanted to hear about his adventures. It would be awkward at any rate.

[Im Yong Soo~!]

((Russia))

Ivan leaned back in his seat, arms draped over other chairs as the men chatted amongst themselves in clipped harsh languages of the eastern steppes and the northern nations. He spotted a young lady approaching Toris and put his hand up, stalling the conversations as he leaned forward and planted his arm across the table and concentrated.

Watched as Toris started, about to hiss before he seemed to pick up the reigns and fix himself, a smirk crossing his lips that made the men shift in their seats before he stood up and smoothed back his hair. Ivan adjusted his coat and put a wide smile on his face, stalking up to the bar with his scarf trailing behind like a bloody flag; his arm draping over Toris' shoulder," Captain~ the dri- Oh! Privyet~"

Ivan giggled and nudged Toris," Captain you dog, you should bring the pretty lady back to the table da? Get her a drink too~ And she can grace us with her presence~! Please Captain?" His arm tightened subtly before he dropped it.

[Im Yong Soo~!]

Toris laughed softly, reaching out to shake Maria’s hand, smiling warmly, “Toris Laurinaitis.” He tilted his head at her question, before nodding, “Taip, an airship. Zeppelin, actually.” He was about to add something to that, when he suddenly felt the cool chill that always seemed to precede Ivan’s presence. The Lithuanian looked up just in time for the Russian to drape an arm across his shoulder, suppressing the instinctive desire to jump.

Toris looked up at Ivan, a paper-thin smile on his face, “La-ah, h-hello, Ivan.” He glanced at Maria, and, remembering he was, allegedly, captain, tried to take control of the situation by coughing lightly and forcing strength in his voice. “This is my first mate, Ivan Braginski. He’ll be able to tell you more about sky-travel than any other man in Russia.”

He blinked up at the Russian, recognizing the hidden command in his eyes and subtle squeeze, and repressed a shiver with a tight nod and a mild laugh, his eyes only a bit too wide to be right, “Ah, yes, of course she can join us, if she likes.”

He reached to the counter and picked up his hat, placing it on his head and lifting his mug with an only faintly trembling hand, before he stood up and looked to Maria, offering his arm and trying to stamp out the lingering remorse for the hopes of a quiet night.

[Im Yong Soo~!]

"Toris huh? Nice to meet you." She flashed him another smile and let her hand drop back to rest on the chair, only to sit up straighter at his answer. "Really? A Zeppelin? Well I-" She would have gone on if it wasn't for the arm that wrapped itself around the others neck.

She blinked at the tall man she had seen in the corner before giving him a smile. "¡Hola!" She answered, raising a hand in greeting. As Toris introduced the other man, her eyebrow went up. First mate huh? Impressive. The man himself was a giant, but he looked nice enough. Maria misread the subtleties between Ivan and Toris, leaving her thinking that Toris was embarrassed to be caught with a girl and that Ivan was simply teasing him for it.

When Ivan, and then Toris, extended the offer, she readily accepted. "Sure I'll join you guys, sounds great!" Maria took the offered arm, giving another smile. Everything seemed to be going great so far! "Oh, hold on." She told them, a little embarrassed she had almost forgot her bags. Maria went back over, picking them up with one hand and throwing them over her shoulder. "Sorry, I can't leave my... stuff." She explained, adjusting the way the bags sat on her shoulder.

[Im Yong Soo~!]

What a funny girl! Ivan winked at her when she showed such enthusiasm. Only to tsk as he motioned to her bags as she fought to get them settled on her shoulders," Please~ allow me to take those for you comrade~! Such a pretty lady should not carry her things in a place like this da?" He giggled softly as he bent down to murmur to Toris," Не давайте ей никаких оснований опасаться нам Toris, или я возьму его на вас."

He smiled even wider as he patted Toris on the shoulder before he bowed and held out his hands again," Now, for your bags~! And the drinks of course!" Ivan easily hefted the tray on one hand, not even straining under them as the bar tender dropped the extra mug of rum on it.

(Russian: Do not give her any reason to fear us Toris, or I'll take it out on you.)

[Im Yong Soo~!]

The unexpectedly courteous action would have thrown Toris for a loop, if he hadn’t known that Ivan was always pleasant when he thought he was getting what he wanted. When he was addressed, the Lithuanian’s even smile grew, even as his mind briefly flickered through the many ways the Russian may decide to keep his word, and nodded, pretending the blond had been talking about the drinks, “Yes, of course, Ivan. Thank you.”

Toris did not wish to speak Russian unless he had no other choice—not that there was anything wrong with the language, but, he couldn’t help but feel he was giving something up every time he spoke it, when his own mother tongue was strictly forbidden in Ivan’s presence.

He looked to the bar-keep, pulling out a few extra coin to pay for the rum, before turning back to Maria, projecting a welcoming confidence as he began to walk to the table, “Now, as you’ve probably noticed, most of my men don’t speak English as their first language, and most probably haven’t had reason to be polite in the English they can speak.” He grinned, chuckling slightly as he tilted his head in a clearly teasing manner, “If you need something translated one way or the other, I’ll be willing to help, as long as it’s nothing too vulgar.”

[Im Yong Soo~!]

Maria blinked as her bags were taken, giving a smile to Ivan. "Thank you Ivan, you're so kind." She watched him carry away both her bags and the drinks with ease, giving Toris a surprised look. "I can see why he's first mate. He's so strong." She said, the smile staying on her lips. Following them to the table, she listened to Toris and nodded. "Thanks. I'm not too big on other languages. I can barely get by with English." She said, giving a small embarrassed chuckle.

As they arrived at the table, she looked at the others and gave a small wave. "Hello!" She greeted excitedly, giving them a bright smile. It seemed like nothing could make that grin go away for now. If she was lucky, these could be her shipmates. She hoped she was making a good impression. As she looked around at the crew, her mind realized they were all white. Really white. She didn't see any skin like hers in there. Maybe they were all from the same country, or same area at any rate.

[Im Yong Soo~!]

Ivan sat down and distributed the drinks, setting her things at his feet as he growled at the men in a rapid Fire Russian," Эта девочка собирается присоединиться к нашей команде, если все пойдет хорошо, ведут себя и заставить ее чувствовать себя как дома Вы получили это вам, собаки?" He smiled once more when he got affirming grunts before everyone managed their own greetings, mainly Russian but a few others from surrounding nations as well," They are out of practice....The Captain thinks we need to be more civilized like him~"

Ivan nuged him with his foot as he popped the top on his vodka bottle and tipped it towards him," We are just not nearly as educated as him though~ That's why he is the captain and we are the poor lonely souls that must try his patience~"

(Russian: This girl is going to join our crew if all goes well, behave and make her feel at home you got it you dogs?)

[Im Yong Soo~!]

Toris smiled thinly back at Ivan as those who could understand English laughed, explaining the joke to their less linguistic comrades. The brunet could appreciate the irony, albeit sardonically, but he was simultaneously unable to find it exactly humorous in the conventional meaning of the term. “He exaggerates, naturally—I’m not that educated, and I'm too young to be that cultured.”

One man scoffed at this, commenting in thickly accented English around his beer, “You are not so much younger to me, Капитан, but you can speak more language than one or two. Is more cultured than the most of us, da?” Toris flushed at the unexpected praise, and his smile warmed a bit. He motioned the men on one end of the table to shuffle over and make room. This the men did, grumbling because it was expected rather than any real ill feeling, and the Lithuanian settled into his seat as he looked back at Maria, cradling his mead and smiling. “So, Maria, would you like to tell us how you ended up in Tortuga?”

"На лодке, что ли?" one man commented in dead-pan, earning a few laughs around the table. Toris snorted, shaking his head, before bowing his head to the Mexican woman in acknowledgment. “Yes, well, by some kind of boat, obviously,” he amended, grinning.

На лодке, что ли? = On the boat, or what?

[Im Yong Soo~!]

Maria stayed standing for a second before sitting next to Ivan. She figured it was the best thing to do, seeing as it might be rude to sit next to the Captain and her bags were by Ivan anyways. At the taller mans words, she gave a small chuckle. When Toris defended himself, she wondered how educated he was. A glimpse of an answer came in the form of one of the other men speaking. Well, it seemed he knew more that she did. At the question from the Captain, she scratched her head and let out a small chuckle as the rest of the men laughed at the comrade's comment.

After the laughed calmed down, she answered. "Well, I did come on a boat, earlier today actually. That's why I still have my bags." She said, motioning towards the two of them at Ivan's feet. "I heard this Port was close and I wanted to see a few airships. I've been interested in them for a while now, and heard Tortuga saw quite a few. So I set off from Veracruz to come here. To tell the truth, I'm looking for work." Maria shuged and smiled, resting her chin in one hand with her elbow on the table.

[Im Yong Soo~!]

"Work~! Captain, isn't this just our lucky day da?" Ivan tosses Liet a set of pleading eyes, pouting before he laughed and clasped her shoulder," The Captain had been complaining about our cooking da? Do you know how to?" Ivan giggled a little as he tossed Toris a 'go along with this or you'll pay later' look, just a half second while she was distracted before his face cleared into the friendly one of before.

"Oh! And do tell us more, why would a pretty girl like you want to rough it with rowdy uncouth boys like us da? I am rather curious comrade if you will tolerate my prying~" Ivan giggled again, tipping his vodka bottle back and chugging half of it easily in one go before he slammed it on the table and the men laughed uproariously at the feat; Ivan smirking proudly.