Sean let Robin drag him down the steps, leading him below deck. To his added unease, the majority of the crew were all crowded around the tables, or swaying to the lively music that was playing. The minute they saw him, the crew quieted down and shifted to look at him with neutral expressions. Sean's breath caught in his throat. He suddenly felt like he shouldn't be here. Turning on his heel, he tried to race back up the steps, but Robin snagged his arm. Yanking him back as he dragged him farther into the warm cluster of men, stating excitedly aloud. "Evening boys! Started the party already have ya?" Sean tried to hide behind Robin as a burly man broke the silence with a bold laugh, answering loudly. "Well, we couldn't spend all night waiting on you, now could we?" A few of the men chuckled, turning to focus back on their tables as another man piped out from somewhere. "I'm surprised the Cap 'n let you bring him down here. See that, Finley? Pay up!" 

More men laughed as a men stood up enough from his table to toss a gold coin to a man leaning on the wall by the musicians. One of the men staggered up to him and Sean pressed his shoulder against Robin's back. The man eyed his face closely, then straightened up to say to a few other men that were standing behind him. "Hey lads, you ever seen a man with eyes like this one has? No wonder the Captain keeps him all to himself." A larger man stepped in, leaning over the first to get a better look at him. Sean clenched a handful of Robin's shirt in a panic. He wasn't comfortable being around these men. The larger man's dark eyes narrowed on him, before he uttered out. "Oh, ya... A bit scrawny for my liking, but he does have some pretty eyes. Sean was afraid to look away from them, when Robin butted in. Pushing them back a bit, he told them with a chuckle. "Now stand back, ya Sea Urchins! Give him room to breathe! You're scaring him!"

The men raised their hands in surrender stepping back as the first man mumbled out. "Alright. Alright. I meant no offence." A man that Sean recognized as Bob, shifted slightly on his bench to tell Robin lightly. "Go easy on them, Robin. They've never seen the likes of him before. That's all." Robin turned away from the standing crew and started pushing Sean toward the table as he answered. "I know that. But crowding him isn't going to help." Bob pushed Wade farther down the bench to make room for Sean, chiming out excitedly. "Wade, make room. Let Sean sit." Wade shifted to stay on the edge of the bench seat, meekly answering with a smirk. "Ya, sure. Glad I could help." The crew laughed as Robin nudged Sean to sit. Sean cleared his throat quietly, trying to shrink into the background. He didn't understand what was going on. The men at this table were all looking at weird colorful flat things in their hands.

Wade pushed a short round bottle toward him, saying nicely. "Here. Drink that until we can deal you in next round." Sean took the bottle and turned in over in his hands to see the liquid inside. It appeared to be water, but when he sniffed it, he gagged. If it was water, than it was the foulest stuff he had ever seen. Wade chuckled at him, informing him warmly. "It's rum. Go ahead take a swig." Behind him, Robin told Wade in a worried voice. "Wade, Don't tell him to drink that-" It was too late though. Sean held his breath, bringing the bottle to his lips to take a large swig like he had seen another man at the table do. Lowering the bottle, he put the back of his hand to his mouth. The liquid was burning his tongue and making his eyes water. He swallowed some if it, but the burning continued down his throat and a second later, he sprayed the rest of it at the men across from him. Sean banged a hand against his chest, gasping and coughing.

The men across from him yelped, rising from their seat as they found the driest parts of their shirts to wipe their dripping faces. Robin placed his hands on Sean's shoulders, asking him in an even more worried voice. "You alright?" Sean nodded, but continued to cough. Bob swatted his back roughly, asking him with a small chuckle. "I guess, they don't have fire water where you come from?" The wet crewmen laughed, taking their seats again as Finley joked out playfully. "Normally they get me dinner first, before getting me all wet." Sean blushed a bright red as the men around the table fell into fits of laughter. Felix leaned over the table then to shoot back at Finley, just as playfully. "Oh? Is that why we're down to half rations then?" Finley flicked off Felix, trying not to laugh with the rest. From across the room, a burly man raised a cracker into the air, shouting out to Finley in a joking manner. "Hey, Fin! What will this get me?!"

Finley shook his head, shouting back innocently. "That will get ya a fist full of cracker!" Finley shook his head, laying down the weird things in his hand and telling them all with a proud gleam in his eyes. "Sorry, lads... but this sailor has a full house tonight! No room for any of ya in my bed!" Finley leaned in to take the coins in the center of the table, when Ken grabbed his arm, flashing him his hand and stating with a bright smile. "Hold your horses, Finley! My royal flush beats your full house. So, I guess you've got room after all?" Finley struck the table, grumbling out. "Fuck! I was so close!" Felix leaned across the table to collect the coins, telling Finley smugly. "I wouldn't worry, Fin. I'm sure you'll make your money back in other ways." Finley flashed Felix a smile, rising from the table to shout out suggestively. "Anyone wanna spot me for the next round? I'm good for it?" Bob rolled his eyes as men rushed toward Finley to offer him their coins.

Sean hesitantly took a smaller sip from the bottle again, while Wade shuffled and asked him curiously. "So? Does this mean that you've never played poker before either?" Sean shook his head. The didn't do much 'partying' back home. It was only during festivals and even then... they didn't party like this. Their parties were more like stories around a large bonfire, or some form of singing and dancing. This was... wild in comparison. They tried to inform him of the rules, but it all just went over his head. Felix found another issue though. Leaning against Ken as he told the others curtly. "Hey, wait a minute! The little merman can't bet if he has nothing to bet with. Right?" Bob shrugged carelessly, muttering out. "It's his first time, Felix. Cut him a break." Felix shook his head, stating out playfully firm. "AH NO! If Finley has to whore himself out for the next round, than the little merman has to find his way. It's only fair." Ethan walked over to set two bowls of crackers down on the table, adding in devilishly. "Alright, then. How about we really heat things up with some strip poker?"

The others all shrugged and nodded in agreement, but Robin expressed with concern. "Come on, guys! Be reasonable. Sean is only wearing two items of clothing and he's never played before." Wade shrugged, stating out compliantly. "Alright. We'll have a two clothing limit and you can help, Jack." Sean raised his eyebrow at why Wade had called him that. While Robin grumbled out. "Fine. But just be warned. The clothes he's wearing belong to the captain. Not only are they worth more, but you probably won't get to keep them after." Bob waved a dismissive hand as Wade passed the cards around. Sean took the five cards that Wade gave him, looking over them without a clue what to do with them. Robin leaned over his shoulders to look and Sean shivered. He wasn't used to feeling breath on his neck. Wade gestured for him to make the first bet, but he hesitated. Robin cupped his hand over his ear, whispering to him to take his shirt off.

Robin took the cards and leaned back, allowing Sean to remove his shirt. Sean removed it without any hesitation and sat it on the table. Being without clothes was nothing to him... but clearly he had gotten the others attentions. Had they expected him to stall or be shy? He was starting to feel self-conscious, when Bob took his turn. He tapped his fingers on the table to get Wade's attention, then traded out two cards to get two. He looked over his new hand, shaking his head as he set his cards down and muttered out. "I fold. I've got nothing." Felix snorted doubtfully. Finley took his turn, making a show of standing up to slowly remove his shirt. Sean tried to keep his eyes on the table as the other men whistled at him. He didn't think Finley was too much to look at himself. Finley was lean and had some arm muscle, but for the most part he just had a muscular torso.

Ken removed his pants, tossing them onto the table with a wink that made Wade hide behind his cards. Felix made a big show of switching out cards and then folded. Wade switched out a card, then ended up folding himself in frustration. Sean glanced up at Robin, who was looking over Finley and Ken closely. Was he concerned about their cards? He didn't understand why Robin was stalling. Could they not win with his hand? Robin removed his pistol from his belt and laid in down on Sean's shirt, telling the others with a smirk. "How good you feeling boys?" Sean looked around confused. Finley looked suddenly nervous, glancing over his cards again. Ken didn't look at his cards once. Finley's eyes narrowed on Robin, before he suspiciously told him. "Ooo, you think you're onto something, huh? Alright, I'll bite." Finley tossed in a few coins with a wicked smile. Ken let out a soft sigh, folding his hand and mumbling out. "Too rich for my blood. Sorry boys. You're on your own."

Sean just sat quietly. He really didn't understand this game. He had thought his was about their clothes and now they were adding in other things? What were the values on these things? He didn't get it. Robin leaned in to whisper about his pants and Sean glanced down. Ken had been wearing something under his pants... but he had nothing. He wouldn't have given it a second thought, but the way everyone was watching their game now... It made him nervous. Rising up slowly, he reached for the strings on his pants and unlaced them. Parting his pants, he slowly pushed them down his long legs. Straightening up, he dropped his pants on the table. There was silence only for a brief moment, before whistles rang out through the hold. Sean blushed and quickly sat down to cover himself. Felix was the first one to chuckle out bluntly. "Well, that settles that. The merman is indeed male. Now who was it that said he didn't have those parts?"

A few of the crew grumbled in defeat and handed coins around. Behind him, Robin drew everyone's attention back by asking Finley boldly. "What say you, Fin? Think you can compete with that?" Finley shrank in his seat, meekly looking over his cards before slamming them down and climbing up onto the table to remove his pants. Sean turned away as Finley stripped down naked, tossing everything on him onto the table. Sean had seen naked men before, but these guys made it feel... dirty. Finley then dropped back down to the floor, turning his hand over and shouting out. "I call, you rat! What have you got!" Robin set the cards down, giddily telling him. "We got nothing. Same as you. However..." Robin showed Finley a card with a single black clover on it, adding out wickedly. "Our highest card is an ace. So sorry, Fin." Finley raised a hand to stop him, straightening up to proudly say. "It's fine. I wasn't going to need any of that tonight, anyway."

The crew cheered for Sean, even though Sean didn't feel like he had earned that. Robin told him that he could dress himself again as the music started up louder. Quickly Sean slipped back into his clothes, but when he tried to walk away from the table, Robin stopped him. Robin took his pistol back. Then helped him fit Finley's weapons on him. Over his shoulder, Robin fitted a sword holster to his side and even slung Finley's flintlock pistol into one of the holsters on the belt over his shoulder. Robin was then whisked away by a burly man, who took him to dance. Leaving Wade to help him with the boots he'd won. Sean felt silly dressed like this, but after being challenged to drink down a black raspberry tasting rum... He didn't mind feeling a bit silly. Stumbling around on boots that he'd never had to wear before, only made himself and the crew laugh. Every time he crashed into them, they'd put him back on his feet and give him more to drink.

As the crew started to dance and sing, he joined in and even tried to answer some of their questions about him over the music. It was hard to tell if they understood him or not, but he was having fun! He even remembered climbing up onto a table to dance to loud claps and cheers. Then it all got really fuzzy after that.

Mark sat at his desk, looking over his maps. He needed to find a port to finish the coat of pitch on his ship. He couldn't let her keep dragging along like this. He just needed another island. Even if it was just a small one. His maps weren't helping him though. Everything he charted from their current position just led out into more open water. Tossing his nautical divider across his desk, he put his face in his hands to rub his aching temples.  Lowering his hands with a heavy sigh, he opened a drawer to remove his private bottle of rum.  He had been about to pop the cork, when a soft knock came from his cabin door... followed by an outburst of giggles. To Be Continued...