An Ocean of Sins [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

“I can’t believe these names still work!”


The brunette man in leather whispered the words excitedly to the red-headed woman besides him, as the pair walked up the ramp and onto the cruise ship called Victoria.


A smile twisted her lips as she asked, “If you thought they’d fail, why didn’t you get us new ones?” She whispered back, tucking in an ID into the back of her denim shorts.


The man shook his head, “No time from when I got the tickets to come up with something so convincing,” whenever they impersonated officers, like that day, the man always created a wonderful backstory for it, got his father a new phone, and plotted it all out. This usually took a couple of weeks. “I didn’t figure out this Bermuda thing in time.”


The two stepped onto the deck of the Victoria, and the woman sighed. Already, people were at the tiki bars, swimming in pools, or playing volleyball on the deck. The man caught the look and held out his hand, “Gimme your bag.” She arched an eyebrow, “Come on now.”


“Why?”


“I’ll go put it up,” they both had keys to their room, shared to save a bit on the expense, but with two beds. “You should go get yourself something pink to drink.”


A smile cracked her lips, “Should I, now?” On the woman’s wrist was a bracelet that signified her VIP status. Free liquor for the whole cruise. Free food. Free shows. Free, basically, everything. It had cost a fortune, but the money was never theirs to begin with. “What if I just want to take a nap?”


“Nope,” he shook his head, “We have a couple of days until we actually reach Bermuda,” he said, as the woman slowly offered her bag to him, “I want you to actually relax and enjoy yourself until then. We’re not on mission until we get to the triangle. Remember that. Don’t go off looking for trouble.”


She rolled her blue eyes as the man grasped the bag, “I’ll try,” this was unusual for her. She wasn’t opposed to the idea, but she didn’t really understand this. “I’m not getting a pink drink.”


“Uh huh, we’ll see.” He hefted the bag up and slung it over his shoulder, just to show off. He didn’t look as strong as he was. The glasses made him look weaker than he was, “I’ll meet up with ya in a bit, Officer Autumn.” That wasn’t her name, of course, just her most frequently abused false identity.


“Sure thing, Officer Gary.” She called after him, as he ran off to locate the First Class cabins. She shook her head as she watched the man in leather vanish. ‘Leather in the summer.’ Crazy. He was going to regret wearing that jacket later. She’d at least dressed sanely in flip-flops, denim shorts, and a blue tanktop. At that thought, she realized she probably should at least try to blend in.


The pair of them had told the crew they were here to investigate a sex trafficking scandal that was working out of the cruise line. That meant they did have to blend in and look in cover. ‘Tiki bar, then.’ Sure, it was just 11am, but it was 11am on a cruise ship.


The red-head made her way to the bar and gave the woman working it a smile as she folded her arms over the wooden bar. “Hey there,” the brunette behind the bar greeted her, glanced at the bracelet, and perked up more. “What can I get ya, miss?” She had Midwestern accent, despite them being on the coast.


“Something not pink,” she was going to be against pink drinks, even if the strawberry daiquiri was her drink of choice. “Got anything good that tastes like cherry?” That would be red and fruity. It would fulfill both requirements.


“I can whip something up for ya, if you don’t mind a bit of experimentation.”


The hunter shook her head, “Not at all. By all means,” she gestured for the woman to go ahead, noted her name tag, “I’d love to see what you can do, Maura.” She winked for good measure, and saw the woman blush.


Yep, this bartender was in her pocket so far as drinks for the trip. While the red-head didn’t play for the fairer sex, she wasn’t opposed to using her own charms on those who were. Besides, a bit of harmless flirting was always fun, “So, where are you from? Your accent is distinctly not coastal.” She started up a conversation.


‘Sylas is gonna be jealous.’


Sylas was presently unaware of the attractive bartender, though. He was busy struggling to juggle all the bags he had, and unlock the door to his room. He had located it easily enough. The signs were easy to follow.


It didn’t occur to him to just set a bag down, so naturally, one of them fell from his grip and clattered to the floor. “Damn it,” he cursed, hearing glass break. No doubt that was one of the holy water containers. The hunters had brought everything they would need, since they weren’t too sure what they would find themselves up against.


It was then it occurred to him to set the other bags down. That, or his pride was broken by the failure so he didn’t bother with trying to show-off for no one. He lowered his bags to the ground, and then easily unlocked the door with the key he’d been given. He started to bring the bags in, one at a time. ‘At least these aren’t bunk beds.’ He thought on noticing the two queen sized beds. ‘I am not sleeping on a bottom bunk again.’ The one time that had happened, the top bunk broke, and he was crushed beneath it.


Not fun.


He smiled idly to himself as he listened to the conversations of other passengers milling through the hallway and going to check out their rooms. This was going to be good. ‘Maybe Arty will finally relax a bit.’ They’d been going hard at their hunting for the past few months. They’d almost died on their last mission against a lich.


Her truck had to be taken into the shop. The poor beast of a thing had to bust through a black iron gate.


Well, it didn’t have to. Artemis just wanted to. ‘Red heads.’ Insane. Absolutely insane.


Sylas dropped his jacket on the bed he decided to claim as his and stretched up, now just clad in a white tank top, white tennis shoes, and black cargo jeans. Well, and the silver, metallic tablet that was always wrapped around his arm. Those things never left him, though.

 

[Rhianna]

"Can you just relax and enjoy yourself please!" an older man said in a demanding tone to an anxious looking woman sitting across from him. He shook his head in disapproval at her, allowing his eyes to wander over her shoulder to focus on a brunette colored haired girl who was serving drinks to her customer. Immediately he wanted her attention, hoping to charm her as he usually did to gain a woman's trust.


"No time for relaxation. They are on this ship, I can feel it." the small framed young woman answered back at him, her leg shaking with nerves. This was the first time she had been on a proper "vacation", as Mark liked to call it; and almost instantaneously she felt as if she was going to die of social awkwardness. She casually looked down at her laptop that was placed on the white, circular table before her. On her side laid a pencil, a compass, and a map of the Bermuda Triangle and the countries, and or territories, surrounding it.


"Well, you better start to enjoy yourself or this trip will have been for nothing, Lana." Mark commented, motioning for the woman to make her way over towards the location they were seated at. "I didn't spend over 10,000 dollars for you to sit there and pout." the man added, his voice sounding restless with a small hint of excitement. When he noticed that the young waitress was strolling over towards him, he felt a smile creep across his weathered looking face. He was going to get some action on this cruise whether he liked it or not. Or, in this case, if Lana approved or not.


Lana rolled her eyes at her friend, crossing her right leg over her left. She was thoroughly disappointed in him. They hadn't even been on the ship for more than an hour and he was looking for his next meal already. "You really are sick. You know that?" she said to him, her expression reading that she wasn't amused by his games. She then continued to look down at her computer, the tab opened to the possible locations where her father's killers might have been spotted. This only made Mark frown once more at her.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Oh, I’m from Nebraska. There was an opportunity to work for the cruise line, though, and I figured it was as good a summer job as any,” Maura was saying as she made the drink, mixing liquors like a pro.


“Summer vacation?” Artemis allowed her blue eyes to give her a once over, “How young are you?”


“Old enough,” she said right back and placed the brilliant red drink in front of Artemis, “I’m a graduate student. I’ve learned my way around bars and cherries.” Artemis herself nearly blushed at the eye contact and the ferocity of the other woman’s gaze. She straightened her back, taken aback by the forwardness of the implication.


Then, she let her lips turn to a smirk and broke eye contact to take up the drink and sip at it, letting one of the two cherries flow between her lips with the liquid. “Mm,” she agreed. The drink was quite tasty.


Maura’s eyes, however, moved over Artemis to see someone signaling for her. The disappointment that crossed her gaze was momentary, but Artemis was close enough to see. “I’ll be back, hun,” Maura said, and walked off to go to the older man who had motioned for her attention, a young woman with him.


Maura wasn’t sure if she hoped the woman was his daughter, rather than his consort. She’d heard stories from others about all the creepy men with more money than sense on these cruises, and the young arm candy they often had. Still, Maura acted chipper when she asked, “What can I get for you, sir?” And she let her gaze lift briefly to the woman with the laptop, “And for you, miss?” Her tone was friendlier to her.


Artemis turned in her seat to look out at those on the boat while Maura was occupied.


That was when Sylas joined her, snaking an arm around her shoulders and making her jump. “Jesus!” He snickered. “You almost made me spill my drink, ass.”


“Looks pretty pink to me,” he noted.


“This is red. Are you color blind?” she asked, lifting her hand to remove his from around her shoulder, “So, how is our room?”


“Not bad. Not a place to hang out. Not really decorated or anything. Pretty…dull,” he answered, asked, “So what is the atrocious fruity drink?”


“Tastes like sour cherry,” she answered, “Want a sip?” she offered it to him, and he shook his head.


“No, no,” he answered, “I’ll stick to the standard.” Rum and coke. He looked around then, frowned, “Where’s the bar wench?”


“Taking orders. She’ll be back around soon. Her name’s Maura,” Artemis informed.


Sylas nodded to that, and heard the horn of the ship go off to signal that it was going to be departing. A host of people rushed to the side of the boat nearest the shore to wave to loved ones on the shore. Sylas glanced off in that direction, and considered it.


He didn’t have anyone to wave to, but it’d be nice, he thought.


Still, he refrained from doing so.

 

[Rhianna]

Mark once again shook his head, a brief moment of sadness rushing through him. He felt bad for Lana, he really did. She was growing more and more obsessed with this on going case of hers. He didn't like seeing her so troubled, it annoyed him deeply. So instead, he adverted his attention away from his counterpart and onto the bar maid who was even more gorgeous up close. "Hello there lovely." he said to her cheerfully, his blue eyes playful and inviting. He was good at this little game he played, sex was his weapon of mass destruction. Of course when he would tell Lana this, she would just pretend to puke. "I will have a Long Island Iced Tea." he told her, sticking to his roots with pride. The man looked over at Lana and waited patiently for her response.


The girl was engrossed in her research, her fingers moving tirelessly over the dingy looking keys. She felt a weird silence come over the table and she felt her cheeks redden with an unknown embarrassment. "Oh, uh, uhm." she said awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck with her right hand. She hated speaking in front of an audience, even if it only consisted of three people. "I will have a Bloody Mary." the quiet hunter responded to the beautiful, intense looking woman. God would she kill for those looks. Not literally, because killing humans is wrong...and illegal.


Figuring that the waitress probably did not hear Lana, Mark decided he would take it upon himself to do the speaking for her. He always seemed to find himself in this position, and quite frankly, he hated it. He watched her curiously as she went back to typing again. "My daughter here will have a Bloody Mary." he said to the woman standing in front of the table in a nonchalant manner. He was beginning to become ever more tiresome of Violet's introverted personality. At a time like this, he really needed a wing woman.


Lana squirmed at the word "daughter", hating it come from another man's tongue besides her fathers. That was the plan they devised before they planned this "vacation". She would play the dutiful daughter, and he would pretend to be the caring father. He was doing a shitty job executing this rather simple task. How hard could it be to play a character? They practically did it all the time when they went on missions.

 

[Lucyfer]

“That’s her,” Artemis motioned out to the woman who was wearing such a fake smile on her lips.


It faltered, just a bit, when the man spoke up for his child. Maura passed her a sympathetic look, ‘Poor girl.’ Being denied a voice by having that guy speak up for her. Maura said, “Yes, I heard her,” but in a chipper way rather than a condemning way, “I’ll get those drinks right out for you!”


Maura then turned on her heel and sashayed her way back to the bar. She might not care so much about men, but they tipped—and tipping was going to make her time ashore that much more fun. When Maura returned to the bar, she noted the man besides the red-head. The disappointment showed.


“This is my brother, Sylas,” Artemis said before Maura could look too upset about it.’


“Oh, I get his name easily, do I?”


“You never asked mine,” Artemis pointed out, watching as the bartender started to dig out the well liquors. “Long Island?” She was familiar with the concoction. Ah, her twenty-first birthday—a memory saved only in pictures. Artemis didn’t remember much. Sylas’s friends had insisted she drink Long Islands, since they were pretty much straight alcohol with coke for color.


“Yes,” she answered, glanced up, “You bartender?”


“No, just been in enough bars,” they were good places for information, after all. Following that came the Bloody Mary, easily told by the tomato juice that went into making it. As they were set on the counter, Artemis reached for them.


“What are you—”


“I can take care of’em,” Artemis said, leaving her place, “I know my brother’s famished, he took everything down to the room.” Artemis took both the drinks, figuring these small actions would work in her favor down the line. It was always good for a hunter to establish a few friends in the area, and this boat was going to be the area.


“Okay, who had the Long Island?” Artemis asked when she reached the couple.


Sylas rolled his eyes, glanced to Maura and noticed what, exactly, she was looking at when Artemis turned around. ‘Oh.’ So he had no chance then. Drat. The life of a hunter was a rather lonely one, and he hadn't figured out just how to go about pursuing a real relationship. He didn't want to involve non-hunters in his life. Too dangerous. Yet, he'd never really met another female hunter who wasn't the same way--living the lonely life, and avoiding commitments. His parents were a rare pair. He envied them. “Her name’s Artemis, like the virginal huntress,” he was also a bit protective, even if he knew his sister was not exactly the chaste moon goddess.


Still, he was pleased to see the defeated look cross Maura’s face. He could mention she also didn’t swing that way, but that would be too mean. “Could I please get a rum and coke?” He asked, holding up his own arm without much enthusiasm to show his status as VIP.


“Sure! Regular rum, or—”


“Coconut, if you have it,” he was sure that they did.


“Of course!” And she went to make the drink, figuring if she was nice to the brother, perhaps she’d have a better chance with the sister.

 

[Rhianna]

Mark looked up with a rather surprised look on his face. This eventually faded into a rather creepy looking expression as he found himself to be more partial towards red heads. They were notorious in his book, being that most of them were fantastic in bed. "Well isn't today my lucky day." he commented towards Lana in a pleased tone of voice. This only made the girl scoff, she didn't even bother to take a glance at the woman in front of them. "The Iced Tea would belong to me, gorgeous." he said, peering down at the hunter's knife that was concealed under his shirt.


The man considered himself to be very talented, crediting himself to his ability of utilizing resources around him when Lana and him were in a bit of a jam. Her on the other hand, he really didn't know what her talents were. She always kept to herself, even when they were on strenuous missions that required her to speak up and join in on the conversations. "What did you order, Lana? I forget." he said to her humorously, not bothering to look at her at all when he spoke.


Lana let out a small breath, information coming and going through her brain like a locomotive. The wind picked up from the north, her compass spinning around in several directions to deduce the location of the warm breeze. Although she didn't particularly mind being outside, the sun bothered Lana deeply. Instead of complaining though, she wore an unusually large pair of black sunglasses to shield her eyes from the bright rays. "Bloody Mary. I ordered a Bloody..." she commented quite quickly, her voice trailing off when she found an article of a man being brutally murdered in Miami Beach. "Goddamn vamps." she muttered under her breath, her mind completely focused on the website.


Mark's brown eyes widened in shock when Lana mentioned a "supernatural", as they liked to call them. He stared at her for what seemed to be an eternity. "Shut the Hell up, Lana. Keep your mouth shut." Mark screamed in his head. He really didn't want to explain the whole Wekillmonstersanddemonsforaliving thing to a girl he was trying to pick up, it would be a bitch of a conversation if he did. "Thank you." he sheepishly said in contrast to what he actually wanted to say.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘Aww.’ This man was adorable. He wasn’t subtle at all. His game was to just go forward with his interests. Artemis let out a bit of a laugh, not at him, but at the fact she was so familiar with this game. “Here you are, handsome,” she offered him the Long Island. Considering she only had one other drink, she didn’t really need to hear what Lana ordered.


He did look old enough to be her father, though barely. Artemis, too, felt a bit of sympathy for the girl to have to deal with such a horn dog. She moved around the chair to set Lana’s drink down besides her, “And for you, dear,” as she said it, she was close enough to hear Lana mention ‘vamps’.


There were enough vampire books and such out there for anyone to consider the comment meaningless, but Artemis got a glance at the computer screen when she bent to place the drink down. She was examining a murder in Miami, and just the headline read to make it sound like a murder. ‘Sylas didn’t mention other hunters.’ Did he not know? Was there something else on this boat besides the Triangle legends?


She lifted her blue eyes up to meet the man’s as he said thank you, “Oh, you’re quite welcome,” all smiles. One hand moved behind her back, though, out of his sight. She started to sign to Sylas. “So, is this going to be on tab, or do you want to go ahead and get the nasty business of paying out of the way?” She bent forward a bit. The man had clear interests, and a bit of exposure would likely keep him from wondering why she had one hand behind her back.


“So, where are you two from?” Maura asked conversationally.


‘Well, I’m from everywhere, and she was born in Illinois.’ Explaining that would take too long, so he said simply, “Illinois,” deciding that was good enough. “We didn’t spend a lot of time there, though,” she saw him give him an odd look. He had a bit of a southern twang to his voice, since most of his time had been spent in the south. New Orleans, in particular.


Artemis didn’t have that accent. She’d spent enough of her years in Illinois. He missed what Maura said next, noticing the movement of Artemis’s hand. He caught the gestures, and then drew his arm up. He tapped it a few times, and the tablet came to life.


“Woah,” he heard Maura say from behind him, setting his drink by him. He ignored her awe. He clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, and continued to click it. He had created a ‘computer language’, which consisted of clicks. He could make a variety of sounds with just clicks.


His contact lenses took on a light that made his brown eyes look golden. Before his eyes appeared a forum, and he started to search it for information, spelling out ‘L-A-N-A’ and diving into the information gathered by hunters on their own, and on the supernatural.


Scanning the brunette woman in the chair also helped to move things quickly, and he took a good look at her before closing his eyes, snapping the picture and sending it through.


‘There we are. Lana Holland.’ Another click. Yep, a hunter. No known reason for being on this boat, though.


He quickly started to type up a message to post to the boards to see if anyone knew what the hunter Lana Holland was doing on the Victoria cruise. Sylas didn’t want to be caught off guard by a demon or something.

 

[Rhianna]

Mark raised his eyebrow in suspicion of this woman. She seemed to know what she was doing as well, playing into his hands like a dog. She was good at this, but he was better. "So little lady, what brings you on this cruise?" he asked her, sounding like a box of chocolate. He took notice of her hand gesture, figuring that she thought he was a complete pervert, which he was. He wasn't stupid though, quite the opposite actually. "Did you just want to get away from the cold, or are you in some desperate need of R&R?" he questioned her, sounding like some sort of half assed detective from the 50's.


Lana let her eyes wander up from her computer, receiving Mark's telepathic message by looking into his eyes. She sighed once more, now closing her computer to let it cool down. God knows how long she will be on it during this trip anyway. She didn't consider this trip to be a vacation, more like another place where she could do some more research. At times, Lana was scared by her curse of over thinking certain situations. Like just before when she thought the boat was going to sink just because of all of the people that would be on it. She knew it was theoretically impossible, but her anxiety reached a point where she couldn't control her idiotic thoughts. She then proceeded to watch the exchange of the two adults in front of her, folding her arms over one another as she did so.


The small framed adult took a small sip of her drink, wondering why she even ordered this disgusting thing in the first place. It tasted like a leather shoe. She shrugged to herself, knowing that that was probably the best comparison she could come up with when her mind was traveling a million miles an hour. All she thought about was vampires, nothing else, but those blood drinking bastards. Sure she hunted other things such as your typical ghosts, wendigos, banshees, and maybe even a killer clown if she was lucky. Nothing ever boiled her blood as much as vampires did though.

 

[Lucyfer]

Sylas had gotten the message. Artemis could see him quite occupied, so she giggled and shook her head, drew her hand forward and wagged her finger, “That’s not going to get you out of paying, sir,” she didn’t notice if he had a bracelet or not, “But I’m on this cruise to relax. Aren’t you and your daughter here for that reason, too?”


A mischievous glint came into her blue eyes and she asked, “Where’s the misses?” Because of course in this game, a man like him had to have a woman.


Of course he didn’t, and Artemis knew that was going to be the answer.


The silver tablet lit up, and a name was written across it. It wasn’t a real name, but an SN that Sylus was familiar with. “Excuse me,” he said to Maura, grabbing his cup and then walking a bit away. He clicked his tongue to answer. “Hello, Rabbit.”


The voice of a woman greeted him, “Hey, so you’re actually on Victoria?” Rabbit knew that had been a plan.


Sylas smiled, drank from his cup, answered, “Yeah. So, what’s the word?”


“Well, Lana tends to travel with this older hunter, pretty good at what he does,” Rabbit answered, “Chances are they aren’t there for fun, so they’re likely after something. Safe bet is vampires. That’s what got Lana into this business.” More didn’t really need to be said. Anyone who got into the business via supernatural creatures, usually faced a tragedy.


‘So that dude isn’t her father then.’ Sylas guessed. He responded with, “Mm, I see,” Sylas nodded, despite how Rabbit wouldn’t see it. “In Bermuda? On a cruise?”


He could hear the shrug. “Vampires are weird.”


“Suicidal.” He didn’t say more aloud. The only way a vampire was on was if it boarded really early that morning, or was stored in a coffin somewhere. He decided the vampires had to be in Bermuda, or one of their stops on the way. “Anyway, thanks for the head’s up.”


“Sure thing, Glitchy. You gonna warn them?”


“Probably,” he was the decent one. Artemis would keep them in the dark, imagine ignorance was the safer way. “Talk to ya later,” and he clicked to hang up, then closed his eyes for several seconds. The contacts powered down. The tablet lost its light.

 

[Rhianna]

Mark chuckled to himself, pushing his drink out of the way. He was thoroughly amused by this woman, everything about her made him feel intimidated. He had to admit, he enjoyed it. "The 'misses', or Lana's mother, passed away of breast cancer when the poor girl over there was only sixteen." he said to her truthfully, knowing that this sentence would strike a chord in Lana's heart. He didn't care though. He was more interested in the red headed woman who was eyeing him. He then looked at Lana, who was sitting there looking like she hated life; which was partially true.


Lana at this point, just wanted to leave, to get off of this boat and go back to New York where she felt safe. Well, as safe as one could feel anyway. She did her damnedest to make sure of this, working restlessly day and night to ensure that no one else had to die the way her family did. "We will be paying in cash." Lana said to the woman in a low tone of voice, her eyes burning a hole into Mark's forehead. As one could clearly tell, communication was key in this duo's relationship. The girl bent down over her seat to get her wallet which was placed in her bag that was under the table. She frowned while doing this, secretly hoping that Mark would volunteer to pay the check, since he was such a gentleman.


Mark felt relief wash over his body when Lana offered to pay the check. He didn't have any money with him currently, so it just saved him the aggravation of making up some lame excuse to get out of paying the tab. "I assume you're here with someone." he said coyly, casually looking over his shoulder to see if anyone is finding themselves becoming intrigued with their tense discussion, that Mark enjoyed. This whole time he had a douchebag looking grin plastered on his smug face.

 

[Lucyfer]

Artemis moved a hand to her heart, “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said in regards to the mother, though couldn’t help but notice the way it was spoken. The reaction of Lana suggested some truth to it, for the woman’s expression darkened even more. She also involved herself in the conversation by offering to pay.


‘Cash. Er, what was the price of these things?’ “A twenty should cover it,” Artemis said, “I will bring back your change, of course,” she informed Lana, noting that it was going to be her that paid as she reached for her own wallet out of a purse.


Her eyes moved from Lana to the man once again, “Yes, I am. Gary,” she answered him, but added no details about who Gary was to her. It was more fun that way, after all. “Well, I do hope this trip provides you with some much needed relaxation. Is this your first vacation since…that?” She was careful not to say ‘the death’.


Sylas walked over as Lana was digging in her purse, glanced between all the conversationalists but pretended not to know anyone at that moment. He wasn’t sure if they’d seen him with Artemis earlier or not, “Hey, um, sorry to interrupt,” he addressed Lana like an awkward teen. He needed to pull her aside somehow to find out about the vampires, and warn her about his own mission. He assumed she’d get the information back to this man, “Do you have a charger? My phone died. It’s the same brand as your laptop, so I was wondering….”


Some people were fans of certain brands and would buy only those sorts of products. He had to hope that was the case here.

 

[Rhianna]

Lana was angry now, concluding that mark was a complete asshole. One would think she would be used to this kind of juvenile behavior, but no, she wasn't. After all, he was a 40 year old man, whereas she was 23. At least she had an excuse to be childish, not him. "I'm so fucking over this trip." she said to herself, she was flustered and becoming increasingly intolerant of her companion. After she found her wallet, she proceeded to pull two tens out of it, shaking her head when she realized that was all the money she brought with her. 'Idiot.' she thought, such a fool.


Mark took note of her actions, she was good. He decided for himself that she must have been an actress, or a very good con artist. He had never seen anyone else pull off such a convincing act as well as she did. "Yes sadly, the poor, misguided girl has never left New York before. She is too frightened." he said with a sorrowful tone, swearing he could hear Lana growl at him under the table. He knew he was crossing the line, but like he said before, he didn't give a damn. He wanted to win the affection of this young woman standing in front of him. "I practically had to beg her to go on this cruise with him. She finally gave in when I said there would be a disco." he added cheerfully, ignoring Lana's glares, even from under the white, plastic table.


The girl was used to Mark poking fun at her, but not as bad as this was. He was entering in a territory that Lana kept guarded, and she didn't think he would want to see what would happen if he opened the equivalent to Pandora's Box. As she was about to hand the money to the equally as sarcastic woman she was greeted by an awkward sounding man. Hearing his question, she quietly slipped off of the wooden chair and went digging through her pink bag that she rarely ever got the opportunity to use. "I do actually!" she responded sweetly to the boy, allowing a smile to appear on her brooding face. After a moment, she emerged from her bag with a white cell phone charger in her hand, almost wanting to scream with success.

 

[Lucyfer]

Two tens were taken out, and Artemis took hold of them, hearing Lana’s complaints. As bad as she felt for continuing this act, she also found it too much fun to desist just for the sake of one angsty woman. “Thank you,” she said in regards to the money, and folded the two bills in her hand.


A smirk graced her lips at the mention of a disco, “Really now?” She knew there was going to be one, too. She was far more interested in the rave, though the disco had sounded amusing. How could it not? Disco balls and flashing lights? 70s music wasn’t all that bad, so long as they didn’t play Disco Duck. That was the worst song known to man. “I wouldn’t have thought such a young woman would be into that. That seems more like your thing.”


She took a step back, noting Sylas, “I’ll go get you all paid up,” and she spun on her heel to approach the bar again, where Maura was dealing with a few other drink orders that had come through.


Sylas lit up, delighted when the charger was pulled out, “You’re a saint!” He said in an ecstatic voice, taking the charger from her.


All hunters were actors, or at least, all hunters brought up in the Devonshire family were. Sylas knew what roles he was good at, and this was one of them. “I’ll go get my phone plugged in immediately. Ah, you can come with me, if you want to know where I’m taking it. That way you’ll be able to track me down if you need it,” he shook his head, added, “They don’t make phone batteries like they used to,” such a sorrowful fact. He remembered when phones could last days without going on the charger.


He made a gesture back for her to follow, if she wanted. He was certain she’d take the excuse to leave, just from the tension he’d felt when he showed up on the scene.

 

[Rhianna]

Mark gave an equally fake laugh at the woman, paying no attention to Lana's on going conversation with a strange boy who needed a charger. He completely and utterly in awe of this fascinating woman placed before him. For a split second, he thought she was an angel sent to him by God as a payment for his good deeds over the years. God knows how many decades he had been on the job, and quite frankly it was time for him to be paid back. "Yeah totally. Little Lana loves The Bee Gees." he announced in a playful tone of voice, now noticing that she disappeared into the sea of people who were standing behind him. This made him pout, as opposed to Lana who had an amused expression on her face.


Lana nodded at the man, figuring she needed the walk. She wasn't worried whether or not he would attack her, for she clearly knew how to take someone down before he even came close to swinging a fist. "Alrighty, it looks like Mark is busy anyway with that rather gorgeous waitress." she said to him in a low tone that came off as icy. The girl then grabbed her bag, computer, and school supplies, making sure that nothing of hers would be left alone. Mark had the attention span of a fruit fly, so she wasn't about to trust him with her prized possessions.


Leaving Mark sitting at the table, Lana began to stroll with the curious looking man, feeling a bit puzzled herself. She noticed that Mark had a sad aura bouncing off of him like lightning to a tire, which only made her grin even wider with satisfaction. "I'm Lana by the way. Lana Holland." she told him, not really caring if she told him her real name or not. Creating false names or an alias in her mind was way too much work, she would rather die with someone knowing her true identity, than a fake one who she spent two seconds making up in a bathroom stall at some shady restaurant.

 

[Lucyfer]

Artemis passed the two tens to Maura once she had her attention again. Maura looked a bit puzzled, and Artemis thumbed back to them, “For the tea and the bloody Mary,” she explained.


“Oh,” Maura took the money and quickly offered cash. She asked in a hushed voice, “What are you doing?” She didn’t understand the interest that Artemis had in this stranger. Artemis reached back and pulled her fake ID from a back pocket. She placed it lightly on the bar, and opened it enough for Maura to see.


Her eyes widened, horrified, and went up to Artemis. She mouthed a question, and Artemis shrugged, then returned the ID to her pocket. She put a finger to her lips, and then took the change and returned to Mark.


“Well, I do trust you’ll return the change to Lana?” She said as she placed the money on the table for Mark to claim.


~***~


Sylas caught her name, and couldn’t help but smile as she didn’t bother with a false identity. It was either stupidity or bravery, though the two of those were often the same thing to hunters. He did walk over to a place where there was a plug-in, only to offer the charger back to her.


“My name’s Sylas Devonshire,” he introduced, “I’m a hunter. So’s the waitress—Artemis Fero,” he explained. He figured he would at least return the honesty to her, “Sorry for deceiving you, but I wanted to talk to you. Artemis and I are here on our own mission, and I imagine you are, too.”


His gaze was calm, “So I thought I’d ask what you’re here about, and let you know what we’re here about, so neither of us are caught off guard. Okay?” He hoped she understood. He wasn’t here to get in the way, he just wanted everyone prepared and safe.

 

[Rhianna]

Lana laughed silently to herself when he smiled at her introduction. She didn't exactly know why, but it was comforting to her knowing that someone found her funny and or maybe, pretty. She shook her head at this thought, there was no way in Hell anyone could find her attractive. She was far too weird and awkward, and she pretty much scared everyone away who she had previous encounters with. That is why she left the witty dialogue and sexual conversing to Mark, who was an expert for talking for Lana by now. She raised an eyebrow when he handed her the charger back, feeling a little bit betrayed now. For what reason? She didn't know.


Lana listened to Sylas speak intently, resting her elbow on a ledge that was connected to a buffet table. She watched as countless amount of screaming kids were arguing with their mothers that they should be allowed to eat ice cream for lunch. Lana didn't have an argument for this, she would let her kids eat ice cream all day for all she cared. When he asked her what her motives were, Lana frowned again, her mind returning to the night in which her father was violently killed. "My main purpose here, Sylas Devonshire, is to hunt, torture slowly, and kill viciously the vampires who mutilated my father when I was a teenager." she said seriously to him, her eyes darkening with rage and sadness.


Her father truly was the only thing she cared about in life, and since he was gone, she felt like she was continuously falling down an infinite rabbit hole of self-pity. "My father, who really isn't my father, as I'm sure you've already guess, is actually my mentor. I've been hunting for more than seven years now." she added, her hair getting in her face due to the strong wind.


Back at the "Table of Sexual Opportunity", Mark was delighted once more as the waitress he had grown to take a liking to had returned with Lana's change. He looked down at the five dollar bill and smirked, taking it in his hand and slowly beginning to slip it into his pocket. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I borrowed it to pay for our Disco tickets." he said happily, hoping Lana wouldn't notice what happened to her money when she returned. After giving a brief thought to this, Mark shrugged and turned his attention to the gorgeous woman in front of him. "I'm Mark. Mark Roden." he introduced, using the similar style Lana did.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘Of course. A crazy one.’


It was standard with hunters who were brought into this business due to having loved ones killed. Artemis was the exception to the rule, and Sylas imagined it was because she had been so young when it all happened.


Still, Sylas understood. He’d be a bit demented, too. Just a shame it had to happen to someone who probably would have had a life and a family now. He imagined her graduated from college, married to her college sweetheart, and living a good life. It wasn’t hard to imagine at all—she had the looks, and if she was in this job, she had to have the tenacity and smarts. Heck, she found a mentor for herself, after all.


Sylas stuck to the point, though, “Are the vampires on this ship, or are they going to be somewhere the cruise stops at?” He needed to know where they were in danger at, so he knew how best to prepare. He wouldn’t comment on her ideas for senseless revenge. Killing was well and good. Torture was a step too much for him.


~***~


‘No, of course not.’ This man was not prepared for the cruise, at all, if he thought that was going to be enough money to buy tickets for the disco. Fortunately, she was prepared. Her bracelet was a godsend. “No, I’m sure she wouldn’t,” Artemis chose to agree.


She leaned over the table to accept the hand, and kept her eyes locked with Mark as she did so, “I’m Artemis Fero, dear Mark,” she informed him, seeing no reason to lie. Most knew her under the name Artemis Devonshire anyway, since they just assumed her last name was Devonshire given her close associations with that family.


Artemis never changed her last name, though. The Devonshires were wonderful, but she was born a Fero.

 

[Rhianna]

Lana felt an elbow in her side as she looked down to see a frustrated little boy trying to reach up and grab some French Fries. "Ow." she murmured under her breath, using her hand to rub at the wound. For a small child, he packed a serious jab. Good enough to be a hunter, he showed promise. Lana bent down to take the child's plate, smiling at him weakly as she did so. "One second Sylas." she said to the attractive looking man who she was engaged in a conversation with.


The small girl turned over to face the buffet table, using the tongs that were placed in the fries to grab a heaping of the fried potato. She dumped the fries on the beige, glass plate and then handed it back to the little boy. Who, didn't bother to say thank you. "Now, where were we?" she asked him, but rather questioning her own memory. "Ah, yes. Those bastards we call Vampires." she said in a enthusiastic way. Lana then strolled over towards the other side of Sylas so she wasn't in the way of the other guests. "From what I have concluded in my extensive amount of research. They are currently on this ship." she told him with a confident attitude. "I don't know where they are, but I'm pretty sure they are here." she added, making sure she didn't sound like a jackass.


Mark grinned at Artemis when she sat down, loving her presence and enjoying her company. He nodded his head at her, deciding it was time to cut the shit and get down to business. "Such a gorgeous name to fit a stunning girl." he said truthfully, examining her features. He didn't look at her as a prize though, which was weird, but as a regular girl who he was interested in. "Now why don't you tell me why you're really here. I know damn well you are no waitress or scam artist." he commented, nothing but seriousness filling his low voice. "Although you would be the most good looking scam artist to ever walk the planet." he added, laughing while he said this.

 

[Lucyfer]

Sylas wasn’t pleased with that, but he didn’t doubt her. He imagined someone as obsessed with getting revenge would be right, and so he nodded. “All right,” he pushed a hand back through his own dark hair and watched the people around. Talking in public was something he tended to prefer. People ignored those in public.


Those hiding or trying to converse away from the public eye, were the ones eavesdropped on. “You probably don’t want any help with this,” that was standard for revenge-seekers, “but Artemis and I aren’t going to be able to stay out of this, if we notice the vampires doing anything. We’ll have to handle it ourselves.”


He hoped that she understood, but he didn’t bank on it. Revenge made people irrational. So, he changed the subject, “Artemis and I are here to try and solve the Bermuda Triangle mystery. It may be nothing,” he’d allow that possibility, “but you should be on your guard when we actually start to cross through it.”


~***~


Mark cut to the chase, but it wasn’t the chase Artemis expected. She was imagining he’d try to get her into bed before talking about anything serious—save that sort of talk for the pillow, and let the handcuffs guarantee answers.


“Aww, hun,” she took a seat at the table and crossed her arms over it, “Are you saying you’re not a scam artist?” She canted her head. Artemis absolutely considered herself a scam artist, considering all the lies she had to use to get around. “I thought I recognized my own kind when I saw them. I guess I’m losing my touch. That’s a shame,” she clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth.


“I’m afraid to disappoint you, but I am a scam artist,” she gave a dismissive wave, “as well as a few other things. Like what you are,” the smile that crossed her lips was knowing, “Otherwise my friend wouldn’t have taken away your daughter.” She knew what the man was just by that action alone.

 

[Rhianna]

Mark knew what she was now, impressed by her intelligence and knowledge. "Like I said beautiful, you're the best goddamn scam artist to walk the planet." he said to her sweetly, pushing the now watery glass of Long Island Iced Tea away from him, the thought of drinking anything making him sick. "So you're a hunter too?" he commented, pushing a strand of red hair out of her face. The man nodded once more, the sun shining directly in his face. He should have packed sunglasses like Lana, but he figured it would make him seem weak and girly. He was all about keeping his manhood. "And you have met my close friend, Lana. Who I am sure your guy over there has done some of his homework on." he added, feeling a bit disappointed that he had been played for a fool.


He did think that she was interested in their witty banter though, so instead of leaving he sat where he was. "I have been a hunter since I was at the prime age of sixteen. The same age Lana was when I rescued her." he said to Artemis in a sad tone, wishing he had led a different life. "I have precisely twenty-four years of experience in handling what goes bump in the night. I hate to see women like you get sucked into something as horrible as thing business." he said truthfully, knowing that there had to be something better than hunting. No one exactly chooses "Monster Hunting" as a career path.


---


Lana looked at Sylas, knowing that he probably thought she was insane. "Look, I'm not out of my mind alright?" she said to him, her voice beginning to sound angry. She felt even more betrayed when he thought she was incompetent to handle the job. "I'm just deeply hurt by everything that has happened to me these last seven awful years." she announced, placing her computer and bag down on a vacant ledge. She then took a back hair tie and proceeded to braid her hair accordingly. She hated looking stupid in front of those she considered to be stronger than her.


After she managed to successfully create a side-braid, she let out a puff of air. This whole conversation made her nervous. He made her nervous, Mark made her nervous, everything made her anxiety levels rise. "Why exactly are you investigating the Bermuda Triangle Mystery? Was Amelia Earhart's death really that tragic?" she asked Sylas, trying to make light of the very serious situation at hand.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Thank you,” Artemis said to his compliment about her skills as a scam artist. He hadn’t even really seen her in action, but she’d take it.


He didn’t need to have it spelled out. Artemis gave a nod when he mentioned hunters, confirming that was what she was. She didn’t bat his hand away when he used it to brush a strand of red hair out of her face, but let that knowing smile turn predatory. “Sylas does his homework on everyone,” it was his area of expertise, the research part. “That’s why we’re here, after all.”


Sylas would be finding out why this pair were here. If Mark were interested, he’d ask. He seemed more inclined to share his past. Sixteen was when he got involved, and Artemis shook her head, “You’re one of the rare ones. Most like you end up eaten by their rage,” she commended his strength to make it this far. “I suspect that girl is well on her way down that path. I do hope you’ll keep her from it.”


Revenge was a terrible desire. Artemis had let it go. “You ought to talk Lana out of it, if you’re so concerned about pretty women being involved. It’s too late for me,” she was older than Lana, and had joined at a much younger age than her. Ten, rather than sixteen. Sometimes, she thought that made all the difference. So many of the angry hunters had incidents happen while they were teens, and full of nothing but hormones and confusion.


~***~


“I never said you were out of your mind,” not aloud. Sylas just knew the type. She immediately went into a coping mechanism, and Sylas drew back, crossing his arms over his chest. He’d let her have the space to braid, “I’m only informing you. We’re on a cruise ships with innocents. I’m not going to get in your way, but if the vampires make a fuss, I am going to step in.”


It was to protect innocent lives. That always trumped revenge. She didn’t speak until her braid was finished, so he was standing there in the silence, waiting. Fortunately, when she was ready to speak again, it was on the topic he was here for. He shook his head, “It’s not just Amelia. There’s been other incidents. I’ve been mapping them through time and doing my best to figure out why some ships and aircraft are able to pass through unharmed, and others aren’t. I think I’ve got an idea.”


It had to do with astronomy, as well as the moon cycle, and things lining up just so. He was meticulous enough to find such patterns, though.

 

[Rhianna]

Lana felt her nerves eating her from the inside out. She had been to therapy before to sort out her deep rooted issues, they settled on the fact that she had an anxiety disorder and that the "monsters" she told them about were fake and used as a way to cope with her father's death. This wasn't true though, she knew what she saw, and quite frankly, she wasn't about to let anyone tell her differently. "Look, I'm sorry if I seemed to be consumed with the idea of revenge. I have medicines to help me deal with my...problems." she said to him, feeling her hand tapping the metal as a hint that it was time to take these so call "crazy pills" of hers. "I don't mind if you help me out with killing those rat bastards. I would love the help to be perfectly honest with you." she said in a sweet tone, listening to him as he spoke about The Triangle.


She hadn't really given much thought about The Bermuda Triangle, she only focused on cases that presented themselves in The States. She really wasn't too concerned with what happened in the Caribbean. "Maybe there is a portal?" she suggested, feeling the need to put her two cents into this conversation that she was following. "I just don't know what it could lead to though." she added, genuinely perplexed by the situation.


----


Mark was interested in this exchange the duo was having. He was curious to find out her back story and what made her begin hunting in the first place. "Lana is a very stubborn individual. She knows what she wants and she won't let you talk her out of anything once she sets her mind to it." the man told her honestly, his eyes shifting to the other passengers on the ship. They all seemed to be happy and enjoying life. "Sometimes I wish I could take it all back, you know? Trade in my hunter's badge and utilize my talents for something else that is more practical." he said, his vision focused on a couple who were strolling along the balcony, holding hands and smiling at one another. That's all he wished he had.


It was now around 12 in the afternoon, Mark was beginning to feel the effects of the sun's rays. "I planned this vacation not to be another case. I just wanted Lana to relax and have a good time. She is just always to preoccupied with hunting to enjoy her young life while she has it." he admitted to Artemis, lowering his head in disappointment. "So why are you guys here anyway?" he asked her, his hands now cupped under his chin to make a makeshift pillow for him.

 

[Lucyfer]

Sylas gave a small smile, “I’m glad you’re taking care of yourself,” too many people out there were too ashamed of their problems, or didn’t believe they had them. At least this Lana had taken the steps to get medication for them. Her growing anxiety was likely a sign, though, that she wasn’t the best at staying on schedule.


But, at least she was taking the proper steps.


“I think it’s more like a veil, but portal is an apt description, only, it isn’t just that ships go in. I think that things come out, too. I’m sure you’ve heard of vampires and others who claim to have originated somewhere not Earth, right?” That’s why they were ‘supernatural’. They weren’t natural to Earth. “If this could be figured out, maybe we can send them all home,” some missed it.


That’d be better for everyone. No more deaths. Peaceful resolutions.


~***~


“More practical?” Artemis clearly doubted such a thing existed from the way she spoke. Unless he meant practical in the sense of less dangerous. Artemis truly believed that their job, hunters, was a very practical thing. It was protecting humanity and beasts from each other. Sometimes, though it was rare, they did get to help supernatural entities adjust to Earth.


Now and then, there were the few good vampires, or the werewolf looking to learn to control itself. Things like that made Artemis relish the job. “I’m sorry Lana has made it all so difficult for you. You could send her on her way, and make your own life. She’s an adult now,” Artemis and Sylas got along because they were of the same mind about hunting. “We’re here on business,” she informed him. “Sylas thinks he’s figured something out about the Bermuda triangle, so…bad time to be on the ship.”


Poor man was getting into something he clearly hadn’t planned on getting into. “We’re not sure what’s going to happen,” which made it more of a problem, “Sylas thinks it has something to do with the sinkhole incident back in Illinois, about twenty one years ago.”

 

[Rhianna]

Mark nodded at the gorgeous girl that was placed before he. He let his mind wander to the possibility that in another life they would be together, and that he could be younger. Forty wasn't exactly old in his books, but since this generation has grown accustomed to the idea of immortality; he began to think of himself as one of the elderly. "So it seems as if I am in fact going to be working on this trip." he said, almost sounding disappointed in the situation that has risen. He loved to hunt, it was practically what consumed his entire life. His hunting brain was switched off for the sole purpose of this vacation though, so he wan't really in the mood to kill anything right now.


When she brought up the suggestion of letting Lana go off on her own, his stiffened. "She has very bad anxiety issues." he said in a defensive tone of voice. He felt solely responsible for Lana's sometimes reckless behavior. He was the one who dragged her into this mess in the first place. He has regretted his decision ever since. He would even give up the pleasures of sex just to make Lana feel better, body and mind. "I can't help but feel like this is my fault. I created her basically. I made her be like this." he added in a sorrowful tone, feeling the ship beginning to leave the dock finally.


----


Lana listened to Sylas' theory in a quizzical manner, nodding her head every so often when he spoke. "Do you think something might try and escape tonight or tomorrow?" she asked him, closing her eyes so her nerves will disappear along with her deep rooted anger. She secretly hoped in the back of her mind that she wouldn't have to fight anything that was above her pay grade. She had fought some pretty tough creatures before, but basically opening the dimension leading to Hell was a completely different story. She also noticed that Sylas was extremely intelligent, which was a nice change because all of the other male hunters she has met were clueless.


When she opened again, she realized the ship was now moving. This eliminated the possibility of her escape, unless she could find some other half assed away to retreat. One of them would be plunging to her death, which wasn't something she planned on doing anytime soon. To her delight. Lana observed that her anxiety had dissipated, leaving her more relaxed and happy. "If we are going to be taking on the Devil or something, I'm telling you right now, I don't think I am ready for that challenge." she told him, adjusting the straps that were now falling off of her shoulders

 

[Lucyfer]

Artemis gave a chuckle, and a possible, “It may be that Sylas is wrong, and neither of us have to work,” or that she and Sylas handled it neatly enough. The first was unlikely. Sylas was rarely wrong. Artemis found it frustrating at times, but he was careful about anything he made definitive statements on.


The man jumped to Lana’s defense. “And?” Artemis didn’t find anxiety to be an adequate reason. People with anxiety learned to live and make their own way in the world. Medication and learning about themselves helped. Artemis wondered if Lana was actually learning life skills or not by being with this man who was enabling her hunting and revenge habits. “I don’t think you created anxiety, hun. That’s something people are generally born with and work out on their own,” she gave him a reassuring smile, “But if you’re so concerned about it, then you should be leaving hunting to show her the proper way of life.”


Since he did seem to have regrets, and did sound like he wanted out. Poor soul. Dragged into it himself, “Stubborn has its limits. Life experiences helped. You got into it at the same age as her. If she’s not stupid, she can learn from seeing your regrets. You two can become a real family—send her to college and all that jazz,” she thought to admit she had gone to college, but opted not to.


Apparently her task was to make this hunter realize what he did, and did not, have responsibility for.


~***~


Sylas laughed. He couldn’t help it. Lana wasn’t informed about how long cruises lasted, nor how far they were from the Bermuda triangle. “Not a thing is going to happen for at least two days,” he informed her, “We’re not going to be anywhere near the triangle until then, so I doubt anything related to it is going to happen.”


He then frowned, “Though, I wonder if that’s what your vampires are here for. If so, perhaps we can convince them to lay low until we get to that point. Then we can let them go home, if it works that way,” although he wasn’t sure if the veil worked both ways at the same time. By his figuring, this ought to be a time the veil opened to let things leave it, rather than go through it. Had it been the other way, he wouldn’t have taken this cruise.


He was not interested in getting trapped in another world or dimension. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, I’m afraid. I won’t hold it against you if you prefer to hide,” he looked out at the poor innocents on the ship, “Not a soul here knows what is going on…you might be able to lie low and go unnoticed by whatever happens.” She had a personal vendetta, unlike him and Artemis. Their work was never personal.