"I'm not green I'm lavender" Leo goaned her stomachs moaning miserably. She looked around taking in his abode. It really was quiet quaint she loved how simple it was. She had a moment where she pictured flowing white curtains on all the open windows. She was a sucker for curtains and they blew so much prettier in the wind then they flowed in the current.
"This is what we're all about, Leo. We haven't come here to conquer, or cause pain to your people." Balon looked at her, serious for a moment. "We just want a home to call our own. I think Blythe even named this island "Paradise" or something."

walking up besides him Leo sighed and also leaned against the window." You don't understand. Your very presence is a danger to our people.even if you guys were as harmless as a catfish. The history of what your kind has done to ours is written in blood and tears. We merfolk do not forgive so easily and we never forget. After all, look at the history. Merfilk trusted humans once, and everything went fine for a while. But you humans, with your death machines and your God complexes find yourself above all else. Our women who got raped our brothers who got chained down and used as a common donkey, you had not a care in the world about the lives that got destroyed. My parents-" she choked, cutting herself off." You care for nothing but yourselves in the long run. You have no harmony with those around you. Where I understand that some are not like the all, "she looked at him from under her eyelashes."you cannot tell me that every single person on your ship has respect for merfolk. It would be a lie. It is simply in humans nature."(Omg too lazy to color it)

"I'm not green I'm lavender." Balon smirked. His face dropped gradually, however, as she told him her point of view.
"You don't understand. Your very presence is a danger to our people. Even if you guys were as harmless as a catfish. The history of what your kind has done to ours is written in blood and tears. We merfolk do not forgive so easily and we never forget. After all, look at the history. Merfolk trusted humans once, and everything went fine for a while. But you humans, with your death machines and your God complexes find yourself above all else. Our women who got raped, our brothers who got chained down and used as a common donkey, you had not a care in the world about the lives that got destroyed. My parents-" she choked, cutting herself off. "You care for nothing but yourselves in the long run. You have no harmony with those around you. Where I understand that some are not like the all," she looked at him from under her eyelashes. "you cannot tell me that every single person on your ship has respect for merfolk. It would be a lie. It is simply in humans nature."

He looked at her, swallowing a lump in his throat. "I wont say I understand you." Balon admitted. "But I see the position you're in. And I can't make the promise that all the people of our crew, simple passanger or not, has respect for your kind. But I wont let them jeopardize our stay here. Not now."
He turned towards her, putting a hand on her forearm gently. He tried to speak but couldn't find the words.

(ALSO TOO LAZY)

As Leo told her story, Balon only nodded occasionally. He removed his hand and looked out at the horizon, turning red from the now setting sun. "Amphi has returned, we should get back to camp."
Balon turned to her and nodded, but remained at the window for a moment, looking out at the sea melancholicly, if that's a word. Queen, huh. he thought to himself. We flee from a ruthless dictator to end up in the hands of a hateful queen.
He shakes the feeling, following Leo down the ladder finally. "I oughta make some sort of lock on that thing... Right now anyone can just climb up there." he said, resuming his usually jokester nature. "Hopefully, Luz hasn't tried to cook fish."

When the two arrived back at camp, Balon smiled at Luz and the mermaid getting along. In a perfect world, -this- is how mermaid and human are supposed to interact. Not the blood, salt and iron that has been their history for all these years.

Balon stretches and yawns, heading over to Luz. "How's the food comin' along? No fish I hope?" he winked at her.

"No fish, not this time." Luz grinned at Balon. "But I hope clams are close enough. It's all seafood." She stirred the boiling water and looked up in surprise when Amphi started to leave and announced that she wouldn't make it to dinner. She'd thought that the mermaid would be joining them, but Luz shrugged off what she perceived as an excuse from Amphi. "Don't get caught in a net!" she called jokingly, and then looked back to Balon. "So, where'd your terrifying girlfriend go?" she teased.

"Hopefully, Luz hasn't tried to cook fish." Leo chuckled, "Merfolk do eat fish you know. Its kind of a surplus resource of ours! We just take special precautions to make sure we don't accidentally catch a mermaid, we can actually communicate under the water using wavelengths(?) similar to dolphins, except ours are very soft so most fish can't pick up on it unless were being obnoxiously loud. We announce ourselves before we go hunting, so any Meres can steer clear. Its funny though because most Meres will avoid eating the fish that they can morph into, guess they would rather not go there." As they made it to the edge of the camp Leo slowed down and Balon walked forward to speak with the Luz woman. She watched as Amphi made her exit from the camp fire and looked around for, Leo assumed, her. She raised her hand bringing attention to herself as she walked to her friend,"Are you alright?" She asked as she got closer.

Balon blinked. "My terrifying-- my what?!" he blushed, in a sort of... manly way. "I'll have you know there's no FISHY BUSINESS going on here!" he said, trying to joke the situation away. His heart throbbed. Damnit. In his mind, he jokingly dismissed such thoughts. But in his heart, he felt a yearning. And it began to eat away at him.
He tossed his thumb back. "If you mean the mermaid, she's over there." he pointed at Leo and Amphi with his thumb. Appearantly mermaids do eat fish though, Leo had said. "Appearantly, mermaids still eat fish."

Balon was quite fond of Luz. She was a good woman, had a strong spirit and a big heart. And gods knew, she could cook! Had it not been for her food Balon might aswell have tossed himself off the railing out at sea weeks ago. He hoped nothing would come to harm her. He hoped with all his heart that they would find a way to live with the mermaids in peace.

"When the mermaids have left... I need to speak to everyone. I've heard some very crucial news that the crew and the passangers alike need to hear. Where's Blythe?" Balon said, looking around annoyingly. His jokester expression turned into a thoughtfull frown.

Before long, the mermaids had gone home and the humans were left to have dinner with themselves. Talk began to spread swiftly among the passangers (or settlers as Balon rather call them). Mermaids? There's no such thing! said others. The legends are true! said others, and either saw it as a good omen or a bad omen. The more veteran members of the crew frowned. Nothing good can come of this. Mermaids and humans have bad history.

None of them were wrong, really.

Blythe and Dylan had finally joined the rest of the pirates and they all saw around the big bonfire as the sun sets in the distance. Blythe had called for a meeting, at Balon's request. "So." Blythe started, motioning Balon up to stand in the middle of the crowd after they finished their supper (and after complimenting Luz' genius cooking!). "Balon has something important he wants to discuss with everyone." The eyes of the pirates were on him as he swallowed the lump in his throat and spoke to them. "What you've heard is true. Mermaids have been found living on this island, and in the waters around it." he began, pausing momentarily as the crowd murmured. "But do not fear, they are not our enemies. All of you have heard the stories. The stories of how bad men of humankind have enslaved and captured mermaids in the past, and how it still goes on to this day." Balon swallowed another lump in his throat. It wasn't easy saying this. "And it's all true. Mermaids have been taken captive for many years to be used as slaves, workforce or pleasure, by royalty and corrupt nobility of human kingdoms. Many of them hate us, and many of them do not view us as the peacefull settlers we are."
Balon took a few steps, pacing around the elevated ground of which he gave his speech.
"But I have spoken to them. So has Blythe, Dylan, Luz and some others. They are kind people, and not all of them see us as their enemies. For we are not, and neither are we theirs! I speak to you all now because I must. Do NOT attempt to hurt a mermaid." Balon said, stopping in his tracks to look out at the many eyes looking at him. "We must try to live in peace with them, as they must try to live in peace with us. But we must first prove to them that we are NOT the goons of the dictator! We don't capture and enslave! We don't torture or kill! We are the Phoenix Pirates, and we have come to seek paradise, not conflict!"
A few of them cheered, others exchanged glances with each other. Blythe nodded from where he stood, as Dylan cheered on enthusiastically.
"But... As a precaution... If the mermaid leaders would not see it as those we have met do, and they should decide to seek out "vengeance" against us, we must be ready. As such, I want every able-bodied man and woman that wants to help us defend ourselves against whatever enemies may come upon us to meet me at the glade up north, by the forest. You all know I have made my home among the trees there. Bring what weapons you have, or weapons you can find. I will teach you all how to fight and how to defend yourselves."
With this, Balon nodded to Blythe, and stepped down from his position to join the others. Blythe took over.
"Alright everyone, don't be scared we're all fine. Balon just wants to train you in case the dictator finds us, aye?" he said to everyone reassuringly. He had a pretty good impact on everyone, being the leader and all. The crowd responded in a synched "Aye!" of their own, and scattered to get back to their lives.

Balon walked up to Luz.
"You're an amazing cook, y'know that?" he complimented her, giving a grin. "But I bet you're an awfull fighter. Will I expect you at the glade tomorrow for training?"