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The rest of the evening was relatively uneventful (aside from the fact that it was a party). If any of the crew had planned on anything like the ATL's (Attack-Team Leaders) stunt, they thought better of it. The other "acts" were rather exciting though.
Lilly's act was the same she'd been doing when we found her. She'd been living on the streets, using her vampyric abilities to make a living; using smoke and mirrors--literally--to disguise the fact that it wasn't just tricks. Tonight she changed into creatures we'd never seen before--at least not on this ship: as sabretooth jaquar, a unicorn, an otter, a wolfhound, some sort of black-and-white striped horse (never seen a zebra), even an entire flock of butterflies!
My husband did a series of acrobatic tricks; standing on one hand on his sword's blade, unfurling his whip and swinging all over the deck with it in one hand, and the like.
Miyavi, the medicine/potionmaker of the ship, did some tricks with his more obscure concoctions; making rainbows appear out of the mouths of flasks and bubbles and pieces of ice filled with blue fire out of viles and jars.
Cecilia Clair, our correspondant with Calypso, had trained her familiar--a bottlenose dolphin--to do more that just channel her powers. It leapt from behind the now-stationery ship all the way past the bowsprit.
As a finale to the party I had an act of my own. I placed a single stool in the center of the deck.
"Jennifer, come sit on my lap, pet," I beckoned as I sat on the stool, "I'm gonna sing a little song for ya. A shanty 'bout the first vampyrs to crew this ship. Before it was the Sparrow or even the Pheonix. My parents used to sing it t'me an' my brother Jack when we were li'l kids like you. Way before I became a vamp." I looked around, almost tenderly, at my crew. Then settled my daughter on my leg and began to sing.
(Before I start, I would like to express my apologies to Justin Somper, the author of the Vampirates series which this shanty actually came from. Sorry for taking the song.)
(Also, it totally SUCKS that I can't record my voice onto this 'cuz I actually created a tune to go along with the words.)

"I'll tell you a tale of Vampirate,
A tale as old as true.
Yea, I'll sing you a song of an ancient ship,
And its mighty fearsome.
Yea, I'll sing you a song of an ancient ship,
That sails the oceans blue...
That haunts the oceans blue.

"The Vampirate ship has tattered sails,
That flap like wings in flight.
They say that the captain, he wears a veil
So as to curtail your fright
At his death-pale skin
And his lifeless eyes
And his teeth as sharp as night.
Oh, they say that the captain, he wears a veil
And his eyes never see the light.

"You better be good child--good as gold,
As good as good can be.
Else I'll turn you into the Vampirates
And wave you out to sea.
Yes you'd better be good, child--good as gold,
Because--look! Can you see?
There's a dark ship in the harbor tonight
And there's room in the hold for thee!
(Plenty of room for thee!)

Well, if pirates are bad,
And vampires are worse,
Then I pray that as long as I be
That though I sing of Vampirates
I never one shall see.
Yea, if pirates are danger
and vampire are death,
I'll extend my prayer for thee--
That thine eyes never see a Vampirate...

...and they never lay a hand on thee."

No one said a word. the silence was deafening. Even Jennifer seemed stunned. Then Scarlette spoke, breaking the silence.
"Aye," she said, "That's the tale all right. I was told it as well before I was turned. As was Captain Connor; even Genevive would say the same if she was here."
"Alright, enough solemnity," I said, jumping from the stool with my daughter still in my arms, "It's time for the night shift ta take over. All who were in the day shift can go ta their cabins....Ya know what? Everybody go sleep. I'll take over steering the ship fer the night. Happy birthday luv," I kissed Jennifer on the top of her head and handed her over to Vash, "G'night."

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Finally! I finished that chapter. Dang that took a long time! So, how'd ya like the song, my dear readers? Tell me through your comments, and keep reading. This story is far from over.