“For someone that insinuated they couldn’t read you sure put a big dent in that book.” Xan nodded his head in the book's direction still by the bed.

Finn flushed. “I never said I couldn’t, I just stated it’s considered a luxury.”

“Which it shouldn’t be, but carry-on.”

Finn’s eyebrows shot up and his mouth gaped a little. He recovered quickly. “You have an interesting selection for a pirate.”

“It’s a few pieces from home but mostly interesting things I’ve found along the way when we stop into port.”

Finn had gone back to the bed and was now sitting bundled in the thick blankets. Xan had taken back the chair at his desk, it was a more dignified position than folded up on a tiny stool.

“You have an interesting taste in books. You’ve managed to amass a small bestiary.”

“Very small but it’ll be nice to one day add it to my family’s library.”

“Your family has a library and a bestiary… why are you a pirate? Why don’t you go into the family business?” Finn was tiptoeing now. While Xan had been kind to him so far, he knew he’d have to be very careful.

Xan’s eyebrows creased a little confused. “What family business would I want to go into?”

Finn sputtered for a second trying to find his words. “It’s just that a lot of people that put together bestiaries are usually hunters. I just thought….” So maybe he didn’t so much tiptoe as he plowed right through it.

Xan couldn’t stop the laugh that came out of him, the idea of being a hunter was so absurd. He stopped laughing when he looked up and saw how apprehensive Finn looked. Like he was just barely able to tamp down a rising tide of fear. His laugh died in his throat before he cleared it.

“No, we’re not hunters. I wouldn’t even be on allowed on this ship if I was.”

Now it was Finn’s turn to be confused. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Most of the people on this ship are supernatural. We’ve got everything from elves, to vampires, various types of weres, warlocks, we even have a few gnomes that work in the cannon rooms. Which by the way I recommend being careful down there, they have bad tempers and sometimes they bite. This ship is a made up mostly of different supernaturals with a relatively good mix of humans thrown in. I highly doubt they’d have let me on board if I was a hunter.”

Finn was absolutely stunned. Maybe he wasn’t as doomed as he’d been thinking. Maybe he was actually… safe, maybe he could start over.

“So, what are you? Are you human or…?”

“Mer.”

“Bless you?”

Xan smiled “Ha. Ha. Hilarious. Mer, as in mer-people, as in I’m a merman.”

“Oh. Can you show me anything?” Finn felt blindsided. Everything he’d been thinking, everything he’d be worried about had been completely turned on its head. He’d been wrong and anxious for nothing. Maybe he should have listened to his mom more about not over-thinking everything.

“What? Do you want me to grow a tail right here?” Xan was smiling clearly amused.

“Oh, is the tail thing all you can do?” Finn was genuinely curious now. He didn’t know much about mer besides stories he’d been told as a kid. He didn’t know anyone who had actually met one before.

“No, but we’re not quite as ethereal in our true form as you hear about in stories.” Xan has been messing with Finn about the tail. He didn’t have to do the whole shebang, he had a few party tricks up his sleeve if you will.

Xan reached over to the pitcher of water he kept in the room and wet the back of his hand. Finn was staring at him wondering where this was going.

Xan’s skin didn’t need to be wet to shift, but it eased the way and caused less discomfort. Without it he might bleed a little and the spot would probably be dry and itchy later. So, with the back of his hand damp he moved closer to Finn perching himself on the bed next to him.

He held his hand out palm down for Finn to see and then he closed his eyes and concentrated. As he’d gotten older the easier and more natural, it felt. Now it took very little effort on his part to start the change. He set his focus on the damp skin of his hand and felt the hard scales slipping out of the soft flesh. In seconds the back of his hand was covered in an armor of scales. They were as beautiful as they were functional.

Finn marveled at the small change he’d just witnessed. He’d never seen anything like it. Most of his experience with shifters tended to be weres and the process of transformation was much more physically demanding and unsettling. Even the more moderate partial shifts were distressing, especially as it usually indicated the shifters anger.

Xan’s shift had been so smooth, he made it look as easy as breathing. And his scales! They were one of the prettiest things Finn had every seen. They almost looked like gemstones glittering on the back of Xan’s hand. Finn couldn’t decide if they looked more blue or green before finally settling that it must be both.

“You can touch them if you want.” Xan was smiling at him

Finn jumped and his mouth clicked shut. He’d been staring open-mouthed and without realizing his hand was poised like he was about to do just that. It was so tempting and so embarrassing to be caught. It was poor manners to just start touching a supernatural. Just like touching someone you don’t know well may make them uncomfortable, touching a supernatural like this was rude if you didn’t ask first.

“Is that okay?” His cheeks were flushed red and he could feel the burn like a sear across his face.

Xan only continued to smile “I wouldn’t offer if it wasn’t.”

Finn gently reached out and stroked the scales. They were a lot like large fish scales only much harder, more protective. They also weren’t slimy feeling like a fish. They were solid and smooth; they reminded Finn more of shell than scales.

Finn sat there transfixed by the scales for a moment longer before there was a pounding on the door. It scared Finn out of his daze and he jerked his hand away. 

Xan stood before calling for the visitor to come in. His scales disappeared in the blink of an eye. It was so quick and smooth.  

Blay stuck his head through the door. He eyed Finn for just a moment before turning his attention to Xan. 

"Just came by to tell you the Captain wants to see you." 

"Thanks. I have something for you before you go." Xan walked over to the desk swiping Finn's plate up and passing it off to Blay. 

"Take this back to the kitchen for me." 

Blay grumbled low obscenities about not being a maid before storming off, the dirty plate in hand. 

Xan grabbed his jacket from by the door before turning back to Finn. 

"I'll be back with dinner. You think you'll be okay by yourself until then?" 

"Well, I managed to survive from breakfast to lunch just fine so I think I can handle laying here napping and reading." 

Xan smiled "I guess I'll leave you to it then. See you at dinner." With that he slipped out the door, back out into the frosty air on deck and back to work that needed to be done.