For eighty minutes a day, I'm able to use my bardic magic make myself look like something other than the Alu-Demon that I am.  On a long boat ride like this, surrounded by people in a cramped, confined space, that's eighty minutes a day in which I can mingle with the crowd without getting stared at by everyone in the room, eighty minutes in which I'm just another face in the crowd.<br/><br/>How ironic, then, that I'm choosing to make myself the center of attention anyway during that short span of time.<br/><br/>I'm a travelling bard by trade, or at least I've often used the cover of a travelling bard in order to protect my 'secret identity'.  And right now, I'm in the midst of practicing that trade, brandishing a flute I've summoned by bardic magic and dancing to a merry tune of my own divising.  If people like the sound of the music I make, I might be able to make a little extra money off of my performance.  If I'm especially lucky, some nice young gentleman might try to sweep me off my feet by offering to buy me lunch.<br/><br/>If he does, I'll probably accept his offer.  Are money and a free lunch the reasons I'm playing at the moment, however?  Nope, not in the slightest.  I play because I enjoy playing, and because many of the people in the ship's common room seem like they could stand to have their spirits lifted a little.<br/><br/>I also play because coming out to play like this means that I don't have to spend my time cooped up in the private room mother and I have rented, with nothing to entertain myself with and her as the only person to spend time with.  Succubi apparently don't make very good travelling companions, a trait I suspect has to do with their ready access to teleportation magic.  When you can go anywhere in the world that you please with nothing but a good, solid description needed to guide you, you presumably don't do much in the way of old-fashioned travel by boat or wagon.<br/><br/>Hmm.  But over there in the corner, a rather interesting scene seems to be unfolding.  There's a rather flustered young woman talking to a couple of strong-looking young men, and...  Ah, they're walking off now.  Maybe this is my chance to introduce myself?  I finish up my little song and dance.<br/><br/><br/>"Hello."  I try the friendly approach as I walk over.  It should probably work, especially since I went for the 'bubbly blonde' look today...  "Sorry, but would it be alright if I had a seat?  My feet are killing me."