The Hearts of Men (1x1 with Eternal Chronicler)

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

Tessa Cortez

Wisdom;
Understanding to match the water's calm.

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Within the blink of an eye, Ferathi departed from the room and under the deck.
"I think we have a volunteer," Cassandra observed, before looking over to Tessa with an inquisitive stare.
Tessa flushed slightly, "Don't look at me, I'd go a little overboard with the rope in itself." she said nervously, to a lasting snicker from Cassandra. "Don't worry though, he won't feel a thing. If a dulling numbness can clear out the pain in Ferathi's wing long enough for it to be healed then I doubt a leg will be too difficult."
"What are you planning with the rope anyway?" Vanessa asked, genuinely curious.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

Slaughter;
The Sisterhood.

Order Of Chaos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

"I need a way to keep him quiet no? Even with the numbing, he'll be inclined to say something." Calypso said, sitting on the bed with a weary sigh. She rubbed her brow gently as Jack squirmed slightly at the mere thought.

"Are you saying that you dislike my witty phrases-" Jack attempted to speak before coughing again. Calypso sighed as Jack proved her point on why she wanted to quiet him. He sighed and let his head fall back, staring blankly up at the ceiling.  

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

Tessa Cortez

Wisdom;
Understanding to match the water's calm.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

Ferathi wasn't long to come back with a handful of rope in her hand which she promptly handed to Calypso before letting the rest be.
Tessa simply shook her head and put a hand to Jack's thigh, focusing a steady stream of sheer cold over it in an attempt to dull any coming pain. She gave a slightly worried look over to Cassandra, but her eyes softened immediately at seeing the slight reddish glow flowing over behind her own numbing cold. "All yours," she said softly to Calypso, maintaining the dual-flow as best she could.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

Slaughter;
The Sisterhood.

Order Of Chaos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Calypso hummed as she soaked the rope in the rest of the rum and tied it around Jack's head. The pirate captain winked suggestively at Tessa while sucking on the rope. Calypso seemed to attempt to ignore him and instead cut away his pant leg, revealing the crooked bone. She gave a nod to Tessa and Cassandra before cleanly re-breaking the bone with a twist of her hands. Jack winced, but more out of the strangeness of it than the pain. Calypso quickly reset the bone and splinted it to keep it straight before cutting away his shirt, herself wincing at the sight of the blackish bruise that swelled on his left side.

Despite the numbing precautions, Jack bit down on the rope in pain as Calypso touched his sides. She nearly withdrew before she took out a dagger and sliced a crescent wound, watching black brackish blood seep from his ribs. A bead of sweat was on Jack's brow as he leaned back, closing his eyes. Calypso murmured a few words and drew it out, the liquid moving through the air before it went into the empty rum bottle. Jack sputtered a few times as she drew the rest out, and there was a click before she healed the bone. "There." She breathed.  

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

Tessa Cortez

Wisdom;
Understanding to match the water's calm.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

Tessa gasped, forcing herself to remain calm despite the unearthly chill running along her arms. She took a step back, almost unaware of Cassandra's confused and slightly concerned stare directed at her. She panted for several seconds, before fully acknowledging that Vanessa and Ferathi had their eyes on her as well. "Something's wrong." she stated, breathless.
"Well that much is clear." Cassandra noted, raising an eyebrow. "Any idea what it could be?"
Tessa silenced for several more seconds, straightening slightly. "I'm not certain, but I shouldn't have to restrain myself from freezing my own husband solid - which..."
Ferathi nodded understandingly. "Happened to me too, a few days ago. I don't think we're quite through with our own 'ventures yet, as much as I hate to admit it. The trouble is none of us were certain that since you in fact bonded uniquely with Waeran Seriel, if you'd face the same dilemma."
"Apparently I have... but what does it entail?"
"We'd have come anyway. Like I mentioned before, it's really not the same without you around. Not only the conventional troubles of lacking a full quarter of our strength but lately it's been..."
Tessa shook her head slowly. "I can't just leave Jack like this. You can't ask me to do that now..."
Vanessa raised a hand in light objection. "We knew that, but all the same if this isn't going to get worse then we're going to need your help."
Tessa stood still for what seemed to her an eternity. She looked back to Jack and bit on the corner of her lip, unsure of what to do. "What's your say in this, Jack?" she asked, her voice quiet.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

Slaughter;
The Sisterhood.

Order Of Chaos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack's silence unsettled Calypso mildly and she was near to check him before he spoke, however quiet he was. "I suppose that I could give up my wife and face insatiable loneliness for a time." Jack said, a smile toying teasingly around his mouth, eyes unreadable. "Go, it will be good for you." He said. "Better than freezing me the next time you decide to ah...bring us closer will a chill." He coughed only mildly as he laughed good heartedly, regardless of the slight grief he faced in parting from Tessa, even for a time. After a few moments he grew quiet and laid his head back again, eyes searching the ceiling.  

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

Tessa Cortez

Wisdom;
Understanding to match the water's calm.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

Tessa blinked away a tear, unable to quite grasp the full depth she noticed in Jack's response but in looking around to her comrades she realized they understood better than she credited them for. She hung her head, ashamed of her own foolishness. "How long before we have to go?" she asked, her voice not even a full whisper.
Ferathi shrugged. "The sooner we're on our way, the sooner we can get it overwith. We're certainly not out to rush."
Tessa sighed, nodding her understanding and consent. She turned back to Jack and knelt by his side, kissing his brow and wrapping her arms about him. "I'll be back. I'm sorry," she said softly, before to her suprise - and the entire Sisterhood's voiced alarm, the four of them vanished out of sight.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

Slaughter;
The Sisterhood.

Kimberly Sarani

Of all
I could have been, of all I could be.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

A week passed with events coming and going as might have been expected, before the violet silhouette of Kimberly's coat could be seen fluttering in the wind as she sprinted along the water's surface, following up on her beacon and springing on board. Just as she landed though, her eyes widened at the realization that contrary to her expectations Tessa was nowhere to be seen. She sighed, moving slowly to the side of the deck and turning with a lean to the railing. "Jack." she whispered, fully aware that he should have been able to hear well enough with only that.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

Only
the true shadow becomes me.

Order Of Chaos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.


Jack raised his head from his book, gaze relatively hard set in a face that would have softened easily with a glimmer of happiness. Now, it was shadowed with the grief of the lonely, constant worry seeming to clench at his mind, glooming even the faintest of recognition at the voice he so heard, whilest reading at his bed. Calypso stirred only slightly as he shifted, placing his feet gingerly against the floor. His mother was slumped over the desk, an empty glass of wine near her head. Brandishing an ebony cane, Jack heaved himself to his feet, stifling a pained cough. He was healing quickly, but the occasional pain still ailed him, and the absence of his wife hardly helped matters.

Not that he at all blamed Tessa for her leave, to have anything happen to her permanently was unthinkable; this was of course a cause of worry too. Every so often he would glance down to his ring with great worry, twisting it.

Using the cane only occasionally, but still limping slightly on his healing leg, the son crept past his mother and opened the cabin door, eyes scanning the deck with an unreadable scramble of emotion. Slowly, he made his way over to Kimberly, fumbling with his flask and tipping it back while walking, feeling the dark, blood infused liquid slide down his through. He leaned on the railing next to Kimberly and inspected her for a moment silently.

"New coat." He remarked, turning his gaze to the seas for several moments after. He seemed stiff in his movements, his posture rigid and cold, awkward nearly. "And what had you whisked away for a week?" He asked after contemplation, voice as rigid as ever, but not cold.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats: ---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

Kimberly Sarani

Of all
I could have been, of all I could be.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

"Arrangements." Kimberly said softly, turning to face Jack and straightening slightly - be it out of fear or respect she didn't know herself - with a worried look in her eyes. "I should have come to you first about this, but after the events of last week... I was afraid to come to you at all, so I asked your mother. I've decided I'd rather stay here than take passage to Necross anymore, so I left to inform my caretaker of the decision. The trouble is..."
She looked down at an arm of her coat, her face lowering into a more saddened view. "Evidently something happened to him. At first I suspected the Matriarchs' involvement but they're still quite dead. I can't say I know much of what's happened but I went to a nearby town to see if a friend of mine knew anything. Oddly enough, she was missing as well but most of the populace was still there. I asked a couple passers-by but all I found out was that she and a few others just vanished a few days before." She lowered her head, pulling lightly on her sleeve as if to reveal that her light-bound aura had gone missing. "But the strangest man came across and told me it was for their own benefit. I don't know who he is, but I couldn't even tell he was coming until he was already there. When I asked what happened he just told me they'd be safe in the end and vanished out of thin air. But... somehow or other I've lost my duality in the process."
She looked up to Jack, herself clearly worried for her own sake, for Jack's and noticeably Tessa's as well. "How have you been? Feeling any better?"

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

Only
the true shadow becomes me.

Order Of Chaos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.


Jack's lips twitched a frown for the slightest moment as his gaze watched the seas, ignoring the gathering clouds that signified a small rainstorm that was swift approaching. He was silent, his mood brooding as ever, and he adopted a new stance. His hands were clasped behind his back and his spine was straight, slightly leaned forwards.

"Better?" He asked somewhat quietly, emotion still reserved from the tone. "Perhaps." He said in reply then, sliding a glance towards Kimberly, before his dark gaze fell back upon the seas, scanning the horizons. He raised the silver flask to his lips, hands trembling slightly, and cursed as it dropped, plunging into the seas. He looked around, and relayed his want of another to Mr. Porter who was, as always, nearby.

Thus restored with a new flask, Jack drank from it and stowed it within his coat. "Do you think that this will put a great effect upon yourself?" Jack asked.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats: ---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

Kimberly Sarani

Of all
I could have been, of all I could be.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

Kimberly looked down at her coat and shrugged loosely, watching as a small stream of crimson flitted down her arm and wove between two fingers. "I'm afraid it might." she said softly, "I haven't felt any different except that I lost all of half my elemental power, and the fact that I'm worried sick over it should have been indication that at least I can still show myself as who I'd rather be, right?"
She looked up to Jack, a tear rolling from her face and burning down her cheek. She wiped the ashes it left in its wake from her face and frowned in seeing the black residue on her hand. "In any case I think it's about time I asked..." She hardened her face slightly, for a flickering moment appearing entirely serious about her question-to-be. "Permission to enlist on the crew... Captain?" she asked, a clear crossing of confusion slipping across her face as she realized she would likely be unable to refer to him as though a friend if her wishes were to be realized in that particular case.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

Only
the true shadow becomes me.

Order Of Chaos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.


Jack's momentary facade of emotionlessness fell away as he turned in surprise at the request asked of him. He studied her long and hard, brow knitted together, eyes running down her frame, lingering a moment too long before he forced himself to return to her face, his fingers twisting his wedding ring against his finger, the skin tugging in a pinch as to distract himself from the perpetual sin of vampirism.

"Do you understand that what such a thing would do to your life?" Jack asked, himself mildly uncomfortable at the notion of enlisting Kimberly as crew. He took another drink from his flask. "It would be hard, tasking, I would not ask it of someone whom I find to care about." He said, cautious about his wording as his grip tightened on his wedding ring.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats: ---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

Kimberly Sarani

Of all
I could have been, of all I could be.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

"With all due respect, Captain..." Kimberly said half-quietly, straightening as she clasped her hands behind her, perfectly straightened even as her gaze took on its passive kind-heartedness. "What this would do to my life is far preferable to the life I led before Kalrael found me. I've made my decisions, my mistakes but if I did any less than contribute I'd become a burden, the only thing I've wanted not to be my whole life."
Despite her momentous explanation she managed to keep herself steady, unwavering as a whole with a solid resolve. She relaxed slightly, motioning an arm behind her and pausing at each of the crewmen, deliberately stopping with a point to each heartbeat she heard - and subsequently including one that was below deck unwittingly - and smiling slightly. "Besides, if I might be so bold as to say the crew could use some diversity in its ranks."

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

Only
the true shadow becomes me.

Order Of Chaos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.


The gaze of scrutiny never left Jack's eyes, although they followed Kimberly's gestures easily. He seemed pondersome before taking in the view of the girl again, her frame still feminine. That of course was his concern as well, he alone could not swear to the sinlessness of his own crew. His silence therefore stayed for multiple moments, eyes roaming the bodies upon the deck, and glancing back at his cabin for a moment. He drank from his flask and turned back to Kimberly.

"Very well, but if you are pestered by anyone, do not hesitate to report to me." Jack said, mild confliction at his decision evident for but a brief moment in his face. Slowly, a small smile seemed to crack upon his face, an awkwardness to the action. "Welcome to the crew then." He said, Mr. Porter stepping over.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats: ---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

Kimberly Sarani

Of all
I could have been, of all I could be.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

Kimberly nodded her understanding of Jack's orders, however easily she questioned the meaning of "pester" as he had mentioned. She knew well enough what she had landed herself in concerning men and piracy, but she held to the faith that not a soul would bother her once they got to know her. In taking a look to Jack's cane, she realized how unfortunately easy it was to be sure of such things. "Many thanks, Captain." she said simply with a smile, turning to Mr. Porter with a slight tilt of her head in curiosity. "Can't say I'm used to such timely arrivals," she remarked, suddenly unable to think of any more to say on the matter.

_,.---*'*---.,_,.------.,_,.---*'*---.,_

Only
the true shadow becomes me.

Order Of Chaos: