The Hearts of Men (1x1 with Eternal Chronicler)

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

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

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

"I am truly beginning to wonder about you Tessa," Jack murmured, standing and turning to her.He ran a hand along her neck and down her shoulder, eyes following his hand, almost as if he had never felt the skin of Tessa before. The thought of which made him chuckle and he kissed her neck lightly.

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

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

Tessa giggled, "Are you?" She slid away slightly, weaving her arm so that her wrist remained with Jack's hand. "Then I do my job well. I make it a point to be known, yet not understood. For a moment I was worried I had failed. Why, though?"
She stepped forward, folding her arms over the captain's shoulders and smiling sweetly to him.
"Is it really so strange that you find a need to relay skepticism?"

Obliteration On Cheetos:
 

[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 chuckled and pulled Tessa closer. He traced a finger over her lips softly before replacing it with his lips, but only for a moment. "I swear, you are become nearly as bad as a pirate," He said teasingly, running a hand down her back, letting it rest at the small of her back.

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

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

Tessa smiled, closing her eyes for a moment as the ship again gained speed. As time progressed however, Seriel began to glow at her side and she realized quickly she would have to settle the swiftness of the vessel equally quickly, though something else appeared to be on her mind altogether. She parted herself from Jack and watched out through the window silently, reversing the water flow to help keep the ship from crashing through the dock itself. Within an hour of dinner's completion, the Scarlet Duchess had been situated to tie down to the docks.
"Jack..." she whispered at last, "go on without me, I'll come within twenty minutes. Just let me know where to go."

As she said this, a solitary figure dressed in deathly black began traversing the dockside towards the vessel, watching it with interest.



Obliteration On Cheetos:
 

[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 looked at Tessa and stood by her for a moment. "Are you sure...?" He asked loosely. " Meet me at the Blind Pony,"Then he kissed her forehead and put a hand on her shoulder. "Mind the boat, " He said softly in her ear before departing.
Jack walked down the landing planks to the port and turned, patting his ship quickly with a smile before walking forwards, nodding to Mr. Porter as he went.
The first place he went to was not the tavern, as was expected of him, but to the sail shop, where he immediately fell into an argument.

"What do you mean you don't have any bloody red sails?" Jack asked, pacing furiously, with his hands in front of him.

"Sir, we do not have any scarlet sails. The Scarlet Duchess has not been in this port under a new captain-"

"I am its old and new and former and present captain!" Jack said, intimidating the man partially with his outburst and sudden waving of his hands.

"Wait, you are J-"

"Yes I am Jack Cortez, and good day to you sir!" Jack said storming out. "No scarlet sails, who the hell wouldn't have scarlet sails? I would have scarlet sails if I were a respectable sail keeper, seller, holder," The people around him looked startled as he muttered angrily to himself.

"Jack Cortez?" A woman asked off to the side, her face hidden by the brim of her hat. Jack paused and looked over at her, half concerned.

"I know that voice," Jack said. "How are you still alive, Tia Anjek?"

"There are a great many mysteries of the world Jack, of which you are now among, no?" Tia lifted the brim of her hat and studied Jack with blue eyes the color of the sea, that seemed to shift color like the sea in the light. They were set into dark bronze skin that hinted a gold tone or two in the nearby candle light. "Come. Let us speak in the drunken privacy of the Blind Pony,"

Jack followed Tia Anjek to the tavern, his anger about the sails completely forgotten.

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

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

}------Fienna Morael------{

I have seen many falls.

Many deaths, countless uprisings.

Even now, it calls my name.

And I have answered.

Death comes unto me,

But I do not repay Death...

I pay it forward.

The girl at the docks could not for a moment put aside the evident supremacy of the man who had passed her by over the ship that had just docked, and she smiled in realizing that the signatures of water had remained motionless on the ship itself.
"Plenty of time," she assured herself, "plenty..."
She turned to the captain, following a fair distance behind Jack. With a swift yet surprisingly strong hand, she caught him by the shoulder at the entrance.
"A moment, if you would... captain. I believe there are matters you should be informed of." She said in a low voice.

Obliteration On Cheetos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

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

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

Tia was the first to draw her blade, before Jack touched its tip and looked at her, giving her a look that made it seem ok that he was being contacted. Jack spun around and looked over the girl. "If there are matters I need to be informed of, this woman has just as much right to hear them as I do," He said sharply, mistrust flaring. His eyes searched the girl in front of him, recognizing her scent from not terribly long ago, still the smell of the docks lingered on her as it would linger on anyone else who had come from there.

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

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

}------Fienna Morael------{

I have seen many falls.

Many deaths, countless uprisings.

Even now, it calls my name.

And I have answered.

Death comes unto me,

But I do not repay Death...

I pay it forward.

The girl shrugged, seeming not at all interested in Tia's initial threat. She nodded though, accepting Jack's terms.
"Very well then, but I should warn you I do not come on friendly business."
A black shaft formed in her right hand, quickly reforming at one end into an entirely blackened scythe, bluish wisps of energy flowing about the immensely sharp weapon. The girl held this behind her, ready at but a single moment's notice to strike despite her calm appearance.
"I could just as easily have done as I was asked and eliminate your entire crew before taking the blade I came for, and Waeran Seriel but there's really no fun in backstabbing with a scythe. I prefer something of interest. Negotiation, if you will."

Obliteration On Cheetos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

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

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

"Be careful Jack,"Tia warned as Jack reached for her pistol.

"And what negotiations are you believing that I would be interested in?" He asked turning back to the girl, eyes quickly narrowing. "Who sent you?" He asked after a moment then, eyes flickering to the Duchess from what he could see between the palm trees.

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

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

}------Fienna Morael------{

I have seen many falls.

Many deaths, countless uprisings.

Even now, it calls my name.

And I have answered.

Death comes unto me,

But I do not repay Death...

I pay it forward.

The girl did not seem at all fazed by the evident threats being given to her, and in fact managed a dark laugh in response.
"You ask the strangest questions, captain - particularly so early on and yet I don't believe you're in too much of a position to be asking much at all. Drop your weapons, and I can make this significantly less painful. Challenge me and die. My business ultimately is not even with you, but with the one tying me down to duty. I believe you've met her on one occasion, but my association with Lady Illumine aside, you in fact do not stand in my way."
Her posture relaxed slightly, shifting the shaft of her scythe back some to let the tail-end drop to the ground behind her.
"She wants me to kill your crew and obtain Seriel, and I have no particular fondness of her means of persuasion. It might surprise you just how little she has to offer besides my own life."

Obliteration On Cheetos:
 

[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 narrowed his eyes but loosed the cutlass at his side and straightened the cuff of his sleeve with a cough, Tia taking the cutlass from him and placing it and her weapons in the bushes. Jack closed his eyes and furrowed his brow before nodding. "Very well, what is it that you have to negotiate with?" He asked opening his eyes. His tone had not wavered from cold, and Tia remained a shadow at his side.

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

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

}------Fienna Morael------{

I have seen many falls.

Many deaths, countless uprisings.

Even now, it calls my name.

And I have answered.

Death comes unto me,

But I do not repay Death...

I pay it forward.

"To make matters more simple than they are? Nothing." The girl shrugged, "Well, nothing besides me not having to kill you both, followed shortly thereafter by the imminent slaughter of your entire crew."
She smirked, taking a step back and looking back to the Duchess with narrowing eyes. She brought her scythe to bear, only in a defensive position however as she returned her gaze to the captain.
"Now, will you cooperate or will I have to give a certain fool her satisfaction of me being her puppet? I want that blade, immediately if not sooner."

Obliteration On Cheetos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

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

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

Tia laughed under her breath and Jack shot her a curious glance. "Well now, I'm not going to be able to give that to you now am I?" Jack said, a little too sweetly as he smiled. "I can nearly assure you that you will not be able to find all of the crew assuredly, and you are a fool to think that I will fall to my death at your hand, scythe or not,"
Tia looked to the left, hearing something in the shadows faintly, and her eyes flashed silver for a moment before they resumed their ever shifting blue.

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

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

}------Fienna Morael------{

I have seen many falls.

Many deaths, countless uprisings.

Even now, it calls my name.

And I have answered.

Death comes unto me,

But I do not repay Death...

I pay it forward.

The girl shook her head for a brief moment before swinging her scythe out behind her. In the distance a massive streak of the same blue wisps could be seen arcing to the Scarlet Duchess, but for some reason deflected away at the point of impact. The girl's face did not seem to have either expected or acknowledged the diverted strike.
"A man without his ship is no captain, you fool. I suppose I will have to search the remains sometime, but - " she looked back to the still-floating ship, "ahh, so she is on board. Clever blademaiden you have there, but now I know precisely where to look."

Obliteration On Cheetos:
 

[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 lunged at Fienna, and was held back by Tia, her eyes concerned.
"A man once a captain is always a captain," Jack snarled. "And a ship once lost and found is not likely to be lost again," Tia pulled him back and gave him a sharp warning glare. Jack pulled himself away and calmed himself, fixing the cuff of his right sleeve again. "She will not go down without a fight," He said. "And I am positive that she will have aid. There is more than just I who cares for the sea in these waters,"

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