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.

"Of course," Jack said before effortlessly scooping Tessa up in his arms and taking her into his quarters. He set her down on the scarlet clothed bed and sat on the edge, brushing a piece of hair away from her face with a sigh. "If only there were a way to forget the world and it's troubles," Jack murmured to himself. He stood up and pulled his desk chair closer to the bed. "Are you comfortable?" Jack asked.

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 nodded slightly and dropped flat on her back with a restrained wince. Her calm easily matched her spirit, though for the first time since they'd met her breathing and expression showed peace with her life.
"The world can be forgotten, Jack," she said after a while, "but it will still be there when you return."
She lifted her head slightly and regarded him for several seconds.
"However, if the world and its troubles become the dominant factor in your life are you yourself not heading into self-destruction? Why not take a break from it all as necessary?"

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.

"You are too philosophical for your own good," Jack said with a smile. He looked back, smiling again, seeing her expression.
"Would you like me to leave, so you can rest?" He asked, looking towards the door. "I am sure I could send something up for you to eat, should you desire, in a while," He touched her hand with his gently. "Maybe you could forget the world for a while,"

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 gave a small laugh and propped herself up by her elbows. With a curious look to Jack she nodded slightly.
"If I'm so philosophical then why haven't you figured it out yet? You keep putting it on me to rest and stay out of trouble when for the most part it's all I've been doing. You need your time away from all the troubles too, Jack. That's what I had hoped you would realize when I left you in your cell while I ran off. I'll make a compromise though." She took a deep breath and dropped onto her back again, "I am rather hungry, so perhaps if you brought something up and then we could both forget the world for a time?"

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 teasingly, the corner of his mouth lifting. "Very well then," He said before standing. "I will be back before you miss me," He said before ducking out of the room.

Sometime later he returned with numerous crew members who set the table, lit candles, and uncovered numerous silver platters containing pork, fish, and chicken, all prepared exquisitely. Three bottles of wine, one rum bottle, and one water jug were set down on the table. Within minutes they were gone, leaving Tessa and Jack alone, Jack lounging leisurely at the head of the table, waiting for Tessa to join him.

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 leaned up and pulled her way out of the mattress to take a seat at the table. After a brief inspection of what was laid out she stopped at the rum bottle.
"I can't say I'm much surprised by this show of drink, Jack," she remarked, "but I do have to ask you not take another opportunity to prod my 'court manners'."
She took a bottle of wine and poured a half-glass of it before taking a fair portion of fish and chicken. Her eyes wandered for a moment in thought before they came up to Jack's.
"Please tell me the crew isn't solely on fish again tonight?"

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.

Chuckling, Jack shook his head. "The Company ship must have stopped at a Royal port just before the two ships met. The crew will eat well tonight," He said, taking a sip of rum from his crystal goblet before looking at it. "A rather fine glass, I must say," He said, grinning to himself as he shifted his leg on the chair arm. Of course, it had come from a set of nine from Henry's office. He himself began to eat a healthy portion of fish, chasing it down with rum. He began to notice that the less amount of blood he had consumed lately, the harder human habits seemed to come to him. It was a thought worth noting, and he reminded himself to find a cow or something to that nature during the night. "It is adequate for you, yes?" Jack asked, looking back to Tessa.

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 nodded slightly and moved back slightly in her seat.
"Quite so," she said absently, "I just feel strange, is all. I can't figure out why either. There's just a lot on my mind, I'll manage."
She continued eating for a while longer, pausing every now and then to contemplate several thoughts at once. Before long she made her way back to the bed, halfway revealing several small burn marks along the backs of her shoulders before she dropped down against it and shifted to her back.
"I just have to wonder sometimes, what some people think of me and those around me."

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.

"You are injured," Jack said, moving quickly to her side, his half empty glass forgotten. Tessa's statement weighed heavy on his moment, but it was more than that which made his brow furrow. "Let me help you," He said, going around the cabin, attempting to find loose cloth. He stopped at the wardrobe and silently cursed himself before tearing one of Scarlett's tunics into thin ivory strips, before returning to Tessa, looking at her expectantly. "Sit up, you can lean on me if you need to," He said.

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...

"No, Jack." Tessa insisted, "It will heal on its own, and besides wrapping a burn doesn't do anything to lessen its magnitude."
She raised a hand against him with a serious look in her eyes.
"Jack, that injury was necessary. I won't disclose anything more about it but it was a needed strike against me. All the more reason why I need to just let the world pass me by for a day or so. I have a lot to think about and a lot more not to. A change of pace, 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.

Jack closed his eyes, fingers pressing into his forehead gently before he sighed and opened his eyes, taking his hand away. "Very well love," He said, leaning to her and brushing his lips against her forehead, hesitating as he drew away and looking away, before he drew away completely and walked to the table, drinking from his glass, letting the rum overtake his thirst for a moment before returning. He sat down lightly on the bed, feet still on the ground, and looked at Tessa with a small smile. "Then we can put the world away for a while," He said, reaching for her hand.

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...

"Jack," Tessa said softly, "if it's all I've ever asked, it's that you stay with me. I don't see now as anything outside of it particularly, but we both will need our rest, especially if things keep going the way they have been."
She reached her hand up to his shoulder and nudged him slightly lower. At the same time the room chilled slightly, though as she took notice of it the drop faded immediately as she narrowed her eyes.

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.

"Love, I hate to protest but..." Jack said, resisting for a moment before sighing and laying next to her, giving her a slightly playful narrow look. "I won't deny that we need our rest, but there is more than one thing I need to function, and I would hate to take that from you," He said, catching a piece of her hair between his thumb and forefinger, looking down to it before glancing up at Tessa. "But if you truly want me to stay in here, with you, I can do so," He said quietly, as he rolled onto his side.

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 closed her eyes and frowned for a moment in thought. After several moments she picked herself up to a seat, with one leg drawn up and the other drawn slightly below it. Both her arms wrapped loosely around the higher of the two and she lowered herself onto it, her expression blank.
"Jack, what's it like? Being a Vampire, anyway. All my life I've lived afraid of change but there's nothing I can do about it, is there?"

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 was startled for a moment as the question was asked, and his breath hitched for a moment as he thought about it. "It is...strange. As if someone has taken out your heart and forgot to replace it. There is a stillness, to everything, but many things are...easier, as if the air aids your movements instead of restricts them," He said after a moment of thought. "But then, there is the thirst, ever there, ever in your subconscious mind. Easily tamed, to a point. But then, sometimes there are mistakes in judgment, in self strength, in willpower, and that is when blood is spilt, so to say," He added, looking up at Tessa. "And then there is freedom. The chains of immorality gone, the chains of mortal strength, replaced by limitless endurance. The ability to...swim to the bottom of the ocean and back again, without needing a breath. That is what I like to focus on, the freedom," Jack smiled at Tessa and ran the back of his hand down the lower part of her leg gently. "Change can't be averted. Even stone erodes over time,"

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