The Hearts of Men (1x1 with Eternal Chronicler)

[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's sharp exhale ended with a pained gasp, but her eyes flew open and looked into his own. A single droplet formed in her left eye, but even through the pains and sorrows she knew the truth of his words far behind the surface. Almost at once she threw her arms about him and buried her face into his shoulder, forcing herself not to cry outright.
"I didn't mean for any of this, I really didn't... I don't even know anymore, hardly even who I am between everything that's happened. I..." she sniffled, "I don't want you to have to carry on like this. Is there no other way for us to keep each other after this trial of ours?"

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[The_Scarlet_Lark]

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

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

"Carry on? You sound as if I have lost all hope in myself love," Jack said quietly, happy that she could not see his eyes closing. "I'm immortal, what I set out to achieve in the first place," He soothingly ran his hand up and down her back and hummed quietly.

"I know who you are," Jack said after a while. "You are Tessa Orinae," He grinned and opened his eyes, looking down at her. "Savvy?"

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 bit her lip, but stepped back and retrieved Seriel, sheathing it at her side with more reverence than she had shown openly prior to that point. She looked over her shoulder to Jack, unable to refute the simple fact of a name, however shallow by comparison.
"The immortality of elvenkind isn't a boundless one, Jack. I won't be here forever, and I've made it clear enough I would rather not become something I'm not. Unless I were to find Vanessa and consult Lady Eras about ensuring a lasting lifespan, I... I would hate to leave you on natural causes."

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[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 jaw clenched as he hadn't thought about the extent of his immortality versus Tessa's. Then he chuckled to himself at the thought of how suddenly things change, as he was going to leave Tessa back in the desert once she had completed her task only yesterday.

"Why do you not appeal then?" Jack asked, even if he silently wished for her to change her mind about changing her nature. His face was nearly blank, holding enough emotion to show that he was thinking of solutions.

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's head tilted to the side slightly, resting a hand on the hilt of Seriel and offering a small smile.
"You sly dog," she congratulated, "you have Lady Waeran's favor. I told you how I was directed to a place shortly after finding Seriel? I suspect a friend of mine may be coming sometime to see me - by many the same means."
She went over to him and embraced him again, resting her head on his chest and breathing slowly.
"We'll see, Jack. Between my limited immortality and Lady Eras' limited divinity I don't know if it can be accomplished, but I can hope, alright? Can you at least keep yourself within stated bounds though?"

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[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 can agree to that," Jack said after a moment of hesitation and a sigh. "However, if you need some persuasion on the matter," He dropped his head down by Tessa's ear as far as he could. "I would gladly do so," He whispered with a grin, letting a finger trace circles on her neck lightly. He closed his eyes and his circle making faltered for a moment as he realized that he had spoken of what he truly wanted, but then he relaxed.

"I suppose we should be going," Jack murmured softly, looking to the sleeping William. "I would hate to miss an appointment with Hell,"

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 paled slightly at the notion that Jack had in fact not surrendered the point, despite his words. Still she shook her head and returned the the rear wall, placing her hand lightly on the stone surface.
"And I would hate to continue on and leave a friend wondering if I wasn't dead already. Vanessa will be here within the day, I can promise that much. Knowing her, I doubt it will even take her six hours, and it looks as through your camel could use its rest."
She turned to face Jack again, her expression blank and unchanging, indecipherable through the mix of emotions and feelings all playing across it at once.
"I know it will put us behind schedule, but I for one could use a raise in morale, and this constant pressing is doing me more harm than good."

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[The_Scarlet_Lark]

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

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

"Very well then Miss Orinae," Jack said softly, looking her in the eye before looking back towards William, his eyes betraying the same longing that had marked the thirst of his nature. With a low hum, he pressed his back against the wall and took out his dagger. He began to slowly sharpen it to let his mind focus on a tedious task.

The same song that he had taken up at watch the previous night found its way into his hum, and he for one was glad to have found a release from thought for a moment and merely do something he would have done before he met Tessa.

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

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

>-,.-.-.,.-.__Vanessa Halderi__.-.,.-.-.,-<

What happens...

when an unstoppable force...

collides with the immovable?

Here I stand,

Ready for either.

The clash of one to another.

Slowly crumbling away...

A stone figure stepped away from the wall near Tessa, a series of thin earthen shells falling away from the girl as she turned to address Tessa, but looking from her to Jack she had to contain a small laugh, and she drew her sword away from her side and laid it on the cave floor before stepping over to the pirate and giving a slight curtsy.
"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met," she said humbly, "My name is Vanessa Halderi, and you are...?"

Tessa, however busied herself kneeling down before the blade and letting her hand fall across the metalwork for a moment before she collapsed yet again.

"Oh, my..." Vanessa looked back for a moment, smiling slightly, "well, I can only assume that would be good news, as these are not so great times to be forming in... anyway, my apologies; who are you sir?"



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[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 up before standing with a flourish, the blade disappearing within his sleeve. "Jack Cortez, former captain of the Scarlet Dutchess a votre service," He said with a slight grin and a bow, even if his eyes looked half concerned at Tessa's collapsed form. He straightened and looked over Vanessa quickly. "You are the company that Miss Orinae was expecting, no?

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

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

>-,.-.-.,.-.__Vanessa Halderi__.-.,.-.-.,-<

What happens...

when an unstoppable force...

collides with the immovable?

Here I stand,

Ready for either.

The clash of one to another.

Slowly crumbling away...

"A captain?"
Vanessa's eyes widened slightly with her smile, but she could not for a moment dismiss his wandering gaze to Tessa, which deepened her smile even more. She gave a nod however, and indicated her blade over which Tessa had fallen.
"In any event, yes I have been asked to come. By all evidence it seems Tessa wanted to avoid the natural cause of death, which in itself surprises me. When the Sisterhood and I were travelling together, we would often swap tales behind our mentalities, and Tessa said she would rather see the natural order unless she found something..." she cast a questioning glance at Jack, "or someone... worth living for. I can only assume by the look on your face she's found the latter?"

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[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 jaw muscle pulsed a few times. "Perhaps, if that is what she truly feels," He said slightly warily, although he knew it was the truth. He did however, proceed to look away and pretend to be concerned with William, still sleeping, and step over to him. As he ran a hand through the camel's fur, he couldn't help but wonder how she would achieve...immortality.

"And how would this be done? That she would achieve a longer life than was granted to her at birth?" Jack asked, turning his head to look at Vanessa.

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

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

>-,.-.-.,.-.__Vanessa Halderi__.-.,.-.-.,-<

What happens...

when an unstoppable force...

collides with the immovable?

Here I stand,

Ready for either.

The clash of one to another.

Slowly crumbling away...

Vanessa looked down slightly and smiled before stepping to her weapon and coming to a crouch to touch the metal of it. After a long moment she stood back up and faced the captain with a smile.
"All life is bound to the Earth and the Seas, captain. To attain a state of true immortality is impossible for any creature among the mortal worlds, but it can be circumvented by a proper transfusion of these two forces of nature. As it is, Tessa already carries Seriel, and my assistance is not so much needed at all as that of Ahriel, to which she has been speaking firsthand."
She looked to Tessa and smiled yet again, before leaning back against the wall with a small smile.
"It's certainly a strange deed to have done to you, but for a time Tessa's soul is removed from her being to ensure nothing destructive of her truer being. Does that make sense?"

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[The_Scarlet_Lark]

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

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

"Aye. I have heard of stranger things than that," Jack said, his eyes flickering to Tessa. His eyes flashed burgundy and he looked away, hand clenching his flask before drinking from it.

"How long with this take though? Surely she will not want to delay her duty?" Jack asked after several moments of pondering and consulting his pocket watch, and then the sun outside which was nearing evening. Even though, he secretly wished to not complete the mission, he would press on.

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

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

>-,.-.-.,.-.__Vanessa Halderi__.-.,.-.-.,-<

What happens...

when an unstoppable force...

collides with the immovable?

Here I stand,

Ready for either.

The clash of one to another.

Slowly crumbling away...

Vanessa looked down to Tessa again, biting her lip slightly as a turquoise glow encompassed her for a second then faded. She looked back up to Jack and knelt down, retrieving her blade.
"Not long. By this point she's merely unconscious for... I'd say two minutes. My guess is she will be a little unsteady for a bit once she awakes, but she will manage."
She sheathed the sword and walked up to him, placing a hand on his arm for a moment as she looked at him with a serious face.
"Do us all a favor and don't cross her. She's as much a sister to me as she is to a couple others who would make sure the result wasn't pretty. No accusations, just fair warning. Farewell."
With a smile, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked down with eyes closed. A small tomblike stone figure rose up over her and crumbled away, but she had vanished, leaving only Jack, William and Tessa.

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