high_seas | To go with your crew...

Entry tags:

To go with your crew...

Who: Everyone who is fighting in the battle to kill the witch.
Where: The Black Fortress in the East
When: Jan 24th-25th
What: The grand battle to get back what you have lost, get revenge for what was taken, and avert disaster.
Warnings: Language. Death. Victory. Defeat. True love. Miracles.
Style: Text or prose
Status: Open to all

The black fortress ripples with shimmering iridescent energy, the piles of black coral heaped on roped together barges around it, bobbing in the waves. On the largest barge stands a slender man with a copper belt, wearing a face mask, orange red hair flecked with black from ash or dust. As the dawn slowly folds over the ocean, he'll look up, as if hearing some hidden voice.

At the top of the fortress, a figure climbs into vision, a woman, dressed in gray, features obscured by a hood with impenetrable darkness behind it. She staggers a moment as if she is weary, then straightens to her full height. As she speaks, her voice comes out of the journals, echoing over the water, low but clear.

"This is no small task ye do. She that rots within'll do anythin' ta stop ye. Don't hesitate to kill what ye find. If they were human once, they hain't no more. Watch out for her golems, too, or they'll drain ye dry quicker'n a wink. But if ye can get rid of 'em, it'll weaken her." She hesitates, cants her head to the side. "And if ye lot aren't as much of a bunch'a idiots as usual, ye might come out alive through this."

That said, she raises her hands. After a moment so does the man on the barge. For a moment, nothing seems to happen and then iridescent light shimmers over the coral, seeming to match that which surrounds the fortress. It crackles and dances like a fire, and then without warning bursts into a furious life, slamming against the energy of the fortress. There is the sound like thunder and light snaps and crackles, zipping with energy. Then with a woosh the light flies upward, taking the figure with it. The man on the barge lets out a cry like a seagull and dives into the water as if intending to swim after her.

For the boats that remain, a part of the fortress will crumble away into the sea, revealing a small harbor and an open doorway. Enter all ye who dare.

[If things become too crowded, feel free to make another thread outside of these. Just put where you are in the header.]

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*Selphie, so deeply lost in her thoughts, is so surprised by his appearance that she lets out a small squeal. It isn't until his lips are on hers that she realises who this is. And it feels far too real this time to be just her imagination - so many times she has imagined that he'd appear and take her away, but she'd finally told herself it would never, ever happen.

At first she is unable to respond, tears rolling down her cheeks at once. Then slowly, but surely, Selphie returns the affection. She had never cried in front of Ikki before, has never wanted to appear weak. But now she trembled in his arms, sobbing in her attempts to return the kiss*

[As she sobs and trembles, Ikki begins to calm and come back to himself. She's alive. She's safe. Maybe not before but now she's in his arms, and he's going to keep her safe no matter what. And she's not fighting him, in fact she's returning the kiss, which means that she's not under the witch's control. She's free.

He breaks the kiss after a while, when his mind finally returns to him enough to remember that now is not the time for this. He keeps his hold on her though, tight and close to him as he looks at her and surveys the damage. And she's hurt. More hurt than she should be, he has no idea why or how, but it doesn't matter for he blames it on the witch and what she did to her. He will have her head somehow. The anger and hate still burn brightly inside of him, even if now he can control them again.]

Got you.

[It's a whisper that he himself doesn't realize he says. The next moment he does what any pirate would do. He ducks and throws her over his shoulder, carrying her like a sack, before he starts to head out of the cell and back to the ship.

Time to secure the precious treasure he has found.]

*Her cheeks are streaked now with tears, clearly tracks down her face, which was dark like the rest of her body, which was covered in a fine black layer, as though she was fresh from escaping a fire. Her wide eyes are glazed as she gazes at him, unable to really understand. Her eyes narrow and she looks at his carefully, frightened still that he is just a trick of the mind. She lifts a shaky hand to touch his hair, then his cheek, and the contact sets her off into yet more heavy tears.

She doesn't have the energy to resist when he lifts her, neither by voice or by action, and her body dangles limply as he moves to take her out of the cell. Her eyes close in exhaustion, and he tired voice fails to fully form a question*

...I-kk-i...?

[The blazing hell rises once more as he makes his way out, as he takes her to safety, back where she belongs while she's in this world. When she speaks, though, he pauses and tenses, fearing what may come even when it's clear that she's too exhausted to properly complete her question. He knows what he did. What he couldn't do despite her pleas. Despite his own wishes. He knows the options he had and he didn't take. What he forced on her. And he knows that she won't forgive him for it.

But for now... For now she is exhausted, too tired to ask, and to accuse. So, for now, he will continue as he wants. He will deal with the consequences later.]

I'm sorry I'm late. I'll take you to the ship now and then I will go and rip that witch's throat with my own hands.

This time I won't let her win.

*Really, Selphie just couldn't form a sentence together, not sure if she should be asking what or how or why. Any time she tries to pull her thoughts together her chest heaves in pain, allowing a deep sob to escape. Emotionally, she is so drained just by the knowledge that she is with Ikki again. He is really here, and he hasn't abandoned her, nor is he showingany signs of hating her. And that was a tremendous relief.

When he speaks, though, she opens a concerned eye and, although it's weak, she attempts to hold onto him with a squeeze*

But - Ikki -

*Her voice cracks, threatening tears again. Why can't they both just be safe and stay safe?*

[He just continues walking, clenching his teeth as her voice cracks, further remainder of what she has gone through. Of what the witch forced her to go through... And of what he himself forced her to go through.]

It will be okay. But I'm going to kill her. I'll leave you at the ship and you shall rest, when you wake up again everything will be over. I swear it.

*The main thing Selphie hears is the word 'leave'. Her body tenses at the sound of the word, and her nails press hard into his skin*

Don't leave me... Please. Don't leave me...

*She almost whimpers request, and then continues to repeat it, only much quieter beneath her breath*

[The nails digging in his skin are little more than a mosquito's bite for him, specially with the amount of adrenaline, anger and hate that is flowing through his veins. Still he notices it, or rather he notices the tension of her body and the tone of her voice. It brings him to pause and look at her for a moment before he looks for an empty room in which he can enter.

When he finds one the door poses little resistance for him and soon he's placing, or trying to place her on the ground again. He wants her to be looking at him when he speaks next.]

I'm not leaving you, I will come back and you need to rest.

*At first she tries to resist, using what energy is left in her to cling to him. She can't face the idea of being left alone again, and she actually makes a soft scream when he attempts to put her on the ground. But very quickly she gives up, her body crumpling onto the ground, where she immediately curls up into a tight little ball, saying nothing. Part of her believes him, part of her is utterly terrified, but she knows that trying to argue with him isn't going to work. Besides, she doesn't want to anger him, in case he really does decide not to come back*

[Ikki groans softly, this isn't the best moment for any of this, but he can't blame her either. He kneels in front of her, arms on her shoulders as he tries to make her stop curling like that.]

Selphie. Look at me, now.

*There's a moment or two where she doesn't even seem to acknowledge his hands on her shoulders. But then, slowly uncurling, she lifts her face towards him, eyes wide with worry, and with expectation*

[He doesn't relent in getting her to do as he wants, but when she does he relaxes a bit. He can't bring himself to smile, but he takes the time to look at her, into her eyes, one hand moving to caress her face. He opens his mouth to further argue his point about how she should stay in the ship and let him go after the witch but... The words actually die in his throat as he looks at her expression.]

Fuck it.

[She will have time to rest later. And if she's with him he won't have to worry about if she's fine or not.]

I'm going after that bitch, and you're coming with me now. That's what you want, right? To not be separated from me?

*Communicating with Ikki right now is proving extremely difficult. Any time he looks at her, or any time she tries to speak, she feels close to bursting into tears. But she's cried enough in front of him already, and she knows that sitting around crying is useless, and weak. The first time he swears she bites her lip and leans back slightly, unsure of what he might say or do next, but she finally relaxes and nods her head*

Let me stay with you.

*She hasn't really registered where he's saying that he's going, or the burden that she'll be by being with him - all she knows is that she needs to stay with him, regardless of what's around the corner*

[She will be a burden, he knows it. She will also be a glaring weak point and if the witch were to take control of her again... He doesn't want to think of that. But after what he did, he can't bring himself to just leave her, not when she's not being reasonable. If she was... He would be the last person she would want to be with.]

Have it your way. But don't complain if you regret it later, understood?

*A moment ago she had looked like she might stand herself up and go with him, but then... The way he speaks to her makes her withdraw into herself again. Ikki has certainly said worse and spoken worse to her in the past, but given how frail she feels, and how abandoned, she realises that really what he's saying is that he doesn't want her with him. Right now, to Selphie, that translates as a fact that he doesn't want her near him at all. He doesn't want anything to do with her. She slides back across the floor, ready to stay there alone if that's what he wants*

[Just a face. Is she withdrawing into herself again? She is.]

What did I say now?

[Honestly confused and annoyed because of the confusion.]

Do you want to be with me or not?

Yes...

But you don't want me. You don't want me. That's why you sent me here...

*Her crying this time is silent as the tears roll down her cheeks and she covers her eyes with her hands*

I'll stay here...

*Her voice muffled by her hands, only a small whisper*

[He sent her here. It's true, he killed her, and she was sent here. Revived but afar from him, in a place to which he couldn't reach easily. Without him knowing. But that hadn't been his intention, had he known that killing her would have just done that he wouldn't have done it. Because in doing so he gave the witch something she wanted, and that was what he didn't want to do.

He's silent for a long moment, unable to decide how to answer that. Unable to know how to answer. Part of him wants to hug her close, but what good would that do when she's so convinced that he doesn't want her? The first thing he did was kiss her and hug her close, yet that hadn't changed her mind. Another part wants to slap her until she recovers reason, but that wouldn't work either. And they have no time. Everyone is rescuing the rest and searching for the witch, if he wastes his time here... He won't be able to get his revenge and what will be of him then? With all that hate and anger, unable to release it.

He screams, rage clear in his voice before he punches the wall close to her head. When he speaks he's leaning over her, face dangerously close to hers, eyes obscured by his hair and the angle he's facing.]

I tried to. I tried to save you, but I couldn't. And I killed you because I thought that that would serve to set you free. Even if it meant losing you forever, I chose that over seeing you not being you. But that didn't work, instead all it did was send you here, away from me.

*At this moment, Selphie's reactions are unpredictable. Even she doesn't know what she wants - while a strong part of her just wants to be held and told that everything is okay, another part of her wants him to leave her behind, because she isn't worth his time, energy, or emotions. The longer she sits here, the more she wonders if she just imagined what he said before he killed her, both of them. While the kiss and the way he spoke to her before suggest that it was real, now she isn't so sure.

His scream is met with one of her own, and she curls up tightly, hiding in a ball for protection from a punch which she expected to land on her. Selphie is trembling in fear when she looks at his face, all the more scared that she can't see his eyes. She speaks up with a quiet tremble, her lips almost close enough to brush against his*

Do what you want with me Ikki... I don't care anymore. Just do...whatever you want.

Good.

[His tone is heavy and dark, but he's honest. It's good that she thinks that way because he's done caring for what she wants. Right now at least, he's totally done with it.]

Because doing whatever I want with you is exactly what I'm going to do. And if you don't like it, that's too bad.

[There's almost a promise there, of how she won't like it but it's just Ikki's pessimistic sense speaking, sure as he is that sooner or later she will really regret ever getting involved with him. He leans forward and kisses her again, just like before but in a more demanding way, it's not a long kiss though.]

I love you, Selphie. And you're mine, not that witch's or anyone else's, mine. So you're going to come with me, and I'm going to find her and kill her. And that's final.

*The tone of his voice causes Selphie to lower her eyes, too afraid to look up at him now, in case she catches a glimpse in his expression of how he's feeling, and of how he's feeling about her. The way he says it, she's sure it's nothing good, and maybe he's realised that he's wasting his time with her, when he could be rescuing someone else.

But that kiss takes her breath away, literally too, and it catches her by surprise, though only in a very good way. Then he repeats the words she was sure she heard him say before, and she knows she didn't make it up. In a far better mood, Selphie might have teased him about his possessiveness, but right there all she wanted was to feel wanted, like she belongs somewhere. Her answer comes first with a deep kiss of her own, her hands reaching out to him, ready to go wherever they needed to go. Holding herself to him, she whispers by his ear*

I love you too, Ikki...

...now let's go.

[He sighs, satisfied with her answer, before he moves to stand up, pulling her with him. He looks at her again, noting that she's not in the condition to fight and nods to himself.]

Stay close, and I will protect you.

[With that he starts moving, one hand occupied by holding her wrist to make sure she follows.]

*Having been sitting curled up for weeks, Selphie is still wobbly on her legs, stumbling into Ikki and away from him again, even as he holds her wrist. She winces slightly when he first takes it, as she took out a lot of her frustration by scratching hard at her wrists with her nails, so the skin is red and raw, even with some cuts that were healing. She follows alongside him, as carefully as she can, knees buckling every now and then*

But if I get in the way...just go without me.

No.

[He doesn't even turn to look at her as he answers. They already stated that he would do whatever he wanted, not what she wanted.]

*And so she says nothing else, just dutifully following Ikki along, her thoughts slipping in and out of consciousness. As far as she was concerned, she wasn't really here anymore*

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To go with your crew...

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why are you awake go to sleep

randomly woke up. why are you awake?

yolo

exactly

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