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 just bows her head in acknowledgement, silently accepting his apology. Her shoulders hunch and she breathes more deeply, doing her best to keep it together. She was aware of how ridiculous she had acted back in the cell, and she hoped he didn't think any less of her for it*

Th-thank you for coming to get me and... for keeping me with you...

*Still staring at her hands rather than looking at him, sure that she doesn't deserve all this*

[He hums in answer, looking at the hand he's holding with his own for a long moment as he thinks. When he finally speaks again, his tone is almost ridiculously casual.]

I'm going to go on a trip, right now. I'm still too angry and I couldn't get to the witch, so I'm going to leave and probably destroy whatever I find along the way. Do you want to come with me?

*The moment Ikki says he's going to leave, she looks up suddenly, eyes full of the fear of him leaving her. But then she almost leaps from the bed towards him, a smile on her face for the first time since he rescued her. The first time she's smiled in weeks. It's small, but definitely there*

Yes! Uhm... yes, please.

[The way her face lights up at his question pulls a small smile from his own.]

Are you sure? It's probably going to be messy, I've a lot of anger to release... Though I figure you could do as well with some release.

[They are going to destroy things, he's set on that, it's not just a peaceful trip to sunbath somewhere.]

*Selphie nods with enthusiasm, her smile growing at the sight of Ikki's. And for a moment she could believe that things would get better, that she wouldn't feel miserable and unwanted forever. Of course, a lot of explosions and blowing up of stuff had to be done first*

Yeah! Let's go! Let's go...crazy! But where? And when?

I told you, right now. I know you're tired, but you can rest as we travel, if we wait for everyone to get here then we may have more trouble to leave.

[Specially given Ace's character, Ikki honestly expects the man to go all "lockdown" regarding the crew after this. It was bad enough the first time some got taken.]

If you can move, try to get ready, if not I will take care of it all and take you when the boat is ready. As to where... I'm sure it won't be hard to find something to blow up, Ace does it pretty often after all.

*Truthfully, she was still quite exhausted, but the thought of going somewhere else kept her thoughts busy, making sure she wasn't distracted by any horrible feelings still lurking there.She carefully pushes herself from her bed, then flaps her arms as she looks around the room*

I think I can get myself ready. What should I take with me? How long will we be there for?

For as long as we need to, or for as long as the crew let's us in case they decide to chase us down. Don't worry about supplies too much, we will get them as we go.

[There's no reason to let other ship's supplies go to waste after all.]

Just take enough for a couple of days, I don't think it will take us much longer than that to start finding things.

Okay. So how about you give me 20 minutes and I'll wash up and get ready, then you can meet me here and we'll sneak out?

*She giggles a little at this, but she was beginning to look more and more anxious. She didn't want to head off without being prepared, but she wanted to get out of there without seeing anyone else. Sighing slowly she looks about her room again, and throws a dress into a bag*

Got it.

[He smiles and stands up, moving to leave. He stops at the entrance though and turns to look at her.]

If you get too tired or anything... Just call me. I'll be here in an instant.

[With that he leaves to get ready himself and prepare a boat while making sure no one else notices them leaving.]

*He is lucky, really, to have this moment away from her. At this rate, the only time he's going to have apart from her is when she is washing. But she needs a good clean after being in that cell. Besides, even if this isn't really a holiday trip, she does still want to look good. So she gets herself fresh and clean and washed, and is soon standing by her door waiting for him, a rucksack hanging over her shoulder, nunchaku poking out the top. She'll wait here for him to come back, and she'll greet him with a tackle hug when he arrives*

[It's a good thing that Ikki actually has a talent to ignore her when he needs to, then. He only takes a moment for himself to wash a bit, wanting to take off his body any trace of that place, before he takes care of the boat and procures some supplies for their trip. When he returns to pick her, a tackle hug was the last thing he expected, but he takes it without problem.]

What, did I take too long?

[He could have swore he was right on time.]

Nope! You're right on time! It's just really good to see you, that's all!

*She doesn't show any signs of letting go, though. In fact, for a moment it seems like she wants to get even closer, nuzzling up against him before finally settling on wrapping her arms around his waist*

Are we ready to go blow some stuff up now?

Really...

[He... Doesn't get it. He guesses it's just still the shock of the whole thing. Or just that she hasn't stopped to really thing about it. About what he did to her. But he's not going to complain at the moment, not when they have places to go and things to blow.]

I'm ready if you are. Let's go.

Aye, aye captain!

*But she doesn't let go of him as they head to their boat, her arms still tied around him. She walks as though she is attached to him, like it's impossible to let go*

Ikki, this is gonna be so fun and so romantic.

*She whispers quietly into his ear, though, afraid that someone around might hear, and she's definitely not ready to see anyone else of the crew yet*

[He wonders if she will let go eventually. She better do, it will be harder to blow up stuff with her attached to him like that. But for now he says nothing.]

Romantic... Right. I'm really not into that thing, didn't know blowing up stuff counted as that.

[He will get her into the boat before he climbs on it himself, slowly pulling the ropes to lower it to the sea.]

*At least she does let go for the practicality of getting into the boat and getting it moving, but the moment he sits down he'll find her instantly sitting on his knee*

Okay, fine, you still hate romance. Whatever. But at least I can pretend and just try to enjoy it, hmm?

*She puts her rucksack down on the floor of the boat and looks around them slowly*

Any idea what way we're gonna go?

I don't hate romance, I don't care about it. But if you think that blowing up stuff is romantic I will make sure to make something blow in the shape of a heart if you want to.

[He takes out a compass to check their position before pointing to a side, then he puts the compass away and starts to row.]

We came in that direction so we will head there for a while then change course to make sure we don't end crashing against the Sun or the Moon. I'm sure we will find a ship before we need to do that, though.

*Selphie huffs a little at that - for a girl so concerned about romance, she sure picked her own love life in an interesting way... She wriggles off his knee, but still keeps a hold of him as she sits next to him with her arm linked with his*

Hmmph. I just wanna see proof now that you can actually do that.

*She peers at the compass before looking around them again, and she nods, lapsing into silence as she stares out at the sea and the sky*

[He says nothing in response at first, busy rowing into the darkness and away from the Sun. They won't be back in a good while. Hopefully no one will miss them. After a long moment he speaks again.]

Well, whether I can do it or not, nothing's going to change that you're stuck with me. Better resign yourself to it soon.

*Selphie nods to show that she's heard him, but doesn't turn her head to look at him. Instead she sits slightly apart from him, closer to the other side of the boat. Her head is so full of so many questions, and different things she wants to say. She tries to sort these out on her head, staying silent until she figures out what she wants to say next*

You know... I never thought I'd see the sea again. Or the sky. I thought I'd be in that cell until I'd rotted away...

Hn, I can understand that feeling.

[And why she would think that way, specially if she remembers everything. He isn't sure how much she remembers, but he bets on the "most of it" side at least, she has to given the state he found her in.]

Now that you are seeing them again, what do you think?

*His question causes a lump to form in her throat, and she looks away while fidgeting with her hair, swallowing hard before she can speak. She lifts a shoulder in a half-shrug, happy to act like this was all no big deal*

They're... big. And... pretty. And...empty.

Empty... In which sense?

[He figures what she means but he wants to hear her say it herself.]

Just...

*There's a moment where she's searching for what she means, drumming her hands on her thighs until she stops. Then there's the smallest sigh and she continues to look up at the sky*

...empty.

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need to swap some of the happier icons back

XDDD

/meanwhile uses same icon forever

not of her best shots to be honest

nopes ;;

looks like an okama actually /critical artist now

artist or gay?! XD

artist, thank you very much, also that's a cuter icon

tee hee okies! and yus, it is!

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