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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[Have a glare as he picks up his own bag and stands up.]

What the hell were you doing then? I told you to prepare!

[An arm sneaks around her waist pulling her close before he burns his Cosmos. In a matter of seconds the bird made of flames is flying across the sky until it lands on the ship, the flames exploding and starting to burn everything as he sets her on the ground.]

Did you really take twenty minutes just to wash yourself a bit?

[Why yes, he's still going to argue as he attacks the ship and ignores the yelling and alarm that settles on the pirates.]

I did prepare! I got my stuff all ready and put together, didn't I?

*She frowns at him then, shaking her head, and looking like she might say something else, but the next thing she knows she's being held by him over to the ship. Selphie squeals as they lift, stomping her feet when he puts her down*

What are you talking about?

*With pirates coming at her from all sides, she flicks out her nunchaku, along with a powerful fire spell of her own*

It was more than just a bit! So nice of you to notice!

*After all, she really didn't look her best after being in that cell for weeks, and she at least wanted to be clean

[Some idiot decides that it's a good idea to charge while screaming at Ikki taking advantage of how the other has his back turned to him. He gets a punch in the face and several broken teeth for his trouble... And Ikki still doesn't even turn to look at him.]

You were supposed to only wash a bit! Not go through a complete "spa" treatment!

[He turns, leaning forward slightly and launching a fiery attack to another group of pirates, sending one overboard while the others get seriously burned. His Cosmos flares and lashes out, the fire increasing, totally harmless to Selphie and him but lethal for anyone else.]

You remember why we've come here, don't you?!

Fine! Maybe I shoulda just stayed all charred and burned looking.

*As she says this, she swings round to a small group of advancing pirates and shoots them back with a fire spell*

Maybe you like me better that way.

*She jumps aside a knife that was thrown at her, and while it's not usually his thing, she picks it up and tosses it straight back from where it came. Then she pauses briefly to consider his question, but spins round when she feels hands grabbing for her body from behind. She smacks his wrists with her nunchaku, then shoots him and his friends with a thundara spell*

I have no idea.

*She sounds angry when she says it, though mostly she is genuinely confused about the real purpose of this trip*

[Another flare of Cosmos to send a few pirates flying, it's not enough to put them out of the fight, but that's not what Ikki was aiming for. It won't serve for anything if they get trampled over too easily.

He grabs another attacker by the face, fingers clutching tightly on his skull as if threatening to crack it open. Twisting he smashes his prey against yet another pirate, sending both of them headfirst against the floor.]

I told you I was coming to release anger! In other words, to pick up a fight! Do you really plan to remain immaculate while you fight and destroy things?!

[And since when does he care about how she looks? Does she really think he's with her for her looks?]

What the-... Hey, what is that supposed to mean?! Do you think we're just your anger release toys, asshole?!!

[Ikki buries his elbow in the stomach of the yelling pirate, prior to grabbing his neck and throwing them against another group that was quickly climbing from below the deck. He doesn't even bother answering him, in fact he doesn't really notice that the pirate was yelling. He's too busy arguing with Selphie to bother to feign to pay attention.]

Then what did you bring me for? If I'm such a nuisance to you!

*Selphie whirls round to Ikki then, facing him for the first time the fighting started. She catches sigh of the way that he holds the pirate's head, noting how easily he could snap that man if he wanted to. But she doesn't have long enough to stare, and she turns, still silently somewhat shocked, to sweep a kick round the pirate's ankles and drag him to the deck*

I bet even these pirates appreciate me! They'll like it that I'm clean!

*Though she doesn't like the leering look on the face of the one closer to her, so she promptly aims for his stomach with her weapon, sending him stumbling backwards*

[He catches sight of a pirate giving Selphie a kind of look that makes his insides boil with even more rage. He doesn't even notice her attacking said pirate, he just jumps forward reaching out with a hand at the stumbling pirate as the man tries to recover his balance. Ikki's fingers close over his face before the man has a chance to do anything. A dangerous growl leaving Ikki's throat.]

Don't you fucking dare to look at her like that again.

[He throws the man backwards, and a sickening snapping sound is heard as he does, having thrown the head with too much force for the neck to sustain. The now corpse falls back only to be cremated right away as Ikki flares his Cosmo again, this time reaching to grab Selphie and make her turn to look at him.]

I like that you're alive, safe and with me! You could be covered in shit, and I would still be in love with you!

*When Ikki turns to that pirate, Selphie is sure that the result isn't going to be good, all the more when she hears the sound of his voice. Her face pales, frightened of what might happen, and worried that that anger would transfer back to her. Then his reaction, and that snap, it makes Selphie's heart freeze in her chest and for a moment she can't breathe.

She almost stumbles when Ikki grabs her to look at him, and her eyes are wide with a fear and confusion, hurt creeping into her expression. Finally, she can breathe again, but her heartbeat is faster. There's so much going on inside her that she barely knows what to do with herself. Suddenly, she extends a hand to punch at his shoulder - as hard as she can, though that probably matters little to him*

Ikki, you are such a jerk. A horrible, stupid, idiot jerk.

*And regardless of the pirates that may be left standing on deck (though Selphie doesn't know because she's been paying them no attention) she grabs at his chest and pulls herself to him, frowning before kissing him angrily*

[Ikki notices the way she looks at him... But he honestly doesn't care. She was the one who asked for it, who wanted to be with him, and he won't let her go just for something so simple. The punch is met with a stoic expression, and when she pulls herself close to him he does nothing but kiss her back.

The remaining pirates around them just stand in awe and stare at the moment, and soon enough they are clapping and cheering while being happy for them.

Except that this isn't a shoujo manga or a Hollywood movie, please.

So instead of stand in awe and stare, what the remaining pirates do is yell in anger and thirst of revenge for the attack and the fall of a crewmate. And instead of clapping what they do is charge against the couple, swords glinting under the light of the fires that the couple has caused. In a moment Ikki breaks the kiss and moves forward, leading Selphie with his hands towards his back.]

You take care of my back. Go wild.

[Leaving to her the pirates charging from behind him, Ikki focuses on the ones who are in front of him.]

*Standing in awe and cheering isn't something that Selphie would shy against, but that's not something that is happening right now. Her focus is Ikki, and allowing him to feel just how angry she is, and how in love she is, both at the same time. But this really isn't the time or the place for that, and that becomes increasingly obvious as the pirates gain in on them.

Now she's annoyed, but mostly that her moment has been ruined by the pirates. She nods gravely at Ikki, then whips her weapon into action, covering them both with a protect spell, smacking thundara spells around the pirates, quite happy if they drop like flies. Going wild with one spell after the other is certainly what Selphie is doing now, and she seems quite in her element*

[He's in the middle of smashing a pirate into the wooden floor, cracking the panels when he catches a glimpse of Selphie and her magic. Not many pirates are actually trying to get to him, probably because the sight of him cracking necks and heads with just his hands makes them think that they might stand a better chance with the pretty girl. At least until they get fried, burned or frozen with one of her spells.

He could go help her, even if she doesn't need it... In a moment.

Ikki actually leans back to watch her go wild with mild curiosity. This is pretty much the first time he sees her like this after all, the time she did it with their own ship doesn't count for he had other things in mind than to stop and look at her. He certainly doesn't mind if she finishes the job on her own, this is just the first of many as far as he's concerned, he will have time to release his own anger later on. Maybe when they find a ship that isn't full of just pathetic excuses of pirates.]

*Once she got into the spirit of things, it seemed like there was no stopping her. This was different from last time, because her attacks are more direct, and more thought out. She cycles through a range of spells, targeting individuals and groups, whirling her nunchaku round in various tricks while she's at it. Overall, it's quite an energetic and colourful display. She might not have eaten in weeks, but she is full of the burning need to release her anger, about what happened to her, what had happened to others, what she had made Ikki go through. The only thing that will stop her is not having any further pirates to battle. She doean't seem to even notice that Ikki is standing by watching, so intent on using as much of her energy as possible*

[He makes himself comfortable as he watches her fight and unleash havoc around. The way she doesn't seem to have spent a long time without eating and the way the magic flows from her. She's a force to be feared... And quite a hypnotic sight, or something, because he can't really look away from her.

Ikki has to admit, that watching her destroy things and burn people to a crisp somehow puts him in a good mood, specially if said people aren't crewmates. It also makes him want to cause havoc himself, but at the same time he can't really bring himself to bother with that now. One of the final remaining pirates decides that, after all, the crazy girl is too dangerous as well, but notices that Ikki seems distracted and attacks him, trying to get him by surprise. His sword is stopped by one hand that takes hold of the blade and tightens its hold until the metal cracks and shatters. The pirate only has time to scream before a punch sends him flying and crashing against the mast, near where Selphie stands.]

*Her eyes suddenly caught sight of the pirate who seemed to have given up on her, and she spun round to hit him with a spell. But, she stops short, weapon at the ready but issuing no spell, because the guy runs headlong into Ikki who - seemed to be standing around doing nothing? When the pirates lands nearby her she looks down at the crumpled mess, then turns back to Ikki. She tilts her head in her confusion, but there's an amused expression on her face. Selphie heads closer to him, her cheeks flushed and panting softly with the exertion of the fighting*

The phoenix thought he'd take a little break, huh?

[By now there are no pirates left to fight them, and if there are, they must be hiding somewhere, praying for the couple to just go away. Luck's not on their side for Ikki plans to use the ship to search for another prey, it will be more comfortable than the boat, and it's already sailing so it won't be hard to go around with it even if it's just two people.

As Selphie steps closer, Ikki remains silent, looking at her. Noticing her expression, her flushed cheeks and the soft panting. It's not until she's close to him that he finally decides to answer.]

You are gorgeous.

[It's not said with flattery, or with disinterested, neither there is a trace of mockery in his tone. In fact his voice is absolutely flat and serious, making the statement resound as a pure and serious fact that would be stupid to deny. Like that the sky is blue or that people die when they are killed.

He eyes her for another moment and thinks about commenting that he should bring her out to destroy things more often. Or that they should check the spoils of their little assault and set course to search for their next prey. But somehow... He doesn't. It's hard to explain but as he watched her fight, wreck havoc and throw spells around, lashing forward with her body, twirling and flexing as the corpses dropped around her like flies... And then her face with flushed cheeks and a soft panting, a gleam in her eyes... All he does is reach for her slowly, one arm circling around her waist before he pulls her so close to him that their bodies could combine into one. As he leans in and starts to give her a slow, deep and lazy kiss -something he didn't know he could do, but right now it seems his body is moving on its own- his other hand climbs to caress her face.]

*That comment completely takes her aback, and the pink colour on her cheeks deepen as her heart beats that little bit faster. She's not really sure what to say - not as much from what he said but how he said it. No one has ever spoken to her like that before. So she smiles, bright but slightly awkward, lowering her gaze bashfully. As his arm moves to her waist, she does look up at him, into his eyes and that way he is looking at her, which feels different somehow. When he kisses her, that's different too, and she moans ever so softly as her body seems to melt against his*

[It feels weird, even the kiss, and the sound she makes, that moan, makes it even weirder. It's not uncomfortable, or disgusting, rather it's... Nice. Very, very nice. And somehow his body decides to make it some private competition to see if he can make her make that again, or maybe it just decides it wants to explore and taste her more directly than with just his lips for his tongue is soon invading her mouth. Something he had never done, or even considered about, but now that his body has gotten creative with it he has to admit that he likes it. Even if it's still weird.

And he really should stop and do things. Set the course for the ship, check what supplies those pirates had, check if by some miracle those useless idiots had managed to get any sort of treasure... There was something he wanted to do with the money, something about Marco, but there was something else. The memory runs away from him though, and his body doesn't really seem to be ready to just let her go yet, busy as it was kissing her as if there was no tomorrow but with no hurry at all at the same time. The hand that is on her cheek caresses it softly, tracing a line to her neck where he takes hold to keep her from pulling away, just in case. His other hand, firmly in her back, near her waist shifts softly in another caress before he presses her even closer yet. It's weird and he can't explain it, and part of him doesn't like not being able to know what the fuck is going on, but right now it's hard to care of anything but about how he wants her closer and close.]

*The deeper he kisses her, the more her limbs seem to lose all their weight. She eagerly accepts each move that he makes, one of her hands snaking up his back, the other resting on his stomach, trying not to leave too much space inbetween them. All of this is so new to her, and she hopes that he's enjoying this as much as she is, but her thoughts aren't really thoughts, just an intensity of emotion that she's not entirely sure how to deal with.

Whether they're on their own boat or not, Selphie could stay like this for a long time. A good,deep long time. When his hand touches her neck, her body gives an involuntary shudder and he's rewarded with another gentle moan. Further colour rushes to her cheeks and neck, hoping too that he doesn't mind just how much she's enjoying being held and kissed by him. There's the slightest pause in their kissing as he holds her closer, but she resumes it immediately, much in the same way that he had kissed her before, slow, deliberate, but teasing now too*

[When she resumes the kissing it gets even stranger, enough that Ikki's mind finally draws the line. Specially when the temperature seems to rise again, and something seems to change in his body. It's an even weirder feeling but unlike the others it's not one he can enjoy, quite the opposite, it's such an alien reaction that it snaps him out of it. He pulls back from the kiss, hands stopping pressing her against him, remaining in place but without letting go.

What was that? Something... Something had happened, taken control of him, and he can't figure out why or what it was. In the back of his mind the idea that it's the witch or some vestige of her power whispers to him, but he doesn't voice it. Not to Selphie and not now. Instead, he looks at her for another moment, still feeling that weird sensation before he finally pulls completely back.]

Seems that you really went wild, there aren't any other pirates left here. We should check what supplies they had and if they had anything worth any money, want to take care of that and eat while I change the course?

[He forces himself to sound normal, crossing his arms as if that would pose some sort of defense from whatever spell had befallen on him.]

*Something seems to change, in the way he returns the kiss, the way that he holds her. She wonders perhaps if she shouldn't have paused, shouldn't have tried to move closer. Maybe it was because she kissed him that time, not the other way around. Or maybe she'd just enjoyed it too much and he didn't like that. All her suspicions seem to be true when he suddenly pulls apart. Not slow and careful to end the kiss, just stopping, and holding her apart from him. There's an instant look of hurt and confusion, and she actually wonders if she should apologise. Despite the fact he had asked it as a question, Selphie sees this as his way of trying to get some distance between them. Still, she struggles a smile and gives a half-hearted salute*

Aye, aye, captain...

*But her attempt at staying cheery trails off, and she turns suddenly to disappear below deck hurriedly, cursing herself when she's out of sight and trying to figure out what she did wrong...*

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To go with your crew...

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Yay for kissy icons!

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