RPG: Dead Eye's Plight

[Esiphas]

ooc- Great. Of all the Captains, Noir is the one to have an angry navy officer hunting him.

ic- Noir smiled, then laughed. ''Long live me eh? Thanks for that you lot, but we are pirates. Longlivety isn't exactly a trait we are well known for. Still. Mop up yer leftovers, and then get ready to sail. Oh, and Keep an eye out for the navy. If they catch us on this treasure hunt, even if we do get away, we'll be remebred as the pirates who led the navy straight to our brothers.'' He turned around, then said ''And thinking about it, Sisters too.'' Prompting a low chuckle from some of the crew.

Haley had already finsihed eating. Watching Morgan go to give the captain some grub, she Scratched Hayates ears and then stood up. ''Evelyn. You do know... This could be the death of us right? have you ever considered tellling your ather how your doing? I know you and him might have a few differences, but it probably wont hurt. And make sure to tell him where we arent going, if you do. Say we're off to lavora again or something.'' She smiled. then went underdeck to start cataloguing.

[mrpineapple]

Haley's words hit home, she hadn't sent any word to her father since she left. He was probably worried (although she knew he wouldn't admit it, stubborn man).
Eve considered what she could write. She crouched down and petted Hayate's head. "What do you think I should say boy?". she smiled, she knew Hayate couldn't talk back, he made her feel comfortable though. "I guess I've been putting it off too long. Want to come down and help me write something?" Evelyn rose to her feet. She gave a short nod to Noir and headed down to her cabin.

"No, Hayate! stay on the floor!" Eve said as she tried to convince Hayate to get off her bed. "I'll put you out on deck again.." That calmed him down quick enough. Evelyn sat on the bed instead and pulled over a book and a sheet of paper. Leaning on the book, she began to write.

Dad,
I know I've been missing for a while...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ah, I see, I guess if my daughter was.." John paused "...caught up in your capture, i wouldn't be too happy, and consequentially Kanthrax too." John was glad this man was so straightforward, it was the kind of man he liked.

"I'd be indebted to you if you'd let me in on your search." John finished his apple and put it to the side, and filled up a glass of rum. "Which reminds me, that woman I was talking to just as you arrived, said Eve, my daughter, was headed to Lavora" John stopped and took a slug from his glass. "I mean, I'm sure you already know that, but still."

John thought about the chances of Evelyn turning herself in. Once she committed to something, it was hard to convince her otherwise, but if anyone could do it, hopefully it was him who could. Anyway, they had to get to her first before he had to think of what to say.

"So, how many crew do you have onboard?" John tried to lighten the conversation

[~Shobu~]

OOC: I'll post more later. Had to get back to work. I'm guessing the Star Wind is still docked?

Sapphira chuckled at him. "Sir thief, when you live the life we pirates do, you learn that the less you know about a man, the better. You take a man such as yourself onto your ship and if he cant give you what you want, you feed him to the sharks. It's as simple as that. Keep in mind, you are on a ship stocked full of highly skilled pirates in the middle of the ocean. Not one of us are opposed to driving a blade into your throat. So what else would I need from you but the information you may give me for my goal? Your skills are all I need to know about you to use you. I asked your name out of common courtesy. I don't care to know anything else about you. In a pirate's eyes, any man not of one's crew is untrustworthy, regardless. Hence why we resort to violence. Don't think light of me thief. You may not live to regret it."

[Esiphas]

Alena chuckled at her captains stern words to the thief. ''Especially if Ryko has anything to say about it. He may come across as a total jerk, but don't underetimate him. He's pretty funky with his knives.'' Alena stood up, and nodded to the captain. ''Should I find our... guest, some floor space ma'am? If he's going to be working with us we should at least give him somewhere to sleep. or I could give him My bed. i'm not adverse to all nighters, and I can keep an Eye on him that way.''

Ryko stood on deck, twirling a knife. He coulkd probably ahve been nicer in that last encounter, but he was getting bored. He itched for some real adventure again, the chance to pick up another story for the children ashore, or the chance to once again put his life on the line for the chance of feeling adrenaline in his veins. He wnated to challenge someone on board to a fight, but that would mean he'd have to see alena again, and he didn't think he could quite take her remarks about his recklessness at this time.

[Cross Avantgarde]

"And perhaps these things played into why I first took to the bottle, but I chose to blame my drinking on my own addictive personality." She grinned. "I live for today, and that can sometimes be a more destructive path than others."

Jasper looked again at the oak floor, then back to Akantha. He’d never been one to impose direct lectures upon others, unless he was suggesting behavior and actions that would optimize his patients’ health. Perhaps not so surprisingly, he felt as if his next words might indeed lean in that direction. Despite that feeling, he merely looked back up at Akantha and replied, “Yeah, those actions certainly can be.”

She looked sad—unless that was his imagination. Perhaps he was mistaken. Whatever the case was, he quickly added with some degree of resolution, “You know, Akantha, I’d like you to set aside to stay in Greece again for a while. Long enough for people to see you. I want to set the record straight on why you left, and I want all the ones who were dumb enough to believe your husband’s banter to be embarrassed to have substantiated such nonsense.” Jasper shook his head and added, “I’m not telling you that what they think matters. I just hate to see you disgraced amidst such a scandalous lie.” Jasper was a bit surprised at his anger concerning the subject, but from what he could see Akantha’s husband was responsible for her disgrace and even mostly for her subsequent drinking, no matter how much she claimed to have begun on her own volition. The thought frustrated Jasper, and he almost felt vindictive toward her husband. But revenge settled nothing, and Jasper much preferred restoration on Akantha’s behalf. She was a skilled physician—why should she be disgraced because of her cruel husband?

“Sorry if I’ve been too probing,” Jasper added. “I’ll make sure not to bring up such heavy topics during dinner. Though I’m afraid I’ll have to run after that as I have an engagement at the Lyceum of much importance.” It sounded important enough to be business, but it was in truth important to Jasper for a much different reason. “And if I ever hear your name brought up in a derisive manner in Greece, I’ll be sure to insert the truth.”

[Valkarma]

OOC: Oh don't worry Esiphas. Of all that could be hunting your captain he is FAR from the worse.

John thought about the chances of Evelyn turning herself in. Once she committed to something, it was hard to convince her otherwise, but if anyone could do it, hopefully it was him who could. Anyway, they had to get to her first before he had to think of what to say.

"So, how many crew do you have onboard?" John tried to lighten the conversation

"Eh?" James looked up from his food. He had been busy stuffing a few things into his face and had relaxed a great deal more the moment John had agreed to help. It was something to say about the captain when you realised how casual he was even in the middle of missions. He smiled at John though.
"In total? Not sure." He pick at some meat.
"Seacutter has about twenty four. Myself included."
"Then Mistmeadow and Ashen Halls have about half that each." He paused for a second. "Oh those are our support ships. As a captain of the 12th division I can request up to four other ships to be a part of the fleet." He picked at some meat stuck between his teeth and then had another drink. After which he placed the glass just outside of easy reach.
"It sounds like a lot." He paused to think, "But it is only a small part of the 12th division. And then there is the fact that 12th has the smallest of them all." He gave one of those loopside grins. "But we are Bellumuna born. Battle is in our blood."
"You will be fine here if you wish. My crew are well respectful, determined and take after their Captains bad habits." He leaned back in the seat. "Quartermaster is still on shore, so will a few others be. Space can always be made though." He sniffed up. "But I have to ask you one last time. You sure you want to help us? We are not pushing you for it and it will be dangerous."

[mrpineapple]

"Yes, i need to my duty as a father. Count me aboard. I may not have the muscle i once had, but I've got experience. I'll try to help out where i can" John smiled. The atmosphere was good between the two, John poured himself another glass.
"You got any kids yerself?" the drink had let John turn the vaguely formal talk into casual talk between two merry acquaintances. "More trouble than they're worth i tell ye. I still love 'em tho"

[pleasant_disorder]

OOC: Sorry for my absence guys! It's been a long few weeks. >.< @Hollow Ichigo

Akantha nodded in Jasper's direction, thinking only of what he captain had said. If she helped Jasper escape, perhaps she could live with him amongst the Greeks, but it would never be a peaceful existence. The thought of constantly looking over her shoulder, watching for when Christopher might strike made her shutter, but only mentally. Externally, her face was still smiling. She removed all indications of sadness. "I do not care what others think or say," she released her long, black hair from it's ponytail, "nor do I care to restore my image." Akantha stood up and walked toward Jasper. "What's done is done." She closed the gap between them and put her arms around his neck. Her lips were on his ear as she whispered, "I will let you in on a secret: you are on a pirate ship and there is no leaving once you've come aboard." Her lips twisted into a cruel smile as she head-butted Jasper and rendered him unconscious.

She caught his body as he crumpled and set him on the ground, bound his wrists and ankles, then went to go find Christopher, grabbing the rum from her desk as she left the room. She found him still in the galley, working away on dinner. "I apologize for yet another interruption Christopher," Akantha said, "but our dear doctor kept on about leaving the ship, and I simply couldn't abide by that, not without letting you know first. I told him what type of ship this is and now he lays on my floor, unconscious and bound." She stood, ready for Christopher's punishment. "I told him that there is no leaving this ship. If you want him to stay aboard, it's best we act now."

~*~

Xanthos and the other crew members quieted down to listen to Noir, but everyone stood on edge, waiting for him to call orders. Unable to contain himself, Xanthos grinned and said, "Well, cap, you must have some idea where we're headed. Tell me the directions, and let's get on with life or death." The crew members surrounding him cheered again. Xanthos stood, looking Noir dead in the eye, a huge grin on his youthful face.

[Esiphas]

Noir beckoned to Xan. "Come on up. The rest of ypu, get us sailready! Go, go!" When Xan joined him he grimaced, putting his arm round Xans shoulders. "I hate to tell you Xan, Im not sure where we are going atal. Its all a bit of a Wildfire. What I want you to do is have a look at the map, and come up with a few ideas where the treasure might be hidden, then plot a course to the most likely.If we pick up some new info on the way, then all the better. Ok Xan?"

He stared into his Cartographers eyes, Begging that he trusted him, silently. Then he sighed. "Or should we just give up? Whaddyou think.my lad. Is it really hopeless, lr is there a chance for the dreamers yet?"

[Cross Avantgarde]

Jasper was equally surprised and confused at Akantha’s sudden approach and subsequent embrace around his neck. Had he been so terrible at misreading the signs in their conversation, and had he led her on during their talk? He felt blood rush to his face, and he was uncertain of what to do and how to act in the situation, but all uncertainty was soon replaced in abject horror at Akantha’s next words. Surely she wasn’t serious. A pirate ship? And he was to be held there?

Unfortunately he didn’t have time to further doubt his very real dilemma as he received Akantha’s head-butt full force, her smile the last thing he saw.

[mrpineapple]

Eve left her room with Hayate in tow. Everyone seemed to be busy. She ignored them and went to find Noir to see when she could post the letter. After that, she thought that Haley would like the dog back, Evelyn had sort of dognapped him

[~Shobu~]

@Valkarma Exactly where is Jace love?

Mira, following the orders of Kaisar, ran as fast as her feet could carry her to the local doctor's office. As she ran, she passed a peculiarly beautiful man with an eye-patch and couldn't help but stare at him as she passed. When she turned her eyes back ahead, she saw the clinic coming into view. She burst through the front door, frightening the desk clerk with a jolt.

"Lydia! Where is Doctor Chrysostom?" She said, her breathing slightly jagged.

"He-he went with some man earlier to help him with his crew who were attacked by pirate, I think. He's been gone for a good time. We're about to close. What's wrong?" Lydia said as she stood to prepare to depart for the night.

"There's a man who was just pulled out of the ocean half alive! Where's this ship at?"

"I don't know. Jasper didn't tell me a thing. Looked like they were heading towards the docks though."

"Okay! Thanks!" And she was gone. Lydia was concerned, though. She should have said something to Mira. Jasper never takes this long to patch up some wounds.

As Mira ran towards the docks, she saw the young man again. He was standing at a lamp as if he were waiting for her. He turned his gaze upon her. Her feet began to come to a stop as if he were compelling her to. She stopped and looked at him. "Who-" she started, but was cut off.

"Word spreads quickly around here doesn't it? It's also rather peaceful. What's a girl like yourself doing running like a madman through the streets?" He asked, smirking a tad.

"There's a man on the beach who's injured," she replied, wanting to inch past him but simply couldn't look away.

"You mean the one with only the whites of his eyes?"

She nodded.

"The one they're already calling 'Dead Eye'?"

She nodded again. Rufus smirked.

"I see," he hesitated before speaking again. "So where are you headed miss?"

"The ports."

"For the doctor?"

She nodded. He made a face.

"I'll go get him for you."

"W-"

But Rufus had already turned and left. Probably should checked the ship which looks a tad out of place.

[Valkarma]

OOC: Jace is still in Lavora. I swear I'll post as him again as soon as I figure out what I am going to do with him.

"Yes, I need to my duty as a father. Count me aboard. I may not have the muscle i once had, but I've got experience. I'll try to help out where i can" John smiled. The atmosphere was good between the two, John poured himself another glass.
"You got any kids yerself?" the drink had let John turn the vaguely formal talk into casual talk between two merry acquaintances. "More trouble than they're worth i tell ye. I still love 'em tho"

"That great. It always good to have reliable company." James smiled with a big grin. "Plus is good to see you willing to work. A good attitude to have on board a ship wouldn't you say?" He laughed. James then began to settle into the last of his food as John continued on. He felt better knowing his was accomplishing something good again. His mistakes of the past where just that, mistakes. He could fix things now. As John perked up on things more casual, James gave a grin.
"No kids here. No wife too." He took the last gulp of the drink and wiped his mouth on a cloth. "A little tradition from old time. Not many people do it now but it goes along the lines of not marrying until you have finished your time in the navy. Bellumuna are at war a lot and not everyone makes it back. Don't want to put a family through that." He realised the angle this conversation was going and so did a quick redirect. "Doesn't matter too much like. Got a pretty cute Quartermaster here anyways." He gave John a wink. "She is stubbon though. Off proberly battering some poor merchent to death."
"Speaking of which. Anything you need to collect before we go? We plan to sail come the afternoon, be in open sea by night. Makes good for not getting spotted by the target."

[mrpineapple]

"I'll keep an eye out fer her fer sure" John laughed, he now felt a bit bad about suspecting he had other intentions earlier.

"I don't have much with me, but I'll load my bag on, if you show me where to put it" John only had the one bag that was sitting in the inn's bedroom. It was a short walk to get there

[pleasant_disorder]

Xanthos crossed his arms and gave Noir a very serious look, an out of character thing for him to do. "Cap, I follow behind you. Best bet is to head back to Greece and do some recon work, see if we can't find somethin there, some hint. We'll need to split up and listen in the taverns and in the streets." His lips turned upwards. "And we need to make supplies. We may be poor, but we're pirates, aren't we?" He leaned closer to Noir. "The last night we're there, let's you, me and Eve go on a quiet raid. We'll come back with either money or at least supplies. We gotta be able to make it where we gotta go. Legend has it, Dead Eye's money's up North, past the Drydogan Islands, an we ain't got the supplies to go that far." His lips turned downwards. "It ain't our way, but we gotta do somethin. We can pay em back when we're rich."

~*~

Akantha left her captain and returned to her room. She sat, waiting for Jasper to wake up, half wishing she hadn't done what she'd done. Her heart was beginning to break. She thought about Jasper's offer over and over. But it didn't seem possible. Not in her predicament. Not unless...not unless she turned Christopher over to the authorities. Yes. The thoughts began to churn in her head. If she could escape, get away from him, why not spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder? And even if he found and killed her, she'd still enjoy her life far more off this god-forsaken ship.

She shook Jasper's shoulder. "Wake up," she said lightly to him. When he didn't respond, she slapped him several times, hoping that the sting of her hand would bring him back to life.

OOC: @Cross Avantgarde looks like we're jumpin ship together.

[Esiphas]

Noir nodded. "Good man. So, to greece. Well manage somehow. I swear morgan could make raw rat taste good, so we should have enough food for the journey." As the ship was readied, Noir took the helm and began turning the ship around. "Greecewards, lads and Lassies! Let the wind be in our favour!" And then they wwere off, sailing throgh the cock towar gates and onto the open seas.

[Cross Avantgarde]

OOC: @pleasant_disorder : Then jump we shall.

A sharp pain registered in Jasper’s mind before anything else. Next came traces of his vision, which finally focused on a face in front of him—Akantha’s face.


“I—what? What happened?” was all he said at first. The symptoms he was experiencing—the slight nausea, the gradual realization of what had happened, and the pain in his head—were all indicative of minor head trauma that had likely resulted in unconsciousness. “Akantha, what happened? Are we in danger?”

Her face seemed worried and anxious. Was whatever had rendered him unconscious also the source of her fear? Could it be another pirate attack that perhaps rocked the ship enough for him to hit his head? He started to stand but found that he was bound at the wrists and ankles. “Okay, I definitely don’t remember that…”

[pleasant_disorder]

((OOC: Sorry for the long post >< got kinda carried away))

Akantha could've slapped herself on the forehead for not thinking further ahead. If she'd at least unbound Jasper, she could have told him some lie about how he'd fainted and bumped his head on her bed, but now she had to admit that she was the one who knocked him out. She took a swig from the bottle of rum on her desk then crouched down and began working on the knots at his wrists. She talked in a hushed and hurried voice. "I'll start at the beginning. You've been fooled, Jasper. This isn't a merchant ship. You are currently aboard the Star Wind, a pirate ship run by the notorious Gentle Pirate, none other than Captain Christopher Thomas himself." The knots on his wrists came undone.

She went to her desk, poured out a glass of water, then pulled a vial from the top right drawer of her desk. She set the glass and vial down next to Jasper. Holding his eye contact with him, she said, very seriously, "Christopher was going to kidnap you and I was going to help him. Right now you have a splitting headache because I head butted you, knocked you unconscious, and tied you up. I know this little development makes me untrustworthy, but right now I need you to rub that medicine," she indicated toward the vial with a nod of her head, "onto your forehead and drink that glass of water. It's a strong headache salve I got from the Bellumuna. Don't ask me why, but it works faster if you rub it in then drink a glass of water."

She watched him pick up the vial and stare hesitantly at it. A low growl emitted from her throat. "Jasper," he looked back at her with startled eyes. She held his eyes again, this time speaking much slower and more clearly. "Christopher was going to kidnap you and I was going to help him. But what you said about starting over in Greece or elsewhere, something about it made sense." She sighed with frustration. "Look, I'm sticking my neck out for you. Christopher will be after me for the rest of my life for this and I'd rather not die right now, so if you don't mind, hurry it up." Akantha watched in silence as Jasper applied the salve to his forehead and as he drained the glass of water, his adam's apple moving up and down, in time with each gulp.

"Good," she said as she started on his ankles, "I suppose you're asking yourself 'Why me?' Well, I asked him the same question, but got little in the way of an answer. But considering the recent buzz going around in Greece's pirate pubs, my guess is he's about to start looking for Dead Eye's treasure, so he wanted an extra pair of medically knowledgable hands, and Christopher's a bit spoiled. He doesn't like anything but the best." Akantha had apparently tied more intricate and tighter knots around Jasper's ankles, but they finally came loose. She unwrapped the rope from his ankles, stood, and offered him hand. He took it. She pulled him up from the floor.

"Follow my lead and try not to say anything unless you're spoken to," she winked, "and I promise we'll get off this ship alive. You'll have to leave your equipment here. I can replace it if you need." Akantha grabbed her rum bottle with her left hand and Jasper's wrist with her right, and left the room with Jasper in tow, not waiting to hear if he had some sort of refusal. As they came to where the wall ended, she released his wrist, but kept her careful pace, quick but not so quick as to attract attention or suspicions. To her surprise, they made it across the deck without running into anyone. But right before they made it to the large plank leading down to the docks, someone yelled her name.

The only thing she'd listened for was whether or not it was Christopher's voice. It was not Christopher's voice. She spun around and stood, glaring, arms crossed. The shipmate sunk back and meekly asked where she was going with 'him' and pointed to Jasper. "We're going to get more supplies for the next journey. This man is accompanying me." As the shipmate turned around, Akantha sent two acupuncture needles into his neck. The man fell unconscious. She took the needles from his neck and set him against the side of the ship, leaning his head ever-so-slightly to make it look like his was sleeping. She grabbed Jasper by the wrist. "Now we need to run." And took off down the plank.

They'd made it about 100 feet when Akantha turned her head to ask Jasper about a safe place they could go, but just as she opened her mouth to ask, she ran smack into someone and was knocked flat on her bottom. Looking up, she saw that she'd collided with a strangely handsome young man, "I'm sorry," she said to Rufus as she stood up. "But as you can see, we're in a bit of a hurry." Snatching Jasper's wrist again, they took off before Rufus had time to react. "We need somewhere safe to go. I can't be your home or office. No friends, no family, no inns," she shouted behind her. "Any suggestions?"

~*~

((OOC: @mrpineapple ))

Xanthos inhaled a lung full of the sweet salty smell of the seas. The feeling of the ship rising and falling as the waves rolled beneath them was a feeling of home. His heart was content. There was no reason or drive for him to fight. In this moment of clearheadedness, Xanthos suddenly thought of Eve. "Imma go look at our maps," the young pirate said to his captain, "give myself a head start finding a route North. Pretty sure whatever we hear'll point us up that direction." There was an eager bounce in his step as he left Noir. He went to find Eve before heading toward the map room. When he saw she wasn't on deck, amongst the other scrambling deck hands, he went to her room and found the door slightly ajar. He knocked and the door widened. He could see Eve sitting on her bed and writing. Her face told Xanthos that she was engrossed with whatever it was writing, but before he could turn to leave, Hayate's head shot up and he barked.

Xanthos crouched down and whistled to Hayate. The dog came to him and sniffed his outstretched hand, then licked it a few times. "Don't mean ta intrude on ya, Eve," Hayate nuzzled his head against Xanthos' hand. In response to the dog's nuzzling, Xanthos scratched behind Hayate's ears. His leg went wild, kicking at rapidly at the air. "I just wanted ta talk. Got a minute?"

[mrpineapple]

OOC: sorry for delay, started work last week and got like no chance to internets.

"oh no, it's okay, I was just finished anyway" Evelyn smiled "Wha'cha wanna talk about?"
Evelyn turned in her seat, she couldn't tell from his face what he was thinking. she stopped squinting at his face though, he would probably think she was weird.

"Something happen with the Captain?" she asked worriedly

[Hollow Ichigo]

Christopher stood in his office staring into a wall. A smirk across his face as the Foolish female doctor tried to insult his intelligence. As she left Christopher did.nothing. If Jasper was bounded and tied then that was fine, however.

Turning around Christopher walked up to a chester drawer made of maple wood and oak. Opening it Christopher was greeted with the shining divinity of rapier's. Taking them both Christopher stepped onto the deck of the ship and whispered to himself. "As expected..."

As the two fled they must not have heard the quicken foot steps of a pursuer. Did'nt matter anymore. Christopher stepped into the light before the two with a dry expression and killer eyes. "Out for a romantic walk so late my dear friends. You'll have to excuse my rudeness. We have a small problem, Your both doctors, very good ones at that. So I cannot allow you to leave the Star Wind, not yet at least." Drawing one sword with his left hand Christopher watched the two coldly. "I have something very important to find and without you to there is a small chance I will be unable to obtain it. You see the problem in that correct?"

[Cross Avantgarde]

Jasper’s mind had run the gamut from shock and confusion to anxiousness and apprehension as he followed Akantha off the ship. He was still trying to piece together the information she had provided for him, and the feeling of being deceived by the presumed Mr. Rosewood was starting to sink in. Nevertheless the poignant way in which Akantha had expressed her desire to start over in Greece touched Jasper to the core, and he was determined to do his part to help the woman who had helped him escape a forced role on a ship full of pirates. In fact, he had already imagined most of the preamble he would write to the ignorant senator who had besmirched Akantha when Akantha suddenly asked for help deciding which way to go. Jasper couldn’t help but notice a man with a striking face and an eye patch as he ran with Akantha.

“Hiding from a blasted pirate? Not me, Akantha—I say we go to the port authorities and get the Greek navy to pay our would-be captors a visit.” It was difficult to speak so much while he was running with Akantha, but Jasper was passionate about his plan. “And then that dirtbag hubbie of yours is going to get a letter addressed from a very concerned constituent who just so happens to know the truth behind his banter. And then we’re going to find you a place to—”

It seemed like a good idea at the time. But plans are known to change when radical elements are inserted into the scheme, and Christopher’s appearance was one such element. Perhaps it was the nausea that had arisen after his concussion, but Jasper felt bile rise up in his throat when he saw the looming figure of Christopher barring their way.

"Out for a romantic walk so late my dear friends. You'll have to excuse my rudeness. We have a small problem, Your both doctors, very good ones at that. So I cannot allow you to leave the Star Wind, not yet at least." Drawing one sword with his left hand Christopher watched the two coldly. "I have something very important to find and without you to there is a small chance I will be unable to obtain it. You see the problem in that correct?"

Jasper realized that Akantha knew Christopher and what he was capable of. He also knew that he should probably allow Akantha to do the talking in light of that fact. Despite this, Jasper still felt responsible for Akantha’s choice that was now causing trouble between her and her boss. Would she be punished? Akantha was armed with her needles, but what if Christopher was able to land a hit on her in the skirmish? It could not be risked. Jasper would allow himself to be captive on a pirate ship, a fate that disgusted him deeply, before an innocent was wounded on his behalf.

“Christopher—as I’ve realized you’re called—take up your anger with me, not Akantha.” Jasper couldn’t help but scowl when addressing the pirate, as much as he wanted to be straight-faced for Akantha’s sake. The feeling of being lied to and having administered aid to pirates sickened him, and he could hardly feign anything other than disgust. Nevertheless, he had Akantha’s best interests in mind, and as she had risked much for him this was the least he could do. Doubtful as to whether it would work, he spoke again anyway.

“Know this, pirate,” Jasper said, practically spitting the last word, “Though I’m powerless against your force and your coercion, if I do find that Akantha is harmed because of this ordeal you will receive no help whatsoever from me, even if it means that my life is forfeit.” Jasper clenched his fists, though there was no threat of a fight from him whatsoever. “And if you think that I’m bluffing, you need only know that I am, unlike you, a man who tells the unadulterated truth.”

He closed his eyes. Was he really going to be the captive of a pirate? If that were to be the case, at least he had a shot, however slim, of helping Akantha escape punishment.

[pleasant_disorder]

((OOC: You sly dog.))

IC: At first, seeing Christopher made Akantha's blood run cold. Her mind went blank. She'd been so sure, so positive that they would make it! And, unfortunately, she'd also been so wrong. Akantha heard Jasper's words in the fog of her brain. She was trying to figure a way out this, but there was nothing to figure out: they'd been caught. They'd have to go back to the ship. Although Akantha was a skilled fighter, she'd only sparred with Christopher once, and he'd beaten her in three moves. Her cool and collected persona was just that, a persona, a facade. Akantha feared Christopher. As his doctor, she knew what he did to traitors. On many occasions, she'd practiced her suturing skills on dead men from his crew. He was not a man to be tried.

For just the briefest of seconds, Akantha felt a fiery hatred for Jasper. If he hadn't filled her head with idealized dreams of returning to Greece, she never would have tried to escape. She could have peacefully lived on Christopher's ship, sipping away at her rum bottle, watching the sun set across the seas, stitching mean up after a raid or battle with the bucaneers. Her life wasn't so bad before Jasper, but after him, it would be hell. But as Jasper spoke, as he defended her, Akantha felt the fire subside. This wasn't Jasper's fault. If Akantha had blinded her self to it before, Jasper's situation now opened her eyes. Jasper was simply a kind hearted physician who wanted to help, and he'd been kidnapped. And this was what pirates did. They kidnapped, stole, and killed.

Akantha stepped in front of Jasper and held up her hands in a sign of surrender. She appreciated Jasper's words, but in the end, it was her actions that had landed them there, with Christopher now ready to harm them if necessary. She preferred the path of less pain. "Don't worry Jasper," Akantha said with a sly little smile, "he won't kill us as long as he needs us." Her eyes caught Christopher's and held them. "You know I don't believe in romance, my dear Captain. I intended to escape with Jasper." Her words were bold but quiet. "But you are, after all, The Gentle Pirate. Considering that I've been working for you for almost 3 years now, I should have realized escape wouldn't be so easy." She took a sip from her rum bottle, pausing to let the rum warm her stomach and thoughts.

"Forgiveness isn't in your blood so I won't bother asking for it. But," Akantha let the smile drop, her face becoming nothing but serious, "regardless of the other reason Jasper and I are out here, if we are going in search of Dead Eye's treasure, we're going to need more supplies. You're welcome to accompany us if you like."

~*~

Xanthos grinned at her. "What'd'ya think about the Cap's plan to find Dead Eye's treasure? Pretty bold, huh?" He continued petting Hayate. The dog curled himself into the boy's inner thigh.

[Hollow Ichigo]

How amusing. Christopher watched the two, easily mistaken for a couple, stand in.defense of the other. Such human purity was rare yet mandatory for ones in their position. Christopher had to admit to himself that at this moment he was at the disadvantage. He was injured, not at his best and even that full out sprint had tired him out to some extent. Both were doctors, both knew the human body better then he, and both were unharmed. Christopher supposed it was his detection of their plans and his quick response in which fear was delivered. Good.

"I applaud your swiftness my dear friend. It pains me to do this but I really must teach one the consequences of treachery." Christopher began slowly inching toward the two with his sword still drawn. The air around him seemed cold and as the wind blew gently against them they may have finally caught the scent of blood against his blood. In fact the sword was bathed in it. Who's blood could it be?

"CAPTAIN PLEASE!!!" Behind the two stood the pirate whom had been knocked from those ever so dangerous needles. There was a small cut on his arm and blood leaked from it profusely. Christopher walked past the two doctors and within a few seconds, and one or two quick steps, the pirate began choking on the same liquid that was so vital to survival. The twin lashs on both sides of his neck sprayed violently as Christopher turned, swung his sword out to remove the blood, and the shealthed the sword. With it's click into the hoslter Christopher looked up at the two wide eyed doctors. "This was your fault. His life sacrificed for your own." The man suddenly stood up straight and choked out a few words of little worth and made a mad dash at the Captain. "Do not make the mistake of thinking me Gentle." Pulling out a dagger the man lept at Christopher gargling a few curse words before striking down at the man from behind. Christopher kept his eyes trained on the doctors, this was a lesson on what would happen to not only them but anyone whom they had ever talked or had been saved by them.

"You should thank him as I have. He was a great foundation for today's lession."

Before the man could touch Christopher several rays of silver cut through the air around him then....

(Choking sound muted by the ringing sound of blades then the sound of ripping and tearing flesh and muscle)

A wave of blood and bodily organs littered the ground between and around the three lone humans. Christopher's gentle smile only seemed off by the coldness of his eyes. A perfect circle of human remains enclosed them. Christopher stood without a stain of blood on his frame. The doctors however had been showered, a liver and kidney at Jasper's feet, a bursted lung slid down Aka's left leg, the heart was split in to and lay against the two's own chest where their heart was before sliding down to the ground. Then the brain. Perfectly intact yet laid percisely next to the two seperating them. Christopher watched with malicious eyes gauging their reaction. He was not to be played with. The sword blood soaked swords in his hands seemed so powerful right now. In a deep dark secrion of his brain a name escape itseld from it's cage. The mess before him triggered his desire to see it repeated over and over on one person.

"Sapphire..."

[mrpineapple]

"Well.. Bold is the right word. How are we going to find it even though noone else can? " Eve thought aloud. "Although i do trust the captain, he must have a good lead or something"
"And if it goes good, we'll be rich. AND famous!"
Eve smiled, she imagined Xanthos would like the limelight. He had the personality for it.

[pleasant_disorder]

Akantha spit the other man's blood from her mouth. She lifted her arm to look at the sleeve of her once white coat, now stained a deep red in the man's blood. She kicked the lung from her leg, and stared, hard at the organs around her. She thanked herself for sparing the man and not using a poison-tipped needle. In her stupidity, she hadn't accounted for getting caught by Christopher, but the harshness of The Gentle Pirate had dawned on her the moment he stepped from the shadows. He was a man of punishment. To their luck, Christoper figured that a show of power would suffice in keeping them aboard, though she severely doubted that this was the last of their punishment. She picked a bit of intestine from her cleavage.

Akantha felt little for the pirate that Christopher had killed; in fact, with her new revelation, it was hard to feel much for either the Gentle Pirate or his crew. They were all the same. Killers, thieves, arsonists, some of them likely rapists. She felt herself get nauseous. Her legs shook, but not for the circle of innards and blood and pieces of body, working with pirates had made her privy to rather gruesome sights. She took two long gulps from her bottle. Letting out a sigh, she moved her eyes from the disemboweled body to Christopher's cold stare with a serious face.

Day after day, Christopher gave her several reasons to fear him, and something inside of her quivered as he held her gaze. What was she doing with this boy? She was Akantha the Rose Thorn Pirate. She had her own pirate name. She clenched her fists and looked away from Christopher. The sad truth of it was, there was nothing for her to go back to. If she went to Greece and made her appearance known, the police would arrest her. Akantha was not as innocent as Jasper thought, and somehow, his belief in her, his urgent words, they'd fooled her into believing so too.

Akantha pulled her head up and made eye contact again. This time her eyes told Christopher that she'd been beaten. "Sir..." she said with a rasp, "thank you for your punishment." She felt ashamed of herself and knew that Christopher could see it, so she turned to Jasper, who stood behind her covered in blood. She put her arms around Jasper and hugged him, not knowing what his reaction was. "Keep it together," her voice was a harsh, demanding whisper that only Jasper could hear, "show him your fear and he's got you." Her blue eyes narrowed as she spoke into his ear.

~*~

Xanthos held the dogs face close to his. Hayate sniffed at Xanthos' lips then licked them. He laughed and released Hayate's head. "Cap ain't got any leads so far," he said with a shrug. "We're headin back for Greece right now to see if we can't root nuthin up in the pubs. Imma head to the library. I've only read on Dead Eye's treasure at the Drydogan Library, but there wa'nt much there, so I'm hopin ta find out sumthin new." He stood up and crossed his chest with his arms, his youthful grin spreading across his face. "Wanted ta know if ya'd like ta come along. Greece's library's supposed to be huge, an' four eyes are better than two. But I could understand if the promise of a bar fight would keep ya from it."