☾Ｕρ above ☂ Ｄσωи below☽

[x x - i n k]

☾Ｕρ above ☂ Ｄσωи below☽

This roleplay is for x x - i n k & Falling Mist only.
Feel free to read along, but please do not post.

[x x - i n k]

C o r d e l i axxA n n exxV a s s e r
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The ocean was calm today. At least for now. The water seemed to stay perfectly still, only moving when a creature's fins cut through it. But there was hardly a sound. "It's so... peaceful," murmured a groggy voice. Rolling from off her back onto her stomach, the young mermaid stroked the side of the humpback whale she had been sleeping on. "Isn't it, Panos?" she said, offering the enormous whale a smile. Compared to the size of Panos, Cordelia looked a lot like the size of a shrimp or krill. In fact, her friendship with the humpback whale and the coloring of her tale had earned her the unfortunate moniker of 'shrimp'. She scowled at the thought, swatting a nearby piece of seaweed before it could tangle around her wrist. In the distance she could see a clock tower, and the outline of her kingdom. She was too far out to make the exact time out, but she could tell that it was sometime in the early afternoon. Normally, she wouldn't be napping around this time of day but she had been caught out in a storm last night and it had tired her out quite a bit. She was really more of a 'morning bird'. The morning was always so bright and cheerful, lighting up all of the colors of the coral beds and waking the creatures of the ocean. It was a much happier time of day. Unlike the night, where darkness would sweep over the blue tinged ocean. It became hard to see fairly early on in the night, and it wasn't safe outside of the kingdom's walls. Cordelia had always been told stories of a place called 'the ruins' and the many creatures who came out in the night who loved to prey on mermaids. The latter she could vouch for. Her forehead had been labeled 'dinner' by creatures more times than she would like to count.

As if to further remind her of the dangers she had faced last night, the water began to rock back in forth. It slowly increased in frequency and strength until violent waves began to form. It was rare for it to storm two days in a row, and that had her worried. She thought it best to return to the kingdom, especially after being tossed around so much in last night's storm. She didn't have the energy to fight it again. Panos seemed to read her mind, and began to turn around to head back to the kingdom. "Hm?" she hummed, noticing a shadow creep above their heads until it eventually covered both her and Panos. Looking up, she could make out the shape of almost an oval, it seemed to resemble a ship. She'd seen the fleets many times before. The men on board would often fish, and Cordelia would cut their nets and free the fish whenever she could. But they'd never landed on the water in such a storm. Even if she didn't agree with there diet, it worried her. Those above the water were in just as much danger as she was floating around. Pushing herself off Panos, she slowly swam for the surface, fighting the waves that tried to throw her about. The humpback let out a low moan of worry at the mermaid's departure. "I'm just taking a quick look, Panos. Don't worry. I'll meet you there, go on." she reassured him, and waved her hand for him to go. The last thing she wanted was for him to stick around because of her and end of getting hurt by the storm.

Breaking the surface, she quickly swam over to a nearby tree trunk that was jutting out of the water. Holding onto to it hold herself in place against the waves, she looked to the boat. The waves rocked it violently back and forth. She wasn't sure if the waters aimed to flip it or swallow it whole. Needless to say, today's storm was much worse than last night's. And she wasn't sure how the humans would survive the night.


ooc: Panos is the greek word for rain. :'D
And I'm still a bit rusty, so I hope this is ok! Should get better when I have more to go off of.
But then again, I don't really remember anyone I've roleplayed with ever really liking their intro post.

[Falling Mist]

"Sir, we need to do something - the winds are going to pick up any second now and completely through our jets off!" A cabin hand bellowed, as he clung desperately to the rail on the deck that overlooked.

"I am well aware of the situation with the jets, Mr. Hawking. An imbecile would be aware of them, as would your own blind grandmother!" Irving Gray snapped back as a gust of wind from the right suddenly slammed into the ship. He was a gruff captain if there ever was one, but this was probably due to the fact that he was relegated to the city ship and would be for the rest of his life if he didn't change his attitude any time soon. Too much ambition was a dangerous thing in the skies... too much ambition was risky in the military. The man could only blame himself if he was unhappy.

The door to the top deck suddenly burst open. A young man in his mid-twenties sporting a large pair of goggles came out of the doorway, bee-lining for Irving. "Sir, due to the force of the storm yesterday and the cloud cover today, we don't have nearly enough solar energy to fight our way up above the cloud level. We'll need to go down. There's no other option unless you want to risk the emergency energy supply."

Irving grumbled bitterly in reply, shaking his head. "Can anything go right on this bloody fleet for once?"

The technician sighed poignantly. The rain hardly seemed to prevent his theatrics or contemplation. "Well, sir, it appears - "

"... Get back inside to your post, Blackburn!"

The man's golden eyes widened; he really needed to work on discerning his commanding officer's monologue from dialogue. "Right away, captain!" He quickly disappeared back into the bowels of Civicalum.

Turning on his heel, the captain looked out over his deck. The men were running around like helpless ants as they tried to secure all loose lines and boxes. They really were useless without him. "MEN, PREPARE TO FLOAT! ALL LIFE BOATS MUST BE PUT AT THE READY!" The sudden clap of lightning lit up the man's face in a sickening way as a devilish smirk crept across his face. "WE'RE IN FOR QUITE THE SHOW TONIGHT!"

A bit further down the deck on the on the starboard side of the fleet, a young blonde couldn't help but roll his eyes as he clamped down one of hundreds of crab pots. Given that this was a domestic ship and not a battle ship, it was heavily outfitted to feed and defend. The pots ironically served well for both purposed. "That guy's going to get us all killed one day, Jacky." He shouted over the sudden boom of the loud speaker that would relay the message of the descent to the inhabitants of the city.

A man suddenly jumped down from the top of the pot, smirking in spite of his mop of soaking midnight blue hair. "Part of me thinks death would be a nice change of pace. Less Rain." The sudden crack of lightning illuminated the sarcastic gleam in his teal eyes. Tyler's astonished expression caused him to laugh weakly before walking over to the next pot to ensure it was secure.

"You keep talking like that and you're going to get yourself thrown right of this ship, Jacky." Tyler called without avail after his friend as he climbed up to the top of the pot once more.

"Who says I don't want to be thrown off? I think some of those big fish down there and I could be fast friends!"

"More like fast food, jackass." Tyler grumbled in reply. The guy usually wasn't such a wet blanket. In all actuality, he was anything but! He was always the first to enable Jack to go for another drink, the first to encourage him to stay out past curfew even, but with storms... the kid froze up. The least Jack could do was try and get him to laugh until the skies cleared.

"Oh, lighten up. The storm'll be over soon and then you can go snuggle with your thunder buddy all you like."

"SHUT UP!" Tyler howled, kicking the cage to rattle it slightly. Jack simply shook his head and laughed as he set to work trying to find the straps that needed to be thrown down to Ty in order to lock the pot down. The first two were easy enough, but the third - well, someone didn't follow protocol when pulling the freaking thing out of the water. The third was wenched in between the guard and the back of the pot.

"Ty, this might take a second."

"Just be careful, Jack! We're about to - s**t." Suddenly, the ship landed in the water. It rocked violently, from side to side for several seconds as waves cascaded over the sides of the ship before finding the natural rhythm of the raging waves. The sirens began to blare as the voice returned to the loud speaker, demanding that everyone get back inside due to impeding "rough seas". 'A little late on that one...' The force of the landing slammed Tyler to the ground while the water carried him a few yards away towards the bow. "J-Jack?" He stammered through a wheeze, trying to pull himself back up to little avail. He waited for an instance but there was nothing...

"Jack?!" Silence. Against his body's protests, Tyler pulled himself up and stumbled forward at a light pace, glancing around nervously. None of the faces were his. Panic struck. Tyler took off a sprint, screaming to anyone that may still be on deck. "MAN OVER BOARD!!!"

[x x - i n k]

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Even through all the thrashing about, Cordelia's ears picked up on the sudden thud of something crashing into the water. She froze, her eyes locked onto the spot where something had fallen. "MAN OVERBOARD!" someone from the fleet yelled. It seemed to shake her from the shock. It wasn't something that had fallen, but someone. Just as she had feared. Pushing off the rock she'd been clinging to for support, she dived under an incoming wave and into the direction of the sinking body. She could barely make out his figure in the storm. Especially with his blue hair that reminded her so much of the ocean. Swimming as fast as her tail could go, she quickly made it over to the young man and secured her arms around his shoulders so that he was in front of her. There were very few air bubbles leaving his lips now, he needed air. And fast. The added weight made it a slower rise to the surface, but she was determined to get there. When their heads broke the surface of the water, she managed to hold them there for no more than a minute before being tossed under a wave.

Just as Cordelia's strength began to fade, the familiar moan of a humpback whale broke through the storm. "Panos!" she yelled, both shocked and relieved all at once. He hadn't listened when she had told him to go back. But if he had, this human wouldn't have lasted much longer with her. Pulling the man onto Panos's back, she held him down with one arm and secured her other arm around the whale's side the best she could. Panos slowly rose to the surface, and remained there as much as he could. The three continued North for a bit, and soon she could see land in the distance. "Panos, take us to the island please!" she yelled over the storm, praying the creature could hear her. And apparently he had, because soon enough they were as close to the island as Panos could get. Any further and the water was too shallow. "Thank you, Panos." she said, giving the humpback whale a quick stroke on the head before using the last of her strength to pull the man off of Panos and onto dry land.

It was only when she had finally laid him down and stopped to catch her breath that she realized the man still wasn't breathing. "He's not... dead, is he?" she whispered, as if saying it any louder would make it true. Tentatively she reached a hand out and gently poked his cheek with her index finger. He flinched, causing her to jump back and nearly shriek. It had been so easy a moment ago to whisk him away and save him without a care in the world. But now she was face to face with a human. What the hell was she thinking? Suck it up, Cordelia! He's still not breathing, save him stupid! she thought, pressing her hands down on the man's chest in an attempt to push the water out from his lungs. He still wouldn't breathe. "Dont you die on me!" she demanded, her tone laced with desperation. And before she could even think about what she was doing, she did something she had only ever read in books. She pressed her lips to his, pushing air into his lungs before pressing on his chest again. Suddenly he began to cough up the water from his lungs, and she pushed him onto his side to make sure he wouldn't choke. He was breathing again now. And at that thought a wave of relief rushed over her. But it also allowed reality to set in. Her eyes grew wide and she touched her fingers to her lips. "Stupid...stupid, human!" she shrieked. By now the storm was beginning to fade, and it was safe enough for her to dive into the shallow waters surrounding the island and hide from him. Even as embarrassed as she was, she wouldn't leave just yet.



ooc: blah blah blah.

[Falling Mist]

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The water was freezing. Jack bobbed along the surface like a cork, desperately pawing about to remain afloat as wave after wave threw him back beneath the water. Eventually... it all just became too much and everything went - black.

"Dont you die on me!" The command seemed to be coming from another time and place, another world even. But where - where was he then? What the hell was - "Don't you die on me, Jacky!" Tyler ordered through a slight slur as a heavy hand fell on Jack's shoulders.The navy haired man suddenly slumped up, sitting up as straight as he could in his - state. "There you are, mate! I was worried you left me for the other world!"

Jack rolled his eyes and shrugged his friend's hand off from his back. Tyler really was one for the dramatics. "All I want to do at this point, mate, is sleep. I don't understand why you won't just let me - "

"You are not going anywhere, Jackson Lee Crawley, until we find you a woman to treat you right. It IS your birthday. You will treat it as such or so help me!" Without thought, Tyler quickly yanked off Jack's coat and spun him around on his barstool to inspect him. He took a step back, pursing his lips. A devious smirk suddenly appeared on his face as he crossed his arms, "Give me your shirt."

"... Tyler. Absolutely not." Jack grumbled irritably, before standing up and extending his hand. "Now, I'm going home. Give me back my jacket."

Tyler only smirked, shaking his head. "Stupid.... stupid -"

" - human!" Suddenly, Jack aggressively coughed up water as he was yanked violently out of his flashback. A slight drizzle continued to fall; the storm seemed to be on its way - The storm! His eyes suddenly flashed open, staring up into the night sky covered in rolling, storm clouds.'It's still night... I haven't been out that long. I have to get back to the chi - A groan escaped his lips as his attempt to pull himself up from the cold sand where the waves playfully licked his feet ended in his body's immediate protest. The young man was not going to move anytime soon and that was perfectly fine with him. He cursed under his breath before sighing and closing his eyes once more.

"How do I get myself into these messes..." 'Well Jack, let's see.' He chided himself silently. 'You, being the little s**t that you are, constantly try to finish the job - regardless of the risks.That time at the tethering post? You just had to climb off the ship to grab that flower because Ty thought it was pretty, and you ended up in the water. That other time when we were anchored in the shallows while the fishers were out stocking up - YOU HAD TO WALK ALONG THE SIDE. And you fell in. Again. He paused slightly and opened his eyes. "The ocean is trying to kill me. That is the only logical solution."

The drizzle was no more than a fine mist by now as he gently flexed his toes back and forth. At least those weren't broken, but everything else still hurt like hell as the stars in the night sky began to peer through the disappearing cloud cover.

He really hoped Tyler would cause a scene to motivate a search party. He did not want to die on this lump of sand in the middle of the planet covered in water. He did not want that at all.

o o c :: all washed up

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[x x - i n k]

C o r d e l i axxA n n exxV a s s e r
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Cordelia's hands were still glued to her red cheeks as she looked towards the water's surface. The storm had seemed to calm down quite a bit now. I wonder if he has woken up yet. she thought, still unsure whether or not she should check on him or just swim away and leave him there. She'd already done so much more for him than she should have. If her father heard about this... if anyone in her kingdom heard about this they'd probably banish her to the ruins for being so stupid. For putting them all in jeopardy by saving a human. Still, he hadn't seen her. And so long as he didn't, that was ok. Wasn't it? She didn't bother to ponder over it much longer, and gave herself over to her curiosity. Slowly she rose to the surface of the water, letting only her chin and above show. Doing her best to remain unnoticed, she swam a bit closer to get a good look at the human body that still lay on the sand. I knew it. He's dead. After all of that work-

"The ocean is trying to kill me. That is the only logical solution." the voice cut into her thoughts, and she jerked back in the water. A dead man had just spoke. Well, clearly he wasn't dead, she could see that now. But she had just resigned herself to thinking that before he had to go say something and scare the crap out of her! And what was this about the ocean trying to kill him? What a crazy man. Perhaps he'd swallowed a bit too much water, and now it was drowning his brain. "No one told you to land your boat in the middle of a storm!" she muttered under her breath.

The clouds were breaking now, revealing a sparkling night sky. Cordelia had heard stories of the old human world. They had cities with buildings so tall and so bright that they were unable to see the stars. What a shame. she thought, the night sky was so beautiful. The moon was nearly full tonight, and she reached her arm out as if she could touch it. Nights like this made the moon seem so much closer than it really was. Looking to the island again, she could make out more of the young man's features now. Things she hadn't bothered to take in when she was saving him. His navy hair was a mess from his sudden dive into the ocean, and his blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight like the ocean on a warm summer's day. Funny how someone who's feature reminded her so much of the ocean she called home, was convinced it was trying to kill him. Still, her eyes wouldn't leave his frame. She had never seen a human up this close before - were they all this...enchanting? Dangerously, Cordelia swam closer to shore in hopes of seeing more of this strange sky pirate.



ooc: not sure how much interaction you wanted.
so he can either end up hearing or seeing her, or not. tried to leave it open for different possibilities.

[Falling Mist]

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The rain had stopped and the stars - the stars were so beautiful. It had been a while since Jack had last stopped everything to just stare at them. His grandfather used to tell him all about the planets and the stars, which may actually be one in the same. The universe is huge, apparently, and we are only insects in it. That last fact really got Jack upset when he was a kid given that he was the type that took a liking to squashing bugs. The idea that someone could do the same to him? Oh, it freaked him out a lot. A faint laugh escaped his lips; things were so full of wonder back then - so simple. He always had time for the stars...

Jack just wished the occasion that gave him a pause to do so again wasn't so miserable. Tenderly moving his arms, he propped himself up into a sitting position. He winced slightly, his muscles were going to ache for a while after being thrown around like a rag doll in the waves, but the pain was bearable. It had to be if he had any intention of getting - "... Hello?" Jack hesitantly called out. He knew he wasn't crazy, well... he hoped he wasn't crazy because there definitely was someone out there in the water. His eyes could barely make out the silhouette in the dark but it was someone... just hopefully not something.

And a wave of revelation washed over him. 'Of course there is something out there...' Luck sure as hell did not get him out of the ocean especially because, as far as he knew, unconscious bodies don't float very well in water. Something saved him! Something actually saved him!

The curious smile that had been growing on his face suddenly disappeared. 'There are things in the water... WHAT THE HELL. THERE ARE THINGS IN THE WATER.' He leapt to his feet and cautiously backed away from the ocean's edge. He immediately regretted the action as he continued to limp backwards, but he'd dwell on that later. 'What if it saved me to eat me? What if it wants to make me its slave - its sex slave?! Oh dear god. I'm too fragile for that. I can't - ... ... ... why leave me alone on an island then?' "... Is anyone there?" The young man called out, finally stopping about fifteen yards back from the shore line. It seemed like a safe distance.

As stupid as it was, he finally took a second to study his injuries. He was a mess. Glancing down, he finally realized why those breezes seemed to dry his torso immediately; there was hardly anything left of his shirt, let alone the bandages he kept wrapped around his limbs from his sparing sessions. All he had left were his pants and thank god for that. The idea of being rescued by his crew with nothing on was anything but pleasant; it was humiliating and he would be laughed at until he was on his death bed. It wasn't really that Jack was ashamed or anything it was just that well - ... Tyler was insufferable when it came to that kind of humor!

'Jack. Focus.' "... at least just let me know if you plan on killing me or not because hope is a cruel present to give in terms of time before murder..."

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[x x - i n k]

C o r d e l i axxA n n exxV a s s e r
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"Hm?" she hummed, her head tilting to the side in confusion. Why had he said hello, only to step back so far from the water? That certainly wasn't her kind's custom. But she hadn't heard anything about the human's having a such an odd, almost anti-social custom either. It was then she picked up on it. The slight shake in his tone. The kind that said he was more than just cold - he was scared. Was it because of the storm? If it was, she didn't blame him. She could still remember the storms from her childhood. The ones that tossed her small body around like it was nothing. The kind that claimed lives. As much as she loved the ocean, it's anger was something those both above and below would be wise to fear.

"...at least just let me know if you plan on killing me or not because hope is a cruel present to give in terms of time before murder." his voice cut into her thoughts, still laced with uncertainty. But perhaps a bit more confident this time. He thinks...me? Kill him? she thought. Her hand reached for her lips in an attempt to suppress a laugh, but before she could stop it she was laughing. Hard. She had to hold her sides from the pain of laughing so much. It was just that ridiculous. Not that she considered herself weak or anything, but she wasn't one for fighting. And even if she was, he was a pirate! How much damage could she really do to him? "You're a funny one, Mr. Sky Pirate." she said, still laughing here and there. But that would be the end of their conversation. At least for the moment.

Cordelia felt a soft tug at the bottom of her tail. Someone was pulling on it to grab her attention, but they obviously didn't want to come above the surface. Letting herself sink, Cordelia's eyes met a familiar face. "Drake! What are you doing here?" she smiled, excited to see her childhood friend. He looked both exhausted and worried sick. Had he searched for her even through the storm? "Looking for you," the merman said with a sigh before looking past Cordelia and towards the surface. "What were you doing anyways?" he asked, slowly heading for the surface of the water to see what had her so preoccupied. Cordelia's eyes widened, and the reality of the situation hit her like a sea lion. Quickly she moved infront of Drake and secured her hands on his shoulders. "O-oh, um nothing really. I just wanted to see the stars, but I've already gotten a good look... And you look exhausted! I'm so sorry to have worried you, come on. Let's go home." she said quickly, turning him and pushing him in the direction of their kingdom. Even in the dark of the night she could still make out the clock-tower in their kingdom, shining beautifully against the dark depths of the water.

Drake was suspicious, but he complied with her request if only because he was truly exhausted. As the two swam away she threw one last look over shoulder to the island were she had left the sky pirate. Perhaps they'd meet again.



ooc: yay secondary characters~

[Falling Mist]

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Laughter. His concern about death was greeted with laughter - and it was - ... a girl's?! What in this universe was fair about that? For all he knew it was some walking shark beast out there! The fact that it was a girl certainly calmed him down a bit, but - well. He was still mildly - Oh come on, who are we kidding here? Jack was immediately relieved when he heard her bubbly laugh fill the air. If there was anything he could handle with ease, it was a woman. '... That sounded so much worse than I meant it to.'"You're a funny one, Mr. Sky Pirate."

He could almost hear the smile through her words, and in spite of any traces of apprehension that may have still lingered in his mind, he began to move towards the water. Laughter wasn't scary. Laughter was a good thing - hell, it was friendly! At least, when it wasn't maniacal... but hers certainly wasn't! It was - well, it definitely found what he said hilarious. Jack smiled weakly and shook his head. Anxiety on his part usually only got him his foot in his mouth. This case was no different. "Well, why do you say - ... ..." Whoever was there was gone, or hiding at least. If it were the latter, they'd be popping up out of the water any second now... any second now... any. second. now. "What the freaking hell..."

Jack wasn't crazy, or was he? He had seen that silhouette. He had heard the laughter. He had heard that girl speak. He was not crazy - ... did he hit his head on something? Maybe that was it, but then, how the hell did he make it to this island alive?! None of this made any sense!

He sighed exasperatedly as he flung himself back on the ground, staring up at the sky. "So, not only am I potentially hallucinating, but I'm stuck here... well, that's just brilliant."

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[Falling Mist]

The door slammed. The table shook. "The storm has passed. You need to let me lead a search party."

"I am not going to waste my crew's time on a miracle, Mr. James, especially when the man proposing the cause is driven by emotions rather than logic."Captain Gray muttered matter of factly, glancing up at Tyler through slitted eyes from his place above the map table. The young man's outburst had apparently interrupted a meeting of some sorts.

"Sir, would you really leave someone out there to die without looking? Without even trying?!"

"We are two days behind schedule, Mr. James, given the last two days of storms. We will barely make our date at the supply station as it is, and if you have a valid argument as to why we should miss it entirely so that the ship will be on rations for the next month - enlighten me." The older man sat down in his seat, opening his arms in a welcoming gesture. "I'd be delighted to hear your ideas regarding fair distribution of grains and protein."

Tyler was dumfounded. He - he had no way of arguing against that, and the asinine smirk on Irving's face - who at one time was no better than he was - only made matters worse. What was he even thinking in coming to talk to Irving? He never liked Jack to begin with! The guy could probably give a rat's a** about the fact that he was flung from the ship (again). It's not like Jack was really important to anyone, he was just - a stand-up guy that usually didn't get the credit that he was due... and Tyler usually gave him crap for that. 'God, I'm such an asshat sometimes! And I even think the last thing I said to him was a cross between an insult and advice! Not even that I liked his stupid face! I'm an a**! Dear God, I am an - "

"Sir, not to interrupt or anything -" Mason Blackburn hesitantly began, glancing cautiously between his commanding officer and the deck hand.

"... But you are." Irving intervened crossly, casting him a warning glance. He would not have insubordination on this ship. Not today.

"Yes, well, excuse my interjection then because I am going to continue anyways." Mason grumbled irritably, rifling through his papers to pull out one of the last fact sheets he managed to print before rushing up here. "We're going to need a bit of time recharging before we can go anywhere in the skies and if we opt to start cruising on the water - well, it'll only take much longer to fuel the jets."

"So, I have time?" Tyler suddenly interrupted, a hopeful gleam in his bright green eyes. Ideas were already formulating in his head.

"Approximately three hours after sunrise, yes." Mason reassured, much to Irving's dismay.

"I can - go out and find him?"

"If that is what you want to do with the downtime..."

"Yes, yes it is! Mace - I knew you were good for something, even when you were that weird gangly kid!" Tyler shouted gleefully, slapping the older man on the back heartily.

"Why - umm... thanks... I think." Mason muttered through a wince, lifting an arm to his shoulder to message it. He really was not one for the outdoors...

"MR. JAMES. NOT SO FAST!" Irving suddenly interjected as Tyler was about to swing upon the door and bolt for the transportation port. "If you are not back by the time we are ready to fly, you will be stuck out there, with or without Mr. Crawley. Is that understood?"

Tyler smirked, turning his back to walk towards the door, before turning on his heel to address his captain."Perfectly sir. I'd rather be out there with him anyways than trapped in this rig with your rotten mug."

"MR. - MR. JAMES!" Irving bellowed, but the door slammed once more before anything else could be said. Tyler had more important things to do. He'd make the sly joke to himself that he wished one of them were Jack himself but, alas. Some things were never meant to be.

[x x - i n k]

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The swim back to the kingdom of Pelagia which the merfolk called home was eerily quite. When Cordelia and Drake were together they always had something to talk about, or something to tease each other about. It was rare for things to be this quiet. The entire swim back a scowl had been plastered across Drake's face, and she knew it was because of her. She'd stayed out all night, despite the storm. And then he'd found her playing around the surface without a care in the world. All the while he'd been searching for her. She wouldn't blame him if he was angry with her. "Cordelia," he started, coming to a stop as they reached the gates to Pelagia. He kept his back turned to her, but even without seeing his face she knew a lecture was on it's way. "Were you really just looking at the stars? All night through the storm, you risked your life staying out to just to watch the stars. And at that specific island. I'm having a hard time believing you're that foolish." he said, his voice begging her to tell him the truth. But how could she? He'd only be more disappointed and he'd see just how foolish she really was. "I'm sorry..." was all she could think of. Drake didn't respond or turn to look at her. He just swam through the gates to their kingdom, leaving Cordelia with no choice but to follow.

As she swam through the gates she lifted her gaze to the golden clock that rested atop the gates. It was early morning now. Which meant she had been gone a whole day. I'd better go visit father. she thought, swimming in the direction of her home. The architecture was very much 'human', despite the race that lived in them. The elders told stories that had been passed down about Pelagia. They said it had once been a beautiful city in a country called 'Europe'. But when the great flood swallowed the Earth, it sank to the depths of the ocean and was one of several structures to hold through the test of time. However, the reoccurring storms were definitely taking their toll. One day the great kingdom of Pelagia wouldn't look any better than the ruins.

Coredlia swam up to one of the taller buildings in her kingdom and reached out to push the door open. "CORDELIA!" the angered yell of a familiar man rang through her ears as the door to her home flew open. Her father stood before her now, his face consumed by anger and worry. "Where in the--" he started, but was cut off by Cordelia flinging her arms around his neck, "Papa, I'm so sorry!" she said, feeling her father soften into the hug. His hand slowly stroked her back and he breathed a sigh of relief. It was impossible for him to stay mad at her. He was just glad she was alright. The two talked for a while about her adventure in the storm, and Cordelia made sure to conveniently leave out the part about the sky pirate. If her father knew she'd be locked in a cage and he'd probably lead the shark's to their meal. Above the city she heard the low moan of Panos calling out to her. She'd asked him to keep an eye on the sky pirate for her and his arrival meant something had changed. Bidding farewell to her father, she swam out with Panos towards the island, breaking the surface of the water before she was even close.

Panos seemed distressed about something a bit far out from the island, and it was hard to miss it. A fleet sat on the water like a giant beacon. Maybe it was the same fleet her sky pirate had been thrown from last night. Were they looking for him? Well, if they were, she'd better check and make sure he was even still alive. Diving back under the water so as not to be caught, she approached the island and got as close to shore as she could before popping her head above water. "Mr. Sky Pirate," she called out, looking for him. "Something didn't eat you, did it?" she asked, though her tone remained light-hearted. She'd never ventured onto any of the islands she had seen, but they never appeared to have any signs of life. Cordelia wouldn't have left him there all alone if she thought it wasn't safe. But she had left Panos to stay in the area for safe measure.



ooc: fun fact: pelagia is the greek word for mermaid. thought that would only be fitting as the name of her kingdom.
i'm thinking for my next post, Cordelia could tell him the fleet is still hanging around, and he could maybe try and make some kind of signal to help Tyler find him before he's out of time. she could even get Panos to help out. xD

[Falling Mist]

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Jack sat quietly on the edge of the tree cover beside a slow burning fire. It had taken him a few tries to light the stupid thing given that he hadn't done the best job of staying awake during his "green world" survival technique classes. Being the little brat that he was, he never dreamed that he would need them. Anyone knew that, logically, anyone that fell off a ship would be dead. The force of impact could break several bones. There were creatures in the water that could eat you. Swimming in a storm? Forget about it! And yet, he had fallen out of the ship, or worse, willingly traveled off of it about seven times now.

'Little me just had to be a little s**t...' He grumbled silently, pathetically prodding the fire with a stick. The embers crackled, clearly angry by the fact that they had been disturbed, before several of them floated off into the sky and disappeared. Jack's bright eyes followed them up, smiling weakly as he glimpsed the stars again as the waning light of day was breaking on the horizon. At the moment, it was only a hazy gray to the east but the orb of the sun would soon appear, bathing the world in its light.

It would be safe enough for him to enter the forest at that point... supposedly. He sighed, dropping the stick to ruffle his hair out of frustration. 'But, I shouldn't be able to walk into that forest! I - I shouldn't be sitting by a fire, covered in sand! I should -' "I should be dead." No one survived these storms. No one! ... Except for that crazy, old man that lived on the street outside of the noodle shop, and he - ... he said he was saved by a beautiful woman with a tail. However, that isn't possible! One, it's anatomically incorrect. Two, mutants don't exist. Three, he's crazy for a reason, right?! But, regardless of all this, Jack still saw someone out in the water a few hours ago.

"Mr. Sky Pirate," A girl's voice suddenly interrupted the chorus of crickets and swaying branches, or at least - he thought one did. 'Crap. Crap. Crapcrapcrapcrap! I'm not hearing things now am I? I can't - CRAP. I'd rather die than be insane. I'd rather eat every bug on this island than lose my mind. What the hell is - ' "Something didn't eat you, did it?" He heard her again and she seemed - friendly? 'No, Jack! You - can't be hearing anything. Nothing lives on the islands... but her voice isn't coming from the trees. Oh god, I'm hallucinating about fish people. FISH PEOPLE.' If Tyler were here and could hear this inner dialogue, he probably would have slapped Jack clean across the point at this point, but he just couldn't shake his feelings about this situation being absolutely absurd! And yet... and yet... what was the worst thing that would happen if he went to the edge of the water again?

Jack slowly pulled himself up from the ground, dusting the sand off from what was left of his pants. He cautiously took a few steps forward before stopping. The silhouette was there."s**t..." The pirate muttered breathlessly, glancing over his shoulder as he questioned whether or not he should run for the safety of the trees... where he could just as easily find something that wasn't supposed to be there. 'Breathe...' "Nothing has eaten me yet... I'm just kind of hoping you aren't going to make that change anytime soon..." Hopefully, the water was the right choice.

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[x x - i n k]

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He really was a funny one. Was his worst fear really being eaten by something? She laughed at the thought. To think their short conversations had revolved around just that - being eaten. "I don't think you'd be very tasty." she teased, inching closer to the shore. The cover of darkness still hid her appearance, but she wouldn't have that luxury much longer. In the distance she could see the sun breaking through the clouds, threatening to shine through and reveal her. Using the darkness to her advantage, she swam away from the sky pirate. Staying along the shore she slowly made her way closer and closer to the sand. Once she felt she was a comfortable enough distance from him, she stepped onto the island. For a moment she kept her gaze to the ground. Her toes adjusting to the sinking feeling of the sand beneath her. This was only her second time walking on land, so things such as the sand were still very unfamiliar to her. As was playing human. But if there were ever a time to learn, it was now. She'd already come this far. If she couldn't fool him then it surely wouldn't end well. Her hand brushed the shell that acted as a clip in her hair, while the other smoothed her white dress down over her...legs. Her human form was rather similar to her true, mermaid form. But he'd never seen her like that, so she hoped it would be deceiving enough. For both their sakes.

Slowly she took a few tentative steps towards the young sky pirate. In the water, it had been on her terms. She was confident then. But now she felt like the one who should be afraid of being eaten. Crackle. The fire spit into the air again, causing Cordelia to yelp. They didn't have such dangerous things under the sea. She had only seen fire come off the fleets the sky pirates flew. If two fleets crossed each other's paths they would try and engulf the other fleet in their flames. Fire meant death. However, she could be thankful for it because of one thing - light.With each flicker of the flame she could make out more of the sky pirate. He was definitely alive, but he didn't look too good.

"Are you sure you're ok? The storm really tossed you around." she asked, taking the moment to look around at the makeshift camp he had set up. If you could even really call it that. He was deserted here with nothing but his life. And the little bit of island he had explored while she was gone offered him little in terms of food or shelter. Come to think of it, he'd been here a good while now. "Have you...eaten yet?" she asked, pausing before saying the word "eaten". She couldn't help but smile slightly, as if it was their little inside joke. She turned her head to the entrance to the 'jungle' of the island. It looked about as welcoming as the water when a storm was brewing. Finding food in there was not an option. But then what on earth was she supposed to feed him? Definitely not anything aquatic. How could she swim with a fish one hour only to hand it over to the sky pirate to be eaten the next?

I wonder about that fleet. If it was his, they'd have food right? And if it isn't... she bit her lip as images of the fleets fighting each other flooded her mind. If she led the wrong fleet here they'd both be engulfed in the flames. She'd just have to wait until she knew for sure.

ooc:

[Falling Mist]

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As Jack cautiously approached the water's edge, the silhouette was coming into focus."I don't think you'd be very tasty." He smirked weakly, ruffling his hair out of embarrassment. Jack really never did well with comments about his appearance. He'd always been a gangly, little thing with a cute face until he hit eighteen. Becoming a man in the span of a few months is mildly overwhelming for friends and family, let alone Jack! It was just an awkward time... a very awkward time. Although, this odd encounter may give that period a run for its money. At least this stranger had a sense of humor. "Well, at least I know you aren't a potential cannibal." He mused, hoping that the banter would continue. Banter was a positive sign. It meant that personalities were clicking. It meant that he might make it to see the sun completely rise. Unfortunately, Jack didn't get banter. He got silence.

Squinting slightly, he realized that the silhouette he had been studying had not only gotten smaller, but vanished entirely from in front of him. "I can't handle this magician act..." Jack grumbled defeatedly, resting both of his hands behind his neck as he looked up at the fading stars once more. He winced slightly, having forgotten that he had in fact been beaten up by the waves from hell only a few hours ago. Under normal conditions after suicide dives, jumps or misadventures, Jack would usually be put to bed by his mother and would be commanded to stay there for the next three days even if he were completely fine without any signs of damage. His fall from grace last night, however, was no normal circumstance. For all he knew, this could be the new - a sudden squeal caused the young man to jump slightly, his arms immediately falling to his side where he usually kept his pistol. He immediately hated himself for two reasons: one, he didn't have the ruddy thing any longer, it was at the bottom of the ocean and two, such a violent reaction caused him to ache all over. Attempting to hide his sudden and idiotic course of action, he turned away from the noise for an instant and took a deep breath, commanding himself silently to relax. Spinning back around, he almost wished he hadn't. What was walking towards him was unbelievable.

A girl. He wasn't crazy - at least, well - the mirage had a face now with bright, inquisitive eyes full of concern - "Are you sure you're ok? The storm really tossed you around." concern for him. 'Gods, I'm dreaming.' She cautiously continued to make her way towards him, a bit uneasy, but he couldn't really blame her. She just looked so innocent, so fragile in that white dress with those huge eyes that continued to study him and his destroyed body. Jack suddenly felt a little guilty for making her look so upset, but not guilty enough to stop staring. The young man had definitely left the manners his mother had taught him in the bowels of his city fleet.

"Have you...eaten yet?" Her voice pulled him out of his revelry and his eyes immediately locked with her out of guilt. The concern was still there. He sighed through a broken smile, shaking his head weakly. "We're never going to get beyond this food thing, are we?" He asked, laughing weakly at his own stupid comments from before. Taking a step towards her in an attempt to show that he was friendly as well, he opted to answer her question a bit more seriously. "Just because I haven't slept, doesn't mean I was stupid enough to go into the tree cover at night and look for a meal... but, more directly, no I haven't eaten yet and yes, that storm was a real b***h - but... you might know a bit more about that than I would, ya?" Jack's mind suddenly returned from his dreamy fog from upon first seeing the girl in the dawning light of day. It all just - clicked. She was in the one in the water - she had to be the one in the water, mainly because he didn't want to think about the prospect of a girl having drowned today in his place. Did she have a boat? Where the hell was it if that was the case? Did she live on the island? Was she even real? Jack would touch her to verify if that weren't ridiculously creepy... but it really was ridiculously creepy, just like that question probably was.

'Way to be an a**, Jack.' The sky pirate immediately took a step back and exhaled, shaking his head. "Gods, I'm sorry. That was - well," he paused, shaking his head. There was no good way to retract that statement other than brutal honesty. "I'm an a**." He muttered, giving his thoughts a voice. "And my name's Jack. Hopefully I didn't just completely screw that up."

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[x x - i n k]

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Cordelia continued to slowly inch towards the sky pirate. The light of the flames flickering to reveal facial features now. She could tell he was spooked, what with her disappearing act the night before into the water. It was suspicious, she knew that. Her appearance in front of him a second time was a suspicious and stupid move. But how could she just leave him for dead? Hopefully this would all be worth it. Or instead of curiosity killing the cat, it would be her who would be dying. She had seen the fighting between the fleets and their sky pirates. There was never any making peace or talking it out. However, from as much as she could see of him, he appeared unarmed. That gave her an upper hand. Not that she planned to fight with him. That was the last thing on her mind. It just meant that the run back into the water would be easier. But at that thought, she winced. Perhaps it would be better if he killed her than to let her get away and discover what she was. Death was better than being the reason your home and your family was annihilated, just like his fleets enemies.

"Well, at least I know you aren't a potential cannibal." she heard him say as he searched for her. I hope I can say the same for you. she thought, although as hungry as he might be, she had better start hoping he wasn't. Cordelia brought her hands slowly up to her cheeks and shook her head, willing all the negative thoughts to leave her. Saving him came with risks. She knew that. But that didn't mean it was going to get that extreme. Maybe he wasn't like that.

Her yelp from the crackle of the fire made him jump, a movement that seemed to cause him a lot of pain. She was right, he wasn't ok. Immediately she felt a wave of guilt rush over her. She was startled, but so was he. He'd been thrown from his fleet into the cruel, stormy waters. He was hungry and never knew if he'd be able to go back home again. "We're never going to get beyond this food thing, are we?" he said, giving her a weak smile before taking a step closer to her. Maybe it was because he looked so weak in that moment. Or maybe it was some maternal instinct of hers. But as she studied him, she mustered the courage to close the distance between them. He was babbling now as she walked up to him, talking about how he wasn't stupid enough to go into the forest in the dark. But she tuned him out for the moment. Slowly she reached a hand up to his arm, her fingers lightly tracing a cut that was struggling to heal. Then slowly she brought her other arm up to his other arm and gave him a hug. One of her hands stroked his back lightly in a soothing motion. "Everything is...going to be ok." she whispered. It wouldn't heal his wounds, but she at least hoped it would calm his spirit. She broke from the hug just as he finished his sentence. "- but... you might know a bit more about that than I would, ya?" she winced at the truth to his statement, but decided not to respond.

Instead she walked to the water's edge. She was careful to keep a safe distance from the waves that washed into the sand. All it took was one little splash onto her toes and she'd be revealed. Thankfully, the cover of darkness prevented her reflection from being shown in the dark waters. The only food she knew of was in the water, and getting that to him was out of the question. His heavy sigh broke her thoughts, and she turned her body slightly to look at him once more. He was apologetic now and she offered him a smile to let him know she hadn't been hurt by his statements. "Jack," she said out loud as if to confirm it to herself. "My name is Cordelia. It's nice to meet you Jack, though I wish it was under better circumstances." she said, her eyes locking onto his wounds once more. "Tell me, what do you sky pirates eat?" she asked, her eyes moving from his wounds to a small fish zooming about in the shallow waters. She gave it a look of pity, praying she wouldn't have to watch him kill it and eat it. But he didn't look the type to happily eat seaweed.

"There is probably food in the water, but I doubt you'll want back in there. That leaves us with...that" she said nervously, her finger pointing towards the dark forest. Even if the sun was coming up soon, it still looked scary. And her experience on land was close to none. She wasn't really sure what to expect.


ooc: DARN SUBMIT BUTTON.
So close to the preview button. I'm not done with the post yet. Dx
Alrighty, all done~! Trying to build her character a bit more here but I think it ended up being a lot of babbling. Bleh. But hopefully this was ok! c: