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rule_this_britannia Vice Captain
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 Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 3:15 am
 It wouldn’t have been the first strange thing that Arthur had had nightmares about. When he did dream, which was often, he would guess, though it was rare that he remembered them, they would always be filled with odd creatures and mythical places. It certainly wasn’t something that he talked about with anyone, but half the time he could almost swear that the things he saw were real. The amount of times he’d woken up with bruises and scratches from encounters in his dreams… but that was ridiculous, of course. He was probably just rolling over and hurting himself while he was sleeping.
He had surprised himself with his offer of help to the Spanish captain yet there was no hesitation as he pulled him up off the ground, showing off a little that he was oddly strong for his slender stature. You had to be strong, living at sea like the two of them did, and Arthur doubly so since his size and features often led him to be underestimated. The moment that he was no longer able to strike fear into the hearts of others would be the day he lost his last crew. Antonio had been heavier than he’d expected but he put that down to the water that his clothes were still holding, and once the man was safe up on the branch beside him he wasted no time in following him higher up, until they were far enough up the tree that he felt safe from that thing prowling below.
Arthur set his back against the tree trunk, keeping his balance easily, and glanced down towards the forest floor. “Catshark…” he muttered, wanting to say something about the foolishness of the name yet realising that he had no idea what else to call it. He screwed his nose up and let out an annoyed-sounding huff. “Do not look too deeply into it,” he retorted. “The last thing I need you doing is thinking I saved your miserable life because I like you.” It was all a matter of survival, and his own personal honour system. He wanted to have the man himself, not watch him get eaten by some mutated animal, as satisfying as it might have been.
The hour passed slowly, at least so he thought, and he barely spoke two words to the Spaniard as he continued to wonder why he’d saved him at all. It would have been satisfying to watch him get eaten, and at least with food in its belly the thing might have left him alone for long enough that he could escape it. He wondered if it had eaten his shoes. When Antonio finally spoke he looked over at him and rolled his eyes slightly, shifting to begin the climb back down.
“Your powers of observation astound me, truly,” he replied. “And as much as it would have amused me to watch you be eaten, I will not have my kill taken from me.” Making it clear that, yes, he still intended to kill the Spaniard when all was said and done. Not yet, though. They had more important things to deal with before they could move on to such things as cutting each other to ribbons. Not to mention that he didn’t have a weapon. It wasn’t that he couldn’t kill the man with his bare hands but that kind of thing was always so tiring and far too many things could go wrong.
When his feet hit the ground he carefully made his way to the edge of the trees, peering towards the ocean. That creature was nowhere in sight, and his shoes were still there. He felt a strange level of relief at that, and slowly approached, picking them up. A combination of being soaked in salt water and baked under the sun had cracked the leather, but they were dry now, and certainly better than nothing. Arthur pulled his compass from his pocket, and offered it to Antonio. “I do not think that we are being rescued.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 3:46 pm
Antonio Didn't believe in anything supernatural. No. Even with that... shark. Cat. Thing. Right there in front of him, He was still almost fully positive that this was some sort of dream. It had to be. This Place was too... out of the ordinary to be real. It was the most realistic Dream he'd had in his life--but. There was simply no believing it was a real place. ESPECIALLY seeingas how Arthur had willingly... sort of in a way saved his life. The Arthur he knew and fought with... SURELY he would have gotten some joy in watching him die.
He Could feel every vibration of the tree when the Cat-thing was attempting to climb it. Long claws scraping the bark and wood instead. Both Hands Gripped the Tree Branch he had chosen to sit upon, Wrapping his legs around the wood and Half-lying on his stomach against it. Fingers gripping tightly so as he didn't fall. A Sour look flickering across his face when Arthur repeated the words 'Cat-Shark', griping quietly at the tone he'd used. A sort of smirk coming over his face as the Englishman Denied saving him because he 'Liked him'. Tilting his head back with that same look, a curious 'Oh~?' sound Escaping. "And then why did juu save me, Amigo? Perhaps it was just because juu Did no want to be alone on this desert island?~"
He didn't Retort, this time, When the man told him simply that he would not have a crazed cat-shark stealing his 'Prey' away. Causing the Spaniard to just smile a bit wider. Oh, it was flawless reasoning, of course. And Really. He'd prefer to die, were he ever to die, at the hands of someone who at least partially respected him enough to save his life from a monster. "Si, si, the boss gets it. Antonio's life can no be taken by a beast from the sea, no?" He Laughed. Once the creature was gone, he, too, started to climb down from the unreasonably Large tree. He Didn't really feel up to going right back out on the beach--hell, what if the thing popped back up out of the water again?? But. He Really would appreciate having his shoes back. Tromping around the woods barefoot likely WASN'T the best idea in the world.
Moving out to pick the things up, also quietly relieved that they weren't eaten. Slipping them onto his feet and turning around. He raised a questioning Eyebrow at the man and reached to take the compass from his fellow, but rival, pirate. Looking down at it. A stunned look on his face at how the needle was... spinning?
"...I am starting to think this is just a dream, Amigo. This... either your compass is very broken. Or we are in big trouble."
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rule_this_britannia Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 4:31 pm
As for Arthur, he’d seen far too many supernatural things in his lifetime to deny their existence. It wasn’t something he would admit but he was rather superstitious, taking omens and warnings rather seriously, and this entire place was setting him on edge. There was something not quite right here, and he wasn’t too sure that he wanted to know what it was. What he did know, although he was loath to admit it, was that he was quite glad that he wasn’t alone. Even if Carriedo was possibly one of the most irritating people to be trapped on an island with, at least he was someone with whom Arthur could converse.
He didn’t like that the needle on his compass was spinning for a variety of reasons, but the largest was definitely because it meant that any ship coming by here would have the same problem, and likely try to leave as quickly as possible rather than stop to see if there happened to be any stranded people on the island causing all the trouble. Arthur looked up at the sky, squinting slightly against the light, right eye noticeably glassy as the pupil failed to properly respond to the brightness.
The stars would need to be clear if he was going to have any chance of working out where they were, though some sinking part of him told him that he’d have no more luck there than he did with the compass. The Spaniard was right, they weren’t in the Caribbean anymore, but as for where they were… he had no idea at all and he wouldn’t have known where to begin trying to figure it out. It would have been very pleasant indeed had it been a dream, but he had already pinched himself several times while sitting up in that tree and it had hurt every time. That kind of thing had always woken him before. He tried it on the other man, pinching his arm rather hard. “Do you still think that you are dreaming?” he asked, a slightly condescending tone in his voice as he leaned down to pull his shoes on, straightening up with a sigh and narrowing his eyes on the horizon.
“The most sensible course of action now would be to find somewhere safe to spend the night.” Of course, he had no idea if there was anything like that horrifying hybrid in the trees, but he would have rather not woken up to find that one of his legs was being chewed on. First, though, he needed to find some kind of food and fresh water. He moved away from the other pirate, leaving him by the water as he made his way to the trees, in the direction of where he’d heard the running water earlier. The lack of birds or any kind of wildlife save for that thing that had come out of the water was beginning to become unnerving.
He couldn’t have been more than twenty or thirty feet away from Antonio when he was almost overwhelmed by dizziness. Pausing in his step he pressed a hand to his head, blaming it on the heat and dehydration as he continued on, but after a few more feet he couldn’t ignore the fact that it was getting worse the further he moved from the other man. Arthur dropped to one knee, trembling, and half keeled over in the sand.
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 6:05 pm
Antonio was definitely not as well-versed in the supernatural as Arthur was. Most of this--All of this. Was all just too unbelievable for the Spaniard to handle. He was still likely murmuring to himself that it WAS all a dream. That a place with no birds in a forest THIS green couldn't possibly be real. No. No WAY. Cats didn't swim underwater and have fins like a shark. And compasses didn't SPIN like that unless they were horridly mis-made.
It meant no-one was coming. No-one in their RIGHT MIND would come ANYWHERE near an Island where their compasses went out of control like that. They'd see it the moment and turn the hell around until it went back to normal. They were stuck in this, and there was no other way out but to find their OWN way off. Even if that meant making their own boat and somehow getting off on their own.
Arthur's thoughts would be right--when the stars came out, BOTH Captains would be able to use them to figure out where in the hell they were. Direction, how far east or west they were. The trees suggested somewhere a little northern. Not too hot, and never really too cold. the trees Broad-leaved and the sand a little darker than normal. It was a good location to land, if any. At the very least there would be easy-to-find food, on trees and maybe even wild vegetables. With so little animal life apparent... They would very likely be depending on the plantlife to survive.
"Si, juu are right, most unfortunately." the Captain smiled too cheerfully, bobbing his head once or twice with that same charming smile. Not liking how he had to agree with the blonde. "I Am Sure we can find somewhere on our travels. Continue through the woods, Si?" He turned his head, Watching the other move up the beach. He didn't think much of the man moving far from him, Shaking out his now-dried coat and humming a bit. As The Man got further and further away, the Spaniard... noticed. his head started to spin.
"...Arthur?" he started, taking a step forward, watching as the man waver a bit on the sand. Moments later, he dropped to one Knee. Keeled over in the sand. When Arthur's Knee hit darkish brown sand. Antonio suddenly felt like he was spun around rather fast. an Ill feeling settling in his stomach, and he swore he felt like throwing up what little was already in his gut. Wavering himself. Willing himself to Walk closer. Even If he was going through the same s**t the Englishman was... a step. Step Closer. And It... the effects lessened. Another step. It was like slowly letting off a terrible burden. Another step. The Dizzy Feeling starting to waver off from the backs of his eyes.
"...Arthur, what is happening." He Murmured, Moving closer still. He had no idea why. But. The Closer he got to the Englishman. Even Slowly. The Better he felt. "Mios Dio... what is going on..."
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rule_this_britannia Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 2:23 pm
There was only one other reason for a compass to be spinning like that. Arthur knew very little about how the thing worked but he did know that he’d broken one before by setting a piece of magnetised metal near it. The damn thing had almost led him around in circles, but he’d very quickly realised that the position of the stars wasn’t matching up with what the compass was telling him. He knew which one was more trustworthy and the damn thing had been thrown overboard.
Arthur had come to the same conclusions as Antonio about where they were. The plant life and the colour of the sand said that they were somewhere north, though he still didn’t know what to make of that creature. Even now he was scanning for it, watching for that tell-tale circling fin. Would it come out after them again? He didn’t really want to think about it. Next time he might not be so quick about jumping up to the nearest branch and the thing would have the backs of his legs before he could get away.
Half collapsed in the sand, his head spinning, he had no idea what to think until suddenly it began to ease. It was only when he heard the Spaniard’s voice that he realised – something on this island was having an effect on them. He couldn’t say that it was an effect that he liked very much, but he couldn’t deny that the closer Antonio got to him, the easier it was for him to breathe and the more he could think clearly. It was very unsettling, but once he could move he made his own effort to close the gap and soon enough had his back to the Spaniard’s, eyes closed as he puzzled over what they would do next.
“I have no idea, but it is becoming increasingly troublesome.” He waited, for a little while, until enough of the feeling came back into his legs that he could reliably stand up, and then got to his feet. “I suppose that we have little choice but to move together. I think you will agree that our first priority should be finding fresh water.” It was possible to live for several days without food, he knew that, but not without water, and drinking salt water would only drive them slowly mad.
He waited, then, for the other man to get to his feet, and mulled over in his mind what this irritating development meant. There was no way for him to get away from the man now, but he had travelled with far more annoying companions before. Granted, none of them would have gladly killed him, but if remaining close together was keeping them alive, he wouldn’t have liked to experiment with what would happen should one of them die.
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 9:59 am
Antonio hoped to god that the thing didn't come back out again. Had He His sword, or even his flintlock pistol, he'd feel at least a little bit safe from getting his head bitten off or SOMETHING, but. Unarmed as he was. He didn't feel like running for his life from the beast again. The further they got away from the shoreline, now, after retrieving their shoes, the better. In his opinion at least. Here was hoping that Arthur didn't Argue. That Weird. Overwhelming tiredness that came over his entire body when the man had moved a good few feet away from him. He'd Damn well say that he almost fainted. And it wasn't as if it were too hot. It wasn't heat stroke. There was nothing that he could think of that would have caused that dizziness that had hit him like a brick wall.
What the hell kind of place was this? Dizzying, Nauseating effects swimming over their brain from some invisible force that couldn't be seen. And Why when they were separate? He did not believe in Magic or the supernatural--he was more a man of logic and reason. But he couldn't deny that there was SOMETHING sinister at work, here. And He didn't like it. At all. He gritted his teeth a little in Frustration. Fingers reaching up to touch his temple, shaking his head just a little.
"Increasingly troublesome is no the word, amigo." he huffed a little, an irritated look coming over his face. He pulled his hat off his head, the feather in it long been dried out by the sun, now. "As Much as I do not enjoy jur company sometimes, Kirkland, I Must say I would Much prefer sticking at jur side if it means that I Will no have to go through that weird Dizzying Feeling that we just had now, no?" He Sort of waved a hand, a smirk curling up his olive-skinned face.
He Did get to his feet, Brushing sand off his legs and adjusting his long, now-dried blue and gold coat. adjusting his belt and wiggling his toes a little within his shoes. He felt a bit better now, and he would agree that the Englishman was only right. "Fresh Water is being a priority, no? Maybe if we move further inland, we will find something of a spring or lake--or maybe even something worth scavenging for food, no?" He started to walk, Slowly, So Arthur could easily keep pace. hands moving down at his sides. "Aaah. We should... thinks of a way off this Island too, no? I Doubt people live on a place like this, but. Amigo, I Do no like the thought of a place where Cats can live underwater..."
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rule_this_britannia Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 8:48 pm
The English pirate was wondering where all of his weapons had gone. Antonio’s, too, but he was rather less concerned about those. He could have understood losing his pistol, even his sword, but what perplexed him more was the loss of smaller items, even down to the small glass vial of poison that he kept in a secure pocket of his coat. He might have expected it to break, but to not find a single trace of it was infinitely more perplexing. Not that he was on the brink of using it on either himself or the Spaniard but you never knew when a bit of poison was going to come in handy. He could have certainly used it to create some rudimentary weapons that might have been useful in driving off any more creatures like that thing that had come out of the ocean.
For a change, he had to agree with Antonio and simply nodded at the suggestion that they stay together, and once he felt well enough to get to his feet and think clearly his thoughts immediately began running around what black magic could be at work here. He couldn’t feel anything, but that only meant that whatever it was, the source was either extremely powerful or very skilled, or both, the latter of which meaning they were both in trouble.
Arthur fell into step beside the other man as they made their way towards the tree line. Without the sound of any birds or insects, once the noise of the waves was far enough behind them, the unmistakeable sound of trickling water could be heard. No doubt they would bicker on where to find it but eventually a small river was discovered, cutting a path through the forest floor towards the sea. Crouching, Arthur cupped his hands in the running water and splashed his face, then took a sip, noting a slight trace of salt but not so much that it was going to drive them both mad.
“I do not think that this place cares what you like, Carriedo,” he said, finally answering the Spaniard’s concerns about the cat… shark… thing. As much as he didn’t want to think about it, he couldn’t ignore the fact that there might be more of those things in this place. He pushed a hand through his hair, still rather irritated at the loss of his hat, though he supposed that he was better off without it in this kind of climate. “Though if you have any suggestions as to how we might get out of here I would be happy to hear them. I do not think that either of us have the necessary skills to build our own boat.” He heard things all the time about people escaping from islands where they had been shipwrecked but in his opinion nine out of every ten of the stories were false. Most pirates couldn’t swim and most of those that could wouldn’t be able to build a raft.
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Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 6:02 pm
The Spaniard would be lying if he said he was feeling calm without his Axe. His gun and sword were a bit... less important to him than his Axe. The item was a bit of an Heirloom, and he was feeling antsy about having it away from him. He wondered, now, if it was at the bottom of the sea, or something. Which made him frown a little inwardly. At the Bottom of the sea... he'd never see it again.
Likely if worse came to worse, at the very least, the Spaniard would find something of a sturdy piece of wood. To use in case a need to defend himself from... a creature perhaps not unlike the last arose. He was far more useful with SOMETHING of a handheld weapon. He wasn't that adept in hand-to-hand combat. Not that he couldn't defend himself if it came down to it, but...
He Didn't once think that Black magic was behind this. Heck no. The Spaniard didn't believe in such things. It was something else entirely. Perhaps they had ingested some sort of toxin? Or... perhaps there was something in the air that... when they were apart it had a heavier affect on them...? It had to be something like that. There was a logical explanation for it SOMEWHERE. They just didn't know what it was. Yet. he was sure that they'd either figure it out, or find a way off this Island before they had a chance. Either option was fine.
He Huffed a little with an Irritated glance over at his very unfortunate companion. Of All people why did he have to be Marooned with a man he'd spent more than half his days as a pirate planning to kill off? A small grunting sound escaping him as the man told him the Island didn't give a damn about what he liked. "Si, I Can See that, Amigo." He Answered plainly. If it did. He Wouldn't have Spent an Hour Up in a Tree Avoiding being Catshark food.
He was used to this sort of Climate, So Having his hat on as well as having the sun beating down on his back wasn't something that bothered him. Perhaps later he'd take his coat off, as well; If the temperature got too warm for him to carry the heavy thing around.
"Si, It is true, I would no be able to go about making any sort of boat for us to make our way off the island, mi friend..." a hand Slid across his chin as he looked down a little with a hum, Continuing his walk into the trees Again. Leaving the beach behind with the Englishman likely just a little ahead of him. "The Best I Can offer us now is to Look around the entire Island, no? Is doubtful that there is being people here, but Maybe, at the very least we can find shelter for when the night inevitably falls, no? We could always hatch a plan between ourselves." He Shrugged one shoulder, offering the man something of a smile. Perhaps there were more people on this island. Or maybe they could even find an old boat and rebuild it. Maybe....
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rule_this_britannia Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 11:02 am
At the moment, Arthur was counting on not coming across another creature like that abomination they had fled from. It was almost as if it had come out of the water to chase them off the beach, into the forest, but he tried not to linger too much on that thought. There were strange things at work here, things that he didn’t yet understand but he would get to the bottom of it if it was the last thing he did. Unfortunately, he was beginning to feel that may very well be the case.
Should something catch them unawares, Arthur was skilled enough in combat without a weapon that he would be able to fend off something that wasn’t too heavily armed. He had seen creatures on his travels that could tear a man apart, however, and he didn’t much fancy his chances if something else like that… what had Carriedo called it… catshark, came out of the undergrowth. He wouldn’t be so quick to save the Spanish pirate’s life again, or so he told himself, though considering what happened when they were only a small distance apart, he did wonder what it might be like if one of them died. Something had bound them together for a reason, and he was determined to find out what it was.
Getting off this island had to be one of the main priorities right now, but the first thing on his mind was food and water. He was already hungry, and the longer they went without a meal, the weaker they would both get. Luckily, he was rather good at catching wild game. He wouldn’t have wanted to take a chance on the fruit in this place until he’d seen something else eating it.
“I am not your friend. Do not start making the mistake of believing that simply because we are stuck together, I have to start liking you.” It was almost a knee-jerk reaction but he didn’t regret it, splashing his face with water again before he stood up, pushing a hand through his hair and setting off walking, moving further inland. Despite his low opinion of the other pirate’s intelligence he would concede that he was right, and they did need to get moving and find somewhere safe for when night fell. After years at sea, land wasn’t exactly his strong point, and as the path they walked began to grow steeper he found that he was wishing for a ship.
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Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 2:36 am
The Spaniard was likely just as paranoid as Arthur was. His eyes flicking around the corners of his eyesockets as if ready to be jumped out at by… what next, a bat with a bear’s body? Gods, this place gave him the chills. The silence of the forest, save for the light rustling of Leaves and the cracking of sticks under their feet was unnerving enough as it was. The air seemed too still. There was wind, but for being so close to the ocean, it was surprisingly weak. He didn’t get a good feeling from any of this. He bowed his head a little, the drying feather in his hat was likely going to get torn off as they started moving inland, into the trees.
Hunting would be an issue, if only because the Spaniard couldn’t hear—or see. Any sort of animals. Food, he hoped, would be easy to find in a forest when it came to fruit or something. Even digging up roots of small trees was better than starving to death. There was clearly water, but a man could be awful weakened going days without food. His head turned a little when the Englishman spoke again. Telling him straight that he was not his friend. The Spaniard calling the man such wasn’t really an endearing term as it sounded—it was more of a title. He didn’t quite feel right calling him ‘Arthur’, and ‘Kirkland’ always brought a taste of disgust to his mouth. Calling him friend in either the Englishman’s language or his own was a far better option. “Ah, Si, Captain.” He sort of spoke through gritted teeth. “I Hope I Did not give juu the wrong impression—it is just a word. It does no mean anything of course.” He waved a hand, making a small ‘tch’ sound.
Antonio could also handle himself well in hand to hand combat—but that didn’t mean he WANTED to. He far preferred some sort of weapon, and without one, he felt kind of… really paranoid. He was still looking around—and at one point or another, bent down. Picking up a fallen branch, taking little time in snapping it off to a comfortable size. It did no better than a simple club, but… it was better than trying his hand at punching a creature like the ‘catshark’ in the face or something. As they walked, he slipped it into the belt of his slacks like it were his sword or something. It was fine.
They likely continued walking in silence for what seemed like an age. Not a rustle but the wind, not a sound but the two men trudging through an eerily abandoned forest. Moss growing up the trunks of a couple of the trees. The further inland they moved, the closer together the trees seemed to grow. His hand brushing along the trunks as he went, turning as ‘something’ of a path seemed to curve, and his hand met something cold. He stopped, turning his head. his hand was on the trunk of a tree, clustered together tight against… …was that stone? “…Kirkland.” The Spaniard spoke, turning his head to keep his companion from continuing his walk. The stone was the same color as the wood. An old, blackish-brown. He would have overlooked it, had he not been touching it. “…This… this is a stone wall. No? a wall… or perhaps it is … “ he trailed off, starting to walk. Keeping his eyes locked on the ‘wall’ of trees he had found…
Until it jutted off funny. A small hole in the trees where the wall suddenly stopped. The path continued going eastward—but the trees on either side were too thick to squeeze through. Save for this one spot. “…I think there is something on the other side, here. What to juu think?” he turned an almost hopeful look on Arthur’s face. A building meant people.
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rule_this_britannia Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 6:36 pm
As a sailor, Arthur never viewed the lack of wind as a good thing. To feel the air moving against his skin was the most natural thing in the world and he felt almost naked without it, and any ship coming close to this place was bound to turn tail and head off in the other direction the moment that they noticed the winds dropping. It was never a good thing to be dead in the water, and Arthur had experienced it before – two weeks floundering in the middle of nowhere before they’d finally managed to blunder into a trade wind that he hadn’t charted. They had been dehydrated and near starving before they’d finally pulled into port. Six men lost.
Carriedo really was the last person on earth he would have rather been stranded with, even Bonnefoy would have been better than this, but he could make the best of a bad situation and it wasn’t as if the Spaniard wasn’t useful, in his own way. At least he could run. Now, if he’d just stop making ridiculous verbal blunders perhaps Arthur would want to kill him a little less. “Captain. That’s much better,” he muttered. Having the other man call him either his given name or his surname was about as distasteful to him as it was to the other, though he had no issue at all with calling the Spanish pirate by his surname. “So long as we are both clear on the subject.” It would be a cold day in hell before Arthur would stoop to calling this waste of space his friend. A cold day indeed.
He didn’t like this. It was too quiet and too still. With greenery like this they should have been seeing birds, wildlife, anything to indicate that this place was inhabited by something other than themselves, but there was nothing. Arthur, without realising, was straining so hard to make out any sounds other than their footsteps that when Antonio finally spoke he jumped, then scowled darkly at having done so. He hardly wanted to give the impression that he was getting twitchy just because of a little silence. “What?” he snapped, pausing mid-step and turning around, stepping over to where the other man was. “Stone?” Arthur reached out and touched it, then looked up and took a step back. The trees here looked uniform, strangely so, as if they’d grown up around another structure.
Following the other man to the peculiar gap in the wall, he frowned as he was shot that hopeful look. He didn’t know what Carriedo expected to find here – whatever this place was, it looked to have been abandoned a long time ago. “I think that being in there may be more dangerous than being out here,” he said bluntly. “But I also think that it is growing dark and we would be safer inside a building. As you have a weapon, you may go first.” Though, that was more for self-preservation. The Spaniard was hauling around a rather large stick, after all, and Arthur didn’t particularly want to be hit over the head with it.
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Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 6:53 pm
Lack of wind was never a good thing. Arthur was not the only one who was feeling just a little paranoid with the air around them so stagnant. Like they were underground or something. Antonio hated that feeling of Paranoia. So he was trying to ignore it. Perhaps it'd go away on its own. Or something.
He Couldn't help his... Verbal blunders, as Arthur would so Gently put it. He Wasn't a native English speaking man. Hell, half his Crew likely didn't speak a word of English. The Spaniard was just well-versed enough to have learned it--along with a good bit of French and Dutch, as well. And he was currently trying his hand at learning how to speak Italian.
"...Si, Captain." the Brown-haired man spoke again, rolling his eyes at the Ornery blonde following him. Unlike the English Pirate, the Spaniard didn't give a damn What Arthur called him. Antonio, Carriedo, hell. Even Fernandez. He Wouldn't have batted an Eye at. It was just a name, and at the end of the day, it really didn't mean a damn. "The Subject is very clear." If the man decided Antonio was a waste of space... then the Spanish pirate would decide that Arthur was a waste of air.
Seeing even a mouse or sparrow would have been nice. A HINT that there was something living here. The Silence, save for his and Arthur's Footfalls, was almost deafening. The Cat-Shark thing wasn't enough. No. Antonio wanted SOME sort of Semblance of NORMALCY, here. And until he got that, he was going to feel rather uncomfortable. He would hide it, of course. Not wanting to show weakness to his oldest foe. "Si, Stone. Like a wall, or.." He frowned a little when Arthur said, bluntly, that inside the building might be more dangerous than outside. He was thinking the latter of the man's statements: it was far better to be inside a building, where there was walls and cover, than to be outside. Exposed. He Gripped the rather hefty stick he had picked up along the forest floor, and flashed Arthur a grin. "Where is jur sense of Adventure, Captain?" he winked a green eye cheekily at the Brit. Clearly poking fun at him. "If juu do not jump, juu will not learn anything."
Before Arthur could respond, the Spaniard squeezed through the trees. Moving alongside of the stone building, his hand on the stone. Circling around to the front... it appeared that it was not only ONE Building... but a few of them. A Few windows, all made of dark stone. It looked like they were all connected, as well. Overgrown with trees and bushes, roots crawling up and around from some of the windows. And as he moved to the front of the buildings... he smelled smoke.
"...Where there is smoke, there is fire. And there is usually life." he said to himself, turning his head to see if Arthur was following. Wondering if the man could smell it, too. And if he could... it could be a good sign.
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rule_this_britannia Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 5:28 am
That was one thing they could both agree on as sailors. Lack of wind was never a good thing. Lack of wind meant being stranded in one place for days, even weeks, with nothing else to do but watch the supplies run lower and wait desperately for the slightest movement in the limp sails. Given the choice he would have been anywhere but with this man, but he didn’t have the choice, and as a pirate and therefore an opportunist by nature he was going to have to make the best of a bad situation. After all, they did have a few things in common, and they would have similar skills. As for comparing their levels of intelligence… well, the less said about that, the better, for it would only end in an inevitable fight.
He would have laughed at the Spaniard’s so called ‘decision’. A waste of air, indeed, but the man still needed him unless he wanted to explore this place alone. Names were important to someone like Arthur – to call a man by his first name or to address him as a friend offered a kind of familiarity that the Englishman was not willing to grant. It was rude, and despite his choice of vocation Arthur did value good manners.
Arthur was only becoming more and more uncomfortable with the lack of movement or noise. It wasn’t normal, this silence. Even the most remote of places that he had visited in his life had held some kind of nature. There seemed to be nothing here, save for that horrific creature that had attacked them on the beach, and it occurred to the naturally suspicious pirate that the thing had only appeared to drive them away from the shore, deeper into the forest, but to what purpose? There was something unnatural here, something not of this world, and he wasn’t going to be satisfied until he’d figured out just what it was.
Then, the Spaniard spoke again, and Arthur’s lip curled slightly in a mixture of annoyance and distaste. “There is a difference between a sense of adventure and blind idiocy,” he replied flatly. “I have learned that to fail to look before I leap is a mistake.” Such things usually ended in problems, and people getting killed. He had been foolhardy before, to the loss of many of his crew, and he did not intend to make such a mistake again.
While Arthur could indeed smell the fire he didn’t look at it as the good sign that his companion did. Fire could mean life, that was true, but they didn’t know what kind of life resided on these islands. To run in without care for that fact could easily end with neither of them seeing the next sunrise. Following close behind Antonio he caught hold of his arm and gripped it, not gently, jerking him to a halt. “What you are doing is a classic example of the kind of imprudent behaviour that may get the both of us killed,” he hissed, irritation flashing in his green eyes. “Simply because a people are capable of creating fire does not mean they will not want to wish to roast us over it.”
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:21 am
Antonio didn't quite like the idea of exploring the Island on his own Either. So He supposed that dealing with the Insufferable Captain Kirkland's presence, though irritating, wasn't something he REALLY had that much of a choice in. It was certainly obvious that both pirates would far prefer to have the company of someone else right now. But with the weird, draining effects of the Island on them, and the monsters, given there was more other than the cat... shark they had met mere hours before. They would definitely need to rely on one another to not die.
He would agree that the whole. No wind and No Animal Noises thing was freaking him right the hell out. What kind of bushy jungle didn't have chirping birds or at the very least, the sound of screeching, buzzing insects? It was damn unnatural. But as Uncomfortable as Antonio was, He still Had that need to explore and see what was up with this Island. There was something WRONG. There was a building here, clearly. It had to be made by SOMEONE. Someone who maybe had a clue to what the ******** was happening, or where they were? Even a cardinal Direction would be a help.
"If juu Say So, Amigo." He said, Looking up at that Flat Look on the Englishman's Face as he told him there was really a difference between Idiocy and having a sense of Adventure. "I still think that there is something that has to tick, here, and Until I find out what it is, Sneaking around and being cautious about every corner isn't going to solve nothing." He sort of smiled Sideways at his arch enemy.
He WAS About to turn the corner, from where the Smell of smoke was coming from. He sort of furrowed his eyebrows at the man next to him, however... as the moment he'd gone to check to see what it was... He stopped him. A Hand on his arm, keeping him back. "Well then juu stay behind. I Will tell juu when it is clear, or you can just hide back here while I try to figure out what we're dealing with." he said just as flatly back to the man. Smiling cheerfully, but there was SUCH a fake look in his eyes. "Ah, juu think Cannibals? Well, I think I can handle a few wildmen. Weapons or no, Amigo." he tugged gently on his arm, as if telling the man to let go.
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rule_this_britannia Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 12:26 pm
He was beginning to hope that this was one horrible dream, and he would wake up in his bed any moment while the sea rocked the ship and the wind sped them to their next destination. Even a dead zone would be preferable to this – at least he’d not be stuck following around after this moron. Make no mistake, he was in no way deferring leadership to the idiot. After all, if Antonio was in front of him, then whatever was in front of them would attack him first, giving Arthur time to get away. Of course, with this odd link that seemed to have been forged between them he had no idea of what such an attack would do to him. Maybe he’d be unable to run away. He was willing to take the risk.
Arthur wanted so, so badly to punch the man. Not being cautious could get them both killed and he had to know that. Maybe the island had affected his brain, or maybe Arthur had really been battling against a witless moron all these years. That thought was almost insulting to his own level of intelligence. He couldn’t quite believe how someone so stupid managed to maintain command of a ship.
His lip curled slightly at that look on the other man’s face, the word ‘hide’. Hiding and having a sense of self-preservation were different things entirely, and he let the Spaniard’s arm go as if he’d been burned by it.
“You must be the most thick-witted pissant I have ever had the misfortune of having in my company,” he hissed. “I have had slow-wits on my crew with more brains than you. Go and get yourself killed, and see if I care.”
Sure, he let the Spanish pirate turn around. Yes, he would let him take a few steps. Then, he would bring a heavy branch down on the back of his head.
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