((Weeeell, the crew can mess around while life get sorted out, yes? I hope things get better for you, deary. :hug: I'm sorry!))

The following days moved by swiftly. As they traveled toward their destination, Fenris seemed . . . unsettled. The dark-skinned male usually kept Laiden close to him, but the boy had been disappearing as of late. It was most likely his chores to take care of the Blackbeard that took so much of the teen's time.
Fenris shook the water from his hair as a wave crested over the railing. Looking annoyed, the male wiped sea water from his features with the back of his wrist. He'd been busy thinking about Joseph and Codette. Fenris had finally agreed to let them become friends as they see fit. It was a big decision - and it had taken him an entire 24 hours to make up his mind for good. Truly, the choice had been made in their favor because Fenris couldn't stop them from seeing one another.

Laiden enjoyed listening to Codette speak (he'd always liked being around women), and despite Fenris' protests, the youth continued to listen to her. Fenris shook his head, pushing himself away from the railing. Leave it up to the boy to change everything.
Fenris moved to the main deck, getting back to work. Life on a ship was nothing new to him, though he much rather preferred to be in a battle. After many hours of hard labor moving crates from below deck to the main area near the mast (Marquet requested that some of the goods be used as bartering tools in Barbaros), trying things down, and restringing up a sail, Fenris found himself sitting with his back to the ship's railing. In his lap was the torn sail, and he was stitching it up with (unpracticed, if not determined) stitches.

His gray eyes moved up to see Codette moving about on deck. Fenris' fingers paused . . . and then he hissed in pain. He'd managed to stab himself with the needle. With a growl, he turned his attention back to his task. Don't get distracted, you fool.

Codette smiled as she worked on deck. Humming happily as she mopped, Codette couldn't believe that Fenris had finally given in and allowed Laiden and her to become friends. She had to admit, Codette kind of hoped that this would make Fenris take a step closer to allowing her to be a friend for him as well.

Codette found herself often distracted from her mopping, generally staring out into the sea. The wind blew at her hair so much, she had to tie it up, the curls continually trying to escape. Then she'd get a shiver, or hear a shipmate talking to another and come back to continue her chores.

"I wonder what Laidens up to." she whispered to herself as she worked. Hearing a painful hiss, she looked up, wondering who was hurt now. When she saw Fenris with the sail she had to stifle a laugh. Taking her bucket an mop with her, she had to ask him. "Want some help? I have a pretty good stitch." she was just trying to be helpful. It was painfully obvious that he wasn't accustomed to such work.

He pulled his finger away from his lips. Fenris' wrathful glare could have felled a giant right then and there. "No." At least he was brutally honest. It was many moments after he'd looked down at his work when the male finally seemed to relent. He was so stubborn and . . . dominant. It almost hurt him physically to admit he needed help with something.
Without speaking, Fenris slowly offered the needle up to Codette. He was still frowning, and his gray eyes were locked on the deck, but at least he gave in to the helpful offer. She was right: Fenris was NOT accustomed to such gentle work. He wasn't one for details, and he certainly wasn't one for repairing things meticulously. He was more of the destroy it and smash it to bits sort of person.

A light blush warmed his features as he sighed, sending a sideways glance at the woman. Codette had been friendly toward him, but after that one night they had spoken, Fenris was back to his usual gruff self. He obviously didn't have many friends (which was true - he only liked Marquet and Laiden), and he obviously wasn't happy with the fact that Codette wanted to enter that group. It seemed like the dark-skinned male was doing everything in his power to keep her away from him.

Codette mearly shrugged. She was already accustomed to Fenris' lone-wolf persona, no point on letting it bother her. Just as she was about to turn away to continue mopping, he held up the sail.
With a gentle smile, she set down the mop, and took the materials from him. Sitting down on the deck next to him, she took the sail, her long fingers quickly assessing the damage, and working to undo the unsteady stitches. With short, but precise motions, Codette was able to un-knot the thread and restart. "Stitching is just something that takes practice. I guess its one of the few advantages to being female, one is taught how to sew at a young age." Codette mostly spoke to herself, knowing Fenris wasn't likely to answer her small talk. It wasn't the first time she spoke to herself around the ship, Codette did it quite often.
"I do have to wonder if you're ever going to tell me why you dislike me so much. Is it because I'm a woman, or is it because I'm not afraid of you." Again her conversation was more for her own entertainment as she worked on the repetitive task, her eyes never leaving the needle and sail. Even as the waves splashed onto the deck, soaking Codette's clothes and hair, she ignored it.

The small talk wasn't necessarily something that he wanted to hear, but the male didn't seem to protest it. Let's just say it was a good thing that Codette didn't expect a reply. She wouldn't have gotten one.
Fenris' frown slowly lessened as he watched Codette's fingers work over the stitching. He studiously observed how patient and thorough she was, even when the waves threatened to wash over the side of the ship. When some salt water finally made its way up over the railing, soaking through their finally dry clothing, Fenris couldn't help but smirk silently. She had resolve, he would give her that.
Resting his arms against his knees, Fenris tried to focus on his hands before him. Instead, he was brought back to Codette's work. And then, of course, there was her question. This time, Fenris felt obligated to say something.

"Am I obliged to like everyone that is afraid of me and a man?" The words were sarcastic, if a bit bitter, but he didn't seem as aggressive as usual. Instead, Fenris reached up to wipe pale hair from his face. "If you haven't noticed, I don't like much of anyone." This was, officially, the most talking they'd done since their late-night conversation.
Fenris' gray eyes narrowed, and he sighed in what sounded like irritation. "I don't head out to sea looking for friends."

A smile twitched at Codette's lips every time she felt Fenris watching her. She held up the sail, observing her work so far. Satisfied with the quality of her needlework, Codette patiently continued. The salty wind tugged at her hair, causing her to brush loose curls behind her ears so they remained out of her way.

The sound of the sea birds calling to each other soothed her soul. The feeling of a companion, whether willing or not, was comforting, and being at sea was like being at home. Codette was so relaxed that she was startled by Fenris' voice and pricked herself with the needle. "OW!" she gasped, putting her finger to her mouth as she looked beside her.

"No, your not. I just happened to notice that the two people you allow close to you are both men, and while they may not be afraid of you, they both respect you." She looked down at the sail, and realized she missed a stitch. With a sigh she doubled back, and then continued.

After a bit of a pause, she whispered. "I do. Friends, companions, anyone who will watch my back if I watch theirs. I hate being alone more than I hate being bothered when I'm working on maps." a nostalgic smile crossed Codette's lips. "My old captain would just sit in the same room as me, while I was plotting routes, and talk. He would ask questions that he would answer himself, and just talk out loud, so I didn't feel alone..." She shook her head, realizing that she was telling much more about herself than she wanted. "Oh well, at least Laiden occasionally keeps me company." Her normal smile returned.

For once, Fenris' frown faded quickly. The circle of friends that she'd observed about Fenris was, indeed, made up of only two males who both respected him. Laiden and Marquet were the only ones that Fenris was willing to admit he cared for . . . even if he never did so out loud.
Seeming unbothered by the tousling of his layered hair, he tilted his head to observe Codette more openly. She sucked on her pricked finger for a moment before speaking, and that made him almost smile. He hadn't meant to startle her.

Listening to Codette's description of friends made Fenris' expression shift ever-so-slightly. It was hardly noticeable, but his dark-skinned features filled with a hint of admiration (of a sort). This woman had experienced true companionship. Fenris, in turn, had as well . . . but he wasn't so open with his trust.
When the redhead went on to talk about her past captain, Fenris mentally smiled. She had a good memory of her past and of communication with people. Fenris had the complete opposite: he didn't remember much, and what he did recall was nothing he wanted in his life again.

"He likes you." Laiden didn't grow so close to anyone quickly, for he was a bit shy and standoffish. Fenris watched Codette for a few more stitches before standing, straightening his damp shirt with a sigh. I would say I don't know why, but it's painfully obvious. Even Fenris was tempted to trust this girl.

The woman sighed and leaned her head back. She missed her old crew. Codette had been long past having to prove something. "Other than the Captain and Laiden, have you ever had any companions you would trust your back too?" Realizing the words that had just exited her mouth, she laughed. "Nevermind. Thats probably very personal."

Codette finished her last stitch, tied off the knot, and used her small dagger to cut the thread. "There! All done." She held the stretch of material to Fenris. "I know he does. And I value the trust he's given me more than all the gold around the world."

"Is there anything else you need stitched? While I'm already in practice."

"Other than the Captain and Laiden, have you ever had any companions you would trust your back too?"

Fenris immediately frowned, but when she laughed, he seemed to relax . . . slightly. He didn't answer her directly, but the thoughtful look on his dark face spoke volumes. He couldn't remember ever trusting anyone as much as he did Marquet, and Laiden was a teen he'd taken in. They were both what he would call his close friends. Fenris didn't care for anyone outside of that, and he'd convinced himself he would never need anyone else. Codette's words certainly made him think (even if he didn't want to give the topic any more attention than it had already received).

When Codette held the sail out to him, Fenris took it slowly. The woman's reply to his simple statement left him struck speechless. She valued her relationship with a young teen that much? After only a few days? Fenris carefully stashed the needle on an outer layer of his shirt while staring at Codette. "No . . . I don't usually have such tasks."

He swallowed, looking down at the sail. He would thank her, but that just wasn't how his mind worked. His thanks came in the form of a slight smile and a nod. Another small step had been made, and no matter how small those steps were . . . they were drawing Codette into Fenris' life.
The male looked out to the ocean's surface before sighing and letting his expression fall into a relaxed compliance. "I need to take care of this. You should . . . finish whatever you're doing." Yet his slight hesitation when moving away showed that he was ever so slowly coming to heed her call to friendship.

((:lol: Sorry, Scarlett, but this is just too fun! We can give you an update when you come back. Promise we won't leave the ship! LOL))

(*giggles* sorry for the short reply; at work)

Codette nodded when Fenris took the sail. She simply smiled, at his nod and small smile.
"Yes, I should. The deck isn't going to mop itself." she rolled her eyes, leaning against the staff of the mop. "You should probably take care of the sail before it rips again, and I'll have to fix it."
Codette was just as hesitant to move away, not wanting to break whatever spell Fenris was under that kept him from gruffly moving away from her.

((:ninja: I see. lol))

Fenris shook himself free of whatever was holding him. He swiftly gave the sail to some lighter youth who could scamper up and retrieve the correct ropes. The crew could handle the rest of it. For the first time, he sent a glance over his shoulder toward Codette. She . . . wasn't so bad.
He was lost in thought when he happened to feel someone touch his arm. Sucking in a breath, Fenris cursed himself for being so distracted. He immediately became less flustered when he found Laiden standing beside him. The teen was looking at him with a crooked half-smile on his face.
"Where have you been, boy?" Fenris ran a finger over the white scars that patterned the back of his hand while looking down at the youth expectantly. Instead of replying, Joseph merely shrugged and fell into his usual place at Fenris' heel. He'd been putting food down for Scarlett. That's where he'd been.

Fenris sighed before turning his attention to his next task. It startled him to find that there was . . . well, nothing. Without something to do, the broad-shouldered male was a useless tool. He hated being idle, and he especially despised being useless. Sadly, the ship was sailing rather smoothly at the moment. There was nothing left for him to do.

((:XD This is the dilemma of my day, sadly. LOL))

((Can you possibly have Joseph talk to Scar so I can bring her in? :3 Or fenris. Either one. Oh and he and I are done, so we've been fighting a lot due to him finding a new place and all that crap. So I won't be on that much till its all settled. But i'll probably be on a lot this week because he's been going out with his new girlfriend :/ Men are Butts. Lol ))

((Awww, deary! I hope things settle down. :/ No fun! Drama!))

After hours of staying beside Fenris, Laiden suddenly disappeared. The youth headed for the kitchens to gather another plate of food. He'd been delivering food to Scarlett, though he hadn't spoken to her yet. Honestly, he didn't speak to many people very often.
The teen made his way down the stairs and to the hallway with a plate in his hands. Some cold bread and slices of fruit were balanced on top of it, and as Joseph opened the door he nearly dropped it. The bread slid from the plate, and it was the sheer will of God that kept it from falling to the floor. Laiden caught it just inches before it touched the dirty wood.

Letting out a quiet breath of relief, the youth turned his blue eyes to the bars before him. There, inside, was the Blackbeard. Joseph stepped forward, crouching near the opening left for food and plates. It was a horizontal slit in the bars that one could fit almost two hands through.
Sliding the plate over the rough boards, he watched the shadows he knew to be Scarlett. Usually he left immediately after setting the food out, but this time . . . well, this time Joseph wasn't so sure he wanted to leave. It was nice to be away from the crew and the brutal weather on deck. Besides . . . ever since Laiden had made friends with Codette, he was willing to stick around the people he perceived as kind. Scarlett, in his mind, was a kind person.

After he'd stepped in front of Fenris on her behalf, Laiden had felt . . . drawn to her. This Blackbeard didn't deserve what was coming to her.
Laiden shook his dark fringe of hair back from his face, wrinkling his nose at the thought of what might happen to Scarlett. Instead, he pushed the plate a few inches closer to her. He had yet to stand, and his blue eyes remained focused on where the Blackbeard was.

Scarlett sat on the floor next to her wooden bed protruding from the wall. There was water on the floor from a few leaks here and there from the ceiling due to the previous storm. She sat amongst the water, her hair still soaked, her shoulder still injured, and her fever not yet passed. Her dark curls fell over her face like darkness was eating up her sillouhette.

In the darkness of the ship the only thing you could see on the girl was her bent over form, gently sobbing in the corner. The moons light fell gently over her, creating a lovely affect from her reflection in the puddles she sat in. At the slight clang of food her head snapped up, making her hair fall behind her back. She sat, staring at Joseph. "Thank you for saving me today." She whispered, her voice sincere and velvety. She slowly crawled over to the slot where her food came through and gently grabbed the tray. "If Fenris comes by again tell him thank you for his shirt. It's very warm and smells of Tortuga." She smiled a gentle smile. "Oh and thank him for the rum as well. It' s doing me wonders.." She said, her green eyes darting towards the rum hidden under her cot.

Laiden watched as the crying form slowly uncurled. She was a pretty thing, honestly. Though from the way she was shaking, it looked as though she were feverish. The youth frowned, but said nothing. Her words were soft and velvety, and Joseph seemed to be affected by them immediately. He truly loved listening to other people's voices, especially females. Scarlett's voice was like a piece of warm pie: sweet, with a touch of strong flavor.
His blue eyes were still taking her in when she glanced at the rum under her cot. Laiden couldn't help but smile. Fenris had given her some comfort after all. With a nod, the youth rocked back on his heels and watched Scarlett finger a few pieces of fruit. He wanted to make sure she was eating properly.

Her gratitude made his face darken, but it was difficult to see in the shadows of the room. The moon illuminated just enough to see by, but not enough to see the blush that attacked Laiden's features. He'd tried to save her because it was the right thing to do. Scarlett didn't deserve Fenris' wrath; no one did.
"He didn't mean it," he whispered, thinking over how Fenris had attacked the girl. She was no harm to him . . . and he'd done it anyway. Laiden frowned again, reaching up to touch the mark on his jaw. He just had to keep telling himself that Fenris had lost control. It was the only way to justify what he'd done.

He looked at the Blackbeard's shoulder for a few moments before his frown deepened. She was sick, wet, wounded, and going to die. Her life seemed so . . . wasted. Looking into the green eyes before him, Joseph's gaze didn't waver for a second. "We came from Tortuga," he said quietly, not sure if he should be talking with the girl. Then again . . . he'd spoken to Codette when he wasn't supposed to. This was no different.
"Fenris always smells like that." It was a slightly strange thing to say . . . but suddenly Joseph could think of nothing else to say.

Codette bit the inside of her lip, as Fenris handed off the sail, and walked away from her. Get a grip Codette. She shook her head ferociously and looked out on deck. A sigh escaped her lips as she realized she'd have to start moping all over again. Codette hated being reduced to 'womens work', moping, sewing, cooking. She escaped to sea to get away from such things. Wow, I'm a hypocrite. I hate sewing when someone asks me too, but I'm more than willing to help Fenris? Codette moved her mop and bucket and began again. Unfortunately physical exertion was never her strong suit. By the time she finished her current level of the deck, her arms were sore. "Pirates life for me" she whispered to herself, her focus beginning to waver and find itself above the ocean with the song birds.

"It's okay." The woman coughed, then took a bite from a pear. "Fenris was just doing as needed. I deserved what he gave me. Taunting a man not to be reasoned with." She whispered, taking a sip of the water he had brought her. The woman sat her tray down on the tiny wooden stool and gently reached her hand through the bars, caressing the left side of Josephs face.

Her hands were like ice compared to the boys warm skin, and instantly the black haired beauty let out a sigh of sadness. "Your so warm." She said, stroking the side of his face once and then letting her hand fall back down to her lap. "I fear I won't make it to Barbados unless i'm in the sun more and out of these conditions." She said, her face now staring at him to show that she had dark circles under her eyes. "It's been three weeks and I just seem to be getting worse.. Do you think Fenris would let me be chained up on deck for a few days?" She coughed, her dark green eyes brightening a little from the boys expression.

"Oh, How I love Tortuga. It's such a beautiful place.." She said in awe, her eyes seeming to not be looking into Laidens, but into the place she wanted to be. "It won't be morning for a little while, do you think if you watched me I could be on deck for a little bit? The captain doesn't usually get up till around noon. And it seems to only be about six in the morning from the way the suns rising and the moons still out." She said, her eyes scanning the porthole and then looking back at the male. "Once I get better i'll give you a kiss for saving me." She grinned, flashing her pearly whites.

((LOL, ah, Codette. *shakes head* A hypocrite at heart! :lol:))

"Captain," Fenris knocked quietly on the wood near the door to Marquet's room. Running a finger over the pale scars on his hand, the tall male shifted his feet. He wanted to know how close they were to arriving at their destination. Despite his love of the sea, something about this particular trip bothered him. Fenris didn't want to admit that it was Codette, but . . . it was. The silver-haired male didn't want anything to do with women, and here was Codette . . . and she was getting easier to talk to. Fenris felt an innate sense of repulsion: he wanted to get off the ship and feel land beneath his feet again. He needed a good fight.
"Do you have time to talk?" Fenris' gray eyes flickered over the wooden door, though he didn't open it without invitation. Heck, the captain was usually still asleep at this time. He spent the morning alone, which was one of the reasons Fenris wanted to see him. If Marquet wasn't in, then he would go up on deck again. Surely there was something he could do up there.

The very fact that it was so early in the morning made Fenris sigh. He shouldn't be bothering Marquet. The captain could use the sleep, honestly. Staring at the door, Fenris ran a hand through his hair. He should leave. "I didn't mean to disturb you." He took a step back from the door, shaking his head. How selfish could he be?
-

The low, fat cup that Scarlett sipped from made Laiden smile slightly. His eyes widened in surprise when her hand moved up to his cheek. Her chilling touch made him freeze, but the look in his eyes mellowed out almost immediately. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the movement . . . he was just unfamiliar with it.
With a slightly crooked smile on his face, Joseph listened. The smile faded when he heard how she'd been kept down in the cell for weeks. It was true, though. They'd been sailing for a good week already, and the Blackbeard had been down there far longer than that. Just by looking at her it was easy to tell that she was sick. Her desire to be up on deck made Laiden's blue eyes meet hers again.
The request was so . . . innocent. She just needed to be out in the fresh air again. "I can try," he whispered back, thinking briefly of how he was going to breach the subject to Fenris. It wasn't easy talking with someone who usually responded with violence.

As Joseph looked down at the creaking floorboards, and then back up to Scarlett, he felt sympathy filling him. From her cough and damp features, he knew that she needed to dry off and get some exercise. Scarlett needed to heal - and that meant she needed out of the cell.
His pale gaze flickered over to the hook where the cell's key was kept. When he heard the Blackbeard's last comment, his features heated drastically. A kiss? That really made Laiden's features fill with a dark blush. With a cough, the youth rocked back on his heels again before standing. Surely no one would notice if Scarlett was on deck for an hour. The captain wouldn't get out of his cabin for at least 4 more hours anyway.

Hesitating, Laiden headed for the door. He returned a few moments later with the thick key. "We have to be quiet," he said, ignoring the doubts that filled his mind. This was a dangerous move. He should not be doing this. He held Scarlett's gaze as he turned the key, pulling the iron-made door open. Maybe they could get her another change of clothing. And some bandages. And a blanket.
Then again . . . all of that was found in the crew's sleeping area. Perhaps it was best if it waited until later. Right now, they were doing something that was considered mutinous: the Blackbeard was out of her cell without the permission of the captain. Laiden shifted his feet once, noting how damp the wood was beneath his bare feet.
"One hour," he whispered, taking a slow breath. Lord help them if Fenris found out. . . .

Scarlett nodded at his words and slowly stood up. "One hours a deal." She whispered, taking his hand to help steady herself. Could you unchain me?" She asked, glancing to the chains on her ankles and wrists. The dark haired girl shivered slightly, though knew she would feel better once she felt the warm sea air on her skin and the wonderful breeze in her hair. She could already smell the salty smell of the ocean. She released Josephs hand so that he could unchain her, but once he did she retook his hands. "Thank you so much for this. I swear, you won't regret this. If anyone sees us i'll say you were just trying to catch me and put me back in my cell because one of the crew members accidently left it open while trying to clean my wound." She said, not wanting him to get in trouble.

Scarlett led the boy over to the stairs to freedom and slowly started to walk up the stairs She pushed the door open leading to the deck and started to twirl as soon as she felt the deck beneath her toes. "Dance with me Joseph!" She called softly, giggling and twirling. She had both her hands outstretched towards the moon and stars and was letting the wind blow her hair around gently. "Oh this feels so nice!" She said, grinning.

Startled, Marquet sat up from his satin sheets. "Who is it?" The male called softly, then heard Fenris' voice. He stood and slipped on his pants, though he was still shirtless. "Coming!" He said groggily, heading towards his door after lighting his candles so that he could see. He opened the door and stared at Fenris'. "Come in, your not disturbing me. I was having another one of those nights where I sleep yet it feels as if I wasn't, and my eyes were just closed all night." He sighed. "So what is it you need, Friend?"

Fenris frowned. "I would say that you're lying to keep me from feeling bad." He eyed Marquet's slap-dash appearance and smiled grimly. "How much longer until we reach the port?" It seemed like such a trivial question now. It could have waited a few more hours . . . it was nothing urgent.
The dark-skinned male noticed that the captain was tired, and it made him feel a bit more guilty for having gotten him out of bed. Fenris chose to sit down in one of the chairs near the desk. "I'm not a superstitious man," he said, his voice low, "but something about this journey feels wrong, Julian." Rarely did Fenris use the captain's first name . . . but it felt right to do so.
-

Joseph paused when Scarlett caught his hand to steady herself. He nodded once when she mentioned her bonds . . . and she was free within moments. It was inhumane to leave someone in conditions like this, especially a young woman. Just as he stood up again, slipping the key into his loose pocket, Laiden started in surprise.
Scarlett's hands were in his again. They were so cold, it made him instinctively tighten his hold on her. She was shivering lightly. It must have been from her sickness. Joseph smiled at her "excuse" for being free, and he laughed breathily. "Sounds good to me." They could blame a faceless crew member for her "escape."

As they got to the main deck, Joseph smiled. Just seeing Scarlett's reaction was worth the trouble. It was worth a lot more than that, really. Slipping his hand from the girl's, he watched as she twirled. She was like a child - carefree and happy enough to do whatever came to mind. Laiden followed quietly, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement and laughter. She was sorta cute when she did that.
With the wind shifting her hair, she seemed at peace. This was where she should be, not stuck in a damp cell for weeks. "The water feels better," Joseph said, moving toward the girl. In a spur of the moment action, he took her hand and pulled her toward the railing. The sea was relatively smooth, and the light spray that came up from the ship's passing dampened their faces. Laiden grinned, glancing to Scarlett to watch her reaction.
He was beginning to wish they had more than one hour.

Scarlett peered over the railing, her hand still laced with Laidens. She giggled as the water sprayed her face. "It feels so refreshing.." She said, wiping the water from her eyes and then looking over at him with all trusting eyes. She took both of his hands, twirling again. "This is so beautiful!" She grinned again, unable to stop smiling. "Thank you so much for this." She said, leaning towards him and giving him a light kiss on the cheek. "Once i'm better you'll get one on the lips." She teased, fluttering her long black eyelashes.

The girl froze when she heard a sound come from above the deck. "Oh no.." She frowned. "I think I heard Fenris talking to the captain." She said, frowning. "Should we hide?" She mouthed, getting closer to Laiden from being scared. If Fenris found her he would do worse than yell at her. She hoped this didn't mean she had to go back down to her cell so soon.

Laiden laughed, a truly heartfelt sound escaping his lips, as Scarlett took his hands. It felt strange to spin with her as though dancing, though it felt so care-free and wonderful that Joseph didn't mind. The look of trust in her eyes meant more to him than he would have admitted.
When Scarlett thanked him, the youth shook his head. Just as he blinked, he felt her cool lips brush his cheek. Laiden's face turned a dozen shades of red as he stared at the girl. As she fluttered her eyelashes at him, Joseph merely smiled widely. With a laugh, he tried not to look too embarrassed by her "promise." It didn't sound horrible, honestly. . . .

When a familiar voice reached his ears, Laiden froze along with Scarlett. The youth took the Blackbeard's hand, slowly pulling her backward. They just needed to stay out of any line of sight. Though, it was mightily disheartening to think that Fenris was already up and about. That meant there were other crew members somewhere.
"Shh," Laiden held a finger to Scarlett's lips as he pulled her past the door that led below deck. "We just need to keep quiet." As long as they stayed out of their range of sight and hearing, things would be fine. Though, honestly, it was more of a risk now that Fenris had woken the captain from his rest.

So, like a pair of love-sick teens running from their parents, they huddled together beside the railing. The crates that sheltered them from view were an advantage. Laiden found himself still holding Scarlett's hand as he glanced about to make sure they hadn't been seen. "It's okay," he whispered, his smile slowly returning. This was the most reckless thing he'd ever done. . . .

((Oh crap I forgot to post for Marquet :O Oh and how would you two like the thought of turning this into a group rp instead of a regular rp? Since everyone else quit but us, if it were a group we could easily keep it going.))


Scarlett followed Laiden, her heart nearly stopping from the surprise of seeing Fenris this early in the morning. Though Fenris was handsome, he was very menacing. She knew he would harm her. Scarlett huddled close to Laiden, wrapping her arms around him to press them more closer behind the barrels. For moments she didn't breath, only listened to the soft voices of Fenris and the Captain. They seemed to be talking about when they would reach port. She though she heard Marquet say by around 8 or 9 tonight. The woman frowned. "When they get to the port Fenris will be needing to get more of the map from me." She frowned, putting her forehead against Laidens chest.

"And I don't want to tell him because then eventually they won't need me on the ship anymore." The dark haired beauty said, holding back a sob. She let her long, wavy curls fall into her emerald green eyes to hide her sadness. "Thank you for giving me hope on my last journey." She whispered.

Marquet shook his head. "Really Fenris, it's no bother." He said, sitting across from him and giving him a smile. "Um we'll be reaching port about eight or nine tonight." He said, looking down at the map Fenris had gotten. "But thats where the map ends. You'll be needing to get more out of that girl Fenris. She was clever not to give you the whole map, but she's getting sicker. So we'll be needing to get there quicker before she dies.. because if she dies, then we wont have her blood to spill by the time we arrive at the treasure." He whispered huskily.

The glow from the candles made Marquets quarters have an antique glow to it, and made his globe by the window look a faint yellow color. His red bed was messy due to not having time to make it, and his silk sheets laid lazily on the floor in a heap. "Sorry the rooms such a mess." He said, smirking. He then looked down at the desk they were sitting by and frowned at all the papers, feathers, and ink lying about.

((Group rp? As in add more people? Or just keep the three we've got in it now? :lol: Es is confused. LOL))

The hopelessness in the Blackbeard's voice made Joseph frown. He hated that sound. "You don't deserve this," he whispered, slowly wrapping his arms about the girl. She was so close he could feel it when she shivered against the light wind. In the silence that followed, Laiden listened to the girl's soft breathing. She was so gentle and beautiful . . . she just didn't deserve this.
When Scarlett rested her head against his chest, Joseph felt his heart thump. The poor thing. From where they were hidden, the dark-haired youth listened to Scarlett's gratitude. "I wish I could do more," he replied quietly, taking a slow breath. She was sad - it was easy to see and hear. Who wouldn't be? She was in the last stages of her life, and she was only a young woman!

Reckless images of escapades and camaraderie flashed through Joseph's mind, but he knew that he couldn't do anything without Fenris' backing. A single teen was hardly worth much of a fight against any one of the crew members, let alone all of them.
"You're cold." The blunt statement was true: Scarlett was shivering out of fear and because of the cold. "We should find you something dry." Or, more accurately, Laiden should find Scarlett something dry. There was no way she could go down into the crew area. But . . . still. They had time. They needed time. The Blackbeard needed to be on deck, and Laiden liked having her feel so free. Sadly, with everyone waking up, it made no difference. They needed to retreat to the cell before anyone found out.
"We should . . . go."
-

Fenris looked down at the map, his eyes narrowing. He knew where the map was . . . but that was the problem. Getting it would be . . . awkward. "I'll get her to talk." His comment weighed heavily with promise, though the male didn't look very comfortable with the idea. His gray eyes darted up to Marquet's as he spoke of the girl getting sick. It was true: the Blackbeard was getting worse with each passing day. They needed her to stay alive, and they needed the map. And they needed it all very quickly. Once again, Fenris thought of the "karma" he felt hanging over them with every passing mile. Something about this journey just didn't feel right.

When he was brought from his thoughts by Julian's apology, Fenris chuckled. "Cleanliness was never your strong point, captain." Despite the new clothes and wealth that Marquet had obtained, he was still the same man underneath. Adventuring rarely changed the adventurer into a noble over such a short amount of time.
Sarcasm filled his words as Fenris leaned back in his chair. "I'm surprised you know which way it is to the door."

"I tripped over a few things to find it." He sneered, flashing his pearly whites. "Sorry about making you talk to her Fenris, but after the last time I spent trying to talk to her.. well, lets just say she'll never wish to speak with me again." He said, his eyes turned from happy to having a far away look. "One night when she was in the hold I had gotten back from a tavern near by and I got a little handsy with her.." He sighed, staring down at his shaking hands. "It still haunts me the way she screamed at me."

Images of the night flashed through Marquets mind, though he only remembered little due to how drunk he had been. But he hadn't raped her. She had slapped him and screamed at him to get a grip of himself and he had suddenly realized what he had almost done to her. "Thats why I don't really go around her that much.." He gulped, his brown eyes dimming even more than the candle light. "I'm so very happy you came on this journey with me." The male said, glancing up at his friend. "Oh and when you do check on the Blackbeard, try to get her healthier. Maybe take her up on deck for awhile for sunlight? Though you'll have to make sure she doesn't jump overboard. Maybe just haul her around in her chains.."

Scarlett continued to listen, frowning when Marquet spoke of the night he came back to the ship drunk. She had cried herself to sleep that night. She looked towards Joseph, hoping he hadn't heard what had just been said. "Lets go." She whispered, leading him from behind the barrels and through the door leading down the rickety wooden stairs to the hold. She shut the door behind them and then led him to her cell. "No Laiden, it's too dangerous to go looking for thanks for me." She said, frowning. "Promise me you won't get hurt trying to help me. I need you." She begged, tears showing up in her green eyes. "Your the only one on this ship that talks to me.." She said, still holding both his hands.

"When Fenris checks on me i'll ask him for something warm, and maybe a dryer place to sleep.. but until then just leave me be. I'll be fine. It's you i'm worried about. If anyone finds out you helped me you could be thrown overboard.." She said, frowning. "And I couldn't stand to see you get hurt again. Okay? So do me that one favor and stay safe.." She said, patting his hands and then kissing his cheek. "Au Revoir." She said, going into her cell. She latched herself up to her chains since they locked automatically when put together, then waited for Joseph to lock her cell door. She sat on the floor next to her bunk, frowning.

((I mean us three. It's kinda like a private rp but with multiple people.))