Ignoring the other people around the bunks, Codette stood up and walked up to Fenris. She shifted to stand directly in front of him, her head tilted high to attempt to see the mans face, and once again cursing her short stature.
Narrowing her eyes she spoke simply and asked. "What is your problem? You took one look at me and instantly decided not to like me, yet you come to my rescue when I'm being harassed. You rough up a little girl who's only crime is blood relation, and hit someone that wants nothing more than your approval." Her clear voice was starting to shake with anger. "Laiden was so shocked that you hit him, that now he's avoiding you. Now what are you going to do about it? If you need a hint, it's apologize to him!" Codette growled, turned on her heels and sat down on her bunk. Her eyes flashed with anger, but she had enough sense to know getting into a fist fight with Fenris would not end well for her.

Fenris turned, looking down at Codette as she stood before him. She was full of righteous indignation. As she spat her words at him, her voice trembling with anger, Fenris merely growled at her. He'd been denying it . . . but her words voiced his thoughts exactly. "You are a problem," he growled, fighting the urge to be moved to physical action so easily. Clenching his fists, the male snorted. "There was no one there to help you. I did. Someone had to get the map from her. I did. Laiden knew what had to be done, and he threw himself between us. I will not tolerate his actions."

The man paced before his bunk a few times before snarling. "I don't need your suggestions, woman!" His raised voice drew a few glances from some of the crewmen, but they swiftly looked away. "Let the boy avoid me, then! It's happened before!" By that time he was standing before Codette, and he turned back to his bunk. It, sadly, was only one space over. There was only one bunk between them. "This is none of your concern. Don't involve yourself."

Codette put her elbow against her knee and rested her palm in her hand. After a few moments of tense silence she spoke softly, this time without anger. "Is that any reason to let it happen again and again?" She refused to look over, she just stared at her pack in front of her feet. "I had a little brother, and I lost him. Laiden reminds me a lot of him. I can't help but involve myself. I don't know why I'm such a problem to you, but for Laiden's sake I'm sticking around."

Codette grabbed her quill and ink pot, and her maps, and gently folded her corset into her pack. "Laiden is more sensitive to your actions than you realize." she whispered, her voice nearly as soft as Laidens, as she looked over her maps.

With a scoff, Fenris pushed his belongings under his bunk. His back was to the woman now, and he heard her words but shirked them off as soon as he did. He sent a venomous glare to Codette once she mentioned sticking around, but she'd already grabbed her things and set to work.
"Laiden is more sensitive to your actions than you realize."
Fenris knew. He saw it. The male yanked a gauntlet off his hand viciously, making sure the straps that held it to him were undone first. Those whispered words were enough to make him weary of the conversation. He didn't want to hear this any longer. It . . . was too true. "He is too sensitive for his own good, then." The words lacked the conviction they meant to hold, though. As he unstrapped his second gauntlet, the dark-skinned male let out a silent sigh and ran a hand through his hair. Looking to Codette, Fenris watched her for a few moments before shaking his head and slipping his boots off. I know.
-

((:cry: Yet he continues! Grrr. lol!))

(*laughs* I'm loving this 1-on-1 between them ^.^ feminine opinion vs. masculine voice)

Out of the corner of her eye, Codette watched the male. She could just feel how important Fenris was to Laiden and vice versa. Not for the first time in her life did she want to shout and curse at a man for not saying how he truely feels. Suppressing the urge to groan and possibly toss a map at his head, Codette silently watched as he moved his things and began removing his armor. She had to wonder if the physical armor was a representation of the 'armor' he wore around his heart. No career pirate would wear armor.
"And who are you trying to convince." her words weren't necessarily a question, but a statement.

Codette looked down at her papers and realized she had been writing without realizing it. What she wrote nearly made her want to cry, but she just shook her head and shoved her writing tools away. She would not cry with Fenris in the room. Never would that happen.

((*giggle* Yup! The conversation between the two of them is awesome!! :lol: It's hard for me to keep up with that "masculine tone," honestly! I'm like: "FENRIS! YOU BUTT! Go apologize to the poor boy! T_T" LOL

Her link between physical and unseen armor was incredible. :heart: Haha!))

Who indeed? Fenris shirked off the rest of his armor, setting it with his things under the bed. He felt . . . weak without the extra layer. Vulnerable. The male lay back against his cot, staring at the empty bunk above him. The first day on the ship, and already things were in turmoil. Closing his gray eyes, Fenris tried to calm himself. His thoughts kept returning to Codette's words. Many times he shoved them out of mind, but somehow they ended up coming back.
Rolling so his back was to the room, Fenris nearly growled in frustration. Keep your opinions and words to yourself, woman! He hated how Codette's whispered words dug their way into his conscience. That night would be very restless . . . and it wasn't because of the storm.

It was nearly ten minutes later when he turned to face the woman, his gray eyes narrowing. From where he was laying, Fenris spoke. "He isn't your brother. He's mine." Possessive. He was possessive . . . and they obviously weren't related. Joseph "belonged" to Fenris, just as Fenris belonged to Laiden.
Something was different about his tone, though. Fenris' words weren't soft, but they lacked the hard-spoken roughness of their earlier conversation.

Codette took a deep breath to keep her calm.
17... you'd be 17 by now Jacob.
She could picture her brother in her minds eye.
You'd be taller then me by now. With soft blue eyes, brighter than when we were children. I can see you now, running down the fields with sun-kissed blonde hair. Coming to see me. Oh Jacob."
Codette shook her head. The increasing storm helped wash the image of her smiling brother from her mind.

The woman gave a small gasp, Fenris' voice had surprised her. "I know he isn't Jacob. I know. But Laiden is special, and until he doesn't want me around, you can either leave us both alone, which would break his heart, or learn to accept that I'm around. Frankly acceptance is just easier."

((:cry:))

Fenris was silent for many moments before he frowned, taking a slow breath. "Acceptance usually is," he agreed. He caught an expression of complete sorrow on her pretty face, which made Fenris flinch. The expression didn't suit her. Fenris didn't move for many moments, but he finally nodded. He would have to accept that Laiden and Codette were now linked. There was nothing he could do about it save tear them apart, which he couldn't do. "Fine."

He rolled over again, forcing his eyes closed. I'm done with this. He just wanted to sleep through the storm. Still . . . he was aware of every move that Codette made from that point on until sleep finally claimed him.

((I wish I could think of more to happen between them, but . . . I just am not that imaginative right now. :sweat:))

(I can't think of anything at the moment either *cries*)

Fenris was asleep within minutes of finishing the conversation. The steady tossing of the ship and the sound of waves crashing against the walls never ceased. The sounds added to his tumultuous thoughts as they warred in his mind. One side fought for compassion for both Laiden and Codette, while the other was stubborn aggression. Somehow the storm seemed to mirror his mental battle.

He dreamed about Laiden, and Codette. They were together, and Joseph seemed happier somehow. Fenris could see how they seemed to be fond of one another in a sibling sort of way, and for once he was bitter toward it. He hated the dream. He hated Codette. She was what started this. She was the one who supported Laiden's "rebellion." Slowly, everything began to shift.

Pain suddenly struck him, consuming his mind. Fenris opened his eyes to find himself pressed against a stone floor, warmed only by his own blood. The scent and taste was all he could fathom, and the pain kept him from focusing on anything specific.
"You will learn to listen, slave!" The whip cracked loudly, leaving another open wound on his dark skin. Gritting his teeth against crying out, Fenris found his wrists bound. He couldn't shelter himself from the slavemaster.
"My will is all you will heed! You will yield!"

Somewhere after the first hour, things changed. Instead of fighting against Codette, he was fighting against a familiar enemy. A nameless foe, yet . . . he knew who it was. The figure was from his past; a cruel, unforgiving master who saw to it that every slave was put in their place permanently. He was particularly "fond" of Fenris because of the male's unyielding demeanor.
Fenris frowned in his sleep, shifting uncomfortably. Though his mind was restless, the tossing of the ship and day's events seemed to push him over the edge. It was a rare feat, but Fenris was actually struggling.

The markings. They were carved into him with the intention of causing pain, and branding him as a slave. Fenris tried to pull away from the burning sensation, finally crying out as the hot metal slowly trailed over his skin. Fenris did cry out as phantom pain ran over his chest, following the pattern of his nightmare. It wouldn't stop. And they'd only just begun. The brand moved over his arms, shoulders, back . . . he was to be completely branded. The white scars left behind would be a testament to his disobedience.

Once Fenis ageed to just accept her, Codette relaxed. Laiden wouldn't have to worry about the two of them fighting each other around him. The thought made her smile. Leaning back in her bunk, she let the feeling of the waves relax her. Codette took her hair out of a pony tail, the red curls softly fell around her shoulders. "Jacob. I'm sorry." she whispered.

She didn't realize she had drifted off, until she heard slight groans and moans from a bunk over. Frowning she saw Fenris asleep, it appeared as if he was caught in the midst of a nightmare.
"I should just leave him be." Codette rolled her eyes. With a sigh, she found herself moving over to his bunk. Watching over him, she bit her lip, her hand hovering just over Fenris' shoulder. Shaking her head Codette grimaced at her own cowardice.
She placed her hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. "Fenris, wake up. Your having a nightmare. Wake up."

"Fenris, wake up."
The hand on his shoulder was a brand. "Don't touch me!" Fenris woke suddenly, catching his breath while staring at Codette for many moments. He'd knocked her hand away from him as though it caused pain, and for a while his eyes showed just that. The male then came to recognize her as the nightmare faded further. "I was dreaming," he said, more to clarify the fact to himself than to inform Codette. Slowly shifting so he could sit up, Fenris had to refocus on everything.
As the fear left his gray eyes, the pain remained. Fenris lifted a hand to press it against his shoulder as though it still burned. "You don't need to concern yourself with me." His frown returned, as did the waking world. "I'm fine." At the same time he was glad to be awake. He could still feel the bite of the whip and the burn of hot metal. He could almost smell the scent of burning material.

Codette jerked her hand back, a little afraid. After a second, she smiled softly, feeling foolish. "Fenris are you alright?" She knelt beside the bunk. "It looks like the nightmares are still haunting you. You know, talking about it can help with the nightmare..." she reached up to brush his hair away from his forehead, before she realized what she was doing. "Sorry, Jacob had nightmares often when we were children." she dropped her hands into her lap, realizing she was rambling, when he probably didn't want to see her.

When the woman knelt beside his bunk, Fenris felt a reaction build within him. First, it was disgust. He didn't want her pity. The second reaction he had was surprise. "I-I said I was fine." His hand fell away from his shoulder as though to prove the fact, though the lingering burning of his markings remained. "There is nothing haunting me." The denial was strongly spoken, but it wasn't the truth. "Don't want to talk about it."
He emphasized words with a growl that suited his expression, and when Codette reached up to brush his hair he pulled back. He wasn't comfortable with physical contact that had nothing to do with battle. He was about to snap at her when she spoke of her younger brother. The words sobered him. Fenris' words faltered, and he hesitated. "I . . . don't need your pity."

Suddenly her close proximity felt . . . different. He wasn't used to someone being so close without his permission, or without being beaten to a pulp. Fenris gaze lowered to the woman's hands as she tried to stop herself from talking. He was determined not to say anything further . . . but something in him had other ideas.
"I don't remember much from my past," he said quietly, his frown directed at his hands for a moment. He rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the floor below him. Fenris' low voice kept steady, save the occasional moment when he started to growl. "My first memory is when Marquet found me." There was a pause, and he let out a slow breath, running a hand over his face. "I suppose my dreams come from before then. I've . . . never had them before."
That's when he seemed to realize what he was doing. Why am I speaking with her? Unbidden, the answer popped into his mind: because she offered to listen. No one ever had before, and Fenris had never sought someone who would listen to his whining. Honestly, it was very charitable of Codette to bear through it. "Why . . . bother? Do you really care?" His question was sarcastic, and he sat up once again. Obviously, he didn't understand the motives behind Codette's actions.

Codette gave a small chuckle. "I never pity anyone, or else I would spend too much time full of pity for myself." She twisted around so she was sitting on the floorboards with her back to Fenris. Codette had a thought that it might be easier for him if she wasn't watching her.
However as soon as he started talking she spun around in surprise. Is he actually talking to me?
Keeping quiet she listened carefully as Fenris spoke. Her hand occasionally brushing stray curls off her face.
"It's entirely possible." Her voice was soft. "Why do I care? Because I can. For some reason it's my nature to give a damn. And you seemed like you needed someone to listen. And I imagine I'm one of the extremely few pirates who are willing too."

Fenris nodded as though Codette's answer was enough. After the third time Codette brushed a stray curl from her face, Fenris found himself wanting to do it for her. He stopped the inclination the moment it started, though. "You care because it's your nature," he repeated, looking amused for the briefest of moments. Then he shook his head. "I must have woken you. I . . . apologize."

That's when he stood, keeping a hand on the upper bunk to steady himself against the movement of the ship. "You should return to your bed." Without another word he left, grabbing a canteen from his belongings as he went. The meeting had been their first conversation that wasn't completely feral.

Codette shrugged. "I'm used to caring for others. It was a bit of a shock when I realized most pirates don't appreciate the sentiments. Not that I mind. I'm just as used to getting yelled at as I am being flirted with." She smiled. "Don't apologize. I'm happy I was able to help you. Now we're even."
The woman stood up and flexed her legs with the rocking ship to keep her balance. "I should, but I'm wide awake now. No use laying in bed if your not going to sleep." Codette grabbed her corset out of her pack and retied it around herself. With firm, steps, she balanced herself against the rocking ship and made her way to deck.
Careful not to slip on the slippery wood, she made her way to the mast, and held tight to the rope wrapped around it. Codette loved the rocking feeling of a storm. Being drenched by the rain, and tossed by the wind. No land-lover would ever understand the pure adrenaline that comes from the violent sea.

((Erm. Wow. How am I to jump back in? Um.. how about you all just go to sleep and we'll skip a week into the journey to where they're fairly close to Barbados.))

((*purrs* Well, you could have Scarlett reply to Laiden/respond to his presence. :lol: ANd . . . if you want to time skip, you could say that Laiden swiftly just left the food for her and took off. He's been doing it ever since. ;)

That, and the rest of the crew is as good as asleep. :yes: So, time skip away!))

((i'm sorry everyone! life got rediculas. I know I left off with Jack showing the captain his compass and the captain made fun of him. then I was unable to continue reading because of my life situation. but might i have a brief discription of what happened? and if we will time skip, we can just say fenris caught jack and threw him in the cell. ))

((Kay. Time skip three weeks! Their just about to be at Barbados. I'm so sorry i've been gone for two weeks but due to relationships, work, and taking the role of 'mother' since my stepdad works from 2-11 and my moms bedridden, lifes been a bit hectic >.< So I won't be able to post till this weekend.))

((^_^ Alright! Time skip!!

@Tear: Well, we could say that Jack managed to stay away from everyone (in a peaceful manner, of course) until they get to their destination. :3

@Scarlett: I'll have to reply sooner or later. :( I'm having a busy life now as well! Darn! >_<))

((*sniffle* Did this one die as well? I really like the characters in here! :cry: LOL))

((I've been waiting for anyone to post since I was the last one too. >.< I was really having fun with you Esmme))

((Im so sorry guys ): but I just had a really bad few weeks.. But due to a crap ton of fighting I havent been able to get on a lot.)