Across The Seven Seas (Avalon & shakenSilences)

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Avalon

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Here we go, Chesh, I'll start this off:

(Currently having the worst of brain blocks, so I hope this turns out decently, lol)

A loud knocking jolted James out of his sleep. "Captain, we've reached port," said the main, his gruff voice meaning that it was James's first mate, Jones. James, who was still laying in his huge bed, groaned and flipped over, bringing a feather-down pillow with him. The sunlight was strong and pouring in through the large cabin windows and James realized that it was almost mid-day.

"Guess I'd better get up," he thought groggily, sleep still making him slow. "God knows that my crew can't handle being in port if I'm not leading the way." With that James quickly got dressed and ready to go, barely taking any time at all to throw on his clothes and splash some water on his face. Once fully awake the Captain left his quarters and emerged onto the polished deck of his ship.

From the deck of his ship, The Atlantis, James had the best view of the marina. Ships small and large were docked here, all of them belonging to fellows on the....other side of the law. It was a pirate port, one of the biggest ones even, and it was affectionately known as Pandora. The sun was almost directly over head before the crew had managed to successfully secure a dock and James promptly released them into the town, telling them to be back on the ship before noon the next day. James looked at his first mate, Jones. "Try not to get into too much trouble. Don't want everyone to know we've docked here."

After making sure everything was as it should be, James set about finding his usual place. He needed to find the crew's next job and there was no place better for doing so than the local tavern, The Treasure Chest..
 
Coreliss stepped into the old tavern and grinned at the board ahead of her, it had been awhile since she was here. Her last job took six and a half month, her client said it would take a long time and that it did. Grinning softly she walked to the bar and smiled at the tender. "Aye, get me a bottle if rum will ye? I need somethin to get me mind of things." She returned to the board with opportunity after opportunity when a certain job fit her fancy. She returned to the bar and took a seat on one of the stools. The man behind the counter came over with a big bottle of expensive rum. Coreliss tossed the man a gold coin before popping the cork and taking a hefty swig.

"It's been awhile Bone Wielder, I expect you've returned with new tales to tell? You know I love to hear of your adventures." The bartender spoke up as he caught her gold price in his hand.

A deep chuckle emanated from her black lips, "Laddie, you've no idea. Two members of my crew got swallowed by the great ocean blue. Twas me pals Henry and Pete. They were fine mates but I'm afraid we had to say good bye..." She took another drink and a hearty laugh escaped her.

"So it was treacherous? How exciting, tell me that story of yours and I'll give you all the rum and whiskey you want! Do we have a deal Bone Wielder?"

Aye, that we do!"
 
After making his way through the crowded streets, James finally arrived at his destination. The weather worn old tavern stood before him and James couldn't help but crack a grin. His last job had gone perfectly and the reward was just as perfect; hopefully he could manage to pick up another pretty easy gig while they were docked here. He walked inside quietly, making his way to the job postings that littered the back wall.

He flipped through the pages and finally found a job that looked rather interesting. He made a mental note the client's name and the reward amount before making his way toward the bar. He hadn't had any fresh rum since their last stop in a port two months ago and James figured he'd pass some time swapping stories before heading back to the ship.

As he approached the bar that he recognized her. His rival. His nemesis. With a scoff, James decided that he could deal with her long enough to get a few bottles of rum down and took a seat beside the woman. "One bottle of your finest rum, barkeep," he called, setting two gold coins on the counter before turning his attention to the woman. "Fancy meeting you here, Bones."
 
"... so Pete and the creature fought for three days and four nights till he fell victim to its mighty blade. Twas not in vain though, not for ol' Petey's final blow, that creature would 'ave given us more trouble and we wouldn't have been able to sneak around to fetch the artifact. He put up a good fight, we think that-"

She was mid sentence when the bartender interrupted her, "Captain Coreliss... Sorry to interrupt but Dread Pirate James is here..." She rolled her eyes as her rival approached and spoke with the same voice he's always had, the tender left and he sat down beside her.

"Hello Dread, What a coincidence, the day I return you just happen to make a visit." Her voice was rough and aggravated although she was actually happy to see an old acquaintance. Coreliss turned to face him and smirked, "I see you look as 'orrible as ever. The sea must hate you for that, treat you bad it must. What you need is a beauty that can only be wielded by a woman to control your ship, allurement is the most powerful weapon and you must be crazy if you think the waves'll treat you right…"

Coreliss chuckled softly before chugging down the last of her bottle and asking for more. 'The Bone Wielder' her title for the powerful swords she has named Fiona and Elizabeth. Their hilts are made from the bones of two crew mates that dared betray her. They were spies of James' and she killed them before cutting bones from their bodies and making them into a sword... Or so the legend says.
 
"Ah, yes, a beautiful woman," James glanced around the tavern quickly, as if looking for something. "Too bad there aren't any around here." The pirate laughed at his own joke, knowing that Coreliss would take it personally. His grin grew as he mocked the other Captain, firing his own sarcastic comments right back at her. "Life at sea sure does seem to be taking a toll on your feminine charms."

By this time the barkeep had brought up a bottle of rum, setting it down on the counter top with a clatter. "Thanks, my good man," James called, pushing the gold pieces across the table. The barkeep swiftly tucked them into his apron before busying himself with something out of ear shot. "So what brings you to Pandora, Coreliss?" James asked as he tried to keep the conversation friendly. He honestly didn't feel like starting up an argument as it would only bring attention to himself.
 
She raised an eyebrow at what he said, about her not being pretty, she smeared at him before the barkeep came back with a strong whiskey, "I suppose you'll be wanting this." Coreliss stripped it from his hand and began chugging a bottle once again. She pulled it from her lips before placing it down on the counter. Then he brought up how the sea wasn't treating her well and she grumbled under her breath before sighing softly. "Guess it hasn't has it..."

Coreliss faced him again, "I haven't missed this playful banter one bit. As for why I'm at Pandora I'm surprised you hadn't heard bout my half a year long job. I traveled far I did." She drank more whiskey. "My crew and I have been here a day. By nightfall we've scheduled a departure. I'm really not drunk enough to talk to you like we ain't on opposite sides of ideals so why don't you give me a bit. Hm?"
 
"I have heard about that, actually. Heard you lost two men," James took a long drink from his bottle, feeling the strong sting of alcohol. Oh, how he'd missed that taste. "I'm surprised you were able to make it back." he murmured, low enough for Coreliss not to hear. After another long swig, James nodded to the other captain, agreeing with her statement. "Definitely not drunk enough."

A long while passed and the two sat in silence, save for the occasional slurp. James had already downed a bottle and a half before he spoke again. "So, you're going back out already? Haven't you just gotten to port? What's the hurry?" The now buzzed man said, quirking an eyebrow. "Eager to get lost at sea for another six months?" James was teasing but underneath the sarcastic humor was a deeply rooted curiosity. What job had his rival acquired that was already taking her out of port? After half a year at sea, one would think there'd be a hesitance to be returning to the monotony so quickly. It must have been some job and James was very interested to hear the details. "Maybe she's drunk enough to drop a couple unintentional hints," he thought before looking up at the woman. "What kind of loon would give you a job after your little six month disaster?"
 
She ignored his factual comment before chuckling softly at his next one. Reveling in the silence she had finished 3 bottles of rum and a strong whiskey. She was definitely drunk by the time he spoke again, annoyed by his voice. She growled at his question before smirking and licking at her lips, "I'm not in a hurry ye draft man, I just like it more out at sea. I get land sick. It's worse than being sea sick, here you have to smell your own vomit after the sickness get to you. And no waves to swallow it whole, just some toilets and trashcans." Her voice was slurred and she coughed a bit before adding, "and I wasn't lost James. I don't get lost on the sea, the water likes me that way."

Sighing a bit her bottle of rum slipped from her hands. It was half full so alcohol splashed all round the stools. "Damn it." With a grin she chuckled looking up at James. The barkeep ran over and began to clean up. It was true though, what she said about loving the sea. She hated Pandora and her crew knew she hated land, its why she was such a successful captain, she was always out on a job. Nothing phazed ol' Bone Wielder. Well that's what most people thought about her anyway.

He started asking more questions and she furrowed her brow, "James, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're worried about me. You ain't getting soft on yer old pal Bones are ye?" She chuckled a bit before continuing, "Nah, I'm just teasin you mate. And it wasn't no disaster, it was an adventure, when's the last time you were on a long job? When you were first mate to the old captain?... How is Jones by the way?" She laughed bit. "And he ain't no loon of a client, he don't even know I'm accepting yet. But don't be letting your lady parts get in a twist, its only supposed to take two months."
 
James watched as Coreliss dropped the bottle, the clear liquid splashing everywhere. She was really drunk now and it seemed she was rambling on about whatever, her thoughts not really making much sense out loud. He listened as she talked, nodding and mumbling his agreement when she mentioned how the land could make a good pirate queasy; James probably hated being ashore just as much as Coreliss. This place held too many bad memories- the sea was much better, even if she proved to be a harsher mistress.

"Me? Soft?" James scoffed, chugging the last of his second whisky. "Worried about you? That alcohol must be inhibiting your brain, Bones, I'd never be worried about a rival." James chuckled. This was how they carried on; sarcastic and biting, even if it was just jokes. Well, mostly jokes. They were, after all, bitter rivals and only the relaxing effects of a good bottle of rum could ease their tension.

He listened some more as she spoke about her upcoming job and something about it was familiar. "Do you mind telling me the name of this client?"
 
The name? He was being far too curious for her tastes so Coreliss hopped off her stool and steddied herself, "it ain't nones of yer business is it? ye daft cross eyed sea parasite. If you try tellin' me you ain't getting soft you can tell it to your crew, I have places to be." She made her way to the job postings and tore the job she had in mind off the wall. With a growl she walked out the place ignoring the rival Captain if he bothered to talk her into staying any longer. She had things to do before it got dark and she already spent an hour too long at the Treasure Chest Tavern. Coreliss coughed and held her arm over her head, blocking the sun that wasn't there. It was humid and she grabbed her head before grunting.

She went to a store called The Anchor and bought some rope, ammo, a blade sharpener and two new pistols. She left and made her way to her ship, with a groan. She was going to have a horrible hangover. Her first mate Jackal met her on the dock. "Captain! You are very drunk, let me help you up to the boat. I will make sure the crew is here when it's time to leave. Why are you so drunk anyway, did something happen?"

She laughed at him. "I don't need help. And yes. Captain Dread talked to me all friendly at the tavern, so I got drunk."
 
"She really is drunk," James mused, watching as the other pirate stumbled her way over to the job postings. He paid attention to which bulletin she removed and he felt like cursing when he saw her rip off the listing he had previously been looking at. "Of course. Just my luck."

The Captain paid the barkeep for an extra two bottles of whisky before leaving the tavern. He'd had enough fun for the day; spending just ten minutes in the presence of Captain Bones was enough to wear him out and he'd been sitting at that bar for almost an hour. The more than slightly drunk man squinted in the waning day light, wishing that it wasn't so damn bright. He hadn't managed to get anything done and he sighed, wishing that he hadn't drunk as much as he had. After aimlessly wandering around town for an hour, James found himself standing in front of an unfamiliar store. "I've never noticed this before," he thought, inspecting the outside of the shop curiously. It appeared to be a shop full of meaningless trinkets and James found himself wondering what a shop like this was even doing way out here, on this god-forsaken island among a bunch of drunken pirates. Surely it wasn't making much profit.

Realizing that he really had nothing better to do, James shrugged before walking inside. The small shop's one room was dark and barely lit but he could make out the dusty shelves that lined the walls. The shelves were filled with....books? James shrugged his shoulders again, peering around but finding nothing interesting. It wasn't until he noticed the name hanging above the back counter that he became interested. It was the name of his client.

"Hello? Anyone in here? I, uh, I came to see about that job listing you posted at the Tavern?"

A gruff old woman emerged from the back of the shop, shuffling out of the darkness. "And just who are you? I already promised that job to someone."

"I'm the Dread Pirate James. I know Captain Bones. And I also know that she's not the Captain you want to trust your job to. Bones has a habit of getting lost." James chuckled as he stepped forward to lean on the dirty counter. "Now about this artifact of yours. A book, is it? What makes it so special?"

((I'm thinking about having it be some sort of magically powerful tome, if that's cool. Just trying to develop the plot some. xD ))
 
(That sounds good... I like that idea)

Captain Bones grinned widely before walking up the ramp to get on her ship. She made her way to her quarters... The Captains Quarters of course. She slammed the door behind her and opened up drawer, pulling out a series of vials that had minor effects on her to improve her state of mind a bit and a couple of them were the perfect help to her pounding headache and slow working brain. She could not be completely, and absolutely wasted in front of her crew. The only person who was allowed to see her that way was the first mate. With a laugh out loud(although noone was there to hear it) she downed a vial with a greenish liquid.

Within a couple minutes she began to feel her head clearing enough for her to confront the crew tonight. Now all Coreliss wanted was to get in James' face and tell him off so she stepped out of her quarters and went down to where the crew slept. She left a note for the crew, knowing they wouldn't dare be late to her previous quota unless they wanted her to leave without them. So she would stay for and extra half day so as to get on her rivals nerves.

The note read:
Aye you dirty sea criminals, if any of you draft men were late, yer gettin' a
second chance you are. Were leaving the docks midday tomorrow. Sharply at 12. You lot ain't
'ere by then I'll be leavin' without you and goin on this job on me own.
Never would nones o' you get yer cut o' the rewards anymer now would ye?
So be here or yer stayin' at Pandora. Lucky fer you lot, somthin' came up, we
ain't returnin to the waves just yet, even if they be callin'!​

She chuckled, spinning around and walking back and walking down the ramp to get off the ship to see Jackal speaking to another crew member,"Jackal, point me to Dread's ship." Jackal smiled crookedly then pointed over in the opposite direction despite her having interrupted his previous conversation. So with that Coreliss made her way to his ship, growling loudly. When she got there, just as she was about to get on, she was intercepted by his first mate. "Hello there Jones. How's that there slow ship and idiot captain treating you? Terribly is the answer a lovely woman can dream for, merely hopin' it be the truth. Aye mate?"
 
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"Cap'n ain't here, Coreliss," Jones growled, completely ignoring Coreliss's attempt at banter. He'd never really cared for small talk, preferring get directly to the matter at hand. "He ain't yet come back from town. Now off with ye'; nothin' on this ship is business of yours." The man, obviously well into his fifties, scowled irritably at the woman as he blocked her way onto the ship behind him.

Meanwhile, Captain James was still trying to persuade the strange shop keeper to give him the job. "How about this," he huffed, quickly loosing his patience with the old sea-hag as she refused his previous suggestion once again. "You give the job to both of us and whomever makes it back here first gets the payment? How is that idea anything but fair, hm?" James felt a grin spread across his face as he finally got a reaction from the woman other than dismissal.

The old woman croaked something to herself, mumbling as if she'd lost her mind before she decided on something that seemed to please her. "Yes, two is better than one," She looked up, holding James's gaze as she continue to speak before he could object:

"Follow the brightest star until the horizon ends.
In two months' time, foe will be friend.
Search the hidden city to find what you seek.
Beware- the dead no longer sleep.
Escape the hidden isle's curse and yours the key will be."

The strange woman finished her riddle, backing away from the counter and back into the shadows. James felt a strange chill race down his spine and he found himself stepping backward, feeling the strongest urge to run outside and into the sunlight. The little shop that had seemed to benign just a few moments earlier now felt cold and dark and ominous. James looked back and the woman was gone, the space behind the counter now empty. With a bewildered look settled on his face, the Captain hurried back out into the street, the eerie voice of the woman echoing in his mind.
 
She stared Jones right in the eyes and sighed as she thought back to a time when she was first mate.

Coreliss stood in front of her old Captain with a foul glare. She didnt think him fit to run this ship and believed when he was gone, the only person good enough to take over would be herself. He was a worthy opponent but he never took any risks, everything he did was short and simple. He lacked adventurous spirit. This captain, Ol' Captain Chell, was the reason she hated land so much and why she stayed as far from land as possible for as long as possible. "Coreliss. Why did you toss li'l Evan over board. our crew mates are like our family, we don't go around killing them now do we?"

Coreliss groaned before responding "We mades a bet, not my fault he lost. Just cause I am twelve and a girl don't mean i am any weaker than you lot. I think I proved that today captain and I do not regret it. Now if yer done critisizin' me fer this stupid problem, I believe they have pulled him back on by now as you ordered. I may be just yer first mate but it's stupid to act so soft in front of the crew like that. you may lose some respect round here. I'm goin' down to the storage deck now, I think I've made my point and you have a crew to check on. later Cap'n." With that she spun on her heel and walked out the door.​

Coreliss rolled her eyes, "Jones, I swear that if you don't stop with yer boring ways, I may just push you over this dock right now. Yer always right to the point. Wheres the fun. Conversation can be just as much an adventure as a job so why don't you go on ahead and give it a try." She always enjoyed having fun with Jones because he was exactly the opposite of her. Whilst she was always ready to mess around and get down and dirty, Jones was always standing there stiffly with the same straight to the point attitude he always had. Coreliss smirked as she pulled out her newly bought rope and spoke up again, "Jones. I hope you know that even if I'm a girl, I ain't afraid to break a few rules so I'll say this one time... Let me on that there ship."
 
"Ah, Captain Coreliss. Here we are, running into each other twice in one day. I can't believe it." Captain James called as he approached his ship. "Any particular reason why you're harassing my first mate?" The Captain stepped up beside Jones and nodded a greeting to his stoic friend. "As you were, Jones. I can handle our guest from here."

As Jones made his way up the boarding plank and onto the ship, James returned his attention to Coreliss. "Since you seemed so earnest about coming aboard my ship, it shouldn't be a problem for us to take this to my quarters. Follow me." Without waiting for her reply, James started briskly up the boarding plank and made his way across the long deck, weaving through his crew as he did. Once inside his quarters, James took a seat behind his polished oak colored desk and rested his hands in front of him, firmly locking his fingers together. "So, Coreliss, what did you want on my ship?"
 
Coreliss smirked at the sound of James' voice and replied with a short,"Indeed." When he asked bout his first mate she only laughed, "You cannot be serious! What you should be askin' is, why is your first mate makin' it so easy to harass him." She rolled her eyes at the silent gestures exchanged between the two of them then stuck her tongue out at Jones when he was told that he was no longer required to keep her off the ship. "I was gonna toss him off the dock. How can you deal with him? He has no spirit, there is no way that he'd make a good Captain. Just starin like this the whole time..." She made a face and the Captain then told her to come with him.

Coreliss followed quietly, grinning at each of the crew members that remained on the ship rather than leaving for Pandora. She walked into the quarters after him, closing the door behind them. Rather than taking a seat though she paced back and forth with her hands interlocked behind her back. "James. You know what your problem is? You are far too... to the point. Maybe not quite like that first mate of yours but it drives me crazy. Let your spirit go free. Be harsh but be creative in doing it." She smiled before walking around the desk and leaning over to wrap her arms around his chest.

She smirked leaning into his ear, "And you know why I'm here. I don't pay these fun little visits because we are friends. These visits are mutual exchanges of despise and if you had half the free spirit I have youd be ten times more exciting than you are now." Coreliss released him and just rested her chin on his head. "At least you arent afraid of adventure like me old captain was. A useless sack of skin he was. Always getting mad at me for doing as I was made to do. Pirates live a ruthless life, you don't get soft without losing respect."
 
"I'm rather fond of my straightforwardness," James pointed out, watching as the woman paced back and forth in front of him. "A good Captain knows how to handle business. That's what this is all about, after all." James shrugged nonchalantly only to be stopped when Coreliss rested her arms around his chest, pinning him to his glossy leather chair. He quirked an eyebrow as he listened to her teasing, sighing deeply. "There's a difference between having spirit and acting like a reckless child, Bones," he sighed again when she rested her chin on his head. "And there's also a difference between reserved and being soft. A difference you've still not learned, obviously."

James sat still, drumming his fingers on the top of his desk. The rhyme that strange woman had spoken was still puzzling him and James internally debated on whether or not he should tell Coreliss about the odd encounter. "So I spoke with a strange sea hag today," he began, still distractedly drumming his fingers on the polished wood. "She spoke in strange riddles. You wouldn't happen to know anything about her, would you?"
 
"I may act like a child, but at least my crew knows I would kill the lot of them if they dared betray me. They also know that I have an untameable love for the sea that not even you and your 'straightforward' shell could ever break." With a sigh she pulled away from him and maneuvered herself right beside him, her back facing the desk. Coreliss rested her palms on the edge before pushing up till she was sitting upon the table. She grinned down at him, watching his fingers drum away. The rhythm pounded through her ears and she got lost in thought, daydreaming of things she would never speak of aloud.

His voice broke her train of thought and she shook her head, processing what he said. A sea hag and some riddles. That did sound familiar. Wait a minute, that was her client, "I may know a thing or two... whats it to you Dread?" She purred out his named tauntingly, rocking back and forth like an overly hyperactive child that was told to stay in one place. Sighing she extended her hand towards him, trailing the end of her nail down his cheek before smirking. "I don't like it when people steal whats mine. As you said, I am a child. Wouldn't want me to throw a tantrum would you?"
 
James shook his head as Coreliss talked, knowing very well that she had seen the same woman he had. He'd watched her pull the listing off the wall and the woman herself had confirmed she'd spoken to Coreliss earlier that day. When the hyper-active woman stuck her hand out to touch his cheek James's hand intercepted her's, bringing it firmly down to the desk top.

"Stop that," he said, serious. "And I'm not stealing what's yours. How can I steal something from you that you don't yet possess?" James smirked, trying not to sound too serious. He'd never say it out loud, but James felt that this journey was going to be dangerous- too dangerous for even Captain Coreliss. This job was going to require serious thought and planning and that was something that Coreliss wasn't very adept at. She was too reckless and her crew was unreliable. James shrugged his shoulders again, keeping his demeanor light. "Find a different job, Coreliss. Let me have this one."


(I'm kind of in love with them, tbh. <3 )
 
(ikr, they are like those two siblings who love each other but constantly harass each other and would nevver admit it anyway. I am not one to fangirl over everything buuut... I soooo ship it!!)

With a laugh as he grabbed her wrist she listened to him talk. Once he finished saying it wasn't hers, she rolled her eyed and leaned in close to his face. She made sure her lips were close enough to let every exhale send a warm breath to coat his skin. She eyed him and her eyes slowly eased into a squint. She licked her lips and exhaled another warm, alcohol scented breath in his face. She let him say his final piece and she just shook her head. "James, just cause I don't have it yet don't make it any less mine. I have a loyal crew and what do you have? Your band of emotionless misfits? Calculations? None of that matters to the sea James. I throw you over board and the waves'll treat you as any other." She chuckled before using her free hand to cup his cheek.

"James, if I just let you take my job then there is no way I could ever forgive myself. You remember back when our Captains butt heads. I may be childish and I may be a girl but don't you tell yourself for one minute that I am anything like my old Captain. He was pathetic and never stood up to yours. I am no idiot James. I will get that book and if I see any of your crew in my way I will toss them to the sharks." She spoke in a cold tone, the playfulness only just in the back of her throat. She was always ruthless when it came to getting what she wanted, she hated losing. Coreliss chuckled and pulled away, removing her hand from his face as she did.
 
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