+- Court of the Fallen (https://cotf-rpg.com)
+-- Forum: Out of Character (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=26)
+--- Forum: Important (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=27)
+---- Forum: Archives (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=38)
+---- Thread: don't sell your heart (/showthread.php?tid=10254)
RE: don't sell your heart - Jack - 10-22-2024
[say]"Flora,"[/say] Jack grumbles around another sip of coffee - however vigorous their exercise a moment ago, it's still far too early in the morning for her puns. Nevertheless, even that drawled and exasperated version of her name might well sound affectionate compared to the chill reserved for everyone else. Tucking his arms back beneath the blanket, Jack lets out a sigh that fogs the air before his lips, his gaze cast like a net across the icy waters, as if to imagine how he might navigate them with The Ark.
In the sky is the answer, of course, as Flora points out, and it's with a self-deprecating smile that the captain glances back to her. [say]"Mm, that's a good point. If it was too cold we might end up with frozen sails, but hopefully I'd be able to stave that off with magic."[/say] At least for long enough that they can get back into warmer climes.
Able to feel the emerald buzz of adventure in her thoughts before the words ever leave her lips, Jack considers her question with a surprisingly open mind. [say]"Could well be,"[/say] he says, inclining his head yes. [say]"I always wondered if there were more places like Stormbreak out there. Or like the way Torchline is now. Floatin' cities just hidin' up in the clouds."[/say]
RE: don't sell your heart - Flora - 10-22-2024
[say]"Jack,"[/say] Flora sings sweetly in return. Glancing at the puff of cold air leaving his lips, the Doubletake considers for a moment before tossing one of her two blankets around the captain's shoulders and bullying her way between his legs. With her back against his chest, Flora reached up to tuck the blanket over her shoulders; should anyone be looking out from the Ark, they'd see a shapeless blob with two heads sitting atop a towel.
[say]"How many on your crew are abandoned?"[/say] The queen wonders, her thoughts providing all the context Jack would need to answer her question. Though the captain's telepathy had given him a number of advantages in securing his rank amongst his crew, his ability to manipulate the Ark's sails surely had done a good deal of the work as well. When he'd mentioned frozen sails, Flora's first thought had been to suggest he just ask Safrin for material that could never freeze, before wondering at what point the Ark's upgrades might start to jeopardize Jack's position as her captain. While she doubted he'd let more than a whisper of a mutiny ever get off the ground, it had made her wonder: how many could do what he did? How many were abandoned?
Glancing up, the sky an endlessly nothing shade of faded teal that seemed both cloudy and clear at the same time, Flora frowns. [say]"Up in the mountains, maybe. Or even really far out, past where we'd be able to see them normally."[/say] It occurred to her that there might be more places underground, not unlike the Climb, but nothing about the idea appealed to her mind at all. [say]"Maybe places that are straight up invisible."[/say]
RE: don't sell your heart - Jack - 10-22-2024
Swearing under his breath - Jack has just stolen the canteen back from Flora when she decides to rearrange their sitting situation - and having no choice but to hold the coffee steady while she gets herself comfortable, the captain seems casually outraged right up until her warmth begins to radiate against him, even through his coat. Muttering something incomprehensible around his sip of coffee (probably the grumbling equivalent of I'll allow it) and slipping an arm around her, he offers the canteen back.
[say]"A handful of 'em,"[/say] he says, glancing automatically across to The Ark as if he might be able to pick them out visually. [say]"Mix of magic, too. The cook's got fire an' creation. Couple of the deckhands have water an' air. I think someone's got illusion? Never really bothered to check."[/say] It isn't as though it would work on him, and as far as he knows it's mostly used for entertainment on long voyages.
Neither wanting to talk about jeopardising his position on his ship nor the possibility of a mutiny, Jack is more than happy to continue their what-ifs about a whole new world out there instead. [say]"Mm, or underground - that'd be clever,"[/say] he agrees with Flora's thoughts. [say]"Invisible, too, though with the number of skyships around these days, it'd be dangerous."[/say] Nothing worse than having a ship fly right into your land, right?
RE: don't sell your heart - Flora - 10-22-2024
More than content to ignore Jack's complaints as she gets herself situated, Flora is quite certain that the way her mind instantly seems to settle and calm itself once she's tucked back against his chest will soothe away whatever momentary irritability Jack was inclined to feel. Accepting the canteen rather awkwardly if only because she refused to lift her hands out from beneath the blankets and so instead was forced to clutch at it with her hands acting like pincers beneath the fabric, Flora hugged it against her chest, absorbing its warmth.
[say]"Illusion, huh?"[/say] Glancing over her shoulder, able to peer at him out of the corner of her eye, Flora grins. [say]"I think if I was an abandoned, that's the magic I'd want to start with."[/say] Of course she'd use it for all the obvious things someone would expect a girl like her to—subtly improving her looks, making it so her perfume never faded, hiding any stains on her clothing—but gods she thought there were so many things that could be done with it that people never thought of. Ways of gaslighting the people around her, able to whisper into someone's ear from across the room, able to distract and disorient during a fight.
[say]"My friend showed me some maps of the Hollowed Grounds once. There used to be tons of things beneath the ground. Tunnels going on for miles and miles."[/say] Sipping at the coffee now that it wasn't too hot to do so, Flora wrinkled her nose as she imagined the horrors that likely lived down there now. [say]"Mmm, well if I had an invisible floating city, I'd make it so that there were really strong winds around it, almost like a current, so that you couldn't ever accidentally bump into it, and anyone flying nearby would try and steer around."[/say]
RE: don't sell your heart - Jack - 10-22-2024
Scoffing under his breath to watch her wrestle with the canteen, where a gentleman might have slipped his arms further around her to hold it to her lips and let her hands stay warm, Jack makes sure she doesn't spill it all over herself. [say]"Oh?"[/say] he echoes, relaxing once the coffee is safely cradled back against her chest. [say]"It'd be a little wasted on me, but I'd do my best to act surprised."[/say] The whole telepathy thing makes illusions a little less enjoyable, after all, but he'd never complain at a whisper in his ear from across the room.
Raising his eyebrows to hear about the hidden tunnels in the Hollowed Grounds - whether or not they're still present after the place had fractured into islands - suddenly the region is becoming more enticing by the minute. [say]"They say the Peepholes in the Oerwoud are the same. A lot of shit gets left at the entrances to 'em, but no one knows how far down they really go."[/say] As for her imaginary invisible floating city? Jack grins. [say]"A good idea, but I assume that means you'd never be leavin' it, then?"[/say] he says. [say]"How'd you plan to get through the wind?"[/say]
RE: don't sell your heart - Flora - 10-22-2024
[say]"I think I could make you like it."[/say] Flora hums under her breath, though the ruby flush that invades her thoughts suggests she's quite confident about it. Where she could already weasel her way into Jack's thoughts, what might it be like for the captain to have his abilities accompanied by some physical force? If her silent words from across the room were partnered with the phantom feel of her lips against his cheek or her fingertips in his hair? [say]"And if not, I'm sure you'd find it more than entertaining watching me do it to someone else."[/say] She adds with a small shrug.
[say]"I'm not sure why, but I like the idea of naturally occurring tunnels more than man-made ones."[/say] Fully expecting the peepholes to have been made by some massive earthworm or something similarly disgusting, Flora would rather take her chances with natural horrors than manmade ones.
Rolling her eyes, the confidence with which Flora answered was indicative of having grown up with two brothers and constantly needing to prove that just because she was the only girl, she wasn't dumb. [say]"Obviously I'd have a way of turning it off or on. Or maybe my floating city has special transportation that lets you cut right through air streams. Massively heavy ships that fly with magic, but can't be buffeted about by the wind."[/say] Maybe they'd even have a really aerodynamic shape to make it easier, as well.
RE: don't sell your heart - Jack - 10-22-2024
Flora's chock full of confidence this morning, whether it's about her imaginary illusion magic or her imaginary invisible sky city, and Jack can do little more than nod along and hide his smile by virtue of being pressed up behind her. [say]"Well, when you're one day an Abandoned and Queen of the Floating Gale Island, I hope you'll at least leave a little route through the air currents for my ship to pass. It'd be a shame not to do business with a new region like that, especially when I've heard such good things already about its leadership,"[/say] he drawls, tightening his arm around her almost imperceptibly.
As for natural holes in the ground versus manmade ones, Jack scrunches his nose and shakes his head. [say]"I'll take the tunnels in the Grounds any day of the week. You've seen the Maw. I don't need to imagine anythin' makin' their way through the world like that."[/say] Whether a mythical creature or an underwater volcano is responsible for the Maw, it still sits on Jack's no thank you list.
RE: don't sell your heart - Flora - 10-22-2024
[say]"Mmm, not sure I can trust you to keep your mouth closed about my secret city."[/say] Flora says, her words twisted by the smile she's desperately fighting. [say]"Big talker, you."[/say] Nudging him ever so slightly before lifting the thermos to her lips as if it might have been an accident (they both knew it wasn't, and of course, Flora also knew that Jack knew, it wasn't). [say]"Besides, I'd probably have to just up and vanish one day so no one came looking for me. It'd be the only way to keep a city like that hidden."[/say]
Laughing at that, Flora takes a sip of the coffee before lifting it ever so slightly to see if Jack wanted any. The heat of it and the whiskey were doing about as much as Jack was to keep her warm, though if she had to choose, she'd still pick the surly captain. [say]"Yeah I have, but I've also heard—"[/say] From he who must not be named, aka Remi. [say]"—that there's just a sad old kraken down there that wants to be left alone."[/say]
RE: don't sell your heart - Jack - 10-22-2024
[say]"Oh, absolutely. I'd sell you out for sure,"[/say] Jack says with a matching smile, though his is much more wolfish to be sure. Would he sell out Flora and her imaginary city? Well that would all depend on what she'd be willing to pay to keep his mouth shut, wouldn't it? Leaning over her shoulder to accept the thermos and take another sip of whiskey-warmed coffee, the captain is feeling similarly cozy, for lack of a better word.
[say]"Yeah? You'd not leave some cryptic riddle to lead people to find you, but only if they were worthy?"[/say] See, Flora, Jack pays attention to you and the sort of things you like. Namely, shitfuckery and to be wanted enough that someone would solve a riddle to find your imaginary island.
He tilts his head as she adds her little tidbit about the Maw, though, unable to stop his scoff of laughter as he passes the thermos back. [say]"Didn't realise your dear old dad had a holiday home down there."[/say] Sad old kraken. Get it?
RE: don't sell your heart - Flora - 10-22-2024
For all their smiles about it, Flora knows that for Jack, everything has a price; knows he'd sell out her fantasy island for fantasy gold, but also knows that for the right offer, he'd up and leave her in the real world, as well. [say]"Ooh now there's an idea."[/say] Grinning, the Doubletake tilts her chin as far as she can over her shoulder in order to smirk slyly up at him. [say]"And that'd ensure that you never find out about it."[/say] She laughs as her thoughts grow wild with mischief and shitfuckery. [say]"Maybe I'll use my illusion magic to appear as some rickety old woman and only those who are kind to me can come to my city."[/say] She suggests with a snort. It'd make her city incredibly boring if it was only filled with noble-hearts, but it did fit the fairytale theme they seemed to be tossing around.
As for the holiday homes of the many-armed? Oh, she gets it. Flora's even thought it before once or twice, that if Ronin ever died, it would be the first place she'd go to look for Remi. That or the Cordillera, but anyway.
RE: don't sell your heart - Jack - 10-22-2024
[say]"Would I?"[/say] Jack wonders in response to the treacherous little whispers in Flora's thoughts. The words are out before he can really even stop them, quiet and murmured almost against her ear due to their positioning. He asks because in his mind, he really isn't all that sure any more. Granted, not selling her out opens avenues for much more violent responses should someone try something like that, but Jack has never shied away from bloodshed. Or from having his cake and eating it too, for that matter.
[say]"Oho, the cold has made her sassy,"[/say] he continues breezily, nudging her as if he might give her a little encouragement to tumble down the shore and into the icy water. It's only pretend, though. For now.
[say]"I'm not sure you could stand to be a rickety old woman for more than five minutes before bein' upset that no one complimented your outfit or the way you look in it."[/say] He smirks - two can play at sass. [say]"Obviously I would, 'cause I'd know what was underneath."[/say] And gods help Jack in the island of the noble-hearts.
RE: don't sell your heart - Flora - 10-22-2024
Not wanting to turn a relatively pleasant (cold and early mornings, aside) moment into something made weighty by having unintentionally stumbled onto a more serious topic, nevertheless Flora feels the familiar sinking feeling that often accompanies these sorts of talks. It isn't a feeling of hopelessness per se, but instead a strange sort of weightlessness that makes her feel like nothing at all. Swallowing, the queen leans back against Jack's chest from where she'd inadvertently straightened. Sighing softly and sinking into the warm familiar press of him around her, Flora smiles softly and nods. [say]"Yeah, you would."[/say] She murmurs, taking some comfort in the fact that if an offer of that calibre ever was made, at least she'd not be able to say she was blindsided by it.
Snorting, Flora cheerfully elbows the captain back. [say]"Keep it up and I'm going to put ice cubes in your bed."[/say] She threatens wickedly despite knowing how little it'd probably effect Jack. [say]"Or maybe I'll replace all your rum with snow."[/say] Now that was a therat.
[say]"Ah!"[/say] Gasping out her offence, the queen tilts her chin indignantly into the air and huffs out a breath. [say]"I'm very good at pretending I'll have you know."[/say] And, given how many years she did nothing but basically play pretend while in his presence, Jack should know. [say]"Oh right."[/say] Twisting in order to sit perpendicular against him with her long legs curled around one of his and her shoulder against his chest, Flora smirks up at him. [say]"All over my floating city they'll call you Jack Barclay, the True Sight, or Jack Barclay, the Golden Heart."[/say] Said like it was some sort of slur, the Doubletake lifts her chin a touch. Her hands were too cold to pull them from the blankets to tangle into Jack's hair, so instead she let her mind do the work for her: kiss me.
RE: don't sell your heart - Jack - 10-22-2024
[say]"If you say so,"[/say] Jack mumbles, the words almost muffled by the way he leans in to kiss the side of Flora's neck. Another side effect of their difficult heart to hearts, their inevitable growing closer, the strange and selfless things Flora does and the ways she sees him is that Jack is starting to dislike seeing himself like this through her eyes. Whatever sinking feeling dragging at her is similarly reflected in himself, and it's enough to draw his expression into a frown that doesn't really fade even as her cheer returns.
[say]"You wouldn't dare,"[/say] he says of the rum, eyes narrowing a fraction. [say]"Not if you want me in any sort of mood to travel with all the way back down to Torchline. An' I'm not sure the ice cubes have the same threat any more."[/say] Not for a water mage, and not in a bed she shares every night.
Straightening up from her and smirking again at last, the captain seems to take that as a fine challenge indeed. [say]"You played pretend at somethin' you enjoyed and that got you all the things you wanted, even if it was for my benefit,"[/say] he points out. [say]"Old ladies don't get the same treatment."[/say] He loosens his grip on her enough for her to adjust herself accordingly, the captain scrunching his nose at the slander of her suggested titles.
[say]"Jack Barclay, the Silver Tongue,"[/say] he corrects with a sly smile, proving the worth of the title as he leans down to, yes, kiss her.
RE: don't sell your heart - Flora - 10-22-2024
Am I wrong? Flora wants to ask him, though for precisely the same reason she'd never asked him if he loves her, she doesn't. It wasn't fair, not to either of them; not when the queen knew who and what Jack was from the start. Not when she'd chosen to stay instead of running for the hills when she'd first realized she was falling in love with him, and not now when her love for him was this constantly growing and evolving thing she had absolutely no control over.
[say]"I mean, if I have all the rum, I'll have a great flight back to Torchline regardless of your mood."[/say] The Doubletake counters mischievously, and while no, she's pretty sure that anything she'd try to put into Jack's bed would ultimately be weaponized against her, it might be worth it if only to see the look on his face when he pulled back his sheets to see hundreds of little heart-shaped ice cubes.
[say]"You say enjoyed, I say literally tried for years to seem cooler than I was."[/say] The first inhale of cigarette smoke that she'd tried not to choke around, the first sip of whiskey that had burned her throat, the first time on her couch where if it hadn't been for Jack's insistence (something she understood much better now), she'd have just faked her way through.
Sighing encouragingly against his lips and feeling all the warmer for it, Flora lets her tongue slip between the captain's lips as if to taste the silver for herself. [say]You're pretty good, to only be silver,[/say] she thinks as one of her hands unbuttons a portion of Jack's coat in order to touch some part of him not dulled by thick layers of blankets.