i've fallen and i can't get up

it's not your fault that you're always wrong

"Bad nurses, peggin', you name it," Jack said, snorting softly and shutting his eyes to enjoy the sound and scent of her illusion. It was better than seeing himself through her eyes anyway; he wasn't all that impressive a physical specimen, especially crippled by a headache as he currently was. And besides, there was more interesting stuff he might take from her wandering thoughts, and the captain packed them away for later consideration.

Unaware that her touch had been lulling him off to sleep, Jack blinked his eyes back open as talk of the governor suddenly appeared in their conversation. "Mm... I went to the townhouse on the mountain, to see if there were any signs or rumours. I've not heard anythin' from him, neither has Raza... the woman's got her fingers on the pulse of Torchline. I buy it, I just wish I knew why it's happened." Sickness, bad deals, murder... could be anything.

her smile ain't seen the light of day

"Peggin'?" Eloise wrinkled her nose at that. Her more duchess-based ideals had been shattered since being aboard Jack's ship and engaging in a bit of casual sex while on shore leave, but still, something inside of her took offence to his phrasing. Probably because it was such a masculine way of putting it.

Humming a sound of agreement, Eloise's gaze drifted out to the illusory horizon where it remained for a moment, her fingers stilling with her thoughts. The men she was meeting had said something about it all having come from a rich uncle or such who'd died recently. She thought it a rather bland cover story for "shit's stolen, yo", but hadn't worried too much about it. Now, she wondered if there wasn't a small kernel of truth in it. Specifically, the recently dead part.

"Mm, that she does." Eloise agreed through dry lips after far too long a pause, realizing she'd zoned off. Giving Jack a look, thinking herself foolish for treating him so unlike the predator he was, all because his eyes were closed, she let her hands slip down to the muscles of his shoulders all under the guise of relieving tension. Really, she just didn't want to go yet. The world awaited beyond his cabin doors, an unfamiliar world of fences and backroom bartering that she only pretended she understood.

exchanged it for some treasures somewhere along the way

it's not your fault that you're always wrong

"Oi, don't knock what you ain't tried," Jack said with a quiet laugh, the first that had made it past his lips that morning thanks to the sorry state he'd woken up in. Still, that bled away into silence again as she totally zoned out of their conversation and continued to think about her own wretched state of affairs. A shame, really - if she'd chatted to him about it, maybe something could have been done. (Something would be done, and it had everything to do with the deal and nothing to do with Eloise he told himself, but now he had to be fucking subtle about it).

Still, the shoulder rub was nice. "We'll be settin' off again in a couple of weeks," he noted. "Got a couple new crew members to replace the ones that jumped in the sea. You met 'em?"

her smile ain't seen the light of day

"Gosh no how could I. Especially when you make it sound so enticing."
Peggin. Reminded her of splintered wood and something short and stumpy. Where her mind went next, hidden just beneath the sheets, was accompanied by a fake cough to clear her throat.

"I'm the only woman on your ship, Jack. You think you can bring men on here and have them not immediately try and ferret me out?" Eloise had learned quite quickly that the special brand of asshole Jack liked to run the Ark came with rough hands, tobacco-stained teeth, and tongues that tasted of cigarette smoke and felt like dry sponges. It was why, save for Saiden a time or two, she'd not taken any of the men up on their generous offers.

"I can't wait to be out at sea again." The illusionist hummed almost dreamily, the scene around them growing less and less real as it was coloured by Eloise' lust for the open waters.

exchanged it for some treasures somewhere along the way

it's not your fault that you're always wrong

Blinking slowly up at Eloise, Jack belatedly realised that they were talking across vastly different topics, and he snorted out a laugh. Run of the mill sex was sex - he’d not give it some weird euphemism. ”Never you mind your pretty little head about it,” he said with a filthy grin. ”And you were the only woman on my ship. Sorry, love - you got competition now. One of the new ones has wings an’ everythin’.” Consider her point about ferreting the new crew out bull and void.

Her longing made the illusion more sloppy and, woozily, Jack closed his eyes against it. ”Me neither,” he agreed, unusually solemn. Torchline was great but there were too many unknown variables, too many things he couldn’t control. And it would surprise no one to learn that the captain liked to be in control.

her smile ain't seen the light of day

Eloise couldn't quite help but feel a twinge of jealousy at that. She'd worked hard to earn what little respect she'd earned around here, and now knowing someone else—some winged someone else—was going to reap those rewards? Feminism wasn't really a thing in Torchline, and it was hard for Eloise not to want to immediately claim this territory as hers.

"I can't wait to hear all the different sexual positions the men will dream up if wings are now an option." Eloise said with a shrug, aiming for levity and failing spectacularly.

"Well. I'll leave you to it then." The illusionist said suddenly, unceremoniously removing her leg from beneath Jack's head and standing. The thought of competition combined with the uncertainty of what she had to do later both made her want to never leave Jack's side but also to be miles away. She opted for the latter. Dangerous as it was, something told her trying to weasel her way into more than just Jack's bed was even more dangerous.

Leaving the bottle on the captain's bedside just in case, Eloise sauntered out of the room.

~fin

exchanged it for some treasures somewhere along the way