Roads unknown
Iris 'Siri' Acquarone
Wanderer

Age: 22 | Height: 176 | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 1 - Strg: 5 - Dext: 18 - Endr: 8 - Luck: 15 - Int:
Played by: Nell Offline
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Posts: 114 | Total: 163
MP: 85
#15
I R I S

Jack wanted to play hard to get. Iris complied.
"The whores aren't going anywhere." She stated dismissively, "This opportunity might." Running a hand through her hair, she lined the strap of her dress. Whatever vices had sway over the man's decisions, if Iris' judgement of him was correct, good business sense should prevail. "Not only will you be making a score, but striking a blow to the competition in the process."

”People tend to become very dangerous when backed into a corner.” She let slip a warning, tone casual, cold emptiness behind the eyes. ”Don’t fret, it wasn’t a bad idea. Just not right for me.” Not desperate, or stupid. Just fed up. She relaxed her posture and took a playfully long step in the sand. She may have developed a poker face worthy of Torchline's most exclusive casinos, but it did nothing to hide her excitement tonight, as she seemed unable to stand still for more than a few minutes.

His latter request was a given, it was the former that had the the Acquarone heiress intrigued. Who or what did the Sokolovs have on their ship that Jack Barclay wanted? She folded her arms behind her back and observed. ”I’ll consider it, if it doesn’t endanger my plans. Go on.”


Jack Barclay
Captain of the Ark

Age: 34 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 7 - Strg: 16 - Dext: 21 - Endr: 18 - Luck: 7 - Int:
SEVEN - Mythical - Sear Cat
Played by: Honey Offline
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#16
i want to taste you again
"A'right, you've made your point," Jack drawls, almost rolling his eyes at her. He takes one last draw from his cigarette and flicks the butt onto the beach, swiping sand over it to both extinguish it and hide the evidence of their being here. He watches her, stock still in comparison as she paces around, as her thoughts ricochet through ideas and plans and her feelings about them. Were there anyone else around Jack might have to pull back a little, but here on this lonely stretch of the Rainbow Road, he can let it all wash over him.

A sharp smile tugs at his lips. "I wouldn't suggest it if it would endanger your plan," he points out. "After all, if you end up caught or dead, neither of us get what we want. It's a small thing. Every now and then a particular little jewel gets added to the stakes - only when they're already high. They call it the Heart of the Sea - you'll know it when you see it."

Jack gives her a brief description - a pearl the size of a coin, that shines bright as a diamond. "I'd like you to win it for me, if you please."
like a secret or a sin
JACK
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret.
Iris 'Siri' Acquarone
Wanderer

Age: 22 | Height: 176 | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 1 - Strg: 5 - Dext: 18 - Endr: 8 - Luck: 15 - Int:
Played by: Nell Offline
Change author:
Posts: 114 | Total: 163
MP: 85
#17
I R I S

”Good.” Having made her point, she refrained from scoffing at Jack.  She let him talk, a smirk spreading across her lips, from subtle to brazen, as he described the jewel.

The first time she laid eyes on one of those precious stones it was gracing the neck of a woman belonging to the rare creed of prostitute who was good enough at her craft to call herself concubine. This led her to discover a surprising enjoyment in playing cards, as well as a growing tendency towards winning when she did.

It appeared that what started with a dreamy image of a well adorned concubine would end with the image of a well adorned smuggler. Alas.

“That’s quite a request.” She crossed her arms and looked him up and down. While she appreciated flattery and a polite 'please' as much as the next criminal, winning the Heart was a difficult task. “Since it goes beyond what we initially agreed on, I’ll require payment in return.” Although it was adding steps to an already complicated plan, the challenge had her feeling eager.


Jack Barclay
Captain of the Ark

Age: 34 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 7 - Strg: 16 - Dext: 21 - Endr: 18 - Luck: 7 - Int:
SEVEN - Mythical - Sear Cat
Played by: Honey Offline
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Posts: 1,070 | Total: 16,313
MP: 3061
#18
i want to taste you again
"I'm quite a man," Jack retorts with a smirk slanted in her direction. Strolling forward at last, he moves to join her at the edge of the Rainbow Road, staring off into waves black as ink, lit up only by streaks of moonlight. Raising a brow across at Iris - the stakes kept growing and the payments kept creeping - he inclines his head as if to say that her request is a reasonable one. And it is, if only because without it, the whole plan thus far begins to unravel.

"Name it, then - what would your payment be for this extra work, if that's what we're calling it?" This is turning up to be quite the night for the smuggler. He'll have to do his best to make time for this suddenly lucrative opportunity amongst the rest of his work on his ship. "Unfortunately I ain't in the business of pleasure cruises."
like a secret or a sin
JACK
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret.
Iris 'Siri' Acquarone
Wanderer

Age: 22 | Height: 176 | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 1 - Strg: 5 - Dext: 18 - Endr: 8 - Luck: 15 - Int:
Played by: Nell Offline
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Posts: 114 | Total: 163
MP: 85
#19
I R I S

Iris let her gaze slide over the man once more, lazily enveloping anything the moonlight revealed. Her expression softened into curious amusement. ”Tease.”

Rustling the sand beneath her feet, she stalked closer, naming her price. ”I want a signal at the beginning of each season, for at least a year, letting me know if any suspicion has been raised about my… demise.” She stood in front of him, encroaching on the fringes of his boundaries. ”That, and…” Fingers softly traced the neckline of his shirt. ”Your clothes.” She looked up at him, the allure of a dare glinting in her eyes.


Jack Barclay
Captain of the Ark

Age: 34 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 7 - Strg: 16 - Dext: 21 - Endr: 18 - Luck: 7 - Int:
SEVEN - Mythical - Sear Cat
Played by: Honey Offline
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Posts: 1,070 | Total: 16,313
MP: 3061
#20
i want to taste you again
"And you're bait," Jack retorts easily, finding it rather to be a compliment as he's called a tease. She glances sidelong at him and is already encroaching into his space again; this time there's no knife, but he assumes she knows that she's playing with fire by dancing along such a fine boundary line.

Her terms, whilst relatively simple, will be a bitch to organise if she wants things to be discreet; the Ark only sails out every other season, but that's the joy of being captain of the ship - Jack can do as he pleases and make up the rest. He's sure he can come up with some bullshit as to why he has to sail out and give a signal at the beginning of each season.

And the other? It sounds like quite the lascivious term, but Jack can see through it enough to ignore the stirring of interest within him, he thinks. "No boots," he says, like that's his term in response, already slipping his belongings from his pockets - knife, matches, cigarettes and a length of twine. Then the clothes come off, and he flings his still-warm shirt over her face before bending to the rest.

"Clothes ain't gonna make you any less what you are," he remarks.
like a secret or a sin
JACK
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret.
Iris 'Siri' Acquarone
Wanderer

Age: 22 | Height: 176 | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 1 - Strg: 5 - Dext: 18 - Endr: 8 - Luck: 15 - Int:
Played by: Nell Offline
Change author:
Posts: 114 | Total: 163
MP: 85
#21
I R I S

Chuckling as she caught the shirt obstructing her view, Iris pulled it off her head, brushing back the strands of hair that fell out of place. She was about to take a step back but with her view unobstructed, she stopped.

And she approved. Firstly, of how eagerly he complied to her terms, and secondly… for providing such a pleasing sight.

Clothed, his most appealing feature was his demeanor. Something beyond his posturing that was just beginning to attract her attention. Stripped, he revealed something to easily appreciate.

The sailor’s life defined him in all the right ways. Tanned, lean muscle winding its way up his arms, a strong chest, abs rippling downward… She looked up into the man’s eyes after taking in the view, as shamelessly as he had provided it. ”And what is that?” She hummed, ”Bait?”

Her movements were no longer impatient, but focused and smooth, as she ran the fabric of his shirt through her hands.


Jack Barclay
Captain of the Ark

Age: 34 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 7 - Strg: 16 - Dext: 21 - Endr: 18 - Luck: 7 - Int:
SEVEN - Mythical - Sear Cat
Played by: Honey Offline
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Posts: 1,070 | Total: 16,313
MP: 3061
#22
i want to taste you again
"Yeah," Jack replies easily, "bait." With a smirk, he either ignores the eyes on him or feels just as comfortable under a gaze as out of it, stripping off his pants and thrusting them across at her. Lacing his boots once more, the request leaves him wearing only underwear and moonlight; Jack slips the knife into his boot, ties the twine around the opposite ankle, and tucks a single cigarette and match behind his ear for later.

Looking Iris up and down, as if noticing her notice, he can only scoff. "Get a few more years experience under your belt, then maybe you'll be more'n bait," he suggests; for all of her swagger and ideas, Jack's been at this game since he was her age. Perhaps that's why he likes her - she reminds him a bit of him. Except filthy rich. "We done here?"
like a secret or a sin
JACK
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret.
Iris 'Siri' Acquarone
Wanderer

Age: 22 | Height: 176 | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 1 - Strg: 5 - Dext: 18 - Endr: 8 - Luck: 15 - Int:
Played by: Nell Offline
Change author:
Posts: 114 | Total: 163
MP: 85
#23
I R I S

Iris scoffed at his response, signs of amusement lingering. She caught his pants as they flew her way and disregarded the statement on the basis of: he was right in front of her, half-naked, having promised to do everything she wanted and more.

As for the distance between a word given and a promise honored, she would bridge it if it grew. Before this thought sent her head spiraling with new plans and scenarios, she found herself curious about the twine Jack was wrapping around his ankle. ”What’s the string for?” Then, she watched him tuck a cigarette behind his ear. Her eyes went back to count it again. Only one. Were the rest in his pockets? Iris' fingers twitched with the need to check.

When his gaze turned her way to size up and scrutinize, she remained relaxed. She was wearing a disarming dress after all, and was fairly used to men looking at her with approval. Maybe not this time. ”Thanks for the assessment. I’ll withhold mine until the job is done.” Not as flattering as she would have wanted, but there it was. In a few more years… Bah. It sounded to her like nothing more than a variation of the classic ‘You’ll see when you’re older’.

Starting a slow pace down the shoreline she sighed, draping Jack’s clothes over her arm. ”You’ll have to pick up my luggage before we sail.” For a second, she considered telling him about the beggars. "I'll also expect to see the body before I leave. I suspect you know how to properly age a corpse?" She did suspect so, but couldn't help asking.


Jack Barclay
Captain of the Ark

Age: 34 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 7 - Strg: 16 - Dext: 21 - Endr: 18 - Luck: 7 - Int:
SEVEN - Mythical - Sear Cat
Played by: Honey Offline
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Posts: 1,070 | Total: 16,313
MP: 3061
#24
i want to taste you again
"My, you don't know what the string's for? And here I thought you knew it all," Jack drawls, setting off after her in nothing but boots and underwear, in scars and tattoos and jewellery. He cracks his knuckles slowly as they make their way down the Rainbow Road, and whilst it's not obvious, he's doing his best to let his prints match those he made approaching their meeting spot. "Withhold it or give it - don't make a difference to me," he mutters; the day her opinion means something to him, he'll be expecting more than an assessment from her.

Blue eyes slide across to her as she continues, and Jack can't help the chuckle that comes rumbling out of his chest. "Fake my death, sail me away from Torchline, give me a signal every year to say everything's fine, fetch my luggage, give me a corpse to look at. Anythin' else while I'm at it, princess?" He raises his eyebrows in a warning; whatever it is she's offering in exchange for his services, it's quickly wading into the realms of not worth the hassle.

Stepping up off sand and onto stone, Jack turns to give her a lingering look, painted in moonlight. "Get your own luggage, and leave the dirty work to me, or the only corpse I'll be agein' will be yours. Now have a lovely night, won't you?"

And yes. The rest of his cigarettes and matches are in his pockets.
like a secret or a sin
JACK
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret.
Iris 'Siri' Acquarone
Wanderer

Age: 22 | Height: 176 | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 1 - Strg: 5 - Dext: 18 - Endr: 8 - Luck: 15 - Int:
Played by: Nell Offline
Change author:
Posts: 114 | Total: 163
MP: 85
#25
I R I S

Iris scoffed, ”I’m surprised too,” came a quick retort. Curiosity lingered, gnawing as the silly piece of string dangled after Jack with each measured step upon on the sand. It didn’t even matter how utterly unimportant its purpose was, she thought to herself.

As he walked beside her clad mostly in darkness, a sight she still found herself appreciating out of the corner of her eye, no one could make the assumption he held much stock in others' opinions of him. She ignored his comment, but found herself rather admiring his adaptability.

She was surprised to hear his laugh, although it revealed annoyance. Something inside Iris made her want to prod further. Poke and bare past his barriers and see what lies underneath. See more of the thinly veiled danger he carried. But she pushed her darker urges back down where her curiosity was brewing, and a smile spread his way, kind and in no way predatory. ”That would be all. Since you’re not in the business of pleasure cruises.” She drawled, teasingly.

And then out of the darkness he bared his teeth and her smile spread, her hands going up in the air for the second time that night, feet stopping in front of the smuggler. ”It's a deal, captain.” Something turned, and instead of alarm at the man's threat, she felt a thrill.

It would fade, and her mind would start racing again before the night was through.


Jack Barclay
Captain of the Ark

Age: 34 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 7 - Strg: 16 - Dext: 21 - Endr: 18 - Luck: 7 - Int:
SEVEN - Mythical - Sear Cat
Played by: Honey Offline
Change author:
Posts: 1,070 | Total: 16,313
MP: 3061
#26
i want to taste you again
"It's a deal," Jack confirms, not bothering to make any further comment about pleasure cruises or the like. The Ark is not in the business of casual trips, and he and Iris have already laid their cards on the table - as many as they're willing to show, anyway. As for the rest - well, that's a dance they'll be dancing for some time yet. What with getting a corpse and ageing it appropriately, they'll absolutely be meeting again.

Given that there's nothing else to say, and that he's standing in his boots and his underwear on the beach in the middle of the night, Jack takes the opportunity to bid her adieu. "Until next time, lad." He uses the term on purpose, assuming that the next time he sees Iris properly (her trip on the casino aside), she certainly won't be looking like this.

But that doesn't mean he looks back when he walks away, still strolling in the prints he made when he arrived - when he isn't walking on the stones, anyway.

~FIN
like a secret or a sin
JACK
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret.


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