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#2726 Old 7th Nov 2007 at 6:35 AM
Default Cat Calloway - Royal Galleon @ A Pirate's Luck
“Well heck! If ye just wanted to give someone your money, ye coulda given it to me,” Abby teased as she took the seat next to me.

Under normal circumstances, I would have tried to respond with a snappy come-back, but at that point I simply wasn’t in the mood for joking. Instead, I just turned to her and said, “Captain, just the person I was looking for. How long are we going to be in port?”

Unfortunately, Abby didn’t seem to notice my mood as she grinned and said, “What, ye tryin’ to figure how much time ye have to spend with Will?” and when I shot her a look that revealed some of my anger and pain, her smile faded and she said, “Oh, ye wanna talk about it?”

I didn’t know how to answer her because I didn’t really want to talk about what had happened between Will and me, and yet at the same time, I did want to talk about it. While I’ve often found comfort in discussing problems with a friend, I wasn’t quite ready to put voice to my pain.

For a moment I sat with my arm propped on the table, my forehead resting in that hand, while idly tracing the grain in the table’s wood with my other hand. Then with a heavy sigh, I said, “Whoever said that absence makes the heart grow fonder, obviously never met an undead pirate.”
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#2727 Old 9th Nov 2007 at 8:34 PM
Default William Alderman - Red Snake Beach
((OOC: Aww… Starphyre! Poor Cat. I want to put her and Will both out of their misery! Will’s going walking… hoping to find whatever clue we’re supposed to be finding to get a change of scenery!))

As I left the tea house, my mind lingered on Zarah’s words. She had reassured me that Cat had been focused on me the last few months. She was positive Cat wouldn’t have put our relationship to an end unless something was wrong.

I headed west, intending to go to the bar and attempt to drown my sorrow. As I walked my memory betrayed me by recalling the words Cat had spewed at me on the beach. “What will you do when you cease to live, and begin to merely exist?” I tumbled those words around in my mind. Her voice ringing in my head reminded me of when I had found out the curse had taken me as well. I recalled the utter shock when I pulled the blade from my flesh.

Instinctively I raised my hand to rest on the very spot where there should have been a flesh wound. It then slid it up my chest coming to rest over my heart. It soon rolled up into a fist. I may have abnormal flesh that never died, but I still had a human heart that ached.

Dropping my hand I looked up to see that I was now in front of Palms Bar. I could hear the shouts and hollers that came from behind its doors. I realized that I had no desire to enter it. I wanted to find her. Hell, I wanted to do more than just find her, but finding her would have to be the first step.

I continued past the bar coming to Red Snake Beach. I strolled along the beach, my mind drifting back to happier times. After I walked half the length of the beach, my legs refused to move any further. I looked to the grass line in search of some stones. After gathering a few of them I then proceeded to catapult them into the raging surf.

((Totally approachable!))
Lab Assistant
#2728 Old 12th Nov 2007 at 9:30 PM
Default Captain Abby Lexington - A Pirate's Luck
Cat seemed to consider whether or not she wanted to tell me what was bothering her, but then she sighed and said, “Whoever said that absence makes the heart grow fonder, obviously never met an undead pirate.”

“That bad, huh?” I asked, to which she simply nodded. Somehow, I found it difficult to imagine Will leaving Cat. I mean, this is the woman who risked her life to try to rescue him... “What proof do you have?”

“Something he said,” she said, and she closed her eyes as though it would hide her pain.

I was both concerned and confused by her behavior. She looked so defeated, but it wasn’t like her to just give up. “I’ll be right back,” I said. I went to the bar, ordered a bottle of rum and returned to the table. “Here,” I said, handing Cat the bottle, “Take this, go find that man, remind him what he’s missing.” She didn’t seem to agree with my way of thinking, she just crossed her arms and looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t make me make that an order,” I said with a grin as I wagged my finger at her.


My first 1st Place Miss~Mrs Universe 4 Augusta Stone

"Don't say thanks for nothing, knowing I did nothing for you is thanks enough."

#2729 Old 13th Nov 2007 at 12:57 AM
((OOC: lol Go Captain Abby! ))
Test Subject
#2730 Old 13th Nov 2007 at 5:58 PM
((Sorry, I was away for quite a while. Sim Estelle died in a game crash, and I am really sad about that. Atm I am trying to re-create her, and I'll try to pull a RP together later.))
#2731 Old 15th Nov 2007 at 6:22 PM
((OOC: I'd like to ask a question 123. starphyre and myself have had our characters roaming Tortuga in hopes they'd find the clue. It seems all the places (except Madame Linda's) has been visited by someone. I know you said the clue may not be found the first time there, but I'm wondering now. Is visiting all the areas enough to find the clue, or do we have to RP our characters actually searching for it?

Will and Cat have a story line to play out, but we're waiting for when we're getting ready to leave Tortuga. If I'm not mistaken, the rest of the Oracle's drama is waiting for the same thing. So I'm just wondering if we're going about finding the clue the wrong way. Thanks ))
#2732 Old 16th Nov 2007 at 6:11 AM
Default Cat Calloway - RG @ Pirate's Luck then Madame Linda's
“I’ll be right back,” Abby said, and when she returned she handed me a bottle of rum and said, “Take this, go find that man, remind him what he’s missing.”

I was rather annoyed by that as I thought, Does she really expect me to go groveling to Will, begging him to change his mind?

I was about to tell her what she could do with that plan, but she started wagging her finger as though I was a child, and said, “Don’t make me make that an order.”

That was when I realized that Abby was a bit drunk, and remembering the time she’d had a conversation with a pole, I decided that arguing with her would be pretty much pointless. “Aye Captain,” I said forcing a chuckle, and I left A Pirate’s Luck.

Of course I had no intentions of looking for Will, so I handed the bottle to some random person as I considered my options. I thought about simply returning to the Galleon, but then my eye fell upon Madame Linda’s house. I thought about the score I had to settle with that woman, so I headed down the path planning to burst in and try to catch her by surprise. However, as I got to the house, I saw a sign indicating that it was under new management.

I entered Madame Linda’s cautiously, keeping my hand on my sword. “Where’s Madame Linda,” I asked, standing in the doorway.

“She’s dead,” said the man behind the bar, and I couldn’t help but notice the satisfied smirk on his face.

“Do I have you to thank for that?” I asked with a smile, to which he nodded. I dropped my hand from my sword, but remained alert as I ordered an ale. I didn’t really want the drink, and had no intentions of drinking it, but it gave me an excuse to sit for a bit and think. I sat at a corner table where I’d be able to keep an eye on the door as well as the rest of the room.

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((OOC - Well...now we've covered the entire island. Cat is approachable.))
#2733 Old 28th Nov 2007 at 4:29 PM
Default William Alderman - By Palm's Bar
The sun had started it’s decent in the sky, threatening to bring the cold sting of night. I had spent far too long sitting on that beach. I had tried to figure things out, but never was able to come to any sort of conclusion that didn’t leave me feeling aggravated. As much as I wanted that woman, I had to face the fact that I was not going to find her today. I came to the conclusion that reboarding the Oracle and drinking myself to sleep would be the best option for today. Tomorrow I could continue my search.

I brushed the sand off my pants and began to head back to the bar. I should at least tell Ceryni and Cap’n, if she was sober enough, of where I was headed. I was surprised when I came across Ceryni and Mickey outside. I approached the two of them. “What are ye up to?”
“We’ve gotta find a ring for Mickey.”
A confused look came upon my face. “A ring, what for?”
“To give to the Captain.”

I just shook my head, I had no idea what they were talking about, and quite frankly I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. “Well… good luck. Hey, I’m gonna get my hands on one more ale, then I’ll be headin’ back to the ship. See ya two later.”

My two shipmates hurried off, and I turned to enter Palm’s Bar. Right before I got there, I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. A woman ran quickly into the alley between the bar and the motel. I froze for a moment. Was that my Cat? Or was my imagination playing tricks on me? I took a few steps back from the bar straining my neck to look in that direction. If it was Cat, maybe she saw me and ducked into the ally way to avoid me yet again. That’s when I spotted a group of men with swords drawn dash in to the alley after her. I could feel my body wake from its tiredness, as my hand went towards my own sword. Even if it wasn’t Cat, surely the woman would appreciate a little help. And if it was Cat, well, I’d be damned if I let her be that outnumbered.
#2734 Old 28th Nov 2007 at 9:29 PM
Default Cat Calloway
((Since the bar seems to be the first thing most people see when arriving at Tortuga, I’m kind of going with the docks as being located on the northern edge of Red Snake Beach...))
-------------------

As night began to fall, I started to feel that I’d had enough of Tortuga for one trip, and decided to head back to the Galleon. I figured it would be best to let someone know where I was going to be, so I went back to A Pirate’s Luck to tell Abby. When I got there, I found Abby pretty much right where I had left her though perhaps a little less lucid.

“Why aren’t you with Will?” Abby asked.

“I didn’t find him,” I said. Of course, I hadn’t even looked for him, but she didn’t need to know that. “I’m really tired,” I added before she could respond. “I’m going to head to the Galleon to get some sleep.” With that, I left A Pirate’s Luck and headed toward the docks.

In hopes of avoiding running into anyone, I decided to cut through the alley between A Pirate’s Luck and the Moon Motel and follow behind the motel and the bar to get to the dock. Unfortunately, taking the “back way” turned out to be a bad idea. As soon as I turned the corner behind the motel, I found myself facing at least half a dozen, rather angry, men.

Figuring that I had stumbled upon some sort of clandestine meeting, I quickly lowered my gaze, and said, “I didn’t see anything.” I started to back away slowly, but when one of them said something about “making sure it stayed that way,” I turned and ran back the way I’d come. It may sound cowardly, but standing to fight would have been suicide…but, I digress.

Re-emerging from the alley, I turned in front of the motel, and hoping that my pursuers would think that I’d ducked into either the motel or the bar, I ran down the alley between the two. However, just as I was coming to the end of the alley, three men suddenly stepped into the alley cutting off my escape. That was when I realized my fatal mistake. I had assumed that they all would’ve chased after me when in fact, they hadn’t.

They had expected me to take that alley, and while I was running from the first group, the second group was waiting in ambush, and I foolishly walked right into their trap. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that the first group had stopped about halfway down the alley, and I noticed that neither group was advancing yet.

Wondering what they were waiting for, I pressed my back against one of the walls. Then one of the men said, “Come quietly, and I promise your death’ll be quick.”

"Not bloody likely," I said with a scoff as I drew my sword. I knew I couldn’t beat all of them, but I was determined to take as many with me as I could.
#2735 Old 29th Nov 2007 at 1:45 AM
Default William Alderman - In a dark alley
((OOC: Yay! Will gets to play hero. ))

I dashed to the edge of Palm’s Bar to peer around the corner. Thanks to the lack of sun and the very close buildings I couldn’t make out any faces, only silhouettes. I saw three men on the far end, the woman in the middle and the five men closest to me. They were all frozen in place, as if they were playing a game of cat and mouse. I don’t know why they wanted that woman, but they seemed to think it was a game. A game they didn’t plan to lose.

I quietly, snuck up behind them. They hadn’t made their move yet, the woman had her back against the wall. That’s when I heard it. The ever defiant stance of the woman I had been searching for. “Not bloody likely.” Followed by the ever clear unsheathing sound of her sword. Even when outnumbered she stood her ground. She was a feisty woman, that’s what I loved about her.

That’s when all hell broke loose. The men directly in front of me began to walk towards her, completely unaware of my presence. “We’re gonna have fun with such a pretty…” one began to say before he suddenly found my blade through his back. Being satisfied that it had indeed gone all the way through the low life’s body I quickly withdrew it from him. As his body fell to the floor his friends took notice and turned towards me. A satisfied grin took place on my face, as now the fight was slightly more balanced.

Even for me though, a fight of four against one was a struggle. With their swords clashing above my head, I didn’t even have time to think, I simply reacted. As I focused on one who charged me, I swiftly slashed him with my sword. As he fell I felt a sudden sting in my side. I looked down quickly to see a blade wedged in my waist, I followed it up to find the man who had thought he won. His look of satisfaction quickly changed to one of utter confusion and fear. Instead of crying out in pain I simply took hold of his sword and yanked it from his grasp.

He fell to his backside, kicking up all sorts of dust as he tried to back away from me. His remaining two pals seemed a bit shocked. With a cocky look on my face I kneeled down in front of him, pressing his very own sword against his throat. In a low voice I explained it to him. “Nice try pal, but you see…. I’m already dead.” With that realization I put an end to his suffering. I turned quickly towards the other two, I had every intention to send them to join their now deceased friend.

Suddenly my focus was completely shattered as a horrifying sound made its way to my ears. It was the sound of Cat doubling over in pain and falling to the ground. My head jerked suddenly, my eyes peering down the dark alley. There were three bodies on the ground, with another hovering over the one in the middle, his sword drawn ready to plunge it into my beauty.

With great ferocity I flew down that alley, leaving the other two men behind. “Oh hell no!” I hollered as my body made full contact with Cat’s assailant knocking him to the ground. My fists made solid contact with his head over and over again. He was not deserving of a quick death. Finally when the man lay bloodied, I came to my senses. I jumped to my feet and turned around all in one motion. “Cat, are you okay?”
#2736 Old 2nd Dec 2007 at 4:29 AM
Default Cat Calloway - Royal Galleon @ An alley
As the men started to cautiously close in, I knew that I was about to die. Not that I might die, I was going to die. Yet strangely, I didn’t feel the fear that one might expect in such a situation. That’s not to say I wasn’t scared because I’ll not lie, I was. It’s just that the fact that these men were going to kill me for no apparent reason brought forth such a surge of fury and outrage that my fear was overpowered.

As one man spoke, his intentions became clear when he said the word “fun,” and I glared at who I thought was the speaker, silently vowing that he’d die before I did. Imagine my surprise when, as though in answer to my thoughts, the man’s words were cut short and he fell to the ground. For a brief moment, a stunned silence fell over the alley, but then muttering angrily, the remaining men on that side of me turned to the man standing near the body.

That was when I realized that I wasn’t in this alone, someone had come to help, but I actually had mixed feelings about that. Since he was too far away for me to make out who he was, I assumed that it was either Ewald or Mack, and while on the one hand, I felt a small glimmer of hope that I just might survive this. On the other hand, we were still outnumbered and I felt guilty for dragging someone else into such a dangerous situation. However, I didn’t have time to dwell on the matter, for while those men focused on the newcomer, the three at the other end of the alley moved in to deal with me.

At least the relatively close quarters granted me a small advantage, for while my attackers had to take care not to hit each other, I had no such constraints. I ducked under the first man’s attack, slicing a deep gash in his side, and even though it wasn’t a fatal wound, it was enough to slow him down for a bit. I then clashed swords with the second man while trying to maneuver so that he was between the third man and me. I managed to grab his sword hand with my left hand which left him fairly defenseless as I plunged my sword into his chest, and somehow I was able to hold onto his sword as I shoved his body into the third man.

With a sword in each hand and the third man momentarily distracted, I briefly turned back to the first man. He was still struggling to get back to his feet, so I thrust my new sword through his neck and left it there as he fell to the ground. By that time, the third man had disentangled himself from the corpse, and I quickly turned to meet his attack. Unfortunately, that was where things took a turn for the worse. I blocked his sword only to take his fist to my stomach, and with a gasp I involuntarily doubled over in pain. Then the man brought his elbow down hard between my shoulder blades, and I hit the ground. I had to struggle to regain control of both my breathing and my muscles as I tried to roll away from the sword I knew would be coming down on me.

Just as I had managed to turn and face up, I saw a body collide with the third man moments before his sword was about to strike. For a moment, I just laid there; immobilized by shock, but then the sounds of more fighting shook me out of it. Expecting more trouble, I grabbed my sword as I quickly got back to my feet. I saw one man repeatedly beating the other, and at first I was concerned, but then I saw that the man being pummeled was too tubby to be one of my shipmates.

I was a little confused as to why he was determined to kill the man with his bare hands when a sword would have been so much easier, but frankly, as long as the man ended up dead, I didn’t really care how. Taking care to stay out of the way, I moved a little closer and adopted a defensive stance; keeping an eye out for any stragglers that may have still wanted to fight.

When silence once again fell upon the alley, I was facing away from the man and his punching bag. I was about to ask if we were done there, but before I had a chance to say anything I was surprised by a voice that didn’t belong to either Ewald or Mack say, “Cat, are you okay?”

I spun around to come face to face with Will. I could see that he appeared to be concerned, but due to the high levels of adrenaline and rage that I had coursing through my veins, I was perhaps…less than receptive to him. At first I just gave him an icy glare, but I found myself unable to maintain it for long as I could feel my pain start to seep onto my features. I didn’t want him to see how much I was hurting, so I lowered my gaze. Then, hoping he’d think it was the reason I looked away, I moved to the dead man and proceeded to use his shirt to wipe some of the blood off of my sword.

As I sheathed my sword, I realized was starting to feel conflicted. Will had just gone through a considerable amount of trouble to help me, and I wouldn’t have expected that from someone who didn’t care, and yet, the words he spoke on the beach still ran through my mind. I no longer knew what to make of the situation, but to me one thing was clear: the longer I stayed in his presence, the harder this was for me. Still avoiding eye contact, I struggled to keep my emotions out of my voice as I said, “I appreciate your…your help, but I’m sure you have more important things to do than…than worry about me. So…I won’t waste any more of your time.” With that I started to walk out of the alley, heading towards the Galleon.

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((Wow...that one kind of ran away on me. ))
#2737 Old 2nd Dec 2007 at 4:43 PM
Default William Alderman - In a dark alley
My chest was heaving, my lungs struggling to get enough oxygen to calm my speeding pulse. The adrenaline that came with a sword fight for someone’s life was finally starting to dissipate. I stood there, unaware of my sword which I had picked up off the ground still in my hand. It was all I could do to ask the words, “Cat, are you okay?”

At the sound of my words Cat quickly turned around, only to give me an icy glare. Ouch. Had I gone too far? Did the fact that I lost all control and pummeled a man to death only solidify in her mind that I was some sort of Oracle monster? She had to understand though, I did it to protect her. Or maybe she didn’t want me to save her?

I think I saw her face thaw slightly from that glare she gave me, but she quickly turned away to wipe her sword on the dead man’s shirt beside her. As I returned my own sword to its proper place my mind was trying to figure out the situation. I had to be missing something, there was more to this whole mess than I could see. But what was it? I was about to ask her once again if she was okay, I fought my urge to just yell at her to answer me.

Once she sheathed her sword, her body was once again facing me. I looked towards her, begging her with my eyes to look at me, but she wouldn’t grant me that luxery, she wouldn’t look me in the eye. “I appreciate your… your help, but I’m sure you have more important things to do than… than worry about me.” Has she lost her mind, all I’ve done all day was worry about her. “So… I won’t waste any more of your time.”

With that she began to walk away, heading out of the ally that was littered with death. I was determined, I wouldn’t let her walk away from me this time. She had been unable to look me in the eye when she said those words, I didn’t believe them. I didn’t believe she really wanted this all to end. I had searched for her all damn day, I wasn’t going to let her walk out on me again.

Cat!” My voice was firm without being harsh while I spoke with urgency, “I’ve spent all damn day worrying about you! Wondering where you were, trying to find you, wondering what the hell’s going on between us.” Cat seemed to halt in her steps, I took it as a sign that maybe I was starting to get to her. I slowly walked towards her, she still refused to turn around. My voice softened considerably, my sincerity no doubt coming through. “I’ve searched for you Cat, and while I was at it, I’ve also done some searching for me.”

I was directly behind her now, she still wouldn’t turn to face me. I tried to figure out if it was anger, pride, or hurt that wouldn’t allow her to look at me. I wondered, if she would just allow me to touch her, would that be enough to melt whatever wall had gone up between us? I reached up, gathering her hair in my soiled hands, bringing it away from her face, and letting it fall down her back. My voice was now not much more than a whisper. “I’m sorry Cat. I’m sorry that I am what I am. You’ve got to believe me that if I could be normal again, I would. I’d rather grow old and die with you than live an eternity without you.”

There, I finally said it, and she finally staid still long enough to listen. I wished to reach out and hold her, but I wasn’t going to push it. If she'd turn towards me, she'd find my arms open and waiting. If she had had enough of me, she’d let me know by walking away. I prayed silently that she wouldn’t.

(OOC: *sniff* Awww.... mushy stuff there!)
#2738 Old 9th Dec 2007 at 1:22 AM
Default Cat Calloway - Royal Galleon
Exiting the ally, I didn’t get far before Will called out, and while his voice was neither harsh nor desperate, there was a strain to his tone that left me fighting the urge to turn back as he said, “Cat! I’ve spent all damn day worrying about you! Wondering where you were, trying to find you, wondering what the hell’s going on between us.”

Us? I thought as I faltered to a stop, stung by his use of the word. You no longer want an “us.”

“I’ve searched for you Cat,” he said softly before I could voice my response. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to hear what he had to say yet I found myself unable to walk away, “and while I was at it, I’ve also done some searching for me.”

I’d been trying to strengthen my resolve and bury my pain, but as he spoke, the sincerity in his voice buffeted my defenses, and I was once again faced with an internal struggle. While a part of me wanted to turn and face him, I knew that if I did I would lose my already weakened grip on my emotions. Meanwhile, as he swept my hair away from my face, the tenderness in his touch left me both hoping and fearing that he’d just take me into his arms.

“I’m sorry Cat,” Will said quietly, and in my experience statements beginning with an apology were rarely positive, so I closed my eyes, a single tear rolling down my cheek as I braced for the crushing blow that would shatter my heart. “I’m sorry that I am what I am. You’ve got to believe me that if I could be normal again, I would. I’d rather grow old and die with you than live an eternity without you.”

His words were much more pleasant than what I had expected to hear, and oh how I wanted to believe them, but unfortunately, I still had some lingering doubts that wouldn’t be easily laid to rest. However, my anger did dissipate only to be replaced with uncertainty and confusion as I finally allowed myself to turn around. My head tilted slightly to the side and I searched his eyes, hoping to find the truth in his reaction as I said, “But I thought–”

Sadly, I was cut off as the sound of several angry voices drifted from the alley we had just left, and what was worse was that they sounded like they were getting closer. My head jerked in the direction of the alley as I realized that there must have been at least one survivor from the fight, and that man had gone for reinforcements.

Faced with the prospect of being outnumbered in a fight for a second time, I decided that running would be a better option. As I turned to run to the docks, my eyes briefly locked with Will’s and I felt a pang of regret. We still had much to talk about, and I could only hope that we’d get another chance.

Running to the dock, I was painfully aware of the fact that the Galleon was on the far side, and I wasn’t sure if I’d make it there before being seen by our pursuers but I was going to try. I could tell that Will was behind me, but as we got to the Oracle I figured he’d go to his ship. What I didn’t expect was for him to grab my hand, and say, “There’s no time.” I realized that he wanted me to go with him to the Oracle, and I did not agree. “Please Cat,” he pleaded when I started to object, and my resistance died with my words as I allowed Will to pull me to where I didn’t really want to go.

We got to Oracle just as the men reached the docks, so we found ourselves having to duck below the railing in hopes of not being seen. Unfortunately it didn’t seem to work. I was sitting on the deck, leaning against the wall, as Will and I listened silently as they approached.

“I think I saw someone on this ship…You two know what they look like, go check it out,” one man said, and I found myself reaching for my sword.

“I’m not goin' on that ship, it’s the Oracle!” another said, and I wondered at the near panic in his voice.

“So.”

“SO?! You’ve heard the stories!” My jaw clenched and I quirked an eyebrow at that. This man was refusing to board the Oracle and he’d only heard the stories, yet I’d willing boarded and I’d lived the stories. Suddenly, I wasn’t too sure who the more rational one was in this case.

“I don’t care about stories.”

“Well then you board her!”

There was silence, and for a moment I thought he was going to, but then he said, “Well they’re on one of these ships, so we’ll keep an eye on the docks; get a description of ‘em out to…” The man’s words had faded out as they left the dock, and with a grimace I lowered my head and rubbed my forehead in frustration. There was now an unknown faction who wanted Will and me dead for unknown reasons, and worse…they knew what we looked like. I saw no way for me to get back to the Galleon without being discovered.
#2739 Old 17th Dec 2007 at 4:04 AM
Default William Alderman and Cat Calloway - The Oracle
“I’d rather grow old and die with you than live an eternity without you.” As those words left my lips, I waited. I waited for what seemed to be the most pivotal moment of my undead life. Would she turn to me, or would she walk away?

Just when I about gave up hope, she finally turned towards me. Her head was slightly tilted to the side, and her eyes actually gazed upon my face. Finally I was getting through to her! She dared to look me in the eye as she began, “But I thought-“ That’s when other voices interrupted our moment. The sound of several angry men came from the alley. My mistake of leaving survivors in the fight just moments ago came back to haunt me. I had failed, I left those two men alive, enabling them to get help.

Cat’s eyes locked with my own, she had more she wanted to say, and this time when she turned to run, I knew she wasn’t running from me. She wanted me to follow, and I did. Part of me just wanted to slay the gang that was coming after us, to be done with them once and for all. But I was not about to let Cat out of my sight again. Not after she proved to be so hard to track down earlier this day.

We ran along the dock, I eyed the ships. The Galleon was at the far end, with the Jewel between her and the Oracle. As we neared the Oracle, I knew Cat wouldn’t stop. She had her sights set on the Galleon. Without even thinking I reached out for her hand, half expecting her to cut my hand off when I did. I turned to look behind me, I could vaguely make out the silhouette of their pack turn from the alley way. “There’s no time.”

The look on her face was crystal clear to me. She had to decide which she would rather endure, boarding the Oracle, or dying in a sword fight. I feared she’d choose the latter, so I pleaded with her again. “Please Cat!” With my words she stopped pulling away from me, and allowed me to pull her aboard the ship. As we got aboard the Oracle, we ducked low against the walls on deck. The gang of men were now at the dock, and we could hear them approach.

As Cat and I sat there in silence, we listened to their conversation. The Oracle did have its reputation, and I admit, I found it rather humorous. Part of me wanted to stand up in defiance and dare them to step foot upon the ship, only to watch them cower and run. But as I sat near to Cat, I could see how uncomfortable she was. She was not a willing stow a way on this ship, and perhaps was rethinking her decision. As the fools that had chased us declared their plans to stand vigil in watch for us, my gaze was unable to leave her beautiful face.

She looked so weary, so tired. I had never seen her like that before. She always had the spark of life in her eyes, even when outnumbered one hundred to one. We sat in silence for a while, each of us seemingly unable to put our feelings into words. As I studied her face, I recalled the moment when she had been taken captive by Ceryni, when I played along with the act of helping Mickey. The look she gave me as she was led away down into the holding cell was so painful. She had despised me at that moment.

Then later, when I rescued her from the cage, she had questioned my motives, but in the end she always saw the good in me. I needed her to do that again. I needed to connect with her.

Finally I broke our silent stare as I reached out for her face with my right hand. I placed it on the side of her face, gently sweeping away a single tear with my thumb. She allowed her head to rest in my hand. “I don’t think they’re going to leave anytime soon.” I spoke softly. “You look hungry. Will you come with me below deck? I'd like to find you something to eat.” I wanted her to follow, but I would not make her. I didn’t want to make her feel more trapped than she already did. I searched her eyes, hoping, waiting for the answer I wanted.

((OOC: Hope it's okay Starphyre... if not, let me know. ))
#2740 Old 26th Dec 2007 at 11:04 PM
Default Cat Calloway - on the Oracle
I felt drained sitting there as my thoughts returned to the last time I was aboard the Oracle. My gaze was drawn to the place where, in a moment which still haunted my dreams, I was held helpless to do anything but watch as Will was run through.

I looked to Will, and I saw that he appeared to be concerned. I still had doubts and questions, but my heart and mind were in such turmoil that I simply couldn’t find the words. For a while, it seemed that all either of us could do was look at each other, but then when Will reached out to me, I closed my eyes, and leaned into his touch as he wiped away a tear I didn’t realize had been shed.

“I don’t think they’re going to leave anytime soon.” Will said softly, and I opened my eyes and looked into his; wondering if he knew how difficult this was for me. “You look hungry,” he added. “Will you come with me below deck? I'd like to find you something to eat.”

I didn’t really want to eat, but I needed to be alone for a bit to be able to think and regain control, and more importantly, I needed to get off that deck. I briefly closed my eyes once again and took a deep breath to try to quiet my nerves. Then I gave a small nod and staying low, I followed Will to the door.

Once we were in the light below deck, I saw that we were both a mess. Though Will looked worse than I, but that’s what happens when one beats a man to death. Realizing the opportunity for a bit of solitude, I said, “I’m…I’m not really hungry,” and then picking at my shirt with distaste I asked, “but is there somewhere I can go to try to wash some of this off?”
#2741 Old 7th Jan 2008 at 3:34 AM
Default William Alderman - The Oracle
((OOC: Sorry it took me so long!!))

Cat nodded slowly giving me the okay to lead her below deck, crouching down low to avoid being noticed by the watch men below. I opened the door slowly, leading her into the belly of my now home. At first we walked in silence through the crowded hall. My mind was jumping all about, unable to rest upon any one thing. Then she spoke. “I’m… I’m not really hungry,” I stopped and turned towards her. “Is there somewhere I can go to try to wash some of this off?” I looked down at my own hands and shirt, grimy and torn from the fight that we had just been through. Of course! How stupid of me. Surely she’d want to wash off the stench of other men’s blood.

Unable to find any words I simply gave an understanding nod turning to lead her to my room. Once we got to the door, I opened it for her, allowing her to walk in before me. She took a few steps in, then came to a halt. I wondered what was going on in her mind, as we seemed to be in the most awkward of situations. I quickly walked over to the wash bowl and picked up the pitcher beside it. “I will go get some water.” I kicked an old trunk that sat in a corner, “You should be able to find a clean shirt in here.” I slightly smiled as a humorous thought came to my mind, but I didn’t dare let it escape past my lips. Instead, I simply stated “I’ll be right back. Make yourself at home.” I grimaced at my lousy choice of words. Way to go dummy! I scolded myself. How could she ever feel at home on a ship she hated… with a man she… I just couldn’t allow myself to finish that thought. The idea of Catherine hating me along with the Oracle was something I just couldn’t handle right now.

Luckily for me, there was some water still warm in the kitchen. Filling the jug I had brought with me, and another that was there, I hastily made my way back to the room I had left Cat in. First I knocked on the door, to get the clear to enter my own quarters while I left one jug in the hall. As I opened the door, I came face to face with those eyes. Stepping closer to her I had to withhold myself. Every muscle in my body wanted to just reach out and hold her. To press my lips against hers, to see if her passion for me still existed. Instead, I handed her the jug, my stare still the prisoner of her eyes.

“I will give you some time.” I managed to force in a low voice. “I’m going to clean up as well.” Having the weight of the jug taken from me, I backed out of the room. My gaze not leaving her beautiful, yet seemingly tormented eyes. I forced myself to reach for the ring on the door and close it. Once the door was closed I backed into the wall behind me. Thudding the back of my head on the wall a few times, I tried to come to my senses. Just what the hell was going on today, and how the hell was I to deal with it all?

Picking up the extra jug, I made my way to Mickey’s quarters which was only two doors down, where I proceeded to clean myself up. As I unbuttoned my shirt, I took in the sight of it. One could hardly call it a shirt any longer. It had so many slashes from my many close calls in the alley, it was barely suitable to be a rag. As I let the garment fall off my shoulders and onto the floor, I took a good hard look at my reflection in the mirror. My face was grimy, and my hands filthy and covered in blood. My side and chest had a few more scars now.

It was thanks to this “curse” that I was still alive. Well, sort of. I should have been a dead man that hour or so ago. I should be lying dead, bleeding on the ground, with Cat just a few yards from me in the same position. But I wasn’t. I was standing here in front of this mirror instead. Yet the one thing that kept entering my head was the words that she had said to me earlier. I may be breathing, and appear alive, but if I lost her, I’d have no joy in life at all.

I bent over the bowl, cupped the water in my hands and splashed it upon my face and my head. I had to scrub the dirt of the day off of my skin. I wanted to be rid of it, all of it. I searched the room for a change of clothes. The sprite was a tad shorter than I, so any pants of his did look a bit silly on me. I kept digging, finally at the bottom of the chest was a pair of trousers nearly my size. I slipped them on my now clean body and decided to return to my room. I wondered if Cat would have sat upon the bed to rest and possibly fall asleep. The darkness of night had fully fallen, and we had quite an exhausting day, both physically, and mentally.

As I stood outside the door to my room, I took a deep breath. This miscommunication or whatever it was needed to end tonight. With a deep breath, I rapped lightly on the door and slowly opened it, wondering what awaited me.

((OOC: There we go! The ball is back in your court. And yeah, I know... how man like. To go back to the room shirtless. ))
#2742 Old 11th Jan 2008 at 11:43 PM
Default Cat Calloway
“Is there somewhere I can go to try to wash some of this off?”

Will nodded and led me further down the hall, and when he opened the door for me, I walked into the room only to stop after a few steps. I hadn't given much thought to where he was taking me, but I certainly hadn’t expected it to be his quarters. Frankly, I didn’t really know what to make of the situation, so I decided to wait for him make the first move.

Fortunately, he quickly grabbed the pitcher beside the wash basin and said, “I will go get some water. You should be able to find a clean shirt in here,” he added, kicking a trunk in the corner. Looking at the trunk, I started to nod when he said “I’ll be right back,” but then I shot him a glare when he added, “Make yourself at home.”

I don’t think he saw the glare as he was already heading out the door. As soon as the door closed behind him, I started to pace the room trying to convince myself that he was simply being courteous, and that he didn’t mean anything by it. Stopping in front of the mirror, I took a good look at my appearance and all things considered, I felt far worse than I looked. “What does he want from me?” I asked my reflection.

At that point there was a knock signaling Will’s return, so I moved toward the door as I told him to come in. As soon as the door opened, our eyes locked and the tension in the room became almost tangible as he moved closer. “I will give you some time. I’m going to clean up as well,” Will said as he handed me the pitcher. My eyes never left his as I took the water from him, and when he started to back away, I thought about the first time we’d met on Starry Beach. The eyes may be the window to the soul, I thought, but can I trust myself to see clearly?

The closing door finally broke our gaze, and yet I stood there for a moment, just staring at the place where his eyes had been until a dull thudding on the other side of the door shook me out of my daze. I struggled with the urge to go after Will, and the only thing that kept from doing so was the fact that I had no idea what I wanted to say.

I walked back to the mirror and poured some of the water into the basin. When I took off my shirt, my eye was drawn to the bruise that was already forming on my stomach, and turning around and looking back into the mirror, I could see that there was a similar bruise forming on my back. With a sigh, I once again turned to the mirror and proceeded to wash away the dirt and grime; next I leaned over the basin and poured the rest of the water over my hair, and then I twisted my hair in the towel in an attempt to get it as dry as possible before putting on a clean shirt.

All the while that I was washing up, I had also been thinking about all that had happened that day. Trying to figure out how everything fit together, and more precisely, where it left us. I guess it all boils down to what he really wants, I thought as I pulled a shirt out of the trunk Will had indicated. However, my chain of thought was broken when I caught scent on the shirt…his scent. Without thinking, I closed my eyes as I brought the shirt up and took a few deep breaths to take in the smell.

Suddenly realizing what I was doing, I shook my head, trying to clear it. Taking stock of the current situation, I couldn’t help but think that Will had to have known how much this was hurting me. Is he playing some sort of perverse game? I thought, but quickly disregarded it as I wouldn’t – no couldn’t believe he’d be that cruel. So then, I thought as I put the shirt on, either he’s just telling me what I want to hear, or he’s changed his mind, and while I hoped it was the latter, I feared it was the former.

I was still buttoning the shirt when I heard Will’s light knocking and the creak of the door opening slowly. Finishing the last button as I turned, I looked up to find Will standing shirtless in the doorway, his pants seeming to be just a touch too small so they accentuated his…

Huh, I thought as my heart raced, it seems he can be cruel after all. Caught off guard, my thoughts became jumbled and my words floundered. “Will, I uh…” clearing my throat I tried again. “Y-you…” This isn’t fair, I thought in frustration as I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to regroup my thoughts. Finally with a heavy sigh I said, “Earlier you were perfectly happy with the curse, but now you say you’d rather grow old with me…” I found myself moving closer to him, “Please be honest,” I said as I once again searched for the truth in his eyes. “Do you really mean it, or are you just saying what you think I want to hear?”

He looked like he was about to say something, but there was more I needed to say, so I held up a hand, silently asking him to let me finish. Then I brought that hand to my heart and said, “Will, I love you...and I always will.” At that point I dropped my hand to my side as I continued, “But if you don’t truly want to be freed from the curse, then-” struggling with my words, I lowered my gaze for a moment then looked back into his eyes, and through the hurt, I pressed on, “then we have to end this now. Otherwise i-it’ll only be worse later.”
#2743 Old 12th Jan 2008 at 10:17 PM
Default Will and Cat - The Oracle
((OOC: Mush alert! I'm full of it lately!))

As I slowly opened the door, uneasiness settled upon my body. I peered into the room just in time to see Cat turn to my direction. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, freshly washed it appeared longer than usual. Her fingers hurried to finish a button on the shirt, on my shirt. She looked so beautiful standing there in front of me, at spots the shirt clung to her body underneath thanks to being wet from her hair. She stood as an angel before me, a tormented angel.

As I took in the sight of her, she seemed to do the same. However, she looked beautiful covered by one of my shirts, I on the other hand must have looked a fool in pants a bit tight and short. Good… if you’re going to play the part of a fool, you might as well look it.

“Will, I uh…” she began and suddenly stopped. My eyes focused on her face, letting her know she had my full attention. “Y-you…” she tried to begin before stalling once again. Say something to her. The voice inside my head nagged at me. But as she ran her fingers through her hair in obvious frustration I couldn’t find my voice. All I could do was look upon her. She had no idea how beautiful she really was. Finally she sighed, and the words seemed to come to her. “Earlier you were perfectly happy with the curse, but now you say you’d rather grow old with me…” her tone of voice, the words she used conveyed to me what I had been missing all along. It wasn’t that she hated the Oracle, I mean, she did, but it wasn’t what drove her away from me. It was the thought that I chose it over her. I had said no such thing, but if I was honest with myself, I did give that impression. My heart ached for her as she continued to speak, her body slowly making its way to me. “Please, be honest.” Her eyes searched my own, penetrating me. “Do you really mean it, or are you just saying what you think I want to hear?”

I had to answer her, I had to put this pain of hers to rest. She had to know that my words were genuine and not just lip service. But as I was about to tell her, she held her hand up to me once again, letting me know she was not finished with me yet. As her hand rested over her heart she continued, “Will, I love you… and I always will.” Her voice was heavy with emotion, it was as if there was a tidal wave of tears being held back behind those beautiful eyes. “But if you don’t truly want to be freed from the curse, then…” she struggled, whatever she had to say obviously pained her. “…then we have to end this now. Otherwise i-it’ll only be worse later.”

End this? my heart screamed at me. I looked upon her face, her beautiful face. How could I have caused the woman I love, so much pain and sadness? It was my lack of way with words. They had caused her this pain, this doubt of my love for her. I could not trust them, not in a moment as important as this.

My lips parted to say her name to tell her how dear she was to me, but I couldn’t. Instead I took a step towards her, closing out the little distance she had left between us. I reached up to hold her face in both of my hands. My own eyes threatened to release tears at the thought I had hurt her so much. She had to see the answer in my eyes, but just in case she didn’t…

I leaned into her and we shared a kiss so gentle, so slow and passionate that there couldn’t be a tint of doubt left in her mind. My hands rotated towards the back of her head, burying themselves in her raven hair. My instincts urged me to take her into my arms, to finally lay bare all that stirred within me, but I knew I couldn’t, not yet. As our kiss broke, I did not let her go. My hands held on to her.

“Cat, I am sorry for hurting you, I never intended it. I am afraid that I am no poet. I don’t have a way with words like you do. But please, put your mind to rest, nothing is more important to me now than you.”

My arms slid down her back, wishing to hold her form against mine, but as I did she flinched. Her movement startled me as I hesitantly let go of her, I saw in her eyes that her sudden movement was not a voluntary reaction. “Let me see.” It was a partial question a partial demand.

She waved me off with her words. “Really, it’s nothing, especially compared to what it could’ve been.”

“Cat, please.” My eyes urged her. “I want to see how bad it is.” With a sigh she hesitantly turned, lifting the back of the shirt. As she did I saw her porcelain white skin was marred with a bruise bound to become so deep and dark it was painful to look at it.

I came around to stand in front of her, concern in my eyes. “Is there more?” I asked. She answered with a look of hers that had become all too familiar to me. One that chastised me for treating her as if she were a delicate flower. This time however I would not allow her to win and I communicated so with my stare. She hesitantly admitted there was as she lifted the front hem of her shirt barely far enough to expose another bruise on her stomach. At that moment I wished I could take them from her. It wasn’t fair that I stood with no scratches, no pain what so ever and here she had to bear both the physical pain of bruises, and the emotional pain I had caused her.

I leaned forward to place an ever so gentle kiss upon her stomach. I’d be lying if I said that was all I wanted to do, the instincts within me wished to continue up the front of her body, only after a detour they would return to the lips I had just kissed. But as she flinched under my gentle touch I scolded myself for being so selfish.

I took her hands within my own after she hurriedly pulled the hem of the shirt back down, fully covering her once again. A grin came across my face as I spoke to her quietly. “I want to hold you so bad, but it seems I cannot do so without causing you pain.”

I dropped one of her hands, holding on to the other. I wasn’t sure if she fully trusted me yet, and that was something I was going to have to rectify. Even if I had fully convinced her that my heart’s desire was her, I doubted she could push away the pain of the day so easily. With her hand in mine, I lead her to the side of my bed and I asked her to sit. The look in her eyes questioned me. “You’ll see.” I answered. I fell to my knees and reached under the bed for a box I had kept hidden. Finally finding it, I pulled it out and sat it upon her lap. “Open it.” I requested as I sat beside her on the bed.

As she opened the box, I began to tell her my story. Of how my mother had died at the hands of the man everyone called my father. Everyone except her that is. How she had given me that dagger in the box now in Cat’s lap as a reminder that I was not his son, I was a son of someone greater. That I heard my mother speaking with my father when I was only a boy. My mother loved that man, and I believed he shared that love.

“My mother died because of the fact she loved my father. That has always haunted me.” I spoke to Cat but I could not move my stare from the floor boards in front of me. Finally speaking about it was like reopening the wound I thought had healed long ago. “My mother was the only person who loved me, and I had told myself I would never allow myself to love or be loved again. That’s why I chose this life, always looking out for number one.”

I turned to look into her eyes, she had to know I meant this. “But then somewhere along the way, you managed to love me. And I’m afraid I have hurt you just as my mother was hurt. But Cat, you have to know that it was not my intention. And now that I have you so near to me, I can’t lose you.” I reached for the box that sat upon her lap, and placed it onto the bed behind us. “The dagger was my fathers, and this was my mothers.” I took a beaded necklace from the box. “It’s not diamonds or pearls. Hell, I’m sure you’ve seen far more precious things during your life on the sea. But these two things are my most precious possessions.” I undid the clasp on the necklace and held it up to put it on her if she’d let me. “I want you to have this Cat. So if I ever screw up again, this will remind you of where my heart really lies.”

((OOC: Woah! It took on a life of its own. I’m forcing myself to stop now. :D))
#2744 Old 18th Jan 2008 at 6:02 AM
Default Will and Cat
Even though it was probably in the space of a single heartbeat, it felt like an eternity that I fought back my tears as I awaited Will’s answer. However, when he started to speak, it seemed as though his words wouldn’t, or couldn’t come. Instead, he took a step forward and closed physical gap between us. Then taking my face in his hands and looking deeply into my eyes, he closed the emotional gap as well. In the storm of emotions in his eyes, I saw the truth I had been hoping for.

We then shared a kiss so deep and passionate that my fears and doubts were swept away as my arms wrapped around him and his hands became entwined within my hair. When our lips parted, I was grateful that he didn’t let go as I found great comfort simply being in his arms.

“Cat, I am sorry for hurting you, I never intended it” Will said. “I am afraid that I am no poet. I don’t have a way with words like you do. But please, put your mind to rest, nothing is more important to me now than you.”

Never intended it? I thought, and feeling both relieved and frustrated, I was unsure whether I wanted to laugh or cry at the thought of all that pain having been over a mistake. I leaned into him and rested my head upon his chest as his arms started to move down my back. Sadly, the embrace didn’t last long, for his hand inadvertently found the bruise and the resulting stab of pain caused me to flinch. Much to my dismay, he brought his arms away, and I looked up to him as I reluctantly did the same, afraid that he might think I was shuddering at his touch.

“Let me see,” he said in a firm tone, and while I was glad that he understood why I flinched, I really didn’t want him to worry about it; I just wanted to go back to his arms.

“Really, it’s nothing,” I said, trying to assure him that it wasn’t important, “especially compared to what it could’ve been.”

Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be so easily deterred. “Cat, please. I want to see how bad it is.”

I found myself feeling compelled to show him even if it was only so he could see that it wasn’t that bad. So, with a sigh I turned my back to him and lifted the shirt to reveal the bruise. I let the shirt fall as he started to come to stand in front of me, and I was about to comment on how minor it was, but I didn’t get the chance.

“Is there more?” he asked, concern written clearly in his eyes.

Despite his concern, I wasn’t inclined to acknowledge that there was. I couldn’t see why he was making such a fuss over simple bruises; they weren’t the worst wounds I’d ever received. I gave a look that urged him to drop the matter, but he just responded with a look that said it wasn’t going to happen. I hesitated for a bit, but then I realized that standing there trying to stare each other down wasn’t going to get us anywhere, so I relented. “There’s one more,” I said as I raised the front of the shirt just far enough for him to see the bruise on my stomach.

When he leaned forward, I assumed it was to get a closer look and was about to say, “See, it’s nothing,” but the words never escaped my lips. I suddenly found my head swimming and my heart fluttering as he gently placed a kiss upon my stomach. I was beginning to get lost in the sensation, but then there was another stab of pain which caused me to flinch once again.

With the moment shattered, Will straightened as I jerked the shirt back down and silently cursed myself for flinching. He then took my hands, and with a grin he whispered, “I want to hold you so bad, but it seems I cannot do so without causing you pain.”

I wanted to tell him not to worry about it and hold me anyway, but I know he would not do that so I stayed silent. Of course, I did wonder what he had in mind when he led me to the bed.

“You’ll see,” was his only response to the look I gave him, then when he fished a box out from under the bed, he placed it in my lap and sitting down beside me, he said, “Open it.”

I opened the box to find a dagger and a beaded necklace, and Will began to tell me about his youth and the significance of the dagger. Even though he didn’t look at me while speaking, I watched him closely, and my heart ached for him as I saw the distant and haunted look on his face.

“My mother died because of the fact she loved my father. That has always haunted me,” he said. I really wanted to take him into my arms and comfort him, but I wasn’t sure if he’d welcome such an interruption yet, so I refrained as he pressed on. “My mother was the only person who loved me, and I had told myself I would never allow myself to love or be loved again. That’s why I chose this life, always looking out for number one.”

I once again found myself fighting back tears as I thought of how lonely such a life must have been. And I certainly didn’t make it any better today, I thought, reflecting on my earlier actions.

Then he returned to the present as he turned and looked into my eyes and said, “But then somewhere along the way, you managed to love me. And I’m afraid I have hurt you just as my mother was hurt. But Cat, you have to know that it was not my intention. And now that I have you so near to me, I can’t lose you.”

The lump in my throat intensified as I realized just how much I had hurt him, but before I could promise him that he wasn’t going to lose me, he continued.

“The dagger was my fathers, and this was my mothers” he said, removing the necklace as he set the box aside. “It’s not diamonds or pearls. Hell, I’m sure you’ve seen far more precious things during your life on the sea. But these two things are my most precious possessions.” Undoing the clasp, he held the necklace toward me as he said, “I want you to have this Cat. So if I ever screw up again, this will remind you of where my heart really lies.”

At first, the fact that he was offering me something so cherished left me at a loss for suitable words. So, I silently turned around and gathered my hair to one side to allow him to put the necklace on me. “It’s beautiful,” I said as I turned back to face him. “I’ll always treasure it.” Then, taking hold of one of his hands, I said, “I wish I could give you something in return, but I have no possessions that I hold so dear. All I have to offer you is this…” I placed his hand upon my heart and covered it with both of my hands. “Know that no matter what Fate has in store for us, my heart will forever be yours.”

I placed a gentle kiss on his palm before returning his hand to him, but then a look of sorrow and remorse came upon my face as I once again thought of how spiteful I had been. I had come to recognize that I wasn’t faultless in all of this, and I had to apologize. “And Will, I am so sorry… I was so caught up in my own fears and anxieties that I didn’t really give you a chance… I was so hurtful to you and I jus-”

My words were suddenly cut short as Will leaned in and our lips met in another kiss. I was a little surprised at first, but then I returned his embrace and one thing led to another as we surrendered to our passion…

…Some time later, we lay drifting off to sleep; wrapped in the sheets and each other’s arms.
#2745 Old 19th Jan 2008 at 10:58 PM
Default William Alderman and Cat Calloway - The Oracle
Something tickled my cheek as I hung in the balance between sleep and consciousness. Struggling to wake my body, my eyes barely opened to see Cat lying beside me. A strand of her hair was the culprit in waking me, my arm was draped snugly over her waist. As my eyes returned to their closed position, a quick grin came upon my face. So it wasn’t a dream. I had indeed finally spent the night with the fiery woman I had come to share everything with.

As my body lay peacefully, my mind recalled the night before that lead me to this moment. As she accepted my mother’s necklace she took my hand and placed it above her heart. I thought surely if she knew that action was going to drive me crazy, she wouldn’t have done it. But as she sat apologizing, I just couldn’t allow her to continue. We had both apologized enough. I remembered the look in her eyes as I took her into my arms. It was obvious to me, that no matter what her emotion, happiness, fear, sorrow, she felt it with tremendous passion. And tremendous passion was exactly what last night was all about.

Wanting to savior the moment, I continued to lie, silently in a happy state of bliss. I’m not sure how much time passed, but before too long she began to stir. I could feel her roll from her side, now to her back. I confess, I didn’t want the feeling to end, so I remained still, my eyes relaxed close. If I denied the fact that the morning had come, maybe I would somehow deny it the right to take this moment away from me.

But unfortunately, I had no such power, and soon I felt Cat slide out from under my arm, I peeked through one eye lid to see her legs slide over the edge of the bed. As she began to put on my shirt that she had briefly worn the night before, I found myself enjoying the act of simply watching her. It was good to have her with me, in my arms. Now, more than ever I didn’t want to be separated from her. As she continued to get dressed, my happy thoughts turned to sadder ones. This was not her ship, this was not where she belonged. I wondered if I could convince her otherwise… she belonged in my arms, and my arms were owned by this ship.

Before I could continue down that path of thought, I closed my eyes quickly, as it seemed she was readying to turn around. Soon my suspicions were proved correct as I could feel the mattress give way under her weight as she kneeled on the bed. I felt her hand placed gently on my arm, her lips graced my cheek. In the bat of an eye, my arms sprung up around her. I rolled to my side, pulling her body over my own. In one swift movement, I managed to pull her down onto the bed, pinning her under my arm. “Good morning beautiful.” I said as my eyes landed upon her own.

Whether or not she saw it coming, I do not know, but she didn’t seem to mind too much, as her eyes held no hint of displeasure over our new position. I leaned in for another kiss, a proper kiss to communicate how happy she had made me. I then lowered my head to the pillow, squeezing her body tight in my arms. I snuggled as close to her as I could, taking in her scent, feeling her warmth. “Mmmm.” I let out a most content sigh. She turned her head towards me, granting me the pleasure to look upon her face. She was so perfect, so right. I didn’t want to let her go. A guilty grin came over my face before I gave her a quick playful kiss. “Let’s just stay in bed all day.”
#2746 Old 20th Jan 2008 at 5:52 PM
Default Will and Cat - On the Oracle
The next morning, I awoke from the most peaceful night’s sleep that I’d had in far too long. Opening my eyes, a tender smile settled upon my face as I looked at Will. I didn’t know if it was the warmth of his body, the comfort of his touch, or even his mere presence, but something about him had kept my troubling dreams at bay.

I lingered in his arms for a few minutes not wanting the tranquil feeling to end, but unfortunately, I knew our time was limited, and too much of it had been wasted the previous day. Taking care not to disturb Will, I reluctantly left his bed and started to dress.

While I was dressing, I thought about how the day should have gone, and my happiness was dampened when I realized that I would have to tell him about the fake coin. Once clothed, I turned back to the bed; wondering how to tell him and how he’d take the news. However, as I once again looked at Will, he looked so serene in his sleep that I found my smile returning.

I knelt on the bed and leaned in to wake him with a gentle kiss, but as soon as my lips touched his cheek, he suddenly grabbed me. I was so surprised that I was unable to react before, in one fluid motion, I found myself once again lying in bed, wrapped in his arms. Only this time, I was looking into his eyes as he said, “Good morning beautiful.”

A slight smirk tugged at my lips, but the mischievous grin and its accompanying thoughts never fully formed as I became preoccupied with his kiss. Then he gave a content sigh as he held me close, and I gave him a smile which indicated that I shared the sentiment. He then grinned as he gave me a quick playful kiss and said, “Let’s just stay in bed all day.”

While I wanted nothing more than to be able to do that, I knew we couldn’t and I felt my smile dissolve as my expression turned somber. “Will…,” I hesitated, feeling guilty that I was about to ruin the moment along with his mood, but I didn’t see any other choice. “We need to talk.”

I paused for a moment to figure out how I wanted to say this, and still looking into his eyes, he let me know that I had his attention as I continued. “We don’t have the coin we need to break the curse. The coin that the Jewel had was a fake.”

He paused for a moment, and then asked, "Do you think they planted it, and still have the real coin? Or do you think they never had the real one to begin with?"

“Well, I was talking to someone from the Jewel, and she seemed genuinely surprised and bitter to hear that the coin we had taken from them was fake.” I paused for a moment as I thought of the conversation I’d had with Dementia. “She also mentioned something about needing the wielder of the coin as well as the coin… What did she mean by that?”

Will let out a heavy sigh, rolling onto his back. His eyes stared at the boards above us as he said, "Sounds like the coin isn't the only thing we need. We need to find the person it belongs to. Thing is, was the girl on the Jewel the right person, with the wrong coin? Or have we been chasing the wrong ship all along?"

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” I said as I propped myself up on my elbow. “I want to try to talk to her, and find out how she came to get the coin. We should be able to track down the coin from there,” I said, and then silently added, I hope. “I don’t suppose they said where the coin came from, or how they managed to lose it, did they?” I tried to keep my emotions out of my voice, but I could hear some of the bitterness seep into the question.

His eyes once again met mine as he said, "They really never spoke about it. When I started asking about it, all I ever heard was that the Jewel had it.” After another pause, he continued, “But... Maybe I could find out."

I sat up, irked that after all that time, they were still keeping him in the dark. I my eyes grazed the porthole as I turned back to Will. “You-” My words were cut short as I straightened with a gasp and quickly turned back to the porthole with a look of dread upon my face. “NO!” I yelled as I ran from the room; grabbing my sword-belt on the way.

They can’t have gotten far, I thought as I ran down the hall. I was determined to commandeer a dinghy even if I had to threaten to make someone a eunuch to get it. However, bursting onto the main deck, I saw that the sun was already near midday and Tortuga was nowhere on the horizon. I stood frozen in shock, wondering how we had managed to sleep through the ship's departure.

“Looks like we got a stowaway,” I heard someone say, and coming back to my senses, I turned to find myself confronted by three men. I let my still sheathed sword fall to the deck; they hadn’t drawn their weapons, but really there was no need to…

“What’ll we do with her?” one asked. “Captain’ll decide her fate,” another said, and then looking at someone behind me, he added, “There he is now.”

I spun around fully expecting to see one of the two men I loathed more than any other, but my glare quickly turned to a confused frown when I saw that Will was the only person there.
#2747 Old 24th Jan 2008 at 2:39 AM
Default Will and Cat - The Oracle
We… need… to talk… Those are the words that make guys fear. And they had come from my Catherine.

Without speaking, I let her know she had my attention, and we began to discuss the business of breaking the curse. While I had been happy caught in the carefree moment with Cat, her thoughts and heart had been upon us. I couldn’t fault her for it, and actually, I was glad she seemed eager to get about making things right for us.

Soon my eyes were searching the boards above me, my mind searching all the little comments I’ve ever heard. Was there anything I had ever missed? I came up empty handed. I looked towards her eyes; she had to know that I wasn’t going to give up on her. “But… Maybe I could find out.” Immediately plans began to come to my head. I would have to go back into Tortuga, and find my mates. They had to know something.

“You…” Cat began, when suddenly she gasped. There was something out the port hole that caught her attention. “NO!” she yelled, her voice filled with urgency as she sprinted out the door after grabbing her sword. I had no idea what she saw, and quite frankly, I didn’t want to take the time to find out. She was obviously upset by something, and I would follow her. I jumped out of bed only to realize I couldn’t follow her like this. Naked.

I kicked the trunk open that I had pointed out to Cat last night, and quickly got dressed. The lower half of me anyway, as time was of the essence. I grabbed a shirt and worked on getting my arms in the holes as I ran out the door as well. I doubted my shipmates would harm Cat. They seemed to all know that I at least fancied her. But Cat was on a ship that she did not like, with a crew, she liked even less.

I ran down the hall as quick as I could, which still wasn’t quick enough. I thought I heard the ever slight sound of a sword dropping above deck. The sound only propelled me even more, and soon I was taking the steps two at a time up to main deck.

“Captain’ll decide her fate,” I heard someone say as I came up on deck. The words didn’t even register as all I could focus on was being by Cat’s side. I was not going to allow her to face anyone alone. As I walked urgently towards her the voice added “There he is now.”

Cat spun around to face me, her sword and belt on the floor at her feet. The look of confusion was all I could see on her face. Still the words they had spoke, had not registered in my mind. I walked to her, taking my place beside her. “She’s with me, leave her alone.”

“Whatever the Captain says,” they began to respond.

“I don’t care what Cap’n says," I interjected, annoyance in my voice. "If she’s got a problem with it, she can take it up with me.” The trio just stood staring at me with goofy grins on their faces. That’s when I heard her voice again.

“Will?” Her voice was cautious, yet trying to get my attention. That’s when I realized we were out at sea. The ship had left port, and land of any kind was nowhere in sight. Judging by the sun’s position above my head, we had slept the whole morning away.

Suddenly I felt bad for her. Her crew was in Tortuga, no doubt they now think she was kidnapped. Would they be after us soon? I looked towards Cat, stumbling over my words. “I’m sorry… I mean, I didn’t know… I mean, I thought we would be in port all night… I don’t know…”

“I know.” Her voice was soft, with a smile that was barely there. She was communicating that she didn’t suspect any foul play on my part. Something I was relieved to hear. She then continued, cautiously, her prior look of bewilderment returned to her face. “But… I think they’re talking about you.”

My brows furrowed in disbelief. “What?” my word had barely even been a whisper. I turned to look at the three men to only find there were more that stood with them now. My head leaned in, as if such a small amount of distance would make things clear for me.

“ME?”

“Yessir.” One of them spoke up. “That’s what they said.”

“They?”

“Yeah, that and they wanted us to set sail after the Jewel. We had orders not to wake ye cap’n.”

The fact that they insisted on calling me cap’n was just plain weird. I wasn’t no captain! The look of disbelief must have been plain as day on my face as they soon attempted to help me get it.

“There’s a note fer you on the desk in the captain’s quarters.”

I felt as if I were in some twisted dream. I looked towards Cat who seemed to be just as confused as I was. I reached down for her hand, taking it in my own. She griped my hand in return as if to tell me she already knew what I was going to ask. I led her to the captain’s quarters, opening the door slowly I peaked my head inside. The last time I was in this room I was trying to bribe captain into letting Ceryni and I have some fun at Tortuga. The room didn’t look much different now. There were a few things missing, mainly personal items.

When I spotted an open letter on the desk, I dropped Cat’s hand and took quick long strides to the desk. I picked it up in my hands and tried to read it just as quickly. While most of the words made no sense to me because I had scanned it so quickly, a line on the bottom of the paper stopped me in my figurative tracks.

“We know you’ll do us proud Cap’n Will.”

My eyes grew large and my hands dropped. I turned to Cat, and with total astonishment I could barely utter three little words. “I’m the captain.”

((OOC: If any of my fellow undead pirates are around… I hope no one minds that we made Will captain. Starphyre and I are just trying to wrap up our characters story. We want to be able to send them sailing off into the horizon looking for a cure since the RP is pretty much dead. No offense meant to anyone!))
#2748 Old 1st Feb 2008 at 10:34 PM
Default Will and Cat - The Oracle
I spun around fully expecting to see one of the two men I loathed more than any other, but my glare quickly turned to a confused frown when I saw that Will was the only person there.

“She’s with me, leave her alone,” Will said as he quickly walked toward us.

“Whatever the Captain says,” someone began, and my head snapped to look at the speaker, suspicion starting to seep onto my face. It was the second time he had referred to Will as the captain; however, after what had happened the previous day, I wasn’t going to jump to conclusions. It’s a good thing I didn’t, for Will quickly cut the man off with obvious annoyance, and when he referred to the captain as “she,” I knew that he’d had no part in whatever was going on.

Will may have been excluded from my suspicions, but I still didn’t trust anyone else on that ship. What are they playing at? I thought when I saw that they were simply grinning. Will however, didn’t seem to have quite realized exactly what was going on, and so I cautiously said his name to get his attention.

As the gravity of situation sunk in, he turned to me and said, “I’m sorry… I mean, I didn’t know… I mean, I thought we would be in port all night… I don’t know…”

“I know,” I said quietly, and gave a fleeting smile to let him know I didn’t fault him, but there was more going on that he seemed to be missing, so I decided to call it to his attention. “But…I think they’re talking about you.”

“What?” he asked in little more than a whisper, but then he turned to the growing number of people and asked, “ME?”

“Yessir.” One of them spoke up. “That’s what they said.”

“They?”

“Yeah, that and they wanted us to set sail after the Jewel. We had orders not to wake ye cap’n.”

My suspicions only deepened at the mention of them, and I didn’t like the implications behind the fact that they kept calling him captain. This must be a trick, I thought, why would they be going after the Jewel?

“There’s a note fer you on the desk in the captain’s quarters.”

He took my hand, and I gripped his to let him know I wasn’t going to be left behind. As we entered the captain’s cabin, Will quickly went to the note on the desk, and while he read, I surveyed room. It looked as though the captain’s rum cabinet had been ransacked, but the mess didn’t look to be new.

Then Will turned toward me, and with a clear look of astonishment, he said, “I’m the captain.”

While his eyes grew wide, mine narrowed, for I still felt that it had to be a trick that they were playing. I moved toward him, but he seemed to be in such a daze that he just handed me the note and sat on the desk. As I read the letter, my expression grew stony.

The note gave their excuses as to why they left and why they sent the ship after the Jewel, but I found their reasoning to be weak and questionable. Of course, my emotions may have skewed my perception of the said reasons, but that’s beside the point... I was livid, first they force their curse on Will, and now they’ve deserted the Oracle; leaving Will to his fate. Then, to add insult to injury, they didn’t even have the decency to tell him in person.

By the time I got to the bottom of the page, my expression had turned stony and my voice became flat as I said, “So it would seem.” Trying to maintain control, I slowly and deliberately folded the note back up and set it on the desk. Then I turned to Will, and hoping he’d understand that my anger wasn’t directed at him, I quirked an eyebrow and said, “Not as bad as they’ve been made out to be?”
#2749 Old 1st Feb 2008 at 11:18 PM
Default Will and Cat - The Oracle
“I’m the captain.” Were the only words I could manage to utter as disbelief set in. Cat had walked towards me and without a second thought I handed the note to her as I plopped on the desk top. I had to sit down otherwise I would have fell. My mind raced, trying to comprehend what had just happened. I was given a ship! A whole ship! Not all that long ago a Captain threw me over board, now I was the captain. I could throw anyone I wanted overboard!

“So it would seem.” Cat’s cold voice snapped me back to reality. I looked towards her as she was slowly folding the letter. The look upon her face was the exact opposite of the excitement I felt inside. “Not as bad as they’ve been made out to be?” her question drained my face of any fortune I had felt. She was not seeing this the way I did. Maybe her anger of being on a ship she despised poisoned her ability to see the positive possibilities.

I hopped off the desk, putting my hands on her arms wanting her attention. “Cat, I’m sorry you’re stuck on this ship now.” That statement had been true and heartfelt. What I forced myself to say next was not so easy. “If you want, I’ll order them to turn around and go back to Tortuga to see if the Galleon is still there.” I silently hoped she would not ask me to do that. I was so happy to have her with me. I didn’t give her time to answer my statement before I continued on. “But Cat… I am the captain now. We have an entire crew at our disposal. We can go where ever we want whenever we want. We can go together.” I pleaded with her to see that while this was most un-expected, and not ideal, it still gave us an advantage.

“You and I have the same goal… to find the coin and break the curse. I’m sure everyone on this ship would support that mission.” And I’ll throw them overboard if they don’t, I added silently in my mind. I let go of her shoulders, my arms dropping to my side as I looked into her eyes. “Wherever you want to go Cat, I’ll give the orders.”
#2750 Old 8th Feb 2008 at 12:30 AM
Default Will and Cat - On the Oracle
“Not as bad as they’ve been made out to be?” I asked, thinking about what he had previously said of his shipmates, and I saw the elation drain from his face at my question. Does he still defend them, I thought in disbelief, and when he stood up and placed his hands on my shoulders, I expected him to try to change my opinion of them, so I started to think of some counter-arguments. However, I was not prepared for what he had to say.

Cat, I’m sorry you’re stuck on this ship now,” Will said.

Stuck?! I thought as I caught my breath in a near panic. All arguments and thoughts were obliterated from my mind save one: Have I been-

“If you want, I’ll order them to turn around and go back to Tortuga to see if the Galleon is still there.”

I released my breath as I knew that he wouldn’t have been able to make that offer had I been cursed. Before I could respond, he continued on to explain what he saw as the advantages of my staying aboard the Oracle, and try though I may, I was unable to find faults in his logic.

“Wherever you want to go Cat, I’ll give the orders.”

Despite his sound reasoning, my instinctive reaction was to go back to the Galleon, and as such it was almost immediately that I opened my mouth to tell him to turn the ship around. However, before any words could pass my lips, the rational part of my mind silenced them. Biting my bottom lip, I crossed my arms and aimlessly paced the room as I thought about what he had said.

He’s right; it would be senseless for us to be following the same trail on separate ships… Really the Galleon has no need for the coin, so why would they continue the chase... If we go back to Tortuga now, we lose the Jewel and will have to waste time trying to find her again…It may be difficult for a while, but at least they’re not here… My pacing halted as I realized that all other arguments paled in comparison to that last fact. His so-called friends had just abandoned him I couldn’t do the same…

I turned back to Will and once again opened my mouth to speak, but unfortunately this time no words would come. Clearing my throat, I tried again but all I could manage was a strangled, “I…” Even though I made the decision to stay with both my heart and my mind, I couldn’t say the words. It was almost as though my voice was conspiring against me.

Unfortunately, Will seemed to misunderstand my inability to speak, and looking dejected, he started to walk past me; intending to order the ship back to Tortuga.

I quickly grabbed his hand to keep him from leaving, but when he looked back to me, I still couldn’t say what I knew he needed to hear. All I could do was shake my head. Frustrated, I lowered my gaze, trying to figure this out. As I looked down, my eyes fell upon his hand in mine, the same hand I had taken the night before…

Suddenly, a warm smile alighted upon my face as I found the solution. Taking his hand in both of mine, I looked up to him, and without a hint of hesitation or doubt I said, “I will follow my heart.”
 
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