[[It was indeed Will's turn to post, but I must say that I enjoyed that filler, PD.

Maeth - I don't mind you adding Jack in at all! Nice post for Gibbs, btw. You've got him down quite well I must say.

Will, I like that idea... lots of tension... and then Keyara would want to deliever the chest because if she doesn't, she pretty much has "failed" Beckett... i.e, she would have broken her end of the bargain to retrieve it for him. Yay tension!!!! W00t!

I may do a filler involving Jack if I get the chance... *ponders*]]

[ Hello m'dears
Indeed I had looked over Ara's post, so I was not aware that I was needed. But I've had an extremely busy week. My whole family got the flue so that kept me quite busy and the entire week the uni kept me from home until 8pm with still alot of assignments to work on.

I hope to find a bit of time to post today. Prepare Ara for a little Sam-Vari tension ]

_________________


O children, lift up your voice, lift up your voice,
Children, rejoice, rejoice..



It doesn't matter you don't believe in God, He believes in you.

[[Huzzah! I cannot wait to watch this one play out... I know it's gonna be awesome. xD I hope your family is feeling better though, and I know what you mean by having a lot of schoolwork... I haven't started yet [for it's only 6:43 in the morning] but today I've got so many tests it isn't funny. ]]

Sam giggled upon hearing Edward call her by his last name. It sounded silly in the least and she realised that she would have to get used to it. "Please don't call me Samantha" the redhead said with a shiver, not exactly fond of her own name. "I don't know what my mother thought when she gave me that name." She startled herself by this remark. Usually she never spoke much of the past, but with Ed it felt different, she felt completely at ease with him.
Her brown eyes glanced at the beach were the first ones of the crew went ashore. Her usual pale complexion got slightly tanned and her amount of freckles seemed to have doubled after their long journey at sea. Slowly Sam's lips curled up in a smile, when she was caught by the usual feeling of sudden happiness when they approached land after a long trip at sea.
"Come on Ed, lets go!" Sam called out and in a quick pace she made her way over to the gangway.
The feeling of firm earth beneath her feeth was comforting and the openness of the beach was liberating. By taking in every detail of the lush landscape she accidentally caught a calculating glare; Vari's.
Sam had purposely avoided the woman, who'd once been one of her most intimate friends. But now, in her state of happiness and joy Sam couldn't keep herself from addressing her.
"Lighten up Pierce!" she cried out with a smile. "You have looked gloomy all journey! You didn't leave your good mood in Port Royal did ye?"


[ Ok, I have no time left for Norrie. But here's the post for Sam and I'll make sure I'll post for Norrie tommorow ]

_________________


O children, lift up your voice, lift up your voice,
Children, rejoice, rejoice..



It doesn't matter you don't believe in God, He believes in you.

_________________


Illuminate the way to my heart,
It's twisting on a thread
+ COME RAISE THE DEAD +

[[Wow, I had a <b>LOT</b> of fun with the Vari/Ed/Sam post… A lot of emotional trauma going on… not to mention this is a great opportunity to add some Jari in, PD… ]]

Vari shot a homicidal glare in Sam’s direction that had not gone unnoticed by the redhead. “Lighten up Pierce!” she cried out with a smile. “You have looked gloomy all journey! You didn’t leave your good mood in Port Royal did ye?” That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Vari’s face contorted into one of pure resentment, hands fisted and teeth clenched as she sprung at Sam, bringing the two of them onto the sandy beach. “For nigh two months I’ve put up with yer bilge, ye black-spotted, natterin’ wretch!” She yelled, digging sharp nails into the sides of Sam’s face. The two women wrestled on the ground, fighting for control, but in her fury Vari managed to keep the upper hand. Reaching backwards, the brunette unsheathed her dagger. One hand kept Sam’s head still by yanking her hair, and the other positioned the knife at the redhead’s throat. “Give me one bloody good reason why I shouldn’t slit yer neck!”

Edward’s face was frozen in pure shock as he watched Vari hold a knife to Sam’s throat. Before he knew what was happening, he found himself wrenching Vari away from Sam, coming face-to-face with her murderous eyes and the glittering blade. “What be wrong with ye?!” he screamed. “She’s not done anything to you and yer actin’ like she slaughtered yer mother!”

Vari felt herself going numb. Deep down, a long-forgotten grief washed over her. He had unknowingly reopened old wounds that had since healed closed. Varianna raised the dagger in her hand, readying herself to sheathe it in his chest, but her hand faltered, trembling. The blade fell from her palm as if by some unseen power. She dropped to her knees before him, doubled over and felt the beginnings of hot tears spilling down her cheeks, face concealed by her long hair.

Edward looked down at her with eyes devoid of sympathy before moving over to Sam and lifting her off the ground. “Come then,” he said, holding her close to him, “let us board this ship and have none of it! I am all but finished with this quest.” Ed headed back up the gangplank to board the <i>Duchess</i>, passing Joe and Lucette as he led Sam to the safety of his cabin. “Ye’d best go and check on yer little ‘companion’ down there,” Edward said coldly to Joe, whilst jerking a thumb in Vari’s direction. “Ya know, the two of ye truly are perfect fer each other - heartless, bitter and untrustworthy.” And with that, Edward disappeared below deck with Sam.

---------------------------------

Jack ran as fast as his legs could carry him, making leaps and bounds through the wooded area. After nearly being impaled by a bamboo spit and knocked unconscious by falling fruit, the only thing he wanted was to leave, and now might very well be his last chance. Bursting through the clearing, Jack ducked just as a spear sailed overhead, embedding itself in the bark of a wild tree. He turned sharply left, the beach now in full view as he reached the top of a hill. But he quickly found it to be a grave mistake as the tip of his boot became hooked on the end of a rock and he tripped, full body weight sending him flying forward. A noise between a yelp and a scream escaped his throat as he tumbled the rest of the way down the hill, through the trees and underbrush onto the beach. Glancing backwards, the cannibals seemed to have been gifted with godlike swiftness, quickly closing the gap between themselves and their prey. Picking himself up, Jack continued running, screaming and arms flailing like some sort of wild animal, the rest of the way down the beach…

---------------------------------

[[Gonna wait until Will posts before going on with the Beckett/Keyara/James plot. ]]

When Sam would later on reflect upon the whole situation she would conclude that Vari's reaction did not come as a big surprise, yet in the moment Sam was astonished when she was pushed to the ground by the brunette. It seemed that something had snapped within Vari for her hands scratched her face, in utter anger, leaving red traces over the Redhead's freckled face.

It took Sam a few moments to recover from the shock but then she started to struggle. Her attempts to throw Vari off her failed, just like her effort to get hold of her arms. "What is the matter with you, you dimwit!" Sam's feelings fluctuated within this small amount of time: from confusion to contempt which turned into anger at Vari's violent actions.

Suddenly Vari drew her dagger and held it close to her own throat. Sam stared deep into her hazel eyes, which contained so much hatred and wondered, only for a short moment, if she really did deserve this.
The feeling of the cold blade against her skin did not panic Sam. She answered Vari with such calmness that she almost scared herself.
"Do it... Did jealousy blind you so much that you can no longer recognise friends from enemies?" she hissed. "Did I not fight at your side for many years? Was I not there when you needed me? Didn't we almost die together when trying to save our ship?"
Sam's anger was almost tangible and her usual smiling face showed the same hatred as Vari's, disturbed as she was by this betrayal of her good friend.
"I call upon you to remember those days.. and do it!"

But whether Vari did make up her mind on this choice, Sam did not know for Edward dragged the brunette off her. She felt now relieved that the cold metal was no longer pressing on her throat and let herself be taken onto the Duchess again by Ed. What he had said to Vari, she could not recollect.
"I'm fine, Ed.." she muttered "I'm fine."

-----

"The Dead Man's Chest?" Norrington repeated with a contemptuous smile, which remained of his usual haughty behaviour. "Please don't tell me that you want us to go on a treasure hunt to find that mythical chest?" The ex-Commodore watched Beckett with a sceptical look. He had heard many tales of this Chest in his career yet no one had ever managed to obtain it.
"I see you do.." James sighed dryly, judging the quite serious expressions of the Lady and Beckett.
"And what's in for me?"

_________________


O children, lift up your voice, lift up your voice,
Children, rejoice, rejoice..



It doesn't matter you don't believe in God, He believes in you.

The sun beat down on the crew members' backs as they continued to run frantically, stumblingly down that seemingly endless stretch of beach. This was by far the worst rescue attempt to ever besmirch the pages of the history of pirates. Gibbs only prayed that those who would write that history had the decency enough to leave this entire chapter out because if he wasn't already dead he surely would be from mortification after that.

Gibbs continued to pull Christine through the surf and towards the Pearl. The mutton-chopped man did not even glance back at the woman, he was too intent on the ship as if the entire vessel might disappear if he looked away for a moment - it had happened before, he'd not be too surprised if it did again.

All this while he muttered under his breath about, "Stubborn wenches and their ridiculous ideals," however it was only in a moment of letting his bruising grip loosen that the redhead leaped from him and pointed wildly down the beach at a small, but growing and flailing speck.

"Mother's love," the man said, pausing while spluttering the words through heaving breaths. "It's Jack! Wave him down Chrissie!"

-----------------------------------

Christine pulled at Gibb's hand for what seemed like an eternity, all the while trying to impede his progress, firstly because she could run very well by herself - thank you very much. Secondly, she heard a very distinctive yelling behind her and further investigation - thank God her sight had yet to fail - revealed it to be their not so good hearted and trust worthy Captain.

The woman felt a bit of anger stir inside of her, followed by the overwhelming need to startle him by being the first one he saw - although, that would probably not work considering Jack, even if startled, never really gave himself away. But, it was worth a try and it would also mean that this entire plan had been worth the effort.

"It's Jack! It's Jack!" She yelled at Gibbs over the tide and cacophony of the crew's yelling. "Stop it you blundering oaf! I see him!"

She squirmed again and this time her hand was free. The woman was not stupid enough to run backwards and towards the ever closer tribe of cannibals, but she was tempted. It would just seem so selfless, her mind taunted, but common sense ruled her.

Instead she settled for making herself look like a fool. Her wild, unruly curls had been freed at some point from their usual braid and now bounce about freely as she waved her arms and shouted at the painted captain running at them.

"Captain!" She yelled, jumping up and down again in her excitement, her freckled hands now cupped around her mouth to try and get her voice heard. "We're over here!"

"We're over here, Jack! Hurry up lest we leave yah!" Gibbs had joined in now, apparently not quite settled on leaving Christine on her own again. The woman was a veritable beacon for trouble and he'd be dammed if he would be blamed for her misfortune again.

_________________
Heavens no. Hell Yeah.


Set 1: Nurr | Set 2: Me

[[*coughbumpcoughcough*]]

_________________


Illuminate the way to my heart,
It's twisting on a thread
+ COME RAISE THE DEAD +

[Bump for anyone! ]

_________________


O children, lift up your voice, lift up your voice,
Children, rejoice, rejoice..



It doesn't matter you don't believe in God, He believes in you.

_________________
Chase a couple hearts, we could leave 'em in shreds
Meet me in the gutter, make the devil your friend
Just remember what I said, cause it isn't over yet

Get.Lost.In.The.Dark.To.Find.Yourself
-sig by Loafers-

[jumping in, tell me if something isn't right...]

Aurora-Rose sat in the middle of the Duchess, her one hand wrapped idly around a bruised red apple while her other hand was tapping incessantly on the wooden planks of the top deck. She could care less about the goings around happening by her and instead focused on the rhythmic tapping of her fingers and the strangely waxy texture of the browning apple.

It had been a long time since she had seen Gabriel and yet here she sat, in the middle of a Pirate Ship completely lost in thought... and that made her angry.

The last thing she wanted right now was to be thinking about that man, but then again she was a slight masochist along with her sadist mentality. What a combination to have.

She had chased after him, she had teased and taunted him, and yet she couldn't forget him. Couldn't forget the fear in his eyes nor the feel of his throat beneath her fingers as it trembled.

Sighing she flopped backwards, arms flailed at either side of her as she stared up to the ever changing sky.

"This ship needs to get out onto the sea fast, otherwise I am going to go crazy..." She muttered, though anyone who cared to look at her right now would say she was already crazy.

======

Two months had passed and Gabriel was doing the same thing that he had been doing his entire life. Following his fathers footsteps, and he was doing this by following the other redcoats on their mission. Since he wasn't that high of an officer he didn't know much of what was going on, all he knew was that it was a secretive journey laid out by Beckett and so it was practically law.

He had no time these days to think about the past two months, and that was probably for the best. Who knew what his mind would conjure up if he had the time to think.

_________________

The waves that C R A S H E D upon
The R O C K S that you were trying to step along

And in my head I heard them play a S O N G

[ *waits very patiently for Ara to post * ]

_________________


O children, lift up your voice, lift up your voice,
Children, rejoice, rejoice..



It doesn't matter you don't believe in God, He believes in you.

The next few minutes passed by in a blur; the sounds of Jack screaming, the foreign tongue of the cannibals, the sights and sounds of the sea splashing against the <i>Duchess</i> - all were lost in a mix of colors and chaos that seemed to have no end. “Oi… no, no, wait!” Jack screamed, the words forming on his lips before he had time to think them through. He ran, stumbling, into the tide, arms still flailing as the <i>Black Pearl</i> rapidly began drifting away from the beach. Right now all that mattered was escaping, whether his actions made sense or not. Jack leaped through the water and managed to grasp a rope ladder on the hull of the ship, crawling up and clinging to it like a spider monkey. “Alas, my children, you will always remember this as the day you almost…” He was quickly drowned out by a violent wave of water crashing into him, leaving him soaked and sputtering. “…Captain Jack Sparrow…” he muttered before hoisting himself the rest of the way up and onto the dry deck. Kohl-rimmed eyes quickly fell upon Christine and Jack felt his muscles become taut. He quickly turned his back to her, only to come face-to-face with Will. “Ah. William,” Jack said calmly, albeit a strange expression was scrawled about his features. He raised his index finger and jabbed Will in the ribcage as if confirming the man’s authenticity. “So it is you, then,” he muttered, pursing his lips thoughtfully and squinting in the dazzling sunlight. After a few moments, he finally spoke his thoughts aloud; utter nonsense not even a madman would understand. “Not some… trick of the eye, convoluted hallucination… terrible, camouflaged behemoth, land… make port? She’ll know what to do. Hmm….”

------------------------------

As soon as Ed set foot below deck, he swung around and punched the wooden beam behind him, his frustration leaking out in growls and vulgar curses. He was well aware of the fact that Cole and Carmon stood not a foot away, but anger had blinded him and now… now he was taking his frustration out on an inanimate object. This entire situation was ridiculous and the fact that he was letting it get to him made Edward feel as though he’d truly been defeated. Slowly, he twisted about to look his red-haired lover over and grimaced at the sight. Her hair was wildly tousled and long, red welts were forming upon her left cheek, no doubt from where Vari had embedded her nails in Sam’s tanned skin. There were small rips and tears in her clothes but otherwise she had escaped unharmed - thank God. Edward shook his head in relief and sighed. “We’re fine… for the most part.” Eager to change the subject (although he knew well that Cole would ask about it at a later time in private company) he glanced at the pale-faced Carmon; “How are ye feeling, Carms? Ye really should be restin’…”

------------------------------

Before she knew what was happening, Vari’s hand was firmly clasped with Joe’s as Lucette pulled them both along the beach and onto the deck of the <i>Pearl</i>. Her eyes burned from sand and sun and tears and the spray of the sea, but she would not let go of Joe if her life depended on it. He was Vari’s unwilling blanket of comfort as her mind spun in circles she could not comprehend. Images formed words and words formed sentences as the reality of the situation crashed into her. <i>Did jealousy blind you so much that you can no longer recognise friends from enemies? What’re ye cryin’ for, Var? She’s not done anything to you and yer actin’ like she slaughtered yer mother! He’s nothing’ but a arrogant fool. Aint worth the tears. Aint worth nothing. Didn’t we almost die together when trying to save our ship? What be wrong with ye?! </i> Fresh tears streamed down her face - it was all she could do other than cling to Joe helplessly. Her voice had almost completely escaped her, the only word coming out in two cracked syllables, “Kerringston…”

------------------------------

With ghostly silence, Tia Dalma appeared in the shadow of the door frame. The orange glow of candlelight flickered upon her dark skin, features full of understanding as she slowly approached Andrea and knelt down to place a hand upon her shoulder. “I am doin’ everyt’in in my powah to bring ’im back, my child,” she murmured reassuringly, attempting to make eye contact with the blonde who only resisted her gaze. Tia drew herself up to full height and moved along the side of the bed that embraced Hector’s body. Reaching out, she pressed a warm palm to his forehead and closed her eyes and whispered in a language long unspoken. Deep down she could feel a slight response welling in the Captain’s body, but said nothing; she did not want to get Andrea’s hopes up only to have them crumble into ruin.

------------------------------

Keyara looked from Beckett to James as the proposition was laid out for the unkempt man. With the state he was in, he’d be utterly insane not to accept Lord Beckett’s offer. Both the Lord and Lady waited in patience for his decision, but the long silence was making causing Keyara to become unnerved. She softly hummed a tune she’d picked up during her days as a seamstress’s apprentice and smoothed out the wrinkles in her green gown.

[so to clarify are we on the pearl or the duchess?]

_________________

The waves that C R A S H E D upon
The R O C K S that you were trying to step along

And in my head I heard them play a S O N G