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Post by Emma Hawkins/Rick MacKinnon on Dec 25, 2005 14:01:47 GMT -5
(Sorry I'm late!It was Christmas eve,and my mom's an organist,so I had things to do...;_; )
The Pearl rocked gently as she swept across the waves, headed towards her target. It was easy to get lost in meandering, gold-tinged dreams at sea, and one such dream was dancing through the mind of one Emma Hawkins,age 23.
Emma was stretched out in her hammock, one leg from the knee down hanging over the edge and her arms stretched above her head. Her eyes were closed in repose,and her long, dark auburn hair splayed out across her pillow haphazardly.
"'S....mmmh...good rum..."
All of a sudden,there was a loud thump,followed almost immediately by a bunch of shouting.Emma sat up immediately,grabbing her sword from beside the hammock as she did, but in a moment the panick passed; it was only Saber and Kat, quarreling as usual. The young woman sighed,rubbing her head. Well...she was awake now, much as she didn't want to be. She may as well head out to face the day.
Besides, she thought as she slipped out of the hammock and pulled her boots on, perhaps they'd catch up with their quarry today. The prospect of a good fight and a good drink afterwards was always enough to make getting out of bed seem worthwhile for Emma.
Rick's eyes slid lazily open as Emma's hammock creaked.He glanced over at the other side of the room without doing anything involving so much effort as moving his head. The redhead was awake, it seemed, and getting ready to go out. He watched quietly as she pulled on her boots,slipped knives into her boots and sleeves, belted her sword and pistols to her waist, and combed a few of the tangles from her waist-length hair. She hadn't noticed him yet, so he decided to just keep quiet for a little while. Emma put her earrings in, one a plain silver hoop and the other a small cascade of sapphires set in gold, and put on her bandanna. She looked as though she was going to leave, and then paused and looked straight at him.
"Good mornin',Rick,"she half-whispered,the teasing note ever present in her voice. But there was real affection there, and he knew it as well as she did.
"Mornin',Em.Sleep well?"
She smiled, just a slight curve of the lips set in her sun tanned face."Aye,up until Kat and Saber started their shoutin'. Planning on gettin' out of bed at all today?"
Rick shrugged,sitting up halfway."Unless there's a chance o' gettin' ya t'join me?Nah."He dodged the inevitable object being thrown at him-it was,he noted,a flowerpot this morning,which struck him as odd,since he hadn't known they owned one-and smiled up at Emma charmingly,then got up and began getting his effects together as the younger woman walked out of the door.
Emma's boots clumped along the sturdy wooden floors as she headed up to the deck, glancing up to see what time it was. She went to the rail,leaning across slightly to see how far they were from their target,then nodded in satisfaction.There was just one thing missing.
Where in the bleeding hell were her crewmates?
They didn't take long to find,though.As Emma peeked into the crowded galley,she smiled knowingly.
"Ought t'have known I'd find ya all in here...Everyone doin' well,then?"she asked,pulling up a stool and resting her feet on the table,showing care not to hit any hands,food,or God forbid, full mugs. Then she smiled up at Kat,inclining her head slightly."Thanks f'r wakin' me,lass,I would've slept all mornin' without ya screamin' like that..."
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Post by Captain Morgan Barbossa on Dec 25, 2005 22:44:16 GMT -5
(OOC: I'm sorry for being late as well. I haven't been online for two days, what with the holidays and all.... Oh, well, here I go ^^)
::A cool breeze blew in through the partially opened window of the room, a sign that, even with the ever-present humidity of the Caribbean Islands, signaled the fast approach of Winter::
::Barbossa swore under his breath for the thousandth time that day. He stalked over to the window, slammed it shut, and threw its small latch to secure it before lumbering back over to the rickety chair by the bed. Once seated, he finally removed his large feather hat and tossed it aside, then reached up to massage his temples. This had not been a good week::
"Damn it all t'the depths...!" he shouted, bringing his flat palm down on the desk beside him. "If it weren' fer that traitorous scoundrel, we'd be 'alfway t' Africa by now!"
::He turned to the other figure in the room, a sour expression on his face:: "I swear it, Chris.... I'll make that bastard pay fer this. No one steals from Morgan Barbossa!" ::He brought his hand down again, filling the small inn room with a terrifying clap. Then he fell silent::
::The Great Captain had been like this for six days, ever since that sudden raid by another band of pirates had left him with only a quarter of a ship full of treasure. What had that man called himself? Seurill? It was an unusual name, and yet Barbossa had never heard of him until that night. In fact, it seemed no one in the Caribbean knew of him, as Bossa and his companion, Christiana, had been scowering every Inn and tavern on the Islands in hope of news. Their fruitless search had thus far led them only back to where they started: Tortuga::
"...We'll try aga'n tomorrow. Fer now, I'm gettin' some sleep." ::With that, Barbossa blew out the candle on the desk, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes::
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Christiana O'Riley
New Citizen/New Sailor
Everyone has secrets...can you guess mine?
Posts: 33
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Post by Christiana O'Riley on Dec 25, 2005 23:01:32 GMT -5
Christiana's eyes narrowed slightly with worry, the early moonlight glinting from the hazel orbs as they remained fixed on Barbossa. The man was going to worry himself to death at this rate,and probably would have done so already if she hadn't been there to help him...
She had joined Barbossa as a member of his crew a few months ago, after failing miserably in an attempt to assassinate him. A failure like that wouldn't have done in her old line of business,anyway. No one would have hired her, so she had the choice between killing the man and choosing a new profession.
Assassinations were getting old,anyway.Men were so predictable...There was no challenge.Piracy,on the other hand....Piracy was interesting. It was somewhat difficult for her,really...she wasn't accustomed to sailing,or to fighting. Keeping away from the authorities was the easy part,or rather,keeping them in the dark.Sway your hips just the right way when you walk,cast them a casual wink,and they'll have no idea that you're sailing away on their ship,or for that matter that you just left their commanding officer dead in the alley you're swaying your way out of.
Gathering information, in all previous cases,hadn't been too difficult,either.People were always eager to talk to the pretty,charismatic blonde,and would say things without even thinking about what they'd promised their mates not to say.But this case was just being...stubborn.
For almost a week, she'd been chatting up every pub on the whole damned island, trying to bribe her old contacts,doing anything she could,and getting nothing!It was starting to get to her as well,really.But Christiana never gave up.If you give up,you lose.
"Going to sleep in the chair?"She asked quietly,her smile evident just from the sound of her voice.Slim arms wrapped around Barbossa's shoulders from behind,and a pair of delicate lips pressed to his temple."Go to bed,Barbossa.I'm going out to see if there's anything more I can do...I'll be back in an hour,all right?"She stretched a little bit,then grabbed her shawl from on top of the ragged desk and headed for the door.
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Post by Captain Morgan Barbossa on Dec 25, 2005 23:45:38 GMT -5
::Barbossa, eyes still closed, felt a weak smile grace his features as Christiana kissed him. It was a simple gesture, and yet somehow it always seemed to calm him when he got like this::
::Christiana was unlike any other women he'd ever met. She was undoubtedly beautiful, and what's more she knew it. But she was also very intelligent, using every resource in her power to get her way. She'd shown that the first night theyd met, when she convinced -- or more like seduced -- Barbossa to walk right into her trap. Despite her initial attempts to kill him, she'd become an invaluable part of his crew...as well as an invaluable friend::
::Before she stepped away, Barbossa reached up to pat her hand resting on his shoulder:: "..Be careful, Chris." ::He cracked an eye open as she began to walk toward the door, unable to resist the almost hypnotic sway of her hips. Once she was gone, he got out of the chair, removed his heavy coat, and fell into bed::
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Post by Evelyn on Dec 26, 2005 0:02:19 GMT -5
Evelyn's eyes stared off at the merchant ship and her brows furrowed. "And ye know...." she began directing her hand to rest upon the her pistol. But she paused and stared down as she noticed the pistol wasn't with her at all! "Bloody 'ell, be right back you two." She said excusing herself and leaping from third step to the deck. Her feet landed with a dull thud. " 'Ave ta have my effects!" she called over her shoulder. It was all a bit fishy but she supposed, like she had stated previously that it really would not make much of a difference really except for the fact that they would not be able to catch them off gaurd and by surprise like she wagered was best for them to do.
Frankly, they were not sure how many people were on board that merchant ship and that's the only thing that worried her. Not really for the rest of the crew but because that meant she'd practically have to divide her attention between her immediate danger and someone else's. She passed the rather busy galley along the way and peered in noting Emma had gotten up. She smirked and made a mental note to say good morning to the auburn haired lass when she passed by once again.
Turning the handle to the cabin swiftly, she stood in the doorway a bit stunned. It was almsot as if she had forgotten about him completely during the confusion of the recent events. She stood there for a second, snorted, and then stormed towards the chest at the end of their bed, popping the lid open and digging through it ravenously. Taking the pistol from the bottom of the chest, she stuffed it securely in the folds of her crimson sash, taking a few moments to make sure it was in a comfortable position, ready to be taken at a moment's notice, though by now Evelyn had that sort of thing come rather naturally as she had been doing this sort of thing for years now.
"Bloody 'ell..." she muttered to herself, nearly burying herself inside the chest as she dug around for her cutlass. Looking up at Eric, she still felt a pang of anger and hissed, "What are ye lookin' at? I suggest ye get yerself ready, we should be reachin' them soon enough...gah!" Instantly, she retracted her hand from the depths of the chest. Her hand had been brushing against the bottom of the chest quite feverishly and her words distracted her from noting that she had found the blade and so she had pricked her finger upon its pointy end. "Damnit..." she cursed, putting the finger to her mouth and biting down on it.
Taking the blade , she single handedly tucked it beneath her sash on her left side. Her other small dagger with leather sheath, she found quickly, and angrily shoved into her boot. Her eyes had been averting Eric since the pricked finger now, and she headed out of the cabin with her finger pulsating only slightly.
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Post by Eric Jackson on Dec 26, 2005 0:25:40 GMT -5
*As he made his way towards the cabin he passed a freshly woken Emma and gave her a smile and a slight wave, yet eyeing her with just as much suspicion as the other women in the galley. Maybe he was just being paranoid but he couldn't help it and didn't know how many of the women (or men for that matter) were in on the whole Tortuga Eric Test Subject thing! Muttering beneath his breath and weaving his fingers through his tossled blonde locks he wandered into the cabin, shutting the door behind him.
Just as he knelt down beside the bed to retrieve his things Evelyn came bursting in and by the look on her face, had been surprised to see him. His only reaction to the look was to snort and eye her as she went over to the chest. She was clearly still upset with him and he rolled his eyes towards the ceiling, groaned, and sat back on his heels. When she suggested he get ready he gave her a look like she was an idiot.* Thats what I came in here before. Believe it or not, Evelyn, sometimes I can take care of myself. *He grumbled, laying down on his stomach and sliding himself halfway under the bed.
He always kept his things under there, having always done it as his house in Port Royal he figured he only did it now out of habit. Especially since they had a chest at the end of the bed. While he was underneath it he grinned mischeviously, glancing in her direction.* I might be too big to reach my things, you should come under here and get 'em for me *He stated, saying it only because he knew she was scared of small spaces, something that had always been a curiosity for him.
Snatching his pistol and short sword he slid back out, slipped them through his belt, and dusted off the front of his pants.* I can't believe you're still upset about that candle. God you can really hold a grudge you know that! Not to mention- *He began, stopping when he glanced up and noticed her walking out holding her finger which seemed to be bleeding. His demenor changed quickly and he trotted after her. He wasn't concerned as it was hardly a scratch but still interested none the less.* Give me your finger so I can wrap something around it. It could get infected if you dont wrap it up before attacking that ship you know. *He stated, pulling a worn handkerchief from his pocket and tearing a piece off.
As he did so he remembered suddenly that there had been some kind of disturbance with the ship and his brow furrowed a little.* What did you find out about that ship anyways? Is something wrong with it? *He questioned, motioning for Evy to give him her hand so he could wrap the pricked finger.*
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Post by Evelyn on Dec 26, 2005 0:53:17 GMT -5
Evelyn had continued on her way down the hall ignoring the comments Eric had made before she was stopped. When he spoke she arched a brow. "You're jokin', right?" she said, crossing her arms across her chest. She rolled her eyes at him as he began tearing a piece of his handkerchief off. "Ah....no....don' do that, honestly Eric, I'll live." She groaned. She despiesed it when he babied her in this manner. This was absolutely no need for it and he should know.
"I've been shot before Eric an' I was fine! I doubt a small cut from my own bloody blade's goin' to..." she said and pulled her finger towards her, holding it to her chest with her other hand in protection from his doctoring. "And about the ship...? Well...apparently its....NO!" she barked as he motioned once more for her to hand the finger over. "I'll be fine ye idiot!" She huffed, marching past the galley, almost passing by without a word to anyone and stopped herself dead in her tracks. "Damnit..."
She backtracked, grinned, and waved her hand. "Morning Em. Good to see ye up. Looks like we'll be meeting with the Margarita soon." She said briskly until she noticed the dull thumping heartbeat that went on in her index finger. Several drops of blood had fallen to the floor and she brought it back up. Snatching the piece of material Eric had in his hand she began bandaging the finger herself as she headed up the steps.
"And there's nothin' wrong with it...other than, well its Spanish." She remarked with a certain amount of disdain. It was widely known Evelyn wasn't too fond of the Spanish in general, though few knew of the particular reason why. "Just...well I noticed its heading in a different direction than before which if I'm right, could mean that they're suspicious and just means we'll have to ambush the ship without the element of surprise." Evelyn continued though all this information came out rather mechanically as she was still rather caught up with tending to her wounded finger.
She stopped midway towards the bridge where Tobbsy and Kat were still standing. "Hmm...and you know have I taught you any of the finer points in fighting with that thing?" she queried, nodding towards his short sword. "Because you know, its not as if you can rely on your fists all the time." she scolded with a brief disapproving glance.
In reality, Evelyn had been hoping Eric would catch onto a few of the things Jack did with a sword in hand. He and a few others on the ship were really very good with a blade and Eric really couldn't expect to end up meeting his enemies in such close quarters that he'd have the chance to pummel them into oblivion. "And besides, you know beating a man to a pulp takes way too much energy out of you, ye know. And I'm not always goin' to be there to protect you."
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Post by Saber & Kat Tompson on Dec 26, 2005 1:53:34 GMT -5
(ooc - omg... Christina is moving in on Saber's man... *cackles and falls over* although at this point Saber still hates Barbossa. A few quick ooc notes, Cate is 7 at this point so she will not be joining, and Saber doesnt even know that she is still alive at this point. So dont mention her. And Saber does not yet drink. lol Oh and Emma dear, Kat wasnt in the galley. She was up on deck... but I'll fix all that.)
Kat had slowly, deliberately, and unwillingly headed to the galley. Even she couldn't resist the smell of food in the morning. Also she had seen Emma make her way there and wanted to say good morning. Just as she entered Emma looked up at her and thanks her for the wake up call. Kat's eyes flashed. "I'll have you know that I was not screaming! And if anyone at all was causing everyone to wake up it was that little rodent sitting across the table from you! Kat grabbed a bottle of rum from the shelf and stormed out of the galley. She retreated to her "spot" once again and sat there grumbling to herself.
Saber looked away from Ian and looked apologetically at Emma. "Dont worry, she'll come around... after she's had a good drink... or two... or three. You know shes not much of a morning person. Not that i could exactly say that that for any of us. Saber went back to her meal and waited with curiosity to see if Ian would answer her question.
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Post by Emma Hawkins/Rick MacKinnon on Dec 26, 2005 22:11:19 GMT -5
(Well everyone else bloody seemed to be in the galley...XP Thank you,Saberness,for being wonderfully understanding as always when I act like a total newbie...)
Emma's eyebrows raised slightly as Kat stormed off again, and she stifled a laugh as she looked over at Saber."Aye,Saber,I know...An' what kinda hypocrite would I be if I expected people to be in a good mood before a few drinks anyways,eh?"She smiled again,stretching a little without lifting her feet from their spot on the table. Her hand easily found the flask at her side, and within moments, she too was deeply into her morning battle with her hangover pains.
Rick remained in their cabin a while longer, some ill-respected part of his brain clinging to the hope that today, just maybe, would be the day he could get his damned hair to cooperate.
It wasn't, of course.But hope does spring eternal... The Scot sighed,giving up and grabbing a short length of ribbon from the desk to tie the mess back with. Emma might think his sloppy appearance was endearing,for some odd reason, but he couldn't have hated it more.
There weren't that many people on deck, which was strange. Emma usually came up there immediately,but she must have taken it into her head to do something else this morning,which was fine with him as well. Yawning a little bit,and stretching out just to hear his joints pop,he walked over to the railing and leaned against it.His eyes focused immediately on the Margarita, minute in the distance for now,but slowly growing closer.
So.Today,then.
Today would be interesting...
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Post by Eric Jackson on Dec 26, 2005 23:18:04 GMT -5
*Eric wasn't joking about bandaging her finger and so he said nothing in regards to her comment. He didn't know why it was so hard for her to accept his help sometimes, even if it was in the smallest degree! As she refused his help again and started to storm off he groaned, tip his head back to stare at the ceiling, rolled his eyes, and started following her again.
When she stopped suddenly to greet Emma he damn near ran into her, stopping just as he bumped into her slightly. He had been about to scold her for stopping so quickly when she suddenly snatched the piece of torn cloth from his hand and wrapped her finger with it. He grinned suddenly and cocked a brow in an "I told you so" manner, but said nothing.
As they continued up on deck Eric glanced down at the short sword at his side and gave a bit of a shrug. She'd tried to teach him things, and he tried to learn but he honestly just couldn't get the hang of it. When the others sword fought it looked like an art form, when Eric did it he looked like he was a blind man with no brain. When she said he couldn't rely on his fists all the time he frowned.* Why not? I use them all the time and I'm not dead yet. Besides I use the sword and pistol too. *He said deffensivley.
He was damn good with his brawling skills, so he figured he should put them to use. He only ever used the sword and pistol long enough to finally be able to use his fists. It was the only weapon he had mastered so far.* We all have things that work against us in a fight. Mine is my sword skills and yours is...well...lets face it you're not exactly the tallest person in the world. *He grinned, snorting when she said she wouldn't always be there to protect him.
Making his way to the railing he leaned against it, gazing out at the ship ahead with anticipation. So it had changed course then. Their surprise element had probably been lost, he only hoped the other ship didn't have strength in numbers!*
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Aaron Fletcher
New Citizen/New Sailor
"Love and War... Preferably make lots of both."
Posts: 36
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Post by Aaron Fletcher on Dec 26, 2005 23:21:16 GMT -5
Aaron was sitting just a few feet from the door to Barbossa's room. A girl of about 15 lay asleep next to him with her head on his chest. He stroked her hair and smiled as he thought about how he was going to break it to her, that he really didnt love her. It would have to be simple, smooth and elegant, but also forceful. Just then Chris left Barbossa's room. Aaron looked up. "Where the bloody heck are you off to? Going to a tavern? I need something to drink, before I tell this one off." He tillted his head in the direction of the girl. His white hair fell in his face and he brushed it back and smiled sinisterly at Christina. This is what he did, and he enjoyed it to no end.
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Post by Captain Morgan Barbossa on Dec 26, 2005 23:21:40 GMT -5
::Barbossa rolled onto his side, breathing a sigh as he stared at the moon through the grimy window. There was a time when he'd feared that strange pale orb.... And then come to covet it as a source of power. But those days were long over, thanks to Sparrow::
::Just the thought of his enemy sent another wave of rage through him. He hadn't been able to sleep after all, even once Christiana had gone. He'd tossed and turned on the bed, thinking back to the night his ship was robbed...and again cursing the name of the bastard that had done it::
"Seurill...," ::he whispered into the thick air. A name he'd never forget, even after the man lay dead at his feet. Anyone foolish enough to attempt to steal from him -- and succeed, even! -- was not someone to be taken lightly. He'd do whatever it took to chase Seurill down.... But as his anger rose, he began to wonder if killing the man would really be enough. After all, it wasn't just mere treasure he'd taken....::
::Barbossa had searched the slim remains of his treasure once he and his crew had fended the raiders off, but it wasn't there. They'd taken it...the statue....::
::He growled dangerously, and again turned onto his back. He wanted Christiana there; just her presense always helped to calm him down. And maybe tonight, they could finally....::
::No. There was no need for such thoughts. Chris was a good friend, nothing more. And especially after their first encounter so many months ago, Bossa wasn't really sure he wanted to make himself so vulnerable again. Not that he didn't trust her, but.... Well, some things never really change::
::Sighing again, Barbossa sat up on the mattress and stared around the room. Maybe he should go out as well.... He certainly wasn't getting any closer to Seurill just sitting around....::
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Post by Evelyn on Dec 26, 2005 23:33:35 GMT -5
She eyed her bandaged finger as Eric continued to speak to her. She caught various words and rolled her eyes yet again. He was being ridiculous of course. He just couldn't seem to accept that he needed more practice with that blade, and frankly, Evelyn was worried. She herself never rested on her laurels. Even being out here for so many years now, there's not telling what the enemy might bring and she was aware of that.
When he commented about her height working against her though, she gasped in sheer shock and her mouth hung agape as he walked away. "Ye know Eric, I wouldn' necessarily call my height a disadvantage." She said walking towards him with her arms crossed. She leaned her hip against the railing and staring at him. "If anything...I....I would think its a damned good thing!" she retorted, staring out at the seas. "In fact, ye know it is! It makes it harder for all those other bastards to decapitate me!" She said heatedly. "If we were all freakishly tall as yourself, then we'd all be in big trouble that's certain."
There was no use arguing with him really. It was the age old topic that had been beaten to death many times before.
Evelyn was much shorter than Eric ( a full head as the top of her forehead only brushed the end of Eric's chin) and he never allowed her to forget it. It was one of the only things they could argue about that Eric could win with. 'Who cares, I'm taller than you!' was how he would settle a losing battle and it worked because Evelyn rarely had a way to get around that. Today, she did.
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Christiana O'Riley
New Citizen/New Sailor
Everyone has secrets...can you guess mine?
Posts: 33
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Post by Christiana O'Riley on Dec 26, 2005 23:38:44 GMT -5
Christiana closed the door carefully behind her,listening for a moment for the sound of Barbossa getting into bed.She smiled wryly...Honestly,she wondered how he'd survived this long on his own.
Her eyes were drawn as she started to leave to Aaron,sitting down with some young girl curled up against him.Christiana felt a frankly unusual twinge of pity.The part of how he treated women that bothered her,she decided,was not the fact of how many he seemed to go through even on a weekly basis.It was that,while most men seemed to hurt women out of stupidity or self-centeredness, Aaron took some sort of pleasure from it. Still,she hadn't room to be preachy.She smiled at him as she walked towards the exit.
"Aye,I'm going to go see if I can find out anything about that Seurill fellow...coming along?"
She walked on,knowing by the footsteps that started a moment later he was following her. Her feet carried her through the crowded,dirty city streets without needing guidance from her mind-Tortuga was her home,and always had been. The auto-pilot was set for the nearest bar she hadn't already tried chatting up in the last day,and as she walked she sighed a little.
"So,Aaron...out of an almost morbid,fascinated curiosity,do you even know that poor child's name?"She asked,by way of conversation.
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Aaron Fletcher
New Citizen/New Sailor
"Love and War... Preferably make lots of both."
Posts: 36
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Post by Aaron Fletcher on Dec 26, 2005 23:51:09 GMT -5
Aaron carefully extracted himself from the girl and began to follow Christina. He soon caought up with her and walked a little behind. "Name? I think its Laura or something." he paused for a minute and just watched Christina move. He would have like to gotten to know her, but Barbossa, knowing his hobby, had forbade him to have anything to do with her. He sighed and walked on. "Shes kinda cute, but I don't know. I've seen better." He said stealing a glance at her hips. They walked in scilence for a while. "Sooo..." he began, trying to get back into conversation mode "Have you picked up anything on this Seurill person?"
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